Next year's toys

[turiprap]

Christmas is only about six weeks away. Remember, it's never too soon to start dreaming of the junk, er, gear that you desperately want, er, need, for next year. For example, after losing a few bass flies to toothy critters like pike or muskellunge, I think I ought to be fishing with wire or heav fluorocarbon tippets. And if I'm going to do that, I certainly need better pliers to cut the stuff or draw knots up tight. Therefore, I really do need a pair of Ross Pescador pliers, don't I? How about you? What's on your must have list for next year?

[DEADhead]

have you looked at either the Rising Lippa tools, or the Fishpond Barracuda pliers? I didn't think much about it until now, but come to think of it, I do need some new pliers too! my leatherman's scissors are shot after trying to cut too many steel leaders this summer.

I've been wanting a rod wrapper so I can make a new 5 wt and a 3 wt..... maybe santa will be nice this year. My bday is on the 30th in case he forgets

[upnorth]

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I've been wanting a rod wrapper so I can make a new 5 wt and a 3 wt..... maybe santa will be nice this year. My bday is on the 30th in case he forgets

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A cardboard box with v slots cut in it works pretty good. A coffee cup to put a couple spools of thread in and a book or 2 for tension does the job. I wouldn't spend the $$ on a wrapper unless you are gonna get really serious, even then you could make one pretty easily, unless you want a power wrapper, and I don't think those things lead to quality end products. You wind up not paying enough attention to detail nor pack threads often enough.

Here is a link to some of the stuff I have done and I use a homemade handwrapper. Just to show you don't something fancy to make nice rods.

http://www.rodbuilding.org/photopost/showgallery.php?mcats=all&si=&what=allfields&name=scott%20vanguilder&when=&whenterm=&condition=and

[so haaad]

I'm building that 9' 4 weight Avid this winter. That's my Christmas present...to me.

Deadhead- I tried rod wrapping with a phone book and cardboard box and had a hard time with thread tension control. I bought a thread tensioner at the Cabela's in Rogers for about four or five dollars. I then built a rod wrapper with odd materials that I had laying around the garage. It all sits on a 2x6 and I used multiple screw hooks for thread control. My new rig works pretty well and is a huge step up in quality and control.

Up North, great rod building! That one rod is definitely your "money" rod!

[WxGuy]

I'm still up in the air with my fly fishing goodies. There are wants, then there are needs. I need new waders, probably need new boots, and I probably need to replace a line or two, so I'll probably stick with the utilities this year.

I do really want a fast little 1 or 2wt though...

[upnorth]

so haaad, thanks for the kind words. which rod are you referring to?

I built a thread tensioner by making an upside down T with a couple peices of plywood and then drilling through and using theaded rod, some wing nuts and some springs to directly apply tension to the spool. This also makes sure you don't fray the thread at all. I have it setup so I can realistically have 4 colors or more ready for use.

[DEADhead]

Hey guys, thanks for the tips. I guess what I really need more than anything is a 7 rpm turning motor. I would also use it for drying epoxy flies and hand painted/tied jigs.

Scott that is nice work on your wraps; I would never go with anything that fancy myself. I neither have the talent (or skill) to do that kind of stuff, and I like my rods wrapped incognito, or subdued. Your wraps and handles are works of art; I prefer matte blanks, spartan wraps with subdued blank matching wraps and bare bones reel seats of woven graphite or TiCr. If it's too pretty then I'll be scared to wreck it.

I should get off my duff and cut a few rod stands out of some 1"x4"s and line the v-notches felt/suede. Shouldn't be that hard to do. I like your guys ideas for the thread tensioners. Any chance you guys could post some pics so I could take a look at them?

So, to revise my list, I'll ask for some blanks instead of the wrapper

[DEADhead]

oh yeah, Randy, a 1 wt would be pretty bitchin on those spring creeks! I suppose you would want some spider silk to use for tippet as well... might as well throw in some size 100 ultra midges while you're at it...

[upnorth]

JP, I will take a few pics and send them to you this weekend.

[turiprap]

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have you looked at either the Rising Lippa tools, or the Fishpond Barracuda pliers?

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Those are nice, as are the ones from Abel and several other suppliers. I guess I was thinking about the Ross pliers because I have a Ross reel that I like. To tell the truth, I tried to be practical and economical last summer when I purchased a pair of Xtools floating pliers. I liked that they were light, would float and were inexpensive. The cutters worked fine, but as pliers they were a flop. The jaws wouldn't grasp even a saltwater weight hook because the cutters interfered with the jaws closing completely. Great idea, poor execution.

Like WxGuy, I do have some actual needs, particularly for flylines. I picked up a Sag line in 8 weight on clearance and I have a 5 weight on order. I'm pleased to report that I fished enough to truly wear out the old lines.

