Tail Fly Fishing Magazine - Issue 48 July/Aug 2020

JULY/AUGUST 2020

FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

THE ROD MAKERS’ ISSUE

ECHO ~ G. LOOMIS ~ HARDY ~ ORVIS ~ SAGE SCOTT ~ THOMAS & THOMAS ~ WINSTON

PROBLEMS WITH PERMIT • JOURNEY TO XCALAK DISTANCE CASTING: PART FOUR GRAINS OF TRUTH • LIVE FIRE COOKING FO-TI PERMIT CRAB • NEVERLAND • BISON OF THE FLATS

48

JULY/AUGUST 2020

THE VOICE OF SALTWATER FLY FISHING TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 1

%(67 2) 6+2:

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A WHOLE NEW LEVEL OF HIGH-PER 2 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

RFORMANCE, HANDCRAFTED FLY RODS.

SCOTTFLYROD.COM • (970) 249-3180

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 3

Life. Summer brings in the bait and everything else that chases it. Photo by Joseph Ballarini

4 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 5

6 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

Anticipation of a day in Belize. Photo by Scott Morrison.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 7

8 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

TM

GUIDE TESTED.

GUIDE TRUSTED. On the Cover: Portrait of Thomas Dorsey by John Wolstenholme. Dorsey was one of the original founders of Thomas & Thomas Fly Rods back in 1970.

Editor-In-Chief: Joseph Ballarini Managing Editor: George V. Roberts Creative Director: Scott Morrison Food Editor: Kelli Prescott Travel Editor: Peter McLeod Historians: Pete Barrett & Ed Mitchell Editors-at-Large: Joe Doggett Mark Hatter Ryan Sparks James P. Spica Jr.

Creative Contributors: Pete Barrett Jim Bartchi Shawn Combs Michael DeJarnette Joe Doggett Howard Croston Vincent Foti Joe Goodspeed Brian Grossenbacher Bob Haines Henry Hughes

Tag Kleiner Peter Knox Robert Jacob Lerma Jim Levison Steve Rajeff Tim Rajeff Lee Reddmann Trey Reid George Roberts Mark Sedotti James P. Spica Jr.

Annette McLean Michael Melford John Morrison Chris Murray Robert S. Nelson Jamil Siddiqui Morgan Weber Kaettie Wenger John Wolstenholme Umpqua Feather Merchants

About Tail Fly Fishing Magazine is the voice of saltwater fly fishing in a bimonthly print and digital publication. We focus on delivering high-quality content, the very best photography, destination travel, reputable commentary, and technical features from the saltwater fly fishing culture. Tail Fly Fishing Magazine began as a digital publication in 2012 and debuted as a print magazine in 2016. Combined, the digital and print versions reach readers in over 45 countries.

In many places throughout the world, fly fishing has become important to both people and the environment. As a method of fishing imbued with values of stewardship and conservation, it connects people with the marine world in significant and positive ways. We, the anglers, are the last line of defense for our outdoor spaces.

Tail Fly Fishing Magazine supports the arts and creativity, conservation, and organizations that trumpet this message. We’re grateful for your support and we welcome photographic and written contributions.

TFFM is published six times annually, and your print subscription includes the digital version. Subscriptions are available through our website. International subscriptions are also available for most countries. Please contact our general mailbox, admin@tailflyfishing.com, with any advertising, subscription, or submission questions.

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22

PROBLEMS WITH PERMIT

28

DISTANCE CASTING: PART FOUR

36 58

“No, no, Tex, you don’t understand. A grand slam means catching all three in a single day on a fly.

On a fly.” So began Joe Doggett’s troubles.

In installment four of this five-part series, George Roberts helps you put the essentials together to deliver your long cast with minimal effort.

ROD MAKERS: MODERN-DAY MASAMUNE

What’s the biggest challenge faced when stepping up to the bench to create a new fly rod? We asked eight of the industry’s leaders to answer this and other questions about the tech involved in modern fly rod production.

JOURNEY TO XCALAK

While author Trey Reid was chasing permit, bonefish, and tarpon in rural Mexico, back home in the United States people were fist-fighting over papél sanitário.

CONTENTS 10 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

68

GRAINS OF TRUTH

With virtually limitless options available, choosing a saltwater fly line has never been easier—or more complicated. Author Pete Barrett helps you cut the Gordian Knot of fly line selection and determine the best line for your game.

75

POEM

76

GEAR GUIDE

82

LIVE FIRE COOKING

“Summer Blues” by Robert S. Nelson

Lightweight clothing to help you make it through the dog days and home storage to help you get your, flies, rods, and ducks in a row.

Flames kiss your fresh catch. You throw corn and spring onions directly on the embers. Within minutes the entire camp is feasting. Nothing beats cooking with fire..

88 92

SUMMER HEAT

Classic cocktail recipes with some modern twists to jumpstart your summer gettogethers. Grab some quality ingredients and a shaker and we’ll show you what to do.

NEVERLAND

Something happened this winter that should change the way the world manages its natural resources. Editor-in-Chief Joseph Ballarini travels to Belize to discuss the Turneffe Atoll Trust with its founder, Dr. Craig Hayes.

96

FO-TI PERMIT CRAB

100

WEIGHT-BALANCING FLIES

106

BISON OF THE FLATS: THE BUMPHEAD PARROTFISH

TFFM Travel Editor Peter McLeod takes you wading on the flats of Providence and Farquhar Atolls, where the tail you spot may be attached to a 100-pound aquatic raptor in a buffalo stance.

114

THE UNDERTOW: LONELINESS

There’s a price to pay for being alone with one’s thoughts, even while in the serenity of the outdoors, as author James P. Spica Jr. knows only too well.

In 12 easy steps, fly tier Vin Foti shares one of his very productive patterns for permit, bonefish, and striped bass.

Throw a 10-inch fly with a 4-weight rod.

Impossible, you say? Casting guru and innovative fly tier Mark Sedotti can do it. More important, he shows you how to engineer monster flies so you can throw them, too.

Photo: Scott Morrison TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 11

— LETTER FROM THE EDITOR — THE WORLD HAS GONE MAD.

THE WORLD HAS GONE MAD and we’re all being forced to go along with it.

AT THIS WRITING, the world is beginning its “recovery” phase from the virus, but what are we

YOU MIGHT NOTICE a significant decrease in

actually recovering from…?

the number of advertisements in this issue and probably in the next issue as well. We are not

APPROXIMATELY 2.9 MILLION PEOPLE DIE in the

immune the the economic shutdown. Unlike

United States each year from all causes. Monthly,

many publications who have made the decision

this total ranges from around 220,000 in the

to not print an issue or two, we remain committed

summertime to more than 280,000 during the

to our readers and have produced an expanded

winter months. In recent decades, flu season has

issue for you during this “crisis.” We will never

peaked from January to March and is a major driver

deprive you regardless of the situation.

in total deaths. The average daily number of deaths from December through March is over 8,000. In

I WANT TO THANK THE ADVERTISERS who

other words, the modest increase in deaths—and

have continued in the July issue, and I applaud

by modest, I really mean nominal—attributed

their understanding the importance of TFFM to

to Covid-19 has not significantly increased the

our sport and the industry in general.

expected death toll, but it has cost the United States billions of dollars and brought tremendous hardship

TFFM has always been a magazine driven by

to individuals, families, and small businesses

readers—not advertisers—and now, more than

everywhere.

ever, we need you to spread the word about our publication and we ask that you encourage

WE HAVE BEEN BOMBARDED with misinformation

friends and family members to subscribe. When

about the virus from authorities who really don’t

we finally emerge from this and look back on the

know what to do. They have been grossly incorrect

insanity, we will stand proud knowing that we

and have encouraged us to wear masks to protect

remained true to our mission.

ourselves. As a physician working in the ER, I can assure you that a buff or bandana around your

AS WE SAY WITH EACH ISSUE, this one is

face will do nothing to protect you from Covid-19

better than the last. But this time, it was against

or any other virus you might encounter. These

improbable odds amid a world that has clearly

commercially available “protective devices” are

gone mad.

completely permeable and will allow any virus to pass through.

STAY SANE and enjoy the issue.

WE ALSO HAVE BEEN BANNED from boating,

Sincerely,

fishing, hunting, and every other activity that actually moves us away from the general public and out of harm’s way. All this while big box stores like Home Depot, Costco, and Target are open for business, each servicing thousands of customers daily. These customers are all wearing masks that wouldn’t

Dr. Joseph Ballarini

protect them even if they were wearing them

Editor-in-Chief

correctly.

178 12 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

Photo: Scott Morrison

— LETTER TO THE EDITOR — MANY OF US HAVE HAD TO CANCEL long awaited

THIS WAS; HOWEVER, NOT OUR FIRST EFFORT

fishing trips to our favorite locations. Not much we

with a recipe in Tail. The January/February 2019

can do but wait and work on a little front yard casting,

issue delivered a big hit as we tried this meal out

maybe heeding the advice of Tail contributor, George

on some good friends. Indian spiced halibut and

Roberts. One way I’ve tried to cheer myself up is

curried sweet potatoes are not what I might pick out

by pulling out the Tail July/August 2019 issue from

of a cookbook or order at my favorite restaurant.

the stack I maintain on my closet shelf. Who would

The curry is not heavy and great on the crispy

throw these out? I recalled a grilled lobster tail recipe

sweet potatoes cooked on convection roast. The

served with fried plantain tostones and slow cooked

fish features plenty of great spices as well, but no

black beans with lard. Yep, that’s what it has come

curry. Had to improvise for the watercress salad, but

to for the traveling angler. Cooking seafood recipes

thankfully my wife is a “salad wiz”.

out of fishing magazines. My wife just smiled as I scurried about in the kitchen about as well as if my favorite guide stepped down from the platform and handed me the push pole. We did manage to cook a fantastic meal thanks to the Tail Food Editor Kelli Prescott, an accomplished guide herself. I can’t wait

IF YOU ARE READING THIS, you are probably thinking I keep my back issues for the practical fishing advice or the trip reports to a long-desired locale. You’d be wise to take advantage to the best kept secret in Tail – great recipes. Thanks Kelli.

to try the tostones again, perhaps as an appetizer

Sonny Culp

with guacamole or as a base for a breakfast dish –

Birmingham, AL

black bean paste, scrambled egg and queso.

Tail Subscriber

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 13

MERKIN - Steve Huff & Del Brown The Merkin Crab was one of the very first productive crab patterns used for permit in the Florida Keys and still is productive to this day. Seen on several rods during permit tournaments in 2013-2015 with traditional orange legs.

McCRAB - George Anderson This fly has been around for decades and we are not entirely sure if people fish it or just like how it looks in their crab box.

APHLEXO CRAB - Alec Gerbec Created for the Indian ocean for parrotfish and triggerfish but became an excellent permit fly and is also incredibly productive for bonefish in the Caribbean.

CONTRABAND CRAB - Drew Chicone A modernized version of the Bauer crab, which lands a little light but might require some Sharpie work to get the colors right for Belize.

TURNEFFE CRAB - Craig Matthews This is another must-have pattern for Belize, Mexico, for permit and is even productive in the Florida Keys for bonefish. When fishing Schools of permit on sand, this is money.

14 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

BAUER CRAB - Will Bauer Used as a staple in Belize for permit and bonefish.

KUNG FU CRAB - Eddie Wyatt Another good Merkin-style crab imitation that makes good use of synthetic tying materials for the body. The heavy dumbbell lead eyes make this a claws-up pattern when the fly is at rest, imitating the natural quite well.

Crabby Flies for Permit Almost everyone fishing for permit will use a crab pattern of some sort. Whether it has a big, fluffy marabou head or is a tiny green or tan pattern dressed on a size-6 hook, you’re likely to find it in any permit angler’s box.

In Belize, the proven flies have always been small patterns tied on tiny hooks in emerald greens, tan with brown legs, or “au naturel” patterns that might mimic something in the area’s diverse biosphere. In the Florida Keys, the Merkin prevails, but every captain has his go-to flies and the subject usually is closed for discussion.

Classic patterns exist because they work. Over the years there have been some updates to the classics but nothing earthshattering, if you’ll pardon the commentary.

What matters in a crab fly for permit is the size of the fly, the color, and the color of the major stimulus that gets the permit to eat. The brown legs on the Bauer Crab are key to the pattern’s 30 years of success, as legendary Belizean permit guide Lincoln Westby will tell you himself. Westby (who has over 2,000 permit to his credit) reported trying many different colors of legs on the pattern, but brown was the money color.

We’ve included a selection of permit flies that have proven themselves, some of which have been around 25-plus years.

If you’re not a tier, you can purchase these signature patterns in a variety of sizes from your local fly shop.

Fly provisions by our friends at:

If you’ve traveled to Belize, you probably loaded your fly box with Will Bauer’s Flats Crab in every color and size. You did this because you were told it catches permit—and it does. The Contraband Crab is an updated version of the Bauer Crab that uses Scotch-Brite Scour-Pads for the body instead of the classic material (sheep’s fleece, lambswool, or McFly Foam). The end result is a similar pattern that also catches permit in Belize.

If you have a box of flies you’re particularly proud of, send it to us (or a few high-resolution photos) with a description of each fly and we’ll consider it for the Inside the Box feature.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 15

Carribbean Coast Essentials The small fishing village of Xcalak, Mexico, presents amazing potential for bonefish, permit, and tarpon, and you won’t find the crowds—or prices— associated with other popular destinations. Learn more about the area in Trey Reid’s article “Journey to Xcalak” on page 58. And if the piece prods you into a journey to the end of the road at the Costa Maya’s southernmost point, consider packing these essential selections.

The EP crab is one of the go-to permit flies for Chetumal Bay. Reid’s friend Lee Reddmann tied these crabs, and when local guides picked through his fly box to take home a few, the lighttan crabs were the first to go. (The darker version produced Reid’s first permit in March.)

16 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

When fishing for permit on the Caribbean coast, the guides prefer something akin to the Veverka’s Mantis Shrimp, although the Red Striped Kuken pictured here is a new pattern with impressive results.

Swedish fly fisher Jussi Sjolund used it for 11 of the 12 permit he caught during an extended stay in Xcalak last spring.

Shrimp patterns also can serve double duty as bonefish flies— the area’s bonefish aren’t real particular—but this Christmas Island Special is another consistent producer. (Tan and pink Gotchas and Crazy Charlies also should be in your arsenal.)

If you’re looking for tarpon, start with La Cucaracha (that’s Spanish for The Cockroach). This bug, plucked from local guide Felipe Miravete’s collection, fooled a triple-digit tarpon in March.

ALASKA Mossy’s Fly Shop 750 W. Diamond Blvd, Suite 114 Anchorage, AK 99515 907-770-2666 mossysflyshop.com CALIFORNIA Bob Marriott’s Fly Fishing Store 2700 W. Orangethorpe Ave Fullerton, CA 92833 714-525-1827 bobmarriottsflyfishingstore. com COLORADO Front Range Anglers 2344 Pearl Street Boulder, CO 80302 303-494-1375 frontrangeanglers.com CONNECTICUT The Compleat Angler 541 Boston Post Road Darien, CT 06820 203-655-9400 compleatangleronline.com FLORIDA 239 Flies 3431 Bonita Beach Rd SW Unit #205 Bonita Springs, FL 34134 (239) 908-3513 239flies.com Black Fly Outfitters 11702 Beach Blvd, #109 Jacksonville, FL 32246 904-997-2220 blackflyoutfitters.com Forgotten Coast Fly Company 123 Commerce Street Apalachicola, FL 32320 850-653-1024 forgottencoastflycompany.com Florida Keys Outfitters 81219 Overseas Highway Islamorada, FL 33036 305-664-5432 floridakeysoutfitters.com Flounder Creek Outfitters 515 Garden Street Titusville, FL 32796 321-567-2931 facebook.com/ floundercreekoutfitters/ Mangrove Outfitters 4111 Tamiami Trail E Naples, FL 34112 239-793-3370 mangroveoutfitters.com Ole Florida Fly Shop 6353 N. Federal Hwy Boca Raton, FL 33487 561-995-1929 olefloridaflyshop.com Orlando Outfitters 2814 Corrine Dr Orlando, FL 32803 407-896-8220 orlandooutfitters.com

ORVIS Ocean Reef 1 Fishing Village Drive Key Largo FL 33037 305-367-2227 Orvis.com ORVIS Sandestin 625 Grand Boulevard Ste 101 Sandestin, FL 32550 850-650-2174 Orvis.com The Angling Company 333 Simonton St Key West, FL 33040 305-292-6306 anglingcompany.com GEORGIA Cohutta Fishing Company 39 S. Public Square Cartersville, GA 30120 770-606-1100 cohuttafishingco.com ORVIS Atlanta Buckhead Square 3255 Peachtree Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30305 404-841-0093 Orvis.com The Fish Hawk 764 Miami Cir NE #126 Atlanta, GA 30305 404-237-3473 thefishhawk.com LOUISIANA ORVIS Baton Rouge Perkins Rowe, Bldg. H 7601 Bluebonnet Blvd., Ste. 140 Baton Rouge LA 70810 225-757-7286 Orvis.com

NORTH CAROLINA Madison River Fly Fishing Outfitters 20910 Torrence Chapel Rd D5 Cornelius, NC 28031 704-896-3660 carolinaflyfishing.com OBX on the Fly PO BOX 508 Manteo, NC 27954 https://www.obxonthefly.com/ RHODE ISLAND The Saltwater Edge 1037 Aquidneck Ave Middletown, RI 02842 866-793-6733 saltwateredge.com SOUTH CAROLINA Bay Street Outfitters 825 Bay Street Beaufort, SC 29902 843-524-5250 baystreetoutfitters.com ORVIS Charleston 535 King St, Charleston, SC 29403 (854) 999-4985 Orvis.com Southern Drawl Outfitters 1533 Fording Island Rd Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 843-705-6010 southerndrawloutfitters.com TEXAS

Sportsman’s Finest 12434 Bee Cave Road Austin, TX 78738 512-263-1888 sportsmansfinest.com Swan Point Landing 1723 Cherry Street Suite 4 Rockport, TX 78382 361-729-7926 swanpointlandingflyshop.net Tailwaters Fly Fishing Co. 1933 E. Levee St Dallas, TX 75207 888-824-5420 tailwatersflyfishing.com UTAH Fishwest 47 West 10600 South Sandy, UT 84070 fishwest.com 801-617-1225 WASHINGTON Peninsula Outfitters 19740 7th Ave NE, Suite 110 Poulsbo, WA 98370 360-394-1599 peninsulaoutfitters.com Emerald Water Anglers 4502 42nd Ave SW Seattle, WA 98116 206-708-7250 emeraldwateranglers.com The Avid Angler 17171 Bothell Way NE #A272 Lake Forest Park, WA 98155 206-362-4030 avidangler.com

MARYLAND

Bayou City Angler 3641 Westheimer Rd Suite A Houston, TX 77027 832-831-3104 bayoucityangler.com

Alltackle 2062 Somerville Rd Annapolis, MD 21401 888-810-7283 alltackle.com

Gordy & Sons Outfitters 22 Waugh Drive Houston, TX 77007 713-333-3474 gordyandsons.com

MASSACHUSETTS

ORVIS Austin 10000 Research Blvd - B04B Austin TX 78759 512-795-8004 Orvis.com

Drift Outfitters & Fly Shop 199 Queen St. East Toronto Ontario M5A-1S2 647-347-7370 Driftoutfitters.com

ORVIS Houston 5727 Westheimer - Suite A Houston TX 77057 713-783-2111 Orvis.com

Retail Chains:

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ORVIS Plano Preston Towne Crossing 2412 Preston Road Suite 200 Plano, TX 75093 972-596-7529 Orvis.com ORVIS San Antonio 7427 San Pedro Ave. Suite 104 San Antonio, TX 78216 210-812-3017 Orvis.com

R E T A I L E R S

WYOMING Lander Fly Shop 305 Main Street Lander, WY 82520 307-438-3439 landerflyshop.com CANADA

C A R R Y T A I L

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TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 17

the next generation

T&T Ambassador, visionary Flyfishing guide and Permit aficionado Justin Rea likes nothing more than spending time on the water with his son Ryan. Handing down our knowledge and passion for the outdoors to the next generation is key to the survival and growth of flyfishing. At T&T we see a world of possibilities out there and believe the next generation should too.

18 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

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TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 21

by Joe Doggett

The first day I fished for permit,

late ‘70s. We were stationed at the

Back at the lodge I was crowing over

I caught a permit. Well, naturally.

old Pez Maya camp south of the

my accomplishment and a pair of

Of course. That’s the upside. The

ruins of Tulum. The same afternoon

huffy anglers from South Florida

downside is that the 5-pounder

I caught several bonefish on a fly rod

exchanged a stony look.

grabbed a Wiggle Jig on a light

and a 20-pound tarpon on a topwater

spinning rod.

plug on a casting outfit.

The hookup occurred on my fledgling

Wow, I thought, a grand slam! This is

catching all three in a single day on a

trip to Mexico’s Yucatan during the

easy!

fly. On a fly.”

