Straightening the leader - or "opax-flyfishing tip of the year"

Although, it is hardly the focus of this fly fishing blog to give fly fishing advice or tips, I'm going to do it this time. I was reading a thread in a fly fishing forum where beginning fly fisherman was asking how to straighten the leader when it is taken off the reel after a while or when the leader is new. I was surprised by the answers that were given. I thought that everybody a bit less than little experienced fly fishers knew the answer but all sort of hints and tips were given. Of course ,there is more than one way to do this, but the simplest solution that is used by me and was also given by a few guys that answered the question goes like this: a normal trout fishing leader can be straightened by stretching it when it is slightly heated.

1. Right hand fingers hold the fly line leader junction, left hand fingers takes a strong grip of the leader.
2. Pull about half a meter (2 feet) of the leader between left hand fingers so that it feels hot but doesn't burn the fingers. This is the heating part of the procedure.
3. Stretch the piece of leader with both hands.
4. Move right hand next to left hand and repeat the procedure until all of the leader is straightened.

There, no need to buy any fancy gadget or get a good bottom snag and break the leader in order to straighten it.

Flytier's Page: Levern "VERN-O" Burm

Take a look at Levern "VERN-O" Burm's Gallery featured in Flytier's Page by Hans Weilenmann. Great flies and great photographs.

I have the privilege to own some flies tied by Vern. We made a fly swap last Spring when he sent me a few US trout flies and I mailed him back some Finnish trout flies.

VERN-O's flies can be purchased online via JS Fly Fishing.

Fisheye perspective

This is why the fish try to escape when I try to release them.




The photo is shot from underwater.

A Mayfly from Hell

From Life

When I take the kids to park I never leave my camera home. I mostly take pictures of my children, but, as my son pointed out, I also take a lot of pictures of bugs.

This is a mayfly. The picture was taken with strong underexposure, and finally accidentally edited with Picasa's Tint filter.

Priorities: Setting things straight

It was every bit as good as I told you it would be.

Priorities: Upside Down

It is mid June and trout fishing is absolutely perfect right now.

I haven't been able go fishing for two weeks. I have the usual excuses, let's not get into those.

No excuses. Not one. None.

Fly Fisherman's Entomology 101

I call it a yellow may fly with huge¹⁾ orange eye balls. An online translator gives it a Latin name of crocus may no per ingens orange oculus balls.

Simplify: A size 18 yellow dun.

¹⁾ Hugeness here is relative to the size of a bug.

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Caddis Larva

From Life

It's a size 12 olive caddis larva.

From Fly-patterns

A Reason to Fish

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