[DEADhead]

I actually have the opposite problem; I have more new fly line sitting around than I know what do with. But to be fair, it was because I found a good stockpile of Rio lines last winter on ebay and bought the whole lot of them. I should be set on 6wt lines for a few seasons now. But I would like 6 and 9 wt type V full sinking lines... My SA 8wt sink tip line got pretty beat up on the rocks this summer.

[so haaad]

I'll see if I can take a few pictures of my rod wrapper setup this weekend and post them early next week.

[DinkADunk]

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a 1 wt would be pretty bitchin on those spring creeks!

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A 1wt is a lot of fun on spring creeks. I built one on a Dan Craft blank this year and it has been a blast. I ended up tying my own leaders as the butt sections of commercial leaders are just too thick and stiff. I mainly use the 1wt to throw midges and tricos from size 18 through 32. A 10" brown is a lot of fun at the end of a 1wt with an 8x tippet.

[bigfish21]

humm...lets see. I want a danielsson fw 2six fly reel for my 5wt. a new net for steelhead and a boga grip to grab them with without having to touch the fish.........and the list goes on

[turiprap]

A steelhead net! Now there's a need I didn't truly realize I had until I read your message. It had been rolling around in the back of my mind, I guess. On the all too rare occasions that I hook a steelhead and then manage to keep it connected to my fly, I always at some point wonder how I'm going to land it without tiring it too much or risk beating it up on the beach. A net seems like the clear solution, but most seem awkward to carry. The beautifully crafted LDH nets have a great shape and their size is perfect - big enough to surround the fish, but small enough and short enough in the handle to travel through the woods pretty well. The only drawback is the price, which isn't at all excessive, considering the workmanship, but it's still beyond my means. Is there anybody out there with a downmarket solution?

[DinkADunk]

I bought one of the SW18 Allagash nets from Sperrey Fishing Nets. IIRC it was around $75 for Birdseye Maple

[-Marc V-]

I haven't really thought about the fly fishing toys for next year. Been thinking quite a bit about getting a bow, and a muzzleloader for next deer season however.

One thing I will need to have before the next Steelhead adventure is a net. I thought I could get away with hand-landing them after wearing them down enough, but seems like there's always a last burst in 'em.

It's always been a dream to have a nice slow action bamboo fly rod in a lighter weight. That expense is going to have to wait a few years before I could drop that kind of cash on a fishing stick though.

[Quickstrike]

I could use a fishpond chestpack and a rising lanyard so I can throw the heavey vest away. I also don't think I'll find time to tie a new rod this winter but I would like a nice 2 wt for the little brookie streams up here and pink salmon fishing in the fall. I also need a new Rio selective trout 5 wt line and A Rio Steelhead/Atlantic Salmon line for my 8 wt. I could go on all day...

[bigfish21]

nice line choices. I use them and I would no longer use anything else

[Quickstrike]

The Rio clouser is also really nice for fishing bass and throwing moussies and dahlbergs at big lake run browns at night. The size of the tip on that line is nuts. I used to fish SA lines exclusively until last year, now it's all rio whenever i need a new line.

[bigfish21]

I made the switch last year too. I have the clouser on my 10wt for those big nasty musky flies

[Wildwood]

If you like the Clouser give the Outbound a shot. It's a shooting head line that is a Rocket. I have fished the clouser for years, but I feel in love with the outbound for my smallie and muskie fishing last year.

[DEADhead]

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I really do need a pair of Ross Pescador pliers,

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turiprap, did you ever get those ross pescadors? if you did, what size and how are they? I haven't been anywhere yet that carries them in their store to look at them. I've been looking at the pescadors lately, and also I see cabelas has a titanium tool that is very similar. Just curious is anyone else out there had any feedback.

Also, has anyone seen or casted the new redington redfly2 rods? I hear they are a treat to cast and a real bargain at $100. I have a couple of birthday presents I still need to fill out from a couple weeks ago. It might be nice to get my hands on a couple more rods, like maybe another 9wt and 4wt... backups for my backups I already own a couple redington rods and have been pleased with them so far (pre-sage); I've been hearing good things about the newer sage-owned rods from redington. I was going to pick up a new avid this winter, but for the same price, I could get two rods instead.

[turiprap]

I've not yet made the purchase. The Ross pliers are stil the leading candidate, but I saw those Cabela's pliers and they look like candidates. I think I'm going for the 6" model, regardless of brand.

Interesting that you should mention fly rods as gifts. There's a kid graduating from college this spring who I feel could use an 8 weight and I thought one might be a suitable graduation gift. I've been thinking TFO, but, again, Redington has been a good brand name.

[DEADhead]

thnaks for getting back to me about the pliers. I was also debating which size to get, and was leaning to the larger 7.5" size, due to the fact I'd be mainly using it for toothy warmwater fish, i.e. pike and walleyes. I've got a coupon to use for cabelas by Monday. I'll post on here what I end up getting.