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Custom Fly Fishing Rods by Chris Lantzy, Custom Rod Maker

Too Much Water

6/29/2015

To say it has been a wet month of June here in Pennsylvania is a gross understatement. We're pushing for the wettest June ever on record. Locally in my area of North-Western PA, we've had different occasions where we've received four inches of rain in a weekend; then another two inches in 24 hours; then another 1 1/2 inches in less than 24 hours; on & on. With more rain in the forecast, there seems to be no end in sight. It has been relentless here.

Needless to say that there has been a lot of flooding in my area. Property damage is happening all over & some roads have had to be closed. In short, it has been raining here all month long. You can count on one hand the number of days when we haven't had rain this month.

This has all but destroyed the fishing in streams & rivers here. Forget about fly fishing any local streams for a very long time here. The entire region of PA, Eastern Ohio, West Virginia, parts of Western New York, & others have been really soaked.

So I guess it's time to hit the ponds & lakes with my fly rod!! That seems to be the only alternative at this time. If you're planing a trip to PA for some fly fishing, you'd better call ahead first!!

I hope you're all safe sound where you are. I've been lucky here so far & the rod shop is still intact - though it's getting so humid that I'm going to have to invest in another dehumidifier for the shop!! In fact, if it keeps raining the scene around the rod shop will look just like this:

Please folks, be safe & stay away from away flooded streams. It's just not safe to be anywhere around them right now.

Not being able to fish for trout in my local streams has me singing tunes like this one:

Other than the rain, I hope you're all having a happy summer so far!!

G. Loomis History

6/25/2015

Gary Loomis has his name on many fishing rods. G. Loomis is a major brand of fishing rods in the world today. But how did it get that way?

Gary was a machinist by trade before he got into rod designing. A devout angler all his life, he was always in search of his ideal rod. So he set about to make it himself. What resulted from that was the rods & company we all know today.

His first foray into rod design was at the Lamiglass company. There he oversaw the production of all their rod blanks. Eventually, Gary would go out on his own & ended up designing some very fine rods.

Above all his accomplishments in the world of rod design, Gary started a non-profit group call Fish First, which works with volunteers to restore wild & native runs of salmon & steel head in the Lewis River Basin in Washington state. This is a fantastic program that is working to make sure anglers have runs of fish to pursue for generations to come.

I've always admired Gary Loomis. As a rod maker I think some of his designs are very good. Plus, there's a G.Loomis rod for just about any fishing situation. Not all companies can do that. I've made fly rods on Loomis blanks & so far have not been disappointed with them.

Here is a short video about Gary & his company (with historical info) from the International Game Fish Association. I think you'll find it interesting.

Finding New Spots On Familiar Water

6/22/2015

Every angler has those fishing spots that they know well. They fish there often & usually have success. However, there will be times when we approach out favorite spots & find them occupied by other anglers. It's at those times that we need to step back & try to look at a familiar stream with new eyes.

So often, for me at least, the fishing on familiar streams is comfortable & somewhat predictable. I may or may not catch fish there, but I've formed (through experience) an idea of what will & will not work there. I can relax & go through the motions, enjoying myself. It's when the fishing gets tough that I start to get really methodical. That's when it becomes challenging.

Another challenge is on days when the stream is busy & crowded with other anglers. Great weather during a big hatch can have the stream as busy as a shopping mall the day after Thanksgiving. It seems like every pool or run that you normally fish is already heavily fortified. What to do? Well, you can go back to the car & drive to another stream, but if that's not an option then you've got to go exploring.

Someone told a long time ago that when the stream is crowded with anglers, you don't want to fish those more popular spots for two reasons: 1) any fish that are in those places were probably put down by the anglers before you & 2) the trout might not even be there - having fled the stampede of anglers to hide out in other locations that are quieter & have cover. I have found this to be true.

I can remember one day fishing a 2 mile stretch of stream that I thought I knew like the back of my hand. I could tell you everywhere the trout were & where to cast & how to mend your line on every spot along that stretch of water. Then one day I went there to fish & it was very crowded. I had never seen it so busy with anglers. Every single fishing spot I came to as I walked along this 2 mile stretch was occupied by other anglers - I mean every spot. There was no place to fish!!......or so I thought.

