ketchum releases?

[gfen]

Anyone here use one of these? Decided to buy one after having a fish on at night, realizing there way no way I could see where he was hooked without a light, and having to cut off as close as I could.

So, today in the LLFS, I saw these things on the wall. Rod said he hates 'em, but I don't seem to have that effortless release some people have developed (guess I gotta catch more for that skill, eh?).

Looks like there's three sizes, I bought the "midge" size, wondering what size hooks you usually pull with those and if I should try to see if I can swap it for the "small" size.

It seems to fit over the bulk of my size 14 and smaller flies, as long as there's no beadhead, but that's not with a fish on the end of it too.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

gfen wrote:
Anyone here use one of these? Decided to buy one after having a fish on at night, realizing there way no way I could see where he was hooked without a light, and having to cut off as close as I could.

So, today in the LLFS, I saw these things on the wall. Rod said he hates 'em, but I don't seem to have that effortless release some people have developed (guess I gotta catch more for that skill, eh?).

Looks like there's three sizes, I bought the "midge" size, wondering what size hooks you usually pull with those and if I should try to see if I can swap it for the "small" size.

It seems to fit over the bulk of my size 14 and smaller flies, as long as there's no beadhead, but that's not with a fish on the end of it too.

G meister - Take some fishing line, tie it to a coffee mug handle, set the mug on the floor, and give the line to one of your kids to shake like crazy. Now try to hook that tool onto the line.

Let me know how far you throw it when you're done. BTW, I've got the medium size Ketchum Release that you can have on the off chance you actually like it.

FWIW, I didn't listen to Rod either. ;-)

 

[dryflyguy]

I've never tried one, but it seems to me like they would mess up a dry fly.
I don't know of anything that works better than fine hemostats

 

[gfen]

As I said, my interest in it was born from the night before. With it being too dark to find where the hook was in the fish's mouth, having no light, and that particular fish being too big for my net (and may I say, thats a great feeling), I wanted to get hiim back into the water ASAP without any more handling than I had to. So, rather than try to handle him anymore, or keep him out of the water for more than a few seconds, I just ran my fingers down to an inch or so of where I figured the hook was and clipped off.

 

[dryflyguy]

I always have a small flashlight in my vest when I'm fishing into the dark. And have gotten pretty good at holding it in my mouth and directing the beam at the fish's mouth - leaving both hands free to work with

 

[littlejuniata]

May as well burn the $20.00 made a ton of coin for Orvis though, they probably get them from China at .20 cents or less.. Yea they suckered me too

 

[tomgamber]

Maybe you should read about the company rather than speculate and slander.

http://www.waterworks-lamson.com/story.html

 

[fritz]

I met someone this past spring that showed me a home-made one. A toothbrush (cut off the brush) and an eye hook screwed into the handle. Can get a closed loop screw-eye and spread it a bit or a cup style and pinch it down. It worked pretty slick.

 

[Fishidiot]

I've got one of these but don't use it much for trout. I do like it for sunfish, most of which I catch on narrow bodied nymphs without split shot on the leader. Sunnies tend to take the hook deep and this device will allow you, with and up and down shake, to free sunnies pretty well.

 

[MKern]

I have the dr. slicks hemos with the release tool on it. Tried it once, got confused and just used my fingers.

 

[FishOnCamp]

I have one and it has been helpful a few times. Seems like it would be easier to use if you had three hands. Tough to hold the fish, the tippet, and the tool all at the same time.

 

[tomgamber]

FishOnCamp wrote:
I have one and it has been helpful a few times. Seems like it would be easier to use if you had three hands. Tough to hold the fish, the tippet, and the tool all at the same time.

Sounds lie you are using it wrong. They way I was shown how to use it int he fly shop in Ketchum, ID in 1992 was to slide it down your leader via the slot until you hit the fly, then you just pop the fly out and never touch the fish.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Tom - Do you own one of these things, and/or, have you ever used one for more than a few fish?

The way these things work is essentially as you describe it, but some details are missing. First, you have to get the leader into a VERY thin slot while bringing in a fish. IF you get that accomplished, you have to slide the tool down to the bend of the fly and push it further INTO the fish to get the hook to back out of where it enters the fish's tissue. It gets even trickier here, in that if your fly is not of a size that exactly matches the inside diameter of the tool, the barb end of the hook can catch in the fish again as you try to pull it out - and it does so more than you'd think!

