Thread: Little rods for little fish

Originally Posted by skeetbum

I’m another dummy that spends his free time building what he could buy, probably pretty cheap. I also carry lots of plastics too. Plastics are easier to change colors with. Once I find the hot color, I go looking for the right hand tie and don’t have to change and fool with plastics. I haven’t tried the drop shot yet. I’m always busy catching fish or lost in thought. Either way, I sometimes fish an unproductive lure for too long. I only tie for me and a few friends.

I tried copying my favorites by tying , but in order to get them to cast the same as the ones with plastics I needed to double my jig weight .
I tried a few 1/32nd handties but they seems to sink faster and wouldn’t cast until they got completely soaked .
My favorite was a woolybooger pattern that had palmered hackle feather that caught the wind and slowed it down .
I like a 1/80 hand tied under a weighted float .

Originally Posted by gillchaser999

I tried copying my favorites by tying , but in order to get them to cast the same as the ones with plastics I needed to double my jig weight .
I tried a few 1/32nd handties but they seems to sink faster and wouldn’t cast until they got completely soaked .
My favorite was a woolybooger pattern that had palmered hackle feather that caught the wind and slowed it down .
I like a 1/80 hand tied under a weighted float .

The spinning rod casting fly is a hard one to master! For starters, most fly designs ride hook point down. I hate that for spinning rods! Correcting this without using a jig head is a challenge. It took me over a year of different hooks, weights, and materials to accomplish this for one fly. Not only that, I went through well over two dozen prototypes.

Try tying on small size 4 Gamakatsu EWG hooks. There is only a small area behind the eye to tie on.

To cast a fly with a spinning rod, simply add a small bullet sinker in front of the fly. I have 1/32 lead bullet sinkers, and both 1/16 and 1/8 tungsten bullet sinkers. You are essentially Texas Rigging a fly. It actually works great.

Carolina rigging with flies also works. If you are dragging the fly on the bottom, use a floating fly. I left several flies on the bottom of the river the first time I tried this!

You can also tie on a small jig head. Guaranteed to ride upright! I do this, but in reality I would prefer a jig head that had the eye straight in front of the lead head. This setup is better for casting and swimming in my opinion.

I don't understand my stupidity. It would be SO much easier to just by plastics like everyone else!

Originally Posted by peshtigost

The spinning rod casting fly is a hard one to master! For starters, most fly designs ride hook point down. I hate that for spinning rods! Correcting this without using a jig head is a challenge. It took me over a year of different hooks, weights, and materials to accomplish this for one fly. Not only that, I went through well over two dozen prototypes.

Try tying on small size 4 Gamakatsu EWG hooks. There is only a small area behind the eye to tie on.

To cast a fly with a spinning rod, simply add a small bullet sinker in front of the fly. I have 1/32 lead bullet sinkers, and both 1/16 and 1/8 tungsten bullet sinkers. You are essentially Texas Rigging a fly. It actually works great.

Carolina rigging with flies also works. If you are dragging the fly on the bottom, use a floating fly. I left several flies on the bottom of the river the first time I tried this!

You can also tie on a small jig head. Guaranteed to ride upright! I do this, but in reality I would prefer a jig head that had the eye straight in front of the lead head. This setup is better for casting and swimming in my opinion.

I don't understand my stupidity. It would be SO much easier to just by plastics like everyone else!

Try adding tungsten beads to a streamer hook with a turned upside eye . Rides similar to a jig .

Originally Posted by gillchaser999

Try adding tungsten beads to a streamer hook with a turned upside eye . Rides similar to a jig .

Not quite sure what you mean by the turned upside eye.

Originally Posted by peshtigost

Not quite sure what you mean by the turned upside eye.

It was supposed to say turned up eye and autocorrect changed it .
Like this

Originally Posted by gillchaser999

It was supposed to say turned up eye and autocorrect changed it .
Like this

Yeah, in my time, autocorrect has sent out some less than desirable messages!

They look like these with tungsten beads glued on them , but if you’re tying a fly , you wouldn’t need glue .
They ride hook up .

Pesh, nothing stupid about it. It’s commonly known as problem solving skills. It’s one of our common threads that bind us together here. And I wonder if you’ve ever tied on a jig hook? They tend to orient hook up if tied proper, and bead chain to barbell eyes of different weight change their personality. I know, something else to fool with. They’ve worked for me in the past.