“No, no, Tex, you don’t understand,” one corrected. “A grand slam means

22 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 23

I’m still a bit miffed. I mean, the

same flat behind the pass, I vowed

Dejected and irritated, I cranked in

ability to utilize the three separate

to correct the ledger. Several small

the backing. The cheap thin-wire

light-tackle disciplines sounds pretty

bonefish ate the fly, then a school

hook was too small, too weak for a

salty, the badge of a well-rounded

of small permit finned across the

real fish. Lesson learned.

angler. Put another way, some

crescent of turtle grass. The first

excellent fly-rodders would be red-

school was joined by a second, and

I failed to hook another permit on

faced trying to drop five consecutive

the whole mob came my way.

that expedition.

Step aside, I thought. Watch the

The next trip occurred several years

A-Team in action!

later at the new Casa Blanca Lodge,

free-spool shots into a floating ring at 50 or 60 feet. Plug Casting 101.

Drilling a positive sidearm shot

located on the southern headland of

straight into the honkin’ afternoon

A decent loop with the 8-weight

fabulous Ascencion Bay. Again I was

trades on a wild Caribbean

dropped a size-8 Pink Shrimp ahead

wading. Incidentally, regardless of

beachfront and placing the jiving

of the waving tails and weaving

tackle, putting the best foot forward

Heddon Spook about 8 feet ahead of

dorsals. Several strips later, the line

is my favorite way of one-on-one

the rolling school of surf tarpon says

came tight and a permit blasted

contact in shallow water.

something about an educated thumb,

across the flat. The clicker reel

of having the ability to command the

screamed (a cliche, or maybe a click-

Two big tails flashed and waved in

delicate but violent interaction of

che, but the whirring spool of the

knee-deep water near a nook of coral

blurring spool, flexing tip, and arcing

simple design does indeed impart a

rubble. The fly was an early crab

lure. Being from Houston, my level-

shrill scream). The line and backing

imitation fashioned with rubber legs

wind casting roots run deep.

swept in a wide arc and the permit

and a hard epoxy body. It looked very

rooted in the grass and the miserable

crabby but proved to be a bitch to cast.

But, technically, they were correct.

The next day, while wading the

24 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

little fly pulled free.

A struggling 9-weight loop lumbered

forward and the offering plopped

No doubt, the Florida aces from

the “cheatin’ Triggers” of Christmas

down like a baby conch shell. I

the previous Pez Maya trip would

Island).

winced, but the nearest permit

have been scandalized. What the

absolutely nailed it. Line tore from

hell, I thought, maybe it’ll pass for

A few years after the first fly-caught

the disc drag reel, followed by soul-

another claw.

permit I was back in the Yucatan at

deadening slack.

Boca Paila Lodge (near the site of old A day or two later, I waded with that

Pez Maya—excellent permit water).

A close look at the fly revealed that

awkward magnum into my first fly-

The guide had me staked out near

the gap of the long-shanked hook

rod permit. It was a “pocket permit”

one of the amazing blue holes in the

was too narrow. The stiff body failed

weighing maybe 3 or 4 pounds, but

lagoon. The deep cenotes feed tidal

to collapse and the carapace acted

a gorgeous permit is a gorgeous

currents from the distant Caribbean.

as a hook guard—or permit guard, as

permit, and the stinger was planted

the case might be. A bulky fly of any

firmly in the hinge of the jaw.

stiff construction demands a wider

A school of perhaps two dozen 8to 10-pound permit was cruising

gap to improve the odds of reaching

I’ve caught the occasional Trachinotus

around the tight perimeter of the

the fish.

over the past decades—one here and,

blue hole, doing whatever it is that

a year or so later, one there. That sort

permit feel necessary to do. The

But the fly was a proven producer

of thing. But my record of failures has

cast was long—70 or 75 feet so as

and, as my sophomoric supply of

been woeful. I’m not talking about the

not to spook the quirky fish. They

permit patterns was sparse, I jury-

hundreds of decent presentations met

were oblivious to our position.

rigged it by tying a short stinger

with magnificent disregard—that’s

hook to the shank. The modified

permit fishing. I’m referring to losing

The black sickles and chrome sides

lashing looked a bit odd but the

hard-won hooked fish. The percentage

were spellbinding. I was almost

whole business of permit fishing is a

is way out of balance with the success

hyperventilating, burning with the

bit odd.

ratio on other species (except maybe

Permit Fever.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 25

On the third or fourth shot, one of

often encountered.

formed a miniature hangman’s

the lead fish turned and the line

But I’m not finished. The school

noose, remarkably fitting under the

yanked tight. Shocked, I reacted with

was still circling, doing whatever it

circumstances.

all the fanatical gusto of Captain

is that permit feel necessary to do.

Ahab hurling his cruel harpoon. I

Trembling fingers re-rigged, again

The takeaway: It costs absolutely

lacked only a black stovepipe hat, a

with 12-pound (maybe that’s all I had;

nothing to inspect the fly. And don’t

heavy topcoat, and a whalebone peg

if so, a rookie mistake).

always trust a guide to do this.

(“Aye, have some of this ye curs-ed and damn-ed permit!”).

Following successful flats releases, Several casts later another fish

I’ve been handed flies with broken

hit. A short strip-strike sealed the

points, opened bends, and twisted

The 12-pound tippet vaporized. The

deal and the fish dashed across the

bead eyes.

lesson is simple: If permit are a real

flat. Then the line sagged slack. My

possibility, don’t give away cheap

windblown comments reverberated

Once, at Playa Blanca (north of

shots with the 10- or 12-pound leader

against the dark mangroves.

Cancun, another excellent permit and

used for “banana bones” in the

baby tarpon venue), I was seriously

Yucatan. It’s easy to over-amp. And,

Reeling in, I glared at the fly-less

working on a coveted fly rod super

worth note, permit seldom are too

tippet and noted with a weird mix of

slam (bonefish, tarpon, snook, and

far from rubble of some sort.

alarm and relief that the improved

permit). The first three were on

A 16- or 20-pound tippet is a

clinch knot was intact. The eye of

the board and a taunting dark tail

superior shock absorber. Besides,

the hook had not been crimped all

flashed in the afternoon light. The

it’s my experience that a deranged

the way shut, thus allowing the thin

permit was tilting in the marl near an

permit determined to strike is not

mono to pull though the gap.

island spiked with mangrove shoots.

the deeper, choppier water (relative

No pigtail, no clean snap, no cut

The panga poled into position. Out

to tailing bonefish) where they’re

or fray. The empty knot simply

went the crab fly, down went the

particularly leader shy, especially in

26 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

busy tail, and the line came tight

my man scrambling excitedly for

amid a lusty swirl. The permit

the net. But his stoke level wasn’t

took the fly line and some yards of

exactly where it needed to be. He

Regrettably, coordination has

backing, then slowed and stopped.

stood on the platform with an arm

deteriorated into the oxen-like

A single mangrove shoot waited

nonchalantly curled around the pole.

bumblings of the Golden Years.

permit plowed past the stickup and

“I’m gonna need help here pretty

I went in flailing and honking and

the line caught on the rubbery stalk.

quick!” I barked.

landed more or less upright in

surfing youth.

between me and rare glory. The

Startled, the fish shot to the right

waist-deep water. But I kept my funk

and the rod countered by hauling

He shrugged and pointed. “Toro

and pointed the rod and started

back to the left. The line stressed

grande.”

stripping—and the permit hammered

tight, then sprang loose with a

the fly. The guide was helpless with

dreadful twang like the drawn string

My grasp of Spanish is sketchy but,

laughter, but I was able to handle

of the longbow I released with no

regardless of Latin latitude, there’s

the fish while wading —again, my

arrow nocked on the archery range at

no way that “toro grande” translates

favorite technique, even if unplanned.

Ozark Boys Camp.

into “giant permit.” Assuming a

Strange forces surely were on my side

bullring was nowhere nearby, it

when a permit 40 feet away decided

meant “big jackfish.”

to strike during the commotion of a

But the permit remained attached.

Yeah! I exulted. I’m still in the game!

man-overboard drill.

Two second later the hook pulled. The

I got a closer look at the yellow-

different angle caused by the frantic

tipped fins and blunt bull snout

And last spring in Honduras I fished

tug-of-war apparently unseated it.

of a 25-pound jack crevalle. The

eight solid hours with a 9-weight

The drag knob should have been

confounded jack had been shadowing

outfit and hooked only three fish. Of

loosened to allow the tiring fish to

my school and raced in for the kill.

course, the odds of a bona fide grand

run with minimal resistance as we

These are among the examples of

slam with only three grabs all day are

poled closer to free the snag.

the bad juju that seems to follow

utterly preposterous.

And sometimes things are not as

me across tropical tides. Magic (and

they appear. In Belize, a guide set

I have no prejudice as to origin) does

The first was a nice 5-pound

me up for a classic shot at a school

seem to be at play.

bonefish and the second was a small

of large permit. The fly dropped well

But there are positive exceptions. Or

mangrove tarpon. The third was a

ahead in the 3-foot water and a fish

perhaps hexes can be cast on either

freshly minted double-digit permit.

crushed it.

end of the line. For example, again in Belize, I took a hasty off-balance shot

I whooped as backing poured across

at a sudden permit and the quick

Joe Doggett was an outdoor colum-

the open flat. I stood on the bow

pivot caused me to step from the

nist for the Houston Chronicle for 35

and did a textbook job of playing the

left side of the bow. Okay, I fell from

years. He also was on the masthead

fish. Most of the fly line was back on

the bow. Well, conditions were a tad

of Field & Stream as a contributing

the reel and my career permit was

choppy.

editor. He is retired but writes occasional features for various outdoor

plodding though the afternoon glare.

I glanced back, expecting to see

I led with my feet, relying on the

magazines. He enjoys traveling to

celebrated catlike reflexes of my

fish, hunt, and surf.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 27

ORGE ROBERTS

by GE

THE ESSENTIALS OF DISTANCE FLY CASTING: PART FOUR photos by JAMIL SIDDIQUI

THROUGHOUT THIS SERIES WE’VE EXPLORED WHAT I’M CONVINCED ARE THE THREE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF DISTANCE FLY CASTING: LOADING AND UNLOADING THE ROD PROPERLY, FORMING TIGHT LOOPS, AND LENGTHENING THE CASTING STROKE. I HOPE THAT THESE CONCEPTS HAVE CLEARED UP SOME OF THE MISCONCEPTIONS YOU MAY HAVE HAD AND THAT THEY HAVE GIVEN YOU A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF FLY CASTING MECHANICS. HOWEVER, LET ME STRESS THAT UNDERSTANDING ALONE ISN’T GOING TO MAKE YOU A BETTER CASTER. UNDERSTANDING HOW TO CAST IS ONLY THE FIRST STEP; TO BECOME A BETTER CASTER YOU NEED ALSO TO PRACTICE.

28 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

The fly cast is a fairly complex animal. There’s a lot going on, and each element of the cast

THE BACK CAST A good back cast is critical to distance fly

is interdependent. For example, unless you load and unload the rod well, forming a tight loop won’t help you much—and vice versa.

casting. To make a long forward delivery, it’s crucial that you get the entire weighted section of fly line straight behind you. In fact,

Throughout my own development as a fly

you can’t even begin to load the rod on the

caster I found it extremely helpful to break

forward stroke until the line is straight behind

the fly cast down into its smallest possible

you. Any slack in your line that is caused by

increments, beginning with the back cast.

a flawed back cast must be removed before

Breaking the fly cast into increments allows you to give yourfull attention to only a small portion of the cast and requires you to keep a minimum of information in your head at any one time.

you can begin to pull against the line’s resistance. Three feet of slack in your back cast in effect narrows your casting arc by 3 feet (distance you could be using to load the rod on the forward stroke). I’ve never seen a

1

good distance caster who did not have a solid back cast, and I’ve never seen a caster with a solid back cast who did not also have a solid forward cast.

Refining my back cast was the turning point in my casting development. Once I was able

2

to get the entire weighted section of fly line (about 40 feet) straight behind me, it was fairly easy to make a 70-plus-foot delivery.

Master your back cast and your entire cast will change dramatically.

3

To practice your back cast on the lawn I suggest you use an 8- or 9-weight rod matched with a floating weight-forward fly line. The fly line’s head section should be more or less 40 feet long. Use a black laundry marker to mark your fly line at 40 feet (the fly line in the photo sequence is marked with

4

an inch-long bar at 30 feet, two bars at 40 feet, and three bars at 50 feet). Practice your back cast with the 40-foot mark just outside the rod tip. For a leader, 9 feet of straight 20-pound monofilament should be sufficient (never practice casting without a leader of some sort).

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 29

As I indicated in the last article in this series, all fly casters can be broadly divided into two groups: those who drift and those who do not. (I also indicated that the majority of the fly casters I see fall into the latter category.)

Those who drift will stop the back cast stroke with their rod hand about even with their shoulder. As the back cast is unrolling their elbow will leave their side and their rod hand will move upward and backward, behind their body, repositioning the tip of the rod to effect

THE BETTER YOUR BACK CAST IS, THE BETTER YOUR OVERALL CAST WILL BE, AND THE EASIER IT WILL BE TO REACH THE DISTANCES YOU WANT. behind your left with your right foot pointed out to the side at about 90 degrees. This gives you better balance than you would get from standing with both feet together, and it also allows you to watch your back cast unroll.

a wider casting arc on the forward stroke.

Trap the fly line under the middle finger of your

Fly casters who do not drift will simply

exercise completely, allowing you to focus on

lengthen their back cast stroke so that their elbow leaves their side during the stroke and the stroke ends with the rod hand well behind the body, positioned to make a longer forward stroke. The late Lefty Kreh referred to this as his “stab principle.” In short, when you need to make a long forward cast, he taught, you should make a long stabbing motion with your rod hand on the back cast. Your rod hand stops on the back cast at the position from which

rod hand. This takes your line hand out of the developing your rod-arm mechanics.

Begin each practice back cast with the fly line lying on the ground, straight out in front of you with all slack removed, with the rod tip touching the ground and the 40-foot mark on the fly line just outside the rod tip.

Begin the back cast stroke slowly; you should immediately feel the weight of the fly line

you’ll begin the forward stroke.

beginning to pull the tip of the fly rod into

To discuss the pros and cons of each of these

bending, continue to pull the rod deeper into

“styles” is outside the scope of this article.

Note, however, that I practice and teach drift, which is demonstrated in the accompanying photo sequence. Regardless of which method you adopt, you will still need to refine your back cast so that it consistently unrolls the fly line’s entire head section (40 feet) behind you in a straight line. Until you can do this, the problems begun in your back cast will

a bend (loading the rod). As you feel the rod a bend. The rod tip should be traveling in a straight path. Maintain this straight path as you continue to accelerate the stroke. At the end of the stroke, stop the rod abruptly (to do this it helps to squeeze the cork handle briefly).

The more abruptly you can stop, the more power you’ll transfer from the loaded rod into the fly line.

perpetually plague your forward cast.

If you’ve done everything correctly, the rod

To begin your back cast exercise, start with

cast that unrolls the entire 40 feet of fly line

your feet shoulder-width apart. If you’re a right-handed caster, place your right foot

30 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

will unload, forming a tight loop on the back straight behind you. Feel a tug on the rod tip as the fly line straightens on the back cast is an

indication that the cast unrolled in a tight loop

it were to take you six or eight months to gain

with power to spare (the larger the loop, the

command of your back cast stroke, that’s much

less likely you’ll feel a tug).

less time—by years—than it took me to simply understand the importance of the back cast

If your back cast falls short of this, you’ll need

to the entire casting sequence. Building proper

to figure out why—and how to fix it. Again,

muscle memory doesn’t happen overnight. Take

I can’t stress enough the value of being able

as much time as you need to master your back

to watch yourself cast on video. The video

cast. The better your back cast is, the better your

cameras found on today’s smartphones can

overall cast will be, and the easier it will be to

record quality high-speed video that will allow

reach the distances you want.

you to see in slow motion exactly what you 5

did during the casting stroke (as opposed to what you thought you did). When you couple a smartphone with a video analysis app such as Hudl Technique (hudl.com), you’ll have what I consider the most important fly casting learning and teaching tool available today.

6

Troubleshooting individual casting problems is outside the scope of this series. However, at the end of this article I’ve listed the instructional resources that were the most influential in my own development, as well as two resources of my own creation. To believe that you can miraculously transform yourself

7

into a Tim or Steve Rajeff or a Joan Wulff without any schooling is wishful thinking that borders on delusion. Similarly, the fly angler who purchases a $1,000 fly rod but believes he can learn everything he needs to about casting for free on YouTube has not made the wisest allocation of his funds. The oft-told story of the great natural-born fly caster is largely a

DRIFT

myth related by fly anglers who who are too

If you’ve decided to become a “stabber” rather

ignorant about fly casting to understand what

than a drifter, you can skip ahead to the section

they’re looking at.

on the forward cast.

How long will it take you to refine your back

Once you’ve gained command of your back cast

cast…? Frankly, most casting students I’ve

stroke, drift will allow you to reposition your rod

worked with have balked at my suggestion that

hand to bring the rod through a longer forward

they spend at least a couple of months of regular

stroke—that is, a wider casting arc. Loading the

practice working on their back cast exclusively.

rod over a longer distance stores more potential

Most people don’t have that attention span. If

energy in the rod to make a longer delivery.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 31

How far you have to drift to make any given delivery depends on a number of things, not the least of which is your efficiency as a caster. The more efficient your casting stroke, the less you’ll have to drift. Note that in the photo sequence I use a very long drift simply for instructional purposes. (If I were to use the actual drift I would need to deliver a fly 70 feet, you might not even notice it.)

THE FORWARD CAST The forward cast is a mirror image of the back cast. The fundamentals that apply to a good back cast apply to a good forward cast as well.

That’s precisely why it’s so important for you to master your back cast before you proceed: In mastering your back cast you will have learned virtually everything you need to know in order to make a good forward cast. Keep in mind that

Practice the back cast and drift without putting a forward cast on it. When you can consistently stop the rod abruptly and relax into a drift that repositions your rod hand only a few inches behind you—because of the length of the rod, this distance will be greatly magnified at the

the back cast and the forward cast are two halves of the same coin. Making a good back cast sets you up to make a good forward cast.

However, any problems present in your back cast will manifest themselves in your forward cast as well.

rod tip—without sacrificing good back cast form, you’ll be ready to add a forward cast.

32 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

8

12

9

13

10

14

11

15

Try adding a forward cast onto your back-castand-drift exercise. When your rod hand has repositioned on the drift and your back cast has unrolled completely, begin your forward casting stroke. As soon as you move the rod tip on the forward stroke you should be able to feel the weight and resistance of the fly line.

Continue pulling through the casting stroke, accelerating the rod as you do, pulling it into a bend. Remember that the rod tip must travel along a straight-line path throughout the casting arc. You’ll finish the casting stroke by pushing forward on the rod handle with your thumb while pulling back with your lower fingers to stop the rod abruptly. If you can maintain your tight loop, the line will sail out in front of you.

In truth, most of your casting sequences

final back cast (Figure 1) and your loop begins to

unroll, allow your elbow to leave your side and your rod hand to drift back (Figures 2 through 5). When the back cast straightens and you feel the tug of

the fly line against your rod tip, begin your delivery

stroke (Figure 6). During the stroke, your elbow will

move back into the side of your body as you pull the rod forward, pulling the head of the fly line from behind you, pulling the rod into a bend (Figures 7 through 9). Your rod hand (as well as the rod

tip) will move along a straight-line path and you’ll

conclude the stroke with an abrupt stop (Figure 10).

After you’ve stopped the rod on the delivery stroke

and the loop has formed, release the line trapped in

your line hand (Figure 12). If you’ve done everything correctly, your loop of line will sail forward, taking

along with it the running line at your feet (Figures 13 through 15).

while fishing will not consist of a single back cast and a single forward cast. At some point

If you can carry 40 feet of fly line and shoot

you should add some false casting into your

an additional 10 feet of running line (assuming

practice sessions. False casting allows you to

you’re using a 9-foot rod and a 9-foot leader),

gain command of the airborne fly line and

you’ll be able to deliver a fly nearly 70 feet. With

helps you develop a sense of timing, which is

further refinement through regular practice,

critical to distance casting. Start with about

you may be able to deliver a fly 80 or more feet

30 feet of fly line outside the rod tip, which

without hauling.

is much easier than trying to carry 40 feet.

When you feel you have command of 30 feet,

If you devote yourself to the casting game,

gradually increase this amount a foot or so at

there’s no limit to what you can accomplish.

a time. Your goal should be to carry 40 feet of

You’ll be able to get the full performance

fly line outside the rod tip while maintaining

potential out of your tackle, and you’ll be able

good form and tight loops on both the back

to fish successfully for any species in the fly

cast and forward cast. False casting this length

angler’s world. Heed the advice and follow the

of line will require a bit of drift and follow-

instructions we’ve presented throughout this

through (follow-through is drift in the forward

series and you’ll be well on your way.

direction) to keep the line airborne.

