2013 Boise Fly Fishing Expo Update

Mary Ann and I just got back from two days in Boise at the Fly Fishing Expo. This is always a fun show, with a very enthusiastic crowd interested in talking about bamboo fly rods. I met a lot of nice folks, and had some great converstations about “Why Bamboo?”, how to build bamboo fly rods, and how to fix up old rods. Several attendees also brought by their old rods to talk about. It’s always fun to pull an old rod out of the rod sock to see what treasure is inside.
My Booth at the 2013 Boise Fly Fishing Expo
Along side my booth was Mike Morin of Cutthroat Leaders. Mike makes some great furled leaders, and I fish with them often. They are a great match to the action of bamboo fly rods and turn over flies in wonderfully smooth manner.

Mary Ann also gave a casting demonstration on “Adjusting your casting stroke for different distances”. She also had the chance to spend a lot of time on the casting pond with folks who were interested in casting bamboo fly rods to see what it’s all about.
Mary Ann Dozer giving a casting demonstration

New Switch Rod Comes Off The Bench

I just completed a new Switch Rod for Mary Ann.  This one is my 10′ 6″  3/2  5 wt Progressive Action Rod designed for swinging streamers and soft hackles for trout.  It’s casts great with a light Scandi Head or 5 wt Switch Line, perfect for medium-sized rivers and larger trout.  I’ll have this rod at the Fly Fishing Expo in Boise next week for attendees to cast, fondle, and oggle!

Bamboo-Switch-Rod-1024x770 (640x481)

Switch-Rod-1024x770 (640x481)

Fishing the Fall River with Bamboo

Mary Ann and I had the chance to get out on the Fall River in central Oregon a week ago.  Our bamboo rods were a great match for the slow, spring creek waters of the Fall River.  If you haven’t ever fished the Fall, you should add it to your list of waters-to-fish.  The gin-clear waters make it great for spotting up fish, and there are plenty to go around.  Try the uppper section near the headwaters for some solitude, or venture out on the waters near the hatchery for some great opportunities for rising fish.

Early Morning Photo on the Fall River

Early Morning Photo on the Fall River

 

The calm waters of the Fall River near the fish hatchery.

The calm waters of the Fall River near the fish hatchery.

I took out a 7′  6″  5 wt medium fast bamboo rod, while Mary Ann chose her progressive action 7′  6″  5 wt bamboo rod to cast dry flies.  We both rigged up with 50″ Furled Leaders from Cuttroat Leaders, and added 6 to 8 feet of 6X tippet.  The combination work well, and we got into several fish throughout the day.  There were plenty of rising fish mid-day with decent midge and BWO hatches, and small dry flies worked well.  After the surface activity subsided, small nymphs suspended about 2 feet under small indicators continued to attract hungry fish.  Here is a nice rainbow that took a #16 DD nymph drifted through a deeper pool.

Fighting a nice rainbow

Fighting a nice rainbow

NIce Fall River Rainbow

NIce Fall River Rainbow

 

Bamboo Rods on Hat Creek

I spent a few days in Northern California last weekend fishing Hat Creek.  My buddy, Bill, had recently picked up a Montegue Rapadan that was in beautiful condition, and he was dying to get it on the water.  I took out my 9′  0″  5 wt Euronymphing rod.  The weatther had taken a turn for the worse so we had cold temperatures and off-and-on rain showers.  But, there were still some nice mid-day mayfly hatches.  Stonefly nynphs and small soft-hackles produced the most fish for us over our three days of fishing.  We didn’t land any large fish but still caught plenty to make if a fun time. 


Bamboo Rods, Furled Leaders, Big Nymphs…McKenzie River Red Side Rainbows

It’s been a while since my last post.  Mary Ann and I hit the McKenzie River this past Sunday for some trout fishing.  Water levels were pretty high, but there were still fish to be found.  I fished a 7′ 6″ ,  5 wt bamboo rod, thread furled leaders by Cutthroat Leaders, and big stonefly nymphs.  Here is a sample: