I could mention the carbon nanotubes, the helical wrap that ensures they’re the lightest, strongest most awesome ever…
… how they’re dipped in Boron, blessed by the Pope, and Izaak Walton’s ghostly hand crept out of the grave to snatch a pair …
But that’d be bullshit.
Blue, because it’s faster …
More tomorrow.
Tags: Sixth Finger Tungsten, fly tying scissors, testing, blue is faster
I ate everything I ever kept in saltwater, even when I found out that Rainbow Perch was most plentiful around the sewage outlets in San Francisco Bay.
They were plentiful and I was determined to exploit them, never thinking about the estrogen and grey water, and had I known it wouldn’t have mattered – Big City girls thought fish were born in Saran wrap and got the price sticker in adulthood, I was on the outs with the cheerleaders already.
I ate everything I ever kept in freshwater too – except for that Largemouth Bass from Lake Merced. I’d commissioned a couple of ne’er-do-wells to row me around the gray-green water while I flung a monstrous Purple spinnerbait. That snag turned out to be a six pound largemouth, and my youthful delight at confirming the Loch Ness monster of the lower lake tempted me to keep it.
Pop made tracings of the corpse and Ma dutifully cooked it, but nothing could make the jaw move after the first forkful entered. It was if you’d licked the glass of an aquarium …
… completely committed, like one of Ma’s chocolate icing spoons.
Now that the Winnemem Wintu tribal dancers are enroute to New Zealand to apologize to the salmon, in hopes of restoring them to California, a fellow has to look at the carnage and snelled hooks in his wake to see whether apologies are in order.
In a lifetime of fishing I’ve never toed my opponent into the brush, never tossed a stringer full of sunwarmed fish back into the depths, nor mutilated or mangled the vanquished for my amusement or for those with me. I’ve killed plenty, but made it as quick and painless as possible.
One moment of weakness on my sixteenth birthday, where I told Pop I could pass for fifteen for a couple years more, and his ethics made my path plain, “you’re the biggest fishkillingest SOB in the family, and you’ll buy a license like everyone else.”
There is one sodden red check mark near the blank pages yet to be written. I made sport of a Fillet O’ Fish, took it’s name in vain, and sprayed it across Ronald McDonald’s midsection enroute to the trash …
It’s not sport unless you can see your quarry’s eyes – and while I’m sure there are dozens of pairs within that ground, unnaturally pasty flesh, our meeting was chance – and not on the field of battle.
I’ll apologize to it them – when Ronald McDonald apologizes to me.
Tags: Ronald McDonald, Fillet O’ Fish, Winnemem Wintu, apologize to salmon, fishing humor, rainbow perch, San Francisco bay, big city girls, fishing, Saranwrap
It could be a California angling phenomenon, but I see more guys wearing pink than girls.
… and while fly line color continues to be debated with great ferocity in the forums, the SIMM’s G3 Guide vest in rust orange debuted with hardly a murmur…
Now that embedded jungle cock and spray of gaily colored feathers adorn our rod blanks ( along with a pancake layer of thick epoxy to guarantee a dead spot ) and brightly colored Fisher-Price artwork emblazon our reels, have we given up the stalk and seduction of fish in favor of a clandestine fling with a brother angler of like mind?
It could be the water, lord knows we’ve listed the offending hormones often enough, and what’s not been specifically mentioned can be inferred – but all this bawdy-house gear bespeaks of a fundamental shift in the angling psyche.
The old military gear, the olive drab’s and mustard Flecktarn, the muted earth tones designed to blend with bush or bank, the painstakingly crafted digital camouflage, all discarded in a race to announce your presence to the fish with authority.
It could be that the majority of the better streams have enough neon motel signs, fast food restaurants, and traffic lights on their banks that pine trees are outnumbered. The big fish lying doggo in Taco Bell’s riffle could associate bright with inanimate, and all the mobile green-stuff is markedly out of place and therefore hostile…
As the magazines and books probe fish vision further – alerting us to every nuance and twice for shortcomings, we change our flies to match 
then storm through the quiet water like Liberace?
Be it fish, fowl, mammal, or human, the sacred tenet of Biology has always insisted the male displays bright colors to attract a mate. Which explains why money is green and credit cards are mostly in the vivid spectrum, red or blue, containing holograms or opalescence.
