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centerpinning Revisited

F

flyandfloatfishing.com

Flyandfloatfishing.com
Hey fellow anglers, i know the word centerpinning is kinda a "VooDoo" word when it comes to the flyfishing world but i'd like to put a different spin on it and show it to you from my eyes.. a hardcore fly fisherman with my own website.

Centerpinning has become very well know in the USA because of the steelhead fishery here in the great lakes region. It is a technique that utilizes a large diameter reel in which lacks any drag at all. The use of mono line and specialized float (bobbers) are used. You can read a lot of information about the indepth info at our website if you wish at flyandfloatfishing dot com

We're an informational website on fly fishing and float fishing.

We've got videos and article that shed light on the subject. When i use the centerpin on a switch rod, i ALWAYS use flies... i drift flies 100% of the time for trout! Its exciting and the battle on a longer rod is awesome. You can tell by the pictures in our gallery! Please tr to be open minded as it was hard for me to make the conversion.. now i flyfish 50%/centerpin 50% of the time.

if you have any questions feel free to email me at swatskee@flyandfloatfishing.com

thanks for hearing me out!:)
 
Can and would you describe what the word 'centerpinning' means? I've heard the term and obviously read a little of the negative comments in other threads. Not looking to raise any ire I just want to know what it is that's being discussed.

Allan
 
flyandfloatfishing.com said:
Hey fellow anglers, i know the word centerpinning is kinda a "VooDoo" word when it comes to the flyfishing world but i'd like to put a different spin on it and show it to you from my eyes.. a hardcore fly fisherman with my own website.
Click to expand...

Since you're already poking around here anyway, could you just answer some of the criticism that has been pointed at centerpinners? I'm sure you read the other thread on the subject. That that type of equipment is inappropriate for certain rivers, or wild fish; that centerpinners cause more "damage" to the trout populations; that it's users are greedy and do not care about the resource; that it's users do not practice the etiquette of local custom.

Thanks in advance for offering us "the other side" of the story.
 
I have one question... can you fish drys with a centerpinning rig or is it all underwater?
 
Yes, what exactly does the word "centerpinning" mean? I know what the technique is, but where did that term come from?

If this was already asked in the other thread, my sincerest apologies for asking again... :)
 
First off, pinning is not fly fishing.

This is a fly fishing website, hence the name North Eastern Fly Fishing.

There is no reason for a fly fisher here to give a damn about pinning.

To a fly fisher, it's not about numbers or even catching fish, and as a 50% fly fisher you should already know this. Sure we like to catch fish, but it's the science behind catching each fish that makes us the way we are.

Fly fishers don't approach a stream and start fishing. First we observe what going on around us.

Are there rising trout?
Are there bugs floating on the water?
What's caught in the nearby spider webs.
Anything crawling up on the rocks?
What about the grass and weeds, anything crawling there or drying out it's wings?
Any birds overhead catching bugs?
We catch and study a few bugs.
Then, we open our fly boxes and select what we have deduced to be the best possible size, color pattern, and stage (emerger, dun, spinner) of the fly we have scientifically determined to be what the rising trout are feeding on.

Simply put, pinners, spin fishers, bait fishers, etc. are a different breed than us. I'm not saying they are lesser than fly fishers. They just don't see things the way fly fishers do.

There may be 10 trout in the stream in front of us, but we're only focusing on that one trout rising in that one spot. Asking ourselves, will I get him to rise and take my fly or will he elude me?

Correct me if I'm wrong here guys, but if that trout rises and takes our fly, that was what we were after. Whether we hook him or not is not the issue. The issue is that we got him to accept what we offered to him.

When I see a fly fisher approach a stream and he observes and studies his surroundings and doesn't start fishing for 20-30 minutes, then makes his cast and a trout rises and takes his fly, to him I have the utmost respect. Patience has become his ally.

Damn...I'm going fishing,
CD
 
Corndog,

What's with the 'holier than thou' b.s.? Now I'm a fly fisher. I've been so for about 45 years and have been tying for about the same time. Your remarks are so illustrative of the snob mentality that give us fly fishers the bad rap we appear to have among non fly fishers, the general public and even fellow fly fishers.