In the final article in this series we’re going to Once you’re comfortable carrying 40 feet of fly

take a look at the double haul: what it is, what

and lay it at your feet. Grip the running line in your

your casts—particularly your long casts.

line, strip about 10 feet of running line off the reel

it isn’t, and how you can use it to improve all of

line hand and false cast to gain command of the

fly line while keeping tension on the running line.

Plan your delivery. After you stop the rod on your

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 33

READING AND VIEWING FOR THE STUDENT OF FLY CASTING The following resources are only a few of the fly casting works available on the market, but they’re the ones that were most influential in my own education. In particular, I’m convinced that the work of Joan Wulff (whose Instructors’ School I was fortunate enough to attend in 1997) is the closest thing the literature of fly casting has to genius.

The Essence of Flycasting (book), Mel Krieger.

The Essence of Flycasting (video), Mel Krieger.

The Essence of Flycasting II: Advanced Flycasting (video), Mel Krieger.

Joan Wulff’s Fly Casting Techniques (book).

Joan Wulff’s New Fly Casting Techniques (book).

Joan Wulff’s Dynamics of Fly Casting (video).

Master the Cast: Fly Casting in Seven Lessons (book), George Roberts.

Saltwater Fly Casting: 10 Steps to Distance and Power (video), George Roberts.

34 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

Before he became TFFM’s managing editor, George Roberts taught fly casting for more than 25 years to fly anglers of all levels of experience. George produced the first instructional video casting program aimed at the saltwater fly angler: Saltwater Fly Casting: 10 Steps to Distance and Power, which is available through a number of retailers as well as the TFFM shop.

IMAGINE BEING

SKUNKED FOR ALL OF TIME

AND NOW YOU KNOW WHY WE HELPED MAKE THE KEYS CATCH AND RELEASE.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 35

ROD BUILDERS: THE MODERN-DAY MASAMUNE

by TFFM Staff The legendary Masamune (c. 1264–

Japanese noble. The many steps to

and finishing that goes into each

1343) is widely recognized as Japan’s

completion and the strict attention

rod, this is doubtless still very much

greatest swordsmith. His art may

to materials and details are what

an artisan industry. Each finished

have been in decline since his day—

set these blades apart from the

rod is essentially one-of-a-kind.

and it was nearly wiped out entirely

mass-produced replicas available

An enormous variety of available

after World War II—but Masamune’s

today. A Japanese blade made by a

building materials—graphites and

legacy and legend persist.

top designer is considered a reliable

composites, resins, and hardware, to

sword: There is no doubt it can

name only a few—and the numerous

The steel used in sword production

perform the task for which it was

differences in taper design and

is known as tamahagane, or “jewel

created.

building techniques that govern

steel.” It undergoes a process of

appearance and function mean that

smelting and then is meticulously

In some respects, traditional sword

the possibilities of the modern fly

forged and polished before the

making is not unlike modern rod

rod are virtually limitless.

finished sword is assembled. This

building. Although we may think

process can take a master weeks

of carbon fiber rod blanks as being

We’ve interviewed eight of the

to months, but the end result

mass-produced, each segment is

industry’s top rod designers to learn

is a one-of-a-kind sword that is

actually rolled by hand. Given the

what is involved in designing and

an instant family heirloom for a

amount of hand assembly, wrapping,

building our modern-day heirlooms.

36 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

QUESTION 1: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU FACE WHEN STEPPING UP TO THE BENCH TO CREATE A NEW FLY ROD?

when starting a new rod series

a new door and started thinking

development program is answering

about how to improve rod tracking

the why. We can’t answer how to

and damping during the cast. We

improve the rod series until we

focused on ways to improve the

have a firm understanding of why

hoop strength of the blank and

we need to change the rods: what

decrease the loss of energy transfer

Jim Bartschi, Scott

problems we need to solve, what

from rod to fly line.

The first step is asking, Why? Is

opportunities exist, and so on. This

there a new technology? Is there a

starts with listening to the end user,

new application or a new technique

collecting insight, reviewing all of

anglers are pursuing? Is there an

the data available, and answering

styles in my mind when trying to

unmet need in available gear?

the question that the user has.

fine-tune an already great fly rod

Howard Croston, Hardy

It’s switching between the fishing

into an even better one, particularly

Without purpose, creating new rods doesn’t add anything to the legacy

Take, for example, the Helios 3: We

against the backdrop of a lot of

of rod design.

sent surveys out to guides, pros,

other good fishing rods out on the

and our best customers, and the

market and tactics that are always

overwhelming need to solve for was

evolving. Everything we develop

accuracy. By listening, we opened

is based on a fishery, technique,

Shawn Combs, Orvis

The biggest challenge for our team

Photo: Scott Morrison TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 37

38 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

or trend in fishing. That could be

material to work with that will lend

and angling more enjoyable. How we

anything from tournament tarpon

itself to a more responsive, more

get there is finding opportunities

fishing, Spey casting split shot and

durable, or lighter-weight rod. That’s

in new materials, manufacturing,

indicators for Great Lakes steelhead,

great to have, but designing a new

processing, and design work.

or nymph fishing with fine level

rod is more than simply substituting

Decisions involve whether and

European-style leaders—so it’s

materials.

when performance improvements

difficult to be an “expert” across such a wide breadth of styles.

fit within the families of existing A new rod family must have a

rods. We consider if a series may

superior action to the old one. When

be obsolete. To be successful in the

I’m fortunate on two counts in

searching for that spark, I often look

marketplace, we need supporting

this respect. First, I have a pool of

to rods of Sage past to understand

collateral sales and marketing plans

anglers to pull from who specialize

where we’ve been, solicit feedback

and promotional materials.

in different areas. Second, in my

from trusted sources, and visit

20-plus years in the industry I have

the fisheries where these rods will

Actually creating the new rods—

experienced many of these fisheries

be used (there’s nothing as good

sampling and testing—is often

firsthand. That said, it’s still a

as being there). The sport of fly

the easiest part. Designing tapers,

challenge.

fishing is in constant evolution, even

getting the right rod action and

though it may not appear so to the

strength to work in concert with

Joe Goodspeed, Thomas & Thomas

casual observer. There are trends

new materials—this is what I have

There are three major challenges in

in fly sizes, leader preferences,

been doing for the past 35-plus

designing a fly rod. The easiest are

line tapers, and strategies for

(1) managing the cost of materials

approaching the water. A finely

and production and (2) balancing

tuned rod will take these trends into

durability and performance. The

account to create the best possible

hardest is creating a rod that

rod.

achieves a high level of performance with the wide range of fly lines, casting strokes, and fishing tactics

Annette McLean, Winston

At Winston, we always think about

that anglers might match with it.

how a particular rod, or rod series,

Although there is a fly line weight

needs to perform and what user

standard that helps determine what

expectations will be. Over the years,

a certain rod weight should cast,

Winston has used a specific style

this standard has been distorted

of action developed for the angler’s

by line manufacturers and rod

ease of casting and has successfully

manufacturers alike. Therein lies the

incorporated that style into all our

biggest challenge.

rods, regardless of application.

“WITHOUT PURPOSE, CREATING NEW RODS DOESN’T ADD ANYTHING TO THE LEGACY OF ROD DESIGN.” — JIM BARTSCHI SCOTT

years on a near-daily basis. I was fortunate to work with Jim Green,

Peter Knox, Sage

Steve Rajeff, G.Loomis

the rod designer at Fenwick in

The biggest challenge creating

the early 1970s, to make special

a rod design can be finding the

new fly rods is getting it all

tournament casting rods. He

initial spark for how the rod will

done in time. A new series takes

introduced me to rod design and

feel and perform. Sometimes

tremendous coordination among

also to the earliest graphite blanks

inspiration comes easy: Add-in

people in planning, research, and

produced in the world in 1973. I

models to existing rod families and

development before rods actually

had graphite fly rods a year before

niche tools tend to flow well. But

start getting produced. The why we

they were available on the market.

there are other rods that require a

create new rods is to achieve better

Several new long-distance records

lot of thought. We often have a new

performance, making fly casting

were set in that first year.

The biggest challenge when starting

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 39

USING MATERIAL FOR A SPECIFIC GOAL IS A BALANCE OF MAXIMIZING PERFORMANCE WHILE MINIMIZING COMPROMISE. — SHAWN COMBS ORVIS

40 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

Photo: Brian Grossenbacher

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 41

G.Loomis creates not just new fly

are made. Once you dig in, you will

rod series each year but also several

discover all the details that make

fresh and saltwater conventional

each rod unique: Elements like

rod families. We use project-

material selection, construction,

can vary in many ways. There are

management software to plan

and layup techniques make a huge

structural differences based on

gateways and timelines for the

difference in a rod’s dynamic casting

composition and construction. Some

many overlapping demands. It is

performance, weight, and durability.

blanks have a design strategy that

quite a juggling act.

We patented the use of high

utilizes a steeper taper rate than

temperature cure thermoplastic

others, resulting in rods of similar

Tim Rajeff, ECHO

resins for the Helios rod series,

line weight, action, and blank weight

The most expensive ECHO rod sells

we have proprietary construction

with different butt diameters.

for less than an average-priced

techniques, and we analyze the rod’s

Visual differences can be based on

rod made in the United States. To

performance characteristics using

what the cellophane compression

provide the optimal performance in

unique methods.

marks look like, whether or not they

our modest price range is difficult.

Joe Goodspeed, Thomas & Thomas

Blanks from different manufacturers

are sanded away, various surface

As a designer, it is my goal to blow

Tapers are an interesting point of

coatings and application styles,

folks’ minds when they pick up an

differentiation when you factor

and ferrule designs. Wraps and

ECHO rod. The challenge is using as

in both the internal diameter and

components offer a tremendous

much magic pixie dust as possible

outer diameter rate of change.

array of choices to match nearly any

to hit a specific retail price. We have

Finish is most noticeable to the end

application or visual fancy.

fun experimenting with different

user. We have shifted our focus to

rod designs and materials and are

making purpose-built rods that we

not afraid to try some crazy stuff to

intend to be fished. This is why we

solve problems.

coat our blanks in matte, low-glare

for a specific set of applications.

paint and use type III anodized

Things like taper, material selection,

aluminum reel seats. At the end of

material positioning, and ferrule

the day, we are driven to make the

reinforcements all play into that.

best performance tools for anglers,

Aside from blanks, we optimize

and I think that drive sets us apart

nearly every component on the rod

in a hyper-competitive landscape.

for the intended application.

Howard Croston, Hardy

Light-duty freshwater rods get

We design all our products in-

thin wire snake guides that reduce

Jim Bartschi, Scott

house and use both in-house and

weight, whereas saltwater rods

Within our own line up, we don’t

outside manufacturing. Our outside

get heavier gauge wire guides

have duplication. Each series is

manufacturing partners recognize

for durability. Saltwater rods

designed for a specific purpose or

the need to keep our intellectual

also typically get larger guides

application like small creek fishing,

property secure, and we work closely

to accommodate larger knots

trout fishing, or flats fishing. The

with them to ensure our exclusive

passing through. One must strike

tapers, materials, and component

materials and designs remain

a balance in guide size, however,

selections are chosen and designed

exclusive. A lot of our differentiation

because larger guides make a

for those specific applications.

comes from exclusive materials and

rod less responsive and hold the

the depth of knowledge we draw on

line farther away from the blank.

Shawn Combs, Orvis

from a fishing perspective. In salt

Because of this, we build rods of the

On the surface, the rod

water, we work closely with Andy

same length and line weight but

manufacturing process looks very

Mill, who gathers and consolidates

different target applications with

similar regardless of whose name

feedback from a wide group of

different guide sets. An all-around

is on the rod or where those rods

guides and anglers.

8-weight will have smaller guides for

QUESTION 2: THERE ARE ONLY A FEW BLANK MAKERS IN THE UNITED STATES—SO HOW ARE RODS PRODUCED

BY THE SAME BLANK MAKER DIFFERENT (TAPER, ASSEMBLY, WRAP, FINISH)?

42 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

Peter Knox, Sage

All of Sage’s blanks are designed

slightly lighter weight, more control,

look of a Winston is its traditional

import rods. In our case, depending

and more responsiveness than a

beautiful translucent green with

on the model, we use one of six

saltwater rod, for which we prioritize

ruby red trim wraps. These features

different rod factories to produce a

durability and the ability for knots

differentiate Winston from all other

particular ECHO rod model. For each

to pass through. We also use guide

fly rod providers.

rod we demand that the factory hit the seven rod factors that we can

placement as a means of tuning Steve Rajeff, G.Loomis

request: We call out a rod’s action,

Rod families can be categorized

power, length, break strength, overall

in several ways, but pricing and

weight, components, and cosmetics.

actions within series are the primary

We have spent years vetting each

In general, larger and heavy-duty

distinguishing characteristics to the

factory and understand the strengths

rods receive more thread wraps over

end user. Top-of-the-line materials

and weaknesses of each. We would

guide feet and ferrules than light

(like graphite and resins) and high-

not ask our larger, high-volume

freshwater rods do.

quality manufacturing methods

factory to make our most sensitive,

action; at times we’ll slide guides up and down the rod slightly to shift the action.

and components will command

ultralight 10-foot 6-inch Euro

We also design all of our reel seats in

the highest price. Within this top

Nymphing rod, just like you wouldn’t

house to be suited for the intended

echelon series, actions can be tuned

expect to get a perfectly cooked fillet

application of the rod. Saltwater-

for specific applications. For delicate

mignon when you dine at your local

specific rods have diamond-knurled

and finesse trout stream fishing,

burger joint. For each job, there is the

lock nuts with angled surfaces to

where accuracy at short range is

correct tool.

provide the greatest amount of grip,

needed, we create softer “light

whereas light freshwater rods have

presentation” models. The same

more ornamental angled knurls. We

raw materials could be utilized with

try to incorporate a shoulder on

faster-taper mandrels to make high-

saltwater slide bands that makes it

speed casting tools, making stiffer

easier to push the slide band off the

rod action to help cut through wind

reel foot in case the two get stuck

and enable longer casts. There are

together (as often happens). On the

“in-between” stiffness and tapers

flip side, our ultralight rods feature

to suit multipurpose capabilities,

super lightweight reel seats with

too. There are numerous grades of

minimalist slide bands and dainty,

graphite fiber stiffness (modulus),

puzzle. On their own, their impacts

lightweight lock nuts.

epoxy resin strengths, resin

are general. So glass may be more

saturation levels in the prepreg

elastic than graphite, and graphite

Handles are a variation on the

graphite used to bond all together,

may create a rod with a higher

same theme: larger for heavy-duty

tapers, design blank wall thickness—

strength-to-weight ratio.

applications. We have a half dozen

all combine to achieve the rod action

or so different handle diameters

and performance level of the series.

It’s really through the integrated

that we build with, depending on

Types of guides, cork grades, reel

system of pairing materials with

length and line weight.

seat configurations, and even rod

tapers, pattern shape, and layups

tubes have a huge impact on rod

that combine to determine the

Annette McLean, Winston

cost.

attributes of a fly rod. Fiber

own designs and produces its own

Tim Rajeff, ECHO

and resin systems, and matching

As far as I know, all the American-

those to the right tapers drive the

developed and produced in Twin

made rods on your list of domestic

attributes of fly rods.

Bridges, Montana. Now, within

rod companies make their own

our own house we use a variety of

blanks and do not use OEM

It’s very possible to design out of

tapers and materials. The finished

manufacturers like those of us who

graphite—a material that, on its

Jim Bartschi, Scott

Materials are one piece of the

directionality, blending materials

As you know, Winston develops its blanks. All of Winston’s rods are

QUESTION 3: HOW DOES MATERIALS SELECTION IMPACT THE FUNCTION OF A ROD? PLEASE COMMENT ON PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL ATTRIBUTES.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 43

own, is prized for its light weight

crisp energy transfer and result in a

that rods built from these materials

and strength—a heavy, unstable rod

heavier build. The list goes on, and

are the most fragile. When fibers are

that breaks easily. In fact, I think

that is what makes rod design so

stretched beyond their maximum

this has been accomplished.

challenging and rewarding.

elongation, they fail, which results

Shawn Combs, Orvis

Howard Croston, Hardy

more ability to stretch provide more

To a large degree, material is one

flexible and durable rods, which are

balance of maximizing performance

of the pillars of rod design and

comparably heavier and transmit

while minimizing compromise.

performance; material x layup x

less feel while casting.

Using high-modulus carbon in a tip

taper = function. The intended

section will make for a very light

usage of the rod and the required

We use a variety of fibers, often in

tip—but it will require such a thin

performance attributes lay the

the same rod. The key is to match

wall thickness that the tip will be

baseline for material selection. As an

the material with functionality and

prone to breakage. Low-modulus

example, a material such as SINTRIX,

performance goals. While materials

fiberglass material will be tough and

with its high elongation to break

dictate a great deal, the way the

bendy—there’s a super engineering

and tough, impact-resistant resin

fibers are aligned to reinforce each

term right there!—but will lack

system, is a must-have in anything

other can be just as important

going into our saltwater program.

as the material itself in terms of

in a broken rod. Fibers that have Using material for a specific goal is a

TO A LARGE DEGREE, MATERIAL IS ONE OF THE PILLARS OF ROD DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE; MATERIAL X LAYUP X TAPER = FUNCTION. — HOWARD CROSTON HARDY

44 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

strength and performance.

Joe Goodspeed, Thomas & Thomas Material selection drives the feel,

general performance, and durability

Peter Knox, Sage

Since all parts of our rods are

of a fly rod. Fibers that recover

designed and built independently,

quickly are the most responsive and

multi-piece rods allow us to easily

transmit more feeling of what is

employ a great number of material

happening beyond the rod tip. These

combinations compared with a

are the most expensive fibers and

one-piece rod. Most Sage rods have

create the fastest, lightest fly rods,

four pieces, each of which has up

but these fibers also have minimal

to five or so materials incorporated

elongation properties—which means

into it. With many available material

WITH CONSTANTLY EVOLVING ANGLING TECHNIQUES, FUNCTIONALITY IS A MOVING TARGET. THERE IS NO DISTINCT END TO ACHIEVE, NO MATTER HOW MUCH TECHNOLOGY OR DESIGNS IMPROVE. — JOE GODSPEED THOMAS & THOMAS

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 45

46 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

WE OFTEN HAVE A NEW MATERIAL TO WORK WITH THAT WILL LEND ITSELF TO A MORE RESPONSIVE, MORE DURABLE, OR LIGHTERWEIGHT ROD. THAT’S GREAT TO HAVE, BUT DESIGNING A NEW ROD IS MORE THAN SIMPLY SUBSTITUTING MATERIALS. — PETER KNOX SAGE

Photo: Tag Kleiner

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 47

combinations, we can optimize

which have a level of potency that

rods are lighter in weight, faster in

material selection down the length

allows us to shrink diameters (and

action, and perhaps a little more

of the rod using various fibers,

use less material). This is particularly

durable due to the improvements of

resins, thicknesses of prepreg

evident in our saltwater rods, where

available carbon fiber.

sheets, and fiber/resin ratios.

shrinking the diameter allows us to

In a nutshell, we use more durable

get a thicker wall and create rods

When we talk about the purpose of

that are super strong.

the fly rod, obviously a true dry-fly

materials that can endure large

rod will need different attributes Annette McLean, Winston

than a steelhead rod or a saltwater

Carbon fiber has changed

rod. Through the application of

the butt, we incorporate greater

dramatically over the years. There

different modulus of carbon fiber,

ratios of stiff materials that are very

is a lot to understanding just a

we can develop different rod

weight-efficient. We have access to

little bit about carbon fiber—too

functions.

some incredible materials these days,

much to cover here. But today’s fly

bends and survive (small) impacts at the tip of the rod. Working toward

48 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

Photo: Scott Morrison

Steve Rajeff, G.Loomis

rod recovery, reduces line speed, and

modulus materials, resins, and blank

The raw material used to make

adds some vibrations after the stop,

designs, the latest generations of

the blank has a lot to do with the

sending waves down the line.

blanks are almost half the weight

final weight of the blank and how

of those from the early 1970s. The

easily it will cast and fish. Assuming

Higher modulus, lighter materials

best 5-weight rod made in the early

design optimization, higher-modulus

can allow the use of longer-length

1980s is about the same swing

materials with correspondingly

rods. A lightweight longer rod—with

weight and effort to cast as an

high strength can achieve lighter-

similar swing weight to that of a

8-weight today.

weight blanks. (Not all high-modulus

heavier, short rod—makes it easier

is strong; it costs more to get the

to lift line from water, mend line

good stuff.) It is possible to “over

control on the water, carry and

design” the blank using too much

false cast a longer length of line,

carbon fibers or fiberglass. Rods

material; you can still achieve a nice

and potentially make longer casts.

that require some “special” level

action, but the added weight slows

Compared with the earliest standard

of performance often benefit from

Tim Rajeff, ECHO

Most modern fly rods are made from

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 49

50 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

fibers that are smuggled in luggage

older rods in my personal collection

on flights from Switzerland. There

that I take out on the water from

is a fiber manufacturer there—next

time to time. Some are special

to a famous chocolate factory—that

designs or builds that I put extra

SAY THAT THERE IS A

makes fibers so advanced that, when

work into; others were given to me.

fashioned into a fly rod, will help the

They are fun to pull out of the closet

SPECIAL SWEET ROD

average person catch 3.6 more fish

on occasion, but they just don’t

per day. Many years ago a famous

have the performance or fine-tuned

WHICH THE STARS

bike manufacturer said, “Light,

actions of our newer rods.

