Fly Fishing Dish » Fly Fishing Tips

Bamboo Bows

CtScribe — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 06:56:54 +0000

In the past I have written about the importance of bamboo rod maintenance and use. Today I would like to take time to point out one more precautionary measure that should never be overlooked when storing a bamboo fly rod.

Although sealed cases are popular among most fishermen, many of us have that special, handcrafted, bamboo rod that we just cannot help but display, whether it be hung from a wall, or stood in a corner, it is important to remember that bamboo bows. If the rod is not properly supported, such as if it is stood in a corner, the tip of the rod will begin to bend, and eventually will hold the curve, compromising the casting of the rod, and making it structurally unstable.

The best way to show off that beautiful rod, is to simply hang the rod for the wall. It is important, however, to make sure that the rod is supported along its entirety, and not simple just at its ends. Furthermore, I have found it most effective to display such rods in their separated pieces; this will completely remove all chances of damaging the rod.

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Don’t Forget Your Line

CtScribe — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 04:45:59 +0000

I recently received the invitation to go on a short fly fishing excursion in Cape Cod. I, and a handful of other fly fishermen will be literally spending every waking moment on the waters edge. With this trip coming up, I would like to take time discussing one key aspect of salt water fishing.

Because of how vast the ocean is, it can be a difficult task to keep all of your bearings, such as the distance and windage location of your line, and the times of strikes. Furthermore, due to offshore currents it can be very easy to miscalculate how much line you actually have in the water. Most inland fishermen are able to judge the amount of outgoing line by relating it to another distance, such as the width of the stream, or the distance to a specific rock. However, with such vast expanses, there are very few ways to calculate this.

When fishing during daylight hours, it can be very effective to simple take a number of colored, permanent markers, and systematically color code the float line, marking out different lengths of reference. This can be very effective, and will allow you to keep from overextending casts, as well as will keep you from falling short or desired distances. Although this is very effective during the daytime, there is one problem; it is only useful during the daytime.

For night fishing, there is a similar technique, involving thread instead of marker. Simply tie a small piece of thread, or preferable yarn, to the distances of the line. As the line masses through your fingers, it is possible to count how many feet of line you have released into the water. This method is only advised for fast moving fishing, where a disturbance to the flow of the line will not be noticed by the targeted fish. Furthermore, this method may lead to a hindered flow of line from the reel, as the float line may become caught on the yarn markers. If one has a reel large enough that the line is not too constricted, this problem will not occur.

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Never Too ‘Late’

CtScribe — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:04:18 +0000

For the typical, New England, clear water fly fishermen, trout season tends to stretch primarily from opening day, the third Saturday in April, to about late may, into early July, when the temperature begins to rise, and the water levels begin to drop. Although this sad state of affairs has mostly become accepted as typical trout behavior, it can still be disappointing to those fishermen who do not wish to spend their time dreaming of next season’s fish, but rather want to get out and cast their rod. For those fishermen out there, there is hope. If you wanna catch late-season trout, all you have to do is look in the right places.

Just as bass tend to make their way from hiding, and enter to now warm streams, trout tend to find their place in dormancy, seeming to disappear from nature entirely. In reality, trout simple lay low during the heat of the day by avoiding unnecessary exhaustion, primarily by laying still, and not eating.

Furthermore, when fishing for ‘lates,’ it is best to fish under in the shadows of overhanging trees, typically large pines that are growing along the bank. As well as these shadows, there are two other key locations to find trophy lates: in deep holes, and at the deltas of tributary runoffs.

In the late summer, it is not uncommon to find masses of trout sitting at the delta of a tributary, the place where a mountain runoff meets the main stream. It is at these places where very cool water enters, and where fish have a place to lay without being subject to warm water. Also, these runoffs tend to have a very high oxygen level, and therefore are able to support the trout far better that the slower moving body of the stream. It is in these deltas that one can be guaranteed to catch late trout. So, when approaching a stream, keep an eye out for tributary water, keep you distance, and land those lates.

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From Sea to Shining Sea

CtScribe — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:58:30 +0000

As I stated yesterday, the majority of Midwest fly fishing is ‘dark water.’ Although this is true, clear water fishing is a huge industry in other, more mountainous, areas of New Mexico. When traveling through the mountainous regions around Los Alamos, I met up with two men who were preparing to fish a small, clear water, run-off stream. Due to the large pine, and the small meadows of unscathed grass, it seemed as though we were once again in the Appalachian Mountains here in New England.

