Ice-out

A jazoni photo. Used with permission.

Rod Building - Part 11: Whipping the females

From Fly Rod

If you found this page via search engines, looking some pictures of serious whipping action, you might be a little disappointed right now.

From Fly Rod

Let's face it - this is about building a fly rod. Nothing sexy and hot in high heels or lusty lingerie to be found here. There are no pictures of naked beauties getting whipped, just a fly rod.

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Hey! You made it this far - Drop a comment. Thanks.

Gyotaku - Japanese Fish Rubbing

I believe I first saw these in John Gierach's Trout Bum. Jack Brown has learned the art in Japan and has made these for over 25 years. Visit his site at www.kechenenyfishprints.com

Pheasant Tails. Tied by The Mad Fishicist

These beautiful Pheasant Tail nymph variations are tied by The Mad Fishicist.


With respect and gratitude, thanks TMF.

The springtime sun sets, treading on a mountain pheasant's tail.	Yamadori no o o fumu haru no irihi kana
Yosa Buson

A fishing trip

Wyatt has been fishing.

4 Rods w/Reels, 1 Camera w/waterproof case and 1 Landing Net:
~2.3 Sport Units ($2,300)
Recovering your boat, intact and with oars:
2 Sport Units
You and your pal crawling out of the river, living and breathing:
Priceless.

Read the full story at Flytimes "Old Timey" Fly Fishing Blog.

Pike

From Misc 2007

As you can see, my boat is waiting for the ice to clear off from the lakes. After it happens pike will spawn. This is one of two periods of the year when biggest fish are in the shallow water near the shoreline. They eat nothing while spawning, after that they are hungry. I have killed my share of pikes in my youth, fishing with spin fishing gear, but fly fishing for pike is new to me. I have some flies tied for pike, but I'll probably need just a few more. And I also have a rod to be finished, before I can find out is there a hidden pike fly fisherman within me.

From Fly-patterns

Sculpin pattern

This is the same pattern as in one of my previous posts although this is in different color. I learned this one from a 13-years-old boy at local fishing club. I like the way the hair wing is done. It is soft and stiff at the same time making it better than the Marabou Muddler for fast current as this fly keeps it shape in all fishable currents.

From Fly-patterns

From Fly-patterns

From Fly-patterns

Rod Building - Part 10: Real Work Starts

This is the tenth phase of my rod building project, so I figured that it should be about time to actually get some work done.

I broke this down to 4+4 easy steps, so you can do it too!

1. Take one part of fly rod blank (the stiffest part – one with markings made by manufacturer), a cork grip (mine is Full Wells as this will be a 7 weight rod), a reel seat, a fighting butt (as the fish will be so big that one is required), a winding check, and some 5-minute epoxy glue.

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2. Mix the glue

3. Glue the parts to the blank in five minutes

From Fly Rod

4. Admire the work

From Fly Rod

(At this point you may find out that the fighting butt and the winding check are still not attached to the blank.)

5. Take a deep breath and think about the revelation you just had:

The last seconds of five minutes are STICKY!

Playback the whole process (not initial preparations, just last five minutes) in your mind: gluing the grip was easy, you paused to take a few pictures before continuing to the reel seat and never looked the time as you really don’t have to; when working with 5 minute epoxy that is correctly mixed, you will know when the five minutes are up.

The glue at this point transforms from its liquid form to its solid form. When you not only see but also feel this process you will not only panic, you will also gain new understanding of the universe.

6. Mix another dose of epoxy glue

7. Glue the fighting butt and the winding check to your rod blank (use same rod blank part as in previous steps)

8. Admire the work

From Fly Rod

I hope that you enjoy this continuing series of bad humor and ill advises. As a final note for this phase: not a single bottle of lager was consumed during this phase, but the aroma of mixed epoxy glue was mind-blowing.

From Fly Rod

Local brew

Peek under the ice

I’m beginning to feel that the off season has been long enough. I’ve noticed that I’m not a winter fly fisherman. Casting a woolly bugger to extremely slow flowing ice cold pool is not the fly fishing I need. I’ve made few trips to a river and seen one lone stonefly. No real hatch, no real action, but that is the way the February Red Stonefly Hatch is most of the time. It’s bad until it’s good and then it’s over. It’s an event easy to miss.

The real fly fishing in Finland starts when the water temperature rises. Last year it was in May. This year it can be little earlier but it all depends on weather.

At the early season, before main hatches, the river bottom is filled with life; lots and lots of growing nymphs and larvae.

They are growing with the anticipation.

(No) Progress Report

From Misc 2007

It's been unseasonably warm for a few weeks. I went to a river Saturday morning for a few hour casting practice only to find out that it was the coldest day of the week. Water temperature was almost +1ºC / +33ºF. Most of the time I took pictures of the details.

From Misc 2007

I have not had any progress on my rod building project, but I have ordered some single foot guides to replace the original guides. Just have to make some adjustments to the rod or I couldn't be happy with the project.

From Misc 2007