Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello Wilfred, glad you enjoyed the site.  To your question:    Shooting heads are actually nothing more than pieces of fly-line whose weight is matched as exactly as possible to the rod.  They are normally made by using a normal DT line, from one to two sizes heavier than the recommended line weight for the rod, and cutting this to a suitable length. Which line you choose to start with depends on the intended purpose of the finished head. Any given rod, including fly-rods, will cast best of all when loaded with a specific weight.  Shooting heads are based on this principle.  Once you find the "optimum" weight for your rod, then you can weigh the result, and any line of this actual weight may be cast well with this rod, or indeed even a piece of lead of the same weight. There are of course physical limitations to the length of line etc, but within fairly wide parameters the above holds true.  Again, within certain parameters, the length, diameter, and other line characteristics are quite immaterial, only the actual weight is important. "Ready made" shooting heads are not normally as good as the ones you make up yourself, as they rarely match the rod properly, which rather defeats the object of the exercise. In order to make up a shooting head for any particular rod, the procedure is as follows: Obtain a DT line one size heavier than the recommended line weight, ( if there are two numbers on your rod, i.e. #5/7 ) then use a number seven DT. It is immaterial whether one uses a floater or a sinker, or any other type of line, however, for your particular purpose, ( deep fishing ), a high density sinking line is the only really suitable choice to start with. Put this line on your rod, and then cast it normally without using any hauling etc.  Do not try to cast more than about forty feet maximum, as this may overload the rod, and even damage it.    When you are casting effortlessly and well, with say 30 to 40 feet of line outside the rod tip, ( this will vary considerably dependent on the rod used ), then take a marking pen, lay the rod down, and mark the line at the rod tip. You have just found the ideal line weight for your rod.   Cut the line at this point. Attach your backing line to where the line was cut, ( 20 LB flat nylon monofil, for instance, such as "amnesia", although normal monofil will also work, but has a tendency to tangle more) with a needle knot or similar, ( I prefer loops, see below). Now, using a double haul, ( the technique is described on my site ), you should be able to shoot a great deal of this backing without any trouble or effort at all.  With practice, even extreme distances may be reached. One hundred foot casts are no problem at all, and a great deal more may be reached with practice.  The technique is to lay out the backing on a level surface, or use a line tray or similar, aerialise the head, execute a double haul, and allow the backing to shoot. For your specific purpose, I would actually advise getting a DT line two sizes heavier than your rod recommendation. The procedure is then the same, but your shooting head will be a lot shorter, as the line is heavier to start with. Do not try to aerialise more than thirty feet of this line, it will damage your rod. A "short"  heavy head is more advantageous for deep fishing, as it sinks more rapidly, and also more uniformly.  This may mean that your "head" is only twenty -five feet long.  This is slightly more difficult to cast, but it is better for your purpose. One does have the advantage that one is constantly casting a piece of line of the same length and weight, and once this is learned, there is never any need to alter ones timing etc.  This is quite easy with a little practice. You do not say which flies you would like to use, but normally for this purpose, largish streamers and similar flies are used. The rig described will carry quite large heavy flies fairly easily. The trick now is to cast the line out, and start "counting down" in seconds, retrieve, when you get a take, then you know the fish are at this depth, and on subsequent casts you simply count the same number of seconds before starting your retrieve.   You do not of course know the actual depth you are fishing at, but this is not necessary, and it would do you little good to know it anyway. There are quite a few problems associated with very deep fly-fishing, not the least of which is finding the fish.  Large lakes and similar bodies of water invariably have what is known as a "thermocline" at some specific depth, which varies with the weather etc. This is a distinct separation line between relatively "warm" surface water, and relatively "cold" water.  The temperature difference may be quite considerable, and the fish may be on one side or the other of the thermocline,  if you are not fishing in the correct zone, you will catch nothing at all, a few inches deeper or higher, and you may get a bagfull. The "countdown" method allows you to find this depth fairly quickly. It is rarely necessary to fish even close to the bottom in such deep lakes, as there are very few fish there at all, if any.   Most of the deep lakes I fish in Summer, ( in Winter, there is no thermocline as such, for various physical reasons, this of course assumes that your "Winter" is cold ), generally have fish ( and large ones ! ) at between 25 and 50 feet, and these fish invariably feed on shoals of baitfish. On very large lakes, you can "trail" this rig behind the boat at slow speed, paying out backing to control the depth.  The more backing out, and the slower the speed, the deeper you fish.  This may help you to find the fish before you tire yourself out casting!  Use a larger reel than you normally would, with plenty of backing line. At the very least one hundred and fifty yards.  If you get hooked into a ten pounder or more it will give you a hell of a fight usually, and very long unstoppable runs are fairly typical of such fish. If you do not have enough backing, they will simply break you. The best flies are invariably streamers as I said, and you should use larger ones.  Most of my "standards" are at least three inches long, and sometimes larger. The leader you use can simply be a piece of normal monofil line, I invariably use a ten foot length of ten pound nylon.  "Turnover", and "presentation" are not factors in this type of fishing, in the sense that the "presentation" takes place under water at considerable depth, and any casting finesse on the surface is superfluous. This is not an elegant method of fishing, but it is extremely effective. If you find that even this rig gets down too slowly ( unlikely but possible ), then obtain a length of "lead core" line, follow the procedure described for making up a shooting head, but use the lead core line to do this. Only use a short piece of this to start casting with, and be careful, a whack in the back of the head from this stuff will quite possibly knock you out, and if it hits the rod it may shatter it.  This rig is a real pig to cast, as the timing is extremely critical, but it will get down deep and fast, and more and more people are using such rigs for fishing in deep water, especially in the ocean.  Personally I prefer the more "normal" high density sinker, as it is more pleasant to use. For fishing at depths in excess of say thirty or forty feet, there is no real alternative to a high density head, or lead core line.  You will doubtless be surprised at how long it takes such a line to sink as well.  If you want to try this, then simply cast out, and wait for the line to hit bottom.  You will feel this when it happens, the backing line will "go slack". If you want to increase your fishing depth, then after casting, pay out backing as required until you reach your previously determined "count down" depth. This also helps the line to sink in a more or less horizontal plane, and prevents the line hanging "straight down" under the boat, which makes for bad presentation. The fish you are attempting to imitate rarely swim vertically, and a horizontal presentation is invariably more succesfull. For "trailing " behind the boat ( this method is often called "trolling", which is however incorrect ), the lead core line may be superior, especially as casting is not then necessary. Just pay line out as required. To close, if you wish to experiment with shooting heads, then I would advise you to buy "mill ends" from the following address.  These are cheap, and of excellent quality, and one can make up a whole range of heads for various purposes for very little money.  I have used these for years.  You can make up two shooting heads from a DT line, and you can use the odd thirty feet which is left over from the middle for other experiments, or making up other custom lines, like sink tips, intermediates etc. I use "shooting heads" almost exclusively, for all my fishing, and I am very happy with them. I can change lines at will, simply by looping a new head onto my backing, even when "normal" trout stream fishing etc. I carry up to ten heads coiled in a wallet in my jacket pocket, and I can immediately react to any changes in water or weather etc, simply by looping on a new head Mullarkey & Sons 184-185 Waterloo Street, Burton-on-Trent, Staffs DE14 2NQ England You can pay by credit card, order by phone,  ( I believe they are working on a web-site as well )  the service is excellent, and many of the other products are worth taking a look at as well. Their phone number is  01283   566777  ask them to send you a catalogue. I have no connection with them by the

