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 Post subject: Hello for the first time
PostPosted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 5:26 pm • # 1 
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Hi Folks. Have been moitoring this site for a few days and have come to enjoy it very much. I'm not much into warmwater fly fishing but absolutely love to fly fish for trout using ultralight equipment. I mostly fish with a sage txl 00wt with a abel creek l/a 3.7 oz. reel. My feat for 2008 was catching 12" trout on 12x tippet. Man what fun and quite a challenge.


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 Post subject: Hello for the first time
PostPosted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 5:40 pm • # 2 
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Welcome to the forum. This forum isn't for warm water fly fishers only, we welcome even the hard core trout fishermen. I was actually wondering why we don't have more small stream trout guys here yet. This place is for everyone interested in fishing light line rods.

J.


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 Post subject: Hello for the first time
PostPosted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 6:43 pm • # 3 
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Welcome! I am excited to see some pictures of some of these small stream trout!


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 Post subject: Hello for the first time
PostPosted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 7:00 pm • # 4 
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thats pretty good; a 12" trout on a 12x; you had to have a very soft tipped rod to accomplish that feat; what is 12x anyway? a spider web?????-p-


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 Post subject: Hello for the first time
PostPosted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 7:42 pm • # 5 
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1.06 # Varivas Super Midge tippet is 12X. On the standard X scale, 12x should be less than nonexistant, however, we fished some up here for gills and stuff over the summer and on a 3wt, I was able to put a surprising amount of pressure on fish. I used a 9'7x leader, 3' of 8x, and 3' of 12x to make my leader then attached a #16 GRHE and caught a bunch of fish. I have never stressed so badly about a 7" redear in my life!


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 Post subject: Hello for the first time
PostPosted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 7:47 pm • # 6 
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Sounds like some real excitement. Good to have you here.
Les


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 Post subject: Hello for the first time
PostPosted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 8:45 pm • # 7 
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Welcome! This is a cool site for sure. 12x12 club is quite the accomplishment for trout. I'm still trying for that one. You're not the only light trout fisher here. I loves my bluegill but road trip for trout whenever I can.


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 Post subject: Hello for the first time
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 6:57 am • # 8 
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ImageWelcome aboard


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 Post subject: Hello for the first time
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:02 am • # 9 
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Last summer, the local FFF had a 12x12 tournament for warmwater, and the fly shop hosting the 12x12 challenge would have included someone from the local club if we had caught a 12" warmwater fish (12" gill or redear would have been a true test of tackle). The local president is friends with the shop owner, so I guess that is where that comes from, but hey. I caught a couple 7" panfish, one gill and one redear, and both pulled line off the reel.


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 Post subject: Hello for the first time
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:04 am • # 10 
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Hey Andy,
Where would you recommend finding this stuff?
Les


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 Post subject: Hello for the first time
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:08 am • # 11 
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Les, you can get it from Backwoods Equipment Company in Ft. Worth (order probably), Blue Drake Outfitters in Dallas, Fishin' World Inc in Dallas, Rapids Camp Lodge in Dallas and Main Street Outfitters in Fort Worth. All of these folks are listed as dealers of Varivas tippets, and can more than likely order you a spool or two.


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 Post subject: Hello for the first time
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:13 am • # 12 
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Thanks.


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 Post subject: Hello for the first time
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 2:01 pm • # 13 
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Here is my blog on this 12x12 adventure


www.ultralightflyfishing.weebly.com


This website will concentrate on ultralight fly fishing using soft fly rods, small fly reels , ultralight tippet and very small flies.





My Gear.....Sage txl 00wt fly rod accompanied with an abel creek ultralight large arbor 3.7 oz fly reel. My goal during the past year has been to catch a 12" trout on 12x tippet on the three streams I fish on a regular basis. My tippets are generally 4' long attached to a 7-1/2 to 9' leader. This is a very difficult feat to accomplish unless one's concentration is on a very high level. The following tells about my passion in trying to master this difficult game with that wonderful trout.



My name is Ron Wells. I am an ultralight fly fisherman. My game is seven to eight foot fly rods using 8-12x tippet and mostly dry flies ranging from sizes #22-#28. My favorite fly rod is a sage txl 00wt fly rod. I have been ultralighting since 1988 when this growing sport was almost unheard of. My first ultralight fly rod was a sage LL 279 graphite 2. I used this wonderful fly rod for years and finally broke the butt section at which time the rod had become obsolete. My favorite reel is the Abel creek L/A 3.7 oz.

Over the years I have accumulated a few ultralight fly rods namely the Sage LL 279 graphite 3, honey lami 7' 3wt, orvis superfine 1 oz. 6-1/2 ft 2wt, and lastly a sage txl 00wt. My experiences using the ultralight fly rods brings many memories especially this year (2008). I was determined to catch a 12" trout on 12x tippet. Oh my, what a challenge and what fun.

It all really started last fall while fishing a medium size stream in Maryland. When one starts using 12x and small flies, a pair of eyeglasses with magnifiers comes in mighty handy especially for 60 year olds like myself. Just handling minute tippet and flies is very difficult, particularly when the wind is blowing just a tad. However, just like anything elese repetition soon makes one better.

