Well, actually, what I mean by that is to use your reel's drag. I like to put a trout “on the reel” as soon as I can, so that I can take advantage of the reel's drag. Whether it's an adjustable disc drag or a click/pawl drag, I find it to be an advantage when I'm on a tight line with a trout. At this point in my fly fishing life, I do this instinctively.
For me, putting a trout on the reel quickly for use of the drag enhances my chance of landing a fish, big or small. And I think it's because the drag helps me to keep slack out of the line, with the right amount of tension, when managing a fish into the net. And, if you fish barbless hooks like I do, you for sure want to keep the line tight in a trout fight. Without exception, I always use a reel with an adjustable drag on large rivers with big trout. And, when I'm on small streams I'll lock in a click/pawl reel most of the time, but do use reels with disk drags too...especially on those little streams known for an occasional big guy hitting a dry fly.
There is another technique I rely on in addition to the reel's drag. When I'm on a tiny mountain Rio, I keep the line pinched between my fore finger and the rod's grip to control the trout immediately on hook set. Why? Well, because the streams are very narrow, with under cut banks, and I want to keep that trout from darting into the dark of the under cut. It's difficult to get a trout out of that hidy hole without breaking the tippet and losing the fish, so the best thing to do is not let him go there in the first place. Once I've managed him to a safer area (away from hidy hole) of the stream, I then have him on the reel with the drag. This is where having the right action in your rod's tip section is a huge help in landing the trout...and why I prefer Winston rods for these small creeks of mine.
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