Posts Tagged ‘fly rods’

I’m wondering if it is possible.  Am I there yet? Except, I wouldn’t part with any of it except to my sons or my best friend (if she decides to seriously take up fishing, she can have and use whatever I’ve got! It’s a deal, Colleen ).  I’d lend some of it to others – as long as I were present while it was being used.  But maybe I have too much.

I’m planning a trip out west with my “wee man,” who will be 7 in August.  I haven’t had time to do much research on what exactly the fly fishing opportunities are in the area I’ll be fishing. I know there is a lake with ‘bows in it, a couple of rivers with who knows what, and a small pond with some stocked trout – but I am not sure what will be best suited and time is drawing near. So I’ve been going through my stuff, and realizing I’ve got stuff here that I love, but haven’t used in a long time, and need to enjoy the pleasure of again.  I’ve also got fly lines coming out of my ying yang – stuff I purchased two and three years ago with a plan in my head, but since then, my head lost those particular plans.  And being ADD apparently, naturally I forget to put the little labels that tell me what line and wt. are on the various fly reel spools I have.

As I type this, within four feet of me in either direction are:

3 Talon Fly Rods.

1. One I built myself about 14 years ago, and I love that thing, but the ferrule was crushed, and I still need to try to get it off to Ralph O’Quinn who believes he can fix just about any graphite rod damage so it is like new.  Ralph for those who don’t know is the brains behind the U-40 products, and a fantastic guy.  The one I built was a 9′ 5 wt. IM6 Plus that has been used more times than I can remember.  I loved – and still love – that rod.

2. Another is a 9’0″ 8 wt IM6 Plus, built in the Talon factory.   A lovely rod for large size bass, steelhead and salmon.  Admittedly, I have not used it as much as I would have liked.

3. Then there is the 3 piece Talon Elite 9″0″ 9 Wt. “Big Game” rod. Beautiful cork grips on this! Again, a rod I have not used often, but have enjoyed when I have.

1 Grey’s Greyflex M2

I picked up this 10 1/2′ 7/8 wt when I was in Belfast, Northern Ireland in June of 2007.  I was looking for a three piece rod that I could travel with and that would perform well while lake or loch style fishing in the Canadian Fly Fishing Championships held September 2007 in Grande Prairie.  I really enjoy this rod, but when conditions are warranted, I do prefer the Meiser Switch Rod (more on that later).

3 Sage

How many Sage rods do I have?? I think there are three, but only  one is a fly rod. Back when I built rods, Sage made some nice spin blanks, and I’ve got a couple of them. The fly rod is an older “Graphite II” 7’9″ 2 wt.  I haven’t used it much, but when I’ve been out on some small creeks, I’ve enjoyed it.  I think it’s been ten years though.

At Least 2 Loomis

I’m looking at the rod tube and know it’s a 2 piece, one I built about 18 years ago – an IM6. I disliked very much their IMX stuff back then – seemed too many of them broke. This one is a bit on the heavy side, I think it’s a 9′ 8 wt.  But I can’t remember. I’ll have to give it a few casts this summer.

1 Tony Spezio

Never heard of a Tony Spezio? Pitty! I have a lovely two tip cane rod he built and it’s lovely to cast! I don’t know why I don’t use it more; perhaps because it is one of those rods I think will be an heirloom to one of my children and their children.

1 Admira

A 10’0″ 4 wt. that I purchased last spring at the behest of Ernie Kalwa, Captain of the fly fishing team I was on.  Apparently a good rod for Czech nymphing, but I’ve never used it.   Turned out that I resigned from the team due to health concerns (don’t ask how I managed to severely sprain my right hand – I’m still trying to figure it out) so I never did compete and didn’t get a chance to try this rod.

2 Temple Fork Outfitters

I’ve got two of these – a 5 wt three piece and a 10′ 0″ 7 wt. 4 piece that was my backup rod to the Grey’s in Grande Prairie. I didn’t use it much, but I did like it – but preferred the Grey’s when fishing from the boats.  I liked this one for fishing from the shore of the pond that was one of the venues though.

The 5 wt is what I’ve been using on the Grand River and other such places after the ferrule was busted on my Talon, above.

For the money, TFO rods are hard to beat!

1 Fisher

About 8 or 9 years ago, I was looking for a 9 1/2′ 5/6 wt rod, and they were hard to come by at 9 1/2′.  I can’t recall now why I wanted a 9’6″ 5 wt, but I did, and this one was relatively inexpensive.  I think I traded a year’s worth of website hosting for it.  I remember when it arrived – I was quite excited to try it out, but when I did, I was disappointed.  I’ve never used it since. But I will.  I think the action was just too slow for me at the time.  I recall I did not like it as much as the Talon that I had owned and been using for so long. But maybe it’s time to revisit this one and give it another chance.  If nothing else, it’s a spare and one that I can lend to someone else if they don’t have one or their’s breaks.

1 R. B. Meiser

A disclaimer: R. B. Meiser (actually, I shoud have noted that Talon is too) is a client of mine.  So I realize that giving such positive reviews of both R. B. Meiser and Talon rods could be construed as a conflict of interest for me.  In Meiser’s case, I think Bob has done well by me and I’ve done well by him long before I ever tried out one of his rods though.  In the case of Talon, I loved Dwight’s rods and blanks long before he ever became a client of mine, and used to build a lot of custom rods on Talon blanks when I had my own custom rod building business.

Anyhow, prior to the Canadian Fly Fishing Championships in Grande Prairie, I was talking with Bob Meiser about some work to his website and I mentioned I the competition and that it would be fly fishing from boats for all but one venue.  I told him I had picked up the Grey’s and the TCO, and he said, “Ian! You should have told me! I’ve already supplied another competitor with a rod that will be perfect I think, and I could work something out with you too.”

