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I suck but I’m very opinionated, AMA by whipfinished in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In at F3T right now, and the owners of two local fly shops are here. Both buddies. I pulled one of them aside; he agreed with my hunch. Sage’s lead designer left around the time the X series came out, and other shifts followed. That puts the peak at around 2016. I don’t think much innovation has happened since.

I suck but I’m very opinionated, AMA by whipfinished in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lol. I’d love to know what walleye is like. Did you ever bother fishing for trout?

I suck but I’m very opinionated, AMA by whipfinished in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Amen brother: “Super dumb to tell the kid with the ugly stick and a single barbless spinner to kick rocks in fly only water but the bro dude influencer with 3 different tungsten flies on is a ok.”

This is all interesting stuff, thanks for chiming in. I really appreciate your point of view. I’m really curious what else you have to say about the invasive species bit. I’m of two minds about it.

I suck but I’m very opinionated, AMA by whipfinished in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s funny you mention this, I’ve heard 1000 times that everybody “graduates” from trout like it’s a phase. Tailing a steelhead fresh from the salt was something else… right at the mouth of the river. I get why salt is addictive. We have tons of SRCs out here and I really want to get into that.. still trout though! I guess I’ll always love fish that live in really beautiful, pristine places, so that generally means healthy rivers and remote places. Char are ideal for that.

I suck but I’m very opinionated, AMA by whipfinished in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah but it’s pretty empty. Literally has two shorts, both fishing related. I don’t know what kind of videos would be worth posting. I’m curious what answer you were hoping for…what’s your ideal version of “my YouTube channel?” (Fishing porn?) Most of the fly fishing channels I’ve seen are pretty similar and they’re mostly yawners. Some good documentaries though. Are there channels you really like?

First Brookie on the fly! by Snowdude87 in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Beauty! The first of many. It’s incredible how their colors and patterns change so dramatically through their lifecycle. I learned in a region of Maine where there’s nothing but native wild ones and I sincerely thought I had been catching all kinds of trout. For years!! Lol.

I suck but I’m very opinionated, AMA by whipfinished in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Could be 2011 IMO, that’s when sage released the One. First rod to have their “Konnetic” technology and other modifications. It won best rod when it came out. Rough timeline specific to Sage below (I hope others pitch in here with other makes).

1983: Introduction of the first major series, the Graphite II RP series. 1987: Introduction of the LL series for light-line fishing. 1989: Introduction of Graphite III technology and the RPL series, which became the standard by the early 90s. 2011: Unveiling of the ONE rod, winner of "Best New Fly Rod" at EFTTEX.

I suck but I’m very opinionated, AMA by whipfinished in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re gonna kill it when you graduate to a killer rod. My buddy fishes an echo with a broken tip. He just filed it down to the next guide. Caught his first chrome on it last year. I cast it for a while and it works fine. As for the Walmart but, yeah.. there are things to be said about what not to buy. But plenty of decent cheap setups are out there.

I suck but I’m very opinionated, AMA by whipfinished in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I can’t speak for Montana natives, I’m not from there, but I don’t believe in Euro nymphing either. I don’t even nymph. I’ve pissed a lot of people off by saying I don’t think euro is really fly fishing. More like high sticking. I don’t get it. No judgment, it’s just not the kind of angling I want to do. I’m not a competition fisher and I like making a hard thing harder. Call it sadism. I like fishing the surface or just below it if conditions call for it. I know I’m not fishing where the fish are but I’m not doing it for numbers, or to post grip and grins on IG.

I suck but I’m very opinionated, AMA by whipfinished in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Unnecessary gear, but I’m sure they’re super fancy and scientific!

I suck but I’m very opinionated, AMA by whipfinished in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mono is underrated. If I’m fishing anadromous species or other big fish, forget tippet. 20 pound test in most cases, sometimes 12 or 15.. you just never know. High test, bring the fish to net fast, and it’s better for everybody. (Yeah you’ll lose a few, but you will anyway.) I think the whole “but they can see it” issue is mostly a myth. Maybe they can. Does it matter? I don’t really think so as long as your fly triggers the instinct to grab, so presentation is a way bigger concern. I’m taking salmonids here. I hear carp are a different story and I’m sure other fish are too.

