The Leader Loop a Handy Little Gadget

Over the years I have used various ways to connect my leader to the fly line; my first method was using a simple clinch knot to connect both lines. This was years ago when I was using a heavy 5 weight fly rod with a cumbersome South Bend automatic fly reel. One could get quite a workout when paired with this combo all day. The knot was satisfactory as long as I kept it clear of the tip guide, where it would usually hang up.

 

My next method was the fly line pin, which was a booger bear to insert into the end of the fly line. My Dad wouldn’t use anything but the pin. He liked the pin because it would run through the guides with ease; I would always get him to pin my fly line.

 

I eventually moved from the line pin to what I would call a combo connector, that Scientific Angler introduced which included the connector and the leader in one package. Scientific Angler had all the leader sizes from 7X to 3X. My only complaint was the hang up that resulted with the connector and tip guide. This leader connector combo has been discontented. I finally moved on to my next connector.

My next adventure with the connector was the loop that is manufactured by numerous companies. I have two complaints with this connector; one is the sinking of the loop after it becomes water logged. The other is the loop itself not being flexible enough to close. This connector can be very difficult to connect to your fly line. I tried this connector less than a year. The loop has a tendency to disconnect from the fly line.

My present connector is the fused leader loop into the fly line, which I consider the best I have found for me. I will never buy another fly line unless it has the loop built in the fly line. The loop is found in most fly lines priced above 40.00. Cabela has some line in the 30.00 range with the loop, if you don’t mind the bright orange color. The only color fly line I use is olive or green. What is you connector preference and why?

 

 

 



 

 

Check Out These Awesome Links Concerning Fly Fishing

As most of you know I like anything dealing with fly fishing. I recently came across the following sites that has a world of information dealing with fly fishing for trout and super size bluegill. I think you might want to bookmark some of the following sites for future use:

I was drawn to site because I was looking for some decals to place on my Pelican boat. I was surprised to find an assortment of items here dealing with fishing.

If you love bluegill fishing with the fly rod, then this is the site for you. If you want to see some super size bluegills, check this site out!!

Flyfisher is a site similar to the bluegill site but much more detail when it comes to fly fishing for trout. This place has an insane amount of information for the avid fly fisherman.

Eastern Fly Fishing is a subscription magazine published six times a year with some fantastic articles on fishing the eastern part of the United States. They are presently running a 90 day free trial.

Perfect Fly Fishing Journal is actually a free publication that I get free, even more information concerning fly fishing.

 Hope everyone finds something useful scanning through these sites that will be beneficial for you come spring.

What's Your Time Limit For a Day's Fishing

You know we all learn something every time we venture out to one of our favorite streams or lakes. The learning curve has really increased for me over the last few of years; especially when it deals with the length of time I spend on the water. When I was younger it was a given for me to stay on the water all day regardless of the conditions, but as I get older that is not in my game plan anymore. A half day on the water is usually my trip. Research has shown that the most active feeding periods for most warm water species are early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Anything in between is an added bonus. The feeding periods for cold water species such as trout, can be somewhat different. A hatch on a given stream or tailrace could cause a feeding frenzy anytime of the day. I have seen trout feeding on mayflies at a frantic pace at 1 PM on our Sipsey Tailrace. This is why I love trout fishing so much, because I can make a two or three hour trip into something special anytime of the day. Being retired has afforded me the opportunity to tailor my fishing trips during the most active time of the day. When I was working five days a week I was only able to fish on weekends, with an occasional trip during the afternoon, holidays or summer months. Now if the barometer is high, with cloudless skies, wrong wind direction and extreme heat or cold I stay home. One thing I have learned about fishing over the years, one can’t make a fish hit if it’s not feeding. I know we all have different variables that determine how much time we spend on the water during a day’s fishing trip; is it the bite, weather conditions, time of day, or just the enjoyment of being outdoors?

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?

