Rubber Raw Materials

In getting ready for fishing in the North Country, here are some tips:

1. Going on a fishing trip in the North Country requires you to invest on your outfit, permits, license, and especially on the vehicle you’ll going to use. Many people consider fishing as the best part of their trip. It is preferred to use a new line for your reel.
2. Before going to the trip, buy a high quality pair of polarized sunglasses. This will definitely protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays and it will also let see well through the water.
3. Prepare separately the mosquito repellent from the plastic worms in different containers. Keep them out of the tackle box since these items has lacquer solvent that can cause softening of paint in plastics, metals, or even wood lure. Softened paint will not turn hard again.
4. You can use a small file or a stone to sharpen your needle and it is wise to keep some of these items.
5. Make sure that your ties are well knot so that it will definitely get hold of the fish.

Here are some guidelines when you’re already fishing:

1. Do not stay on the same location when you have cast the line for more than ten times. Change your location if you have been fishing with any bait for a long time and still you weren’t able to catch any fish.
2. Estimate the position of your canoe from the fish. It should not be very near to the fish to avoid frightening it and it should not be far since it may not be noticed.
3. In top water fishing, make sure that the fish has already been lured before setting the hook so that the fish would not be puzzled. Slowly lure the fish towards your position then set the hook.
4. Endure the wait and be patient. Just make sure that you’re position is in a highly-producing fish region.
5. Keep your silence. Sound waves travel better in water than in air and it may disturb the fish.
6. If you do not plan on eating the fish that you caught, you must cautiously release the fish in water right away. The species of fish in the Ontario waters must be preserved in order for more fingerlings to be produced and for the fishing activities to thrive longer.
7. If you haven’t caught any fish yet or still waiting for you’re next catch, why not breathe in the scene around you? Enjoy the scenery, feel the breeze, savor its Lakeland wilderness.

Fishing License Regulation

In fishing, there are also different regulations to be followed. If you are going to indulge yourself in a fishing activity, you have to bring with you your fishing license. For Canadian residents, they have to be provided with a fishing-version Outdoors card. Attached to this card is a license tag that will validate the card. For non-residents of Canada, they should carry with them their signed basic license form. For it to be valid, the proper licensed tag must be attached to it.

The license card or outdoor card must be brought along every you would go into fishing. The non-resident license card or the fishing-version outdoor card is non-transferable. Only you are entitled to use it. If a Conservation officer asks for your license or outdoor card, you have to show it since it is authorized by law.

State and District Rules and Regulations

Anglers in Ontario have to follow the State and District rules and regulations. The major law implemented by State with regard to fishing in Ontario is the “Fisheries Act”. The act states that the diversity of fish and their habitat must be protected and preserved. This act is implemented by limiting the catch, size, gears and possession of the anglers, controlling fish seasons and building fish sanctuaries. In the provincial level, the “Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act” is being implemented. The act requires the anglers to have their fishing license.

Wildlife Protection and Preservation Authorities

Wildlife Protection and Preservation officers are authorized personnel assigned by the law to search, inspect, seize or arrest any angler or his/her possession if he or she has not followed the States “Fisheries Regulation and Act” or the “Fish and Wildlife Preservation decree” of Ontario.

Under his or her duty, a Conservation officer may perform any of the following:

a. Conduct examination and review of buildings;
b. Halt any vehicle, boat or aircraft and examine it;
c. Inquire relevant information significant to their inspection;
d. Confiscate certain items from an angler, if such items are not permitted by the law to be used in the Ontario waters;
e. Take into custody anyone which the Conservation officer believes that has performed or committed a violation against the State and district rules and regulations.
f. Provided with a warrant, they can investigate and search any facility, vehicle, possessions, etc.
g. If immediate attention and action are required in a certain situation, they can investigate even without a warrant.

Fishing Seasons

Fishing seasons have different opening and closing dates depending on the species inhabiting the area. The law prohibits fishing during close seasons since these are the times that species are very susceptible. Yet, there are certain species that have year-round open season which is declared by law.

The “Lac de Madine” seems to be the No.1 big water destination this year and as such, has usurped “Foret d’ Orient” at the top of the French carp waters tree. Rumours have been rife in the press of late that “Orient” is finished and no longer holds as many big fish. Well, results by friends of mine over the last 12 months have been equal to, if not better than years prior to the “vidange”. Reports of catches of fish to mid-sixties certainly caught my attention. A more recent capture by a French angler, of a 65lb 4oz fish helped renew my interest in a water where I have never had much success.

So it was with huge anticipation that I agreed to my friend Laurent’s invitation to try an assault on this most daunting of waters. Orient is a veritable inland sea covering some 2600 hectares. Despite its size, and typical of French waters, the night sectors are very limited.

