10-31-2008, 01:19 AM
>In one episode he was battling a huge salmon in a fast current. He put his left hand "IN FRONT" of the cork handle for leverage. The rod snapped right in front of his hand. Got to remember to let the rod do the work. <
That's a fairly common technique with salt-water fishermen. Heck, I used it myself, on the only permit I've ever caught. And I've held Atlantic salmon by the blank, with the butt laid against my arm, while trying to simultaneously take pictures and play the fish.
It's also one of the reasons Tom Morgan, when he was running Winston, told me manufacturers have a love/hate affair with salt water flyfishing.
On one hand, it's a great (and still growing) market. But, due to the techniques anglers use on the briney---particularly the pump & lift---you're going to get the rod back for repair or replacement sooner or later. Fly rods just aren't designed for the kinds of strain salt water fishing often subjects them too.
Still and all, I believe there was more to Mills' breakage than just holding the rod by the blank. I've done that all sorts of times, with everything from fly rods to big game rods, and never came close to breaking one. But, if there were even a slight scratch across the blank, it could have made enough difference. Enouth extra strain gets put on the fault, and poof!
Bass fishermen are notorious for breaking rods while fighting a fish. But the usual culprit is the banging on the gunwales they did with the rod before that big fish hit.
Brook
[url "http://www.the-outdoor-sports-advisor.com"]http://www.the-outdoor-sports-advisor.com[/url]
[signature]
That's a fairly common technique with salt-water fishermen. Heck, I used it myself, on the only permit I've ever caught. And I've held Atlantic salmon by the blank, with the butt laid against my arm, while trying to simultaneously take pictures and play the fish.
It's also one of the reasons Tom Morgan, when he was running Winston, told me manufacturers have a love/hate affair with salt water flyfishing.
On one hand, it's a great (and still growing) market. But, due to the techniques anglers use on the briney---particularly the pump & lift---you're going to get the rod back for repair or replacement sooner or later. Fly rods just aren't designed for the kinds of strain salt water fishing often subjects them too.
Still and all, I believe there was more to Mills' breakage than just holding the rod by the blank. I've done that all sorts of times, with everything from fly rods to big game rods, and never came close to breaking one. But, if there were even a slight scratch across the blank, it could have made enough difference. Enouth extra strain gets put on the fault, and poof!
Bass fishermen are notorious for breaking rods while fighting a fish. But the usual culprit is the banging on the gunwales they did with the rod before that big fish hit.
Brook
[url "http://www.the-outdoor-sports-advisor.com"]http://www.the-outdoor-sports-advisor.com[/url]
[signature]