Two Fishing Rods That Mimics the Fly Rod And The Tenkara

I really enjoy sharing products with you guys that I find from time to time either on the net or by simply talking with other fishermen. While visiting the Academy Sports in Birmingham a couple of weeks ago I came across what I consider the perfect fishing pole to start a youngster out fishing.

 

 

The B & M Little Jewel 10' Freshwater Ready Rig Panfish Rod is extremely light and easy for even a 4 year old or up to handle. In fact this rod could be the training rod for future Tenkara fishermen. My Grandson will be using the one I bought for him when he comes to visit in October. It comes with the line, float and sinker already attached to the end of the rod. I did keep the float, but I replaced the line with 4 lb. test, instead of the 8 lb. test which came with the rod. A small bluegill will produce quite a bend in this medium light action rod; at 13.00 this rod is a bargain.  I can’t wait for Bryson to give this Little Jewel a try when he comes to visit.

 

Micro Light spinning rods are my second favorite fishing rod next to my fly rods. Before I got back into fly fishing some years ago, the micro light spinning rod was my go to light action rod to fish for crappie and bluegill. I have three micro lights in the 7 ½ ft. lengths that I use to fish for crappie in the spring. Using these rods actually mimics a fly rod in many ways, because of the lightness and of course the length. All the rods I owe are matched with small spinning reels spooled with 4 lb. test line.

                                                                   

For me this is the ultimate in ultra light fishing with a spinning rod; but to get even more micro light extreme Daiwa sell the Daiwa Spinmatic C UltraLight 8 ft. Spinning Rod, which is my other product I want to share with you. This rod gets one even closer to the fly rod again because of the lightness and more length. Imagine using this rod landing bluegill, crappie and even trout.

 

 

 

Advertising My Favoritte Fishing Products

I am sure that all of you who follow my blog I have notice from time to time that I mention products that I used when I am out on the water fishing. I do this not to receive something free from the company which I do at times; but simply because I am so impressed with the performance of the fly, fly rod, or any other fly fishing accessory that I may be using at the time. Most of these products are sold through small companies and a few through large companies. The larger companies have many more avenues to promote their products as oppose to the smaller companies. A lot of the smaller companies use referrals, product reviews or their own website to help move their products.

Over the years while writing post in my Fishing Through Life blog I have featured many fishing products which have brought me great success on the water. So today I thought I would once again give a shout out to some of my favorite fishing products I am using.

 

Flies and Poppers----Boogle Bug Popper---BreamBugs—FlyDeals—Ultra Light Lures—Roostertails, Tiny Crank Baits, Small Grubs and Tiny Rapalas

 

Fly Rods----Redington Fly Rods—Greys Streamflex Fly Rods—St Croix Fly Rods---Ultralight Fly Rods—Dawai Spinmatic Spin Cast Rods—Micro Lite Spinning Rods

 

Fly Reels & Ultra Light Reels---Redington Drift Fly Reels—Venture 3 Gloomis Fly Reels—Orivs Battenkill Fly Reels---and how could I forget my Pelican Boat.



It is good to be back on the blog circuit, after my wife and I spent some time in South Carolina, and in and out of Tennessee checking on our daughter, who is expecting their 3^rd child. Somewhere near July 17^th. my wife and I will become Grandparents again, which we are looking forward to.

By the way I can't wait to get back on the water Thursday!!!!!

  


 

 

Stolen Fly Rods and Fly Reels Recovered

The detective that was handling my thief case concerning my fly fishing equipment called me Thursday morning. He wanted me to come down to the police station Friday and identify some fly fishing rods and reels he had recovered from a house in a county north of the county I live in. Naturally I was at the station at 8 AM Friday, ready to take a look at the equipment. I was thrilled and kind of disappointed at the same time because what I found was two of my Redington fly rods and two fly reels those being my Redington 2/3 wt. and one of my prized Gloomis fly reels 3/4 wt. What I was hoping I would find was my Greys Streamflex 3 wt. with the Gloomis 3/4 fly reel, but I was still happy they recovered the two I took back home with me.