As the discussion with these two men continued, it became clear that regardless of what coast you are on, or how different of lived we lived being in different areas of the country, we still were able to communicate perfectly on one topic, clear water fishing. These two men used a technique that is very common to use around the east coast as well, called “hopper and dropper.” By utilizing this method, a fisherman has the ability to fish two very different patterns at the same time, more readily appealing to the different desires of different fish.

In the case of “hopper and dropper,” the fisherman ties a hopper pattern, the lead, to the tippet as usual, then, selecting a nymph of some sort, ties short piece of tippet material, about nine inches will do, to the shank of the hopper, then attach the dropper nymph to that tippet. It is important to make sure that your lead fly is always a highly buoyant dry fly, and your dropper is a very non-buoyant nymph or wet fly pattern. It is key to balance the flies appropriately, to ensure that the dropper does not sink the lead, nor should the lead cause the dropper to float unnaturally. This technique will undoubtedly serve you well, and, in some cases will lead to an interesting tale of a ‘double catch.’

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Not Knots

CtScribe — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:34:13 +0000

This past weekend I had the opportunity to work with a young man who wished to be introduced to fly fishing. Before beginning his first lesson, I set him up with a Pflueger rod and reel kit. The same set that my father bought me when I began fly fishing. Although the package was supposed to include all the lines needed to assemble the rod, I was disappointed to find that there was, in fact, no leader.

Due to my busy schedule, I had my brother run out to the store and buy me a leader. The only problem was that my brother is completely unlearned in all areas of fly fishing. Because of this, he bought me two ‘quick connect’ leaders.

Over the past few years I have seen many developments in these units, and have been very skeptical for a number of reasons. Firstly, I was worried about having such a large piece of plastic in the middle of the line, due to the effects that it could have on casting and stripping. I was worried that it would both distract fish from the fly, and furthermore, cause larger pull marks when retrieving the line. Despite my hesitation, I was actually very impressed with such units as a beginner’s tool.

This small connecter allowed me to quickly, and effectively, attach the leader without dealing with confusing nail knots, and although I was worried, I piece did not affect my casting at all. The unit weighed so little that the fluctuation caused by the interference did not show in the cast. Furthermore, when retrieving the line after a cast, the tapered plastic connecter moved smoothly through the water, resulting in no abnormal water marks.

All in all, I think that such units are a great investment for beginners who are not so confident in their ability to tie reliable knots. They make for a quick way to change out leaders, and, despite what one might believe, I have not found a significant, negative result of using such a tool.

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Dropping a Line

CtScribe — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:14:10 +0000

I was at Harkness Beach State Park for a social outing yesterday evening. While there, I walked down to the shore to speak with a number of fly fishermen that were gathering toward the evening. While discussing the different fish runs, and accepted patterns, I noticed that the majority of the fishermen, and women, were using line baskets while casting, leading me to discuss this popular accessory.

The purpose of these baskets is to hold the line from lying in the water while stripping it in before recasting due to the fact that allowing the line to float freely in the water, especially in current water such as a river or surf, will inevitably result in a large knot. However, by allowing the line to fall into a basket, the chances of a knot will be drastically reduced. Furthermore, freely floating line has to potential to become entangled in brush, rock, or other objects, both submerged and floating.

In the past, line baskets have been constructed simply of wicker, and although beautiful pieces of craftsmanship, did not hold up to the vigorous beatings that they underwent due to avid fishermen. The biggest problem with these baskets was that due to the constant soaking and drying of the wood, they wicker strips would begin to crack.

Today, line baskets have evolved into ultra-light, highly durable, rubber catch baskets that are not only very functional, but are comfortable to wear. In my own life, these baskets have truly shown themselves to be worth the investment, surviving even the most testing weather of winter, king salmon fishing.

Although there are many different ways of handling your line without the need to support it by a basket, these little twists of the hand can be complicated to learn. I highly recommend such an accessory for any fisherman, regardless of their experience on the water. There will always be circumstances in which one will want such a tool.

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When You Get Hit

CtScribe — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:55:40 +0000

After all the casting and hard work finally pays off, and you have that beautiful trophy trout on your line, there are many things that take place both in your mind and physically on the water. The most common thoughts that come to mind are those regarding size, whether to keep it or not, and furthermore, how to keep it from pre-releasing itself.

When the trill finally catching a nice trout sets in, it is important that one remembers certain steps to safely releasing the fish to the river. Firstly, as I have stated in the past, a fisherman should never touch a fish before wetting his hand in the water. A dry hand will damage the fish’s protective mucus layer surrounding its body, could lead to severe harm. Secondly, it is never a good idea to leave a hook in the throat of a fish. If the hook is not in a position to be removed, then keep the fish. If there is, for some reason, a hook that is stuck toward the lips, or outside of the mouth, then you can leave the hook inside the mouth, after cutting back all the line from that hook. The hook will eventually fall out of the lip of the fish within 24 hours, allowing the fish to continue as normal.

