Bass Poppers |
![]() |
Topics
Bass Poppers Polarized Glasses Short Powerful TFO Women's Waders Echo Classic Spey All pictures are Mouse-over. |
|
Bass Poppers,
Does Size Matter? (Written 2003 & still valid). |
|
![]() |
In the Pacific Northwest, trout, steelhead and salmon receive the most attention from fly fishers. Warm water species are considered to by many anglers to be inferior to cold water species. While large mouth bass don't fight as hard as salmoids, they offer exciting top water fly fishing. Each summer, Patty and I take a couple of days and fish for bass with surface poppers. Each trip is a learning experience. We try to plan our trip to coincide with with water temperatures that are most comfortable with the highest population of bass in shallow water around the edge of the body of water we are going to fish. This is usually the pre-spawn period around mid-May. This year work got in the way and we weren't able |
| to get away until June 2-3. In the lake we fished, mid-day water temperatures were 71-72 degrees and many of the bass had spawned and headed back into deeper water. The fish that were left weren't real aggressive. To make matters worse, there was a pretty stiff breeze. That made positioning our pontoon boats difficult. Pinpoint casting accuracy also suffered. Interestingly, we found most of |
![]() |
|
the fish along banks that ran parallel with the prevailing wind. Very few fish were found along shore lines that ran perpendicular to the wind. After some trial and error, the best tactic seemed to be to row to the upwind end of a shore line and then drift down the shore casting toward the shore as you went. This didn't give us a lot of time to work any one particular area and didn't allow for many second chances for shots that were missed. I started off with with my good |
| good old favorite size-6 Black Chewy Pop. That brought several good hook-ups, but also many refusals. Past experience told me that bass that refuse a certain size popper will often take a popper that is smaller in size. A size-10 Bee Colored Panfish Popper was knotted to the end of my leader. Several very nice fish including my best |
|
| bass of the trip, a 3 1/2 pounder, were landed with this fly. It was certainly easier to cast in the wind than the larger fly. Patty had also started out with a Black #6 Chewy Pop. She commented to me about getting lots of refusals and I told her about my experience with the panfish popper. She went to a size-8 Black Mega Whammy Popper and it proved to be the best producer. I soon changed to that one also. Trimming off the long flowing silicone legs to give the fly an even smaller appearance seemed to increase its effectiveness even more. This popper proved to be so effective that after a day and a half of fishing, I had caught so many bass that they had literally chewed through the epoxy coating on the plastic head. The second morning I decided to perform an experiment. I fished one long stretch of bank with a size-6 Fluorescent Orange Mega Whammy. About a dozen bass from 10" to 15" were caught. I then tied on the chewed up smaller black Mega Whammy and fished the same area again. About three dozen bass from 12" to 18" were caught. Many takes were splashy as one would expect when popper fishing, but many others were very quiet as the fish would lightly suck the fly from the surface. Patty hooked a very large fish we estimated at better than six pounds on her size-8 black Mega Whammy. Unfortunately after a long battle, this bass buried itself in the weeds and broke the leader. That was the best fish we saw on that trip. | |
| "Guided by Vision" | |
![]() |
Polarized glasses enhance your vision by reducing glare. Being able to see into the water that you are fishing is a tremendous advantage. Wading becomes safer. Fish become easier to locate. Their habits become more apparent. You become a more successful angler. Colors are richer. Edges are sharper. Distances and depths are more discernable. Your enjoyment of fly fishing is enhanced by your ability to more fully perceive the beauty of your surroundings. |
|
|
![]() |