Well, without going into a long story about my heroics, let's just say that I went exploring that day & hit a lot of the "in-between" water that I would always just walk right past - & it turned out to be a very good day.

Okay, hurrah for me; but that episode got me thinking as I drove home that night. Why didn't I know there would be fish there? Why did I always walk past those spots on less crowded days? Shouldn't I have known better?

The next time I went back to that 2 mile stretch (about a week & a half later) it wasn't crowded at all. I could have just about any place on the stream that I wanted to fish, but I went back to the "in-between" water & met with success again. That really drove it home & made a point to me: I didn't know that stretch of stream as well as I thought I did. Human arrogance strikes again!!

You probably don't have that problem. You probably keep en open mind when reading a stream. But for me, especially when the stream gets crowded with other anglers, I'm going to go exploring & hopefully learn something new about a section of stream that I arrogantly thought I was an "expert" on. Wish me luck!!!

Catching Trout In Summer (Re-post)

6/19/2015

Well, it's getting on to that time of year again when the heat & water temps will become a factor in fishing. With the official start of summer upon us, the hot season is really just beginning. So I thought it was the perfect time to re-post this article I wrote a few years ago about trying to catch catch trout in the summer.......

For many anglers in the East & Mid-west, the hot summer months can mean an end to our fishing for trout. But summer is long & not fishing in summer means going a long time without catching a trout. Winter, being as long as it is some years, can drive an angler crazy. Hanging up the rod in the summer, too, doesn’t sound like something I want to do.

Obviously, if the water conditions are too hot for trout fishing – either the trout are not surviving, or catching one would kill it – than the best way to get your angling fix is to pursue other species of fish. Bass, carp, bluegill, crappie, etc are excellent fish to catch with a fly. While the traditional fish to catch on a fly rod is trout, don’t overlook other types of fish. There is as much to learn about fishing for these other species as there is for trout & so is a larger subject than the scope of this article.

But, what if you’re a “purest” & only pursue trout? What do you do in the heat of summer? Here are some thoughts on catching trout in the heat:

As I said earlier, summer can be long & hot making fishing difficult at best in some situations. Let me state here & now that there are times when fishing for trout should not be considered at all. These are times of heavy drought, especially during periods of prolonged high temperatures. When conditions are like that, trout die & it’s all some of them can do to survive. The last thing they need is to be overly stressed by an angler who should be home in the air conditioning.

Since the heat & lower, less oxygenated waters of summer do weaken trout it would be a good idea to adjust your tackle. In the summer, play & land trout as quickly as possible. This isn’t the season to let the trout take long runs on you. Bring them to hand as fast as you safely can. If this means using a heavier, longer fly rod than you did in the spring, so be it. A prolonged fight with a trout in the summer can kill the fish. Besides, the fun in summer fishing isn’t the adrenaline rush of fighting powerful trout; it’s in finding where they are & fooling them into taking your fly.

To get the most out of summer trout fishing you’ll have to adjust the time of day you go. Most anglers hit the stream in the evening & that’s fine, but what you’re after is to be on the stream when the water is the coolest. Since trout activity very much depends on water temps, I would recommend wetting a line in the early morning hours until about mid-morning. As the dog days approach & the water temps rise higher, move your start times back even earlier, so you are fishing in the pre-dawn hours. During the hottest weeks of the year, night fishing will be your best bet. Folks may think you’re daft for heading to the stream at 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning, but this is when you’ll have the longest window of cooler water temps to fish.

While fishing at night, you’ll have a chance at catching some of the biggest trout in the stream. Trout will grow to a point where feeding on insects alone doesn’t provide them enough nourishment to survive. When they get that big, they begin focusing their feeding efforts on larger prey like other fish. They become stalkers & hunters & do their best work in the cover of darkness. To target these monsters, use a large sub-surface fly that will make some noise as you move it through the water. A muddler minnow is a perfect choice.

To find the best water in the summer, look for the most oxygenated water: riffles, water falls, & anywhere you see faster water broken up by rocks. One of the best places to try would be just down stream of where a feeder creek or a spring dumps into the stream, as this will mean cooler water.