Fish are promiscuous – yet relationships rarely last past hook removal, so all this grandiose finery can’t be for their benefit, it’s apparently something deeper that is opaque to us odiferous Brownline types – yet is all the rage elsewhere.
As a Native Son, I care not about coveted glances or gang sign, I just need to know whether I’m supposed to pick a rod that is compatible with my cheek blush, or whether it’s the hue of my Manscara I need to match.
… the last thing I need is to see a fellow struggling with a tailing loop and offer a bit of friendly advice, and be met with, “STFU NoOb!”
Tags: Ross Journey Youth fly rod, Abel De Young reel, Simm’s G3 Guide vest, Flylogic reel, Sage Pink Camo, camouflage, invisible to fish, digital camouflage, Flecktarn, Fisher-Price toys
You’ve tied your own flies, you make your own leaders and wrapped your own fly rod, and with each minor triumph the crescendo of endorphins ebbs to leave you feeling hollow and incomplete …
It’s primeval biology that’s your nemesis, the inner Hunter-Gatherer is limited to stalking asparagus, armed with a coupon, and under the watchful gaze of the spouse. Completely unsatisfying, nothing screams, nothing bleeds, and outside of the occasional fishing trip – your emasculation is nearly complete.
Photo Courtesy of the Eclectic Angler
But, perhaps not.
The Eclectic Angler has released his tome on handcrafting fly reels using little other than common hand tools and equipment you’ve got rusting in the garage. Even better, he’ll set you up with all the materials in kit form so you can work up the nerve to crack the book.
The Pfleuger Progress and its progeny was the height of fly fishing technology for decades, now you can craft an updated technological marvel that ensures your bragging rights for years to come.
Extension cord sold separately.
Tags: Michael L.J. Hackney, the Eclectic Angler, brass fly reel, Pfleuger Progress, roll your own, hunter-gatherer, fly fishing reel
With the manufacturers eager to adopt the trend away from felt soled boots, those of you interested in one last set – or adding a travel set for foreign waters, should be moving on that purchase.
Most of the fly shops no longer have the full range of sizes and the popular sizes are being blown out via sale, added to eBay, or walking out the door due to their compelling price.
It’s not often you can get a two hundred dollar boot for fifty bucks.
Sierra Trading Post has some still available, but the best prices and selection are at the Platte River Fly shop, which is unloading Simms and Patagonia felt soled boots at compelling prices.
I grabbed a set of Patagonia Canyon Walkers and a set of Simms boots – and was out the door for $120.
Not knowing how much longer they’ll be available, I made like Imelda Marcos …
This will cover me until I’m no longer able to wade. Two sets of cleated rubber for my local infested water, one set of boots for watersheds in the Sierras, and now two sets of “travel” boots that I can take with me should I fish more than a single stream.
Use an aggregator to search for the sizes you need, it’ll save a lot of time and phone traffic.
Tags: Simms wading boots, Patagonia Canyon Walker, felt soled boots, wading shoes, felt ban
The Daily Flypaper blog posted a fascinating video of the 1.3 million dollar fly tying system from Intuitive Surgical…
… which is a bit misleading, it’s actually an Intuitive Surgical robot showing off what it can do. ISRG has been the darling of Wall Street for a number of years, considered best of breed for computer controlled robotic surgery.
While the possibilities are endless, I wouldn’t expect the cost of routine surgeries to suddenly become cheap, perhaps scheduling them may involve menus and a drive thru, but operating amphitheaters remain in short supply. Us humans have shown remarkable resistance to technology especially if it’s holding a sharp knife – akin to the revulsion we felt in handing over our credit card information in the early days of the Internet.
1.3 million is about the same as pre- and post-Med tuition, excluding cadavers and books.
Naturally, watching the video had me wondering – as the work is intricate to be sure, but we’ve always insisted those bubble-packed flies from Japan were machine made, and if machinery intricate enough to create them is of recent invention – what made all those flies during the 50’s and 60’s?
Therein lies the mystery as I can find nothing other than a patent application for 1943. History buffs will recognize that it couldn’t have been used by the Japanese until 1946, but may have played an important role in reconstructing Japanese industry.
Is it possible we’ve been misled all these years?
