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Fish On! A Guide to Playing and Landing Big Fish on a Fly

Reviewed by Terry Lawton

One of the first things that occurred to me when I started to read this book was: could anyone find enough to write about hooking, playing and landing fish to make a full-length book? Although it is not the longest of books – just 159 pages including bibliography and index – Floyd Franke has written a very interesting and useful book. My second question was, who should read it? To begin with I felt that its appeal was most likely to be greatest to experienced fishermen but after further, considered reflection, I think that everyone should read it. It contains a lot of sound information that will help the tyro fly fisherman hook, play and land, or release, more fish. And, crucially, get into good habits early.

Don’t be put off by the reference in the title to “big fish”: the book is not about playing just monster fish but “I consider as big any fish that is capable of easily breaking my line unless reasonable care is given to how it is played. Hence, it is the relationship between the size and fighting ability of the fish and the strength of the equipment being used that will determine for me what is a big fish.”. A 2lb brown on a size 22 hook is just as big as a 10lb rainbow on a size six streamer and an 8lb tippet.

Chapter headings include Three Rules for Playing Big Fish, A Modern Approach, Beyond the Rules- Equipment, Beyond the Rules – Fishing Conditions, Know Your Fish, Hooking and Landing, Conservation/Catch and Release and an Afterword. One thing that caught my eye (no pun intended) was the fact that your rod works best as a shock absorber when playing a fish when the handle and lower section of the rod are held at right angles to the fish you are playing. How often do you see anglers holding their rod high in the air, so making an angle far greater than 90æ?
In Beyond the Rules – Equipment, Franke has plenty to say on the benefits of large arbor reels, drag systems and setting the drag on your reel. Here he highlights the danger of setting your drag to a known resistance, (which he tells you how to do), and then increasing it when you are playing big, strong fish. This can end in tears and a lost fish.

Floyd Franke is fisherman/educator (he worked in education in the USA) who has been a fly fishing instructor (with the Joan and Lee Wulff School of Fly Fishing) since 1989, fishing guide, TV programme presenter, travel host and author. Not a bad life!

Anyone who is experiencing difficulties hooking, playing and landing fish – particularly those who specialise in loosing fish (!) - should read this book. It is easy to read and understand and is based on the author’s lifetime of fishing experience. As Lefty Kreh is quoted as saying about this book it “may save you that catch of a lifetime.”.

Fish On! A Guide to Playing and Landing Big Fish on a Fly by Floyd Franke. Published in hardback by The Derrydale Press at US $24.95. 159 pages. www.derrydalepress.com