Tri-County Fly Fishers

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (December, 2010)

After 57 years of fly fishing and tying, I would like to share lessons learned and thoughts, with my friends. First and foremost, ours is a �gentleman's sport�. That simply means there are some basic rules we should follow in fairness to our environment and our fellow fishermen. So we will start this column with trout fishing, where fly fishing also began.

1. Do not damage nature's beauty when approaching a stream.

2. Before entering the water, cast to that entry point as it might just have fish waiting for a meal.

3. If another fisherman is in the water nearby, be courteous and do not enter the water but just let him know you are there and will not disturb the water and spook the area. Stay on land and walk a good distance from him before entering the water above or below him well out of his casting range.

4. Do not discard any trash of any type into the environment., carry it with you and dispose of it in a trash can when you get to one.

5. When you leave, leave nothing but your foot steps behind.

6. To protect your rod when walking to a destination it is best to keep the rod parallel to the ground and the tip behind you especially in a wooded area. With the tip out or above your head you will surely catch a tree branch or a shrub and break the tip.

7. In any river, be aware of the possibility that there is a dam on that body of water and generally if you hear an alarm or other loud signal or if you notice the water rising or beginning to flow faster, prepare to leave the water as water has been released from the damn and is capable of knocking you off your feet.

8. When wading in fairly deep or fast water be sure to have a wading staff.

9. Felt soled wading boots are safer than hard soled as rocks can be very slippery.

10. Most trout fishermen release fish unharmed to be caught another day. If legal, keeping fish for dinner is OK, but think about fooling that fish another time and the fun you had fooling him.

Until next time, keep your fly dry and your line tight. -- Ed " Soggybottom " Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (January, 2011)

The most important part of our fly fishing gear is our fly line. However I will discuss the second most important item, the fly rod, first.

Since there is no standard used by manufacturers, using the stated line weight given to a rod is more a guide than a true designation -- it "gets you in the ball park" but for you it may be right on the button. For example, Loomis rods are designed by Steve Rajeff, the world's greatest long distance caster. He designs a rod and it casts as he wants it to for, as an example, a 6 weight -- it suits his style and ability perfectly. Sage designs a 6 weight to their designers specs and their rod casts as their designers capabilities dictate -- again, their style of casting. If your style matches either of their styles, that rod might just be on the button for you. However the average caster, you and me, do not have the perfect stroke, strength of back and forward cast and consistency that Rajeff or other designers have, so our style is quite different . That being the case, we may find that overlining or underlining may be in order to "tune" that 6 weight to satisfy our style.

No matter what weight your rod may be it can take a line several weights above the stated weight as it does this all of the time. Since the first 30 feet of line on that rod is the "standard" for that rod then realize that any more line added to your 30 foot cast is the equivalent of a much heavier line. .So a 6 weight may be casting the equivalent of a 9 weight depending on how much line is out, so the rod can take it. Tuning a rod is not a new idea. Cortland actually makes half weight lines for that purpose. You can buy a 6 1/2 weight for example. However you can accomplish the same effect by cutting small sections of line off the tip (2 to 3 inches at a time) . What you are doing is bringing the line tip closer to the weighted part of the line and you will find that you changed the stated weight of the line. In some cases a lighter line can bring desired results -- so a 5 weight on that same rod might feel better to you and it to can be trimmed to make it a bit heavier if needed to accomplish the feel you like.

Today's rods are miracles of the Space Age. The materials used to build these modern rods were developed for NASA and are totally different from all the previous materials used in the past. These hollow rods have spectacular barrel strength and can handle severe bending without collapsing.

There are few, if any, really bad rods made today as the same technology and similar materials are being used by manufacturers of less expensive rods. Most all manufacturers have entry level rods which are made in China, Japan or Korea and are quite good.

Next time we will cover fly lines and leaders. Until then keep your fly dry and your line tight.
--Ed "Soggybottom " Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (February, 2011)

What is the most important piece of a fly fisherman's equipment ... and why? The fly line. Why? Well you only need the reel to hold the excess line for small to medium sized fish, so we could do without the reel if we had to. How about the rod? As it happens, there are some among us who can cast a fly line with our bare hands, so we can still fish without a rod. Certainly not recommending doing away with great tools, our rods and reels; simply making a point.

Fly lines have improved greatly over the years, especially since NASA-inspired technology development; the polymers used to coat the line's core are space-age materials and are constantly improving. The line's core is a familiar product as some have used braided nylon or dacron as well as twisted versions of these materials. Even monofilament was used, but was pretty much abandoned as it tends to have too much memory making it difficult to cast well � the coils get caught up in the guides and ruin the cast.

There are three basic fly line configurations � level, double tapered and weight forward. Subsets of these configurations are floating, sink tip and full sinking. Metal powder is added to the coating to control its sink rate, but what make the line float in the first place? Would you believe tiny air-filled bubbles?

Each line type has a specific purpose. The sink tip is simply a weighted forward section while the remainder of the line floats. This makes the line easier to remove from the water and cast, but if you need to go deep and fast, a full sinking line is needed.

That is simple enough for all kinds of fishing and the record books are full for record-making fish caught on these basic lines, but manufacturers need to sell lines, so they made �specie specific� lines by lengthening or shortening the tapers which deviate from the �standard� configuration as many are heavier than the standard, thus over weighting the rod and changing casting performance. Do not believe the hype � try to make your own determinations. Use common sense as one cannot afford to buy all the configurations available. Scientific Anglers currently make 451 different lines from $30 to $100 � more gimmick than necessity. You can accomplish the same �tuning� if you want as all these variations of lines produce by cutting small sections of line off the tip (2 to 3 inches at a time). What you are doing is bringing the line tip closer to the weighted part of the line, thus changing the taper and weight of the line.

Until next time, keep your fly dry and line tight. -- Ed "Soggybottom " Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (March, 2011)

When it comes to fly lines, you have a bewildering number of lines to choose from. Oddly enough, for the most part, just three or four manufacturers in the United States manufacture these hundreds and hundreds of different lines. Most private label lines of rod manufacturers are made by Scientific Anglers and Cortland .

The question is, �Why do we need so many kinds of fly lines?� Quite frankly, we don't, but the manufacturers do because they need to keep selling fly lines to stay in business. In order to accomplish this, special tapers are developed, many of which are slight variations of standard tapers, but given special names with all kinds of hype to try and convince you that you need them. Some are actually useful and do a certain job a bit better than standard, especially if the user is not quite as good a caster as he should be. A bonefish line, for example, is designed to land gently even at a long distance, but a good caster can get a gentle lay-down with a standard taper lines. So, in my opinion, species-specific lines are not really necessary for fly fishing. Both a sea trout and a bluegill can be both caught effectively on a standard taper.

(A bass taper line is quite useful in salt water as it was always used for salt water when salt water fishing with fly rods first started. It worked well as it has a shorter taper with more mass to load the rod quickly for casting when windy.)

Sinking lines are rather newcomers of sorts to fly fishing as they have replaced the split shot on the leader which made casting a bit more difficult.

In short, certain gimmicks should be taken lightly. Use what you have and you think is right and gets the job done. If, however, it does not do what you want that line to do, even after practice sessions, then seek advice by speaking to someone who is knowledgeable in line selection.

Now for leaders � ready made knotless leaders in varying lengths are superb. Knotted leaders are traditional and sold, but you can learn to tie leaders for maximum turnover depending on you casting style. For trout, the water you are fishing will dictate the length, the most popular being nine and twelve feet and many times, fifteen feet. For bass and the sunfish family, delicate turnover is not critical; a four or five foot 12-pound single piece of monofilament and, sometimes, with an added short section of a lighter monofilament of about two to three feet works.

In salt water, however, we often use a similar leader, but in the 15-pound class and about a foot or two longer for the smaller inshore species. When fishing the flats, use a more robust leader material as you will encounter oyster beds and toothy fish which will wear through your leader.

Check your leaders often for wind knots as they considerably reduce the breaking strength of monofilament.

Until next time, keep you fly dry. -- Ed "Soggybottom " Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (April, 2011)

While we touched lightly on leaders in our last article, we can explain in more detail how to choose a proper size tippet for trout fishing. We simply apply the Rule of 4. If we were to use a fly tied on a size 28 hook we simply divide that by 4 and since 4 goes into 28, 7 times the best size tippet will be a 7X.

For uneven numbers one size over or under could be used. For example if your fly is an 18 a size 4X will do but a 5X would work as well. I prefer the heavier size in this case and would use the 4X, but that is my choice for the slightly extra strength. Remember, the higher the X-number the lower the tippet strength. Like many things in this fishing style many things do not follow a pattern. In hook sizes the higher the number the smaller the hook where as in leaders the larger the tippet size the finer the diameter .

Speaking of diameters there is the rule of 11 which says you deduct the X-number, in thousandths, from 0.011, for the approximate diameter of the tippet. For example, for a 5X, 0.011-0.005=0.006 or six thousandths of an inch diameter.

For the approximate breaking strength of the tippet the Rule of 9 applies. Subtract the X-size from 9 to get approximate pound breaking strength.

These are not hard and fast rules as technology today has enabled manufacturers to make finer and stronger mono but they get you into the ballpark.

Once again, ready-made knotless leaders are great but for those of us who prefer to tie our own leaders, please use the same manufacturer's material to keep the sections uniform . A good working trout leader formula is 50% butt section, 25% mid-section and 25% tip section...each section tied with a good Blood Knot so a 12 foot leader would have 6 foot butt, a 3 foot mid-section and a 3 foot tip section. Some prefer a 60%-20%-20% formula...try both and choose what is best for you.

Our next session will cover fly reels, so until then, tight lines and keep your fly dry. -- Ed "Soggybottom " Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (May, 2011)

Fly Reels were originally designed as a simple way to store fly line while fishing for trout. Over the years impressive changes have taken place mainly due to those who brought fly rods to fish salt water. Lee Wulff, in an early film, is seen fishing from a john boat with a solid white glass Garcia rod and a simple single action reel with nothing more than finger pressure to apply drag while landing a rather large tarpon.

Our reels rarely had backing since long distance casts were not the norm for trout fishing. At best we generally added backing to increase the size of the arbor to bring line in faster. Then came the Medallist a single action reel with a simple drag not much better than the usual “click” drags on simple reels but they were an advance. We never really fought our trout off the reel.

Saltwater fly reels are powerful and are indeed used to fight fish off the reel and have become quite expensive. Some fresh water reels have added some design elements of their saltwater cousins and are great for bass fishing and those designs have been added to trout reels as well. So times have changed and our tackle right along with it.

