Fishing – Page 4 – Sporting Road

Silk Fly Lines
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Silk Fly Lines

I was recently given a silk fly line by Laurent, which I am going to try out on the three bamboo rods which were gifted to me by Rim Chung and Gary Dewey. Ever since 2013, when Scientific Anglers was purchased from 3M by the Orvis Company, based in Manchester, Vermont, the first ownership change for Scientific Anglers in decades, their lines have gone downhill and Rio and others have come up in quality. This sale to Orvis, lead to a complete rebranding of the company, with a new color scheme, new logo, and new packaging. And probably completely different manufacturing facilities. Sometimes, in the face of change, we need to return to the old, so I am going way back—-to silk fly lines—one of the original fishing lines, just behind horse hair lines in chronology. One thing that I learned from the silk lines is that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to tie your leader to the line with a nail knot or similar connection, since the tip of the silk line is much finer and more flexible than the butt of your leader. So, I founds that superglue is often applied to assist in the holding of the knot. On the other hand, I have discovered that I can turn over even very long leaders using leaders with a butt diameter of only .015 or even .013. Many old fly fishing books have illustrations that contain directions for attaching leaders to silk lines. I have found that a tiny loop spliced in the end of the line, and a perfection loop in the butt section of the leader is one solution. This is not only convenient for attaching leaders, but

By Sporting Road|June 28th, 2018|Categories: Fishing|Comments Off

Tenkara

Tenkara has it s roots in the mountains of Japan, in the practical approach of the subsistence fisherman and the pared-down efficiency of the professional. It places a premium on accurate presentation. The original tenkara fisherman used silk lines and bare hooks. Flies become high fashion and by 1703 gold foil was even being used. Ayu hooks are now barbless and eyeless. The author discusses bamboo rods to the Tenkara Ayu and Diawa rods. Dr. Ichihashi or Ichigaki's bamboo rods are discussed and from the Internet posts on sites such as www.tenkarausa.com they look amazing. The book discusses level lines to tapered lines and furled lines to fluorocarbon lines. Spools and cast holders are detailed, as are knots from the traditional girth hitch to attach the furled line to the rod tip or simple overhand knots around the standing part of the line to form a o around the lilian through the loop twice and tighten.

By Sporting Road|June 22nd, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews, Fishing|Comments Off

The Frugal Fly Fisherman

The Frugal Fly Fisherman by Patrick Straub is a title that I would love just from the cover. But, in getting into the merits of the work, it is bit long on theory and short on content. It recommends saving money where possible with brands such as Redington, but at the same time recommending you invest as much as you can afford in a quality rod. This doesn't seem to help the newbie angler with actual recommendations. I understand the concept of not promoting brands over concepts, but it still leaves the angler with the dilemma of "what to buy?" I liked the quotes, particularly of Norman Maclean from A River Runs Through It, such as, "My father was very sure about certain matters pertaining to the universe. To him, all good things--trout as well as eternal salvation--come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy." From mentions of silk lines and split cane to discussions of Gore-Tex and carbon-fibers, the book covers it all. There is certainly an art to getting the most for your dollar. The recommendation to avoid The 5-Weight Shootout, and the lists and focusing on disk drag versus click and prawl, among other discussions, are all well on point. As well as the fact that tying your own flies and making do it yourself trips will save money in the long run, but it doesn't overcome the standard advice of 5-weight rods for everything and what flies are most effective, which misses the mark of a died in the wool frugal fisherman who benefits from other's experiences.

By Sporting Road|June 22nd, 2012|Categories: Fishing, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Join Our Fishing Site for Rim Chung’s Method of Nymph Fishing

We hope you'll join us over at http://oneflyfisherman.com/ for a look into Rim Chung's world of nymph fishing. This will be the exclusive site for postings about his fishing methods and upcoming book. Tight lines... Latest Post The Best to Fish with a Fly “The best way to fish with a fly would be to drop the fly into the river and the fish would eat it. However, there are two problems with this technique—one theoretical, the other practical. The theoretical problem is how would we know when the fish ate it and how would we know which fish. The practical problem is that there is no way to retrieve the fish. Therefore, we must use line.” –Rim Chung Rim Chung’s RS2 fly is now or has been sold throughout the United States by most of the major commercial fly companies such as Orvis, Umpqua, L.L. Bean, Dan Bailey’s, and many others. Yet, Rim Chung remains largely an unknown. He has never promoted himself, his fly, or his method of fly fishing. Rim Chung has no commercial interest in fly fishing, he is not a guide, nor has ever sold his fly, nor has he ever sought or been offered compensation for the flattery of the copies of his flies, which are now widely distributed. The purpose of this site is not commercial and the upcoming book about him is simply a tribute to his legendary success in fly fishing with the nymph–simply ideas which I hope you might discover as useful as I have.