Look for shade as well. Streams that flow through wood lands will stay cooler longer than meadow streams. Also, stand in the shade while making your presentations to the trout. Summer conditions usually mean low, clear water making it easier for the trout to see you. Likewise, the trout will be thinking along these same lines, too, so think about targeting areas of the water that are in the shade.

Deeper water is cooler than shallow water, so be sure to fish the deepest pools of the stream. Get your fly down as close to the bottom as you can & make sure your fly drifts through the pool as slow as possible. Summer trout won’t be moving as fast as they did in April. Give them a chance to strike your fly. When you see a deep pool, add weight to your line & fish it thoroughly.

It should go without saying, but if you’re fishing in the heat, stay safe. Remember all those things they told you when you were a kid: drink plenty of water, don’t over exert yourself, wear a hat & sun screen, tell someone where you’ll be fishing, etc, etc. Also keep in mind that if you’ll be fishing at night bring along a flashlight – just in case - & only fish areas of water that you know very well. It would also be a good idea to wear a life jacket. That could save your life, should you fall into the water in the dark & not able to see what’s around you.

Overall remember that summer trout fishing is a slow, easy going activity. It’s not meant to be a circus of adrenaline. The real joy of it is finding a well hidden trout that other anglers have given up on finding & then having the skill to fool this wise trout into eating your fly!!!

Attack of The Mayflies....

6/16/2015

No, it's not the title of an old 1950's sci-fi movie (though I think it would make a great movie), but you might have thought it was something out of a science fiction film over the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania the other night. So many mayflies swarmed onto a bridge over the river outside Lancaster the other night that it made driving conditions on the bridge almost impossible. In fact it cause two accidents.

This does happen from time to time in places like this, & other than anybody getting hurt, it's a good sign for the river. It means that the water is good & clean enough to support the mayflies. Since mayflies are very susceptible to pollution, they are one indicator of water quality. It's just a shame that there had to be any accidents. Some folks think this was caused by the new street lights over the bridge.

There are about 300 different types of mayflies in Pennsylvania. That's a good thing for the fly angler & one reason why you need local info about the hatches when traveling across the state to fish in different parts. The bugs that hatch on one stream might not be the same ones hatching just down the road.

So when you see a massive hatch like this one, you might think that the fishing will be good. Well, in fact the opposite is true. If you find yourself trying to fish a humongous hatch, where there are so many bugs it looks like a white out, you don't stand much of a chance. That's because with all those naturals on the water, your odds of a trout taking your dry fly are much less. It's simply a numbers game. It might be neat to say you were there when it happened, but it's not always a pleasant experience, either. Make sure to cover your mouth, nose, & eyes.

I still think Hollywood is missing a chance at a great summer block-buster here. Think about it: a comment lands on earth & suddenly fly anglers are disappearing, then the mayflies start to swarm into town. Well okay, they can take it from there.

Take a look at this video showing some folks driving through the mayfly storm over the Susquehanna the other night:

To read more about this incident, please click HERE.

Leather Fly Wallets

6/13/2015

Functional simplicity made with quality materials - that's how I would describe the leather fly wallets made in my shop. I've been making these wallets for years now & they're one of the most popular accessories I offer. A few years ago my dad joined me in the accessories shop to help out so I could have more time in the rod shop & we've both seen the demand for these wallets grow. I'd like to show them in a little more detail here.

It all starts with the leather. While the type of leather I use to make these wallets changes all the time, each one is made of quality leather. I use different types of leather based on it's availability & to offer a variety. Some like their wallets made from soft leather while others prefer a smooth or harder leather. Whatever you like I try to have a leather in stock to get you the wallet you want.

There are two inside pockets on each side of these wallets. These are the perfect size to hold a few leaders, a bag of split-shot, a spool of tippet, a small stream thermometer, etc. I even keep a couple of band-aids in my fly wallet, just in case. The pockets have a curve in the opening to make it easier to get stuff in & out.