OF THE UNIVERSE

cheap, or strong: pick two.” This adage can be applied to all fly rods.

QUESTION 4: OVER THE DECADES, SOME FLY RODS HAVE REACHED “CELEBRITY” STATUS; ENTHUSIASTS SWEAR THESE SUPERSTAR RODS CANNOT BE IMPROVED UPON. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? WHY ISN’T IT MORE COMMON?

Annette McLean, Winston

a special sweet rod in every series

RODS SO SPECIAL? THE

over which the stars of the universe properly align. What makes some

ALIGNMENT OF THE

rods so special? The alignment of

STARS OF THE UNIVERSE,

the stars of the universe, perhaps …

PERHAPS … ALONG WITH

along with the rod’s ability to really feel special to the angler. Sometimes

THE ROD’S ABILITY TO

this is a result of great memories

REALLY FEEL SPECIAL TO

made while fishing a special piece of water with a specific rod. And sometimes it is the rod itself: It just feels right in the hands of the

perception thing: As anglers we are

angler. The rod has its own fishy

sentimental, creative, and emotional

personality. I truly don’t believe that

animals, and that leads us to look

any rod designer can honestly claim

at certain favorite rods as “perfect”

credit for these rods. None of us is

even if technically they have been

that good!

superseded. That said, some rods Tim Rajeff, ECHO

As an engineering student who

improve on for a time. But as with

wasn’t smart or dedicated enough

everything, as technology improves,

to graduate from the lowliest of

at some point even the “best” can

colleges, I can only say that a light

be bettered.

trout rod built in the late ‘90s might feel nice and be something you want

Peter Knox, Sage

to hit the river with. A 20-year-

All our rods receive a lot of design

old 10-weight permit rod is a dog.

attention. Frankly, it’s a bit of a

Higher line weights, longer rods, and

mystery to me why certain rods

Spey rods especially benefit from the

are held in such high esteem above

latest material technology to make

the others. I suspect that a lot of

them lighter. We try to strike the

love for older rod models has to do

perfect balance between price and

with sentimental value in addition

performance—an exceedingly small

to the fact that some anglers grow

target.

comfortable with the action of their rod over time. I have a handful of

PROPERLY ALIGN. WHAT MAKES SOME

I think in many ways it’s a

application that proves difficult to

IN EVERY SERIES OVER

Tom Morgan would say that there is

Howard Croston, Hardy

do hit a certain note in a specific

TOM MORGAN WOULD

QUESTION 5: WHAT DO YOU

THE ANGLER. — ANNETTE MCLEAN WINSTON SEE AS THE SINGLE BIGGEST ADVANCE IN FLY ROD DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE IN THE LAST 20 YEARS? Jim Bartschi, Scott

Glue. We call it “thermoset epoxy resin matrix” to sound fancy, but it’s really just the glue that holds the fibers together.

Graphite fiber choices haven’t changed significantly in 20 years; the resins that bind them have.

They’ve allowed us to increase fiber ratios, reduce wall thickness, increase recovery speeds, and lighten rods.

Shawn Combs, Orvis

Performance-to-cost ratio would

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 51

be the biggest gain, from my

the common carbon materials into

I hope not. Design and performance

perspective. Today’s Orvis Recon

thinner cloth applications, which

improvements come in two forms.

8-weight would put a squeeze on

has allowed for thinner rod tips

One is when a new material

most premium $695 to $749 rods

and thinner walls in crucial tip-mid

technology becomes available and

from 2000. Today’s premium rods

sections. That translates into fast-

changes everything. These watershed

have gotten so good in terms of

recovering tips and lighter swing

moments only come along every so

accuracy, durability, and weight,

weights. These thinner materials

often. For fly fishing, the transition

and really are easier to fish—all

have allowed for the evolution of

from bamboo to fiberglass to carbon

with an increase in cost of about

long, lightweight, European nymphing

represents such a change.

20 percent. Other market segments

rods with small-profile tips that

have seen similar improvements in

weren’t possible 20 years ago.

performance and technology, but

The other form comes in incremental gains of continuous

Steve Rajeff, G.Loomis

improvement. These gains are

The largest contributing

measurable every five or so

ingredients to fly rod performance?

years and can in the end be more

Enhancements in graphite fiber

significant than the watershed

Joe Goodspeed, Thomas & Thomas

strength and epoxy resin bonding

moments. Take, for example, rod

Tough question. In my opinion there

adhesion to the fiber. Demands

breakage in tarpon fishing: Ten

haven’t been truly big advancements

for stronger and lighter building

years ago, anglers broke a lot

in the past two decades like there

materials for fighter plane fuselage

more rods. Now they are using 10-

were in the two previous decades.

and wings—and also stronger and

and 11-weights with a lot higher

I have had the privilege to see

more durable helicopter blades—

confidence. Behind the scenes we

the history and progression of

have trickled down to industrial

have been focused on improving

Tom Dorsey’s work here at T&T

and recreational applications.

durability and have seen failure

during a really dynamic period for

The rod companies can tailor and

rates decrease at the same time.

carbon fly rod design, and progress

fine-tune the graphite recipe from

today is more incremental. As far

their suppliers to suit their needs,

I do think we are primed for another

as performance for the angler,

utilizing better and better materials

watershed moment in the next five

advances in resin technology have

over time.

to ten years.

QUESTION 6: IS THERE AN END POINT TO DESIGN AND FUNCTIONALITY? IN OTHER WORDS, AT SOME POINT WILL THERE BE AN END TO PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS?

Howard Croston, Hardy

Jim Bartschi, Scott

improved resin systems and

It’s hard to see that happening.

titanium recoil guides—have their

Rod performance is determined

foundations elsewhere. Designers

by the rod itself, the fly line, and

and developers of fishing rods are

the skill of the angler. Incremental

driven by what we then do with

improvements to any one of

those improvements and how we

those can move the needle on

advance them to produce better

performance. Improvements to all

fishing rods.

the costs have nearly doubled: Just look at how much a Toyota Tacoma cost in 2000.

made it possible to spread some of

ROD FAMILIES CAN BE CATEGORIZED IN SEVERAL WAYS, BUT PRICING AND ACTIONS WITHIN SERIES ARE THE PRIMARY DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS TO THE END USER. — STEVE RAJEFF G. LOOMIS

It’s hard to see how improvements will ever actually “end” in any context. Most of the material and technological improvements are driven by industries outside of fishing. If you look back at them, most of the major leaps—including

three can be game-changing.

First and foremost I’m an angler—so Shawn Combs, Orvis

52 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 53

54 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

I always want to build a “better

fiber was introduced to fly fishing—

mousetrap,” whether that means

and look what has happened over

improved performance, durability,

the years. At Winston, we are always

or usability. And as long as the

looking for that next breakthrough

A FAMOUS BIKE

design and development process

that will truly improve performance.

is driven by anglers for anglers,

Lighter, smaller diameter, more

MANUFACTURER SAID,

advancements and improvements

durable…. Stick around, and let’s see

will never really come to an end.

what comes along.

Joe Goodspeed, Thomas & Thomas

Steve Rajeff, G.Loomis

there is no end point to improved

improvements to raw materials—

design and functionality. Some

and advanced design taking

companies design fly rods relying

advantage of those properties. It

on a mathematical formula to

will be possible to lengthen rods,

produce a certain action across a

which can make casting easier for

range of sizes, but this approach

many conditions. Can you imagine a

manufacturing know-how. These

has a fundamental flaw: it requires

10-foot 10-weight rod as light and

combine to incrementally push rod

a “design ideal” as a starting point

easy to handle as today’s 9-foot

performance to new levels.

to dictate the formula. Although

8-weight? That longer and lighter

I’m sure everyone relies to some

rod will make it much easier to

There’s a lot of research going

extent on math in the design of a

bust a long cast with a bigger fly.

into fiber innovations, but they’re

fly rod, there is no definitive and

A lighter weight 9-foot 5-weight

years off at this point. If carbon

quantifiable end goal for the action

may not make as much difference

nanotubes or graphene ever get

or performance attributes of the

for added distance or accuracy, but

commercialized—or similar emerging

perfect rod. With constantly evolving

still—the lighter rod will provide

areas of research come to fruition—

angling techniques, functionality is

more control, reducing fatigue in the

we’ll see the next generational

a moving target. There is no distinct

hand after hours or days of use.

leap that could be as influential as

The short answer here is no,

There are going to be continued

MANY YEARS AGO

“LIGHT, CHEAP, OR STRONG: PICK TWO.” THIS ADAGE CAN BE APPLIED TO ALL FLY RODS. — TIM RAJEFF ECHO

the development of carbon fiber

end to achieve, no matter how much Tim Rajeff, ECHO

replacing fiberglass.

Peter Knox, Sage

there might just be a Moore’s Law

I don’t anticipate an end to

for fly rods. Stuff will always get

Shawn Combs, Orvis

performance improvements. At

better.

technology or designs improve.

No! Ask my brother about this, but

Sage, we have too many leads on new materials and technologies to chase all of them. Every few years we’ve been able to implement a new technology that gives an honest 10-percent-plus jump in performance, and I see that continuing for a long time.

QUESTION 7: ARE THERE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN THE WORKS THAT COULD CAUSE THE NEXT EVOLUTIONARY LEAP FORWARD, AND HOW FAR AWAY ARE THEY? Jim Bartschi, Scott

decades. When fiberglass rods came

are coming from resin chemistry

onto the scene, could there have

advances and rod design and

been any better rod? Then carbon

technologies that could push rod design into a new era. How long

Annette McLean, Winston

We’ve been asked this question for

I think there are emerging

The near-term improvements

before they get commercialized in luxury sporting goods products is hard to say. On a macro level, most technology is developed for defense and aerospace and slowly trickles its way into our hands. Time will tell, but until then I think we are pretty lucky to fish rods like the Helios 3.

Howard Croston, Hardy

There are improvements—some big, some small—in the pipeline.

The real evolutionary leaps are

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 55

understandably more long term, but

bat—but that doesn’t mean they

some of our biggest improvements

won’t get there down the road!

in recent years have gone from long term to usable surprisingly quickly. As industry in general keeps

Annette McLean, Winston

Predicting the timing of an

making advancements on materials,

evolutionary leap is next to

the outlook changes. So the best

impossible, and they aren’t often

answer I can really give is, Keep your

recognized as such without the

eyes and ears open and look for

benefit of hindsight. One thing is

true innovation versus a marketing

certain: It’s an exciting time to be a

facelift.

rod designer. Composite technology is advancing at an incredible pace,

Joe Goodspeed, Thomas & Thomas The aerospace industry is always

and the rod designer’s “toolbox” is as full as it’s ever been.

pushing the limit for fiber, resin, and binding technology to make lighter, stronger, higher-performance

Steve Rajeff, G.Loomis

Today’s graphite fiber is a solid fiber

products. These then spill over into

material. Hollow carbon fibers—

other industries and end up being

nanotubes—are being “grown” but

available for fly rods, so it’s likely

are not yet made in long continuous

that new materials will be available

fibers. Usually, the nanotubes are

in the future for the fly rod market.

half an inch in length or less. There

Nano-particles like graphene—that

are spun threads using nanotubes,

tend to clump together when

but these spun threads have not

applied to other materials—will

yet matched the strength of solid

become more functionalized, and

continuous fiber needed for fishing

the fishing market will eventually

rod applications. There have been

see the potential performance

nanotubes added to the epoxy

enhancements they make possible.

resin—which is like adding aggregate to a concrete mixture and has

Peter Knox, Sage

helped boost strength-to-weight

We’re always looking for that next

somewhat. There are other nano

big technology that will give us

additives and self-propagating

an “evolutionary leap” forward.

bonding spheres proven stronger

But often it takes years for these

than nanotubes additives alone,

technologies to be developed to

for fishing rod applications. Hollow

the point where they provide a

tube graphite fibers’ replacement of

great jump in performance. The

the solid fiber graphite, could yield

result is a bit of a slow burn. When

a similar jump in performance as

some technologies are fresh and

witnessed between solid bamboo

exciting, they may not provide much

to hollow fiberglass construction,

performance benefit. We have seen

hopefully within this gray-bearded

a handful of emergent technologies

fly-rodder’s lifetime.

with fancy buzzwords in the last decade that haven’t really panned out in our lab testing right off the Photo: Scott Morrison

56 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

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, Trey Reid Photos: t e n r Ja De Michael d Lee Red , s e in Ha n e W ie t t and Kae

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58 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

, tte, Bob dmann, nger

We hardly ever realize that we can cut anything out of our lives, anytime, in the blink of an eye.

—Carlos Castaneda, Journey to Ixtlan On numerous fly fishing trips to Mexico over the past 13 years, I’ve brought home all sorts of souvenirs.

But until a trip in March, I had never brought back toilet paper.

It’s called papél sanitário in Spanish, and back home in the United States people were hoarding it in panic as COVID-19 and lockdowns spread across the country. I had been chasing permit, bonefish, and tarpon for several days in rural Mexico.

During nine days of fly fishing and travel in the Yucatan Peninsula, the novel coronavirus went from being a faint American concern to a fullblown national emergency.

Harboring fewer than 400 souls at the far southern tip of Mexico’s Caribbean coast, the small fishing village of Xcalak was arguably one of the best places to ride out a pandemic. My friends and I, however, were headed away from elective recreational seclusion and toward the forced isolation of quarantines and social distancing.

The only sure thing was uncertainty.

But we had TP.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 59

Return on Investment The journey to Xcalak requires

more work than similar Caribbean destinations, but the effort yields abundant rewards. From the continental United States it takes a flight, a rental car, a five- to six-hour drive, and two extra travel days to break up the drive to and from Cancun. The payoff is reduced fishing pressure, an opportunity for cultural immersion, and one of the best travel fly fishing bargains you’ll find.

60 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

Xcalak isn’t for everybody. Outside

easily accessible fishing along the

of fishing, diving, and snorkeling,

Caribbean coast, where the planet’s

options are limited. There’s

second-longest barrier reef protects

no nightlife or kitschy tourist

the beach from heavy surf. Brackish

attractions. It’s as far from the

lagoons with tarpon and snook

all-inclusive resorts of Cancun as

present additional opportunities.

you can get, a place with off-grid

Independent guides run trips out

accommodations where you won’t

of the village for a fraction of

find air conditioning.

what you’ll pay in other popular destinations. Anglers interested in

But you’ll discover countless

blazing their own trail will find some

miles of Chetumal Bay’s sublime

of the most accessible do-it-yourself

saltwater flats with lightly pressured

saltwater fly fishing prospects on the

bonefish and permit. There’s also

Yucatan Peninsula.

I found Xcalak (pronounced ISH-kahlahk) in 2007. I booked a half-day guided trip with Captain Victor Castro, who no doubt needed all of his skill and patience—as well as a measure of luck—to lead a rank neophyte with a borrowed 8-weight to his first bonefish.

It was the first evolutionary step toward a fixation with Trachinotus falcatus, commonly called “black-tailed devils,” or by their Spanish name, palometa, but sometimes known by more contemptuous monikers like “f****** permit.”

On the Road

Our crew flew into Cancun on a Friday afternoon. Lee Reddmann, an accountant with fly fishing obsessive disorder, and Casey Hughes, a trout fishing guide who represents several outdoor-industry companies, arrived with me from Little Rock. Michael DeJarnette, a friend since childhood, came in from Park City.

With the back of our rented Dodge Caravan looking like a mobile fly

shop, we took off on the hourand-a-half drive to Tulum. Unless flights arrive before noon, it’s best to break up the trip from Cancun to Xcalak. The route consists mostly of well-maintained federal highways, but animals, pedestrians, and long stretches of remote roadway can make nighttime driving sketchy.

The stop in Tulum leaves three-anda-half hours of driving for the final leg to Xcalak. It also serves as a traveler’s decompression chamber, where the city’s bohemian ethos and

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 61

tourism scene offer a transition zone

down through small towns, their

has become a valued friend. We met

between regular life and Xcalak’s

inhabitants were a reminder that the

him and his nephew Felipe Miravete

extreme isolation.

Maya still walk upon this big porous

at eight a.m. the first day. “Mucho

limestone slab.

viento” were Miravete’s first words,

We found food trucks and filled up on

but the 15- to 20-mph wind wasn’t

nachos, quesadillas, and empanadas,

About two hours after leaving Tulum,

the only issue. Clouds obscured the

a solid base for multiple rounds of

we stopped at the Pemex outside

sun and showed few signs of breaking

various social lubricants. Things

Majahual to top off the van’s gas

up. The southern Yucatan was

got fuzzy after we drank the pox

tank, and another hour later we

experiencing a norte, and while the

(pronounced poash)—a traditional

were looking at a big sign that read,

cooler north wind and lower humidity

distillation of corn, wheat, and sugar

“Bienvenido Xcalak,” where the

made for great sleeping conditions, it

cane that’s like Maya moonshine. The

Caravan’s tires rolled over the last

would probably hurt the fishing.

shamans used it to connect with the

patch of asphalt they’d touch for a

spirit world; we used it to disconnect

week.

from the actual world.

Fortified by coffee the next morning, we headed to the Chedraui supermarket for food, beer, and booze. Xcalak only has a couple small stores and a grocery truck that delivers on a loose schedule, so it’s best to pick up provisions on the way down.

The road carried us through the heart of the Maya world. We passed the ruins at Muyil, a vestige of the Maya civilization’s bygone splendor and its remarkable achievements in astronomy, mathematics, art, and engineering. As we slowed

62 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

Hughes and I climbed in Miravete’s panga and motored south, turning

The Inside Scoop

west into the Zaragoza Canal,

the odds of success in Xcalak. Local

Caribbean with Chetumal Bay about

Using a guide dramatically increases knowledge and experience aside, another factor is the accessibility afforded by their boats. While the wading DIY angler finds abundant opportunity around Xcalak, the guided fly angler can cover more water and reach otherwise inaccessible spots. Boats also make it

a manmade cut connecting the three miles north of Bacalar Chico, a narrow, serpentine waterway separating Mexico from Ambergris Caye, Belize. Miravete killed the Yamaha outboard on a massive flat within sight of the canal.

Although he stands barely 5 feet

easier to spot fish.

tall, Miravete’s eyes and intense

We arranged two boats for five days

on the flats. He’s a jokester, usually

with Victor Castro and his crew at Osprey Tours (xcalak-flyfishing.com).

More than a fishing guide, Castro

determination make him a giant smiling and laughing away from the water, but in the stern of a panga he takes on a resolute mien. With a light

drizzle dimpling the shallow water,

lungs. Hughes strip-set with his left

Hughes struck the trip’s first fish: a

hand and then grabbed the rod butt

solid bonefish, macabí, that Miravete

with both hands to jam the hook

spotted in spite of the miserable

deeper into the tarpon’s hard mouth.

conditions.

The fish ripped out the slack line and was on the reel fast.

Sábalo Sorrow

The wind was still strong out of the northeast the next day, but we had sunshine. Hughes and I hit the water with Miravete again, making a longer run north in the bay. About 45 minutes after shutting down the motor, Miravete spotted two big, murky shapes swimming parallel to the boat at 75 feet.

“Big tarpon,” he said.

With a 10-weight rigged for the smaller tarpon we anticipated, we needed to scale up quickly. Hughes used a heavy leader from Miravete’s tackle bag, chaotically re-rigging in

The sábalo exploded out of the water, a writhing silver hulk, its scales reflecting the golden morning light.

Hughes bowed to the behemoth, which looked to be close to 100 pounds. Seconds later the tarpon breached the turquoise water again.

Less than 50 feet from the boat, it sounded like somebody shaking a bucket of silver dollars.

Hughes jumped the fish a third time. The line went slack. Hughes stood there silently shaking for several seconds before breaking his vigil of dejection. At a volume that could’ve been heard 25 miles away

the floor of the panga.

in San Pedro, Belize, he screamed

“It’s like tying a knot with Weed

granddaddy of all profanities.

Eater line,” Hughes said.

Pushing the panga with a pole fashioned from a sapling, Miravete chased the fish across the flat.

Hughes fastened a red streamer from Miravete’s box to the leader and stepped up to the casting deck.

Ten minutes and 400 meters after

an exaggerated version of the

Miravete shared an observation in Spanish, but I waited several hours before translating for my despondent friend: In eight years of guiding, this was only the second time Miravete had seen a tarpon that big outside of the migratory runs in July and August.

initially spotting them, the two tarpon were again parallel to the boat.

