Walter & Group:-
Good answers by Jim Penrod. My comments in RED CAPS in his text
Gordy
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-----Original Message-----
From: james penrod [mailto:penrodtwin@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Saturday, October 28, 2006 7:47 AM
To: masterstudy@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: History.
1. HCH vs GBF- they are different sizes. HCH floating would correspond to
DT-6-F. In sinking it is a DT--8-S. Likewise the GBF is a WF-7-F and in
sinking it is WF-9-S.
YES. BASIC DIFFERENCE, IS THAT (AS YOU NOTED) THE HCH IS A DOUBLE TAPER LINE WHILE THE GBF IS A WEIGHT FORWARD LINE. (THE EARLIER THE LETTER IN THE ALPHABET, THE THICKER THE DIAMETER OF THE LINE SEGMENT.)
2. Do not know what has replaced AFTMA, only that it has been replaced. Old
lines were based on size as only silk was used and they were uniform. New
system is based on weight of the fist 30 feet.
YES. I'LL WAIT TO SEE OF ANY OTHERS CAN COME UP WITH THE ANSWER RE: AFTMA. GENERIC ANSWER ON THE LINES IS THIS: OLD SYSTEM = DIAMETER BASED / NEW SYSTEM = BASED UPON THE WEIGHT OF THE FIRST 30'.
3. Cuttyhunk-old line made of linen (I think). It had to be dried after
use or would mold.
TRUE.
4. Greased line fishing-Jock Scott and salmon fishing. The line was
greased to keep it floating and the fly was sometimes skittered across the
water.
TRUE. SILK LINES SANK, SLOWLY AND HAD TO BE DRESSED WITH VARIOUS MATERIALS INCLUDING OILS, MUCIN, ETC. TO GET THEM TO FLOAT.
5. Agate-to line tip top or other eyes.
YES. USUALLY A RED COLORED GLASS-SMOOTH MATERIAL USED FOR THE INNER RING OF STRIPPING GUIDES AND SOME TIP-TOPS. PROBLEM WAS 2 FOLD. IT WOULD CRACK UPON IMPACT, AND IT WAS HEAVY. SEE : "ROD CRAFTING", BY JEFFREY L. HATTON, (PICTORIAL & WRITTEN HISTORY FROM 1843 - 1960) PP. 91, 113, 142-143 & 150-151, 173 & 187. (FIRST USED IN THE 1890'S, AS FAR AS I COULD FIND OUT.)
6. Steel flyrods. Steel was needed for the war effort.
YOU HAVE IT RIGHT IN THT IT WAS USED TO MAKE A STEP-TAPERED FLY ROD. NO IRON IN THE ALLOY FORMULA, THOUGH, SO IT WASN'T REALLY STEEL. (I HAD ONE IN 1940. NOT A GOOD CASTING ROD.)
7. Uslan five strip-bamboo rod
YES.
8. Glass, I think.
A FEW EARLY GLASS RODS USED IT, BUT IT WAS MOSTLY USED FOR BAMBOO RODS.
9. Silk lines are still available today. Can be purchased in England (and
probably on line).
YES.
10. Vincent Marinar or J.C. Mottram. I could not find the date on Morrram's
publication (See Don Phillips-Tech of the Fly rod, p45)
YES....IT WAS VINCENT MARINO WHO GOT THE CREDIT FOR THIS. DON PHILLIPS DOES NOTE MOTTRAM'S CONTRIBUTION. CHECK OUT, NOT ONLY DON PHILLIPS TEXT, BUT ALSO, "IN THE RING OF THE RISE", PP. 52 - 54 BY VINCENT MARINARO. I'D CHECK OUT THE MOTTRAM REFERENCE, BUT I'VE LENT OUT MY COPY.
11.Perpendicular moment arm distance beween the rod grip and the fly line
extended beyond the fly rod tip top.
YOU MUST INCLUDE THAT IT A MAXIMALLY BENT ROD. MARINARO'S DEFINITION: " THE MEASURED CHORD THAT SUBTENDS THE ARC OF THE FULLY BENT ROD" THIS EXPLAINED WHY FROM A FUNCTIONAL STANDPOINT, A LIMBER 10 FOOT LONG ROD MAY ACTUALLY BE SHORTER THAN A STIFF 8 FOOTER.
12.Types of handles
YES.
13.Doug Swisher YES.
