Re: A few bass fishing questions


"roger" <coretech007@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1147356122.772148.131660@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I just bought a fly kit (9ft / 6wt rod) and several small poppers.

1. I've read that the length of the leader should be as long as the
rod. Does this apply when using poppers (my leader is around 5 ft now
since I've been practicing knots and lost a bit of length)?

Add some "tippet" amterial (plain old 6 - 8 lbs test mono works fine for
bigger poppers) Use a blood knot (if you like to practice knots), a Uniknot
to Uniknot (easy to tie, near 100% strength) or just a surgeon's knot
(easiest to tie)


2. Since the poppers I'm using are much heavier than typical flies
(http://www.lurenet.com/catalog.aspx?catid=CrickhopperPopper), I've
been able to false cast with a huge amount of line and go around 30 ft
behind me. Is this considered bad fly fishing etiquette? I fish off the
lake shore and keep telling people behind me to watch out.


The only other choice for your backcast is to learn a steeple cast, but then
you wont get on the water till 2029! For bass fishing I raely actually
"false cast"., for 2 reasons; 1) If the fly is in the air, it isn't on or in
the water and therefore can't catch anything. and 2) Unless I'm using a
single, maybe two in a row, false cast to change directions, a single back
cast followed ny shooting line on the forward cast generally gives me enough
distance to reach where I need to go, since bass are likely to be near the
edges of a body of water, alomg the first main drop off out from the bank or
at the edge of the weedline and are seldom "in the middle" of a lake or
stream. (I know, there are exceptions, but then you get in a boat or float
tube)

3. What is a good video or web site that shows proper casting form? I
fished twice so far and came pretty close to catching my ear. I feel
stupid for asking, but do any fly fisherman wear some sort of ear muffs
or special hats that offer extra protection?

Thanks
Roger


Sounds like you are not stopping the rod near enough to vertical. You are
likely letting your wrist "break" (flex) on the back cast or simply not
stopping the rod tip soon enough. You are actually throwing the fly toward
the ground on the back cast, and when you shoot forward, you line whistles
along very close to the ground. How do you correct it?...Practice, practice,
practice...Try sticking your thumbnail into the grip of your rod, thumb
bent at nearly 90 degrees at the first joint, it begins to hurt like the
dickens if you break your wrist (learned that one from Dan Gapen!) Also,
hook up with someone who has been doing it a while, have them watch you
cast, make suggestions and heed their advice. Look for a flyfishing club or
shop in your area. A Google on Fly Casting produces about 10 million or so
hits.

As for ear muffs...never considered it, except in January, but I do often
wear a western, bush, (I know, that's a bad word in here), booney or other
brimmed hat. It keeps the sun off my face & ears (UV and all that jazz),
keeps the rain off my glasses, and might offer some protection from low
flying bass bugs and clousers.

Mark


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