"A wild trout in its native habitat is a compact example of the earth doing well, of the deep ecology of things taking its course, of sustainability in action. Fishing is not an escape; its a way of engaging everything that matters."
Christopher Comuto, Trout Magazine
What's on this page:
Mending Practicing Knot Tying
Reference Items: The May Fly Life Cycle An Animated Guide to Some Essential Knots Basic Fly Casting Technique Mid-Hudson TU Guide ordering instructions PFR MAPs (Public Fishing Access) Reporting problems to the DEC
Mending - A Review
As we all know, you need to control fly line as it encounters the varying currents that interact with it as it drifts downstream. Whether you are fishing a nymph or a dry fly in most cases you want your fly to drift along naturally. When the fly drifts faster or slower than the current in which it is moving you have "drag," and that will cause trout to ignore your fly. To counteract the negative effect of these cross currents and achieve a natural drift or "dead" drift, as it sometimes called, we utilize a technique called "mending."
Most of the time you will want to do an upstream mend. To do this you need to throw a portion of your line upstream of the fly. This is achieved by moving the part of the line that you wish to mend off the water and tossing it upstream. Follow these steps:
1. Do the mend as soon as the fly touches the water, but before the line settles on the water.
2. Get rid of any slack and begin the mend with your rod tip close to the water.
3. The point where the mended line meets the unmended line should be at the current seam where the two currents of different speeds meet. If you don't mend enough line you will end up getting drag, and if you mend too much line you'll probably end up pulling the fly toward you.
4. Lift your rod up high while doing the mend. This allows you to pick up more line and avoids dragging the line across the water.
Another way to mend that might be suitable is to perform a reach cast. As you complete your forward cast, but before the line drops to the surface, swing your rod tip upstream and let some slack line form near your rod tip as the line to falls into the water. 0306
Knot Tying Practice
With January now past, February beginning, and March are around the corner, our thirst for fly-fishing grows stronger each day.This has been one long winter so far, and Cabin Fever is here for many of us.To break the fever we may go ice fishing or tie flies as we pass the snowed-in days and long nights.As we whip finish our “fly of the day”, we envision it floating upon the water to a receptive trout.Of course, there are those who don’t tie flies or ice fish.These anglers can usually be found attending fly-fishing shows such as the recent one in Somerset, New Jersey.The shows get their blood pumping as they anticipate gracing a line upon the water or seeing the first mayfly of the year hatch.They're at Barnes & Nobles reading some fly fishing book, browsing web sites for fishing information, eager to become better anglers and grow in the sport.
In our world of fly fishing, it’s best to always educate oneself. In my down time I practice my knots. Knots are an art, just like tying a fly, a good fly will catch trout and a bad fly will turn a wise trout away.Just as a good knot holds a trout, a poorly tied knot allows it to slip away.Many anglers have only mastered tying two knots: the clinch knot and the surgeon's knot. With the latest trend leaders now come with a loop at one end. Since the end of the fly line also has a loop, we are able to have a loop to loop connection and avoid tying a knot.Don’t get me wrong, I love this system; it’s easier to change leaders during the course of the day.However, years ago, I bought a package of leaders that were defective, and the loops didn’t hold.What if the loop on your fly line breaks?Do you give up on fly-fishing for the day?Do you go to the fly shop to spend unexpected money on new line or leaders?Heck no!Learn to tie useful knots, such as the perfection loop, the nail knot, or the nail-less knot. Knowing these knots will allow you to stay in the water and fish.
There are a number of knots, each with a particular application, that the fly fisherman needs to know.Learn to tie a blood knot.They are stronger, smaller and the tag ends are better for tandems when nymphing.Plus, from my perspective as a guide, most new people when setting the hook strike too hard and sometimes break a surgeon's knot. You will find that the blood knot is stronger. The only other angler I know that ties a blood knot is Steve Little. That’s experience!When I need to be fast I will do a surgeon's knot but when I have time I tie the blood knot. On a day when you or a client may hook the fish of a lifetime you want the best knots possible so that when he lands the fish he’s smiling, not crying. I remember in 2007 fishing the Taylor River in Colorado, my friend John, an Orvis guide, showed me a knot for the bend of a hook as we were fishing two nymphs.Did I listen? Heck no! I tied the tandem with a clinch knot in this special fishing area.I saw this huge brown take my little shrimp trailer pattern and rip line into the next county and when I tried to slow it down the knot pulled out. I was heart broken and, of course, I heard “I told you so.”So I learned the "Bo" knot. I call it the "Bo" knot because I don’t know the real name for it. There are a ton of knots out there. For streamers learn a non-slip loop knot which will give the fly more action. Consider using an Orvis knot instead of a clinch knot. Its a smaller knot and smaller knots have less drag and are harder for the fish to see.Orvis has an animated knot section on their website which provides step by step tying knot instructions; Sig has posted it towards the bottom of this page. See the section entitiled "An Animated Guide to Some Essential Knots." The hardest part of tying knots this way is trying to find a way to use a finger to click the mouse for the next step.By learning new knots you will become a more versatile angler. When I teach myself a new knot I use 3X tippet material or something big at first so that I can better visualize the steps required to make the knot. In closing, if you don’t tie flies and cabin fever is setting in consider practicing knots. Otherwise,the day may come when you hook the fish of a lifetime only to lose him, and then find a pigtail or curly cue at the end of the tippet.You will only have yourself to blame.And Joe will say; “I told you so.” Tight Lines, Joe Rist 0131
Learn to tie good stong knots when it comes to a fish of a life time!
