A Threaded Discussion: Video
by Bob Reece
What’s the best thread for fly tying?
One of the benefits of social media is its ability to open lines of communication. I frequently receive pictures of various fly patterns that people have tied. In tandem with these photos, I’m often asked for my thoughts on how to improve the quality of the shared pattern. My first point of emphasis usually lands on a thread related element.
In general, as the fly size decreases so should the diameter of the thread. This is essential knowledge for any tier that is looking to create a higher quality product. All threads are broken in to sizes ranges. The two most commonly referred to sizing categories are Aught and Denier.
Threads measured in the Aught range are best used for patterns that do not require smoothly built up thread bodies or other portions of the fly. This is due to the fact that these threads do not lay as flat when wraps are laid down. For this category a larger number signifies a smaller diameter thread. For example a 14/0 thread has a smaller diameter than an 8/0. Due to advancements in thread technology, even smaller diameter Aught threads can display exceptional strength.
In a turnabout with Denier threads, a larger measurement number signifies a thicker diameter thread. For example
Read More »Nobody Wants To See Your Rotting Corpse
THIS IS WHY MY HERO SHOTS WILL ALWAYS LOOK BETTER THAN YOURS!
I try not to do this. To give up on a well-reasoned argument and turn to an angry rant, but once in a while I can’t help myself. I’m sick and tired of opening Facebook and seeing photos of a dead fish and some grinning asshole. You’re not a hero and that’s not a hero shot.
Fish are beautiful, living creatures and like all living things they are only beautiful when they are alive. Nobody wants to see a photo of your dead girlfriend and I don’t want to see a photo of your dead fish. It’s a corpse, not a trophy.
The color starts to leave a fish as soon as you lift them from the water. I know this because photographing fish is my job. Ten seconds. That’s all the time it takes to photograph a fish. Lift, snap, dunk, repeat. That’s how you do it. Ten seconds at a time. And then let the damned thing go!
I saw a video on YouTube the other day. The guy was talking about catching his biggest brown trout. It was back in the days of film and he said, “I hated to kill it but I had to. I was out of film.” No! You didn’t have to, you self-centered moron! Do you have Alzheimer’s? Were you going to forget catching that fish? Or are you such a lying douche bag that no one believes you anymore?
Killing a trophy fish does not make you cool. It makes you a dirt bag!
photo-3You know what else doesn’t make you cool. Your name in the record books. Nope. Not cool. Neither is “landing” a tarpon on 12 lb test. Here’s a photo of
Read More »The Right Stuff: Video
You know that feeling when you hook a fish and everything goes wrong?
I saw that play out just recently, and I saw a great, if not unconventional, recovery. I was fishing with Jesse Lowry on South Andros. Jesse hooked a nice bonefish and things went sideways. The fish ran straight at Jesse and there was no way he could take up line fast enough. When the reel couldn’t catch up, he went to stripping and then he couldn’t strip fast enough.
Most anglers would have lost it at that point. I’ve seen it a hundred times and most folks just watch it happen, but not Jesse. You could see his determination. He wanted that fish. He reached out and caught hold of the slack line outside the rod tip and hand lined the fish. It was hysterical, and effective.
Jesse landed the fish but when he tried to lift it for a photo the fish had other plans. He flipped out of Jesse’s hands to freedom. Jesse made one more attempt to grab the fish out of the water and it showed him up by swimming right between his feet. That guy does not give up and I respect that in an angler. That’s the right stuff.
I WAS LUCKY TO CATCH THE WHOLE THING ON VIDEO!
Read More »Fast Pocket Water & Big Attractor Dry Flies
During the spring, summer and fall I often get the itch to forget about catching numbers and instead see how big of an attractor dry fly I can get away with fishing and still fool trout.