These wallets are sewn on a very strong, very accurate, & very old machine that does a great job of stitching these wallets together. Here's a close-up of the stitches in these wallets:

The pages are made from a very soft fleece-like material. This material is superior to wool because it won't attract bugs & your flies won't absorb any of the natural oils (lanolin) that's found in wool. It's also thinner than wool which allows for more pages without the bulk. More pages means more flies that you can store in your wallet. It has the same ability to hold your flies as wool - you can turn these pages upside down without the flies falling out.

You'll never have to worry about these pages coming loose. You see, first they're stitched together as a separate unit. Then that entire unit of all the pages is sewn onto the leather. So these pages are actually double stitched!

These wallets are secured with two heavy duty snap closures. These are the same snaps used on saddles, safety gear, & in other industrial applications. They should never wear out & they look good, too.

Overall these wallets measure approximately 6 3/4" x 3 1/2" x 1 1/4" thick when closed. There's a reason for that. After a lot of research I discovered that this size of wallet will fit in the pockets of most fishing vests. They're also the perfect size to fit in the front pockets of my fishing bags, too.

A lot of thought, time, & research went into the design of these fly wallets & I'm very pretty proud of them. I like them & use them myself. With a good design & excellent components & materials, I think that you'll like them, too.

To see more photos & read more about these wallets, please visit the Accessories page & scroll down to the leather fly wallets section.

To see what wallets I currently have in stock, please click HERE.

If you have any questions about these wallets, or if you want one made from a different leather or material than see on this website, please contact me.

Give your wets, nymphs, & streamers a classy new home with these leather fly wallets!!

Photos of The Day...

6/9/2015

Boy, oh boy do I love it when folks send me photos of their fishing adventures, especially when they're using gear I made!! It really makes my day. Here are some of the photos I've received from clients recently.

Here's my friend John in the mountains of California with a beautiful trout he landed using a custom fiberglass fly rod I made for him. Along with being a skilled fly angler, John is also an excellent fly tier as well. Take notice of the fishing bag over his shoulder - that was made in my shop as well.

Great catch, John!!!!.....and might I say, you have excellent taste in fly fishing gear!!!

Now for the next photos we go all the way to the other side of the world, to the beautiful country of Austria. My friend & expert fly angler, Bernard, took to the Pielach River with a bamboo fly rod I made. For those of not familiar (I wasn't until Bernard told me about it) The Pielach River is home to numerous endangered & rare birds, plants, & other animals. It's a beautiful river I'd love to see someday - nature at it's finest.

Bernard, skilled angler that he is, was able to fool some very nice fish. He took some beautiful trout & grayling on his bamboo fly rod that was made in my shop. Here's one of Bernard's fish, with the rod:

Folks, that's a big, fat, 14 1/2" rainbow caught on a 3 wt short bamboo fly rod with a silk line!!! Bernard is a skilled angler indeed.

As I said, I love to see the rods & other gear I make in use. It really reminds me of why I'm doing this - to give you better enjoyment from fly fishing. I'm honored & proud that anglers from all across the United States, Canada, Europe, & all around the world are choosing me for their fly fishing needs & custom rods.

Do you have a photo of your fishing adventures you'd like to share? I'd love to see them, so please send them in. Let me know the story behind them. Maybe it's a photo of your favorite local stream, or an awesome fish you caught, or something interesting that happened while you were fishing, or even some nice flies you tied - feel free to share them with me. If you want, we can share your photos & stories here, too.

John, Bernard, & the rest of you - thank you all so very much!!!

To see even more photos from my friends & clients, take a look at the Beyond The Rod Shop page.

The Dry Fly Down Stream

6/4/2015

What?!!? A dry fly cast down stream?? Poppycock! Blasphemy!

Okay, hold on a second before you burn me at the steak. I'm not necessarily advocating that you cast your dry fly down stream, but I'm not completely ruling it out either. Let me explain......

For those of you unfamiliar, the accepted method of fishing a dry fly is to stand down stream, below rising trout, & cast upstream. The idea here is that you can let your fly float down stream with the current, which will help to eliminate drag on your line. This gives your fly a good, natural drift to it. Also, because trout are almost always facing into the current (facing up stream) when feeding on surface bugs, they won't see you as well because you're down stream & behind them.