Hey, even though someone is using fly fishing gear, is trolling a Rangely streamer from a boat up in the Maine lakes for brookies 'fly fishing'?
Is casting streamers(which many consider 'lures') even though the lure carries the line, 'fly fishing'?
Is using a weighted nymph and indicator(bobber) 'fly fishing'?
Is trolling a large baitfish imitation from a boat, for billfish in saltwater, 'fly fishing'?
Come to think of it, and if you want to get technical, is the use of any imitation that is not a water borne or water blown insect, 'fly fishing'?

As for your comments about 'catching not being about numbers' , "Fly fishers don't approach a stream and start fishing. First we observe what going on around us". That's also, for a large number of fly fishers I've observed, just more pure bunk. Just take a look at how many threads and posts there are about about the lack of ettiquite among fly fishers. How they(we) impose ourselves on our fellow fly fishers. How we wade in close to others. How we unceremoneously drift through a wading fly fishers water. How areas are left strewn with garbage, plastic zip lock bags, leader or tippet material.

So maybe you don't want to know and don't care about centerpinning. Okay, good for you. However, I do and apparently so do a few others here. Yes, this is a fly fishing site. Almost every thread is somehow related to fly fishing. Gaining some knowledge of another method, even non-fly fishing, may or may not improve our fly fishing knowledge. We won't and can't know until we understand that method. So for those of us who are not as 'Pure' as you, I hope 'flyandfloatfishing' responds. If you're not interested, just sit back, don't read the posts and ignore the rest of the thread.

Allan
 
Mayfly,

45 years...so what! Am I supposed to be impressed???

It has nothing to do with "pure" or "holier than thou". I guess the good Lord hasn't blessed you with the gift yet.

From what I read on this site (your site I guess), most posts about pinning are not in support of it. Those interested can go to the pinning sites that have been posted.

In my post, I was just expressing my opinion (which is all it is) about fly fishing the way I've grown to love it. Has nothing to do with the other methods you mentioned. To each his own.

I guess I'm done here. I'll do some exploring online and find a true fly fishing website, cause if most ppl here are in agreement with you then this is not a fly fishing website. It's just another fishing website.

CD
 
okay, ...dish it out and i'll take it..... i used to have the metality that fly fisihing was the only style out there.. here are some of your answers. thanks to those that have stuck up for me.


centerpinning is a term used to describe the reel that is used in float fishing or sometimes called centerpinning. What it describes is how the reel was made in the late 1800.. there were no bearing, only a pin much like early versions of fly reels....

as far as some of the other questions i'll do my best to remember them all;

dry fly fishing...no way. cant be done.

sub-surface its deadly! the natral drift you can achieve utilizing this techniques is not possible with fly fishing gear for the simple reason of line management will alway (100% of the time) cause unnatural drag on your line as you know. yes, we try to mend mend mend to control this but it is not possible. What happens is you set up your gear as follows:
The centerpin has a free spinning spool on precision bearings that is loaded with backing and special mono mainline. A specialized float (bobber if you wish) is on the mainline along with specialized shot patterns to kep the fly down. Tiny split shot are placed from the bottom of the float all the way down to the microswivel, spaced apart by a few inches, this is set depending how deep you are trying to fish. This keeps your float to your swivel almost inline so you know whats happening beneath the float... you can achieve a perfect presentation like this.

The microswivel is attached then your tippet is attached to it, usually 12-16 inches is normal, then is you are fishing a tandem rig tie as needed.

now, when you cast there are special cast you need, quite like a baitcasting reel you need to pull the line off at the same speed your terminal tackle is coming off during the cast, this takes experience. however, if you are fishing in close quarters you can simply drop you terminal tackle onto the water and allow the hydraulics to pull on your float, thus the reel starts to spin (remember, no drag) until you presentation if performing a drag free drift, the reel is spinning off line as your float drift down the current. if you get a take, you palm the reel to set the hook all the while controlling the drag with your fingers.

now, for the catch rate vs mortality:

there is nothing that can change this, the more fish you catch the more can potentially die. Safe C&R techniques can be utilized. I ALWAYS C&R and i always fish flies (no bait). Also, i fish barbless... what do you do?