 

Blessed to Have Awesome Blogging Buddies

Alan at Small Stream Reflection sent me a care package today in the form of some awesome streamers, dries, and wet flies. Thanks to Alan my fly box is back to normal now and ready for some cold water fishing on the tailrace. I haven’t been able to get back on the water due to constant generation and not having fly fishing equipment to fish with.

Well as of today I can report that I have replaced most all the fly rods with the exception of one 7 ½ ft. Redington and one Gloomis fly reel. In fact I found most of the reels and rods cheaper than the original price. Even with that accomplishment, it stills leaves me with a sick feeling knowing the value of what I lost. I do have insurance now on all my fishing equipment and hopefully I will never have to use it. Thanks to Alan and the rest of my blogging buddies for all the positive comments and helping me restock my fly boxes. Now its time to hit the water.!!

Alan does an exceptional job at the tying bench. I can’t wait to get on the water and land some nice rainbows using these flies. I am especially anxious to use those streamers. The trout here seldom see these streamers patterns, so I am expecting some savage takes. I hope to have a report soon.

 

 

Slowly Replacing Stolen Fly Fishing Equipment

Well I am slowly replacing some of the equipment and flies that I had stolen from me a couple of weeks ago. I still can’t believe someone walked into my garage in broad daylight; then left with four fly fishing combos, flies, lures and accessories that took me years to collect. The police told me that it left Jasper the same day it was stolen. In other words I will never see any of it again. It just goes to show all of us we don’t live in Mayberry RFD anymore.

  I am still looking for a Gloomis Venture 3 Fly Reel, I had three stolen. I haven’t been able to find the 3 version. I would appreciate any help you guys can give me in finding one of these reels. These reels are the only items I can’t replace and they were my most prized pieces. There are no new ones left. I would be happy with a used Venture.

Kevin at Feather Chucker told me after the incident that he wanted to help resupply my fly box. He made good on his promise the other day when all these flies arrived in the mail. I am glad he tied some more of the bead head soft hackles, because I lost one of my best trout this past year using that fly. The wooly bugger pattern and big green popper will attract some nice spots on the lake come spring. Thanks to Kevin the fly box restocking has started.  

 

Update on Tiger Bass/Coppernose Bluegill Stocking 14 Months Ago

I did a post back in February 2012 concerning the Tiger Bass. I was reporting on the stocking of a 30 acre lake near our home. I had the opportunity to see the stocking of the bluegill and the red fin shad which was around 2” in length at that time and in late August of that same year I was present when the Game and Fish Department out of Montgomery stock the 3” Tiger Bass. I was invited to fish the lake back in October of this year just to check the grow rate of the copper nose and regular bluegill that were stocked back in February of 2012. When we arrived that day we notice all the automatic feeders were on and spraying tiny pellets of feed across the water surface. The Coppernose and regular bluegill were in a feeding frenzy going after the pellets. All the feeders on the lake are timed to engage at the same time so we witnessed quite a spectacle. The feeding program and of course the removing of certain pounds of bluegill and bass after the first three years is the key to having a fantastic fishery here. I landed numerous bluegills that day in the 6 to 7 oz size using a small brown colored nymph resembling the pellet. I am sorry I didn’t have images for that trip because I forgot the camera. The Coppernose was a little larger than the regular bluegill. Both species should be quite the fighter on the fly come summer. I am very fortunate to be able to fish this place in the coming years. The fly rod will be my main weapon here when spring rolls around.

 

I landed this healthy 14” Tiger Bass in November this past year. I couldn’t believe the size of this fish considering its only 14 months old. It was released as a small 3” fingering; the shad in the lake is what increases the growth rate along with the genetics that the Tiger Bass possesses. I wasn’t using the fly rod that day because of depth, all the fish were concentrated in the deepest part of the lake feeding on the shad. This bass was taken on a white shad grub fishing about 20 ft. deep. I stayed for about an hour and landed fish consistently throughout the hour. I didn’t fish at all for bluegill on this trip because I wanted to see how fast the bass had grown since stocking. You can bet I will be back in the spring to tap into the bluegill population.



