October Bright

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I love this fly, and I’m constantly working on improving my technique with this thing.

This is todays fly witha few less thread, wraps, and a little more attention to detail.

Tim Rawlins October Bright Variant Originated by Marty Howard

This is Yesterdays tie. Got a few things right but it’s mostly kind of messed up.  Apparently, I learned enough though to make improvements today.     I’m having more fun, tying flies, than I’ve ever have before.

Stopping the Rod

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Here it is in a nutshell.  Stopping the rod and how it affects loops shape.

Spey Casting Loop Shape

The Ultimate Skagit Cast https://vimeo.com/ondemand/ultimateskagitcast The Ultimate Scandi Cast https://vimeo.com/ondemand/327236

 

This Video shows how one of the worlds finest distance casters, Geir Hansen, stops the rod.

closed vs open stance in spey casting

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Steve Rajeff explains distance casting with a single hand rod including the technique he uses for stopping the rod.

Steve Rajeff, Long Beach Casting Club, distance fly-casting

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Maxcatch 11′ 3 Weight Trout Spey: I love this Thing

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I’m not just saying this because Maxcatch sent me a free rod to try. I’m saying this because I saw This Video. The guy is obviously a seasoned Scandi Caster and he loved the rod judging from his comments below the video.

So, when Maxcatch ask me about making some videos for them, I told them I was interested in the rod.

Fast forward to when it showed up on my door. I lined it with a 225 grain OPST Commando head which was pretty good on the rod and a place to start.

My favorite line on the rod was a home- made 235 grain, 11′ shooting head I chopped off a 510 grain Rage compact. I love chopping Airflo lines because they are the easiest to weld using my daughters hair flattening thingy and clear shrink tube.

This head literally jumped off the rod. Literally. I think its because Airflo installs tiny legs on their shooting heads.

I had Varivas Airs running line, 25lb test on a reel that was not caged. This shooting head shoots like a mutha, but it is so fine that if you do get a tangle its a mess.

I somehow managed to produce the mother of all tangles while a was casting much further than necessary. I decided to chop the mess and granny knot it so I could continue fishing, but when I did, I let go of the wrong end and lost the entire running line, head a sink tip in the river.

So I’m working on coming up with another 11′ head for the brush patch in my backyard where a river with big trout sometimes manages an appearance behind the boulders in the overbearing riparian jungle.

In the meantime a 225 grain Commando is fine for the lower river. A 250 might just be the ticket, but I don’t have one at the moment. A 275 Commando Groove absolutely flies on this thing but It has the feel of old time Skagit whereas it really loads the rod but I would rather not attempt touch and go casting at that weight.

I love doing snake rolls with this thing so I’m still experimenting with buying and chopping different heads to replace my beloved Chopped 11′ 235 grain zinger.  With this combo a moderate sink tip with little Skulpzilla flew like a bullet.

The more I do this stuff, the more I am absolutely convinced that getting the perfect line / rod match is paramount! Paramount I tell ya.  I did order a Rio Skagit Max Trout Spey at 11” 250 grains. But 250 grains at such a short shooting head might be just a tad too much. We shall see.

 

This OPST Pure Skagit Two Hander is a Sweet Scandi Stick Too

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Throw on a 275 or 300 grain Commando head and a tip, sinking or floating and you have a tight Scandi mini cannon.  Video forthcoming.

 

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I review the ED WARD designed OPST Pure Skagit Two handed Rod with an OPST 375 Grain Commando Head, 10′ of T10 and a couple different flies with a big Silhouette, dumbell eyes, Using the ED Ward WRap Poke, Skagit Cast, which is effective in casting big flies.

swinging flies