Fly Fishing Tips & Tricks

[flytire 0]

Please post your fly fishing related tips & tricks here

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Years ago Chico Fernandez and Lefty Kreh came up with a system for marking fly lines that I still use today.  This was back when fly lines were un-marked so once out of the package, you had no idea what line size it was… A real pain when you had a number of fly reels and different lines for them…

 

It’s pretty simple, you use a black permanent marker on the end of the line (or both ends of the line).  A long mark (1/2 to 3/4”) for a 5wt,  then short marks for each line size heavier -a 7wt line would have one long mark and two short marks for instance… a 3wt would have three short marks…

The markings are permanent and don’t harm the line in any way.  Very handy with a bunch of fly lines to be able to get the best use out of them…

[flytire 0]

👍👍

 

[niveker 0]

Instead of false casting to dry a fly, I keep a rubber band looped to a zipper on my vest, loop the hook in the other end, pull the fly line, fly, and rubber band taut, and twang it a few times. 

[Sandan 0]

I'll play, when your tippet is twisted or kinked or you have that annoying crimpage ( just made that word up) right at the knot, hold the fly between thumb and middle finger, pull the tippet tight with your other hand and with your forefinger on the fly hand strum the tippet like a guitar string. Wallah, your tippet is now nice and straight again. 

[DFoster 0]

On 7/24/2023 at 4:23 PM, Sandan said:

I'll play, when your tippet is twisted or kinked or you have that annoying crimpage ( just made that word up) right at the knot, hold the fly between thumb and middle finger, pull the tippet tight with your other hand and with your forefinger on the fly hand strum the tippet like a guitar string. Wallah, your tippet is not nice and straight again. 

That's a great tip, thank you!

[Sandan 0]

1 hour ago, DFoster said:

That's a great tip, thank you!

Pleasure. I should have said "now" instead of "not"

[Woodenlegs 0]

🤔 👍👍

[Gene L 0]

I mark my lines as above.  In addition to the tips of the line, I put a line 30 feet  in to mark the head so I can weigh it on a scale.  Some lines are marked under weight. 

[SalarMan 0]

I've also marked my lines as Lefty & Chico did for many years. I learned the idea when Lefty was a guest speaker at my fly tying club in the late 1970's or early 1980's. My only variation was I used red for weight forward lines and black for double taper lines.

As far as line weights go...my long time friend Ed Jaworoski did a detailed (!!!!!) study of this situation and learned that virtually every line weight as marked on the box of every manufacturer he checked was wrong and usually on the too heavy side. I remember he published a piece about this not all that long ago, I just don't remember what publication. I suppose a Google search would lead any diligent researcher to the answer.

[Gene L 0]

I bought a very cheap Chinese line marked 6. Weighed, it was too much for a six, too little for a 7.  A high six is how I'm using it. It casts fine on a six weight rod, and well worth the very small price I paid for it.

[SalarMan 0]

For most trout fishing, the distances we fish are usually fine with a line heavier than marked. This becomes much more of a factor when reaching out for longer casts which begin to overload the rod.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

I run both day and night charters (when I have anglers...) and for my night charters with fly anglers aboard, particularly with first timers to the salt... I over-line at least one rod for working small tarpon up under bridges where we're stationed in the shadows casting at fish that are on the edges of the lighted area (bridge lights..).  Beginners and even many experienced fly casters really struggle at night when they can't  see their fly lines.  An over-lined rod is much easier to feel than a standard rod - particularly when we're working at close quarters (well under 30 feet) and a normal line simply does not load the rod the way it should until you have a bit more line in the air... Works like a charm - and all I ever do is put one size larger reel on the rod in preparation (a reel with a 9wt line on an 8wt rod...  Here's a pic or two of that night scene... The "baby" tarpon we're sight-fishing average 20 to 40lbs, occasionally bigger (much bigger - but that's another story entirely...).

https://i.imgur.com/Uoezqp9.jpg[/img

most of our night time tarpon will need nearly 30 minutes on the rod before coming to hand.. 

an angler hard at it...  with a 9wt rod on a good fish

always a few of these guys around in docklights as well...