Just like a fly rod, the choice of a fly reel is a pretty personal thing. We all have different opinions & ideas of what we like in our tackle. Take the fly reel - some like a more modern style reel & the features that come with it, while others prefer the simplicity & traditional looks of a classic 'click & pawl' type of fly reel. 

When you're fly fishing for trout & other similar fresh water fish (like bass, bluegill, etc) the reel typically functions mainly as a holder for your fly line. Drag systems need not be intricate or complicated (naturally this is a different case when deep sea fishing or other large game fish pursuits). 

Now, there's noting wrong with using a more modern fly reel with a more complex drag system if that's what you like, but for trout fishing you don't really need it. To that end, you might want to look at used, classic 'click & pawl' style reels. 

The video below sums all this up very well. I like the presenters concise thoughts on the matter & I agree with him on this issue. If you're looking for a good fly reel for your trout fly fishing, than by all means take a look at some classic reels. 

These days, the common progression for a fly angler through their fishing gear journey is to start out with a graphite fly rod. This is the rod they learn how to cast with & it's the rod they use in the beginning. It's the rod they fish as they fall in love with the sport.

Then, sometime later, they begin to learn about other types of fly rods like bamboo & fiberglass. Between the two (cane & glass), fiberglass is much more accessible because of the price. They hear about the feel & sensitivity of fiberglass fly rods & how they compare to bamboo & become intrigued. This is why, for most folks, their first custom rod is often a fiberglass fly rod.

I've even heard fiberglass rods referred to as a "poor man's bamboo". I do NOT agree with this sentiment, as they are two different types of rods with different characteristics, but I understand the concept, particularly when you compare fiberglass to modern graphite fly rods.

Typically, once an angler fishes with a fiberglass fly rod, there's no going back. The feel of casting the line with a glass fly rod is one that can become addictive. More & more they find themselves picking up their glass rod & leaving the graphite rod at home.  

Some of us (like me) who grew up fishing a fiberglass fly rod will often go back to them for sentimental & practical reasons. I still fish fiberglass rods myself & always will no matter how many bamboo rods I own. 

For those of you new to fiberglass, they're not the slow buggy whips they used to be. They have a lightness in hand & yet retain the sensitivity & feel we love of fiberglass. There are limitations to fiberglass as it's used in fly rods - think line sizes & rod lengths - which is why you don't see many 9 ft 2wt fiberglass fly rods.

There's nothing like a good comparison & in the video below, Tim Rajeff does a great job of describing & showing us some of those differences. Check it out as it will describe the technical aspects quite well in a very clear way, showing you a side by side comparison of graphite & fiberglass fly rods. 

The Pflueger Medalist is, by far, one of my favorite vintage fly reels. When folks ask me about a good reel to pair with a bamboo or fiberglass fly rod, the Medalist is always one I suggest. You just can't go wrong with them. 

One problem these reels have for some anglers is how the gear in the drag system is oriented. If you prefer to reel in your line with your left hand, as I do, on some models of Medalists you're going to need to reverse the gear to have the drag work properly. This isn't a big issue & it's not nearly as complicated as it might seem. In fact, its a lot easier to show you than to explain it. The video below does a great job of doing just that. 

Take a few minutes to review this video before you attempt this for the first time. Once you get into the job you'll see how easy & simple it is. Now you can enjoy your Medalist reel with any hand you like!

I always get a little excited when someone brings me a request to make them a custom fishing accessory. When a friend & client named Chad asked me to make them a custom carrying case for their fly boxes, I was more than willing to give it a try. 

​The idea here was that the case would hold two fly boxes of the same size & that he could wear it on his belt so that his fly boxes would be out of the way, yet always close at hand as he fished & waded the streams. 

I wanted to make this case for a custom fit to his fly boxes - like it was made just for the boxes because, well, it was! Figuring out the dimensions for the case was no problem, as he uses Wheatley metal fly boxes. Wheatley fly boxes come in a few different sizes, so once I knew which boxes he had I knew what sizes to cut the leather pieces that would make up his case. 

We decided on the color & type of leather to use, the orientation of how the fly boxes would sit in the case, & the type of closure he wanted. Then it was a matter of getting to work. First, to measure & cut the leather:

​This case was designed so that the two fly boxes would sit inside one in front of the other, each in it's own pocket. The case would have a flap to cover it. First a pocket had to be made:

​Essentially, this case is two pockets put together with a center divider. The divider would have a notch cut out in the middle to make removing the fly boxes easier. Once the two pockets were stitched together it was time to sew the back & flap piece on. A belt loop was stitched onto the back piece of the case, then the pockets were stitched to the back. Once that was done, a brass stud closure was installed, the raw edges of the leather were buffed & dyed, & the case was complete. 

