ON THE FLY movin' FAST!

Seems like the weekend events were all about speed!  Downhill skiing, bobsleds, speed skating, luge riders; even the "GO DADDY" girl Danica is all about FAST!  I had a chance to slow it down a bit, stopping by the annual fly fishing small scale show hosted by the Bear's Den a fine fly shop in Taunton, MA.  I cast the remarkable Sage ZXL 3 weight in an 8'6" configuration with the new RIO LT series line.  The ZXL S.L.O.W.S it down a bit from the 3 XP's which I own and weighs in at just over 2 ounces.  What a nice, smooth rod!  If you haven't had the opportunity to lay some line out with this beauty, don't hesitate!  The new RIO LT Trout series is a perfect fit, loads nicely especially at shorter distances and punched into a stiff wind on the backcast when lengthening out.  Pricey rod for sure BUT the folks at Flycatcher will build one up to your spec at considerably less $$$ than a factory rod.  Anyone have any experience with the custom offerings from Flycatcher??

Staying with the fast/slow theme for a bit, Great Bay Rods is offering a fine selection of fiberglass rods, handcrafted in the US, and SLOW action of course!  I wasn't able to cast a sample, but they look well crafted in a "blast from the past" effort to bring back fiberglass.

The Nautilus reels, featherweight models, US made, were most impressive at a reasonable price point.  The drag system and overall design appears to be a winner.  LOTS of new imported reels on display and none really impressed as much as this line!

Beulah Rods, a new company displaying switch, spey, and blue water rods was present.  An import of course and NO rods equipped with reels to demo.  It amazes me how an upstart new rod company can show up with an impressive display and "uhhhh we didn't bring any reels, so ya really can't sample our rods" approach to marketing.  All in all, a nice afternoon with fly fishing companions all eager for the weather to turn!!

ON The Fly with hand tied leaders.

Tying up some tapered trout leaders using Umpqua material...9' for 5x allows a 5 or 6x tippet to be added.  I prefer hand tied leaders on weed/algae free waters, blood knotted to a 2 ' section of hard mono butt section.  This butt is nail knotted to the fly line.  NO loop to loop!  There are many formulas for different types of leaders found on-line.  I use a desktop tool for fast and smooth blood knots, available from Cabela's.

I like to use flouro for tippet material, Varivas if I can find it, or recently I've used Frog Hair.  I'm always amazed observing fly fisherman using NO tippet or a much too short leader when dry fly fishing. I like a long tippet especially in tricky current situations as found on the Farmington.  A butt section transitions the leader and fly line nicely...in my opinion much better than loop to loop.

ON THE FLY-IPHONE APP!

Have an I-Phone?  Do you fly fish?  You NEED this app!

RiverGuide for Kayakers  (link opens iTunes), by developer Wayne Daley, is equally as useful for fly fisherman by  providing real-time streamflow information throughout the U.S. The app has a very logical layout — the first screen you see breaks the country into seven regions. Tapping on the appropriate region shows a list of states, and then tapping on the state displays an alphabetized list of rivers or river segments. For each river, RiverGuide for Kayakers displays the time and date that the streamflow information was recorded, the cubic feet per second (cfs) that the river is running, and a wave icon signifying high, medium or low relative water level.

I have been in contact with Wayne and he is quick to add new rivers and updates on any river with a USGS gauge. He recently added a daily and weekly stream chart.


At $1.99, RiverGuide for Kayakers is an absolute bargain for fishermen who can use the up-to-date info before heading to the river or stream.    And be sure to keep your iPhone (and your VADO video cam) dry while you’re out there on the river with an  AquaPac.

ON THE FLY...Sunglasses

Saw a twitter on preference in sunglasses for on the water...I have owned several pair of Maui Jim's http://www.mauijim.com/ over the years. Unfortunately 2 pair reside in on around the Blackstone River in RI!

My opinion only, these are simply the best sunglasses you can buy for visibility in the water column, durability, and service. I've returned a few pair over the years for adjustments without a problem. I prefer the stronger solid frame models as above. The lighweight frames on some models just don't hold up to repeated on/off, hanging on a safety strap etc. Coupled with clip on, flip up magnifiers, its all good!

They are also available from on-line merchants with a liberal exchange policy...I tried the built in magnifier model and was dissapointed with the results, prompty returned for full refund to Zappos. I prefer the neutral grey lens for overall on the water visibility...give 'em a try, you won't be dissapointed.

ON THE FLY with VIDEO

Looking for a small video camera to capture your on-stream action? Look no further...I've owned the VADO for over a year now and the quality, ease of use, and simplicity is beyond compare. Typically I lock it in an Aquapack, drop it in my vest or pack and away we go! You can shoot a video and post it to YouTube effortlessly with the built in software. This is a great camera...take a look!

Madison and Firehole, July 2009

http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-Pocket-Camcorder-Silver/dp/B0018QIOPI

Drops nicely into my Fishpond Guide pack...switched from a vest last year...won't be changing back soon!

ON THE FLY

Interesting news from CT DEP on the Farmington River...

24% of the brown trout are wild stream bred fish.

25% of the trout are over 15".

The larger stocked fish are "survivor browns" in excess of 15".

All of the rainbows are from yearly stockings as the rainbows do not "hold over"...DEP has no answer on this.

DEP estimates for each 16' of river, an angler can be fishing over a trout in excess of 15".

Be sure to get latest river conditions at http://farmingtonriver.com
WALL STREET JOURNAL REVIEWS NEW BOOK!!

The latest fly fishing read???? Interesting to say the least!!      
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704259304575043353753285596.html

Fly fishing field notes from RI and CT coming soon!!