Category Archives: Fly Casting

New and Improved Project Healing Water fly rod from Fly Fishing Crazy!

Posted on by Fly Fishing Crazy
Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing
Healing Those Who Serve

As a proud volunteer for Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing in Denver, CO, helping our disabled active duty soldiers and veterans has become a big part of my life.  Last year, ProjectHealingWaters.org gave me permission to produce a custom built fly rod to be sold exclusively through FlyFishingCrazy.com.   These rods compliment the great PHW rod sold by Temple Forks Outfitters.

The tittle of this blog states a New and Improved, fly rod from Fly Fishing Crazy, so what’s new and what’s improved?  First, I have introduced 4 separate grades of rods.  The first 3 are available in trout models and All-Purpose models which are designed for fresh or saltwater with all aluminum reel seats, small fighting butt and 2 stripper guides.  The top of the line “Evening Dress Blues” grade is only available in trout models.  It’s just too high class to try and make it saltwater worthy.  These rods are based on custom blanks made exclusively for Fly Fishing Crazy. The Freshwater fly rods are built on unique T.L. Johnson designed and built blanks in line weights 4-6.  The 8’6″ 4 weight rod is a Medium/Fast action incorporating a graphite resin system along with helical reinforcement.  The 9′ 4-6 weight rods are a Fast action blank that incorporates a unique graphite resin system that is a high modulus blend. The unique construction of these rod blank designs make them very light, yet extremely durable. Project Healing Waters fly rods are balanced to achieve low swing weight.  The All-Purpose models are available in 6-8 weight and are built on the same fine blank, but come with saltwater approved reel seats with small fighting butt, a full wells grip and 2 stripper guides.  All-Purpose rods will handle the big freshwater species too, as proven by Matt Smythe, The Fishing Poet, who fished one of my 6wt demo rods for steelhead on the Salmon River in New York state (read his review below).

Starting with the “Enlisted” Grade, you get a quality black anodized aluminum reel seat with walnut insert, a delrin winding check, Olive thread w/ three spiral NCP Olive accent wraps (BDU – Battle Dress Uniform colors), and black guides and tip-top.  The second grade is “NCO” Grade or “NCO” Grade All-Purpose.  This will get you a bright anodized reel seat with walnut insert (pewter anodized seat available for $10 more), delrin winding check, Branch of Service or BDU colors, bright guides and tip-top.  Next is the “Class A” Grade or “Class A” Grade All-Purpose which comes loaded with Nickel Silver reel seat with Premium Gun-Stock Walnut insert, Nickel winding check, Branch of Service colors and bright hardened chrome guides and tip-top.  Finally, the “Evening Dress Blues” Grade is adorned with Gun-Barrel Blued Nickel Silver reel seat, Premium Walnut insert, Blued Nickel winding check, Branch of Service colors and TiCH black snake guides and tip-top.  The hardware is upgraded to provide a higher quality rod for the price.  All rods are built on a matte finish blank and beautifully Hand Inscribed with “Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing”, rod length, line weight and serial number.

Why should you buy a custom U.S. built rod from FlyFishingCrazy.com?

You’re looking for a new fly rod.

Scenario 1: You go to the nearest fly shop and pay $300 – $800 and you get a nice rod.

Scenario 2: You pay $369 – $489 for a Project Healing Waters fly rod… you get free shipping in the U.S., a great custom built rod and 20% + $20 gets donated to Project Healing Waters to help our wounded and disabled vets.

IT’S YOUR CALL!                    and it’s well worth the 4-8 week build time for these custom U.S. made fly rods!

As an on-line fly shop owner, I have some great resources to draw on.  Terry Johnson of T.L. Johnson Rod Company in Wellington, CO is one of this countries best custom boutique fly rod builders.  Terry is producing all of my custom Project Healing Waters fly rods that will be sold exclusively through my website FlyFishingCrazy.com. Terry builds his own blanks here in the U.S. so what better choice for a custom rod to support our troops than one that is 100% U.S. made. Terry has been building rods for over 25 years and has worked for many of the big name companies before starting his own company in 2003. He is, in my honest opinion, one of the finest rod builders in the U.S., if not the world. Terry is a perfectionist and you can see it in his wraps. I chose one of Terry’s more affordable blanks for several reasons. I thought that the matte gray finish of his FX series rods would give a more military look and this rod should, by all comparisons of the “yuppie” brands, sell for $500-$600, but will start at $369 (fully optioned will be $489).