At the agreed time I rolled into the car park at the cafe in Geraudot and sat down with a cold beer to await Laurent. The conditions were ideal with a strong wind blowing and the forecast for some nasty weather for the next 48 hours. You see Orient is not a difficult lake, its the rough conditions and its size that increase its difficulty, the worse the weather the better ones chances of catching. Rotten conditions seem to bring the fish right into the bank, thus increasing the chance of a take.

My friend Laurent has a lot of experience on the water, having already had numerous fish to 54lb. I had yet to break my duck. After a swift “demi” or two, we headed for the Geraudot bay area, a legal night zone and the haunt of the famous “Bulldozer”. As soon as we arrived at the water’s edge, Laurent gave me a grin and exclaimed that there was no need too look at other spots on the lake, here was perfect and we were sure to catch. Such confidence rubbed off on me and I couldn’t wait to get set up. Laurent seems to have an uncanny knack of knowing when the conditions are just right.

We inflated his Zodiac and went out on the water to “echosound” our area. Geraudot has virtually no features other than weed. This stretched out for about 150 yards from the bank then suddenly stopped in 23 feet of water. No other features could be found so we decided to fish just off the back of the weed bed. We placed our markers and leaded around from the boat, finding a hard lake bed and a very fine layer of bottom weed. We went back to the bank to set up.

Rigs were simple, no need to over complicate matters for these relatively naive fish. I set up an amnesia hook link, knotless knotted to a size 2 Continental boilie hook, with 8 feet of 25lb amnesia as a snag leader and 5 ounce leads in Korda line clips.

I then rowed out to bait up with maize, hemp, tigers and boilies. My hook baits were Mistral Crab and Crawfish pop-ups. Four rods were placed in the vicinity of my marker, two to the left and two to the right.

A couple of hours after our arrival we were fishing the Orient. Time for an aperitif!!! As we were sipping a glass of rosé a Dutch angler fishing the next peg came round for a chat. Accepting the offered glass of wine he sat down and talked with us for several hours, by the end of which we’d demolished 3 bottles of the extremely palatable vino. Memories of this first night thus, remain somewhat vague, but I do have faint recollections of venturing out in the boat a couple of times only to return fishless. I awoke with a sore head and fragile stomach. This is not the first time a session with Laurent has ended with me crashed out in my bivvy, some people just never learn!

The first 24 hours ended with Laurent landing a small mirror of around 18 pounds an myself losing 2 fish in the weed. The second night I vowed not to touch a drop and concentrate on the fishing. During the early evening it started to rain hard and I had a run on one of my right hand rods, which resulted in a 19lb mirror.

It transpired that during the “Vidange” a couple of years ago several thousand small carp were introduced from the connecting canal. These fish, which are growing fast, now make up the bulk of the catches on the lake, fish varying from 12-25 pounds.

As the weather closed in, the wind increased in force and the rain really lashed down. Sitting under my brolly, drinking coffee we contemplated the night and our chances of more action. Encouragingly fish were showing around the bay. Suddenly I had two beeps on my right hand rod and then it screamed off. A sign of a big fish. I jumped into the boat and set off to combat the fish, with Laurent’s words ringing in my ears,

“Big fish, monster!”.

Such fights are always fraught with difficulty, but incredibly exhilarating. As the rain increased in intensity, it only served to heighten the thrill of playing an Orient carp. Within seconds, despite neoprene waders and wet weather gear I was soaked through. But I remained in contact with the fish. After about five minutes I was directly above it and able to apply direct pressure. It felt heavy, a plodding weight pulling my small embarkation against the wind, another sign of a good fish. I had great difficulty in lifting it from the bottom, 23 feet below me. After about 10 minutes a golden flank appeared on the surface in front of me. Some how during the fight it had kited round and picked up one of my other lines. I could see the line running across the fishes cavernous mouth, pulling on my hook hold. I knew I had to get it in the net quickly or it too would be lost. I pulled hard to direct the fish towards my net but the counter weight of the snagged line kept the fish tantalisingly beyond my reach. Panic was setting in, the fish was beaten, but I was unable to net it. This stalemate situation seemed to last for ages. Eventually in desperation I grabbed my amnesia leader and hand lined. Amazingly, as the fish lay doggo, the whole lot moved towards me and I was able to scoop it up in my net. I let out a cry of elation as I lifted the heavy weight into the boat and made my way back the bank. As I accosted Laurent’s first words were

” Et alors?,”

“I don’t know” I said “Looks a thirty.” As he took the net from me he shouted

“Quoi! Are you crazy? Its a forty at least.”