DIY Dreaming

Back at our digs at Acocote Eco Inn, about 5 miles north of town, the

“Nine o’clock,” Miravete said. “Forty

satellite Internet allowed us to stay

feet. Cast now.”

somewhat connected to news from home. The first sign of trouble came

Hughes delivered the shot

Monday, when the US stock market

perpendicular to the pair, stripped

experienced its biggest daily point

once—and the line went tight.

drop in history. DeJarnette, who

Miravete shrieked at the top of his

works in global finance, skipped a day

of fishing to deal with the fallout.

But aside from that hiccup, we fell into a rhythm of fishing, eating, and drinking—followed by merciless trash talking.

We convened in Acocote’s palapa on the second night for Rob-a-ritas, proprietor and innkeeper Rob Mukai’s eponymous riff on the Margarita. It’s a tradition Mukai keeps so guests can meet and mingle, and it served as our introduction to new friends Bob

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 63

Haines and Kaettie Wenger, who were

I’ve spent about two-and-a-half

down from Colorado for a month of

weeks of my life in search of my first

mostly DIY fly fishing.

permit. I’ve had good shots at scores

“You take the shot,” he said.

of them. I’ve turned them toward my

I stepped up on the casting deck and

The couple’s success is an example of

fly. I’ve even vicariously felt the thrill

stripped line off the reel so it piled

Xcalak’s DIY potential. Haines scored

of capture, watching Reddmann bring

next to my bare feet. A wedge of six

with a hefty permit from the beach

a permit to hand last year.

or seven permit appeared, swimming

north of the inn during our stay, and

toward us. My first cast was 60 feet

Wenger followed a few days later

Although still feeling the effects

at two o’clock, presented precisely

with an impressive bonefish. They

of the norte, our third fishing day

and delicately. They ignored the fly

also used stand-up paddle boards

dawned with better conditions.

but kept coming. The next cast, 10 to

to fish the brackish lagoon on the

Castro returned from hiatus to guide

12 feet shorter, landed 5 feet in front

west side of the beach road, landing

DeJarnette and me. We made a

of the lead fish, straight off the nose

multiple small tarpon in a single day.

long run north in the bay but didn’t

of the boat. I made long, slow strips,

see anything for three hours, so we

the fourth producing resistance. I

DIY anglers also can fish Chetumal

reeled in and ran back south to a

pulled back hard on the fly line, and it

Bay. Xcalak sits on a narrow peninsula

flat on the east side of Cayo Chelem.

came tight.

jutting south between the Caribbean

Castro announced we would try for

and the bay, so it’s just a few miles

bonefish.

from town to the bay’s eastern

The permit raced toward deeper water, peeling line off the reel as

shoreline. With roads leading to a

I spent half an hour in the bow and

it ran toward a dark, rocky patch. I

defunct ferry terminal and a rock

made a couple of casts to solitary

raised the rod higher and moved the

jetty, anglers can park and wade

cruisers that showed no interest.

fish. It swam right to left at 50 or

miles of flats.

DeJarnette took the next turn as

60 feet, and I saw two other permit

Castro slowly pushed the panga down

from the school swimming next to it.

The Longest Silence

“What is emphatic in angling is made so by the long silences—the unproductive periods,” Thomas McGuane wrote. “No form of fishing offers such elaborate silences as fly fishing for permit.”

Decades after publication of The Longest Silence, McGuane’s words still ring true. The angler passes countless hours scanning the surface for the slightest sign of nervous water and straining optic nerves to scrutinize cerulean shallows.

Long periods of inactivity are punctuated by ephemeral moments of exhilaration upon actually seeing a permit—and almost always are followed by pangs of rejection.

In three trips to Xcalak since 2018,

64 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

the flat. It appeared as barren as anything we had seen—until suddenly

“Es el jefe,” DeJarnette said.

it wasn’t.

“Yes,” Castro said. “I think he is the “Permit,” Castro said, looking at the

boss.”

darker green water where the flat sloped imperceptibly toward the open

The permit swam perpendicular

bay.

to the bow, stunning and glorious against the flat’s sandy white

I took my 9-weight with a tan crab

bottom. Castro eased over the side of

from its holder and extended it

the boat and followed the fly line to

toward DeJarnette.

the leader. The startled fish surged and took back 40 feet of line, but two minutes later Castro ran his hand down the fluorocarbon leader and seized the fish by its forked black tail.

I yelled like a lunatic and slipped out of the boat to release the fish.

We watched the permit swim slowly away, and I climbed back in the boat, my arms and legs still shaking.

Sitting under the high noon sun

home. The president would declare a

But maybe there’s a lesson from

with my friends—one since Little

national emergency a few hours later.

McGuane, or at least a measure of

League baseball and one since my

comfort: Maybe this is the longest

first trip to Xcalak—I recognized

That evening, sitting in a Tulum

silence; with luck, then, what is

the value of long silences. Without

bar and sipping mojitos made with

emphatic in life will be made so by it.

the countless refusals and fruitless

freshly pressed local sugar cane, we

hours, the moment wouldn’t have

speculated about pandemic life. The

Bio: Trey Reid has written for

been so potent. That it happened

next morning we hit the supermarket

numerous newspapers, magazines,

with my friend Castro elevated it to a

and loaded up on papél sanitário.

and websites, and is a former field

transcendent realm.

reporter for ESPN. He works in public Weeks later, it’s clear we didn’t have

and media relations for the Arkansas

Lessons Learned

a clue. We didn’t know months would

Game and Fish Commission,

pass before we could sit down for a

producing and hosting the agency’s

on Friday morning to head north

restaurant dinner, go to a movie, get

television show Arkansas Wildlife.

a haircut, or work out at the gym, or

He also hosts the outdoor radio

that the words “social distancing”

show The Wild Side on 103.7 FM The

would become more common than

Buzz in Little Rock, which can also

handshakes and hugs.

be heard as a podcast. This is Trey’s

By the time we packed the van to Tulum, the stock market had experienced a second record decline, businesses and schools were closing, and toilet paper and disinfectants were flying off store shelves back

first appearance in TFFM.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 65

The Leaky Palapa The Leaky Palapa Restaurant (leakypalaparestaurant.com) dishes up gourmet cuisine that would earn acclaim anywhere. But when you consider that the restaurant is located in the Caribbean fishing village of Xcalak—population 400, paved roads, zero—the plates coming out of the Leaky Palapa’s kitchen border on miraculous.

Chef Marla Stiles and her wife Linda Loo have been feeding locals, expat Americans, and snowbirds at the southern end of the Mexican Yucatan since 2004.

With fly fishers descending on Xcalak in growing numbers, the Leaky Palapa has gained a reputation among saltwater bug-flingers as a gastronomic attraction that’s as irresistible as the area’s bonefish and permit.

“I’ve lived and traveled all over the world and have eaten at some of the best restaurants in some of the foodiest cities, and the Leaky Palapa is in my global top ten,” says Rob Mukai, a Utah native who runs the Acocote Eco Inn a few miles north of town. “They would be competitive in Tokyo, London, New York, Sydney—you name it.”

Veteran restaurateurs from Canada, Stiles and Loo have crafted a menu that merges Mexican culinary traditions with French and Italian techniques, elevating customary Yucatecan ingredients and flavors from delicious to magnificent. The food remains familiar and approachable while simultaneously inspiring admiration and wonder. The portions are satisfying, the prices shockingly reasonable.

66 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

The Leaky Palapa balances refined fare

lobster bites. The lobster is divine by

with a casual atmosphere. Situated on

itself, but the sauce that pools around

the ground floor of its owners’ home, it

it has caused diners to forsake their

radiates a warmth that isn’t merely the

manners. “Somebody told me I should

result of its tropical locale. Guests rarely

serve a squeegee with this thing,” Loo

enter without a cheerful greeting and a

says, “so you don’t leave anything on the

hug. The cozy dining room’s garnet-hued

plate.”)

walls, dimly lit by small lights encased in gourd lampshades, create a mood that’s

It’s no wonder the Leaky Palapa is a

as inviting as the proprietors.

favorite hangout of traveling fly anglers.

From across the globe, they descend on

Loo runs the front of the house and

Xcalak as a home base for guided and DIY

tends the bar. Her signature cocktail is

trips to Chetumal Bay’s flats, the area’s

the chile-pineapple margarita, in which

intricate lagoon systems, and beachfront

sweet, sour, and picante mingle in salt-

fishing inside the Mesoamerican Reef. Fly

rimmed glasses—but she’s just as deft at

fishing travelers, Stiles says, account for

crafting classics like the old fashioned or

about 40 percent of the Leaky Palapa’s

recommending a bottle from the wine list.

business.

The libations are useful lubricants to help

As far as it is from Cancun, Xcalak

with the diner’s difficulty of deciding what

attracts a different kind of traveler than

to order. From appetizer through dessert,

the all-inclusive resorts on the northern

everything on the menu is intriguing.

Yucatan beaches or the full-service fly

Popular main dishes include pasilla chile-

fishing lodges around Ascension Bay to

crusted pork tenderloin with a bourbon

the north or Belize’s Ambergris Caye to

and ancho reduction; ravioli filled with

the south. People visit Xcalak to get away

huitlacoche, a mushroom-like corn fungus

from crowds. If they’re not in search

that’s sometimes called Mexican truffle;

of bonefish, permit, tarpon, and snook,

and the pork ossobuco, slow-roasted with

they’re likely looking for solitude on the

a chipotle tomato broth until it peels off

Costa Maya’s sparsely populated beaches,

the bone.

or seeking underwater adventure via snorkeling or scuba diving. That’s how

Being about three or four long casts from

Loo and Stiles stumbled onto Xcalak while

the edge of the Caribbean Sea, the Leaky

escaping the Canadian winter in January

Palapa naturally excels with seafood.

of 2004.

Besides the Campeche shrimp that’s dusted with dried chiles and served atop

“We were camped on the beach in a

squid-ink pasta, the restaurant’s fish and

motorhome we picked up in Texas,”

lobster come from speargun-wielding

Stiles says. “We had been traveling

Xcalak fishermen. Whether it’s the local

through Mexico, camping on beaches and

spiny lobster tails (grilled on the barbecue

diving. We had all our equipment plus

or poached in coconut milk) or one of

a compressor, as well as an inflatable

Stiles’ myriad fish presentations, there’s

diveyak. An American couple whose

a good chance the food on your plate was

daughter owned a place in town came

still swimming earlier in the day.

by our campsite to ask if we would be interested in renting the space and

(If there’s a can’t-miss appetizer on the menu, it’s the caramelized ginger-seared

operating a restaurant.”

Stiles and Loo returned to the Great White

There also were problems stocking the

They still face hardships operating a

North, sold their house and restaurant

restaurant’s larder. Xcalak has no grocery

restaurant of the Leaky Palapa’s caliber in

in London, Ontario, and went back to

stores, too small even for the type of

a remote corner of the Mexican Caribbean,

the tropics on a somewhat impulsive,

central mercado that’s ubiquitous in many

but it’s easier than it used to be. They

unplanned adventure to open a restaurant

Mexican cities. Local fishermen kept the

built the new digs with a dining room

in a tiny Mexican fishing village on the

restaurant stocked with fish and lobster,

and kitchen closer to their specifications.

edge of the Caribbean. “Once we made the

but other ingredients were hard to get.

They still make weekly five-hour round-

decision, it was easy,” Loo says.

Grocery trucks came in from bigger towns

trip drives to Chetumal for ingredients,

a couple times a week, but supplies were

but Quintana Roo’s capital city now

Starting a new restaurant in remote

limited and their schedules unreliable.

has a Walmart, a Sam’s Club, and the

Xcalak wasn’t as easy as the decision to do

Stiles and Loo had to make weekly trips to

large Mexican grocery chain Chedraui.

it. The restaurant’s first space consisted

Chetumal, a five-hour round trip drive—

Electricity is more reliable these days,

of a small building with a tiny apartment,

with no guarantee vendors would have

although Stiles and Loo still turn to a

a cramped kitchen, and a larger open area

needed ingredients.

backup generator at times. The salt and

for the restaurant covered by a palapa, a

“It was crazy some days,” Loo says. “We’d

humidity are hell on kitchen equipment.

classic Mexican shelter with a palm-leaf

get to Chetumal, and there wouldn’t be

But the force that propels the Leaky

thatched roof.

any lettuce.”

Palapa and its owners forward is the same thing that makes the restaurant so

“We had rented this building without

The Leaky Palapa staggered forward nine

remarkable: It’s the challenge of creating

looking at it very carefully,” Stiles says.

years in its original space. Loo and Stiles

something extraordinary where you least

“While sitting inside the palapa making

found relief for their stress by kayaking

expect it. When people respond to that,

our plans, we looked and realized we

back in the bay, fishing and camping and

it’s the stuff of dreams.

had a large problem: The palapa needed

watching roseate spoonbills, crocodiles,

replacing, and we didn’t have the cash

and wood storks. Being accepted and

“The best thing about running a

to do it. So we thought for a minute and

welcomed by the local community, and

restaurant here is the people,” Stiles says.

we decided, no problem: We would buy a

seeing their customers’ reactions to their

“Our customers come from all over the

bunch of umbrellas and put them over

restaurant, made it worth the frequent

world. They have worked all year for their

each table and call it the Leaky Palapa.”

hassles.

holiday, and now they are on it. They are in the best frame of mind, as they are

At the time, Xcalak’s electricity was

In 2013 they finished construction on a

here doing what they love and what gives

supplied by a generator that ran for three

new home and restaurant, where they

them joy.”

or four hours a night and rarely at full

serve customers Thursday through

power. Fate intervened in the form of CFE,

Sunday between US Thanksgiving and late

For many Xcalak visitors, that includes

Mexico’s state-owned electric utility, which

April. The restaurant closes during the

dining at the Leaky Palapa.

installed transformers and put Xcalak on

low season while Loo and Stiles return to

the electrical grid just as Stiles and Loo

Canada.

were set to open in October 2004.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 67

grains of truth

by Pete Barrett

Choosing the “right” fly line has never been so easy—or so difficult.

Seems there is fly line for every species that swims in cold and hot climes, for short casts and long, in a mind-boggling variety of tapers to punch through wind or make delicate throws to spooky

68 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

fish, and in color choices that shame a rainbow. And there’s no shortage of opinions about fly line, although the truth can be elusive depending on how you actually fly fish. A line that brings a grin to one caster elicits a frown from another. Wading through

this happy maze of choices to find the ultimate line—one that shoots like a cannon to reach striped bass in the surf or makes delicate presentations to sea trout on grassy flats—is an interesting quest.

Fact is, we like today’s remarkable selection of specialty lines for redfish, tarpon, little tunny, bonefish, surf stripers, and big game; we welcome the choices for both chilly water and the heat of the tropics. Weight-forward lines are still king of the hill,

although yesteryear’s generic tapers are now supplemented by an array of new designs with short-taper heads and compound tapers; they’ve made the casting part of fly fishing much more enjoyable with the added benefits of improved distance

and fly presentations. Having so many choices has not, however, answered the eternal question, “Which fly line is best?”

Most fly anglers are decent enough casters—perhaps lacking the grace and form of professionals

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 69

THE AUTHOR WAS READY WITH A LINE CAPABLE OF DISTANCE CASTING TO REACH A SCHOOL OF 10-POUND JACKS IN FLORIDA’S INDIAN RIVER LAGOON.

like Tim Rajeff, George Roberts, or Mark Sedotti, but quite capable of putting the fly where the fish want it. That’s the goal, right? Making a good presentation that catches fish is the essential ingredient of the fly fishing experience. To help flyrodders make better presentations, manufacturers expend a lot of effort modifying the tapered sections of fly lines, which change the concentration of weight and casting performance.

A saltwater fly line has two primary sections: the tapered front head and a level running line behind it. The head is made up of four secondary sections: a short level tip section, a front taper that swells in diameter into the large-diameter body section, and the rear taper that merges into the running line. By modifying the length and diameter of the four head sections, manufacturers can achieve seemingly mystical casting qualities for short or long casts and varying fly presentations.

The first considerations when choosing a new line are the casting distance and weight of the fly you expect to throw. Many great casters have written about this numerous times over many years, so let’s summarize here with some basic considerations. Distance casting generally requires a line with a head measuring 35 to 50 feet, while short casting distances are easier with short heads of 22 to 35 feet. Big and bulky flies generally cast best on 9- to 10-weight lines; lightweight flies cast best on 6- to 8-weights.

Gentle presentations are generally

70 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

CHOOSING A FLY LINE HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER—OR TOUGHER—WITH LIMITLESS OPTIONS FOR WARM AND COLD WATER AND FOR EVERY SALTWATER SPECIES.

better with long heads, while short heads make quicker presentations. For accuracy, short heads are better.

Weight-forward heads were always the go-to lines for saltwater. An early improvement to head design was the 1960s-era rocket taper from Cortland Line Company. The rocket taper had a short front taper with much of the head’s weight concentrated toward the front of the body, gracefully tapering back into the running line. With so much weight in the first few feet of the body, the line was a great choice to poke through wind and throw bulky flies and popping bugs—and it could shoot line like crazy. Switching from rockets to tarpon, Airflo, Cortland, Orvis, RIO, and Scientific Anglers have enhanced the original concept by fine-tuning their front-loaded tapers to retain the punch but with improved fly turnover and smoother casting.

The legendary Lee Wulff developed the triangular head configuration that is marketed

by Royal Wulff. The triangle taper starts off thin, continually increases in diameter through the entire head length, and then quickly skinnies down at the

transition to the running line.

The triangle taper helps transfer the power of the cast as the line unrolls on the delivery and allows for soft presentations.

Many fly line manufacturers employ variations on this theme to create lines that make delicate presentations and retain good casting distance.

Bass bug tapers are lines with short heads used to cast popping bugs to freshwater bass, but they also became popular for striped bass, redfish, and snook. The 24to 30-foot head quickly loads the rod with minimal line outside the rod tip for accurate fly delivery with just one or two false casts.

They’re perfect for mangrove areas, where quick fly delivery is vital and back casting space is limited, and they can throw saltwater poppers well.

Compact heads are also great for casting heavy flies—a big bonus in the surf where bulky flies can be thrown considerable distances with minimal false casting. This is offset, however, if the caster overpowers the forward cast. Too much muscle adds a “kick” at the end of the cast that can cause an awkward presentation as well as knots in your leader.

Medium-length heads like Monic’s Genesis Covert Clear and Javelin Taper All-Weather Icicle lines measuring about 30 to 35 feet are excellent general-purpose choices, capable of doing double duty in tight places for short casts while still reaching out when the caster needs distance.

The length of the front taper is important when considering fly presentation. A line with a longer front taper will deliver a gentler presentation, an important consideration when trying to avoid spooking fish. A shorter front taper provides the oomph for fast deliveries toward bridges and docks for snook and striped bass—or to breaks in mangroves where a finesse delivery may not be important.

RIO was among the first line manufacturers to develop compound (or stepped) tapers, and now almost every manufacturer offers them. Compound tapers have a split personality: About halfway toward the front of the head, the taper jumps down (or up, for some redfish lines) into a secondary taper. It’s like two heads in one—a combination that provides concentrated weight

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 71

with the advantage of a nice presentation.

We’re just scratching the surface here, but you get the picture: There are many excellent head tapers available to help achieve the right distance and superb fly presentation. Spend a rainy day with catalogs you picked up at a fly show, tackle shop, or online, and you will uncover the many line options available from fly line manufacturers in floating, sinking, sink tip, short, and long tapers. Whether you’re interested in cold water or tropical water, whether you need information on line coatings or cores, advice from the pros at your local fly shop is always helpful because they know what the locals are using. Some fly clubs even offer casting clinics where members can try and compare various lines.

Let’s push taper considerations aside for a moment and consider how the actual weight of the fly line affects casting results. We have to recognize there’s a lot of variation between fly lines and the rods that cast them. All 8-weight rods, for example, are not the same, nor are all 8-weight lines the same weight. In a world of “stiffish” graphite rods, many fly guys heed the popular advice to over-line the rod to more deeply load the blank. This simple advice is supposed to turn mediocre casters into champions. Hmmm.

Maybe. Maybe not.

Over-lining is not new; fly anglers have been doing it for decades. In fact, many of today’s most popular fly lines are marketed specifically

72 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

to be heavier than standard. And over-lining isn’t really an accurate term because all fly rods can cast more than one line weight. Some casters believe using a fly line one or two weights heavier may yield amazing casting distances with minimal effort. Other fly-rodders with a more rigid outlook stick with the rod’s labeled line weight.

Neither perspective is right or wrong, but both hide the complete picture.

At a recent fly show Jim Bartschi of Scott Fly Rods explained, “Every fly rod, regardless of its action or length, is capable of casting several different weight fly lines. The rod’s casting potential depends on the actual weight of line beyond the rod tip. The weight of that length of line dictates how the rod will cast. Although the taper of the fly line has some effect on how the fly is presented, tapers don’t affect weight.”

