Rob G

I saw him just a few years ago over at the Indianapolis Fly Fishing Show. He was tying his Red Fox Squirrel Nymph and frankly I was surprised at how few people were there to watch his seminar. A lot of younger kids got up and walked out and I wondered if they knew how much this man had contributed to the sport over his lifetime. Anyway, it was nice to chat with him and his wife over at their booth where he was displaying his artwork .

It's amazing how toxic that stuff can be. In 2002, the boilers over at the U of I in Champaign were cleaned with an ammonia based product and the waste water was dumped into a water way that found its way into the Salt Fork River. It killed everything for miles, all fish, the plant life, invertebrates, you name it. It took years for that river and the fish populations to return to normal.

Let's throw these guys in there as well, the recently reintroduced River Otters. Seeing more and more of these efficient fishermen as well down here.

Rich, so if I tie a lot of streamers on Gamy B10S Stinger hooks size 2, would you recommend a size 1 to be similar in length and gap ? Those hooks sure are priced right and aren't they made in the US ?

Mark, I was just going to post that two of the fellows at fiberglassflyrodders.com also think it is a Wonder Rod. Didn't Mike G. say he owned a couple ? Hope this helps.

If you would like, I can post those photos on the Glass Flyrod forums. They should be able to answer your questions. (Done)

So I'm fishing one of my favorite streams and these guys have horned in on me. This is a first. I've never seen this many undesirable fishermen before, only very very rarely in the past and no more than one here or there. I've seen them hunt in a pack way up in the UP Northwoods and they can be hell on baitfish. I'm not a fan of them moving in on my honey hole and btw, don't they know they're not supposed to be this far south ?

Thanks Mark, I have never seen paint scheme, only that creamy yellow color.

Ryan, it sounds a lot like Fenwick as they have discontinued and then reintroduced their "Fenglass" rods numerous times over the years.

Mark, so they're not this anymore ?

Rich, I thought most of those Redington Buttersticks came in a sort of creamy yellow color, or am I wrong? This particular glass blank that I built on is a fairly bright orange and was recommended by an acquaintance that is knowledgeable on glass rods/blanks. There are a ton of glass blanks out there but according to him, most of course are made in China, and the few made in the US, go for really big dollars, like those Steffen Bros. blanks. I'm not willing to spend almost $300 on just the blank if I can't cast the finished rod beforehand. Yours truly, The Frugal Flyrodder

And did I mention they make a great Gar rod.... Ha, just kidding of course. Those short nose sh!ts wouldn't leave my flies alone yesterday while fishing for smallies.

Mark, not sure about the 7 1/2 ft but the 8 ft 6 wt Fenwick glass was extremely common. Can't believe they're going for that much old and abused. https://www.ebay.com/itm/134152519538?hash=item1f3c1cff72:g:s38AAOSwXbRisfix John, I knew you were a big proponent of glass for smallies but didn't realize you had acquired a bunch of both newer and older rods. Have you ever owned or cast a Steffen 8 ft. 5/6 weight, many of the glass guys rave about that particular rod? My 2 glass rods that I've been chasing Smallies with are both 8 ft. 5 wt. but fairly fast actions for glass.

Just curious if we have several Bassbuggers out there that fish smallies with fiberglass rods ? About 5 or 6 years ago, I started fishing a lot more with glass, maybe a little out of nostalgia, but mostly for panfish such as bluegill, red ear, and crappie, but the last couple of years I have chased smallies with a glass rod as well. I personally find that I have to concentrate a lot more on my cast, as any little hitch or error in my stroke is exacerbated and my hookset needs to be more pronounced than with fast graphite.......But they sure are fun when you get a good one on.

Ideally something like this.

Don't hesitate to use these Mustad popper hooks, an old reliable that is priced right for a box of 50. And I agree with Ben, go with the size 4 popper hook as you're going to miss a ton of takes with that popper as it stands. https://www.feather-craft.com/mustad-33903-popper-hook

Lefty was strongly convinced that a longer shank hook was needed on a popper such that the point of the hook was well behind the posterior end of the popper body and not located underneath the body, in order to create reliable hook ups. Not surprisingly, I have found over many years that Lefty was spot on (as usual)

On slippery rocks, felt really shines. I've yet to find a rubber sole that will grip as well as felt on rocks with current. Felt with studs....even better. As far as the whole transferring invasives thing, I will bite my tongue.

Well done, would love to see the new wider version of the Shannon's movement in water. Curious too how well it sheds water and its ease of casting.

Nice tie Travis. Some flies look great in the vise but fish poorly once you add water. But wait till you see how this fly moves in the water on a quick strip and pause, excellent erratic action of a wounded baitfish. To help get it down just a bit more, don't hesitate to use a sink tip line, or I prefer to just use my floating line but wrap a little bit of lead around the leader to get it down just a tad more.

This is a great idea !

Agree, I've tied up many of the flies found on that site for many many years, a lot of basic no nonsense but very effective patterns. Don't hesitate to venture into all the pattern categories, as there are some real gems there.

I agree with John, a popper or at least some noisy top water would be desirable. Another to consider is a Hollow Fleye tied in either a synthetic material like craft fur (shown below) or bucktail. I generally won't leave home without at a least a couple as their action of a wounded baitfish can often trigger strikes. Great for the greenies as well.

Rich, I used really thin wire I picked up at Hobby Lobby (in the beading section) and attached a small hook to my cordless drill for easier twisting. The brush worked pretty well for wrapping bodies but in your application, if I understand you correctly, might be too stiff. As always, I would love to see what you come up with.

I was fortunate enough to hear him speak a couple of times at an Indianapolis Fly Fishing show. Though I only spoke to him once, he seemed like a fine fellow and his presentations were always informative. I own one of his books and it's definitely worth a read. Also, I know a couple of our central ISA members fished with him on at least one occasion in Minnesota and they really enjoyed themselves.