The last time Better Loops and I fished the Chattooga River, in the beginning of October, we saw a very strange sight. As we were working several of our favorite runs and pockets, a very tall fly fisherman bore down on us from up river. He was fishing and moving at a rapid rate. He waded confidently and quickly, without a wading staff. I would judge him to be about sixty-five, give or take five or six years. He politely waded to the far side of the stream and passed as quietly as possible on downstream. We exchanged some pleasant greetings and information as he went by. He knew the lingo and offered several tips about successful flies. He picked up his speed below us and disappeared down stream. Knowing the Chattooga pretty well, I would guess that he had fished and waded for a mile to get to us and then had another mile and a half before he could get to his car.
Here’s the thing! In addition to being equipped like a walking fly shop, he carried three fly rods with him. He fished with one and cradled the other two like shotguns in his other arm. He had done this for a considerable distance and still had a longer distance to go. I never saw him use his other hand for any sort of line control at all. His style was like a combination of Czech Nymphing and the wet-fly swing, though he cast about 20 feet of line. I wish I had seen him catch a good fish because he certainly would have had his hands full. I was, quite frankly, interested in how he would manage things.
Does anyone here carry an extra rod or two when wading? Have you every seen anything like this? I just gotta know. 8T
Many years ago I would carry along my spinning rod, attaching it to the loop and snap holder on my vest. It was a little cumbersome then and I think alot more so now. The last time I tried to juggle two rods, the one attached to my vest was a 9’9" 5wt and the one I was fishing with was a 9’ 3wt. Well, with all the casting gyrations I managed to hook my hand under the rod attached to my vest and ended up breaking 6" off the tip! The rod can’t be replaced - out of production. The only way I would carry a 2nd rod now, would be a pack/travel rod in large vest pocket or on one of those backpack type vests that have a holder specifically for that purpose.
I can’t cast the one rod, with both hands available for whatever they are supposed to be available for. I can’t wade without falling in and drowning whatever electronics I forgot to take out of my pockets. I still can’t manage netting a catch and usually forget the net anyway. I lose more flies on the backcast than I do to bad knots and that is more than a few. Nope. Don’t think I need to inflict anymore pain on myself by carrying more than one rod.
I use to, years back but it got to be too much of a pain. I’d always have to set one down to fish, so I have no idea how you could hook and land a fish with rods in the other hand. Maybe he was a magician? lol.
Sometimes I carry a second rod, simply because I like to switch between streamers and dries on the same run. I usually just drop one on the bank work the run, eventually go back and snag it, and fish the run with the other if I choose to. I agree, 9 times out of 10, I prefer just having one rod though.
I’m not surprised that an angler in a boat, canoe or float tube might carry extra rods. I generally have between three or four rigged fly rods ready and within easy reach when I fish alone in my canoe. I’ve seen many float tube guys carry an extra rod. The amazing thing about this angler was that he carried three rods while wading and fishing in the middle of a rapid, medium sized river. The way he carried the two extra rods in his left arm pretty much ruled out using his left hand for line control, reeling, hauling or even nose scratching. He had no place but the fairly fast river to put his extra rods down if he wanted to use his left hand. BTW, he also carried a net; I don’t know which hand that was going to go in. 8T
8T - yes, in a boat it’s not too hard but I’ve never had much success trying to carry 2 rods while fishing on foot. Sometimes back in my bass fishing days, I’d carry a couple rods strung up with different lures when on foot but that was mainly fishing from shore on a lake where I could set the extra one down.
Trying to wade, manage a fly rod and fish in a fast moving stream while carrying extra rods in one hand while trying fish with the other is a skill I’ve never mastered or even tried for that matter.
I also usually carry two rods too. One sits on the bank while I use the other. I use one more than 90% of the time, but would hate to change up the multiple droppers just to try a different fly combination for a few casts.