If catching more fish is a bad thing to you, i'm sorry... that is just too bad. we all want to catch more fish. i can not remember ever walking off a stream thinking i wish i hadn't picked up so many fish today?? for you to say that, that is too bad. I've fished PA, NY, WY, MT, ID, and more with the pin and it is verry effective. please have an open mind.

The catch rate is often 4-6x that of fly fishing for the simple reason or the most natural drift.....

The big problem is as stated: a pinner can cover a ton of water with long drifts!!! The person fishing should use their head when fishing around others. I'v fished pocket waters with short drifts out west along side of two fly fishermen with no problems, and i've drifted a hundred yards here in the great lakes tribs for steelhead...

not only is it effective for trout, but catfishing, bass fishing, carpin' and everything in between is a ton of fun.

i just ask that you be open minded andgive it a try.... once you switch to the dark side, its hard to go back...trust me, i'm a hardcore fly fisherman!

instead of bashing me, ask me questions.. that is whay i started up the website, to educate not sell... and we're having fun doing it.
 
Future Fanatic said:
Since you're already poking around here anyway, could you just answer some of the criticism that has been pointed at centerpinners? I'm sure you read the other thread on the subject. That that type of equipment is inappropriate for certain rivers, or wild fish; that centerpinners cause more "damage" to the trout populations; that it's users are greedy and do not care about the resource; that it's users do not practice the etiquette of local custom.

Thanks in advance for offering us "the other side" of the story.
Click to expand...
---------------------------------------------------

First off FF, inappropriate equipment would be described by the laws of the water you are fishing, Etiquette is something totally different! on smaller waters we use smaller rods... I've fished "flies only" sections of streams that state you must use only "flies" on your line.... now if i calls for traditions fly fishing tackle, i would pass up that area.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:eek:ffice:eek:ffice" /><o:p></o:p>
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generally, a float fisherman should be downstream from the fly fisherman because of the long drifts. There is a misconception that centerpinning is "Bait only" and that is 100% false to assume because we are an exception. I fish with flies only, all subsurface "dead drifted" techniques utilizing nymphs, egg patterns, and streamer patterns......<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
if your point is about "more damage to the resource" because of higher catch rates.. well, this is a tough situation... what do you tell yourself when you go fishing? i usually say i can't wait to get on the water!! I love the serenity & the sounds of the water. But you want to catch fish right??? you can't tell me with a straight face that you don't care if you catch a fish (we all say it!). heck yeah i want to catch a fish. i didn't spend all this money on gear and spend endless hours tying flies to look good! so where are we with this question?? do pinners usually catch more fish than fly fishermen on any given day, more than likely... if i handed you a fly on the river and said" dude, you've got to use this fly!! I'm killing them on it!"..... you'd put it on in a heartbeat. i do my best when catching & releasing a fish to follow safe handling techniques. i do not keep fish, 100% C&R. most of the waters on this side of the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:eek:ffice:smarttags" /><st1:country-region><st1:place>US</st1:place></st1:country-region> are "Put & Take" and we all pay for the fish to be stocked with exceptions of coarse. I think the Bait vs fly thing is a tough one because most guys think hat centerpinning is bait fishing....<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
I’ve pinned wild native cuts in <st1:State><st1:place>Wyoming</st1:place></st1:State>, <st1:State><st1:place>Montana</st1:place></st1:State>, & <st1:State><st1:place>Idaho</st1:place></st1:State>. because i catch more fish, that make this unethical? i don't think so. If it was hurting our resource as bad as some think DNR would say ok, that's it... you must now keep everything you catch?? I do follow C&R and barbless hooks. My mortality rate is the same as yours (using flies)same as fly fishing vs bait debate.<o:p></o:p>
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flyandfloat<o:p></o:p>


doesn't sound so bad after all???

