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tidewaterfly

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Everything posted by tidewaterfly

  1. Bass Pro Shops. One of their Offshore Angler branded lures. I've had this one for several years.
  2. This is nothing new with that bunch. They are about working on folks emotions so that they contribute money to their "cause". They're scammers and con artists, nothing more! They are a registered non profit, so they're tax records are public. Look them up. They spend very little on actual animal welfare. Everything else goes to the admin and operating costs, AND to their various campaigns to collect more MONEY! They bring in millions, and the founders live a life on comfort. Scammers and con artists, nothing more! BTW, they don't get involved directly with eco terrorism, but it's been alleged that they fund them. Just another way to get attention, and additional funding from folks who think they're contributing to a good cause. Any publicity to them is good publicity because folks will still give them money. They count on people being stupid.
  3. Chris, I have a couple of molds for pouring those weighted hooks too. I've used the various name brands, really like the Owners. That Beast hook that Owner has is excellent! They can all be good depending on the plastic you like and keep them sharp. I have also been using some Trokar hooks, which is becoming my preferred hook for that type of rig, but they are expensive. Not something that I would want to lose a lot of. However, I've been buying the Owner screw locks for them, and I really like the centering pin that they have. Makes rigging very easy and solid! .
  4. I also pour the wobble heads, and they're going to hang too in that type of bottom. They're great over mud or sand, and small gravel. Same with stand-up jigs. I like to use those styles with curltail grubs, and either won't hang if you can keep them just above the bottom, but you know that's not always possible. If it were, you would lose a lot less. The stand up style is made to be in contact with the bottom, so not the best for the bottom you're fishing. I have only played with tin & made a few spoons. It's about 2/3 the density of lead, so you need a bigger profile to get the same weight. Conversely, tungsten is much more dense, so a smaller profile, but for that type of bottom, it's the shape that is the problem. As you say, they get wedged. Tin & tungsten both are going to cost more and you'll still lose some of them.
  5. Chris, I've been pouring my own for a long time now, several styles, and frankly it doesn't matter what you use for that type of bottom, they'll all hang up some. As you say, they get wedged, not hooked. The issue is with angles, and fishing from shore will be worse than from a boat. At least from a boat you can fish more vertical and lessen the hang ups. I used to fish in both the Susquehanna River & Potomac River in MD, both having bottoms like that and it always resulted in lost jigs. I've tried every style that I know. Wire snag guards can help some with hooks getting snagged, but won't prevent that wedging problem. Current and wind can also compound the problem because it makes staying in contact & control of the jig more difficult and once it's in a crack or crevice, it's hung. . I wish I could tell you to use X style jig & it will solve your problem, but don't believe such a jig head exists. Those rock bottoms, particularly when they have ledges are one of the worse types for losing jigs, yet one of the most productive for fishing. I used a float in that type of water, and got less hang ups, but it changes the presentation. I agree with LL, cheap round heads in bulk, and be prepared to lose them is often the best approach. It's frustrating that's for sure. BTW, I spent a lot of time fly fishing in those rivers too, and got a lot less hang ups. Used floating lines with weighted flies that had snag guards. They slide over the rocks much better than a jig, but would still lose some. I know that Salmon & Steelhead guys use pencil type weights in a drop shot fashion with unweighted flies and floating jigs. That might be worth trying, but won't be the same presentation. Yes, weighted swimbait/worm hooks might work well, but you're still going to lose some of them. I pour them too, but where I fish, don't have that type of bottom.
  6. I would say that like most places, access is best from a watercraft, but there are places that can be accessed from the roadways. I've fished at Pawley's Island, and have been told that there is access within Huntington State Park. If you check out Google Earth, it appears that there should be plenty of access, but whether or not they're worth fishing I can't say, I just have not had the opportunity to check out a lot of places.
