Yeah, they use those long out rigger rods in Ireland, and it is also called dapping, and the flys are like the size of a gnat! I am with you J.W. I just have a couple of Courtland reels, and one or two .....frrssszzztttcckkt...(Brain Fart) Seems someone reached into my book of memory, and tore a page out. Guess I shouldn't leave it in the out house..... It is a Japanese fly reel, but can't remember it. Bought it a couple of years, ago, and haven't use it yet. Still using the Cortland, and their rod, and sometimes the shakespear rod. I would like a nice G. Loomis, or my God, a Morgan, just to put poppers on and smirk at the multi thousand dollar outfitted fly fishing snobs. OH, yeah, by the way, pan fish flys, and poppers catch trout also! Some friends of mine were camping on the Clark Fork river, in St. Regis, Mt. and one had a few beers, when a float boat with a guide, and a man with his wife were in the boat, and she was not fishing, but he was, and he was all decked out with fanciest of everything kit, and he saw my Buddy, and asked if he was doing any good, he replied not too bad, and held up a stringer of nice and big browns, and the guy says, wow, what fly are you using? My Buddy, says, a number 7 red wriggler. the guy says, what is that? My Buddy, held up a Styrofoam container of worms, and pulled one out, and said this. The guy, says, oh.... YOU"RE ONE OF THOSE GUYS!..... My buddy, held up the stringer, and says, how many have caught today? The guys wife starts giggling, and the guy, just glares at her, and they go on down the river, with the guy trying to finesse his casts..... Ah....wait, the brain cell is starting to glow a bit.... the reel is an O.....something.... Well I am not going to go down to the shop tonight, just to dig it out of my vest....uh....Okuma...something like that. anyway, whatever it is I have one. That is as fancy as I have, and and I still have a ball, and catch fish. Like I said, I have a five dollar Kmart reel, and low on sale, rod, wally world, or Kmart, and Courtland line, that I used to catch Sea Trout, in the grass beds, in the Intra Coastal waterway, in Florida, and just might try it salmon fishing. I simply could not see paying $250 -350 or more for a salt water reel, and then that much and more for the rod, some coming to over a thousand dollars, when I can catch just as many sea trout as they can on my cheap rod. There is no super duper hyper machining that is any different than that used to produce my aluminum reel, versus their brass reel. Any way, you don't need the outfit used by Mr. and Mrs. Got Rocks, to be successful, and have fun fishing.
Some of the stuff, can make a difference in the ease of casting, and presentation, and such, but I have never been able to afford those things, so I would not know how much of difference it would be for me, I just know that what I am using, is far superior to what was used in the nineteenth century, and they caught a car load of fish, and had a ball. For you northerners, and youngsters, that is a Southern term, referring to a train car, or box car. So I am happy as can be with my outfit. Just clarifying that. As for plain ol most fun fishing, no matter how fancy, and scientifically made fishing outfit, you still cannot beat a simple cane pole, and a can of worms, for shear simple fishing pleasure, and means of getting a stringer of blue gills, stump knockers, sun fish, and other pan fish. Now add a Sub Way, Italian,whole wheat sub, with extra pickles, Jalapenos, and black olives, tomatoes, onions,and American, and Swiss cheese,salt pepper, oil and vinegar, and an ice cold PBR, aww man, it just doesn't get any better. Crap now I am hungry again, and I already had supper, and my PBR for the night! Just get a rig, and go fishing, you will get your finese along the way!
Wayne
