ogilvie

I never really began to understand Nymphing until i acquired a book and essays from famed British Nymph specialist "Frank Sawyer". what intrigued me most about the history of Nymphing was the debate within Englands' upper crust of fly fishers, the question" is Nymphing Fly Fishing"? Silly indeed.....to a dry fly perfectionist..is it? As to the question about BC's no external weight on the lines when Fly Fishing Only reg's apply...it is simple to understand and enforced in very specific situations. With 400 Salmon gathering in slow moving pools a weighted"line" will encounter a Snag situation very regularly. Whats interesting is that Strike indicators are also in question...so on the Lakes where Brain Chan and Phil Rowley frequent these regs do apply....get the point.. We need clarity indeed!

Thats a really good question...Various rivers here in BC are fly fishing only and dictates that there is no weight applied to the line other than on the fly..anyway that's another issue... 95% of mine are beaded... Bead colour...in slower waters definitely!

Actually it's quite simple...every Snowbee sinking fly lines is sold with a small bottle of degreaser and 2 Loop Connectors... but to degrease a line simply wet a rag or Paper towel with degreaser and slide line through degreaser. ..like you would with Glide or line slick or what ever lubricant/cleaner you use. And a good parctice is to degrease every 2nd or 3rd outing...depending on the weather,alge and water contaminants.. For poly tips and if I fish often I will degrease once a week...for full sink lines as I said every 2-3 trips...In Salt Water every trip! This is a way to make sure that your set-ups are doing what they are supposed to... On your rivers in Southern Alberta I would suspect that yuor summer conditions are prime time to degrease... here on the Coast,we want to use every means possible to get down in very fast water to the fish! C Air Flo and many companies get their tips from the same tip manufacturers.....although I really like Air Flo's variety. Degreaser sells in small bottles for about $6 and we have some

we are going to have some show specials next week-end...posted on this sites Special Events C

Just another reply to breakage of tips...generally the 5' tips and some 10' tips are 10-12 lb...test...tnot good for big fish and heavy water.. the 10-16' tips are 24 lb test.. a note about degreaseing lines..don't degrease a floating line...it screws up the coating on floating lines!

Poly leaders have been used a lot over the past 4-5 years especially in the world of One Handed fishing. Basically these smaller tips(in most cases weighted) in various weight densities and break strengths are density compensated allowing you to cast them without having to alter your fly lines,typically floating. MAny of these lines are looped on one end ,with an exposed core on the other end from which you tie a tippet of your choice. Manufactured length vary from 5',10' to 15 and 16'. Like a tapered leader system, the tips provide the path of continual turn over without a serious hinge occuring;thus no splash and a smoother presentation. Regular sink tips are much more physically heavy and require the main line to have little if at all a forward taper,just the belly,resulting in less presentation detail but getting you down very fast if needed to whatever level you require. Along the way we have discovered that the density of the line coupled with line diameter are significant players in getting your presentation down to the desired depth and in different water flows. In some of the early tests we found that the density of the line was a minor factor in getting the fly down in especially fast water. Ie..Type 6,8,10,12 in fast water rarely sunk more than our old standby"Cortlands-LC 13;(Lead Core 13 Grains /foot) ..the key feature of LC13 was it's slim diameter and slickness. An important factor must not be overlooked...castability! It's a bummer to cast type 12 sink tip with any rod...but it isn't a bummer to cast a well designed line with small diameter polytips and smaller weighted flies. SO water speed/depth and fly size are all significant factors in determining the length and density of your poly-tips. I will give you an example of this: last summer ,fishing off the beaches of Vancouver Island,I took 18" off the front end of my new Snowbee XS Two Colour floating line,looped the end and connected a 10' intermediate Poly-tip leader with a 10' straight 6lb tippet.What resulted was an absolutely incredible fishing line,very well tapered,extreme rollover and presentation,and got me into the zone on One pick and cast! 80 -90 ' casts with absolute ease and 115 when needed! It was the tapering of the front end of that line that created the effect. To effectively use poly-tips on lets say a Skagit line with it's 27' head,we would have to smooth the presentation by increaseing the tapering aspect,connect a section of tapered line,much like the original Windcutter did with their compensator section,and Skagits do now... then the Poly tip of choice...and accordingly sized flies. A significant contributor to depth resistance in moving waters. Thus the need to use well weighted flies, small diameter tips and Yes;small diameter Leaders , and a factor rarely considered but most significant is to degrease your sinking lines and poly-tips.. Most sinking line coatings expell a silicone grease that keeps the line somewhat hovering..degrease it and it sinks like it is supposed to. Hope I didn't bore you guys too much.. C