On the scales it went 42 pounds on the dot. Only a pound off my PB.

After a photo or two we returned the fish to the water and Laurent finally had an excuse to open his bottle of Scotch. I joined him in a quick celebratory drink, soaked to the skin but extremely happy to have finally caught a true Orient fish. Ten minutes later Laurent was away too, but this time it wasn’t to be and the hook pulled on a heavy fish. I finally hit the hay around 2am.

The rain continued to pour, and I shivered in my damp sleeping bag, as I was still thoroughly wet. There seemed little point in changing as everything pointed to further action during the night. A hour later I was in again this time the wind must have been close to gale force and try as I might I just couldn’t launch the boat. Wading out in my neoprene chest waders I pulled the boat with me and climbed aboard. I soon found myself blown back into my battery of rods and the nearby trees, despite the weight of the fish, which was taking line. It was becoming obvious that I wasn’t going anywhere in the boat. What to do? I really had only two choices try to play the fish in from the bank, through 150 yards of thick weed or put the rod back on the rest and wait till morning and hope when the wind had dropped she would still be on the end. Neither option really appealed, but wading out as far as I dare I had a go from the bank.

Amazingly after a heave-ho of about 10 minutes the fish came through the weed and I found my self gaining line and playing it in the shallow water between myself and the bank. I could see it was a common and not a bad fish. I eventually got it in the net and waded back to the bank. It’s length made me think it was a heavier fish than it turned out to be, but at 28lb 8oz was a very nice common carp by anyone’s standards.

The rain persisted for then next day and a half and we were fortunate enough to experience the most intense action I have ever seen at the Orient. Fish were crashing out and topping all over the bay, and more particularly over our markers.

We continued to get runs and at one stage we were both playing fish simultaneously. At another time I had just rowed out to place my baited rig by the marker, before I could get back to the bank it was away. Laurent struck the rod and as I paddled back towards him he waded out to hand me the rod.

Most of the fish we were catching were commons, around the 15-25 pound mark. Not huge fish by Orient standards, but a good sign that in the next couple of years this famous water will really be a venue to watch.

In the middle of the week the rain finally abated and the sun put in an appearance. Our confidence began to wane as the return of the fine weather generally spells the end of the action. Over the next 24 hours so it transpired and no further action was experienced on our rods. I was due to leave on the Friday, where as Laurent and another friend Thierry, who had joined us on the Thursday, planned to see out the weekend.

As luck would have it, at dawn on the final morning I had a belter and set of to combat what was surely to be my last fish of the session. I pumped my way out to the fish and all went solid. I was well and truly weeded. Try as I might I just couldn’t shift it. Again I resorted to hand lining. I wrapped the amnesia leader around my sleeves and pulled, certain that it was for a break. To my great surprise, the whole lot tore free from the weed and I found myself hand lining the fish directly. I quickly picked up the rod and was once again in control. The fish bored deeply below me. It was akin to boat fishing at sea, as I applied pressure to the fish. It circled around in the deep water then with a couple of knocks came up towards the surface. With surprising ease I was able to enmesh my prize and I was able to let out the now customary “Orient”cry of joy. The fish weighed 36lb.

As predicted it was the last action I was to experience and as midday tolled I packed my rods and loaded my van for the, fortunately, short journey home.

In all we had 17 runs between us, twelve of which came to my rods for 10 fish the best ones going 42lb, 36lb, 28lb 8oz and 23lb 4oz. We did not run into the true giants of the Forest but a Belgian angler to our right had fish of 26lb, 40lb 8oz, 46lb 4oz & 48lb 2oz.

The big fish are still present even if a few were lost in the vidange it was not as serious as we have been lead to believe. The influx of new fish will, I believe revive the water so that it will continue, in years to come, to produce the giant carp we have always associated with it.

For one session though I had been able to crack the water, an inspiration for future trips, and who knows, one day – a really big fish.

There we were, me and my new fishing apprentice at the lake. I was teaching him the rudiments of handling the rod and putting the bait and we were trying to catch a lake trout while discussing everything from sports to the most effective technique to escape from boring clothes-shopping with our wives. I got some good ideas, I must confess.

At some point he asked me if there were some other fishing techniques or alternative styles. “Is it always just a fishing rod, reel, bait, and waiting in sport fishing?” he asked.

Of course it is the most common way to fish but it is not the only way to fish. In sport fishing, there are different techniques and tools for fishing depending on the type of fish you want to catch. There are even games you can play with friends or family.

One of Murphy’s laws says that if something can be used for something else besides its original use, someone will do it. Some techniques or methods are more dangerous or fun than others.

