wonderful story about eel!

eel•water•rock•man from Orion Magazine on Vimeo.

which iphone case?

oh man! love them all... or just paint one for myself?! : )

Historic protection for BC’s Sacred Headwaters Announced

http://skeenawatershed.com/news/article/historic_protection_for_bcs_sacred_headwaters_announced

for kids

forget about the shark

GTs are the gangsters!

tie tie tie...

The Sportsmen Act

The Sportsmen Act did not pass last weeks. Vaughn Collins, an important friend of sportsmen in Washington DC, and the government affairs director for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership said the bill needed 60 votes to secure a budget waiver on Monday, but only found 50 as Republican votes slipped away. They opposed it on a procedural point of order apparently related to an increase in the price of a duck stamp in the bill. If that strikes you as an odd reason to nuke such important conservation legislation. "We’re all fed up with congressional gridlock, but readers of this blog need to insist that senators compromise and reach a bipartisan agreement on the bill now. It’s already passed the House, but – as we all know from the incessant “fiscal cliff” turmoil – the congressional clock is ticking. If this package is to become law, it needs action within the next three weeks. Why support it? Here’s one big reason. It would give the Secretary of the Interior – in consultation with the Migratory Bird Commission – the authority to raise the price of a federal Duck Stamp. That hasn’t happened in decades, and given the onslaught of habitat destruction occurring across the nations wetlands it’s sorely needed. Those federal Duck Stamp dollars acquire lands across the Prairie Pothole Region for permanent wildlife habitat in the form of refuges and waterfowl production areas. A $15 stamp doesn't go as far anymore, especially in the era of $8-per-bushel corn." Rob Drieslein Your voice is needed on Capitol Hill to help push the Sportsmen's Act of 2012 across the finish line. Congress adjourns in just two weeks and we could miss our chance at passing one of the most important pieces of legislation sportsmen have seen in years. Please call your Senators’ offices today and tell the staff member who answers to urge Senator Tester and Senator Sessions to find a solution for the Sportsmen’s Act of 2012 and pass it before time runs out. Click here to find out more.

tying season...

timeless

Scanout.com // Jurassic Lake from Scanout on Vimeo.

be creative

meri kuvva photography http://merikuvaa.blogspot.com/

be patient...

be patient..

Mikael_Frodin_Atlantic_salmon

"SuperNatural" - Tailout Teaser from scumliner media on Vimeo.

charles river

Oregon Chrome Part 2 from Salmon Junkies on Vimeo.

sing... my friends...

I'm nothing special, in fact I'm a bit of a bore If I tell a joke, you've probably heard it before But I have a talent, a wonderful thing 'cause everyone listens when I start to sing I'm so grateful and proud All I want is to sing it out loud So I say Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing Thanks for all the joy they're bringing Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty What would life be? Without a song or a dance what are we? So I say thank you for the music For giving it to me [ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/a/abba/thank+you+for+the+music_20002662.html ] Mother says I was a dancer before I could walk She says I began to sing long before I could talk And I've often wondered, how did it all start? Who found out that nothing can capture a heart Like a melody can? Well, whoever it was, I'm a fan So I say Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing Thanks for all the joy they're bringing Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty What would life be? Without a song or a dance what are we? So I say thank you for the music For giving it to me I've been so lucky, I am the girl with golden hair I wanna sing it out to everybody What a joy, what a life, what a chance! So I say Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing Thanks for all the joy they're bringing Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty What would life be? Without a song or a dance what are we? So I say thank you for the music For giving it to me

