CurrentsEddiesII

Native Atlantic Salmon in the US

Grey Fox

In an excellent write up in the NY Time Science Section, Dec. 16, "Storm Swirls Over Aboriginal Salmon In Maines Rivers" by William K. Stevens, brings home all the problems of current fisheries management.

Most serious ATlantic Salmon anglers have accepted that the U.S. Atlantic Salmon are gone and the money being spent is though wasted, but has been an enviormental boost for other resources.

In Maine the question is whether the "aboriginal" Salmon is gone is at the center of a political storm where the Federal Government proposes to list what its biologists say is "the last known wild remnant of U.S. Atlantic salmon" as officially threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Maine officials, arguing that aboriginal salmon are no longer genetically identifiable, vehemently oppose the listing.

The wild salmon has generally declined throughout the North Atlantic basin in recent years, but its remnents in the U.S. is desperate. Despite longtime efforts to restore the fish to New England rivers through restocking from hatcheries, a mere 1,500 to 3,000 salmon-down from 6,000 to 8,000 a decade ago - are estimated to make the annual spawning run to those rivers from feeding grounds off Greenland. Historically, as many as 500,000 made the trip.

Of those that do make spawning runs today, say Federal biologists, only about 500 are truly wild. That is, they still carry a significant part of their unique genetic inheritance, developed over millenniums of reproductive isolation. Salmon must not only be wild, they must be native, to their own particular river. Since salmon return to the stream of their birth to spawn, each river has, or at least had in the past, its own genetically distinct fish. The remaining 500 fish, the targets of the Federal proposal, spawn and mature in seven Maine rivers: the Sheepscot, Ducktrap, Narraguagus, Pleasant, Machias, East Machias and Dennys.

But a study conducted by scientists for the state concluded that the seemingly wild fish have become so genetically swamped by interaction with hatchery fish that their distinctiveness has been lost. If so, the proposal to list them may be too late. This brings into question the position of hatchery fish. The parents may be both native and wild, but these fish are born and raised in the hatchery and then returned to the wild as smolt. If there is consistency in returning them to the parents home rivers you would have to think that thegeneric strain would remain consistent?

It appears there are no individual fish that retain the genetic integrity" of precolonial times, said Dr. Irv Kornfield, a population geneticist at the University of Maine at Orono, who headed the state study. While some original genes may remain, he said, they do not add up to the significant legacy cited by the Federal biologists. "Either we have a tiny bit left or there's none," he said. If there is none, the overall salmon gene pool has been correspondingly weakened.

This is a case "where reasonable men can disagree said Paul Nickerson, endangered species coordinator for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast region in Hadley, Mass. "I don't think any of us says the original salmon that was here before European settlement still exists." But, he contended, enough of the original genetic material lives on in the Maine fish to warrant Federal protection.

The State of Maine objects to llsting the salmon as threatened "in the strongest possible terms," Gov. Angus S. King Jr. has told Federal ottlclais. The state argues that conservation measures already under way are beginning to bring the saimon back. Offlclals also fear that llstlng the salmon as threatened could bring Federal regulations harmful to blueberry growers who draw water from the salmon rivers and to aquaculturlsts who artltlclaily raise salmon for market in ocean pens just off the mouths of the seven rivers. The state Is pressing the Federal otiUclals to accept a statedevised conservation plan In lieu of listing.

Some conservationists also questlon whether listing is necessary. They cite the actions already under way and worry that many local cltlzens, who have expressed strong antlFederal sentiments, would withdraw their support for conservation measures in the event of a listing. But others argue that without the spur to action provided by listing, progress in restoring the salmon will be too slow.

"The state has failed and It's time to try something new, says David N. Carle, associate executive director of a Massachusettsbased conservation group called Restore: the North Woods. A petition by this group forced Federal officials to consider the listing and catapulted the issue to a new level of urgency. The group has favored declaring ail salmon in New England endangered, including the progeny of hatchery fish.

The creature at the center of the argument, Salmo salar, has long been a human icon. Hardy and muscular, it can jump 12foot waterfalls that its cousins, trout and Pacific salmon, cannot. And while all Pacific salmon die after spawning once, the Atlantic salmon can make several spawning runs, typically two or three. Those that survive to reproduce many times can reach majestic proportions, weighing more than 50 pounds, although 5 to 20 pounds is more usual.

