Upstream

Fly Fishing Art

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:19:00 PST

Ah, those were the good ole days...

Hawaii Bonefish Video

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:39:00 PST

For your winter viewing pleasure, I give you six to ten pound bonefish...on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

USCG Licensed guide, Captain Mike Hennessy.

The Contemporary Sportsman

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:55:00 PST

It isn't every day that a great new sporting magazine comes along. In fact, it's not even every decade. Hell. Who are we kidding? It's been about fifty years!

But there is a new kid on the block in my humble opinion. However, unlike magazines of yore, this one doesn't gobble up trees and spew toxic ink into landfills. This new fly fishing and wingshooting magazine is a post-industrial, digital media marvel of modern technology appropriately called "The Contemporary Sportsman."

Unlike the other digital sporting journals out there in etherland, The Contemporary Sportsman isn't designed for the trust fund kid who dropped out of college to pursue a career playing video games and chasing carp on a fly rod on daddy's credit card. The target reader of The Contemporary Sportsman is instead the mature, sophisticated angler and/or wingshooter who used to own a condo in Florida and just watched his investment portfolio evaporate into thin air before his very eyes and then magically reappear in the form of obscene bonuses paid out to the CEO and senior VPs of his bank and investment company right after they were bailed out with his future income tax dollars. Contemporary Sportsman readers surf through the on-line pages of well-written and fascinating articles, great art, and stunning photography while searching for a new job on careerbuilder and theladders. I read through the journal rather quickly yesterday and will go back and revisit it at a more leisurely pace in the near future so that I can truly enjoy it, but I think The Contemporary Sportsman is an on-line sporting journal well worth its weight in bandwidth!

TFO Gary Loomis Freshwater Signature Spin/Fly Rod Review

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 08:59:00 PST

The third TFO fly rod that I want to talk about after my trip to the Texas Fishing, Hunting, and Outdoor Show is from the new line of Gary Loomis freshwater and saltwater conventional spinning and casting rods. "How can there be a fly rod in a line of spinning and casting rods," you wonder? Well, it is the TFO Gary Loomis Freshwater Signature Spin/Fly Rod. This rod is a 6 foot 2 piece ultra-light spinning rod designed to cast lures or bait in the range of 1/32 to 3/8 of an ounce. But it is also a moderate fast action fly rod capable of handling fly lines in an amazing range of 2 through 6 weight. The grip and reel seat design, superior to any other spin/fly rod I've ever seen, allows the TFO Gary Loomis Freshwater Signature Spin/Fly Rod to easily accept either an ultra-light spinning reel, or a light to medium duty fly reel. The rod is fitted with SIC guides and is a deep motor oil color with gold accents. The MSRP is $99.95, as it is for every fishing rod in the new TFO Gary Loomis Signature line.

Just in case you are one of the few anglers on the planet unfamiliar with Gary Loomis and his recent partnership with TFO:

Gary's Story

Almost 3 decades ago, Gary Loomis founded G.Loomis® and quickly attracted the attention and admiration of the world's most discerning anglers. Throughout the evolution of carbon fiber rod design, Gary distinguished himself as the Master. Using leading edge technology and engineering, he designed tools that have defined High Performance in rods.

After selling G.Loomis®, in 1997, Gary dedicated his efforts into protecting & rehabilitating the fisheries of the Pacific Northwest. His devotion to the fishery helped establish Fish First (www.fishfirst.org), where he serves as President, and the Coastal Conservation Association Pacific Northwest (www.ccapnw.org), where he serves as the Chairman for Washington State.

Although, Gary is no longer affiliated with G.Loomis®, his desire to “build the best rods available” remains. He has agreed to share his unparalleled design skills and understanding of modern technology and materials with Dallas, TX based Temple Fork Outfitters to develop a new generation of Affordable High Performance rods. Gary is fully committed to increasing the participation in fishing and protecting our natural resources for future generations. He believes that TFO’s Affordable – High Performance approach forms a great base for this growth.

Working with TFO allows me to put high-quality rods in the hands of potential anglers that otherwise would not have access to this kind of gear. It is these new anglers that, through their enjoyment of the sport, will help us protect our threatened fisheries. ~ Gary Loomis

I actually got to cast the TFO Gary Loomis Freshwater Signature Spin/Fly Rod while meeting with TFO owner Rick Pope at the TFO headquarters in Dallas a few days before the show. We went out in the warehouse and played with a few developmental prototypes and rods from the new line. Rick said, "Here's something from Gary's line you'll probably like. This is our new spin/fly rod. It's a short rod that'll cast anything from a 2 weight to a 6 weight fly line. You can put a 5 weight on there and it'll cast beautifully!"

So Rick proceeded to put a reel with a 5 weight fly line on one of the Gary Loomis Spin/Fly Rods and handed it to my friend, Bob Stehwien, one of the original FFF certified Master Casting Instructors. Bob isn't a huge fan of fast action fly rods. He's also a big fan of bamboo and mostly uses Hexagraph rods when he picks up a graphite rod. So he's an old school guy who is hard to please with the modern stuff. You can read more about Bob in some of my other articles here on UPSTREAM. Bob began to cast the rod and he quickly started complimenting its capabilities and performance. He looked over and told me, "You have to try this one. You'll really like it."

Bob handed me the TFO Spin/Fly Rod and I adjusted the fly line and began to cast it inside the warehouse. Bob and Rick started browsing and chatting about other products and fly fishing and casting techniques. I cast the rod short, long, sidearm, overhead, roll casts, and really put it through its paces as best I could on a concrete floor. With this 6 foot spin/fly rod, I was casting a 5 weight fly line 50 and 60 feet by shooting most of that line length with minimal false casting (only a couple to generate sufficient line speed). With about 20 feet of line outside the guides, I could shoot an additional 20 to 25 feet with no haul whatsoever (using only the rod hand) and no false casts. Needless to say, I was very impressed with this little spin/fly rod.

