Photo 01 - the boathouse moose at lunch!
The right size!
Yes it’s the oft asked question what size of line should I
use for my fly rod? Invariably most manufactures indicate on the rod the size
of line they recommend for the rod in question. But is it the end of the story,
most definitely not! The lighter your terminal tackle the easier it is not to
spook the fish by a heavy main line lashing on to the surface. There is of
course much more to it than the above taking in leader length, venue and
individual technique.
In the past I have in cases opf heavy wind switched to a
line size heavier in order to punch a line out further against the oncoming
headwind. It was only after reading an article in the angling press that it
became clear I was in fact doing the opposite of what I should have done –
dropping a line size! How so I hear you say. Well in simplistic terms the
lighter line has less surface area to be buffeted by the oncoming wind and less
resistance equals more distance.
Just to complicate matters there are also instances where
switching to a heavier line may produce better results. Take the Megget that
runs into the loch, upstream the stream is narrow but as many of the elder
statesmen of the club can confirm contains some very good trout indeed,
numerous 3lbs plus fish having been caught over the years. Fly fishing on such
small burns requires only a short length of fly line to be aerialised. It follows
that the lighter the line the due to the small amount aerialised will not load
the rod properly due to the low weight whereas a heavier line will allow the
rod to be loaded with a much shorter length of line in the air making casting
considerably easier.
The above of course is an oversimplification, the tightness
of the loops/speed of the line delivery made by the outfit are contributing
factors and there are many others. The problem came to my attention when I took
my old 1955 Carter of London bamboo rod out and realised I had left my WF7
intermediate at home but thankfully was able to borrow a reel loaded with a
WF6. I had a few misgivings but was surprised to note that my casts went
further, landed lighter and in wind the distance seemed to be maintained! What
I am saying is that the line sizes written on your rod are approximations and
it is generally accepted that a drop or increase of up to two line sizes may in
certain circumstances be to your considerable benefit!
So if you can borrow a different sized line from a mate and
see how your rod performs you may find that a lighter or heavier line may suit
you better. So the moral of the story is - only use the line recommendations as
a guide, do a little experimentation and see what works best for you as with
most things angling related a little thought can bring huge reward! There is a
shed load of information on line sizes out on the net, do a Google search and
see what you can find!
Ps the line that was damaged has now been replaced by an
Airflo intermediate WF6, I dropped a line size and it’s a very nice performer
casting much better than the old 7, no brand snobbery here! The right size of line for your rod is the one that works for you!
Very much alive!
Looking at the various catch reports and letters left it is
clear to see that the lochs have finally come to life. Shoals of minnow and pinheads
are now regularly seen and a small jack Pike caught regurgitated a few 3 spined
Stickleback. The food for all the predators in the loch is in full bloom providing
sustenance for those with a more voracious appetite. Fly life however remains
disappointing with very little showing to date apart from the anglers curse,
the dreaded caenis or Midge! Of course there is plenty time for rising but the
last few years have not been witness to prolific hatches seen in past times. Nevertheless
the loch is very much alive!
Photo 02 - She's back Arabella at the foot of St Mary's!
From our
recommended dealers
Some top picks from one of our recommended dealers Fishers Direct
in Penicuick. Firstly a nice entry level fly fishing starter kit also suitable
for those who are on a budget priced to grab your attention this will get you started
into our great sport at a great price!
Again for those with a slant towards coarse fishing this kit
is ideal to get you started. Robust tackle that will handle sizeable fish with
ease giving you the tackle to get among the big girls & boys!
These most useful waders sported by some of our members who
have nothing but praise for them. Waterproof yet you can walk miles in them
during a heat wave, try that with the old rubber ones!
Our recommended dealer’s offering quality, peace of mind and
a wealth of knowledge!
Photo 03 - Devils paint brush, striking colour, but a bit of a thug!
The wider world in
my view!
The spending review!
I’m sure if you heard the same old claptrap emanating from
minister without a clue “pie tax” specialist Geoffrey Osborne on Wednesday you
will still be grimacing imagining the hard times ahead. Families all over are
currently working out what aspects of their lifestyle will have to be curtailed
in order to avoid the shame of turning up at a food bank for alms! The status
quo will be maintained at all costs! The working classes will be reoriented
into the mindset that we should be grateful for a job irrespective of pay and
conditions! The weak and disabled will be further trodden into the dirt reinforcing
the fact that in the eyes of the Con-Dems they are a burden on a society that
wants to (Gideon’s words) work hard and get on!
The rich however will see the fruits of their exploitation
of the poor grow without wavering; the five course dinners will be maintained
at all costs. Conspiracy theorists say that the whole recession business was
socially engineered to restore and reinforce the class divisions and return the
working classes to the gutter where we apparently belong! A few years ago I
would have dismissed such theories as paranoid nonsense, but in light of recent
government revelations about spying etc I’m really not sure!
Secrets!
Looking for a place to park in Galashiels on Friday I
noticed a few empty spaces in one of the pay and display car parks and ventured
in to park. On heading towards the automatic ticket dispenser a woman accosted
me and asked if I could direct her to another dispenser as she wanted to avoid
a fine. I pointed her in the direction of one a couple of hundred yards away. Sure
enough when I got to the machine it was not accepting money and I also headed
off to the next nearest one and met the woman I had directed to the alternative
machine heading back looking a deal irate as she spurted that the other machine
also was not accepting money!
A few of us had gathered round the machine when a right
thinking road sweeper fellow came along obviously sensing that all was not well
and gleefully informed us that on Friday and Saturday all pay for parking places
were free! What a shambles, people running around desperately trying to pay for
parking to avoid being issued with a ticket and it’s free! It obviously never occurred
to the bunglers that set up the scheme to inform people that free parking was
available! Yes a notice on headed paper stuck on each machine was all that it
would have taken to inform the bemused public but obviously this was beyond
them. A supposed treat for shoppers to celebrate Hayward’s Circus turned into a
fiasco delivering absolute chaos! An excess of alcohol in a beer making
establishment springs to mind!
Huge pay rise!
The queen is apparently to get a 5% rise in the money we
give to her! In these times of extreme repression of the working classes doing
the right thing would have been to refuse it and take 1% as our hardworking
public servants have to do! Yet another example of us all being in this together!
NOT!!
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