Dry fly fishing for brown trout in sweden

Here's a very nice video about dry fly fishing for native brown trouts in a nice stream in Sweden.

Unlike many other videos on Youtube I watched the whole video without skipping parts. The pace and footages of this video is very relaxing and exciting at the same time. The close ups of the wild life between the fishing action really gives the video a very enjoyable flow.

Sunglasses on a brim?

We've all seen those magnifiers that attaches to the brim of the hat. Here's a new twitch to the theme: sunglasses that clips to the brim. I saw these at an on-line fly shop that's located in Luxembourg.

My favorite magnifier for old eyes is the Flex Spex. These flexible arms clips to the side of the hat and can be moved out of the way when you don't need them. I've used them on my last trip for the first time and it works like a charm.

Redington Practice rod

Practicing on your casting can be done best using a regular fly rod. What's the alternative when it's not possible to cast outside with a rod? Use one of the many practice rods! As of this moment there are three real practice rods available: the Echo Micro Practice rod, the Orvis PractiCaster and the Redington Form Game.

Redington's practice rod called the Form Game rod is different from the others that it comes with a real fly line made by Rio. The fly line is modified to be able to cast with this 5 foot rod and comes as close as the real deal. It's not the best casting rod and line combination, but it's functional.

The other practice rods use some kind of poly yarn rope to emulate a fly line and it works excellent in living room or indoor type of situations. When used outside, especially when there's a breeze the yarn rope has some trouble keeping its path. The Form Game rod is more of an outdoor (lawn) alternative due to the length of the line (30 feet) and the speed of the fly line. I've even heard that some folks use the rod as a real fishing rod!

I have both the Echo Micro Practice rod as well as the Redington Form Game. Both rods are pretty identical in length, build and action. The Redington rod looks a lot nicer because it has a nice cork grip rather than a foam grip (Orvis has a cork grip as well). In fact, both rods will cast the yarn rope that comes with the Echo as well as the fly line that comes with the Redington rod.

The Echo rod comes with a line that's made up of two different kinds of material. The main part looks like a piece of material that's used in outdoor gear while the last part is made of a long piece of glo bug yarn. There is no 'fly' attached to it. The Redington rod comes with a big fluff of yarn knotted directly to the tip of the fly line as a 'fly'. I revised this part with a loop connection and a piece of 2x tippet which makes it a bit more durable.


So, which one to get? Both rods do a pretty good job as a practice rod to improve ones casting. The Echo rod setup works amazing in the living room without needing a lot of space to cast. The yarn line has enough drag in the air for a fairly accurate feedback. But I'd say get the Redington Form Game. It's just more versatile as a teaching tool and a practice rod. Both rods make a great set up to get kids into casting because it's a lot of fun trying to knock down a row of empty cans using the 'fly'.

I do hope both Redington, Orvis and Echo will offer replacement lines because eventually the lines will get wasted with a lot of use. Especially when used outdoors on pavements etc.

The team behind the iPhone development

The introduction of the first iPhone in 2007 was the best product launch I've ever seen.

Here's a very interesting article about the team that developed the iPhone and how the iPhone became the game changing product as we know.

Why do fly fishermen make so many false casts?...

One day fishing for brown sea trout in Tierra del Fuego, John asked (former President of the United States) Carter why he was catching more fish than the rest and he replied, "I don't false cast."


Update Aug 15, 2014:
Here's a nice posting on Gink & Gasoline about the benefits of limiting false casting to a minimum.

Orvis Superfine Glass

It has been a while Orvis had a fiberglass rod series. Orvis is releasing three fiberglass rods in 2014 with their new Superfine Glass series (still made in the USA). I have always loved the Superfine grip shape on old Orvis rods. I'd love to see a dual reel ring version on the lightest rod. Probably possible as a custom build? Looks promising!


Update Dec 11, 2013:
I just ordered a 7ft #3 Superfine Glass at Orvis.
I asked if the rod could be finished with dual reel rings, but the diameter of the blank at the grip doesn't allow such a reel seat. Bummer….

