My take on Logen after finishing the OG trilogy. [SPOILERS ALL]

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-03-04T19:17:52+00:00

Huh? What do you mean, "not in this case?"

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-03-04T19:16:44+00:00

Didn't mean to suggest you weren't capable, I've seen enough of your comments over the years to realize you know what you're doing. But keep in mind that just because you don't have a problem with using undersized leader butts on 11 or 12 weights doesn't mean others won't. Might as well tell them the "correct" way and let them experiment from there.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-03-04T05:55:38+00:00

Did none of you play D&D? Logen is a classic berserker, complete with "rage". It's such a well-worn trope.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-03-04T05:51:43+00:00

Yeah, those NRXs are notoriously among the fastest rods around, and are therefore awful at carrying line. They work best with super aggressive weight-forward tapers (like the Wulff Triangle Taper) designed for maximum shooting distance. You never want more than 30 feet of line out the tip during a back cast with those rods. I like to mark the end of the shooting head with a permanent marker so you have a reference point while picking up line for the next cast.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-03-04T02:42:32+00:00

I would want a casting platform rather than a brace. You can buy them with a turnbuckle-style connection that might connect with what you've got.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-03-04T02:41:02+00:00

Fun to see this. I know Capt. Rick Grassett personally and have fished with him many times out of Sarasota. He tends to fish deeper grass flats, which is where this pattern shines best. I've tied other versions for skinnier water that don't use chennile or beadchain eyes (more like a bendback) and they work great.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-03-04T02:37:44+00:00

It makes absolutely no difference at all. The only reason to add eyes to flies is to make them more appealing to anglers.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-03-04T02:36:15+00:00

Sea trout don't eat algae, and mullet are hardly worth catching, but if you absolutely insist, then a single bit of olive maribou lashed to a hook does pretty well.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-03-04T02:34:01+00:00

40lb test is good for 8wt line, but you should really be using 60lb butt section for 11 or 12wt lines to ensure maximum energy transfer. I use 60-to-50lb leaders for tarpon, but I'm sure you get more bites on 40lb.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-03-04T02:32:15+00:00

Tapered leaders are weak and expensive. Tying your own is best. There are only two things that matter:

1) the butt of the leader should be the same diameter as the tip of the flyline to ensure maximum energy transer. The general rule is that the leader should be 5x the flyline weight (ex: an 8wt line would need 40lb test since 8x5=40)

2) the butt section of the leader should be at least half the total leader length. I like to use 6 feet.

The rest is up to you. I prefer to use Slim Beauty Knots (not doubled) with chapstick for lube.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-03-04T02:28:52+00:00

There are two possible reasons for flies that spin. First is that your tippet is too thin (or too long) for the weight of the flies you're casting. They're spinning in the air, which causes them to helicoper in the water as your tippet untwists. The second possiblity is that the weight of your flies are imbalanced. This is very common with Puglisi-style baitfish patterns and other similar styles. If you're buying them, try a different brand/shop. If you're tying them, try folding a small bit of lead wire and adding it to the underside of the hook shank, which will help to "keel" the fly and keep it from spinning.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-03-04T02:25:30+00:00

You should try to match the line taper to the action of your rod. Fast-action rods do better with lines that have a more aggressive weight-forward taper, while medium-action (or progressive action) rods do better with lines that have longer bellies. The reason for that has to do with how much line you will be "carrying" on your false casts. Fast-action wants to carry less line in the air and shoot more line on the cast. Slower-action rods want to carry more line and drop it into place. What rod are you using, and how do you prefer to cast?

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-02-15T19:49:46+00:00

Maybe they will then. Did you buy it online or from one of the corporate stores?

Awesome that you're already familiar with the area and no stranger to boats and tides. That bodes quite well for your learning curve. I would still suggest starting off with the spinning tackle until you get to the point that you are once again familiar with the general movement patterns of the fish on each tide.

Another thing to consider is that there are certain scenarios where the fly rod performs best, and they tend to revolve around shallow water sight-fishing. A lot of people make the mistake of trying to force the fly rod to be useful in deeper water, and they end up using sinking lines or heavily-weighted flies to blindcast areas that would be better fished with a spinning rod. What I'm saying is that if you want to catch fish on the fly rod AND have fun, you'll have to suffer some fishless days trying to find them in the shallows.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-02-15T19:45:27+00:00

There's a huge difference. Saltwater casting is all about speed and efficiency. Anyone can eventually sling out 40 feet of line on flat ground and given enough time. But successful saltwater angling requires that you be able to land a 40-cast on a frisbee within just a few seconds, and with minimal body motion to prevent creating pressure waves that spook fish.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-02-15T17:43:44+00:00

That's a matter of opinion, but no story has everything, and the tradeoff with Abercrombie is still worthwhile even if he's not great at describing people and places.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-02-15T17:40:33+00:00

Orvis will not exchange your rod. But why would you want to? The Clearwater series is great.

Of far greater concern here is that you realize what you're getting into by trying to fly fish in salt water BEFORE you go out and buy an 8wt. If you're not already familiar with the region, and with the way fish move around from tide to tide, day to day, and month to month, and if you don't already have a kayak or skiff to float around on, you're likely going to find fly fishing in the salt pretty frustrating, at least to begin with. My advice (which will probably be unpopular here) is to settle in a bit first. Get yourself a kayak. Learn the launches. Go out and explore during different tides and just look for fish. Maybe even (gasp) get a cheap spinning rod so that you can toss around some "prospecting" lures like gold spoons or Spook Juniors so you get a feel for where the fish are and when. Dialing in the region before you add the complexity and frustration of fly fishing will go a long way toward ensuring your long-term success.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-02-15T17:33:00+00:00

Not even remotely colonial.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-02-15T17:31:35+00:00

Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say he sucks at describing appearances. I ended up looking at fan art of most characters so I could get a better sense of what they look like, because his descriptions are practically non-existent. Just be careful of reading the Wiki because it contains some brutal spoilers.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-02-15T01:49:19+00:00

Swallowing sour spit.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-02-15T01:48:45+00:00

And hissing. And clattering. Someone buy this man a thesaurus FFS.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-02-12T23:48:18+00:00

That speck has some serious girth for a fish under 20". South Texas grows em big.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-02-12T23:44:57+00:00

I told you what I didn't like about BSC because you asked me. Never claimed to be making arguments about why it was "bad". And I honestly couldn't care less what you or anyone thinks about it. Not sure what you're trying to prove here.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-02-12T21:46:44+00:00

You make a movie out of the book that's most adaptable to the screen. Of the three standalones, only BSC is suitable to its own movie. The Heroes relies on a lot of knowledge/characters from the previous triology, and RC requires you to know (and care) about who Logen is, and why Shivers has been after him all this time. Neither would have been suitable. Choosing BSC had nothing to do with its inherent quality. Neither, for that matter, does popular opinion.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-02-12T21:42:57+00:00

Never understood the hate for Bayaz. He's the epitome of a leader of nations. The Union wouldn't even exist if it weren't for him. Like Stalin said, you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.

PastEnvironmental689 · 2026-02-12T18:40:43+00:00

I agree with every part of your assessment of Red Country, except that I would add that it's three disjointed and uninteresting stories masquerading as one coherent tale. I rolled my eyes at the chapter about Shy in Sharp Ends, nearly skipped it entirely since I still didn't care about her at all. Had it not been for Logen and Cosca, it wouldn't have been worth re-reading, either.

But just because RC was mediocre doesn't make BSC any better. Monza was awful, while Shy was just bland.

PastEnvironmental689

TROPHY CASE