Some flies, especially beadheads, or nymphing with shot do not lend themselves to using this method well at all. The only time this tool has any advantage at all is when the hook is so deep into the fish's mouth/throat, that you can't reach it with your fingers, and then you run into the problem I described above.

The tool is constructed of quality materials, but the ease of use is far from what Lamson would have you believe, at least some of the time.

 

[tomgamber]

Heritage-Angler wrote:
Tom - Do you own one of these things, and/or, have you ever used one for more than a few fish?

The way these things work is essentially as you describe it, but some details are missing. First, you have to get the leader into a VERY thin slot while bringing in a fish. IF you get that accomplished, you have to slide the tool down to the bend of the fly and push it further INTO the fish to get the hook to back out of where it enters the fish's tissue. It gets even trickier here, in that if your fly is not of a size that exactly matches the inside diameter of the tool, the barb end of the hook can catch in the fish again as you try to pull it out - and it does so more than you'd think!

Some flies, especially beadheads, or nymphing with shot do not lend themselves to using this method well at all. The only time this tool has any advantage at all is when the hook is so deep into the fish's mouth/throat, that you can't reach it with your fingers, and then you run into the problem I described above.

The tool is constructed of quality materials, but the ease of use is far from what Lamson would have you believe, at least some of the time.

I did have one. I learned about these doing a fluff piece for the news. Something someone told us about while we were in Sun Valley doing a real story. I guess we spend so much time fishing they saw an opportunity and approached us. The guy gave us each one.

Now I usually use nothing but my fingers unless the fly is unreachable then I use hemos. But I gave this thing a try. I used it like he showed me. I had no problem getting the leader thru the slit. Maybe it was a lucky shot but I saw it coming and adjusted accordingly as I saw him do this cheat himself. I/he didn't hold it by its handle but by the part with the slit (the head if you will) then kind of slid my hand down to the handle once it was on there for better reach. I seemed to work fine. BUT I had a couple things I didn't like about it.

First when you are done with it, you can't just clip it to something like you can a hemostat. Maybe a retractor would work but I have enough crap hanging from my vest/pack. And second, I dropped it, and the one they gave us floated. It was just plastic. And mine floated away. Never found it. But I had released a dozen or so fish in a couple trips. I had to remember I had it so I didn't always use it.

But the pushing the fly in didn't seem harsh. Once the fly was no longer hooked the fish just kind of fell away so you really weren't pushing any farther than it too to unhook the fish.

It was easy to use. Like most FFing gadgets, a neat idea. Unnecessary in my tool kit. And much like the Sharkskin line I won in a drawing last year, its neat and I used it but I could find better things to spend money on.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Check x tools easy release. Bass pro, salt water release, but I think they would worrk just fine for trout.

 

[gfen]

See, when I held it in the shop, it looked pretty logical to me. The way I invisioned its use is closer to Tom's methodology, I guess.

Think of it this way.. There's a handle, then a a bar with a C on the end of it....

C....==

If you simply put the side of the bar against your leader, and pull it back to you, then the leader will invaribly just slot right into that C-shaped groove. Again, in theory, and no doubt YMMV, but on paper it should be that easy.. Slap side of release against line, pull towards you to hook line into the C that the line falls into, then maintain the pressure downwards to the fish, over the hook and he'll pop off.

When you pull up on the rod to tighten the line, wether to bring to hand or net, you're effectivly setting yourself up for the ability to slap the release along side the leader and then into the groove, right? The issue then becomes trying to maintain enough pressure on the tool to keep the fish from wriggling the line out of the groove.

I can't argue this with anyone here, because there's practical, gained knowledge versus me futzing with one in a shop, but perhaps that's the difference. That's the way I invisioned it being done.

FWIW, we'll find out. You never know, I might take that one off your hands yet, H-A. I guess I won't know until I try to take some fish on smaller flies. Best I could turn up is the standard is sized for hooks 10-18, the midge 18-28.

 

[tomgamber]

I guess as with anything it takes a little practice. I still have found nothing that works as well a decent hemostat.

 

[MKern]

I just like to be up-close and personal with the fish I guess. and the idea of shaking a fly out of one's mouth reminds me of grabbing the hook with a pair of needlenose and flailing until it come out. But maybe I just can't get the hang of the release tool.