The TFO Gary Loomis Freshwater Signature Spin/Fly Rod feels good, is very compact, travels well, is extremely versatile, and offers the conventional tackle angler the opportunity to experiment with fly fishing at a very low cost of entry. The rod also allows the fly anglers the chance to double up in one purchase with an ultralight spinning rod for the kids or grandkids who haven't mastered the fly rod yet and pick up a great short rod at the same time. The TFO Gary Loomis Spin/Fly Rod is a kick butt idea! It is the most versatile fishing rod in the entire Temple Fork Outfitters line. It is the fisherman's equivalent of the businessman's white dress shirt, or the lady's little black dress. Basically, everybody should have one...or two. Bob and I picked ours up immediately.

Once again, all TFO fishing rods come with a no fault lifetime warranty.

TFO Clouser Fly Rod Review

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 09:42:00 PST

The next fly rod that I got to cast at the Texas Fishing, Hunting, and Outdoor Show was the Temple Fork Outfitters Clouser rod in an 8 weight. We also loaded it with a 9 weight Snowbie weight forward floating fly line.

The TFO Clouser series of fly rods are all 8' 9" 4 piece rods that retail for between $225 and $250. They were designed by the legendary fly designer, Bob Clouser. The 8 weight Clouser fly rod weighs in at 5.5 ounces. The TFO Clouser fly rod is coated with the same TiCr finish as the TFO TiCr, TiCrX, MiniMag, and Bluewater Series fly rods that increases the durability of the rod significantly and the strength of the rod to some extent. The Clouser fly rod from TFO is a very fast action rod with a strong butt and midsection, and a thick tip designed with Bob Clouser's specialty in mind: casting heavy flies and sinking lines at medium to long distance. In my opinion, it is primarily a streamer, popper, and slider fishing tool best suited for big flies cast in the style pioneered and popularized by Lefty Krey and Bob Clouser. The Clouser fly rods all have a fighting butt, aluminum uplocking reel seat, and full wells burled cork grip. The guides on the TFO Clouser fly rod are over-sized and Bob has added a hook-keeper to this series of rods, a feature I sincerely applaud him for demanding. Temple Fork offers the Clouser rods in 5 through 10 weight models.

If you cast like Lefty and Bob or you can modify your casting stroke to that style, you will find the TFO Clouser rod very effective. It is an absolute cannon! Cast a wide, almost sidearm backcast that is almost a Belgian-style cast and then come over the top at just above the 45 degree plane with your forward stroke with no false casts using a double-haul (short and well-timed haul on the presentation, or forward, stroke) and shoot the line on the presentation. If you cast this rod the way they do it, it will literally suck fly line through the guides like a Hoover! There is no need for a shooting head with this rod. Just strip the whole line off the reel and let her rip.

I do suggest over-lining the TFO Clouser rod by at least one line weight if you are using a floating line. And make sure you've got the whole belly of the line outside the rod tip if you're using a weight forward line. Think of the TFO Clouser as a sledge hammer among fly rods. But there is no need to aerialize a whole bunch of extra line when casting the Clouser rods. I was casting with about 40 feet of line on the grass, shooting about 10 to 15 feet on the backcast, and then letting it fly. Another tip I would give you is to get the rod tip down and out of the way sooner than you usually do when casting at longer distances. I found that the rod threw a very tight loop that tended to tail near the end unless I opened it up by dropping the tip early to get the rod leg of the loop out of the way. This had no noticeable impact on loop energy, form, or distance. Give it a shot. It could have purely been a result of my own casting stroke, but I was casting side-by-side with an FFF Master Casting Instructor. I commented, "Wow! I've really got to drop the rod tip to open the loop on the forward cast."

He replied, "Yeah, you'd better! That rod is designed for casting heavy flies with beads and dumbell eyes and stuff like that on them. You don't want those hitting your rod tip."

In short, the TFO Clouser fly rods are not general purpose fly rods. They are highly specialized fly fishing tools that are exceedingly good for what they were designed to do. Personally, I'm not sure I'd want one in anything less than a 7 weight, and I can see where some folks might be disappointed that Temple Fork isn't offering them in an 11 weight. If you're into constant pressure casting such as Belgian or one-handed Spey casts, the Clouser rod would be an excellent choice.

TFO Mini-Mag Fly Rod Review

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:29:00 PST

Last weekend during the Texas Fishing, Hunting, and Outdoor Show I finally had the time and opportunity to cast some of the new fly rods in the Temple Fork Outfitters line-up. The clear standout for me was the TFO Mini-Mag 8/10.

TFO Mini-Mag fly rods are 8 foot, 3 section rods that bring "blue water" attitude to the Temple Fork stable. The butt section of the fly rod consists of a quality saltwater reel seat and grip configuration and the blank is constructed from S-glass. The upper 2 sections of the Mini-Mag are more conventional carbon graphite fly rod blank construction. The Mini-Mag fly rod comes with over-sized titanium oxide stripping and snake guides, a channelized and cushioned uplocking reel seat, and flor grade cork. The TFO Mini-Mag blank goes through a proprietary TiCr coating process twice, adding both power and durability.

The true purpose of a "blue water" rod design (one combining a fiberglass butt section with high modulus carbon fiber upper sections) is to add lifting or "fighting" power to the rod that would not be achievable from a straight carbon graphite design. The S-glass used in the TFO Mini-Mag is far stronger and more flexible than high modulus carbon graphite used in other fly rods. But the S-glass is a fly caster's nightmare if the entire rod is made from it. So the other 2/3 of the blue water fly rod is made from high-modulus carbon graphite. The end result is a super-strong, smooth-casting, trophy-fish-fighting masterpiece!

I was truly taken aback by the ease with which the TFO Mini-Mag let me cast several feet into the backing of a Snowbie WF9F fly line. I typically only carry about forty feet of line in the air, and perhaps I'll shoot another 10-15 feet on the backcast when the mood hits me. And best of all: the S-glass butt section smoothed out the rod reverberation to my hand and arm noticeably. Casting that weight and that distance was dreamy! Accuracy was also impressive with the Mini-Mag, as even in excess of eighty feet, the two of us who were casting together were both able to put the fly down where we wanted it. Of course, I didn't get to fish with it. But from what I could tell, this TFO fly rod seemed very sensitive to me as well.