Trout fishing traditionalists, however, will have no part of it. They will only use their cane rods and simple but well made reels and some even go as far as to only use pure silk fly lines.

In other words the type of equipment you choose to use is simply a matter of choice. Use what you feel is appropriate for the job at hand. There are those among us who prefer ultra lights as light as triple ought rods and lines. So far my lightest is an older Orvis one weight, fun to cast for panfish and, hopefully, this year for trout.

Until next time, tight lines and keep your fly dry. -- Ed "Soggybottom " Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (June, 2011)

How many times have you heard “such and such is the perfect all around fly rod"? There is no rod that can do everything well. A real trout rod for example is designed to be slow, soft action which protects tippets. Sure you can take it out to the flats for lady fish or other salt water species, but even if you caught a fish, could you get it in quickly ? Or if you caught a largemouth bass could you pull him out of the weeds without a lot of effort. The action is too soft. Now if you used a stiffer rod , fast action, and tried to make a short cast with it on a trout stream you would have difficulty loading it for the often times short casts of as little as fifteen feet. If you had a twelve foot tapered trout leader on you would be using only a couple of feet of fly line out the tip -- not enough to load the rod, you would be essentially casting the leader, not an efficient cast. And so it goes. You should match the rod to the job at hand to make this sport worthwhile and enjoyable, so choose the middle size of that category.

If your wallet does not allow you to have a number of rods then choose a rod within a particular category which is the best compromise in that category. In a trout rod, a 6 weight is considered by most to be efficient for small brookies, larger bows and browns, so one rod is all you need for economy. That rod can double for small sun fish as well. Not the perfect solution, but workable.

Fast rods are sometimes too fast for anything less than large reds and any number of large salt species, so designers designed medium fast rods, and these can sometimes do double duty depending on the weight designation. The lighter ones can be used for trout but require finesse. It then goes without saying that practice with those rods to get them to do what you want is a serious consideration.

There are some who have chosen to use one rod for almost all fish no matter what size. One is a friend Bill Byrd ,an excellent fly fisherman and writer who loves the challenge of fishing for all fish with a 1 weight down to a triple-ought weight rod. Check him out at http://www.byrdultrafly.com/ . Amazing.

Until next time, tight lines and keep your fly dry. -- Ed "Soggybottom " Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (July, 2011)

So far we have covered fly rods, fly lines, leaders, reels and tippets. As stated before, the fly line is the most important element of the five when it comes to successful fly fishing. Now we are going to cover proper maintenance of this item.

When a fly line is wrapped around a reel’s arbor, especially if the reel is kept in a car sitting in the sun, it takes a set causing it to look like a coiled spring when unreeled. These coils will ruin a cast by jamming into the guides. These coils can be stretched out by tensioning the line between your hands in four-foot sections or by tying off the line to something solid, unreeling the line and tensioning the entire line all at once.

(If fly reels are going to be stored for a long period of time, the fly line should be removed from the reel and stored in a cool dark place in loose coils.)

All fly line should be cleaned after use in salt water and every other use in fresh water there is no clean fishing water left on this planet and dirty lines do not cast as well nor last as long as clean lines.

Cleaning lines is a simple matter. Fill a basin with cold water and a little mild hand and face soap and pull the line through a wet towel in the water. (Do NOT use dish detergents as they are designed to remove grease and will damage the lines slick coating.) Dry the line on a clean cloth or paper towel and when dry, dress the line with a commercial product made for dressing modern fly lines or a silicone product such as Son Of A Gun or Armorall. Apply it with a clean cloth and the run it through a clean cloth again to remove any excess and buff it at the same time.

When using very light weight fly line, the tip of the line to which the leader is fastened is a narrow running line and contains the least amount of �air bubble� in the coating which keeps it floating. This end may sink in fast moving water which can swamp the line, leader and fly. A few false casts will shed the water and dry these areas and will float once again. When re-dressing a floating line, particular attention should be given to the end section of the line by applying a second coat.

I might add that there are fly floatants available at any Fly Shop which can be applied to flies when they lose their buoyancy -- some are liquid, gel and salve-like. Words of caution however, do NOT apply these products to the fly line, just to the leader and tippet for additional flotation.

(On sink tip fly lines, do not apply fly line dressing to the sinking portion unless you use weighted sub-surface flies as the dressing has a tendency to make the sinking tip portion float.)

Large arbor reels are somewhat helpful in reducing unwanted coils but that was and still is accomplished by adding backing to even a trout reel with small arbors. The addition of backing increases the diameter of the arbor. Despite the larger arbor coils will take a “set” and stretching the line is still suggested.

Washing a reel is also good practice, especially after salt water use. After washing and drying spray with WD 40 not as a lubricant but to remove all moisture. Let it stand for an hour or two and then lubricate where needed.

Your lines will last much longer and your reels can last a lifetime.

Until next time, tight lines and keep your fly dry. -- Ed "Soggybottom " Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (August, 2011)

Today we will discuss in greater detail the subject of fly fishing leaders. As we have said in the past, fly fishing started as a method of catching trout with artificial bait imitating virtually weightless insects, both floating and sub-surface.

It was clear that trout are extremely wary and spook easily by anything that is not �normal�. Splashing down of the line had to be eliminated and was accomplished over the years by adding tapered leaders to tapered fly lines. A nearly weightless floating fly had to land gently on the water first to maintain its floatability and to land so gently that it's landing would be unnoticed by a trout. We cast not to the fish but to an area above the fish and allow the fly to be brought to the fish by the flow of water as the natural insects do.

The idea for a tapered leader is to have a smooth transition from the large diameter fly line to the tippet. A fly fishing pioneer, Charles Ritz, created a leader formula used to this day, although small variations have been introduced, but in my opinion his original formula is the simplest and best. His formula suggests a 50%-25%-25% application. This means that a substantial butt section of mono close to, but less than, the diameter of the tip section of the fly line should be half the length of the entire leader, and the next two sections of decreasing diameter should each be one-quarter of the entire length.

Here is the recipe for a 12 foot leader: six foot butt section, three foot midsection and a three foot tip section and finally the tippet of appropriate size and length for the fly is then tied on the end of the leader. An example of the diameter monofilament used would be 20 pound test, 15 pound test and 8 pound test for, say, a 5wt line.

One very important factor is to use only leader materials by the same manufacturer and, of course, the use of blood knots to join the leader sections. A surgeons knot is appropriate for attaching the tippet portion.

Any variations of this formula will bring satisfactory results so experiment if you tie your own leaders, but if you prefer the convenience of commercial knotless leaders, then by all means use them as they have become more dependable and consistent than were the early versions. The point is to get the best roll over presentation possible for trout fishing.

These delicate leaders are really not required for fishing salt water or other species of fresh water fish. A two piece leader of say 12 lb. and 6 lb. monofilament would suffice for fresh water and even a single piece for salt unless a really gentle presentation is required (like when targeting tailing redfish or bonefish), but if you want to use a trout leader and they work for you go right ahead. Never give up experimentation and enjoy your day.

By the way, should you have a question about fly fishing and gear feel free to contact the Website, [email protected]. We will include it a future question and answer Lessons Learned.

Until next time, tight lines and keep your fly dry. -- Ed "Soggybottom " Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (September, 2011)

I have been questioned about Kayak preference and casting problems associated with kayaks so we will devote this column to address these questions.

With kayaks, I, for one, prefer sit-in style versus the sit-on-top. I fish all seasons and do not like being wet all the time. I prefer not to wear waders when kayaking, so I shun sit-on-tops. It's probably OK to be wet in the hot summers we have, but our winters do get quite frigid, at least for me, and would force me to wear waders to keep dry and warm ... but that is my preference. I also like the storage space a sit-in provides for my cooler, tackle box and wet wade shoes if I decide to get out and wade. A lot of people find sit-on-top kayaks are perfectly fine for fishing.

When sitting in a kayak, the fisherman's casting form becomes important as your body movement is restricted along with being low to the surface of the water. Good casting form while standing allows complete body movement which helps to make a beautiful graceful cast as we sway from the legs, hips, upper torso, shoulder and forearm, but sitting limits some of those additional movements. Practice casting while seated on the lawn -- it requires proper technique to make the movements smooth rather than jerky and to keep the backcast loops small.

I heard someone say he prefers a sit-on-top because his elbow hits the cockpit edge when he casts from a sit in. I can only say your casting stroke is incorrect to begin with unless you have arms like an orangutan. He also suggested that when anchored and the wind coming from the right, it blows the line (he is right handed) into his head. In teaching basic casting, we explain that all is needed to cast over the opposite shoulder is a simple twist of the wrist to the left to get the upright rod tip to angle over the left shoulder and cast. The line will be on the left side of your head and the wind will blow it away from you.

I have been kayaking here in Florida since 1994 and am quite comfortable and secure in a kayak and have added a stabilizer system to both of my kayaks. Not only to prevent a spill, but more for allowing me to stand so I can pole and cast -- a plus in sight fishing.

Lastly, the question also is strictly a matter of individual preference. What length rod is best in a kayak? There is no best rod. Use what you have and keep practicing different strokes for whatever problem you can think of. I love short fly rods from six feet to eight feet and, yes, I have nine footers as well but learned to make short rods do anything a longer rod can do. I use a 7-1/2 to 8-1/2 foot long rod more often than not for all my casting and for demonstrations at shows for the fly line company I represent. I still practice almost daily despite the fact that I have been fly fishing for 58 years and teaching casting for over 35 years. I make up challenging scenarios and try to devise ways of meeting those challenges -- I enjoy casting for the sake of casting.

If you have any questions, contact me at (352) 787-6791 and perhaps I will be able to answer your question or research it to get you the right answer. If the question is a good one we can do a column on the topic as well.

Until next time, tight lines and keep your fly dry. -- Ed "Soggybottom " Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (October, 2011)

In a previous column, we covered basic leaders but, by choice, did not cover specialty leaders. In days gone by and before the �Modern Era� in fly fishing gear , fly lines were made of very different materials. One such was long hair from horse tails. It was twisted and braided with progressively shorter strands along its length to create a taper. It worked fairly well but had to be dressed heavily to keep it from sinking deeply since hair absorbs water. Today however we have tried braided mono which worked fairly well but had two great faults, they retained water in the braid which caused them to sink and again had to be dressed, but worse, they released water onto the stream heavily during the cast and the splash actually spooked fish.