 

Burglaries Can Happen Anytime of the Day!!

I was debating on whether or not to publish today’s post, but after some thought, I realized it might help some of you guys avoid the tragedy that happened to me Monday. To make a long story short I lost all my fly fishing equipment along with all my warm water flies and accessories, including a tackle box of ultralight lures as a result of a burglary. The thieves simply walked into my garage and helped themselves to four fly fishing combos and a couple of tackle boxes that were located in the storage compartments of my boat. The boat is parked in the garage stall next to my wife’s car. This happened in broad daylight sometime after lunch, I was at home all day. I was either in my basement or on the phone when it happened. My wife was in and out all day and left the garage door open at times, which gave the thieves an opportunity. We live in what I would say is a very safe neighborhood and never have any burglaries at all here, but there is always a first. The police and I surmised that the thieves knew the fly rods and fishing equipment was there and probably had been watching the house for a chance to steal the equipment. One can always go back and say I could have done this or that and things would have been different, but I can’t dwell on what I should have done, but simply use this as a lesson in what to do to keep it from happening again starting with;

• Never leave anything of value in your garage that can be seen by anyone period!!
•   Take note of individuals who come to your house to perform work; you never know if that individual is looking for something that can be sold at a pawn shop in exchange for money to buys drugs. By the way, Walker County, where we live, has more drug traffic than any county in Alabama.
• Keep any storage room in your garage locked.
• Always keep your garage door closed even when you are at home, not only at night but during the day. The door can be left open if you are on the outside in the front, but never leave the door open if you are in the backyard for a short period of time. The police told me that 95% of burglaries occur during daylight hours.
• If possible leave your security system on during the day if you are away from your house even for 15 minutes. We have an ADT system with a camera, and it was not on for those brief periods during Monday—costly mistake!!!
• Purchase insurance for your fishing equipment. I have insurance on my boat but no insurance on all fishing tackle. Lesson learned; I purchased insurance on Tuesday.
• Take photos of all your fishing equipment, including tackle, so you will have proof of what you own.
• And last, always be aware of suspicious vehicles or individuals in your neighborhood
• I lost everything to the point I can’t fish anymore until I purchase reels, rods, flies, and fly fishing accessories. I will have to replace all my crappie fishing lures as well. The sad part for me is I can’t actually replace some of my reels because Gloomis doesn't manufacture the free spool Venture reels anymore. I am not an extremely high dollar fly fisherman, neither am I a low-end fisherman, but I fish with quality equipment and some are irreplaceable. I hope by publishing this report today I have helped some of you guys avoid the tragedy that happened to me on Monday.

Fishing the Super Beadhead Nymph

In October I was fishing with what I will call a super nymph on Smith Lake; when I discovered it made the difference in the slow morning I was experiencing. The surface action had long gone after the sun consumed the banks, so my next option was to go down under. I had tried a number of nymph patterns with no success, when I decided right before I was ready to call it a day to give the super nymph a try. On the second cast it produced a nice bluegill, which gave me confidence to stay a while longer.

I like the Tungsten beadhead used on this nymph, because I can get a faster drop verses a traditional beadhead. This pattern continued to produce throughout the morning.

After having success with the olive pattern, I decided I would get David at the Trout Zone to tie me up some other colors. I wanted these to have a little more hackle at the neck and a different color tail to contrast with the body.  I haven't tried the other colors on the lake, but come spring I will have a report for you guys. As usual he did an excellent job in tying up the exact pattern for me. 

The cream grub is my favorite. I landed numerous rainbows on the tailrace some weeks back dead drifting this nymph in fast water. Sorry I don’t have any images of that trip because I forgot my memory card for my camera that day. I can see myself needing a lot of these cream grubs in my future, not only for the trout but for the monster gills on the lake. I don't know about you guys but I am ready for spring!!

