[Steve Dally]

;D ;D ;D
A certified gear junkie with a baby net???

That’s never a good moment, realising your totally outgunned.

Actually your not the only one, my current net is big just not big enough.

I’d like to go to rubber, but in the serious sizes they are just way to slow in the water.
Im pondering, perhaps an article Zach?

Cheers

Steve

[Steve Dally]

I have one issue of Flylife left 😉 😉 😉 surprised me how fast they sold

I think we are about the only outlet outside of Down Under, only because somehow they lower their standards to accept some of my work LOl.

Truly is a great mag, even though Im biased. Regular fly columns are very good, you’ll get to see some great destinations and the tactics stuff can be pretty cutting edge.

Otherwise I like the Drake these days, Fish and Fly Wild On The Fly and then I read most for what might be interesting.

After I posted this I reread Seafood’s comments on rehashing. Its the nature of the beast, given dry fly or nymphing has been written about for almost 150 years, there is only so many ways you actually can nymph.
As a writer and Im sure Zach will agree, neither of us have anything radically new in techniques up our sleeves (Neither of us have a hovering fly LOL) but the trick is packaging that information in a new way, or at least an interesting way.

The other thing to remeber is that while you or I may have been reading these articles for a decade or two, there is a constant supply of new fly fishers, or new readers who want these types of articles and to them this is new.

Cheers
Steve

[Steve Dally]

Glad you like the Woolpower’s Zach, we just picked up the line, alongside the Simms stuff, after the Denver Show and they have been getting rave reviews from staff, but I haven’t had a chance to try them myself.

I layer pretty much liek everyone else, skinny polypro under layers, comfy fleece over the top, breathable waders and a breathable G3 guide jacket or the DL Windstopper jacket. Love the high collar on the G3 for really cold wet days

Im just about to buy a new pair of winter boots _ we fish all winter here too _ but I need a wider/larger pair of boots to accomodate the extra layers in the feet for winter.

Oh now one tip I had from a bass fisher for winter fishing was change into a fresh pair of socks before you get into your waders. The drive in the car, with the heater on will make your feet sweat, so the fresh socks keep you warmer.

I wear gloves a lot, Im an aussie so Im a wuss when it comes to cold. Again definitely windstopper
Simms mitts for the worst days and the Windriver windblocker 3/2 gloves for chilly.

I added a neckgaiter last year out of normal fleece, really helps but this year Im upgrading to a Buff Cyclone windstopper neck gaiter. Will be great for upriver running in the boat during the shad kill.

Cheers
Steve.

[Steve Dally]

TFO’s 11′ 5wt, the Davy Wootten model has a removable butt extension for the lower hand.
So you can have it serve as a single hander.

Funnilyenough I actually prefer casting SH with the extension on _ for my tastes it seems to balance better but in your hands it might feel better off.

Cheers
Steve

[Steve Dally]

Hey Chris, that 9’6″ I’d like to play with too, but we don’t have it in the shop.

Interestingly enough both Scott (Warmwater) and Sage (Bass) came out with rods this year for similar concepts both are just under the length limit for US pro bass fishing tournaments.
The are headed for the pro circuit, which is sure to get some comments.

But the Sages and Scotts are very different in character.
The Sage’s really are design to throw BIG flies, including in windy conditions, into heavy cover and get the fish back to the boat and into the livewell.
As a largemouth rod these are stout. The smallmouth designated rod throws its own 290gr WF floater,so its no smallstream 6wt. Morelike a serious 8 or a 9wt. The 330gr Largemouth is a brute probably best as an 11wt. Groovy retro amberyellow yellow blanks (who said babypoo) with red wraps.

Personally I really like them, fun to cast, try them underhand for tossing under trees mangroves etc. I was doing demos with 2/0 Whistlers, 1/0 Clousers and 2/0 Jiggies in the indoor tank in a Bass Pro a couple of weekends back. With no backcasting room I was roll casting these big flies 30′ easily.
Even more fun when I got a 30# striper to eat :).

These 4 piece rods comes with a case, tailored flyline and rod for $350. But its not a set up for a newbie caster. You need a bit of experience under the belt.

The Scott’s are more of a mainstream stick, in this “out there” class. They are still a big fly streamer/popper rod but are closer to regular actions. Its not so big a leap to go from your everyday 8wt to the 8wt in this class.

There are 3 rods all 3 piece 7′ 11.5″ _ a 6, an 8 and a 10wt. But at $625 its a serious investment, and as these are part of the Scott concept series there is no guarantee you will be able to find them after this year

The 6 actually is a great small stream smallmouth rod, its going to be so easy to toss small Clousers, crawdads etc etc. Or you can throw streamers for trout too.

I have to say I like them both for different jobs
Cheers
Steve

[Steve Dally]

I wasn’t sure from your post whether you wanted a 9’6wt or shorter, so I went checking our stocks and the E2 manifesto. Comes in a 9′ 9’6″ and a 10’er. We have the ones on either end

Ive cast quite a few E2s, but hadn’t fished the 6, and was going to borrow the boss’ 10’er on Tuesday, fishing sinking lines and streamers for trout, but he was catching fish and I couldn’t get it out of his hands.

He prefers the extra length for picking up the full sink lines, but depending on the waters your fishing you might want the shorter length. It will still handle it.

