I see a lot of people get so excited that they forget they're supposed to play the fish. All they do is reel against the drag. That does little but tire out the angler, wear on the drag system and, if it's a spinning reel, put twists in the line.

Letting a fish have slack is another big way to lose it. This happens particularly with anglers who pump and reel too aggressively. They drop the tip too fast and don't stay tight to the fish. If the hook has any chance to drop out of the fish's mouth, it will once there's slack.

MISTAKE NO. 7
Listen Up!
If a fish is holding close to shore, a guide might tell his clients to cast out 20 feet. Instead, the angler tries to throw across the river.

Your guide has reasons for advising you to do things. He may want you to wash your hands after applying sunscreen or eating something. He might want you to use the rod holder, let out a given length of line or cast into a certain spot.

Do what he asks. If you don't understand why, ask why.

It's also a good idea to keep track of the lingo. Some of this is the guide's responsibility. We sometimes forget that not everybody who fishes with us knows all the terms we use.

Such as: • Reeling down. This is the second part of the pump-and-reel. Reel the line up as your lower the rod tip.

• Set the hook. Reel down and bring the rod tip up to quickly lose all slack and come tight to the fish.

• Mend the line. When the bait or fly is in the water, flip the line -- not the bait or fly -- upstream to let the offering float naturally.

• Thumb the spool. Lay your thumb on the spool to prevent excess line from leaving the spool.

It's our job to instruct, and the client's job to learn.