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Sunday, January 26, 2014

Choosing the right fly- Keep it simple

This question can cause just as many arguments and has been a topic in many of articles and even books!
I am speaking to the beginner for this one (and if you dare listen as an avid fisherman) so the key takeaway is this. You don't need to carry every fly box you own each time you fish. Keep it simple, spend less time tying on a new fly and more time fishing.

I basically use the same flies year after year.  Here are the must haves in your New England fly box:
1. Deceiver - sizes vary upon baitfish, but to me, 2/0 or 3/0 is my choice
2. Clouser
3. Sand eel pattern ( I have a few variations, sizes and lengths)
4. Crease fly - for those topwater bites and bluefish
5. Cinder worm ( if fishing salt ponds)

Specialty flies are geared towards certain fish in specific locations. I love varieties of EP peanut bunker and Cowen's magnum for stripers as well as Surf candy for whitewater. Also crab patterns and squid may be mixed in but for only a minimum amount of time.

Freshwater:
The best option is to go to your local tackle shop, take a look at the fly bin and see which ones are empty. That gives you a pretty good idea of what's working!  For the most part, you will have a variation of the following:

1. Prince Nymphs (or other Stonefly pattern. Stoneflies are the most prevalent insect in most NA rivers)
2. Pheasant tails
3. Hare's ear
4. Wooly bugger
5. Muddled minnow

Dry flies:
1.Adams
2. Dun/Sulphers
3. Spinner
4. Stimulator
5. Caddis

Now, if you open up any magazine, you will see hundreds of variations and choices. The next few sentences are crucial: the best fly will be the one you fish with confidence.

To have confidence, you must first educate yourself on the water you are about to fish. Before you even step into the water, lift a rock or grab your binoculars and search for bait or insects. When you find one, do your best to match that pattern with a fly either on you or at the store.

90% of a trouts diet is on Nymphs so you would be smart to start there. Saltwater is about what bait is getting balled up. Sometimes we need to rely on the birds to help us here. See what they pull up and go for size.

Remember, Never ever touch a fly after you just put sunscreen on! That is a surefire way to put away many fish!

Tight lines and great questions!
Capt. Brian

Monday, January 20, 2014

Fly Reel Selection

With the latest Marlborough Mass Fly show, I had a few questions about fly reels (as well as before the show). Here is my brief synopsis:

Fresh water:
You don't need to spend good money on a disc drag reel. I have taken large brown trout from one side of the Yellowstone river to the other on a click and pawl reel.  Make sure the reel feels comfortable in your palm as this will be your drag.  The bigger factor is if it balances with your rod. Some manufacturers make reels that actually fit either too big or too small for rods even though they classify them as a 3, 4 or 5 weight. I have had to play around a bit but try before you buy is a good rule of thumb. Also, don't feel as if you need to spend $500 on a reel nowadays. I have one of my favorite freshwater reels (bought 3 of them retail) for under $80.  I only spent that much because I wanted it in silver!

Saltwater reels: WAY different story.
Drag is important. Very important. I don't want to be near the business end of a handle when an Albie or small tuna is ripping line quicker than I can react. Bonefish will also cause a low quality reel to become scrap metal in no time.
There are so many reel manufacturers now and it gets hard to choose one over the other. I will say this once. I bought Abel reels retail for many years before I got on their pro staff and now that I have them, I never look back. They are bullet proof, easy to clean and can handle fast running Albacore Tuna and Bonefish to Blue Fin Tuna.  That is one investment I will say is worth the price tag. My reels are scratched, dinged and look like hell. Just the way I like it.
Other quality reels on the market today are the Orvis Mirage series, Ross Big Game, Van Staal and Sage.  I use them all and for different species.  If you charter with me, ask me to bring one of each so you can try them before you purchase them. The price of a charter is still less than most of the reels so not only do you get to fish, but you also just saved some coin from not having to buy twice.

Keep them coming!

Capt. Brian Patterson

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Fly or Spin Rod Selection

The first question came in and of course it can be one of the most person specific of them all (next to reels which I am just going to make my next tip).   I am going to cover the basics in this section. Since there will be a lot of shows coming up over the next few months, there will be a lot of tackle shops and individual rod builders trying to sell you their stock.   Here are a few tips to get you going and not waste your money on something you don't really need.

