To most fishermen, the idea of catching a big fish is one of the things that draw them to the sport. While this alone is a challenge, increasing the difficulty by using an ultralight rod gives a person a way to hone their skill greatly. It can mean the difference between becoming a decent fisherman and an excellent one.
Ultralight rods are exactly what they sound like, very lightweight fishing poles. The term can refer to spinning and casting rods, or to fly poles. These give a fisherman an advantage that people may miss if they don't try it. The lighter the rod, the more responsive it is to the smallest tug. A fly fisherman with an ultralight rod may often feel the fish take the fly, before he sees the ripple in the water.
Setting the hook is also easier, because a small action from the wrist is translated so quickly to the other end of the line. This takes a little time to get used to, because it also means that it isn't difficult to pull the hook out of the fish's mouth before they've actually closed it.
This is just part of the additional challenge, though. A lighter rod also translates to using lighter line. Heavy line on a light rod is cumbersome at best. Light line means that a larger fish has a better chance of getting away by breaking the line. Some will get loose. Those that are caught will etch a sense of excitement in the mind forever.
An acquaintance once went fly-fishing in a river, using an ultralight fly pole. He was fishing for pan sized trout, and had very light line and leader, and a tiny fly. In fact, the leader was quarter pound test. Even catching an eight-inch trout would have been a challenge. What he didn't know was that the river contained steelhead of large size.
When he tied in to a 3-pound steelhead, he knew he had something big before the fish even made a spectacular leap from the water. It took the better part of two hours to land it, and that involved keeping the line tight yet not with so much tension that the leader would break. The patience and skill won out in the end, leaving him with a wonderful memory he'll retain for the rest of his life. Pictures were also taken, but they don't do justice to the amount of effort he used to catch the fish.
It isn't hard to imagine that the man did fish the same stretch of river many times after that, always with his ultralight fly rod. The only concession he made was to move to a slightly heavier leader. He also subsequently caught other steelheads from those waters too, and admitted to a special thrill every time it happened.
In his words, "I have many rods, including a heavy one specifically made for steelhead. I can't imagine getting the same feeling of excitement with a heavier pole than I always get with my light rod. That first steelhead though, nothing will surpass the feeling of elation when I actually landed it."
He laughs about that part of the adventure.
"With my light pole bent so much I was sure it would snap at any time, I finally got the fish to shore. I'm sure that as exhausted as the fish was, it wasn't as tired as me. Just as I got my fingers in its mouth, it made one last flop and came free of the fly. I was off balance, but there was no way I was going to let go of the fish, so fish, pole, and yours truly all ended up in the water. I got the fish, though!"
Since that time, he has been a staunch believer in using ultralight poles whenever possible. The man has requested to remain anonymous, and that the location not be divulged, save to say it was in the North Umpqua River in Oregon.
Many others who've used ultralight rods to catch big fish have mirrored his experiences. Often, the result has been a larger fish than the fisherman was intentionally after, however it invariably leads to an astounding thrill that can't be matched by using a standard or heavy pole. Give it a try sometime, and you will see why.