a lesson on life and $ from a forgotten fly rod

[dryfly2010]

i totally agree with this. i started out with a fairly cheap starter flyrod my father got me for christmas. i broke it because i picked it up the wrong way. then i inherited a bamboo Orvis battenkill rod from my Grandfather. i did not break that one. then i was casting with a 6 piece backpacking flyrod of my dads, and somehow broke it, so i decided that i needed an inbetween. i searched, and "Clay" led me to an awesome deal for a 3 weight rod that was marked 66 percent down, and i got it for 100 bucks. BEST DEAL EVER. i have cast with the repaired backpacking rod, and the action is soooooo different, i dont want to go back. but until u experience the mediocre, u cant appreciate the exceptional. and i know that my $100 rod isnt EXCEPTIONAL, but the Battenkill is, and i use them in different situations. for example, on my likely LAST fishing trip with my grandfather, i used the Battenkill, becuase it is a connection point, but on my fishing trip with Michael E, i used the other.

so, yes, experience does effect knowledge, know-how, and feeling for quality. good subject Alba Surf. very good subject

Jordan

[NJTroutbum]

Agreed....no reason to lose your mind on fly fishing gear like many of us have:^) But it is sure alot of fun. LOL!

[Steven McGarthwaite]

When I go fly fishing, I carry a spin cast reel, for when the wind is not cooperating, just attach it to my fly rod, and do some spin casting until the wind dies down. I add a water bobber to the spincast line (bobber with a cork that you can remove to pour in some water to add some weight to carry the line, and fly out during the cast). I still consider it fly casting, even if the reel and line are not. ~Parnelli

[AlbaSurf]

When I go fly fishing, I carry a spin cast reel, for when the wind is not cooperating, just attach it to my fly rod, and do some spin casting until the wind dies down. I add a water bobber to the spincast line (bobber with a cork that you can remove to pour in some water to add some weight to carry the line, and fly out during the cast). I still consider it fly casting, even if the reel and line are not. ~Parnelli

That's a really cool idea! I never thought about that!
Do you have a link to an online store that sells those types of bobbers? I've never seen them before but I am intrigued and would like to see what they look like.

Karli-Rae

[forthebirds12]

Karli-Rae - Send me a PM with your snail mail and I will send you one to see if you like it. Jerry

[papaguss]

Iknow what you're talking about, I always knew thenm as "trout bobbers" they are clear and such. I always tied a piece of neon yarn to the top half so i could see it in the water better!

[greenlantern]

One of the brands is ajust-a-bubble. They are available at Wallyworld and just about any sporting goods or bait shop.

[Jim Sentell]

AlbaSurf; OMG.....how refreshing to have sense and experimentation in the same act. You elated me so much I didn't finish your post; which I will do as soon as I reply.

It took me about 10 years and thousands of dollars to discover what you did in one outing. I should have taken Neil Travis' article about Castwell doing a demo with a broom handle to heart (and mind).

Also, I did your little trick last summer. Took a 5' ultralight spinning rod and put a reel with 4wt. line on it and cast like crazy!!!! Go figure.

But, I was in one of those TU chapters and you know what that means....lots of experts with expensive rods and reels that know more than me; and, certainly discourage experimentation. Give me an old piece-of-crap IM6 rod and I'll cast the living *$%# out of your Orvis, Sage, Winston, T&T, etc. all of which I've had over the years.

Have the time of your life, AlbaSurf.....for a few dollars.

Regards, Jim

[TyroneFly]

When I go fly fishing, I carry a spin cast reel, for when the wind is not cooperating, just attach it to my fly rod, and do some spin casting until the wind dies down. I add a water bobber to the spincast line (bobber with a cork that you can remove to pour in some water to add some weight to carry the line, and fly out during the cast). I still consider it fly casting, even if the reel and line are not. ~Parnelli

Blaspheny!

[Tig]

I learned to fly fish beause I broke my only spinning rod while fishing. It was a two hour trip home and I decided I wanted to fish so I stopped at the only hardware store there was on the way home. The only rod they had that my reel would fit on was a cheap ($18.00) fly rod. Sometime later I decided to buy a fly line and reel. Taught myself to cast with this outfit and the rest is history.