In North America, the salmon's spawning range historically began with the Housatonic River in Connecticut and extended east and north through the Canadian maritime provinces. But by the early 1800's, the fish were gone from rivers like the Connecticut, driven out by dams, fishing and pollution

For years, biologists in New England have been trying to restore them to a few rivers like the Connecticut and Massachusetts' Merrimack.

Progress has been slow. Self sustaining populations-those not dependent on the stocking of hatchery raised "fry," or baby fish- have yet to become established. It simply takes a long time, given that salmon take several years to reach spawnlng age and that relatively few live that long, said Dr. Steve Gephard, supervising fisheries blologlst for the State of Connecticut. The problem is magnified beause these stockings do not have the genetic make up of the fish nature evolved to each river's particularq uirks.

This year, 20 years after restoration began, about 260 spawners returned to the Connecticut River. Certainly not enough to Insure the establishment of a new, seltsustalnlng population. In an attempt to speed the process, biologists are stripping eggs from these tlsh, tertllizing them, and raising fry In hatcherles, where many, many more can be produced than In the wlld.

Small populations like those In New England are especially vulnerable to overtlshlng and natural dlsasters at sea. Curbs have been placed on commercial tlshlng for salmon, and a decade ago the outlook seemed bright: salmon returning to the seven Maine rivers numbered more than 2,000 In some years.

In the early 1990's, however, the species at large entered a general decline, even as commercial tlshlng was further restricted. No one knows whether the cause was climatic change, a decrease In the shrimp and fish that salmon eat, a natural fluctuation In salmon population, or some thlng else. In any case, salmon began disappearing into what blologlsts are calling a "black hole" In the Atlantic.

Like the wolf, bald eagle and grlzzly, the salmon is relatively abundant north of the contiguous 48 states. Salmon populations have nevertheless declined there. For Instance, 200,000 to 220,000 fish returned this year to the Mlramlchl River In New Brunswick, the most prolific Atlantic salmon stream in North America. That compares with about halt a mllllon 30 years ago and a mllllon historically, according to Bill Taylor, president of the Atlantic Salmon Federation, an international conservation group based in St. Andrews New Brunswick.

Whlie the population plunge has depressed Canadian and European salmon stocks, It has put wild Amerlcan salmon In critical condition. Their plight was exacerbated, blologists say, by Malne's former practlce of stocking the seven rivers with hatchery fish, which competed with and genetically diluted the wild ones.

"It probably did more harm than good," Edward Baum, a tlsherles blologlst who heads the state's salmon recovery program.

Since 1992, the state has been trying to build up the wild population in each of the seven rivers by stocking it with fry raised in hatcheries from eggs produced by wild fish found only in that particular river. Mr. Baum said this year's returns of adults from the sea, the 500 fish, represent at least a 25 percent increase from last year. Since the program "is just starting to pay off," he said, he believes it would be best to hold off a bit on listing.

Federal officials, however, say the measures taken by the state are the reason they are proposing to list the salmon only as threatened, rather than giving it the more serious label of endangered. If the measures fail, say the officials, the fish would be declared endangered. This would mean much more stringent Federal involvement.

Under a listing of threatened, the state could retain its leading role in managing the salmon population. In response to the listing proposal, the state has prepared a conservation plan intended to prevent escaped salmon from the offshore aquaculture pens from genetically swamping wild fish, and to protect salmon habitat from pollution, agricultural water withdrawal and tree cutting. Catchandrelease angling would be permitted. The plan was worked out by state officials, scientists, industry and some conservationists, including the Atlantic Salmon Federation.

The more serious "endangered" listing, should it ever come, would prohibit angling for salmon on the streams in question. Proponents of the proposed state conservation plan say this would drive away anglers who have been mainstays of the conservatlon effort.

Mr. Carle rejects the state's conservatlon plan as Inadequate, not least because, he says, It would be Inadequately financed. Federal funds for salmon recovery would accompany a threatened listings But Governor King insists that the Government accept the state plan In lieu of any listing; otherwise, he said In a letter to Federal otticlals, state cooperatlon will be withdrawn and legal action will be taken. The Federal ottlclals could accept the plan and still 1ist the salmon.

A decision on the listing question Is expected in mid-sprlng. In the meantlme, the Government Is looking for a way to protect the salmon without igniting a rebellion in Maine. Nickerson of the Fish and Wlldllte Service said he was worried that a lot of energy now being put Into conservation would instead "go Into fighting the Feds" if the salmon is listed

"And the salmon," he said, " doesn't win there."

