July 15th, 1999
We have good, controversial subjects in this edition of
GuideLines, like Knots, and Which Hand to reel with, along with suggestions to a Scottish
Reel-Timer for his trip to Florida.
Question: Tarpon
Reel Advice
"I have a Teton LA 12 being set up for an upcoming tarpon trip to Naples. I am
right handed. Which is the preferred wind side, right or left, and what are the
advantages/disadvantages of each? Sincerest Thanks," Bill B.
Answer:
Capt. Bob Rodgers said: "Hi Bill, This is one of
those Which Came First questions, to which there are really no definitive answers, but
endless debate. I personally cast and reel with my right hand for the following reason: My
right hand is faster, stronger, and more coordinated. Tarpon have the ability to make
extremely long runs. During the course of a fight with a hot fish you will be expected to
recover incredible amounts of backing as fast as you possibly can. I believe that using
the dominant hand accomplishes this best. The argument about using the left hand to reel
with, brought forward by most right-handed anglers, is that it keeps their strongest hand
on the rod. At first glance their argument seems perfectly plausible, until you consider
the fact that in order to move a fish the size of a large tarpon, you're going to have to
use both hands to pump or lift it anyway. After a lifting stroke the need for power is
over, as you are simply lowering the rod as you recover line. I'm able to do that fastest
with my right hand on the reel. Lest you think that I am just set in my ways on this
question, when I was guiding for salmon, steelhead and trout in the Pacific Northwest, I
reeled with my left hand. Whichever hand you decide to reel with, you'll always be in good
company. There are many great anglers who prefer each method." ANSWER Capt. Chris
Duncan (nativecharters@email.msn.com)
said: "I would put the handle on the left side if I were right handed; I'm left
handed and reel with my right hand. This would make it easier to fight the fish, with your
strong arm with the fly rod and reeling with your left hand. I would tell them you would
like a left hand retrieve and they can do that with no problem."
Question: BUDGET
FISHING IN FLORIDA
"Hi, I'm a keen trout flyfisherman from Scotland looking at the possibility of
some fishing during a family holiday to Florida this July. It looks very exciting, but
also very expensive. Is it possible to hire a boat yourself without a guide and find fish?
Paying $350 to $400 per day may be OK for some but I work in the education sector! Can you
point me towards a budget trip? I'm interested in bonefish, tarpon, and snook, probably in
that order. I look forward to any advice or leads you can give - many thanks." Martyn
H.
ANSWER:
Answer:
Kris Thoemke (kris@florida-outdoors.com)
outdoor writer with Florida Outdoors, replied: "Sure you can rent a boat. Many
marinas around the state have small boats for rent. Just call around and find one. But,
even though you save money on a guide, you will do better on catching and learn more about
fishing if you hire a guide. They provide the equipment and license, plus they know where
and how to catch fish. On your own, you are going to have to figure that out and if you
have never fished in Florida before, that may not be as easy as it sounds."
Capt. Bob Rodgers added: "You
didn't say what areas of Florida you planned to visit, but for bonefish you will need to
fish the section from Biscayne Bay to Key West. First you might want to take a look at the
Regional Overview
for Miami to Key West in the FishWires segment of Reel-Time, in order to familiarize
yourself with the general conditions. There are several spots where you can wade fish for
bonefish in the Keys, such as Anne's Beach, Long Key State Park, and Bahia Honda State
Park, and you can get directions and more specific information from local tackle shops
when you arrive. It is possible to catch tarpon from the bridges at night, although you
will not enjoy the thrill of seeing the fish before or during the fight, and it will quite
likely break you off in a very short time. Most of the anglers who fish the bridges are
using bait tackle. Occasionally snook are also caught under the bridges at night, but for
sight fishing for all three of these species you will have better luck in a boat. Your
best bet would be to try to budget at least one day with a guide at the beginning of your
trip. That way you will know what to look for in terms of the fishing, and you will get an
idea of how to not run aground or get stranded on a flat when the tide drops. The west
coast of Florida also has a good tarpon and snook fishery, so check out the sponsors of
Reel-Time for the pertinent areas on the home page too, for contact numbers and local
fishing information. The Florida State Park system also has a decent website (www.abfla.com/parks) which can point you to other
sources."