For those of you who don’t know, my closest trout waters are North Georgia and Western North Carolina. We don’t regularly fish giant attractor dry fly patterns, like lots of my western friends do, because most of our water just won’t yield much results. That’s whats so cool about the idea of fishing them, when most anglers would chastise you. It gives me a little extra reward fishing patterns out of place and still catching fish. My favorite trout water for doing this on are medium-sized streams, particular in gorge sections that have a steep stream gradient. This type of water generally is loaded up with pocket water, and that’s perfect trout water for fishing big attractor patterns. Most of the trout found in these stretches of water are forced to be opportunistic feeders. The fast and turbulent water don’t give them a lot of time to examine their food before it’s out of their reach.
I’ll never forget an epic day of fishing in western North Carolina last year, fishing a size 6-8 Royal Wulff. I caught some really nice brown and rainbow trout that day, and I chuckled inside as I got weird looks from other locals on the stream, as they watched me drifting unusually large dry flies. They must have thought I was a
Read More »Putting Your Rod Tip In The Water Can Be A Game Changer
When a strong fish runs hard downstream too quickly for you to follow, you find yourself at a disadvantage. With the fish directly downstream, the angle of the hook in the fish’s mouth is perilous. Any thrashing or head shaking on the part of the fish can easily result in a long distance release. If you are unable to get downstream and establish a better angle to the fish you are left with only one choice, bring the fish to you. But how?
Read More »Soft-Hackle Hares Ear
Guiding has allowed me the opportunity to examine lots of my clients fly boxes over the years.
Quite often I open a fly box and just find a bunch of bream poppers and traditional old school attractor wet flies. I know it sounds crazy but it’s the reality in my region of work. I pause for a few seconds scanning their box intently, and try to give the impression they didn’t waist their money trying to stock their fly box at the local Walmart. I then quickly reply, “No worries, I’ve got plenty of flies that will work today for you”.
Seriously though, even when I actually get an angler with a decent selection of usable fly patterns in his/her fly box, I consistently notice one fly pattern that’s absent time and time again. The soft-hackle hares ear is the missing fly I’m referring to here, and although it’s just as deadly at catching fish as its cousin the soft-hackle pheasant-tail, for some reason rookie and intermediate level fly fishermen aren’t being told to stock them.
Read More »Tim Rajeff Fishes Two Fly Lines On One Rod
If you think you’ve seen everything in fly-fishing, check out this video with Tim Rajeff.
Want to catch twice the fish? Try fishing twice the line. OK, obviously this is a joke but it’s also an overt display of casting skill. Not satisfied with with being one of the worlds greatest fly casters, Tim Rajeff has actually learned to cast two fly lines at once, with a single rod.
I don’t know of any practical application for this technique, but it’s amazing to watch. If you struggle to cast one line without a tangle, watching Tim Place two flies, side by side, without a hitch might make you scream. If you figure out who to catch two fish at once doing this, please send us a photo!
WATCH THIS VIDEO TO SEE TIM RAJEFF BEING A BADASS.
Read More »Is Pay-To-Play Fly Fishing Good For Anybody?
By Louis Cahill
If you pay hundreds of dollars for the chance to catch a really big trout on someones private water, are you doing the right thing?
Pay-to-play fishing is a hot button issue. It came up in conversation the other day so I thought I’d put my two cents in. I don’t have any data to back this up, but my guess is that a pretty small percentage of anglers regularly pay to fish private water. I’d guess that a fare number of us do it a time or two and move on and a very small number do little else. On the other hand there are an equally small number who would never consider it.
What you figure out pretty quickly is, whenever pay-to-play comes up, there’s going to be an argument. The fur usually starts to fly when fish size becomes the topic. If you are boasting about catching a trophy size trout on your local pay-to-play water you’re very likely going to hear how, “That fish doesn’t count,” or how, “That’s bullshit.”
It’s true that there is no comparing a hand fed pet to a wild fish of the same size. Perhaps there is no comparing the effort or skill that went into catching those fish, but there is certainly no comparing how unique, special or important those two fish are. Wild trophy size trout are a treasure and should be treated as such. All of that said, if you are boasting about the size of your fish to establish yourself as a superior angler, you’re probably a douche bag. If you’re trying to spoil someone else’s excitement by calling their fish bullshit, you’re just as bad. That’s my opinion.