There was an article in our local paper a couple of weeks ago concerning an elderly couple who lived in downtown Jasper that had their house burglarized. This happened when they were at a friend’s house one weekday morning two weeks ago. The thieves stole over 15,000.00 dollars of antique glassware. The police in Jasper working with the Winston county police department discovered that this burglary and others that were occurring in the area was a huge theft ring operating in three counties in around the walker county where we live.

There was a search warrant issued to search a house in a neighboring county, who they believed belong to one of the thieves. Upon entering the house they found most of the glassware, and numerous other items that had be stolen the past couple of months. The individual who lived in the house was not there. My fly fishing equipment was found in that house with all the other stolen items. The police are still investigating the case and hopefully some more of my equipment will be recovered soon.

The handle on my 7 ½ ft. fly rod looks like a mouse had nibbled on the cork. The fly rod was found in a closet in this run down house out in a wooded area some miles away from town.

I was especially pleased to get my 8 ½ 3 wt with my Gloomis 3/4 reel. These reels are hard to find and when one goes up for auction on Ebay it is gone in a matter of days. I am very lucky to have recovered any of my fishing equipment and I hope my Greys is the fly rod they find.

 

 

 

 

The Orvis Battenkill I Large Arbor Reel Made in England

Guys I just wanted to share a couple of my finds as I replace my fly fishing equipment. I was lucky to find both of these Orvis reels for 75.00 bucks while scanning the net for the past couple of weeks.

The Battenkill BBS II is loaded with 4 wt. line and the Battenkill I Large Arbor is loaded with 5 wt. line. I bought the BBS II for 50.00 buck on a clearance sale. I couldn’t believe I got the Battenkill Large Arbor I for 25.00. This reel was used and had one tiny chip on the rim, but other than that it is in excellent condition. What really impressed me about the reel is the fact it was made in England. I sense from reading some of the fly fishing forums that this is really a quality reel. Do any of you guys know anything about the England made reels?

 

BULLETIN on REDINGTON CLASSIC TROUT FLY RODS!!!

Guys I have been watching Cabala’s website now for the past month for a drop in their Redington Classic Trout fly rods. Well today they drop the price from 100.00 to 74.97.  I was viewing Redington website this morning and they still have the same fly rod for 149.95, which is the full price for this rod. I also talk to Cabala’s to find out why they had dropped the price of their Classic Trout Redington and they told me that it is a special that will only be good until the first of October. So if you of you guys are looking for an outstanding fly rod without the heavy price tag this is the fly rod. I own 4 Redington fly rods and I can honestly say that it is one of the best fly rods I have ever used. I am so impressed with the workmanship of the rod and the lightness the fly rod possesses. I landed a 3 ½ lb. spot back in the spring using my 5 wt –9 ft. The 5 wt. rod weights in at 2.9 oz. Their 7 ½ ft. 3 wt. is 2.3 oz. I get nothing from Redginton for passing this information along to the fishing community. I just wanted to let you guys in on what I think is a fantastic deal. By the way pair this rod with there lightweight reel and you will have a nice setup.

Click & Pawl Drag or The One Way Clutch Drag--Which??

This past week has been Spring Break for most of Alabama and the weather has been nothing like spring. In fact the only day that might be good for fishing would be Friday, when I will go. Cold days and nights can make fishing horrible anywhere and that includes the South. So with some time on my hands this week I decided I would search the net for another Gloomis Venture 3 Fly reel. This fly reel was discontinued by Gloomis last year, why I don’t know but in my mind they discontinued a fantastic fly reel. It had the one way clutch drag feature which enables one to retrieve coils of line at your feet back on the reel in a matter of seconds. Spinning the face of the reel will accomplish this. I found while searching that most of the fly reels descriptions listed on the net never mention this feature and better yet the tech support personal at Cabelas and Bass Pro didn’t have a clue about a one way clutch drag, quick release or free spool when it pertains to fly reel drags. If you notice when descriptions are written for fly reels, there is more information about the appearance of the reel as opposed to the type drag. The only fly reel I found that mentioned the one way clutch was the Pflueger Trion. The Pflueger retrieves line as fast as the Gloomis. I know that a lot of us still use the old click and pawl drag, which is used on the Redington Drift and the Orvis Battenkill reels. Don’t get me wrong I like both drag features and have the Redington and the Orvis reels, but I am still partial to the Venture because of the quick retrieve. I never found another Venture in all my searching, but I found out some things I didn’t know about drags on fly reels. What is your preference the click and pawl or the one way clutch fast retrieve?   

