Wade glass rod, Simms waders(cheapest at the store), Orvis back sling, brimmed hat from the construction store.. hell yeah man, I aint following no one else.
Couldn't agree more on the nail knot. My dad made me learn it when I was a kid. Before the welded loops. Pretty sure he just didn't want me bugging him when he was trying to fish. So glad I learned it.
After watching all your vids I realized I hadn’t subscribed…….so I did. Also, I felt so much better about this one for two reasons: 1. You didn’t trash on Euronymphers in this one (I have realized you employ equal opportunity trashing various types of fisherman). 2. I went back and watched a video of you having a HUGE day Euronymphing. I like floating rivers too……and I do huck streamers…..but the closest river to float for me is 4 hours away so I Euro the small streams around me and catch some decent fish. I do appreciate your humor and content. Stay Huge!
Yeah, I’m with ya’. Float tube is my favorite way to fish. I can pack that thing into secluded lakes, ponds, and beaver dams, and access water nearly nobody fishes. My hands are free to fish or drink beer as I maneuver. And the best is even when I’m fishing with someone else, they aren’t in my space.
Make your own bibs from leaking waders that aren't leaking too bad....maybe just a seep at the seam. Cut the stocking feet off and you have bibs that are about $500 cheaper than Grunden's bibs. A simple darning needle is perfect for nail knots.
fly fishing not for everyone am saltwater fishing all of my rod 12wt rod 12 fishing reel catch big fish time catch small fish to what ever I can catch on my fly rod cheap rod and experience reel way because need good reel for saltwater $150 spent $100 Rod world wide sportsman fly rod that all I use
My fishing vehicle is a retired wheelchair van. I can stand up in it plenty of room for rods and gear and even a Lazy Boy recliner for those afternoon naps after a nice shore lunch.
For the first 10 years or so I was a serious fly fisherman, I had small tippet on the brain. I havent bought actual "tippet", let alone small tippet in years. I just keep spools of fluorocarbon line in my waterproof bag and tie my own leaders. I generally fish streamers with three pieces of 8lb, 10lb, and 12lb line. With bass, i just forget all sublety and use 10lb, 14lb, and 20lb.
I started about two years ago. I think I bought the SA tippet in sizes 0-6x and when I finished the spool I just bought the comparable mono and respooled those SA tippet spools. That's the only reason to buy tippet anymore for the spools to reuse
On small trout streams I use 4lb mono or flouro on streamers I use 8lb to 12lb mono. Tie all leaders yourself. Nail knot ...double surgeons knot ... blood knot.... non slip loop knot... perfection loop
In a world of a gazillion guys ranting on the radio, tv, internet, street corner; Ben, you r the rant king (as in all hail the rant king). I think one has to hail from between the Mississippi and the Pacific Cost ranges to perfect a slow burn that doesn’t burn too much and, dude, you got it down. Always entertaining and often (sometimes) educational. Thanks for the fun.
Late commitment. Be youself, the best of all a fly fisherman needs to be. No flash, no ungodly expensive gear half if which you'll never use or no how to use. I was a kid who git my dad into fishing when i was just 10 or 12 years old. Didnt know much about gear or technique but just loved the idea of fishing a d being out with my dad. With my mothers help he got us some spinning gear and i saw him catch his first trout. Literally saw it come up to take his yellow with red dots panther martin spinner. Told my mother that from that time on when he fished, he thought of nothing else, he felt free of everday pressure. I latter went from spinning to fly fishing and never looked back. Always felt i didnt do enough for dad who did so much for me. When i heard him talk to mom about fishing, I felt I did something for him. Thanks for letting me vent. Ps. I suck at fly fishing. Ask dad. Im 65yrs old.
