kjackson

I have a pair of salesman sample Adaro pliers by P-Line. They have an aluminum frame, tungsten-carbide cutters that are replaceable and a nylon sheath. $24 TYD or $15 in Clinton.

Going through the hoarder's stash that unfortunately is my basement tying area, I came across a new, unused Pflueger President fly reel in the 11-12 size. I have a number of the Presidents, and have found them to be a serviceable reel--they work, have a decent drag and cost a whole lot less than comparable reels imported by other fly manufacturers. This reel hasn't been out of the plastic sleeve since it hit the basement. It has been moved twice, though, so the box it comes in is dented. However, the reel and the case are pristine. $110 TYD.

TTT... The Solara, Cayenne and Okuma are still looking for homes. The Cayenne is a small-profile reel. The scent holders are still looking for love as well. I'll be posting more items in a different thread.

Before I list this elsewhere, I'm looking for a good, stable SOT kayak. If you've got one you don't need and would like the above G.Loomis combo, let's make a deal.

Love the history. However, I do see a problem--buying bargains, as that's a slippery slope, and my basement is an example. You're probably relatively safe with fly rods, but if you fall into buying potential fly tying material at thrift stores, you might as well give up all your free space. I am fighting that addiction, but it's still strong. Whenever I see a mink stole (or collar or whatever), I keep thinking about mink dubbing (and zonked strips) which is where I started tying so many decades ago.

I'm looking for a place or places to sell some high-end gear. Do you have any places where you sell stuff that isn't a good fit for OA? A case in point is the 12-weight outfit I have listed in the sales forum. Since I'm looking at getting rid of things I don't use instead of storing them for the future estate sale and they're mostly fly related, I thought I'd ask. What I am most concerned with are a couple of bamboo rods, a Charlton reel and spool, the 12-weight outfit mentioned above, a Hardy glass rod and a few other collectables. TIA.

I'll check, but they were made in the PNW for drift boats. The pin is 0.5 according to my buddy Stanley. The ID is 2.0, at least what the tape says. The brass rowlocks look to have 0.5 pin and 2 ⅜" ID with the top opening 1 ⅝".

These are still for sale, if there is interest. Also, I have pair of open-top brass rowlocks that I'd like to sell as well. Pix to come if anyone is interested.

For sale: G.Loomis CrossCurrent fly rod-- a 9-foot, 12 weight-- that has, worse luck, never been cast. It comes with the original case and sock, of course. But wait! There's more: Also on the block is an Orvis Vortex (not the VO2) in the 11/12 size. It's loaded with a lot of superline backing and a Scientific Anglers 12-weight line. And again, neither the reel nor the line have been used. And for a limited time, that's right a limited time, you can buy the rod and reel for one-half the listed price for $625. That's TYD. I'm not really interested in splitting the outfit, but I can be coerced.

After some thought, I need to come up with a solid Plan B. If wading is out in the foreseeable future, then I'll need another kayak to keep in town or a small boat. There are too many ponds and lakes around here to ignore when at least one of them holds really big bluegill. I had been thinking about building a pirogue/kayak, but I would rather fish than build.

Whaatever... in order t be more like Marty, I headed out this morning to a little pond I've been thinking about for a couple of years. Since my kayak is at our lake place, I threw in a pair of hip boots because my wading shoes also are at the lake place. That's the place where the water is still low and the bleeping otters are sleeping on our dock. I grabbed a couple of fly rods I wanted to fish a bit and headed out. I discovered several things: 1. My casting ability sucks; it's been nearly 15 years since I avidly fly fished, and I really need to work on it. 2. I need a wading staff. I buggered up an Achilles tendon back in January, and I'm still having problems with balance and even walking over rough ground. It's a lot better, but if I'm not careful, I'll end up swimming. 3. Hip boots are impossible to get off if it's hot out and one does not wear socks. 4. The bluegills and green sunfish in the pond I fished are not of the same class as the ones pictured. They do like black flies, though. 5. Despite points 1, 2, and 3 above, it was still good to get out.

I think I want to be you when I grow up...

