Hi to all…
My name is Benny Rhoads, and I live in Orange, Texas. I spent my early years in Northwest Pennsylvania. I still maintain a Hunting Camp my grandfather built back in the mid 1900’s. It is on the Allegheny River not far from the small town of Tionesta. I deer hunt there in the winter and fish and chill out there in the summer. The camp is within about an hour’s drive of some of the most beautiful trout streams in that part of the country. There are plenty of walleye’s and Small Mouth Bass to be taken in the rivers and creeks, if you take the time.
I am not exactly new to Fly Fishing, but I am new to most of the equipment and fixtures found in the Fly Fishing Fraternity these days. My Dad started me Fly Fishing back in the 50’s. I recently retired from E. I. DuPont after 36 years in the Nylon industry. I have time now to get back into Fly Fishing, but I am amazed at most of the new equipment that is out there. I still have 2 of my Dad’s Shakespeare split bamboo rods with both tips and cloth cases. One was built in ’35, and the other in ’36. They both have the dirt and fish slime my Dad put on them prior to 1966. I hope to pass these on to my Gransson some day when he appreciates what they are.
My own fiberglass rods were built prior to 1970, and they don’t have any recommended line weight data on them either. I am surprised I caught anything at all with them, after seeing all the high tech “Balancing” of equipment that goes on now. If there was tapered leader back them, I didn’t know about it. We would just clip off about 6’ of line from our best spinning rig, insert a barbed eyelet into the hollow fly line, and tie on the leader. It was crude, but I caught my weight several times over in Bass, bream, and walleyes with those rigs. Do they still make those barbed eyelet connectors now? If so, I don’t see anyone advertising them or hear of anyone using them.
My favorite bait then was a yellow popper, and a home tied sponge spider tied on behind the popper with about 2’ of leader…Bass on the bug and Bream/Rock Bass on the spider. The spider was made from a slice of green DuPont sponge my Mother kept under the sink for cleaning. I could take about a ½ “ slice off of one end, and tie a dozen or more spiders, and she never knew. For legs, I saved the thin green rubber bands that came with the newspaper…they were just right. I read on some web site in the last few days about someone that is taking credit for inventing the sponge spider tying technique….I hate to bust his bubble, but me and my brother were doing in back in the late 50’s and early 60’s.
I am trying to get back into Bass and Bream fishing here in Texas in the lakes and Bayou’s. I am an hour south of Toledo Bend lake, and have a trip planned for next week. I will be using the popper and spider rig again, and I’m curious if it will still work. I will be asking a bunch of questions in the near future, and I hope to make some new friends and pick-up on some of the fresh equipment, and techniques.
Flying with the Wind,
Benny
My name is Benny Rhoads, and I live in Orange, Texas. I spent my early years in Northwest Pennsylvania. I still maintain a Hunting Camp my grandfather built back in the mid 1900’s. It is on the Allegheny River not far from the small town of Tionesta. I deer hunt there in the winter and fish and chill out there in the summer. The camp is within about an hour’s drive of some of the most beautiful trout streams in that part of the country. There are plenty of walleye’s and Small Mouth Bass to be taken in the rivers and creeks, if you take the time.
I am not exactly new to Fly Fishing, but I am new to most of the equipment and fixtures found in the Fly Fishing Fraternity these days. My Dad started me Fly Fishing back in the 50’s. I recently retired from E. I. DuPont after 36 years in the Nylon industry. I have time now to get back into Fly Fishing, but I am amazed at most of the new equipment that is out there. I still have 2 of my Dad’s Shakespeare split bamboo rods with both tips and cloth cases. One was built in ’35, and the other in ’36. They both have the dirt and fish slime my Dad put on them prior to 1966. I hope to pass these on to my Gransson some day when he appreciates what they are.
My own fiberglass rods were built prior to 1970, and they don’t have any recommended line weight data on them either. I am surprised I caught anything at all with them, after seeing all the high tech “Balancing” of equipment that goes on now. If there was tapered leader back them, I didn’t know about it. We would just clip off about 6’ of line from our best spinning rig, insert a barbed eyelet into the hollow fly line, and tie on the leader. It was crude, but I caught my weight several times over in Bass, bream, and walleyes with those rigs. Do they still make those barbed eyelet connectors now? If so, I don’t see anyone advertising them or hear of anyone using them.
My favorite bait then was a yellow popper, and a home tied sponge spider tied on behind the popper with about 2’ of leader…Bass on the bug and Bream/Rock Bass on the spider. The spider was made from a slice of green DuPont sponge my Mother kept under the sink for cleaning. I could take about a ½ “ slice off of one end, and tie a dozen or more spiders, and she never knew. For legs, I saved the thin green rubber bands that came with the newspaper…they were just right. I read on some web site in the last few days about someone that is taking credit for inventing the sponge spider tying technique….I hate to bust his bubble, but me and my brother were doing in back in the late 50’s and early 60’s.
I am trying to get back into Bass and Bream fishing here in Texas in the lakes and Bayou’s. I am an hour south of Toledo Bend lake, and have a trip planned for next week. I will be using the popper and spider rig again, and I’m curious if it will still work. I will be asking a bunch of questions in the near future, and I hope to make some new friends and pick-up on some of the fresh equipment, and techniques.
Flying with the Wind,
Benny
