Morsie
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Mike that’s interesting, I’ve been using a prototype for a year and its still not a problem (its also been trashed in parks and at casting shows etc) and floats just fine. The slightly heavier weight won’t affect its floatation because there should be a corresponding amount of required floatation. I used one for ten days recently in NZed and cleaned it down once or twice with the new Rio abrasive cleaner pads (no floatant) and didn’t have a problem with it at all. I’d consider changing it…..
Morsie
According to the Rio specs its not a half line heavy but is at the top end of the allowable range – ie
The allowable range for a 4 weight is 114
Could be a load of old bull too………..
Mind you we had a really good day this day (apart from the quicksand). I think she just liked the look of Rod.
I have a 611 ZAxis and use the new Rio PowerSpey line on it and I think its fantastic, it really changed what I could do with the rod.
Morsie
I fished the 690 ZXL a good deal in NZed recently, in fact I used it most of the time when I had intended mixing the rods around a little, it was just so smooth and sweet. It did really battle one day in a screaming north westerly when a TCR might have coped better. I rate these as great “fishing rods” rather than rip bust and tear casting rods – very sweet in close and out to 70 feet – just perfect with a Rio Gold line. At no time do I feel its necessary to upline this rod or to even go to one of the “half weight up” lines.
Morsie
Thanks guys and I must say a big thanks to Zach for having the balls to record a podcast from this far corner of the world, there is a lot going on down here, not a lot of it particularly “revolutionary” just different as a consequence of our different species and situations. Tasmanian trout fishing is unique, Sydney harbour where Justin guides is in the middle of a city of 4 million and in the shadow of the Sydney harbour bridge and the Opera House Justin guides
Mate I reckon they would have been dividing up the gear while I was still flailing – “Before you go under pass us your vest and camera bag and just throw the rod!!!!”
My plan is drive north with a couple of mates (Rich and Carl) up through Monatana and Idaho then on to BC for some steelheading. I hear the timing’s pretty good. Been wanting to go steelheading for a long time.
Morsie
I’ll be at the Denver trade show 14-16 September – Moosedog I can tell you my latest story from New Zealand – quicksand, and it was a close shave – 5D around my neck and water over the top of my waders. Unpleasant and lucky to still be here. I think my waterproof camera backpack slowed my sink rate just enough to allow me to turn around and get out. Only mental scars and a heightened caution about crossing backwaters. 😛
Morsie
I’ll be at one of them this year – might even call into both!! Looking forward very much to catching up with all sorts of people. 😎 😎 ::)
Morsie
Simon the top shot is an absolute ripper, I would be thrilled to have taken it. I think it would make a great panoramic crop – remove the foreground. Also the hair or piece of grass on the gill plate is distracting and I would remove that as well. The bottom shot is good too, very well composed because the fish is balanced by the beautiful reflection on the water underneath it. No need for any cropping there.
To get a shallow depth of field which is what you’re after your camera needs to have some manual controls, either aperture or shutter speed. If it has either of those you’re right – just select aperture priority and set the lowest number (f5.6 or f4 or even f2.8.) make sure you focus on the fish’s eye. If it has only shutter priority set a fast shutter speed (maybe 250 or 320 depending on ISO setting and light conditions) and watch the under/over exposure metering – if you get it just on balanced that SHOULD have you at the largest apperture (smallest number).
If you don’t have those controls set your ISO to 100 and it should (might) prioritise shutter speed over aperture and give you again the largest aperture but watch for camera shake.
If none of that works sell a couple of those crappy, noodly green rods you used to use and get yourself an SLR. I’ve been playing around with one of these lenses, a Lensbaby and love some of the effects. About a $300 lens.
“Chalkstream Chronicles” By Neil Patterson. Started it a few nights ago. Great style, great content, great book.
Morsie
Great advise Rich and one more point – if it travels in a concave path you’ll throw a tailing loop. All of the many causes of a tailing loop can be sheeted home to the rod tip travelling in a cancave path at some stage of the cast.
Morsie
Neal, many years, but above all lots of practise, I love casting. I spent a lot of time with a guy called Gordon Dunlop, a really fine caster and someone with an analytical mind (an accountant in real life). He had one of Lefty’s very earliest books with lots of pictures and analysed his cast that way. By the time we met up (1975) he was already a bloody good caster who introduced me to the world of shooting heads. The first time I saw one of those things go was a “holy shit” moment. When Lefty came to Australia in the late 80’s Gordon and I managed to spend some time with him, it was like having a team of formula one engineers work over my old Toyota – it was just bloody awesome. I still practise almost every day, usually something different; accuracy or distance, curves or dhanders – I try a different rod or line combination every day and sometimes I’ll take one rod and three different lines or 3 rods and one line – was out with a new 611 switch rod yesterday, finally got the right line for it and POW!
Find a mate and practise together, that’s a great way to learn. Use targets as well – anything, just have something to throw at and constantly vary the distance its at.
Morsie
Neal I think we all learn best with hands on. I know what Clark’s saying, we can over complicate it by tying to throw too far and by trying to be too tricky too early on. The track of the tip sounds like its giving you problems. Most mistakes happen in the back cast area, especially at the point of the “stop” when the rod tip can wander all over the place. The rod tip has to stop dead and the only other movement it can make is backwards and downwards, but still in a straight line path – anything else is going to cause grief. That’s why I suggested you turn and watch the tip of the rod. Choose a point you want it to stop at, use a sighter such as a tree or a point of a house and watch the rod tip and that point – make your stop stop.
“Creep” is the act of coming forward with the tip of the rod while the line is still going back and leads to all sorts of problems that usually manifest themselves as tailing loops (its only one of half a dozen causes of tailing loops). Thats why the stop and a slight backwards drift are so important.
Morsie
Rusty – what is that bottom fish??
Steve, you can’t come all that way and just fish Cape York – I have a big piece coming out in mid next year’s issue of FlyFisher, on Kakadu and that region of the Northern Territory (we are fortunate to have 3 very good fly fishing publications in Australia – Flyangler which deals mostly with saltwater and native freshwater species – its a quarterly – Fly Fisher is a biannual, its a big glossy and classy magazine with a high cover price, and the previously mentioned quarterly FlyLife).
Grey is the new colour…….
Morsie
