Recent comments

Submitted by jim harrison on

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I build about 100 turbular cane bamboo two piece fly rods a year, primarily for carp fly fishing on the Savannah River. The combo of rod, reel, backing, fly line, eyelets, leader, and flies, start at U.S. $100. These are also tested in the trout waters below Hartwell dam, The 15 weight rod is designed to fight fish 5 pounds and above,although I have landed 20 pound fish in these waters. If a large fish breaks a tip, triming the cane and installing a new top guide is no problem.

Submitted by Dave Cook 1737246373 on

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Congratulations GFF - you have excelled in the variation of flyfishing content.
You mention Papua New Guinea in the article where there is wonderful flyfishing to be had. I spent 1979 & 1980 flyfishing my heart out in both salt & freshwater on the north side of the mainland. There was a hatchery/trout farm amongst the coffee plantations in the mountains at Goroka & plenty of escapee rainbows in the myriad of creeks. No hindrances such as licences or seasons to worry you either.

Submitted by Ray on

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I am a fishing teacher and I would like to find out why grips got names such as full wells half wells etc. Do you know where these names came from?

John,

The needle knot where the needle goes through the fly line is tricky exactly for the reason you mention - keeping the hole open while you poke the leader through. Two things help:

1) Use an oversize needle. As you have notice the hole closes anyway, so working the hole larger is usually no problem. I have also worked with a hot needle sometimes, but this requires some delicacy in order not to melt the coating completely. I have also tried pressing the needle through the coating cold and then heating the part outside the fly line. This is easier to control, and makes the hole stay open when the needle is removed after cooling.

2) Cut the leader at an angle with a knife, razor blade or sharp scissors. This forms a tip, which is a lot easier to pass through the newly formed hole. I can read that you have done this already.

If none of this works, consider a nail less nail knot tied on the outside of the line or an Albright knot (used for backing here, but it works for leaders too) where the fly line is doubled back as shown here.

Tying the thick butt of the leader on to the supple fly line is a menace no matter what, so have patience.

Hope some of this works for you.

Martin

Submitted by John Buckley on

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I've just spent an hour trying to tie a needle knot, and finally gave up. Clearly, I'm missing something. Is this knot intended for any type of line? I'm trying to use it to attach a 3x tapered leader to a WF 7 line. The tip of the 7 weight line is not much larger than the needle to begin with, and after pulling the needle out the line collapses shut again, and the hole in the side of the line disappears. It seems impossible to shove the (sharpened) butt of the leader up into the line, let alone out through the exit hole. Any advice?

I have used clouser's for every thing from trout to blue gills. I like to use pearle braid on the hook shank and I tie in some flash before I tie in the buck tail.

Submitted by John Clementz on

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A very nice article for the most part. I only wish you had arranged for a better picture of the completed rod. Knowing what it would take to win such an event, it would have had to be awesome to look at.

You don't get any impression of overall aesthetics in any of the pictures above. Kinda like buying a steak and having the waitress bring you the sizzle. You are a professional grade writer.......find a pro to take your pics.

You will go far.........good luck and have a good life doing what you love........fishing and writing about fishing!

You truly are the lucky man you alluded to at the beginning of your fine review.

Oh!.........and thanks for contributing.

Respects.......John Michael

Submitted by John Clementz on

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I was given a brand new Sirrus Co-Matrix rod #457......(9ft, 2 pc,, #7 line wt.) last week as a gift.

My daughter is a vice president at Castaway Rods in Montgomery, TX. So she knows a little about the making of a quality rod.......well.....she probably has forgotten more about it then the rest of us amateurs will ever know.

Anyways...........She brought home two copies of the same rod and added the second to her own personal rod locker. That alone would be testament enough as to the rod's worthiness in my mind.

I was impressed with it's finish, quality of components, and craftmanship. It is one of the most beautiful finishes I have ever seen on a rod.......and that is no small feat. I have rods in my collection that were built as one off prototypes and by default those particular rods get fresh engineering, the best available components and finishes and are typically built by the Production Manager himself. You can only imagine!!!

I am a lucky dad and fisherman.

Buy one of these rods if you are in the market for a way above average # 7 2 pc rod. They are almost a steal at the suggested retail and with a lifetime warranty, it's money in the bank.

Submitted by Clark Lucas on

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Hi!

I found another pattern for Lady Caroline out of Capt Hale's book the notes a Reddish Brown Seal dubbing.

Clark Lucas

Submitted by Tommy on

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Hey....Great info. Thank you so much brother. I was wondering, how do you decide what size backing to use with a 20lb weight leader for saltwater bass derby limitations by a rules committee? The rod and reel are 9/10 w and using Cortland Crystal PE Saltwater fly line WF-10-F.
Regards...
Tommy

Mike,

It seems that there's no representation for Scierra in the US or Canada. I used to have good contacts in the company, but all the people I used to know there quit and are somewhere else now. Scierra can be found in many online shops, and some advertise world wide shipping and reasonable prices in Canadian dollars like Atkins Angling.

Martin

Submitted by Luis Fernando … on

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Congratulations !
I started flyflishing here in south Brazil some 14 years ago.
With the little resources we have here , all I had was the help of some friends and the internet.
GFF was one my first teachers.
Thanks !

Submitted by Henry Haugley on

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Matt I just added you to my book marks and look forward to seeing you on my Mac again. I am a retired art teacher and a fly fisher and fly tying teacher for the last 35 years. I had 33 years of students and some of them were like you. I very much enjoyed finding your site and will visit it again. Henry (Sun Prairie Wis.) P S We have good Hex fishing here.

Submitted by Mike Lembke on

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Thanks Martin! I've been trying to contact the Scierra folks and am having trouble. Do you know if their PF rods are sold to Canada or the US. Google doesn't seem to find any. Have you seen the Able Super( in a pike finish yet? I can photos if you'd like.

Submitted by Etienne on

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After be abscent from fly fishing and tying for a number of year due to work comitments i am back in the game so to speak............this article was exactly what i was looking for.

Just a tip, if you go and get a yarn or wool funnel, the ones that taper. Small at the top big at the bottom, pop that over the chicken head before you chop its head off it helps not to get the feathers matted with blood

Etienne

Submitted by eugene on

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Do you know anything on Pal angler's antique line clippers. Made by HC COOK COMPANY ANSONIA CT USA thats what we can read on the lure its self.Ihave searched came up empty handed.

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