Fly Fishing BS thread

8.5 ft 4 wt TFO
& a 10ft 4wt Redington Hydrogen

 

Right on...those should be light enough to cushion 6x adequately but u might bump it down to a 3 wt if they’re snapping you off lol


Ps I’ll take a dozen of those cdc guys in size 12 mahogany body/dun wing when u get the chance

 

my next rod.
Some of the fish on the take are breaking the line or bending the hook (by the way I hate Gamakatsu light wire hooks) before I can even set the hook or adjust the drag. Big nasty natives

 

What brand tippet? I got some froghair that I absolutely hate. Won’t hold knots and breaks easily.

 

umpqua, maxima and others. Doesn’t matter on these Idaho fish. They are 20”+ and mean

 

I like catching numerous fish, and will generally try to match tippet to the fly size. However, when I fish areas known to hold big ones, I’ll adjust to fish size, knowing damn well they may see it or presentation will suffer, but I’m willing to miss a couple to have a good chance of landing the ones I do hook.

 

Back when I nymphed a lot....5X is the smallest I ever needed for Brook Trout and LL Salmon...20+" common. Had a few break off, but that was rare.

Still use 5x on small dries and soft hackles.

 

I’m definitely learning from these fish. I have never bent so many hooks and broke off fish in my life since I moved to Idaho. 2020 kicked my ass in more ways than one. The acceleration of these fish is mind boggling.

 

Clearwater steelhead?

 

no, big native rainbows on a 4wt. South counties. This is a small one at 16-17”. Stupid me forgot the phone in the truck before this where I landed a 21” hook jawed buck :




I’m originally from Oregon and have a ton of spey gear. May make it up to the Clearwater this year


More size 18 ties from today:

 

I tried swinging for steel for the first time of 2021 and got nada. Just stupid trout chasing flies bigger than they are.

 

dang. Beats a day at the office though

 

Looking at picking up a switch rod just for Pyramid lake. I have watched a bunch of youtube videos on how they are casted however I cant tell if any wrist movement is needed on your non-dominant hand. I only have about 10% movement in my wrist due to an accident. Would hate to buy a rod and not be able to cast it properly.

 

You can just pull your offhand through the stroke instead of flicking your wrist. It’s actually easier that way. It’s how I teach clients.

 

Thanks! Any recommendations on a budget rod? Was checking out some of the cheaper Echo's however saw some people complaining about the tip being too soft.

 

I knew there was a video (4-min in):

https://youtu.be/9aFHZXp3Lyw

Btw Jon is one of the nicest dudes ever. All the people at Ashland Fly Shop are helpful. If you buy your rod local chances are they’ll give you a lesson for free.

 

Redington Dually. I’ve got $1,000 spey rods and still fish my bright purple Dually!

 

a softer tip will allow you to cast slower. I have both expensive/fast and medium/slower rods and I like both, but a slow rod is really fun to use when you have the right line paired with it

Echo makes great rods. I actually met the owner Tim Rajeff because he lived right down the road from me in Oregon. This is a movie he did with nature filmmaker Todd Moen down south near Patagonia, some monster chrome bows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afcg1H2MRN0

They have a good rep for their warranty and customer service...not to mention Tim is passionate about a great product.

 

Some euro nymph style flies today.

 

have one too! Sucker cranks the Scandi line and is a joy to cast.