Below is a great video showing how to tie up a version of a Light Cahill wet fly. You can apply this same style to any bug on the water, mayfly or caddis, just by changing the color of materials used. It's a great pattern that will fool trout.
Just the other evening, before the deluge of rain filled my local streams to conditions impossible to fish, I was having a ball fishing a hatch of light cahills. I love this hatch because its easy to see, predictable, & locally are in great abundance. The run that I was fishing called for a wet fly, at least for me as my skills with a dry fly in faster water are lacking. Below is a great video showing how to tie up a version of a Light Cahill wet fly. You can apply this same style to any bug on the water, mayfly or caddis, just by changing the color of materials used. It's a great pattern that will fool trout. Please, throughout this weekend, remember & honor those who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Please pause for a moment of silence at 3 pm on Monday for the National Moment of Remembrance.
I hope you're all having a fantastic trout season so far & that you've been able to get out & enjoy the streams. In my area we've had it pretty good overall, but this year seams to be one of those seasons where you need to be ready to fish when conditions are good. It looks like we're in a weather pattern where it rains, the streams become too high & muddy, then a few days of acceptable conditions - then the cycle repeats itself with more rain. So what's a fly angler to do when stream conditions are in transition & the water is a bit high & with color? One solution to find trout in these situations is go where they're almost certain to be no matter. Two types of stream locations come to mind: bridges & seams. Both bridges & seams are good any time of the season, but they are especially good to try if the water is high, fast, & off-color. bridges:Trout love to hang out around bridges for several reasons, not the least of which is that they provide cover & protection from predatory birds & other threats. The water around & beneath a bridge makes a great home for trout. You'll find trout both just upstream, in front of a bridge & just below it, too. I think they get a sense of security knowing that they can always duck for cover back under the bridge. Bridges also can give you a sense of what bugs will be on the water. Often the mayflies will collect on the supports of a bridge to molt. Study those bugs, as they'll soon be falling spent onto the water after they've mated & laid their eggs. You can also see the bug activity pick up at a bridge, as both the bugs & the birds that eat them become more active under & around the bridge & its supports. Another reason why trout like bridges is because the water 'piles up' above them. Often the water gets channeled down at a bridge into a more narrow flow which creates deeper spots & changes in the water flow. Here slower water meets faster water (which is also why they're good spots to fish when the stream is high). These spots where faster flows butt up against slower water creates what we call a "seam"........... seams:Seams in the stream flow are the golden spot for trout anglers. Trout love them because it makes their life much easier. You see, trout like to hang out in the slower flow, which requires less effort on their part, & let the faster water bring them food. All types of aquatic insects get caught up, pulled into the flow & get channeled into the seam. The trout, watching & waiting in the edge of the slower water, can see every piece of food that the seam has collected. When you fish a seam, you typically want your fly to travel the water just on the edge of the slower flow. It's much easier to managed your line here & besides, it's where the trout are. You should look for seams every time you go fishing, but especially in marginal conditions when the stream is high. You'll know that the trout would rather hang out in the slower water rather than work their tails off in the faster flows. Arthur Ransome, in his old book "Rod & Line" has a chapter on dealing with adverse fishing conditions. His approach to poor weather & conditions is to not look at the obstacles, but rather to look for the elements of the stream conditions that are good - the elements you can work with. You still might not catch a trout, but you've done your best to put as many odds as you can in your favor. At least by looking at it from that perspective, you stand a chance of catching a fish no matter what shape the stream is in that day....... ......And if conditions are so bad that fishing is all but impossible, at least you can explore & enjoy the wildlife, plants, & beauty that surround the stream! Good luck on the water to all of you this season!!