While fishing a small stream called the Casselman river late in the fall of 2007, I tied on a #24 paraseeme dry fly on a 4ft piece of 12x tippet. The trout were actually very interested and rising fairly often to this midge pattern but were consistently missing the fly. Finally I hooked up while fishing sorta downstream with what felt like a 25" salmon on the txl 00wt. (smaller fish really feel like big, big fish on this rod). It fought hard and took straight downstream and then veering off to the right. I thought to myself....never, never will I get this hog to bay. Fortunately he headed upstream toward me and then straight downstream again. My soft rod and smooth drag fly reel were working nicely and finally was able to land this 13" brown trout. Keep in mind this feat is not an easy task. 12x tippet is 1.06 lb test. Soft ultralight fly rods and smaller click and pawl reels with low start up inertia is the ticket .


Over the winter I relived this fishing experience on the Casselman river. I was anxious to start doing the ultralight thing again as soon as the weather warmed up and the water levels were low. This time my challenge would be the savage river. I tied several midge dry flies in the #24-#26 range and purchase a few rolls of 12x tippet and waited patnently for that first trip to the Savage.

The Savage River is a very technical stream. The native brookies and brown troout are very selective and many of the so called expert anglers have been skunked while trying to fool these wary fish. One must be at the top of his game when trying to catch these so called fish with PHD's, especially the bigger brown trout.

On my third trip to the Savage this year and on a misty, kind of rainy June day, the bigger trout seemed to be coming to the top on a regular basis. After two missed attempts using the 12x tippet and a #24 griffith's gnat my quarry finally took the fly on a rather short upstream cast. My biggest fear was that he would break off or simply spit the fly out. Fortunately while fighting this monster I was able to wade upstream and shorten the pursuing fight. He felt heavy on my 00wt rod which was bent over double. Normally these bigger brown's go straight upstream but to my surprise this one just sorta stayed in the same area although angry and fighting for his life. I got close enough to net him and succeeded in landing him. Oh so nice, a 15" brown, with a hook jaw.

My third journey in catching a trout using the 12x12 method takes me to the Youghiogheny river in Maryland. This would prove to be the most difficult. This tailwater which is much bigger than the two aformentioned rivers also has some weary large brown's and rainbow's lurking in its shadows. What makes it more difficult is that a hooked fish has many more options and places to turn during the battle. Also, it always seems that the fish are rising and feeding on top just a tad further than one can cast, especially using 00wt fly line on a short fly rod.

One can catch a lot of fish on the Yough if the conditions are right. However, smaller fish in the 6-10" range is the norm. I had three or four outings in which 30-40 fish were brought to the net. Oh yes, I had a few opportunities with some of the larger fish but they either snapped my tippet, snapped off the fly, or simply spit out the fly. For the most part it was probably operator error . Many times a snapped tippet will occur if one yanks too hard on the hook up. This is a hard concept to master. Subtle, subtle, subtle.....is the key when setting the hook. If one is careful in this regard, catching the larger fish will be much easier. Once a hookup occurs one must let the trout have his way for a short time and let the fly reel just do its thing.


One morning in October I arrived at the Yough around 11 a.m. It was a pretty cool morning, probably temps were in the low 60s. I went to my favorite spot called the Honey Hole and was relieved that no one was fishing there. As I sat down and observed for a while a few fish were rising about 50 feet from the edge of the large pool. After quietly wading into the pool the rises stopped.....I waited for about 10-15 minutes and the rises picked up again. I knew these weren't dinky fish and they appeared to have some size to them.... After three casts the trout rose on each occasion and missed the fly each time. I reeled my line in and inspected the fly and it looked fine. I waited for a minute or two and again laid out a very nice cast almost straight across from me....The size #24 para seeme attached to the 12x had a nice drag free float for about 3 feet and bam, a take. Oh gosh I thought this is the one. The thought of this fish having all of this open water to just run and fight and pratically do what he wants had me worried. I held my ground and put pressure on this guy. The rod was bent and the little abel creek reel was buzzing like it was noone's business. I was aware of the smile on my face as I slowly reeled in this 13" rainbow...I netted him and got a quick measurement, and released him back to be caught again.

T















--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This year has been a very very good year for me and my fishing buddy John Hiser, who incidentally is an accomplished ultralight fly fisherman also. We tried our very best to get out and fish once a week from mid march thru mid october. John recently purchased a Global Dorber ultra-weave 7-1/2' 2wt fly rod which is a very soft and nice fly rod....It's such a beaut that this old boy probably will own one in the near future, although I really don't need any more fly fishing instruments.


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 Post subject: Hello for the first time
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 2:05 pm • # 14 
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Hey guys.....Just in case anyone is interested there's a possibility that my friend and I will be doing a little guiding during the summer and fall of 2009. I am currently thinking about it but haven't made up my mind yet. It will strictly be ultralight fly fishing using 7-12x tippet and soft fly rods. More on this later.


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 Post subject: Hello for the first time
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:33 pm • # 15 
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That is a great story! I am amazed that you have done this twice. The rivers here that are included in the 12x12 challenge are the White, Norfork and Little Red River in Arkansas.


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 Post subject: Hello for the first time
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 6:27 pm • # 16 
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I would love to try it on the Little Red, Norfork or the white river. As a matter of fact The Little Red River website is where I got the idea. I have never been in Arkansas, but I drove thru it a few times on my way to Texas to visit relatives. It's my understanding that several folks have accomplished this feat on those waters. It really and I mean really is a very difficult thing to achieve. However the rewards are soooo gratifying. I would encourage anyone and everyone to give this feat a try.


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 Post subject: Hello for the first time
PostPosted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 7:58 am • # 17 
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I aim to this coming year, but probably on a one or two weight. The White River system is world famous for browns!


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