BigBootsWilly Posted March 12, 2012 Posted March 12, 2012 I started dabbling fly fishing at about age 10, close to 50 years ago. I watched a guy fishing on the Beaverkill pull several trout out of a riffle using a wet fly. That's what gave me my start. How about you guys?
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 12, 2012 Author Posted March 12, 2012 In 1966 I was driving to Seattle from Detroit with my family. We passed through Montana and I could see guys casting fly rods in the Missouri river. It looked like poetry in motion and I was hooked. When I got to Seattle it was only a few weeks before I had a rod, reel and fly line. It was up to me to teach myself to cast.
Grizzly Dave Posted March 12, 2012 Posted March 12, 2012 When I was maybe 12 I decided I wanted to fly fish, I took a class at the rec center, I saved my Christmas and paper route money, I geared up with names like Cortland, Pfluger, and whatever the magazines of the day said was best. I never could get the hang of it and it didn't stick. Don't know what happened to my gear, probably sold or given away long ago, or maybe hiding in the depths of mom's garage.
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 12, 2012 Author Posted March 12, 2012 You should find it and git it out and try again. I could come over and give you lessons in some of those golden Colorado rivers.
Grizzly Dave Posted March 12, 2012 Posted March 12, 2012 I looked a few years ago, but I'm fairly sure it's gone, though I don't remember getting rid of it. Pfluger was the reel and cortland was the line IIRC, dang if I can remember what brand the rod was though...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 12, 2012 Author Posted March 12, 2012 Rod builders are legion. Pflueger is still around but not as popular as they once were. I have no idea why. Cortland is an old company and makes fly lines. I prefer their dry floating line over all others. They also make all sorts of cord and rope.
Grizzly Dave Posted March 12, 2012 Posted March 12, 2012 So Pfluger might have been the rod? I don't remember. I was fairly sure Cortland was the line and I guess I was right. I just remember that I bought a quality setup and it wasn't cheap, especially on the money a kid could scrape together. And, being left handed I needed a reel that could be swapped to be used left handed. Even if I found it I don't know that I'd get into it, bait fishing from a chair on the bank is more my speed. Catch a couple of stockers to take to my mom and I'd be happy.
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 12, 2012 Author Posted March 12, 2012 My statement was misleading. Pflueger is most likely the reel maker. Rod could be just about anybody. It was probably a fiberglass rod or perhaps an e-glass or part graphite.
Grizzly Dave Posted March 12, 2012 Posted March 12, 2012 so rattle off the better or at least common quality rod makers of the early 1970s and see if I recognize any of them.
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 12, 2012 Author Posted March 12, 2012 Low end was South Bend, Eagle Claw, cortland, is all that comes to mind. High end was Fenwick, I think Sage was just starting out, Some others. But like I said, they mostly come and go. Fenwick and Sage are still with us and Sage is top of the line.
BigBootsWilly Posted March 12, 2012 Posted March 12, 2012 Good morning... nice day here, high temps supposed to be in the 60s, no wind. I'm goin fishin, I'll let you know how I did.
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 12, 2012 Author Posted March 12, 2012 Good rods, Fenwick. I have a rod blank that I made into a fly rod of sorts.
Grizzly Dave Posted March 12, 2012 Posted March 12, 2012 Yep, I researched it all out and bought the very best I could afford at the time. Guess I was, and still am too lazy to be much good at fly fishin.
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 12, 2012 Author Posted March 12, 2012 It is like anything else, what ever sparks your interest. I gonna go get my FIRST cuppa joe. Be back in a flash with the cup. Danged DST has both Jack and myself all screwed up. Well, I was all screwed up before, but it didn't get no better.
BigBootsWilly Posted March 12, 2012 Posted March 12, 2012 Had a great time, the Grouse were drumming, the Turkey's gobbling and the Brookies biting. Truly a good day!!
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 12, 2012 Author Posted March 12, 2012 GREAT! Well it has been a mixed bag around here. I am feeling a lot better this morning, but it is raining and cold. Looks like I will not get out to fish until the first of May sometime. Oh well, the may flies should be in full court. I have spent the morning trying to find a part to repair an old fly rod I built years ago. It is a Fenwick blank and I like the action. When I took it out of the sack t his morning to check it out, I discovered that the end cap in the reel seat is missing. I spent the morning trying to track down a replacement part. I spent more in phone calls than the $5.00 part is worth. Several on line catalogs show the part I need but they do not show the dimensions of the part and what it fits. If I can find a fighting butt for it, I will use it as a bass rod. Being an older rod, it is fiberglass and has a rather stiff action.
BigBootsWilly Posted March 12, 2012 Posted March 12, 2012 I hope you get lucky and find the part you need. Those old Fenwicks are nice rods. I have a conversion one that can either be a ultralight spinning rod or a 3/4 wt fly rod. It breaks down into 5 sections and fits into a case about 18 inches long. I've had it a long time. I did a lot of backpacking in my younger days and used it quite a bit.