In short, the Temple Fork Outfitters Mini-Mag fly rod is one hell of a big game fly rod! It is also available in a 6/8 model that would be awesome for freshwater bass, muskie, and pike fishing in addition to pulling in-shore saltwater duty for speckled trout, redfish, and beach-cruising snook. MSRP for either TFO Mini-Mag fly rod is $199.95. And all TFO fly rods come with an unconditional lifetime warranty.

Texas Fisheries Conservation Conference Announcement

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:26:00 PST

PRESS RELEASE from TPWD -

ATHENS, Texas — Texas fisheries biologists know their jobs are changing. On January 22 a trio of experts will give them a glimpse of what the future may hold at the annual meeting of the Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.

The meeting will take place in the Richard M. Hart and Johnny Morris Conservation Center at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center here.

Dr. John Nielssen-Gammon, Texas State Climatologist, will address the topic “Texas Climate: Past Changes and Future Projections.” Dr. Karl Eschbach, Texas State Demographer, will discuss the changes taking place in the Texas population. And Dr. Scott Bonar, leader of the Arizona Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, will address the topic “An Evolving Profession: How Fisheries Management Has Changed in the Far West.”

Later in the day and on Saturday other speakers will address subjects dealing with both freshwater and saltwater fisheries, including the state of Texas bays and estuaries, invasive aquatic species, and management of various fish species. A complete conference agenda can be viewed at http://www.sdafs.org/tcafs/meetings/2010_Athens/Program_at_a_glance_2010.pdf.

Many of the presentations will feature the work of biologists and researchers from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), universities and related businesses such as impacts of invasive suckermouth catfish on the San Marcos river and solving the mystery of fish kills at Fairfield Lake from 2003-2009, while others will report on such topics as the state of the spotted seatrout in Aransas Bay and the impact of Hurricane Ike on oyster reefs in Galveston Bay.

Members of the media are invited to attend any or all of the sessions to gather information and interview presenters. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by e-mail to Larry Hodge, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us.

All meetings will take place in the Richard M. Hart and Johnny Morris Conservation Center at TFFC. For directions, visit http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/tffc or call (903) 676-2277.

If you have questions about the program, please contact Ken Kurzawski, ken.kurzawski@tpwd.state.tx.us; (512) 389-4591.

Best Fly Fishing Song 2009: The River Just Knows by Rodney Atkins

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 07:47:00 PST

Fly Tying: Golden Drake

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:35:00 PST

Here are a few quick shots of my Golden Drake

Golden Drake: from above/front

Golden Drake: a split-wing style using Sparkle Yarn...a little Wulff and a little LaFontaine.

Everything we do is a little piece of those who have gone before us.

Golden Drake: side view

Golden Drake: true side view

Golden Drake: best image

Drakes are large, long-tailed mayflies. I tied this one in my uniquely wacked-out Catskill style, using the eastern type "old school" dubbed body and heavy hackle collar over a split "hair" wing. I often substitute the hair in the hair-wing patterns with poly yarn of some type...depending on what effect I'm after. In this case, I used Aunt Sally's Sparkle Yarn, a Gary LaFontaine favorite, to form the split "hair" wings common on many of the Catskill patterns pioneered by Lee Wulff. The dubbing also contains a good amount of Antron. So this is a real "floater!" Moving back to the tail, you'll notice a pretty stark departure from the Wulff-style fly up front. Wulff usually used hair for his tails, too. But I've decided to go with an East-meets-West theme and used hackle fibers that match the hackle collar, choosing long ones to get the drake profile right. I also used a bunch more of them than is typical of a Western-style dry fly for two reasons. First, it's a doff of the cap to the Catskill-style of thicker, heavier, bushier flies; but using the material common to Western-style dry fly patterns. Second, to keep the fly in proportion it is simply necessary. And proportion is important to both form and function. Too wimpy of a tail on this fly would allow the tail to sink and the fly would float hook eye up. That's no good! By using a robust tuft of quality rooster hackle fibers, I've created a tail that is appropriately balanced between ephemeral enough to imitate a mayfly and strong enough to keep this baby resting on the surface film.

The Golden Drake is a Hexegenia mayfly imitation.

ESPN2's Pirates of the Flats Trailer

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:18:00 PST

Now this is "must see TV!"

Fly Tying: Opti-Spoons

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 08:37:00 PST

In the continuing saga of my experimentations with Edge-glo, I decided to tie some spoon flies using Edge-glo and some epoxy die to get some unusual effects.

Blue Opti-Spoon

Based on my past experiences with Edge-glo while fishing, I suspect that these spoons will be pretty effective once I discover the right color combinations. Gold spoon flies are probably the most popular on the Texas Gulf coast. And that's where I will try these first. If my suspicions are correct, the orange luminescence of the Edge-glo will have roughly the same effect as the gold reflection.

Top Left to Bottom Right: Flame, Rust, Natural, and Blue Opti-Spoons

I used high-carbon steel saltwater hooks because they are much easier to bend. And they don't lose their temper when bent slowly and gently. I also used Danville flat waxed nylon thread for extra durability. And over the epoxy coating are at least 3 coats of Maybelline's Express Finish nail polish.

Another angle of all four Opti-Spoon flies

I missed my intended mark with the amber die on the natural Opti-Spoon. It needs to have more die in the epoxy and I didn't let the epoxy harden enough before applying. It was the first one I made. The blue Opti-Spoon came out as planned. And both the flame and rust Opti-Spoon flies are pretty close to my intentions.

Straight-on view of all four spoon flies

Edge-glo comes in a variety of other colors, including pink, yellow, and green. But I am out of all of those colors. I think an Opti-Spoon in pink would be very interesting as a shrimp imitation in the right circumstances. Look at the blue Opti-Spoon and imagine it done with pink Edge-glo, pink thread, a white feather, just a bit of pink bucktail or craft fur, and some flashabou in the tail.

Blue Opti-Spoon spoon fly

Edge-glo comes in a variety of colors in small sheets like you see here

Dry Flies and Terrestrials

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:07:00 PST

I'm putting up some pictures of some of my dry flies and terrestrial flies out of my trout and pan fish fly boxes. I can provide recipes on request.

