BEAR DOWN WITH A FLY ROD
Use the line to apply maximum pressure to a big fish on a fly rod. With a slight bend in the rod, just enough for shock absorption, put the rod butt on your off-side hip and wind down with the reel, applying pressure with the line a. Once the line is tight, hold the reel handle in place, and with the rod butt still on your hip, rotate your body to bend the rod deep into the butt section B. With a little backyard practice, you’ll learn to pressure the tippet to just below the breaking point, minimizing fight time, which is far better for the fish than a prolonged battle.