 

 

 

 

 

Organizing Skills for Fly Fishing

Today’s post parallels my last entry of trying to be better prepared before you get on the water. As I told you in my last post I kind of pride myself in being prepared and ready to fish the minute I make it to the water.

For me, forgetting fishing items for a particular outing falls under the category of not being prepared; so I decided after last weeks fiasco I thought I needed something to bundle all my fly fishing equipment into one place; enter the Game Winner Bag from Academy Sports. 

I am not going to make the predication I will never forget something I need on a fishing trip again, but I will say this Game Bag should make it easier for me to keep my fly fishing equipment in one place.

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    Notice the shoe horn, which is extremely handy to get your boots on much faster. I also like to use a folding stool to sit on when I am lacing up my boots and removing my waders. I am always looking for a way to make my trips easier and adding the stool and shoe horn certainly helps. This will be my last post until after the first of the year, so let me wish all you guys a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

 

 

 

 

Numerous Trout Landed on Friday’s Trip

I was on the tailrace Friday and was having one of my better days, where I brought 6 to hand and lost that many in a couple of hours. I was taking pictures of all the trout I landed and the surroundings, when I noticed, after numerous shots I got this message saying no memory card. I am sure the message was popping up on every image I took, but I was so caught up in the moment of landing trout, until I didn’t noticed the message until I shot my last image. Upon arriving home I discovered the card was still in my computer, where I had downloaded some images earlier in the day----talk about a bomber.

This incident reminded me of the half hearted trip I made last year when I arrived at the tailrace with the intentions of fishing the lower section the tailrace, only to discover I had left my fly rod at home. I left as fast as I arrived and didn’t return for the day. I felt I needed the punishment of missing this trip, because again of not being organized. I like to think I am a fairly organize fisherman, when it comes to getting things together for a fishing trip, but Fridays ordeal reminded me I still have some work to do in that department.

                                                                  

Sorry I don’t have any images of the trip, but I promise to make amends on my next outing. I know none of you guys have ever done anything like this.

Christmas Come Early

I just received my Fly Fishing Lanyard from Nature Boy. It is made from 550 USA paracord. You can specify your core lump color and then select an outer color, in other words it is constructed to your specifications. Keith who owns Nature Boy makes all the merchandise on the site. As an added bonus, he threw in a Hat Patch with a couple of flies attached to the patch. I am really impressed with the quality of both of these products, and best of all they are made in the USA. I can’t wait to use both items soon on the tailrace.

Guys I have gone from a vest to a chest pack, and even lighter to a lanyard

Fishing Kevin's Soft Hackle Fly

It is hard to believe that this past Wednesday in Jasper was a warm 72 degrees. This meant only one thing for Charles and me, which was wetting a fly on the upper section of the tailrace. Upon arrival we noticed a number of vehicles and one Alabama Power truck, so we knew we would have company. The guys with Alabama Power told us that the generators would not be running for the day; because of work they would be doing on the last installment of the metal steps they were completing.  With no worries of generators we headed to the first hole of the day.  

Charles waded across and fished an area down from a section I chose to fish above in some faster water. I had landed trout here before, but the task at hand was getting to the place. No one fishes this area, because one has to wade some distance over some very slippery moss covered rocks to get into position to even make the first cast. Once there you need to establish a good foot position, on the bottom of the stream to keep your balance in the fast current. I never wade now without a wading staff and it is an absolute must in places like this. The trout are always here because of the deep fast run that extends at least 75 feet. It’s difficult to fish here with an indicator, because of the rapid water causing the indicator to float up and under fast. I have always fished this run either swinging a nymph or dead drifting a nymph. I was using the soft hackle that Kevin at Feather Chucker tied for me a while back. He mailed some other patterns that I will give a try later on in the spring. The soft hackle beadhead really got my attention, so it got the first try in this fast water.  After a number of misses I got my first solid hit. I knew this was a good trout and not your average stocker, because I could feel the head shake and for a few seconds I thought I had the trout coming my way, but that wasn’t going to happen on this day. As I was trying to maneuver the trout out of the run it promptly snapped the 5x tippet and carried the soft hackle with it. Sorry to say this was the only soft hackle Kevin gave me in this pattern style. I tied on another nymph pattern and continued to cast through the run without another hit. As I left the run I knew I would be back here again to try to redeem myself, hopefully with another soft hackle Kevin might tie for me in the near future.