Project Healing Waters rod
Black thread with 3 spiral gold wraps

Branch of Service colors (available on all but the “Enlisted” Grade) are:
• Army – Black with Gold Accent *
• Navy – Dark Blue with White Accent
• Marines Corps – Red with Gold Accent
• Air Force – Blue with Silver Accent
• Coast Guard – Blue with Red Accent

* Having served in the 1st Signal Brigade USASTRATCOM, Phu Lam Signal Base, Viet Nam ’67, I have Army fly rod Serial # 001. It is an 8’6″ 4 weight built with Blued Nickel and Gunstock Walnut reel seat upgrades.  HOOOAH!

All rods are hand inscribed with “Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing”, rod length, line weight, and serial number.
They are custom built as they are ordered, so please allow 4-8 weeks build time.

Rod Features:

All Rods Feature:

  • U.S. built 4 piece matte finish gray, fast action graphite blank (4wt is med/fast action)
  • Extra fine reverse half wells cork grip (line weights 7, 8 and model 691-4 will have full wells w/small fighting butt)
  • Burgundy cordura pocketed rod tube included

“Enlisted” Grade rods include:

  • Reel seat is Black anodized aluminum with walnut insert on 4-6wt.  691-4 All-purpose and 7 – 8 weight rods have all aluminum black seat with small fighting butt
  • Delrin winding check
  • Guides and Tip-Top – black
  • Thread color – Olive with 3 spiral NCO Olive accent wraps (BDU)

“NCO” Grade (Freshwater and All-Purpose) rods include:

  • Reel seat is Bright anodized aluminum with walnut insert on 4-6wt.  691-4 All-purpose and 7 – 8 weight rods have an all aluminum C seat with small fighting butt
  • Delrin winding check
  • Guides and Tip-Top – bright
  • Thread color - Branch of Service colors (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy) and BDU

“Class A” Grade (Freshwater and All-Purpose) rods include:

  • Reel seat is Nickel Silver with Premium Gunstock Walnut insert on 4-6wt.  691-4 All-purpose and 7 – 8 weight rods have a gorgeous Champagne anodized aluminum seat with small fighting butt
  • Nickel Silver winding check
  • Guides and Tip-Top – chrome
  • Thread color -  Branch of Service colors only  (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy)

“Evening Dress Blues” Grade rods include:

  • Reel seat is Gun-Barrel Blued Nickel Silver with Premium Gunstock Walnut insert.
  • Blued Nickel Silver winding check
  • Guides and Tip-Top – TiCH Black chrome
  • Thread color -  Branch of Service colors only  (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy)
Project Healing Waters rod with Stone Creek Halcyon reel
Army Rod #001 with Stone Creek Halcyon reel
Read the Reviews… 
Brian La Rue of the “Fly Fishing Examiner” writes:  TL Johnson offers Project Healing Waters rod to benefit veterans
Kyle Perkins “compleatthought.com” writes:  http://compleatthought.com/2011/10/03/project-healing-waters-fly-rods/
Matt Smythe “The Fishing Poet” tested a 6wt on New York’s Salmon River Steelhead: http://www.fishingpoet.com/2011/11/fly-rods-for-a-great-cause/

In case you haven’t heard of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, let me begin with their Mission Statement. “Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings.” Founded in 2005 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) in Washington, DC, with help from local Trout Unlimited (TU) and Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) volunteers, they currently have over 70 programs in cities around the U.S. and Canada.

I volunteer for the Denver, CO program, started by Clyde (Marty) Matinez in 2008. Beginning in January, the 2011 year started off at the Denver Fly Fishing Show where we co-hosted a booth with the Ft. Carson, Colorado Springs chapter. We then followed with fly tying classes at the VA Hospital in Denver. About 8 disabled veterans, mostly from the Vietnam era learned the basics by tying a Black Beauty, Woolly Bugger, Pheasant Tail, Elk Hair Caddis and Adams. Four weeks ago, we began a fly rod building class in the Nursing Home adjacent to the VA. Last week, we began a fly tying class at the VA clinic in Aurora, CO with 6 Vets with disabilities in attendance. As the weather warms, we will be starting casting classes at both the Denver VA and Aurora clinic. Out first, of many, outings will be at the Colorado Division of Wildlife’s Lake Lehow on April 6th. The Vets should have an exciting day as it’s almost impossible to make a half dozen casts without a hookup.  In 2011 we provide 19 fishing trips and have a goal of 30 trips for 2012.  This brings me around to fund raising. Local trips are not a huge deal cost wise, but in order to take some of our soldiers on a trip of a lifetime to Alaska, we need to raise some money. Currently, at the 2012 Denver International Sportsmen’s Expo, we are raffling off 2 fly rods that were donated by Doug Borer Bamboo and custom builder and volunteer Jim Sawyer.