Casting your dry up stream is usually the best way to fish a dry fly. It greatly increases your odds of hooking up with the rising trout. Plus, because you're coming up from behind, you can get a lot closer to the fish - & the shorter the distance of your cast & drift, the less chance you have of drag affecting your line. Drag is usually a very bad thing when dry fly fishing.

Now, there will be times when you want or need to take a rising trout & the only way to get your fly to them is by casting down stream. It could be because of some obstruction in the way or some peculiarity with the stream in that location; or maybe getting out of the stream & entering back in below the fish will only put them down.

Whatever the reason, if you find yourself casting your dry fly down stream the biggest problem you're going to face is avoiding drag. Since you can't get as close to the fish as you could if you were below them, judging the distance of your cast is pretty important.

If you can, make your fly land just a few feet or less in front of the fish. You'll have to make sure drag doesn't set in too quickly so maybe try to make an "S" cast by moving your rod from side to side on your final forward cast. You can also "check" your cast by pulling back on the rod slightly just before the end of your final forward cast. Either way, get your fly - somehow - to float over the fish with the least amount of drag possible. Also, keep in mind that if you have too much slack line over the fish, you stand a good chance of missing the strike. You see, this isn't an easy game.

You'll also have to be more patient when the trout strikes your fly as opposed to when casting upstream. If you try to set the hook when you see the flash of white from the trout's open mouth (a natural reaction), you'll miss the fish. Instead, wait another second to set the hook, just when the trout starts back down into the water & closes its mouth.

Fishing a dry fly down stream is a lot harder than upstream. Sometime, though, there's no other choice if you want a certain rising fish. Like all things in fly fishing, there are no hard & fast rules. Just always be prepared to adjust your approach & forget about the dogma.

Fly Fishing Is A Joke?

6/1/2015

Recently I saw a short film entitled, "Fly Fishing Is A Joke". It was a film showing the perspective of an outdoors photographer / film maker who had spent countless hours watching other people fly fishing. He discusses his observations (he's the film's narrator) & comes to the conclusion that the reason behind why people fly fish is personal, each unique to the individual. He compares fly fishing to humor or jokes: different people find different things funny & if you try to analyze a joke, it loses it's humor. Same thing with fly fishing, hence, the name of the film.

I must say that it is a gorgeous film & thought provoking, to me at least. It's the kind of movie that gets you into thinking about how you got started (or obsessed) with fly fishing & why you're still at it now. So, how did you get knee deep in this fly fishing game?

For me that's an easy question to answer: I had no choice, really. I was going to at least try my hand at it - my family saw to that & I'm so grateful that they did. You see, I grew up in a family where everyone fished - & they fished with fly rods. At certain times of the year we fished every day. We fished a lot.

So as a young kid I was ushered into using a fly rod. Everyday after school in trout season my family & I would be out on a local stream trying to fool some trout. Homework & other chores would be done when we got home - after fishing. It was a great way to grow up. But why did I stick with it? Why have I continued to keep it up all these years later?

I'm not really sure I can answer that question with any words that would give a satisfying answer. I just know that I love to fly fish. Even on the most frustrating days along the stream, where I seem to get tangled in every tree or bush, when all the fish make a fool of me & absolutely nothing seems to go right, I still love fly fishing.

Why do you fly fish? What has kept you going in this sport? One thing I do know, we all seem to get different things out of it. Some of us like that it puts us in nature, some like the escapism that the sport can offer, some enjoy the challenge of it, while others enjoy the comradery with other fly anglers. I do think how you fish might give some hints about why you fly fish, & as far as I can tell, (unless you're harming yourself or others) there is no wrong way to enjoy fly fishing.

As the late singer Jim Croce said, "If you dig it, do it. If you really dig it, do it twice". I think that sentiment applies to fly fishing.

Here, then, is that thought-provoking short film. Enjoy.

the pliant rod:

Too Much Water

G. Loomis History

Finding New Spots On Familiar Water

Catching Trout In Summer (Re-post)

Attack of The Mayflies....

Leather Fly Wallets

Photos of The Day...

The Dry Fly Down Stream

Fly Fishing Is A Joke?

The Pliant Rod

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"banty" bamboo

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