[QUOTE=Francis Morin;14527]
And for Deano-- :nono: try this trick on tippet material that doesn't hold a knot-- rough up the to be knotted area with fine steel wool first- it is the 'slick" surface that is causing you that problem.
QUOTE]

Hey Francisco, I tried that once but the steel wool in my vest pocket quickly turned into a matted soggy, rusty mess. I determined it was a lot simpler to curtail the use of such a product...

Who da "dude" in your new Avatar, Dean??
 

Nice to see some changes in the Avatar fotos- someone in your family perhaps? 1920's era--

I always carried a wad of OOO steel wool in a zip-lock baggie in the vest, along with a Bic lighter (and I am a Non-Smoker) and not trusting those yo-yo Orvis 'zingers" for anything heavier than a nipper, I kept the hemostat and the folding Kershaw knife on a cord inside the shirt, around my neck-I've seen in my day a lot of such fly fishing "sundries" take a bath-

The steel wool will have just enough petroleum base in its fibers to start an emergency fire- and the aerosol sprays for bugs and mosquitoes will also treat birch bark or toiler paper with enough accelerant to do the same- The old "Be prepared" scenario--

Fine 600 emery paper would work as well, and not turn rusty like the steel wool. I miss my many days on streams, but in MI so many canoes and guide boats, it's like trying to play solitare on the center berm of I-95 near the beltway at rush hour.

I think it was the late Sparse Grey Hackle who commented on having to share the water with a stranger was like inviting him into your bedroom on your wedding night-- Tight Lines however--:eek::duck:

My grandfather, James Romig, was a railroad executive and lived in southwestern Pennsylvania. My Dad was born in 1923 and was the youngest of eight, the eldest being nineteen when Dad was born. I believe the photo was taken around '05 as he appears to be in his early twenties in the photo.

In my smoking days ('63 - '92) I would burn the tag end of the tippet with the end of my cigarette causing a tiny bulb that would never slip back through. I think this is the only reason I miss smoking...

New Leader
 

i have always found a handfull of bottom from the stream you are fishing to be the best medicine for a new leader. Grab a handful and pull the leader through it a couple of times. If you have trouble with the knot the leather punch a Boy Scout knife or similar works; put the punch in the eye as you tighten the leader knot.
With all that said , present day leader really stinks. I never lost a fish to a leader break until last year, when I lost several. I fish hard rock streams that are pretty abrasive, but my old leaders held well. I lost a dozen or more early in the season. I have cut my leaders back to about 0x or 1x but I still loose a few.
The other interesting point is that modern graphite rods won't turn over a small nymph on a short cast. I have pretty well gone back to my old fibreglas rods for small streams

Best, Austin

These days I prefer flourocarbon tippets. Knots hold extremely well with this stuff as it doesn't have that hard slick surface and you can generally use heavier tippets than you normally would with the other materials because of its nearly invisible qualities when submerged as well as its non-reflective surface. If a heavier tippet impairs the action of your fly a surgeon's loop will take care of that problem.

Austin;
Saturday I lost at least six fish (I did not keep an accurate count ) and the fly due to knot slipping and tippet breaking, mighty frustrating. I had newly purchased 6x Dai Riki and Orvis tippet material.

Now you tell us carbon fiber rods do not cast well as I have no fiberglass rods, I gave them all away. I use a bamboo 7wgt or a carbon fiber rod 5wgt. I like the carbon best.

Rog

I went steelhead fishing with an old San Francisco-vintage Winston fiberglass 9wt last weekend and it was perfect. It takes a lot of rod to haul out a bunch of sink-tip in fast water with a heavy fly. Don't throw the fiberglass away!

Ah Yes- Tom Morgan, Glenn Brackett, Doug Merrick
 

The only non-split cane rods I ever used, and used a great deal, were the early series Kelly Green std. action Twin Bridges MT R.L. Winston graphite rods-They always handled well, and never failed, whether I was fishing dry flies, nymphs, Wooly Buggers and weighted streamers- floating, sinking tip or even shooting heads.

I was never into tournament casting, anymore than I am into competitive clays events. I recall the old adage "Castin' ain't catchin'"!! Tight ones--:bigbye:

What a great surprise... Did anyone else see Art Wheaton last evening on a "Quebec Outfitters" TV show salmon fishing? I don't remember the name of the river but there were a good number of salmon and grilse.

10 or 12 yrs ago, I was talking to Bob Clouser Sr. about tippet material. He took a spool of Danville's Mono Tying Thread (smoke colored) from the case, put it in a tiny zip lock baggie with the tag end sticking out and said try it. He told me he's been using it for decades and had yet to find anything superior. It has virtually no memory, is strong and the smoke color almost disappears under water. I pretty much don't use anything else for my 5x-7x (comes as .006 or .004) tippets.

Oh yeah. It costs a buck for 100yds:shock:.

Cheers
Marcus