Glare Happens Outdoor enthusiasts have long suffered with the blinding hassle of glare. The problem is, anytime you combine light with a reflective surface you're going to get glare. But not anymore, not with polarized glasses. On the river, on the trail or on the road, whatever you choose to do, if you do it outside our polarized sunglasses will have you seeing the world in a whole new light. |
| How Does Polarization Work? Polarized lenses utilize polarized filtering technology to diffuse the concentrated light waves. This filtering process eliminates 99% of the reflected glare. Polarized lenses effectively eliminate horizontally reflected glare and the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. The end result is greater clarity, definition, brilliant color transmission and reduced eyestrain. You need........... |
![]() |
| Polarized Glasses ...for seeing fish and other beautiful things... seeing is believing... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fisherman Eyewear $14 - $32 |
Accessories $4 -$33 |
||
|
New TFO 7’ 6” TiCr X Fun “Guns” |
![]() |
|
Sometimes longer is not better. In fact, at times rods over eight feet can be a real disadvantage. Lefty Kreh, TFO rod designer, reminisces about fishing in Florida with Homer Rhodes and Joe Brooks. “We used to use short little rods to cast flies up against the mangroves or bridge piling, what great fun!” The new 7’ 6” six and eight weight TiCr X rods were created with these |
|
experiences in mind. When anglers first test cast the rods, instant smiles came across their faces. They were convinced they would find many uses for a rod capable of casting low, tiny loops in situations where obstacles prevented elevated casting planes. So what specific situations are these rods best suited for? How about casting under the streamside vegetation at Salmon Fly time where many of the largest fish wait for a tasty morsel to fall on to their dining room table? Or, when fishing from a fast moving drift-boat, firing quick, tight casts to the bank with an assortment of flies ranging from streamers to |
![]() |
|
small dries & terrestrials? It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it, so my son and I are off to the Deschutes to field test. I found that the 7’ 6” length was very effective in keeping both back casts and forward casts of the large salmon fly dries in play and out of the trees and vegetation. |
|
|
|
In these situations being able to vary the casting plane from three quarter to sidearm allowed presentations to fish that rarely see anything other than the natural insects. Be mindful of the length of line needed to be cast and the larger sized flies that will be used to imitate these large bugs. Much of the salmon fly dry fly fishing is a game of short, precise casts of less than 35 feet. As the TiCr X rods are fast action rods, I found |
|
it most effective to “up line” the 6 weight rod to a 7 weight line to maximize turning over the larger salmon fly imitations at short distances. Don’t worry about the weight of line used – only anglers seem to fuss about line designations. Fish won’t eat what you don’t put in front of them. Ditto for leader length – no need to handicap yourself with long leaders. Seven and a half foot leaders for this type of fishing work fine. Line selection is also critical in maximizing rod performance. Lines with aggressive front tapers work best to turn over the larger imitations. The Teeny Long Shot and the new Teeny Pat Ehlers weight forward floating warm water Professional series lines were the go to performers. Pat Ehlers, one of the highly respected fly shop owners in the Upper Midwest, designed his lines with a longer rear taper to ensure pinpoint accuracy with larger flies. He also added slightly thicker running line to avoid tangles. Don’t be deceived by the warm water designation of the line; the line Pat designed have cold water cores. The white Teeny weight forward floating Longshot line has been a favorite of many and also works well in these types of applications.
These new 7 ‘
6” TiCr X rods are fun, powerful fishing specialty tools.