All those big ring-eyed hooks, buttonhole twist cotton thread and a Scarlet Ibis gleaming at us from the capable hands of a human? Makes you wonder what he thought our fish were thinking.
Anyone know what these rumored machines looked like or have an account of automated post war fly machinery?
Tags: Intuitive Surgical, ISRG, fly tying machine, machine tied fly, myth, patent application, Royal Coachman, Wall Street darling, youtube
The prototypes for the next generation of Sixth Finger scissors arrived on my doorstep yesterday. I’d asked for them to add a zipper so I could change it each year and obsolete everything you already own …
I figured I could offer it as a fetching facsimile to the Royal Canadian Mounties and the cord that secured their sidearm. Three and a half feet of ballistic nylon – and should you ever lay them down, they’d be available to sit on once you returned to your desk.
It certainly would reinforce the notion to keep them in your hand – the downside would be you’re having to tie standing up for the next three months.
Madison Ave calls it “branding” – affixing the image of a product into your subconscious so you can’t help but think of me when you see it. I call it a life long scar, and you’ll never be able to look at a Band-Aid or tourniquet without cringing …
The vendor has added all of the enhancements I’ve asked for and produced something quite special.
Issue: The current flavor of scissor is a light-duty specialty scissor, with small light blades and fine tips. It’s wonderful for trout flies and medium sized flies, yet has issues with thick or bulky. Those same light blades offer a small sharp tip – but can be deflected by a heavy woven four strand yarn, or bulky chenille.
Resolution: The debut of the General Purpose variant, designed to accomodate light, coarse, and heavy materials. It is equipped with a larger, heavier blade that cannot be deflected. It’s simple physics that cause the issue, and adding mass to the blade prevents it bending out of the way, and lengthening the handle allows more force to be exerted to sever large materials cleanly.
The General Purpose will be longer by an inch, half of which is in the blade area, and the balance in the handle. The spring mechanism has been shortened yet retains a crisp positive action. Even better is the blades – about twice the mass – both thicker and longer, and we didn’t have to give up the fine tips.
As I eat what I sell, I’ve already started testing the materials that proved difficult on the smaller scissors, and have been chuckling with great glee …
But I didn’t do you no favor …
To assist both normal and this new “General Purpose” variant, I’ve also added tungsten inserts on both models, but I didn’t do you any favor by doing so …
Tungsten Carbide is one of the hardest metals known to Man, and in scissors it makes a superior cutting edge – one that will last much longer than conventional surgical stainless.
It’s also the most brittle. One bleary-eyed late night cut where you catch the hook shank up at the scissor tip, and you can take the points clean off.
This is true of $500 surgical scissors as well as inexpensive flavor. The only known solution is to make a blunt point which allows more tungsten into the area, giving the tip greater shear strength. As fine tips are essential on a good set of scissors, blunt is unacceptable.
Having tied with Tungsten inserts and expensive surgical scissors for the last 25 years, I can vouch for the fragility of the tip. Bill Hunter sold me my first pair and mentioned, “you’ll have to relearn your scissor work, or you’ll tear these up.”
I did. But at the cost of the first pair.
The second set lasted 20 years, so the transition is easy enough to make, but only after you’ve destroyed at least one set. In short, you learn to make all cuts away from the shank – never cutting towards the hook.
We’ve also opted for an adjustable screw to aid quick disassembly for sharpening. Medical scissors attempt to braise or grind the screw to prevent seams that allow bacteria to collect on the scissor surface. This prevents the screw from turning – and tightening the screw is often not possible.
As all scissors eventually need adjustment (except in the medical profession where they’re often discarded) – I’ve got a slightly different screw assembly on these prototypes to see if I can adjust it in the future.
Summary: For 2010 I’ll be offering three models of the Sixth Finger; a larger General Purpose scissor with Tungsten inserts, the current model of surgical stainless, and a variant of the original scissor also with Tungsten inserts.
Pricing and availability should be around the mid-March timeframe. I’m attempting to bring the price in around the $25 dollar mark for the Tungsten and larger General Purpose flavors.
… and my thanks for the many helpful comments and feedback on these “children” of mine. Many of you have been quite candid about changes you’d like – or features that suited you, and I’ve rolled all that into this second generation of product.
