Old Dogs can learn New Tricks!

by Les Albjerg
(Caldwell, Idaho)

Winter time for many is a time to tie flies, clean and organize gear, and dream. In my world it is a great time to fish as well. Winter is also a great time to learn some new things.

I would like to share how you can also learn some new things. I have a very nice ultra-light spinning outfit. Chris over at Finesse - Fishing (see tab on side bar near bottom) has caused me to drag it out and begin using it again. I have not been much of a spin fisherman. Oh, I grew up with spinning rods. They were used out of a boat to troll for walleyes. They weren't cast very often. So I am a beginner when it comes to the spin fishing Chris is talking about.

I am a YouTube junkie. There is a lot of free stuff that is very educational. There are a lot of Japanese videos as well. We can't post links here.

However, if you get on YouTube and in the Search Window put in "Mountain Stream Game Tenryu Rayz Spectra", you will pull up a 20 minute video that demonstrates what Chris is talking about when it comes to fishing small streams with a spinning rod. The demonstrator showed me casts that never dreamed could be done! Chris carries Tenryu Rayz rods, and will Spectra rods very soon.

If you are at all curious as to what Chris is talking about when it comes to "Finesse Fishing" with a spinning outfit, this video is worth the watch. I could list others, but I'll leave it up to you to explore. Diawa and Shimano have a lot of great videos on YouTube as well. The ones from Australia are in English so you can even understand them. I have learned a few Japanese words watching a lot of YouTube videos. If you wonder what the bells are about in the video, they do have bears in Japan! I wear bells when I fish in Yellowstone and Glacier Park.

For the Tenkara purists, if you have not checked out Teton Tenkara, and Utah Tenkara YouTube videos you are missing a lot of great free education. There are others out there too, but I have found those two to be exceptional.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.