14.22/12 degrees
YES. REFERENCE: "FLY FISHING FOR TROUT, SALMON, BASS & PAN FISH", BY FRANK STEEL PP. 25 - 27. FRANKS IDEA WAS THAT 22 1/2 DEGREES WAS HALF A 45 DEGREE ANGLE AND THAT THIS WAS THE, "IDEAL" POSITION TO WHICH TO BRING THE ROD AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE BACKCAST STROKE. HIS BOOK MAKES INTERESTING READING. SOME TRICKS INCLUDED THINGS LIKE HIS, "GRASSHOPPER" CAST IN WHICH THE FLY LANDED BEFORE THE LEADER BY HAVING THE LINE HIT THE WATER SO THAT THE LEADER WOULD FLIP OVER AND THE FLY WOULD LAND IN ADVANCE OF THE LEADER.
15.Cannot find a reference to this.
THE, "RIFFLING HITCH" WAS DESCRIBED BY LEE WULFF IN HIS BOOK, "THE ATLANTIC SALMON", PP. 129 - 130. HE, LATER, CALLED IT THE, "PORTLAND CREEK HITCH" WHEN IT WAS USED THERE. LEE GAVE CREDIT TO HIS GUIDE, ARTHUR PERRY FOR SHOWING IT TO HIM. IN A LATER MESSAGE TO ME, YOU POINTED OUT A BOOK BY ART FLICK ON FISHING THE RIFFLING HITCH. THIS WAS MADE BY SIMPLY HALF HITCHING THE TIPPET OVER THE HEAD OF THE FLY. IT WAS FISHED BY, "SKITTERING" IT ON THE SURFACE TO SOMETIMES BRING A STRIKE WHEN OTHER METHODS WERE NOT WORKING. WITH SKILL, IT COULD BE MADE TO TRACK TO THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT DEPENDING UPON WHICH SIDE OF THE FLY HEAD THE HITCH LAY.
16. Method of attaching tippet to the fly. It is looped rather than snelled.
YES. NOTE MY COMMENTS, ABOVE. NOTE THAT IN THE EARLY DAYS OF ATLANTIC SALMON FISHING, FLIES WERE TIED WITH THE GUT TIPPET FASTENED INSIDE THE BODY OF THE FLY....NOT A TRUE SNELL KNOT AS WE USE IT TODAY. THE HOOKS DIDN'T ALWAYS HAVE AN EYE. (FOR MANY OF MY TARPON FLIES, I SNELL THE BITE TIPPET TO THE HOOK MAKING NO USE OF THE HOOK EYE. THE FLY TRACKS STRAIGHT ONLY IF THE BITE TIPPET STANDING END COMES OUT FROM THE KNOT DIRECTLY BENEATH THE EYE. AS WITH THE RIFFLING HITCH, IF I BRING IT OUT TO EITHER SIDE, THE FLY WILL TRACK TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT OR, WHEN STRIPPED RAPIDLY, WILL ASSUME AN ERRATIC PATH.)
17. Charles Ritz
YES. IT'S DESCRIBED IN HIS BOOK, "A FLY FISHER'S LIFE", PP. 38 - 45.
18. Swisher and Richards. Jason Borger ......
CORRECT. DOUG SWISHER AND CARL RICHARDS FIRST DESCRIBED IT IN THEIR BOOK, "FLY FISHING STRATEGY" P 63. JASON BORGER NOTES IT IN HIS, "....THE NATURE OF FLY CASTING, P. 73.
19. Joan Wulff ...... CORRECT
20. ? Mel Krieger Rick Halfele uses it mostly..
MEL KRIEGER DID DESCRIBE IT, THOUGH HE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE FIRST. (MEL KRIEGER'S, "THE ESSENCE OF FLYCASTING, PP. 22 - 27.)
21. Gary Borger......YES. SEE HIS BOOK, "PRESENTATION", P. 204.
22. AMADOU-my guess-oily substance for dressing dry flies
NO.
AMADOU IS MADE FROM A FUNGUS. IT WAS USED FOR DRYING DRY FLIES. IT'S DESCRIBED IN ERNIE SCHWIEBERT'S, "TROUT",VOL. I ; PP. 112, 125 AND 870. IN STERILIZED FORM, IT WAS USED AS A DRYING AGENT BY SURGEONS IN THE 19TH CENTURY. THE FUNGUS GREW ON THE NORTH SIDE OF TREES. IT WAS ALSO USED FOR YEARS AS TINDER FOR THE STARTING OF FIRES BY MEANS OF FLINT AND STEEL SPARKING.
Gordy
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