Build Your Own Fly Rod: DIY Video 4
It’s rod building time with Matt Draft of Proof Fly Fishing.
In this installment, video 4, Matt will cover wrapping the ferrules, stripping guide and hook keeper. In addition to the basics Matt will share some pro tips for the trickier steps in the process. Our DIY rod is really starting to look like something now!
Check out Matt’s site, Proof Fly Fishing. As a special thank you to G&G readers, Matt will be offering free shipping on all of his kits for the next seven weeks. Just use the code G&Gfreeship on his web site.
BUILD YOUR OWN FLY ROD: DIY VIDEO 4: WRAPPING THE FERRULES, STRIPPING GUIDE AND HOOK KEEPER.
Read More »Choosing A Premium Fly Rod
By James Buice
The waggle. We all do it.
When you walk into a fly shop looking for that new rod (and yes folks, don’t even think about buying a rod before you cast it), the first thing you do after picking a prospective candidate from the rack is the waggle. Shaking the rod to check the flex, or stiffness, or…whatever. Some check the rod by placing the tip on the floor and observing the deflection. Some even hold the rod tip about a foot off the floor and raise the rod upward quickly to see if the tip touches the ground to see if the wand in question is “a fast or slow action.” Really!?!
Bottom line is no matter what you do in the confines of your favorite fly shop, you’re not going to be capable of making an educated rod buying decision until you line it up and “sling some string” as the kids say. But, there is a lot more to it than just casting blindly in a parking lot or casting pond. Have a game plan; a succinct list of criteria you deem necessary based on the rod’s purpose, your casting style, the type of gamefish you’ll be pursuing, and a realistic scenario in which the rod will be put to use.
THE LONG BALL DOES NOT ALWAYS WIN THE GAME
Having worked in a fly shop for years, I saw the same thing pretty much every time someone took a rod outside to cast. They would strip off all of the flyline at their feet and proceed to cast as much of it as possible. This would inevitably turn into the customer typically throwing tailing loops, snapping back casts, and throwing their arm out in an attempt to get the greatest distance they could muster. More accomplished casters would land the entire line straight, with graceful loops. This would be the extent of the test casting session.
“It threw the whole line.” “Wow, that rod has some power!” or “Feels like it doesn’t want to cast much past eighty feet.”
Great. These customers, no matter what their casting prowess, just showed their ability in casting a rod in parking lot for distance. Know what this told them about how the rod would fish in an actual, real life scenario? Zero. Zip. Nada. Sure it’s cool to bomb a long 100 footer, but aside from some very limited angling scenarios, simply throwing the entire fly line is about as useful as only practicing basketball shots from center court.
When you’re out shopping around, get the long cast out of your system and then focus on what really matters. Pick out a few spots on the ground at varying distances. If the shop has hula-hoops or something to use as a target, all the better. Place these at various distances ranging from 80’ to 10’. If it’s a trout pole you’re after, back it off to around 50 or 60 feet since you typically cannot control drag and fly line drift much past that in a river due to current breaks and such. This will put you in the ‘realistic’ casting ranges you’re going to encounter 99.9% of the time.
Now, don’t start out false casting and try to hit your targets. Begin each cast
Read More »Build Your Own Fly Rod: DIY Video 6
Our DIY fly rod is getting close to finished.
Perfectly fitted reel seat hardware is an absolute must for a quality build. In this weeks video Matt Draft, of Proof Fly Fishing, shows us how the pros fit and secure a reel seat with precision. Follow these simple steps and you’re rod will look and fish perfectly.
There’s only one more video in this series so, if you’re thinking about building your own fly rod, now would be a good time to take advantage of Matt’s special offer of free shipping for G&G readers. Once the series is over, so is the offer, so check our the kits at Proof Fly Fishing.
Read More »Strip Hard For Musky!
By Justin Pickett
You can’t strip the fly too hard for a musky.
This past fall I spent several days chasing trout and musky around West Virginia with Esox freak, Murphy Kane. We spent the first day tossing dry/droppers and indicators at some gorgeous, native trout, and the following three days would be devoted to running rivers in search of musky.
The moments leading up to the first few casts were exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time. Would I be dumb lucky enough to call one up on my first cast? Would I see one at all? Would I completely lose my shit on the hook set? Visions of big, gnarly silhouettes emerging from the shadows to follow my fly immediately filled my head. Needless to say, I wasn’t thinking much about what I was actually doing.
However, through my fantastical daydreaming, I hear Murphy, “You’re not stripping hard enough.”
“Huh?” I replied.
He added, sarcastically, that, “You have to strip hard as hell to get that fly to move and push water, or a musky won’t even look at it.”
