special from Orvis

[dennishoddy]

lol
I was earlier going to suggest as a tip, using a band to strap the rod to your wrist to prevent breaking it, but I think you came up with a cool li'l idea there yourself....hooking the rod under your sleeve. Genius!

I didn't come up with the idea. The guide suggested that as during the 4 hr trip it came into a massive rain. He as suggested that we bring along rain gear as a front was coming in. We did it all during a rain that would have driven most off the stream, but we both agreed to hang in there. Lightning forced us into shelter under a bridge at the evening hole, but when the front passed, it was right back after it. We ended up going below the low water dam, for the end of the trip to fish the minnow streamers.

 

[RidgeHunter]

I think Joan Wulff came up with the wrist lock strap thing, at least she marketed it sucessfully.
http://www.madriveroutfitters.com/pc-2718-432-wulff-wrist-lock.aspx

If I can ever cast 1/64th as well as she does I would be overjoyed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peQIVe5vJio

Watch her drift around that rock towards the end of the video. Amazing she still has all that skill/accuracy at 80+ years old.

I have a bad habit of getting focused on something besided casting and just letting my form fall all to crap. A fly popping the back of my head wakes me up pretty quick.
I really need to take some formal instuction. I got my first rod when I was about 12 and just pretty much watched/took tips from some good fishermen, but a good instructor would help me alot. I can usually get the fly to the fish and catch quite a few, but no telling how many I spook/miss due to my poor casting. I know for a fact I have spooked ALOT of good fish by blowing my presentation.

I sure have fun though.

 

[J.P.]

I didn't come up with the idea. The guide suggested that as during the 4 hr trip it came into a massive rain. He as suggested that we bring along rain gear as a front was coming in. We did it all during a rain that would have driven most off the stream, but we both agreed to hang in there. Lightning forced us into shelter under a bridge at the evening hole, but when the front passed, it was right back after it. We ended up going below the low water dam, for the end of the trip to fish the minnow streamers.

Cool beans.
Yeah...fish don't care if they get wet, and I always appreciate whenever the weather drives all of the regular schmoes off of the water.
Especially if there's a bunch of yakity-ass dopes out there ruining your perfect moments with nature.

I've never been a fan of lightning tho', and waving a 9ft pole around in the air during a storm never quite really appealed to me.

Watch her drift around that rock towards the end of the video. Amazing she still has all that skill/accuracy at 80+ years old.:

Quite simply an incredible artist with a fly rod!


BTW...the Wulff Triangle Taper fly lines are really great for rollcasting...even better than running a double taper line. I have not ever owned any, but I've had a couple of opportunities to try it out on others' fly rods.
I generally keep one rig setup with a standard WF (Weight forward) line, and then another wound up with DT (double taper).
When I go out with one rod, it's going to usually be the WF setup unless I'm up against heavy brush, but the DT is great from nymphing and comes along if I'm bringing two rods.
I don't currently have anything strung with the Wulff TT line, but I'm thinking of grabbing a roll and trying it out.
The long pointed traingle shape continuously turns over with more efficiency.

I have a bad habit of getting focused on something besided casting and just letting my form fall all to crap. A fly popping the back of my head wakes me up pretty quick.
I really need to take some formal instuction. I got my first rod when I was about 12 and just pretty much watched/took tips from some good fishermen, but a good instructor would help me alot. I can usually get the fly to the fish and catch quite a few, but no telling how many I spook/miss due to my poor casting. I know for a fact I have spooked ALOT of good fish by blowing my presentation. I sure have fun though.

Yup...it's always fun!
Sometimes I get outta' my groove and have a sh!tty day casting...it happens from time to time, but the best feeling of all is when you get into your rhythm and everything comes together.
When you ar having an exceptional day and everything is clicking, you can experiment and come up with everything from subtle variations to entirely new casting techniques...just little quirky things you can learn to do when you get really in tune with it.
To be able to place a dry fly wherever you want, with pinpoint accuracy and with feather dropping presentation..AT WILL..and repeat it all day long....that is a really great feeling, my friends.

Now....
As far as screwing up and getting hit with a fly goes, there is no worse feeling than hooking yourself in the cheek of your face!
It's like shutting your keys in your car....you see it happening and you can do nothing to stop it.
So you feel the hook lightly hit your face, and then the "AW ****" hits you while you watch the line unfold in front of you...knowing what's coming next!

Trust me...just grit your teeth and wait for the tug. If you try to fight it, you're just gonna' jack yourself up worse.
BDDT

Hey guys, just wait until you catch your first bird...or a freakin' bat!
(and it will eventually happen)

 

[RidgeHunter]

BTW...the Wulff Triangle Taper fly lines are really great for rollcasting...even better than running a double taper line.

