Mark K

Thats cool, not everyone is an athlete or wants to be. I found gym to pretty useless and totally uninspiring.

I agree on all counts. Dave Whitlock uses Flexament that has been diluted with Flexament thinner to water thin viscosity. The fly sucks it up like a sponge. Divers seem to me to work a bit better once they soak up some water. A rabbit strip diver has awesome action under water.

I figure 99% of the time spin fishing I have a topwater on, so I should learn to tie and cast these things. I have noticed deer hair casts better than other poppers and more importantly looks cooler. What kind of glue did he use? Skip Morris uses epoxy. He also uses rod building thread. Let me get this straight, he uses the glue to maintain a tight pack while tying? It would have to be fast drying. Which video do you have?

http://www.flyfisherman.com/ftb/chdeerhair/

Yeah, you ain't kidding. I think I can tie a dozen or two buggers or Clousers in the time it takes to do one of these. this is the first deer hair fly I've tied in probably a year. Consider it a rough draft. (Sorry about the big file, editing software trouble) Been intentionally putting much more work into getting the deer hair portion right. Been using econo-hooks (Mustad 3366) and not getting to artsy-fartsy with the rest of the fly.

Finally getting a chance to tie some flies. Tied my first deer hair bug in a while and made a major improvement on the first bug, thanks to some instruction from the Skip Morris DVD, "The Art of Tying the Bass Fly". My bugs were always fishable, and caught fish but they were always thin and ugly. The important concept that always got by me was that it's the half hitch between bundles, that HOLDS the packed hair back on the shank of the hook. Thats the secret to packing tightly. If you don't put a nice tight half hitch or two between bundles they just spring right back. Maybe it's justa problem unique me but I just thought I'd pass on the tip. The first fly came out hard as a rock. Of course I never learn.... there's a certain point to... Put the razor down. So nothings picture perfect...yet. and it's a good thing I'm not a barber.

I was also highly impressed with the new Falcon Rods. Specifically the Original series. Beautiful rods. No frills, plain Fuji type real seat and a nice cork handle. Just a nice, light graphite rod...at a reasonable price. Well under a $100. And get this...made in the USA! Yes, we are still actually capable of manufacturing something at a reasonable price! I would say side by side these are every bit as nice as the ones made by St Croix overseas. The 5'9 light really caught my eye. I got to unload some rods on Ebay.

I'm with ya Ken. For this first rod, I'll probably stay cost effective. Sink more $ into the next one, figuring skills will only improve. doubtful that I can build one as nice as Loomis or St Croix. The new avids a REALLY sharp. I held a 6 10 ML Avid. Don't think you could make a better river smallie rod. Not sure what I would do different. I strapped for time this days with wee ones at home. I'd love to make it out to your shop but for me it's clear on the other side of the planet and I am totally freaking burned out on driving. If I am in the area, I will certainly stop over. Thanks.

And maybe some weirdo repellant.

Nevermind. With a $150 budget, you should be able to find a pair of breathables and maybe boots.

Do you wet wade in summer?

Not sure. maybe leaning more towards light than ultra light 6 1/2 foot 2 pc maybe. Short handle. 4lb mono, specifically to fit a Daiwa 700 SS. I'm not for sure whether longer would be better. Something good for panfish at Mazonia. Enough backbone to handle an occasional LM. That should be a one of a kind fly rod!

I'm interested. I was thinking ultralight.

Oh man, I am jealous. I lost a really nice snook and caught 14" jack cravelle that fought like a 3 lb smallie about 40 yards off that bridge but that was in May. I spent hours just walking around there, a kid in a candy store. A big manatee surfaced right near me. It was the size of a VW bug. We saw dolphins right in the shore, not 10 feet from us. I was wading that surf at the end a really big shark fin surfaced. One of the locals saw it and said it was probbably a hammerhead. Most of the locals i talked to had much higher standards. I always bring my smallie tackle and just use that. Personally, I am entertained to death catching anything salt water. Never caught anything huge, but the sheer novelty kept me entertained for hours. The last time we were there, i could not bring myself to leave. My wife literally had to drag me off that very beach . We almost missed our flight and my shoes were loaded with sand when I landed in Chicago. Eric M. stays out there too and knows that stretch. Both of us agree, taht would be an awesome place to live. ughh...I need a vacation.

Scott- Lovers key. A stones throw away. You can rent a yak or fish from shore. Not sure how its is this time of year, but certainly worth a try. Have a margarita for me.

I like the fact that they are ultra durable and I can change the sole to best fit conditions. Since mine show virtually no damage on the uppers, changing the sole results in pretty much a brand new boot. If I were buying another pair, I would get these: http://korkers.com/product.php?recKey=38 Based on the lacing system alone. Sweet.

Go 3 or 4 piece if you can. The only disadvantage is minimal weight and price increase. 4 piece rods fold up SO much nicer for storage. I got in a habit of breaking my stuff down when I'm done. they have al kinds of cool gear bags for fly fishing. you can keep all your stuff neat and concise in a trunk or in the cab of a truck. If you fish a lot or need to have your stuff ready you can always leave it stashed in 2 pieces.

It was Bonita Springs. Just outside of F.M.s. that would be a nice place to be right now.

I bought bait from there. It's in Naples or Ft Meyers, one of the two. Gotta admit. If it was named Bubba's Bait and Tackle, I would not have remembered it. They had an entire section of jerkbaits. Bet you could really spank 'em with a few of those.

No. That picture is something like 1996 or 97 long before I had them. Probably have a pair of Nike's full of those tiny pointy snail shells. I still have and use my Korkers. They are awesome.

Oddly enough I can't remember exactly how high the bridge is. This is the only picture I have with it in the background. I don't think you can touch the girders even with a 7 foot rod. Or a ten foot pole...Stretch Polanski was his name if I recollect... Nevermind. Hey dude! The 90's called, they want their hair back! In any case. Thats one hell of a lot of ice.

HA! Many a time I stood under that bridge on a warm summer evening casting topwater for smallies. There would be ten feet of ice over my head now!

I55 bridge in the background.

A few points: If you are getting line twist the bait is probably not rigged perfectly straight. If the bait bobs to the surface a lot, it's probably not rigged straight. The bait should do an erratic underwater walk the dog. IMHO weighting the bait kills the action. You can get away with a very slight weight 1/32 or less. It should be somewhere in the center of the bait not in the nose. I have seen nothing commercial that works. They are all too heavy. People use lots of weight with these and use them as a jig trailer, and catch fish. But to simulate the dying baitfish, the best action and most hits come with the slow fall and the erratic action. i think it's the most fun way to fish too. Braided line floats and points the nose of the bait up. It will certainly catch fish. But you get less twist and better action with that thing staying under water. Flukes work MUCH better with a 20lb flouro leader. Not to mention, the braided section sticks out like a sore thumb in clear water in comparison to the flouro. Flukes are cheap. If it gets torn up put a new one on. You want it to slip out of the way, for a better hookset. Flouro Leader, 3/0 EWG rigged perfectly straight on the seam. Strive for the underwater walk the dog. Superflukes are one of the best baits ever made. Damn near perfect.