Casting Tip for TBFFC: 9

“Don’t be a creep!” Tailing loops are caused when the rod tip travels in a concave direction. This results in the tip being lower in the middle of the casting stroke. A frequent cause is a casting fault called creep. Creep is defined as the movement of the rod tip without power in the direction of the cast. If a definite arc is needed to cast a prescribed fly line length, trying to make that cast with a shorter arc will cause a tail. When the back cast is completed with a crisp stop the caster will move the rod tip forward before beginning his forward cast therefore reducing the distance the rod tip will travel. This can be very subtle, but destructive.

Pat Damico, MCI

Tips to help manage the release of your fish at the boat

1. Bending the barb- the first step in tying a fly- I typically use forged stainless hooks, so the barb is removed with a snap and there is seldom a trace of it. Other stainless hooks allow for the barb to be bent flat. I keep the pliers in alignment with the point of the hook to bend the barb rather than approaching the barb at 90 degrees. Leaving a flat barb or removal of the barb is all that is important. De-barbed hooks are far easier to remove from your fellow anglers.

2. Pliers- there are many super high quality pliers on the market today dedicated to fishing. There no longer a need to use rusty old steel pliers intended for automotive repair. Pliers are available manufactured from stainless steel, aluminum and titanium to withstand the corrosive environments that we fish in. Although I seldom use pliers for hook removal, they are always in my bag. I use them for bending barbs on the boat and even outboard motor repair. Removing a fly with pliers can be a bit rough on the fly. The most useful tool that I have found is the hook removal tool offered by Teeny Products:
http://www.jimteeny.com/indexMain.html?content=catalog&page=jtCatalog/catalog/c
atIntro.html. Using this tool, the fish can be released next to the boat or wader only lifting its head up above the surface. The release is quick and super easy. The orange (middle size) is the best for flats fishing. The only down side to this tool is that it does not float. I will have more information on this tool at the meeting and will demonstrate how it is used.

3. Curved mosquito forceps are also a useful tool in hook removal. They are small enough that it is hard to put too much pressure on the fish yet strong enough to remove stubborn flies. They are made of stainless steel to hold up to salt water and can be easily carried by locking onto a fly shirt or lanyard. I have purchased 50 of these to be given to club members at the next meeting. It is fair to say that the fish had a rough go of it based on very cold winter. Every fish we can save by taking a little extra care will benefit all of us.
Steve Parker