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Ooops !  This post was actually a mistake, it was a reply to an e-mail which I once again accidentally posted to ROFF.  Oh well never mind, if it was of any help to you. I am sure nobody will mind.   I will have to avoid posting when I am tired out in future. TL MC — "In order to know what is possible one must constantly attempt the impossible" http://www.mikeconnor.de Excellant Post – Very informative.  I have been cutting double tapered

lines

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I used to cut double tapers in half for small stream fishing but quit when my son came back from the Lamar River in Yellowstone one Fall and complained about only having hip boots and 1/2 Double Taper Line. Seems the trout were feeding just out of reach and he thought I had endangered the family jewels. Ernie

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Excellant Post – Very informative.  I have been cutting double tapered lines in two for years, mostly because I am cheap and use only half a line most of the time anyway.   Your method of tuning the line is brilliant. This fall I will have a section of 10 weight on the old Ugly Stick up on the Ho. I use to have a size G-A "spinning taper"  ( made to fly fish with a spinning rod )  that I used on a nine weigh.  It  was 14′ long and worked very well but I haven’t seen one for years.  I have been using a weight forward line and never have been really thrilled with them. Thanks again   BJ Conner Hello Wilfred, Mike "In order to know what is possible one must constantly attempt the impossible" http://www.mikeconnor.de —–Urspr

