moffitt angling system

[Troutwhisperer]

Hey everybody,

I have been noticing adds for this fishing system in magazines. I have heard good and bad. some say its great and you hook mor fish because they (cant) see the hook. Other say there bad because they snag the fish on the outside of the mouth wich is technichally a foul hook set when you think about it.

I Beleive there a bad idea because it's basically snagging the fish.

What does everbody else think about these rigs? Do they do really work like the testimonials say on the site? This link is to the testimonials. Moffitt Store: What anglers have to say about the Moffitt System

 

[Cooler00]

I don't know that you'd necessarilly attract more fish and/or get more hits than typical fly fishing, they still have to be attracted to the fly. Whether or not the hook sets are more efficient is a moot point, it's snagging...

Scott

 

[Joni]

Basically, Alaska has been doing for years with the Salmon and suspended egg. I see it being effective on rivers. The fish hits a soft rubber fly, then gets it teeth flossed. The Circle hook to prevent them swallowing it and force it to hook the side of the mouth, which face it, that is what we would all like to do. It is basically snagging however.

I can see it's effectiveness. Don't know if it catches more fish but probably more gentle.
Don't know that I would ever try it, but I would be watching like a hawk if someone next to was using it, and even sneaking in their if it was hammering the fish.
I can't knock it till I try it I guess.

 

[FISHN50]

I'll reserve judgment until I see it in action.... I do Know Pat Moffit but haven't seen him in years. I can say that he is an upfront guy & would not promote something he did not believe in & he is very knowledgeable about the sport & environmental issues...

 

[Biggie]

I don't have a problem with the "Method" since I do use it for fishing egg patterns at certain times of the year. This is not a new method and I find it ironic that someone is spending time and money trying to market something that is not original nor "Their System".

 

[Aljack]

Like what some have posted, this is technically snagging and would be illegal in some waters. Check the regs on any special water you maybe thinkng about using it on. That's my only issue with it. I would try it where it was appropriate.

 

[BlueDun]

Catching a fish with a hook outside the mouth is considered snagging and is illegal in both of the states I frequent - MI and OH. Actually, in Ohio, there are some exceptions for "forage fish."

 

[Joni]

Out fishing today, there were allot of really soft hits. Like they suck the fly in and then spit it right out.
I thought about this style and can see the interest for days when the fish are being leary.
They grab hold of a little rubber nymph that probably has the texture of the real thing...then slide the line through its mouth till the hook makes contact.
But I am betting there is allot of lower 48 states that this would be illegal. Not really sure why...yet.

 

[Steelhead Junkie]

This rig is illegeal in Ohio, and I can understand why. It is theoretically snagging, and think about it.... It isn't always going to hook the fish in the outside of the jaw, and it has the potential the harm the fish when the leader is pulled through. It also has the possibility of tangling every third cast, which would lead to great difficulty on the water.This rig also has leverage against it.If the fish is hooked on the outside of the jaw, and you're pulling on the hook, wouldn't the hook most likely rip out of the fish??? I personally will stick to tradition in this matter.No rigs like this are findingtheir way onto my line soon.

 

[Biggie]

I only have a problem with it being called the "Moffit Angling System". Let's call it what it is "Pegging Beads" and it has been around for a good number of years.

In regards to it being nothing more than snagging I couldn't disagree more. The fish eat the fly and when the hook is set it either pulls directly into the corner of the mouth or it doesn't get them at all, I have had very few fish over the years that didn't have the fly securely in the corner of the mouth. I can't say that for traditional flies, especially using a tandem fly rig. In reality a tandem fly rig is much closer to a snagging setup than the Pegged fly setup is.

My intent here is not to start an argument but you can't knock it unless you have tried it and have proof for yourself that it is more prone to snag fish than using a traditional fly setup.

 

[Aljack]

I'm not sure if you are referring to using a 2 fly / dropper setup or what is referred to as a 2 hook trolling fly setup. The tandem 2 hook trolling fly is illegal in certain waters where the regs call for a single hook (quite often specifying "barbless" too). However, on those same waters, one can use a dropper fly set up, as long as each fly has a single hook. A problem with the "Moffit" system in regards to a lot of the regs is that the hook is not "dressed", it is not part of the imitation that is intended to fool the fish; it is a bare hook at the end of the line.

I think if one were fishing with bad intentions, it would be far easier to snag fish with the Moffit system. A fish with a fly hooked half way down it's flanks is defined as a snagged fish; with the Moffit system, one could argue that the fish had taken the imitation in it's mouth and the hook just happened to attach itself elsewhere.

