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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – There are some excellent suggestions here-thanks everyone. I was looking at the hodgeman nylon waders this weekend, might go with those in conjunction with my teva-type sandals, which are usually my camp shoe also. My main priority is to learn to fly cast by the time spring comes. sometimes i do backpack to flyfish.. hodgeman supplex waders orvis "pack and travel" boots they are both lightweight and pack small however i pack neither if i go very far..
If you use sandals for a wading shoe make sure that you wear a pair of socks (neoprenes work well) over your wader’s feet. Otherwise sand and grit will get caught between your sandal and your foot and wear out your waders fast. Been there, done that. G.Cleveland
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sometimes i do backpack to flyfish.. hodgeman supplex waders orvis "pack and travel" boots they are both lightweight and pack small however i pack neither if i go very far..
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There are some excellent suggestions here-thanks everyone. I was looking at the hodgeman nylon waders this weekend, might go with those in conjunction with my teva-type sandals, which are usually my camp shoe also. My main priority is to learn to fly cast by the time spring comes.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – sometimes i do backpack to flyfish.. hodgeman supplex waders orvis "pack and travel" boots they are both lightweight and pack small however i pack neither if i go very far..
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This question is for the anglers in this group. What waders and/or wading shoes do you take backpacking?
I mostly fly fish streams in the Sierra. For this I take stocking foot hippers. Over these, I wear a pair of thin neoprene socks I got from Cabelas. I have reinforced the toes of the socks with Aqua Seal. For shoes with this combination, I wear a pair of Tevas, the kind that have Fastex buckle rather than Velcro fasteners, because the Velcro doesn’t hold reliably when it’s wet. The Tevas dry quickly and are usable as a camp shoe. For the inevitable repairs, their is a product from Loon called Sun Patch. It’s like Aqua Seal except that it cures in seconds in strong sunlight rather than overnight. Mike — Michael McGuire Hewlett Packard Laboratories Phone: (650)-857-5491 Palo Alto, CA 94303-0971
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This question is for the anglers in this group. What waders and/or wading shoes do you take backpacking?
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When backpacking, the only waders I take are my bare legs with an old pair of Converse Chuck Taylor’s on my feet. If I had to take waders, I’d bring the LL Bean Fly Weight waders. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This question is for the anglers in this group. What waders and/or wading shoes do you take backpacking?
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You can carry whatever you want and have the strength to do so. Many fishermen do limited packing in the Eastern sierras. There are nice lakes a few miles off the nearest road and the only way to get there is to walk. Its not like you have to walk a marathon. Just get away from the cars a few days.
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I too have struggled for a good answer to your question. I have decided that taking hip waders backpacking is more weight and bulk than I can stand. I’m a backpacker that fishes occasionally rather than primarily a fisherman that backpacks mainly to get good fishing water. At one point, I simply used lightweight water shoes and braved the cold. I often ended up walking on top of the rocks in the streams to keep from having cold numb feet. This approach resulted in a slip and fall and a dislocated finger three days from the trailhead. Currently I use neoprene wet wading socks such as those that can be viewed at this link: http://www.3riversresort.com/product.cfm?productID=187 paired with Merrell Shoreline Stretch Shoes which can be viewed at this link: http://www.altrec.com/shop/detail/12506/11. These shoes are stretchy enough and adjustable enough that they can be worn without socks or with thick neoprene wading socks. They work well as wading shoes. They slip on and off quickly and work well for crossing water. I use them for in-camp shoes and occasionally for short hikes (e.g. from camp to the fishing spot). For me, they are the solution to question of what other shoe to bring backpacking other than my hiking boots. Bob Taylor
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This question is for the anglers in this group. What waders and/or wading shoes do you take backpacking?
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Question:
Fed and "entertained"? You marry a Hooters girl?
She is a 38"DD — Vern My ROFF page: http://msnhomepages.talkcity.com/ResortRd/v_deloy/ROFFintro.html "Wilderness needs no defense, only more defenders" quote by Edward Abbey Before you buy.