  7. Long time member here, flytyingguy, Ron Powell, was working in the fly shop at Bass Pro in Myrtle Beach last time I talked with him. Ron's been fishing down here for a lot of years, so he would probably be someone who can give you some advice and info. Most other folks that I've had any contact with here who fly fishes, generally fish from a boat or wade the grass flats. Typically, any crab, shrimp or baitfish type fly could do well, but they tend to be on the smaller size, like size 6 to 2. Black & purple is a popular color combo. I've also been told to limit the flash unless the waters are muddied some. I've fished some along the coast, mostly from a Gheenoe, but never tried the surf with fly gear. Any that I have done has been in the backwaters and creeks. From what I've observed you might find some fish inside some of inlets on fly tackle.
  8. Quantum has been making a Blue Runner version for several years. I have two, that I had bought maybe 6 years ago, and have no complaints. I bought them for family to use when we went to the coast on vacation. Good reels for that type of occasional use, and yes, it's a cheap reel, not something that you would want to give hard, many days use. At least not if you want it to last any length of time. Those I have have only been used for soaking bait, and can't say they had to handle anything of any size. I know we caught a few Black Drum on one trip, that were maybe 10 lbs, but can't be sure they were caught using those reels.
  9. OK, that's plenty stout then! The yak moving so much doesn't help that's for sure. I don't use leaders at all, and use 50 or 65 lb hi vis yellow braid. But, I'm fishing from a Gheenoe or a 16' jon boat and even though they move some, not like a yak might. I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually.
  10. Matt, what type of rod, line & jig are you using? Sounds like either your hooks are not sharp, and thus not penetrating, or your rod & line setup is not heavy enough to get a good hook set.
  11. mkus, have you used any of these lines for 5 years or more? I have one cheap Chinese made line on a 4 wt that I use for panfish. It's been a decent line, and I've had it now about 2 years. It's on a very cheap Shakespeare rod, which has been a good rod, but I don't have a lot invested. I have other, name brand lines for my heavier weight rods, that I've been using for 10 years or more, and they still perform as I need, and so far have not shown any signs of falling apart. When I'm paying $50 or more for a line, I expect two things from it. One being, that it does what I want, and the other that I get at minimum 5 years of use out of it. Some of the lines that I have, ( Cortland, SA, Rio & Orvis) I bought on sale or clearance so paid less than retail. If these lines hold up for at least 5 years, then they certainly would be worth trying. However, I wouldn't want to have to replace them every year or two. Might as well buy a name brand then, and pay the higher price, because I know they'll meet my criteria. I can also usually find a sale, or a last years model at reduced price. Still paying more than those Chinese lines, but in the long run a better investment. So, have they held up for a minimum of 5 years?
  12. Well, we do, and the term bucktail should really be deertail since the hair from both genders are used. I don't have a problem with that, just that a jig shouldn't be called a "bucktail" when it's not tied with the hair. I see folks calling them bucktails when tied with synthetic hairs too and that's not even close to the same thing.
  13. I detest the fact that many folks call all manner of jigs a bucktail, that aren't tied with bucktail hair. It's what makes it a bucktail jig, and not something else. Sure, not all jigs are tied with bucktail hair & plenty of folks have been catching fish on other types of jigs for a lot of years. This isn't anything new.
  14. Oh, I understand that perfectly! I don't tie classic salmon patterns, but have been tying a very long time and have not always been satisfied with what's commercially available in tying materials. I tie a lot of hair jigs too for bass, and either a basic brown or black are the colors most readily available. That's why I dye that rusty red brown, as it's a color I've had more success with fishing than basic brown. Same with shades of olive. Thanks for your comment!
