It's A Sickness - Part Deux

Yeah, you knew how yesterday would play out. I bought it.

I am now the proud owner of a Scott G2 905/4 fly rod. Funny thing is that it's the antithesis of my fishing style. I've gravitated toward faster rods to make up for casting deficiencies. But, I think this stick will help me in improving my casting stroke. If you cast this one wrong, you end up with a puddle of line 5' from you.

Burled maple meets finely-machined aluminum

The Abel Classic reel looks like it was tailor-made for this rod. The classic black, non-ported reel looks right at home atop a burled maple reel seat, some fantastic cork, and a sleek unsanded blank.

This will be such a sweet stick for an evening on the Escanaba, the South Branch of the AuSable, the flywaters of the Pere Marquette, the upper Manistee, or any of my other Michigan trout favorites. Heck, it might even get me to make another trip to Haymeadow Creek with Dad...

I'm lining it up with Scientific Anglers GPX Mastery series line (the extra half weight tends to help my casting stroke). I tried SA's Trout Stalker and while it definitely lends a nice stealthy presentation, I've had really solid results with the GPX on my Scott A4 906/4.

This should be the perfect rig for all but the largest dry flies, as well as some small ant or beetle patterns. Nymphs, hopper-droppers, and big terrestrials will be left to the A4 906/4.

Did I need this rig? No, but this, as my buddy Schultzy commented, is a lifetime set-up. As classic as it is high-performance. I'm pretty damn happy.

-Sean-

First Impressions - Scientific Anglers Titan Taper Fly Line

In the quest for distance, I swapped in a Scientific Anglers Mastery Series Titan Taper for use on my Scott A4 907/4 stick for smallies and carp. And now, my two word review...

"Holy sh@t!!!!!"

To call this line a rocket is an understatement. The web site says, "Loads quickly and delivers the biggest flies to the furthest targets". That's marketingspeak for, "This thing will throw a half a chicken down a football field". It loads my 7-weight Scott A4 like a freight train. And the Mastery Series texture isn't a gimmick - it really does aid shooting line considerably. This is the second Mastery Series line I've added to my quiver (the other is a GPX in 6 weight) and these things will definitely move the line.

Did some quick testing with Mike Schultz at the Schultz Outfitters Secret Testing Facility (aka Riverside Park in Ypsi) to determine line weight. Mike's found that in some instances underlining can be a benefit, depending on the rod. With my A4, the rated 7-weight was perfect. I will be interested to try this line on a stiff stick like a Scott S4 or a Sage Z-Axis.

Looking forward to hucking some leech patterns at local smallies and carp on this rig over the weekend!

-Sean-

Mad Skillz

Yesterday I was reorganizing the "demo flies" tied during the Schultz Outfitters "Bar Flies" demo classes and noticed something interesting. My tying skills have improved considerably over the past year. Flies from the early classes last season look like crap compared to what I've been tying this year.

It shows up in so many places - feather placement, body proportions and balance, and most noticeably in the head finish. Wow do those old flies look SAD! By comparison, the heads on the new ones are tight and crisp (and don't look like they'll unravel after a single fish).

This motivated me to go back and have a look at some other flies I'd done. The pattern was the same with others. For example, my early examples of Sean's Half A$$ Stonefly look crude and kludgy. Though I have caught fish on them - but we'll chalk that up to luck. The new ones look sleek, and (God forbid) something like an actual stonefly!

One of the things that motivates me in my outdoor passions is the opportunity to improve my skill set. So, this new discovery was certainly a welcome surprise!

Some of this growth is the result of spending hours at the vise, but more of it is having access to some great instruction. I've been fortunate enough to learn from well-known tiers like April Vokey (above), Kevin Feenstra, and Greg Senyo. As well as up-and-comers like Mike Schultz, Jon Ray, Steve Martinez, Tommy Lynch, Eirik Vitso, Jay Daley, and Chris Hatcher.

By putting this all together, I really do feel like I've learned a TON! One of the best acknowledgements was a couple weeks back at Tommy's class, my Dad fell a couple of steps behind. I was able to lean over and catch him up. Tommy saw this and commented later on my growth as a tyer. Nice props from a serious tyer and fisherman.

-Sean-