The fishing trap

Towards the end of last year I wrote a column about a new type of graphite fiber that was an extremely thin, hollow tube. These tiny, single-walled nanotubes can be strongly bent, even tightly tied, and are very light in weight. This suggests the material could be used in the manufacture of graphite fly rods. Since the cost of this new material is $1,000 per ounce, it will probably be awhile before it is used in fishing rods.

Rod manufacturers love to entice fly fishers by offering new technological improvements in the material they use to make their fishing rods, reels, waders and fly lines. While the graphite described above has not yet been used in rod building, the latest buzz in fly rods is titanium rod guides. One rod builder claims that the nickel/titanium guides on their rods “weigh 60 to 70 percent less than traditional snake guides. With less weight to push through the air and dampen the rod’s action, you get a crisp, lively casting action that makes the rod feel lighter by several rod weights.” A standard nine-foot graphite rod by any manufacturer will weigh less than three ounces. I find it hard to believe that the average angler would notice a slight difference in guide weights.

Another rod company touts their ultra-light titanium, single-foot guides as having “the slickest nitrite coating, which will give faster line speeds.” Vroom! Vroom! I’m waiting for the rod makers’ advertisement that claims their rod casts a line so fast that it will break the sound barrier.

Another rod maker offers you the chance to own a fly rod custom built for you. What makes it custom built? Why you can select the color of the thread used on the guide wraps, the particular shape of the rod handle and the type of reel seat you wish to have. For this great customization they will only charge you three to four hundred dollars more than their standard rod. A steal of a deal. The cost of some of these graphite rods is fast approaching the price of a well-made bamboo fly rod produced by a maker who simply is not yet famous for his workmanship. It seems that we fly fishers fall for this sort of hype faster than a freshly stocked trout falls for a kernel of corn.

I started fly fishing 53 years ago. The first rod I used was a six-foot, TruTemper, hollow steel bait casting rod. I put a fly reel into the reel seat, and a level line through the guides and tried to cast a fly. If it were not for the fact that I was determined to learn how to fly fish, I would have promptly given up. In 1949 I purchased a pair of inexpensive bamboo fly rods for Barbara and myself. In truth, these were not a great improvement over the bait-casting rod. Eventually a couple of low-priced glass rods replaced the ones of bamboo. Our progress towards becoming expert fly casters was painfully slow. Indeed, I am afraid, we ain’t there yet folks.

In the spring of 1967, I realized my dream of owning a Jim Payne bamboo fly rod. Over the winter of 1966-67, I saved every penny I could, including the money I received for serving as a Westchester County juror. In March, I purchased a seven and one half foot Payne fly rod from Abercrombie & Fitch. $200 plus sales tax. Thank goodness, Barb loves fly-fishing as much as I do and did not object to this extravagant purchase.

On Saturday, April 26, 1967, I drove over to the Amawalk Outlet and with trembling hands put together that beautiful, two-piece fly rod. I walked down to the power line crossover, waded into the little stream and began to cast a dry fly upstream. I then ran head on into one of fly fishing’s truisms. The finest fly rod cannot make a poor caster into an expert. In order to become a really fine fly caster, it is necessary to spend time practicing, while constantly trying to improve your technique. No one would consider me to be an expert caster, even today. However, every moment that I have spent standing in running water, waving a stick, has been great fun. I probably will never attain the grace and fluidness of an expert caster. Never the less, I would rather catch a fish on a fly than any other way. All fishing is fun, but fly-fishing is simply the most enjoyable way to tempt a fish. That said, do not fall into the trap of believing you need a pair of $300 waders, a $500 fly rod and a $200 reel to enjoy the sport of fly-fishing. I will however, admit that I do not recommend trying to cast a fly using a tubular steel bait-casting rod.