Now if you did want the shorter length, for small streams, seriously check out the Scott Warmwater rods, I cast the 6wt at the denver Show and it was a ripper, for smallies. Has lots of grunt for clousers, crawdad patterns etc, but not to the extent of overkill. But at $625 its higher than a E2.

Cheers Steve

[Steve Dally]

I know what you mean Connor,

That’s one of the advantages of having a boat, it opens up all that fishing, even wade fishing away from the public accesses on the White. I mean just to Rim there is 24 miles of river to fish and limited numbers of public access. and there is much more downstream.

Cheers
Steve

[Steve Dally]

Nice pics Connor, pretty fish, like the glasses effect.
I was on the river with a couple of clients Saturday, waded some low water in the upper River early, scuds worked then jumped down to Rim Shoals, but I kept the guys in the boat. There were about 40 guys around the Rim island, and we didn’t need the crowds. It was a Mid South FF Club weekend, were you part of that group??

Didn’t drag out the camera much, I should have the fall colors were stunning in the am, but they kept catching fish, mainly smaller bows and browns. The wind midweek blew a lot of the best colored leaves off into the river. Had one grip and grin late afternoon

We fished late, couple of longtime customers, andfound some of the better fish. Including one which busted up Bob on 5x in a second, 3 hard headshakes and blew him up. It was some fish.
They are really beautifully colored at the moment.

here’s a brown from the week before loved his pattern, almost brookie like vermiculations on the back half

Cheers
Steve

[Steve Dally]

That would be prettycool Simon:)

Yeh I know Morsie, but you know budgets and things LOl Besides I’d like to get them onto Arthurs, Christmas Dun hatch, western lakes etc etc. OOOh and Brumbys 🙂 I can’t wait to fish Brumbys again, with some of the insights from over here.

Cheers
Steve

[Steve Dally]

Fished with the Thingamabobbers yesterday, small ones, 1bb shot, easy on but on 5x towards the end of the day they slipped bad. Up on the thick stuff they didn’t move so much.

I was hopeful of the small ones they are working on but they won’t be much chop. Im guessing pretty decent for the heavy line heavy rig scenario tho.
Kinda windresistant too.

Cheers
Steve

[Steve Dally]

Bloody North Islanders, what about Tassie trout!!!

Hehehehe.
Great shots Morsie and DA, nice to see some solid coverage of the Oz saltwater scene over here. Ill try and strap up the Podcast Sunday, when I finally get a break and give it a listen.

A Top End trip has got to be done one of these days. Ive got a 3-4 buddies who want a group trip so we might try and put something together _ give me a cheap way of getting home anyway_
Weipa or Carpentaria??

And just so he doesn’t get off scott free from all this praise, I remember watching his superb Wildfish tv program back when I DIDNT have gray hair

[Steve Dally]

Hey Shane, its a pig for sure _ Tyenna???? ::) ::)

Nice to read “lifter” hadn’t heard that term in a while. I had to stop using it no bugger understood over here LOL

Cheers
Steve

[Steve Dally]

As far as price goes, I guess I’m a sucker for nice looking rods.

[Steve Dally]

I really enjoy the S4, and the Winston is very nice as well.
The Winston I cast at the Show, I think might have been lined or labelled wrong. Didn’tseem to have the grunt I expected, the one I cast this week was very different. Still not as fast as the Scott but very useful. Little more relaxed in the stroke but still a fast stick.

Try them and see which you like more.

Cheers
Steve

[Steve Dally]

Its probably less of an issue for Aussies since largemouth and smallmouth are unheard of. But Ive had customers, creek smallmouth fishers coming in for these rods, thinking its going to be a nice short 6wt. ;D

Anything but. What these are is a great rod for throwing big flies in windy conditions _ and extracting the fish from cover when they eat.

Very cool rod!! I can’t wait to fish one!

Cheers
Steve

[Steve Dally]

Yer reckon I could drive it home to Oz wet LOl

😮 😮

[Steve Dally]

Thanks guys, i get a little boat proud lol
Steve I saw you and Mike had 2060s, i went witht eh 2000 for low water running, when working, don’t want to get stuck someone if the water falls out with clients in the boat lol
Was talking to the guys atsupremewhen i picked it up,they made some cool stuff coming, bigger boats, wide.

Cheers

[Steve Dally]

Glad you liked it wayne.
Im fishing the Gold on my Zed, works very nice. I love it too on the ZXL, and ive fished it on the XP, where its very good.

Cheers
Steve

[Steve Dally]

Hey Zach you need to rename this place Flylife Outreach ;D

Sorry trying to work out how come I never gave you a copy. Thought I must have a time or two, Im slipping. Hand out a bunch in Denver every year. Great mag, and still feel lucky to be part of the team.

Incidentally the owner of the store Im running brought in Flylife to sell, only because I write for it, well we have gone through our stock in 4 week, only 1 left. Surprised me how much interest in it over here.
But then again Beechy’s fly patterns every issue are really cool, Morsie’s and DA pics and others.

Cheers
Steve.

[Steve Dally]

Interesting debate particularly as referenced to warranties.
BUT
lot of common misunderstanding between two retail concepts mark-up and margin. My father was in wholsesaling distribution and had it beaten into me at birth

[Author]

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