Finally, furled leaders solved the problem of the splashing. Furled leaders of monofilament or sometimes braided fishing lines or thread were twisted rather than braided much like the twisted horse hair of the old days. What are the advantages you might ask? Today we have floating monofilament which will produce a floating furled leader. In addition a furled leader will turn over perfectly even when held by the butt end and casting it forward by hand and, lastly, they last a long time as tippets are attached with a loop-to-loop as needed.

Furled leaders made commercially are expensive, about $12 on average but are relatively easy to make if one wants to make them with tools you probably have at home. You may or not be aware of it but Club Member George Hintz has been making furled leaders for quite some time now. (Check out Furled Leaders on the Lines, Leaders & Knots section of the Links & Library Page for instructions on how to make these leaders.)

So there you have it, your choice, hand tied leaders, knotless leaders and furled leaders. I have seen a slight variation used on still water trout fishing where great stealth is needed and long leaders. A short furled leader of 4 to 5 feet used as a leader butt section with a long knotted or knotless leader attached -- great turnover and gentle presentation of a dry fly. Try one you might like it. Shorter ones of 6 feet can be used as you use any salt water or fresh water leaders now. Experiment with your gear, that's what keeps this game we love interesting.

Until next time, tight lines and keep your fly dry. -- Ed "Soggybottom " Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (December, 2011)

In response to my previous column, I have been contacted by several club members who requested that I continue the column as they do read it and have learned a few things. This makes continuing worthwhile.

That said, I overheard a fellow say that he has tried other fly lines but Scientific Anglers lines load his rods better. This then presents a question -- if the AFTMA standard is followed then all fly lines at 30 feet should load the same. However , since fly rods have no standard and today's rods are getting faster and faster which means stiffer and stiffer. There is a need for heavier line to load the rod somewhere in that 30 foot section so if you weighed the line you like best, you will be surprised to learn it is stated as a six weight, for example, but weighs a bit more, as much as one line weight more or less over the AFTMA standard. In other words you are over lining the rod. Cortland at least has made Half Weight lines towards this end. That in my view is a more honest approach to the loading problem. Today's rods are quite capable of handling lines two to three weights above the standard.

The next question should be, �Why are they making such fast rods to begin with?� In my opinion because saltwater and bass anglers with little or no experience in trout fishing are not satisfied until they can throw 70 feet of line or more. Fast rods can do that more readily than a soft slow, trout tapered rod which has a gentler presentation of the fly.

An accomplished caster can get the best out of any rod. Novices or poor casters always ask the same question of instructors or good casters, �Can you cast the whole line to the backing?� They think that is the mark of a good caster. A good caster can cast most any distance with accuracy and consistency, but always seeking to maintain complete control of the line. He shuns really long casts and instead tries to get as close to the target as possible without spooking it rather than casting long difficult to control casts.

In conclusion , and as I have said in the past, before buying a new fly line ask to try a different weight line to determine the fit of the line for your level of casting know how. If mail ordering then first ask a friend to let you try a heavier line he may have if you do not have one in your arsenal. Better yet, that's why we offer a clinic at our meetings -- we can provide a line to try. It only requires switching reels to try it out on the grass.

If you have a questions or comments , talk to me , that's what I am here for

Until the next time, keep your fly dry and line tight. Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (January, 2012)

I sometimes think back to simpler times -- my youth, for example, and the conventional fishing I did with my Dad. Dad loved to fish and in the 30's economic times were tough but as a life insurance salesman with the largest book of customers in Prudential history, he made a decent living for the times. He would rent a rowboat out of Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn and we fished the bay which is the entrance to the NY Harbor .We caught fish and I do not remember ever going home with no fish. What I now find curious, my Dad was not a �scientific� angler. By that I mean our bait would be any one of three things, cut up squid, cut up clam strips from huge chowder clams or blood worms -- whichever was cheapest that day. We did not check tides or moon phases. When the mood to fish came up and I was not in school, mostly weekends, we would jump into his car and go out to fish the Bay. He taught me to row those heavy wood rowboats to any place on the bay where we were in no ship's way. We left in broad daylight at no specific time and always returned home before dinner hour. The time was not important. We used proper hooks however for special species, like flounder hooks for large �door mat� flounders on the bottom. Come to think of it, it was all bottom fishing with braided line and lead sinkers, casting only a short distance from the boat. We always caught something, sheepsheads, porgies, mackerel and our favorite blow fish (puffers). He taught me how to clean them....delicious. Sometimes we carried wire crab traps and caught large blue claw crabs which were plentiful.

The point of this story is while I have become a �scientific� fly fisher I have decided that I will be old fashioned and go fishing whenever the mood strikes me. To hell with the tides or moon and getting up at three AM to catch the tide right. Fishing is fun and not a job and so what if I go home skunked.

I think fly fishing taught me that one could have a fantastic day of trout fishing even if you caught no fish, for in fly fishing, a perfect day is a day in which you read the water correctly, your casts were accurate and consistent, and your presentation and drift free floats were perfect. What a great day! No hatch on, so what!!! Look around and enjoy the tranquility and beauty of nature, spook that duck as you round that turn in the river and look there's a nice buck drinking at the water's edge. That attitude has returned, possibly due to my age but more for the longing for simpler times.

Until next time, tight lines and keep your Fly dry. Ed , Soggybottom, Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (February, 2012)

I do not believe today's fly fishermen realize the significant changes in this form of fishing made over the last decade or two. Fly fishing was designed to cast an imitation fur and feathered hook to trout whose diet consisted mainly of aquatic winged insects in their early stages of life, it was thought, hence the name, fly fishing. In short time, sub-surface stages of these insects became popular as wet flies. They represented those creatures which were emerging and preparing to get to the surface to dry their wings for flight. Then fishing even deeper, called nymph fishing, became even more popular as imitations of the nymph stage of these, insects were found to be the true main diet for trout. These nymph flies were not all made of fur and feather, but wire and beads of brass entered the picture mainly to give them weight to get to the bottom of the stream. At about the same time, some pioneering fellows wondered if they could get other species of fresh water fish to eat an artificial creation. Again, starting with fur and feathers but gradually adding the use of other materials, the new flies were found effective on bass. The next progression was to try it in saltwater and that started with fur and feathered creations imitating bait fish. �Are these flies?� the trout purists asked -- they are more like conventional fishing lures instead, but less heavy and fairly easy to cast with a fly rod.

The point of this being that when we read an article on fishing it need not be a fly fishing article at all as it might be an article written for conventional fishing. So what? Read it and learn from it as the habits of fish are the same for all types of fishing. The tactics for catching are the same; the only difference is the lure we choose to use. You tyers out there, take a tip from the other fishing guys -- design a �fly� that resembles the lures baitcasters use and fish it the same way. You can learn from these articles and expert fishing guides who write them. We are not casting flies; we are indeed casting lures or variations of lures. A short Clouser with lead eyes can double as a jig-- learn to bounce it off the bottom as the jig is normally used. The long soft plastic streamers can be duplicated with bucktail and feathers on a lightly weighted hook. The spinner blades can be used with the addition of a clevis to tie onto to prevent fly line twisting and, better yet, a wobbler blade invented by none other than our friend and fly fishing expert Jon Cave. Think about it, if we go that route why not use some of those conventional lures on a fly rod, we are almost there any how -- unless you are a purist, which I doubt. It is not a mortal sin to tip a �fly� with a hunk of Squid -- you still caught that lady fish on your fly rod.

Experiment, folks -- that's how we got here to begin with, or we would all be saving our money to go north for some pure trout fishing every time we had the urge to fly fish.

By the way in closing, please send me a short essay on how and why you got into Fly Fishing. There are some interesting stories out there.

Until next time, Tight Lines and keep your Fly dry. Ed , Soggybottom, Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (March, 2012)

There continues to be a lot of confusion about the differences between Double Tapered versus Weight Forward Fly Lines, mainly because of misinformation and misunderstanding.

Consider this, the first 30 feet of both will be the same when cast for same weight lines. When extending the cast they will still perform in a similar manner for a distance of about 45 feet which is half the length of a full length line of 90 feet. At that length, the Weight Forward line is at its the running line, while the Double Taper is still at the same diameter since its taper continues to the opposite end where it finally tapers down.

The Weight Forward line will cast a bit farther, that's a given, if all other things are equal.

Because of the continuous taper of the Double Tapered line, one can do long roll cast easier and better as it is not reduced in turnover efficiency by thin running line of the Weight Forward line's taper. The running line of a Weight Forward line cannot fully support the weight behind it to satisfy a long turnover.

The claim of greater accuracy with a Double Tapered line is doubtful as it has a softer presentation -- those are accomplished by the skills of the caster. The greatest advantages of the Double Tapered line is that they are less expensive to purchase and, more importantly, the fact that you can reverse it on your reel when it begins to wear and start the anew. Great economy!

It becomes a matter of choice, as well, as where the line is being used. For bass and other sunfish fishing where shorter casts are the norm a Double Tapered line makes more sense for the economy it affords. Also the fly fisher does not have to back cast continuously, as a proficient fly caster can either roll cast or pick up and lay down those short casts. Of course, as long as the casts are not too long, the weight forward line can be roll cast � the limiting factor is that the head of the taper is still, at least, at the tip of the rod.

I hope this helps to clear up the controversy � remember, � It ain't what you do , it's the way what you do it � as an old song goes.

Until the next time, keep your fly dry. -- Ed �Soggybottom � Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (April, 2012)

Have you ever wondered about what it takes to be a good Fly Casting Instructor? I have studied many casting tapes by various expert instructors as well as the FFF Certification Programs and come to one conclusion which I shall share with you.

To begin with, I have concluded that Lefty Kreh, in my opinion, is probably the best teacher followed by the late Mel Krieger. Joan Wulff is an exceptional caster and a marvelous teacher but more inclined to teach the �old style� of casting which works great for trout. Recently, she more or less to included the �new� method which teaches the extended arm or open cast we do today, especially for larger fish in saltwater.

Trout fishing is usually done on relatively narrow streams for the most part so the elbow close to the body style is sufficient for the shorter casts these streams allow. That same cast does not work well at all in the open expanses of most salt water fishing where greater distance and the ever present wind prevail. Longer casts require a more open style for increased line speed and distance. The old story that most fish are caught within 30 or 40 feet of the caster is true, but often casts of 40 to 75 feet are required as well especially in saltwater. Wading for bone fish in really shallow water is a good example -- stealth (low profile) and often long casts are the only way to bag this wary fish. That cast must be executed with finesse and accuracy and can only be done by a skilled caster. However not all skilled casters are good teachers.

