Trout Tactis

[kojak]

Hi Old Smoothhound

Thanks for the tips, i have caught many fish with your tips. I am going fishing in Cornwall coming weekend (30 Sept) and the next in Shropshire.
I have two problems .
1) I have loaded line onto a reel but after casting out and retrieving the line wind up close to the reel and become a problem .I have to sort the line out before I can cast again. What can I do??
2. When casting a floating line it lies in a zigzag on the water ,causing no direct contact between me and the fly!!!
What can I do to solve the problem..

Can anyone help me please!!!!

Kojak

[Old Smoothound]

Originally Posted by kojak

Hi Old Smoothhound

Thanks for the tips, i have caught many fish with your tips. I am going fishing in Cornwall coming weekend (30 Sept) and the next in Shropshire.
I have two problems .
1) I have loaded line onto a reel but after casting out and retrieving the line wind up close to the reel and become a problem .I have to sort the line out before I can cast again. What can I do??
2. When casting a floating line it lies in a zigzag on the water ,causing no direct contact between me and the fly!!!
What can I do to solve the problem..

Can anyone help me please!!!!

Kojak

Hi Kojak,

First problem is that you have too much backing line on your reel hence when you wind it on the line gets jammed under the reel cage.

To solve it wind the line onto an old bicylce wheel or get yourself a line winder or take it to a tackle shop and take the line off the reel then take enough backing line off so that the problem does not continue. One of the best ways of judging whether there is enough or too much backing line on your reel before you wind the fly line itself on is to hold the line against the reel cage and push the fly line into the spool. If it overflows there is too much backing line on it...if it leaves too much of a gap i.e. 1" or more then there is not enough.

Second Problem is that you have stored the line on your reel either too tightly or for too long, or both, or it is a cheaper line that has a lot of "memory" in it. i.e. it coils up on the spool and when laid out flat it "remembers" being coiled up on the reel and does not lie straight.

2 things you can do to sort it out.

Attach a cup hook to a tree or fence post, have your rod and reel assembled as if going to fish, loop your fly line onto the cup hook and start to walk away allowing the fly line to run off your spool under slight tension.

Then when all your fly line is off, give it a good tug, but not too hard....then keep it under tension for a couple of minutes, then let it rest on the floor or grass, do the same again another two times.

Then allow the fly line to rest for a few minutes more, wind it back onto the reel. To test the memory go and cast it on some water, if it still Zig Zags then you have a very bad fly line with loads of memory and it would be better if you went and bought a decent one such as Cortland or Shakespeare Worcester Fly line in Hi Vis Yellow or Rutland water own make, which is the same thing but with no packaging.

One thing to rememer is to store the line off the reel if it is not going to be in use for a few months.

I hope this helps

[kojak]

Hi Old Smoothhound

Sorry , maybe I have not explained it well enough,No the line does not get caught under the reelcase ,it gets tangled and wind up when you retrieve the line. The few yards of line that you have not rewind on the reel casing.

Thank you for the second tip ,I have not used that line for a while and i think that might be the case. Will try your idea.

Thanks
Kojak

[Old Smoothound]

Hi Kojak,

If the line spins and tangles on its own when reeling in it maybe that the line has twisted when it has been wound onto the reel. If this is the case then do as in item 2 but "walk" the line through your finger tips from reel to end of line and if the line spins into a mess early on in this procedure then I suggest you buy another line as it is very difficult to get rid of "line twist" once it has been wound on the reel.

Sorry its not good news if it is this.

[borntofishforcedtowork]

On my local reservoir the main food sources throughout the year are Chironimids (Buzzers) and Daphnia (water fleas), this is then interspersed with seasonal food items such as Daddy Longlegs, Damsel Flies, Dragon Flies, Corixa (Water Boatman) Red Spider mites, Blood Worm and wind blown flies.

U from bristol, me 2. so do u fish chew and blagdon often. may kno u if u do, whats ur name? fish chew and blagdon reguarly. wb j

[priji]

Basic Trolling Techniques:

I will start out with the basics and then go over the how to on trolling the different area's and highlights of the lake. Again these are my personal preferences and generalizations.

1) When working a lake I prefer the "S" pattern, for a couple of reasons. It gives you the action of heading into shore and away from shore. Which is when I generally pick up most of my strikes.

I use a long "S" pattern and not a tight one. I generally have 60-100' of line behind me and usually someone else is with me. You can just imagine the mess that would make if your lines cross up.

The second reason is that it creates erratic movement of your lures. When you turn into the side one lure is on, it slows down, sinks, and flutters. The other one will speed up and rise. Most of the time this is the action you need to draw that strike.

2) Speed is also a factor. I will never stay at the same speed. I will speed up and slow down, I will always, always, alternate my speed. There are times that I have found that I might be to slow or to fast. By using this method it also helps me key in on the ideal speed and then I won't wonder to far from that. But I will increase and decrease my speed, this also creates erratic movement of your lure.

3) I will also employ another little trick that I've picked up along the way. And you will have to experiment with it. Because some day's it works one way and other day's just the opposite. When I get a strike I will turn into the side of the boat that got the strike ie.. If my rod is on the left side and I get a strike I will turn to that side. On other day's it works just the opposite. You will know after a few strikes. I have used this tactic for the past 12 years and it has produced quite well.

[Portland Pirate]

Hi Guys.
Fantastic tips from both of you.