Mayfly Life Cycle Video
Link to the video below. An excellent piece on the mayfly and its life cycle.
Fly casting is an acquired skill as well as it is an art when it is done correctly. It takes practice and attention to detail. There is more than one way to do it, but the majority of good casters will employ most of the elements that are listed below. This list is from a summary of the techniques that we teach our students at the adult education Fly Fishing course that our chapter runs at Arlington High School every winter. You may find it helpful to review them.
When holding the rod keep your thumb on top of the grip, not down on the side. If you are a right handed caster your left foot should be forward, or your right foot if you are left handed. As you cast always keep the reel under your wrist; do not swing it out to the side.
Before you begin the back cast, with the line in the water and in front of you, strip in any slack line; there should be line tension against the tip and the tip should be low. Normally your rod tip and the line beyond your tip should be in a straight line, and the end of your line should start to move towards you as you begin the back cast. If the end of the line doesn’t start moving, you still have slack which first needs to be removed. Not removing it will decrease the efficiency of the back cast.
When casting, whether forward or back, start slowly and move the casting hand smoothly with increasing speed throughout the stroke beginning from the first movement, and then end with a decisive snap of the wrist to an abrupt stop. The length of the stroke will depend upon the distance you you want to cast. It is important to begin the stroke slowly. The rod will continue to load as long as you continue to accelerate throughout the length of the stroke. The more quickly you stop at the end of the stroke, the tighter and more efficient the casting loop will be. Tight, efficient loops enable you to cast farther and with less effort because there is less air resistance against the fly line.
As you complete the forward cast do not drop the rod tip and pull the line down. Instead, follow the line down with your rod tip thereby allowing it to gently land on the water.
It is primarily the application of the forearm that moves the rod through the casting stroke. In most situations there should be relatively little movement of the upper arm. Other than performing the wrist snap there should also be little movement of the wrist. The more you pivot your wrist during the casting stroke the greater the width of your casting loop and the greater the inefficiency of your cast.
Keep your back cast up! Don’t drop the tip low as you reach back. And don’t start the forward stroke until the line has just about straightened out behind you. Executing your back cast properly is an essential step in setting up a good forward cast.
During the forward cast you can avoid the problem of opening up a well formed loop by waiting until the loop is at least a rod’s length in front of you before you begin to drop the rod tip.
Move your rod in a straight plane when casting. Imagine that you are casting between two walls eight inches apart. The rod may be held at any angle but the stroke must move along a straight path.
Keep in mind that the line will always go in the direction that the rod tip was moving before the rod straightened out at the end of the forward stroke.
When casting to a fish aim at a point that is at eye level above the water. Then, as the line drops at the completion of the cast, follow it down with the rod tip allowing it to land gently on the water.
Hitting your rod with your line or hooking your fly on your leader when casting results from a problem called a tailing loop. These result from several casting problems. Most common are: Do not accelerate too quickly at the beginning of your casting stroke. Do not push your hand and forearm forward at the completion of the forward stroke. Don’t allow your hand to creep forward as you wait for the back cast to complete. Holding your rod tip too high at the end of a forward cast will also cause this problem; this can be corrected by pushing your thumb down slightly and pulling your little finger up as you complete the cast.
When executing a roll cast cant your rod out to the side, bring your rod tip up and well behind you, come to a full stop allowing the line to drape behind the rod. When the line has stopped moving hold your hand somewhat higher than normal and execute the forward stroke, but don't drop the rod tip below a forty-five degree angle. The more quickly you stop the rod tip at the end of the stroke, the more quickly the line will shoot forward.
TU Fishing Guide
Mid-Hudson TU Volume 2 Fishing Guide 20 new pages and new places to find fishing access.
Pick one up at the monthly membership meeting or send a check for $15 to Mid-Hudson TU TU Guide/JW 47 Church Lane Stanfordville, N.Y. 12581
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Mid-Hudson TU Shirts and Hats
There is a limited number of Mid-Hudson TU logo shirts and hats still available. If you are interested in purchasing one send an email to info@midhudsontu.com and we can arrange a delivery. The shirts are $35 and hats are $15 USD. Click on the shirt images to enlarge and see colors. The logo on the shirts (not shown) is the same as the hats and is above the left pocket.
Inventory as of 3/3/2010
Shirts XL 2-Light Olive 1-Light Tan XXL 1-Light Olive 1-Light Tan 1-Dark Olive 1-Dark Khaki
One size fits most hats still available in Orange, Navy and Olive.
Hats in Orange, Navy and Olive
Public Fishing Access Maps (PFR's)
For the most comprehensive information about pfr's (public fishing easements) consult our Fishing Guide which is discussed towards the top of this page.
Forest Protection & Fire Management (845) 256-3025
Law Enforcement (845) 256-3013 Fax (845) 255-9249
Hudson River Estuary (845) 256-3016 Fax (845) 255-3549
Freedom of Information Legislation (FOIL) (845) 256-3052 Fax (845) 255-3414
1-800-TIPP DEC or 1-800-847-7332
TIPP DEC is available 24 hours a day to report Environmental Conservation Law violations. It's toll free and confidential. You can also report a violation by email to our regional dispatch office and someone will get back to you promptly. The identity of all TIPP informants is kept confidential.