skagit short - flash back from Riveraddict

Skagit shorts...by Ed Ward 20th Jan. 2009 ...have been in existence as "experimental" for a few years now. There seems to be an "average lag time" of three to five years between "experimental" and "production". As far as Skagit casting, going over the 3 1/2 times rod length ratio will most definitely increase the difficulty of casting. NOT saying it CAN'T be done, but it certainly does become more "work" beyond that point. The intent of the Shorts is towards accomodating shorter length Speyrods and Switchrods, and also to enable Skagit casting capabilities on singlehanded rods. The two lines that I have used extensively are the SA Singlehand Skagit and the RIO Skagit Shorts. The SA's are a couple feet longer (22' to 23') than the RIO's (20') and also have some taper. Basically, the SA's are the "smoother" casting of the two lines, whereas the RIO's throw the heaviest flies and/or tips. Here are some suggestions for choosing a particular line: - tighter quarters casting - shorter line. - bigger flies/ heavier tips - shorter line. - stripping-type presentations - shorter line. - short to medium casting distances - shorter line. - medium to longer casting distances - longer line. - strictly swinging-type presentations - longer line. - lighter flies/tips, "finer" presentations - longer line. - "ultimate distance" casting - longer line. Keep in mind that the lower the rod to line length ratio, the tighter and more "dead nuts on" the casting technique will have to be. The revised line length range for Skagit casting is 2 1/4 to 3 1/2 times rod length. One aspect of Skagit casting that I have learned about over the past few years through the use of Switchrods, is the versatility that any particular rod has through changing the weights of lines. For example, on my Loomis 11' 7 weight Switch: - I use a 400 grain short body to cast heavier tips (T-14) and heavier/bigger flies such as 4" to 5" lead-weighted string leeches. - I'll switch to a 360 to 375 grain body with T-11 tips to cast more "standard" stuff such as #4 to #1/0 unweighted steelhead flies, size 6 to 4 Clouser's with bead chain eyes. If I need to throw bigger surface flies such as steelhead wakers and chuggers, I use this same body with a floating tip. - For "finer", much softer presentations of smaller flies such as trout type soft hackles and skating caddis dries, I'll drop down to a 325 to 340 grain body with either a T-8 tip or floating tip. In other words, don't think that Skagit is just for throwing the "big stuff". By changing the weights of lines to accomodate the particular "payload", one can "match" a wide variety of different fishing conditions with one rod. It only makes sense once one really thinks about it - a line that develops the energy to cast a sopping wet lead-weighted string leech, is going to "carry" too much energy to make a "fine" presentation with a smaller fly. The "solution" is to use a line with less weight, which in turn will reduce created line energy - establishing just enough energy to cast a smaller payload, but not so much that there is "leftover" momentum at the end of the cast that "slams" the whole works into the water like a ton of bricks. __________________ Riveraddict

the leapers

North Atlantic Wild Salmon from DX Films on Vimeo.

have a beer and enjoy the jumping show... : )

coming up this fall

Seasons: Fall. Kayaking the White Salmon River with Kate Wagner from The Banks Mag on Vimeo.

Des mouches et des truites (extrait) from Alain MORIZOT-THIBAULT on Vimeo.

teaser PECHE64 from Alain MORIZOT-THIBAULT on Vimeo.

Oregon Crome part 1 from columbus leth on Vimeo.

a fishing rod

Saw this post from TFM blog, I am really stunned by the simplicity and artistic design. This fiberglass rod was built by Christian Hörgren. It gives me so much thoughts, makes me wonder what is the "function" of a fishing rod? a tool to catch fish. a piece of artwork that has a lot of "inspirations" in it. and "a beautiful thing" you feel happy and enjoy seeing it!

Pukka Destinations from Gin Clear Media on Vimeo.

NFS River Steward Program: Homewaters Run Deeper from Native Fish Society on Vimeo.

splice joints

Bob Clay - Taping a bamboo rod from Andrew Hardingham on Vimeo.

Year of the River from Andy Maser on Vimeo.

Year of the River: Episode 2 from Andy Maser on Vimeo.

little river outfitters

Deschutes 2012, The photos of Darcy Bacha from marty sheppard on Vimeo.

sweeet trip and images!

casting for conservation in Bristol Bay

family time!

great time!!

boys like trucks, girls like doll. I like bird and fish! Had a great time with Wade!

viking's fly

it's a beauty that not only looks good, but also will do some damages : )

Dogs that changed the world Video: Behind the Scenes

Video: Behind the Scenes

It's amazing!

really really really small creek

Sparrow fiberglass fly rod 7'6 3/4

Great casting machine, beautiful built, what a nice day at the southern appalachian!

Shakespeare Oracle XT Salmon Rods

looks like as smooth as those gentlemen's conversation.. got to try it sometimes...

finding the art

A Fine Line - Film Trailer from Andrew Kornylak on Vimeo.

there are several favorite outdoor sports I can't live without... they might appear to be very different from each other, but essentially, they all share the same beauty - the simplicity and the art come out of it. While surrounded by the modern complexity, mentally and physically...Finding the beautiful simplicity is not a easy task... it's a battle inside me. By starting eating literally "simple food" and simple exercise in the past few years... I start to realized how much I enjoy the simply life and how much my outdoor life were shared by this simply art... a rope, a bare-footed climb and a simple casting loop that will easily erase a complicated mental trouble. : ) Simple life is a constant battle among the complications; only work hard, I see the art and beauty inside of it!

a simple long stroke..