Ausable Wulff

Caddis Humpy

Chili Pepper Ant

Dave's Hopper (foam body)

Catskill Style Green Drake

Madam X

Parachute Drake

Royal Stimulator

Some of these fly patterns are dry fly imitations and some are attractor patterns, while a few are terrestrial imitations and the Madam X is a Stone Fly or grasshopper attractor depending on color and size.

The Chili Pepper Ant can be tied in all black to make a black ant pattern, and a wing can be added to tie a flying ant. Try using a Bounce type thin dryer sheet or turkey wing for the wings.

For my Parachute Drake, I use rainbow, punch, or pink egg yarn for the parachute post. I do this because I have discovered that it contrasts very well with virtually all water colors and sun angles throughout the day, and I can even see it in the white foam lines and riffles. The darker hi-viz orange disappears in low light and the hi-viz yellow disappears in the white foam lines and riffles. Plus, the egg yarn can be fluffed out easily with a simple light mash or two of the finger after the fly is tied, making the parachute post far more visible to the angler and the fly's profile lower (less wind resistant).

Leave the legs on your Madam X flies a bit too long when you tie them and put them in your fly box. You can always trim them with your nippers on stream to fit the conditions you are fishing. Sometimes, I want the Madam X to "drown," or ride low in the surface film. And the longer legs will drag it down and wiggle in faster current. This action will trigger a lot of fish in faster water near cover where they are waiting to ambush their prey as it floats by...especially if they have already been hammered by every Stone Fly and hopper pattern known to man. Other times, I will trim the legs shorter so the Madam X will ride higher on the surface. You can always trim more off, but you cannot put more on once you cut them.

The Caddis Humpy is one of my favorite "can't decide" or searching dry flies. It imitates a Caddis or a Stone Fly well, and it even functions well as an attractor dry fly. It floats very well like a Stimulator, but has the imitation qualities of an Elk Hair Caddis. So the Caddis Humpy is a great fly to start with when you just aren't sure what the trout are feeding on, but you know you're fishing a Caddis-Stone Fly type of stream. They work well for dry-dropper rigs with smaller dropper nymphs and emergers. So if you're really unsure and want to cover your bases, tie on an unweighted pheasant tail nymph, midge pupa or emerger, or small scud as your dropper. Then you're covering two parts of the water column, three possible food sources, and you have a decent attractor dry fly on the surface all at the same time.

Fishing A Big River For the First Time

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 10:33:00 PST

I pulled this question and my answer from a fly fishing forum I sometimes participate in:

Question: I have been fishing for about a year and one half, all small streams and small ponds and i love it and am very comfortable. Well after a lot of research i went for a drive up to the kings river to a spot known for large fish, but thats not the point, the water was 10x bigger than i have ever fished. I was intimidated.... faster moving water, lots more water, and faster moving water, and deeper water. I felt lost.... i plan on going back with better weather and attitude as well time to devote to fishing, and my 6wt instead of my 4 wt.... Is this just all in my head? I know that it didnt help that i felt rushed do to the fact that i had a non fisher riding shotgun waiting in the jeep while it rained. any advise would be greatly appreciated.

A larger river is just a whole bunch of small streams running together. It will take some experience before you learn to see and fish them ALL. But you should be able to walk the bank and find a FEW already. Fish those to start with. Fish them the same way you would the small streams you are familiar with.

Deeper water is just fished...well...deeper when using sub-surface flies. Faster water must be fished with a mind to getting your flies deeper faster and keeping them down (more weight, sink-tip fly lines, more absorbant materials, bigger flies made of more absorbant materials, more directly upstream casts, casting further upstream of the water you actually want to fish, and the tuck cast are all various tools for achieving this). When fishing the surface, you must pay attention: keep slack out and tension off your line. Things just happen faster. So the timing is a bit different. But you will adjust quickly enough. Eat the elephant in small bites.

Don't spend too much time standing in one spot. Don't be afraid to cover more water more quickly, using streamers or other wet flies on a down-and-across swing presentation (especially with a sink-tip line in the deeper portions). You're not trying to catch EVERY fish in a big river every time out. Small streams are approached far more delicately and methodically...as a general rule...because you are more visible to more wary fish and you only get one chance per "fishy" spot and you may have to move pretty far to find another one. Not so on most larger streams.

You already made the first few good observations and adjustments: dump the non-angler and give yourself some time to focus, take the bigger tackle, and go back and try again.

FYI, most big water anglers are intimidated by small water, too. So don't feel bad at all. And it is a great adventure to learn new techniques and new fisheries.

Fly Fisherman's Christmas Wishlist 2009

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:54:00 PST

Ho-ho-ho! It's that time o year again. It's even snowing in El Paso, Texas, right now. So I thought it might be a good time to rip off the 2009 Fly Fisherman's Christmas Wishlist so that all the bewildered and perplexed shoppers out there in this cold, cruel world who have a fly fisherman on their gift list might slip the shackles of clap-trap commercialism and Christmas cookie-cutter group-think consumerism and actually get the poor schmuck something he can enjoy using for years to come - a gift he will appreciate, and thus appreciate the giver even more than he did before. After all, isn't that the true purpose of gift-giving? You don't have to admit it out loud. It was a rhetorical question.

First, let's talk fly rods...

For the fly fisherman who has everything, prove to him that he doesn't! Buy him a Hexagraph.

Warning: Don't buy one of these for a boyfriend, ladies. This is a fly rod you buy for your father after he's paid your way through Harvard Law School, or for your husband as a 10 year (or later) anniversary present. Basically, to a fly fisherman, this is a 2ct diamond ring or a Rolex. Don't give it to someone who might take it to a pawn shop in a month or two.

That's too much for the fly fisherman on your list? No problemo, mi amigo! For less than $300, you can give your fly guy the best bargain in the fly rod cosmos: the TFO Axiom.

But fly rods make terrible stocking stuffers.

So we need to get a fly reel.

In the bargain category, you just can't go wrong with an Okuma Cascade. It comes in a 4-6wt model or a 7-9wt model. The smaller model has an MSRP of around $45. And the Cascade is indestructible. The action is surprisingly smooth, and the drag is way out of it's price class. The Cascade is BIG BANG for the buck!

