|
After the big fish has cruised the depths for a minute or two, tighten up gradually, playing him softly and gently. What happens? The great fish continues to swim back and forth in the deep water, unexcited, but yet wearing himself down. Then, as the fish slows, pour more strength into the battle. And then, finally, when he comes exhausted to the top, that's the time to give him just a little more pressure to lift his upper jaw as far out of the water as his great size will permit. While doing so, never fear, that wonderful slip-drag clutch will not allow you to overtax the strength of your line, providing that the line has not been weakened during the fight. It's toward the end of the fight, when the battle goes into its final rounds, that the pressure must be maintained, because by then the hook may have worn a hole in the jaw and a slack line might let the hook drop out, the barb notwithstanding. Of course the logical question is: But won't a slack line let the fish throw his hook? Let's save that one until we've had a chance to discuss big hooks. There is such a thing, of course, as getting down to too small a hook for your big fish, but I've yet to see the angler who errs in this direction. The usual fault is to fish with treble hooks or with hooks which are much too large.
|