Orvis Fly Reel and Framed Streamers

I am sure all of you are familiar with the Orvis Battenkill fly reels. I have been searching for the Battenkill II Reel for some time at a decent price. Well, I found the reel the other day on Ebay for the unbelievable price of 65.00 used regular price 145.00 plus tax. Just goes to show if one has patience when shopping for fly fishing equipment, good things will follow. I bought the fly rod that I was going to used with the reel some months back when Cabelas had a clearance on their Redington Trout Classic fly rods for 75.00, regular price at 150.00.

With this 5 wt reel/rod combo I’m ready now for those 14” to 15” rainbows on the tailrace and some huge bluegills on the lake. 

  The Poudre Canyon Special & Yankee Smelt by Alan at Small Stream Reflections --Alan does a fantastic job creating fly patterns that he has tied. I gave my son these streamers for Christmas and he had all four streamers framed.

The Brown & Grizzly with the Red Baron both by Alan--Sorry for the distorted frame size in the image; I have big-time trouble keep the glare out of the picture when shooting anything that has glass in it--any suggestions how to avoid that? Many thanks to Alan for tying these great streamers--my son has a special place on the wall for them.

Fantastic Deal on Redington Fly Rods Check This One Out!!

Guys it is good to be back and once again talking fishing with all my buddies. I am finishing up on my Ancestry Book after two years of work, and decided to give each one of my children a copy for Christmas.

I am coming back with what I think is a fantastic deal on a Redington Fly Rod. As some of you know I am fan of the Redington Drift Reel and of course the Redington Fly Rod. I purchased the Redington Trout Classic 5wt. 9 ft. last year for the regular price of 150.00 which at the time was a great price for a fly rod of quality and with a priced far less than the other name brands on the market. I find out this morning while searching for fluorocarbon tippet on the web that this same fly rod is now on clearance for 75.00 with the traveling case included at Cabelas. I did a post a while back on the lightest fly rods on the market and this fly rod beat them all for lightness. Cabelas told me this morning Redington is coming out with a new version of the fly rod and the Trout Classic will be discontinued, with the new version being priced at 170.00. So if you want a quality fly rod at a super price this may be your ticket. I can’t let this one go by without getting the 3 wt. 7 ½ ft.  Since I haven't been posting lately this news may be old to some of you, but here it is for you first time readers.

Fishing The Super Light Fly Rods For Trout & Bluegills

If you read my post much you will find that I am really into fishing light fly rods. I am talking fly rods you can use all day and your arm or shoulder doesn’t give out. I thought I would devote this post to some great deals on super lightweight fly rods. I have never fished anything longer than a nine foot, so I will keep it in the 7 to 9 ft. range. Keep in mind that most all the fly rods shown below are over 100.00 bucks. I found out some years ago when I started fly fishing for trout that the lighter the fly rod the more the cost. I never purchase a fly rod without knowing the weight.

The Temple Fork Signature Series is an excellent fly rod for the money and the 8 1/2 ft. weigths in at 3.1 oz. --my son has this fly rod and really likes the lightness. Price--110.00 to 120.00 depending on length---if this rod is purchased through Percy's Flies you get 2 doz. free flies with your purchase

The Pursuit by Redington is an excellent fly rod for the budget minded as is the Temple Fork fly rod above. The 8 1/2 ft Pursuit weights in at 3 oz. Price--119.00

Super nice and extremely light the Redington Trout Classic is one of the lightness fly rods in this price range of 150.00--this fly rod in the 8 1/2 ft is 2.6 oz and the 7 1/2 ft. is 2.3--I have the 9 ft. in the 5wt. which weights in at 2.9 oz.

