::: RR - Flyfishing and beyond ::: » Tackle

Lets strip inside!

Reinis — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:59:19 +0000

You are always striping inside? No… Hm in this case you are in a trouble, especially if you are wading deep! While for double handers as well as for dry or nymph fishing i’m not using striping basket, it is one of the essentials while fishing pike, seatrout or any other creatures that request striping of fly line. Quite many years ago, when I started to use these baskets I was quite convinced that it should have as many holes as possible, and it should be not too big. Actually know, its bit opposite -- I’m using only baskets that have no holes at all, and are big enough to catch and hold all fly line that comes in. Holes are not necessary at all, because if you are are wading deep, basket will be filled with water and your floating running line will simply swim out during the first cast. Another advantage of no hole basket is that you can use it as wading support, or float, when wading tricky coastal areas or getting to another river bank.It is quite important to have rubber belt on your basket, because it allows to adjust the position with out changing the belt size. It is quite handy if you are wading and fishing in spots with different depths. Especially during the late autumn, winter and spring, when water temperatures are low, it is not right time to adjust something that is completely wet.

Last but not the least is cones. With out them in a basket, your runner will tangle quite frequent, so you better install them in one or other way. There is quite a lot of possibilities to do that, and a some good info you can find in this article from GFF. I must admit, that during the last years I have tried almost all of them and finally came to the concept that can be seen in this particular video, where you can see my new basket. Main advantage of removable cone board is that during the travel you can detach, and it and put it in safe place. I have destryed and bended many cones or other type line separators, while putting all the things in my duffle for travel purposes, so it is worth to think about it when designing your new perfect stripping basket!

Finally, it is all about fish so you can also add some attitude on your basket -- at least you will remember how does fish look if you are blank…

But, wee will succeed… During the following days, together with my friends, we will chase sea trouts somewhere in sweden, and i will be back with photos and stories as soon as i’l be back.

Get ready -- season is comming!

LOOP to LOOP

Reinis — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:47:57 +0000

Is there a good way to connect shooting head to running line? Yeaaahhh…, connections are always frustrating some one can say. Maybe, but we can get use to it, and with the certain improvements we can achieve loop to loop connection that will not disturb casting during the double haul. Ok, ok there are also double handlers and of course there are no hauling and connection point always stays outside the rod tip, so it will not disturb the cast – strength is an issue here. For sure, one of the best loops are factory made – yet little bit bulky, but smooth, long lasting and powerful.

Original LOOP

If you have loops on both ends of your head – brilliant, but if don’t, or if you are going to customize the head…? I`m the one who likes to customize the heads, so loop preparation is a must.
In this short article i will go through different types of connections and give my Pros and Cons on them.

#1 LOOP on Core.

LOOP on Core

The strength of the system is limited by the strength of the fly line core. If we remove the coating (5-10 cm) of the fly line and put the perfection loop (knot) on the core we have pretty neat loop with the quite small knot on it. More important – this type of the loop have the same breaking strength as fly line, hence it is usable for salmon fishing and double hinders. Also sometimes when it is necessary to adjust head on stream this is the fastest way – so let`s say it is on the stream solution.

Meanwhile, I will not recommend it for single handlers, hence it will stuck in guides more the other types during double hauling. You can see it in the picture below.

Mono core perfection LOOP

Also this type of loop connection does not perform perfect with mono core or braided mono core lines, hence knot is bulky and after some usage knot weakens. To be honest i still use some single rod heads with such a loop connections, but for sure I will not prepare new ones in such a way.

#2 Braided LOOP connectors. When these where introduced some 15 years ago there where quite many fishermen who were shore that this is the one! Of coarse best one. Today we are not so sure about it. If we are putting on these connectors without gluing them on the fly line we are not on the safe side. During hauling or even if we retrieve fly line connector can easily slide down and you can loose your head during the next cast. On the other hand this type of the loop is strong enough if we apply it properly. To have smoother surface where the connector is fixed, i apply couple of turns of tying thread instead of the plastic tube that usually comes with these connectors. If you look hard, (arrow indicated point) in the picture below you will notice the turns of the thread around end of the connector. To finish the connection I`m applying a drop of Aquasure type glue to fix the thread, heat it a little with fan and wait some hours. I`m not using the super glue – it is to stiff and will moulder quite fast. If you prepare this connection acurately it will serve you long on both single handlers and doubles.

Braided Connector

Generally I use this connector`s quite rare, but these are the best ones for mono core lines, hence it is not possible to melt these lines without destroying them, and Loop on Core is not the best as it is described before.

Also, you can prepare loop connector on the fly line core in the same way as commercially available connectors are made. In such a way you will have pretty neat and slim junction point on the loop, that will knot “kiss” the guides during the hauling. Again it will work with almost all type of the fly lines except mono cores.

First step

First step. Insert the needle in the fly lines core and put the end of the core in the needles eye.