 
Tanks for answering my question about dry fly fishing. Well... I love to dry fly fish so pinning is out for me.

One thing you are missing flyandfloatfishing.com is most of us long ago gave up methods, and not all bait, spinning techniques, etc. that would allow us to catch more fish. Corndog is right about that. So do not say that we all would like to catch more fish. It's simply not true.

One last question... does pinning, with flys, end up hooking fish deeper than regular fly fishing?
 
I too am a Maverick or an outcast. I use a 7'6" 2 wt rod for brook trout, but every now and then I will accidently hook into a rainbow or brownie.

I know as soon as I post this, I will have to come back to it and give myself a thumbs down...

I just hope they don't take away my NEFF Most Prestigious Award. Up until that award, the only thing I have ever received in my life was grief.

As always, hoping to someday redeem myself.

AK Skim
Winner of the NEFF 2007 Most Prestigious Award
 
flyandfloatfishing.com said:
okay, ...dish it out and i'll take it..... i used to have the metality that fly fisihing was the only style out there.. here are some of your answers. thanks to those that have stuck up for me.


centerpinning is a term used to describe the reel that is used in float fishing or sometimes called centerpinning. What it describes is how the reel was made in the late 1800.. there were no bearing, only a pin much like early versions of fly reels....

as far as some of the other questions i'll do my best to remember them all;

dry fly fishing...no way. cant be done.

sub-surface its deadly! the natral drift you can achieve utilizing this techniques is not possible with fly fishing gear for the simple reason of line management will alway (100% of the time) cause unnatural drag on your line as you know. yes, we try to mend mend mend to control this but it is not possible. What happens is you set up your gear as follows:
The centerpin has a free spinning spool on precision bearings that is loaded with backing and special mono mainline. A specialized float (bobber if you wish) is on the mainline along with specialized shot patterns to kep the fly down. Tiny split shot are placed from the bottom of the float all the way down to the microswivel, spaced apart by a few inches, this is set depending how deep you are trying to fish. This keeps your float to your swivel almost inline so you know whats happening beneath the float... you can achieve a perfect presentation like this.

The microswivel is attached then your tippet is attached to it, usually 12-16 inches is normal, then is you are fishing a tandem rig tie as needed.

now, when you cast there are special cast you need, quite like a baitcasting reel you need to pull the line off at the same speed your terminal tackle is coming off during the cast, this takes experience. however, if you are fishing in close quarters you can simply drop you terminal tackle onto the water and allow the hydraulics to pull on your float, thus the reel starts to spin (remember, no drag) until you presentation if performing a drag free drift, the reel is spinning off line as your float drift down the current. if you get a take, you palm the reel to set the hook all the while controlling the drag with your fingers.

now, for the catch rate vs mortality:

there is nothing that can change this, the more fish you catch the more can potentially die. Safe C&R techniques can be utilized. I ALWAYS C&R and i always fish flies (no bait). Also, i fish barbless... what do you do?

If catching more fish is a bad thing to you, i'm sorry... that is just too bad. we all want to catch more fish. i can not remember ever walking off a stream thinking i wish i hadn't picked up so many fish today?? for you to say that, that is too bad. I've fished PA, NY, WY, MT, ID, and more with the pin and it is verry effective. please have an open mind.

The catch rate is often 4-6x that of fly fishing for the simple reason or the most natural drift.....

The big problem is as stated: a pinner can cover a ton of water with long drifts!!! The person fishing should use their head when fishing around others. I'v fished pocket waters with short drifts out west along side of two fly fishermen with no problems, and i've drifted a hundred yards here in the great lakes tribs for steelhead...

not only is it effective for trout, but catfishing, bass fishing, carpin' and everything in between is a ton of fun.

i just ask that you be open minded andgive it a try.... once you switch to the dark side, its hard to go back...trust me, i'm a hardcore fly fisherman!

instead of bashing me, ask me questions.. that is whay i started up the website, to educate not sell... and we're having fun doing it.
Click to expand...

flyandfloatfishing,

Thank you for your descriptive post. I would just like to clarify that pinning can be used with dry flies. This is done in riffles much the same way spin gear has been used to do it for years.