Before I could explain him about some fun ways to fish as well as others too dangerous to practice for a starter, I don’t know why it came to my mind a piece from the New Testament that says that Jesus is reported to have said to his disciples: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19). Then I said that in those times, fishing with a net in a group was considered an honest effort to make a living. I don’t know if he is a religious man, but he agreed with that idea.

Some of you might not like the techniques discussed here. Others will love them; it is a mater of diversity and sportsmanship.

One of the first fishing techniques we discussed and one I like, is Hand
Fishing, also known as Trout Tickling or Noodling if you are fishing
catfish. Noodling doesn’t require any kind of fishing tool but your hand
and it is fun, just try it sometime. It is also possible to fish lobsters
when you are diving or “Pearl” Fishing.

A variant of it is the Hand-Line Fishing. You just need a line and a small piece of wood or something to roll the line. I’ve seen this done at some beaches in Mexico but, as far as I know, this is illegal in Kansas.

Another “ancestral” way to fish is Spear Fishing. Traditional Spear
Fishing is restricted to shallow waters, but the development of the spear
gun has made this method much more efficient. Fishing can be done with an
ordinary spear or a specialized variant such as an eel spear or with a
long or short trident. You can be at a river shore or in the water with
basic or complete scuba equipment. A variant of this is “Bow Fishing”
which might not be fun if you keep losing arrows!!

Net Fishing is another method of sport fishing. All fishing nets are
meshes that are usually knotted by a relatively thin thread. Modern nets
are usually made of nylon, although nets made of wool or silk thread were
common until recently and are still used in certain areas. The casting net is circular and the diameter varies. The way to use it is sinking it at the same time you make a forward motion from surface-down to bottom and then up. There is a chance that you catch something else, but hey, some coracles are as good as fish, besides this is also the way they are caught.

Trawling is a fishing method that involves pulling a fishing net through
the water behind one or more boats. In Mexico there is a place where the
nets simulate butterflies wings and fish like this. A gill net catches
fish which try to pass through it by snagging on the gill covers. Thus
trapped, the fish can neither advance trough the net nor retreat.

I find Kite Fishing very exotic. It was invented in China and then learned by people in New Guinea and other Pacific Islands. It is a very
non-traditional way of fishing for a newbie getting into the fishing
world. It was used by people who did not have a boat to fish, but also was very handy when fishing conditions were difficult or the fishing places were inaccessible or dangerous.

Ice Fishing, do I have to say more? Just get a line, a hook and open a
hole in the ice, just don’t put your hand in it!

Fish Trapping is another way for fishing. There are two types of traps:
the semi-permanent and the permanent. Depending on the type of fish you
want to get, the traps can be several feet long to relatively short. An
example is dam fishing by building a temporary dam in such a way that
makes it easier to catch the fish. Other types are the tripods used in the Congo and the weir structures or baskets used in medieval times. The
baskets or weir structures are built according to the fish to catch

Another “natural” way to fish, involves trained animals like cormorant,
remoras and dogs.

Fishing using toxins is not a healthy way for catching fish. There are
some natural toxins found in some plants, and the main idea is to paralyze the fish so you can easily catch it by hand. The fish either dies right after suffocating or later in transport. This is not only dangerous because you can get poisoned too, but it is illegal.

In my opinion, using explosives are not only dangerous for you if you
don’t know how to handle explosives, but also for the environment. It
kills by direct hit or shockwave. The worst thing about it is that it is not selective.

Another dangerous practice is electro-fishing. It sounds like a new dance,
but actually is a fishing technique that involves electricity. Depending
on the type of fish, you can select the voltage (a bit of electrical
knowledge would be good) to stun the fish. The problem is that you can
also injure a diver and he can get really mad at you. The device is supposed to be secure for water usage since it has a dead-man-switch in case you fall in the water.

So my Padawan learner might want to get into other fishing techniques. And I hope he does as long as he doesn’t blow up a lake or electrocute someone else, after all, fishing is a gentlemen’s sport based on honest effort.

Happy fishing!!!!

Method 1

Equipment

I fish baits at all depths, not just the bottom, in wide-open water. I always set up and fish deep lake structures. Besides an understanding of the contours on the bottom of the lake, being mobile and being able to read your fish locator are the keys. The tools I use are 8-foot heavy action rods, circle hooks, cut and live shad, balloons and the all-important fish locator. I use 30-pound line, large capacity reels, 8-foot heavy action rods, 2 oz. Egg sinkers, barrel swivels and #7/0 circle hooks.