A fast action fly rod by St. Croix the Imperial in the 8 1/2 ft. 4 wt. weights in at 2.5--the 9 ft. 5 wt. weights in at 2.8 oz. Price 200.00 for the 4wt. and 180.00 for the 2.8 oz---If you purchase this fly rod at Percy's Flies you get 10 dozen free flies with your purchase of this Imperial Fly rod.

This medium action Greys XF2 Streamflex in the 9' 2 3/4" length 3 wt ----weights in at 3.1 oz.--this rod actually feels lighter than the 3.1--it is quite possibility the lightness fly rod I have ever used in the 9 ft. + length---a dream to cast---worth every cent of the 289.00 price

This is the Orvis Superfine Touch fly rod which weights in at 2 3/8 oz. in the 9 ft 4wt series. This is an exceptional fly rod and the reason I know this is a friend of my has this series and it is unbelievable to cast--Feather Craft is selling this fly rod with any trade-in of any old fly rod you own for 380.00--It sells everywhere on the web for 475.00--



This is the Hardy Lightweight Classic which weights in at 1.35 oz for the 7 ft. 3 wt. --the 8 1/2 ft. weights in at 2.4 oz--Price 7 ft. --395.00---8 1/2 ft. --425.00 --the price gets higher as you get lighter





And Last, the "Orvis Helios Ion" -----this is a chunk of money to spend on a fly rod but if you are going super light then the 8.4 ft. 3 wt weights in at 2 oz. and if that isn't light enough for you try the 7 ft. 3wt which weights in at 1.2 oz. the price for either is 795.00---I didn't find anything fly rod lighter than this series anywhere on the net. I don't think I will purchasing this brand anytime soon but I just wanted to share with you guys the varied weights of some of these classics fly rods. Thanks for viewing!!

The Mystery Fly Rod

Back in the early spring when I had started my bluegill quest I was fishing with one fly rod most of the time; that rod being my 9 ft. 3 wt Greys XF2 Streamflex. I have mention this fly rod a few times in some of my post as being the best fly rod I have ever place in my hand, and it still is, but after losing some huge Shellcrackers in the spring with it I decided I needed something with a bit more backbone. I didn’t really want something with too much overkill but a fly rod that would handle the big Shellcrackers and a couple pound spot. I knew that a medium action 9 ft in 4 wt would be close to my 3 wt so I opted for a fast action fly rod. I had fished fast action rods before in spinning gear but not in a fly rod. At first I had trouble getting use to the fast taper and the somewhat stiff butt section but after a few outings I really got accustomed to the feel of the rod; and now it is my go to fly rod when I know or can sense that there could be something bigger on that rock wall. So I know you are asking what is the name of this mystery rod, well I know some of you guys have fished the St. Croix series rods and the Imperial 9ft. 4 wt is the one I finally choose. Aside from the action of the rod the lightness was the other deciding factor. This fly rod weights in at 2.9 oz. in a two piece, which for me is perfect for a half day trip. When I am fishing from my boat I always carry two fly rods and both have to be extremely light for me to keep fishing on up into the day. You young guys out there will understand the lightness factor as you get older; some of you may have discovered it already. I didn’t pay full price for this rod which was 180.00, I decided to trade my last Temple Fork 8 ft. 4 wt in for the St Croix. I used Anglers Habitat to close the deal at a cost of 95.00.  I really like this site because you can trade in and save on a new purchase.

One of my favorite runs below the dam.  I hope to get a good drift there next week that will produce a few rainbow.     

The Versatile G-Loomis Venture 3 Fly Reel

I am sure some of you guys read the post I did on the purchase of my new Greys XF2 Streamflex 9 ft. 3 wt. fly rod. After getting the rod you know I had to get the perfect reel to match the rod. After searching the net for a week I finally decided that the perfect reel for balance and weight was one that I actually had on my Temple Fork 4 wt.  I am talking about the G-loomis Venture 3. This reel is sold in arbor size 3, 5, and 7. The Venture 3 is the size used mainly for trout and panfish which will spool 2, 3 or 4 wt. line. I should have the reel here some times next week, and FINALLY, I get to try the combo out!!!