Companies have developed an important tool in the area of catch and release fishing. While most fishing nets are knotted nets, meaning that the strings that construct the nets are knotted together, these nets have a tendency to scratch the body of the fish, again damaging the mucus layer that envelopes its body. To combat this problem, newer nets that have been made in which the body of the net consists of no knots, and is one continued piece of material. These nets are just as effective, and in most cases the same price. So do something good for the environment, and invest in a safe-net. Furthermore, when fishing, never let an injured fish go; it all falls under fishermen ethics: to leave the stream in better shape then it was when you arrived. Fly fishing is a wonderful hobby, so let it remain that way for years to come.

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‘Dead-Fly’ Done

CtScribe — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:49:27 +0000

For all of those fly fishermen our there who enjoy using streamers when fishing, there is one problem that seems almost inevitable at times: ‘dead-fly.’ Dead-fly is the term used to describe a streamer that tends to turn upside-down when being retrieved through the water. This action will cause the presentation of the fly to be tainted, and will result in an empty creel.

There are two key reasons for dead-fly that can very easily be overcome in directly addressed, line spinning, and improper weighting of the streamer. The first culprit, line spin, is a result of line that has not been properly maintained. Over the course of time, line will become gritty, and will stretch due to constant use, causing the line to twist. These twists will actually become wound in the air, and, when the fly hits the water, the line will begin to ‘unwind,’ forcing the streamer to spin rapidly. This can easily be fixed by keeping you line clean, and straightening it with a piece of leather, as I have spoken about in the past.

The second, and more often the case, problem that results in ‘dead-fly,’ is the improper weighting of a streamer. There are times that, when a fly is tied, lead weight is used in the streamer to cause it to sink more rapidly. If the weight is not properly wrapped, it will make the shank of the streamer heavier than the rest of the hook, and will cause it to float upside-down. Although lead weight is a common reason, dead-fly can be a result of a number of different materials used in streamer. This problem can be fixed simply by fastening about nine inches of heavy, transparent line to the head of the streamer and connecting a small piece of foam, or down feathers to the other end of the line. The buoyant material will float, turning the streamer upright again, allowing it to be fished normally. Some fishermen are skeptical to this practice, thinking that the line will cause fish to become less attracted to the streamer, but from experience I can say that it truly works.

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What’s A Yeti?

CtScribe — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:07:04 +0000

Just yesterday I was fishing with my three brothers at a favorite childhood fishing hole behind the house where we grew up. While we were fishing, my little brother accidently brought up an interesting topic that I decided to discuss today.

The four of us went out fishing, and neglected all sense of dignity and talent and chose to fish with worm and bobber. After a long while of fishing, one of my older brother commented as to how his bobber was floating against the current. Upon this discovery, my little brother, in an amusingly arrogant tone, stated, “That’s not a fish biting it, that’s just because of a Yeti!”

In actuality, a Yeti is simply a fictitious, apelike, snowman that is said to inhabit the Himalayan regions of Tibet and Nepal, rarely found in the shallow rivers of the eastern U.S. On the contrary however, an eddy is an area where water, due to a series of diverging currents, the water tends to flow upstream, against the natural flow of the river. Eddies typically form on the downstream side of objects that hinder the flow of water, such as rocks, logs, or bridge pillars.

Eddies are particularly important to fishermen because if the influence that they have on the location, and feeding habits of fish. Because of the hindrance to flow of water, a dead pocket of water forms directly behind the object. The two currents flowing on either side of the object diverge just downstream from the object, causing a small whirl of water to occur. Because of this, the water begins to actually be forced upstream.

It is in these pockets of up-flow that trout will tend to sit due to the fact that they can easily access food without having to exert much energy. Trout will sit directly behind the hindering object where they can sit without having to swim against any current. By sitting there, they can easily feed of nymphs that float by along the sides of the object. Therefore, it is very productive to cast inside these eddies, and fish along the edges, and directly behind such disturbances.

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Casting a Memory

CtScribe — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:06:22 +0000

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 enough to really remember him. Although this is true, there is a certain connection that can be made, and a certain joy that can be found in knowing that I am casting the same rod that he too caught numerous fish on. Through this, it makes it possible to, although living in different times, share something with my grandfather.

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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