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My wife and I made a deal. I could go fishing one day every other weekend. That was our deal. That was two months ago. All in all a pretty ok deal since she works and the girls are 6 and 1 years old respectively. But blast if this weekend isn’t one of the fishing weekends. She keeps saying it’s ok, but the mentioning of Mother’s day keeps finding it’s way into the sentences before and after. I know – go Saturday – well I can’t. She’s gotta work. Am I selfish even to consider fishing on Mother’s day? I mean she’s not MY mother. Oh, wait – she is the mother of our children. That counts for something doesn’t it? Dam those Hallmark bastards. So I ask you ROFF – do I fish on Mother’s day?
It’s a Hallmark holiday. Go fishing, come back early, take the family to dinner….or better yet make her a home cooked fresh fish dinner and tell her you just HAD to go fishing or it wouldn’t have been special just for her (just make sure you stop by the grocery store on the way home if you get skunked). - Ken
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This is the wife of Jon. He was feeling a bit unsure about going fishing on mother’s day. I only want to explain why
Ingrid, You sound like a wonderful wife! I might say "perfect" but I’m sure that would cause a bit of consternation amongst the merry (married…) ROFFians! Jon’s lucky to have you, and I hope your life together is always happy. But most of all, Happy Mothers’ Day to you (AND all the other Moms on ROFF!) Cheers, Rick
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Ingrid; I’ve been married to a wonderful woman for what will be 17 years next week. You may have read some joking comments here and there in this thread, but the truth is that we fish because of who we are, we come home because of who you are. My wonderful wife Brenda and you could be cut from the same cloth. Jon goes to fish because of his love of the sport and all that it encompasses. Some say its a primal urge. His love and obvious caring for you is another primal urge that makes him want to stay home. Instant conflict. I lost my first wife in childbirth when she was but 21. From that sad situation on the one hand and the joyous life I’ve had with Brenda on the other, I’ve learned an important fact. It is not an individual day that makes a relationship or a memory. It is the sum of the caring. Jon and you have obviously learned this. Many never do. Congratulations. We all wish you, and all of you wonderful women who stand by us a very happy mothers’ day. Frank Reid
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Fed and "entertained"? You marry a Hooters girl? She is a 38"DD
EEEK!!! Aren’t those bigger than you? :-) - Ken
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Fed and "entertained"? You marry a Hooters girl? She is a 38"DD EEEK!!! Aren’t those bigger than you? :-)
Sometimes it seems like that. — Vern My ROFF page: http://msnhomepages.talkcity.com/ResortRd/v_deloy/ROFFintro.html "Wilderness needs no defense, only more defenders" quote by Edward Abbey Before you buy.
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hello all you fishers out there. This is the wife of Jon. He was feeling a bit unsure about going fishing on mother’s day. I only want to explain why he is probably feeling unsure. We agreed that every other weekend we get a day off to pursue enjoyable activity. This way, we each get a day for ourself while the other tends to the children. This leaves a day for family day. I work full time, and happen to be in the thick of a big deadline. Sooo not only have I worked these past two weeks, I have worked at five in the morning, all day, on my weekend day off, etc. So…having missed my day off, and feeling tired from tending the baby in the middle of night, working on my deadline, etc. I mentioned that I may be a bit tired on Mother’s day. I also encouraged Jon to continue with his plans to fish on Mother’s day, as he can’t do it on Saturday since I will be working overtime. I really want him to be able to go. I don’t want to clean the house and do the laundry and yardwork on Sunday, since we haven’t done it all week. That was the one and only dilemma. Soooo, now you all who are in support of him going can feel happy that I send him off with good wishes ( i always did) If I don’t have to spend sunday working in the house. I will enjoy some private time with my girls. I will be happy that jon, who spends most of his time at his desk, will be outdoors adn getting fresh air and excercise. Thank you all for your interest. I hope this also makes Jon a bit at ease in going. (But he will be cleaning Saturday night. haha) happy fishing…ingrid * Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping. Smart is Beautiful
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Not to torture your decision any firther, but if you look back in to deja news for last mothers day you will find a post explaining a theory about why I’ve never really nailed the black stone hatch though I’ve been on the lookout for two decades… Don’t let the dog out. Your pal, — TW – Halfordian Golfer "Guilt replaced the Creel" "A cash flow runs through it" "It is impossible to catch and release a wild trout"
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Yeah, I thought this was a no brainer. *NO* you don’t go flyfishing (unless she fishes and wants to go, with no input from you!). Don’t listen to ET1, he hasn’t been married very long, and if he follows his own advice, won’t be! 
