Graeme Hird dropped an interesting YouTube video last week about roll casts and anchors. As I’m understanding it the rearward pull on the anchor does not occur until after the rod unloads and the loop is formed. What impressed me the most was watching the loops. What's going on? What is it that creates a virtual pulley - changing the line’s direction and transmitting tension? Why does the form of the loop hold as it eats the fly leg and lengthens the rod leg? Is there an inherent stability to a well formed, well tended loop or is the loop a delicate wraith, only made substantial by the application of a well-learned skill? This virtual pulley is where momentum meets the wave form. It’s like the missing link between relativity and quantum physics (forgive me, physicists. I’m just an old engineer).
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I almost forgot to write a FP for today. It’s been a crazy week and a crazy day. The day started quite good with some casting practice and on my way home that did change drastically. Outside the street door to my apartment building I did see a cat that didn’t look very well. Not well at all. It was just lying there very still and looking like it was gasping for air. So I felt that I needed to do something.
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It's Friday. FP is little late and coming. I really had to do somethings in the morning as it is heavy rain whole day, yet there was short period when clouds just dropped few drops. So now reindeer feeding and some town things are done, just on time when new monsoon started.
Coming week doesn't look promising with weather, almost every day some rain. I have guiding most days. Last Sunday I fished with my nephews and it was great fishing day, some nice graylings and dry fly fishing. Boys had Monday and Tuesday awesome fishing and they beat their personal records with 48 cm graylings. They went to fish on spot which I will definitely keep by myself for special occasions and for boys. They understand that telling place on public is end of story for that.
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Something a bit different this week and possibly not so well known in the English speaking world, or even outside of the Baltic and Scandinavian coasts. The Vaskebjørn or raccoon/washbear if the Norwegian is too much of a reach for you.
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…just an update for those interested.
Final day today, and just a few unexpected stragglers turned up in an awful wind and driving rain. The seasons opened in most of the UK, and the waters are calling them back to try out the new skills. The one person I did expect today, called off with a hangover at 2 pm in the afternoon, saying she thought she was still over the limit to drive…..Lightweight!
Only me on the coaching today, and as I had two casting it was more one to one and focused than usual.
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My father took me into the back country in whatever was running that day. A truck or a digger or a bulldozer. We never fished. We just went, and I loved those places enormously. Anything that takes me back there now is a wonderful moment.
Fly fishing was big in Southland. We fished a small river down there, and I am with Paul on this, a size 16 or smaller often does the trick. A friend's father handed me his old ten weight and a tired line, and his son and I would fish the evening rises on level 4lb nylon. Basic gear. We were often successful anyway. Once I started earning I should have upgraded years before I did. I caught fish regardless, so at least I had a feel for the catching.
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I heard some bad news on Sunday morning that one of my good friends has died. It’s very sad. I don’t know how widespread the information is at the moment so I shall save my obituary for later in the week.
I posted a video on YouTube last week of two fish in two casts, quite literally… of course there were dozens of casts before and dozens more since, that I am cleverly ignoring! I also uploaded a short video up on Instagram because I’m “supposed to”.
There was a really nice comment on YouTube that someone had taken up flyfishing because of my videos, which is great I think. Although I should probably apologise to everyone who knows him, because fly fishers can disappear for months at a time, spend more time thinking about fishing than about their wives and acquire an unhealthy interest in roadkill. Still, one more brother/sister is always a good thing!
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This is another organ recital so I’ll keep it short. I’m going a little nuts, generally sidelined for the week by my pinky-fix. I'm unable to shower (TMI?),wearing a rigid dressing, fixed at maybe 105 degree angle. It’s also challenging my ability to use a knife and fork. I can use chopsticks and otherwise eat one-handed. I did manage a casting practice in Riverside Park - right hand only, no hauls. So with my left arm in a sling and my HT4 over lined with the SA Trout WF5F, I tried to replicate the slowed down pace and resultant rod action experienced while casting streamers last week in Wyoming. I failed. I couldn’t feel it and couldn’t see it. Bummer. I’ll have to explore this after I lose the bandages and return to LA.
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Dandelions and fly casting goes together, right? The fly line seems to love them at least. If there is a dandelion in the vicinity of the fly line it will find it and get stuck in it. Extra helpful that the dandelions grow really quickly even if the lawn has been mowed.
They have a good use though. At the end of the lifecycle they are perfect to find the wind direction. The slightest movement of the air will be reviled by the little parachutes of the seed. That can be really useful some days when you are casting and cannot understand why the distance casting isn’t going as you expected. The leader won’t turn over as expected. Or you can be pleasantly surprised when you realise that you are casting quite well considering the current conditions.
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Monday was season opening here. Rivers are open and ready to fish. Monday was rainy day and Tuesday and Wednesday we were building new fences. Weather has been still cold as nights around 4 celsius and days barely +8 celsius.
And all this is good news. We had extremely low water levels after winter and short heat wave in end of May was increasing water temps already around 15 celsius. And it was not even summer yet. So with some heavy rains and cold days, water levels raise and temperature went down. Now rivers are 8 celsius and will be perfect for fishing on coming weekend with sun and warm days. Slowly temps will go up to 18 degrees... Hopefully there will be some heavy rains now and then.
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This week I thought I'd look at flatwings. Obviously this is more of a prototypical pattern than a specific dressing. But that's a good thing because it means you can mess around with them to suit your specific situatio
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The River Dee didn't really play ball for Chris and Nick's visit to North Wales at the weekend. Although the level was good and the weather was nice I had a slight sinking feeling when we turned up to the beat to see very little in the way of fly life and nothing rising. I will admit that where we fished wasn't my first choice, as when we arrived there, another angler was making his way across the field to the river. I didn't feel it was appropriate for the four of us to join him, even though it was quite a long beat, so we got back in the car and went elsewhere. I probably need to confess it was my fault we were a little late; the previous evening was quite heavy on the red wine and this led on to competitive knot testing which continued until about 2am. Thus when my alarm went in readiness for getting out of the house at 8am I ignored it in favour of another half hour or so of recovery time. Nick and Chris were, of course, ready for the allotted time, but then had to wait for me to have a coffee etc.
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Forecast was for rain. The winter fish spawn but they sit tight to the bottom, and a fresh brings on the bite. I live in hope!
Nice day for driving. Watched a child's sport, then set off. Arrived with an hour of light left and hit the river. Holiday weekend, so there were people about. As is the way of the North Island of NZ and a popular fishery.
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It’s all about to happen. Finally I’ve found some big freerising Snakehead and some stumping Gourami. This is “summer” fishing in Malaysia. Early for the stumpers. Late for the freerisers. Nowadays nothing is predictable around here.
I’m writing this on Sunday night and I’m totally wasted (physically, I mean!!). Saturday nights is my long 5hrs indoor endurance ride and last night I finished with a pyramid. Which in cycling terms is exactly what it sounds like. So I feel good, even if I am a train-wreck today.
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