  15. I certainly agree, but not all fishing for everyone will have the same needs. As I mentioned previously, one of the primary factors for folks is cost. Not everyone is willing or has the means to pay for the "better" hooks. There's nothing wrong with using some of the other hooks mentioned. I've been fly fishing for over 50 years as I'm sure some others here have as well. We saw the progression of hook types & brands. I never really had any problems with Mustad or Eagle Claw hooks, but most fish that I caught, such as Stripers were not huge. Largest I caught on a fly was 30", most well under that. The older types of hook caught many fish. Those hooks were not perfect, but IMO, none are. Those older hooks had to be sharpened, and that was a regular part of fishing. Mustad hooks used to be made in Norway, perhaps some still are, but as I understand, they have a factory in China now that makes most of their "newer" type hooks. Eagle Claw are still made in Denver, but environmental laws limit what they can do with some sharpening processes that are used in other countries. Consistency can be a problem for sure. I would expect any hook maker to have some quality control problems at times due to the volume that they produce. I've never had a hook fail because of a fish. I have had them fail, but most could be explained. I've had points broken, and that's been primarily due to them hitting something hard & solid. I've had them bend, even on a few fish, and as flyfishvt's chart shows, that might be for various reasons. I've only read, not actually tested, that bending is usually the result of how the hook is positioned, and often due to poor penetration, not because of the quality of the hook. It's a leverage and sharpness issue. His testing is flawed a bit, because angles when fishing would be different. Rarely would the line of pull be 90 degree's to the hook shank, yet hooks do get bent. Ideally, the bend of the hook is where the stress should be applied, because that's how a hook holds when properly seated in a fishes mouth. Doesn't always happen unfortunately. Another reason for bending is the hook is not adequate for the application. We can't predict how big a fish might be that grabs our fly, and sometimes the hook will be too light. Wire can only be so strong. This has been an excellent discussion, with plenty of good suggestions. Price however, does not determine whether a hook will be suitable for a given purpose. All of the major brands make "good" hooks, but it's left up to the user to determine if any specific hook is right for their use, particularly us fly flingers. As I and others have mentioned, some very good hooks are not sold as "fly" hooks. So, it never hurts to try & compare if you can afford to do so and determine what you feel is best for your fishing. Even after all these years of fly fishing & tying, I try "new" hooks and styles that I see, just to find out if they are "better" or at least another alternative to what I've been using and it also never hurts to have multiple options.
  16. Thanks for the information. It never hurts to have more than one source. I don't worry too much about specific color shades, don't see the need, and between colors such as lilac & lavender, I may see them differently than another person. Would probably see them as the same frankly. Also as has been mentioned in this entire discussion, due to material variances, there's usually color variances too. "Olive" is a great example of a color that everyone see's differently. There's likely as many shades as there are people and everyone likes something different, yet it's a popular color for tying materials. This has been a great discussion. How many "other" colors do any of you folks dye? I'm curious here, as I tend to dye some colors not readily available from the materials suppliers. For example, a rusty, red brown, and the "green pumpkin" olive shade are two that I like a lot, that's not often seen in the commercially available materials. These I use more for flies or jigs that I tie for bass. So do you folks dye any other "odd" colors for freshwater or saltwater tying?
  17. Dharma Trading Co has a lilac acid dye listed on their website. Dye # 431. That's the closest as I've found.
  18. This is almost the same as I would go with, except in 3/8 oz and I have weed guards on all of them. My jig would stay hung up too much if I didn't. . When I lived in MD and fished the shallow tidal rivers, I used 1/4 oz & even lighter jigs often. Black & Blue, and Green Pumpkin are universal bass catching colors. I also very much like the Paca Craw & Paca Chunks for jig trailers. I will use white, but primarily on white jigs. We too often assume a jig to imitate a craw, and that can certainly be true, but IMO our chances for success are increased when any lure might imitate a variety of things these fish will eat. So, I'll change things up to see what might get better results. This might be using a grub or worm as a trailer, which as Cadman T ( and Jerry )mentioned is an old school tactic that still can produce very well.
  19. I agree with Mike Oliver too, most of the larger hooks used for saltwater are not sold barbless, so the barbs need to be mashed down, filed or ground off. That's a choice some agree with, but not others. I've also bought some hooks, house brands from Allen Fly Fishing, and Risen Fly, and have been very happy with them. However, so far have not hooked anything of a size to really test them. Otherwise, they're good hooks at a reasonable price.