1. Think about what species you are going for and only shop for that class of rod. For example, if you need a fly rod for striped bass from school size up to 25 lbs, limit your rod selection to 8 - 10 weight rods. If you need a spin rod to throw soft plastics, look at fast action rods with a light tip.
2. Demo as many rods as you can.  This is the only way to really know if the rod does what you need it to do.  Actually cast the rods at the shows or in the dealer parking lots. That is why they have these areas and you should take advantage of them.  If they don't let you, guess what, there are others that will and will appreciate your business.
3. Don't grab a rod, wiggle it and look down the guides.  It cracks me up that this is what almost everyone does as I people watch at the fishing shows. This tells you nothing.
4. Do ask the rep if you can test the spine of the rod.  To do this, find a carpeted area. Gently place the rod tip on the carpeted floor (or be extra kind and lay down your jacket) and bend the rod in the direction the rod should bend when fighting a fish.  If the rod wants to roll the other way, it was not built properly and you should move on. This rod will break under pressure of larger fish.
5. If there is no carpeted area, ask the rep to assist you with a two person test. Here the rep will grab the tip an you will stand back as if you were fighting a fish. Test where the backbone of the rod will be.  On lighter rods, the rod may bend all the way to the grip, heavier rods, only the top two guides length may be bent.  You have to like the feel.  This bend will also be a major part of how much effort you will need to cast a lure as well as work the lure once in the water. Me personally, I do not like soft rods that flex to the handle.

Specifics:
Fly Rods
If you enjoy long casting strokes and are just starting out- check out mid flex rods as they are most forgiving on your cast and protect lighter tippets. Fast action rods are less forgiving, require a more powerful cast but can throw big flies into stiff winds.  Fast action rods are a favorite of mine for saltwater species, while mid-flex rods are a great choice for freshwater.  I have never suggested a certain brand of rods before as I felt there are so many great companies out there that make fine rods. This is why I insist on carrying choices on my boat so you can decide for yourself. My new personal favorite is the Orvis H2 in a 9 weight. This rod covers almost 90% of my fishery.  Sage Xi3 rods are also great rods and have been on my boat for many years.  Be careful of less expensive rods for saltwater as they tend to break easier on big fish, not something I like to see on the water.

Spinning rods/ Casting rods
There are a ton of choices out there.  Check the hardware on the rod. Is it made for saltwater? If not, you will be paying someone to replace it within the year (added cost). Does it have a warranty? Sometimes the price is high because they expect you to send it in at least one to replace a broken part.  Custom rods are great, but typically there is no warranty.
It is really hard to get a saltwater rod to cover all of your species.  I have a light rod for Albacore and Bonito to throw 1/2 to 1 oz lures. I have a fast action rod with a light tip to throw my Hogy soft plastics, lighter plugs and metal and yet another to throw 2-3 oz plugs.
I am not telling you to get 5 rods. I am saying that you should get a rod to do the job you need it to do.  If your budget only allows you to get one rod to fish, well that is reality. I will say to err on the side of caution and go bigger rather than lighter. For example: if you need a striper rod that can also catch Albies than look at a Quantum Blu in 7'6 Medium/Heavy inshore spin rod. This rod is a staple item on my boat as it can cover all species (and only costs about 70$).  It is a little overkill for smaller fish, but I would rather have that than be too light for a bigger fish.
I can tell you what rods I use for each of my species but that is my personal choices and ones that I have found my customers to enjoy. You may be different.  If you need direction, I tend to look at what companies are focused on for certain species. For example. If I want a tuna rod and just starting out, I will go to the Van Staal or Fin Nor website (Zebco company) and check out their equipment. They are focused on this species and have been doing it for years.  It does not mean you need to buy one, but they will let you know what rods are meant for that species.

If I missed something, I apologize. I am hoping I answered the basics for this question. If you want more specific information, let me know and I will do my best. This along with reel selection has been covered on literally thousands of forums and continues to be the discussion of personal choices. I wanted to take a general stance so that you can find the rod that suits you best.  I hoped I accomplished that!
Until next time, thanks for stopping by!
Capt. Brian

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

What would help pass the winter blues?

Hello fellow fishermen and followers,
I welcome each of you to 2014 and here is hoping for a safe and healthy year for each of you!

As I start to think fishing, I start to realize there are a lot of basic things people want to ask but don't. I am now going to ask each of you to help us with this!   I am asking for you to either give me ideas on what tips or techniques you would like to receive via my blog (Fly fishing questions, light tackle, stripers, albies etc) OR what questions do you have for me that I may be able to post up and help out you and other fishermen.
I am not going to even venture to say that I will have all of the answers, but I will share with you my tips on everything from leader length for different species, knots to tie, weather conditions to keep an eye out for and how the best way to keep you fish a secret so you don't get jumped by other boats!
If you have a tip to share with a posted question, feel free to send that to me as well and I will make sure it gets out there to the community.  We all had to learn at some point.  I am always learning..

So let the emails fly and don't be shy about it!
I hope to hear from you soon and stay warm on this frigid January evening!

Capt. Brian