Buying a Fly Tying Vise

Grey Fox

So you're going to tie flies, or you already tie, but want a better vise. You're an expert tyer. Whatever the level, let's take a good look at what a vise is suppose to do, what they can do and what is available out there.

Almost a hundred years ago vises that were used to tie flies where mainly taken from other areas and applied to fly tying. Most of the antique vises from this era were jewelers vises. They are pretty but never did the job well. In the 1900's vises expressly made for fly tying started being developed.

First and foremost, a vise must hold the hook. It must hold it well and must not damage the finish. Secondly, the time and simplicity to mount the hook should be cut to a minimum, the faster the better. Thirdly, the range of hook sizes it can handle and lastly, the vise that helps you tie a better and quicker fly separates the men from the boys.

Almost all vises made today hold the hook well. If the jaws are even and aligned with enough tension, it will work. I remember an excellent angler and fly tyer, Harvey, who used a mounted pair of vise grips, with smooth jaws. Hook holding power is taken for granted today, in all price ranges, so let's go on to.

Time and simplicity to mount the hook. Incidentally, a pair of vise grips adjust simply and locks quickly, so in this catagory it would still rate high. State of the art though, is, lever operated cam. This design has been used by Thompson vises for about 50 years. By moving the lever slightly the hook is either locked or freed. This design makes it very quick to change hooks. The fastest hook changing design is the spring locking. This design has been used by Regal for years and it is time tested. The main drawback of this design is that since the spring holds the jaws together to lock the hook, alot of tension is required and that same amount of pressure is needed to open the jaws. It is the fastest though. The third style is a knob tightener. An example of a knob tightener is the Renzetti Presentation vise. This is the slowest in operating and the most unweldy design. For wide hook ranges with a knob tightener, mulitple jaws are a must.

A vise that can handle the widest range of hook sizes without changing jaws is a decided advantage. No time need be wasted changing jaws. Extra jaws have a way of getting misplaced or lost. Hey, vise grips, rate high in this catagory also.

O.K., what makes a vise help you tie a better and faster fly. A vise that rotates will allow you to see all 360 degrees of the fly. Many times you can tell a fly tied on a stationary vise by looking at the ribbing. The front side of the ribbing will be perfectly equidistant but the backside will have closeness and gaps. Wouldn't you be able to tie better if you not only could inspect the 360 degrees but have all 360 to tie with. Instead of wrapping the thread or material or hackle, you could lay it in place. Wow. That'd be neat. The key to that would be the ability for the vise to rotate the hook shank as the axis. Let's review the terms. A rotating vise is one that allows you to view 360 degrees of the fly and the thread and material must be wrapped on. A true rotating vise allows the shank to spin as the axis and the material can be laid on. There are at least 3 makers of true rotary vices on the market today, and more coming shortly. Tie faster. One of the three, even allows the dubbing to be spun in, as it's rotating on ball bearings.

This knocks out the vise grips. No way! Harvey had it welded to a vertical bar, on ball bearings, so it could spin.

What's needed in vises? What none of the true rotaters have is a simple way to know the hook is mounted in the jaws on it's shank's axis. Experience is the only guide, other than trail and error. Mechanical rotating of the true rotary vises. 40 years ago, Herters advertised motor driven vices. In the interim, no one has perfected it.

Go out and inspect them. Use your logic. Check the product review ratings. Let us know what you come up with. Maybe Harvey will put his vise grips into production.

LEADERS

GREY FOX

The majority of the problems in fly presentation is caused by the leader. Leader taper, or the lack of design or taper, also causes poor casting. Good design will allow a #28 to land like a feather and the feather won't look like it is attached to anything. Allow a 1" popper to turn over at 80' in a 15 knot wind. Poor leader desing will cause immediate drag. Good leader design will extend drag free drift.

One of the cheapest items in the equiptment arsenal, it is certainly one of the most important. Good anglers can survive with poor rods, reels and flies, but along with the line, the leader is what puts you over.

Leader planning is very simple. The leader must transmit the energy from the line to the fly, therefore, the smoother the transfer the better. Smoother transfer allows wider ranges of size and weight in the flies used, better control and penetration under wind conditions. The line is heavier than the fly. The leader material must go from heavier to lighter. The line is stiffer and/or denser than the leader material so the design must incorperate, stiffer to stiff, stiffer to soft but in no way can it be softer to stiff. The smoother transition of all of the above makes for the best leaders.