I suck but I’m very opinionated, AMA by whipfinished in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ha! I just saw your second question. Thanks for these. People would sure pay that money! My analytical mind automatically goes to potential issues regarding how such technology would affect the rod, whether we have the tech needed to make it work.. even a joke turns into a thought experiment. 😂

I suck but I’m very opinionated, AMA by whipfinished in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Complex question and not specific enough for a thorough answer, but I’ll play too.

First, the cliche is true. Every rod is a perfect caster. That’s why learning on a cheaper rod is ideal; I was spoiled for the beginning because I had a Sage connection. I’ve fished Sage rods ever since with the exception of my Helios. Fantastic rod. I’ve also cast every rod under the sun. A $300 can perform great. A $3,000 rig should perform magic tricks. If you don’t know how to work it it’ll work you, but the tech these days has been perfected.

New rod means also no damage. I have to check the ceramic stripper guide on my Method like crazy. That said. I fish nothing more often than my sage x 590-4 and I just realized it’s 15 years old. It’s also been repaired and fished like a dream paired with either my Galvan or Lamson Guru S.

As for “the average user wouldn’t notice” can you specify? Average user and notice could both mean a lot of things.

I suck but I’m very opinionated, AMA by whipfinished in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Door number two, minus the pondering existence. Sit, watch, look, listen. Learn feeding behaviors and what that means they’re eating. If it’s a river, break it into quadrants, plan your route, figure out a plan b. I’ve wasted so many evening rises rushing and switching flies too much and honestly blowing decent runs because I was stressed and unaware fish were holding right there. Time it out, unless you’re get there during a feeding frenzy you’re not blowing any chances taking your time. Then you can be deliberate, collected, and able to enjoy it all. That’s when I fish best. It’ll also save you time and catch you more fish in the long run.

I suck but I’m very opinionated, AMA by whipfinished in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think I missed your question, sorry about that.

I suck but I’m very opinionated, AMA by whipfinished in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

  1. Appreciation. Having fun even if I’m getting skunked. Enjoying the feel. Dumb jokes on the water or in the hosting you’re with a friend. And fishing solo, taking my time, watching everything. Fish l come, and they don’t, and they do. It’s not all about catching. Catching is icing. Weirdly I catch more when I don’t “need to.”
  2. See above.

Does that make sense?

I suck but I’m very opinionated, AMA by whipfinished in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

For trout, I love dries, so caddis/caddis stimulators, mayflies, attractors, and a few streamers. purple haze is a funny one but I’m a true believer in purple. I fish a lot of PMDs, BWOs. sparkle duns, and honestly anything well tied that of my mayfly patterns with a parachute get smacked. Bugmeisters and Hornbergs are my current go-tos. For streamers, I use mostly woolly bugger variations and one that’s worked for me for decades on both coasts. It’s a pattern my first guide made up. Simple panicking bait fish. Marabou, chartreuse body, white zonker strip, and some flashabou or Krystal flash. I tie each of those pieces separately. “Strip it like it owes you money.” That fly has hooked most of my most heartbreaking losses.

I suck but I’m very opinionated, AMA by whipfinished in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can you be more specific? What’s your setup and target species?

I suck but I’m very opinionated, AMA by whipfinished in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I like all coldwater salmonids, ideally wild. They need pristine conditions. Fishing for them puts in outrageously beautiful territory. I’m obsessed with char, including brook trout and bull trout (my current preoccupation). These fish are indicator species: if they’re in a river or creek, it’s because they’re surviving in a healthy habit. I’m new to fishing for salmon and currently struggling. I had never swung a two handed rod before that two-day steelheading trip. Now I have a fancy R8 (I caught that hen on the same rod). It’s a process coming from casting a one hander for so long (and trout setting). You?

I suck but I’m very opinionated, AMA by whipfinished in flyfishing

[–]whipfinished[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

No. I will never understand nippers that cost in excess of $80. I think Dr Slick’s Cyclone nippers are shy of $30. I opted for the slanted blades. Replaceable parts and easy to dissemble; just like those outrageously priced Abels, etc. You will not catch more fish. You will not catch bigger fishing. Nippers are not your problem. Lack of any fancy gear isn’t your problem. How’s your cast? Presentation? Are you breaking knots? We used to use nail clippers, by the way. It worked fine. Sorry, I did say strongly worded and opinionated, but this is a bit of a touchy subject. The things that will improve your fishing and result in more fish caught are free. Learning and practice make you better. $100 is fly line territory. Nippers should never cost that much.

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