May 26 2008
Like Passing a Camel Through a Needle
This past weekend I spent time working with a gentlemen who wished to learn to cast a fly-rod. Before we even began casting, I noticed something that I thought appropriate to address. When threading a fly line through a rod, we have all faced the frustration of accidently dropping the line, and having to rethread the length of the rod over again.
I went a number of years fumbling through this action until my father pointed out to me a very simple was to correct this problem. When threading a line, pull enough line from the reel so that you can easily hold a piece float-line in your hand. Fold the line over and pass the loop through the eyelets. This loop will keep the line from passing back through the eyelets if dropped, saving time and frustration.
This past week I spent time scouting out, and fishing, a local pond here in northeastern Connecticut. It was my first time fishing this specific body of water, so I met up with the owner of the property to discuss the ins and outs of fishing there. After a few minutes of conversation, he began [...]
Although I enjoy the reliability and strength of my modern graphite, Pfueger rod, there tends to be a great joy in casting my grandfather’s handcrafted split bamboo rod. The rod is a ten and a half foot bamboo rod that he acquired long before I was born. My grandfather passed away before I was old [...]
As we are approaching fishing season, there are certain etiquettes that should be discussed.
One of the most important rules of fly fishing is that a fisherman should never, under any circumstances, ‘cull.’
Culling is the very inconsiderate practice of keeping a trout in a creel, and then, after catching larger trout, returns the spent trout to [...]
Spot fishing is a good technique when you find yourself in a situation where there are a number of visible fish rising. The basic idea is to always be ready for a repositioning of the fly to the place of the most current activity, whether that is along the shore, or toward the mid current [...]
The Usual is a very simple fly to tie, and can easily be accomplished by anyone who is starting to tie flies, due to the fact that it is very forgiving. When I tie the Usual, I prefer to use a #10 Mustad hook. I have found this size to be most efficient when fishing [...]