 The main reason aside from the weight and size I am impressed with this reel is the free spool. Free spool meaning I can retrieve a pile of line that may be at my feet in a hurry by simply touch spinning the rim face of the reel. The line is spooled up in a hurry without using the handle. The free spool feature alone is worth it because the quicker you get a large fish on the reel the better chance you have landing it. The following is the description of the Venture from the G-loomis Website.

The smallest of our VENTURE Series fly reels; the #3 is made for trout & pinfish and size 2, 3 and 4-weight fly lines where you don't require a lot of backing. The backing capacity is based on standard dacron (2WF plus 120 yards 20#, 3WF plus 100 yards 20#, 4WF plus 75 yards 20#), but we recommend Power Pro "super braid" because you can get more on each spool

The New Hardy Greys Streamflex XF2 Fly Rod Unreal Quality

I know now how to justify getting my new addition to my fly fishing arsenal. I will just say I am getting my tackle in order for the upcoming spring. My last post dealt with this website I found called the Anglers Habitat Ebay Store. For those of you who are not familiar with the site, they sell all types of fly fishing tackle with an added bonus to accept your old tackle as a trade-in toward a new purchase. My new purchase in this case from Habitat was my New Hardy Greys Streamflex XF2 Fly Rod 9 ft. 4 pc 3 wt. I have to thank River Damsel for this purchase. I viewed her post on High Sticking and it was so on point that I had to follow through with this purchase----and am I glad I did. I received my Streamflex Friday and was blown away with the quality and the action. I haven’t fished it as of yet but you can bet I will be going out in the next week or so to give it a try. The appearance, lightness, fast action with a somewhat stiff butt action is what really impresses me about this rod. Oh did I mention that it is made in the USA? To put it simply I am pumped and can’t wait to get on the water with this stick!!!!----and last this fly rod is actually my retirement gift from the teachers at Maddox Middle School. A lot of memories will be made with this particular fly rod!

Wheeling and Dealing for another Fly Rod

Do I need another fly rod? Yes I do after watching the video clip over at River Damsel this week. RD told me she is waiting for her new high sticker to arrive in the near future. I have tried a little high sticking last year with my 7 ½ ft. Temple Fork. I realize then that it would take a much longer rod to effectively achieve success with the sticking technique. So today I started searching for that 9 ft. or better to get that added reach. After searching the web for a while this morning I found this great new website called the Angler's Habitat. This company will actually let you trade in any fly rod you own to go towards your purchase of a new one---how cool is that? I talked to one of their reps and he told me that you could do what they call trading up, which means as you trade up and purchase you could one day end up with your ultimate fly rod. I have a long way to go before I reach that ultimate fly rod; but after finding the Habitat today I have established a good start.

Making the Case for the Okuma Fly Rod

Every once in while I like to a make an unexpected road trip. My wife was at our daughters today in Tennessee, so I decided I would make a trip to some of the sporting good outlets in Birmingham. My first stop was a place I seldom go which I like to call the overpriced club, Mark’s Outdoors. It has all the usual name brands fishing tackle, but a bit over budget for me. I also made a stop at Dick’s sporting goods, which has some fishing tackle but caters more to the outdoor and sporting goods enthusiast. Of course I stopped by the Bass Pro shop and waded through the crowds. Bass Pro is a great fishing and hunting outlet but I seemed to get somewhat overwhelmed when I am there because of the enormous selection of everything. I finally ended up at Academy Sports. I wasn’t really looking for anything in particular to buy but came across some great deals while I was there. One was an Okuma fly rod 8 ½ ft. 4/5 wt. with medium action. I really like the lightness of this rod, and the rosewood reel seat. The best part was the price, 35.00 clearance. I have used Okuma reels and micro light rods over the years and have never had a problem with their performance. So with that thought in mind I bought the rod. I know I needed another fly rod like a dog needs ticks, but it was such a great deal I just couldn't pass it up. Another item I found was Lake Fork Fishing Shirts by Magellan.  I really like these shirts because of the vents in the back and the large storage pockets and clips hooks on the front. I bought a couple last year and was impressed.  These were 12.00 bucks clearance in the store but 17.00 on the website. I paid 25.00 last year for the same shirt. So I purchased a couple short sleeves. Of course there were all the clearance items on flies, lures, reels, tippets and a host of other items. Academy seems to always have an abundance of clearance items. So to make my point I left there with some shirts, rod, and few flies tippet and a couple of leaders that my wife decided would be Christmas for me, which suited me fine. Sometimes guy’s road trips don’t involved landing fish.