Basically a Carolina Rig, I have a hook with an 18-inch leader tied to your barrel swivel, which is connected to your main line, which is where your egg sinker is attached. My boat is equipped with steel rod holders, a hand-controlled trolling motor, two fish locators, a big dip net and marker buoys. My equipment is not the most expensive but it is practical. The main thing to remember is to keep whatever equipment you use in good condition. Many know all too well about the disasters that can be caused by old line and improperly maintained fishing equipment and big Blues will test everything from your knots to your rod holders. If there is a weak link, they will expose it.

Find the Big Fish

You need to know how to tell the difference between larger fish and bait fish while using your fish locator.

There are two main structures that I catch Blue Cats on: ledges and humps. Blue Cats are creatures of edges and they seem to congregate on the brake lines of ledges and humps. The one-two punch comes when you find these structures with both bait fish and big fish mixed together on your locator. There are very few spots that I will stop and fish where I don’t see either big fish or bait fish on my locator. The ledges that I primarily fish are old river channels edges. The fish can be scattered up and down the edge but the best fishing occurs when they are on the top.

Catching Them

Typically, when I set up to fish these ledges, I run my boat over them and throw out my marker buoy where I see the fish. A little trick to using your marker buoys is to throw your marker upwind of where you are going to fish. If you drop the marker right on top of the fish, you will be bumping it and will eventually move it while the wind is pushing you around. If you throw it upwind of the fish, you can run your trolling motor right up to it without the wind pushing you over it.

Next I bait my rods, staggering them at the depth I see the fish. If the fish are up high, above 10 feet, I use a balloon and live shad on two rods. The other four rods will have half live and half cut shad, which I will suspend over the fish, continuously moving around the marker until the first strike occurs. In the warmer months the bite will usually occur on live shad. The colder the water, the better that cut bait seems to work.

Keep moving the depth of your baits up and down according to what your locator is telling you. An easy way to determine the depth of your bait is to measure the distance between the first guide and your rod’s reel. My rods are two feet from reel to the first guide so when I pull out twenty sections of line between my reel and the first guide, my bait will be approximately 40 feet deep. Stagger the depth of your bait so that you know how deep each is. When you get your first strike, move your other rods to that depth. If no strikes occur within 30 minutes move to another structure. I have set on the same ledge for many hours and caught fish, but I will usually have to move after catching 5 to 10 active fish. If you do not have a trolling motor you can use anchors, but it requires many sessions of heaving up heavy anchors and can soon kill the fun of ledge fishing. When water is at its coldest, the anchor method will work better due to the inactivity of the fish below.

In other words, the warmer the water the faster the fish will spook out from under your boat. The colder the water the less chance the fish will want to move away due to their comfort zone in the water column.

Make sure to read Part 3 of this article to learn about Capt. Jeff’s second non-typical technique!

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What’s the very first thing you MUST have before you can make wooden fishing lures? Wood, of course! You can’t make wooden lures without wood! I’ve seen (and made) lures from almost any wood I can get my hands on at one stage or another, and I can assure you that some timbers are better for making wooden lures than others. I have my favourites, like western red cedar, but I use a number of different timbers for different lure making applications.

Here are tips for choosing really good wooden lure making timber!

#1 – It must be easy to work with. Don’t waste time with timbers that are very hard, that blunt tools or are otherwise difficult to shape. There are lots of easier to use lure making timbers – go for those first.

#2 – Light weight timber generally gives lures a better swimming action and you can load them up with heavier hardware without sinking them or dampening the action as much. If you are making sinking or suspending lures you should still stick with light timber and strategically insert weight where it is needed.

#3 – Strength is another important feature. Really soft wood will dent when a fish attacks it, which means your custom paint job won’t last as long. This is a tradeoff, of course. Stronger timbers also tend to be heavier and more difficult to work.

#4 – Pick a timber with straight, closed grain. Wavy interlocking grain is difficult to shape and smooth. Open grain must be filled before painting, adding another step to the process.

#5 – Some timbers don’t let paint stick so well. Avoid oily or waxy timber that the paint won’t adhere to. If you use a porous timber you must be prepared to fill the grain and seal the wood before painting.

#6 – Don’t waste money on expensive lure making timber. Wooden lures are always painted, so you don’t see attractive timber beneath. There are so many cheap wooden lure making timbers that work great, so don’t waste money on expensive ones.

#7 – Pick a lure making wood that takes glue well. Once again, oily or waxy wood tends not to glue well, which is a problem when you come to fit bibs, towpoints and hook hangers.

#8 – Start with wood that is square in cross section. This makes it much easier to get everything symmetrical, towpoint central and bib properly aligned.

#9 – Knots in timber are hard, unbalance a wooden lure and are generally best avoided.

