In my last blog, I brought you an amusing letter from Gaston Chan and his “straw-shrimp” tying recipe . I hope it brought you a chuckle.
Now comes a slightly more practical (OK, a much more practical) tip from reader Ron Schwartz of Naples, Florida. It’s a simple one, but I’m sure it’ll be beneficial to some fly-fishers.
Ron credits his good friend Gregory Johnson, whom, he says, “never fails to impress me with his ability to find simple and creative solutions that help make your experience even more enjoyable.”
So what’s the tip? It’s simple. Gregory uses hair clips to hold together broken-down fly rods for easier traveling.
Ron writes: “How many times have you gone from one location to another and have had to breakdown your (4-piece) rod only to reassemble it when you got to the next location? Before you breakdown the rod in two equal 54-inch pieces, place the fully-rigged fly hook on the guide just above the 54-inch break. Pop off the top two sections and lay them over the bottom two. Tighten the loose fly line, and clamp on two Goody Ladies Hair Claw Clips. Use a small one at the top of the folded section and a larger one on the bottom, using the cork handle to support the top end of the fly rod.”
Of course, if you’re fishing from a boat with rod storage that can accommodate fully rigged, 9-foot fly rods, you don’t need to worry about this while on the water. But it’s certainly helpful in smaller craft, and, as Ron says, it’s a great way for transporting rigged rods in a car. These clips can also be purchased in virtually any drug or grocery story.
Ron was kind enough to send some images, which you can check out here.
Give it a try. And thanks for sharing the tip, Ron and Gregory,
Mike Mazur
FFSW Editor
Backcasts: On another note, after several months of back-and-forth negotiations regarding the future of the FlyFishing Retailer Trade Show, the American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA) has been released from its contractual agreement with Neilsen Business Media, which for the past several years has owned the rights and licenses to the show.
AFFTA is now “considering multiple options for a 2010 fly fishing industry trade show, including hosting a standalone show or combining with an existing show,” according to a December 1 press release.
The plot thickened on December 5, when the American Sportfishing Association released a statement inviting “AFFTA members, fly fishing retailers and the entire fly fishing industry to attend ICAST 2010 (International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades) being held this coming July in Las Vegas.”
The fact that AFFTA now has direct control over the fly show is a positive development. Where it goes from here is anyone’s guess. Stay tuned for more…