By Sporting Road|November 30th, 2011|Categories: Fishing, Rim Chung|Comments Off

The Sportsman’s Guide to Shopping

Once upon a time, in addition to having a gunmaker and fly tire, gentleman would have a boot maker, glove maker, hat maker, a shirt, maker, maker of walking sticks, and umbrellas, possibly even a coach builder, and naturally a tailor. In London: Farlows, fishing and shooting, www.farlows.co.uk Lock & Co. Hatters, bespoke hats and hunt caps, www.lockhatters.co.uk John Lobb, Country boots and riding boots, www.johnlobbltd.co.uk Henry Maxwell, hunting, polo and field boots www.henrymaxwell.com Bernard Weatherhill Ltd., coats, vests and breeches, www.bernardweatherill.com H. Huntsman & Sons, riding habits, scarlet coats, evening coats, suits www.h-huntsman.com Holland & Holland, shotguns and sporting arms, www.hollandandholland.com James Purdey & Sons, gunmaker, www.purdey.com Boss & Co Ltd., gunmaker, www.bossguns.co.uk

By Sporting Road|November 26th, 2011|Categories: Fishing, Foxhunting, Wingshooting|Comments Off

Light Weight Fly Fishing Rods

I have often been asked “What rod is Mr. Chung’s current favorite?,” on this blog. This will be the subject of a soon-to-be released article and a chapter in the book that I am in the works of publishing about his fishing methods. The short answers are that a Sage TZX 0710- #0 Line and the Sage LL 2-weight in 7’9”, are Rim Chung’s current all-time favorites, as of 2015, but he loves the newish Winston Pure. He also fancies several other Winston rods and depending on when you ask him, but he often responds that the Winston Boron IIX 8'6", 3 weight is his all time favorite rod. My all time favorite is a Winston WT 8', 3-piece, 3-weight rod, and I exclusively fish Rim Chung's methods of nymph fishing. Another student of his prefers the Winston Boron III LS ; 3 WT 8’6", but it may be whatever you get used to becomes your favorite. Asking Rim which is his favorite rod used to be an easy question for him to answer, but now the usual response is something along the lines of "Well, that is a lot like asking a man about his favorite woman, when he has the pleasure of so many to choose from in his lifetime. It becomes hard to compare one to the other. One might be in love with each one for what it represents and offers, without comparison to the others." I’ll attempt to let you in on an advance glimpse behind the invisible veil to catching more fish with his ultra-light weight fly fishing methods here. Mr. Chung has been fly fishing since the glass and bamboo rod era, when they were the only choices

By Sporting Road|November 24th, 2011|Categories: Fishing, Rim Chung, RS2|Comments Off

Trout Country: Reflections on Rivers, Fly Fishing & Related Addictions

Bob Saile, Trout Country: Reflections on Rivers, Fly Fishing & Related Addictions. Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder, Colorado 1999. My favorite quotes or summaries are as follows: Aside from the Brassie, the most important contribution to the fly boxes of American anglers to come from South Platte lore is the RS-2 —an all-purpose nymph pattern that, depending on size, can resemble the aquatic stages of a midge, a mayfly, or even a caddis. RS-2 stands for “Rim’s Semblance, Style 2.” It was born in the tying vice of Rim Chung of Denver, a self-taught fly fisherman who began as a frustrated spin-fisherman. When Chung came to Colorado from Seoul, South Korea, in 1968, he had a strong desire to catch Colorado trout but only the weakest clues on how to go about it. He began to fish with spinning tackle but rarely caught anything when he encountered the selective trout of the Platte and other waters. Two years later, he was ready to give up. Then a friend suggested he take up fly-fishing. “What the hell is fly-fishing?” Chung asked his friend. Chung then began to fish with dry flies, but it was still frustratingly unproductive or, at best, inconsistent. Finally he met someone who offered to take him nymph fishing. “What the hell is nymph fishing?” Chung asked. His progression to becoming a successful trout fisherman was fairly swift after that. Chung developed his nymphing skills and learned to tie flies. He decided to try to develop a nymph pattern that was a general suggestion—a semblance—of almost any hatching aquatic insect, depending on size. What emerged was a pattern that is constructed with a Tiemco 101 hook that has a straight eye, in sizes as big as 14