We decided to keep the (aluminum) up lock reel seat as used in final production model. I asked for a shorter grip. 5 inch instead of the 6.5 inch which will come on all three production models. 6.5 inch grip on a tiny 7ft is too much in my view. Should take a few weeks I guess.

Update Jan 16, 2014:
I received the rod today and did a quick test cast outside.

The finish is good, not exceptional. Functional and typical of Orvis as I know. The pea color blank reminds us of the Golden Eagle glass rods (blanks were made by the Phillipson rod company) Orvis sold during the 1970's.

The blank is quite thick at the grip. The shorter grip and the slightly shorter up lock reel seat keeps the proportions nicely compact.

The rod casts very smooth (I strung up a reel with a Sage Quiet DT #3 line) as could be expected of a fiberglass rod. It has a lot more back bone than I thought it would have.

I also tried with a SA's XPS (SA stopped with the XPS series in 2012) WF3 line. The rod really shines around 20 - 25 feet of line. It's really nice to feel a rod that doesn't 'invite' to cast 80+ feet like most graphite rods today. Forcing the rod does make the tip jump a bit.

7ft for a #3 is a very nice rod for small mountain creeks and streams. Just what I intend to use the rod for. $395 is a very decent price for a well made rod (incl. a fiber glass rod tube!) from the oldest mail order company.


Update June 2014:
I sent the rod back to Orvis. The rod had a ferrule clicking which I couldn't fix with candle wax. Orvis asked me if I wanted the rod fixed or a refund. I opted for a refund. I guess missing out the dual reel rings just bugged me more than I thought...

One can dream, right?...

Nice August

This year has been a pretty busy year so far. I really needed a few days to relax, straighten out a few ideas and empty the head. I didn't get a chance to cast a line out all year, until the end of August. It's probably the last time this year too, but it turned out to be some fabulous three days of fishing.

The area was hit pretty severely earlier this summer, yet all seemed to have recovered pretty well. The weather during the three days was wonderful. A few days before my trip there was some light rain giving the river that slight amount needed to get in shape. By the time I arrived the water cleared up. The level was a bit lower than I expected but it was perfectly fishable. The day I traveled back home was extremely wet. So, talk about being lucky!

I always wear a vest when fishing, this trip I exchanged it for a hip pack. I wanted to see if a hip pack is a serious alternative to my trusty mesh vest. Organizing a hip pack is more work than I thought.

Here's a verdict after three days using a hip pack. What I liked: keeping my boxes and accessories organized in one place. What I needed to get used to: keeping the belt snuggly to prevent the pack from wobbling but this also meant that turning the hip pack from back (when fishing) to front (when changing tippet, etc.) was a lot more difficult than expected. What I hate: the bag hanging around my waist means that it can get wet (although the inside stayed perfectly dry) when I kneel down to approach the fish quietly.

A hip pack keeps all the weight around an area you hardly feel the weight, but I think I'll still go back to my trusty mesh vest. The hip pack will be kept in 'pole position' when I decide to give it a try again, but within hours I missed the ease of use when wearing my vest.

I also finally got the chance to try out my new 'old' rod. This rod performed way above expectations. The rod feels so light in the hand and it casts so smooth, yet with authority, I was utterly amazed. In fact I liked it so much, the other rods I also brought to give them some flight time stayed in the tubes.

I wonder why rod companies keep pumping out ultra stiff rods while fishing a smooth moderate-fast rod is such a more pleasant fishing experience. Rod that loads well from 10 to 40 feet yet with reserve power to get past 60 feet when needed.

I tried to shoot some more footages (alone!) but the great fishing resulted in ending up with only a few useable video clips. To watch the video in HD, click here.

Innovation in fly rods

Innovation in fly rod design is the enemy of high end rod companies.

Why? Because innovation means revolution rather than evolution. Innovation comes with (too) large improvements on existing ideas or concepts. This is where the trouble is: revolution might result in consumers not buying it because it's too extreme.

