Stan Fagerstrom
01-16-2003, 08:24 AM
PART TWO
Better Organization Means More Fish
By Stan Fagerstrom
In the last issue of this column we talked about some of the things anglers can do if they have down time on their hands during the cold, wet winter months. This time around let's look at some of the other angles for making down time pay off.
For a many years I spent a whole lot of time fishing for steelhead. A pair of artificial knees keeps me from doing much of it these days. If you've read my book, "Catch More Steelhead," you know there's a chapter titled "Do It In Advance." The advice it contained applies whether you're fishing for the migratory species, bass or anything else. Anybody who fishes winter steelhead knows it often means repeated casting in near freezing air temperatures and water temperatures not much warmer. They say the future belongs to those who prepare for it. I'll go along with that because when it comes to steelhead fishing, any kind of fishing for that matter, the prepared angler usually is the one who winds up with more fish.
One of the simple but important things a steelheader can do in advance is pre-tie leader and hook setups. Do it on those dreary winter days when the water is out of shape and you can't fish. You can do it whether you use natural bait or artificial lures. Among my favorite lures for winter steelhead are the Okie Drifter and the #8 Spin-n-Glo. You can buy these lures already rigged, but I prefer to build my own. That way I can select my leader test and length. It's also considerably cheaper.
Once I get these lures set up, I wrap the leader I've slid them on around my fingers so they are in a neat coil. Then I run the end of the leader around the coil a couple of times so it stays in place. I put the pre-tied rig into a small plastic bag. I don't use the plastic bags that you'll find in the nearest supermarket. I much prefer the stronger, sturdier 4-mil bags available from companies that specialize in plastic bag production.
There are a number of such companies around. One that I've done business with for some time is the G. T. Bag Company, of Novato, CA. This company makes plastic bags in all sizes. Determine the size that best fits your needs before ordering. I buy these tough little bags in five different sizes. I'm forever finding a use for them to separate items of tackle as well as giving me a place to store my leader and lure setups. If you choose to take the same route you can contact the G. T. Bag Company at 1 800 735-3950.
Once I've got my leader and lure set up ready to go, all that's left to do is take a permanent marking felt pen and label the outside of the bag. I list leader length and test. The Sanford Sharpie is a super marking pen for this purpose. They are available in different colors.
I do most of my fly tying in the winter. If there's a better time to stock up on productive patterns I've not found it. I never put the finishing touches on a proven pattern without catching myself grinning. Why? Because I know what I'm going to do with that puppy once the raindrops and the snowflakes quit flying.
A couple of other items I use to great advantage in my tackle workshop are duct tape and electrician's tape. On my rods that don't have a fixed reel seat I prefer to tape my reels in place with electrician's tape. I don't care much for the metal rings that some rods have to hold a reel in place. Mine have slipped too often to suit me. The electrical tape is light and it keeps my reels right where I want them.
The one thing that tape doesn't do is make it easy to remove the reel for cleaning. That's something else I do in the winter. I remove the tape holding my reel in place. Once I get the reel cleaned and oiled I tape it back in place and it's ready to go when I am.
I mentioned duct tape. I use mine for a dozen purposes. One is as a means of labeling what's inside some of my smaller tackle boxes, especially those that don't have see-through lids. I simply cut off a strip of duct tape and stick it on the outside lid of such a box. Then I use the permanent-marking pen to list what's inside.
Chances are if you've fished panfish much you've discovered crappie, bluegill and yellow perch are real suckers for miniature plastic grubs. If you catch as many as I do, you've also found you're forever having to change worms because the fish keep pulling them off the tiny jig hooks it's necessary to use with them. This is another problem you can remedy in your spare time this winter. Get some Super Glue. Put a drop right behind the head of your jig. Now slide your small grub into place. You'll find it stays there when you use it and you'll catch three times as many fish because you'll spend all of your time catching instead of replacing worms.
I'd like to share another thought where Super Glue or any of the other quick-drying glues are concerned. It used to be I was forever discarding a container because its contents had dried out after I'd only used it a time or two. I'm now getting a much longer life out of my fast-drying glue containers. I do so by being careful to wipe off excess glue from the tip of its container when I'm done with it. Then I store the container in an upright position in my freezer. The glue doesn't freeze solid. Even more important, it also doesn't dry out as my glue containers were always doing before I started storing them as I do now. I save a few bucks in the process.
I could go on for the next 10 pages detailing the necessity of polishing spinners, checking rod guides, sharpening hooks, etc., etc. But anybody who knows a salmon from a submarine has to recognize those needs. One thing that isn't as apparent is what a great help it is to have a space in the house you can use for working with your tackle. These days I have an entire room for that purpose, but it hasn't always been so. When we lived in a duplex many years ago I talked my wife into letting me have one corner of a bedroom for the desk I used to house my fly tying materials, tackle tools, etc. At another residence I managed to set up shop in the attic. I couldn't walk around up there, but I'm almost always sitting when I work on my gear anyway so it was no problem.