Question:

I will be on Amelia Island and have some opportunity to fish on Dec3-5, 2000.  Any information on the fishing there at that time will be appreciated.  I could fish on my own or with a guide, if anyone has suggestions.  Thanks for the help. Steve

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Hi Steve, Any questions you might have regarding Fly fishing  in Florida can be answered by one of our Florida Fly Fishing Professionals. Call toll free 1-877-505-8585 or contact us thru our website http://www.totalfishingadventures.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I will be on Amelia Island and have some opportunity to fish on Dec3-5, 2000.  Any information on the fishing there at that time will be appreciated.  I could fish on my own or with a guide, if anyone has suggestions.  Thanks for the help. Steve

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Question:

make any difference what I write about.  They will always be there.  The idea is to learn how to nymph fish with words so as to avoid them.  I suppose I will have to nymph fish with just a bare hook from now on? LOL! Actually, WINTER is like fly fishing.  It is a contemplative man’s sport.  It is a good season and the time to get those flies tied and to clean out all the beat up flies and give them to our children.  (Or to those who don’t tie but still like to fly fish).   While the eastern sea board of this country enjoy the blanket of snow that has been so long overdue so that they can have a fresh water supply later into the year then of the recent past, I can visualize Walt Winter, Tom Brown, Wayne Harrison, Jeff Miller, and other gentlemen of the realm, sipping a libation and tying those diminutive little creations that fool very big fish. Fly-Maker’s Wax could/should be mentioned here because since Mike Overton’s untimely death, this is the improved product that originally was Wonder Wax.  What is amazing about having a nice wax on the fly tying bench is that these tubes last for over ten or more years for the majority of fly tiers.  For the commercial tier, they don’t last as long.  Maybe a year or a little more. What I want to talk about is fly tying wax at the vise site.  With the choice we use, there are some interesting features regarding the old and new formulas that cannot be found in any other waxes in the world.   When dubbing, the idea is to understand that "The Smaller the Fly, The Greater the Need" when it comes to using wax or not.  This is because greater control is required to lay the small amount of dubbing on a size #22 hook in such a manner as to form the body shape that is defined, not guessed at.   With the tube of wax right at hand, I have two basic choices on how to apply the wax and/or dubbing.  The first way is to simply stroke a little wax down the dubbing section of the thread to be used.  The second way is to take the shooting finger of your hand and simply rubbing it across the wax and then take a little dubbing and apply it to the thread, spinning in only one direction.   After one uses the latter method, a secret few know is if one has a little cloth on their lap, it is a simple matter to use just PRESSURE and the wax comes off the finger tips.  This wax grabs or releases depending upon the amount of pressure applied.  It is the only wax in the industry that will do this. I like perfectly formed flies.  They should almost look like the real thing.  The personality of fly tying materials are as varied as one could hope for.  Some of it needs to be forced into behaving correctly. A good Fly-Tying Wax will do that. A good wax will also help preserve the threads used that bind a fly for well over a hundred years.  The wax must have as near a neutral bouyance as possible.  In the water, it should not try to float the fly nor sink it.  That feature should be left up to other means. What about scents used in some brands of waxes is a personal choice, I suppose.  We don’t do that as our product has its own distinctive wax oder.  It comes from the base bee’s wax that is found in only one part of the United States and is a guarded secret.  To be perfectly frank, we suspect trout have no objection to ours on a sensory level.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained I suppose. If you wish to know more about fly tying waxes, visit the url below. Mr. G. — http://www.gink.com/gg_flymakers.html http://www.gink.com/

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Gerkhe Gentlemen don’t spam the news groups to turn a buck.

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Gerkhe Gentlemen don’t spam the news groups to turn a buck.

______  If and when we do, I’ll let you know.  I’d appreciate it if you would stick to fly fishing Plado.   Thank you, Mr. G. — http://www.gink.com/gg_flymakers.html

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Truly clueless.  Does not even realize what spam is.