Yep, I use Wulff Tri-Taper on the rod I fish the majority of the time. It really lays out good if I make a half decent cast. The rollcast is my go-to cast, I often fish where a long backcast is inhibited by trees and such....or even goobers taking 'streamside strolls'. No matter how much I'd like to pop them in the face with a floating beetle, I try not to.

Hey guys, just wait until you catch your first bird...or a freakin' bat!
(and it will eventually happen)

I've never landed any mammals or birds, but I did watch a guy and his buddy almost bring a muskrat to hand in Missouri once a few years ago.
The rat was swimming by, and the guys buddy kept told him to bring it in or he was gonna hook it. He just laughed it off and said he wanted to complete his drift, said the rat would swim under his line. Sure enough, he somehow ended up tangled with the muskrat and played it like a dang trout untill he got it close to shore. The muskrat was remarkably calm, and they just kind of poked at it and rolled it around with their nets untill it freed itself (mostly just wrapped in the line, not hooked very deep I guess) and swam away.
I about passed out I was laughing so hard.

 

[J.P.]

Yep, I use Wulff Tri-Taper on the rod I fish the majority of the time. It really lays out good if I make a half decent cast. The rollcast is my go-to cast, I often fish where a long backcast is inhibited by trees and such....or even goobers taking 'streamside strolls'. No matter how much I'd like to pop them in the face with a floating beetle, I try not to.



I've never landed any mammals or birds, but I did watch a guy and his buddy almost bring a muskrat to hand in Missouri once a few years ago.
The rat was swimming by, and the guys buddy kept told him to bring it in or he was gonna hook it. He just laughed it off and said he wanted to complete his drift, said the rat would swim under his line. Sure enough, he somehow ended up tangled with the muskrat and played it like a dang trout untill he got it close to shore. The muskrat was remarkably calm, and they just kind of poked at it and rolled it around with their nets untill it freed itself (mostly just wrapped in the line, not hooked very deep I guess) and swam away.
I about passed out I was laughing so hard.

That's funny.

Streamside strollers drive me crazy!
They see what you are doing...but they walk up on you anyway WTFO?
I hate when they see me casting, walk up, I give them pause so they won't get hit....and then they just frikkin' STAND there.:finger:
If I'm being courteous enough to stop casting then they should be courteous enough to not camp in my casting lane.

 

[J.P.]

BTW, here's a good starter video on basic casting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kkmo4X-mJeQ&feature=related

 

[dennishoddy]

As far as screwing up and getting hit with a fly goes, there is no worse feeling than hooking yourself in the cheek of your face!

Yes there is....its hooking your guide. He went up to his vehicle to get a fly he thought would work. I didn't see him come up behind me, and made my first back cast. When I started forward, nothing happened.....looked behind and he is standing there with my fly in his shirt. Thank God I didn't put it into his skin.

 

[J.P.]

Yes there is....its hooking your guide. He went up to his vehicle to get a fly he thought would work. I didn't see him come up behind me, and made my first back cast. When I started forward, nothing happened.....looked behind and he is standing there with my fly in his shirt. Thank God I didn't put it into his skin.

lol
Well, it's nowhere near as bad as hookin' someone in the head with a gang of treble hooks.....
When we were kids I went to cast a Rapala minnow (3 treble hooks) and when I tried to throw it forward nothing happened.
I figured I was just hung up on some brush or something, so I gave it a couple more 'tugs' before turning around to find that I'd hooked my cousin in the back of the scalp!

That was down at Eufaula....of course it's funny now

 

[dennishoddy]

lol
Well, it's nowhere near as bad as hookin' someone in the head with a gang of treble hooks.....
When we were kids I went to cast a Rapala minnow (3 treble hooks) and when I tried to throw it forward nothing happened.
I figured I was just hung up on some brush or something, so I gave it a couple more 'tugs' before turning around to find that I'd hooked my cousin in the back of the scalp!

That was down at Eufaula....of course it's funny now

ouch! ouch!

I just looked at some pics from the Lower Mountain Fork, and saw exactly what I said I was doing wrong.. The pic looks OK, but Knowing what I know now, the technique was wrong. The forward cast was past 2pm and I'm sure the result was not good. The wrist is in the position it shouldn't be.

I still haven't figurerd out why I keep posting my problems.

Maybe it just about therapy?


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[dennishoddy]

I'm so impressed with the Lower Mountain Fork, I thought I'd post a few more pics. I've done some before, but would do it again for those that weren't here then. It may have all changed with the historical discharges required by the high rain.

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