bulldog1935

In my case, my dad grew up grappling catfish in Muddy Canal. (When I kept a fishing journal, first line was, "I've been trying to teach my dad to fish since I was 12.") I learned my knots from fold-up fliers in Trilene line boxes, and later from Scientific Anglers and Dave Whitlock give-away magazine-size marketing fliers in fly shops. (Before that, learned fly casting from feel following the fold-up Berkley flier that came in the box with my first junk fly reel.) I've been tying leaders and rolling Allbright knots for 45 years, and used to shoot backing knots through my snake guides when my fly line was out there first (140').

I've gone nuts for Meiho boxes. I have one Bucket Mouth that I store all the lure boxes, and one Versus 7080 tackle box that stacks lure boxes and fits exactly in a small kayak sternwell. The big boxes are cheaper to buy from the US importer than to pay big-box courier charge from Japan. That's a spinnerbait basket hiding under the sliding top tray (above). Multiple rod holders and gadgets hang on the big boxes. Same box packed efficiently for a 4-day trip below. I started buying the lure boxes, because they're so versatile. Since I'm already shopping in Japan, the lure boxes are $4 to $7 there. Went for the big stacking boxes when I needed a place to put all the lure boxes I was accumulating. 800 size lure boxes, which stack across the tackle box short direction, and fit nicely in a wade-fishing bag. 1200 lure boxes, which stack long-way in the big tackle box, stack in the short direction in the bigger Bucket Mouth (it's so big, it stays at home - lure box filing cabinet). The lure boxes stack so efficiently, because they are offered in varied thickness, 20 mm, 28 mm, 40 mm, and 60 mm. Different model lure boxes have the adjustable dividers going different directions, and include standard sizes that will store and separate your pre-packaged soft lures.

careful, JDM reels are like rabbits.

OP confuses two different effects. Thicker line drags slower through the water. Density compares specific weight of everything to water. PE braid is 4% lighter than water. Monofilament is 15% heavier than water. Fluorocarbon is 78% heavier than water. For the same diameter, the heavier line will sink faster. For the same line MOC, thinner diameter has less drag and the lure will pull it down faster. Because of drag difference, thinner lighter braid will sink faster than thicker heavier mono or fluoro - especially fishing lighter lures. As far as the strength, starting with 4-lb mono, PE braid of the same diameter varies from 10-lb to 25-lb. (yes, there's that much difference in braid). The whole thing falls apart when you remove lure weight and consider surface tension - what does it take to initially break through the water surface and start sinking - thin wins here again, slicing through the surface tension. Even though they were denser than water, old silk fly lines fished dry flies, not because they floated in the water (they didn't), but because they sat on the surface tension.

Improved Allbright knot. Never needed another @Shadow1 I'll add here my leader is 2' to 5', depending on my rod guides and what they pass quickly. The business end of my leader always gets perfection loop, and I loop-on paper clips, micro-swivel snaps, or micro-swivel titanium-wire bite trace. The linear contact in loop-to-loop is always stronger than any single-bend knot.

Yes. The reel cover above copies Daiwa cover for LP reels (not my favorite). My all-time favorite reel cover is Tailwalk, which is easy to install with one hand while holding the rod. It's especially nice on round reels.

I also measure my results 22" 28" 26"

The purpose of drag set is to set it and use it. Set it at your bench, and take it fishing. That's how you catch big fish on light tackle. Fumbling with unknown drag is how you learn to make excuses for the fish you didn't land.

@Crow Horse My spring balance is an old Salter 8-lb, but these are really accurate, and there's nothing that would creep or change the spring rate over decades.

The logic behind drag set is shock loading. Shock loading multiplies the load by 4 to 10 times. Proper drag set is 1/4 of your weakest link, leader test, line test, or rod max line rating. It's your defense from breaking off or breaking a rod. These were kayak catches last year, and all hauled the boat around. Most people don't have a clue how big 2-3 lbs drag set actually is, because they've never measured it.

I bought a new GL2 in 1988. These are Graphite II - IM6. Excellent moderate rods. Anyone I loan this rod wants to take it home. Loomis is really not the same company now - the current company is part of Shimano. Larry Kenney was in charge of rod production back then. http://thefiberglassmanifesto.blogspot.com/2022/06/l-kenney-rods-updated-fly-rod-models.html speaking of 1988...

