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LTS Explosive LT 12'6" 6/7 Summer Steelhead Rig

6/26/2015

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Details:
Rod: LTS Explosive LT 6/7 12'6"
Line: 350 Rio Steelhead Scandi (31 feet)
Leader: 10' Airflo Intermediate with 3' Maxima
Fly: Hoh Bo Spey (Chartreuse)
River: Clackamas River, OR

This is my latest Summer Steelhead Rig for the Deschutes.

In reference to the 1st Cast, note the Flex Point (FP) and how responsive that FP in recovering with little counter-flex*. This leads to high line speed and tight loops.

The poor man's side of Deschutes requires LH single spey, so this demo is true to a poor man seeking luxuriant casting rig. The Hoh Bo Spey is bigger and heavier than flies for Summer run, but used in this case to put the setup through its paces.

Disclaimer: I am on Team LTS USA, but I wouldn't endorse anything I don't believe in or enjoy using. Hope this demo shows why.

For more on this rod: http://www.fishon-sports.com/lts-explosive-light-spey.html
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Swimphing- a guerrilla way to fish on the swing

1/15/2014

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I met up with Dave on the river and here is the result.

http://midcurrent.com/techniques/swimphing-101/
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Tailing Loops- A fresh look that reveals new dividends

11/26/2012

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Here is a scanned copy of the the above article as published in the January 2013 Gear Guide issue of Fly fisherman magazine. If not, here is the link: http://www.flyfisherman.com/feature/fly-casting-overcoming-the-tailing-loop/
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AFS Heads, Part 3- Dialing in 9 digits of Line Matching zip code

2/1/2012

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In the previous part 2 installment, TWO (2) hazards were discussed when trying to re-use the floating head line weight class for a sinking head. The Active-Line load appears to be a more telling story than the standardized effect of weight class. This part 3 installment is to explore what is behind Mystery door #3, an unpredictability we were left with from only having casted the unmodified final head in part 2. We will be chopping and assembling this unmodified head to get all 9 digits of the line matching zip code for that Zpey - or any other - rod. This is akin to getting both the right shoe length AND width size. At the end of this part 3, we will see behind door # 3 awaits some nice surprises, along with those that will make us ponder further depending on how far we want to go down the rabbit hole. Just as when we feel we are getting close to mastery, we are humbled when we simply end up as a better student.


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AFS Heads, Part 2- The untold story hidden behind weight class

1/27/2012

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In part 1, we introduced the maddening story of buying shoes in a fictitious deregulated shoe size industry. It doesn't take a large stretch of imagination to see that the setup for the shoe story is an appropriate analogy for AFS heads. Simply substitute your foot size with your Spey rod and your fitting shoe size with your matching Spey line (using the differing shoe colors for differing sink heads) and the connection is made.

My affinity for AFS heads largely comes from the ability to change the sink rate of the entire shooting head, giving me a much tunable sink rate to match differing depth presentation for various combination of fly and on-stream factors. So, my first step in properly loading the rod of choice, a Zpey 12'3" #8 EU class rod, was to find a proper loading AFS floating head. Although the rod lists a grain window of 338 to 416 grains, just like the process of finding the light colored shoe, I had to experiment with several heads; sometimes using heavier heads that came with truncated tips (perhaps in attempts to keep the weight within the rod's grain window) [footnote 1]. I eventually settled for a 400 grain AFS #7 floating head. This floating head discovery is akin to the light colored shoe process.


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AFS Heads, Part 1: The unobvious path in finding that glass slipper

1/27/2012

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Let's indulge in a short discourse here. Imagine one day you went to a shoe store looking for a light colored pair of shoes. Knowing your size, you approach the sales person and inform her the size, the color, and brand you want. To your surprise, she politely informs you that the industry decided to deregulate the standards in shoe size, and that the only way to know the right fitting size is to actually try many sizes in the chosen color and brand. You find that news rather astounding, but you begrudgingly give in and instruct her to bring several sizes that came close in approximation. You try on a few sizes until you find size X that fit. The purchase is made and you move on with life.


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Finding the right spey length without being caught in a maze- Part 3, Determining Minimum Length

1/22/2012

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In part 3 (and final installment) of this series, we will talking about how short your fly spey line is needed for successful casting. Part 3 also represents the last and lone book end that caps our discussion, using the analogy mentioned in Part 1. 

As with part 2 on max length, the purpose of knowing your minimum length is so that you neither tire nor wear yourself first for successful casting. However, in this part 3 case, cast performed under more extreme conditions often mandates a minimum length. This tire vs. wearing out first here becomes especially important since a too-short-of-a-length would intuitively cause one to accelerate more so as to compensate for the distance-killing-properties of a shortened head.

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Finding the right spey line without getting caught in a maze- Part 2, Max length

6/8/2011

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In part 1 of this series, the weight of a spey line that properly loads a rod was shown to be a weight dictated by power and tempo. The analogy used for this proper weight was a favorite book between the book ends. Moving on from this, we'll now be looking at the max and min length of the line akin to the two book ends holding up the weight proscribed above.

However, let's tackle one book end at a time, with the maximum spey line length for this Part 2 piece. The max length starts with- but does not necessarily fully comprise of- a length the caster can carry in his D loop just before the D loop catches water and sticks behind him. But before we fully get into this discussion, and because this out-of-water max length is highly dependent on how deep or shallow the caster is wading, let's assume the caster is standing in 30" of water so as to not confound this max length any further.


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Finding the right spey line without getting caught in a maze- Part 1

6/6/2011

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Picking a proper loading spey line for your spey rod is not much more clearer than when I started spey in 2005. Part of the problem is today's commercial offerings provide one size fits all lengths without giving a clear guide how to fine tune them. This only leaves the typical angler wanting to get his proverbial spey line wet just as discombobulated as when I started. My aim in writing this article is to give that person perhaps some understanding what makes a line properly load one rod but not another; you know, giving the tools how to catch than actually catching the fish for the reader.


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    Going beyond my personality; with only sharing what I know and not telling you how to fly fish.

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