What many fly anglers overlook when considering fly lines, Bartschi says, is that “at the start of the cast there’s a short length of line outside the tip that weighs very little, and later in the cast there’s a longer length that weighs a lot more. At any time during the cast, the rod may be over- or under-lined or just right—all because of the weight of the line beyond the rod tip.”

“The problem in trying to match the right fly line to a given fly rod,” says Nick Curcione of Temple Fork Outfitters, “is that today’s rods are designed with materials and actions that are far different

from what we used many years ago. The current line-rating system, put in place in the 1960s by the American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association (and later adopted by the American Fly Fishing Tackle Association), is based on trout fishermen making average 30-foot casts.”

The system replaced the outdated line-diameter system and used grain weight instead. A GBF line became an 8-weight weighing 210 grains. “Unfortunately for saltwater fly-fishers,” continues Curcione, “the system has proven to be inadequate because typical casts are often 50 to 70 feet. And we didn’t have graphite rods back then, and saltwater fly fishing was still relatively new.” Several line manufacturers have pushed to update the AFFTA system, but so far nothing has changed.

Doug Cummings of Royal Wulff Products adds, “Most graphite rods are stiffer than fiberglass rods of 30 years ago and cannot cast well unless the rod blank is bent sufficiently to store energy. A good cast can only be made when the bent rod releases its energy as it returns to its unbent shape, unrolling and propelling the line forward. Many fly-rodders today like a short-head line to quickly load the rod.”

What Bartschi, Curcione, and Cummings are essentially saying is that every fly rodder should be aware of the actual weight of the fly line outside the rod tip. It’s the line’s weight in grains that loads the rod, and that weight changes with the length of line outside the rod tip. With an 8-weight rod,

if you began a cast with only 20 feet of line outside the tip-top, it may weigh about 120 grains—the equivalent of a 6-weight. After two false casts to get 30 feet of line out, it now weighs about 210 grains. Two more false casts and it now weighs perhaps 280 grains, or the equivalent of a 10-weight.

Manufacturers provide taper and grain-weight specs on the line box or their website for the first 30 feet, but to match the distances you’re fishing, it’s helpful to also know the line’s weight at 20 and 40 feet so you can match the line to the distance you want to cast. Some fly shops sell handy digital scales for just a few dollars.

Measure and mark the line at 20, 30, and 40, feet with a felt pen, coil the line lengths and weigh them on the scale. Now you can pair the actual line weight to the distance you want to cast.

For example, let’s pair up a Thomas & Thomas Exocett 8-weight with Airflo’s Tropical Punch and a Saltwater Sniper 4 Season. Both lines are labeled as 8-weight, and an 8-weight rod should cast them ideally with 30 feet of line weighing 210 grains.

The Tropical Punch weighs 180 grains for its first 20 feet and 245 grains for the first 30 feet. Its head taper turns over flies in windy conditions and allows easy line pickup when you need to recast at a distance. If you’re continually making 50- to 60-foot casts (or longer) and lifting a lot of line off the water to reposition the fly to moving fish, this is a great choice.

By contrast, the Sniper 4 Season’s

condensed head weighs 225 grains at 20 feet and 335 grains at 30 feet, so it’s a great choice for in-close casting or for surf. You’ll only need one or two false casts to shoot an impressive delivery. The rod loads quicker, and that’s one reason why short-head lines are so popular with redfish and surf flyfishers: Two false casts and let ‘er rip! Be aware, however, that when you get more than 40 feet in the air, the total may actually be 400 grains, which is the equivalent of a 12-weight line, and the rod may not handle it well.

If you’re an excellent caster making long casts to distant fish, you’re actually better off by underlining the rod with a 7-weight line.

Because once you get about 40 feet of line out, that length of line will weigh about 210 grains, which is then correct for the 8-weight rod.

WEIGHING FLY LINES AT 20, 30, AND 40 FEET ON A DIGITAL SCALE WILL HELP YOU CHOOSE THE BEST LINE FOR THE DISTANCE YOU’RE FISHING.

So the number labeled on the fly line and the number labeled on the rod are starting points; it’s really the weight in grains of the length of fly line you intend to cast that’s crucial. That’s why two casters may have vastly different opinions of the same line. One may say a short-head line “shoots like a cannon” after making just one or two false casts, whereas another caster says the same line is awful.

It would be helpful if rod manufacturers added a range of grain weights to the numbering system already in use to label rods. For instance, Temple Fork’s 10-weight Esox rod also lists the line recommendation of 300 to

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 73

400 grains on the blank. All twohanded rods do this, and several manufacturers are trending this way with their one-handed rods.

CAPTAIN DINO OF ONLY ON A FLY CHARTERS MATCHED AN AIRFLO SNIPER TO A SCOTT FLY ROD TO CATCH THIS IMPRESSIVE 42-INCH SNOOK FROM THE BEACH IN JUPITER, FLORIDA.

Here’s a real-life example of how knowing the weight of a line lets you choose the best line for different fishing situations. For pre-dawn snook fishing around docks and bridges where I make short, quick casts, I use a compact taper; when the sun comes up, however, and I move to nearby flats, I require longer casts. For the dock-light fishing I cast an 8-foot Echo B.A.G. Quickshot rod to throw a Cortland Compact Tropic 7/8 line. After sunrise I switch to a 9-foot, 8-weight Scott S4 to cast a Cortland Guide Liquid Crystal line to reach out on the flats to pothole trout and reds or rolling tarpon.

By weighing the lines on a scale, I know that the Compact 7/8 has enough grain weight at 20 feet to load the rod after I retrieve most of the fly line back to the boat. I can lift, shoot a back cast, and make a 40-foot cast right back to the dock.

With the 8-weight Guide Liquid Crystal I can pick up 30 feet and, with minimal false casting, reach out again to 80 feet. Both lines were selected because of their grain weights for the specific casting distances required.

The suggested line rating labeled on any rod blank (7-, 8-, 9-, etc.) is just a starting point. By weighing fly line heads at 20, 30, and 40 feet you now can fine-tune your line choice based on the distances you will be casting and based on fishing conditions. Another

74 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

reason to weigh fly lines is to confirm the difference between what a line is labeled on the box and what it actually weighs. What you purchased as a 7-weight may really be an 8- or a 9-weight and won’t perform well on a 7-weight rod.

No rod or line is perfect for every situation. To get the most from a fly line you have to consider the distances you expect to cast, the size and weight of the fly, wind and water conditions, delicacy of presentation and how quick to make it, and accuracy. With so many specialty lines available, it’s too easy to overlook traditional, all-round fly lines. But whatever you choose to focus on, paying attention to the actual weight in grains of the line you’re casting makes a huge difference. Because the grains of truth are what you see on the hand scale.

Pete Barrett has been fly fishing in salt water since the 1960s.

He was a charter boat skipper for 30 years, and he was on The Fisherman magazine’s editorial staff from 1973 until his retirement. Pete has published over 1100 magazine articles and is the author of five popular books on angling. Pete is a Florida representative for the International Game Fish Association, and he’s currently an active member of the Atlantic Salt Water Flyrodders and the West Palm Beach Fishing Club. Pete lives in Jupiter, Florida.

Summer Blues

By Robert S. Nelson The sun rises unseen behind a curtain of clouds, wind whips sand in curls— baitfish flee the shallows.

It’s no day for casting.

Next morning, rain ticking against the roof, then silence, then sun— the smell of summer rising, fly rods strung.

Breezes lift gulls like hope.

A newly formed bar traps spearing that churn the water, setting the blues’ senses on fire— a fly vanishes in bloody foam.

Drag’s clicking whine echoes across bay and dune, line taut and pulsing up your arm and into your heart.

Your will versus its fury.

A chrome gold blue flash, leader’s end in sight, muscles played out and aching.

You bring a bluefish to hand— yellow-eyed, raging hot.

Both pulses pounding, hook out. Cradled, almost loved, then urged to fin again— head shake and tail flick, swimming, gone.

Midday heat building.

The tide slips out, rocks emerge.

Baitfish and blues vanish.

Standing high on the dunes, you see all that the bay has given.

Robert S. Nelson is a career educator, writer, saltwater fly fishing guide, and poet living in New York City. His work has appeared in On the Water Magazine, among other publications, and he is currently working on developing a blog and podcast about urban saltwater fly fishing. Robert is available for guide work and freelance writing. He may be reached at kikihnet@gmail.com.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 75

Duck Camp Lightweight Bamboo Crew Very few shirts impress us of late, but the new bamboo crew from Duck Camp is as comfortable as it gets. The fit is virtually perfect. The fabric is tight where it needs to be and gives where it should. The chest pocket is a welcome addition, as almost all of the other manufacturers have abandoned this feature in the name of clean lines; this crew offers both a stylish look and the utility of the pocket. A+ from the entire team on this one. Available in both men’s and women’s styles and in four colors (River Rock shown). (duckcamp.com) $49

GEAR Trifecta Wall Rod Rack A seriously good rod storage solution at a very competitive price.

The editor used this rack as an inexpensive option for rod storage while transitioning homes: It has not yet been replaced. The image displays two units stacked; each unit can hold three lined rods. This system will also store skis, hockey sticks, and a number of other things. A great storage option for about the price of a single Cordura rod tube. (Available through eBay at StoreYourBoard.) $19.99

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Akro-Mils 24 Drawer Plastic Storage Cabinet If you’re anything like us, after tying three or four patterns your fly tying bench becomes a menagerie of materials and tools. Given the diverse fisheries we tie for, we needed a way to quickly organize the bench and keep it organized. The Akro-Mils cabinets do the trick. With models ranging from six drawers to 42, they definitely have something to fit your tying needs. Available at a number of big box stores. (akro-mils.com) $35

GUIDE Orvis OutSmart Ultralight Pants While there are many lightweight pants on the market and the product copy describes articulated knees and a gusseted crotch, we like these pants for one main reason: Orvis is using a new technology that incorporates a bug repellent—OutSmart Insect Shield—that’s woven into the fabric and is guaranteed for 70 washings. If you’ve ever thrown a fly into the mangroves only to roust a swarm of hungry mosquitos or been hit by greenhead flies, you’ll appreciate this tech and welcome it on your next trip. (orvis.com) $89

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 77

Simms Predator Trucker Hat We couldn’t do a summer Gear Guide without showing you the coolest fishing hat available for the season. The Simms Predator Trucker Hat is mesh-back trucker with a semi-curved bill that provides stylish sun protection and glare-free visibility on the flats while stalking black-tailed devils. Available with either a permit or tarpon logo. (simmsfishing.com) $19

GEAR Plano Guide Series 4-By Rack System Of all the multi-box systems out there, the Plano Drawer & Rack 4-By Boxes are a good choice for reasons of function, size, and affordability. They’ll store a fair amount of flies, tackle, or tying materials, but they don’t take up as much space as their internet photos would have you believe (the smaller of the two models is 11 by 10 inches). Utility at a fair price. (planomolding.com) $29.99 to $44.99

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IRIS Medium 6-Drawer Cart There’s nothing glamorous about, but the IRIS Medium 6-Drawer Cart with organizer top is a great utility to have beside your tying station. It features 6 drawers for storing various materials, with each drawer measuring 12.9 by 9.5 by 3.0 inches. The drawers are clear, making identification of contents easy. The organizer top is great for keeping small accessories and tools within reach. Get two—one for the crafter in your life. (irisusainc.com) $36

GUIDE Rubbermaid Action Packer Organization has its perks. For one, when your friend invites you on a last-minute adventure, all you have to do is grab your gear and go.

But low-quality storage bins are notorious for cracking, snapping, and warping in the sun. Rubbermaid’s line of Action Packers is a storage system that doesn’t fall into the “disposable” category. Made of impactresistant material that can withstand harsh temperatures and fitted with double-walled weather-resistant lids, these storage totes are made for the outdoors. We’ve used them for dry food storage on long float trips, for storing our equipment in hunting camp, and for staying organized on long road trips. Four sizes ranging from 8 to 48 gallons are stackable, durable (you can stand or sit on them), and lightweight. (rubbermaid.com) $50 to $100

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 79

Peak Design Camera Cubes A perfect example of Peak Design’s ingenuity and innovation is the category-defying Camera Cube. In truth, cameras are just the beginning: The Camera Cube will organize and protect anything you can stuff into it. Available in three sizes with a tear-away top opening and side pockets for instant access, we’ve found these cubes to be perfect for traveling with fly reels, spare spools, and terminal fishing tackle. Peak Design’s FlexFold dividers offer efficient modular storage that is completely customizable, and the cube’s padded, weatherproof design will keep your gear safe and sound. (peakdesign.com) $50 to $90

GEAR ThinOptics Suns From the company that makes the world’s thinnest, lightest readers comes a pair of polarized sunglasses that fit into a case the thickness of only five credit cards. High-tensile strength stainless steel frames prevent breakage and corrosion. A titanium alloy bridge allows Suns to keep their shape.

Biocompatible nose pads ensure a comfortable custom fit. Polarized lenses eliminate glare (anti-reflective back coating reduces back glare) and offer maximum UV protection. Available in three shades and two frame styles— aviator and round. Each pair comes with a felt-lined brushed aluminum case that fits into any pocket. Includes a microfiber cleaning pouch. Right now ThinOptics is offering TFFM readers a 25 percent discount. Use Promo Code TFFM25. The offer expires September 30, 2020. (thinoptics.com) $129 (before discount)

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L’il Sucker There’s nothing worse than spilling a fresh drink in a boat, or worse, over the boat. This l’il sucker will keep your can, bottle, YETI mug, or any other similar-sized drink container secure on just about any smooth surface. It’s a simple neoprene donut that slides on the bottom of your container and creates a surprisingly powerful, nonmarring suction bond. When it’s time to enjoy your drink, simply lift the edge of the donut with your finger and slurp. (lilsucker.com) 2-pack $9.99

GUIDE Eagle Creek Packing Cubes This is organization at it’s lightweight best for your backpack, gear box, suitcase, or any form of travel packing. Cube Sets come in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors, compression versions and even shoe cubes. No more digging around in your pack for gear or groupings of like-minded clothing or gadjets once you’ve organized it all in cube sets. Better than just knowing where things are, you’ll benefit from increased storage space and be spared the embarrasment of digging through underwear and toiletries in your luggage at the aiport to find your flip-flops. TSA agents will be impressed! (eaglecreek.com) $7 to $38

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 81

ON THE PLATE:

LIVE FIRE COOKING

Text by Kelli Prescott. Photos by Morgan Weber and Robert Jacob Lerma

82 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

ALL YOU’VE GOT IS A PILE OF POST OAK BRUSH LYING AROUND CAMP, THE MORNING’S CATCH, AND A GRILL GRATE. EVERYONE IS HUNGRY AFTER A LONG DAY OF HIKING AND FISHING; COLD BEERS CAN ONLY HOLD THEM OVER FOR SO LONG. YOU GET TO WORK: BUILD THE PERFECT FIRE, STAKE LARGE BRANCHES IN THE SAND AROUND IT, AND LIGHT HER UP. ONCE THE FLAMES ARE ROARING, YOU PLACE THE WHOLE FISH DUNKED IN SALT WATER ON THE STAKES, AND BEFORE LONG THE EDGES OF THE FLAMES KISS YOUR FRESH CATCH. YOU ROTATE THE STAKES AS THE FIRE SWIRLS UNTIL THE FISH IS AROMATIC AND STARTS TO CHAR AROUND THE SCALES. AS THE FIRE SETTLES, YOU LAY YOUR GRILL GRATE DOWN ON THE HOT EMBERS AND THROW FRESH CORN AND SPRING ONIONS DIRECTLY ON THE FIRE. WITHIN MINUTES THE WHOLE CAMP IS FEASTING.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 83

WITH JUST A FEW TOOLS, SOME PANTRY STAPLES, AND A BLAZING FIRE, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO CRAFT ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE MEALS OF YOUR LIFE.

Moments like these—when we are

more “organic process” that, he says,

Weber recommends the Standard

stripped of our many luxuries and left

“forces you to work with the fire,

and Perforated Hand Grill Set,

with only the things we truly need—

not against it.” He and many other

available online at Grills by Demant

are rare and precious indeed.

field-to-table chefs and restaurateurs

(www.grillsbydemant.com/shop/

prefer simple methods to create

handgrillset).

These days most of us rely on

exquisite flavors, and live-fire cooking

charcoal barbecue pits and fancy

is a way to do just that.

pellet grills; to be sure, these are

If you’ve fallen in love with cooking by the fire and are ready for the pit

efficient and effective methods

Weber has a Yeti LoadOut GoBox

of a lifetime, check out Mill Scale

of cooking our favorite meals. But

that goes everywhere he goes

Metalworks, which has made a

live-fire cooking allows for a more

when planning these outings. He

name for itself offering unmatched

involved experience, the results of

has turned it into his mobile camp

craftsmanship in custom pits for

which yield an unmatched depth of

pantry, full of items that ensure the

some of the biggest names in

flavor.

flexibility and flavor to get any job

barbecue. Mill Scale creates custom

done. “Instead of individual spices,

cooking tools as well as live-fire

Live-fire cooking—using an open

with which I mostly cook at home,

masterpieces in a range of different

fire as your heat source to cook

I rely on spice blends in the field.

pit styles—from traditional offset

absolutely anything—requires a total

Just less to pack.” Some of Weber’s

smokers, Texas-sized 94-gallon

mastery of temperature, fire control,

favorite spice blends include Lawry’s

smokers, and yakitori-style grills

and patience. You rely on a vessel

Garlic Salt, Tony Chachere’s products,

to straight-up fire pits. For live-fire

to contain your fire and a variety of

and Old El Paso Taco Seasoning. Of

cooking I recommend the Mill Scale

cooking surfaces to use around the

course he also packs kosher salt,

Yakitori, a “central-Texas take” on

live fire as it burns. Live-fire cooking

black pepper, and a pepper mill to

traditional Japanese grilling. This

can be simple—throw a single grill

grind it fresh on the spot. From olive

grill will set you back $2,145 and is

grate over the flames—or complex—

oil to fish sauce, Duke’s Mayonnaise

available via the company’s website

use multiple grill grates with

to Steen’s Cane Syrup, and Crystal

(www.millscale.co). If you’re in the

adjustable heights, metal rods, flat

Hot Sauce to Franklin Texas BBQ

market for something a little less

tops, and more. To better understand

Sauce, Weber’s pantry may be more

extraordinary, Mill Scale offers

live-fire cooking, I reached out to the

than some are willing to schlep.

Chapas—portable flat-top style

experts: Morgan Weber, outdoorsman

But when you love food, you don’t

pans—for under $200, designed for

and co-owner of Houston-based

compromise on flavor—not even at

use directly over a ground fire or coal

Agricole Hospitality; and Mill Scale

the campsite.

bed.

Metalworks in Lockhart, Texas.

In addition to pantry staples you’ll

Give live-fire cooking a try during

When Morgan Weber isn’t busy at

need a long set of tongs and any

your next overnight fishing or

one of Agricole’s many restaurants

other utensils you usually favor in the

camping trip. With just a few tools,

and concepts, he enjoys immersing

kitchen. A grill grate or tray is also

some pantry staples, and a blazing

himself in the great outdoors,

essential. Grill trays are an affordable

fire, you may be able to craft one of

friends, family, and good food. He

way to dive into live-fire cooking

the most memorable meals of your

loves live-fire cooking because it’s a

and can easily be taken anywhere.

life.

84 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

OY R U B * * * * * * * * * * C OW B : INGREDIENTS und coffee 1 tbsp fresh g ro n sugar, packed 2 tbsp light brow lt 1 tbsp kosher sa per acked black pep 1 tbsp fresh cr der 1 tsp garlic pow der 1 tsp onion pow 1/2 tsp cumin a 1/2 tsp paprik e pepper 1/2 tsp cayenn

CONSIDER THIS THE PERFECT BEEF RUB. THE COFFEE AND BROWN SUGAR ARE SURPRISINGLY MELLOW, AND NEITHER STANDS OUT ON ITS OWN. THE DEEP, SWEET, AND EARTHY FLAVORS OF THIS RUB ENHANCE ANY CUT OF BEEF AND INTENSIFY WHEN COOKED ON AN OPEN FIRE. TRY THIS RUB ON BONE-IN RIBEYES, BEEF RIBS, BRISKET, AND OTHER HEARTY CUTS OF BEEF. TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 85

** ** ** CI TR US FA JI TA M A RI N A DE ** ** INGREDIENTS: Blend all ingredients.

1/2 cup fresh-squeez Place skirt steak ed orange juice and marinade in a zi p-top bag and let 1/2 cup fresh-squeez ed lime juice marinate in refriger ator for at least 2 1 cup fresh chopped hours or overnight. pineapple 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 tbsp salt Sprinkle with fresh cr acked black 1 tbsp fresh cracked pe pper, cumin, and kosh black pepper er salt before 1 tbsp onion powder grilling on the flat to p or over an open 1 tbsp garlic powder fire. Cook until mediu m rare to medium.