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Question:

Sounds like you need a chill pill.If you don’t want to read it don’t click on it. Sometimes I see some new or even good Things that has been posted by Manufacters or Tackle shops.I don’t guess it was you that posted the following.      FLY FISHIN’ LURE FOR SALE! Newsgroups:   rec.outdoors.fishing [More Headers] [Subscribe to rec.outdoors.fishing]<Picture make offer. never been used. nothin’ wrong with it. refunds available email me you adress if you interested ill deal with you the amount your willing to pay danyrat  TRYING TO SELL SOMETHING  IN THE NEWS GROUP ARE YOU!!!   GEEZE GET A LIFE <’(((<  Work is for people that don’t like to fish <’(((<

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DITTO!!! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sounds like you need a chill pill.If you don’t want to read it don’t click on it. Sometimes I see some new or even good Things that has been posted by Manufacters or Tackle shops.I don’t guess it was you that posted the following.      FLY FISHIN’ LURE FOR SALE! Newsgroups:   rec.outdoors.fishing [More Headers] [Subscribe to rec.outdoors.fishing]<Picture make offer. never been used. nothin’ wrong with it. refunds available email me you adress if you interested ill deal with you the amount your willing to pay danyrat  TRYING TO SELL SOMETHING  IN THE NEWS GROUP ARE YOU!!!   GEEZE GET A LIFE <’(((<  Work is for people that don’t like to fish <’(((<

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I don’t know about Danyrat, but some of the best vendors I’ve found have come from the newsgroups. The lure manufacturers who do sales over the Internet make stuff about 999% better than the mass market junk. Matthew Carter "Fishing with Matt" http://www.albany.net/~buzzbait/fishing/index.htm

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Thanks Buzzbait, I guess its us little folk that really keep things going. After all if it weren’t for us ,where would those big companies come from.Hell everything starts out as an idea. Oh yea while yer at it, how bout stoppin by The RodCrafters Journal. Wer’e small and trying to grow. http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Gorge/2865 The RodMaker

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Question:

                Hi!         I am wondering if anyone has ever used the Gorilla and Sons                   Vise you see in all the fly fishing and fly tying                   magazines. I am asking if anyone has ever used this v                vise and if it has good hook holding power and how it d               does  VS. the Thompson "A" vise.  Wich one                     would you reccomend is a better beginner  vise                         THANKS!                                 Dolph                      

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The Gorilla vise is junk- mine wouldn’t even assemble. Evan

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Question:

does anyone know of any web sites that deal with flyfishing in labrador?

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does anyone know of any web sites that deal with flyfishing in labrador?

a good site is: http://ad-here.com/cfho/NF2.HTM If you’re interested in fly fishing large brook trout contact:         Bill Murphy         owner/operator         Adventure North Ltd.         102 Brentwood Drive, Bedford, Nova Scotia B4A 3S1         ph/fax: 902-835-8033 See Crook’s Lake Lodge featured in this month’s Fly Rod and Reel and Gray’s Sporting Journal The Expeditions Issue. Lynn Martin

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – does anyone know of any web sites that deal with flyfishing in labrador? a good site is: http://ad-here.com/cfho/NF2.HTM If you’re interested in fly fishing large brook trout contact:         Bill Murphy         owner/operator         Adventure North Ltd.         102 Brentwood Drive, Bedford, Nova Scotia B4A 3S1         ph/fax: 902-835-8033 See Crook’s Lake Lodge featured in this month’s Fly Rod and Reel and Gray’s Sporting Journal The Expeditions Issue. Lynn Martin

and the rivers full of Big "Brookies"!        

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tanya try YAHOO ON YOUR BROWSER AND SEE WHAT THAT BRINGS TYPE LABRADOR FLY FISHING GOOD LUCK                    DICK PATREDIS —     In the immortal words of OLD RANCID CRABBTREE    Any time a man ain’t fishing he is frittering away                       HIS LIFE. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – does anyone know of any web sites that deal with flyfishing in labrador?

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does anyone know of any web sites that deal with flyfishing for labradors?

 I don’t know why you would want to fish for a labrador but I would suggest a tennis ball type of pattern (if the labs that you’re after are anything like mine). Maybee chum with some barbeque scraps. MT —             It’s not the bible that’s filled with contradictions,                  It’s our brains that are filled with them.                              J. Vernon McGee

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 I don’t know why you would want to fish for a labrador but I would suggest a tennis ball type of pattern (if the labs that you’re after are anything like mine). Maybee chum with some barbeque scraps.