Question: KNOTS
"There are any number of books detailing scores of knots that are available to
saltwater fly fishermen for building leaders and affixing flies. It seems that every
outing with a guide yields at least one new view how and why two particular pieces of mono
should be joined in a particular manner, not to mention the hard vs. soft mono debate. For
the serious amateur, are there some universal truths and principles that can be applied to
the selection process to simplify it?" Jim R.
Answer:
Spencer Marchant (fishnrods@yahoo.com), custom rod builder and fly
tyer from North Carolina, responded: "Universal truth. Five to six feet of Mason
20-pound hard mono nail knotted to the fly line is about the only thing I have ever tried
that works great every time for inshore fishing. I have found that length is the only
worry if you are targeting spooky fish, like schooling drum in quiet water. HOWEVER, I
have never encountered any bonefish so I can't say what they like to see. I feel that for
building leaders- if we must build them for some special purpose - the mono to mono
connection for similar pound-test lines should be made using a blood knot. Blood knots
work great because when they are cinched down they are in a way a kind of mono crimp. That
is to say that the mono sections are mashed together as equally as the are con-joined. If
you are talking about bite tippets, then it really depends on the size of the terminal
mono vs. the leader. 20-pound mono joins to 100-pound fluorocarbon very well using the
double uni-knot. The only problem with this knot for smaller diameter mono is that the
sliding of the knot when it is going to butt up against the other knot often causes
extreme line abrasion and unnecessary friction. If IGFA rules are of no concern then you
can join 100-pound mono to, say, 10-pound by tying a Bimini in the end of the terminal
section of mono and then double uni-knotting as directed above. To prevent slips in this
system (and to make it easier to wind on if you are going that route) I will tie a series
of half-hitches around the larger mono section with the tag end of the smaller section
before I trim it away. This helps keep the smaller portion from slipping out for some
reason. Huffnagle knots I feel are simply too bulky. For what they are worth in
convenience and applicability to various mono sizes, I just feel that the offset nature of
the knot is too much for winding on. If you are fishing with a guide who can leader your
fish - fine. If not it is good to get as much line back on the reel [as possible] so you
can put the maximum amount of heat on the fish."
Answer:
Capt. Bob Rodgers added: "I
think part of the fun of fishing with other people is getting a chance to listen to their
thoughts on many different subjects, including knots. I guess the answer to the first part
of your question is, as long as the knot is strong and does the job for which you intend
it, there is no right or wrong knot. I do believe that for the most secure connections in
monofilament, the materials should be from the same manufacturer. I have had knot failures
in the past while attempting to join different types of mono. Consistency is the key in
tying knots that won't fail. There are no short cuts to becoming proficient at a
particular knot. As in most other endeavors, practice is the key to perfection. My answer
to your hard versus soft mono debate (and it differs from Spencer's, but that's the point
of this forum) is to use a softer but larger diameter mono nail-knotted to the flyline for
the butt section. For flylines of 6- to 8-weight, 30-pound Berkley Trilene Big Game works
for me, and on flylines of 9- to 12-weight, I've had good luck with Pradco's 50-pound
Super Silver Thread. I expect you could get good results with Ande and other premium grade
monofilaments. Leader formulas abound, but here is one I've used with great success for
bonefish, seatrout, redfish, and permit - fish that don't require a bite section. Butt: 4
1/2 feet of 50-pound; followed by 1 foot of 40-pound; 1 foot of 30-pound; 8 inches of
20-pound; and 30 inches of the tippet of your choice (bonefish 10-pound; permit 12-
15-pound.) You can easily adjust the lengths of each section to lengthen or shorten the
overall leader. I join the sections with blood knots up to the tippet. On the section next
to the tippet, I tie in a triple surgeon's loop knot on both this section and the tippet,
and loop them together. This enables me to quickly and easily change tippets without
modifying my overall leader length. It's simple, and it works. Good luck."
Thanks, everyone, for your inexhaustible supply of
intriguing questions. We never know where they will take us next - from Fiji to British
Columbia, from bonefish flies to trolling motors, and Anegada, and float tubes… Well,
we'll get them to you as room allows. And special thanks for the thoughtful answers we
receive from the good people of the fly fishing world. Keep those questions coming!
Bob and Sandy Rodgers |
