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Ask The Panel

This is your opportunity to have your questions answered by one of our team of specialists. Simply e-mail your question to questions@fishandfly.co.uk and we will publish a selection here. Unfortunately we will not be able to answer all of your questions or reply individually.

Q. Does rod flash really matter? More...

Q. Will a change in snake rings aid spey casting? More...

Q. How do I mix Fuller’s Earth to make paste for your tippet? More...

Q. What is the best weight of rod and line for fly fishing a reservoir? More...

Q. Can you help with casting into small pools overhung with trees? More...

Q. How do I tie a dropper on to my leader properly? More...

I hope to start river fishing soon and want to buy a fly rod that is well regarded, can last etc. So far as I have read, here and elsewhere, the Greys model GRX in size #4/5 at 8.5ft long seems to be very good. Problem with this rod, according to some of the people on the website, is that it is gloss finished and therefore prone to flashing when casting. Is this a big issue? Given that loads of rods are gloss finished, I can't imagine it is a problem. Also, can you recommend a decent reel that isn't too heavy or noisy ? John Reidy

When you can guarantee that every cast will be perfect and that you have always chosen the correct pattern of fly, then you can start worrying about rod flash. It's all too easy to worry about small and relatively unimportant details. If you are able to try the rod before you buy, that will be time well spent. But it should be pretty well acceptable if you are not. It's worth remembering that any first rod that you buy will always be available as a spare if and when you buy your next rod - as we are sure you will.

As for a reel, well the Danica Traditional at £34.99 is a good buy for a simple large arbor reel which can be made to run silently by removing the clicker. Another inexpensive, basic reel is the Rimfly Concept at £22.99. What about a Greys GRX reel with a GRX rod? £47.99 for the reel and only £5.99 for spare spools. The main problem with these cassette reels is that they are often rather heavy.

I have a Daiwa Amorphous 16' Speycaster. It casts well with the thinner sinking lines but the thicker floaters don't seem to slide through the rings so easily. I thought about replacing the intermediates with American-style snake rings to aid casting. Will this affect the action and if so will a change in casting technique assist? Des Bellamy

Before you re-ring your rod, we would recommend that you give your lines a thorough clean. You can either wash them with soap (not detergent) and warm water, or use a proprietary line cleaner. Clean lines will always cast better. You might also like to apply something like Loon Line Speed or a similar line treatment. Depending on the make of your line(s), there may be suitable treatments made by the same manufacturer.

It is unlikely that you would notice any change in your rod's action if you do replace the existing rings. If you do decide to replace them, you should consider increasing the size of the stripping ring, perhaps adding a second lined guide and then fitting bigger guides than the ones you replace. Also check that the tip ring is not badly worn.

Please could you let me know how to mix Fuller’s Earth to make paste for your tippet. Is it only washing liquid and Fuller's Earth or is there another ingredient? Delwyn Jones
    
You want to mix the Fuller's Earth and washing-up liquid into a smooth paste and then put it into something like a 35mm film cannister or a small airtight container. You might like to try adding a tiny drop of glycerine to stop it drying out and going hard too quickly. Glycerine stops the icing on a Christmas cake from setting rock hard.

I am trying to find out the best weight of rod and line for fly fishing a reservoir. Will Jones

As far as rods for reservoir fishing are concerned, if you look at Snowbee, Greys, Scierra and Vision you should find something suitable. These rods are available at prices from £89 (Greys' GRX Series) up to about £250. You should look at rods of between 9' 6" and 10' 6" in length for up to #7 or possibly #8 lines. Three or four piece rods are very much more convenient than two-piece rods. Do have a look at relevant rod reviews which you can find in The Tackle Room. As with buying any rod, do try one or two before making a decision. The feel of a rod is quite subjective and personal and one rod that one person likes may be one that you hate, but it may still be a good rod.

As for lines, anything from Cortland, Scientific Anglers and Rio should be good. Snowbee lines are also very good and good value for money - £35 for their top lines. Well worth considering.

When it comes to reels, think about a cassette reel. Although these are slightly heavier than standard reels, they have the great advantage that spare cassettes are very cheap - usually a lot less than spare spools. £50 for a Greys' GRX reel with two spare cassettes, spare cassettes are £5.99.

I'm a happy and satisfied member (well almost) of a local club which has access to many good stretches of the Upper Don in West Yorkshire. My biggest problem is casting into small pools overhung with trees which both prevent easy overhead casting from the bank and pose a problem if you're in the water! Advice, technique, tips please! Alec

There is a number of things that you can do to make life a little easier. But fishing small, heavily-wooded streams is always going to be challenging. As your confidence increases, it should get a bit easier and more enjoyable. In no particular order:

• Keep the number of false casts to an absolute minimum. Every extra cast has the potential to catch something unwanted.

• Rod length is important. The longer the rod, the more difficult life will be. In a really tight spot, you can trying using just the top section of a long two-piece rod. You might want to think about buying a very short rod.

• The roll cast is always extremely useful in confined spaces and is well worth spending some time perfecting. A side-arm cast is another useful cast for getting under trees and bushes. In a really tight spot, you could try a catapult cast. This is when you hold the line with your rod hand, fly in your other hand and pull on the line so that the rod bends, then let go and fire your fly towards that elusive trout!

• Don't try to be too ambitious and make over-long casts. Get yourself into position where you can cast to a fish with a shorter cast.

• When you do catch the bank or a tree when casting, don't try to yank the fly free. A little gentle persuasion will often free the fly and allow it to drop gently onto the water, as a terrestrial might. This can convert a disaster into a fishable cast.

Practice and perseverance are called for. And confidence.

No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to tie a dropper on to my leader properly. What am I doing wrong. Robert

Tying a dropper should be an integral part of making-up your leader. The dropper is part of one of the lengths of mono that comprise the leader, not something additional.

The dropper should be the end of the upper length of two lengths of mono. If your dropper is the top of the lower section of mono and the joining knot fails, if you have a fish on the dropper, then you will loose it.

If you want your dropper between the first and second lengths of mono that make-up your leader, leave the lower end of the top section at least six or eight inches over long when you tie your knot. This will give you enough material to play with when you tie-on a fly. You can make another dropper in the same way with the end of the second length when you tie it to the third.

If you use blood knots then the dropper will stand out at right angles to the leader. If you use a surgeon's knot, then the dropper will point down the leader.

For more on knots see here