I’ve been married over 20 years, my wife doesn’t fish, and I’ll probably go out mother’s day if the weather is nice. Hallmark and florists love you other guys, though (and so do I if you’re not out crowding up the stream)<g. — Charlie…
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: (4) Secretly buy yourself a new fly rod for Father’s day Nah, if you really want points, when she suggests buying you a new rod for father’s day, tell her you’re happy with what you have, and you don’t need anything new.
I’ll agree that Steve’s got a better plan than I, but come on, what good are the points if you don’t cash them in anytime. Fact of the matter is, if she’s actually offering you a new rod it means she’s scheming for something even more expensive for herself. Since you’re gonna lose no matter what, take the rod. , - Ken P.S. Got my S.O. convinced that she wants a new mini-laptop for graduation, guess who gets to play with it. :-) (I may be newly married, but I know the drill)
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Yeah, I thought this was a no brainer. *NO* you don’t go flyfishing (unless she fishes and wants to go, with no input from you!). Don’t listen to ET1, he hasn’t been married very long, and if he follows his own advice, won’t be! I’ve been married over 20 years, my wife doesn’t fish, and I’ll probably go out mother’s day if the weather is nice. Hallmark and florists love you other guys, though (and so do I if you’re not out crowding up the stream)<g.
I’ve been married 6 months, living together for 6 years, wife does fish, but I still have to go to mother-in-law’s house come Sunday. The plus side being that M.I.L. lives on the coast and we have to drive through the coast range to get there. I’ll bet ya a week’s pay that if I’ve got rods in the back, we’ll get to stop on the way to or from. She may be sucked into Hallmark holidays, but she’d probably be studying for finals otherwise so I’m not complaining… …much. - Ken
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Well, if it’s any consolation, I’m going to be fishing on the Big Horn on Mother’s Day. Granted, I got really lucky (don’t know how!) and have a wonderful wife who knows of my need to fish but she is really ok with it. She did say that I had to at least get here some flowers for Mom’s Day. I’d say you have to weigh your relationship that you have with you woman. — Tight Lines! Brian D. Nelson Diamond N Outfitters, Missoula, Montana http://www.montana.com/dno/dno.htm 406-626-4022
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife and I made a deal. I could go fishing one day every other weekend. That was our deal. That was two months ago. All in all a pretty ok deal since she works and the girls are 6 and 1 years old respectively. But blast if this weekend isn’t one of the fishing weekends. She keeps saying it’s ok, but the mentioning of Mother’s day keeps finding it’s way into the sentences before and after. I know – go Saturday – well I can’t. She’s gotta work. Am I selfish even to consider fishing on Mother’s day? I mean she’s not MY mother. Oh, wait – she is the mother of our children. That counts for something doesn’t it? Dam those Hallmark bastards. So I ask you ROFF – do I fish on Mother’s day? * Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find
related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping. Smart is Beautiful
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26 years and she loves me and knows the other love in my life is never a threat. i love her even more for this. however we had been married about 5 years when she discovered i could slip out of the bed at 4, go fishing, and was willing to come back and take the ass chewing. she got tired first… i learned this from my favorite labrador. fishworship wayne w
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife and I made a deal. I could go fishing one day
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Wellsir, This will sound like a cop-out, but I’ll try anyhow: I’m guessing that you’ve been married (or at least together) for at least 6 years at this point. I’m hoping that if you *really* consider the question thoughtfully, you’ll know the answer without our input. I don’t fish as often as I’d like, but it’s a trade-off for the privilege of being a dad, and being married 14 years to the same, gracious woman (who does not complain on those occasions when I do get out for some time on the water). Someday, the kids will be uninterested in your lavish affection, your wife will have book club or garden society meetings scheduled, and you will have truckloads of time to be filled with something. Since you asked, I’d lean toward not fishing. Instead, consider what you could do or say that would truly delight the mother of your children. Savor her response, and plan on fishing another day. just my $0.02 (your mileage may vary). Bob Card – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife and I made a deal. I could go fishing one day every other weekend. That was our deal. That was two months ago. All in all a pretty ok deal since she works and the girls are 6 and 1 years old respectively. But blast if this weekend isn’t one of the fishing weekends. She keeps saying it’s ok, but the mentioning of Mother’s day keeps finding it’s way into the sentences before and after. I know – go Saturday – well I can’t. She’s gotta work. Am I selfish even to consider fishing on Mother’s day? I mean she’s not MY mother. Oh, wait – she is the mother of our children. That counts for something doesn’t it? Dam those Hallmark bastards. So I ask you ROFF – do I fish on Mother’s day? * Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping. Smart is Beautiful
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Oh, wait – she is the mother of our children. That counts for something doesn’t it? Dam those Hallmark bastards. So I ask you ROFF – do I fish on Mother’s day?