But if you have a finicky fly fisherman who thinks fly reels only come from solid bar stock aerospace aluminum and stainless steel with center-pin cork disc drags, then you can save some serious jack and impress your fisherman with your shopping prowess by getting him the Elkhorn T-series reel. If he's a saltwater fisherman, you're really in tall cotton! Because these reels become increasingly inexpensive the larger they are. The smallest two sizes are what I would call "extremely competitively priced." But the T-3 and T-4 are ridiculously cheap for what you're getting. When you compare them to other reels that can do the same work, you would pay three to five times the price to get the same quality.

Apparel

My favorite technical fishing shirt on the market nowadays is the Lateral Line Crisfield. At $65, the Crisfield from Lateral Line is also very smartly priced. It comes in a sandy tan or a beautiful light blue. Lateral Line also makes a really fantastic technical fabric t-shirt called the Miles Fishing T-shirt for $25.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

For the fisherman who wants to take up fly tying, get him started the right way! Peak's Trailhead Vise Package comes with the very best of everything he will need except the hooks, fur, and feathers. It is all of the tools to get the job done right. 100% Made in the USA by a 100% American-owned company for less money than most of the foreign competitors without sacrificing quality. Didn't think that could still be done? Well, Peak does it. That's why I'm on the Peak Pro Tying Team.

You've Got This One In the Bag!

If your fly fisherman pursues his finned quarry from a boat, then he needs a top quality waterproof boat bag. And if it doubles as an airline carry-on, well that's even better! Right? I sure think so. I absolutely love my Clear Creek Black Fly Backcountry Boat Bag.

Go Green with the Ultimate Stocking Stuffer

Eco-friendly is all the rage these days, and fly fishermen have been leading the way among sportsmen for years. But we've had this nagging problem with wads of waste monofilament nylon and fluorocarbon leader and tippet material stuck in our pockets mucking up the works. The ultimate solution is the Monomaster from Grasshopper Outdoors.

Or wow your man with an heirloom quality, one-of-a-kind, handmade, exotic wood fly box from The Painted Trout. Like this one for $79 in Fiddleback Maple and Black Walnut.

Casting Vanity

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:24:00 PST

Tis' better to shoot line with nary a false cast

Sheltering one's line from wind and tree

Than paint fancy loops when alone on the water

For all the world to see

The Heart of A Teacher

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:26:00 PST

I started teaching when I was just fourteen years old. In the 1950’s in New Mexico, labor laws were pretty easy to ignore and I got a job teaching junior and adult tennis lessons with the city of Albuquerque Public Parks Department summer tennis program. I was saving the money I earned from teaching lessons so that I could travel to California late each summer to play in a few tournaments with some of the better junior “tennis stars” from Albuquerque. I discovered that I was pretty good at teaching others to play tennis and I really liked what I was doing. And that’s how it all began. I’ve been looking for excuses to teach anything I was good at ever since. (PHOTO: The author giving some fly casting pointers in the street in front of a student's house. Ken Morrow, 2009.)

Young and foolish, I did not pursue a degree in education from the University of New Mexico because I knew teachers did not get paid very well. But I still continued to teach and coach tennis. I also tutored high school students in math, physics, and a few other subjects throughout my late teens and into my twenties.

When I was nine years old, I took up fly fishing and taught myself the art. My self-taught introduction to the sport was a disaster, but I was a stubborn child. I did everything wrong. I used flies that were too big. I could not cast effectively. My tippets were too heavy. I couldn’t read the water. Hell, I didn’t even know what “reading water” meant. But I started to read every book and magazine I could find on the subject. I hated to read. No one really knew what dyslexia was back then. I just kept at it, and finally caught my first fish of a fly after three summers of trying. I told you I was a stubborn child.

I started using fly fishing to feed my teaching addiction in the early 60’s. I had become a pretty good fly fisherman by then, and friends and acquaintances wanted to know why I was catching so many fish on streams where they could only catch a few. Ten percent of the fishermen catch about ninety percent of the fish. And I found myself in that ten percent. The other ninety percent seemed like a good pool of students to me at the time. And that’s how I started teaching fly casting and fishing. It was still just a hobby. So I taught people in exchange for things like dinner or gas money to get to the mountain streams that I loved.

I graduated from the university at a time when my field of biological research was flat and there were not many jobs. So in order to eat I took a job in a sporting goods store selling skis in the winter and tennis rackets in the summer. I fished every chance I got, and my seemingly insatiable desire to learn drove me to study the art of fly fishing even more. But fly fishing was still my avocation, not my occupation.

My occupation began to change in the 1970’s when I was asked by the owner of the sporting goods store to teach a wealthy friend of his to fly fish. My boss said this doctor would pay me $35 dollars a day for fishing lessons. That was my first real paying gig as a fly fishing instructor. He really turned out to be a cheap son-of-a-bitch, but any extra income at that time was important to me and…besides…I got to teach.

Soon, the owner of the store came to me and asked me to set up a fly fishing department in the store because he was seeing dollar signs, as public interest in fly fishing was starting to grow. Well, the department was a big success. The owner made a lot of money and took business away from the other shops in town. I made a little extra money too - very little considering how much the boss made on this venture. I realized something about business and making money from that experience. In the years to come, I would set up a couple more successful fly fishing departments inside sporting goods stores and fly fishing pro shops – or “independent fly shops” as they are called nowadays. I became a certified instructor with the Federation of Flyfishers in the early 1990’s, and was certified as a Master Instructor in 1996. Over the years, I have introduced a couple of thousand people to the sport of fly fishing and sold hundreds of thousands of dollars of fishing equipment. I can only hope that all of these people kept in mind the most important thing about fly fishing: they should be having fun. (Photo: The author enjoying some dry fly fishing in the Ozarks. Ken Morrow, 2009.)

My advice to individuals who want to teach fly casting and fishing is to remember the fun part, and that the student is the important person in the relationship. It isn’t you as the instructor. If you cannot teach them the skills they need to present a fly to fish so that they can actually catch some and have fun doing it, then you have failed. It’s actually a pretty simple concept. But I’m stating the obvious because I see people failing at this all too often. And it’s usually because they don’t really understand the goal, or because they don’t understand who the important person is in the relationship.

