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Freddo

Fly Boxes: Slits or Pokes

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Freddo Sorry I called you Steve... brain cloud! One thing I forgot to mention (in addition to your real name) is you'll want to consider the difference between glass and graphite. There was a discussion on this recently on another thread. As I recall graphite is beefier than glass, but also more brittle and prone to getting broken. But you'd best read up on it for your own. Each kind has legions of supporters (and I guess this post is going to spawn legions of opinions from said supporters). I just want you to be happy, and not have to sell the kids' inheritance to do it.

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Thanks Guys!

 

Cabels'a had their fly boxes on sale for half price today so I picked up two: one for me and one for my son. These will easily get us going. I really liked the pricey Umpqua Day Tripper and that's on my wish list...just really nice through and through. Now to get tying more because we just stocked my son's fly box with my fly collection of those I tied as I'm learning. They'll catch fish I'm sure...

 

For the rod, I bought a Cabela's RLS+ combo. $319 retail was on sale for $150 so I didn't pass up the deal. Graphite with a machined aluminum reel. Moderate-fast action. Should serve me well.

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will we get to see your new boxes with your creations? :)

 

now that would be a hard deal for anyone to pass up. great score! time to cast to the grass!

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Hey Artimus001... (or anyone)...

 

Will casting to the grass mess up the line (abrasion or anything)? Also, should "something" be tied to the line for casting, like a fly without the bend and point (I could cut it off) so I'm safe from being hooked while trying it out?

 

We have no open water yet on the lake where I'd have enough room to try this out.

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grass casting is safe for your line. the only thing that you won't be able to do is work on your roll cast because you can't develop enough resistance to turn over the line.

 

practice as you would fish. by that i mean line, leader, and tippet. yes you benefit from having a false fly or tuff of yarn tied on the end.

 

check out the Orvis YouTube channel for casting videos. i think they might be a good start for casting pointers. at the end of the day though, nothing will ever beat time spent with an instructor, especially if you just starting out.

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As I have a reputation as something of a realist (some would say cynic), I see the differences between waterproof and ventilated fly boxes this way.

 

When you drop a ventilated fly box into the water you can watch it sink to depths, from where you will never retrieve it. Whereas a waterproof box you can watch it as it drifts off down the river never to be seen again.

 

Either way I usually go for cheap. The Green caddis ones are a good example of the kind of boxes I use. Here we have a company, Caimore, that sells them at similar price with no danger of having to pay import duty (Price + 11.5%)+20%+£7.50. If you get caught for it, it makes them expensive. In fact the duty and charge for collecting the duty is more than the box.

 

Steam is indeed your friend. A good friend of mine has a pin on fly patch. Every fly he takes from his box and uses gets put onto the patch. At the end of the day, back at home, he steams them all (using hemostats to hold them). Leaves them to dry overnight, The dry flies are then treated with Watershed, left to dry again and then all returned to his box. It is a good system, if you don't mind going to those lengths. I've never seen him reject a fly for a rusty hook.

 

It sounds like you got a good deal on your outfit. Now you can get out and fish... Well almost. You have not discussed head ware. This is of course the most important part of your equipment. Careful consideration must be given to your bonnet. If you arrive here please leave your baseball caps behind. Apparently there is a way to stop someone fishing in a baseball cap from drowning, but no one here knows what it is. Consider it carefully, it is a matter of style. You'll fish better with a hat you you feel good in. It really is important. Choose carefully.

 

Cheers, and good luck with your new outfit.

C.

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Hey Artimus001... (or anyone)...

 

Will casting to the grass mess up the line (abrasion or anything)? Also, should "something" be tied to the line for casting, like a fly without the bend and point (I could cut it off) so I'm safe from being hooked while trying it out?

 

We have no open water yet on the lake where I'd have enough room to try this out.

In my years fly fishing I have taken at a minimum a dozen people under my wing and got them going on the water catching fish. I have always started them out on grass first with a line, tippet and either yarn or an old fly. I test my new rods in my back yard or new lines, new reels on old rods etc before hitting the water . The difference is drag in lifting the line off the surface, as you can imagine, with a floating line anyway the grass drags a bit more. But in the air the first false cast off water will load the rod a bit more as you have added weight of water droplets and maybe a wet or even soaked fly. Neither is huge but you will notice those difference when you get to the water.

 

i suggest you start with someplace between 10 and 20 ft of line unspooled off your reel, don't try and start out with 40 or 50ft in other words. With some rods it takes at least 20-25 to start loading up the rod fwiw. I'm not familiar with your rod though but it sounds like a very good outfit !!

 

Both Orvis as has been mentioned and also Tim Rajeff ( founder of Echo Fly Rods) have casting video online . My wife and I own one each of Tims rods ( mine a 6 wt , hers a 9), very nice casting, he's done a great job of building quality rods at some what affordable prices. But he also helps support fly fisherman with a few videos.

 

It's good you have open lawns, I'm envious,LOL. We still have a foot of snow on ours up here in the NE, in any shaded area at all. At least my yard does anyway. Anyway, give it a whirl on the grass, let us know how you make out, I'm 100% sure someone here will have good suggestions for you as well.. Thumbs up !

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Hats are a good thing, I use a Williams Lure Hat, my stepson a 360 deg brimmed fishing hat. I'm sure they still smell like insect repellent from years of saturation !! part of th experience, goes with the other odors we come to know, pine/forest odors, minerals of the waters we fish in most, the spring wild flowers.

 

Don't forget hydration , I use Gatorade, don't get a mile down river someplace and start dehydrating this summer. Been there done that, it was a dizzy hike back to the truck. You can get in serious trouble that way. especially as we start aging.

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I'm sure you have your opinion by now but here's my .02 cents for what it's worth. I have a bunch of boxes in different sizes and configurations. I recently bought a Redington double sided clear box (med. size) with just a bunch of small straight slits and out of all my boxes I like that one the best. Best of all it's water tight and probably floats and it was 15 bucks! It's tons better than my Orvis boxes I have.

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Thanks! That looks like one I bought at Cabela's on sale for $7.99. That does look like it'll do the job in case I need another!

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Silver, I like your plan but you use little flies.... I tend to use size 10 to 6 poppers, foam spiders, size 6 streamers, etc., so I suppose I should use thicker foam... maybe 3/8 or 1/2 inch. What's your thought? Do I just take 4 sheets of 1/8 sticky back, and stick them together to make 1/2 inch? I think Walmart has large 1/8 inch sheets.

i lost a diy box at the end of last season, that looked like the big box with the blue foam. it carries all of my big and over sized flies.

 

for that box i used 3/8" foam. i also put slits in the foam, just like the $$$ boxes. there was more than enough meat to hold my flies in place (#10-2/0). to fasten the foam to the box, i used double-sided tape, as any glue type adhesives refuse to bond to the plastic.

 

i'm still on the fence over what was the larger loss; the box or the flies.

I made 4 fly boxes similar to yours. Gorilla Glue will hold the foam to the fly box, just put some scratches on the plastic first and follow the instructions on the glue.

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