Let rest for 10 minut 1 bunch cilantro, roug es before slicing. hly chopped including stems Serve in a corn tortill 8 cloves garlic, roughl a with avocado, y chopped grilled pineapple, an d charred spring onion chimichurri.

USE THIS MARINADE ON TRIMMED SKIRT STEAK. THE ENZYMES IN THE PINEAPPLE AND ACID FROM THE CITRUS HELP TENDERIZE THE SKIRT STEAK AND MAKE FOR FOOLPROOF MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH FAJITAS. 86 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

A CHARGRILLED TWIST ON A CLASSIC CONDIMENT FOR GRILLED MEAT. USE THIS CHIMICHURRI ON ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING SAVORY. GREAT AS A SAUCE, MARINADE, OR BASTE. * IC H U R R I * * * IM H C N IO N O R E D S P R IN G ****** CHAR trimmed rill cleaned and G : S T N IE er an INGRED spring onions ov trimmed whole s, n io on n ee gr red 1 bunch en fire until char ed op p op ch y el n fi 1 cup cilantro, der throughout. n te d an ed p op nely ch into 1 cup parsley, fi cool, then chop et L d ce in m all ic, pieces. Combine l 1 tbsp fresh garl al sm ed p finely chop let stand 1/2 cup shallot, ingredients and inutes to ive oil for at least 30 m 1/2 cup light ol meld. e vinegar allow flavors to 1/3 cup red win 2 tbsp honey akes 1 tsp red chili fl ked black pepper 2 tsp fresh crac lt 2 tsp kosher sa

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 87

CLASSIC COCKTAILS

by TFFM Staff

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER LIKE BARBECUE AND A REFRESHING COCKTAIL. IF YOU’RE LIKE US, YOU MIGHT BE A LITTLE BURNED OUT ON SUMMER ALES AND MICROBREWS. OUR RETURN TO SOME CLASSIC SUMMER COCKTAILS MIGHT JUST BE THE FAVOR INFUSION YOU NEED. WE TYPICALLY PAIR OUR BEVERAGE SELECTION WITH THE FEATURED FOOD, BUT BARBECUE HAS SO MANY DIVERSE FAVORS THE BETTER CHOICE MIGHT BE THE PRE- AND POST-MEAL SELECTIONS. FOR THE CASUAL DRINKER, ANY OLD COCKTAIL LIKELY WILL SUFFICE. BUT FOR THE MORE REFINED PALATE, HERE ARE SOME EASY-TO-MAKE CLASSICS (ONE WITH A NEW TWIST) THAT ARE SURE TO PLEASE.

88 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

2 oz bourbon or rye (don’t cheap out—use the good stuff) 2 dashes bitters 1 sugar cube orange peel (for garnish, optional) In an Old-Fashioned glass, muddle the sugar and bitters. Add a large ice cube.

Add whiskey and stir with a bar spoon. Garnish with orange twist if desired.

2 oz gin (we like Hendricks) 1/2 oz raspberry liqueur or fresh muddled raspberries 1/2 oz ginger simple syrup 1/2 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice seltzer water raspberries (for garnish) Add the gin, raspberry liquor (or fresh muddled raspberries), simple syrup, and lemon juice to a shaker and shake with ice. Strain into a highball glass. Add fresh ice and top with seltzer. Garnish with raspberries on a stick.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 89

3 oz vodka (potato-based is best) 1 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice 1 oz simple syrup Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.

1 1/4 oz light rum 1 1/4 oz dark rum 2 oz pineapple juice 1 oz orange juice 1/4 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice 1 oz pomegranate juice maraschino cherry (garnish) Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake until well chilled. Strain into a Hurri-cane glass with fresh ice. Garnish with cherry.

90 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

4 tsp sugar 1 tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice 1 tbsp fresh-squeezed lime juice 1/2 cup seltzer 1/4 cup light rum or vodka 12 Driscoll’s Blackberries 12 large mint leaves 6 to 8 ice cubes Gently muddle blackberries, mint leaves, sugar, lemon juice, and lime juice in a tall glass. Add seltzer. Add rum or vodka. Add ice.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 91

n a l r e v ne 92 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

nd

by Joseph Ballarini

In 2018, YouTube blogger Matthew Patrick hypothesized that Turneffe Atoll, Belize, is Peter Pan’s fictional Neverland. Utilizing information from the novel and movie, his theory links the geography, wildlife, and historical characters of Neverland to Turneffe Atoll.

Others have speculated that Turneffe is the exact geographical location of the Fountain of Youth. While you may not find the Fountain of Youth at Turneffe, you will find acres of turquoise-blue water, healthy coral reefs teeming with life, acres of pristine mangrove forest, and miles of gorgeous, wadable flats.

Approximately 30 miles long and 10 miles wide, Turneffe Atoll is located in the only English-speaking country in Central America. Thirty miles by boat from Belize City, Turneffe is the largest and most biologically diverse coral atoll in the Caribbean, and one of three coral atolls in Belize.

The Mesoamerican Reef System, our hemisphere’s major reef system, is second in size only to the Great Barrier Reef. Often described as the gem of the Mesoamerican Reef System, Turneffe Atoll is a selfcontained coastal marine ecosystem surrounded by a fringing coral reef and its signature firm-bottom backreef flats. Most of Turneffe’s land mass is covered with mangrove or littoral forest with numerous creeks and channels as well two large lagoon systems.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 93

Home to more than 500 fish species,

something occurred that forever

undeveloped state.

65 species of corals, as well as

changed the providence of this

Turneffe Atoll Trust has been led

dolphins and seabirds, Turneffe

important atoll.

by 30-year Belizean resident and

also supports several threatened

With the perspective that one should

operator of Turneffe Flats Lodge,

and endangered species including

first take care of his own backyard,

Craig Hayes. Over the past 18 years,

the critically endangered Antillean

Craig Hayes, owner of Turneffe Flats

Turneffe Atoll Trust has advocated

manatee and the endangered

Lodge, formed Turneffe Atoll Trust, a

for numerous measures to protect

hawksbill turtle. Additionally, at least

Belizean and US non-profit 501 (C) (3)

Turneffe’s healthy environment. In

three highly important fish spawning

conservation organization in 2002.

2009, along with others in Belize, TAT

aggregation sites are connected with

The organization’s purpose was to

championed efforts to enact the first

the atoll.

conserve and protect Turneffe Atoll

nationwide law protecting bonefish,

and similar coastal marine areas.

permit, and tarpon as catch-and-

In 2012, the 500-square-mile

release-only species throughout

Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve was

On January 24, 2020, with the

Belize. Efforts to establish the

established as Belize’s largest marine

support of the Belizean government,

above-mentioned Turneffe Atoll

reserve. This, however, protected

particularly Minister of Environment

Marine Reserve were led by TAT, and

only the marine portion of the

Omar Figueroa, Turneffe Atoll Trust

Hayes served as the Reserve’s initial

atoll, and not the land. When Belize

purchased rights to perpetually

Chairman.

became an independent country

protect all remaining national land

in 1981, all Turneffe land was

at Turneffe through formation

For many years, Turneffe Atoll Trust

owned by the government. Over the

of the 17,000-acre Turneffe Land

has been an advocate for combining

past 20 years much of the prime

Trust. While the transaction was

resources of local fishermen

land has been sold to speculators.

called a purchase, beneficial owners

with sport fishing to protect the

Although development of the atoll

remain the government and people

environment, noting that local

remains minimal, unsustainable

of Belize. Turneffe Atoll Trust will

lobster and conch fishermen, like

development is a major concern for

serve as Trustee charged with

sport fishermen, require a healthy

those interested in protecting this

ensuring that all 17,000 acres will

and sustainable marine environment.

incredible spot. In January of 2020,

remain perpetually in their natural,

Through the formation of the

94 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

Fishermen & Ecotourism Alliance

speak with Craig Hayes about the

(FETA), the two groups have formed

purchase and what this means to

a unique allegiance with a common

the people of Belize and the wildlife

Never be abused by unsustainable

goal of sustaining Turneffe’s healthy

in the atoll. Hayes speaks with

tourism.

marine environment. Supported

subdued enthusiasm, struggling

And, most important …

by an excellent Board of Directors,

slightly to hold back a smile as he

Never be unprotected again.

formed primarily from concerned

proudly proclaims that no longer can

Turneffe Flats’ clients, and Executive

anyone threaten the habitat here.

TAT Mission Statement

Director Alex Anderson, Turneffe

“With TAT as Trustee,” he says, “we

Founded in 2002, Turneffe Atoll Trust

Atoll Trust plans to diligently pursue

are charged with protecting this—all

is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) company

efforts to protect Turneffe and

of this. It can no longer be developed

whose purpose is to promote

Belize.

or misused.” He also acknowledges

conservation of Turneffe Atoll while

Never be stripped of fish by gillnets.

the sober reality that much of the

furthering scientific understanding

A key member of the recently formed

premium land sold prior to the 2020

and educating the public about the

Coalition for Sustainable Fisheries,

agreement is at-risk and that more

ecological and economic value of

Hayes notes that efforts over the

needs to be done.

sustainably managing Turneffe Atoll

past several months have focused

and other sensitive tropical marine

on a gillnet ban throughout all

Neverland may be the fictional

Belizean waters, a goal that appears

product of a Disney creative team,

to be near due to donations from

but for the ecologically minded

Turneffe Atoll Trust operates with a

fly anglers, lodges, and others in

residents and visitors to Turneffe

small, informal board and minimal

the fly fishing industry. Thus far, $1

Atoll, it is a very real place. All

staff. Low administrative costs have

million has been raised to fund the

remaining national land, 17,000 acres,

allowed nearly 100% of contributed

transition of gillnet fishermen into

have become the real-life Neverland.

funds to go directly to programs. As

other livelihoods.

a result, the organization has been It will:

During a recent visit to Turneffe Flats we had the opportunity to

habitats.

able to complete several important projects and accomplish a great deal

Never be developed.

in pursuit of protecting Turneffe Atoll.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 95

THE FO-TI

PERMIT CRAB Text and Photos: Vincent Foti

Monomoy, and the finished fly looked amazing. At the end of the demo George gave me that fly, and I put it aside to use when the right time a number of local fly tiers to do monthly tying demos at our library’s meeting room. We hosted some of the best fly anglers and fly tiers the area had to offer, and it gave our members a chance to see what these Knowledgeable anglers and fly tiers know that virtually all flies are related to, or have some connection with, other flies. We tune them, tweak them, use updated materials, but for the most part, they’re all cousins.

The provenance of this fly began on Cape Cod quite a few years ago. I’d been involved with two fishing clubs on the Cape and had I had enlisted

96 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

guys were throwing, find out why they were throwing it, and learn how to tie it.

On one particular evening, we were lucky enough to host George Ryan at our tying table. George was something of a shore-guiding legend on the Cape, and we were all pretty excited to see him at the vise. That night he demonstrated an epoxy crab that he’d used with great success striper fishing on the flats around

came.

That right time came about five years later when I made my first dedicated permit trip to Belize. I had tied an assortment of the usual crab flies that everyone takes on these trips, and George’s fly was in my box as well.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that permit fishing was a different game entirely. It’s almost as if each fish has its own personality, and what works for one fish may be completely ignored by another. After a frustrating morning, and having worked my way through my fly box, it was time for George Ryan’s epoxy crab. While tying it on, I made a

mistake I’ll never make again while

added. The fish was gone. As I saw it

in creating them. They’ll embellish

permit fishing. From changing flies

shoot past the bow, I was just able to

the fly with a black dot on the tip of

throughout the day, my leader had

make out what appeared to be a lip

a leg, or a red mark on the tip of a

become a little shorter than I wanted

ring on that permit’s mouth. It was

claw. Absolute works of art … being

it to be. I had a bunch of new tapered

George’s fly.

pulled about in the water behind

leaders in my bag, but instead of

an ugly lead dumbbell eye. Think

grabbing one, I added a few feet of

Although I was able to land three

about it: If permit actually can see

tippet material that was a little older

permit on that first trip to Belize,

fine details, are they going to miss

than it should have been to be on a

I took away two more important

that lead eye…? When setting out

trip like this.

things from that experience. The

to modify George Ryan’s epoxy fly,

first was this: Never use old tippet

that lead dumbbell eye was the most

Standing at the bow, with the boat

material on a fishing trip. Change

important change I wanted to make.

in about 2 feet of water, I heard

your entire leader each day, as well as

In the years since my first permit

the words we all long to hear from

each time you need a longer leader.

trip, I’ve always done better with

our guides. “Vinny … the permit of

You’re on a trip you’ve probably

a crab when I was able to tuck the

your dreams is sitting 40 feet at

waited a whole year to be on; it’s no

lead eye into the fly material as best

ten o’clock—let it go.” I watched as

time to save a couple of dollars. The

I could. This fly makes the lead eye

my fly landed 2 feet in front of that

second thing I came away with was a

totally disappear.

permit, and with just two strips that

plan to tweak George Ryan’s fly so it

fish jumped on George’s fly like a

could become an arrow in my quiver

This fly has worked well for me on

pit bull on a steak. As I strip-set the

of go-to permit flies. This brings us to

return trips to Belize and at Espiritu

hook, I felt the exhilaration of weight

the Fo-Ti Permit Crab.

Santo Bay Lodge in Mexico, and it

at the end of my line—and then the

will always be one of my go-to flies

sickening feeling of weightlessness.

The one thing that’s always amazed

The leader had broken somewhere

me about permit flies is the

in the section of material I had just

attention to detail tiers will take

moving forward.

MATERIALS Hook: TMC 800S, size 4 Thread: Danville’s Monofilament, fine Body: Corsair Tubing or equivalent body tubing, size 1/3 inch Epoxy: UV resin of your choice (I like Bondic) Cement: Hard as Nails as a final coating over the shell Hair: Super Hair, to match crab color, usually tan, brown, or green Flash: Krystal Flash, to complement crab color Legs: Silly Legs, to match crab color Claws: Small grizzly hackle tips, dyed tan or brown Crab Eyes: Artificial stamens (available in craft shops) or commercially made crab or shrimp eyes Dumbbell Eyes: Medium lead Coloring: Waterproof marking pens such as Sharpie Markers, to match crab color

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 97

FOT-TI CRAB DIRECTIONS

Step 3. Push the tubing to the bend

Step 6. Make a final adjustment to

thread tie in a lead eye about 1/8

your crab shell and place some UV

inch from the eye of the hook.

resin on the inside of the circle and

of the hook, reattach the mono

the tubing at the hook bend to form

over the lead eyes, making sure it penetrates the tubing and covers the lead eye where it attaches to the hook. Hit it with a UV light to fix it.

This will form the permanent crab

Step 1. Cut a 1 3/4-inch length of

shape of the fly.

tubing and place the hook into the tube dead center as shown in the photo. Note that Corsair Tubing may have a piece of thread running down each side. Remove this first by stretching the tubing, and then use a tweezer to pull out the two threads.

Step 2. With the tubing placed

Step 4. Using your scissors, cut a

45-degree angle on each end of the tubing, facing the lead eyes.

Step 5. Bending the tubing ends so they each cover a side of the lead

against the hooks eye, lay a base of

eye, tie the points of the tubing

monofilament thread over the shank

where they meet at the hook eye.

to the bend of the hook and back.

Whip finish and cut away the thread.

Now tie in a sparse amount of Super

At this point you can trim away any

Hair, about 2 inches long, and a few

stray tubing fibers at the eye of

strands of the Krystal Flash, from

the hook. Using the tip of a heated

the tube along the hook shank and

bodkin may assist in this process.

slightly into the bend. You can trim

This would also be the time to trim

this later on, if necessary. Whip finish

and shape your Super Hair to about

and cut away the thread.

3/4 inch.

98 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

Step 7. Working on the bottom side of the fly, use a threading loop or a bent piece of thin wire to run your

Silli Legs through the tubing as shown in the photo. Start by crossing two sets of legs, and then run a final set of legs across the middle of the fly as shown.

Step 8. Place the stalks of the crab

eyes into the tubing at each side of the hook near the bend.

Step 10. Once you’re satisfied with the position of the legs, eyes, and

claws, lock them all in with a coating of UV resin glue on the bottom side

Step 12. After you’ve set the UV

of the fly. This will permanently

resin, use a marker of your choice

secure all parts of the fly, and it will

to color the finished fly. Before the

give you a bottom for the crab to

marker dries, apply a coat of Hard as

rest on.

Nails to help blend the color and form the appearance of a shell. Cut the tip of each hackle quill to finish forming the crab’s claws.

Vin Foti is an avid saltwater fly angler who calls Cape Cod his home waters. He’s a past President of the Cape Cod Salties and a founding member of the Cape Cod Fly Rodders as well a current board member.

When he’s not fishing on the Cape, Vin enjoys fishing in the Bahamas, Mexico, Belize, and Cuba, as well as numerous US Step 9. Using your threader, work

the hackle into the tubing next to the eyes. Remember to work from the bottom so that the claws will protrude from the top of the fly.

These claws should be about 1 to 1 1/4 inch long.

Step 11. Working from the top of

destinations.

the fly, fill in the center of the crab’s shell with UV resin. Try to create a rounded top to the shell by working to the very edges of the fly and back to the center.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 99

100 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

Story by Mark Sedotti

Photos by Jim Levison, Michael Melford, and Chris Murray I began tying flies in 1991 because

and everything I read insisted that

I quickly realized that the weight

I couldn’t find the flies I wanted no

no fly 8 inches or larger was castable.

of the fly had to be a factor in its

matter where I looked or who I asked.

Case closed. But I had a hunch—and

castability--an asset, in fact, rather

I lived on Western Long Island Sound,

I had to try. I took a couple of false

than the handicap we had all been

where the primary bait for striped

casts, let ‘er go, and lo and behold:

led to believe fly weight was. You

bass and bluefish—the area’s premier

That fly sailed out … and out … and

needed weight in a big fly to make it

gamefish—was adult menhaden (also

out, and it landed the full distance of

castable.

known as bunker), which are 10 to 15

the floating weight-forward fly line—

inches long. I’d seen various bunker

about 90 feet. I nearly fell out of the

Now, I certainly wasn’t the first to

imitations, but none bigger than 6

boat. They were wrong!

tie big flies: Joe Brooks had tied

inches. I needed something much

15-inch patterns in the 1950s, and

bigger than that. So almost from the

After a couple of weeks of blissful

Bob Popovics had tied a big bunker

beginning I experimented with size,

but unreflective fishing I began to

imitation since then. But these flies

eventually tying four flies of various

wonder why what was happening was

I had tied were the first giants to be

sizes that I thought could pass for

happening—why such huge patterns

castable. Lack of weight was the main

bunker in four different stages of

were going so far, so easily. These

reason others hadn’t been able to cast

development; the largest of these

flies were heavily weighted with

big flies a long distance before.

was a 13 1/2-incher that replicated

two big saltwater hooks, lots of lead

the adult menhaden.

wrap, a lead keel, connecting wire, 20

There was more. I could see that the

water-holding schlappen feathers,

mass of that giant fly created a lot of

When I first brought this behemoth

and the equivalent of a bucktail’s

drag as it flew—or attempted to fly—

to the water, I distinctly remember

worth of bucktail. This really

through the air on a cast; I needed

thinking, Maybe I’ll be able cast it

shouldn’t be happening. But it was.

to neutralize the effect of that drag

30 feet. Hey, everyone I spoke with

with just the right amount of weight.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 101

102 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

Before my very eyes was opening a

the fly becomes more difficult to

cast and needs less weight to cast

whole new world of tying and fishing

throw. Loops get bigger, and you

optimally than a big fly that collapses

giant flies.

have less and less control of the fly.

very little. Ideally what you want is

Continue to add weight, and the fly

a big fly that is as light as it can be

I began to experiment with different

eventually casts like a rock, with little

(often with nothing added besides

amounts of weight in flies of varying

or no control.

the hook, the light tying materials,

sizes. A few years later, unable to

and a little absorbed water), doesn’t

find high-quality large feathers, I

Again, it will surprise you how easily

have too much drag when thrown,

moved to synthetics--and specifically

even a large fly casts when you strike

and is still weight-balanced. Examples

to Bozo Hair—and if anything, my

the optimum balance between wind-

include: the thin-when-wet 10-inch

experimenting accelerated. With

resistant materials and weight. I call

Flashiceiver, a Deceiver with regular

synthetics I could tie the big flies

this the point of weight balance: The

Flashabou (thin, not the wider

much faster: The big feathered fly

weight-balanced fly casts well and a

saltwater stuff) in place of feathers;

had taken me three-and-a-half hours

long, long way.

a big Flat-Wing (yes, the hook is vital

to tie; now I was down to 45 minutes.

to that fly’s castability); and probably

So I could produce more flies faster

A good rule of thumb is to use two

the newer Popovics Beast Fly, with

and easier than ever.

large weighted metal eyes on a

perhaps some added weight for

sizeable hook to weight-balance a

improved casting.