You say, " sub-surface its deadly!". That's the problem. Thank you for not using bait which would only lead to higher C&R mortality. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the pinners I have seen on wild trout rivers do use bait.

What exactly do you mean when you say, " If catching more fish is a bad thing to you, i'm sorry...". Catching more fish than who, the other guy? Is more always better?

"we all want to catch more fish. i can not remember ever walking off a stream thinking i wish i hadn't picked up so many fish today?? for you to say that, that is too bad.", do you mean you have replaced quality with quantity?

"once you switch to the dark side, its hard to go back..." Not true. I was centerpinning in the mid-eighties for a couple of years and found it very easy to give up.

Thanks again for the informative post on centerpinning. Personally, I don't care how anyone chooses to fish as long as they don't interfere with the actions of others and C&R wild trout. I hate to see wild trout caught on bait or trebled hooked lures too. Flies with trebles are taboo in my book also.

All in all, any fisherman on any water who goes about his business with the mentality that they have to catch all the fish before the other guys does is a greedy angler and not a sportsman.

Every angler has a pile of fish they need to climb over in their lives. Some climb over it sooner than others.

Regards,
Joe
 
flyandfloat - Thanks for the information. Now, having read your description, I can say that 'centerpinning', as a method of fishing, is not something I'd care to try. Also, I have no proiblem with it (as a method) as long as the person using it fishes legally, uses common sense and doesn't infringe on the fishing of others.

corndog - "I guess I'm done here. I'll do some exploring online and find a true fly fishing website, cause if most ppl here are in agreement with you then this is not a fly fishing website. It's just another fishing website."
Agreement with me? I did not take any position about centerpinning or anything else on this topic. All I did was ask what the word meant and point out that many people use a lot of fly fishing methods that to many others, and I include myself among them, are not considered really fly fishing.

Allan
 
For me it's the fisherman and the choices they make and not the technique that matters most.

If a guy greedily catches 70 wild trout fishing 30 days a year shame on them regardess of the aproach. However, the apparent efficacy of centerpinning demands a greater sense of ethics not to do harm to a fishery. My guess is the very high catch rates combine bait.

Centerpinning is also a lesson in that presentation is eqully important under the water than on top.

BTW... I would hate to continully need to wind up all that mono after each cast. Yuck. One of the greatest dividends of fly fishing is that you can repeatadely cast without reeling in the line or even pulling it in a shorter distances.
 
i'm not saying that i need to go out and hook a million fish to feel good about myself.. not at all...

the fact is that float fishing has a higher catch rate in general. you an;t go out and catch 70 a day everyday.. that would be undeard of anywhere i[ve evr fished.

i go out and pick up a skunk here and there.

thanks for the open mind on this guys.

as far as top water fishing, you CAN NOT dry fly fish...
 
Interesting. A few weeks ago I was fishing a section of river & 2 guys set up around 60 yards up river from me with these really long noodle rods & start drifting their bobbers all the way down the run in front of them... thru the riffles.. & into the pool I was fishing before they would reel it back in. I was wondering what the heck they were doing. Now I know.

I was a little miffed that they let their bobbers float into the head of the pool I was working. Wasn't like there wasn't enough open river.
 
Joe D and others,

Now this is just a question:

So, if you say that 'centerpinning' can be used for dry flies, wouldn't it be the same technique as simply fishing a dry fly downstream and letting it drift so that the leader follows?
As I read the descriptive post from 'flyandfloatfishing', the terminal tackle used in centerpinning is kind of unique in that it has a bobber(indicator), swivels, and split shot which seems to indicate fishing a subsurface fly(or other).

Allan
 
There is no denying that centerpinning is an effective and deadly way to catch fish, so is using a net.:rolleyes: The question I have is how many fish is enough? I consider a good day on the WB if I catch 5-6 trout. Would I like to catch more, sure, but if I was able to catch 20,30 I've heard rumors of 70 fish a day, I'd try another method. One of the reasons I got into flyfishing was that it is more challenging then any other method I know of.
 