An example of true innovation in fly rod design is ArcticSilver's idea to ditch the cork grip for an integrated plastic handle. Hmm... Their idea certainly makes sense but I doubt this idea will be a big success. It's just too extreme. There's very slight resemblance to Sage's Center Axis rod series. The idea is nice but the Center Axis rods wasn't a huge success either. Mainly because you're stuck with the reel that came along with the rod and the price was pretty stiff too.

High end rod manufacturers like Sage want to keep on a slow evolutionary path so they can release a new rod every two to four years. This way, they can keep making money and don't risk alienating their loyal customer base.

Rod companies that comes on a level below the high end companies (Sage, Winston and Thomas and Thomas, etc.) are probably more willing to experiment with true innovations. Mainly because they don't have a big customer base as well as the financial effects of failure is smaller.

Echo is a low to mid range price rod manufacturer. And it's no surprise that they came out with a very innovative idea with their new Shadow 2 rod at the recent IFTD (International Fly Tackle Dealer) show. I like the idea behind the Shadow 2 and the price point is amazing!




Revolutionary innovation isn't always a failure. Apple released the revolutionary iPhone in 2007 and the phone industry changed completely. Same goes for the iPad.

Circle of life

Trout Grass DVD on Youtube

The DVD Trout Grass is now on Youtube. Not sure it's uploaded with permission from the publisher. It's not DVD quality but still very watchable.

I love this documentary on the origins of Tonkin bamboo as material for making bamboo fly rods and have watched it numerous times. The explanation about fly tying and what it's for starting at around 38:30 is simply poetry.

Enjoy!

Download the video before it disappears (again)!

Update May 2015:
It's (obviously) gone again…

Update Jan 2017:
Use this link to watch it!

Here's another video on bamboo and it's magic:

What is wrong with the weather (again!)?

End of May, early June is usually one of the nicest time of the year to fish in my favorite region of central Europe: southern Germany and Austria. Well not this year. Again?...

I have been writing about unstable and unpredictable weather patterns during spring and summer the last 5-7 years. This period used to be quite predictable and very stable. Planning fishing trips were usually done around new year. Nowadays that's useless. The past couple of years my fishing trips are planned at the most 3 weeks ahead.

This region has recently been pounded by heavy rain for days on end causing flooding rivers, cities drowning with record levels and even casualties.

Even the highway (highway number 8) between Munich and Salzburg has been temporarily closed down due to flooding! That's unheard of...


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Good thing I didn't have any plans to do some fishing during this time of the year because I would have been washed away together with all the fish and luggage... The rivers and streams will probably need some time to recover. I doubt it's any good at least till end of June or even mid July? And I seriously need to hook some nice fish!!!


Update June 21, 2013:
Well, it looks like the other part of the globe in Alberta, Calgary is having problems with flooding caused by enormous rainfall during a very short period (and looks like more rain is to come). The Bow river and its tributary are flooding the city and area.

The news on various news sites are showing epic flooding like small towns under water, people getting evacuating and small creeks turning into raging rivers.

During my trip in fall 2005 to Alberta I remember friends in Calgary talking about the worst flooding of the Bow river area has ever seen in 2005. This years situation looks a magnitude larger. I hope my friends in Calgary are okay. I'll try to get in touch with my buddy Dave, who owns a fly shop.



Update 22 June, 2013:
My buddy Dave is okay. This is what his wife wrote to me:

"... So far we are dry (including the basement) and are fingers are crossed that it will stay that way.
... It is hard to focus on anything other than local news coverage and social media sites! Things are crazy in Calgary. 

Shop is open today - being "manned" by staff that don't have to cross any bridges. I think it's been pretty quiet other than folks stopping in to share news."

Finamore

Love the shirts from the Neapolitan shirt maker Finamore.

Especially the cutaway collar is what I think has a true sartorial look which Finamore shirts stand out.

A new rod - the Classic G.Loomis IMX

Anyone remember the G. Loomis IMX rod series?