Of course you should go fishing. I would limit it to a half day without letting her know that and make some very special plans for her that night. I used to go and catch fresh fish for my wife and then cook her dinner and have flowers and stuff for her. She seemed to really enjoy the meal and gifts and the personal attention I gave her on the special day. Although, the last 2 years I stayed home and now am getting a divorce. You make the choice. Warren X#-[
Trout Dwellers Unite! Western Conclave Guru For info: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/sp_ROFF_people/wclave/wclave.html
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife and I made a deal. I could go fishing one day every other weekend. That was our deal. That was two Jonnie, Jonnie, Jonnie. I’ve been there before several times. Here’s what you need to do. Follow these instructions carefully: (1) Tell her that she is much more important to you than fly fishing (lie if you have to) and that you’d never think of fishing on her special day. (2) Make her a lovely dinner and buy her a nice gift (3) Tell her over dinner that you want to go fly fishing for Father’s Day weekend (4) Secretly buy yourself a new fly rod for Father’s day Take a quick look at the calendar and you’ll see that if you follow this plan you will not only gain extra points with your wife (meaning more fishing trips down the road), but you will also be able to fish three weekends in a row (June 11th, 18th, and 25th). You are welcome –Steve
Steve, I think you have the right idea. Let me also say, I just went back to your web-site and you have a beautiful family. With a family like that, why would any man want to do anything else other than spend time with the people he loves on "Mother’s Day." I just wish I didn’t have to work on Mother’s Day. I can’t get out of it. 
Let me also say to the rest of you, don’t go out for Mother’s Day. Someone has to work keeping you fed and entertained and it just ruins the day for them. Trust me, I know. — Vern My ROFF page: http://msnhomepages.talkcity.com/ResortRd/v_deloy/ROFFintro.html "Wilderness needs no defense, only more defenders" quote by Edward Abbey Before you buy.
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it? Dam those Hallmark bastards. So I ask you ROFF – do I fish on Mother’s day?
If you can do it, perhaps you could make an investment in the future and teach your wife mother, and/or mother in law to flyfish…Then you’d HAVE to take them out fishing on Mother’s day.
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Let me also say to the rest of you, don’t go out for Mother’s Day. Someone has to work keeping you fed and entertained and it just ruins the day for them. Trust me, I know.
Fed and "entertained"? You marry a Hooters girl? - Ken
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Well, all I can say is – you guys haven’t helped me a bit. It’s just beautiful. I love you guys. To clarify a couple of things – we just celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in April. My wife does not like to eat trout and does not fish. Taking the girls – well, I like the suggestion, but I’d be better off taking them to the park. I told her last night I was asking the world their opinion on this matter. She again insisted I go. I’m leaning toward the early return, fix a nice meal version. Thanks guys. JE * Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping. Smart is Beautiful
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She again insisted I go.