According to Murphy, I was sissy stripping the fourteen-inch T-bone I had lashed to my wire tippet and I might as well have been fishing in a Koi pond. What he wanted to see me do was strip with force and authority, bringing out the full potential of the fly’s action. Stripping large musky flies with some
Read More »Dealing With Stuck Ferrules The Right Way
Here’s the best way to separate stuck ferrules on a fly rod.
Ferrules stick. It’s a fact of life and when pulling them apart you can break a rod if you’re not careful. I learned this trick from an old friend and skilled bamboo rod maker, Gary Lacey. With the help of a friend you can separate those stuck ferrules in a second with no risk to you rod.
CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO AND SEE HOW TO SEPARATE SERIOUSLY STUCK FERRULES ON A FLY ROD.
Read More »The Roll Cast Mend
Do you ever find yourself on the water when a regular mend won’t provide you with a long enough drag free drift to catch trout? This usually occurs when you’re trying to get a drift across multiple currents on the far bank or when you’re trying to fish a soft seam, adjacent to faster water, that’s too far away from you to high-stick. In these two situations, a standard mend will usually not provide you with enough slack to keep your dry fly drifting naturally to the position of the rising trout or give your nymphs enough time to sink down into the strike zone.
When I find myself fly fishing in this situation,
Read More »Bonefishing: Getting Ready To Fish
It’s time to catch a bonefish! Here are some easy steps you can follow to set you up for success.
Effective saltwater fly fishing, for bonefish or any other species, is all about making clean presentations. The more you can control the variables, the more fish you will catch. It’s as simple as that. An angler who is methodical and pays attention to the details always has the odds in their favor.
In this video I share with you the steps I take to insure a clean presentation every time I take the bow. It’s a deeper dive into how I prepare for success and why. I hope it helps you catch more bonefish.
BONEFISHING: GETTING READY TO FISH
Read More »Get Your Strip Set Right Every Time: Video
Remembering to strip set is the hardest thing for anglers new to saltwater fly fishing.
It’s absolutely crucial in saltwater angling to use a strip set. If you lift the tip of your rod at all, known as trout setting, you will not get the hook into the hard mouth of any saltwater fish. It’s hard for beginners though. When the fish eats, muscle memory takes over and the body does what it’s used to doing. If you’re a trout angler, that’s a trout set.
More saltwater fish are lost as a result of weak hook sets than anything else. When I teach my bonefish schools I work with students to be sure they have the pressure right. I hold the line and have them set the hook several times, telling them when they are using the right amount of force. It’s like a firm handshake. Enough to say your serious but not enough to start a fight.
Even with this practice it’s hard to fight the muscle memory and put it all together when the fish eats. I tell my students to say “strip set” out loud every time they strip the fly. It feels silly but I have never seen it fail. If you say “strip set” you will strip set. It’s a great device to keep your head in the game.
Watch this video to see me make a good strip set and get some pointers on getting it right.
Read More »Clean Your Fly Line Anytime, Anywhere: Video
It pays to keep your fly line clean.
You can spend $90 on a fly line, these days. It just makes sense to take care of them and a big part of caring for a fly line is keeping it clean. Removing oils and chemicals, like sun screen and bug spray, will make your line last a whole lot longer. Keeping it free of dirt and river scum will make it float and cast better.
So why wouldn’t you clean your line every time you fish?
Because it’s a hassle or because you just forget. Well the good news is it’s actually really easy and convenient. I keep a hand full of moist towelettes, like you get at BBQ restaurants, in my fishing kit. I only takes a second to clean your fly line with one of these handy wipes. I buy them by the case but you can pick them up at the local BBQ joint if you like.
WATCH THE VIDEO AND SEE HO WEARY IT IS TO CLEAN A FLY LINE.
Read More »3 Reasons It’s Time to Change Flies
By Louis Cahill
When I looked at this fly, I saw three things wrong—any one of them deserving a fly change.
I was fishing with a friend at the January Bonefish School and he made a couple of good presentations that were refused by fish. I asked if I could have a look at his fly and immediately knew why the fish were not impressed. Understand, he was there to learn and asked for my help, I don’t just critique people’s flies for fun.
Take a close look at the photo above and see if you spot the three things keeping this fly out of a bonefish’s mouth.
First and foremost, the hook is starting to straighten. Proof that the fly had been working at some point. Although this might not keep a fish from eating the fly, it will keep you from landing it if it does. Bending the hook back causes metal fatigue and it will never be as strong. Your next fish might be the biggest of your life. Better to change it.
2. The wing and eyes have