Fly fishing

[arkansaspiper]

Dose any one else enjoy fly fishing? I have always enjoyed tournament bass fishing, but have gotten more into fly fishing as I got older, I think it's something you understand and respect older you get. The art of makeimg a fly as it where fly and land in such a way the fish thinks it's real. Same with bass fishing you have to trick the fish to think it's a real fish swimming or a real worm wiggleing. Any ways enough of that I have always wanted to go to new Zealand to fly fishing for Brown trout. There are no natural predators for them there they get huge. It would be easy to get a 3 foot long 10 pound Brown. For those of you that know think of hooking that on some light gear. My kinda thing!!!!!
Any one here have a place that wanna hunt fish hike or what ever before they die?

 

[Lonecoyote]

I use to fly fish often. I found it extremely relaxing and peaceful, With either a cigar or pipe in my mouth. Making my own flies was half the fun, boy I miss those times. Arky, enjoy life while your young and healthy. 

KEEP ON PUFFING!!!

 

[Stinger4me]

I enjoy fly-fishing for trout. These days catching fish is getting very difficult. Here is Michigan fishing pressure is very high and participation in the sport is getting very popular, I think the populations are down. The environment where trout reside is one that is very restful and fishing is good, CATCHING THEM IS MUCH HARDER THAN 20-40 YEARS AGO. I have used flies for smallmouth bass and that is fun. Plenty of fish below the legal size limit and the environment can be very enjoyable. I never got into fly-tying but I did find a great source for flies. The company is Flyshack.com, great service and prices are hard to beat.

 

[fishnbanjo]

Yeah, I might have a fly rod or 3 hanging around that I use.
banjo

:lol!:

 

[Puff Daddy]

I need to go hang out at Banjos place! I flyfish and have a few nice graphite and glass rods that all came second hand, but I've never been able to put together the coin for a good split cane rod. I've had a couple of so-so bamboos but never anything really good. That's quite an assembly there Banjo. I have a cool old Fenwick FF79 fiberglass 6 weight from the 70's, a Burkheimer 9 1/2 foot 5 weight for chasing spring halfpounders (juvenile steelhead), a Bob Meiser 12 1/2 foot 5 weight spey rod for the same springers, a Chris Barclay 7'10" 4 weight built on a James Green blank, a couple of Redington Classic Trout rods.... There used to be more, but kids and expensive tackle don't go hand in hand. I can see myself retiring with not much more than a well used but well cared for Granger Victory 5 weight, a Hardy St George and a pipe as my fondest companions until I leave this mortal coil. I love flyfishing. I'll still take out my spinning rods when I think it's right, mainly when the river is high and fast and it's safer to stay on the bank, but I'll always love flyfishing the most.

 

[arkansaspiper]

We need to go to the white river

 

[Ozark Wizard]

I have a nice selection of Split cane rods, From an old Granger to several Kiley rods, and a few in between. I think Kiley passed away last year, so no more art from him. He was a great guy, and he let me test all his new designs. I only have a half dozen graphite St. Croix, but they are great rods in their own rite. Nice Spays too... I used to guide fishing trips in Oregon, Nevada and Washington St. About half the time I provided gear, so amassed a collection over time.. Good times, good times.......

Not as big a collection as Ol' Banjo there, but way more than I can swing at a time.

 

[arkansaspiper]

Let's have a Lil tourney

 

[monbla256]

Been fly fishing since I was a kid and was taught by my father. We used to go up to Maine once a year and did mostly streamer fishing for Brown Trout. My father used one rod all his life, an 8 1/2 ' Payne bamboo three piece with a lovely soft action that would place a big streamer 100' on 6 weight line. I got it when he died and had Orvis re-furb it and it's now the only fly rod I use. Just love how that old rod lays down a line !! The only other rod I use is a 8 1/2' Wright-Migill glass rod that I use with a weight forward 8 line for bass buggin down here on stock tanks. I need to get back to Maine sometime !! :twisted: :twisted:

 

[hobie1dog]

Been fly fishing for 40+ years. Bluegill fishing is my favorite, but I'm the founder of the Catch and Eat Foundation.

 

[chukster]

Fishinbanjo you have some nice grass rods there. I have fly fished since 1967 where i learned with a a glass rod and worn out click and pawl reel on the Skagit River in Wa. Fly fishing is like pipe smoking you always need another one.
I now limit myself to nothing biger than an 8 wt , but usualy im throwing a 7'6" Hardy Smugler glass rod on the small streams near me.

 

[hobie1dog]

Yeah, I might have a fly rod or 3 hanging around that I use.
banjo

:lol!:

Banjo: Will you put me in your Will for one of the Payne bamboo rods? I have always wanted one of those, lol.

 

[chukster]

The tropical front thats been hanging around for a week has blown out the local streams here, so i'm tying mice and waiting for the waters to calm down and the Browns to get hungry.

 

[chukster]

The streams are still high and off color but the urge to fish is unstopable, so i ventured forth with hope in my heart and after tiring my arm out i retreated to the safe have of a cold Stout and a bowlfull of comfort.

 

[chukster]

After the 5+ inches or rain i to fish The Tully in West reading with a pink San Jaun worm and hooked into some nice Browns, and Bows. Water flow was high but it paid off, had the stream to myself.

 

[Idlefellow]

Yep; was out yesterday myself in fact, chasing a few Kansas Brookies.  Hopper 'n' dropper was working well; I even had a couple of doubles...

 

[hobie1dog]

Bluegills on a fly, that there is better than sex.

 

[Brewdude]

Nothing better than a string of fresh caught bluegills fried crispy in butter with a little fresh squeezed lemon!

:tongue:


Cheers,

RR

 

[Fumus]

Nothing better than a string of fresh caught bluegills fried crispy in butter with a little fresh squeezed lemon
Amen to that! :afro:

 

[fishnbanjo]

Monbla256, when it comes to 8 1/2” bamboo fly rods Jim Payne broke the mold with his tapers, I have a sweet 204L that is a dream of a 4 wt. if you want a beast of a 7 wt then a San Francisco era Winston will blow your socks off, the late Doug Merrick stated it was probably the finest taper Winston had to offer in bamboo. If you ever read Trout Magic by Robert Traver (Michigan Supreme Justice John Voelker) he dedicated Chapter 13 to rodmaker Morris Kushner titled Morris the Rodmaker. It talks about the Judge meeting Morris on a stream and sparking up a conversation then Morris opened the trunk of his Cadillac and the Judge spies a slew of bamboo fly rods.

Morris spots a trout rising perhaps 80’ away, strings up the rod and encourages the Judge to try for the fish. The Judge countered that it was clearly 2x further than he could cast but Morris insists the Judge try it so he does and the fish takes but the Judge pulls the hook from the fishes mouth an yells Wowie!

Morris gifted the Judge the rod and later as the Judge gets more Kushner rods he gifts the rod to his fishing companion Ed “Soapman” Loptspeich (sic) he’s Chapter 11 of the same book. I purchased the rod from one of Ed’s sons and my first reaction was a shade more colorful than Wowie!

One rodmaker I know stated it could cast a brick through a steel door and has always been a favorite for folks to cast at the fly fishing gatherings I used to attend. It wasn’t until a few years back that Ernie Woods, the Judge’ son in law, told me that was the rod the Judge wrote about in Chapter 13 because he remembered when the Judge gave it to the Soapman, it’s one of my most treasured rods and I call it the Worlds Greatest 5 wt.
banjo