By Jerry Darkes As a guide for both steelhead and smallmouth bass, I am always looking for equipment that helps customers fish more effectively. The skill level of my clients varies from highly experienced to total novice. When they use my gear, I want to put something in their hands that can cross skill levels and enhance their day on the water. All of this translates into making my life easier. One of the key…
Continue readingBalancing fly line, rod, and reel. Assembling a balanced fly fishing rig is as easy as matching the numbers on the fly line to the numbers on the fly reel and fly rod. For instance, you would match an Ultra 4 5-weight fly line with a 5-weight fly rod, and you’d spool it on a 4/5/6 fly reel. Lower numbers – weights 2-6 – denote smaller gear best suited to trout and panfish. As the…
Continue readingYou think your floating line isn’t floating as well as it used to? The reasons, and the fix are probably pretty simple. Lines float because they are lighter than water, and because they are hydrophobic, they repel water. For lines to float their best, both of these features need to be working. The density of your line won’t change, it won’t absorb water and become waterlogged and sink, but if it gets dirty it won’t…
Continue readingFLY LINE TAPERS: NOT AS COMPLICATED AS YOU MIGHT THINK Short Version: The way a fly line is shaped determines how it will cast, present flies, and fish. Longer, Super Scientific Version: How a fly line is shaped determines its performance through the air, with the line’s taper affecting how energy is transmitted and dissipated. Varying the lengths and diameters of the various parts of the fly line allows us to control this energy, resulting in accentuated…
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