Though there is certainly a large assortment of leaders on the market, the selection becomes difficult. First off, what use are you putting it to? Leader classification is normally broken down from salt water, salmon/steelhead and trout. Generalizations are fine if you're in a hurry. 7.5' or 9'? If you're going to use packaged leaders just keep trying the various brands till you find the one that works well for your purpose.

You should understand the general principals and specifications that make a good leader.

Starting with the butt. The butt must match the line you're using. The critical measurement here is the diameter of the line you're connecting to. Assume the line that needs a leader is a WF7 that's going to be used for salmon, steelhead and light salt water. What package leader would you start with? First, you must have the line's diameter. Cortland's 444 WF7F diameter is .042". Sci-Anglers Bonefish taper, WF7I end diameter is .034" Both are 7 weights. Would you use the same leader on these lines? No. To get these line measurements look in the fly line packaging. Or bite the bullet and get a quality micrometer. A good mic will last a life time and will serve you well.

The rule of leaders is that the leader butt should be 2/3's the diameter of the line and never less than half. Another rule is that the butt should be stiff. If this was a Wulff fly line, 40' Triangle Taper #7 and you refered to the enclosed flyer in the Wulff box, you'd look up 7/8 and know the end diameter is .037". The Wulff flyer takes you a step further stating "make sure that the butt end of the leader you are using is matched to the fly line. ......listed the diameters of the leaders recommended for each weight of fly line: 7/8 Weight Fly Line.... .023."

As mentioned above, fly line is stiff, so if the butt is limp nylon, all energy will be lost at this point, in the cast and the balance of the leader won't turn over correctly. Ideally, stiff nylon should be used for 1/2 to 3/4 of the leader. For presentation, softer nylon is used for the tippets. The limpness allows the current to flow the fly. Rather than have the leader lead the fly.

How can you have a one piece leader with 2 stiffnesses? You can't. That's why most 1 piece taper leaders aren't advisable for novices. For many years one of the most popular leaders commercially available was the the Cortland 444, Twin Tip. This was a stiff tapered butt, with about a 3' piece soft tippet, which Cortland provided a spare, to use after the initial one wore out with changing flies. The stiff 1 piece butts also came with butt diameters of about .023 to .018 if I remember correctly. These Twin Tips were also instrumental in getting anglers to learn the nail knot. Cortland included a red plastic tube to put the end under the loops for the nail knot. Though the tippets were alittle too long for alot tastes, this was an excellent leader, especially using the nail knot.

What is the requirements of the tippet and fly in relation to the energy transmitted to it? It must dissipate the energy. Without this, the fly will slap heavily on the water. The longer and finer, softer material the greater the dissipation. Too long, though, won't turn the fly over correctly. Larger, heavier flies need more retained energy to be turned over.

The answer for serious fly fishermen is to tie their own leaders. You cannot be a "complete angler" unless you understand leaders and can tie your own. No only is it simple, but cheaper, allows you to experiment easily and gives you the much needed practice on knots. With this knowledge and experience you'll be able to adopt your leader to various conditions.

Start by either purchasing a leader tying kit or individual spools. In general, from stiff to soft, Mason, Maxima, Dai-riki, Orvis, Climax, Umpqua, Cortland. Rio offers different stiffnesses for various purposes. Kit purchases give usually give different spools but all of the same stiffness. Whatever way you go is not critical as you'll be adding different spools as your knowledge grows to experiment with. For example, the new kevlar tippets are big news at this time. They are of a white, flat construction and extremely strong. They seem to be ideal for salt water, and perhaps an overkill for trout, but only time will tell.

Follow the rule of leaders above and pick any taper that suits your fancy to start with. Attach the leader butt to the line with a nail knot and each other section to section with the barrel knot. Initially make the leader with all stiff material. Take it out and test it. You test a leader by watching how it reacts. Does it turn over smoothly. If there is any mis-match you can see it. Experience will tell you whether to compensate by using longer sections of a specific diameter, or add or subtract diameters in between.

Once you're satisfied with the turn over, starting with the tippet and working towards the butt, replace the hard materials with softer material. At a certain stage you'll see a noticable difference in the turnover. Go one step back. Or, many good anglers just stay with the hard material down to 4x and use soft material downwards for trout. Bass bugging may stick with all hard material, along Salmon-Steelhead and salt water fly fishers. The bigger and more wind resistent the fly, the stiffer the material the better.

