Pike fishing with the Dahlberg Diver

Well I finally found the video I talked about in one of my previous postings about tying Dahlberg divers. It's released in DVD format by the In-Fisherman. Man, after watching the video again I was looking for my 8 weight rod, grab a bunch of divers and head for the water in my back yard! Wait a minute... it's almost 11 PM...

This video is a true classic in terms on innovative fly tying, using flies in conditions (shallow water) that is not suitable for traditional spinning tackle as well as pure entertainment. The strike of the pike on a jumping diver on the surface is nothing short of excitement.

I'll be getting my gear ready for this autumn/winter season to do some pike fishing using large pike streamers as well as Dahlberg Divers. Stay tuned!

Mel Krieger passes away

This morning Mel Krieger passed away after several months of illness. He suffered from brain lymphoma.

I met Mel at the Fly Fair of 1994. Mel certified my examination for my FFF fly casting instructor certificate. What a personality he was and his way of sharing his joy for fly casting was really contagious.

Everyone who passed the exam Mel handed over this little polished brown colored pebble. This little pebble he said was for good lucks. Recently I watched his video about Patagonia. This video is a documentary about and around Mel's passion for Patagonia for the past 40 years. Half way in this video (around 28:10) you see Mel going to the market in a small town in Patagonia and buying these brown polished pebbles for his friends.

Update May 22, 2022:

Here's the part where in the video you see Mel going to the market in a small town in Patagonia and buying these brown polished pebbles ('talisman') for his friends.…

Update April 2015:
Guess what? The whole DVD can be watched on Youtube!
Here it is (again!). Not sure whether the video will be taken off eventually because of copyright. So either watch it or better yet, download the movie!


Update 21 Sep 2019:
Here's a nice video by Todd Moen (of CatchMagazine) on the fishing for sea run browns at the Rio Grande river in Tierra del Fuego. Mel probably knows this river well.

New gear for 2009

Every year there's this huge Fly Fishing Retail Show in Denver where the major manufacturers of the fly fishing industry show their newest stuff for the coming year. I don't know about you but even though I already got every gear I need for my fishing, I always have to keep myself from looking for a reason to say "Hey, I need that!"...

Since most of us are not working in the fly fishing retailer business, we will rarely get to see all the newest and nicest stuff ourself. Thanks to the modern video streaming technology and American Angler magazine we get to see some of the gear from our comfy home.

Phew... that's a LOT of stuff coming our way the next season.

2009 Hardy Perfect

Hardy is re-introducing a new 2009 version of their Perfect reel which originated in 1891. I haven't seen the new reel yet at Hardy's, but here are some pictures of the new reel.

I'm not sure whether the new Perfect is manufactured in England or overseas. The rumors are that these Perfects are made in Korea. The sizes which will be available are supposed to be 2 5/8 inch, 2 7/8 inch and 3 1/8 inch. So basically for line weights #2 up to #6. There will be both RHW and LHW versions.

Update: the new 2009 Perfects are made in England. These reels are not cast but made from bar stock aluminum.

I'm not sure if the 2009 version will be a special edition or will be available for longer than a year. The previous re-issue of Perfects specially for Japan in the early 1990's were sold out pretty soon.

The Hardy Perfect always looked great on a bamboo fly rod. If one reel has proven that it could stand the test of time, the Perfect has. And the price? $850 for the smallest reel and $950 for the largest and that's a LOT of money for a reel!

If you're into the history of Hardy reels (or general history of fly fishing tackle), here is the site of the Sportfishing museum which hosts a large picture collection of historic Hardy reels. The museum has sadly closed its doors recently, but the collection can be viewed on-line.

If you're really into the history of fly fishing. Check out the site of the American Museum of Fly Fishing in Manchester, Vermont.