Recent comments

Thanks for your comment!

Nils,

Thanks for your comment!
Yes, I certainly try to keep my spirits high and do what I can in spite of getting worse physically. Sometimes it's a loosing game, but most of the time it's a question of turning things around and looking at what you can in stead of what you can't. A classical glass half full/half empty situation.

Martin

This a very nice fly, ten out

This a very nice fly, ten out of ten.
You've had a very busy time, this whole collection of flies is excellent.

Hold on Martin!!!

Hold on Martin!!!
We need you and your great GFF articles about flyfishing and photography!
Rasto from Slovakia

Very nice story Martin

Very nice story Martin and good point! To the people reading this, I know Martin and even though he has lost a lot of his fishing, I have never seen anybody getting such a treat and still been strong mentally. Martin has always been very positive and maybe it's a cliche but being positive and focus on the good, Martin is living proof of is the best way to enjoy you time here on. Live it!
Stay strong my friend!
Nils

Thank you for this very honest article

Thank you for this very honest article. The 'just do it' message is an important one. I suffered from a debilitating disease a few years ago, which has now improved. I remember thinking at the time "I wish I had followed my dreams"...... Life is so short and we must live it to the full. I'm now grateful for every day. I wish you all the best & many tight lines.........

Check out our Q&A

Anonymous,

Also check out our <a href="/fishbetter/leader_qa/#26">Q&A where I added your question and an answer</a>.

Martin

For Anonymous

For Anonymous- When the fly line has a loop in the running line for attachment I make a loop in my backing using any of the following knots- Bimini, spider hitch or 5 turn surgeon's knot. Now all you have to do is attach the flyline loop to loop to your backing.

how do i tie backing

how do i tie backing on to new fly line with a loop on it

Adirondackflytyer,

Adirondackflytyer,

As always a beautiful fly, very icely tied and an excellent photo. Thanks for posting all these patterns in our forum and remember my "offer" to promote some of them to "real" articles.

Martin

Thanks for your question

Jim,

Thanks for your question. I added it to the Q&A.
See my reply here in a longer version here.

Martin

Jim,

Yes, in some

Jim,

Yes, in some instances you can use the straight tippet line as the whole leader, but in the far majority of cases you will need a real tapered leader.
And yes, you can also use the leader as your tippet and tie the fly directly on it, but it will cost you a bit of leader every time you tie on a new fly.

But it makes a lot of sense to use both - a leader to lead from the thick fly line to the thin tippet and a piece of tippet to lead from there to the fly. The tippet is essentially just a piece of straight, cheap mono, and a lot less expensive and easier to change than the leader itself.

Martin

A leader and not a tippet

can I use a leader and not a tippet or do I have to use both?

Thanks alot for the

Thanks alot for the share, we're glad you like it! We have uploaded a HD version at vimeo.com called "a BACKYARD in NOWHERE official HD trailer". Please update your link, so your readers can enjoy crisp pictures.

Tight lines
Sincerely, Mathis and Peter (creators of the film)

can I use tippet mat

can I use tippet material line in place of a leader line? And can I use a leader line and not a tippet? Thanks Jim

One of the best fish

One of the best fishing DVD's I have seen.
Also one of the most distrubing DVD's I have seen.
It shows how such a fantastic system can go so bad, so quickly.
A sobering MUST SEE for every person that loves rivers, so much more for fisherman.
If this DVD is not a wake up call, nothing will.

From Lesotho, all the way down to the mouth of the Orange River

Johan,
The Yellowfish occur from Lesotho, all the way down to the mouth of the Orange River in the Atlantic. The stretch at Hopetown have plenty fish. Small Mouth and Large Mouth. I would suggest that you go fishing with someone that is a bit experienced and he will show you how to fish for Small Mouth Yellows. With a bit of guidance, you will have a super time.

Juust a brief report

Juust a brief report back. Recently, a group of 5 anglers visited us in the Northern Cape.In a three day spell on two of our very remote stretches of the Orange river, they landed in excess of eighty,yes eighty yellows, muddies and a few odd species. The heaviest yellow came in at 4.5kg. The average weight would be of the order of 2.5 to 3 kg. Bear in mind only one of the group could be regarded as of expert calibre. Virtually all the fish were taken in the rapids and all enjoyed a fabulous time on the water. I do not believe there is finer fishing for really wild yellows anywhere in south Africa. Self catering accommodation is available.

Smallmouth in Orange River

Is the smallmouth population in the Orange River at Hopetown worthy of a try. Someone told me they do not occur in that particular section of the river?

Great footage! Looks

Great footage! Looks like a blast!

Hi hairs ear, the season down

Hi hairs ear, the season down here is October 1st to July 30th for most water in the North Island, though some waters remain open all year and some spawning areas are closed until December 1st.
Hope you get some fishing in soon.
All the best.
Mike

'refined, matured, and revisted... Dual Tube Phly 7.0...

'an ongoing exercise in buck tail management, colour blending, modified tubular techniques, Tuffleye FLEX application, and a nagging phuzzie notion...
'same basic idea as earlier... "main tube" on top... "junction tube" on the bottom...
'more subtle... 'tastes GREAT... 'LESS philling!
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa176/Phracas/IMG_8669.jpg
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa176/Phracas/IMG_8671.jpg
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa176/Phracas/IMG_8672.jpg
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa176/Phracas/IMG_8678.jpg
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa176/Phracas/IMG_8679.jpg

Anonymous,

The ye

Anonymous,

The yellow plants are seaweed, Fucus vesiculosus, AKA bladder wrack, and they are actually more brownish or olivish than yellow.

Martin

What are the yellow

What are the yellow plants?

An orange or yellow hackled

An orange or yellow hackled collar would make that fly irresistable to the heritage strain brookies in my neck of the woods!!
Nice conversion!