#10 – Make sure your timber is properly seasoned. This will prevent your lure distorting or splitting as the timber dries over coming months, will ensure that the paint job lasts and will reduce the weight of the lure (hence give it a better action).

The sources of materials for wooden lure making are numerous – you can collect offcuts from a construction site and make lures just fine. I prefer to buy mine from a lumber yard, which allows me to get my hands on the best, straight grained, knot free boards perfect for my craft. Good luck with your lure making!

1. Your catch will stay fresh longer if you thread light rope through the gills and trail the fish overside. At the end of the day, haul them in and drop them into a plastic vegetable bag. Add a little water and tie the bag tightly with string.
2. Keep fish hooks sharp by rubbing them on a disk of fine emery cloth cemented to your rod’s butt.
3. Lures must be in top shape to bring in the fish. Remove loose screw eyes and force plastic aluminum into the holes. Reset the eyes and let dry overnight. Apply auto paste was to lures as well as metal spinners to keep them new looking.
4. A new rubberized grip can be applied to an old rod. Saturate heavy cord, such as mason’s line, with plastic rubber and wind the cord around the handle. Allowed to cure in a warm place, it will set to form a ribbed grip.
5. Pockets n your fishing jacket can be rubberized and made waterproof by pulling them inside out and working plastic rubber into the weave of the fabric.
6. Forget the mosquito repellent? Tuck short lengths of fishline in the band of your hat and let them dangle 8″ over the brim to keep bugs away from your face.
7. A telltale trail often follows leader knots as they’re pulled through the water. Press warm was around the knots to streamline them and eliminate the warning bubbles.
8. A handy dryer for fishline can be made from a wire coat hanger. Bend it into a square, wind the line around it and hang it up to dry.
9. To waterproof inexpensive line, draw it through a wad of cotton moistened with silicone shoe dressing sold at shoe and department stores.
10. A drip deflector saves tempers. Ever accidentally dip a cane pole in the water, then raise it and have water run up your arm? Cut a hole in one half of a rubber ball and slip it on the pole as a guard.
11. A sturdy case for a favorite rod can be made of aluminum tubing. Permanently close one end with a wood plug and cap the other with a large cork tied to the tube with a slack string.

Let’s face it, we dream in Technicolor of size 10 green drake hatches or Hexagenia Limbata as big as beavers – but the reality is Winter Time Is Midge Time. Often the only bugs on the frigid water are so small; they challenge most anglers to consider LASIK. And as you already know, much of the eating is under the surface.

At a fly-tying class, I once heard a locally famous fly tier named Pops quip something along the line of “my second best fly tying material supplier is Hobby Lobby”. This, of course, assumes that Blue Heron Fly Shop where we were sitting is his “first best”. This guy is also well known for the quote “it ain’t no use, if it ain’t chartreuse” but that, as they say, is another story.

Armed with this nugget of wisdom, I scoured every section of Hobby Lobby. Eureka! Great little wires for tying “ribs” of nymphs, wonderful foam sheets for terrestrials, assorted yarn varieties for ‘buggers, and beads, beads, beads! All this is available at a fraction of the cost of their fly-shop counterparts. Bingo!

From this magnificent Wall-O’-Beads, I found some fine little metal ones in a small pinky-sized cylinder. They came in a variety of colors like olive, purple, copper, and brown. Many had fancy names like Brown Iris Metallic Beads (the one I took home) and numerous others. Perfect. We ARE talking tiny here. Just the right size to barely squeeze on to barb-less size 20 hooks and be proportionate.

Armed with these at my fly tying station, I began to experiment. If you have ever collected and looked at tiny water bugs, you will note their appendages and segmentations are not distinct unless under a microscope. So, I combined the little bead heads with many simple body materials trying to find a simple-to-tie solution. I wanted to approximately match the hatch from recent trips to the stream. I finally boiled it down to dyed goose biots. I had originally experimented with biots to tie Prince Nymphs at a much larger scale and certainly a different application. My favorite biot color is olive, and man, what a great subtle segmented body biots make. Ultimately, I designed Duff’s Bead/Biot Midge – perfect for fishing Winter’s cold waters. More than just this emerger, I developed a powerful One-Two Punch combination that has proven itself over and over in many tailraces throughout Texas and Oklahoma.

Though the tiny bead/biot midge is a killer as a dropper below a larger nymph, the One-Two Punch consists of a dropper below a similar looking dry. Before I give you the recipe, let me describe the simplicity of these two flies. The dry fly is: olive thread, olive biot, and olive/gray hackle on a size twenty barb-less hook. The dropper, often fished just 6 inches below the dry, is: olive thread, olive biot, and metallic bead on a size twenty barb-less hook. Simple, right? It’s really easy to tie too. But don’t let that make you feel guilty when you when you catch numerous trout with it.