HAHA!! tennis balls, footballs, snowballs, airballs, sticks, rocks, onions, roadkill…it just doesn’t matter!  Labs are the gamin’est fish in the sea, and they don’t care what you use.  They’re all over it, and that’s why they’re the best dogs ever invented. Right on, Mark. BTW, I grew up with a black lab, and the only thing I found that it wouldn’t eat was canned pineapple – but it loved the fresh stuff.  Smart dog. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – MT —             It’s not the bible that’s filled with contradictions,                  It’s our brains that are filled with them.                              J. Vernon McGee

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Question:

Just bought a 17′ Boston Whaler, plan to do alot of Striper Fishing with it (Fly Fishing) in the Chesapeake Bay. What do I want in a Fish/Depth Finder? I’m open for suggestions; I’ve researched Humminbird, Eagle, Bottom Line, Apelco. Whats the best buy? Nick DelleDonne

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I’ve been very happy with my Apelco 530 with optional GPS receiver.  I purchased it with the thru-hull transducer and have good performance up to 20 MPH.  I have metered Rockcod down to 500 ft (slower speeds) and can see the bottom down to 1000 ft.  My only complaint is that at 3500 RPM I get a hydraulic sound from the transducer.  This maybe because I didn’t get it mounted straight with the boat, but it does not bother enough to try messing around with it.  The GPS works great too.  The unit is totally water proof but I have not verified this since it is mounted in a radio box. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Just bought a 17′ Boston Whaler, plan to do alot of Striper Fishing with it (Fly Fishing) in the Chesapeake Bay. What do I want in a Fish/Depth Finder? I’m open for suggestions; I’ve researched Humminbird, Eagle, Bottom Line, Apelco. Whats the best buy? Nick DelleDonne

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- I’ve been very happy with my Apelco 530 with optional GPS receiver. – I purchased it with the thru-hull transducer and have good – performance up to 20 MPH.  I have metered Rockcod down to 500 ft – (slower speeds) and can see What happens after 20 MPH? ajc

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve been very happy with my Apelco 530 with optional GPS receiver.  I purchased it with the thru-hull transducer and have good performance up to 20 MPH.  I have metered Rockcod down to 500 ft (slower speeds) and can see the bottom down to 1000 ft.  My only complaint is that at 3500 RPM I get a hydraulic sound from the transducer.  This maybe because I didn’t get it mounted straight with the boat, but it does not bother enough to try messing around with it.  The GPS works great too.  The unit is totally water proof but I have not verified this since it is mounted in a radio box. Just bought a 17′ Boston Whaler, plan to do alot of Striper Fishing with it (Fly Fishing) in the Chesapeake Bay. What do I want in a Fish/Depth Finder? I’m open for suggestions; I’ve researched Humminbird, Eagle, Bottom Line, Apelco. Whats the best buy? Nick DelleDonne Hook directly to the battery.  

Happy fishing!

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I have a Bottom Line with sidefinder and find when I an fly fishing I can locate fish to the side of my boat out to 120 ft. not under the boat( I have yet to find a way to cast a fly 20 ft under the stern).

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I have a Bottom Line with sidefinder and find when I an fly fishing I can locate fish to the side of my boat out to 120 ft. not under the boat( I have yet to find a way to cast a fly 20 ft under the stern).

I’ve been thinking about buying that one. Is the coverage of the Bottomline’s beam (less than 10 degrees, I’m told) enough to tell you what’s out there 30 to 100 feet from your boat? Does it do a good job telling you what’s in fairly shallow water — less than 10 feet deep, and 10 to 20 feet deep, for example? I wonder how it compares with the Eagle, say, with the side-viewing transducers. —

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Question:

Hi everybody Unfortunately I broke the tip of my (about 12 to 15 year old) Shakespeare fly fishing rod (a President carbon rod, 9 foot). Does anybody know the adress of Shakespeare so I can ask them for a replacement tip? Any hints are welcome!!! Chris

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Hi everybody Unfortunately I broke the tip of my (about 12 to 15 year old) Shakespeare fly fishing rod (a President carbon rod, 9 foot). Does anybody know the adress of Shakespeare so I can ask them for a replacement tip? Any hints are welcome!!! Chris

Chris, Here is the u.k. address of Shakespeare Shakespeare Company Ltd P.O. Box 1 Broad Ground Road Lakeside Reddich Worcs  B98 8NQ England Hope this helps — john buchanan

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Question:

Did anyone see the segment on the opening of "trout" season in Missouri on the Osgood show this AM?  Call me a snob if you wish, but I thought the show was somewhere between disgusting and hilarious. Why don’t they save everyone the trouble, and give all applicants vouchers for 5 free trout at the local fish market? I’d love to hear your comments. Some sport there.

