Fishing Throwbacks

When do these methods work best?

The success of these methods depend on using a short line approach. Therefore, you will need to get closer to your prey. The best waters for this will be those where it will be more difficult for the fish to see and hear you. Aggressive pocket water with plenty of protruding obstructions will help camaflouge and mute your approach. For Euro fishing I use a 12’3” 4-weight with a soft tip that allows me to use a lighter tippet for better strike detection and added reach for better overall performance. My high sticking rods range from 9’ to 11’, some a little longer. For Tenkara fishing I use rods up to 15 feet long. Particularly when using long rods I have found a well-balanced rod assembly goes a long way toward saving my shoulder during a day of fishing. With the GPFF calendar filling up, look to the small to middle stream pocket water venues to pursue. Putah Creek, Upper Sac, Pit and McCloud are perfect free stone venues for any of these methods.

Contact me with any questions/comments mlikos@comcast.net

This month’s throwback is a letter to the editor of Field and Stream from the January, 1920 issue by L. E. Winget.

He provides the “fish fan” with his two methods of wrapping and fastening silk for split bamboo fly and casting rods. Now to find the time to make a bamboo rod...