I kind of felt ashamed that I hadn’t even thought of talking to Bob before selecting some gear for Grande Prairie. Anyhow, he agreed to build me a rod on his System 2 blank – a “switch rod,” and shipped it out to me. Sadly, the rod did not arrive in time.  It arrived here in Ontario the day after I arrived in Alberta.  When I got back, I was eager to try it out, and it seems ideal with the Sixth Sense series of lines.   Although this rod is built with the two handed style of fly fishing in mind, I can easily lay out 70+ feet with one hand. That is why it is called a “Switch” rod – you can switch from one to two hands and cast comfortably either way.

I’ve never much got into spey or two handed casting but I’m hoping I can get out with Neil Houlding at some point this summer and we’ll see if we can teach me some two handed techniques and put that Meiser rod through it’s paces.  But as it is, I’m very pleased with it!

So those are my fly rods in my office here. I’ve got more in the porch, and at least one more in the trunk of my vehicle.  Do you think I have too many?

Perhaps I’ll write about my reels and spare spools the next time!  Colleen – forgive me if I’m a bit disorganized here with all this stuff, but we’ll get you set up with something, for sure! Looking forward to fishing with you next week!

Your rod and reel are the most important parts of your fly fishing gear. There are a few simple things you can do to make sure they give you years of great service.

Reels

There’s really not much to say about maintaining reels, other than … lubricate them as per the manufacturers’ instructions! As with anything that has moving parts, friction develops. The heat caused by excessive friction will cause wear and tear that did not have to happen if the part was properly lubricated. The best lubricant to use is lithium grease – don’t be trying to squirt 10W-30 inside your reel!

For the most part, today’s reels require very little maintenance and you shouldn’t have to do to much to keep them in good shape. One thing that is very important, especially if you spend any time at all on saltwater is to rinse your reels completely and thoroughly in fresh water. It’s a good idea to give your reels a quick rinse after each fishing trip anyhow, to remove any dirt and grime.

Check for bits of dirt between the spool and the reel. Today’s reels usually are constructed with very close tolerances, and a bit of grit can cause the reel to not perform well.

You might also want to consider cleaning the cork drag system. Wipe it clean with a paper towel, being sure to remove any dirt or grit on the surface.

Fly Rods

Most anglers spend more money on their fly rods than any other piece of tackle. They also expect it to perform optimally all the time, yet many anglers forget that a fly rod is in fact a tool that is made from several different parts. If one of those parts is defective or worn, it could dramatically decrease the performance of the rod. Be sure to take a look at the following parts of your fly rod, and if you find anything that seems amiss, take it in to the closest competent repair shop, or contact the manufacturer to determine whether the problem is covered by warranty:

Guides, or ‘eyes’ as they are sometimes referred to, ensure that your line is properly carried along the rod and is acted upon during the force of casting. There are different types of guides that are now used on fly rods, however traditionally, and probably still the most common, are what are known as ‘snake’ guides. Most snake guides are made from hard chrome. One of the most important guides to take a good look at is the one at the very tip of your rod, known as the ‘tip top’. This guide bears the most pressure of all, and consequently, is the one most prone to wear and tear.

If you are at all dubious about the amount of friction that a fly rod guide puts up with, try this experiment: Have someone hold a piece of fly line against some part of your body. Ask them to pull it back and forth over your skin with some force and speed. I guarantee that in a few moments, you will be asking them to stop as the heat builds up and your skin begins to wear off!

With this experiment in mind, check that tip top for signs of grooving. As the tip top grooves, this causes even more friction against your lines as it travels through the guide. As well, small microscopic burrs can develop which in time will damage your fly lines and decrease their life. If your tip top has any signs of wear, have it replaced, or try replacing it yourself. If you have a professional repair done, you shouldn’t expect to pay anymore than $5.00 to $10.00 for a simple chrome tip top.

The rest of your guides are actually held onto the rod with thread that has been wrapped around the guide feet. Modern rods have an epoxy coating over the thread wraps. Sometimes, the epoxy can develop cracks with the constant flexing of the rod. The cracks themselves are not unexpected nor will they cause any decrease in the performance of the rod. However, over time, the epoxy can weaken and the guides may loosen away from the blank. So, check the guides and ensure that there is no wiggling from them underneath their wraps. There is no need to use a great deal of pressure – just a very light tug to ensure they are still secure. Again, if you find one that needs attention, a good rod builder should be able to rewrap the guide for you. Better this than have the guide come loose all together and impede your casting performance!

Ring type guides are becoming more popular on fly rods, rather than snake guides. The inner ring that contacts the fly line is usually made of Silicon Carbide (SiC), a very hard and smooth material that provides great heat disipation and less friction than chrome. These rings will not groove like chrome will, but you should still give them a quick check. For one thing, on guides that are not of the best quality, the inner ring can come loose from the guide frame. If this happens, you will want to ensure the complete guide is replaced.

The next thing to check is the reel seat. There is the possibility that the bond between the reel seat and the rod blank has weakened and the reel seat is not solidly attached. This is more true with older rods but it is always a good idea to check anyhow. If you do find a reel seat that is need of repair, this is best done either by the manufacturer, who will probably replace the whole butt section, or by a competent rod builder, which could be a bit more costly. Some rods simply wouldn’t be worth it.

Finally, why not give that cork handle a nice clean-up? You probably have forgotten how much brighter it looked when it was first new! Over time, cork can become very dirty, but this is easily removed with a good scrubbing using a damp, fine soap pad such as Scotch-BriteTM or an S.O.S.® pad. When you’re done scrubbing, give the handle a final rinse with water. You will be amazed at how good that cork handle will look.

Now, that you’ve got your fly fishing equipment all tuned up, you’re ready for the season! Go catch some fish.