Several great companies in the industry are supporting Project Healing Waters. Temple Forks Outfitters is one of them. They donate $25 for each Project Healing Waters fly rod they sell. TFO has been selling their Project Healing Waters fly rod for several years now and, at $150, it is a great value for the money. But, like any $150 rod, it left the door open for U.S. quality and that is why I am offering my great rod to compliment the one from TFO.

There are many ways to support our troops. I have chosen to share my joy of fly fishing and the peacefulness of a trout stream or lake by volunteering to take a soldier fishing.  Project Healing Waters has taken on this venture on a nationwide scale and has made a difference in the lives of many veterans. Men and women who have a hard time finding a reason to smile will grin from ear to ear when they hook into a fish on a fly rod. I’ve witnessed this first hand. Please help them to regain the peace in their lives that they fought so hard to provide for us.

Buy a Fly Rod… Help the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled military service personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings. The solitude of a trout stream or the calm waters of a lake have a healing power that can’t be explained, but also, can’t be denied!

Tight Lines———–<*))))><
Larry Snyder
Owner - FlyFishingCrazy.com
Email: larry@flyfishingcrazy.com
Phone: 303-755-2105

Custom Fly Rod for Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing

Posted on by Fly Fishing Crazy
Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing

Healing Those Who Serve

Prices and models have changed, please check out my updated “NEW AND IMPROVED PROJECT HEALING WATERS FLY ROD FROM FLY FISHING CRAZY”  I have changed the rods to offer four different and distinct grades… or visit my Fly Fishing Crazy website –  http://www.flyfishingcrazy.com/rods/tl-johnson-rods/phw.

As a proud volunteer for Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing in Denver, CO, I wanted to do more for the soldiers than my financial means and my time would allow.  I am happy to say that I have received permission from ProjectHealingWaters.org for FlyFishingCrazy.com to produce an exclusive custom fly rod to compliment the great PHW rod sold by Temple Forks Outfitters.   Fly Fishing Crazy will be contributing 20% of retail sales +$20 for this rod to Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing.

As an on-line fly shop owner, I have some great resources to draw on, so I approached Terry Johnson of T.L. Johnson Rod Company in Wellington, CO with the idea of producing a Project Healing Waters custom built fly rod that will be sold exclusively through my website FlyFishingCrazy.com. Terry builds his own blanks here in the U.S. so what better choice for a custom rod to support our troops than one that is 100% U.S. made. Terry has been building rods for over 25 years and has worked for many of the big name companies before starting his own company in 2003. He is, in my honest opinion, one of the finest rod builders in the U.S., if not the world. Terry is a perfectionist and you can see it in his wraps. I chose one of Terry’s more affordable rods for several reasons. I thought that the matte gray finish of his FX series rods would give a more military look and this rod should, by all comparisons of the “yuppie” brands, sell for $500, but will start at $335 (fully optioned will be $425).

Project Healing Waters rod

Black thread with 3 spiral gold wraps

The base Project Healing Waters rod will have Olive translucent wrappings with NCP Olive accent, but can be customized for each Branch of Service.
Branch of Service colors are:
• Army – Black with Gold Accent *
• Navy – Dark Blue with White Accent
• Marines – Red with Gold Accent
• Air Force – Blue with Silver Accent
• Coast Guard – Blue with Red Accent

* Having served in the 1st Signal Brigade USASTRATCOM, Phu Lam Signal Base, Viet Nam ’67, I have Army fly rod Serial # 001. It is an 8’6″ 4 weight built with Blued Nickel and Gunstock Walnut reel seat upgrades.  HOOOAH!

All rods are hand inscribed with “Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing”, rod length, line weight, and serial number.
They are custom built as they are ordered, so please allow 4-8 weeks build time.