A good teacher must be able to see the student's error, duplicate the error so the student knows the teacher understands the error and then shows the student how to correct and avoid that error. This process includes teaching the old trout fishing method and the basic differences in salt and fresh water fishing using the �new� modern open casting style. It goes without saying that one-on-one teaching is best, but the basic style can be taught to a group by one instructor as Mel Kreiger's School proved.

I suggest the borrowing of videos from our extensive library be used to help you understand these teaching methods for those students new to this game as well as those who would like to teach.

Mel Kreiger's The Essence of Fly Casting and Lefty Kreh's New Fly Casting Techniques are perfect tapes for starters . One can learn simple tricks that make the tasks easier.

If you bothered to try fly fishing, go the extra step and learn to do it properly......you will enjoy it more.

Until next time, tight lines and keep your fly dry. Ed �Soggybottom' Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (May, 2012)

As I sat at my workbench, repairing a broken fly rod, I could not recall ever having broken a fly rod of my own. I am not an overly careful person so I suppose I have been lucky. That brings me to the subject of repairs and salvage. I tell all friends that they should never discard a broken rod, especially if it is an expensive rod with a lifetime warranty. Those manufacturers will forgive your own carelessness but will require all the broken parts to fulfill their lifetime warranty. If it is not an expensive rod, then by all means keep the broken parts as the rod may be repairable. Sometimes, depending on where the break is a rod can be returned to its original performance but not always. If the repair is to be made at a critical bending point, it might be just be a little stiffer because of the repair. You might need to adjust your casting stroke to get the result you want.

If it not repairable, the broken parts can be used by a repairer to make sleeves for future repairs. Sometimes metal ferrules will do but that stiffens a rod's action considerably and is necessary in repairing solid rods like old glass rods and cane rods, but on hollow graphite rods the same material is OK, but hollow glass rod sections work better as they are softer and a bit more flexible than graphite making for a better repair.

Another example of salvage is re-working a 3-piece WW2 Japanese bamboo fly rod or a non-expensive �Hardware Store� 3-piece bamboo fly rod we call �hangers� as they were a bear to cast with heavy mid-sections. Discard the butt section entirely and put a new reel seat and cork handle on what was the middle section and you will have a great little 6-foot trout rod if the sections were in good condition.

Some like a little longer rod so the alternative is to cut off the butt end of the original butt section and discard. Put a reel seat and cork handle on the remaining piece and now you have the ferrule to attach to the center section. The rod will now be about 7 feet long with the butt section shorter than the two original sections. (Most normal rods have sections of equal length.) You would be surprised at how well they cast. I have several 6-footers made from those old Japanese rods of years ago. It works well if the rod was in good condition...just a little time and patience and you will have a great rod for those tight streams of the Georgia and Carolina stocked trout streams. Good for sun fish in our many lakes down here in Florida a well.

Good fun projects such as this are what make for a good change of pace in the �off season �

Until next time, tight lines ..laugh a lot and keep your fly dry. Ed �Soggybottom� Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (June, 2012)

I doubt that any of my readers know how complex modern day fly rod tapers are. All we are shown in manufacturer's literature are diagrams of rods bending in various places down a rod from the tip to somewhere in the mid-section and sometimes to the grip. This does not really demonstrate the action of the rod, but is good enough to allow the customer to narrow down a choice. Computer generated images in the laboratory allows the designer to tweak the stiffness curve by adding or taking away material to change the wall thickness along the length of the rod. In a Full Flex trout rod, short casts are the norm and delicate presentation of dry flies demand finesse -- that rod would flex to the handle if need be.

Another rod action is called Progressive, similar to the Full Flex but the curve is interrupted along the way allowing the rod to load at various points depending on how much line is out , the longer the line the deeper the bend. They experimented with parabolic tapers which would be a smooth bend from the tip to the center of the curve with the remainder of the curve mirroring the upper section. This was abandoned for a �Semi� Parabolic Taper, a misnomer since a Parabolic is a full length curve and never halved. That Taper went into several configurations along its length to a heavy or stiff point and back to a softer bend which resulted in a catapult type cast with no smoothness or accuracy. For Medium Fast up to Very Fast Tapers, the rod's walls are stiffened with a very stiff butt sections extending almost to the tip section as previously mentioned illustrations show.

Since I am not an engineer, I have over simplified the explanation but I believe you get the idea. The very high end rods have some very complicated tapers which contributes to the high cost of them. This is why there is no standard in fly rods and why one brand of a particular weight rod is not the same as another brand. We are not dealing with willow branches of years gone by....they were long and whippy but nature designed them that way. Modern manmade materials and technology allow for far superior products which can be tailored for specific performance. Bamboo rod makers have perfected special rod tapers with a natural product by sheer intelligence, extreme craftsmanship and trial-and-error.

It is evident that one needs to test several brands of rods before purchasing is a wise move and allows you to buy what suits your casting style best. Today there is no need to settle for particular rod because of the maker's hype.

Until next time then, keep your fly dry. Ed �Soggybottom� Rapisardi

PS . If you have a question or suggestion about a Fly Rod , Reel or Line question , I would be happy to address it in one of these columns and be advised that if I do not know the answer I will research it for accuracy. Ed

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (July, 2012)

I am sometimes amazed at the innovative minds of some fly fishers who solve simple problems with simple and obvious solutions. We Americans seem to be presented with a simple problem but choose to apply technical solutions as if to show off our advanced �technology�. We become bogged down in scientific, high tech approaches to problems. Is it because we are so advanced that we make mountains out of molehills or are we so simple that the least educated minds make molehills out of mountains. Terrific examples of that was NASA'S attempt to invent a ballpoint which would work in the weightlessness of space -- the pens we use every day rely on gravity to feed ink to the writing ball. We spent hundreds of thousands trying to solve this problem while the Russians solved it at no cost -- they chose to use every day carbon pencils!

Lefty Kreh is the kind of problem solver I am thinking of. Life experiences in fly fishing for over 60 years led him to invent or discover tips of others and write a small book about them, I have selected a few which I have found helpful for your consideration.
>> Wear a peaked cap to shade Polaroid glasses as they do produce reflective glare which defeats their purpose. He also suggests you use black shoe dye to darken the underside of the peaked cap or broad brimmed hat to reduce glare.
>> He suggests earth colored hats and clothing to better blend with your surroundings so you are less visible to the fish you try to catch.
>> He uses Rain-X on his eyeglasses so rain and spray runs off as it does on windshields.
>> For fly tying, he uses a piece of green poster board to place behind your tying vise to cover all the distracting things we tend to have on our tying station thus allowing you to better concentrate on the fly being tied.
>> When selecting chest high waders try them on and be certain they are baggy enough to stand by a chair and allow you to easily put one foot up on the seat without binding at the knee. In the field, you will sometimes encounter obstacles to climb over.
>> He fastens one or two safety pins to his vest which can be used for the following: clear the eye of a hook, refasten something that came loose or torn, to hold a nail clipper or hemostat.
>> Never lubricate the ferrules on a rod as oils can cause a vacuum seal -- clean the ferrule parts and, if available, just rub the male section with a little simple candle wax or nothing at all.

Lee Wulff invented the fishing vest we all use simply because he did not want to get out of the water to get a tool or tippet material -- he carried all those essential things and then some for that purpose. He carried more than we might for he was capable of tying a fly in the water in his fingers without using a vise.

I am certain each of you over the years has invented or discovered other tips and should share them with your friends -- in fly fishing circles, we share everything and are constantly learning.

Lefty's book of tips is found in �Lefty's Little Library� published by Odysseus Editions, Inc.

Until next time, be well and keep your fly dry. Ed �Soggybottom� Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (August, 2012)

For those new to our Fly Fishing Fraternity, be advised that Fly Fishing is a lifelong learning experience. You will never know all there is to know and that is a good thing as it keeps the sport interested. New things are being developed like new space-age materials which we use in fly rods and new fly patterns are invented daily. Fly line designs and coatings change on a periodic basis and new fishing locations are introduced to us. That is why I keep saying to read all you can as popular fishing magazines provide that information. Do not read just Fly Fishing articles but do read all fishing articles as conventional rods and gear also use the same materials in their rods and reels as we fly fishers do. Their advances in monofilament lines also benefit us as better leader material.

For you trout fishermen, new to the South, are you aware of the fact that trout flies of every description can and are successfully used on all sun fish. Blue gills and their cousins have rather small mouths as compared to their larger relatives, largemouth and small mouth bass. For bream, as they are called, small trout flies on a size 12 or smaller take fish. Mayfly-types as well as nymph-types work very well as do small poppers, wooly buggers and streamers. It is fun to experiment with terrestrials as well. We have so many ponds and lakes so why not use them often , beats a long drive and overnight stays during these hot summer months.

You'll be practicing your casting accuracy and presentation not to mention experimenting with leaders, short or long, tapered or whatever . Practice tying new knots or improving your old ones. When the opportunity to travel to the mountains for a few days of trout fishing presents itself, you'll be ready, I promise.

Ours is a great game and to be good at it takes practice and experimentation -- you will be rewarded with great memories and new friends, who love to share their experiences for that is an important part of the lifelong learning process. Enjoy it, savor the beauty of nature and enjoy life.

Until next time, be well and keep your fly dry. Ed �Soggybottom� Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (September, 2012)

I am aware of the fact that few fly fishers of today, especially non-New Yorkers, are aware of the greats of this game .I do not mean fishermen and their record catches, but those who made this game of ours possible. It started in the late 1800's by Theodore Gordon, a New York City transplant, who moved to Roscoe, NY, due to failing health. That is where fly tying and fly fishing started in America in the beautiful Catskill area of NY State � an area still engulfed in fame. A style of tying that the entire world has now adopted, where legendary tiers have lived and shared their style and where the most famous flies were born. The masters were Walt, Minnie and Mary Dette, Harry Darby, Art Flick, Lee Wulff, Joan Salvato Wulff, Pol Jorgonson and so many others -- all true legends.

I have concluded that if a modern day fly fisher is not aware of these legends and their contributions to our sport, you have not fallen head over heels in love with this the grandest of all sports in my opinion. Sports fans know all about Babe Ruth, DiMaggio, Joe Lewis, Jack Dempsy because they love the sport and have read about what they love, but not so with most fly fishers, yet the romance of this sport is fantastic.

Read all you can about anything that has the words Catskill or Roscoe in it, you will be truly fascinated. I still do and continue to enjoy reading about these greats. I have had the privilege of meeting and talking with some of these legends, an advantage of my advanced age and where I lived. What a great History it is, something you should be proud of being a part of.