Afternoon Delight from Cody Caldwell on Vimeo.

sometimes it is just fun to make a long, plain and simple stroke... a long surf ride, a simple switch cast or a long single spey! making a long simple drift from a simple life as you will like.. Simple is good, complex is bad.. words from a simple mountain village!

the yellow fever

awhile back, a friend show me a really interesting fish, it is a cutbow hybrid trout. Despite the mixture identity from different parents. This trout is really showing off some serious beautiful color, a bit copper brown, yellow and red and some interesting iridescent pink. I have to admit that I was in awe of those beautiful colorations. Those warm hues really match the yellowish fiberglass rod well... same warmth tone in those yellow blanks (Kabuto rods come into my mind). Needless to say those fiberglass rods are also bare those "warmth personality" - the soft actions! The more I fish those softer rods, the more I love them... the love of warmth hue and actions make it a sever syndrome of yellow fever! : )

awesome2

The North Umpqua, August 2012, Raw Footage...Why They Call Them STEALhead from T.A. on Vimeo.

awesomeness!!

a little bit history from flytyer

As Meiser and a few other have mentioned, it was Fenwick who had the first graphite fly rods on the market. It was in 1972 that Fenwick (which was then located in Bainbridge, WA at the same location Sage is now) began to send some graphite rods out to well-known fly fishers for testing and evaluation. They were offered to the public in 1974. I remember very well the first graphite rod I saw. It was when I was a student at Penn State in the spring of 1973 and taking Joe Humphrey's Fly Fishing class because I needed another Phys Ed credit to meet graduation requirements. Because I had been fly fishing since age 5 and tying flies since age 9, I looked at it as an easy "A" and a class that I'd get to learn some new stuff and get to go fishing on class outings. Anyhow, Joe had the class out at Fisherman's Paradise on Big Spring Creek (this is only about 6 miles north of State College, PA) on a gorgeous late April day. The Hendrickson's were hatching in earnest as was a brown caddis. Joe told me to make a cast over to the far side of the stream, which was an honest 75' from where we were all standing (you couldn't wade in the Fisherman's Paradise section then, or now) on the grassy bank. I told I him couldn't cast that far with the Shakespeare Wonder Rod I owned. Joe left and came back a few minute later with a black colored rod that was thinner than anything I'd ever seen. It has no maker's label on it, it was simply labeld 4/5 wt in white ink on the blank just up from the grip. The grip looked like a Fenwick grip though. At any rate, Joe strung it up with a 5 wt WF line, handed it to me, told me to tie on a Hendrickson, and make a cast over to where those nice fish were feeding on them off the far bank. I was amazed at how light, responsive, and powerful the rod was. I was able to make the cast and I hooked several of those fish in the next 20 minutes. As we were packing up to leave, I asked Joe what kind of "fiberglass" that rod was made of. He told me it was a new material called graphite and that it was the first prototype he had from Jimmy Green that he liked. He said the others were either too tippy or too stiff, but that Jimmy Green nailed it on these latest ones. I then asked Joe when they would be available to buy, he told me they would be out the next year and sell for around $175.00. This was quality bamboo rod money back then. The next year, I saw them listed for sale and they were called the Fenwick HMG. Intially they were black (very dark grey actually), but the following year the color was changed to a dark bown. The graphite revolution had begun. In about 1975 J.K. Fisher had graphite rods on the market, followed very quickly by Lamiglass (which was started by Gary Loomis and 4 others people. Gary wanted to start making rods out of graphite and get out of the aerospace industry he was an engineer in), etc. J.K. Fisher made private label blanks and finished rods for Winston, Scott, and Orvis. They now make their own blanks. Jimmy Green made a few fiberglass 2-handers for some folks he knew, but they weren't rods suitable for spey casting. They were designed for overhead, shooting head or long belly single-hand line casting. I think Jimmy was the first one to make a graphite 2-hander. Again this was for overhead casting, Jimmy never did learn how to spey cast as far as I know. He had no use for it and I've been told by some who knew him well that he claimed he could cast as far or further overhead with a shooting taper on a 2-hander than anyone could by spey casting. These first graphite 2-handers of Green's were not really suitable for spey casting because the tips were too flexible. The Sage 9140-4 originally had a weird grip on it. It had a long rear grip like a spinning rod and a normal sized front half-wells grip for the foregrip. These rods look very strange. There are some who call this grip the "lLemire Grip" because Harry fished one for quite a few years and they just assumed he wanted the grip made that way. They truth is, that is how Jimmy made the grip. I suspect he simply had the gals on the production line put on a spinning rod rear grip, add the reel seat, and then finally add the standard half-wells front grip because he hadn't really seen a true 2-handed rod. The old brownie Sage 9140-4 was designated as a 9/10 rod because Jimmy cast a shooting head on it that was the same wt as a 9/10 Scandi line. Jimmy's line was shorter than a Scandi line and was a true shooting head. This was back in the middle to late 1980's. Some of the folks here on this forum were friends with Jimmy Green and helped in the development of the graphite 2-hander. It didn't take long for the folks in the UK to start working with graphite to make 2-handers, and their rods were far more suitable to spey casting than the initial ones make here in the US. And the rest is history. Read the original thread from Speypages LINK

some stories you might want to know about..

the salmon forest - great clip

"The Last Salmon Forest" The Drake awards submission from Detonation Studios on Vimeo.

what we going to eat tonight?

