BUMCAST TUTORIALS ON CASTING THE LINE & FLY
On The Fly Productions puts some nice visuals together on various slack line cast presentations. Check out all the clips.
Archive for the 'Beginning Fly fishing' Category
It is about time to try that wind drifted fly beneath a slip bobber or a suspended midge pupa on your favorite lake. I have posted similar videos before re this technique. Came upon this one via Singlebarbed at Idaho Fly Company. Scroll down to the short clip and watch the simple instructions. Remember the advice to keep the loop shorter than the peg. Use as small of an indicator/bobber as you can. Use this to wind drift a pattern across a stretch or into an area. Also, if you need that pattern to stay put and at a certain depth downwind of you…this will accomplish that presentation.
This may not be the most fun way to fly fish, but the technique should be added to your presentation arsenal.
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Now is the time for trout/grayling fly fishers to move from tying and imagining to getting the gear ready too. Some are lucky to have year ’round fisheries. Others have the season openers looming. Here at Viata Si Pescuit the gear has been checked and prepared (pregatiri) and the basic flies are ready. Anticipation and planning.
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Dry Flies, Nymphs, Streamers and Wets (forget the eggs, worms, terrestrials and mouse patterns for now). As a beginning fly fisher, I would suggest the inclusion of a few wet flies and streamers in your arsenal. And, as you hone those skills on a drag free drift for the dry and watching for the strike indicator/sighter to dip for the nymphs, don’t forget to learn how to present a wet fly (it is more than just down and across swings) and the streamer.
Slow your presentations down to move with the current speeds and dissect the holding lies to move the fly via mends into prime holding spots. Simply swinging the wet or streamer through a stretch of water will catch some fish, but you will up your odds if you guide the fly’s path through the water. Learning to correctly present these two pattern styles can also greatly enhance anyone’s efforts to learn traditional fly fishing for steelhead or salmon too.
Green Rock Worm: Genus Rhyacophila
Green Caddis Larva: Genus Hydropsyche
Fast water nymphing in and beside that riffly water and just below. Some say first light and last light are the times best for dredging a larva pattern. Perhaps, but I have done well with greenish larva patterns midday as well.
High Stick Nymphing The Riffles with Kelly Galloup
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GREAT BASICS BY LEFTY KREH FOR THE BEGINNER’s Fly Casting
Nice easy going basics on handling the rod to move the line. Look how nice and easy he makes it look.
Legend Lefty Kreh throwing the line
Spring time looms. Time to assess the gear, the fly boxes, the agenda for the coming season. The put off trip may happen this year. That spot you wanted to try but passed on last Fall beckons. That favorite place you first go each season. Are you ready?
I have been sorting through fly boxes galore. Actually a bit crazy how many I have. Some have had the same 20-40 flies in them for years and I bet I have set that box aside for as many years. No matter. But, I do assess those certain patterns that I am very low on and plan to tie accordingly. Hence, my recent decision to tie a bunch of unweighted Woolly Buggers because last year all I seemed to have were bead heads or heavier and I was sinking into the water column too quickly with the Intermediate line on lakes.
Penny the Cat is always studying her options. She is always planning and calculating.
So, a tying plan, on paper is emerging. Make one, tape it up and keep it simple. Are you tying enough for a season, envisioning the losses, the give aways, the wear and tear of certain successful patterns? Now is a good time to tie more than a handful of good patterns. Now is when you can knock out a couple dozen (a probable couple years worth) of the primary patterns.
The gear. Seems fairly elementary to check the bags, the reels, the rods. Oh, the slow leak you were going to remember to fix last Fall. Well, the time allows for it now. The gear may have been put away dirty, wet, scattered because of life’s realities and interruptions. This might be a good time to start over assessing all your gear and use this season as a new beginning to unwind from the pressures of life. Better to start off with something organized and together like your gear, if not your life.
Probably a good time to make a gear checklist at least once to make sure all the necessities you assume are shoved in that bag, vest or pack are actually there and serviceable. The small stuff: nippers, pliers, the right size tippet spools, floatant, split shot, strike indicators, working batteries in the headlamp are all there and ready. No nippers is like a fine cigar without a lighter.
