Old interest

Bruce Mc

Handloader
Oct 26, 2005
1,160
353
I haven't been doing much shooting recently. I picked up a couple of new fly rods and have been reteaching myself fly fishing 101. I built an Orvis fly rod from a kit when I was 15 and fished a lot but gave it up to bass boats and high tech tackle. I've been going out to a stock pond at a local recreation facility and have been having a lot of relaxing fun.
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Seee!
 
Most satisfying, Bruce. I do miss bass fishing, and I don't do nearly enough fishing for other species now.
 
Nice fish Bruce. I need to get my Fenwick 8' #8 weight out and see if I can catch a few Bass on it.
 
the orvis i built as a kid was an 8 foot 8 weight. i caught a lot of bass with it. i'm afraid to try and use it, its a glass rod and has been laid up for over 40 years. i replaced it with a 9 foot 7 weight and i also got 81/2 foot 5 weight
 
Bruce Mc":2gvhfmst said:
the orvis i built as a kid was an 8 foot 8 weight. i caught a lot of bass with it. i'm afraid to try and use it, its a glass rod and has been laid up for over 40 years. i replaced it with a 9 foot 7 weight and i also got 81/2 foot 5 weight
Bruce I wouldn't be afraid of using it. It might take a tad of getting use to using a glass rod again after using graphite rods with a quicker action.
 
My fly line was dry rotted from old age so I took my grandson and a couple of spinning rods and ventured out to the upper Potomac river for small mouths. water was gin clear and low so I tried to find some deep holes that we could wad out and fish. We managed to catch 2 that were about 16" but nothing to brag about fishing was slow which is normal for this time of year and with out a boat to locate the fish it's some tough fishing but fun and good exercise wading in waste deep water.
No pictures since I didn't want to get my phone wet while I was in the water.
 
I've been doing a lot of fly fishing and have acquired a few more rods including an Orvis H2 8 weight and I've also picked up a kayak. Friday I took both out on the salt water and caught my first redfish on a fly. What a trip. I paddled along the grass banks and looked for swirls. The water was off color and I couldn't see the fish. I saw a couple working off to my left so I dropped the anchor to hold the boat in the breeze until they worked down the bank. One finally crashed the bank to my front and made a couple of casts before it took the fly. It was surely an oversize one and took me into my backing twice before I got her up the kayak. The redfish wrapped up in the anchor rope and snapped my leader and it was a 16lb test. I should of picked up the anchor when I got the fish on. Live and learn. The second one I picked up in the grass. Saw the water move a bit and then the grass swishing. Tossed the fly in the grass and we were off. I made several really good runs but didn't get into my backing. The fish was 25". I ended up catching a few more before they turned off.

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This is the fly that caught the redfish. My own creation.
 
That's great Bruce. Almost as much excitement as getting a trophy deer in your sights but with fishing there is no limit to catch and release.
When my knee heals up I hope to get back out and do some fishing but for now I'm couch potato.
 
Fly fishing is one thing that I have never tried as we do not have trout or bass around these parts. I mostly hard water fish and then in the summer we used to do a lot of Walleye fishing :wink:.
By the looks of it Bruce you have not lost your touch :wink:.
Thank you for the post.

Blessings,
Dan
 
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