Lazy boy's meal! Seafood curry! : ) Here is the recipe for 6 people: One onion, 3-4 red potato, 2 scallion shoots, 6-10 chicken wings, one bowl of shrimps, one pack of squid and scallops(optional). 1/3 of curry paste. Here is deal, buy the best curry paste you can afford, I got them from Japanese restaurant. here is one of the brand I got from the US. link because this is the key element (duh). It will determine the final flavor a lot. Second, make sure you mix different brands of curry if you really want to impress your customers. The spirit of a curry dish is "blend in". See even I am cooking seafood curry, I still will use chicken wing to add another dimension of flavor. Same principle can apply to vegetable. put whatever you like, but be careful not to overpower the curry's main flavor. 1) peel off red potato and cut them in chunks. 2) chop up onions and green scallion. 3) heat up a pan with some vegetable oil, stir fry chick wings (all in) and some green scallion for 2 minutes until the chicken smell good and about half cooked (another 2 mins). 4) put in potatos and keep stirring(1 minute). 5) put half of chop up onion and stir. close lid let it cook for 3 minutes. 6) add half cup of white wine, or better yet (Japanese rice wine) Make sure the flavor start to blend in... and potato start to soften and soak in all the flavors. 7) move to a bigger pot, medium heat, add another cup of water to cover the items in the pot. (like making a soup) 8) Boil the pot, and put in 1/3 of the curry paste, turn the heat to small, slow cooking process start from here. The paste will melt quickly and start to blend all the flavor together. put in another half of onion here. 9) stir frequently to avoid burning the bottom. (the curry pot will thickening and easy to get burned) 10) now, put in any seafood whatever you like (shrimp, squid, scallop or fish). They are relative easy to cook, don't put them in the pot too early. 11) additional 5 minutes should get everything done. I like to put in some "easy cook" vegetable just right before the dish finished. something like colored bell pepper, lettuce, added color and add some "freshness" contrast flavor. 12) pour a cup of icy cold beer! 13) that's it! Bon Appetit! NOTED: curry usually will taste better the next day... not a bad idea to prepare the curry the day before your guests are visiting. : )

Madison

deep in a forest

spinning back the twisted running line

my favorite TV show!

Sage CIRCA - Fly Fishing with Advanced, Slow-Action Performance. from Sol Duc Buck on Vimeo.

Fenwick fiberglass 3weight 7feet "Little Yellow"

Last day on the Henry's Fork. The flow is perfect and gentle. I strung up my beloved Fenwick little yellow and have a cup of CDC PMD #16 flies hand-tied by Brad Smith. A 45 minutes stalking on a monstrous head and finally close in around 20 feet range. My hands were shaking so hard that I spend at least 5 minutes to just get the leader through the fly. The fish is forgiving about my cast... she swallowed the fly while the time seems freezed. I know my life won't be the same after this moment... No, I did not land her... but I know she is healthy and strong! Thank you Bryan — at The Trout Hunter.

fiberglass switch rod in good hands

Zach Wheeler fired up an laser loop on the Lamiglas switch rod. This fiberglass rod is amazing light due to the relative short length. But the smooth feel and strong butt section will get the fly out there 70-80 feet with a breeze effort. Nice and gentle and out she goes. Fiberglass is a overlooked material in switch/spey rods. If you got a chance to build one, you will understand what I said. This particular rod is built from 9' 9 weight Lamiglas blank and installed 1.5 feet graphite butt section to make it total 10' 8 weight switch rod. 420 grain scandi head and Airflo 540 grain @ 20' skagit switch line is what I like on this rod. Also I built a 440 grain @ 16' line for special tight quarter fishing condition. Cast like a little sweet home made brownie! : )

call me Mahna Mahna...

in lala land...

I need a good rod too! : )

kid's spey

Check out this awesome video clip from Tobbe, and his wonderful blog! LINK

dryfly dream...

Steelhead Spawning in the Elwha

Steelhead Spawning in the Elwha Share From Oregon Fly Fishing Blog LINK Posted on July 6, 2012 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog On the heels of yesterday’s sneak peek of DamNation comes word from the Seattle Times that steelhead have been spotted spawning in the previously inaccessible stretches of the Elwha River above the dam removal site. For the first time in over 100 years, wild steelhead are finding their way up the Elwha and reclaiming their spawning grounds. In an uphill battle to recover the Northwest’s rivers and native anadromous fish runs, this news in nothing short of inspiring. It’s like Field of Dreams,” (said fish biologist John McMillan). As in, build it, and they will come. Or in this case, un-build it. “Not everyone gives them enough credit,” (McMIllan) said of the wild fish. “I give them a lot of credit. Cheers, John. Read the full story here. Thanks to Mitch Baird for the tip.

dream...

Burkie!

Meet Your Neighbors: C.F. Burkheimer from Vancouver Business Journal on Vimeo.