After being married for 10 years, you probably don’t need me to point out that what she says is not necessarily what she means (Mars vs. Venus). Afterward, see if this conversation sounds familiar: She: "I can’t believe you went fishing on Mother’s Day!" You: "But you told me to go." She: "Only because I thought it was so damned important to you. After all, you asked the whole world if it was a good idea." You: "If you didn’t want me to go, why didn’t you say so?" She: "I shouldn’t have to say so. If I were really as important to you as your fishing, you would have known without me saying anything." etc., etc., etc. You have to completely ignore anything she says, read her mind, and do what she’s thinking you should do. Good luck. But you’ll still be wrong because you even considered the idea for a second. Been there, Joe F.
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take the kids with you and give her a day of peace and quiet Paul
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife and I made a deal. I could go fishing one day every other weekend. That was our deal. That was two months ago. All in all a pretty ok deal since she works and the girls are 6 and 1 years old respectively. But blast if this weekend isn’t one of the fishing weekends. She keeps saying it’s ok, but the mentioning of Mother’s day keeps finding it’s way into the sentences before and after. I know – go Saturday – well I can’t. She’s gotta work. Am I selfish even to consider fishing on Mother’s day? I mean she’s not MY mother. Oh, wait – she is the mother of our children. That counts for something doesn’t it? Dam those Hallmark bastards. So I ask you ROFF – do I fish on Mother’s day? * Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find
related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping. Smart is Beautiful – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
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So I ask you ROFF – do I fish on Mother’s day?
Hi, Jonnie I’m a bachelor, and considering taking on a new roommate. If you go fishing on Mothers’ Day, my money says you’ll be a candidate. Stay home and treat her right! She’ll give you another weekend. Otherwise you can go fishing EVERY weekend, and probably even take your girls on visitation days! BTW, Happy Mothers’ Day to all the Moms on ROFF! Cheers, Rick
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My wife and I made a deal. I could go fishing one day every other weekend. That was our deal. That was two
Jonnie, Jonnie, Jonnie. I’ve been there before several times. Here’s what you need to do. Follow these instructions carefully: (1) Tell her that she is much more important to you than fly fishing (lie if you have to) and that you’d never think of fishing on her special day. (2) Make her a lovely dinner and buy her a nice gift (3) Tell her over dinner that you want to go fly fishing for Father’s Day weekend (4) Secretly buy yourself a new fly rod for Father’s day Take a quick look at the calendar and you’ll see that if you follow this plan you will not only gain extra points with your wife (meaning more fishing trips down the road), but you will also be able to fish three weekends in a row (June 11th, 18th, and 25th). You are welcome –Steve
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My wife and I made a deal. I could go fishing one day every other weekend. That was our deal. That was two months ago. All in all a pretty ok deal since she works and the girls are 6 and 1 years old respectively. But blast if this weekend isn’t one of the fishing weekends. She keeps saying it’s ok, but the mentioning of Mother’s day keeps finding it’s way into the sentences before and after. I know – go Saturday – well I can’t. She’s gotta work. Am I selfish even to consider fishing on Mother’s day? I mean she’s not MY mother. Oh, wait – she is the mother of our children. That counts for something doesn’t it? Dam those Hallmark bastards. So I ask you ROFF – do I fish on Mother’s day? * Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping. Smart is Beautiful
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Question:
I am interested in beginnging to use shooting head lines as it seems they would give me a great deal more versatility without having to buy multiple additional spools to hold different types of lines. Can anyone give me a good source for this type of line or is it as I suspect from not seeing them advertised much that I need to build them myself. If this is the case, can you point me in the right direction to learn how to build them? Thanks in advance.
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I am interested in beginnging to use shooting head lines as it seems they would give me a great deal more versatility without having to buy multiple additional spools to hold different types of lines. Can anyone give me a good source for this type of line or is it as I suspect from not seeing them advertised much that I need to build them myself. If this is the case, can you point me in the right direction to learn how to build them? Thanks in advance.