After fishing stripers on the coast for a long time I'm glad someone else agrees with me about tippet size, generally. I got hassled for my line color the other day. THEY DON'T CARE. Most of the time. Bass can see just as well as trout: They're hitting three treble hooks an inch in diameter attached to the shape of a human turd and we got guys arguing about distance between the beat up plug and the swivel. I caught my first on-purpose brown yesterday and it was a streamer on about 3 feet of 12 pound floro. He could definitely see the line.
Nail knots way cleaner and actually comes out or your rod guides sooo much better. Nothing like having to fight a dumb ass loop out of your tip guide every time you want to cast... jus sayin!
Haha i haven’t been fly fishing for very long but I had to learn a nail not pretty early because my welded loop broke. Wether cheap or expensive, that welded loop seems to break off every line I get.
I like using a needle and running the leader through the center of the flying and then tie nail knot. GET rid of the 6x... what do i tie my 7x onto? We're talking The Metolius river here.
So I’ve seen a few of your videos over the past few years and I’ve been fly fishing for about 5 years so and I live in NC and usually euro nymping for trout in the mountains. So I take offense to being stereotyped by someone so damn funny. I am 53 years old but tuff hard miles on the body as a blue collar worker. Would love a Tacoma and a boat but just gonna keep wading with my epiphany in my Outback. Playing a creek leopard on light tippet is dope! So I like Tyler Childers and I like Alice In Chains and The Doors and Rush…. But yes love the videos keep them coming. What I do when I’m tying bugs for the weekend. Peace ✌️
I typically use 12 or 15lb for tippet and Ben I've been fly fishing less then 10 years and I can tie a nail knot with a stick. But I might add I've been a fisherman for 30 years lol
Disagree on the boat thing and the float tube. But, that's just because I'm disabled and while I like the boats in the calm. If it is choppy at all standing and dealing with any rolls hurts my feet to much, more than wading as long as I have good solidy, firm footwear. Like you are saying be different. Even my cast looks crappy sometimes because something is hurting or my arm is numb. None of it matters if you arent casting. Rule 1, get a line in the water. Beyond that make up your own.
I've only been fly fishing for a couple years. I bought my first nail knot tool (I have two that I know the location of) and learned how to tie a nail knot before I ever got a fly line wet. Is there something wrong with me, Ben? 😅
Nope not at all. I got buddies who absolutely love loop to loop connections and when they fail after 6 months I get their expensive line and put it on my gear.
Oddly enough, I had my loop break yesterday, went to my car and realized I didn't have my nail knot tool or a nail to tie one up as I just got a new car... the backup knot in that case ended up being the Alberto knot so I could keep fishing.
Bahahahaha I cut the loops off 75% of my fly lines and have ever since i started. Nail knots are essential knowledge, I have even forgotten my tool before and used a pair of forceps as a nail knot tool, not as easy but doable.
I’ve had loops break on fly lines but I never do a nail knot. I’m a big fan of the Albright knot for this. What are your thoughts on the Albright knot?
A while back I challenged myself to learn the nail knot without the tool. Hardest 3 months of my life. Being said, I still cannot catch a fish to save my life.
Adding this to the last part, and probably applies to the people in the Tacomas - What about fishing the San Juan River in New Mexico, but every IG hashtag is nothing about how great Colorado is? Where's the love for NM anymore???
Ok, I have a tacoma. There are no stickers on it though because: 1. I'm an adult 2. I'm pretty sure the rod tube on top already says, "Hey, I fish." I'm admittedly a Fishpond fuckboy. (They really do make great fishing gear products imo). However, I'm happy to report that I have never, nor will I ever, be caught wearing Howler Bros. clothes. I can't relate to those guys. Cool, you wear your $90 "fishing brand" polo that isn't actually for fishing, so you can look cool around camp? I'll be on the water wearing my $12 Columbia shirt I got on the clearance rack at Sierra Trading Post.....catching fish.
No way bro! Only the little spools of fly fishing flouro work for fly fishing! Why would you buy a 300 yard spool of 10lb test flouro for $15 when you could buy 100 foot of 00 for $39?!