Allen Trout Spey = wonderful feel

Allen Trout Spey 5120 from yuhina on Vimeo.

Ohhhhh.... Ahhhhhh....Yeahhhh : )

I bet you understand what he is saying.... aaahhhhh..... so good!

fiberglass switch rod - yellow beast

Fiberglass Switch Rod 8100, 8 weight 10 feet from yuhina on Vimeo.

home brewed from Lamiglas 9 weight 9 feet blank. you will think this little rod will take skagit 375 grain head?! (9-3 = 6 weight spey) NO no no... this yellow beast actually embedded a tremendous "butt power"; thus 375 grain won't load well until you start to jackup the head weight over 480 grain... I found a sweet spot on the 540 grain Airflo Skagit Switch. 540 grain @ 20'. If you familiar with this line, you know the reason this rod is called 'yellow beast'. It can cast anything you put on it... I mean "anything!" Cast well... great feel and good ol fiberglass "chewyness" rhythm! a 12 inches trout in a current will bend this rod, yet, it cast big stuff and small stuff really well. I am surprised that there are not much attentions drawn to those old fiberglass rod (yet). $35 blank cast better than my other $800 rods... the most interesting rod I ever owned! : )

we need some snow...

The Niseko Company [winter promo] from FELT SOUL MEDIA on Vimeo.

it's about the time of a year again...

bike lover

The Inverted Bike Shop from Show Love on Vimeo.

"Hatch" trailer - by Gin Clear Media | Fly Fishing Movie from The Fly Fishing Film Tour on Vimeo.

revisit fiberglass rod - little yuhina

revisit the little gem rod - fiberglass I built this rod about 5 years ago, it was a little 3 weight 6'6 from lamiglass brown blank. Now, it is discontinued sadly. What a little great rod for small creeks. bluegill or trout. feather light, smooth and a lot of feels...when hook a fish, it fight vividly. I can not image who will use ANY graphite rod if they can get their hands on one of those rods. The other day, I handed this rod to a friend to test. He never fish fiberglass rod before, and he told me. This is the best trout rod he ever fished. This just give you a example how good the modern fiberglass has become... like my friend Cameron said: walk with Cane, fish with fiberglass... graphite? they can be used for tomato planting... ha... just kidding.

New England Brown Trout

It looks we have some good fish this year... NE trout fishing.

Turpentine

Please don't do it, don't you break that spell The one that you put on me fits too well It starts to play like a comedy Starts feeling like a punch line Starts feeling like a punch line Whatever you've been eating looks good on you Your wearing that smile like a false tattoo It's all I can do not to wipe it clean With a little bit of turpentine With a little bit of turpentine I know you've been down to see the river man You sins have been washed in the blood of the land But you could have been kind to a broken old man And saved just one for me Saved just one for me The Devil my care, but I tend to doubt it The other guy's never at home It's never been anything strange to me Just thinkin' about being alone Just thinkin' about being alone Please don't do it, don't you break that spell The one that you put on me fits too well It starts to play like a comedy Starts feeling like a punch line Starts feeling like a punch line I know you've been down to see the river man You sins have been washed in the blood of the land But you could have been kind to a broken old man And saved just one for me Saved just one for me The future aint what it once was I know Time speeds up and your mind gets slow Oh have mercy, what a way to go You've got you head up where the sun don't shine Head up where the sun don't shine Head up where the sun don't shine Head up where the sun don't sh

skagit master 3 DVD is out

Just watched it! I have to say I enjoy every second of it! Awesome production of new water media again! It's not only about the flies, but also the culture and stories behind those amazing steelheaders! Cool stuff... get your copy from the Skagitmaster.com or from Red Shed Fly Shop! You will love it! : )

more gear - Hardy Marksman

Hardy Marksman is another remarkable series to look into. I cast some of them during a clave gathering and feel really good about it.

Dec Hogan style

know how to let go and stay to where you want to be...

steelhead fishing with kids

read this wonderful write up from SteelieMike LINK

rod test

something you should know about handling rods...