Malcolm, Shooting heads are great for some applications where you want long distance casts to be performed easily. They are less adequate for other applications where you want for instance line control (mending long lines). Meaning shooting heads are mostly used for stillwater and saltwater where distance is essential. To get the most of your outfit, using a stripping basket helps managing the loose line, but takes some time to learn using. I guess you will use it for overhead casting with a single handed rod (shooting heads and two handed rods is something quite different). You can build your shooting heads out of a DT line. If you have, say, a #6-7 rod, the optimum is likely to be about 11 meters shooting head #7. The important thing is to load the rod with the optimum *weight*. It means you will need perhaps more, perhaps less than those 11 meters, depending on the actual weight of the line (there are tolerances in the manufacturing) and the actual rod class. Some people use a higher line class, shortening the head to perhaps 9 meters which gives even longer casts but sacrificing line control even more. Running line: Buy the best running line you can afford (cheap in comparison to WF line). There are 3 basic kind of running lines. -Dacron with a coating similar to floating lines. Actually a level floating line. Nicest to hold. -Braided nylon. Compromise. -Flat monofil. Longer casts, won’t tangle but not so nice to hold. DO NOT use regular monofil! It will tangle. Splice a loop on the end of the runninging line. Fill the reel with as much as you expect to be able to cast. 20 meters running line will do it. 30 meters if you are a very skilled caster. Shooting head: You don’t have to buy the best DT line available, as much of the casting performance is due to the running line properties. To find out the optimum weight for your rod, some testing is needed. 1. Cut the DT into two. Gives you two shooting heads, one spare or as a gift to a friend. 2. Attach the running line and the shooting head temporarily, e.g. with loop connectors. 3. Try the outfit in the backyard or on a lawn. Cut down the shooting head gradually until you get optimum performance. (When casting a shooting head, you don’t really shoot line as with a WF, instead you only have the shooting head and a few inches of shooting line outside the rod tip when letting the line go. 4. When you have found out the optimum weight, splice a loop on the shooting head. 5. Go fishing and check it works OK in practical situations. 6. Use a scale to determine the exact weight of the shooting head, this is useful information when you design your next shooting head (for the same rod). NOTE: Make sure the loops that connect the running line and shooting head run smooth trough the rod guides! The smoothest connection is to sew the lines together, in which case you either need one spool per line or to make the loop connection at the backing. NOTE: To gain distance and be able to turn over larger flies, you may consider shortening the tip of the shooting head. The price is sacrificing presentation, but for windy conditions, this is worth considering. Contact me if you need more info. Good Luck Tord
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I am interested in beginnging to use shooting head lines as it seems they would give me a great deal more versatility without having to buy multiple additional spools to hold different types of lines. Can anyone give me a good source for this type of line or is it as I suspect from not seeing them advertised much that I need to build them myself. If this is the case, can you point me in the right direction to learn how to build them? Thanks in advance.
Scientific Anglers used to ( and likely still do) make a selection of shooting heads that should meet your needs. Buying the heads will be cheaper than making your own. If you are looking for versatility try these trick. Cut the front 10 feet off a WF floating line. Serve a braided mono loop in the end of line. Use 5 to 10 foot sections of sinking line of varying sink rates that match the weight of the main line. Serve loops into the ends of these. Do the same with the floating section removed from the line so you can also switch back to a floating tip. You’ve now got a mutliple tip line that allows quick changes of sink rate. It won’t cast as far as a ST line but you didn’t indcate that was the problem. I’ve been using one of these ‘exchangable’ sink tips lately and am pleased with the casting performance. Some fly shops will set the line up for you and provide a selection of sink tips. Make some enquiries. Ralph H
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I think this guy really did all his home work. Very interesting and accurate info. Thanks for sharing this with all on the group.
….and "thank you" from me, also! Very helpful info. Wayne — Gallery W http://www.magiccarpet.com/~waynem/G_Over.html
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – <snip (When casting a shooting head, you don’t really shoot line as with a WF, instead you only have the shooting head and a few inches of shooting line outside the rod tip when letting the line go. <snip It’s interesting how things can go full circle. I’ve seen advertisements in the non-Fly Fishing world for short, 2-3 feet lengths of "weighted casting line" (read Shooting Head) which allow spin fishermen to "cast" flies. When you think of it, a spool would beat the heck out of a stripping basket for holding "running" line. Just some thoughts. Rick
I guess the "weighted casting line" must have a pretty high density. Must be lead core to have 2-3 feet heavy enough to be cast with a spinning rod… Your suggestion using a spool would imply a pretty large reel, since the shooting head (some 11 meters long) must fit too on the spool. Still, you need to learn to cast a fly line, although this is theoretically feasible with a large capacity spinning reel attached to your fly rod. (I guess you are not thinking about using a casting reel for this purpose…). The point in using a stripping basket is managing 20 meters or more of running line while wading in non-calm water (breaking waves, current) that will drag the line or tangle it. Or, fishing from a boat, to avoid the line tangling in the numerous items that usually are found on deck. Or to prevent the line from getting caught by strong winds… /Tord
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<snip (When casting a shooting head, you don’t really shoot line as with a WF, instead you only have the shooting head and a few inches of shooting line outside the rod tip when letting the line go.