By Sporting Road|October 12th, 2011|Categories: Fishing, Fly Tying, Rim Chung, RS2|Comments Off

Standing in a River Waving a Stick

Standing in a River Waving a Stick, New York: Simon & Schuster (1999) by John Gierach My favorite quotes or summaries from this book are: This business of changing fly patterns, looking for the right one, is central to the sport. All of us, secretly or otherwise, believe it’s the fly that makes the difference, although we’ll admit that even the right fly has to be cast accurately and drifted properly to work. Still, when someone is catching more fish than we are --- and when we’re not too embarrassed to ask--we say, “What fly are you using?” as if that one bit of information was all we needed. Okay, but if you ask three different fishermen you’ll probably get three different answers, so you have to suspect that although the knowledge passed on by other fly fishers is a great gift, the true solution is somehow yours and yours alone. Everyone I know who has fly fished for long has theories about fly patterns, all of which sound reasonable enough on a long drive or around a campfire.... The choice of a fly pattern for nymphing can seem too huge to comprehend, and I’ve seen nymph fishers standing like zombies on riverbanks, gazing into open fly boxes, literally frozen by indecision. (I recognize that when I see it because I’ve done it myself.) The thing is, aquatic insects spend most of their lives on the stream bottom, where they are regularly eaten by trout. Mayflies and stone flies have a nymphal stage. These are six-legged, armored bugs that fly fishers think are handsome but I heard one non-anglers describe as looking like wet cockroaches. Caddis flies and midges have bottom-dwelling larval stages that run into pupae

By Sporting Road|October 9th, 2011|Categories: Book Reviews, Fishing, Fly Tying|Comments Off

Hunt, Gather, Cook

Hank Shaw is an award-winning journalist and makes his debut from his blogger's guide to a book on foraging, fishing, hunting, simply entitled Hunt, Gather Cook--and makes the most of the fruits of a day spent gathering food in the field. His blog, Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, has developed an avid following among outdoor people and foodies alike. Hank Shaw's blog, Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, and which is more impressive than the book, can be found at: http://honest-food.net/ His poacher's blog, which is also worthy of mention, despite his bad-form tactics, can be found at: http://huntergathercook.typepad.com/

By Sporting Road|October 8th, 2011|Categories: Book Reviews, Cuisine, Fishing, Recipes, Wingshooting|Comments Off

Smoked Salmon Bagel Sandwiches
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Smoked Salmon Bagel Sandwiches

Lox is a cured salmon fillet, usually sliced thin. Typically it is served on a bagel, often with cream cheese, onion, tomato, cucumber and capers. Lox can be crumbled into small pieces and added into scrambled eggs, sometimes with chopped onion. I have to confess, I never much cared for lox. At least, not when compared to freshly caught and smoked salmon, as lox is far too often too dry or too salty. Freshly smoked salmon is better, especially if you caught it yourself, fly fishing. While the Kokanee salmon run is on here in Colorado, we like to keep a few for smoking, as they die in their breeding rituals within the month of their run up the river anyway, so it seems a waste not to take advantage of their great flavor. And, the Togiak River is quite possibly the best King and Silver Salmon river in Alaska, from which our friend, Rim Chung, had just returned with some its delicacies. Numerous anglers who have fished all over the world describe the Togiak as incomparable for its salmon runs, as well as for its nearby trout and grayling fishing. All of the Alaskan and Northwest wild salmonoids are worth smoking, whether it is the Copper River salmon from your market, or something farther down the Sporting Road. We like our smoke salmon flaked on a hot, buttered bagel, topped with cream cheese and sprouts. It doesn't get simpler than this, nor better. Voila!

By Sporting Road|October 3rd, 2011|Categories: Cuisine, Fishing, Recipes|Comments Off