Rod Features:

  • U.S. built matte finish gray, fast action blank
  • Anodized Pewter Reel Seat with wood insert (exclusive T.L. Johnson reel seat by Joel Lemke)
  • Extra fine reverse half wells cork grip
  • Delrin winding check
  • Bright stripper, snake guides and tip-top.
  • Hand inscribed with “Project Healing Water Fly Fishing”, rod length and line weight, and Serial number
  • Burgundy cordura pocketed rod tube included

Optional Hardware upgrades:

  • Joel Lemke Nickel Silver reel seat with Nickel Silver winding check, Deluxe Chrome stripping guide and hardened chrome snake guides and tip-top (+$60).
  • Joel Lemke Blued Nickel reel seat with Gun-stock Walnut insert, Blued Nickel winding check black snake guides and tip-top (+$90).
Project Healing Waters rod with Stone Creek Halcyon reel

Army Rod #001 with Stone Creek Halcyon reel

In case you haven’t heard of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, let me begin with their Mission Statement. “Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings.” Founded in 2005 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) in Washington, DC, with help from local Trout Unlimited (TU) and Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) volunteers, they currently have over 70 programs in cities around the U.S. and Canada.

I volunteer for the Denver, CO chapter, started by Clyde (Marty) Matinez in 2008. Beginning in January, this year started off at the Denver Fly Fishing Show where we co-hosted a booth with the Ft. Carson, Colorado Springs chapter. We then followed with fly tying classes at the VA Hospital in Denver. About 8 disabled veterans, mostly from the Vietnam era learned the basics by tying a Black Beauty, Woolly Bugger, Pheasant Tail, Elk Hair Caddis and Adams. Four weeks ago, we began a fly rod building class in the Nursing Home adjacent to the VA. Last week, we began a fly tying class at the VA clinic in Aurora, CO with 6 Vets with disabilities in attendance. As the weather warms, we will be starting casting classes at both the Denver VA and Aurora clinic. Out first, of many, outings will be at the Colorado Division of Wildlife’s Lake Lehow on April 6th. The Vets should have an exciting day as it’s almost impossible to make a half dozen casts without a hookup. With about 8 or 10 trips currently scheduled around the state, we hope to culminate the season with a trip to Trail Lake Lodge in Moose Pass, Alaska the first week of September. This trip brings me around to fund raising. Local trips are not a huge deal cost wise, but in order to take some of our soldiers on a trip of a lifetime to Alaska, we need to raise some money. Currently, we are raffling off 2 fly rods that were donated by Graywolf Products and Rolling River Anglers.

Several great companies in the industry are supporting Project Healing Waters. Temple Forks Outfitters is one of them. They donate $25 for each Project Healing Waters fly rod they sell. TFO has been selling their Project Healing Waters fly rod for several years now and, at $150, it is a great value for the money. But, like any $150 rod, it left the door open for U.S. quality and that is why I am offering my great rod to compliment the one from TFO.

There are many ways to support our troops. I have chosen to share my joy of fly fishing and the peacefulness of a trout stream or lake by volunteering to take a soldier fishing.  Project Healing Waters has taken on this venture on a nationwide scale and has made a difference in the lives of many veterans. Men and women who have a hard time finding a reason to smile will grin from ear to ear when they hook into a fish on a fly rod. I’ve witnessed this first hand. Please help them to regain the peace in their lives that they fought so hard to provide for us.

Buy a Fly Rod… Help the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled military service personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings. The solitude of a trout stream or the calm waters of a lake have a healing power that can’t be explained, but also, can’t be denied!

Tight Lines———–<*))))><
Larry Snyder
Owner – FlyFishingCrazy.com
Email: larry@flyfishingcrazy.com
Phone: 303-755-2105

Fly Fishing Crazy… 18 months on-line and growing.

Posted on by Fly Fishing Crazy

It’s been an exciting year and a half at Fly Fishing Crazy, to say the least. I’ve been working hard to publish one of the best on-line Fly Shops where my customers feel comfortable browsing the many pages and products I have been able to assemble. My website www.flyfishingcrazy.com has been up and running for a little over a year and a half.

