Fly Tying

Fly Tying Materials Canadian Tire



Fly Tying

So you’ve planned your fishing trips for next season, but it will be months before those lakes are accessible and free of ice. What to do in the long evenings as you look longingly at the fly rods on the wall? Have you ever tried your hand at fly tying?

There is something very special about bringing in a fat trout on one of your own creations. Flies generally work on one of two principles: imitating food sources or triggering their aggressive instincts. Keeping this in mind, don’t be afraid to experiment.

One of my early creations was a tiny mosquito, the body a very small hook with a thin grey body with thin black stripes. I then took some thin plastic, etched some tiny wings and attached them at the head of the fly. It worked great: as soon as it hit the water a nice trout took it. Unfortunately, when the fish struck the wings broke. Now if I could just manage to invent a system of clip on wings.

My late Uncle Howard had a tremendous fly tying set up, including a roll top desk with many small drawers to hold his equipment and was able to leave it set up. One can purchase inexpensive kits to get started. These include a fairly good selection of hooks, feather, tinsels, wool and thread as well as a fly tying vice. Most of these vices are soon discarded in favour of a better one once one gets more experience. The materials may also not be to your liking or the hooks of incorrect size for your desired flies. Still, they are usually fairly inexpensive and may be the way to experiment.

The fly tying vice is your most important tool. When choosing a vice, look for one that is fully adjustable, grips well and attached easily and firmly to your chosen work surface. Hackle pliers are perhaps the next important item: again I recommend getting quality.

Regardless of your decision to start with a kit or purchase individual items and supplies, pick up a book on fly tying to learn the intricacies. (I was delighted to see a good display of supplies at the Canadian Tire Store)
You will also need to decide on a work area that allows easy set up or preferably where you can leave things in place for those odd free moments. Unless you have this space and a good well organized storage system for your supplies you will spend more time setting up and putting supplies away than fly tying.

Remember you will want to have many different sizes and styles of hooks, colours of yarns and threads, and a multitude of types and colours of feathers. This is just for starters. Remember that roll top desk I mentioned earlier that Uncle Howard had? I’d love to have one like that. Once you get into fly tying you might also become so keen that you will have a portable kit to take along on your trips to tie flies right on the spot to match the hatch.

Once you start using flies you will constantly be studying your surroundings very closely, learning more and more about the cycles of nature. However, it is possible for a good fly fisherman to create an imitation hatch.
Another pleasant experience with a custom fly was a black wool caterpillar tied on a long shanked hook. A cast underneath the willow on the bank of Headwaters Lake produced a nice fat rainbow trout. All this talk about tying flies makes me long for more space and time to take it up again.

Fly fishing outfits

Fly Fishing Outfits

Its the time of the year when avid fishermen are reviewing their gear for the upcoming season. Every fly fisherman has at one time or another experience the frustration of being on the water with the wrong type of line on the fly outfit. Either the fish are rising like crazy and the line is a fast sinking line or there is nary a rise and the fish are busy bottom feeding and you are stuck with a dry line on the rod.

If you are alone on a boat you can use two rods with different lines to fish at different levels. However if you are fishing from shore or there are other fishermen in the boat or canoe you are restricted to using one line. One outfit is also much easier to back into those out of the way fishing holes. There are three solutions each with their own advantages and disadvantages.

The multi tip system is perhaps the lightest and cheapest way to go. This system uses a main line with four interchangeable tips about five metres in length. You have the choice of a floating tip, slow sinking, medium sinking and a fast sinking tip. Each tip has a loop on the butt end which attaches to the loop on the end of the main line. Sitting in a canoe it is not all that easy threading this five metre length and the two to three metre leader through the loop on the line to join the two pieces. One other problem is that sometimes the connection does not slip easily through the rod tip. The system is relatively cheap and light, but not exceptionally easy to use.

The next system I looked into seems to be ideal. One reel with four separate spools or cartridges each with a different type of line. This cartridge system is a little heavier that the interchangeable tips system, but is much easier to use. I even have a fly on each cartridge so all I have to do is change cartridge and thread the rod. If you consider this option check out the ease of changing cartridges. Remember that cold fingers are not as nimble so if in doubt perhaps you should consider the last option.

One fly reel for every fly line in your arsenal is a bit bulkier but likely easier to change in the field than the cartridges. Just remember to keep the reel seat in good working condition. Last fall I attempted to change a reel on an older rod and in the struggle so loosen it the seat broke the base of the reel.

Rods and reels are designed for specific weights of lines so be sure to match you outfit. Generally the lighter the weight the less effort required in casting, but the larger the fish you are after the heavier line you want to use. Line weights from 4 to 7 are the normal range for fresh water fishing, but for bass the recommended weights are from 7 to 9. I settled on a 8 weight outfit which is a bit heavy for Panfish and trout, but should be heavy enough for even steelhead fishing. Large flies and plugs require heavier lines.

Longer rod lengths are great on open water but a shorter rod is better for small bodies of water such as creeks and beaver dams. Two piece rods can be difficult to transport in a crowded vehicle, as I quickly found out. Three piece outfits still have good action and are easier to store while travelling. If you plan on back packing however a four piece rod fits into a pack and is less likely to catch on the brush. Keeping all your rods the same weight means all you have to do is change spools and you are ready to go fishing.

Now is the time for fine tuning your equipment for some great fishing in the coming season.

Locating Lakes

Locating Lakes

Its that time of the year when if you are not an ardent ice fisherman or into other winter sports, one dreams of next seasons fishing trips.

Got that out of the way new lake in mind, but are unsure how to get there? The last few weeks I've been ironing out some problems with my computer, but I think I'm up and running now. Here's my solution.

I have located the lake using Google Earth. This shows a maze of back country roads in the general area of Heart Lake, (the first one I'm going to try to locate) I slowly work my way back to the main road makng print outs as I go. On each print out, I mark important intersections with map co-ordinates. It is important to remember that maps of all these areas are never completely up to date and that they do not show the conditions of the roads.

Next summer I will take these maps and co-ordnates and with my GPS will get to about a kilometer and a half from the lake before setting of hiking with the lake programed into the GPS.

The last few years I have located several lakes in this manner. Some with fabulous fishing and others that I am sure would produce well if they were stocked once in a while. Can not think of a better method of mosquito control than having all these small lakes stocked with either rainbow or brook trout.

Happy dreams of tight lines and fish sizzling in a frying pan over a campfire.