lethfisher

I went out today and fiiiinally caught a trout and actually got it into my net!!! This was the 4th time out for me on the bow this year, I hooked a brown on a previous outing but he flopped off the hook. Got him on a SJW and he jumped around which was pretty sweet. Caught him on my 5wt and he put up a pretty good fight, I was pretty stoked after releasing him :)

I liked all those reasons especially the "because it is fun!" reason

I hope they reopen because I have a $25 gift certificate I got a week or two before it closed. Sure would like to use it!!!

I was curious about the furling and the previous explanation is really good but i'll post this link anyways. Pretty much the same but with pics if you're confused. http://www.flyfishersrepublic.com/tying/furled-body/

for the tan version would you dub a tan body and white wing case or would you still use the black dub body and white wing case?

I had trouble with the sliding down but just moved it up higher onto the poly part of my leader where it is thicker, works great now. I always use the big yellow or white one so I can see them better... especially on those 100 foot casts lol yaaa right

Ya I wasn't sure about the effect construction would have and the amount of silt in the water, thanks for the replies

I know that the weir is in the process of being changed but do you think it would be okay for fishing around there below the weir? The regs right now say the river is closed downtown where I live so the closest thing is below the weir area. My gf has the car during the day so I would need to take the C-train or bus. Closest C train would be the max bell center one or I bus goes to where Blackfoot / 17Ave crosses the river. Is there a fish ladder around that weir at all? Maybe the fishies would get stacked up below it... Anybody have any experience in that area? Thanks guys

I cast with it at Spey-o-rama today and agree with the stopping to low part. I couldn't really figure it out because I usually cast using a lot of top and bottom hand in the cast. One of the guys said it is meant for underhand style and you need to keep your leading arm tight to the body and do all the action with the lower hand and twisting of the body. After that it worked way better but I wasn't really a big fan because it is kinda restricting by only really working with the underhand style where as with a normal handle I can cast underhand or whatever the other style is called lol looked pretty neat though haha

Happy Birthday!!

I probably should have went to the spey thing at the South Bow shop with Islandguy today to ask this question but I couldn't make it. I have read in a couple places on the forum including the event this weekend that you should bring your rod down and we'll "tune it up" or something along those lines. What does that exactly mean when you say tune up the rod? Also to Toolman is there going to be another sunday spey gathering soon or ever? Thanks guys

I just took out the line and stretched it out a bit and it seems fine inside so I am thinking it doesn't do so well in the cold. If this stupid weather would finally cooperate I could test that theory lol Also for anyone that has the green shooting head 40+, do your fingers turn all green after fiddling with it?? I am sure it will go away the more I use it but its kinda funny for now. Check out my gloves after fishing today and stripping in the line a bunch lol

I'll second that about the coiling... Went out today with brand new 40+ extreme distance and holy crap does the shooting head coil. The running line was great but man when I was fishing in close I was having troubles shooting any line because the coils would hang up somewhere in the guides. I will say thought that it was cold out and there was a bit of ice on the guides so that might have hindered it a bit but still... Once the whole head was outside the guides it seemed fine and the water seemed to straighten it out which I liked. Does new line have like a "break in period" before it becomes straighter?? I am using this line after using sharkskin on a 5wt which has like zero memory as well and if it does coil you can just stretch it in your hands and it will go straight again. I was trying that with this line and it helped a bit but not really...

Bear course today!! 7-8:30 at Mec I'll be there, young guy with a black hat on...

When you are swinging flies do you mend the line at all? Should your line be above the fly in the current or when you swing it do you make like a backwards 'J' and when the line straightens out the fly swings through quickly at the end??

Ya I really like how well it works and how easy it is to do. My 5wt was pretty fun for the smaller stuff so my switch will probably work a lot better. I was always starting far out then slowly working in close but after watching a couple videos it looks like I should be doing exact opposite. Start close and work outwards from the bank until you can't cast any further then walk a bit lol

Ya I have that and I used a sharpie to make it a bit longer so I can see it better. After casting for a day or two with it I should have an idea of the head length and shouldn't have to rely on just the marker as much. Hopefully... lol

I was watching a Henrik Mortensen DVD where he was fishing salmon with his double hander with dry flies skating them along the surface. He kept talking about a "hitch fly" It looks a lot like a tube fly and I researched it a bit to find it's just a knot you can put on behind the eye of the hook to promote the fly lifting and skating along the surface. Has anyone used this at all?? He says in the movie it would be effective for trout as well. I am guessing skating caddis along the surface maybe? Here is a link to page talking about it a bit more http://www.faqs.org/fly-fishing/Pe-Si/Riff...Waking-Fly.html And here is a page that sells the actual flies http://www.rifflehitch.com/default.asp?pag...n&valfl=167

Unless you're colour blind like me!!! I went and picked up the Airflo 40+ extreme distance line and of course the only colour they have is green head and yellow running line which pretty much look the same to me!! I had to sharpie a bigger black part where the shooting head switches to running line to see the change better. I liked how the opti stream went from yellow to white, much better The guys in fish tales said there is someone that works there that has the exact same problem lol

I got a new WIN card online because I lost mine in the move to Calgary apparently... I printed off the receipt with all the info on it and they said an actual card is coming in 4 weeks so right around new season starting. I am going to try to buy my license in the store though. Question about the WIN cards, do you need to carry this with you on the river?? I have only been taking my actual license for awhile now? When the conservation dudes ask for your license do they need to see the WIN as well? Thanks!

After fishing the Bow with my 8 wt (with a fighting butt) and hooking into a decent brown I can now see why a fighting butt is a good idea!!! My bow rod definitely needs a fighting butt. Also I was doing some sweet switch casts with it which was pretty fun.

What do you guys think of fighting butts on single handed trout rods?? Whatever weight of rod, do you have a preference and would you buy or not buy a rod based on the fighting butt? Do they add unnecessary weight to the rod? Use them for some switch casting? Do they actually help you land a fish faster? Thanks guys!!

That equinox pack looks like a neat idea... It's kinda like chest pack but not really at the same time. Are you able to wear it with a coat on for winter fishing?? Would you wear it over or under your coat then? I have something similar that I originally bought for a daypack in Europe but it is looking like it could be a pretty slick little fly pack now. It's a MEC pod pack (mines all black) and I think i'll take it out next weekend with me, see how it does.

Hold on, you can double haul a single hand spey cast!!! Awesome haha I am going to learn this next time out. Does this only work for a single spey cast, so are you saying that you haul it in to get the fly to you and set your anchor and then haul it again on the way out!! lol But how does your hauling hand easily travel back up to the rod grip for the second haul without getting a bunch of slack?? There's nothing really to pull the line back out... unless the D-loop is pulling it out... maybe? I ask because just to be clear I know when I do overhead double hauls after you haul it forward the line will naturally pull your hand back up if the backcast is fairly decent allowing you to easily haul the second time around on the forward stroke. Also I may exagerating a bit on 50' I;m not really sure how far that really is lol My apartment is 30' long and I know I can cast it further than that so maybe i'll say between 40 and 50

That was my first day on the Bow and my first time single hand spey casting with my 5wt and it's a 8'6". I can(or used to lol) cast that rod around 70-80 with regular overhead casting and I know how to double haul but you can't double haul a spey cast. I was single hauling it but am not quite sure my timing was right and I need a ton more practice with it anyway. By reach I am meaning a bit more casting distance as well as a bit more mending control after the line. I agree that most fish are caught in close anyways. I have honestly never thrown a 70+ foot cast with the intention of catching anything, I just like chucking it out there. I'm pretty sure it would be impossible to see a small indicator budge when it is that far away anyways.