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Happy Birthday mate! I did see it on FB but my Internet didn’t let me post. I haven’t posted on there in about 3 weeks actually (first time today). Total lockdown here which I managed to avoid until recently. The Big Boat is awesome - thanks!! I have a lot of work to do on it. Kitting it out and so on. But I really loved living on it this past month. It’s nice and shady in the middle of the day and it’s fantastic to watch the weather from under the roof! It’s a real step up from what I was doing. And watching the stars at night, laying back on the roof... well that’s hard to beat!!
The Lift is very interesting. It’s definitely something worth spending a lot of time on and it’s mainly overlooked. This PUALD shooting shot has really made me focus on very small components and of course, as always, when trying to teach something you have to work it out to a deeper level. Trying to keep the rod flatter on the lift definitely gives more Arc to play with - and allows for a higher backcast trajectory.
I’ll have to get a DHD sometime and then you can teach me how to throw it I’ve just never found a fishing use for them yet. Maybe at some point I’ll get excited about Salmon. I have thought about picking it up to compete. I think I would learn a lot from that, and it would translate back to my single handed casting.
Which rods and lines do you throw with the Double Hander?
I'm finding there's a lot of stuff that translates back to single handers Paul - the lift I think has been the big one and of course its so critical in this Spey stuff. So easy to shift mistakes from one move to the next with a 2 hander, and of course they are magnified and they compound. Slowing down, watching every aspect, (I have a big list of "things to watch") the impact style has on what you need to do, its been very interesting. I'm using a Sage 14ft 9X and currently Lee Davidson's Ballistic line. I have some lighter trout Spey rods as well and that's where all of this is leading for me. I've been really enjoying swinging the bigger rivers with the light gear and its far more complex than just chucking it out there and letting it swing. I prefer the Scandi type heads but use tips on them much of the time. Starting to get used to Skagit and it has its place. Upstream dry fly and nymphing is a doddle next to this stuff, and you need to be prepared for some pretty poor catch rates initially. Getting the casting right is just the first step, then there's working the swing out with the wind direction, water depth, current speed, the species, the food available, then there's the lines and the tips and the flies - its a big bag of tricks. Hooked some real monsters in the Waiau, smoked across the river into the far type stuff, and these would be fish that are rarely accessible, you know what that water's like. Its been fun. Its also had me reappraising several Aussie rivers for their suitability and I have found some good water, its just a 7 hour drive.
Make your explanations as simple as possible, but no simpler. A Einstein.
That’s interesting Morsie. I spent two decades fishing the Waiau. It was a hell of a river before Didymo. Then it all went upside-down for a few years. Yeah I can see how fishing a DHD and a heavy streamer could be effective there. There would be a few estuaries for sea trout In NZ where it would be handy too. Anyway I’ve done enough trout fishing for one lifetime!
I did actually get a TCR15’ 10WT from Sage. But I ended up giving it to Deano. Can’t remember why now. I doubt he’s ever used it! I threw it around for a few hours - I did actually catch a trout on the Waiau using it but it just hasn’t really grabbed me yet. I’m sure it probably will at some point. I almost applied for a job managing a Salmon fishing lodge about 5 years ago. It might be something I still do, but in 20 years time.
Cheers mate, I’ll probably get a big stick again at some point and throw it around the jungle!
I’ve just never found a fishing use for them yet. Maybe at some point I’ll get excited about Salmon. I have thought about picking it up to compete. I think I would learn a lot from that, and it would translate back to my single handed casting.