I began this humble venture as a means of supplementing my retirement income, so I can take a fly fishing trip or two. My goals were modest… a couple hundred bucks a month, clear profit, means a lot. Not being able to afford a Brick & Mortar store and stock thousands of dollars in inventory on my retirement income, I started cold calling all the major companies in the industry and asked if they would consider me as a dealer and, more importantly, if they would drop ship directly to my customers. No after No seemed to be the theme. Now, I understand that these companies need to protect the interest of their Fly Shop dealers, but how about giving the little guy (and I’m not talking physical) a break! Not being a quitter, I decided to call Brian at Elkhorn Fly Rod and Reel. I had been fishing a 9’0″ 3wt Elkhorn Traveler rod and T1 reel for 8 years and it was always one of  my favorite outfits (and still is today). Brian has a small fly shop in Loveland, CO (recently moved to a larger and better location) and carries his own line of Fly Rods and Fly Reels. Brian was apprehensive at first, but I finally persuaded him that, although I couldn’t guarantee him any volume, an occasional sale is a sale. I must have perfected my sales pitch by then. Since I live in Colorado, I decided to concentrate locally on adding additional vendors. Rocky at Stone Creek in Greeley, CO must have felt sorry for me, too, and said yes. He gave me the name of a custom rod builder in Wellington, CO, Terry Johnson of TL Johnson Companies. I called Terry and found out that he has been in the business of building fly rods for over 25 years and knows more people in the industry than you can shake a stick at. Right away he said, sure a sale is a sale. Come to find out, he owns Fish Creek Rods as well. I just scored on a High End fly rod line but a really sweet import line as well.

That was enough to get started loading products and categories on my site. The business model I choose affords me low overhead and means I can offer competitive pricing and Free U.S. Shipping on all my products. I began with just Fly Rods and Fly Reels from Elkhorn, Stone Creek, Fish Creek and TL Johnson. As I visited local fly shops, I noticed that, in addition to the apparel and terminal tackle for fly fishing, they all carried books and fish art. So my next target was the art. I called Mike Savlen at Savlen Studios in NH and got permission to sell his Giclee prints of Saltwater Fish. Then in September I was able to sneak into the Fly Fishing Retailer’s Show in Denver and met Derek DeYoung of Livingston, MT, Matt Schliske in Fort Collins, CO and Vincent Su from Littleton, CO. I was able to add Derek’s freshwater artwork to compliment Mike’s and was amazed at the parachute flies Vincent tied with his patented 720-Vise, so I schmoozed him into letting me add his fly vise to my pages. Matt Schliske and his Rattlesnake Creek Krew buddies make some of the most gorgeous Bamboo Fly Rods you could ever lay your eyes on, and they cast as good as they look. Matt is a custom bamboo maker, but he has 4 standard models that I got permission to post on my site. Things are looking up!

I met a guy on Facebook, Joe Mahler, who is a graphic Illustrator. I sent him a message asking how much he charges for a custom Logo. He replied back with “between $1000 and $1200″. I gave a big hard swallow and replied back that, although I couldn’t afford that at the time, I really liked his work and would keep him in mind. About 3 weeks later, I got a FB message from Joe saying he had been looking at my site and he thought it was ‘Screaming for something CRAZY’ (do ‘ya think?) and that he had doodled a sketch and asked if I would want to look at it. I replied back with “Sure, but I still can’t afford it”.  He emailed me the black and white sketch and said that, in his mind, there was nothing crazier than a fly fishing bear. Right below that, he said he would be interested in taking a TL Johnson Fiberglass rod in exchange.  –SCORE– I couldn’t turn that deal down and that is where my Crazy Bear and Crazy Rainbow came from. The full logo is now available on my adult Tees and the Crazy Bear and Crazy Rainbow are available on kids Tees.

I met my next three artists on FB. Rob “Fishbone” Goins does some amazing aluminum fish sculptures, mostly saltwater, but his son in NC is doing freshwater aluminum fish sculptures and I am working on him at the moment. Rebecca Haydock and A.D. Maddox offer Giclee fish, and fishing scene, prints.

Last fall, I met Nathan Stodghill on FB and he introduced me to Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing. I started volunteering at the Denver VA hospital, teaching Disabled Vets how to tie flies, cast a fly rod and taking them out fishing. I mentioned to Terry Johnson that a couple of us volunteers wanted to hold a rod building class for the Vets and he donated a pile of out of production fly rod blanks and some guides. Matt White a local member of the Fly Rod Builder’s Guild, took the lead on the class and we had 8 Vets build there own rods. Stone Creek gave me a deal on rod tubes with reel pouch, David Brittain called Lamson and got reels donated and we took the guys out to a private ranch with 9 stocked lakes and a mile of stream to try them out. This year, I added a new vendor Shane Gray, Graywolf Productions, in MI. He builds custom bamboo and fiberglass rods, but he volunteered to build a custom graphite rod for us to raffle off for Project Healing Waters. Matt White also custom built one of the blanks from Terry and that will be raffled as well in January at the Denver Fly Fishing Show.

