Fishing Articles and Information

Ultra Light Fishing

By Trevor Kugler

There is no more challenging and enjoyable form of fishing than ultra light fishing (in my humble opinion).

Ultra light fishing simply means using rods, reels, line, and baits that are matched to the type of fish that you're fishing for. To me, this only makes sense, and rather than calling this type of fishing 'ultra light' to me, this type of fishing is fishing.

In my humble opinion there is entirely too much "winching" going on, that's being passed of as fishing? In other words, many anglers use rods, reels, line and bait (s) that are entirely too heavy for their quarry and they end up simply "winching in their catch.

If you're a "meat fisherman" and don't care about the sport of fishing, by all means winch away!

But for those of you who enjoy the sporting endeavor called fishing, ultra light fishing is for you. Let me provide a couple of examples to help make my point.

When fishing for fish such as trout and small mouth bass out of small rivers and streams, ultra light action rods and reels, spooled with line no heavier than six-pound test would be considered ultra light fishing.

So would fishing for walleye or large mouth bass with light action rods and reels, spooled with six or eight-pound test line.

Of course certain situations, such as heavy weeds or tons of underwater debris warrant the use of heavier gear, but many anglers don't vary their gear for the specific situation. They use heavy gear for all fishing situations and this mistake costs them a lot of fish.

This is why ultra light fishing or more specifically matching your fishing gear to the fishing situation is so important.

Ultra light fishing is not only more fun, it's also more effective. Just like making sure that you're fishing at the proper times is important, so is the size of your gear. For many species of freshwater fish the diameter of the line that's used makes an enormous difference.

Remember, for most fish, if they can see your line, they are much less apt to bite your offering.

If you have any question about the validity of what I'm saying, do this: Get yourself an ultra light action rod and reel, spool that reel with four-pound test, and head out to your local small river or stream. Use a gang hook rig or small lure and spend the afternoon fishing.

As soon as you hook and battle your first 15 + inch trout or small mouth in the 2-3 pound category, you'll be hooked! I'm telling you catching fish on ultra light gear and light line is as much fun as can be had while clothed!

Trevor Kugler is an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country... Montana!