2013 -- Fly Fishing Resolutions

Happy New Year!  I'm expecting great things in 2013.  Early last year when I started this blog I didn't anticipate the lack of fishing I would get to do in 2012.  I fished less last year than any of the past 5 years.  I'll be honest that it was frustrating at times, but that's what life throws at us sometimes.  Other priorities (family, work, etc), will always come first.  I hope to be able to find more time on the water this year and also explore new things in connection to fly fishing.  In 2011, I did a fair amount of small mouth fishing and it was great.  Last year, I was only able to manage 2 small mouth trips.  2011 was a great year for me and produced some great fishing memories.


I would like to share a few of my Fly Fishing Resolutions for 2013. 

1.) Get my family more involved on the River.  My oldest son will be turning 5 this Summer and starts Kindergarten in the Fall.  He's been on a couple fishing trips and has had a blast.  I've got a goal for him to catch a trout this year by himself.  I think he's up to it!  :)

Here is a picture of Andrew and his first trip ever to the Clinch River back in April of 2012.  We mostly played in the water and threw rocks, but he had fun and it is a memory I'll have forever. 

2.)  Obviously - More time on the water.  Doesn't really matter where, but I would like to explore the Smoky Mountains more and learn to become a better small stream fisherman.  I'd also like to get a few trips on the South Holston and Davidson River this year.  I've fished both of these rivers over the past few years and they are terrific.  Both have their quirks and totally different styles, but both can reward you with a great catch.


3.) Tie Flies! and learn new patterns.

Little fish, BIG fun

My family ventured out to my grandmothers pond last weekend for Andrew's 4th birthday.  The fish are small but action was fast and fun!

Happy birthday buddy!

Trouthunter Tippet Review

I recently saw a Tippet Shootout  in Fly Fisherman Magazine.  They did an excellent job and it was extremely detailed.  The shootout left me curious about Trouthunter products so when I recently ran out of tippet, I decided to give it a try and placed the order.  I'm usually one who supports my local fly shops on purchases like this, but I wanted to see what all the fuss was about and if I could tell a difference. 

One unique thing I noticed when I was placing my order was that Trouthunter offers half sizes in tippet.  I thought this was pretty cool so I ordered 5.5x.  I typically use 6x for most of my fishing on my home river, but I thought the extra .5 of strength wouldn't hurt. :)

Spool design - I really like the spool design A LOT!  The tippet comes off the spool very smooth and does not kink or have any memory or curling.  The lack of line curl is due to the large arbor spool.
Fishing - I've fished this tippet a handful of times now and have been impressed.  It does knot really well and seems strong yet supple.  I'm far from any type of line strength expert, but this tippet does seem to get the job done quite well. 
Cost - $22.95 for a 50m spool.  This is a better deal per meter than most of your other top tier tippets on the shelves of your local fly shops.

Conclusion - This is an excellent product at an excellent price.  I expect great things from this spool of tippet.  Can I tell a big difference between this product and Rio, Orvis, or Frog Hair?  No, but it's cheaper and the "tippet scientist" say it's stronger so I'll take their word for it!  Well done Trouthunter!

I also ordered a couple 10ft. leaders - I haven't gotten to fish those yet, but I'll be sure to post a review of those as well.

Thanks!

UPDATE 6/6/13: The tippet  has continued to shine and truly fish great. I'm certainly sold on its strength, sensitivity, and how supple it is. 

As for the leaders... I love them also. I do wish they had a loop tied on the butt section like most of the other major brands but it isn't a deal breaker for me. For whatever reason I also like that they come in 10 footers. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase trout hunter products again. In fact, it's about time to reorder. 

Tight lines y'all!

Reports

Fly fishing around East Tennessee is really hot right now.  I'm hearing excellent reports in the Smokies (www.littleriveroutfitters.com).  Be sure to check out the Fishing report that Byron does.  He does an excellent job and always has up to date info.

The tailwaters are fishing well for the most part.  The Clinch has been really good at times, but I'm hearing about some warm water right now due to the lack of water being released.  It's been a little while since I've been able to fish, but I hope to fix that really soon!  Everything I've heard and read about the Holston, South Holston, and Watagua has been good so GO FISH.

Sage ONE Review

A few weeks ago I acquired a Sage ONE 590-4.  Most of our waters here in East Tennessee have been blown out with all the rains we've had and I had not been able to test drive the ONE(other than yard casting) and it was driving me crazy.
I had been in the market for some time searching for my next "all around" fly rod.  Sage does a great job marketing and has created quite the buzz for their new flagship fly rod.  When I found out Sage was calling their new rod the "ONE", I felt like it was a bit cheesy and gimmicky.  After thinking about it and knowing Sage's reputation, I knew they had to be very proud of this rod in order to name it the "ONE".  I had done my research and after getting to cast the "ONE" I knew it was really nice.

Last weekend I finally got to give it the ultimate test and actually fish it.  I had yard cast it, but wasn't going to get too overly excited until I had the chance to hook up with some fish and give it a true test.

I paired my Sage ONE with a Bauer M2SL and a Rio Gold line.  The Bauer Reel gave the rod great balance and the Rio Gold seemed to match up and cast very well through the ONE.

Visual: The Sage ONE comes in a sleek looking black tube with black rod sock.  One of the first things I noticed was the thin profile of the rod and the black stealth bomber look.  I like that fact that its not overly flashy.

Casting:  I can honestly say this thing does indeed make me a better caster.  I'm nowhere near a great caster, but even I could notice the straightness in which the line was laying down on the water.  I even felt like I was getting good distance with the rod once I began to get the feel of the sweet spot.  I also found myself false casting A LOT less than I normally have had to with other rods.  Medium casting ranges were nearly effortless for me.

I threw a variety of flies and rigs to see how it would cast.  I threw #20 midges, double nymph rigs with indicator, and even a chunky wooly bugger.  It handled every rig very well and I feel comfortable casting every fly in my box without hesitation. 

Many rods on the market today claim to get great distance, but I have never seen casting accuracy highlighted in a marketing campaign.  The Konnetic technology limits the wobble when compared to traditional rods.  This is illustrated by Sage in this photo:

About Konnetic™ Technology:
Sage's Konnetic technology is here, premiering in the Sage ONE fly rod. Konnetic Technology is the most recent and significant evolution in fly rod innovation and uses new materials combined with pioneering manufacturing methods and processes. This technology incorporates an optimized ratio of Sage’s proprietary resin to exclusive high modulus aerospace-grade carbon fiber.

Summary:
Sage has done a remarkable job with this rod.  I am super happy with my purchase and look forward to many great days on the river fishing the ONE.  The one question I have is where does Sage go from here?  They've already created the "ONE".  What else should they need to sell us?!  :)

How to remove a hook safely

3 Rivers Angler Fly Shop | Knoxville, TN

3 Rivers Angler Fly Shop | Knoxville, TN