Walter & Group...
Our budding "Study Buddy" system has been launched. The first to team up were Lou Bruno of Upstate New York and Peter Minnick of Long Island.
From Doug Swift:
Go ahead and contact Doug directly if interested in a study companion.
Gordy
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Lewis Hinks is looking for a "study buddy". His email is lhinks@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx :-
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LINES FOR TWO HANDED CASTING
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We are fortunate to have Al Buhr send us this on the development of fly lines for two handed casting :
Notes on Understanding Two-Handed Fly lines:
Two-handed line choice was easy, not too long ago. The Double Taper (DT) was the retail fly line produced by manufactures. The DT as the predominate line available, had a following; some would say, the ?proper? choice for spey casting. However, the market strength (or popularity) of the DT was a slight illusion, since it also was the line material source for the growing trend of hand-made custom lines. This scattered innovation was a quiet rebellion of the ?proper way?, seeking better ways to present a fly.
By 1980, a change of
ideals was in place and growing. Working independently, Göran Andersson in
Göran, developed the Andresson cast, shortly after becoming known as the Underhand cast. This method utilizes many movements and ideals of old ?Spey casting? techniques (keeping in mind, the ?modern spey casting? method was becoming established). Göran?s methodology encompassed the cast as a complete system; as where: leader, line, rod and the technique all harmonized for maximum efficiency with minimal disturbance. Today, this technique has branched to several forms; also referred as Scandinavian or Scandi.
Jim Green, worked
devising both rods (at Fenwick) and lines. First came a sink-tip system for
winter steelhead fishing, then followed with the floating tip version. By the
mid-1990 the sink-tip line system had branched and then became labeled as
?
1994 brought change to the
market, as Weight Forward (WF) two-handed lines became commonly available
(
The Shooting head element
of two-handed lines was already in place by the late 1980?s with Göran Andersson teaming up with Loop
Tackle.
In 2004 a two-handed fly line standard was adopted (AFFTA), which established a common manufacturing weight for each line size, in four head length groups. The AFFTA line standard strived as a simple solution to a multi-dimension fly line; accounting for the natural parameter changes as the head length shortens or lengthens. The standard scale shifts with each of the four groups, each having a set weight-point. When this standard was adopted, 60 percent of retail lines where already within tolerance, with additional 15-percent within 15 grains (1 gram) ? over or under.
For those who understand the single-hand line standard, at first glimpse, may find the four head length categories complicated. In single hand, when line types are matched to the recommended line size noted on the rod; the line weight may change as a normal selection process. For example, in the past when WF lines where commonly 30-feet long, a reliable rule for selecting a fly line to match a rod is: DT-match the rod weight number, WF-up one weight size, ST-up two weight sizes.
The two-hand line standard strived to recognize different head lengths and their specific weights within the scale.
Multi numbered size designations can be confusing, especially when the fly line is made to a specific weight. Fly line manufactures extrude a line with tightly controlled parameters to assure uniform profile and weight. Most manufactures make WF lines to the AFFTA standard, the ST and Skagits are in flux, yet maintain a like weight as per size designation. Understanding that a fly line profile is specifically made to a weight linked to a single size number from the AFFTA standard can make the use of dual or triple number designations difficult to objectively understand. This ?confusing multi number designation? is additional compounded when the same brand labels will have single size number notation on single-hand fly lines; underscoring an inconsistency that perpetuates further confusion.
An objective to having or following an AFFTA line standard is to aid and simplify tackle selection for people new to the sport; as in, those making the purchase, as well as, the fellow at the fly shop. A recognized number designation allows matching up a rod and line combination to a reasonable degree, good for all, in all ways.
At the other end of the spectrum, those who know their tackle
intimately often perceive the fly line in grain or gram weight. Rightfully, as
each person gravitates to a personal ?feel? to how a rod responds to a line
type, head length, and fishing technique or situations. Personal ?feel? is a
perception, which may not be a proper recommendation to an entry level caster.
