Cast and Blast
 

I was just taking some different pictures of guns today as most of my Parker pictures are on the tailgate of my truck or on my kitchen table. At some point I grabbed a fly rod and thought these two looked nice together...

A splendid match!

Please tell us about your grade 2 Lifter as well as your cane rod and the reel that goes with it. Looks like a Lefty's Deceiver so I would guess the rod takes at least a 7 weight line.

Got to agree that these fine old guns, their accoutrements and the game they take look a lot better in a more natural setting than on a tailgate.




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Dean, That's a 1880 Grade 2 Equivalent 12 gauge #2Frame Lifter with 32" Damascus barrels. It has been my "new" trap gun I was asking questions about in another post. I shot sporting clays with it this afternoon and that gun and I are working very well together.

The fishing rod is a 1952 9wt Orvis 2 piece 9 1/2 ft. bamboo rod paired with a FinNor #2 Wedding Cake reel. I went the extra mile and tied that Deceiver myself(good eye on that by the way...). I am using a floating line with a 10' class 3 sinking tip. I have caught some nice 22"-26" stripers on this set up, but I am still searching for that big one.

I can't even guess at the number of Deceivers I have tied in the last three decades - probably one of the very best baitfish imitating flies, in all its variations, ever developed. You want a big cow striper?... go deeper - fish the holes... and have another bowl of Wheaties! :bigbye:





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I don't wan't to make it sound like I was complaining about catching fish. It's just that rod will just handle something bigger and I am looking forward to that day :)

I used to almost always fish clousers exclusively in saltwater, but I am using more and more deceivers the last few years. In addition, I can't bring myself to use a clouser on a bamboo rod...it just doesn't look/feel right.

Jay you need a good 4 weight Orvis rod to go with that beast? :rotf:

I would worry about nicking a nice bamboo rod with a clouser, or any fly with “lead” eyes for weight. It shouldn’t ever happen if you’re casting properly but that rare time when “the wind takes it” is often enough.





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Jay, this summer give me a call. Come up and fly fish buzzards bay out of a Whaler we have. Bring a 9 or 10 wt with a 350 or 400 grain full sink line with weighted deceivers. You will slay stripers for sure.

Fly rod reels and flies
 

Great dialog and I covet your Wedding Cake reel. The stories bring back memories when I was privileged to fish Belize in 1980 after digesting Lefty's book about fly fishing the flats. I tied up some deceivers , grabbed my trusty 9 wt. Fenwick 9' by 91/2' graphite rod and FinNor direct drive #2. First time ever to tackle tarpon on the fly and I was proud to land an 80 pounder in about 3' gin clear water.off Ambergis Cay. Boy was I hooked, most explosive action on a rod and reel!!! Enjoy you guys as we are blessed to be partakers of such grand sport not to mention our shotguns!

I have broken the tip off a graphite rod in with a clouser in the wind. I think a deceiver just looks better(in and out of the water) and I usually tie mine weighted. I have also caught some nice fish on a half and half which is a bigger clouser tied with feathers. I had always wanted a wedding cake reel and bought this one a few years ago. I also like billy pate reels direct drive and anti reverse.

David that sounds like a great trip. I would like to go to Belize and I always checkout the pictures from Turnefette Island. I caught one tarpon in my life on a fly rod. I was by myself and it was nothing huge for a tarpon 40-50 pounds, but that was too much fun. It was in St. John in the Virgin Islands on my second cast :)

Allen, yes let's plan a trip this summer! I have never fished up that way and I know we would have a great time.

To get back to shotguns...the lifter in the picture has become one of my favorites. It has more drop at heel than my other guns at 3 1/8" which took me awhile to get used to. Now I don't even think about it when I shoot it. It's funny though, I have shot that gun more in the past 2-3 months than I have in the past 3 years. I actually have a few Parkers like that, ones I almost thought about selling for one reason or another that I shoot all the time now.