Because of the design of this case I had to hand stitch the entire item. There was no way I could make this on a sewing machine. The heavier thread used in hand stitching, along with the classic style of the saddle stitch, helped give this case a truly elegant look. It turned out to be a really fun project!

Do you have an idea for a custom fishing accessory? I'd love to hear about it & make your idea a real, tangible item you can use & enjoy while fishing. 

I've recently made some improvements to the leather covered rod tubes that I make in my shop. I thought I'd like to let you know about them. 

I've started to use a better quality, vegetable tanned leather for these tubes. You can choose between light brown (shown here) or mahogany - the same colors as the leather fly wallets I make. This is very good leather with a natural grain. No two pieces are the exactly the same & will have a slight distressed look, or will show some grain in the leather. 

Just like the canvas covered PVC rod tubes, these leather tubes can be made to fit most size of fly rods, to an exact fit for your rod. The heavy canvas shoulder strap is not only adjustable, but easily removed for convenience when traveling, or packing the rod tube. ​

​The aluminum tube used here is heavy-walled (1/8" thick) which makes these tubes heavier than what you're most likely used to. We use these heavy tubes because if you're housing a special rod, you want to protect it well & a thick, strong tube will do just that.

As these tubes are special order items that are made completely by hand, there will be a short wait time for them to be made for you. You can pay in full up front, or if you prefer, a down payment of half the total can be made to begin the tube, the second half due only after your rod tubes are completed.

For more information & photos of these rod tubes, please visit the Leather Accessories page.

Please contact me to discuss the leather rod tubes you need for your fly rods. 

Yesterday a good friend showed me this very informative & entertaining video that discusses different types of leaders & their uses for trout fishing (thanks, Terryll). 

One thing that I admit I should do in my fishing is to pay more attention to my leaders than I do. About the only time I ever really do what I should with my leader is when I'm fishing very low & very clear water where I know I could easily scare the trout. Otherwise, I'm that clod you see using a knotless tapered leader that has gotten way too short & is half straight tippet because I'm too busy fishing - or too lazy - to change to a new leader. I admit it. I'm not proud. 

So I've always been interested in nicer, furled leaders. I've heard good & bad things about them from folks (mostly good things) & it's something that I really should give a try. Also, I'm curious about tippet rings. I've never tried them, but I like the concept. You see, I'm pretty old-school when it comes to all this stuff. Again, I admit it. Again, I'm not proud. 

If you have any strong opinions about leaders & tippet rings, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Let me know what you think & help me to decide to either get out of the 1960's or to stay there. If you're like me & really are not 'leader aware', then the video below will help to shed some light on the subject while watching a skilled angler catch some beautiful trout. 

I've said it many times & I'll say it again: if you've never gone fly fishing for bass, you just don't know what you're missing. Catching bass on a fly rod is some of the most fun you can have on the water. They fight like monsters! While they're an easily accessible fish, they can sometimes be very difficult to fool. You must approach them with the same caution & carefulness that you sneak up to trout with. In fact, in the heat of summer you'll often find that bass have moved up into many of the places where the trout were earlier in the year.

During those hot, sticky evenings of summer, catching bass on a fly rod is a blast. You don't have to slow down in your fishing just because the trout have slowed down their feeding - if that's the case where you are. No, a summer spent fly fishing for bass is fantastic! 

Below is a longer video from the Orvis company. It's their primer on fly fishing for bass hosted by Tom Rosenbauer. It gives very sound advice & is aimed at the fly fisher who's never tried for bass before. Check it out & give those bass a try - you'll be glad you did!! 

I can remember when I first felt an Airflo fly line. Boy, have they come a long way since then! While I'm an old-school type of angler, I appreciate & respect the thought & attention to detail that Airflo puts into their fly lines. Their use of modern technologies is very cool because, in my opinion, they integrate modern methods not because they can (like some other line companies do) but because it allows them to make the type of fly line they want. 

I don't endorse any brand or type of fly line. For Bamboo & glass fly rods I typically recommend other brands of line to folks who ask me, but for graphite fly rods I say you can't go wrong casting an Airflo fly line. 