|
|
|
Patagonia Watermaster Waders For Women |
![]() |
|
|
Patagonia Watermaster Breathable
Stocking Foot Chest High Wader are the hippest fashion statement this
year. A huge percentage of the best professional fly fishing guides are
gearing for the season with this wader. This has happened with little
sales pitch from the parent company. It is a grass roots movement. These
waders for whatever reason just appeal to professional guides. Here are
some of the reasons why: |
|
|
issue. All indications are that these waders can take it. And Patagonia takes care of their customers with great warrantee service. |
|
| Item | Description | Size | Price | Back to Waders |
| 82480-XS | Patagonia Watermaster Waders, Womens | XS | $335 | |
| 82480-S | Patagonia Watermaster Waders, Womens | S | $335 | |
| 82480-M | Patagonia Watermaster Waders, Womens | M | $335 | |
| 82480-MF | Patagonia Watermaster Waders, Womens | M Full | $335 | |
| 82480-L | Patagonia Watermaster Waders, Womens | L | $335 | |
| 82480-LF | Patagonia Watermaster Waders, Womens | L Full | $335 | |
| 82480-XL | Patagonia Watermaster Waders, Womens | XL | $335 |
|
Echo Classic Spey Rods Unexpected High Quality, at a very reasonable price. |
|
| 12' 6" - 6/7 | 13' 6" - 8/9 |
| 13' - 7/8 | 14' - 9/10 |
![]() |
|
|
Designed and produced by tournament caster, Tim Rajeff these four beautiful spey rods spent almost two years in the making. The Echo "Classic Spey" rods are the culmination of countless hours of tinkering and testing. To say that Tim is a perfectionist is an understatement, and the performance of these rods is a testament to his dedication. Available in four sizes, 6/7, 7/8, 8/9 & 9/10, the rods retail for $269.95 and are all four-piece designs. I tested the 6/7 and 7/8 models at Spey-O-Rama in San Francisco last May and was immediately impressed. They are silky smooth, are very easy to time, and have the ability to store and release precisely measured amounts of energy for smooth casts at all normal ranges. The Classic Spey Rods were designed to fulfill the niche popularized in the US and Canada by west coast steelheaders. This style of fishing is identified by the use of medium length, moderate action rods. These rods help people feel the rod load during the formation of the "D" loop, which soon results in D-Loops being better formed with less slack. This feel allows transitioning smoother during the loading of the rod during the acceleration through the forward cast. The ease in which stored energy can be accumulated results in a more easily controlled stop. Because of the engineering involved, Tim's rods balance exceptionally well with the size reels that are available for them. Because of the type of cast and the length and of the weight-forward section of the line, the ECHO Classic two hand rods come in different lengths for each line size. The 6/7 rod is 12'6". The 7/8 rod is 13'0". The 8/9 rod is 13'6". The 9/10 rod is 14'0". All the ECHO Classic Spey Rods are designed to cast and fish floating lines, sink tip lines, and the popular Skagit lines or Skagit heads. All four models were designed to have similar actions to cast well under the conditions found on most Steelhead rivers. You would choose the rod size to match the length of your cast, the size of the fly, and the size of the fish you expect to catch. These rods are priced so that you can afford more than one. We recommend you buy one of each rod...so you can be sure you have the right rod for the job. These rods all have chrome plated, stainless steel, single foot snake guides. The two stripping guides are larger than usual and have stainless steel frames with a highly polished ceramic ring inserts to reduce friction and to provide a lifetime of use. The reel seats are all clear anodized to match the guide color and logo color. The blanks have a deep gloss emerald green finish that will compare to any rods currently made at any price. The handles are comfortable shaped. They allow any caster to move their hands around until they find a place that feels best to them. Every rod has alignment dots that help getting the guides to lined up. Each rod comes with a sock and a tough Cordura covered, high impact rod case. MB 06/08/06. |
|
| Echo6126-4X |
Length: 12' 6" Line: #6/7 Pieces: 4 |
|||||
|
|
||||||
