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The Middle River Group, LLC

fly fishing, conservation and politics.

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Rio

Fishing Tip | Seeing Small Flies on the Water

April 3, 2021 By Tom Sadler

I’m always on the look out for easy ways to explain things. In the video below from Rio they explain how to make fishing tiny flies a whole lot easier.

Check it out

Midge Fishing With A Sighter from RIO Products on Vimeo.

Rio’s InTouch Technical Trout Fly Line

May 16, 2020 By Tom Sadler

Fishing to selective trout is hard enough, don’t make it harder.

Spring time in the Valley. One of the most exciting times for trout fishing. You have survived the winter doldrums, tied flies, organized gear and looked at the maps to refresh your memory. You hear the stories filter in, bugs are hatching and fish are looking up. Time to get out there.

Did you look at your fly line? I mean more then a cursory look to see if it was dirty or cracked. Are you using a plan vanilla weight forward line that is “fine” for every day use? Think you are good to go?

Of course, you can use whatever it takes to get the fly to the fish. But, what if the next time you are out you can give yourself an edge with those spooky bug sippers, would you take it?

Fly lines are tools as much as rods and reels are. If you think “good enough” is good enough then you are handicapping yourself. The wrong size screwdriver may be “good enough.” But if you have ever stripped the head on a screw because you didn’t use the right sized screwdriver, you know what I mean.

Just like there is the right screwdriver for the screw, there is the right line for the fishing you are going to do.

Are you using the right one?

InTouch Technical Trout line

Here is how Rio describes the line:

The line features a long, fine front taper for the lightest of presentations and delicacy and is the ideal choice of line when fishing dry flies, nymphs, soft hackles and emergers to tricky eaters at distance. The line has a long head and back taper to increase loop control when carrying long lengths, and for making precise casts to rising fish, while the weight distribution makes it easy to turn over long leaders for technical feeders at range. The ultra-low stretch ConnectCore provides incredible levels of sensitivity when casting and fishing.

Now put yourself on the bank of Mossy Creek or Dry River and visualize the rise form you see on the water. You have the right fly, you know where you want to put it and you know the rod can make the cast. But how about your line? Will it do what the one described above will do? If not, you just made fishing harder than it needs to be.

Specs and technical stuff from Rio

  • ConnectCore ultra-low stretch core (maximum 6%) provides incredibly sensitivity and control when casting and fishing.
  • MaxCast hydrophobic coating repels water, ensuring lines float higher, shoot farther, stay cleaner, and last longer.
  • AgentX dual layered fly line has a high floating inner coating made with more buoyant microspheres covered by a tough outer coating for maximum durability.
  • MaxFloat Tip technology high float coating floats more than twice as high as regular fly line tips, without any increase in diameter
  • Triple color line marking system makes it easy to gauge distances and load, with a quick glance.
  • Printed line marking system that allows anglers to quickly and easily identify each line.
  • A neat, bulletproof loop welded at the front and back of the fly line for fast rigging to a leader and the backing.

The InTouch Technical Trout line is available in WF3F through WF6F. Order one from Mossy Creek Fly Fishing’s online store HERE.

Guest Post – Are You Ten-kurious?

July 20, 2012 By Tom Sadler

Tenkara fishing on a Montana spring creek

Editor’s Note: My friend Ben Bulis, who is running the American Fly Fishing Trade Association, wrote about his recent adventure with a tenkara rod. I asked if he would let me use it as a guest post on Dispatches. He agreed. Enjoy.

Are You Ten-kurious? I was, and I tried it! Tenkara… What is it? Tenkara (translated: “from the skies” or “from the heavens”) is the traditional method (no reel) of Japanese fly-fishing used by commercial fishermen in the mountains of Japan to catch Yamame, Iwana and Yamago. Tenkara originated in Japan more than 200 years ago, the rods, originally were made of long bamboo/cane poles.

Tenkara has been making it’s emergence in the U.S. market since 2009, thanks to Daniel Galhardo, owner of San Francisco based Tenkara U.S.A. Temple Fork Outfitters recently announced they too would be manufacturing a Tenkara rod and RIO now offers a Tenkara line.

I’ll be totally honest; I was more than a little skeptical about fishing without a reel! I have to say, I really have been enjoying the simple approach to fishing, and its effectiveness has made me a believer, Tenkara is here to stay. Learning a new method of fishing and pushing the limits on the size of fish I can catch, is what I like about it! With that being said, Tenkara, will never be able to replace my assortment of rods and reels, it’s just another tool in my quiver.

Tenkara, with its simple approach and ease will in my mind, be a gateway to introduce non-anglers children and adults, to the sport of fly-fishing. Anyone can cast a Tenkara rod effectively in less than 10 minutes! Both of my young children have picked up my Tenkara rod and have caught fish within 15 minutes on the river.

If you have the Tenkara itch, go ahead and scratch it!

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