We are going to have a very good Pink and Chinook Year...There are plenty of Feeders right now in the 28" size,off Chrome Island/Kitty Coleman, French Creek and Cape Mudge...the Pinks will be here along this beach beginning in Mid July... Looking forward to being in the Calgary Area for a week or so next week...hope to see you all C

Some of the articulated leeches are monsters to cast...but they work in big waters. I've been doing some work on Tube articulated paterns and find these patterns a bit expensive but better to fish and cast...will do a few for the show next week.... Once I figure out how to he-l to post pictures life would be more picturesque...cha cha cha! C

Clan McLeod

"Just a bit Brian",However,they are nice indeed. IMO the nicest Small Switch out there is the Beulah 4/5...lineing it seems to be an issue though..Beulah did not create an Elixir Series for that particular rod. This rod is a true Switch trout series...if you can find a Hardy Mach 1 Trout floating you will have a combo for life...or the life of the line...next would be the Snowbee XS Floating 7wt and then others.

it will have to be the 4th! For years we fought to get our hands on the Leeds 400D magnum,or was that the 240 D Magnum? regardless,finally there is One on the way that will fill the needs of MANY casters! Sweet

I've been told by Snowbee UK that the New XSD 1112 Cassett Spey Reel will not be available until Late March...if you can ..Wait! We have had incredible success with the little brother the XSD780..that won best in test category in One of the Big UK groups. I have worked this reel on 40 lb. Ling cod off Nootka Island,30 lb. Chinook in Campbell River and 20 lb. Steelhead in fast water..notta problem..Period Salt or fresh. It's been a long time coming... a spey reel that has a great drag,lots of capacity and comes with 4 spools. $166 retail! Now if only they would do this in a high end version as they did in the 780?

Unfortunately much of it boils down to the Male ego and the fact that the fish are always on the other side of the river!! The longer rods are generally used for larger waterways and surprisingly throughout the world for longlines,small dry flies and streamers. On the Pacific North West regions of North America where the rivers are faster,deeper and prone to eratic water conditions and of course bigger fish,the rods tend to be on the shorter side and very powerful...flies larger and definitely heavier! Thus the developement of the modern day Skagit Style of casting. Of course many of the Larger West Coast waterways such as the Thompson,Skeena(system),Fraser,Columbia,and many others often require longer rods to propel out those big flies on heavy sinking tips...or smaller very heavy flies that fish near the bottom. East of the Rockies there are fewer needs for the 15-18' rods...14 and shorter are the demand. I have used many larger sticks in Ontario and the Maritimes but feel that the need for anything over 14' is not necessary. The rods speed(moderate or fast) is not such an issue. As in single handed rods,softer action rods are or have a need for a bit more patience in the cast...the fast action rods are typically more sensitive in hand and require a bit more skill to master but in the correct hands are a thing of beauty. The UK Salmon casters like longer slower action rods ,they use longer bellied lines and rarely use as heavy flies as we do. You fishers in Alberta have some very nice rivers that can be fished very well with mid-length rods from 10'6"-14'...your line choices are less demanding and likely the learning curve is less complex.The same applies to the Great Lakes region of the Continent... Once you have picked up your fundamental skill set you are able to fish anywhere and under almost all conditions. If you get a chance do get out to One of the Casting Clinics in your area soon..and if you can get by the show... C