Duff’s Dry Midge – Olive

Materials -

• Hook: Size 20 dry
• Thread: Olive 8/0
• Body: Goose Biot dyed olive
• Hackle: Olive/Gray sized to match hook gap
• Head: Olive Thread

Technique – Crush barb, put hook in vise, jamb knot thread and wrap back to bend, tie in point of biot, wrap thread forward, spiral biot forward leaving segmentation and tie down with half hitch, tie in single hackle, trim base, wrap hackle and tie off, whip finish forming head, add cement.

Duff’s Bead/Biot Midge – Olive

Materials -

• Hook: Size 20 dry or scud/nymph
• Thread: Olive 8/0
• Body: Goose Biot dyed olive
• Head: Brown Iris Bead

Technique – Crush barb, place bead head on hook, put hook in vise, jamb knot thread and wrap back to bend, tie in point of biot, wrap thread forward, spiral biot forward leaving segmentation and tie down with half hitch (optional – tie in a few strands of crystal flash as a wing and clip close), whip finish behind bead head, add cement.

For those who are not into fly tying but are into fly fishing Scott has put together an assortment of dry flies and nymphs that no fly fisherman should be with out. See Duff’s Ultimate Midge Pack [shopmain.jsp].

Scott is a lead editor and contributor to, a website dedicated to the enjoyment of the great American outdoors.

One thing that we all need to do in angling is fill our reels with line. Fixed spool reels have an inherent tendency to twist the line, eventually making casting impossible. This twisting is down to the clutches fitted on the reels and is compounded by the technique in carp fishing of letting the fish take line from the clutch when we get a run. Smaller baitrunner type reels are the worst culprits, and when I’ve been getting lots of action the line soon twists pretty badly.

Over they years I have used a number of Methods for spooling up but have never really settled on a single method. I’ve tried using a bankstick through the spool, placing the spool on the floor with a weight on the top… etc, etc.

Now replacing the line is a bit of a chore but I was shown a couple of things that have made it easier.

The first piece of kit I would recommend you invest in is a Berkley Line Stripper. In the past I’ve tried a number of things to enable me to remove the line quickly from three or four spools, but let’s face it, its a pain!! I’ve tried cutting it off with a blade, pulling it off with my hands, but neither were satisfactory until I was shown the above tool. It will strip your reel in not time. I thoroughly recommend these items of tackle.

So once you’ve got your line off its time to refill your spool. I’ve been using Nash Tackle”>Nash bullet recently and it has capacity marks on the bulk spools so you know approximately how much line is left.

There is not much point in changing the full amount of line you have on your spool each time. I use backing to leave me with 150-200 yards on the spool.

Firstly I tie a neat knot to my backing and place it at the rear of the spool. I then put a piece of electrical tape over the knot to avoid the tag ends catching as I cast.

I then simply drop the spool into either a large bucket of water or the lake. The first advantage of this is that the line is wet when you load it and therefore suppler than when dry. It also lubricates it a bit and helps it bed down nicely on the spool.

I fill the spool to the lip. A quick note here, make sure that if your reel supplies washers to place behind the spool you test them out to make sure the line lay is right. It is important to fill the reel to the maximum without overfilling it. Bear in mind that the line will bed down a little.

The final thing I usually do when on the bank if there is space and not excessive undergrowth is to walk the new line out along with no rig on. I then wind this back in to make sure that as much twist as possible has been removed.

Modern reels now have excellent line lay, much improved over recent years. Even the cheaper models are pretty good.

Fisherman are always on the lookout for the best reel to use. The baitcasting reel is a top pick with professional anglers. The baitcasting reel allows the angler to have greater accuracy when casting. They also allow more accuracy with lure placement. When using the reel you can place your lure close to a shoreline and even butted up against a log. When using the reel you need to make sue you are holding the reel properly. This can be difficult for a new angler. To cast properly, hold the spool with your thumb and turn the rod so the reel is facing upward. Your reel will stay in this position throughout the cast. You will get acquainted with the right amount of thumb pressure the more you practice. The way you make a fishing knot can also have a great impact on your fishing success. Let’s review three main knots used by most fisherman.

The rapala knot is a great knot to use. With this knot, the lure is tied to the line so that it can move about freely. This allows your bait to move around more naturally. This knot is fairly easy to to learn. The first step is to tie an overhead knot. This can be done by feeding the line through the eye of your lure. Next you will feed the working end through the eye of your lure. Then make three wraps around your line. You can now bring the knot back through the overhead knot again (do not pull to tight). Make sure to leave some slack in the loop. The final step is to feed your tag through the slack loop and pull tight. You are now ready to cast and hopefully catch some fish.