Mayfly said:
Joe D and others,

Now this is just a question:

So, if you say that 'centerpinning' can be used for dry flies, wouldn't it be the same technique as simply fishing a dry fly downstream and letting it drift so that the leader follows?
As I read the descriptive post from 'flyandfloatfishing', the terminal tackle used in centerpinning is kind of unique in that it has a bobber(indicator), swivels, and split shot which seems to indicate fishing a subsurface fly(or other).

Allan
Click to expand...
Because 100% of trout feed subsurface 90% of the time.

I think the problem might lie with the amount of fish caught versus how many people are using the technique. If 10 Pin fishers are catching 40 fish per day in roughly the same area, that's 400 trout caught in 1 day in a small area. That's a bit more stress than I think (I say think because I can't prove) any river could sustain. Then those same 40 people come back the following day and do the same.

Take into consideration 40 fly fishermen in the same area catching 0-5 fish per day.

From what I've been reading, most pin fishers are using bait.

To answer your question: Probably not. There's still a hatch to match. You only take out the drag equation. Matter of fact, I think using a dry on a pin setup might prove more difficult to actually hook a trout.
 
Last edited:
Mayfly said:
Joe D and others,

Now this is just a question:

So, if you say that 'centerpinning' can be used for dry flies, wouldn't it be the same technique as simply fishing a dry fly downstream and letting it drift so that the leader follows?
As I read the descriptive post from 'flyandfloatfishing', the terminal tackle used in centerpinning is kind of unique in that it has a bobber(indicator), swivels, and split shot which seems to indicate fishing a subsurface fly(or other).

Allan
Click to expand...

Allan,

Kinda. The two methods that I'm aware of, and I have only seen one in use, is to use a bobber with several feet of leader running from it and a dry fly on the end.. The bobber is floated trough riffles "drag free" and hence the fly. The bobber was clear plastic if that matters. The same thing can be done with spin gear. This is how I've seen it done in the east and west.

The other technique I understand is a European method similar to dapping. A longer rod is used to hold as much line off the water as possible and then some specific type of floss is tied to the leader that causes the fly to "sail" over the surface, like skating a caddis. I've never seen it done, but in Europe they sell a special floss just for this purpose.

All the other terminal tackle, shot, swivels, floats and the like are used when float fishing sub-surface with a center pin set up.

Joe
 
flyandfloatfishing.com:
Dumb question from someone who hadn't even heard of centerpinning until a few months ago, and who's wondering what all the fuss is about.....

Most of your description above is related to the terminal tackle.

Is there anything about this method, that couldn't be done, (possibly more efficiently), with a long rod, equipped with spinning guides, spinning handle, and a spinning reel?... or a conventional (baitcasting) setup on a long rod?

Spinning reel bails can be opened, most modern convention reels have "free spool" capability. Advantages - Both are fairly easy to cast. - Once a fish is hooked they have drags.... I believe that West Coast steelheaders have been using spinning and conventional tackle like that since I was a child.

I once posed a similar question to a SR "chuck & duck" fisher. He had to admit I had a point. The C&D tackle/method had been recommended by a guide, he caught fish, so he stuck with it.
 
Joe,

"Kinda. The two methods that I'm aware of, and I have only seen one in use, is to use a bobber with several feet of leader running from it and a dry fly on the end.. The bobber is floated trough riffles "drag free" and hence the fly. The bobber was clear plastic if that matters. The same thing can be done with spin gear. This is how I've seen it done in the east and west".

I guess to an extent, for the first year (probably 1959/60) that I fished with flies, I was a 'centerpinner'. I didn't have fly equipment so I used my spinning rod, reel, bobber and a fly. During the winter I managed to save enough for a fly reel and line because I remember using my spinning rod for a fly rod. It was a Penn 7 footer with all cork handle and sliding rings. Anyway, I didn't know that method had a name.