<snip It’s interesting how things can go full circle. I’ve seen advertisements in the non-Fly Fishing world for short, 2-3 feet lengths of "weighted casting line" (read Shooting Head) which allow spin fishermen to "cast" flies. When you think of it, a spool would beat the heck out of a stripping basket for holding "running" line. Just some thoughts. Rick
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am interested in beginnging to use shooting head lines as it seems they would give me a great deal more versatility without having to buy multiple additional spools to hold different types of lines. Can anyone give me a good source for this type of line or is it as I suspect from not seeing them advertised much that I need to build them myself. If this is the case, can you point me in the right direction to learn how to build them? Thanks in advance. Malcolm, Shooting heads are great for some applications where you want long distance casts to be performed easily. They are less adequate for other applications where you want for instance line control (mending long lines). Meaning shooting heads are mostly used for stillwater and saltwater where distance is essential. To get the most of your outfit, using a stripping basket helps managing the loose line, but takes some time to learn using. I guess you will use it for overhead casting with a single handed rod (shooting heads and two handed rods is something quite different). You can build your shooting heads out of a DT line. If you have, say, a #6-7 rod, the optimum is likely to be about 11 meters shooting head #7. The important thing is to load the rod with the optimum *weight*. It means you will need perhaps more, perhaps less than those 11 meters, depending on the actual weight of the line (there are tolerances in the manufacturing) and the actual rod class. Some people use a higher line class, shortening the head to perhaps 9 meters which gives even longer casts but sacrificing line control even more. Running line: Buy the best running line you can afford (cheap in comparison to WF line). There are 3 basic kind of running lines. -Dacron with a coating similar to floating lines. Actually a level floating line. Nicest to hold. -Braided nylon. Compromise. -Flat monofil. Longer casts, won’t tangle but not so nice to hold. DO NOT use regular monofil! It will tangle. Splice a loop on the end of the runninging line. Fill the reel with as much as you expect to be able to cast. 20 meters running line will do it. 30 meters if you are a very skilled caster. Shooting head: You don’t have to buy the best DT line available, as much of the casting performance is due to the running line properties. To find out the optimum weight for your rod, some testing is needed. 1. Cut the DT into two. Gives you two shooting heads, one spare or as a gift to a friend. 2. Attach the running line and the shooting head temporarily, e.g. with loop connectors. 3. Try the outfit in the backyard or on a lawn. Cut down the shooting head gradually until you get optimum performance. (When casting a shooting head, you don’t really shoot line as with a WF, instead you only have the shooting head and a few inches of shooting line outside the rod tip when letting the line go. 4. When you have found out the optimum weight, splice a loop on the shooting head. 5. Go fishing and check it works OK in practical situations. 6. Use a scale to determine the exact weight of the shooting head, this is useful information when you design your next shooting head (for the same rod). NOTE: Make sure the loops that connect the running line and shooting head run smooth trough the rod guides! The smoothest connection is to sew the lines together, in which case you either need one spool per line or to make the loop connection at the backing. NOTE: To gain distance and be able to turn over larger flies, you may consider shortening the tip of the shooting head. The price is sacrificing presentation, but for windy conditions, this is worth considering. Contact me if you need more info. Good Luck Tord
I think this guy really did all his home work. Very interesting and accurate info. Thanks for sharing this with all on the group. It sounds like you are somewhere in Europe? I agree that shooting heads are great in the right situation, but not all the time. I’m saving this one. Bill Kiene Kiene’s Fly Shop Sacramento,CA,USA 800/4000FLY
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