It will make you a better fly fisher, a better tier and you will have a great learning experience.

Until next time, keep your line tight and your fly dry.......Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (October, 2012)

I am amazed at my teaching ability. I must be the very best fly casting instructor ever.

Years ago, we used to have fifteen to twenty members out casting at the Casting Clinics our club offers. Now, to my amazement, only one or two guys ever come out before or after a meeting to the clinic. I guess all you folks have practiced daily and became proficient casters.

Even the most proficient fly casters are still learning � they observe, listen and practice. Some of you no doubt have purchased finer and more expensive rods and reels -- they will not help you become a good caster in and of themselves. For example, if you cannot play a cheap key board, buying a grand piano will not make you a better pianist because you still cannot play -- take lessons and practice, practice and then keep practicing. No one was a born expert caster or fisherman. The more you fish the better you get at it. You are sharpening your skills, but really you are practicing.

Many are embarrassed t come out at a clinic -- "I don't want to show how bad a caster I am,� one member told me. That is plain foolish. Frank Matousek, our past President and an accomplished fly fisherman and caster had a small problem and he came out and we fixed it. Should he have been embarrassed??? Someone once said "What fools these mortals be" -- what a great observation!

I am coming to the conclusion that most of you joined the club for something to do -- socialize! No one wants to help make the Club better and I think it is that same attitude. �I am too embarrassed." Anyone can run a club, become an officer, volunteer when asked to help out, but instead I see a bunch who might complain about what the Club is doing or not doing, but do nothing about it. Members must participate -- bring in new ideas or, at least, suggestions. We cannot lean on the same six or so guys who seem to do everything. This Club is slowly dissolving, sure some of us are old, but we are not dead. Do something, help us out or soon there will be no more Club!

Until next time, keep your line tight and your fly dry.......Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (November, 2012)

I marvel at the ingenuity of man. In this day and age one would almost conclude that �everything has already been invented� as the head of the Patent Office once exclaimed back in the nineteenth century, but how wrong he was.

Some of you are aware of the new eyeless fishing hooks that a fly fisherman has come up with. Like many of us who are no longer �young� we have lost some of our vision, finger dexterity and patience. It almost feels like these hook eyes are getting smaller and the tippet material thicker because we can't get then through the eye and hate to have to change flies. Well, my friend Bo, of Gateway Hooks, has put his mind to it and amazingly came up with the perfect solution. He invented and patented an eyeless (almost) hook. It is an open eye with a blocker which can only work with a double loop slip knot. You simply tie that knot onto your tippet leaving the loop open, slip the loop into the gap of the �eye� and cinch it down. It will not come loose or slip off unless you want it to. Leave a 1/8 to ¼ inch tag end � you pull the tag end and the knot slides open , pull the standing line and the knot closes tightly With that capability you can stand mid-stream and change flies in seconds and continue fishing almost uninterrupted. They have been vigorously tested and fished and have never failed. No doubt traditionalists will resist, but smart folks will see the advantages. You can get these marvels from gatewayhooks.com. Check their videos on the knot and hook and another on tying suggestions.

Innovation brought us from willow branches and horse hair lines and leaders to what we have today. I have always said that like many other things in life, learning is a lifelong experience. Fly fishing today is not your great-grandfather's sport any longer. Live, learn and do -- change is good, especially for us seniors.

Until next time, watch your backcast and be lucky -- Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (December, 2012)

In a previous column I said that in many ways change is good in fly fishing, but sometimes it borders on foolishness. As an example, a few years ago an American discovered Japanese Tankara Fishing. He was selling their �special� rod and line -- no reel is required and flies are limited in number of patterns for trout, for which the system is used. Then European style or Czech Nymphing is presently in vogue. Very similar to Tankara Style as it is done with conventional fly rods and reels and some manufacturers are designing �special� rods for this style. So what is it ??? It is essentially what the ancient trout fisherman did to catch trout. They cut a willow branch, tied on a length of thread and hook with bait of some kind and entered the stream to dangle the offering all around them not more than ten or fifteen feet away. No casting, so no reel. In modern times here in the USA and, especially in back country areas ,trout were taken with a simple cane pole -- again no reel just a length of line tied to the tip and fished nearby off the bank or all around them if wading.

That, my friends, is this �new craze� Czech or French or Spanish Nymph Fishing; nothing more. No casting involved, just using a long leader and little if any fly line, using a great deal of stealth even fishing from the bank. This involves making yourself as small as possible, limited movement and wearing subdued colored clothing. If wading, you are fishing close and can spook fish with every step. It can be very productive however if done with great care. I prefer our �old fashioned� rod reel with long line casting and our style of nymphing. I love to cast well and present flies, surface or subsurface in a natural manner.....how about you? Maybe good for a very poor caster don't you think??

Until next time then, tight lines, keep your fly dry and watch your backcast. Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (January, 1213)

Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, the world did not come to an end as had been predicted by the Ancients. I hope you did not sell off your fly fishing gear. If you still have it, think about what you do not use and can part with since we may be having our special Swap Meet at the February Evening Meeting. Bring your stuff in for a swap or reasonable price and perhaps a new comer might be able to outfit himself at small cost, a win-win situation. I plan on getting rid of a great bunch of stuff which I managed to accumulate after over 60 years of fishing and tying. It is funny how we become attached to "stuff" we really no longer have use for, I for one am a pack rat. Frankly, half the stuff I have is duplicated when I don't want to spend the time to search for it. It is easier to buy it and that is creating surplus which is silly.

On to another subject now directly related to surplus materials and flies. Furs and feathers should be kept in sealed containers and moth balls should be used to keep little creatures from breeding in them. A cool dry place is best. For stored flies, often the hackle and tails get flattened or crushed and twisted. Simply place them on a paper towel and steam them by holding a steam iron over them, they should spring back to shape quickly, but stroke them to help reposition them and let them dry thoroughly before putting them away.

Waders should also be inspected and repaired. If storing them for a while they should be rinsed inside and out with cool water and allowed to dry fully before folding them. We should not stop there however, your tackle must also be cleaned often. Use mild soap to clean your rod, line and reel not only for storage but after several uses in fresh water and after every trip in salt. Inspect the eyes on your rod especially on a new one. Many manufacturers do not seal the eyes and water can creep under the wraps of thread. For cosmetic reasons they do not seal off the guides where the rounded portions of the wire guides touch the rod itself at the end of the wrapped thread. Barry Kent had an expensive Salt Water Sage rod where the guide feet under the wraps rusted and damaged the thread as well. He complained to Sage. They told him it happened because he did not rinse the rod after use in the salt. I had to replace all the guides for him. A lesson learned. Your gear is expensive, take care of it.

Happy New Year -- I hope 2013 is a better year for all .

Until next time then, tight lines, keep your fly dry and watch your backcast. Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (February, 2013)

It has often been said that �The bigger they are the harder they fall� and that is more than true in the case of Cortland Fly Lines. It has been kept quiet but this once proud, employee owned company has suffered financial problems in the last few years and has been sold to an investment group. Poor management, changing weather conditions, poor marketing and some other causes have been claimed. The present owners have kept the problems quiet and they are seeking ways to improve the operation, pay off the inherited debt and re-establish the company to the international stature it once enjoyed.

I have firsthand knowledge that that they could not fill pending orders and the new owners turned to an almost unknown but highly successful premium fly line manufacturer which makes private label lines for others. Our club members are familiar with the fly lines of this unnamed company via the undersigned. Aqua Nova Fly lines are every bit as good as not only Cortland's lines but Scientific Anglers lines as well or better and this proves it.

The point here is that Cortland really never published the hype that other companies do. They were lower in profile and did some straight forward advertising without the fanfare and gimmicks of other companies in this field, in my humble opinion. They produced a great product and still do but expect some high pressure advertising to strengthen their image. Expect some new line designs to start off the new campaign sometime in the near future.

Until next time then, tight lines, keep your fly dry and watch your backcast. Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (March, 2013)

How often have you broken a fly rod? Would you consider repairing it if you knew how? Is it repairable to begin with? Well, I must admit that in my 60 years of fly fishing, I have never broken a rod but in 36 years of teaching casting, students have broken a few rods over the years in one way or another.

So let's explore how rods get broken. First be aware of the fact that casting, no matter how forcefully can never break a rod. If a rod breaks while casting it broke because at some point something impacted the rod and fractured some of the composite fabric. It could be as small an object as a hook, a fly with a lead eye crashing into it or an object like another rod or dropping it with the shaft hitting a hard object.

Despite the fact that the rod can take a severe bend and is strong enough to horse in a large fish does not mean that it is not fragile. It is designed to undergo severe stress as in extreme bends without interruption, but if you rested the rod against a rail to help you hold that rod that rail contact has interrupted the ability to bend and will shatter the fabric. You interrupted the flex as we say. Depending on where the break is located along that engineered shaft will determine how good the repair will be.

It is important that the ferrules are not broken and best if the break is at the butt end section of the rod which is the stiffest section. In the upper softer sections of the rod the repair will almost always change the flex of the rod -- it will be quite useable but change to some degree the way it casts and maybe the line weight required, simply because it will be stiffer at that repair site, but still very serviceable.

The message here then is use care in handling and storing your rod. At the end of the fishing day wipe the rod clean and feel for any dings or loose guides and bring any defect you find to someone who does rod repairs, or go on line and study some instructional repair sites and learn to do repairs yourself. If that does not interest you then by all means save the broken parts and donate them to someone who does repair rods for the broken parts are often used to repair other rods.

Be careful and don't break your rod to begin with, so until next time, watch your backcast and keep your fly dry. Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (April, 2013)

We probably touched lightly is previous columns on safety tips, but I believe it is a very important subject to all fishers who wade. Firstly, what kind of waders should be considered? Many fly fishers like chest high waders. They are warm in cold weather as the cover most of your chest and back but are not too comfortable in the summer when most guides prefer hip waders. �Hippers� are fine but if you misjudged the water depth, you will get wet and be uncomfortable so a good compromise is waist high waders. I believe that the safest footing in waders are provided by a separate wading boot but some might prefer the attached rubber boot. Felt soles (where allowed) are preferred as they provide better traction on slippery rocks and bottoms. If chest waders are chosen, be certain to wear a wading belt to cinch the waders tightly around your waste to help keep water from filling the waters should you fall in.

When wading, one should always use a wading staff to feel out holes and obstructions under water. Folding staffs are available, but a branch or a mop handle will do. Each step should be firm and your travel pace slow and careful. The staff should be attached to your wrist or vest so it is not lost if you stumble.