  20. Some very good advice from Sandflea. Generally, folks who tie will select hooks for two primary reasons, one being the cost, and the other for specific need. That means some who regularly hook up with fish large enough to bend or break many hooks, will be looking for a hook to handle those bigger fish, regardless of price. Mustad has been the standard for many years, because for the most part they were the only hook maker that made hooks for fly tying. They have 3407, 34007 or equivalent in their Signature Series. I like their Big Gun series, which are not sold as fly hooks. Eagle Claw has some decent hooks, although not particularly sharp, except for their Trokar line, which are very expensive, and not specifically marketed for flies. EC's 354, 254 and 253 hooks have all been used for saltwater flies. Gamakatsu & Owner both produce some very good hooks, not all being fly specific, that folks do use because of strength, and sharpness. Here again, depends on what you're willing to pay. I like the Owner AKI series and Gamkatsu SC15, SL45, SL12S Big Game, and SP11-3L3H. There are others from both brands that are used. VMC produces some good hooks, but except for their Siwash hooks, & trebles. are probably not widely used for flies. They have a 7120 Pin Head hook and a 9255 O'Shaughnessy hook that I use. There are other hooks and brands too. Not all produce hook that are sold as fly hooks specifically, but may be used for flies. Inline hooks, intended to replace trebles could possibly be used, but may not be the best choice for some types of fly types. The extra large hook eye on them should not present a big problem.
  21. Yes, for holding better on sand, and they work well on a mud bottom. Not a good choice where it's rocky, as they snag easily. I have a mold to pour them.
  22. I've caught them on flies when I was a much younger fellow, back in the late 70's thru the 90's, at some places along the marshes on the Eastern shore side of the Chesapeake Bay in MD. Back then I had a fiberglass 8 wt. They'll take most any fly that a Striper will take, but generally smaller flies, in the 3" to 4" length range are normal. Flies don't have to be complex, in fact one old type was called a Seatrout Special. I think I first saw it in a fly tying book written by Poul Jorgensen back in the 70's. As BrainBM has said, bright colors are often used, but they'll respond to a variety of colors or combinations. I used orange and brown often, and red & white or red & yellow were popular. Seaducers were another style that I used too. Those in my profile pic were tied for targeting them here in SC. I see reports often of them being caught here in coastal SC, but have yet to fish for them. Here are some examples of the Seatrout Special..
  23. Rattle Traps, and some of the other lipless cranks can be very productive at times. Each has a different sound and vibration. I've got a bunch of the Rat L Traps, from the Tiny sizes up to the largest. I've used the 3/4 & 1 ounce sizes a lot for Chesapeake Bay Stripers when I lived in MD. Mostly those with the chrome finishes. They make them with a blue, black, chartreuse &, a pink back, and I've caught on all of them. The smaller sizes work well for bass, but are not a lure that I threw a lot. Where I fished most, which was shallow, a square bill crank was a better choice because of all the snags. But, those lipless lures can produce. I mentioned the Tiny Traps, which are something that I liked using in the early spring for Perch & Crappies, and caught plenty of bass on them, although most were small. Like a jig, it's a type of lure you have to spend time using, and not one that fits all conditions.
  24. Thanks Local66! I use some of the AKI hooks too. When I've used black nickel hooks in the salt, Gamakatsu & Mustad Ultra Points have held up the best. Have used some VMC's too with good results, but they all rust eventually. When it's a concern for me, I go to the older styles with tinned finishes, which usually rust at the points because they have to be touched up. I'll use some stainless too, but not as much for the reasons you've stated. I don't get to the coast now often enough to worry about it a lot anyway, and not hooking anything real large when I do. I was just wondering about those Trokars. I like them, even for the extra cost, just not sure I want to sacrifice them to the salt because of the cost.
  25. I was afraid you might say that! I agree that they're an excellent hook for penetration, and plenty strong. They have held up fine in freshwater, at least no worse than anything else I've used. I guess I'll reserve them for lake fishing. Thanks for the response!
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