With the limpness of today's soft materials, and high pound test, you should run your own test for kinking and twisting. Take a few makes of 7x make 5 turns in a 18" section, tie a scale to an end and see what it breaks at. 10 turns? Stretch it tight a few times. Does it kink up?

Cut off the nail knot and try a braided loop. On fine tippet trout angling you'll see a serious difference. An actual break in the transmision of energy. Braided loops don't even start to work well till 6 weight lines are being cast. Most experience anglers don't like them at all in the casting line or leader and if they are placed there, 9 weight and up. Leader to backing, spey lines O.K. If you do use them, don't trust the "chinese finger" and crazy glue. If you do use them, don't trust the "chinese finger" and crazy glue. Take the shrink wrapping and throw it away, because in use, it stretches and ends up sliding up and down the line. Use a whip wrap on the end of the braid and a coat of crazy glue on the wrap.

Once you're into leaders and realize what you can see just by watching the turn overs, you'll wonder how you did it before.

ENTOMOLOGY, OR LEARN LATIN

Grey Fox

Not everyone knows what it means but if you're a flyfisher person you know it's importance to fishing success.

Twenty years ago, the concensus seemed to be that if you realize that it occurs and had the basic selection of flies, such as Flick's Streamside Guide patterns, had read the book, you didn't need any more. The other advantage anglers of those days had was lower fishing pressure and the taking of limits. Attractors were great percentage of the fly box. Trout didn't stay around long enough to get educated. Conversations of yesteryear went "what's on the water?" with the reply "Royal Wulff". There are still those who believe there is such a thing as a Royal Wulff hatch, but if there is, what that means to one angler may not be the same to the next and certainly, not to the fish.

Today flyfishers who don't know at least the minimal latin genus and species, cannot communicate easily with other anglers. What's on the water? An olive spinner, some yellowish duns and some caddis emerging. The olive spinner you can lock in, if you know the size. The yellowish dun you must know the size, but knowing if it's an ephemerella dorothea, invaria, rotunda, or maybe a potmanthus, will tell you the options of presentation. Blue wing olives on the water! Are they attenuata, cornuta, lata or baetis. Sizes of these blue wing olives range for 14 to 24.

Serious anglers have to know their flies or they'll be at a disadvantage. Along with the genus and species, you have to know the common flies that match the latin. Ephemerella subvaria, Hendrickson. Hey, that's not hard. You should know some of them already. Trico, that's short for tricorythodes. Baetis, that's baetis. Isonychia, that's isonychia bicolor in latin. But bicolor is easy to remember in that the isonychia has two colored forelegs. White Gloved Howdy is the name of one of the flies that imitates it. So now you even know what color the end of the leg is.

Not only should you think in genus and species, but to be a complete angler, you must learn to tie. And well. If you start tying and are tying Hendricksons, think in terms of "3 subvarias done, 3 more subvarias to go. When driving to and from the river with your fishing buddy, talk in the genus, species terms. Though both of you may not remember the latin, but one of you should, and if neither does, when you get home and look it up, it'll give you a reason to call.

It not as tough as you think. Likely the main river you angle has about 10 predominant mayflies. Find out what they are. If you haven't identified they yourself, ask the local flyshops and/or anglers. After you've been told, identify them yourself. Get a good entomology book and the Borger Color Guide, a Catch the Hatch, and you're on your way. This could be the best 50.-75. investment in fly fishing. The Borger Color Guide has a neat pad with all the pertinent headings, so make use of them and keep these records. On this road, nothing is written in stone, unless you write it. Take your own measurements on the flies you capture. Color varies from sections of the country to limestone content. Anyone who's been lucky enough to fish the sulpurs, ops, sorry, ephemerella dorotheas, in central PA knows they have a distinct orange color upon emergence.

Most flyfishers classify caddis as caddis. If you fish an area that has more than two distinct caddisfly hatches, you should learn them also. In the best caddis areas this will usually be not more than five.

Studying entomology not only lets you tell what's in and on the water, but how they act. When the trico spinners come back. That baetis may be emerging while the spinners are returning. That ephemerella subvaria spinners have yellow egg sacks, and somehow the trout target on them. Don't try to buy subvaria spinners with egg sacks, so learn how to tie them.

To help you on the path of entomology, check the Patterns database. Try and lock in the insects that you should encounter. Learn latin! The satisfaction and knowlege will almost be as enjoyable as the ability to release more fish.