You need to be aware of local dangers.. On dam-controlled waters, be prepared to exit the water as in some sections, the release is strong and fast and can knock you off your feet. Be aware of such conditions if you can before you venture out -- most fly shops can identify such situations.

Sun protection is very important. Dark sun glasses are a must to protect you from UV rays or an errant fly during casting. Polaroid lenses helps you see through reflections and glare coming off the water. UV treated shirts are available as is a laundry product added to the laundry washing soap.

A wide brimmed, light colored hat to shade your eyes, ears and neck is a great tip. So are thin gloves if you burn easily.

If your lodging or car is nearby, have a cooler with water and food. It is best to carry a bottle of water to keep hydrated.

Of great importance is trying not to wade alone -- a buddy in sight or within hearing distance is smart for help in any emergency, especially for those of us who are getting along in years. Carrying a whistle or other signal device is a good idea.

A small first aid kit is handy for scratches to prevent infection -- no water is safe to wade in as far as harmful bacteria are concerned, so avoid getting that water into an open wound.

One last thing, today's fishing rods and golf clubs are made with a high graphite content so be advised that graphite can conduct electricity so stop fishing if lightning is approaching -- you do not want to be holding a lightning rod at such times.

In closing, common sense can keep you safe as well as these few tips.

Until next time, be safe, be smart and watch your back cast. Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (May, 2013)

How many times have we wet waded in local Florida fresh water? Perhaps like most of us who kayak or canoe we waded just to launch our shallow water crafts, with nary a thought about what dangers we face. It is an established fact that most of these waters contain dangerous bacteria. You might recall the news coverage concerning the suffering and finally the death of a young lady who decided to swim in a local waterway abut inhaled and or swallowed some water and became ill -- dangerous bacteria began eating away internal organs and exterior body parts.

The warning was sounded and we were advised not to enter lakes and rivers if we had a cut or scrape into which that bacteria could enter the blood stream. That then brings up the subject of waders, of which there are several kinds.

A very inexpensive pair of rubber hip boots could serve the purpose. They could be suitable for wading trout streams which are on the shallow side. Generally these inexpensive waders come with a boot attached. More serious waders of this type are called stocking foot waders which require a sturdy wading boot which are more desirable because they afford substantial ankle support when the boot laced up.

Then there are waist high and finally chest high waders which allow for wading in deeper water. They tend to be warm in summer but �Breathable� ones are available. In winter all these types are available in Neoprene which is an insulating rubber version to keep you warm. There are two choices for the soles -- rubber cleated for sandy bottom water and felt soled for gripping slippery rocks which are found in many mountain trout streams. The price ranges are varied and handled by outfitters like Cabella's and BassPro Shops -- their catalogues give good descriptions of their features to help you choose.

Mountain streams which contain trout do allow safe wet wading in summer months but in spring and early summer the water can be quite cold and too cold in the winter.

Proper clothing is essential to comfort on the water and waders are important items of comfortable apparel.

Until next time keep your fly dry and your line tight and be sure to watch your back cast. Ed Rapisardi

(All Lessons Learned archived here.)

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (June, 2013)

Well folks, last week I celebrated my 84th birthday and WOW what a ride it has been!!! Suddenly this year has been the only year I have slowed down and really feel my age. I have pains I never had before and suddenly cannot do some of the slightly strenuous things I had been doing with ease before this year. I don't know if I can lift my Kayak -- think I will have to do some exercises. But I can still cast a line and tie flies.

That is the point of this article. The game of the fly fisherman is unique in that it provides a lifetime of learning and enjoyment. Even when you cannot get out on the water there is something you can do. You can build a new fly rod as long as you took the time to learn how easy it is. Beyond that, you can tie flies and inventing new ones is great fun especially if they catch fish. What greater joy to catch a fish with a rod you built and a fly you invented and tied. All of this can be done at any age so long as you took the time early on to learn to do these things. All things worth doing are worth doing well so the obvious thing is to practice . Never be satisfied and always strive for perfection in what you do because the rewards are fantastic. That's what I am doing. I want to stay �connected� and to be productive.

Below are some flies I recently tied.

Until next time keep your fly dry and your line tight and be sure to watch your back cast. Ed Rapisardi

(All Lessons Learned archived here.)

(Top) This purple streamer with the huge eyes I named Sir David, honoring renown fly tyer Barry Kent becoming a grandfather recently � the child's name is David

(Bottom Left) I have improved my Palmetto Bug design by adding legs.

( Bottom Right) These black streamers are a take off on one of Barry's most successful flies called Barry's Black Magic -- mine are similar as to color and ragged style but I call mine The Prince Of Darkness. Hope they work as well as his in saltwater and for largemouth bass.

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (July, 2013)

We touched on this subject briefly in an earlier column, but more information should be of interest to most true fly fishermen. The subject will be called “European Nymphing“. A number of years ago an International Fly Fishing Contest was held in Europe. Competing countries sent teams and the rules simply demanded fly rods and fly line and artificial flies were to be used. The American and the British teams lost. Our fishing style was typical fly casting style but the European teams, using the same typical equipment, did not use our traditional casting style. They would find a hole, stand near it and used only very long leaders and tippet swinging out a weighted nymph with rod tip held high into the hole or it's perimeter and caught fish after fish in a manner quite similar to the Japanese Tankara style or those who used natural bamboo cane poles with bobbers just tapping the water. The reel and fly line were not used.

This style of fishing has caught on here in the USA, but I for one will never use it. To me, casting a fly well on studied water is an art. I love to cast and watch the line unfurl like poetry in motion. It has become an art form, graceful and wonderful to watch. To do everything correctly is the challenge, catching a trout is the reward. They are making special rods now as long as 15 feet, no reel seat, no reel nor fly line, just a level type line of some kind or a long mono leader, no taper needed, tied to the rod tip. In my humble opinion this is not fly fishing. Call it what you will, but do not call it fly fishing. The only similarity is using a weighted nymph and the trout stream. If your only goal is catching lots of fish use a drag net (not legal, of course).We are not meat fishermen -- we just enjoy trying to be perfect and graceful.

There are those who will disagree, but who gives a hoot!

Until next time keep your fly dry and your line tight and be sure to watch your back cast. Ed Rapisardi.

(All Lessons Learned archived here.)

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (August, 2013)

I am amazed at how well fly fishing from a kayak has been accepted. I certainly did not invent the system but must believe I am among the pioneers who introduced it. I moved to Florida in 1993 from New York/New Jersey area where I often use a canoe to get around on some of the waters I fished. I never came across a fly fisher using a kayak back then.

Here in Florida I met Barry Kent who was using a canoe and fished it in the salt flats on both coasts and in the St John’s River system. Together and with some others, we formed a fly fishing club where he showed how he outfitted the canoe for fly fishing. I found it to be a great way to get into the shallow waters of the flats where even flats boats could not go, but was not convinced a canoe was the best fishing platform.

I secured a brochure from Old Town Canoe Company where many types of canoes were shown and came across one kayak called a Loon 135T a tandem sit-in kayak. I thought about it and finally purchased one by mail order. I removed the forward seat which afforded more leg room and storage for a cooler and equipment.

I practiced during our many outings at the amusement of members who were there in their fishing boats. I did not have enough confidence to stand up to cast so I convinced the Spring Creek Company who made fine canoe add-ons to make me a kayak float system similar to their canoe outrigger floats.

I practiced with the newly designed float system for a while and tried standing and casting in one of the lakes at the Hilochee Wildlife Management Area. Not fully trusting the floats, I over compensated and fell in and was rescued by fellow club member Doug Dombek who had his boat nearby. That was the start of naming myself “Soggybottom”. It was a learning experience and when I became more trusting I was able to stand and sight fish and cast rather than fishing blind.

Today, of course, kayaks have been redesigned specifically for fly fishing and are better choices than we had in the 90's. Great fun indeed. Try it, you’ll like it.

Until next time keep your fly dry and your line tight and be sure to watch your back cast. Ed Rapisardi.

(All Lessons Learned archived here.)

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (October, 2013)

We recently had an old friend as a speaker recently who gave a great presentation as he is experienced and knowledgeable. You will recall his opening statement was that what he was about to discuss is his opinion. His comments would be based on his life experiences in fly fishing and interesting comments and observation they were.

I started this series of columns with the same statement slightly modified. I said some of the information I would be sharing with you will be proven fact and my opinions would be called just that, my opinions

In a bit more than 60 years of fly fishing I have come to conclusions, opinions, but backed them up with facts whenever possible. I am certain our speaker has indeed seen a vigorous cast snap a rod, however it was not the force of the cast that can break a modern day quality fly rod. The laying up of the fabrics which make up a fly rod are arranged in such a way that it could be compared to the making of plywood. The carefully made and properly designed fly rod has tremendous barrel strength as a result and so enables one to bend a fly rod in half without collapsing like a bent straw. As strong as this may sound, a weighted fly, if allowed to hit the rod during casting, or if anything strikes the rod, the force might be great enough to shatter the fragile fibers. You would not be able to see that damage and might be able to continue your fishing as though nothing happened. However the weight of a fish , will bend the rod and if the damage is within that curve the rod could break at that point. If the cast itself is vigorous enough, the rod could break at that same point. Once the layered fibers are damaged, the rods barrel strength has been compromised. I have repaired such rods and an experienced eye can see the fractured fibers at the break. To repair that rod, one would have to cut away the shattered parts -- the total strength of the rod however has been compromised and it could break again in the area of the repair.

In conclusion, it is wise to transport your fly rod in a tube until ready for use and try to keep from hitting the rod against anything solid, like the railing of a fishing boat or the gunnels of a canoe or the side or cockpit of a kayak. I have never known of a fly rod breaking from a forceful cast alone. Our speaker then has not researched the question and gave his opinion based on observation which is fine, for as he explained, his statements are his opinion. His point is well taken and his information from life experience. He did a great job.

Until next time keep your fly dry and your line tight and be sure to watch your back cast. Ed Rapisardi.

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (November, 2013)

I do not suppose much thought is given by any of us as to the evolution of early fly reels into the machining marvels we have today. The original trout fly reel was never intended to be used to fight a trout. I was a simple ,inexpensive stamped and not machined free spooling reel into which fly line of that period was used to store excess line. A hooked trout was played on a tight line and gradually brought to net by pulling the line with the line hand.