There are many fine rods on the market...but I would recommend that you invest a bit more wisely in your first rod. That first rod needs to be a friendly stick that opens a good window into the world of Spey Casting and fishing with Two Handed rods. The reel isn't or doesn't have the same criteria on demands. However, the need for a good and specific rod/line match is above all needed. And as you can see from the many threads on many sites there is so much conjecture about good lines for certain casters. The easiest line I have come across for beginners and more seasoned casters is the Beulah Elixir line and the Vision lines,followed by the Skagit lines and heads from different manufacturers. I would match either the 11'6" or the 12'7" Beulah rods with their lines for an effective set-up.The rods are in the $500 and the lines $85... I did fish the Miramichi and several other Rivers this past summer and used both the Beulah 12'7" and the Snowbee 12'6" Tamar rods (both 7/8 wts)for that area. And I have landed many Chrome Chinook 30 lbs in Island Rivers with each . These rods are plenty big enough and did make many NewBrunswickers show a contoured face!! You see, these fellows still like 2 pc.9' rods for some reason,as do many Salmon fishers in the UK do (those that use One handed rods). Most disturbing though,is that I have also seen so many first time buyers fish big Salmon here in BC only to be disapponinted with a broken cheap rod. Have fun C

Typically the head measurement is without the tips...Ie: the Skagit(Rio) 27 plus your tip...Elixir head length plus tip of choice. Apparently the new Air-Flo Multi-tip lines have less coiling...and thats a good thing.. C I hear also that the weather is good this week-end in the Calgary area>>time to get out there C

One of the greatest weaknesses we have in the "Spey fishing world" has been Reels! Sure you can buy a Hardy Gem,or Ultralite,or Swift,or Islander , Ross , of Loop Traditional,Snowbee XS, Orvis Mach 5 and one of many others. These all have similarities,they are nice,expensive,comfortable reels,with a good drag system,some more expensive than others.However,reelistically,there are few functional reels that in-expensive, have good drags and come with extra spools for the many lines and systems we tend to have. MAny of us will try to cram large lines on too small reels only to damage the expensive lines in the process. Snowbee has brought out a Spey version of their award winning XSD Cassett reel system,utilizing their excellent and practical drag system around a Aluminum Die Cast /Powder coated reel body. We have finally available a reel that stands up to what we throw at it and have extra spools to boot. This reel comes with 4 Cartridges , a carrying case and extra spools are available inexpensively. Leeda(BFR) had a magnum that was not bad and big enough for Spey but are no longer about. I don't think we will have them for the show but am trying to get a few...if not then shortly after the show... Retails for about $175.00 When I want to look the part I will use the Gem,when I want to fish I will use the XSD1112!

As Toolman says the Frog Hair FC is very good...and the knots work very well....Seagar FC is another fine product and I believe that once you have it pegged you won't go back.... C

You are accurate...although I like longer leaders and these rods give you a very wide window to discover what works for you...start short and work your way to whats comfortable. C PS...4 wraps sounds like a good thing... the trouble here on the coast is not only the barnacles off the beach but too many granite rocks under the surface.and flourocarbon doesn't like abrasion points. The Magic Line doesn't affect the water film that quickly and seems to be very manageable especially with the small diameter.

Depending on the rod length you are useing will normally determine the length of the tippet and of course the sink rate of your Poly tip. The perfection loop is as good as it gets for such a thing. Because the poly tips are tapered gives you the opportunity to taper your leaders if the need arises. An example of useing a 14' fast sink poly tip ;the tippet ,for me,is usually no more than 4' long. As with all flourocarbon connections to other materials make sure of the knot strength and connectability. Personally, I don't use Flouro'.... period! Too many issues with knots, line fractures,abrasion and so on...micro diameter co-polymers work best for me. I have just sent 2 boxes of Snowbee's Magic Line to a very busy outfitter in BC's Cariboo region...his guides were useing Magic Line last summer for dry fishing(straight 10' lengths) they lost less fish,turned over the flies as well and had as many hook-ups. Not bad when the Bucks are on the line!