There is little doubt that Penny the Cat is well prepared!
Now last June, on a windy day, Penny was high in a tree and less skilled in planning. (Penny the Cat came into the household).
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I had recently heard from Ed Herbst that I might receive a generous offering from Tom Sutcliffe. In fact today, I did receive a package from South Africa and inside was an aut0graphed edition from Tom, complete with a nice handrawn Adam Dry Fly on the inside page. This personalized presentation is available to you by ordering directly from Tom Sutcliffe.
This past year, I have been most fortunate to receive inspiration from the works of Tom Sutcliffe, Ed Herbst, Tim Rolston and Craig Thom, all of the Republic of South Africa. All these gentlemen are well read in the history of fly fishing and tying, well beyond today’s contemporary offerings. I am quite thankful for their generosity and look forward to reading Tom’s fine book, Hunting Trout. Thank you Tom.
Several times a year, I find myself up logging roads toward upper drainages/tributaries of big rivers. I string up the 9′ to 9’6″ rod and set forth weaving my way, this way and that way, through the trees toward the waters edge. Once on the water, I scout the canopy and other over hanging growth to not only avoid hanging up the fly + tippet, but also to avoid smacking the rod tip.
The confines of a small stream quickly reveal the tangled web we weave when at first we use too big a stick on a small stream. Recently, I was privileged to review some DVD’s by Ed Herbst and in those DVD’s I noticed he was wielding short rods on narrow streams. He moved with ease, in stealth mode, and waved the little wand to delicately present his flies.
Now, this initially contradicts my impulse toward bigger waters, longer rods and more power. I have those rods and love them. But, those small streams are another enviro that beg the small stick. So, I invested in a couple Loomis rods, both 3 weights and shorter (7′ and 8′). For the last few years, I have used a 3 wt. (9′ St. Croix Legend) more and have handled some substantial trout on the 3 wt. These shorter rods have a softer, medium action and will most probably meet few fish beyond 14″….more like 6″ to 10″. If I do connect to a larger fish, it will be an epic story.
These are not rods for big rivers and big fish, which to my thinking would be potentially irresponsible if I am seeking a humane catch and release. These are sticks for little streams, the intimate confines and small flies. I am excited to use these on those private little escapes. Some of my best life time memories while fly fishing were on small streams.
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I was recently rewarded with an opportunity to review Ed Herbst’s (and friend’s) DVD, A South African Fly Tying Journey, Volume 1. I found that DVD very rewarding and suitable for the seasoned beginner to intermediate fly tier. (posted here 12/28/2011)
As a followup, Ed asked me to also review Volume 2, which primarily focuses on Terrestrials, a staple of South African Fly Fishing. In fact, Ed mentions in the DVD that Terrestrials are far more important to the fly fisher, in South African waters, than Mayfly or Caddis hatches. At times, this is probably true on many waters beyond South Africa when Hoppers, Beetles, Ants and the like are prolific.
So, I watched the enjoyable Volume 2 and came away with the following impressions: like Volume 1, it is well presented and pleasant to watch. Ed Herbst and friends (Philip Meyer, Mario Geldenhuys and Fred Steynberg) are excellent in providing understandable instructions for tying patterns, which I believe are well suited for the Beginner to Intermediate fly tier (Mario’s Inch Worm and Fred’s Ant are good beginner patterns).
The beginning tier can certainly purchase the DVD and work toward the patterns, but right out of the case, the patterns components of foam, rubber legs and hackle might be a bit of a challenge. My favorite fly pattern was the one Mayfly pattern in the mix, the RAB by Philip Meyer.
RAB Dry Fly by Philip Meyer
Thanks to Ed Herbst for the opportunity to learn more about Terrestrials and enjoy the beautiful scenery of South Africa’s Cape region.
The fly tying DVD can be purchased online through the Stream-X fly shop in Cape Town - http://www.streamx.co.za/index.htm and its proprietor, Craig Thom – sales@streamx.co.za.