Now I knew the secret: In general, as

synthetic 10- to 14-inch bunker fly.

a fly gets bigger and more wind-

You’ll need only one of those eyes

The Flashiceiver and large Flat-Wing

resistant, it requires more weight in

with an 8-incher. Seven inches and

are really easy-casting big flies that

it to cast well. By weight I mean the

shorter, all you’ll need is the hook.

can actually be thrown long distances

accumulated weight of materials,

Don’t tie too puffy a fly: You want it

with very light fly lines. I proved this

absorbed water, hook, connecting

big but not too wind-resistant. I tie

at a demonstration for the Salty

wire, weighted wrap, weighted keel,

in weighted wire wrapped around the

Flyrodders of New York, throwing a

weighted eyes, cone, and more. Yes,

front hook shank with a multilayered

wet 10-inch Flashiceiver the entire

all the parts count toward the weight

weighted keel under this to weight-

100-foot length of a 4-weight

total—but the weighted components

balancing a 10- to 17-plus-inch fly. I

floating fly line. It was the only time

you can control most easily are the

tie my bunker flies now with Devlin

I’ve ever heard an audience gasp at a

wrap, keel, eyes, and cone. You’ll know

Blends, a combination of yak hair and

demonstration—but actually the cast

you’ve found that optimum weight

flash, but you will do just fine with

was easy with that very light and

when that big fly false casts as well

those weighted hourglass eyes.

collapsed weight-balanced fly.

Remember, a fly that collapses well

Weight-balancing has taken me

Too little weight and you’ll know

when wet, giving you a narrower

to extremes. In Northern Canada I

it in the false cast: The fly drags

profile, exhibits less drag when

fished a 17-inch-long fly tied with

as it can.

visibly—or you can’t cast it at all— and the casting loops are very large.

Add a little weight—say, by wrapping weighted wire around the hook bend—and those loops get tighter and the casting easier. Add a little more weight, and casting gets even better and easier, with controlled and tight casting loops.

Too much weight, and you will also know it in the false cast: Once again,

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 103

synthetic Bozo Hair—on an 8-weight rod and floating line—in pursuit of big lake trout that were feeding on whitefish and landlocked salmon. I tied my biggest streamer (Bunker Fly) ever for someone who wanted to troll for giant lakers in Great Bear Lake: This fly, also synthetic, was 27 inches. Overcome with curiosity, I took it to the water with an 11-weight rod to see just how far I could actually cast it—and threw the thing 100 feet. Behold the power of weight-balancing!

A weight-balanced fly is not just a fly you can cast far but is also a fly you can control. In demonstrations all over the country to promote the importance of weight-balancing, I have routinely cast 20- to 22-inch flies 140 to 170 feet. I have put 12inch Bozo Bunkers into the middle of 2-foot-diameter casting rings at 150 feet; I’ve done the same casting from my knees at 130 feet. I have thrown 14-inch flies 130 feet time and again at demonstrations with a 5-weight rod. The longest cast I’ve had measured—at an event at Schultz’s Outfitters in Ypsilanti, Michigan, measured by tier Mike Schmidt, using a 10-inch fly, and casting a 7-foot 9-inch Loomis Shortstick 10/11 prototype—was 189 feet.

Yes, weight balancing opens up a whole new world on the water. In 1991, I was told I couldn’t cast an 8-inch fly; today I cast footlong patterns as far as I can cast any other fly. I cast giant flies with lighter line weights. It is true that I’m a good caster [nicely understated, eds.]—but what I do illustrates that anyone can cast big flies 50 or 60 feet, which is as far as most of us ever need to be able to cast to catch fish. In other words, weight-balancing makes giant

104 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

flies practical for everyday casting and

the truth is that that piece of yarn is

can reach those large fish that

fishing.

simply too light; stick a hook through

feed on large baits. We can cast

it and you could cast it just fine. A

long distances to billfish and tuna.

My work with big flies made me

hook would have weight-balanced

We have a viable, more sporting

realize that every castable fly should

that yarn just like a fly.

alternative to trolling. When they are properly balanced, we can cast 14- to

be weight-balanced, regardless of size. That hook in a small fly—even

Have you noticed that, big or small,

24-inch-long flies on an 8-weight rod,

a small dry fly—is vital to how the

some flies just seem too heavy? But if

if necessary.

fly casts. The weight of the hook

you added just enough wind-resistant

neutralizes the drag in a fly of any

materials to some weighted nymphs,

Wahoo, striped bass, bluefish,

size just as it does in a giant fly,

for instance, or some sparsely tied

perhaps trevally, and freshwater

although you might have some

Clousers, you could weight-balance

species such as lake trout and

additional weight in the latter. Notice

these heavy flies and render them

muskie: Whatever you’re fishing for,

that as flies get bigger, hook size

eminently castable. By contrast, let’s

weight-balanced giant flies make a

and wire gauge also increase. Tiers

talk about those air-dragging deer

fly rod more practical than casting

haven’t given this much thought,

hair bass bugs. Add some weight to

giant plugs and even heavy live

probably because they dismiss any

those bugs, and you might find that

bait to gamefish with conventional,

fly that isn’t castable as unfishable.

they cast much better—whether or

baitcasting, or spinning gear. Think

The only flies that “pass the test”

not this adjustment improves their

how heavy a 24-inch plug or live

are, unbeknownst to the tier, actually

productivity.

bait is—and how stiff and heavy a rod would have to be to toss it.

weight-balanced.

Anglers, the fly line is only a part of

Conventional gear is much more

Recall what happens when you cast

a good cast; that fly of yours is not

exhausting to throw than casting a

a rod—say, a light trout rod—at a

merely “going along for the ride.”

weight-balanced fly of the same size

fly fishing show. At the end of the

Weight-balancing, which by now

with a standard fly rod.

tippet is a piece of yarn rather than

should be axiomatic in fly tying and

a fly. You cast that rod, and that

fly fishing, is a way to think about

small “fly” stubbornly drags; you have

designing any fly—but it’s especially

a hard time straightening out the

significant when we’re talking about

Mark Sedotti is renowned as both a

leader and maybe even the end of

tying, casting, and fishing large and

distance fly caster and innovative

the fly line. Now, you know you cast

giant flies. Weight-balancing enables

fly tier. You can contact him

better than that. You think, Well, I

us to cast flies earlier generations

regarding private instruction as well

haven’t cast in a while. Besides, all

believed to be uncastable. With

as clinics and classes at msedotti@

these people are watching me. But

weight-balancing, ordinary anglers

hotmail.com.

Now that is revolutionary!

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 105

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BISON OF THE FLATS

The Bumphead Parrotfish

by Peter McLeod

OF ALL THE SPECIES THAT FLY ANGLERS TARGET ON THE FLATS, THE BUMPHEAD PARROTFISH MIGHT JUST BE WEIRDEST-LOOKING. THESE BLUEY-GREEN MONSTERS ROAM IN HERDS ON A NUMBER OF ATOLLS IN THE INDIAN OCEAN AND THE PACIFIC, AND I LIKEN THEM TO THE “BISON OF THE FLATS.” GROWING TO WELL OVER 100 POUNDS, THESE GENTLE MONSTERS COME WITH A PAIR OF BOLT CROPPERS ON THE FRONT END THAT BITE THROUGH CORAL AND COULD EASILY REMOVE A DIGIT IF YOU’RE NOT CAREFUL.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 107

IN THAT INSTANCE, NOT EVEN A 12-WEIGHT COULD STOP THE FISH WHEN IT RAN, AND THE ENTIRE EPISODE ENDED QUICKLY AND IN TEARS.

108 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

While hunting crustaceans, they use

slim, as your line likely would be cut

lot of the shock as well as providing

this beak to crush and eat dead coral

on the coral almost immediately.

extra abrasion-resistance for the

heads, which they then digest to

Bumpies are also fond of gravel

harsh habitat you’re fishing in.

produce fine white sand. What makes

bottoms, which seem to relax them,

Alternatively, tapered permit leaders

them so exciting to catch? The

especially those located in the middle

will suffice (20-pound test minimum).

bumphead parrotfish is the largest

of turtle grass. Here they can spend

Again, fluorocarbon works best, as

fish you’ll find tailing on the flats,

the day lazily moving along as a herd,

it’s harder for the fish to see whilst

and they tend to move in schools of

grazing as they go.

providing a little more resistance

up to 50 fish with their large bluey-

against those big choppers.

green flags visible for miles. They

The setup for bumpies is normally a

are a spooky species at the best of

9- or 10-weight rod. More are caught

Connect your leader to the fly

the times, requiring stealth and light

on 9- weights primarily because that

line with a standard loop-to-loop

tackle, but once hooked they are

is what anglers tend to be carrying

connection. Choose floating lines

incredibly powerful and tend to head

on those flats (interchanging

only, and pick one with a long

for the ocean. The odds are stacked

them with a 12-weight for giant

belly and gentle front taper. Good

against you, and fishing for them can

trevally). Modern 9-weights such

turnover matched with as subtle a

be incredibly frustrating: For every

as the Hardy Zephrus work well,

presentation as possible is the way

six to eight you hook you might land

as they have the power to battle

forward.

one—but that is the challenge!

a parrotfish but still have the finesse of presentation. If you’re

When it comes to choosing flies

When tales first emerged from

out to target bumpies specifically, I

to cast at these behemoths, two

Farquhar Atoll in the Seychelles of

recommend a 10-weight. Bumpies are

aspects are vital. The first is a really

these massive beasts being caught

big, powerful fish, so you’ll appreciate

strong hook. If you think triggerfish

on fly, the angling community was

the added backbone as it heads for

can mess up a hook, it’s nothing

pretty skeptical that parrotfish ate

the ocean. The presentation made

compared with what these guys can

crabs, and fly anglers believed that,

by any outfit larger than 10-weight

do. The Gamakatsu SL12S works

like milkfish, most parrotfish were

might spook them. The only time I’ve

well. Due to their mouth structure—

foul-hooked. I can dismiss this, as

ever deviated from this was when

beak and not much gum—hooking

I have seen it with my own eyes:

targeting bumpies in Sudan. The

bumpies is difficult, so a hook with

bumpies tracking off the school,

school was on the edge of the reef,

a nice big gape helps. The second

tilting over sideways to eyeball a

and every fish in it was well over 100

vital aspect is that all of your flies

tasty morsel, and then eating it. Also,

pounds. In that instance, not even a

need to have a weed guard, as the

things have also come a very long

12-weight could stop the fish when

areas you’ll fish in—turtle grass and

way since then regarding approach

it ran, and the entire episode ended

coral—will dictate it. The weed guard

and tactics when presenting to these

quickly and in tears.

will prevent you from becoming very

densely packed schools (which I will detail later).

frustrated as well as help you avoid Bumpies can be line- and leader-shy,

foul-hooking fish. Weed guards need

so, it’s imperative you have a reel

to be 25- to 30-pound Mason hard

The best places to target bumpies

with very smooth start-up inertia,

monofilament tied in behind the hook

are huge, open turtle grass flats,

for when hooking these tanks you’re

eye and reaching back to the point.

such as those found on Providence or

going to do it on a relatively light

Weight of the fly is also key, and water

Farquhar Atoll in the Indian Ocean.

tippet. Ideally your tippet should be

depth will determine this. Ideally your

You will see them playing in the surf

40-pound fluorocarbon. If the fish

fly will be weighted with a medium

line amongst the coral heads, waiting

are spooky the guides will often

dumbbell eye, as large dumbbell eyes

to come onto the flats. Occasionally

make you scale down to as little as

will tend to spook fish on landing.

they will tail around coral bommies.

20 pounds. These days we use furled

When fishing for bumpies you tend to

If you were to hook one here your

leaders for bumpies for several

find yourself in water that’s knee-

chances of landing it would be very

reasons. The furled leader takes a

deep to mid-thigh. In shallower water,

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 109

simply scale down the weight. White

I remember one incredible afternoon

side it increases your chances of being

Merkin patterns and white Flexo Crabs

several years ago on the east side of

cut off by another fish in the school.

have proved to be the most effective.

Providence Atoll where there were

Think of it as trying to swim your line

Tan works also, but the white flies

at least four massive schools tailing

through a parade of wire cutters. It’s

contrast better with the turtle grass.

across this one giant turtle grass flat.

so much better to feed them head-

The bumpy is a visual creature so the

We hooked many, and I and one of

on and allow them to come up onto

fly needs to pop.

the other anglers managed to land

the fly. Often they will feed past you,

one each—so we were ecstatic. The

and frustrated anglers often will try

Bumpies don’t wish to swim in strong

third angler with us proceeded to

to fish from behind. The chances of

currents as they will expend too

hook eight in succession, and each

hooking one this way are very small.

much energy. Therefore, neap tides

time something went wrong. We

It’s far better to relocate entirely

are preferable; they like slack water

followed him along the flat, taking

and move around to the front of the

when they can spend lots of the time

turns passing him rods with new

school.

on the flats. Spring tides will require

leaders and rigged flies—it was a

more energy of them to remain

bit like a production line—only to

When you have cast your fly to the

in the areas they like. If I had my

have the flies and leaders destroyed

ambush point you must let it to sink.

choice, I think my favorite tide would

and the rods passed back. We were

Pick up all the slack line and simply

be a neap tide on a new moon. The

running out of crab flies when finally,

maintain tension so that you can feel

full-moon cycle can be very good, but

as the sun was slipping down the sky,

if a fish picks the fly up. If you feel

there seem to be times when they

he hooked one last fish. The battle

your fly is out of position relative to

vanish from the flats. This could have

was fierce, taking us all the way

where the school is moving, strip it

something to do with their spawning

to the edge of the flat before our

into position or recast, but then allow

cycle, but we still know very little

guide finally waded out chest-deep

it to sink again. Don’t strip it over

about them. What we have learned

and managed to net the fish. The

their heads or you’ll spook them.

has come from guides’ observations

jubilation was immense as our team

based on trial and error on the flats.

returned to the mothership that

You’ve presented the fly correctly, the

night. But I digress….

fish picks up the fly, and now what…?

Presenting the fly greatly depends

It’s vital for you to remember that

on your ability to anticipate the

So you have arrived on the flats to

you’re fishing a thin-gauge hook on

fish’s movements. When fishing for

be greeted by big flopping bluey-

a light leader—not a GT rig—so make

bumpies you don’t strip the fly. The

green tails. As we touched on earlier,

sure you don’t give it a GT strip set

fly sits in position to intercept the

your approach is vital. You need to

or you’ll pop the leader straight away

moving fish and the angler simply

approach from the right direction,

(this often happens to anglers who’ve

maintains tension on the fly. This

and if you get this wrong it can

been fishing for GTs all week).

sounds simple, but when a school

dramatically reduce your chances of

is bearing down on you and you

hooking up. If the bumpies are moving

As soon as you set the hook, all hell

have a current pushing across the

from the deep water into shallow,

will break loose. The school tends

flat, keeping contact with the fly

you need to get high on the flat and

to explode and moves off like the

can be a challenge. The true skill in

present the fly down to them. It’s a

proverbial stampeding herd of bison.

hooking bumpies is in anticipating

bit like feeding a fly downstream to

Clear the slack line onto the reel; if

their line of movement and putting

an ultra-spooky trout. This allows the

it catches on anything it will break

the fly in the right spot. The guides I

school to move up on the fly without

off immediately. Once the fish is on

have fished with on Providence and

your spooking them. Essentially it’s

the reel, take a moment to become

Farquhar have this dialed in. I will

an ambush presentation. Ideally you

aware of what’s around you on the

warn you now, though, that bumpies

want to present the fly head-on.

flat. This will prevent you from

can be the most frustrating fish. You

Presenting from the side increases the

falling into white holes or deeper

could hook many in a day and not

chances of lining them, foul-hooking

water—as I have in the past! Once

land one. Be prepared.

one, or if you do hook one from the

the fish is on the reel, anglers can get

110 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

THINK OF IT AS TRYING TO SWIM YOUR LINE THROUGH A PARADE OF WIRE CUTTERS.

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 111

spooked as the fish has stripped off

meters you can start working angles.

swim away is hard to describe. I think

150 yards of backing and just keeps

Bumpies are incredibly powerful fish,

because landing one proves so hard

going. Don’t be tempted to change

so be patient and maintain constant

with the odds stacked against you

the drag or you’ll pop the leader. It’s

pressure.

after a hard, prolonged fight, each

best to set the drag tension before

fish you actually touch is a bit of an

you start fishing and then just leave

The third stage comes when it is time

emotional rollercoaster. It becomes

it. Occasionally fish will run into a

to try to land the fish. This can be

a shared experienced with those you

depression or turtle grass lip and

tense, especially when you have lost

are with and one you’ll never forget.

just sit there, but most of the time

a few beforehand. To land a bumpy

Are they the weirdest fish on the

they run with the school and keep

you really need a net and a big one at

planet? Probably. Are they one of the

on running. For the first ten minutes

that! Alternatively, you can lanyard

coolest to land on fly? Definitely!

you’ll have no control at all, which

them through the beak, which can

takes some getting used to. Once

sometimes require a rugby tackle on

This issue we welcome Peter

the fish tires a bit you need to try

the flat. They are extremely slimy,

McLeod as TFFM’s Travel Editor.

to separate it from the school. Your

making them hard to grab, and the

As the founder of Aardvark

guide will head out in front to try to

caudal compresses, providing no wrist

McLeod, international fly fishing

keep the line clear and prevent you

to gain purchase on. The best way is

specialists, it is a position for

from being cut off.

to cradle it, but I highly recommend

which he is perfectly suited. For

you let your guide do the honors as

more information on fly fishing

Once the fish is separated from the

he is going to get bullied. These fish

for parrotfish or any other

school, the second stage commences.

tend to release really well as they are

gamefish in the fly angler’s world,

Keep the rod tip high at this point;

so strong.

you can contact Peter at peter@ aardvarkmcleod.com or visit his

with the length of line you have out, side pressure will have no impact.

The feeling of landing one of these

website at www.aardvarkmcleod.

Once the fish is within 30 or 40

wonderful creatures and watching it

com.

112 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

WADING SYSTEM

PRO WADERS

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PRO INSULATION

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 113

THE UNDERTOW LONELINESS

by James P. Spica Jr.

The horizon line is terrifying.

imbalanced mind begins to feed

to figuratively wipe the sand clean

on itself. Fishing is a distraction,

of other anglers; after a few hours

At this hour, two colors meet there:

an escape, indeed a means of

of solitude I begin to imagine waves

black and steel gray. What if I were

relaxation—except that the lonely

literally wiping me from the beach

out there—swept out, overboard,

angler is an emulsion of oil and

without a trace. It’s a curious, gradual

stranded, left to die. The physical

water, in which the therapeutic

inversion.

strength I’d need to tread water

nature of solitude competes with

would be easy to muster compared

the emptiness of land, water, and

I really only have myself to blame:

with the mental strength I’d need to

soul. Sometimes there’s more oil,

The truth is that I prefer to fish

stave off despair.

sometimes there’s more water.

alone. Even when I’m with another angler, I always suggest we go our

Such thoughts absorb me when I’m

Fishing leads me to a variety of quiet

separate ways and meet up after an

fishing alone.

places, which is great until solitude

hour or more. I just like to be alone

turns to loneliness—turns from a

with my own thoughts, I guess—even

Anxiety has plagued me all of my

pleasant high into a well of paranoia.

though I never know when those

life. Loneliness leaves one alone with

All the way to the beach I’m praying

thoughts are going to devolve from

one’s thoughts, so the chemically

to and pleading with a higher power

peaceful reflection to irrational

114 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

anxiety. I rarely tell other anglers

taps me on the shoulder. Despite

Being alone—and feeling the visceral

about this (except you who are

the peaceful bustle that surrounds

implications of being alone—allows

reading this piece, of course).

me—the bustle of life in a bayou

us to come to terms with who we

where man and wildlife share a

are, not who we wish to be. Not all

There’s a price to pay for being

stage—the darkness arrives. I fear

anglers share the same anxieties, but

alone with one’s thoughts. Some are

being stranded in pluff mud. Or

every one of us is alone with those

unquestionably malign—like a fear

falling from my craft. Or being swept

thoughts that creep in between

of sharks where no sharks could be.

out into open water and bobbing

casts. Spending the day on the water

Some are formless and shapeless,

helplessly miles offshore. I’ve never

alone with only your thoughts for

others are specific and morbid. The

come even marginally close to such

company is a certain reminder that

darkness seems nearer, civilization

eventualities. I have a phone and a

fishing lays us bare in one way or

farther away.

GPS and a variety of safety gear in

another. Now, excuse me while I

my waterproof pack. Reality doesn’t

gather a rod and a box of blurple flies

stop the daymares.

and fish under the stars.

One moment I’m completely absorbed in casting crab flies to marsh redfish from a kayak; the

But if emotion weren’t a part of

next moment my old friend Anxiety

fishing, what would be the point?

TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE 115

BUILT FOR LIFE www.seaholmautomatic.com

ROB FORDYCE

Host: The SeaHunter

116 TAIL FLY FISHING MAGAZINE

PHOTO: DAVID MANGUM