Based on what testing I’ve completed, they’ll go through your jeans and a couple inches of Gluteus before you have time to draw a breath …
Testers: Around March I’ll be sending out 10-12 sets of the new scissors to some of the existing owners as a test group. If you’d like to test one model over another I’ll inquire before I send them.
I’d like to upgrade everyone, but the economics say otherwise.
Full Disclosure: I came up with the bright idea, and use them daily, to the exclusion of all other scissors. But as I’m also the vendor – I am not to be believed.
Tags: Sixth Finger Scissor, Product Roadmap, fly tying scissors, Tungsten Carbide, adjustable screw hole, fine tips, Bill Hunter, RCMP, shameless commerce
I’m browsing some learned archives of scientific phenomenon while trying to stifle a yawn, when I saw a familiar banner.
“Little known LSU professor dedicates life to the sensory capabilities of fish, discovers “can’t miss” lure system that guarantees extinction of all life in fresh water and salt…”
(Proof that Scientific journals can be no better than the last few pages of Outdoor Life.)
“… scientific lure company gets wind of the amazing new discovery and purchases right to manufacture amazing fish-killing-lure-system…”
That old story has been around for at least a hundred years, and the only real question is how much is it going to cost me, and must I purchase batteries separately?
Amazing scientific fish-killing systems somehow are never cheap, and I can only assume it’s the lifetime of being sequestered in lab garb that requires such a hit to the credit card.
“The take home message from this is simple: fish learn and associate particular scents as food, but taste is an actual reflex for them. The taste of particular natural chemicals triggers a feeding response.” In other words, if a fish is exposed to certain taste stimuli, it cannot control its urge to bite. Obviously, this has huge implications for the fishing industry, but the technology doesn’t stop there.
Mentioning all those modern devices like patents and intellectual property adds a certain legitimacy, which is markedly different than the many snake oil variants of the past.
… and if my lay translation is correct, a fish that eats certain things simply must eat more of them – until it lies on the bottom stuffed and immobile. Lay’s Potato chips made a similar claim with their, “you can’t just eat one” advertising, so the science appears sound …
LSU’s Office of Intellectual Property worked closely with Caprio in the early stages of his technology’s formation all the way through the licensing agreement with Mystic Tackleworks, a company dedicated to developing scientific fishing lure systems.
For a 5.5” strobe equipped minnow whose “taste” tank is filled by jamming a plasticine nozzle in its arse and squeezing, you’ll pay $33.96. As they’re sold as kits, you’ll receive:
The BioPulse™ Freshwater Medium Diver Kit includes the 5.5″ Rainbow Lure with split rings and size 2 Eagle Claw ‘Laser Sharp” hooks, one canister of Sci-X™ Freshwater Neurological Feeding Stimulant, and one bottle of BioFlush™ Anti-Microbial Cleaning Solution
In a sense I’m jealous. The only time we’ve had the luxury of science and raw marketing genius converge was for the “Frisky Fly” – the little V-shaped buzz bomb of the 1980’s. Jim Teeny made a stab at patenting the Teeny Nymph, and everyone merely hated him for it …
…probably because it wasn’t scientific.
I made an attempt to patent the “Singlebarbed Sonic Fly Fishing Fish Summoner” – but was rejected on the provisional patent as dog food and creamed corn was already under patent …
… and I had a great spiel on why you needed to punch holes in the sonic assembly with a can opener … audio resonance being the fourth dimension and all …
Thirty-four dollars per lure is a stiff sentence. I’ll assume it’s the Freshwater Neurological Feeding Stimulant that’s the LSU Professor’s handiwork, and wait by the trash can while Mr. Inconsolable throws that away now that his $35 in part of a bridge piling …
Who knows, the anti-microbial cleaning solution might work on waders …
Full Disclosure: Never seen or fished one, no plans to fish one either.
Tags:Frisky fly, Jim Teeny, Teeny nymph, Mystic Tackleworks, Biopulse fishing system, neurological feeding stimulant, bass lures, LSU
Our dictionary defines “keeper” not as a fish large enough to eat, but a significant other whose charity feeds our my addiction.
… I suppose she could be having a torrid affair with some buff appliance salesman – using this as camouflage, but does it really matter?
Most fishermen are packing the night before and are horrified that another year has passed and they’re without Letters of Marque …
A gentle reminder that you’ve got about a week before your Governor puts his hand in your pocket.
