Something to think about next time your releasing a fish!

[Sasha]

No commando tactics here, and it's why I put the disclaimer. To be able to discuss sensitive issues, is one of the many reasons we are here on this board. There are always a few sacred cow issues, and that's one of them. As for a few of the others, we have beat them to death already. Please don't take my comments as an attack, but take them as things that are part of that discussion.

Bill

Oh I was not calling you a commando at all. Just wanted to be clear about that. My first post was indirectly directed at you (if that makes sense). The only reason I quoted you was because of the 0wt thing. My second post was not directed at you at all.

But there are those that are. Typically there are a lot more on other sites though. This place is pretty cool and people don't typically go full retard here about ultra light equipment.

[castaway]

I still dont really understand how a rod can be built for small streams and 6" fish.. and feel wonderful from all the reports... and then go out with it and stick 19" browns.. I am not trying to bash or be a internet commando... please read on...

1) either the 0wts are grossly understated as to what they trully are (prob. more like a 3wt)
2) They are the best engineered piece of equipment on the planet (over the space shuttle and the big dig in Boston)
3) They are not trully ultralight... I tell ya, a true ultralight could NEVER handle a 19" brown in open water, or a
Carp... just not going to happen at all... What the 0wts are merely modified 3wts with a thin walled construction on the tip sections and a thick wall on the butt section... nothing innovative or ultrlight about em. Fun to fish? Sure... but if it can pull in a 19' brown in open water, and a carp... it’s not an ultra light in my book.

I think what sage has done is genius marketing ploy... Kind of like on your Amp for your guitar... the volume knob goes up to 11 when most only go to 10 (if you get that, you are my hero!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeOXsA8sp_E

Basically the sage think tank came up with the idea for 0wt! We will have the only one on the market! and people will flock to it! All we have to do is take a 7' 3wt and stretch it out... we will even be the only ones making the line! All the clowns will have to buy from us and only us! we will rule the world!!

Kinda like the small mouth rod, large mouth rod, bluegil rod, and soon carp rod...

Dont get me wrong sage makes great rods, but they do just as good job in their promotion of their products.

Fishing a tripple nymph rig, with weight on a true ultralight stick... ppphhhssss never happen.

but those "0"wts look like a fun general purpose rod.

Sasha, your post with big browns, plus your scientific experiment really proved my point, Thanks! I wanted to do that same experiement (Now I just need someone to line a 0wt with 3wt line, and see how she does).... Proves that the 0wts are not what they say they are... Just modified 3wts.. fun... yes... but ultralight... not really.

I mean like you said... use 4x tipit and get those monsters in in less than a minute... sounds like you had the right tool for the job.. just wasnt an ultralight sorry.

[beachbum]

LOL, Mike! Always the clown.

[castaway]

Sorry to Hijack this thread...

During the winter please be mindful of relasing the fish quickly back to the water... I never really thought about how quickly a thin layer of water on the gils could freeze... prob. just seconds in the cold eastern sierras, or colorado, or idaho, or montana, or New York, or canada, or Alaska!


Thank you for the reminder Mr. Addict! Good topic and reminder!

Oh... and I think there is a place on this forum if you want to sell used gear... this topic is about fish conservation not selling gear... thanks!

[fflutterffly]

Sasha hit it right on the nose. Often you'll hook a fighter,and yes it is fun to play them awhile. But each moment that goes by in that very cold water might spell disaster for that species. I agree if you know how to fish your equipment, playing the fish for show is a 'no go'. Shake the hook loose or don't take it out of the water.

[Sasha]

Okay... how about one of my 1wts? Aw, $!@% it. How about one of the 0wts?

So clown how much do you want for that crappy 3 oops I meant 0wt. I could use some more 3wt $%!t I forgot 0wt rods. I just sold a 1 wt so I got the spare cash

[rayfound]

My experience with large fish is effectively zero... but what I will say is this:

In my mind, Landing fish is about the amount of pressure you can put on him, which is limited to the weakest link in your setup - generally tippet. The rod's function is to absorb shock as you apply pressure, and protect the tippet. so say we are fishing 5x (I think for most of us, this is a middle of the road tippet)... provided you can break 5x with a deeply bent 0wt (or 00wt, or 000wt, whatever) - You can - then the tippet determines the max pressure on the fish, not the rod.

There is a limit to this of course: its the point where the tippet is stronger than the rod... when you fear breaking the rod more than breaking the tippet, and therefore limit your applied pressure to the limits of the rod. That's when I think you have a moral obligation to go up a few line wts.

Ultralights, IMO, are about casting LIGHT LINES. Not about having weaker fish-fighting qualities. They feel appropriately matched with their respective lines, so I don't think there is some nefarious, backroom, conspiracy going on.

I think, from all those I've fished with, that most guys fight fish for longer than the bare minimum, regardless of tippet size or line weight.

I'm just not convinced that the rod strength is a major factor in most trout fishing - other than the ability to throw the flies you want.


Who's going to start the Ultralight debate topic, rather than hashing it out here?

[Sasha]

Who's going to start the Ultralight debate topic, rather than hashing it out here?

Ah what the heck I will start one. Now should I put it in the open forum or the opt in area so we all can go past PG-13



Oh yea back on topic. Remember kids that trout also don't like to be placed on the dirt, rocks, grass, snow, ice, etc. for pics either.