| The ECHO 12'6" #6/7 fly rod was designed primarily for summer run fish and or for medium sized rivers that don't require casts much over 75-feet. It is a medium stiff medium action rod. It is designed for Steelhead, Atlantic salmon, and large trout using any of the family of "Spey" casts. The rod can handle a wide range of lines but feels good with a 6/7 Skagit Floater line that has a head length of 45 feet and a head weight of 500 grains. A Skagit sinking tip line can be made from the rear portion of a 9/10/11 WindCutter*, plus a 5-foot 9/10/11 Cheater, plus a 8-weight sinking tip, for a total head length of 42' and a weight of 525-grains. | ||||||
| Series |
Item
|
Line Wt
|
Action | Handle | Price | To Top |
| Classic Spey | 6126-4X | 6/7 | Med-stiff | 6 | $269.95 | |
| Echo7130-4X |
Length: 13' Line: #7/8 Pieces: 4 |
|||||
|
|
||||||
| The ECHO 13'0" #7/8 fly rod was designed as a light all round rod for medium to larger rivers that don't require casts much over 90-feet. It is a medium stiff medium action rod. It is designed for Steelhead and Atlantic salmon using any of the family of "Spey" casts. It can also be used with a sink tip or a Skagit head or Skagit line to get a fly down to the fish. The rod can handle a wide range of lines but feels good with a 7/8/9 WindCutter line that has a head length of 54-feet and a head weight of about 530 grains. If a Skagit type head is used the rod should be loaded with about 70 grains more than you would use with a "standard" floating line. A 450 Skagit without a Cheater and an 8-weight sinking tip will do the job. | ||||||
| Series |
Item
|
Line Wt
|
Action | Handle | Price | To Top |
| Classic Spey | 7130-4X | 7/8 | Med-stiff | 6 | $269.95 | |
| Echo8136-4X |
Length: 13' 6" Line: #8/9 Pieces: 4 |
|||||
|
|
||||||
| The Echo 13'6" #8/9 fly rod was designed as a workhouse rod that can handle all but the largest rivers and toughest conditions. At 13'6" it can cast far and can manage heavier sink tips as well as the usual "Spey" lines most people use. This rod is 6-inches shorter than the average 8/9-weight rod that is in used today in the Pacific Northwest. What results is a rod that balances perfectly with reels that have exactly the right capacity of line to suite the job at hand. You will be amazed at how well this rod fishes, because of its unique balance. It is a medium stiff, medium action rod. It is designed for Steelhead and Atlantic salmon using any of the family of "Spey" casts. Tim Rajeff says, "this rod can handle a wide range of lines but feels good with a "standard" Windcutter type line that has a head length of about 50-54 feet and a head weight of about 575 grains. If a Skagit type head is used the rod should be loaded with about 90 grains more than you would use with a "standard" floating line (approximately 660 grains)." I tried this rod with two lines: a 550 Skagit with a 5-foot Cheater & 13' of T-14 for a total of 804-grains and a 450 Skagit with a 5-foot Cheater and standard 9-weight type-8 tip for a total of 640-grains. This rod handled both lines, but was much nicer with the lighter line. With this line the performance of the 8136-4X was very impressive. The head on a standard WindCutter 8/9/10 is 585-grains. It should fit this rod well. | ||||||
| Series |
Item
|
Line Wt
|
Action | Handle | Price | To Top |
| Classic Spey | 8136-4X | 8/9 | Med-stiff | 6 | $269.95 | |
| Echo9140-4X |
Length: 14' Line: #9/10 Pieces: 4 |
|||||
|
|
||||||
| The Echo 14'0" #9/10 fly rod was designed to fish large rivers with large flies for large fish! It was designed to take heavier lines and make casting them easy. It has a perfect balance of power and action and can handle all but the largest rivers and toughest conditions. It was designed to throw 15 feet of T-14 sink tip material with ease. It is the rod of choice for winter fish that refuse to rise to a fly. So strap on your articulated heavily weighted flies and see how far you can chuck them with your ECHO 9140. It is a medium stiff medium action rod. It is designed for Steelhead and Atlantic salmon using any of the family of "Spey" casts. The rod can handle a wide range of lines. It matches well with a 9/10/11 WindCutter line that has a head length of 54-feet and a head weight of 647-grains. If a Skagit type head is used the rod should be loaded with about 110-125 grains more than you would use with a "standard" floating line. Try a 550 Skagit, 5-foot Cheater and 10-weight tip (total 772-grains). | ||||||
| Series |
Item
|
Line Wt
|
Action | Handle | Price | To Top |
| Classic Spey | 9140-4X | 9/10 | Med-stiff | 6 | $269.95 | |
The Fly Fishing Shop, Welches, OR
1(800)
266-3971
Fish long & prosper,
Mark Bachmann, Patty Barnes