What if there was a numerical system of rating fish by the way they fight on a fly rod? I got to thinking about this the other day after catching some bass. I noticed, once again, that bass put up an intense fight but they don't have a lot of stamina compared to some other fish, and they jump a lot compared to some others. Which led me to think about a rating system composed of 1: Intensity. 2: Stamina. 3. Aerobatics

If I was to give a 1 to 10 rating for each fish for each category - with 10 being the highest, then a bluegill rating would look like this: 10,6,1 That is it fights with a lot of intensity, has reasonably good stamina (how long it fights), and stays out of the air almost completely.

Here's some others, in my opinion, ranked by Intensity, stamina, aerobatics (ISA)

Bass 8,5,5 (18)

Drum 6,9,0 (15)

Carp 7,9,1 (17)

Catfish 6,9, 2 (17)

Buffalo 7,9,0 (16)

Bluegill 10,6,1 (17)

Rainbow trout, wild 8,5,5 (18)

Rainbow trout, stocked 5,4,4 (13)

Needle Nose Gar 3,3,3 (9)

The total ISA in parenthesis following the rating would provide a side by side comparison. One variable is that I am rating fish caught in a river, fish that always live in current. For still water fish it might be different.

So bass and wild trout are tied for first, and needle nose gar comes in last.

What do you think? What would you rate these fish? Can you think of any other "fight" characteristics to include in the rating? What other fish and at what ratings would you include?

What about including average size in some way, as in bluegills are a lot of fun to catch but because they don't get as big as carp then carp are more fun, although though they even out otherwise?

We used to catch 'Brownies' 60 years ago in the Little Red deep in the Ozarks. It might have been a Rock or Sand Bass, looked like a fat brown mottled Sand Bass, and fought with an intensity against the old bamboo rod that I will never forget. Of course, I was about 5 then, and easily impressed, but I did catch a lot of fish wading in that river. The big old Blue Gill was also memorable.

I'd say smallies are at the top. yYve got "bass", but I think the smallies are pound for pound a better fight than the largemouth, especially if they live in a river.

Smallies are fantastic fighters, the few that I've caught. I don't have much experience with them. Maybe a 9,5,6?

Let's rate saltwater fish on the fly

gotta put the sight fishing perspective into it. Thats one of the things that makes carp fishing so addictive. Hunting, stalking and watching a fish eat your fly adds a lot to that game..err rough fish.

From what I've experienced, a smallmouth takes fresh. Jack's take the saltwater category. They're like pitbulls with fins. I've never landed a tarpon though.

Hybrid on a flyrod...

Pound for pound, Smallmouth and sandbass are probably tied for first. Last would probably be walleye, which basically feels like reeling in a wet rag.

Best in saltwater: Giant Trevally, Bonefish, Tarpon, and then Roosterfish and Permit

Best in Freshwater: King Salmon, Hybrid striped bass, smallmouth bass, and bluegills.

LMB way down the list, ahead of maybe catfish. Freshwater reds would be ahead of hybrids on my list, but sadly, Fairfield no longer has catchable numbers.

Just about every saltwater sport fish is higher than any freshwater fish.

Need to adjust the A on Bass! As far as fresh water goes in Texas I don't know that there is anything that can compete with hybrids. They have the strength of Sandbass as well as the speed of the stripers. Even on the eight this fish got to the backing in a hurry even while palming the reel. It is a real shame about Fairfield there are still a few reds in there but the ones that are there are big just hard to find I wish they would to restock it even with the recent fish kills.