G. Loomis (pre-Shimano era) launched rods using the(ir) new IMX graphite in 1987. The IMX graphite, together with Sage's Graphite III (released in 1989) used for the RPL rod series, was the start of a whole new generation of fly rods. These rods made of high modulus graphites were more resistant to stress which resulted in much lighter and faster actioned rods than before. These days we'd call these medium-fast rods. Perfect rods for fishing, not parking lot rods. My trusty 8ft #4 IMX travelled with me on my first trip to Montana in 1992.

Recently someone showed up with a G. Loomis IMX (9ft #4, 4 piece) blank. This blank was kept in the closet for at least 20 years! I just couldn't resist it and bought the blank. The IMX blank needed to get the best treatment it could possibly get, so I asked the Romanian rod builder George Minculete to finish the blank. Check out the two postings on the progress of this rod on his website here and here.

George understands the beauty of proportions. So many builders and rod manufacturers completely lost their touch because they don't understand the essence of proportions. Take a look of the grip size (and shape!) George made for several different rods. Simply perfect.

I've been admiring George's work for some time now and every rod he built looks better and better. The workmanship of George is out of this planet. I asked him to make the grip similar to my Sage 490 LL. Just take a look at the cork grip he sculptured for this rod. George advised me to use the Pacbay light wire low profile guides. The Joel Lemke nickel plated aluminum reel seat is combined with a California Redwood spacer. The wraps are rusty red silk.

George mailed me today that my rod is finished. He sent me some marvelous pictures from sunny Transylvania. He also did some test casting and his words are: "... today I fell in love with the smooth med-fast IMX rod". Well, that just confirms what I was hoping for!

I can't wait until I can check out the fine work George did on the rod. And yes, I'll give the rod a wiggle and give it a cast in my back yard. I'll take the rod on my next fishing trip to give it a christening it deserves.


Update summer 2018:
I sent the rod back for a check up and asked George to make the grip slightly smaller.

Yes, this rod is still my favourite 9ft #4!


Update May 22, 2013:
The rod arrived today. The workmanship is superb. The cosmetics are so understated yet without compromise. So much more classy than most factory built rods. The reel seat is stunning. Almost jewelry without being too much.

I did a quick cast at my back yard. The rod is so smooth! The medium-fast action already comes to life with just 2-3 meters of fly line. I can cast smooth tight loops all the way without any effort. Can't believe why rod manufacturers are making such stiff rods these days?...

The best 5 weight of 2013?

Yellowstone Angler, the famous fly shop in Livingston Montana, has published their annual shootout on the best rods of 2013. This time they took a good look again on 5 weight rods.

The big surprise is that the best 5 weight rod this year isn't another Hardy Zenith (2011 and 2012 winner)  but the G. Loomis NRX Light Presentation. The second place was (another big surprise) taken by the Loop Opti Stream. The Hardy Zenith ended third this time.

It's nice to see that Loomis made an effort to design a smooth rod rather than the stiff rod as the original NRX rod series was. Although I've never cast one yet myself, the description on the NRX series sounded just like that: powerful, stronger, bla bla... And Loomis (or Shimano) need to hire someone who takes a look at the cosmetics (and color scheme) of their rods because they are butt ugly...

I've cast the 9ft 5 weight Hardy Zenith recently for an extended period and it is indeed an amazing rod. It's very light in hand, it's sensitive yet has a powerful mid and butt section for longer casts when needed. The rod casts super smooth at 20 feet all the way up to 70-80 feet. Just one pick up back cast and delivery at 70+ feet is easy!

Very unlike the Sage One which is in my view a broom stick. Can't believe the raves it's getting... Yeah, it's probably a nice stick for tossing streamers to the banks from a drift boat.

Finally George and his men decided to make a video of the shootout. I always want to see if the guy who reviews a rod is capable of casting a decent tight loop. I just can't take a fly shop owner (or a sales representative of a rod company) who can't cast a decent tight loop serious...

Too bad the video quality is, if I may say so very mediocre... George, please use a Full HD (video) camera next time because I can't see the line at all! We want to see you casting that tight loop.