Couple of years ago I was visiting daughter in CO. Went to a few fly shops and each one had set-ups for people to rent. Consisted of fly rod with fly or spinning reel with a clear plastic bobber and a 3 or 4 foot section of mono to which would be attached a fly. Didn't seem appropriate for a fly shop but, 'When in Rome'.

Allan
 
there would not be any way to fish a dry fly with this technique effectivly with a pin..... you may as well use a spinning rod for that matter... pin reels use mono.. how would you cast it?

i think a 0-5 fish day is a good day!
 
Pete said:
flyandfloatfishing.com:
Dumb question from someone who hadn't even heard of centerpinning until a few months ago, and who's wondering what all the fuss is about.....

Most of your description above is related to the terminal tackle.

Is there anything about this method, that couldn't be done, (possibly more efficiently), with a long rod, equipped with spinning guides, spinning handle, and a spinning reel?... or a conventional (baitcasting) setup on a long rod?

Spinning reel bails can be opened, most modern convention reels have "free spool" capability. Advantages - Both are fairly easy to cast. - Once a fish is hooked they have drags.... I believe that West Coast steelheaders have been using spinning and conventional tackle like that since I was a child.

I once posed a similar question to a SR "chuck & duck" fisher. He had to admit I had a point. The C&D tackle/method had been recommended by a guide, he caught fish, so he stuck with it.
Click to expand...


nope, you are correct, people have been doing this for years with bait casters in streams. the centerpin reel is a lot easier, in my mind, to control besides fishing a fish (palming style) is awesome! you can feel every run, especially with a 10#steelhead!!!!
 
Mayfly said:
Joe,

"Kinda. The two methods that I'm aware of, and I have only seen one in use, is to use a bobber with several feet of leader running from it and a dry fly on the end.. The bobber is floated trough riffles "drag free" and hence the fly. The bobber was clear plastic if that matters. The same thing can be done with spin gear. This is how I've seen it done in the east and west".

I guess to an extent, for the first year (probably 1959/60) that I fished with flies, I was a 'centerpinner'. I didn't have fly equipment so I used my spinning rod, reel, bobber and a fly. During the winter I managed to save enough for a fly reel and line because I remember using my spinning rod for a fly rod. It was a Penn 7 footer with all cork handle and sliding rings. Anyway, I didn't know that method had a name.

Couple of years ago I was visiting daughter in CO. Went to a few fly shops and each one had set-ups for people to rent. Consisted of fly rod with fly or spinning reel with a clear plastic bobber and a 3 or 4 foot section of mono to which would be attached a fly. Didn't seem appropriate for a fly shop but, 'When in Rome
Allan
Click to expand...

that technique you describe here is an old timers way to fish a like back in the day. they'd use a woodend float with a 6' leader & fly, cast it out a mile and tak an hour to reel it in... (at least my grandfather did!:dizzy:
 
flyandfloat,

Please note that the first paragraph of the post you are responding to is a quote from Joe D. Just want to be clear with who is saying what.

Also, insofar as number of fish caught in a day: I know it's possible to catch fish after fish and become bored, tired, embarrassed, get concerned or however someone would care to describe the situation. It's only happened to me just a few times but it has happened. As I recall, I stopped fishing and left. Now don't get me wrong. Catching fish isn't required for me to have a great time but it is a nice additive. Anyway, I guess this is an individual decision.

I think I'll start another thread and ask a question that relates to this thought about the number of fish caught. I'll look forward to reading the responses.

Allan
 
So how is SR looking this fall??? I haven't been up there in 2 yrs...

kinda like to stay away from that place because of the 1-2-3-RIP techniques employed up there....

I did manage to fish some smaller tribs over the past 18yrs+ of going there that have been lots of fun. It was a much shorted drive when i lived in PA!

The DEC was pretty hot nabbing the rippers, are they still hot to trot for them?

sorry to change the subject:dizzy:
 
My up-state NY buddies don't seem to be arguing about ripping any more, but the topic of whether or not most kings are "flossed" sure raises the temperature in the room.
 
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