Focusing on numbers or size takes the fun out of fishing for me. I don’t count fish and when I do measure a fish it’s about appreciating what a special fish it is and how fortunate I was to catch it. Not for one instant do I hold to the idea that it makes me special as an angler. I’ve been at this long enough to know that humility is waiting in the next run. I like to hear anglers talk about special fish and I like to talk about them too. I think that’s something we all share, I just think it sucks when it ends in an argument.
SO HERE ARE SOME FACTS ABOUT PAY-TO-PLAY FISHING.
Read More »Which Fly Rod Action Is Best For You?
By Kyle Wilkinson
How does the angler know what fly rod action will best suite their needs and casting style?
If you’re an experienced angler reading this you may already know the answer to the topic of today’s discussion. However, I have a strong feeling many people reading this don’t fall into that category and have on more than one occasion heard the term “fast action” or “medium action” and thought to themselves, ‘What in the hell? All I want is a fly rod I can take to the river and catch a fish with!’
If you’ve ever found yourself in that situation — or if you’re in the market for a new fly rod but don’t know what makes the most sense to add to your line up — then I highly encourage you to read on!
It’s no secret that fly rods come in all shapes and sizes these days and with the continued advancements we’re seeing in rod building technologies, the corresponding actions are getting more and more refined. This can be confusing to interpret for any angler out there, regardless of skill.
But back to the question of which action is right for you? In my opinion, the short answer to this is simply going to depend on the type of fishing conditions you’re going to be facing. Now I’m sure some of you are already thinking that both angler skill and angler preference are major factors as well and you’re correct — I’ll be sure to touch on this as well.
For the sake of keeping things simple though, let’s take a 10,000-foot view of this topic and break fly rods down into the three most dominant categories (slow, medium, fast) and where I find their most useful applications to be.
Slow Action. It seems most rod companies tend to shy away from the phrase ‘slow action’ these days and use terms such as ‘full flex’ or ‘presentation taper’ to categorize these type of rods. Additionally, you’re usually going to see these rods predominantly offered in sub 9’ lengths, with rods down to 6’ long not out of the question. To the newer angler, the first thing you’ll likely notice when picking up a slow/full flex rod is that
Read More »Bonefish — Getting into the game
by John Byron
You’re giving thought to going on your first bonefish expedition, but you want more information.
You’re in luck — there’s a ton of great advice out there from true experts.
But much of that super info is geared to someone already in the game who wants to do better.
Let me approach the topic from the opposite direction, that of the true beginner, which I was four years ago and largely still am.
In a previous blog posting here, I gave you a flats-level view of the subject in A Beginner’s Guide to Catching Bonefish.
Here’s my take on the topic at Angels Twenty, the picture seen from 20,000 feet: what are the true basics for someone considering their first bonefish adventure?
Destination: The first question is where to go.
The Bahamas are the most accessible for most people.
Which island to go to deserves research, but they all provide pretty good fishing.
The Keys and Hawaii have big fish, but it’s advanced-level fishing and not good for a first-timer.
Belize has lots and lots of fish, but they tend to run a bit smaller than other places.
More exotic destinations — e.g., Christmas Island; the Seychelles — are great fishing, but they’re pretty daunting as a starting place.
Ease of travel will enter into your considerations.
When: What time of year.
As always, the best time to go fishing is when you can.
But you have to consider the hurricane season; it’s a crapshoot, plus many operations close then.
And a cold front in winter can affect the fishing in the more northern Bahamas destinations (though with bigger fish in the offing too).
Accommodations: Gotta eat and sleep somewhere.
Easiest access to the sport is a hosted “bonefish school.”
Gink & Gasoline; Orvis.
All arrangements made except travel to/from.
Expert help from the host and from guides geared to those new to the sport.
Nice chow, sleeping, amenities.
Next easiest is a trip put together by one of the outfits that packages fishing trips.
Nervous Waters, Deneki, H2O Bonefishing, The Fly Shop, Yellow Dog, others.
Most difficult is the do-it-yourself trip.
Attractive if you’re pinching pennies.
But odds of getting skunked and frustrated as a newcomer are pretty high.
Trip Duration: How much time will your first trip for bonefish take?