not exactly right, but close... SAGE evolution

1980 GFL Stood for Graphite Fly Rod. Used alone and in conjunction with other model names for years. Not really considered a model name. 1982 RP Reserve Power for long Casts Graphite II 1982 LL Traditional Action 2-5 Weight (LL=Light line) Graphite II 1983 MA Medium Action Entry level unsanded grey rod with simple hardware 1985 RPL or Graphite III RPL Reserve Performance Light 1985 LL Graphite III LL 1986 RPLX Saltwater 8-12 Weight 1986 DS Discovery Series - Moderate Action Replaced the RP 1986 TH? Double Handed ? 1994 SP Generation IV Graphite with Durascrim 1995 SP+ Generation IV Graphite with Durascrim 1995 RPL+ Faster than the RPL. Would be considered moderately fast by todays standards 1997 VPS Replacement for the RPL Back to Gen III 1997 VPSL Replacement for the LL Gen III with lesser components 1997 SPL "Best of show" new rods*Gen III 1997 RPLxi Revised and improved saltwater*Gen III 1998 DS2 Lower Price point Graphite II or Graphite III Not even close to sure about the year 1999 XP Lighter narrower tapered Fast Action Gen IIIe 2002 SLT Medium Fast Action Gen IIIe 2002 TCR Ultra fast action for experianced Casters 2003 LE Entry Price Point Rod 2004 Xi2 New Saltwater rod was first with new generation 5 (G5) Technology 2005 TXL Near weightless for light lines G5 2005 Fli Entry Level Fast Action taper with maximum power transfer G5 2005 Launch Entry Level smoth progressive power curve and very high strength to weight ratio*G5 2006 VT2 Mid price point upgrade to long running VPS 2007 Z-Axis Ultimate Fast Action Rod coupled with trmendous feel (2 piece, 4 piece, Spey and Switch 2008 BASS Finally released after years of development and even showed up on magazine covers with Snook, Baby Tarpon and Pike 2008 ZXL Medum action Cousin to the Z-Axis in weights 3-6 2009 TCX Replacement for TCR but fitting a wider range of castins styles (kryptonite green) Current ONE Flagship "all-around" rod Fast Action Current VXP Ultra high speed line and slender shaft begginer to experianced Current Flight Great features and a great price Current Vantage Medium Fast value rod Current TXL-F Light Line Ultra lightweight Current ZXL Easy and Relaxed like the classic action rods Current Xi3 Salt Water Replacement for Xi2 Current 99 Nymph angler 9'9" with unique taper to make open loops Current BASS II Upgrraded for faster line speeds for big flies still good for Bass, Snook, or Tarpon, Pike and Musky Current ESN Designed for european lirect line nymphing with multimple flies

bogdan

think like a trout

bike love

inspiration..

two thumbs up!

