onefishtwofish

From what you are describing, it might be an Orvis knot because of the ability to slide the knot up the leader and back down. Orvis sponsored a competition for the strongest knot because of the need for 7x tippets (1 lb) in fly fishing spring creeks and such. I love the knot and it works great with the braided lines that slip other knots. also, when I go steelhead fishing, I'll tie it on to a bare hook and then pull it up the line and insert some pink or orange or other eggy mix of poly pro yarn and cinch the knot back down. It's a killer and now that I think about it, might work for swimbaits through bedded bass. Then again, we might not be talking about the same knot.

I have fished it with success dead-sticked like a senko into the tules of the Ca. delta. Never thought of it as a buzz bait, can't wait to try it- thanks

i go with the 5 inch hammer, hope it works for you.

It has been touched on by some of the other posts, but I'll say it plainly- there is a difference between a guide and an outfitter. I've guided in Alaska and Montana- and the other states are the same from what I've heard- you either get a guide license through an outfitter or you are an outfitter who can hire guides and book trips- guides can't book trips and don't set the rates you are paying and don't get the amount you pay. In Alaska, the guests paid $5000 a week and I got 500 (six days guiding) in Montana, outfitters charged 375 a day and paid 175 but you paid for lunches and shuttle fees. Fishing is a leisure activity and we do it for fun- a good guide will work hard to make sure you have the best experience possible. You will know if they're working for you or not and don't let good or bad fishing be the indicator because we all know there is not a lot we can do about that. If you want to use the guide again, tip him or her and consider it insurance money for getting booked next time- good guides are popular people- or if you used them to shave valuable time from your learning curve and you feel that the guide gave you valuable insights, how much is that worth?

I know their fly rods are a great product for the price. I've been thinking about one of their moderate action rods for crank baits but with the shimano compre at the same price... Decisions and revisions that a moment will reverse- Prufrock Love to hear a review if you get one or hear from anyone else if they've taken the plunge. Keep your lines tight

This is coming from a fly-rodder's experience and from what I'm reading maybe this is where the ""GLX breaks easily stories come from. I've had two break on the guide below the tip. The only reason I had the GLX was because my dog broke my IMX jumping in the drift boat- if that dog wasn't the rooster killer he is, I would have sent him to Loomis. I loved the IMX but they were discontinued so I had to "upgrade" to the GLX. As far as casting rods go though, I'm not good enough to drop Loomis dollars on a rod so I can't comment. Keep your lines tight-

try replacing the skirt and tail with a Big Hammer swimbait body (swimbait.com for colors and sizes) and a slow retrieve to start. The chatter bait blade makes the head wobble with the tail kick- I read this advice a while back somewhere and it works great!

sorry about the late response but I just registered yesterday. I'm actually switching from mostly fly-fishing to conventional tackle so maybe my experience can help. I see the other writers suggest an 8-wt rod and it will definately work, but I would go one heavier. With modern fly rods you typically throw one line weight heavier than the rod weight to load the rod faster and the extra weight of the rod and line will take wind more out of consideration when choosing flies. The big, bulky top water flies are actually quite light (all hair or foam) and the turn over becomes easier with the higher weight line. Be sure not to use a tapered leader with big flies and stiffer works better for getting the fly in front of the leader. When you fish on top this is critical because if you plop the fly down on a bass and trigger an immeadiate strike, the slack will lessen the chance of a good hook-up. If you are casting for distance, get a fly-line type running line (not braid or mono) and three different shooting heads- fast sink, medium sink and floating (use the floating for shallow depths and top water). If you're throwing to tight spots, a rocket-taper floating line is the one you want and remember, straight mono, 10-12lbs will work best for turning big flies over and you don't need more than 5 feet of it. I like Scientific Angler and Rio for manufactures. As far as rods go, I use 9ft Scott in 9wt but most people like faster action rods and they are easier to cast if you are just learning. The Loomis and sage make great rods but they are $$$$. I like the Temple Creek rods for the price and cabella's upper end rods are good too- so are St. Croix top end but I'm still mad that they jumped their prices up so much. In fly-fishing, price is king and most are snobs so if it doesn't cost at least $600 it must not be good- not true. Try several rods in the $150-$300 range and you will find one you like. Over all, my most productive fly has been the clowser minnow under the surface and pencil style poppers on top but the big epoxy flies work well and with the big fly rods you can throw pretty heavily wieghted tube jigs that will out fish most everything if you can live with the stigma of not being a "purist". As for reels, my experience has been that this is the most over-rated and over-priced piece of equipment in the set up. If you are bone fishing or permit fishing, you need a great drag and high line capacity because the tippet you are using is outmatched by the catch. It is not the same in most other situations and certainly not in bass fishing. No bass is going to run 300 yards to the drop-off. The reel should have a drag you can tighten down fairly tight and get one with an exposed spool so you can palm it down if you need to, but if there is one place to save money it is here. I hope that helps, let me know if you need anything more specific. -Keep your lines tight

Hello everyone- I'm new to the board and to forums in general but I was using the resource to do some research into new gear and found the discussions helpful. I've been mostly a fly-fishing trout weenie but have been getting more serious about chasing bass the last few years and look forward to the exchange of information and ideas. Keep the lines tight.