Ask The Panel

Q. Do you get fly lines that are longer than 100 feet? More...

Q. How do you go about getting an instructor's qualification? More...

Q. Would a fish finder be a waste of money? More...

Q. Can you recommend a versatile leader set-up for dries, nymphs and spiders? More...

Q. Would a shooting head may help my casting range? More...

Q. Could you advise on the best knots to use to connect nylon to nylon? More...

Q. Can you help me chose a Winston rod? More...

Q. Do you have table of trout weights versus lengths? More...

Q. Could you explain the Old Galway Cast? More...

I have had little success in making detached daddy-long-legs bodies from deer hair using the needle technique. Is the hair too short? Is there an alternative method? Also, can such detached bodies be purchased ready made? Any opinions on fluorescent green instead of conventional tan or brown colour? W David Griffiths

Apart from practising and persevering with making your own detached bodies, you might like to try Jan Siman's "Tube Body" detached bodies. These are available in a wide range of styles, sizes and colours. Take a look at www.siman.cz or this review. Siman's products are available from Virtual Nymph at www.virtual-nymph.com You may also like to look at www.thetroutbum.com/tipula.htm This is a site run by a Norwegian, André Brun, who shows you how to make detached bodies by gluing dubbing on to a length of thread. It looks reasonably easy and very effective. If you think that trout will like a fluorescent green body and you believe that such a fly will catch fish, then try it! We are firmly of the opinion that if you fish a fly in which you have confidence, it will catch far more fish than one you don't believe in.

Do you get fly lines that are longer than 100 feet? ChrisVW

A quick look through the Sportfish catalogue shows fly lines of the following lengths, all in yards: 26, 27, 28, 30, 35, 40, 41, 43, 46, 47 and 50 (a salmon line). So in feet, line lengths run from 78 to 150. Terry Lawton

How do you go about getting an instructor's qualification? Who do you contact for details? Mike

You can contact Michael Fanner, michaelfanner@thereelthing.co.uk , who can give you information on GAIA/APGAI or Michael Hanson, education and training co-ordinator for the Salmon and Trout Association, mjhanson@fieldsports-marlborough.com Terry Lawton

I wondered if you could give me some independent advice on a Fishin Buddy fish finder? I have purchased a Creek Company sub-utility boat (like a float tube) and would like the Fishin' Buddy for large lochs in Scotland where there are a few large fish and not hundreds of little fish. I wondered if it would be a waste of money to buy one? Rachel

The Fish & Fly panel can offer you the following contrasting views on fish finders. New panel member Martin Introna says: "Fish finders are superb for locating trout on any venue, and more importantly, the feeding depth of the fish, not to mention the 'depth of water' the fish are holding in which can be critical. As long as there is a place to fix the fish finder on your sub-utility boat there should be no problem at all, as long as you take the usual basic safety precautions like wearing an inflatable life jacket. But for use on Scottish lochs? Will you be after deep lying Brownies or, indeed, Ferox? The fish finder would be excellent for reading the contours of the loch and looking for the drop-offs and ledges where one would expect big fish to be. With some fish finders it can be a bit hit and miss when trying to determine whether it is a big fish or a few small ones close together. Small ones often show up the same as a big fish on the screen. I have fished for Salmon on Loch Tay at Killin, and some guys wouldn't be without one of these fish finders which give water temperature readings as well as location which can also be a great help."

Terry Lawton says: "My personal view is that it would be very interesting to use a fish finder for a day, simply to see where the fish are and if they are where you think they should be. Using one on a regular basis would take away one of the great pleasures of fly fishing and that is using your hunting skills, and knowledge of trout, to find fish or to fish in areas where it is reasonable to expect fish. If you are determined to buy one, I think that Martin's thoughts would suggest that it is something worth having."

During the course of a day on a river, I often fish with dries, nymphs and spiders. Can you recommend a versatile leader set-up which will deal with these different requirements, without too much retying? Liam Spencer

The best solution to avoiding knots and tying and re-tying leaders is to use the loop-to-loop system. If you have a braided loop fixed permanently to the end of your fly line, and loops on the butt ends of your leaders, you can simply loop-on leaders of your choice. You will have to use one leader for fishing a team of spiders - this will have droppers - and another one that you can use for dry fly and nymphing. This second leader can also have a loop at the business end to which you can attach different tippets - sinking for nymphing and floating/greased for dry flies, if you want. Terry Lawton

I have problems with my arm: do you think a shooting head may help my casting range? I mainly fish Rutland Water and Eyebrook so sometimes I need greater range than I can cast all day. M Clay