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 12, 2012 Author Posted March 12, 2012 Well, I can still use it and the missing part will not affect the casting characteristics. It is just MISSING. Who would think that a piece of aluminum .650 inches in diameter would be so hard to find.
Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001 Posted March 13, 2012 Posted March 13, 2012 BMC Why don't ya just make one , sounds like you have done most of it already Not sure when I will get out , Did something to the sholder , Right arm don't want to work , maybe it will be better by the weekend . CB
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 13, 2012 Author Posted March 13, 2012 I haven't given up on finding a part. Cabelas has one but they are out of stock.
Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001 Posted March 13, 2012 Posted March 13, 2012 BMC Hope ya find your part soon , Did you find the extention ? Gonna try to take it easy today , maybe do some desing work on the mod to add a fighting butt . CB
BigBootsWilly Posted March 13, 2012 Posted March 13, 2012 Good morning....cloudy, breezy and a little drizzle with 53 degrees here, sun's supposed to come out later. Must have been tuckered out pretty good yesterday. Went to bed about 8:30 last night and woke up at a little after 7 this morning.
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 13, 2012 Author Posted March 13, 2012 Good morning all. Got a trace of snow last night. It didn't do much to deter my fishing fever tho. Today I will resume my search for the missing part. Got an appointment with the sawbones this afternoon. Maybe I will run up to the fly shop and chew the fat for a while. Maybe they can give me some insight with the missing part.
BigBootsWilly Posted March 13, 2012 Posted March 13, 2012 Got an email newsletter from a flyshop down in Roscoe announcing that the Sage One is now in the shop. I'll have to head down there sometime and check it out. It's $$$ ...$720 and up.
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 13, 2012 Author Posted March 13, 2012 In looking for my reel seat part, I ran across an ad for the Sage One blanks for sale for around $350.00 bucks. Might be worthwhile looking into buying the blanks and making one. Of course in a year or two some other new bauble will be all the rage on the page. Of course the price will not come down, just the newer models will go up. Not too many years ago, you could not go south to fish for the bonefish without an Able reel at $500.00+ at a time when most reels were selling for $250 or less. Now they are an also ran in the herd and you seldom hear or see them advertised. Of course the price is a tad higher now. Maybe success is it's own virtue. I wonder if my Scientific Angler's 67 L reel would hold up to a bone? Hmmmmmmm
Grizzly Dave Posted March 13, 2012 Posted March 13, 2012 Cough sputter wheeze honk. aye donb knowb howb youb can tawk bout fishin. mah haid is awl plugged upf
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 13, 2012 Author Posted March 13, 2012 As long as breath remains, you can and should talk about fishing, Grizz. Sorry you are in distress, and hope you get better real fast. That said, I am off to see the sawbones today on several issues. Maybe he will want to talk about fishing? Naaaa, I doubt it.
BigBootsWilly Posted March 13, 2012 Posted March 13, 2012 Creative marketing people there at Sage keep wettin our appetites. I think Grizz needs a good snort of "Old Cure All"
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 13, 2012 Author Posted March 13, 2012 No doubt about Sage. I do have to admit that my SLT 5 wt is something to behold when you cast. It is the smoothest casting rod I own or will ever own. Their Marketing Department keeps everybody guessing by changing the name and modifying the rods slightly. The SLTs were only sold for about four years. I remember when I got mine, I thought that they could not go any further. How wrong I was.
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 13, 2012 Author Posted March 13, 2012 Waaaaa Hooooo! Just got off the phone talking to Paul at REC. He is sending me the part I need for the rod. What great service.
BigBootsWilly Posted March 13, 2012 Posted March 13, 2012 I think, Badger, that one would not wish to see YOUR rendition of the "Happy Dance" :lol: but I am happy you found and got your needed part !!
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 13, 2012 Author Posted March 13, 2012 No Happy Dance? Ok, the twinkle toes ballet then!
BigBootsWilly Posted March 14, 2012 Posted March 14, 2012 Good morning. A beautiful day is in store for us here in western NY. Sunshine all day with temperatures approaching 60 degrees. Exceptional weather, in these parts, for mid March.
Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001 Posted March 14, 2012 Posted March 14, 2012 Hey Guys I went and sorted the rods , I keep in cases , and labeled them with key tags so I don't have to open the cases , to see what is in hand . Seem to have lost the 9 wt , Don't know when they will go out , Had just a bit of wind yesterday , close to 70 , it would have been a good day to fish , suppose to have rain on and off for the next 4 days , Hope to get out , if the right arm starts working right . If it does not loosen up by Fri am , will get it checked out , CB
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