Second step

Second step. Pull out end of the core with the needle and trim it with scissors.

Finishing

Finishing. Glue the junction point – Aquasure is better than super glue, but both will serve here. If you like to insure the junction you can seam this point with thin tying thread before gluing. If yo would like to have junction point inside of the fly line (beneath the coating) you must put the needle in the end of the fly line, not just in core. For heavy shooting heads, especialy for salmon rods, i would recomend to glu entire loop. This will make loop stiffer, last longer and much more easier to open when changing shooting heads on stream.

#3 Melted LOOP. This is the latest innovation first published by our instructor Sepp and it is real nice if prepared properlly. To prepare it you must have a 5 cm piece of Heat-shrinkable tubing. Just put tubing on the junction point of loop and heat it with lighter. Important – put the end of line inside of tube for smoother surface.

Heating the tube

You can achieve better result if you are pressing the heated tube with the wet fingers (because tubing get`s extremely hot). If you are accurate and do not overheat tubing (it will result in burning down the fly line – color will be brownish) connection will also serve quite long. During heating, fly line will melt and and form an accurate connection of coarse without any bulky knot.

Melted LOOP

This type of loops cab be used for double handlers directly, meanwhile for singles you must modify it otherwise you will have bulky connection, that will also bounce in a guides during casting. How to? It`s easy, just remove the fly lines coating directly on the loop and you will notice that connection are much smoother.

LOOP without coating

This is the way I go with most of the single handed shooting heads. After some usadge sometimes coating break in few place, but it will not affect breaking strength. Just remember not to use it with mono core lines, because it will melt also mono-filament and loop will have low breaking strength.

#4 Seamed LOOP

Time consuming, but yet effective solution. In general this type of loops are prepared in the same way as braided loop conectors. After pulling in the core, seam junction with thin tying thread. Apply couple of drops with Aquasure glue, heat it with fan untill it gets less viscous and leave it for 12 hours. Because of the high glue temperature it will penetrate the core and you will have uniform loop that will look like an factory made and last for life time. In such a way you can prepare also other end of your fly line where te leader is connected. Realy neat and lite connector, hence it is suitable for lighter fly rods also. Sometimes, like you can see in picture, i`m painting the loop in bright color before applying the glue, so i will have a strike indicator on the end also. Just give it a try!

Seamed LOOP

I will be in fly festival in Kolding Denmark this week so come back soon to see reports about tying and other interesting things.

Spring calls for shooting heads

Reinis — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:58:34 +0000

April is time to fight big waters and big fish. Also you must fish quite deep and slow, because water are just warming up. Even more – if you fish large rivers for chub, asp or seatrout with single handed rods distance sometimes counts. Especially for asp (Aspius Aspius) here in Latvia. So it can not be much better way here than use shooting heads. And you know it!

Aspius Aspius

The question is simple – how to choose the best one for your rod. Here i will not discuss about density (sink rates) because you know better where you are fishing. Also tapers remains for different story. Length and grams are discussed bellow. If you are fishing in bushy river with a lot of obstructions choose short heads – 6 till 8 meters in length and even some times shorter. For distance cast heads up to 13 meters are optimal, but average length for 9ft rods are around 9 meters. So it`s simple 9 meters for 9 footers. I must say this is length i use most. Another story is weight. There are so many rods and lines… And there are big differences in the same weight rods and lines. It is quite easy to go wrong here. The best way is – if you have shooting head that fit`s your rod, and what is sometimes more important, also your casting style, measure it`s actual weight and you will know once and for ever what you need. If you do not have any shooting head…, hmmm, you are not in the deep trouble also. Just stay calm – call your fly fishing friend who are mad about purchasing new lines and take some heads for test. Choose the best one and then go on and measure it`s actual grams. So you do not have any friends with “spare head”. You can do it either!
If you are going to purchase shooting head in fly store instead of preparing it by yourself please do not follow AFTMA recommendations – it may be deadly misleading. If there are no marks on the packadge about grams please take shooting head out and measure it – there is always scales in the store. Here is the table I have prepared for those who are not shore about correct grams. Please note – it corresponds for single handed rods only!!

Shooting head table in grams

This table is based on my experience and more less you can not go a lot wrong with it. Main thing that i would like to notice – there are still some cases when you need different weight. For example average 8 wt rod with a fast action feel`s comfortable with 19 grams, but for pike fishing i use 21 grams instead. Why? With such a head (21 grams) I can cast with less speed and achieve same energy in the cast and what is more important – if i use really heavy pike fly`s this heavier head balances system better than lighter one and in other terms “will straighten your fly line with ease!!!” To be honest it is not so trivial, because if you are using the head that is on the heavy limit that your rod can handle, it is quite easy to overpower rod during casting that will result in tailing loop and what is more important – disappointment! In this case use a lighter shooting head or adjust your casting stroke – take the power off! But this is story about how to cast a a head that will follow another time.