The Denver chapter of Project Healing Waters had a booth at this year’s Fly Fishing Retailer’s Show which I worked part-time. My time has been limited, since August, because of health related issues in the family, but I was able to work the show and meet some new vendors. I met Mike Westfall, owner of Blue Ribbon Nets. He is making some beautiful, 4 wood construction, fishing nets with standard mesh or rubber net. His Jacklin Guide model with rubber net compares favorably with Brodin nets.

All in all, it’s been a great 18 months. It’s a tough bunch of businesses to compete with, especially on the Web. Try doing a Google search for “fly rod blanks”. You’ll find me on page 1. I’m still trying to find my niche, but with a name like FlyFishingCrazy.com in the fly rod business, how can I  go wrong? Kinda rolls of the tongue like MacDonalds and Hamburgers.

If you want affordable quality at Crazy prices, check me out and watch for future additions.

Tight Lines——–<*))))><
Larry Snyder

http://www.flyfishingcrazy.com

larry@flyfishingcrazy.com

Healing the souls of our Soldiers – Project Healing Waters

Posted on by Fly Fishing Crazy
The solitude of a trout stream or the calm waters of a lake have a healing power that can’t be explained, but also, can’t be denied!  Healing our soldiers can be a long process. We help them reconnect with the peace for which they fought so hard! The Denver chapter is currently teaching disabled Veterans to tie flies and cast a fly rod.  We now offer rod building classes for veterans.  The flies they tie will be lost or tattered with use, but a fly rod can be be a life long companion in their fly fishing efforts.
As a proud volunteer for the Denver, CO chapter, I ask you to support our Disabled Veterans by supporting Project healing Waters Fly Fishing. We owe out Veterans so much more for keeping us safe and protecting our Freedom. Visit ProjectHealingWaters.org today and get involved in your area.

Fish Creek Brightwater Rod/Reel Combo

Posted on by Fly Fishing Crazy

Get a FREE Fly Reel with the purchase of a complete Fly Fishing Combo at Fly Fishing Crazy.  Purchase the new Fly Rod and Reel combo at the CRAZY price of $169.00.  The complete outfit includes a Fish Creek Brightwater Fly Rod with Rod Tube, a Fish Creek Brightwater Fly Reel and a WFF Fly Line with 50 yards of backing.

Fish Creek Brightwater Fly Rod

Fish Creek Brightwater Fly Reel

Fish Creek Brightwater Fly Reel

Fish Creek Brightwater Fly Rod

The Brightwater Series Fly Rod is a medium-fast action, IM6 graphite and comes in a beautiful Burgundy color.  The Brightwater Series Fly Reel is a Standard Arbor made with a Die Cast Ported Aluminum Frame, E-Z Change – Left/Right Retrieve conversion and a Click Drag on the 3/4 weight or Disc Drag on the 5/6 and 7/8/9 weights.  The fly line and backing come in a fly line box. The Rod retails for $149.99, the Reel lists at $79.99 and the Fly Line sells for $29.99. Individually the pieces of this complete outfit retail for over $259.00.

Fish Creek is a TL Johnson company.

Tight Lines———–<*))))><
Larry V Snyder
Owner -Rocky Mountain Web Connection
http://www.flyfishingcrazy.com
email: larry@flyfishingcrazy.com

If I should die before I wake… Let me Fly Fish in heaven!

Posted on by Fly Fishing Crazy

I, like many of you, love FLY FISHING and some of my friends and family have called me CRAZY at times.  The feel of fighting a big fish on a FLY ROD and palming the rim of the FLY REEL to add additional, run stopping, pressure to an already smooth drag is exhilarating to say the least.

Think about those memorable fishing trips you’ve taken and then think of the destinations you dream of.  Imagine yourself on the fabled streams of Pennsylvania, New York and New England, then fishing famous Colorado streams like the South Platte River, Colorado and Arkansas Rivers, the Williams Fork, Frying Pan, Roaring Fork and numerous others.  Picture yourself in Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park fishing the Yellowstone River, Slough Creek, Fire Hole, Gibbon, Lamar and Lewis.  Then have a blast FLY FISHING for Chinook (King) Salmon in late September and early October on the Pere Marquette River in Michigan.  I could go on and on talking about fishing in other states like northern California, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.  And let’s not forget Alaska. There is no place in the USA that can rival its beauty and fishing.