To aspiring guides, I say that you must remember that you will not get rich. In fact, there will be times when you can’t even pay the bills. It is hard work and the majority of your clients will be something between difficult to please and complete pains-in-the-ass. And when outfitters talk about “selling the total experience,” they are really talking about covering themselves (and to a lesser extent yourself) if the fish are not cooperating that day. And no matter how good you are or where you fish, there will still be bad days and good days. But that “total experience” stuff only goes so far. If the people were not there to catch fish they would hire a tour guide, not a fishing guide. When people are paying to fish and not catching any fish, it’s unrealistic to expect them to be very happy no matter how entertaining you are. My recommendation to you is to stay in school and get a job that pays you well and gives you a lot of time off. Use your free time to pursue your passion for fishing to your heart’s desire. Money isn’t everything. But it can buy or rent the vast majority of things other than character and integrity.

I suppose I sound pretty cynical. But if you run in to me on a stream somewhere sometime in the future and you ask me about fly patterns or casting in the horrible wind blowing that day, I will do what I can to help you. I will actually enjoy the opportunity to share what I know with you without expecting anything in return. For after fifty-some-odd years of doing it, I am still a teacher.

Aaron Goodis' Five Tips for Steelhead and Salmon Fishing Success

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 07:55:00 PST

Preface

I recently asked Michael & Young fly shop's lead instructor, Aaron Goodis, to share with my readers the five most important things he knew about fly fishing for steelhead and salmon. Located in Vancouver, Michael & Young is British Columbia's premier destination fly shop for some of the world's finest steelhead and salmon fly fishing. Aaron is a Certified Casting Instructor, Certified Adaptive Fly Fishing Instructor, and a member of the Rajeff Sports and GLoomis prostaffs. He is well known as a spey and conventional one-handed fly fishing salmon, steelhead, and trout fishing guide and instructor. And the following is the article he wrote in reply to my request. The photos are clickable for larger views, and they demonstrate points that Aaron makes. So be sure to take a closer look.(photo: Aaron Goodis)

Know Your Destination

One of the most important things that anglers need to do is home work. Research your destination . Find out when the migration occurs. Steelhead and salmon run up their home rivers at different times of the year. Putting yourself on the river during the peak of their migration can make a huge difference in your angling results. I can't count how many times I have heard "I just missed it, they are not here, or you should have been here yesterday.” Find out what type of river you are going to. Is it a big, broad river or small, steep, coastal stream? Knowing this will help you determine what gear to bring; such as your typical 9-ft 8-wt or the big 14 foot two-hander. Are you fishing in the winter or the summer months? Water temperature can play a big part in how aggressive a fish may be and how they will respond to your fly. Doing a little research will go along way, and you should find yourself fishing at the right time with the right equipment. (photo: Kispiox River, BC. By Aaron Goodis)

Read the Water

Rivers can be big and intimidating. Picking your spot can be frustrating at the best of times. When approaching the river, try to fish water that your tackle allows. For instance, if you are out to swing big flies pocket water won't do. You want to be looking for those big, gently sweeping runs that allow you to use your equipment to its full potential. A few simple rules for locating these fish are:

• Find a run that has a comfortable walking speed. These are often located on the inside of bends or along seams of heavier flows; and also down in the tail-outs right before the river picks up speed and exits the run . (photo: great looking tailout on the Buckley River, BC. Aaron Goodis)

• Salmon and Steelhead prefer depths of 2 - 6 feet. We know that they can be found in water that may be deeper or shallower, but this depth seems to provide a good balance between cover for the fish to feel safe in and a good depth for us to target them with our fly rods.

• Log jams are also good places to look for fish, especially when the water in front of them is good and fishable and flowing straight with no back eddies. Steelhead and salmon do not like holding in swirling water.

• A typically good piece of water for us to fly fish would be where the river takes a small bend. Hydraulic pressure pushes the major flow towards the outer bank, creating a nice seam on the inside of the main current. Then the middle of the run will have that good speed and depth I’ve mentioned before. After that it will tail out and drain into the next piece of water.

• Think about cover. These fish love big boulders or depressions in the river bottom where they can rest away from the main current.

• If you are comfortable fishing the water, it is likely that the steelhead or salmon will be comfortable there to. Conversely, if you are having difficulty wading and fishing a spot, the fish may have trouble holding there too.

Proper Techniques

You can effectively fly fish for steelhead and salmon in many different ways, from indicator and nymph to dead drifting a dry fly. I find that the most common way to fly angle would be the down-and-across swing. By casting across the river at a slightly downstream angle will allow the angler to fish the fly all the way back towards the bank of the river. This technique ensures that you are thoroughly covering the run that you are fishing. Typically an angler would start at the top of a run and systematically cast and step their way through the run until they reach the tail-out. If no fish are caught, the angler moves on to the next likely spot where they will start this routine again.

Water temperature will play a big part in determining how fast you should fish down the run and how deep and fast you will need to fish your fly. A general rule would be to fish fast and near the surface if the water temp is in the 50 to 60 degree Fahrenheit range. In this range the fish are most willing to move a long way to take a fly. If the water temperature is colder or warmer they tend to get very lethargic. So the angler must slow down and fish the fly deeper with a sink tip line in order to slow the fly down and put it closer to the fish because they will not be willing to move very far to take the fly. The angler can also use a downstream mend to speed up the fly's swing or an upstream mend to slow the fly's swing. After the initial mend, allow the fly to swing all the way down below you without any further interruption. At the end of the swing, let the fly hang for a few seconds ( this is called the dangle ). Often the fish will chase a fly right into shallow water and hit it after the fly stops on the dangle.