Update March 2015:
A buddy of mine has the 8.8ft #3 version of the NRX LP and good heavens it's a superb casting rod. 3 weights are supposed to be delicate rods but this rod is a casting machine. Casts of 50-60 feet is effortless.

The cork on the grip feels a bit rubbery and I'm not sure I like it. The cosmetics of the LP (dark green) is a a much more pleasing to the eye than the original NRX, which is in my view one of the ugliest rods I've ever seen.

I've yet to cast the 4 and 5 weight rods. I'm sure they are pretty amazing too. Too bad Loomis doesn't sell blanks of these rods. I'd love to get a 5 weight finished by a top rod builder like George from Tightloop.

Another hopper video

Here's another nice video on hopper fishing on a lazy summer day.
Wow, I love the scenery, the stream and the nice browns that grab their meal.

Women in fly fishing

I rarely run into women when I'm out fishing. I do know a few wives of fly fishermen also fish with a fly rod, but generally fly fishing is a male dominated hobby.

April Vokey is one of the very few female fly fishing professionals. April runs a business which includes casting classes and guiding.

Here's a very nice video of April giving a casting demo at a fly show in Germany earlier this year. I think it's also a bit embarrassing to see how passive the public reacts to April's attempt to get them involved with her demonstration... People are probably baffled seeing this nice looking lady casting miles better than they do! :)

Go April!

Update July 2024:

Here's a podcast that gives a good overview of April's career.

Update Nov 2023:

I did a humpy tying demonstration for April Vokey's Anchored Outdoors.

 

Update 26 August 2013:
A message from the Fly Gal herself: "Thanks Jay, I appreciate the kind words.  :)"

Beef up your old wading boots with aluminum bars!

Patagonia rediscovered the traction power of aluminum. Their Rock grip wading boots has aluminum bars on the soles to provide the traction when fishing over slippery rock surfaces.

These boots are probably not for every situation. For instance on a drift boat, the guide will probably not allow you wearing one of these to prevent his boat from ripped up by the bars. Forking out $200 for wading boots that's for every once in a while?...

What if you have a pair of worn out wading boots, preferably with some kind of rubber sole like Vibram? By adding these aluminum bars you can turn them into wading boots to use with ultra slippery conditions. This way you give your old wading boots a second life!

Here's a great 'do-it-yourself' guide from Yellowstone Angler how to add Patagonia's replacement bars to your old wading boots. $40 for the replacement bars from Patagonia and some spare time and you get the real deal. Thanks George for the instructions!

Also check out the 2013 wader shootout at George's website.

Fly tying lamp

I have been looking around for the ultimate tying lamp for many years. One that's bright and easy to carry. Not that much to ask for, right?

Initially the ones that fit this description were halogen lamps. The bad thing with halogen is the heat. The halogen bulbs have a relative short life span and replacements are pricey. Then the lamps using LEDs started to appear. LED has low energy consumption, stays cool, have a long life span and give very clear white light.

So lets talk LED lamps for fly tiers. So, what are the options?

The best looking LED lamp for fly tiers at the moment is made by Marc Petitjean. This lamp is very well made, comes with an aluminum arm to attach the lamp to the vise. Unfortunately this lamp comes in at a hefty $280!

The next candidate is one made by Peak. This one doesn't look as sexy as the one by Petitjean, but it's still very nice. The one by Peak comes in at around $140. A lot less than the Petitjean but still no pocket money.

But tying lamps have one problem: the light coming from above the head of the vise cast a shadow on the side and bottom of the fly. No matter how bright the light is. A minor problem is the physical part: the lamp hanging above the head of the vise sometimes gets in the way with the tying.

So, what's the solution? A lamp with a longer neck? Even brighter lamp with dozens of LED bulbs? This would result in a heavy and not very portable lamp. Why not forget the idea of a lamp attached to the vise and look for something that doesn't come near the vise at all? Like a LED head lamp!