I'm not passing judgement on this system. I am just trying to state that there are regs in place on certain waters that this would not be allowed (And some places have some regs that seem odd). If I had paid megabucks on some dream fishing trip and this was the way my guide said to fish, believe me, I would have no hesitations about using it.

 

[swirlchaser]

You can always use chum and a weighted treble hook for the same results :tongue:
One good thing to take from this is the circle hooks. I've been using them in saltwater for years, both bait fishing and when tieing most saltwater flies (only my clousers are tied on straight hooks). They work well and they rarely get swallowed, making for an easy release.

 

[Aljack]

There used to be (maybe still is) a "snagging" section on the Salmon River (or was it the Oswego?). Whatever the regs are, they should be followed and more importantly, enforced.

BTW - Swirlchaser, that's one nice striper

 

[swirlchaser]

There used to be (maybe still is) a "snagging" section on the Salmon River (or was it the Oswego?). Whatever the regs are, they should be followed and more importantly, enforced.

BTW - Swirlchaser, that's one nice striper

A few years back I spent 2 weeks in Sacramento for a training class
It was during the Salmon run and I happened to have a 4 pcs casting rod in my suitcase. I found a bridge full of fishermen on the American River and I squeezed in. I can tell you there is a fine line between jigging and snagging.
Not a single fish came up with the hooks in its mouth.
Thanks Aljack, that's the best on a fly for last season. Hopefully I beat it this season.

 

[Tracker12]

I fished the Feather River north of Sacramento for Salmon several years. All we used was a single hook with 1,2, or 3 small beads pegged ahead of the hook. Not much diffference. Most fsh were hooked on the outside of the mouth. Also another vote for circle hooks. Thats all I use now for saltwater, freshwater bass and even crappie.

 

[MikeLove]

I have ordered the system from Mr. Moffitt. As the circle hook will not hook the fish in the body by design but only in the lip I do not see the connection to blind snagging with a J hook that will snag a fish where ever it makes contact..People snag with trebble hooks below some tailwaters which I don't care to do.. Moffitt however feels the system makes for an easier release of the fish which is what we all strive to do.. I will try it..My mind is open to the idea..

 

[ksbrowntrout2]

After a lot o thought, i ordered the Early Season Freestone Starter Kit, And for catch and release, its a great system.. The fish has to take the fly for you to hook it, and when you hook the fish, it is almost always through the lips of the trout. Ive only killed a few trout because of a swallowed fly, but it still makes me sad when they don't make it.



If you consider this system snagging, then you have a different definition then i do.

 

[swirlchaser]

After a lot o thought, i ordered the Early Season Freestone Starter Kit, And for catch and release, its a great system.. The fish has to take the fly for you to hook it, and when you hook the fish, it is almost always through the lips of the trout. Ive only killed a few trout because of a swallowed fly, but it still makes me sad when they don't make it.



If you consider this system snagging, then you have a different definition then i do.

I think the problem is that people see that "loose" hook and assume the fish will be snagged. The hook may hit the fish somewhere other than the mouth but because it is a circle hook it will NOT snag the fish. It is very, very hard to snag a fish with a circle hook since the point is actually inside the bend.

 

[ksbrowntrout2]

I think the problem is that people see that "loose" hook and assume the fish will be snagged. The hook may hit the fish somewhere other than the mouth but because it is a circle hook it will NOT snag the fish. It is very, very hard to snag a fish with a circle hook since the point is actually inside the bend.

Thats right, so that makes this system a non snag system

 

[Brewmaster]

I fished the Feather River north of Sacramento for Salmon several years. All we used was a single hook with 1,2, or 3 small beads pegged ahead of the hook. Not much diffference. Most fsh were hooked on the outside of the mouth. Also another vote for circle hooks. Thats all I use now for saltwater, freshwater bass and even crappie.

I fished the Kenai river in Alaska last year, and while a pegged bead and a bare hook is the most successful trout lure, there are very specific rules; only a single bead is allowed, and the bead must be pegged less than 2 inches above the hook, so when the trout inhales the bead, they also inhale the hook; this results in almost all hook-ups occurring in the corner of the mouth of the fish. The guides are very picky about protecting the trout populations and want to make sure that you hook them as carefully as possible. Multiple bead rigs are illegal, so the multiple fly rigs that are shown in all the Moffitt ads would also be illegal.

In addition, the Moffitt rig is illegal in my home state of Missouri, where a fly is defined as a single hook with permanently attached feather, fur or material. If you fish carefully, you will rarely foul hook a trout, where the Moffitt ads make it sound like it happens all the time. I might foul hook one trout a year while spending 50-60 days on the water.