Below is a short video about the company - a little of their history, accomplishments, & a very interesting look into their factory. 

A few years ago I had a request from an angler for a much larger version of the leather fly wallet that I make. Upon making it for him I came up with the idea of another accessory I call a "fly book".

These fly books were fairly well received by anglers, but I always thought there were a few ways I could improve them. Well, over the winter I made many big changes to the leather fly wallets I offer, making them from far better materials than in the past - so I figured I'd take the time to redesign the fly books, too.

Now these fly books are made from a much better, heavier vegetable tanned leather in a rich chestnut color. Instead of using a snap, they now feature a stud closure. This makes it much easier to open & close them (& looks better, too).

Instead of having pages in them made from the old material that wouldn't accept barbed hooks, they now have two large pieces of 3/4" thick wool to hold the flies. This wool will accept hooks with & without a barb & is thick enough to wick away a lot of moisture from your flies, plus it acts like padding for any delicate hackles, wings, tails, etc. 

Another big improvement to these fly books is the addition of side panels. These do two things: they keep your flies from being crushed & it it keeps anything inside the wallet from falling out the side. This is a huge improvement!

I designed these fly books in response to requests mostly from salmon & steelhead anglers for their larger flies, but you could easily also store any wets, nymphs, or streamers in them of any size. Over all these improvements really make these books strong & sturdy. They're almost box-like in their construction.

I make these fly books in two sizes & there is quite difference between the two. 

The small book is made to fit into a large pocket of most fishing vests. Closed, it measures 4 inches x 6 inches wide & is 2 inches thick. It weighs only 6.8 ounces empty. There's plenty of wool inside to carry enough flies, no matter their size, for a day on the water making this book a very convenient way to carry your flies with you.

The large book is made to be more like a piece of luggage for your flies. It's really big! When closed it measure 6 inches x 8 inches wide & is also 2 inches thick. Now you might not think that two inches in both directions is that much bigger, but let me say that you can hold a ton of flies in this large book! 

While the small book was made to carry with you along the stream, the large book is too big to fit into most fishing vests - though it would fit into a shoulder bag, if you carry one instead of wearing a vest when you fish. Rather, many anglers actually own both sizes. They store their flies for an entire trip in the large book & load up the flies they'll need for the day into the small book to carry with them. Together, they're a great set of matching pieces to house your flies. 

You should note, that even the small book is much larger than my traditional fly wallets. The wallets are a very popular accessory that I make, but these newly designed books are catching up with them quickly. Try one - or both - & I think you'll see why. When you use all three of these items together (fly wallets, large & small fly books) you'll have a wonderful system for housing all your streamers, wets, nymphs, steelhead, & salmon flies. 

For more information about all these items, please visit the Leather Accessories page. If you have any questions about anything you see there, please feel free to contact me & I'll be more than happy to help you. 

There are tons of older, vintage fly reels on the market today. Some of these are very high-performing reels that can be had for much less money than the new modern reels being made now. In fact, the vintage market is a great place to find a fantastic reel while saving a few bucks. 

So you get that 'new' old reel home & take the spool off, only to find it loaded with dirt, old grease, & a bunch of gunk. It needs a good cleaning. There are several ways to do this, & the video below shows a very safe method of getting the old dirt off of a vintage reel. If you're not advanced in your skills of working with fly reels, than I'd suggest you follow all the procedure outlined in this video.

The second part of the video shows you how to lubricate the reel, once its cleaned & dry. Again, if you follow the examples in the video, you'll be fine. I, however, would make a few different maneuvers with my own reel. For example, in the video he only uses oil to lubricate everything. That's fine, but oil can (& will) eventually leak out into the other parts of the reel. I prefer to use grease on the main post, or spindle shaft, of the reel so that the spool is always spinning on grease. I also prefer to grease the teeth of the drag arbor gear at the bottom of the post. This is just a personal preference & you will find pros & cons about the use of oil vs grease for all applications (engineers have been debating this for a very long time).

One other tip from me: in addition to using cotton swabs to clean the reel, an old toothbrush is also a great thing to use for this kind of work. It can get into places a rag or swab can't, such as in between the teeth on gears, etc. 

So if you're trying to pass the cold winter evenings by cleaning up some old reels but aren't sure where to begin or if you're doing it well, check out this video below. It's a very good, safe, guide on how to maintain those old reels to keep them spinning for many seasons to come!