I’m a Missouri fly fisherman. Those openings in the trout parks are a tradition in this state, and the way I see it, the trout stamps and the one-day tags those folks buy pay for  the care of some pretty good water elsewhere that those crowds prob’ly don’t even know exist… Bob –

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I’m from Missouri and fish often at the state trout parks. I didn’t see the show but can imagine what it looked like. 3000 people isn’t unusual for opening day. No, I don’t consider you a snob. I don’t go to opening day and haven’t for 20 years. It’s a circus. The trout parks serve a purpose for us in Missouri (where are you from?) in that most of our water is too warm to support trout. There are some streams in the Ozarks that have trout but they are few and far between. So, during the summer, rather than not go at all a lot of us frequent the trout parks. After the crowd dies down. But, the best time is during the winter. We have a winter season from Oct. to Feb. Catch and Release only. That keeps most people away. I’ve been there when there were only 30 – 40 people on the entire stream. In some areas of the country that still would be a lot but it’s the best we have. Anyhow, one trip last winter my son and I were all alone for as far as we could see. No fish are stocked during the winter but there are some left over from the season stocking. Good luck, and tight lines.

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The State of MO is providing a product that is obviously in great demand. The people were all there by choice, I’m assuming. The funds generated at the four MO "trout parks" provide a big dose of bucks to the conservation efforts in MO. Also, if you’ve ever taken an eight year-old fishing only to have them give up after 15 minutes, you can appreciate the trout parks even more. Almost guaranteed results can be a real boon to a child.  My nephew vividly remembers a trip we to one of these parks. He’s kept his enthusiasm, in part to his success at a park I hope, through many fishless days. No, you won’t catch me at opening day. Nor will you see me there unless I’m there with a kid. And that will be mid-week. John Nesselrode Shawnee, KS

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 if you’ve ever taken an eight year-old fishing only to have them give up after 15 minutes, you can appreciate the trout parks even more. Almost guaranteed results can be a real boon to a child.  My nephew vividly remembers a trip we to one of these parks. He’s kept his enthusiasm, in part to his success at a park I hope, through many fishless days. No, you won’t catch me at opening day. Nor will you see me there unless I’m there with a kid. And that will be mid-week.

John, I agree. My 12-year old has very vivid memories of a couple of trips we made to one of the parks.  It’s a marvelous way to introduce kids to fly fishing. Bob

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Question:

Greetings    Feeling like I just walked into the middle of a messy divorce in this news group I would like to request some practical info.  Having purchased a cheapo blank and the necessary accessories for building it I am now wondering how exactly to find the "spine".      Secondly, and less specific, is the art (other than the fancy wraps and naugahyde reel seat) of building a "TRUE" rod in the location of the spine or some other mystical skill I don’t know of.  To be honest building up a blank seems to be a very simple process that can save some cash.  This makes feel like I’m missing something.? Thanks in advance for your help dan

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says… Greetings   Feeling like I just walked into the middle of a messy divorce in this news group I would like to request some practical info.  Having purchased a cheapo blank and the necessary accessories for building it I am now wondering how exactly to find the "spine".     Secondly, and less specific, is the art (other than the fancy wraps and naugahyde reel seat) of building a "TRUE" rod in the location of the spine or some other mystical skill I don’t know of.  To be honest building up a blank seems to be a very simple process that can save some cash.  This makes feel like I’m missing something.? Thanks in advance for your help dan

Building a rod is a bunch of little details all added together to make one good casting fly rod. Locating the spine is one of those details that will make your rod cast efficiently. Locate www site ‘fishdoc.com’ they have one of the best explainations on spine that I have seen, and lots of other good tips as well. Dennis Grant Atlantic Fly Fishing School Brookfield Nova Scotia

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I simply roll the blank against a smooth hard surface like a table, and feel where resistance increases.  That marks the spine.  Finding the spine leads to another question:  should you align your rod so the spine is on the side of the rod with the guides, or the opposite side?  Do you want the stiffness to help with your forward cast, or with picking your line off the water?  Although I’ve always aligned my in the forward direction, I’ve heard others suggest the opposite. Steve Hubbard

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