Fast, Medium, Slow Action Fly Rods Which do You Choose???

I can remember back when I first started fly fishing. I wasn’t concerned with rod action, fly presentation, casting distance or the lightness of the rod. It didn’t make any difference how the popper touched down on the water or the speed at which the rod propelled the popper to its target. Notice I said popper not fly here, because back then I only fish poppers in warm water areas. All I wanted to do was get the bug to a point on the water and hopefully land a fish, in other words I was not interested in the mechanics of the sport. Well after getting into trout fishing four years ago I have learned that all the above factors play a big part in being successful on the water, especially trout fishing. I think for me the most important factor when it comes to fly fishing is the rod action. The most common rod action and the most used is the medium action rod. This type fly rod can be purchase at your local Wal-Mart or any other discount outlet. If you are looking for diversity such as fast action, medium fast action or a slower action rod you will have to go to your local fly shop or purchase on line at your bigger fly rod outlets across the U.S. All these action rods have their places on the water. I know for me I use my fast action rod for heavier nymphs or bigger poppers. I use my medium action rod for med size flies or nymphs. I don’t own a slower action rod, because I really haven’t found a need for it as of yet. I guess in time I may need to look at this type rod if I keep landing those stocker trout below the dam. Temple Fork has a great definition for the action of the fly rod on their website.

The action of a rod is determined by where it bends with a given amount of weight. Fast action rods bend nearer the tip area and medium action rods bend down nearer the middle of the rod. Slower action rods bend all the way down into the butt section and look parabolic when bent with that same given amount of weight. All you really need to know is that faster action rods are stiff in the butt and flexible in the tip, because you will use a great range of weight when you cast varying distances or when using larger/heavier flies.

I am curious as to how you let the action of the fly rod determine the way you fly fish?

Great Information Concerning Your Drag System on Your Fly Reels

A two fold post today, first dealing with a short trip to a 10 area pond that is fished very little. Usually when I make this trip I can expect to land numbers of gills and bass, but nothing was happening at all on top today with the bass. My buddy and I did manage to land some bluegills with the brown bugger and a small stonefly. Yes a stonefly size 8 was actually attracting bass 4 to 5 ft. deep. The trip ended with 20 or so between the both of us.
Now to the second part of today’s post which is something that I thought I would past along to you guys in case you didn’t realize it. It has to do with the drag system on your fly reels. Some fly reels have the feature to change from the click drag to simply using your palm as your drag or palming. Redington is one company that has this feature. I have used this feature on my 5/6 Drift Redington. To change the drag system on the Redington, simple remove the spool and turn the drag dials so they will not be in the click position. By during this you have change the drag system to the palming feature. In other words you have a fly reel with a free spool, which means you can spin the reel face and take up line a lot faster than one can by reeling in the fly line. I have used both methods and really like the free spool feature, because of the line pick up. I am just curious to know if any of you guys have tried this feature.



A real surprise here with the Stonefly, when you think Stonefly you think Trout

Searching For a Quick Release Fly Reel

I am in the process of replacing the equipment I lost on a recent canoe fishing trip I made to Bear Creek. To say the least the trip was a nightmare. I lost my Battenkill III reel and am in the process of trying to find a reel I can use with a 9 ft. rod.  I don’t want to get another Battenkill because this reel doesn’t have the quick release feature that I am looking for. When I say quick release I am talking about touch spending the rim of the reel to take up large amounts of line in seconds which is very useful when fighting a large fish.  I know Gloomis Venture has this reel but again I am looking for a different design other than what the Gloomis has. Have anyone out there use this type fly reel.

