headscan

I don't think those will work at all so I'll take them off your hands... The only suggestion I'd have is to get rid of the nymph hook and use a Gammy or Owner for the stinger because of the wider gape. I find a size 2 in those works well for trout without being too big. Those should have some pretty wicked movement on them.

A roundup of some fly fishing art from Etsy via the Chum... http://www.moldychum.com/home-old/2011/1/1...ishing-art.html

Because it's too much trouble to put down their cell phones and timmy's.

Correct. I'll try to post a pic when I get home from work.

Nice tie. I've been tying something similar but with chartreuse wire and caddis green ice dub as a caddis nymph. I still include the thin skin, pearl flashabou and uv knot sense over the thorax like the copper john though.

Lots of personal preference involved in the stinger hook connection. I usually use 50lb SpiderWire, but Fire Wire works too and plenty swear by slick shooter. In the video Todd uses 65lb Fire Line.

You had the right idea with the rice but would've had to open it up as well. This usually works after a quick dunking but I don't think there'd be any hope after 10 minutes in the wash.

A post from Scott Howell including some tips and tying instructions... http://www.speypages.com/speyclave/showpos...amp;postcount=4

That's why I made it a multiple choice poll so you can select more than one From the results so far it seems like most people are using their switch rods more as short, light spey rods than switch rods in the sense of both overhead and spey casting them. I guess one variable I didn't take into account was what people consider to be a switch rod. It's a lot easier to spend any time single hand overhead casting a 10'6" switch than an 11'9" one.

Something Whistler mentioned in another thread got me wondering how many people actually overhead cast their switch rods. Personally I've only spey cast mine either one or two handed. I have overhead cast it when I was just playing around but I can't think of any time I've actually done that while fishing. And for those of you who cast overhead what kind of line are you using and is it the same line you use for spey casting?

Ditto. Sparse makes them easier to cast and sink faster. I use polar bear spun in a dubbing loop to get that umbrella shape. Another tip to keep your fly sparse is that you should be able to see all the materials you used without having to push anything aside. Check out Todd Scharf's intruder tying video series for an example. Here's the first one of the series...

When I was at Alaska West there was a Finnish guy doing just that with a 14' rod. He'd use a single spey to get the line straight out in front of him then pick it up and overhead it to the other bank on a run called pipeline since there was tons of backcast room. Unfortunately he managed to cast a little too far once and snagged his fly on some brush as seen in the pic...

Lots of guys on the coast use switch rods for two hand overhead casting off the beach. As for whether or not a rod is a "switch" rod I think people get way too hung up on naming and categorizing things. If the length and weight of the rod match your needs then who cares what it's called.

Info on the Tactical Steelhead line: Take the tight loop and casting ease of a Scandi Compact head and couple it to the versatility of a multi-tip line and you have the basis for the Airflo Tactical Steeelhead shooting head. To help cut through the wind and to make casting modest sink tips and larger flies easier, the Tactical Steelhead has a larger tip diameter than the Scandi Compact. With a smooth front taper and removable floating tip the newest two-hand line from Airflo will convert from a floating line to sink tip better than any existing line. The mint green colored heads come in a #5 weighing 400 grains all the way to a #9 weighing 670 grains. Unique to the Tactical Steelhead is the 8 foot removable ridged floating tip. The ridged tip helps anchor the cast. Airflo's indestructible heavy duty loops connect the tip to the head and the head to the running line. All sizes are made on a low stretch 30lb core. Remove the floating tip and connect your favorite sink tip and get down. George Cook's recommendations: * Line Match: Skagit Flight 400, Steelhead Scandi 385, Skagit Short 425, AFS 6/7, Rio Switch 7/8 * Sink Tip Use: 15’ 109 & 129 Type 3, 6 & 8, T-8/T-11/T-14 in 10’ & 12.5’, 6’ & 10’ Spey VersiLeaders All Types (SH Scandi/AFS) * M.O.W. Match: T-8/Light,T-11/Medium & T-14/Heavy Simon Gawesworth's recommendations: http://www.rioproducts.com/photos/file/201...line%20recs.pdf Use the recommendations as a starting point, not gospel.

Could have something to do with the new TXL-F being available. Maybe guys would rather have the same rod in a 4 piece instead of 3.

Haven't used them myself but planning on picking up the T-8 and T-14 sets eventually. Most reviews I've heard of them have been good with most of the negatives from guys who already splice their own tips and don't want to pay for the same thing. Apparently the full floating tip is tapered enough to make your skagit head similar to a floating scandi. If that's the case I'd rather just have to change a tip than the whole head if I want to switch from swinging subsurface to skating.

http://www.tucanada.org/TUC_chapters_AB.shtml

I have a pair of those and the way the arms are shaped makes it tough to wear them with a ball cap. The lenses are hard to change on them as well because you have to put your fingers all over them to pop them in and out. I replaced mine with these instead: http://ca.oakley.com/products/6483/23929 Haven't worn any sunglasses other than Oakleys for close to 20 years.

Or if you don't like videos... http://www.fishtalesflyshop.com/feature-fl...aaron-caldwell/

Damn straight. I've been hit a few times and I just let my insurance company deal with the other guy's insurance. The only sticking point might be the deductible. I think you might have to pay that until the other guy's insurance accepts responsibility then your insurance company will reimburse you for it.

It's just across the state line from Portland, Oregon (not Portland, Maine). Had one of those lines on an Opti Switch. It's pretty easy to use since you can roll cast it a mile though not as pretty to spey cast but still serviceable. The 6wt is the lightest they make though and it's about 480 grains from the black sleeve to the tip. I think for lighter switch rods the Rio Switch line or a single-handed line will prove to be a better option.

Looks like he'll have plenty of time to eat his cookies now and a hefty severance package to buy them. http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Ducket...8118/story.html

If you aren't picky about Mk IV vs a newer one some shops are blowing out their Mk VIs on eBay to make room for the Mk VIIs. I picked up a 3 3/4" Mk VI for $300 a couple months ago. Works great on a 12'6" 5wt.

Haven't cast the 7110 or 7119 but I have the 6110Z, 5126Z, and 7126TCX and like em each for different things. The TCX is a bit faster than the Z-Axis, but it only needs a minor adjustment in casting stroke to go from one to the other. Your Dredger and CND are significantly slower action than either of them. I've never cast the 9140 though. Maybe wait for the show and see if they have both rods at the Sage booth that you can test on the casting pond before you plunk down a significant chunk of change.

Swinging streamers is usually a lower percentage game than nymphing even in the summer. Since winter nymphing is slower than in the summer you can expect winter swinging to be even lower - but it can still be done. The fish are just less likely to chase a swung fly compared to a nymph or streamer that dead drifts right in front of them. The fish are also more likely to be holding in slow and deep water that isn't ideal for swinging through. Since the water flows will be slow you may also want to stick to lighter tips or polyleaders. Last winter I had luck swinging leech patterns and intruders. Had one smaller brown take a hot pink intruder that was almost as big as he was.