Although Duckweed, in large numbers, can be hazardous to fish populations, pond-owners should not be too hasty to skim their ponds. Duckweed, as I found out after speaking with a DEP officer, Duckweed can be very beneficial to the ponds ecosystem. In small amounts, Duckweed, on a sunny day, produces vast amounts of oxygen which is then released directly into the water, making the pond a more advantageous place for fish growth. Unfortunately, on cloudy days, Duckweed, in order to stay alive, draws oxygen from the water, causing the levels of oxygen to drop dramatically, and ultimately threatening the livelihood of the fishes.

The reason for the fish-kill at the pond where I was fishing was that during that summer, the pond was covered by a very thick layer of Duckweed, and the weather remained cloudy off and on for a long period of time. This constant fluctuation in oxygen levels eventually killed of a couple hundred warm-water fish.

I asked the pond-owner whether it would be beneficial to simply skim the water to remove the duckweed, and not risk gambling with the lives of trophy fish. He stated that he was told by a local DEP officer that if he were to remove the weed from the water, the population of the fish would continue to grow uncontrollably, and eventually the larger fish would die off anyways. He told us that the Duckweed was a very helpful, natural, population regulator, keeping the ponds ecosystem at check.

So for all of you out there that are worried about the health of your ponds due to Duckweed, it is better to let nature take its course, then to interfere and face the consequences.

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For those fishermen out there who know what I am talking about, there are a few things that you should keep in mind whenever casting an antique rod. Firstly, for anyone who has ever disassembled an old bamboo rod, you have surely found that the metal couplings, that connect the different sections of rod, tend to stick, and seem to be nearly impossible to take apart. To combat this issue, it is best to lubricate the metal tags prior to assembly. This can be done using any synthetic lubricant, but must be done each time the rod is assembled. I have found that it is easiest simply to run the male end of the coupling through your hair, allowing the oils to lubricate the metal, or simply use a small amount of ear-wax. Either will suffice. Once the rod is assembled it is important to remember not to push the rods to their limits. If the rod has sentimental value to you, just remember that you can not go out and buy a new one. I recently broke the tip off of one of my grandfather’s rods. Although I did have a second tip piece of the rod, it was truly a reality check; ensuring that it would not happen again.

When disassembling a rod, it is best to not try to take it apart normally, but rather hold the rod with both hands behind your knees and use your legs to separate the rod. This will not only make it easier to remove the parts from each other, but it will also ensure that the rod is pulled straight apart, keeping it from twisting and torquing the bamboo rod.

There are also very important things to keep in mind when owning bamboo rods that should not be neglected, such as regularly oiling the rod to keep it from drying out, causing it to be more subject to cracking and breaking under pressure. Many outdoors stores sell such products and can offer further, specific instructions depending on the exact rod that you own.

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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 the water. After being creeled, a trout becomes very weak, and the chances of living are very slim. Not only is this action cruel, but it also is illegal.

Beyond this behavior, there are other such actions of adequate that should be practiced by all fishermen, such as wetting ones hands before handling a fish, which protects the layer of slime over the body of the fish.

Furthermore, it is also good practice to only remove a fish from water when absolutely necessary, or when a fish is being kept.

Although there any many other actions of proper etiquettes, these are just a few key things for all fishermen to keep in mind when on the stream.

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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 of the stream. This method requires that you rise above the mentality of having to catch one specific fish, and enables one to enjoy the art of casting, and catching fish that are diverse in size and sometimes even in type. The purpose of ‘spot fishing’ is to keep the fly away from the fish until the moment when they are already feeding. This keeps the fish from becoming familiar with the fly, and realizing it for an imitation. When spot fishing, presentation is everything; you need to be able to introduce the fly to the fish so fast, with such precision, that the fish, still in frenzy from its rise, immediately strikes your imitation without taking a second thought.

When presenting a fly using the spot fishing method, it is best to present your fly immediately above the focal point of the rings (the circular ripples left after a rise). Many people make the common mistake of aiming to land their fly exactly in the center of the rings. This is great for target practice, but our goal is to catch fish. The reason why you should land the fly upstream from where you see the rings form is due to the fact that the current shifts all things downstream, including the rings. When fish rise to a fly, they tend to make a very direct accent and descent, therefore, by the time it takes for you to respond to the rise, the fish is back where it started, but the rings have drifted downstream just slightly, leaving the fish on the upstream side of the rings.

The ‘quarter turn sweep’ is only possible in moving water, and is the most commonly used method of fly fishing. This technique involves very little work on the behalf of the fisherman, yet is very effective. You, as the fisherman, stand off toward one side of the stream or river, facing the opposite bank. Now, picturing yourself at the center of a clock, (12 o’clock being directly in front of you) you should present your fly just to the upstream side of 12 o’clock. Allow the fly to float at a float about 40-45 degrees. At this time, the fly should be almost directly downstream from you. If the fly has not sunk on its own, then force it to sink by sharply pulling your line. After the fly has become submerged, fish it as a wet fly by stripping in your line in short direct jerks until the fly is within casting distance again. Fish will most often hit as the fly makes its final turn and sinks, that is why it is so important that one does not immediately recast their fly when it sinks, but continues to fish it wet. When it comes time to recast the fly, it is best to, if possible, use a back cast. This will quickly dry the fly, allowing it to float easily when it lands again.

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When you have a base layer of thread along the shank, it is then time to select the hare’s fur for the tail of the Usual. The best fur to use is found usually on the pads of the rear paws, and on the Hare’s ears. When you have selected the desired fur from which you wish to make the tail, tie the fur toward the back top of the shank, securing it with a few winds of thread. When placing the fur, it is important to lay it so that the length of the tail, from its base, is the equivalent length of the body. Also, it is important that the tail is not too dense because you do not want the tail to be more buoyant than the wing. If this happens, the fly will have the tendency to float tail up. If you complete the fly and this occurs later while fishing, it can easily be fixed by thinning the tail using a fine pair of scissors.

When you have set the tail and are satisfied with its placement and size, it is time to begin the scarlet body. Cut a piece of scarlet floss about 3-4 inches in length. Attach the floss, securing it with just a few wraps on thread.

Once the floss is secure across the top of the hook shank, wrap the floss down the shank, IN THE SAME DIRECTION as the thread. If you wrap the thread in the opposite direction as the thread, than it will loosen when you try to secure the floss. Continue the floss almost entirely down the shank. After this, secure the floss by wrapping the end of it with a few twists of thread.

When the floss is secure in place, cover the shank in a thin wrap of Hare’s fur dubbing. For the best results, select fur from the ears or the back on the hare. Attach the dubbing to the thread using either a dubbing wax, which can purchased at many fly shops, or simply use ear wax, or spit. I personally prefer to use spit due to the fact that, unlike wax, the spit only allows the fur to stick to the thread during the dubbing process, and later separates from the thread, allowing it to become fluffy, thus making it more buoyant.

When the dubbing is complete, select a tuft of hare’s fur, again from the pads of the paws, or the back. This tuft should be about twice the length of the shank. Attach the fur by laying it perpendicular to the shank, and securing it with cross wraps. In the end they should look like an X holding the wing in place.

When the wing is in place, twist the wings upward, and secure them by wrapping dubbing around the base of the upright wings.

After you have secured the wing, complete the fly by constructing the head using just thread, without dubbing material. Finish the head with a whip finish, and glue using either head cement, or simply clear nail-polish. Fluff the wing and tail, and Viola! The Usual!

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