Landing this trout made me feel somewhat better after losing what I think was probably my best on the upper tailrace. I landed 3 other rainbow in this same area. Two went airborne trying to throw the tiny shrimp pattern, which just adds to the excitement of landing one of these rainbows.

I seldom ever use anything but a 3 weight when fishing this section of the tailrace. I think using anything heavier would be overkill. The majority of trout landed here are all stocker fish, with the exception of a larger trout such as the one I lost today. The stocker trout in the 10” to 12” range can be a blast on a 3 wt.

 

 



Coping With the Odds on Those Slow Fishing Days

The weather at the tailrace today was cloudy skies and a light breeze. Rain was in the forecast for the following day, so that told me that the trout should be active. Dries were the choice for the morning and after lunch we went with nymphs. Neither proved to be successful this day, but it was good to be on the water with my fishing buddy Charles. We both agreed that our next trip would be below the pump station which is where the bigger trout hang out. Streamers and buggers will be the choice of flies for that outing.

 

Lunch today was pack of peanut butter crackers or “nabs” which is what we use to call these little crackers in Mississippi when I was a kid.

 

Charles managed a nice rainbow from this area; sorry I didn’t get the image I was knee deep fishing a run on the other end of this stretch.

I landed this bow later in the day on an Adams fishing in some of the slower water. The fast current water wasn’t working today with the nymphs and the dead drifting techniques. This trip is what inspired me to write the post about mono and fluorocarbon leaders this past week.

 

On a slow day like this one I really try to analyze why the trout are not taking my offering. Was it the fly selection, presentation, not mending the line properly, locating water holding trout, leader/tippet selection, lack of hatch, or could it have been the trout were just not feeding during that time of day????  Who knows it could have been all the above or it could be that one little thing I haven’t discovered yet. I can say it was not because of persistence and patience on our part, because we gave what we thought was our best on this day.  



 

 

 

 

 

Monofilament Leader Verses Fluorocarbon Leader---Opinion???

As I was fishing the tailrace the other day I kept noticing how my leader was reacting on the water surface. I realize that if one doesn’t get the line to lay straight on the surface after a cast, then you will encounter a coiled leader and tippet. If I can see the coil tippet then the fish can see the tippet. If you hit that sweet spot in your cast most of the time then there is no coil in the leader or more important in the tippet. It was a slow day on Thursday with Charles and me fishing the tailrace, and on those slow days I tend to notice little things that I wouldn't notice on a more active day. Thursday was one of those days, and that little thing I kept noticing was my tippet coil. Yes the cast plays a part in the coil, but not having your leader and tippet stretched before you ever start fishing also plays a big part in the leader/tippet coil. The more I cast the more I notice something else that many of us I am sure have seen; and that is being able to see your tippet on the water surface in gin clear water. The tailrace is always gin clear and most of the time I can see my leader and tippet line, which is mono. I don’t use the most expensive tippet line, which is fluorocarbon as opposed to your standard mono line. I do feel the fluorocarbon is less visible in the water, but according to research the mono floats somewhat better. Research also tells me that fluorocarbon tends to coil less coming off the spool, which of course would help with fewer coils on the water surface. So with these factors in mind I decided to do a little more research into the mono verses fluorocarbon leader/tippet concept. I thought the following read I found on the internet recently explains most of the issues I was trying to find answers for on Thursday; but I am also interesting in your opinion on mono verses fluorocarbon, and why would you choose either leader?  