Pass your passion on to your children and grandchildren.  Teach them to know the joy of “Perpetrating the Fraud” with FLY ROD and REEL and to feel the pulsing, head shaking runs of trout, salmon, bass or even Bluegill on fly tackle.  Think of the joy you will receive when they tie their own handmade flies or build their own rods.

Those are the things that have sustained my passion over the years.  My hope is that you too can find the love for this sport, whether it’s taking up FLY FISHING for the first time yourself, feeding your current CRAZY passion, or even outfitting and teaching a child.  Let this be one of your greatest obsessions.

So, until Heaven calls, let me help you make your FLY FISHING memorable… and CRAZY!

Tight Lines————–<*))))><
Larry Snyder
Fly Fishing CRAZY

“Accelerator” Fly Casting Trainer

Posted on by Fly Fishing Crazy

FFF Master Fly Casting Instructor and inventor of the “Accelerator” Fly Casting Teaching Device, Floyd Dean of Sausalito, CA  just stepped up to the plate for our disabled soldiers by donating an Accelerator to be used by Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing at the VA hospital in Denver, CO.  This will be huge in helping us teach our disabled vets how to cast a fly rod.  Thanks to Floyd and his lovely wife Janet, who by the way are retired, we’ll make a difference in the lives of our returning heroes.

The Accelerator is a fly casting instructional tool that Floyd developed to teach a novice fly caster (and us know-it-all veteran fly casters) the delay needed between forward and backward casts to properly allow the fly line to load the rod for the power transfer in the cast.  In casting a fly rod, if you do not allow the fly line to extend back far enough to start to bend the rod tip in that direction, you haven’t developed the loading of the rod which provides the power to make the forward cast.

The 2 o’clock  to 10 o’clock casting technique is the most common taught fly casting method.  But that’s only part of it.  When you reach the 2 o’clock, back cast, point, the fly line (and fly) is still in the process of moving backward, so you have to STOP at 2 o’clock and PAUSE until the line moves all the way back and starts to “tug” or pull the rod tip back.  This is called loading the rod.  This is needed for the rod to provide the casting power.  At that point you start your forward cast. The same thing applies on your forward cast.  When you reach the 10 o’clock forward cast point, the fly line is still in the process of moving forward, so you have to STOP at 10 o’clock and pause until the line moves all the way forward and starts to “tug” or pull the rod tip forward.  So here is the scenario.. back cast.. accelerate.. stop.. pause.. forward cast.. accelerate.. stop.. pause.. back cast.. accelerate.. stop.. pause.. forward cast.  Got it?

Here’s the RUB… HOW LONG DO YOU PAUSE?  Well, I always taught students to turn sideways and watch their back cast and watch the line tug or load the rod tip before starting the forward cast.  Then watch the forward cast until they see the line load the rod tip before starting the back cast.  Not the easiest thing for them to understand even when watching.

Enter the Accelerator!  Floyd’s invention is about three and a half feet long, has a grip at one end and a hollow tube with a stainless steel ball at the top end and is held just like your fly rod.  When you simulate casting the Accelerator, on the back cast, at the 2 o’clock stopping point, the stainless steel ball flies up to the top of the tube and you hear a click.  When pausing, to allow the fly line to straighten out and load the rod, the stainless steel ball falls back down the tube and at the point when the line would load the rod, you hear the ball click at the bottom of the tube signaling you to start your forward cast.  The theory is, never start your cast in the opposite direction until you hear the second click.

Here is the Accelerator scenario… back cast.. accelerate.. stop.. click.. pause.. click.. forward cast.. accelerate.. stop.. click.. pause.. click.. back cast.. accelerate.. stop.. click.. pause.. click.. forward cast.  You get a distinctive auditory two clicks on the forward and back casts.  The time between the two clicks is the time you should PAUSE before casting in the opposite direction. Got it?

The Accelerator can be used effectively to practice the double haul by utilizing the attached rubber strip to simulate the motion and it can also emulate spey casting.  The Accelerator is now available at Fly Fishing Crazy.

Anyone else want to “man up” and help our troops?  Big companies.. we need money to help our soldiers.  Do like Dean and donate to Project Healing Water Fly Fishing.  Thanks again to Floyd and Janet.  We need more people like them to ‘Step up to the Plate” and help our troops.  We all know our government is falling far short!

Tight Lines——-<*))))><
Larry Snyder
http://www.flyfishingcrazy.com