This what I have asked Santa for Christmas

[Gary in Aus]

 

Santa knows whether I have been naughty or nice,

 

I am hoping for the 5/6 weight Monaro 3 piece.

 

http://www.taranskybamboo.com.au/

 

I hope I don't get a piece of coal !!!

[David]

Wow! I don't do any fly fishing. Are those typical prices? I had no idea they could be that expensive.

[John Ranalletta]

Man, I hope your wish comes true. What an heirloom piece. Don't wait for Santa. Order it today. The sooner you're hip deep in a fast, clear stream, casting to rising trout, the better.

 

I've built a couple of carbon fiber 4 weights w/ silver fittings and amboina wood reel seats, but they're nothing compared to the piece you'll soon hold.

 

The purist fishes exclusively with a fly rod, which means that he owns a spinning rod and sometimes uses it, but he doesn't take it seriously, doesn't talk about it much (is, to tell the truth, a little embarrassed about it), and stores it separately from his fly tackle.

 

John Gierach, The View from Rat Lake

[Gary in Aus]

This is a good price for an exquisite rod.

 

I once saw in a shop in Wellington New Zealand a antique 6 piece split cane Hood rod in a leather flask for AUD$4,500 .You can pay a lot more than this.

 

I have a Loomis 2 piece , a Sage one piece , Penn 4 piece plus a range of "working "rods,some of these have been custom made on various trips to the US and the Penn was modified again in New Zealand

 

Fly fishing is a "dark art" .

 

I don't eat freshwater fish and return all my catch so I obviously don't do it for the food component.

I have a Hood reel,a BFS reel and a couple of Dragonfly reels from the UK as well as Pflueger reels from the US

I only use Cortland line which I have sent over from a friend in Canada.

 

I dare not add up how much I have spent on flies and fly tying equipment , waders ,vests, fly boxes { i like the okuma range}.

It is one of my passions and I have been fortunate enough to have travelled the world fly fishing and have met some wonderful people some of whom have remained friends for the past 30 years.

 

I actually met one of your former presidents Jimmy Carter in Montana as we were fishing the same stream , had afternoon tea with him back at the lodge , from memory he was a very good fisherman with a very delicate cast.

 

Fly fishing is a social leveller and good for your soul.

 

Watch "A river runs through it" , if you understand it then there maybe a chance you could be a flyfisher , if not then it was not meant to be.

 

 

[Husker Red]

Sweet! I hope Santa delivers the goods!

 

I was really into fly fishing for a few years. Wonderful hobby. I liked having everything I needed to fish in my vest. Grab your vest, flyrod and maybe your waders and you're ready to go.

 

The last few years I've been spending more time bass and striper fishing on a big lake. Now I have tackle boxes, a bunch of rods, downriggers, fishfinders, and a big boat to take care of. I spend more time packing and unpacking gear, plus getting the boat in and out of the water than I do fishing. Of course, I still really enjoy the whole process, but I often miss the simplicity and solitude of fly fishing.

 

It's a lot like motorcycling. Tossing on a leather jacket and breezing down the highway on a naked bike vs. donning full gear, hooking up my headphones to the autocom, adjusting the GPS and other electronics, packing the gear - sometimes it takes away from the motorcycle experience that originally got me here.

 

Thanks for the reminder. Maybe there's a good New Year's resolution for me - SIMPLIFY.

[Gary in Aus]

While tales of fish caught and lost are fundamental to most fisherman ,I think most fly fishers are content with amassing specialist gear , it's not so much as telling others about but the gear but that you know what you have ,if you understand my intent.

 

That being said when you are fishing , it doesn't matter how expensive or not your equipment is , the most important thing is that you are fellow fishers.

 

It is a passion that thankfully few understand.

 

I did the gamefishing / deep sea fishing thing about twenty five years ago , 32 foot Markline {NZ version of Searay} , paid mooring fees , antifouling costs, services and then found both of my daughters get seasick , this became a very expensive hole in the water into which to throw money , which lasted just over 5 years .

 

I carry my 4 piece Penn in a transport tube {made by Penn} a reel pouch containing a loaded reel ,spare spool , small "leatherman" tool , some tippets and a small okuma box {10cm x 8cm x 2cm } containing a range of flies for the intended area. I have carried the rod case as hand luggage all around the world and it is usually a talking/ice breaking point at customs . If a suitable site is found I can be set up and casting within minutes.

 

I am really hooked on fly fishing and it has taken me to many beautiful parts of many countries that even many "locals" haven't seen.