The arbor knot is the next knot we will be reviewing. The arbor knot can be used on any type of reel. The arbor knot is perfect for anchoring the back of the reel to the spool center. To tie this knot, tie an overhead knot on the backing and tighten. Insert the knot between the reel foot and the arbor. Tie a second knot and tag it around the starting point of the backing. Wind the backing into your reel. You are now ready to feed the knot onto your spool.

The snell knot is the last knot we will be reviewing. The snell knot will give the fisherman the most holding power at the hook. To form a snell knot, start by inserting the mono through the hook’s eye. You should pull about 10 inches of mono through to form a good loop. Firmly pinch the mono and shank. Work your way down the shank toward the bend of the hook. Make about 8 to 10 wraps around the hook. This will help prevent the knot from unraveling. Tighten the knot by holding the hook firmly and pulling snug.

Before fishing with any new knot, it is important to practice the knot several times. This will cut down on any surprises once your on the water.

The incredible art of fly fishing was initially developed as an angling method to catch salmon and trout. Whilst its predominantly enjoyed by the older generation of anglers,fly fishing is fast catching the attention and interests of a whole new generation of enthusiasts. In recent years, interest in fly fishing has surged as baby boomers have discovered the sport. No matter what your skill level is,fly fishing can be highly rewarding. The two major misconceptions about fly fishing are that it’s difficult to do and expensive. If you are a beginner fly fisherman, get started by: Getting involved with fly fisherman from your community or try a fly fishing club. Treat yourself, your spouse or your entire family to the pleasures of fly fishing. Explore new water,discover resources and start your fly fishing journey. If your looking for a place to fly fish,you can research all major rivers and many lesser-known ones on the internet,obtaining helpful fly fishing and information about each. With thousands of miles of fly fishing tributaries and lakes the opportunities are many. You can go fly fishing in the morning before work for a hour or two if you live close enough to good fishing water. I used to live in Cody WY and many anglers fished at sunrise and sunset for an hour or two trying to get one of the monster rainbow trout from the local lake.

Fly Fishing Equipment

Compared to the gear of other sports, fly fishing gear has changed very little over the years. When going on a fishing trip you want to be sure you have all the proper fly fishing gear such as flies,lures and accessories. Nothing worse than getting to your destination and realilising you forgot something.

For the most part,fly fishing gear is not so different today from how it was yesterday. It’s just important to pick the appropriate fishing equipment, including fly fishing rods and reels, for the type of fishing you will be doing. A fly fishing rods length factors into the fly fishing rods action. Shorter rods generally have less action than longer fly fishing rods because they generate less torque when casting and reeling. Use medium-sized eight or nine-foot fly fishing rods in most fly fishing conditions. Beginners find medium-action fly fishing rods easy to handle. Stiff fast-action fly fishing rods bend at the end of the rod and do not have a lot of give.Graphite fly fishing rods are more expensive than fiberglass rods but lightweight graphite fly fishing rods typically allow more accurate casting.

Fly Fishing Knots

The fly line and leader are important parts of fly fishing physics. Learning to tie the proper knots to attach your leaders and flies is critical. Some of the most common flies used in fly fishing include dry, nymph, and streamers. A detailed discussion of most of these knots is available in any good book on fly fishing. Your fly fishing education will progress rapidly if you take advantage of the free information you can get at the library. In a good book you will find fly fishing knots that will cover just about every situation you will encounter where a specific knot is needed.

Learning to Cast

Unlike other casting methods, fly fishing can be thought of as a method of casting line rather than a lure. Besides the obvious difference in the actual method of casting, normal fishing and fly fishing also vary in the equipment used. The techniques for freshwater fly fishing also differ in lakes,streams and rivers. If you would like personalized instruction, there are hundreds of fly fishing schools scattered about the world. So,if you’ve never been fly fishing before, a great way to learn is to take few lessons from a local instructor. Taking lessons from a professional instructor to learn the basics and perfect your fly fishing technique will speed up the learning curve. This means you’ll have a lot more fun fly fishing. If you can’t cast you can’t catch a fish. There are many Fly Fishing Shops and guides whom teach basic fly fishing classes both off the water and on.

Continue to Learn

Get as much information you can from books, magazines, and videos on fly fishing,fly casting, tying flies and tying knots. Join a fly fishing club to further your fly fishing education and enjoy the company of interesting people,join a local fly fishing club. With the right fly fishing equipment and information on hand you will have a lifetime of fun fly fishing.