Fly Fishing Insider Newsletter featuring One-weight fly rod

One-weight fly rod, The Mighty ONE....think this ultra light is just for tiddlers???

....think again!

Sage 181-3 SPL
Big fish rod
in disguise?

This outfit was born out of a dream. "If I could have any super fancy, superfluous fly outfit, what would the components be?"

"Do you secretly lust for a dream fly fishing outfit? Don't say nine foot five weight. That is entirely to practical, too justifiable. Is your "dream outfit" unaffordably expensive? A real out-there "dream outfit" should be only for special limited times. It could be one of those things that you would like to own "just-out-of-curiosity".

It was curiosity that made me pick up a 181 for the first time. Kind of like, "My that's cute. Wonder why anyone would want one? Do people really fish for fish that small?" Then I thought, "That's a really expensive fly rod. $555, that's dollars. But then I thought, "This this is really lightweight and skinny. How do they make a rod like this. It must be very time consuming....what kind of a reel would balance a rod like this?"

Then the longer I flexed the rod, the more the infatuation grew. "Could this be a tool with which to delicately place the fly in front of larger fish?....maybe fish that had grown wise to the slap and drag of more conventional tackle?"

Then I thought, "It would have to be a lot of fun just finding out." The dollars were spent and the quest began on a large desert river in July.

The sun had just left the water and magic time was at hand. Immediately a blizzard of caddis filled the air heading for the river. They had been in nuptial gatherings over the shore line sage off and on for most of the afternoon. Now the big fat juicy egg filled females were on a single minded mission. They were the kind that dive and lay their eggs on the bottom of the river. The river which had seemed nearly barren of fish through the hot afternoon, erupted with splashy feeding activity. The trout reacted to the rain of caddis like play ground full of children under a shower of candy kisses.

With great anticipation, I took the Sage 181-3 SPL from the rack in the front of the boat. It was equipped with a Sage Quiet Taper fly line on a Ross San Miguel #1 reel.

It was the maiden voyage and I had waited all day for this moment. My best Diving Caddis was affixed to the end of the leader. The fly was liberally saturated with saliva for instant sink.

An easy cast placed the fly four feet up stream from the closest feeding fish. The reaction was immediate and a fat 15" Redside launched itself into the air. The tiny little rod arched into a deep bow, however the fish was managed with surprising ease. Five more Redsides between 12" and 17" were landed that evening. The last two fish were caught with a stiff breeze blowing. During my first experience with a "one weight" I was astounded by how well it cast in the wind.

Two weeks later I was fishing an early morning chironomid hatch on a local lake. The fish were very picky and 6X tippet was required. Fifty-foot casts were no problem from my pontoon boat. I placed the skinny #18 fly delicately on the water ahead of. the feeding fish. Two fat 21" Kamloops fell for the hand twist retrieve. Both of these fish (4 lb.+?) were played really hard so that they could be released with a minimum of stress. The 181-3 SPL has an action that absorbs a lot of shock. It is very difficult to break a 6X leader with the bend of the rod.

That was two seasons and many enjoyable trips ago. To me the 181-3 SPL is a serious rod for serious trout anglers. It is delicate beyond imagination, but fishes much larger than the tiny line designation would indicate.

181-3 SPL

8' 1"

1 13/16 oz.

$555

Steelhead Fly Fishing Etiquette
This is written at the request of several readers of the "Insider". With another summer steelhead season getting under way on the Deschutes River it seems an appropriate subject. The waters where large fish can be caught are our most cherished places. These places naturally attract numerous anglers. It is a physical law, the more moving bodies in an area the more friction they create. Some anglers seem to forget that fishing is supposed to be a recreation and that the other guy is entitled to have a good time too.

"The New Lexicon Webster's Encyclopedic Dictionary" defines et-i-quette as: the rules of behavior standard in polite society. In this letter they are simple rules to help avoid conflicts while fishing. Most fly fishermen don’t want onstream conflicts, which are most often caused by someone’s ignorance or lack of fishing etiquette.

Rule #1:

Do unto other fishermen only what you would have them do unto you.
It only stands to reason.

Rule #2:

Give other anglers their space.
Solitude can be an important part of angling. Be quiet.

Rule #3:

Communication can solve a lot of problems.
Talking to other angler can stop conflict before it happens.

Rule #4:

The angler who gets there first has first rights to a piece of water.
If he doesn't want to share, leave!

Rule #5:

Don't cut the other guy off.
Never get into a run ahead of an angler who is fishing. Some anglers can cover a lot of water in a hurry. Ask if you can follow or go to the next run.

Rule #6:

Leave nothing but your tracks.
Leave nothing. If you have to go potty, bury it.

Rule #7:

Don't hog the water.
Fish through a piece of water in a reasonable length of time and then let someone else fish.

Albacore Tuna will make your zinger zing. Pictured here is Marty Shepard and a friend who caught numerous Albacore fly fishing on a recent trip off Catalina Island, California. Albacore are now with in 25 miles of the Oregon coast. They travel in large, fast moving schools. Squid or bait fish flies presented with fast sinking shooting head fly lines work the best. Ten to thirteen weight rods and large reels with lots of backing are a must. You won't have to scale your tackle down to make Albacore sporting.

Deschutes River
Recent fires have blackened much of the Deschutes Canyon. Don't worry, the slightest rain will turn it green again.	Trout fishing on the Deschutes has been very good due to extraordinary stable flows. Best rise is early & late in the day.	The "Guard Snake" patrols the perimeter of my camp looking for anglers wanting to jump my water.