stillwater spey

Skagit Floater - Ed Ward

New Article From Ed Ward - Skagit Floater. Worth your attention, great technique! originally posted on the Skagit Master Forum: LINK Anyways, I am/will be out of my usual PNW salmon/steelhead environs more so than ever for the foreseeable future. It's not necessarily a bad thing as this circumstance has prompted me to continue expanding my applications of Skagit principles beyond the "usual" salmon/steelhead arena. As of late that has meant floating line tactics for bass. I have presented some thoughts on floating Skagit in the past, but my most recent focusing of attention to this aspect of Skagit is really firming up some of those previous thoughts and quite frankly proving quite exciting in actual capability. Of course, I can't "prove" or demonstrate a system's capabilities via a written post, the "best I can do" being at this time presenting an example that some of you may be able to duplicate. My example is a 9'6" Loomis Streamdance singlehander that has had a 4" lower handle added on. The line is a Beulah Tonic (can't remember the original configuration... sorry) that has been cut back to 256 grains @ 17'. To this line I have attached a floating tip of 50 grains @ 6' in length. This tip taken off the front end of a Cortland 9 weight Bass Bug line. The leader is a 31" butt of 20# fluoro, followed by 26" of 16# fluoro, then ending in a tippet of 32" 12# fluoro. There's nothing "scientific" about this configuration, just something I threw together for the purpose at hand and it worked well enough. I'm sure that with a bit of research and/or effort, one could come up with a more efficient graduation than this. The purpose is the casting of 2 1/2" - 3 1/2" streamers weighted with 1/60th ounce lead eyes. Now for the results. This setup casts the described flies with very impressive loops (considering the size/weight of fly on a class 6 rod) and really impressive line speed. Distances of up to 70ish feet were very do-able and bear in mind that this is with confined backcasting room. What really "wowed" me is Skagit casting's ability to "slide" flies under overhanging obstructions. Now, I'm not saying that it is quite up to par with sidearming an overhead cast with a singlehanded rod, but it seems fairly close and it is definitely several degrees better than I've ever seen anyone accomplish with a T&G based cast, especially with a barbell-eyed fly. Also, at distances of 50', 60', 70', I don't know that I could best the Skagit casting performance by using instead a sidearm overhead when casting a 3 1/2" weighted streamer at those distances. I believe that the "line ascending off the water into the D-loop" property of Skagit casting (a very seldom talked about or even recognized difference of Skagit casting from T&G casting) offers up an advantage for accomplishing very low trajectory forward casts as compared to T&G's "descending towards the water into the D-loop". In the T&G casting procedure there is an upward "thrust" of the rod into the D. In Skagit casting there is instead a separating-of-planes Turnover. The separating-of-planes Turnover is suited to being performed in quite a lateral aspect and can thus be manipulated to project the D also into quite the lateral attitude which then results in a very low trajectory Forward Cast. Another thought on casting. I must admit that for the longest time I was not an advocate of the C/Snap type casts... I saw way too many fly-to-rod-or-angler collisions. I learned over time that the most common cause of this circumstance was "pre-loading" the rod. In other words, too much power was being applied too quickly at the very beginning of the cast, which then "loads" (pre-load) the rod PRIOR to the line actually coming out of the water. The pre-loaded rod then "casts" the line into uncontrollable flight when the line does finally in fact clear the water, often resulting in the aforementioned collision scenarios. A major key to "safe" C/Snap casts is an initial slow, smooth acceleration which "breaks" the water tension on the line. Once this tension is broken, THEN the significant power application/acceleration is applied. This process then produces an aerialization of the line that is smooth, controlled and predictable. Since learning that fact and being presented with considerable angling scenarios involving slow or still waters, the C/Snap has become one of my most used casts for slow/still waters. The version I find most useful is in between a full-on C or full-on Snap. Basically it is a slow initial pull of the rod tip to break water tension, then a smooth but quick acceleration of the rod upward, using just enough power to aerialize the line, then follow "around" with the rod using just enough speed to just maintain "contact" with the aerialized line, and then just before the line plops back onto the water I give a slight push of the rod tip towards the water's surface, but angle that push of the rod tip directly away from me. This then results in the line forming an upside down "U" that starts at the rod-tip-on-the-water, and then scribes away towards the intended "target", to then turn in the upside down "U" and trace back towards and alongside me. Yeah, the description is complicated, but it is intended to just give an idea of what's happened. The shape and location of this line layout results in very powerful, high speed casts that produce the type of casting accuracy needed for casting under overhanging obstructions or into confined pockets. Of course describing casts in "writing" produces a very subjective conveyance... hopefully the next SkagitMaster DVD will remedy the situation. Using the system as described, with mostly the cast described, I have found that angling on a wading-friendly river that generally ranges from 50' to 100' in width, with a 9 1/2' 6 weight singlehanded/doublehanded conversion is not only do-able, but quite efficient and enjoyable... in other words it isn't just a "novelty" rig or gig. For someone that truly considers the fun of doublehanded casting to be a necessary part of the angling experience, this type of rod configuration can be cast singlehanded for "close-in" accuracy (25'-40') and then doublehanded for distance work. Also, there is noticeably less physical strain casting/fishing this rod in a conversion capacity all day long with 3"ish weighted streamers, than there is using the same rod strictly in a singlehanded capacity all day long. Lastly, I want to describe my "validation" process for the super short floating tips so that the credibility of the advice I give/have given via internet forums can be more thoroughly understood. I first started playing around with sub-10' floating tips on Skagit line some 5-6ish years ago. However, due to my experience using them being of rather, in my mind, limited nature (mousing in Alaska, some drylining for Grande Ronde Steel), I did not present any info about them publicly even though they were showing a lot of promise. About 4 years ago, circumstances provided me with ever increasing needs for using a floating line as quarry such as Washington Searun Cutthroat, Alaska Silvers, Montana and Colorado trout, Texas and Wisconsin Bass, became more viable subjects for doublehanded tactics due to the "advent" of light class Switch rods and with that increased experience I felt confident enough in the system to start suggesting that anyone interested in "experimenting" might find it worth their time to try a 5'-6' floating tip on their Skagit line. Then, finally, in the last year I took the short float tip approach and really put it through the gauntlet by pressing it into service through circumstances beyond where it "should" function in order to determine the window of capability. I now feel extremely confident that using a 5'-6' floating tip on Skagit lines is the optimum system for Skagit floating line work and recommend that anyone that is versed in SA concepts should acquire or manufacter one for their Skagit setup and experience the advantages that are yielded over the 10', 12', or 15' tips usually prescribed. I am so confident in thie short float tip approach that I have cut my MOW floaters back to 5' or 6' in length! So, now you know that story and hopefully the description of my "process" also conveys the fact that advice, recommendations, and/or opinions that I offer up in public on or about Skagit casting are not arrived at "lightly" and are pretty much about as thoroughly researched as Skagit subjects can get.

wetfly techniques

what I am going to do this coming Monday! : )

super instructor

My first casting DVD that I learned how to cast a fly line. learning fly casting from the super instructor! I was amazed today how much useful information in there when I re-watch it again, how much useful information can be apply to spey casting as well... importance of the initial lift for all fly castings!

summer is here...