… and don’t be surprised if the price has gone up a bit. A lot of state’s budgets are in disarray due to the financial meltdown and they’re looking to increase revenue stream.
California remains $41.50, same as last year.
About nine cents will make it to DFG and the fish, but it’s essential equipment.
Tags: California fishing license, Department of Fish & Game, significant other, keeper, torrid affair, letter of marque
… sure it’s the season of friendship, hope, and orgy of consumerism, yet buried way down deep is still a hint of Christianity … hard to see, but baby Jesus is sandwiched somewheres between that Lexus commercial and all the reasons I need a 54” flat screen …
… absent the three wise men, whose star led them to Best Buy, where they’re poring over red and blue maps and the merits of Droid versus iPhone.
Yet, in all this I find Hope. Not that I’ve changed spots any. I’m still the opinionated antisocial prick of Posts Past – only there’s an item common to all fly shop clearance sales – suggesting you astute lads aren’t buying any.
The Simms “Special Edition” wader mat. I’ve scratched my chin and after considerable thought decided if you own one of these, you’re a complete wienie.
Strong words from a fellow that takes pride in offending everyone, wades in crap, and thinks the purity of decay is the new wilderness.
I recognize the object and its function, freely admit that twenty bucks isn’t likely to break anyone, yet I just can’t find a single worthwhile reason to own one.
… and based on recent sales data and the canny shopping of a spouse navigating the unfamiliar waters of the local fly shop, Simm’s may have invented the fly fishing equivalent of Soap On A Rope.
Why? Gals know dirt.
They’re tired of stumbling over your wet wading boots on the floor of the garage, the mud caked waders flung over the dryer as your anti-invasive strategy, and would just as soon fix all that.
… and there in the sale bin is their instrument of Truth. Precisely the same length as a four-piece rod tube – and when wrapped will fool you into visions of Sage, Scott, and she shouldn’t have … A carat and a half later (which you can ill afford) and the glee of Christmas morn shattered by a drip mat.
… and that’s the best case.
If we look at the raw physics, you used to have two wet boots, one set of wet waders (inside and out), a dripping hollow wading staff, and all of that gear wadded into the same area containing sleeping bag, half eaten loaf of Wonderbread, and room temperature Bologna – left opened in the trunk when you elected to dine afield.
Now there’s another wet, dirty object to taint your precious supplies, or leak into your sleeping bag …
Sherlockian deduction suggests it may be the car that is of greatest concern. Waders and wet boots stashed in finely tailored gear bags emblazoned with vendor label, crest of arms, or both – and while all else is neatly compartmentalized this will be draining into your cashmere interior – while you search the backroads for a rare steak.
… and the fact that you drove such a car down a pitted track to set gleaming next to mine, means you’re a wienie.
Volumes of literature and roadside signs warn you against invasive species. Tanks of chemicals allow you to sprits wading gear back to the sterile pristine, yet there’s a goodly compliment of passengers lining your “drip mat” – and while you and your gear are chaste, that mat is now host to everything you stepped in.
… which makes you a wienie.
Or it could be that you don’t want to get any on you, environment-wise. Slithering into a high priced prophylactic is done to curry favor with the outdoor clique at work, or perhaps it was the Boss – who thought this whole adventure thing would be a great team exercise. He’s self-made and only agreed to the boardroom suggestion of “off site” because he loves to fish.
If so, Mother Nature is likely to bust a cap in your arse and expose you as a wienie.
Try as I might I cannot come up with any desirable characteristics not furnished by an old Playboy or dog-eared newspaper, scrap of carpet, or extra floormat.
“Simms” brooks little argument and looks tastefully sexy in moonlight, but so does my tailgate. I remove dripping garments high above the taint of soil – where they’ll drain fetchingly next to the “4WD” accent.
… any fool can get a high-priced, low-slung euro-roadster down the hill, it’s getting up that grows the Iron Cross …
Unnecessary gear. Another item to forget on the day of departure, another excuse for a high pitched tirade by the car. It’s easier to move the loaf of bread aside, grab your buddy’s down jacket and use that …
… that only costs you dinner.
Tags: Simms Special Edition wading mat, fly fishing wienie, unnecessary bulk, waders, wading boots, invasive species, fly shop, baby Jesus, antisocial prick, IMHO