 

Differences between Fluorocarbon and Monofilament.

• Material-fluorocarbon in made from a sophisticated polymer.  Mono is essentially plastic.
• Fluorocarbon is “More Clear” in clear water (refractive index is nearly identical to water.)
• Fluorocarbon is more abrasion resistant than monofilament in the same size.
• Fluorocarbon stretches less (almost none.)
• UV(sunlight) damages monofilament over time, but not fluorocarbon.
• Monofilament floats, fluorocarbon sinks
• Surprisingly, 10lb mono and 10lb fluoro are about the same diameter.



Orvis 'Super Strong' Leaders are monofilament.  Orvis 'Mirage' Leaders are flourocarbon.

Dry Fly Fishing: When water conditions are not gin clear, monofilament floats nicely.  And while mono is slightly heavier than water, surface tension holds the mono on the surface.  This will help keep dry flies on the surface.  When fishing a clear lake on a dead calm day, fluorocarbon may be better, because it is more invisible, but you will have to grease you fly to keep it floating.  But most dry fly fishing is on a lake that is tannic, or on a river that has a ripple surface.    Either disguises mono.  So, most of the time, use monofilament when fly fishing with dry flies.
Wet Fly or Nymph Fishing:  Fluorocarbon sinks.  This is a perfect match for fishing subsurface flies.  Even lightly weighted flies sink easily in a pond with fluorocarbon.  On the river, again the fluorocarbon sinks and gets flies down.  Don’t be mistaken, weighted flies are needed and sometimes split shot is still needed.  For anglers who refuse to use indicators, a mono leader with a fluorocarbon tippet creates a nice combination.  Make sure to seat the knot carefully when typing fluorocarbon to monofilament.
Top water popper fishing:  Mono, unless the water is gin clear, then use fluorocarbon.  If fishing a popper/dropper, use fluorocarbon on the dropper tippet.

Fluorocarbon tippets tied to a monofilament leader:  Originally not a good combination, but better now.  The flexibility/stiffness of the two materials may be different, so the tippet might be too stiff or limp for the leader that it was tied. Carefully flex your leader and see if transitions are smooth arcs, or lumpy.  This is easier than it sounds, and surprisingly critical to turning over a fly.  Ideally, use the same brand and type of tippet material and leader.  I prefer a 100% fluorocarbon leader (when using fluorocarbon.)  Also, the fluorocarbon has a shell-like exterior, so knots that are mediocre will hold in a mono to mono connection, but will not hold in a flouro to mono connection.  Make sure the knots seat perfectly, lubricate with moisture, and tighten slowly.  Newer flouro is easier to knot than the original fluorocarbons.
Recently, the makers of most fluorocarbon leaders removed expiration dates.  Simply, it has been found that UV does not degrade the material and the shelf life is perhaps five years or more.  It is also much more abrasion resistant, and the leader just last longer.  This is the economy fluorocarbon.  It is a great tool for the angler when applied properly.

 

 

 

 

 

Battling Heavy Wind Trout Fishing

I knew today’s forecast was calling for wind slightly out of the north, but what I encounter on the tailrace today was boat sailing wind. I almost left when I saw how windy it was through the gorge leading up to the dam. I remembered making these windy trips here before. I did have the water pretty much to myself, because there was only one other vehicle in the parking lot when I arrived, so with that encouragement I stayed. Dries were out not only because of the wind, but leaves as well, so I tied on size 12 bead head Prince Nymph dead drifting some of the usual places I always fish at the mouth of the tailrace. I lost two trout within the first 10 minutes here, mainly due to show reaction by me. The short takes convinced me to change flies and go with a smaller nymph, and move on to another area above me. I have found that when the fish are finicky the smaller the pattern the better results.





