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3. Tip Section Rod, Page 2

There you go Paul, I corrected my post.

Nick - "Hat trick" is a phrase that means stunt. Remember when Magicians used to pull rabbits out of hats? Bullwinkle pulling a tiger head out of... Man, I'm getting old...:)

Paul - Yes he did. I remember the stunt as well. I think there's even a video on Youtube showing him land a bunch of salmon on one of his "flea" rods. It was one of those cool newsreels from back in the 30's, I think. If I remember, Spence linked it for us awhile back. BTW - Though I'd prefer to use one of my spey outfits, I think Al meant that a chance at a 20 lb. Salmon on any fly tackle is better than no chance at all. I have to admit to do so intentionally is a lot like hunting African Lion or Grizzly Bear with a bow in that your chances of success are severely limited. Of course, the possibility that failure at the latter means you become dinner is a significant distinction.:)

Al - I've edited mine as well... Far be it from us to post inaccuracies regarding the proclivities of a fellow Troutnutter! :)

It really is a fun little rod, aside from being a usable tool for small, bushy streams, it also has a place for night fishing, especially during the white fly hatch on the yellow breeches when I can get really close to the fish.

Hey I would love to get up there some time,(as much for the grouse hunting as for the fish) Maybe an early trip in June and then again in the fall!

Eric...When I'm up in May I always get to hear males drumming on a log somewhere. I'm more of the watching variety than the hunting, but it is a bit of a birders paradise up there as well. The Lodge I stay at has "Cast & Blast" in the fall...The only game bird that I seldom see up there are pheasants...Turkey, grouse, woodcock, and quail are abundant.

http://www.gateslodge.com/ Check this place out.


Kurt...This phrase has a different meaning in these parts :)...Though I too remember "Want to see me pull a rabbit out of a hat". A cold Molson to anyone, other than Tony, who can tell me what a "Gordie Howe Hat-Trick" is.

Speaking of the Lee Wulff reference...My fishing mentor could toss quite a tight rod-free loop himself...He used to do it in his backyard when he was showing off. :) This was during the phase in my fly-fishing lessons I called "The Mechanics Lectures" :), or "Fly-Fishing Physics 101". Besides the mechanics of the cast there were lessons on the "spine" or "sweet spot" in a graphite rod blank, rod wrapping by hand, half-hitch & whip finishing the old fashioned way, again by hand, sans a tool...And a hundred and one knots...I have reams of notes both in his hand and mine explaining the "proper" dimensions, drawn out, for a well-tied dry fly and the anatomy of a hook. Before I started I never knew there was so much minutia and I loved every bit of it. Still do...:)

Spence

One goal, one assist, and to keep the game exciting, in typical hockey fashion, throw in a fight. I believe Brenden Shanahan holds the top spot. Gotta love hockey.

Sorry folks, Al in particular. I didn't mean to be TOO contrary. I understood what Al was implying. I just have some experiences centered around "flea rods" and big salmonids that have left me ... cold. I don't have time to spin the yarns right now but, suffice it to say, it truly is a stunt that, at best, can be very instructive, or not as much fun as you'd think, or at worst, a fish killer.

Allan,

You win! I forgot to tell you the disclaimer: "In order to collect this fabulous prize you will need to be in Grayling around the same time Spence is...The Molson's are passed out after an evening of fishing from the back of the fishing wagon." :)

I think the odd thing is, Mr. Howe may have only had one in his career. How it came about I don't recall.

Spence

:) Just having fun, Paul. I actually agree with you wholeheartedly.:) Going after gamefish intentionally under-gunned runs afoul of modern ethical considerations that weren't of primary (if any) concern 60+ years ago.

As to Lee Wulff and the olden days though, he was just taking what he learned about leverage from his deep sea experiences and applied it to fly fishing for promotional purposes. The truth is it's the load capacity of the rod, not it's length that is the determining factor in applying pressure on a fish. All that length contributes for a given line weight (in fish fighting, not presentation) is more or less work on the anglers part in applying that pressure.

No apology necessary Paul, and I agree that fighting a 20# salmon on a 5’ 6” 3wt, to submission, may very well lead to unintended consequences for the fish. Although I would consider it an attempt in futility it is still something of which dreams are made of, at least in mine.:)

Fellas,

Last night at my fishing club meeting I won a rod and reel! It just might be the perfect combo for our experiment...20+lb salmon on a 3wt...I won a Scott A3 7' 6" 4-piece 3wt and a Hardy Marksman 3/4 reel. I can hardly wait for Trico-Time!

I was having a hard enough time already with cabin fever! Now I can't wait to get a line on this reel and give it a test drive! :)

Spence

I already have two 3wt's but never look a gift horse in the mouth, eh! It cost my $5.00 worth of raffle tickets...In 1992 I won a 9' 7wt Loomis and took it with me to Montana in 1995 and caught a nice 23.5" Madison River Brown...Speaking of "something dreams are made of" Allan...Maybe I'll get lucky and history will repeat itself...A 2-footer on a 3wt instead of that 7wt would be nice! :) A man can dream, can't he? ;)

Spence, it seems, as in your case, as luck would have it, you may be well on your way to fulfilling that dream.

Understanding just how strong your tippet is under an "arched" rod, and how much "pressure" that tippet will take are the keys to landing large fish on light tippet in a short amount of time.