You have a very good question here that often goes overlooked until too many fish are lost... a very important issue with a swung fly is actually which side the reel operates. If you are right handed normally the reel operates with the left hand(natural; not recommended for Spey rods),but if you ever look at the Spey reels coming from Europe they usually reel right,and for a reason..Should you have the reel tucked up against your body/jacket/or what have you and it operates left for a right handed person or right for a left handed person and you get a solid hit or pull ,the handle will catch hold of your being and often results in loosing a fish! In the Spey world you will find most reels operateing for your prominent handing. I am right handed,my reels mostly operate with a right retreive...I have lost too many fish doing it the other way. Also,a question about your "left hand" or "right hand" which ever, whether casting left or right,it is a good practice to hold or feel the line with your free hand. Normally you might ,as I do, once the line is swinging freely,I will create a bit of a play loop simply by holding which ever hand off to one side...this allows for just about all takes whether they are taps or distinct pulls,dry fly or wet.In fact your sensations are that much more in tune with whats going on with every aspect of that particular swing. Sometimes I will as do many otheres leave a complete loop dangleing in the water in front of my person,allowing me a bit of time in case of a large fish, or to engane my reel once the fish is clearly hooked. If you were to fish beside me and we were catching fish you will often hear me say "opps", I sense the fish better with my line hand,same as with a single handed rod. This also allows you time to position the large rods into your gut or wherever you choose. C

It seems that this issue is rampant amongst Spey Casters,in fact all casters. During a casting presentation to the many fly casters of Vancouver IslandsMid Island Area, Hardy's Andy Murray(then) made it quite clear that One must certainly keep the ferrules lubes and taped,however,not with just any wax but,specifically Pure Parafin Wax that has been combined,by rendering, with the Fat from the Liver of a White Tail Buck , yes that is correct.Although PArafin wax works just fine.. The irony is,that I had one of my Students bring me a Snub Container full of just that several years ago. He did the deed and knes I needed it ASAP. It works and maintains a puty like texture...True indeed.. Don't forget the tape...bottom up

Be careful with the tie off method. Stretching the line does Two things...it somewhat straightens the coating for a short time but more importnatly it stretches the coating and introduces minute cracks in the lines finish. Even Polyurathane coatings will get damaged. We discovered this during the developements of clear coatings,especially off the beaches of Cape Cod and Vancouver Island in cooler waters. You will see may of these lines now going to a more milky finish. The Snowbee lines are especially nice in the below 10 degree conditions. The Snowbee Pro Staff fisher in Ontario has been having fun in the lower waters with a dry line and weighted fly. Now, I was Ice Fishing in the Cariboo several days ago............Kokanee

Al; Depending on where you cut that line there are several ways to fix it without having a loop junction. You can use a 6' piece of Braided running line to join both ends,make sure that the fly line butts to each end inside the sleeve.. Nail Knot one end of the braided sleeve,stretch a bit and nail know the other end. If you are not in a hurry apply a dab of Aquaseal or similar product over each nail knot/braid end. I use this method out in the Ocean for Salmon and other Pacific creatures and have had no issues. Aside from the noise of the braid slideing throught he guides you would never know. Mono running lines are a pain in the ass...same as Mono Core Fly Lines...except in the tropics!

Colin,How did the Hardy line work?and the Rios? BTW got the pics of Emily'' you are a lucky man for the time being??!! C

How did you wreck the running line?? I have lots of these lines in the store with the Snowbee and CND lines. That Beulah 13'6" 8/9 is very sweet. I love the tip action that enables you to delay and use a short stroke to deliver just about every line set-up I have cast.. It especially loves a belly about 45' long. C