Ian Gordon

sage one

char char char

male - male competition

Inspiration

Inspiration

fish taco DIY

spring creek brown trout

It's always fascinating to see spring creek fish. They are usually dark and very colorful. A typical dark type brown trout from a highly vegetated spring creek. Animal coloration/pigmentation originated from different mechanisms, the most common one would be the melanism from black melanin pigments. the second common one would be the orange color from the carotenoid pigmentation. For some brown trout from spring creeks, they are frequently showing the dark and deep orange belly coloration, particularly during the breeding season. I am not sure if someone have studied the skin coloration of those dark brown trout, but I am sure I would love to do it in the near future. One of the direction I am thinking would be linked the fish diet to the pigmentation. I suspect those fish eat a lot of fresh water crustacean shrimp and scuds which can contribute to the pink/orange coloration... but this is just my guess, of course.

a bull trout for a birthday celebration !

sage ONE spey

cutbow hybrid

Tongass old growth forest, AK

Ed Ward in SkagitMaster.com forum

Check out this forum if you are interested in Skagit casting techniques. LINK Riveraddict a.k.a. Ed Ward is one of the inventors of the skagit casting technique. He frequently teach casting techniques, answers questions, clarify misunderstandings in the skagitmaster.com forum. ------------------from Riveraddict - Ed Ward ----- LINK It is quite revealing to me to hear/read opinions that a Singlespey or Snakeroll produces the same or greater power than a Perry Poke IN REGARDS TO SKAGIT CASTING. Number one, technically speaking the SS (SingleSpey) and SR (SnakeRoll) casts are not Skagit-type casts as they use a T&G (Touch-and-Go) anchor. This does not mean that SS's and SR casts cannot be performed on an outfit setup for Skagit casting... it just means that those casts should not yield the same performance level as true SA (Sustained Anchor) casts. If an outfit setup for Skagit casting does not produce noticeably better results from SA based casts as opposed to T&G casts, then there is something wrong with either the weight relationship of the rod and line, or there is fault in the casting technique. The "wrong" that occurs in a rod and line relationship is an easy diagnosis... the line is too light for the system. The fault in casting technique is also usually of a common, easy to analyze nature... the Sweep is not being performed correctly. If there is a stage in SA (Sustained Anchor) casting that can be labeled as "most important" in the Skagit casting procedure, it is in fact the Sweep. The Sweep is where the majority of rod load - think casting energy - is formed for Skagit casting. This load is produced via effects of water tension on the line, combined with "centrifugal forces" (angular momentum). To capitalize on these two actions the Sweep of a Skagit cast entails actions that are quite different than those of other Spey-type casting styles. To begin with, a Skagit casting Sweep IS NOT about lifting the line OFF of the water. It is, instead, about SWINGING IT AROUND. This may sound like a trivial detail, but in actual implementation it makes a very major difference in results! Swinging the line around for the Sweep as opposed to lifting it up, is accomplished by manipulating the rod tip/line into an OUT-and-around arc or curve, while maintaining the rod in a perfectly a flat plane (remember that "flat plane" does NOT necessarily mean horizontal). I emphasized the "out" here because in order to achieve an actual "around" via an arc or curve, the rod tip must first travel AWAY from the caster. Now then, once one is able to conduct a true out-and-around arc in a flat plane, it takes one more action to then tie it all together and make it work... power application. The out-and-around, flat plane Sweep requires an INSTANTANEOUS application of power AT THE VERY BEGINNING of the Sweep in order to first, bend/load the rod IMMEDIATELY via water tension, and second, to project or prompt the line into an actual out-and-around, centrifugal, "rotational" status. This outward rotation of the line increases effects of rod loading via a process called angular momentum. The immediate application of power at the start of the Sweep is KEY to realizing the most potential from a Skagit cast. The immediate application of power at the beginning of the Sweep can almost be thought of as a small "pop" of acceleration, but bear in mind that this is then followed by keeping just enough speed on the rod through the remainder of the Sweep to retain the feel of that load that was produced from the initial pop... it can be though of as a "one-speed" Sweep! There is no massive acceleration into the D-loop because if an immediate start was correctly performed, the rod is in fact optimally loaded and any forceful acceleration afterward will only overload the whole system, usually incurring a very pronounced anchor blowout. This immediate-start-followed-by-one-speed Sweep is exactly what gives an accomplished Skagit caster the "effortless" aspect of casting! The unique aspects of a SA Sweep process are not easy to differentiate from other casting approaches, nor easy to learn, and that is a major reason many casters never realize the full potential of Skagit casting, especially casters trained in other Spey-type techniques as they have to deconstruct well-ingrained habits of lifting the line during the Sweep to make the "conversion". However, for students willing to put in the time and effort, the payoff is well worth the price. The sequence should be learned in stages - out-and-around first, followed by flat-plane movement, then concluded with immediate-start-followed-by-one-speed power application.

peacock bass study

it's a relaxing sat. morning. listen some classic music and blending some color... have a great peaceful morning!

Paul just sent me this image! What a honor to have the painting framed and displayed in a wonderful home! This image just made my day! : ) Thank you Paul!