Fly Selection

There are many different flies to choose from, ranging from egg patterns and nymphs to dry flies and streamers. So the choice is up to you. Steelhead and salmon are not actively feeding once they enter fresh water. However, they are known to feed opportunistically. Most likely, they will be attacking the fly out of sheer curiosity and territorial aggression. I find that very buggy and life like flies work very well when swung. Egg patterns and nymphs work great when the water temperatures are cold and the angler is using a dead drift just like when fishing for trout. When the water temperature is warmer, the angler has the option to fish a dry fly by skating it across the current. This presentation is the same as the wet fly swing, but the fly will be waking on the surface. The fish will grab the fly with a big crashing rise! I would say the most important part of picking your fly is to be confident in your choice and fish the fly well. Proper presentation is always more important than fly selection. (photo: steelhead and salmon flies tied by Andrew Redmont. Aaron Goodis)

Fish a Lot…Then Fish Some More

When fishing for salmon and steelhead, persistence is key. Stay on one or two of your favorite rivers and fish them a lot. Get to know that river intimately. Stay focused and confident. Keep the fly in the water. Don't worry about blasting out huge casts. Make every cast count and stay focused. Fishing for salmon and steelhead with the fly can be very challenging, but also very rewarding! (photo: Fall run steelhead. Andrew Redmont)

(photo: James Whalen releases prize steelhead back into the Buckley River. Aaron Goodis)

For Sale: Sony DSC-H2 Camera and Accessories

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:08:00 PST

Selling the Sony DSC-H2 Super Steady Shot with Carl Zeiss 12x optical zoom lens

This bad boy takes some awesome pictures of crazy-high resolution and stuff.

But I don't know how to utilize most of it's potential and it's too big to carry fishing and hunting.

So I bought a little pocket-size waterproof, shock-resistant, dustproof camera that suits me better. And I shot these photos of the Sony and all the accessories that go with it on the new camera. And I'm selling the whole outfit...

Including this full-size studio grade tripod w/oil filled levels, adjustable titanium points/soft feet, and the whole works from Sunpak...the Platinum Plus 5800D.

You get the camera, a 1G Sony memory stick, neck strap, Digital Concepts leather camera bag, glare hood for the lens, USB data cord, manuals and CD ROM, the tripod, and 2 tripod attachments for the camera...all in stellar condition...for $250.00 plus $20 shipping! Money Order only mailed to me...first come, first served. So call 417.766.3003 and let me know if you're putting the MO in the mail. But here's now I do things:

If you call and tell me "I'll take it and the check is in the mail," the clock starts ticking. You get 3 business days to get me the money order. If it doesn't arrive within 3 business days...period...no discussion...the item goes back up for sale and I return your M.O. when it arrives. I do this to be FAIR to other prospective buyers. I do not like it when people speak for things I want to buy and then string the seller along for weeks on end before sending the $$$, while I had cash-in-hand at the time and lost out.

So...IF YOU'RE SERIOUS...I'd love to sell it to you. If you can't come up with the cash for a week, then wait for a week and see if it's still available. Be considerate of your fellow man! Peace...out.

Fort Hood Shooting

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:03:00 PST

A dark day of mourning stretches across the land...

...for our bravest and best brothers and sisters at Fort Hood...

...your brothers and sisters in arms will never, ever forget!

Obituary: "Mr. Wooly Bugger," Russell Blessing Dies

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:52:00 PST

Russell Blessing, the inventor of the Wooly Bugger, died recently at his home in Pennsylvania. Blessing added a marabou tail to a Wooly Worm fly in 1967 to imitate a Hellgrammite, the nymphal stage of a Dobson Fly. But the Wooly Bugger proved to be far more meaningful to the world of fly fishing than that!

Russ left one of the simultaneously biggest and most humble legacies in the history of fly fishing...epic! All he did was tied a piece of marabou into the tail of a well-known existing fly pattern, the wooly worm in an attempt to simulate a hellgrammite (dobson fly nymph). what that turned into was:

1. the fly everyone luvs to hate.

2. the fly that has most likely caught more fish of all types than all other flies combined since he invented it in 1967.

3. the fly that has been modified to create variants more than any other since he first tied it in 1967.

4. the fly that has become THE "first pattern" taught in most beginner tying classes and kits.

5. the fly that crosses ALL boundaries in fly fishing: trout, salmon, steelhead, bass, carp, wet, dry, streamer, saltwater, etc.

While almost all fly anglers know exactly what a Wooly Bugger is, what it's made of, and how to fish one; only about 1 in a 1000 could tell you who created it. This is the purest essence of what is beautiful and good in fly fishing. Russ was truly a blessing. As fly anglers, we should all be proud to be descendants of and participants in the heritage and legacies of such people and stories.

April Vokey, Aaron Goodis, and ThisIsFly

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:37:00 PST

Certified Adaptive Fly Fishing Instructors April Vokey and Aaron Goodis are featured in the current issue of ThisIsFly Magazine in a fun article April wrote about a runaway steel-chasin' trip in British Columbia titled, "Emotional Detox."

Fishing Swag: Adaptive Fly Fishing Institute Decals

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:26:00 PST

The Adaptive Fly Fishing Institute's 1st edition logo decals are available in limited quantities for $5 each. The logo was designed by graphic artist Rick Smith of Carson City, NV, and the decal was made and donated to AFFI by Matt Zudweg of http://www.trout-guide.com/ decal fame.

You can show your support for the use of the healing magic of fly fishing for the treatment of special needs children and adults by ordering yours while supplies last by emailing the number you want, your shipping address, and name to info@adaptiveflyfishing.com and then putting the same info in the mail to the address they provide in a reply email.

For more information about the Adaptive Fly Fishing Institute, visit their website at http://www.adaptiveflyfishing.com/

The Adaptive Fly Fishing Institute is a Texas Non-profit Association under Section 208 of the Texas Business Organization Code.

Fly Fishing Vehicles

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:38:00 PDT

I recently asked the question of a bunch of fly anglers: what was their favorite fly fishing vehicle and why. My favorite answer so far has to be this one from Ed in TN:

An 4-door '73 Impala back in the day...

It would take 5 or 6 of us from college to the streams that we fished. Fish were caught, but more weren't. Tales grew like Douglasfir on the Pacific NW coastal region, tall and thick.

Only one of us owned waders the rest waded wet, even through snow (legs turned blue, probably not a Good Thing). We learned only a little about fly fishing, through our blundering about.

We took turns at good holes. We caught stocker 'bows, occasionally a carry-over or naturalized fish. About mid-day, we ate Chef Boyardee straight from cans that had "heated" under the South-facing windshield and drank warm Cokes and water. We thought that we had found our slice of paradise-on-Earth.

Those were Days of Yore and Legend.

Ed

Pure poetry with a smack of authenticity. Robert Frost would be jealous.