@newapti5 I reported my Silver Wolf here My Zillion with Ray's SV spool here I had a good year, my 3 Daiwas are jewels, my 4 Isuzus are jewels. Regards

Lenz effect will make a beer can magnetic - electromagnetic induction - makes you want to drink another beer and think about it... as if you guys need an excuse

the alignment issue was you holding the line with a wet rag. @MontclairDave ^^ this ^^

Made a 4th plunge into the Darker Side. As much as I liked my Smith Plugger matched w/ Quatre 1-power finesse rod, I missed it on Smith FO-56 S-glass rod, and picked up this black BC420 to match with the 1-power. Followed it through two 5-day Yahoo auctions with price drop. When it didn't come back for a third time, had my noppin broker Masamichi contact the seller, and he found it for me on Mercari. This is mostly a tale of casting the black Isuzu small-frame synchro reel. I first loaded the deep stock spool (2 small centrifugal blocks) with YZH 10-lb for backing, and topped with a working layer of 5-lb Ultragreen mono. Casting loaded 1/8-oz jighead required full-time thumb, like the good old days. But even with full thumb and the little 5'4" rod, the little reel rocketed 1/8 oz past 100' - total fun, and a feeling of power. Swapping in the TryAngle braid spool w/ mag brake crossed over into Nutso. Final mag adjustment w/ PE#1 casting 2 g - consistent high-arcing 80' casts into the wind with zero backlash (no thumb). My target for this reel is 3+ g, which is where the little rod takes off, fishing half the distance the reel will cast its light end. The nutso part, synchro reels aren't supposed to do this - this result gives my Steez w/ Roro-X spool a run for its money.

I'm a C2000S fan, like the lower gearing than available in USM import. Spool capacity is just right. This is Vanquish, but will be this same size and spool. I also have JDM Stradic in 1000 and C2000SHG (latter is same spool and gearing as USM 1000). Both great reels, but this is finesse.

How'd you do that? Everyone else's money market accounts lost money for four years. These appreciated in value. and in a way, were paid for by these, which doubled their value over four years, and were sold. There's also a pretty good argument that fishing a better reel for 12 years is cheaper than buying another inexpensive reel every 6 years. (may not be as instantly gratifying as opening the second reel box) Factor in what portion of the price goes into the box, marketing, shipping, 20-something-overhead - a better reel is getting more for your money. Of course in 100 years, the box will be worth more than the reel (true for everything).

My new reel is a '20, so it probably doesn't count.

Seems like a no-brainer to add $20 to the ante and get a JDM Stradic from Digitaka.

as long as we're all saying something different. Skipping is something you can practice in your back yard, and it's about as fun as practice casting can get. Everybody has some overhanging shrubs or bushes to aim at the roots. It's a centrifugal cast, technically a reverse spiral (looks like a snail on its back) - the skip part, you don't bounce it on the grass, may bounce it on the water, but you end up low and horizontal. You begin moving the rod straight up, back and down to make a circle, loading the rod, and finish in a forward sidearm. Here's a video, this guy is showing it off - it doesn't have to be this energetic. But it's all in the rod tip. Don't get in a hurry with your cast. Work out the basic cast with the shortest, lightest-tip rod you own, and the lightest weight that rod will cast - you don't need a hook - go to town. When you're confident, take it fishing, with real world lures and weights. ps - if the rod won't do it with the light weight you're trying, you'll know quickly - it will arc way up. Main reason I like S-glass here, they typically fish below their low-end rating.

wow

Distributing Torsion strain is the reason for more guides in the tip third of casting rods

Fewer guides, no torsion on the blank

My river kayak niche is entirely round reels and short rods. The shorter, progressive rods let me fish down to 4 g, and have the butt power to turn a big bass trying to go under the kayak. Nothing compares to S-glass for skip-casting overhang. Longest rod on this boat is 6' MH graphite frogger. Shortest rod is 5', composite graphite-butt/S-glass-tip, just for skip casting. Here fishing 5'6" S-glass. The bass took me from the overhang on the right bank to the watercress, where the rod kept her out of the stalks. The Japanese, btw, continue to make these new, and every new batch has different qualities.