Short Rod Heavy Line

by Roger Hall
(West Virginia)

I have been experimenting with fishing in real tight cover. Using and Air Stage 240, previously I used a 3 line and it cast fine but I had some problems shooting under overhanging brush.

So I tied up some #4.5 lines in 5, 6 and 7 foot lengths and used the 6 footer today. Simply a world of difference for me at least. I added about 3 feet of 6x tippet and I could really force the fly into those tight spots I was having so much trouble with before. The line is so short it really is not much of a problem holding it off the water.

My catch rate doubled and there were a lot of bigger fish in those hard or previously impossible to hit zones.

“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.

We've all had situations where seriously chewed up flies kept catching fish after fish after fish. It is no sin to tie flies that come off the vise looking seriously chewed up.