Nice part of wearing plain square guy clothes and sneekers, and nothing angler but a tiny waist bag and having a short foam grip spinning rod, that I usuakky did in the evenings, where there were to many non local anglers to really find any un-plowed water, was that nobody tourist wanted to socialise with me, bcz I looked like a beginner.
Worst thing to happen to fly fishing here in the East has been the proliferation of boats. Guys even ruder than Ben with zero etiquette floating down 40 foot wide streams banging into everything, anchoring up on top of you and basically thinking the whole bleeping river is theirs. Hate boats.
Does anyone actually buy Moonshine rods? Anyone ever hear of the defunct Heritage Rod Company? Small time entrepreneur who tried importing and labeling rods made in Korea. Passed away around 5 years ago. Last one is a serious question. Moonshine is a similar business plan.
Can't walk into alot of access on some rivers due to private property. However most states still allow you too legally travel the water ways (you could walk that too) but in a boat you're gonna cover more water and floating down "private sections" in a boat is pretty much gonna cut any doubt you trespassed on some dudes land to access the water.
Fly fishing should be done on foot. Wading in a stream. Connecting with nature. Not in a damn boat! Floats are for tools who hire guides and are from Texas.
@@JP-dz7zu dang so when I go fish brown trout on a river that is to deep to walk I am not fishing that sucks. When I go pond fish out of my cano I didn’t know I wasn’t fishing. When I do weekend float trips and camp out of my canoe I didn’t know I wasn’t fishing
@@JP-dz7zuI get where you’re coming from. Wade fishing by myself is how I get the most relaxing and spiritual experience. But variety is the spice of life and so I always enjoy floats.
Exactly. Every time I'm on a river all the dudes (mostly on the younger side) have these expensive waterproof packs absolutely packed to the gills with shit. Even if they're just out for a couple hours.
I've been fishing , and fly fishing (and tying flies), for about 45 years now. Maybe more. It was just WHAT WE DID, like breathing or eating. trout, bass, panfish, creek chubs, and when nothing else was happening we'd go down to a local creek and look for carp "mudding" and throw a #8 brown woolly worm (not bugger.) under their nose. Too stupid to realize that other morons would someday be paying big dollars for guides to get them to do the same thing. There are some of us out here who simply do not understand what it is for a grown adult to say "I just started fishing five years ago" ... to us it makes less sense than flat brim caps or white rimmed sunglasses. Fly fishing is just fishing. Somewhere many decades ago I read an article by Lefty about "whipped loops" in the end of your fly line using a tying bobbin and thread- way before "welded loops" were standard on factory lines. I've got fly lines older than Ben with whipped loops which have never failed. To that point, I've not had a factory loop fail. That doesn't mean I can't tie a nail knot with my eyes closed, it just means I never have to while I'm out on the water. Kids these days......
I've been flyfishing since I was 8, I'm 71. I agree with you 100%. Until Redford screwed up and made "that movie", we never had to deal with the numbskulls we see out there today. I've never had a welded loop come undone, either. Although I can afford a boat, it's just too much hassle, what with all the river traffic you see now, not to mention all the logistics a boat requires. I'd rather wade, even at a lake.
Norfork Arkansas, I have a boat . I'm in the campground in a tent. My streamer rod is my first fly rod a Pfleuger beginner 6 wt , nextdoor a couple of catalog fishermen, small camper Simms , Yeti , Sage and Orvis. Lot of water , they're generating no way to really wade. I suggest renting a boat. Noooooo can't look like the spin fishermen. They caught 2 fish , I caught about 20x more. They were stereotypes. Sad. Be original
…I totally don’t know why ya’ seem adamantly down on float tubes. Seeing how ya’ like beer it seems you’d love to sit back in an easy chair, and kick yourself around. Leave your hands free to fish or drink beer, as you choose. It’s even easy to rig on the go, something ya’ really can’t do paddling, or even tending a motor.