Guides: Want Better Tips? Look In The Mirror!

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:59:00 PDT

Phil Monahans penned an article for MidCurrent in which he asked several guides whether or not they think it would be wise to just charge more and eliminate tipping in the fishing business. I found the answers interesting.

One said the guy with more experience deserves more pay, but clients aren't smart enough to figure that out before they reserve a trip. Interesting perspective. I look for doctors, accountants, mechanics, electricians, carpenters, computer repair technicians, and all sorts of service providers with more experience over the new kid on the block. Some charge more for their services, and some don't. But I definitely choose in part based on experience. I do the same with fishing guides, fly shops, lodges, and such. I think this outfitter has an unwarranted low opinion of his target customers. And that tells me that he probably couldn't get by with charging a premium for his "experience." Having more time at the tiller doesn't mean you're better at it. And it certainly doesn't mean you're worth more! If your attitude sucks and your knowledge is stale because your ego is in your way, you're not going to be at the top of your game.

Another justified the tip as the means of replacing consumables that are a normal part of the cost of doing business such as lost flies. Does he really expect anyone to fish all day without losing or wearing out a fly or two? (he used the example of a client losing 3 flies) A carpenter uses hundreds of nails per day. Does he expect a tip to buy more nails? No. He builds that into his fee. So does the fishing guide if he's got any business sense whatsoever. And if he doesn't, he has no business being in business. I don't tip a waiter to replace the ink in his pen or the laundry soap to clean his clothes. If I tip him, it is because he made my dining experience better than average. That's what a tip says: thanks for going the extra mile.

I get really sick of listening to guides bad-mouth clients whom they feel didn't tip enough, or whom didn't tip at all. When I waited tables and when I guide fishing or hunting trips, my fee is a fair price for my work. If a customer tips me, I am flattered. If they don't, that's on ME...not them. As a waiter, I consistently made almost double the tips of the other waiters and waitresses where I worked. Some of them were upset by that. They thought it was "unfair." I found that funny. I made the bigger tips because I made the dining experiences of my customers outstanding, memorable, ...special. Guiding is no different. A tip is a GIFT. Trying to make someone feel obligated to give you a gift is a surefire way of getting crappy gifts! And failing to look in the mirror when you're unhappy with how you're being treated by others is the mark of a fool.

Remedy for Numbness and Pain in the Casting Arm

ken@kenmorrow.net (Ken Morrow) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 06:32:00 PDT

I've learned that the nature of my disability (specifically the upper extremity neuropathy and carpal tunnel syndrom) is best served by a different approach to casting than is prevalent nowadays. And I think this will help a lot of people with similar issues (tennis elbow/tendonitis, arm/wrist/elbow pain of all sorts, strength issues, arthritis, etc.). By using a slower action rod (Hexagraph, glass, bamboo, or slower action graphite like the Rebrod Ultra-weave) paired with a triangle taper, double taper, or similar line with a properly timed stroke and only one (maybe two) false cast, I can cast far more efficiently, smoothly, and without stress and fatigue out to greater distances and with greater accuracy (even in strong wind) than I can using the more contemporary approach of a faster action rod and heavier headed line. Of course, as the terminal tackle weight increases, you have to be more sensitive to not exceeding the rod/line's capabilities (go to heavier rod/line) and elimination of slack and proper timing (actually all fundamentals) are more crucial as casting conditions deteriorate.

The #1 advantage of this approach is that these slow action rods are always under some load just due to the laws of physics. The casting stroke loads these rods pretty heavily even with no fly line. This allows the "abrupt stop" to become a "smooth but rapid deceleration" (which is the proper way to cast them anyway) and the pick up to be done almost effortlessly, vs. having to throw energy into the backcast to get it elevated on the pick-up or when carrying a lot of line and then slamming it to an abrupt stop to transfer energy to the line from a med-fast to fast action graphite rod to get the slack out and load the rod deeply enough. The forward cast is almost effortless, employing a smooth acceleration and sudden "deceleration" (vs. an abrupt stop) once again. The biomechanical dynamics of the 2 approaches have a night vs. day difference in felt impact on the caster. Using the lever analogy we're all so familiar with, we've cut the stress at the initial fulcrum point where kinetic force is greatest (in the caster's arm) by more than half. The result is increased enjoyment, less fatigue, less aggravation of pre-existing medical conditions, and a reduction in potential injuries caused from casting over time to the most crucial part of the body to the fly angler: the casting arm.

Bob Stehwien, MCI, AFFI and I put this together over the past month...working out the details and testing hypotheses with all sorts of rod-line combos, using ourselves as the "lab rats" and the "scientists."

The approach works well for me to hit any reasonably conceivable casting target in a fishing situation (20" target @ 70 ft w/15 mph wind, for example) consistently. But it has some other advantages that you're probably thinking of by now: accuracy, roll casting, and short range performance are all significantly enhanced when using this type of equipment.

The biggest negatives are cost and availability of this type of equipment. While fly rods of this nature are still made, they are made and distributed in small numbers compared to faster action graphite rods. This has the double impact of driving up prices and limiting availability. Selection of double taper and triangle taper fly lines is also limited. We have decided to refrain from any specific rod or line recommendations related to this technique recommendation because each angler will need to find the right combination for themself. Each condition is different. And the best rod and line for the job will depend largely on the combination of the physical condition, the fishing situation(s), and casting style of the individual. When casting slower action, full flex rods, proper timing of the casting stroke takes on increased importance. So the proper balance between comfort and performance has to be found through trial and error. Our best recommendation (which may seem self-serving, but will save the angler a lot of time and expense) is to seek out a qualified certified instructor to fit you with the proper equipment. He/she should have access to a broad array of rods and fly lines from across the entire range of what the market has to offer, be experienced in the adaptation of casting styles and techniques to compensate for pain and dysfunctions, and be certified by either the Federation of Fly Fishers or the Adaptive Fly Fishing Institute.

Disclaimer: FFF and AFFI instructors are not medical professionals. I recommend that you consult your physician or healthcare provider whenever you are experiencing persistent pain or dysfunction. And my advice, nor the advice or instruction from any fly casting instructor, should be taken over or in lieu of that of your qualified healthcare practitioners.