Advanced float fishing concepts(link to my story)

[Ironhead]

Heres a link to a story I just wrote for my site, should be useful to Notebook metalheads.
http://www.bentrods.ca/page148.htm

[dardevle]

Great article Rod!  Well said!  After fishing with you a few times, this is a great explanation of why you could consistantly pluck fish out from behind us.  There is a serious equipment part of the equation and a very serious technique component.  You can't learn what to do without the proper rod and once you have that you can start to apply the very important techniques you describe.  Some guys(including me) could really improve their float fishing skills if they would leave all other techniques at home and fish behind a good angler and learn to fish ALL water effectively with a float.  I've seen you do it!

[Jeff]

Very nice, Rod.  And just what Mrs. Jeff wants to hear... Hey, Babe, I need another rod

My 10 footer is quite a nice rod on smaller water, but I certainly see your point and could use one quite a bit longer on the larger water around here (read: Hoh!).

Thanks!!!

Jeff

[Ironhead]

I have actually become so impressed with the long rod and it's versatilty , that I favor it on creeks as well. On small creeks with heavy cover even, a tiny flick of the wrist is all thats needed to make casts and once hooked a fish is easily controlled with the big pole.

Problem is I have a room full of 10 - 12 ft rods , most custom built, that will never see water again, guess it's time for a sale.
I could always use another good spoon/spinner rod, anyone wanna trade??.

I must mention that I feel I have so much to yet learn about float fishing and just want to share some of the things I have learned in 20 years of practising it. Always look forward to others insights.

[Fllyfishy]

Great article Rod. 

[dardevle]

I was fishing yesterday and thought about the long rod.  Funny thing was that I was actually on a very small river(200 cfs).  A long rod is very helpful on the very big rivers but often you gain control on the longest casts but much of the water fishes well without much manipulation.  This is because the water, in  general, gradually moves faster the further you go out so often it fishes nicely without any major mending.  On small rivers that are less than a cast accross often put soft water lies on the far side, immediately adjacent to the fastest water in the river.  I was toting a 10.5 footer and on a few occassions wished I had a longer rod so I could maintain a direct rod to float connection to keep the drift slow.  Often I short-changed my presentation because it was difficult to keep my mainline off the fast water.  I found this lack of length possibly more troublesome than fishing the huge river with the same rod length.  On a big river you can only fish as far as you can cast.  A steelheader should be able to fish all water well on a small stream.  Granted I'm being a little picky, in that I was able to fish the water probably good enough, but why not have a 13 footer and do it right!!

[Ironhead]

 
When you come up to fish the vedder Mike, I'll lend you my 12.5 footer, see how ya like it, it's the training wheels for the longer rods.

I hate having fast water ruin my perfect drift on any size stream, and having to stick my arms way up in the air and stand on my tip toes is not the answer.

Any fish materializing your way Mike??.