Mountaineers have been using LED head lamps because of the versatility, long stamina and you have your hands free. The best part I like is that the light goes where you look at. So no more shadows as you move your head around to inspect your fly.

I just looked up for an affordable LED head lamp and it's ridiculous but I ordered one that's just $3 including shipping!

Hat for a special guy

I just ordered two hats at Thomas & Thomas. These newly introduced hats come with the iconic hand-drawn (by Thomas Maxwell) casting man figure that originates from the early days of the company.

One of these hats is for a special guy.

Here is a nice little note by Marc Aroner on Maxwell's drawing.


Update March 10, 2013:
Thanks to Jonas Aroner, here's a link to Tom Maxwell related articles at Spinoza Rod Company.

Interview with Tom Dorsey

Here is a nice, yet short, interview with Tom Dorsey. Dorsey founded the Thomas and Thomas (T&T) rod company together with his (late) brother-in-law Thomas Maxwell in 1969.

They started building bamboo fly rods only with a brief experiment using fiberglass blanks from the Phillipson Rod company.

Tom Dorsey: "The first graphite rods were not built until 1978 when we purchased our graphite manufacturing equipment."

T&T switched owners several times the past decade. It was even briefly owned by a Scottish investment company. Now it's back to American ownership.

The famous picture (probably somewhere in the early 1970's) shown here shows the two Toms testing a new bamboo rod.

Also check my previous posting with a nice video on how bamboo rods are made at T&T.


Update Nov 20, 2013:
Here's the best article on T&T and interview with Tom Dorsey I've read so far.
The brief history on T&T up to the the current owner of T&T, Mark Richens, is very well done.

RISE Fly Fishing Film Festival 2013

The RISE Fly Fishing Film Festival 2013 is planned for 12 & 13 March 2013. The third edition in The Netherlands since 2010.

The feature film for 2013 is Predator. Predator explores the globe for the largest and most powerful fish that can be taken with a fly rod.

These large predators employ all sorts of techniques to maximise their chance of catching prey. Some, like the queenfish use pure speed to outrun and crush their prey in the surface film. Others like the mighty barramundi of Australia’s North use brute power to get a feed. Predator is going to be a visual extravaganza.

We changed the Amsterdam venue from Tuschinksi down town Amsterdam to Pathé Arena for easier access by car as well as parking facility nearby. The Rotterdam venue is still held at Cinerama.

Tickets for either of these venues are only available here.



Update Feb 16 2013:
Here is a preview snap of the announcement of RISE in the March 2013 issue of the Dutch angling magazine BEET.


Update March 14 2013:
Two shows done.

The ticket sale for both venues were about 30% down from previous edition(s). The Rotterdam venue turned out to be slightly more filled than the Amsterdam venue.

The reactions on this year's show were great. The three short movies before the feature movie were well received.

Especially the search for the illusive (300+ lbs!) Arapaima in Guyana (South America) turned out to be a very enjoyable one. As of yesterday (March 13 2013) this movie, Jungle fish, won the Sustainability Film Award at the 2013 Sundance Film festival.

Here's an (favorable) article on the BEET website about the show we did last evening. Thanks to Rudy van Duijnhoven again for the pictures of the show!




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Hopper fishing

I love fishing with a hopper. The very visual take is just an amazing sight.
Here's a very nice video on hopper fishing in Alberta, Canada by the Jensens.
It seems it's the Red Deer river, not far from Calgary.

How the west was won: a success story

Sports Illustrated is probably known to most as the magazine that publishes the famous annual swimsuit issue with the most fabulous women on earth. But they also seem to cover more than just chicks in bikini's.

Like this article from the April 30, 1956 issue about the successful introductory of the brown trout in America.

The story starts with a shipment of 80,000 fertilized brown trout eggs from Germany in February 24, 1883.

The start was quite bumpy as fishermen considered the brown trout was an inferior spices that just wasn't was easy to catch as the native brook or rainbow trout.

As the Fish and Game commission from Montana said: "The brown trout is a good fish, but the average fisherman is not skilled enough to catch it."