That still is the preferred method even today practiced by devoted fly fishermen fishing for trout in cool mountain streams. Some still use simple single action reels, but many reels have been re-designed into miniature winches with anti-reverse features and train stopping drag systems, beautifully machined of high quality aircraft aluminum or composite materials. All of this due to the advent of using fly tackle for all other species of fish in fresh water as well as in saltwater. The reel has been designed for these other species which are mainly fought off the reel. We wonder if it necessary when one watches the master of all fishermen , Lee Wulff , fight and land a huge Tarpon using a $19.00 Abu Garcia solid glass trout rod and a single action trout reel!

Sure it would have been easier and faster if he used a modern day heavy salt water outfit but he proved a point -- finesse and know how that is learned in trout fishing, works well.

Until next time good friends, keep your fly dry and do watch your backcast. Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (December, 2013)

I wonder how many of you fly tyers are aware of the drastic changes made in vises over the decades. I recall, as a teenager, going to a Sportsman's Show with my dad where I saw a young man at a display for The Metropolitan Rod and Gun Club of New York City. He was tying a fly on a simple vise. This model I have seen many more times since being used by pro tyers in various locations. It consisted of a steel rod with a table clamp at its base and a simple set of jaws at the top with a knurled screw to close the jaws down on a hook. It formed a perfect �T�. Walter Dette the father of Catskill-type flies who, with his wife and daughter, tied thousands of flies with that type vise as did their former partner Harry Darby and many others. No frills, no rotation just s hook holding device.

Of course over the years some changes were made. I remember The Thomson AA vise was introduced by Herters, a sporting goods store, and other fly shops. It was also simple, the same rod and table clamp but the jaws were encased in a tube, with a collet and a lever. Pushing the lever down pulled the jaws into the collet and forced the jaws closed gripping the hook. It did not rotate. An Indian manufacturer made many knock offs of that vise and eventually made one which could be revolved so the tyer could view the opposite side of the fly, without using a mirror.

Then other designs came along with all kinds of variations but the jaws more or less remained the same. Renzetti made a version which was beautifully designed and machined but it used the same jaws as the �T� shaped vise of old and then changed that to make it lever actioned. Some very grotesque vises followed and then fully revolving vises came along, all similar in design to enable rotary applications. However, a gentleman name Norman Norlander, an accomplished design engineer and fly fisherman, designed a revolutionary fully rotating vise whose function puts all others to shame. It too is a �T� shaped vise, but it spins on ball bearings in that tube and the jaws on that spinning, but lockable shaft, are absolutely in a straight line. It is capable of allowing one to spin on thread along the hook shaft in a fraction of a second, for example. To watch Norm using his vise will better explain this vise which is revolutionary.

Our dear friend and former club member Barry Kent uses one now and said that if he had furnished his 500 tyers in his South African factory with that vise, they could have doubled their production of commercial flies. Change is good, but tradition has not made that new system as popular as it should. I understand why -- it takes getting used to, but it does all jobs better than anything out there.

This is not a commercial for the Norr vise but a way of showing that in our sport, things are evolving.

For an �old game� modern times are bringing good changes.

Until next time good friends, keep your fly dry and do watch your backcast. Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (January, 2014)

Someone asked why we teach fly casting on grass rather than water. Good question -- I will try to simplify the answer. Fly rods and lines were originally designed and built for trout fishing only. True trout rods are designed to be flexible throughout their entire length to insure that the rod helps prevent the breaking of the fine leader to which an unweighted floating flying insect imitation is attached. Those rods are today called soft rods. This was long before some pioneer types decided to use those rods for other species including bass and bluegills and, later, saltwater species.

It goes without saying that for one thing the trout rod design was much to �flimsy� for these other fish. Bass could not be pulled out of the weed beds and, worse, the weighted lures we still call �flies� cannot be easily cast with a trout rod. Traditionalists say a fly is tied only with fur and feathers to imitate aquatic insects through their life cycle and other materials such as wire and beads when they are in their underwater stages. Today's fly rods are, at best, medium fast and can be used for trout. The modern really fast rods which we use for weighted lures and weighted lines for all species, other than trout, throw the whole casting system out of order. The weight of a Clouser and a sinking line is not easily cast in the traditional manner as it falls toward ground or water faster that an unweighted Adams, for example. The straight line overhead cast, which is the basis for all other casts, was designed for trout. With the advent of bass and saltwater fishing, the overhead cast resulted in many a knock in the back of the head of the caster so �chucking and ducking� became the norm -- needlessly.

Students taken to the water found that water, if used properly, can aid in the cast. The yarn we use on grass teaching become a weight when soaked with water making the cast difficult and threw the overhead cast completely out of balance. Some overcame the problem by using a sidearm cast ( a la Jon Cave ), but there is a more effective cast called an oval cast which can be demonstrated on grass and when mastered through practice is the most effective way to cast weighted lines and flies.

We must learn to walk before we can run as the expression goes. Many casting students never get to complete a course in fly casting because as soon as the learn the overhead cast and can cast 40 feet or so they think they need no further lessons. The perfect example is when we have casting clinics at our monthly meetings, the guys who can cast pretty well may come out and cast and some ask for help, but the poor casters who are self-proclaimed �experts� never come out or ask for further instruction. Perhaps because they are ashamed to display their lousy casting? Nonsense, everyone struggled to learn to cast and learned it all and then practiced and practiced some more to hone their skills. There is nothing to be ashamed of, take advantage of the lessons others are willing to teach. Learn it all and then go to the water to practice!

All of the above is why we teach on grass, the other reason is convenience..........as we are not always close to water.

Until next time good friends, keep your fly dry and do watch your backcast. Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (February, 2014)

Good luck to our new President and Board Members. Thank goodness for those few who volunteer to serve this club. I suppose all those members who do not participate have a good reason for never volunteering for anything and are members just to be entertained. Well that is not the way it works, friends. If you come just to get out of the house once in a while, we do not need you as members as far as I am concerned.

If you are a �Newbie�, I can understand that and would expect you to take advantage of the free lessons we offer as a Teaching Club. This game of ours can be one of the most enjoyable pastimes one could imagine. It has brought so many of us a lifetime of pleasure, because we are interested in learning more and doing more and teaching others.

Fly Fishing is therapeutic as proven by Healing Waters. It is not only a sport, it is an art form. The graceful flowing of a well-executed series of false casts is like poetry in motion, beautiful to behold. Can anyone deny that talented fly tyers produce objects of beauty and form that not only catch fish, but they are attractive to examine. This club can teach you these things. I think that's why you joined to begin with.

Don't just sit around at the meetings -- go out and practice what you learned, go fishing with us. You are a member with voting rights so make your ideas known as we can use your input to make this club better. You paid your dues and you are entitled to say something. Get with the program and help make this the very best Fly Fishing Club in Central Florida.

Until next time good friends, keep your fly dry and do watch your backcast. Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (March, 2014)

While watching a TV commercial for a drug called Cimbalta, I believe, I became aware of the fact that the fisherman, the eldest in the family of three, was dressed like a typical fly fisherman and seemed to have a fly rod and reel. while his �cast�, while acceptable for that type of equipment, was not a fly cast! As a matter of fact it might well have been a fly rod, but the reel was not a fly reel. It is a center pin reel and looks almost exactly like a larger machined fly reel, but that is where the similarity ends. He was drift fishing, probably for salmon or steelhead. These tend to be quite large fish and put up a good fight.

Drift fishing with a center pin reel is not fly fishing. The spool has absolutely no drag and is free to spin in both directions. The arbor is unusually large and it spins on a race of ball bearings -- one push with a finger can spin that spool for up to 3 minutes. It uses monofilament or braided lines and holds a couple of hundred yards. The fisherman fishes from the river's bank or, if in a boat, anchored in a few feet in the water. The free spinning allows the moving water to carry the offering downstream at the speed of the water. The fisherman must use his fingers and palming to create drag or a brake. Not my cup of tea, but apparently very effective as many use it. Then, in about the middle of the commercial, and for no apparent reason, they show a close-up of the spool spinning at full speed -- you can appreciate what I was trying to describe.

I had two of these reels in my possession several years ago to check them out for a shop. They were interested in buying them from a fellow from upstate NY who used them for salmon during the spawning migration from the Atlantic. They were in working order but the shop owner was not familiar with them and thought the free spooling was a sign that they were broken.

I am glad I saw that commercial as I had completely forgotten about them when we covered reels in some previous column. Hope you find it interesting.

Until next time then, keep your fly dry and watch your backcast. Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (June, 2014)

Since its inception the Tri-County Fly Fishers have been well represented at The Villages annual Outdoor Expo. Talented fly tiers and fly casters are responsible for having inspired interested people to join our ranks and increase our membership. That is as it should be as we are indeed a Teaching Club.

I am amazed however that the same question is asked year after year at this event, �Where do you Fly Fish here in Florida?� Those who move here from more Northern climes know fly fishers fish for cold mountain stream trout so the question is natural. They are not aware of the fact that those of us who love our sport did not abandon it because we do not have trout here in Florida. We have made the transition and fish for every species of fish in both salt and fresh water. They are not aware of the fact that Lake County alone has more than 2500 lakes and ponds and that 1500 of those lakes are named and most of them provide good fly fishing. Those figures are verifiable if you find them hard to believe. That is why this is called Lake County!

Many are surprised when we further explain that we often travel to the southern Mountain States such as Georgia, Arkansas and the Carolinas to pursue our beloved trout fishing. Frankly, when I first arrived here from the New York/New Jersey area, I found out about the great trout streams in those states by accident. I had read a little article about Helen, Georgia, and decided one week to make the trip up there to visit the "Alpine Village" as it was described. Once there I discovered a fly shop called Unicoi Outfitters owned by Jimmy Harris. I learned he is considered the �Guru Of Fly Fishing In The South� by none other than ESPN which aired sixteen Fly Fishing shows each guided by Jimmy.

I became an enthusiastic frequent traveler to Jimmy's shop and to nearby private waters and we became fast friends over the years. I introduced some of our club members to the area, as well as some of the great streams in North Carolina. Felix Nieves did likewise in Arkansas where he has fished often.

My message then is, if you can afford the time and associated costs, do not limit yourself, get active and hook up with the members who organize trips to other than our local waters. They travel around Florida and the mountain states to the North and even to foreign waters. In other words, get involved and explore.

Until next time then, keep your fly dry and watch your backcast. Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi (July, 2014)

How often have we who teach casting heard the same question from new students, �Can you cast the entire fly line�. My answer is, yes, but why? Do you think a 90 foot cast is required in fishing?