I'm so pleased to now offer an affordable custom fiberglass fly rod. These rods are for those of you looking to get into fiberglass fly rods to see what all the fuss is about, or if you just want a custom made glass rod without the investment. Here's how it works: You choose your rod blank & components. Then, once you & I have all the details settled about your rod I ask for a down payment of half the total to begin. The wait time for me to make your Prudential Glass rod is only 2 to 3 months, maximum (depending on if you have any special requests) maybe less. That's only two payments of $162.50, one to start, the other only after the rod is completed!! You choose your rod blank from the different sizes & colors available. These include: 1.) 6'-0", 2/3 wt, smoke grey color w/ tip over butt ferrules. 2.) 7'-0", 3 wt, clear glass color, spigot ferrules. 3.) 7'-6", 4 wt, yellow or light green color, spigot ferrules. 4.) 8'-0" 5/6 wt, grey smoke color, spigot ferrules. 5.) 8'-0", 7 wt, brown / orange color, spigot ferrules, faster action. 6.) 8'-6", 5 wt, light grey color, spigot ferrules. Here are some of the rod colors available: You can also choose your grip shape from the Fenwick style, Reverse Half-Welles, or Full Welles shapes: You have your choice of reel seats as well. You choose either up locking, or down locking; chrome, black, or antique gold color metal. Choose your spacer between maple, cork, walnut, or burl. Like any custom fly rod, you have your choice of line guides, tip top, & hook keeper in either chrome or black finish. Those guides are wrapped in fine silk thread & coated with real varnish for smooth wraps - just like a bamboo rod. You can choose the color of thread wraps you want.
There's also a personal inscription of whatever you choose written above the grip on the butt section. One side of the rod will have my name, length, line wt, etc & the other side will have whatever you wish. If that wasn't enough, for the price each rod comes in a custom fit canvas covered PVC rod tube & also a soft cotton flannel rod bag. Each are made specifically to your rod for a custom fit. I am very excited to offer these rods. They are an opportunity for you to see just how fun it can be to have a custom rod made for yourself, but without a huge investment of money & time on your part. I ask for a down payment of half the total to begin the rod ($162.50). Once I know what you want & have received your first payment, I'll begin work on your rod. You'll receive hard copy receipts for your payments & I'll keep you updated, with photos, as your rod progresses. Most rods will only take 2 to 3 months to complete at most, unless you have a unique request for your rod. Once the rod is completed & your second payment made, I'll ship the rod out & provide you with a tracking number so you can follow it in transit. Payments can be made by check, money order, or via Paypal. To read more about these rods & to see detailed photos of all your options, please visit the Fiberglass Fly Rod page of this site. If you have any questions about anything, please feel free to contact me anytime & I'll be more than happy to help. It really can be this fun & affordable to own a custom fiberglass fly rod! I'm very pleased to now offer these traditional style D-block style fly reel cases: These cases will house any classic or modern reel, regular or wide spool, up to the dimension listed for each size. While this style of case is traditional to makers such as Hardy, Farlow's, & other English reels, it would make a fine home for any fly reel. I make these cases, by hand, in my shop. These D-block cases are made from heavy 9 oz leather to offer plenty of protection for your fly reel. The chestnut colored leather has been treated for a smooth, flawless appearance & feel. A brass stud closure & strap makes it easy to open & close the case. These cases are constructed with 'French' hand-mitered edges, making for perfect corners on each seam. They are hand stitched in a traditional box stitch & made to last a lifetime. Each case features a Sherpa lining inside to both wick moisture away & protect your fly reel. Standard leather color is chestnut (shown above), but other colors of leather are available for a small fee: black, brown, chocolate, & London tan. To read more about these cases & to see even more detailed photos of them, please visit the Leather Accessories page. If you have any questions about them, please contact me.
The double surgeon's knot is a great way to attach your tippet to your leader. For those of you new to fly fishing, or those who have been maybe using a different knot for your leader-to-tippet connection, give this double surgeon's a try. Once you get onto it, you'll find you can tie it up very quickly along the stream. Below is a short video that makes it very easy to see how this knot is tied. |
The Pliant RodNews from the shop of Chris Lantzy, Custom Rod Maker along with industry news, profiles of interesting characters, reviews, history, & whatever else strikes our fancy. Your comments & feedback are welcome. Please email me your thoughts. Celebrating two decades of making custom fly rods!!
leather accessoriesCases, bags, wallets, & other fine leather angling accessories.
See more photos from the rod shop & stream sides!
SEE MORE ROD PHOTOS!!!Please visit my Flickr pages to see even more rod photos including those available for sale, different rod features, & more. I'll be continuing to add photos there, so check it often.
Watch Some Videos!!Take a look into the rod shop & see some rods in living color motion pictures!! Check out my youtube videos.
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