Here’s another Xtranormal video. This time the discussion is about the benefits of purchasing a high-end fly rod.
Enjoy!
fly rod
Penns Creek Checklist
This weekend I’m heading to Penns Creek with my friend Patrick for 3 days of fishing.
Since it is a 5-6 hour drive into the middle of rural Pennsylvania, I’m planning on packing the following items for the stream: rods, reels, boots, waders, hat with built-in light, sunglasses, magnifiers, vest, an assortment of flies, tippet, extra leaders, strike indicators, split shot, pliers, nippers, floatant, cameras, bug repellent and sunblock.
We were able to find an inexpensive cabin in Coburn, so no camping gear for this trip. I’m packing extra clothes, sleeping bag, towel, toiletries, beverages, trash bags, paper towels, coffee, water and power bars.
What do you take on your out-of-town trips?
Small Places
Recently I fished a 200-acre lake in Connecticut. While paddling along the bank I found a small opening, barely wide enough for a kayak to pass through. On the other side was a small cove, maybe 15′ by 15′ at best.
I stopped at the opening and cast into the middle of it. Here’s what I caught. By far it was the largest panfish for the day.
Coffee Bean Beetle
A few weeks ago I came across an article on coffee bean beetles. I am not a fly tyer by any stretch of the imagination but this intrigued me, primarily because it didn’t really involve tying at all. Instead it relies on the ability to use a magic marker and some glue – skills that are regularly employed by 5-year olds across the country without incident.
Most of the raw materials you probably already have at home. In fact, here’s the list of ingredients:
- Coffee beans
- Black magic marker
- Epoxy or super glue
- Small hooks (I used size 10)
- Clear nail polish (Make sure to ask your wife. I forgot . . . )
- Orange or red magic marker OR nail polish (Optional)
- Monofilament or other material to imitate legs (Optional)
I wandered over to the kitchen cabinet and found a bag of coffee beans. Poured some into a bowl and picked out the largest round beans that I could find. Took them down to my basement workbench and, using a small file, created a small straight recess on the bottom of the bean for the hook to rest.
Next I used the black magic marker and colored the bottom of the bean. Set the hook in the recess and epoxied it to the bottom of the bean. On a couple of the beetles I cut up monofilament (old leader) to make legs.
Once the epoxy dried I turned the beetle over and, using an orange magic marker, colored the back of the bean. I also left some in the natural bean color as well.
Finally I covered most of the beetle in clear nail polish. Not only does it add a certain shine, it will help protect the beetle from cracking and water damage.
Done! Now let’s see how they do. Check this out
First Fish on the New Fiberglass Rod
Spent a few hours today on the Farmington River with the 6’6” 5 wt fiberglass rod that I just finished building. I’m happy to say that it was a chilly but successful inaugural trip for the rod, and my first fish of 2010.
Air temps were in the 20’s and the wind gusts were brutal at times, but it was great to break in a new rod and see the end product of many hours of work in action.
It started out slow as I crossed over a snow covered bank and a small ice shelf to reach the river. The water was low and clear. Tied on a double nymph combo consisting of a hare’s ear and a caddis pupa and waded into the tail end of a large pool.
Early on the guides started icing, but I was able to clear them easily by hand. After 45 minutes of nymphing in a couple of nice runs I was still fishless, so I went back to the car and warmed up, returning with a cone head streamer. Made about a half a dozen casts across a deep pool and felt the unmistakable tug of a nice 12” brown. It wasn’t a wild fight – no tail dancing, thrashing or surface rolling, but the fish fought me steadily until it was in hand. After a couple of quick pictures it was safely back in the water and on its way.
Fiberglass has much more flex than graphite, and also gave a softer presentation, which was beneficial in a smaller pool. I never lost confidence in its ability to bring in the fish, despite the reduced stiffness.
I built the rod primarily for kayak fishing with dry files on lakes and small streams, but was happy to see that it did a solid job as both a nymph and streamer rod. Can’t wait to see how it performs with a bass and panfish.