This rainbow fell prey to a weighted size 16 bead head grey scud dead drifting the fly through some fast water, that I have learned to fish to my advantage. This would be the only trout taken for the morning on the nymph, numerous hits, but no results

I really like this fast water dead drifting a bead head pattern. I never see anyone fishing this area, which is too my advantage. I lost 3 trout in here before I finally connected with the scud trout. I think I would have been a bit more successful if not for the tremendous wind I had to contend with here practically on every cast.

As I left the fast water I notice that there was some fairly calm water ahead of me on the west side of the tailrace which was sheltered by trees that lined the bank. The closer I got to the calm water the better it looked because I was noticing some surface action. This told me that there might be a possibility of landing a trout or two on top.  So I tied on the Bomber which is my go to dry fly when surface activity is present.

I was rewarded with this rainbow using Allen’s Bomber, Small Stream Reflections, on a long drift. I had to make some long cast to reach the surface trout on the other side of the tailrace; which would consist of numerous fail cast because of sudden wind burst whipping down the gorge.

I will admit that today was quite a challenge considering the weather. I forgot to mention the temperature was in the low forties today with a cold front approaching bringing temperatures in the low twenties for the coming weekend.

As I was leaving and walking back to the my truck I notice that most of the color from the leaves have gone for this year.

They will eventually cover the road by December---and we will be back to fall again sooner than we all think

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November Fly Swap

I thought I would share my latest fly swap with you guys from Nick at Brookfield Angler. I received these three nicely tied Sculpins flies in the mail yesterday for my swap. The spots on Smith Lake and the big rainbow on the tailrace should really attack this pattern. Nick did a nice job tying the Sculpin.

 

 

My post last month titled Become a Blogger Fly Swap Fiend explains my reasoning behind swapping flies. These are the flies I have up for swap this month.

 







Upper left is a size 18 Dry Coachman--right top is size 14 Mayfly---Middle is a size 20 Beadhead Brown Midge--Lower left is a size 14 Brown Drake--Lower right is a size 20 Grey Scud

 

Unconventional Fly Fishing Techniques

While at this years Trout Festival I had the opportunity to visit with Bob Shanks who is the author of Around the Next Bend. Bob is a working encyclopedia when it comes to fly fishing. What intrigues me about this guy is his simplicity to the sport. He fishes with fly rods and reels that are priced far below the top of the line equipment. A lot of his accessories such as line, nets, waders, and smaller items are all bought at bargain prices. The title of this post Unconventional Fly Fishing Techniques certainly applies to Bob. He shared a few of those techniques with all of us last Saturday.

1.     He never uses a knot or loop to connect his leader to his fly line.  Bob’s technique is dipping ¾” of his fly line into fingernail polish remover to remove the coating on the fly line to make it more flexible---next you would insert a tiny pin and onto a larger pin into the end of the fly line to open it wide enough to insert your leader butt end which is cut at an angle into the ¾” fly line end with the leader end being coated with super glue. Squeeze the fly/leader lines together for at least 30 seconds and you have a knotless fly line leader connection that will stand the test of a 5 lb. brown. I actually tried to pull the prototype apart Bob provided for all of us at the Festival and no one broke it apart. Your line travels through your guides much faster when using this type connection. I will be trying this technique.

2.     Clean your fly line with any detergent and warm water at least every other fishing trip. This will enable the line to flow through the guides much easier. It will also make for a smoother line pick-up from the water surface. Cleaner fly will increase the life of the line.

3.     Wear hip waders, not only for the added comfort in the summer months, but hip waders are cheaper than chest waders. One seldom wears in water waist deep.

4.     Seldom make 30 ft. cast, to a target, instead merely wade the extra 10 ft. to place your fly at 20 ft. instead. You are much more accurate at 20 ft. as oppose to 30 ft.

His presentation ended with a handout asking one question; which trout species would you rather pursue a brown or rainbow and tell why? There were some interesting answers given and discussed. I will end this post by asking the same question---Which trout species would you rather pursue a brown or rainbow and tell why?