Thread: Anyone doing fly fishing with vintage cane?

I'll be chasing Steelhead and Salmon late September, and again late October, on the Salmon River in NY. Difficult fishing, but on occasion, very rewarding. Where do you go--?

Originally Posted by pcg

I'll be chasing Steelhead and Salmon late September, and again late October, on the Salmon River in NY. Difficult fishing, but on occasion, very rewarding. Where do you go--?

Despite the fact that I live in Northeast Ohio, AKA "Steelhead Alley", my home water is the Pere Marquette in MI. In fact, Lynn himself has done battle (successfully, I might add) with some of the PM steelies. The Lake Erie tributaries get fished once in a while.

Many good tribs off the great lakes. And many large fish roll in. Surprisingly good fishing and, so far, not that well publicized. But the big run rivers are becoming somewhat stressed. It's all timing!

I have to many interests and to little time. I have 6 barbique spit motors that I got for nothing a while ago and gave one to a freind at work. He made a set up for making rods using one that I gave him. He did nice work. I had two rods that needed refinishing. One I got for free and the other cost me around 6 bucks. I gave him both and said that I wanted one back. He told me the other day he is waiting on guides that he ordered. Not heavy enough for steelhead but panfish should be fun! I just thought that I should get a vintage reel to go with it,,,,,don't let me get started on that! LOL

Tim

Gents,
this thread has just prompted me to check out my fly rods, inherited from both my late father and a good friend of his, all English Hardy rods, one is a two piece Koh in noor, another is a Hardys triumph, 3 piece a stream rod I believe and another 2 piece Hardy triumph. I have a least two Hardy reels and a bunch of flies, wet and dry. an both silk and aircell lines. Having used split cane rods off and on over the years, have not found anything to touch them for feel. They seem alive. They are a bit wasted here in Western Australia, as the best trout fishing was in the Snowy Mountains back in the early 60s when the Snowy Hydro scheme was going in. We used to stay at Currango Station run by a famous old couple Tom and Mollie Taylor.

Cheers

Heelerau

Great,classic stuff are the hardys marked as to what wgt lines they throw?

Nice! He was obviously into classic fly fishing gear--and a complete Hardy guy. I use a couple Hardy reels--old & new. Leaving here in a few moments to give my mortised Jeff Hatton (The Gnome) fly rod a bit of exercise on a local river... It's a 2010-made 7' cane rod and I'll be matching it with a 1920 Dingley Uniqua with a 5 wt Phoenix silk line. It's really impossible to replicate the tight loops you get from silk with any modern line. I resisted silk for a decade or more, thinking it silly. But I became a complete convert last year after casting a couple lines. Retro, man!

Hm, somehow reminds me this straight edge razor stuff.

I have fished a couple of silk lines and loved the way they cast. I still have them (along with the red Mucilin). I'm off on a weeklong trip next week and think I'll break out the cane and silk. Thanks for being an inspiration.

I caught a single trout Saturday, a small and wild silver guy who resisted showing himself. Great fun. I was using a 1920s reel and a 2010 Hatton cane rod with a 5 wt Phoenix silk line. Wonderful mix of vintage and contemporary. The analogy here would be a great early 20th century blade, beautifully honed and coupled with new and exotic scales.

Glad I could offer a small bump to get you out in a stream. This is the season!