The Fas Snap....not me

[Gemrod]

The first and only time I tried to fish with a Fas Snap I lost the fly and the snap on the first cast. The tippet slipped out of the eyelet where it is bent to meet the shank.

No thanks.

Gemrod

[modocdan]

Hi Jim... Them Fas Snaps are a joy to lose... I mean use.
Many years ago I met a fella on the North Umpqua while swingin' flies. He was catchin' steelies perty fast. I asked him what he was using. It was a molded plastic fly he had invented and patented.. the Frisky Fly. it used a Fas Snap and each F.F. came with one. Without the snap, the fly's action was impaired, and it didn't catch fish nearly as well. The Frisky Fly was a " grey area" kind of fly, and now isn't legal as a fly on most fly only waters. I say it is actually a lure. I tried Fas Snaps many other times, and with small tippet I always had the trouble you did. I sometimes use them with crappie jigs and larger dia. leaders. I'm wondering if some of the other guys here remember the Frisky Fly ? I haven't seen them in years. I imagine the rights for them were purchased by a big company long ago. I was just a teenager when I met that fella, and I can't remember his name, but he sure was catchin' the steelhead with his little invention.
Those days you hardly saw anyone fishing nymphs, it was mostly dries and a few wets, like muddlers and wooly worms. we weighted everything with lead wire to get it down there. .................................................M odocDan

[Gemrod]

Good Morning Dan,

Yeah, I would love to use the little ones. But not at the cost of the snap on AND the fly. I wish they would stamp them out instead of bend the eye. Like being solid like a tippet ring. Then I would really like being able to switch flies so easy. I haven't given it any thought lately....but I wish there was a way to close up that little gap. Then they would be terrific.

58 degrees here today and abundant sunshine. What a beautiful day.

Gemrod

[Scooter]

I started using them this past year and I love them. I have not had any problems with them. At first I did worry a little about the strength of them, but they look to be the same thickness and steel as the hooks I use, so why wouldn't they hold up? I even hooked and landed a 6-7 lb Steelhead using one and it held up fine. The pros are the obvious, I can change out a fly quickly. Also the open ring does allow the fly to have a more natural "loose" action on the end of the line. I use them spin fishing as well. The con's would be it is an extra piece of hardware that a shy fish can see and get turned off of the offering. They are tiny, so you may need a pair of hemos to put on/remove the fly, especially with the smaller sizes. Also I like to break down my rigs at the end of the day and when I reel the line in with the fast snap on it does catch on the wire guides. I think the brand I use are Mustad, but I'm not sure as the small fly shop I get them from repackaged them into packs of six for .99.
Tom.

[DaveP63]

I used to use them quite often on poppers and such for bluegills, but I've gotten off them in the last several years. May have to give them another shot!

[FishnDave]

I used them whenever possible this year. I love 'em, and they work great! I plan to use them during the ice-fishing season now, too.

The only problems I've had are that occasionally the smallest ones will "open up" a bit, and make it easier to cast a fly off (if you cast like I do..."flailing" is my default style). Simply push the bend back together, but over time it will weaken. I haven't had that problem with the next size up, so its the size I use most often now.

I get 'em from Cabelas. My local sporting goods store carries them in smaller quantities, and charge a lot for them.

I've had numerous occasions where the fish had the fly in their mouths, but weren't hooked....they were actually caught on the Fas Snap!

[Normand]

why not just close up the gap with that pair of hemostats hanging from somewhere on your vest??

[Marco]

How a picture of one se we/I can see what is the issue or what is a Fas-Snap?

Thanks in advance



Mark

[Normand]

GOOGLE found this

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st...003000_175-3-2

[Gemrod]

I didn't try to close it up because I was soooooo disappointed and disgusted. I am the proverbial tinker bell so ever since this came up I have been wondering about a fix for it.

Nice Pic Normand. The issue isn't shown well....but where the eye is made by bending around to itself....my tippet slides out the gap and all is lost. I wanna weld a tippet ring to it! <grin>

Gemrod