Let Go Of Power - To Get Power

There are times when it’s best to let a tight line go slack to save a catch and get your trout into the net. What? Yes, it is an effective technique when dealing with a lightening fast trout that has run into an undercut bank for safety.

I'm fortunate to have some small Rios where I fish almost on a weekly basis. A couple of those streams have rather deep undercut banks that are hidy holes for trout. And, the challenge in these streams have to do with the width between the banks...they can be as narrow as three feet in some places. Hooking a trout in those narrow sections requires an angler to gain control of the trout quickly and keep him in the open water between the banks. If you’re not quick enough, you'll find yourself trying to coax the fish out of the deep underwater cave below the bank.`

Sometimes, it is not possible to prevent a trout from bolting into the undercut bank...it happens so quickly. I'm telling you, the reflexes of trout are faster than your own in those tight quarters. I've tried everything to save a catch and bring a trout out into the open water to net him. And the best thing that works for me...let the line go slack and wait for the trout to move before tugging at him again. It works.

This technique is much like a negotiating skill I use to teach execs in leadership classes. There are times in dialogue when it's best to 'let go of power, to get power' when negotiating a win. And, it works in fly fishing just as well.