Fly line management off a skiff means keeping the sixty to eighty feet of line waiting in the boat in a neat, stretched, orderly pile so that when your one shot comes, the line shoots out clean instead of tangling, blowing overboard, or wrapping your foot. In my opinion it is the single most important thing in fly fishing, more important than your cast. I have watched mediocre casters with great line skills outfish beautiful casters with sloppy line every time. In this How 2 Tuesday I break down exactly how to manage your line in a skiff.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
Fly line management, not casting. I have seen really good casters with poor line skills get outfished by mediocre casters who manage their line well. Line management means the sixty, seventy, or eighty feet of line waiting in the boat sits in a neat, orderly pile so that when you cast it does not tangle, the wind does not blow it overboard, and it does not wrap a foot or the push pole holder. On many days you may get only one quality shot, so the discipline to keep your line ready is what actually puts fish in the boat.
Stand on the deck with the rod rigged, the fly hooked on a guide, and the line reeled tight, then strip off all the line you will need at once, about seventy feet, since most anglers cast comfortably around sixty and you never want to snap tight to the reel. That line belongs in the cockpit or a stripping basket, not loose on the deck. Because the line you pulled off last sits on top, you then reverse, or restrip, the pile so the line that will shoot out first is on top and ready.
Because a stretched fly line, no matter the brand, tangles far less, and far fewer tangles turns into far more fish. As you reverse the line into a neat pile, you stretch it at the same time: grab a length, pull with your right arm and out with your left almost to your wingspan, give it one easy stretch, lay it carefully into the pile, then take another few feet and repeat down to where the leader meets the fly line. You knock out two jobs at once, organizing and stretching, and a cleaner, stretched line also casts better.
In the cockpit, on your lee side, away from your feet, so you always know exactly where it is. If the wind blows it into your leg, step over it so it is on the other side, with a left-hand wind keep it on your right, a right-hand wind on your left. The line should never live on the deck. You want about a rod and a half of line outside the tip plus the leader, with the loop forming just past the console so you stay clear of the guide and his push pole.
You do not practice cast on the flat. All your casting practice should happen before the trip. Every time you make a cast you are not ready for the real shot, and the real shot often comes right when you have just made a long cast and are stripping in, when the permit or tarpon suddenly appears and you are not ready. Small barracuda on the flats can also snip your fly or shock tippet on a needless cast. Stay disciplined, cast only at real opportunities, and keep your line in a ready pile.
Absolutely. If you can keep your line ready in a neat pile and you can only cast fifty feet, you will catch more fish than the guy who can throw a hundred feet but cannot keep his line straight. The lack of discipline in line management will turn a great caster into a poor fly angler, and good line management will turn a mediocre caster into a great one. That is exactly why I say this is the single most important skill in fly fishing off a skiff.
Here are the steps I walk through. I cover the details and reasoning behind each one in the episode.
I unpack each of these in the episode. Press play in the player above.
This is a big statement, but I believe it: your ability to cast is not the most important thing in fly fishing for these fish. I have seen really good casters with a bad line skill set get beaten by mediocre casters with great line management, over and over. No matter what Instagram says, there are days you get one quality shot, and you have to maximize it. I explain why in the episode, so press play in the player above.
When you strip line off the reel, the line that goes out first ends up on the bottom of the pile, which is the opposite of what you want. So you reverse it, and you stretch it at the same time, two birds with one stone. A stretched line tangles far less, and fewer tangles means more fish. I walk through the exact hand motion in the episode, so press play in the player above.
The worst habit is feeling like you have to practice cast once your line is ready. That should have happened before the trip. Every cast is a moment you are not ready for the real shot, which usually shows up right when you are stripping in from a long cast. I get into how I stay disciplined in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Keep asking yourself the same questions: is my line in a neat pile, did the wind move it, did I step on it? If anything is off, reverse it, build a fresh pile, and get ready.
A clean, stretched line in a ready pile will make a mediocre caster a great fly angler. If you disagree, email me at podcast@saltwaterexperience.com. Press play in the player above.
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
fly line management · skiff fly fishing · stripping basket · line stretching · permit · tarpon · bonefish · push pole · barracuda · Saltwater Experience · How 2 Tuesday
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast's How 2 Tuesday series I break down one practical skill or lesson at a time, from fishing technique and gear to the habits that make you a better angler, in short, focused episodes you can put to use right away.
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