While a shooting head will help you to gain extra distance when casting, do you need to cast and fish as far as you can with every cast? If fishing from the bank, or wading, there are often fish to be caught closer than you might think. If boat fishing perhaps a change of style will reduce your arm problem. Every time that your arms starts hurting/aching or whatever, why not stop fishing for five or 10 minutes and give it a rest? You can use the time spent not casting to take a look around and see what is happening - flies hatching, fish moving, how many other anglers are catching fish, and where etc. Do you keep your fly lines clean? A dirty line will not shoot as well as a clean one, losing you distance. How old are you lines? There have been significant developments in fly line coatings recently, all designed to help you get greater distance, or the same distance with less effort. Finally, it may be well worth your while talking to a local casting instructor and perhaps identifying any problems or faults in your casting technique that are causing you problems. You may find that a small change in style makes all the difference. If you then decide to change to a shooting head, you may find that you can cast it even further than you had hoped! Terry Lawton

Could you advise on the best knots to use to connect nylon to nylon and also formation of droppers? My set up usually consists of 12 ft tapered down to 2x (6lb) with 5ft of fluorocarbon attached, at this juncture I also form the dropper with a blood knot. What concerns me is the difference in diameters between the two types nylon could affect knot strength of the dropper (lost a fish yesterday due to dropper failure!!). Is there a maximum difference between diameters that should not be exceeded? Mark Boyle

You can find the Fish & Fly directory of knots. This will show you all the knots that you will ever need for fly fishing. If you look at www.fishandfly.co.uk/ffedit0501 you will find an article on leaders and droppers. There are two other articles on leaders, one at www.fishandfly.co.uk/tledit0201 and the other at www.fishandfly.co.uk/tledit0301. The dropper is always the end of the length of mono nearest your fly line, in your example above it is the lower end of the 2X mono and NOT the top of the fluorocarbon. The accepted maximum difference in thickness between lengths is usually .002" (.05mm?), sometimes .003" (.076mm). Although the blood knot is a good knot for joining lengths of mono, and produces droppers that stick out from the leader nicely, the Surgeon's knot may be better if there is a greater difference in thickness than .003". When it comes to choice of knots, I suggest that you try some different ones, see which are the easiest to tie and the securest, using your favourite leader material, and stick to them. Some knots work well in some materials but not others. Trial and error is needed. When you find a knot and material combination that works, stick to it. If you change leader material, you may find that it does not knot securely at first, but should after some practice.

I am about to purchase my first Winston fly rod and am torn between two. Which one is a better rod and why? 5wt Winston 3 piece WT or 5wt 5 piece Winston LT? I am a new trout fisherman. With whichever rod I purchase, I also get a Bill Ballan reel included in the price of the rod. I would value your opinion. David Long

Unfortunately I don't know anyone who owns one. They are a top-rated rod however. If you can, you should at least cast - and preferably fish - with both models to get the feel of them and which one suits you best. If you visit the Fish & Fly forum and look on the main messageboard, or the Tackle one, you may find comments on Winston rods in response to other questions on rods. If the models you are interested in have not been included, you should post a question of your own. Terry Lawton

I caught a 20" brown trout today from one of the ponds at Barlow, near Chesterfield. It was in great condition with near perfect fins; I unhooked & measured it in the water : 20" from nose to the fork of the tail (might even have been a bit longer following thecontours really carefully) I now regret not taking it's girth as well, as I would like to know roughly what it weighed. I am glad to say it went off like a rocket. Question - do you have table of trout weights versus lengths? - or at least a guess about it's weight? Steve Wood

I would guess that your fished weighed about 4lbs or 4lbs+. I caught one of 4lbs 2oz a year or two ago that I had mounted and it is almost exactly 20" long and about 4.5" deep. There have been "charts" for converting the length and girth of salmon to pounds and ounces but I do not recollect having seen anything similar for trout. The problem is that some trout are short and fat and others long and thin. Today a lot of anglers are concerned only with a trout or grayling's length as when fish are being released, it is easier to measure a fish, either with a tape measure or against your rod. I hope the above is of help to you. However much it weighed, it must have been a fine fish. Terry Lawton

I've been reading the September 1998 edition of Trout Fisherman. There is a question there about high banks behind the caster. Charles Jardine mentions the "Old Galway Cast". This is the one and only article that I've read from Charles that I've had trouble understanding. Can you help? Chudleigh Bob.

According to Charles Jardine, the Old Galway Cast is a variation on the steeple cast in which you turn or reverse your rod hand for the back cast so that the line goes more or less straight up in the air, and then return your hand for the forward cast. Terry Lawton

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