Fly Fishing Buying

Grey Fox

For computer users an old tried and true axium is don't buy or use any software with .0 as a version. For flyfishers, it's the same.

The rush to get a product out to market is so great that adequate design, production methods, costs and testing are thrown to the wolves. Where there is a sophistocated market, these practices are met with strong consumer resistence. How many people will rush out to purchase a radically designed car, lawnmower or toaster? Yet, any item that has a hint of making someone a better angler, provided with good advertising copy, has buyers standing it line with money in hand. Even better is when the angling periodicals, reviews and ads say you'll never be successful without it.

Remember, periodicals, most periodical reviews and ads are supported by sales and ads revenue. It there's anyone besides the manufacturer that has a vested interest it's these same sources.

Think and think again. What is the product replacing? If it's a rod in a complete line of rods, what would make it better than it's predecessor. Taper, material, finish, price? Why was it replaced, and introduced? Material, which usually means cutting edge, is a red flag. High percentage breakage of cutting edge materials is usually the norm.

Fly fishing has a glorious history and so do it's products. The really good products have evolved.

If you have any questions or doubts about an item, use the Fly Fishing Network's ProductReview search. These reviews are members views based upon price, usage and practicality. And they are the only reviews done on a relative basis.

Let's look at some real world hype. A new configurable reel system has come on the market priced with 4 spool for bonefish, tarpon offshore and spey fishing list for 1,881. Purchasing the frame with just a single frame will run $890-900. Extra frame $743. Simply put this reel's raison d'etre is to save by using one frame, with 4 different spools to cover all salt water fly fishing. Some of the specs are: The light bonefish spool-for bonefish, stripers, permit land dorado-accommodates 7 to l0weight lines: it ll hold 290 yards of 20pound backing (Dacron) with a 7weight line, or 190 yards of 30 pound with an 8weight. This largearbor spool retrieves up to a foot of line per revolution. Wt. 11.7 oz.

The tarpon spool, for line weights 8 through 12, holds 730 yards of 20 pound backing with an 8 weight and 370 yards of 30pound with a 12weight. Wt. 12.8 oz.

The offshore spool, for marlin and tuna, accommodates line weights 10 through 12, with capacities of 490yards of 30pound backing with a 10weight line and 470 yards of 30pound with a 12 weight. A unique feature of this spool is that the inside face bears curving edges like the vanes of a turbine engine; this design element sucks in air to cool the reel when a big fish is taking out line. Wt. 13.2 oz.

There is also a Spey spool for line weights 10 through I2. Wt. 12.3 oz.

The standard for bonefish reels has always been WF8, 200 yds #20, weight 7-8 oz. Tarpon reels WF12, 200 yds #30, weight 9-11 oz.

Do you feel the said configurable reel would really fit your requirements for bonefish and tarpon?

We're not done with hype yet. This reel was named 1996 Best of Show by Fly Tackle Dealer. Don't blame Fly Tackle Dealer, their job is to get interest in new products. and hype is the shortest route. 1995 Best of Show was the Bauer reel. Bauer version 1.0 had some serious problems, so much so that it was re-designed and version 1.1 spools cannot be used on version 1.0 frames, or vise versa.

About now you've cross this configurable reel of your salt water want list but you still have a need for salt water quality reels for your use.

Go to the ProductReview database, check out big game fly reels. Two makers score consistently higher marks than the competition: Abel and Penn. Interesting, they are at different ends of the price range. Abel the high at 350. for their trout models up to 1,600. Penn 1.5 at 330. to their 4 AR at 450. Purchase a set of either Abels or Penns and with the money you saved, look into another fly rod.

American reel making history is rich in tradition. Vom Hofe, Walker and others, was a family tradition, passing from generation to generation. Improvements came through evolution. Today many of the reel companies came about from high tech machine shops wanting to fill in down time.

While we're on the subject of reels, lately there have been alot of orders for disk drag trout reels. Normally, we don't like to comment to customers on their choices. But disk drag really has no place in trout reels. And they cost more. Actually, it real life, disk drags aren't really in it at all. For trout reels, pawl and lever spring and big game, cork drags are still king.

You tell your kids not to believe everything they see and hear in toy commercials. We're telling you the same thing regarding fly fishing tackle. It fact, we'll take it a step further. The more endorsements an item has, run, don't walk from it. Think. Research. Quality doesn't need copy or endorsing. It's just there.