In the past few years, Compact Skagit versions have become popular. Like the early ?winter line? sink tip, the Compact Skagit lines are much more nimble, handle greater extreme tips lengths and weights, and are much easier to cast.
Airflo, devising the modern poly-leader, as well as sinking tips with mono cores, elevated sink-tip use to a new level. In the past, the design of a sink tip (sinking tip and floating body combined) could be a daunting task. Matching the tip density (usually the fastest) and its weight, required to get the fly down. Added, is a floating body diameter and mass to be large enough to drive the tip?s mass with minimum hinging, yet to be light enough for the rod to handle. The mix can be difficult to find harmony. When done right, the sink tip is super smooth, and extremely effective. The introduction of mono-cored sink materials and leaders, allowed a mass reduction, and a reduced line diameter for equal depth penetration of nylon cored sinkers. Mono-cored sinking material is now made by several line manufactures.
Experiencing directly the development of the two-handed rod, as well as a number of fly lines and techniques used in the Northwest has been a great opportunity. Today, it is sad to see the DT line disappear form the market, a fantastic fly line to learn by. However, the DT?s lethargic nature which demands good casting skills and techniques, in turn, could not compete with the superior performance of modern WF lines.
There is no magic, no great secret within two-handed lines. Loops are loops, and lines are lines, neither knows how long the rod is. Each responds to the energy instilled during the cast, and profile shape in flight. The fundamentals within single-hand casting transfers across.
Where differences can be experienced is in the scope of ?constant tension?. The hand grip at a greater width, and the rod at a longer length; combined, allow for movements and responses to be amplified with greater cause and effect. The two-handed rod can be a tool to seek more depth as to ?the cast? without regard to discipline (single or two-handed).
Al Buhr
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TUBE FLIES / SPEY FLIES
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From Will Turek
Gordy,
A couple of quick references for tying tube flies.
Tube Flies: A Tying, Fishing & Historical Guide by Mark Mandell, Les
Johnson, and Jim Schollmeyer
Tube Flies Two: Evolution by Mark Mandell; Bob Kenly
Tube Flies for Steelhead with Rick Kustich
www.eumer.com www.tubeflies.com http://www.canadiantubeflies.com/flytying.html http://www.nwsalmonflyguild.org/ia/ia_shop/default.html http://www.schmidtoutfitters.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=feature.display&feature_id=171 http://www.tubeflytech.com/.Will
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From Ally Gowans:
Hi
Gordy,
There are some illustrations of different types of salmon flies on http://www.letsflyfish.com/salflytype.htm and linked pages.
The Sun Ray Shadow was invented by Ray Brooks, hence the name and takes its style from the Collie Dog, a fly originally tied simply by attaching a bunch of hair from the hock of a Scottish Border Collie to a single iron hook. It then progressed to being tied on tubes, usually aluminium. The Sun Ray shadow added a bunch of brown bucktail below the soft hair (now typically goat is used because most tiers can?t get collie, but goat is not so mobile) the purpose of the bucktail is to help prevent the long soft hair tangling and in addition a few strands of peacock herl were also added. Both flies are very good ?go to? patterns after more conventional approaches have failed, they are often fished like streamers, quite fast to emulate an escaping sand eel.
Ken Sadawa has a book
called ?The Tube Fly? (ISBN: 9784916020512).
Most tube flies are simple affairs and if you stick with basic patterns anything
with black, yellow, orange and red in it (singularly or any combination thereof)
will catch Atlantic Salmon and black, red and purple combinations will do pretty
much the same for steelhead in my limited experience with these fish. Tube flies
can be tied on various body materials and thicknesses (weights) those most
commonly used are polythene, aluminium, brass and copper. I don?t like using
large hooks because of the damage that they can do so tube flies allow me to use
of large flies where required and I rarely use a hook size larger than a #6.
Best
wishes,
Ally Gowans
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Bob Rumpf sends a detailed description of Bob Veverka's book :