Need Some Input for a Big Popper Fly Rod

On my trip to Dismal Creek the other day I carried my 5 wt. fly rod along to see if I could entice some of those larger spots to take my big popper. As I told you in my previous post I had no luck. The top water action was nothing. I did discover while flinging the size 4 popper that it was a hassle to get any distance and to control my cast with any degree of accuracy using the 5wt. and popper set-up. I really discovered this little bit of news after the first cast, but continue on in hopes of hooking up with my trophy spot. As the morning wore on I saw that needed a longer rod 9 ft. with the weight being a 6 or 7. I don't want to go over kill here and I don't want to spend a great deal of money either, because by the time I select the reel and match the rod and supply the line I am talking a tidy sum. If any of you guys have a suggestion it would be appreciated. For those of you who have use a heavier weight rod with larger flies I would welcome your input. I have discovered when it comes to selecting fishing equipment it never hurts to get an opinion or two from your buddies.

Building the Case for Your Favorite Fly Rod and Reel

I know all of us have favorites, weathers its auto’s or favorite fishing spots. I am no exception, especially when it comes to my fishing equipment. When I first started fly fishing many years ago, there was not much to choose from for the individual who could only afford low end rods and reels. Sure you could purchase the bamboos but only a few fishermen could go that route. Today there are quality rods and reels on the market that most fishermen can afford. That brings me to my post title; my favorite rod and reel. I have three set-ups I used all the time when I am fly fishing those being my 5wt. and my 3 wt., but the one I am really drawn to is the my Temple Fork 8 ½ ft. 4wt. This rod has the quality and affordability for someone like me who is on a fixed income. It is extremely light at 3.1 oz. and has the backbone to handle a large fish if the occasion arises. The fast taper and can shoot a 4 wt. line with little effort. Temple Fork has produced a great rod here in the Signature Series. To compliment this rod I choose a G-Loomis small arbor reel, with a free spool action. It balances out really well with TFO rod which makes casting a breeze. The main thing that impressed me about this reel was the free spool. I like the fact that I can touch spend the rim of the reel and take in large amounts of line in a matter of seconds. This is especially useful when you are trying to get a fish on the reel real quick and you need to get line away from your feet. I find myself using this set-up more and more. It is like an old pair of shoes that you get comfortable with; you just don’t want to change. What is your favorite fly rod and reel? What makes you want to stick with your go to favorite?

Finally Found the Right Ultra Light Fly Reel

 I did a post a while back on ultra light fly reels, and why I am interested in fishing with these little light items. I have discovered that fishing lighter than 4 wt. can be a rewarding experience. When I first started fishing with the fly rod I fished with a 6 or 7 weight, and thought it was the perfect rod for all species and all sizes of fish. Little did I know that the fight of the fish could be enjoyed more if the equipment was tweeted just a bit?  A couple of years ago I was fishing on a local lake near our home for bluegills and was using my 5 wt. and was having a time landing some monster gills. Upon leaving the lake that afternoon I ran into a gentleman who seemed impressed with my catch and the size of the fish I had caught. He told me he never used anything above a 3 wt. to fish for bluegills. He said that the lighter reel and rod would make my catch even more rewarding and challenging. He suggested a 3 wt. 7 ½ ft. rod for the small nooks in the lake with a matching reel for added balance. It only took me a year and half to finally get the right combination starting with the Temple Fork 7 ½ ft. 3 wt. and finally a Redingtion Drift Ultra light reel 2/3 wt. I can’t believe the balance of the rod to the reel. The lightness of the combo is amazing and the casting and false casting is effortless. I used the combo yesterday at a small park pond where I landed some small gills that were a blast. A big thanks to Chris Barclay at The Bream Bum Blog for putting me onto this reel. He is an accomplished ultra light fly fisherman and knew what he was talking about when he recommended the reel to match my 7 ½ ft. Temple Fork rod. Now all I have to do is get out to the tailrace and test it out on some of those rainbows.