It has been said, time and again, that most fish are caught within 40 feet of the fly fisherman. Sure there are times when a 50 or 60 foot cast is required and an accomplished caster should be able to cast at least 70 feet with accuracy, but beyond that all control is lost and more than likely you will not feel the take and fail to set the hook in time even if you managed to get to your target.

Learning the Double Haul is a challenge for most in the beginning as it requires precise timing and line control, all of which come with constant practice. Good casters never stop practicing despite the fact that they are good casters.

The second question is the �Best rod to buy�. There is no best rod. I firmly believe that no rod is a bad rod any longer. Even the finest rod manufacturers have their less costly rods made in first Japan, then Korea and now in China. Those folks are given the specifications for the rod in question if not, the mandrels and materials required. With that in mind they are free to use those same or similar specs and materials to create their own brand of fly rods. If a lesser costing rod is tried and does what you expect of it that that is the best rod. No question about most high end rods being fine instruments, but professional testing of some of those rods have brought disappointing results -- and were out performed by their less costly counterparts. This is a proven fact and not my opinion!

If you order a mail order rod or buy one at a fly shop, be certain that you can return it if you do not like it and, if store bought, try it before you buy it.

Most good casters can get the best out of a rod and often I hear �he can even cast with a broomstick�

Remember, �It ain't want you do, it is the way that you do it�.

Until next time then, keep your fly dry and watch your backcast. Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi

Of Shooting Heads and Two Handed Rods -- We discussed leaders in a previous column so check the archives for same. We might also have touched lightly on Spey Rods and Switch Rods and I know we covered shooting heads and how to make then at a fraction of the price of store bought lines.

Commercial shooting heads are fine, but expensive if you require different types such as sinking or sink tip etc. Consider this, you can purchase Aqua Nova premium lines within the club only for $15 that will buy and a friend a Double Tapered Floating line of 90 feet. (You need to purchase lines 2 to 3 weights over the normal rod weights.) Cut that line in half and now you each have two 45 foot pieces. Most commercial lines have 28 to 32 foot heads so cut from those pieces accordingly to make the length you favor. I personally use 28 foot. You can buy un-tapered running line from most manufacturers -- I use 2 weight for any weight outfit. (Some use monofilament but that spells trouble as it coils from memory.) A loop to loop connection to the running line gives you a perfect shooting head. If you choose to have a sink tip one just purchase a sink tip line, cut it so you have a 28 foot section or whatever length you chose, use that running line to practice tying knots or discard it. You can do the same with a full sinking line.

Casting is a bit different though. You must use at least one foot overhang in order to load your rod. So that loop joint should clear the tip by one foot, 18 inches at most.

Now all it takes is practice, practice and more practice.

Now for spey and switch rods -- understand this, they will throw your line considerably long distances when cast properly, but know that the switch rod can be used single handed and does a good job with the simple overhead straight line cast and handles all the spey casts well. You must learn and practice the several spey casts designed for big water and useless in most streams. I would stick with a switch rod.

Until next time then, keep your fly dry and watch your backcast. Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi

Ladies and gentlemen of Fly Fishing, how are you all? Club President Larry Nazzaro and I have been toying with an idea that may be of interest to you. We really do not know enough about each other and we should. We are not suggesting an invasion of your privacy, we just think it would be interesting to learn how and when you became involved in this wonderful sport we call Fly Fishing. It will be strictly on a volunteer basis and might just serve as inspiration for some of our shyer members to come forward.

For example, I do not believe many of you know anything about our oldest member, Charlie Jacobs. We do not see him at our meeting or outings any longer as he is now approaching his 88th birthday. Barry Kent, Charlie and I, back in 1999 created The Lake County Fly Fishing Club here in Leesburg. In short time we were a pretty large club as people were eager to learn casting and tying flies. Charlie and I started an official class and taught casting and with great success. That being said, Charlie, an avid trout man from Pennsylvania, returned every year to his home waters for a week or more at a time as he so loved trout fishing in the famous streams of his state. Since he and I go back a long way I recognized that he was not an average caster, he was the most accurate caster I have ever seen in my 62 years of fly fishing. Charlie could cast a yarn fly 35 feet into your shirt pocket if you held it open. He rarely demonstrated that as he was not a bragger nor a show off. He was just deadly accurate.

Those are things few people know about one of our outstanding members.

We are not suggesting that you should have some extraordinary fly fishing talent, we want to hear new comers as well to tell us what motivated you and it is not embarrassing to let us know that you made a fool of yourself getting started. I did when I started, being self-taught, I quite often wrapped my errant cast around my head and body in full view of the many fly fishers who fished my home waters, the Beaverkill and the Willowemack Rivers in Roscoe, NY. No one was born with fly casting ability so what's to be embarrassed about -- it was part of the fun to foul up.

If you like the idea, let me know and we will do it.

Until next time then, keep your fly dry and watch your backcast. Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi

The Art of the Long Cast -- Having observed some of my students who wish to learn long distance casting with standard fly rods and lines, but ends up with cast lines puddle-up. They seem to think extra energy is needed �to get the fly out there�.

Frankly, excessive energy applied to the cast will ruin it. Fly casting is a smooth and gentle application of energy, enough to load the rod through the full arc of the rod and continue extending line smoothly with each false cast -- the timing is the critical thing. We all know that the longer the line, the more hesitation is required for the line to straighten out before going into the forward cast. Most casters come forward too soon and apply extra energy in an attempt to push the fly out there. These actions are what cause the cast to fall apart. It takes almost the same amount of energy to cast 80 feet as it does for, say, 40 feet. The cast must be high enough to give that extra line behind you time to completely straighten out, yet not fall to the ground or into the water before starting the forward cast.

My suggestion then is to slowly add about five feet of line to your normal distance and practice that over and over until the forward cast lands gently and perfectly straight on the grass or water. Best to practice on grass so you can do it at your leisure around your home. Once a great straight line cast is accomplished, simply add a few more feet allowing a bit more time for the line to fully straighten out behind you. All of this can be done without a haul.

When you have reached the furthest distance you can cast using this method, then more distance can be achieved by double hauling, but the same rules of timing and energy must be applied. Slow and graceful is the only way. Watch your backcast -- it must straighten out 180 degrees backward and forward, the cast must be straight and level. This is not rocket science -- it is common sense but does require practice to be perfect every time. When you next see me casting at our meetings ask me to demonstrate.

Until next time then, keep your fly dry and watch your backcast. Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi

Basic Tips For Fly Fishers --
To tell if sun glasses are Polaroid, take a known pair of Polaroid and an unknown pair and hold them up to a light or bright sky back to back then rotate one and if both remain clear the unknowns are not Polaroid. If they were, turning one versus the other would cause the light to not pass through.

For any colored Polaroid glasses to work, they must be shaded, typically by the brim of your cap whose underside is a very dark color. (If the underside of the brim is not a dark color, apply something like black shoe dye or such to avoid reflections across your lenses.)

Fast rods of any size or weight are not desirable for trout fishing. A soft (slow) full flexing rod is best to protect the weakest link in your tackle, the tippet. A fast or even medium fast may break off the tippet when setting the hook.

When building a shooting head, the head must be at least two weights over the stated rod weight. When casting, the head must overhang by at least a foot and a half out the tip of the rod.

Some of the UV cements remain a little tacky after being cured and hardened. Wipe the area with a bit of alcohol or you can coat it with clear nail polish.

Most people believe that Sally Hanson's Hard As Nails dries harder than all other clear nail polish -- not true. The Hard As Nails part pertains to the chemical which is added to make finger nails harder -- it hardens the biological components of human nails only. The cheapest clear nail polish dries just as hard.

An emergency repair to your punctured waders can be done by using a fly tying glue like Goop.

For wading among slippery rocks in some trout streams, fashion some light aluminum chain around our wading boot soles.

Before casting, be certain your fly line is clean and should be re-cleaned a couple times throughout the day.

At the start of the fishing day, the fly line should be fully stretched to remove the coils which form due to being wrapped tightly around the reel spool. These coils hamper line shooting distance as the coils do not pass through the guides easily. (Some line brands are more susceptible to "coiling" than others.)

I would welcome any additional hints and tricks you folks have for another such column.

Until next time then, keep your fly dry and watch your backcast. Ed Rapisardi

Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi

I wonder how many new tyers know the history of tying? Well, in days of old, worms and crickets and hoppers were popular. These baits were readily available and tied to the end of a line of silk or �cat gut�

Fish were indeed caught. No need to carry a container full of these creatures to the stream or lake. Just lift a rock and a worm or insect might be found. For that matter nature provided natural �rods� as well. Seek out a proper branch from a tree, tie on the line and worm and you were properly outfitted.

The old saying of �What goes around, comes around� holds true. Even today, a similar approach is used. Trout feed on aquatic insects so we move a rock or even the gravel beneath our feet releasing such insects. Someone discovered that perhaps an imitation of these insects might catch fish and while this is an over simplification of the evolution process of creating imitations that is basically how this game of ours started. An industry was created by rod builders and fly tyers and slowly it continues to evolve.

All sorts of materials were tried and some were successful, but in the 1920's, Walter Dette bought a working fly from a man who would not teach him how to make one, took it apart step by step and learned how to do it. Kind of like reverse engineering. However Walt not only improved the sample , he discovered better materials and easier ways of tying them. But why stop there, so the many Catskill type flies of the life cycle of those insects were invented . He and his partner Harry Darby created a fly tying business whose flies caught fish and they were in demand to the point where they quit their modest jobs and spent long hours tying them and eventually taught their growing families how to tie. Walt raised chickens and cross bred them until he developed a few breeds which had the best useable feathers but instead of killing and skinning the bird, he plucked the feathers and sorted them for the flies he was tying. When the breeds were established he sold eggs to the newly formed feather merchants whose names we recognize today.

Other fellows tyers in the Catskills began cataloguing the aquatic insects in all their stages with drawings and Art Flick's �Streamside Guide� was published with common names as well as the proper Latin names. Later Ernie Schweibert published �Match The Hatch�. Great book with instructions. These books are worth having if you are devoted trout fisher. Tying began to change when some tyers decided to fly fish for other species like bass and sun fish and the moved onto saltwater fishing with a fly rod. We still call them flies, but that applied to trout fishing for the �flies� we use for these other species are not flies at all they are more lures, to be specific.

Learn more about our sport, it is quite interesting and although we learned the sport from the UK, we improved it to the point where the entire world uses our tackle and fly designs. Use the public library or the internet -- keep learning and happy fishing.

Ed Rapisardi Lessons Learned Archive