It's a golden yellow, painted finish, late 60s or very early 70s vintage. After I built it, I put away the Fenwick rod (8' for a 7 wt) I was using even when I was fishing heavy water in the Clark Fork.

One of my favorite rods is the first one I built-- a 7'6" Orvis Fullflex glass rod for a 5 weight. Not only did that rod do small flies and waters well, but it was more than adequate on bigger browns in the Clark Fork near Missoula. I ran across the slightly heavier version-- same length but in a 6--at a garage sale and liked the way it cast. Now, I'm in the process of stripping the old guides off the 5 and will be using it soon. All I need is to find a good bluegill spot close to home.

That's inspiring!

I have a 12-volt tiller controlled one you can have--if you can come and get it.

I think you need this for your trolling motor; it's relatively fly-line friendly...and the price is right! You can ditch the stop switch and Big Foot paddle...

I'm going to give up on this reel...at least as far as being able to change the cassettes when on the water. I followed the above advice and lubed the spindle/shaft (Number 3 on the top diagram) with paraffin and pushed the spool on until it clicked in place. It should have popped free with little effort...at least that is what I was thinking. However, the cassette wouldn't release until I ran hot water on it...so I tried one of the unused cassettes, thinking that it might just be a glitch in the original. It wasn't. I may try a Teflon lube and see if that will do it. Or I'll just get rid of it and the three spare cassettes and call it good. I appreciate the help and advice. Thanks!

As of yesterday, the water is still very low. The little rain we had probably had no effect as everything seems to be pretty dry. CCC was pretty dry by the long bridge.

Thanks for the advice. I took the 1400 yards of backing (a slight exaggeration) and line off the cartridge and face plate and dunked it in a warm water and dish soap bath. Maybe five minutes later, the cartridge popped right off. So I took some Q-tips and alcohol and cleaned the old grease off and from the inside of the cartridge. Now, though, when I press the cartridge back in place, pushing it until it clicks in place, it's still a bugger to get it to release. I'm going to check on what I can use to lubricate it--the cartridge is plastic of some kind-- and see if that helps. If it doesn't, I'll be selling the reel and the three extra cartridges that go with it because it won't be easy to change lines while I'm fishing. I've looked for a parts list, and there don't appear to be any online. The model is the Fenwick DCC560... Here's an image of the reel, not that it does much but show you what it looks like. You can see the rim of the cartridge if you look closely. https://hueckmanauction.hibid.com/lot/66282658/fenwick-cartridge-dcc56-fly-reel-made-in-usa/

Thanks. I am amazed that I can't make the blasted thing--the cartridge--even move; it's like the thing is locked in place. I could see it being a build up of old grease, saltwater and dirt, but the reel has only been used twice. I'm going to try the Dawn solution and then move on to something more chemical after that if the soak doesn't break it loose. And yes, I'll remove the line and backing first. In my web search, I found no info on getting the cartridge free but did see one site offering the reel for $699 and another site with a final sale price of $16.

I've been trying to review my older fly gear with an idea of thinning the herd. Started to play a bit with the Fenwick cassette reel and discovered that I couldn't get the blinking plastic cassette to release. I tried pushing the spool release on the outside of the reel, rocking the stupid thing back and forth, tried prying (just a little) and calling it names to see if it would come out and fight. However, I have had no joy. Now it is a pretty good reel, albeit it mostly unused, and it would be all right using it with the cassette in place. However, I also have three other cassettes. It would be great to have them all working and be able to change lines during the course of a trip. Has anyone information or experience with this reel? What am I doing wrong?

Cork has gotten really, really expensive...

Well, the Expo is fast approaching. I'm covering it for the paper, so I'll be wandering around with a camera around my neck and a notebook. Look for someone tall and puzzled... I attended the Trip-Lakes Fly Fishers white bass workshop last weekend and found the group a fun one. Learned a couple of new patterns and decided to donate a spey rod to the auction... If you want more info on the Expo, check out the TLFF Facebook page. Hope to see you there!

Yes, plus deer and turkey. Fishing (not trout) and small-game hunting are freebies.