Cabelas 9 Iron Fly Rod

Photo Courtesy of Cabela's Review Section User Adeen

Got a new 8 wt today and I love it!  Picked this one up in the Cabela's Bargain Cave for $99.  Really a nice rod with plenty of backbone for sinking lines.  The grip on the rod is unlike anything I have fished before.  The more wet it gets the more tacky it becomes....super comfortable.  Not traditional by any means, but really nice.

Nice modern rod at an unbelievable price ($5 shipping too!)

Predator fly for Golden Dorado fly tying instructions by Ruben Martin

This is the first tutorial I have run across by Ruben Martin.  Check out his YouTube Channel here!  So much cool stuff going on with this one....and nice music too.  I really like the craft fur zonker we cuts.  Really great stuff.  

Smallmouth wouldn't leave this pattern alone.  Craft fur would sink nicely.

Make sure to see more of Ruben's creations on his YouTube channel.  Really talented guy.

Dave Pinczkowski the Bad Hair Day

Video linked from tightlinesflyshop on YouTube. Good stuff!

Fly Fish Food - UV Resin Shootout

If you haven't visited the Fly Fish Food website yet you should head over there now.  Their store is fantastic and they also have really nice video tutorials.  Just a really good resource to have saved as a bookmark.

Here is a link to their UV Resin Shootout post.  I am currently using Clear Cure Goo product and like the end product pretty well.

Goodbye Vintage

I never thought I'd say this, but my fascination with older glass fly rods and reels is over.  Don't get me wrong, from a collectors standpoint it was very fun to collect vintage glass fishing gear.  Along with the rods came some interest in classic fly reels.

Over the past few months I have been fishing more than I have been in years.  I have been using modern gear lately and  must admit that the modern stuff works better for me.

I have not been able to fish much in the past decade.  My career and my kids took the front seat to my hobbies.  If I want to get Freudian I must have collected the vintage gear to satisfy my fishing bug.  Now that I am actually out there fishing I am finding the new gear to be more up my alley.

For smallies I have settled on a 9wt and 7wt TFO Clouser series rods.  I am still a little cheap when it comes to reels.  The 7wt is paired with a Redington Behemoth and the 9wt is married to a Lamson Konic.  Not the highest quality reels, but I'll get there eventually.

In the coming months I will begin unloading my vintage collection on Ebay.  No way can I sell them all (some are just too cool), but the majority will be sold to fund a few new lines and God forbid....nicer reels.

Time to get out there and fish rather than collect!

Chequamegon Bay Trip Update

Anglers All - Ashland, WI

Just returned from my trip to Chequamegon Bay in Ashland, WI.  Prior to the trip I had no idea what to expect, now I have more insight and thought I'd share with all of you.

Thing's I learned in Ashland:

1. Angler All is a great outfitter/guide service on the Bay.  Really a great place with a ton of fishing knowledge.  I booked another trip with them next year.
2. Captain Luke Kavajecz is an excellent guide.  Luke put us on fish even in some less than favorable conditions.  Plain and simple...the guy knows his stuff.  
3. You never know what you are going to get on Chequamegon Bay.  The weather changes on the hour.  Big body of water = unpredictable.
4. Not all smallmouth hits flies like a ton of bricks.  The fish on this trip were "nibblers", it took me some time to get the feel down.
5. I am/was a terrible trout setter.  Strip setting is the key.  If you raise the rod tip to set the hook you pull the fly out of their mouth and their zone.  Practice strip setting before you go out on the Bay.
6. When the guide says to cast 10' off the bow at 11:00 he literally means 10'!  I tended to do the polar opposite he asked me to do...not on purpose...I just did.  Luke is a patient man.
7. Not about speed here.  Stripping slowly was critical on this trip.
8. Practice casting before you go.  May be obvious, but I didn't and it really showed.  Again...Luke is a patient man.
9. Layer your clothing and be prepared for in-climate weather.  Rain, wind, cold, hot...all are options even in summer.
10. The Bay is kind of like a river.  I was surprised to see the current.  Amazing amount of current pushing things around...
11. The smallies are brutes!  Not super long fish, but they are meaty and very strong.  I suspect the current in the Bay keeps them on their toes.
12. Just because you book a trip doesn't mean you are guaranteed to fish on that day.  The weather conditions change so much you are kind of on call like a doctor delivering babies.  
13. Make sure to bring polarized glasses!  Luke is like a bald eagle on this elevated platform...but it would be nice to see the fish yourself.
14. Leave your big flies at home.  No need to throw the pike flies....sparse Clousers are just fine.
15. You'll learn a ton if you listen and keep an open mind.

Captain Luke Kavajecz - Photo Courtesy of Anglers All Website

The Fish are NICE!

toflyfish's Potato Chip Goby

I am hitting Lake Superior in a few weeks and this pattern looks great!  Thanks toflyfish!

The Smallmouth Gotcha - TOFLYFISH

Another pattern from TOFLYFISH on YouTube.  I have never seen the mono loops to help the fly stay upright...great idea!

Swingin' D Fly by Mike Schultz

Check out the Schultz Outfitters YouTube Channel.  This is one big popper.  

The Equalizer Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass Fly - TOFLYFISH

I just tied a few of these and I really like them!  Check out TOFLYFISH's YouTube channel when you have a chance.  He has some nice patterns and techniques on his site.

Years ago I tied a rattle minnow on a work hook and loved the way it fished.  I have a feeling this one will be light years better.

It does require some practice to get the material on the shelf by the eye and not crowd the eye.  Give it a few tries...you'll have nice clean streamers in no time.

Here was my first worm hook pattern from years back.  Nowhere near as cool as the one above!

TOFLYFISH YouTube Channel

Ran across TOFLYFISH's YouTube channel the other day.  He ties up some very nice stuff!

Bucktail Jig | Big Fly Box Idea

Tim Galati posted this idea on YouTube a few years back and I absolutely love it!  I am preparing for my trip to Chequamegon Bay in mid-June and needed something to hold my fly selection.  For years I used small tackle boxes, but noticed the bucktail on my clousers getting messed up just like Tim describes in the video.

The typical yuppie "Big Fly" box cost $30-50...this one is about $5.  Now I can afford to be organized!

Here is a video from Anglers All in Ashland.  I am really looking forward to the trip...let's hope the weather on the bay cooperates!

Snowflake Sculpin - Tightlinevideo

Another nice video by Tightlinevideo.  Neat pattern...