Having a place where you can keep your tackle repair items in one spot is a tremendous help. You can walk away and leave a project and come back to it at your convenience. A desk with lots of drawer space is ideal. I picked up a couple of used desks years ago and they're still doing the job for me.
http://www.ifish.net/stanf2vice.jpg
Having a couple of small vises at your work bench really helps the tackle tuning process. One vise should be the type used to tie flies.
Be sure such a desk has room to mount a couple of small vises up front. You'll need two vises. One should be of the fly tying type, the other just a miniature of a big vise. Both are super tools for those many times you'll need a third hand. Set up a light that can be adjusted to different angles so you can see what you're doing and you're in business.
One final thought: If you've lived long enough to know girls aren't just soft boys, you also know anticipation is half the fun of doing almost anything. Certainly it applies to fishing. Find that place in the house I mentioned, get a couple of rugs for the dogs to lie on, plug in a small radio, find a good country music station and go to work. I've got to believe you'll enjoy it every bit as much as I do.
Best of all---somewhere down the line it's a cinch to pay off in more fish.
Better Organization Means More Fish
By Stan Fagerstrom
In the last issue of this column we talked about some of the things anglers can do if they have down time on their hands during the cold, wet winter months. This time around let's look at some of the other angles for making down time pay off.
For a many years I spent a whole lot of time fishing for steelhead. A pair of artificial knees keeps me from doing much of it these days. If you've read my book, "Catch More Steelhead," you know there's a chapter titled "Do It In Advance." The advice it contained applies whether you're fishing for the migratory species, bass or anything else. Anybody who fishes winter steelhead knows it often means repeated casting in near freezing air temperatures and water temperatures not much warmer. They say the future belongs to those who prepare for it. I'll go along with that because when it comes to steelhead fishing, any kind of fishing for that matter, the prepared angler usually is the one who winds up with more fish.
One of the simple but important things a steelheader can do in advance is pre-tie leader and hook setups. Do it on those dreary winter days when the water is out of shape and you can't fish. You can do it whether you use natural bait or artificial lures. Among my favorite lures for winter steelhead are the Okie Drifter and the #8 Spin-n-Glo. You can buy these lures already rigged, but I prefer to build my own. That way I can select my leader test and length. It's also considerably cheaper.
Once I get these lures set up, I wrap the leader I've slid them on around my fingers so they are in a neat coil. Then I run the end of the leader around the coil a couple of times so it stays in place. I put the pre-tied rig into a small plastic bag. I don't use the plastic bags that you'll find in the nearest supermarket. I much prefer the stronger, sturdier 4-mil bags available from companies that specialize in plastic bag production.
There are a number of such companies around. One that I've done business with for some time is the G. T. Bag Company, of Novato, CA. This company makes plastic bags in all sizes. Determine the size that best fits your needs before ordering. I buy these tough little bags in five different sizes. I'm forever finding a use for them to separate items of tackle as well as giving me a place to store my leader and lure setups. If you choose to take the same route you can contact the G. T. Bag Company at 1 800 735-3950.
Once I've got my leader and lure set up ready to go, all that's left to do is take a permanent marking felt pen and label the outside of the bag. I list leader length and test. The Sanford Sharpie is a super marking pen for this purpose. They are available in different colors.
I do most of my fly tying in the winter. If there's a better time to stock up on productive patterns I've not found it. I never put the finishing touches on a proven pattern without catching myself grinning. Why? Because I know what I'm going to do with that puppy once the raindrops and the snowflakes quit flying.
A couple of other items I use to great advantage in my tackle workshop are duct tape and electrician's tape. On my rods that don't have a fixed reel seat I prefer to tape my reels in place with electrician's tape. I don't care much for the metal rings that some rods have to hold a reel in place. Mine have slipped too often to suit me. The electrical tape is light and it keeps my reels right where I want them.
The one thing that tape doesn't do is make it easy to remove the reel for cleaning. That's something else I do in the winter. I remove the tape holding my reel in place. Once I get the reel cleaned and oiled I tape it back in place and it's ready to go when I am.
I mentioned duct tape. I use mine for a dozen purposes. One is as a means of labeling what's inside some of my smaller tackle boxes, especially those that don't have see-through lids. I simply cut off a strip of duct tape and stick it on the outside lid of such a box. Then I use the permanent-marking pen to list what's inside.
Chances are if you've fished panfish much you've discovered crappie, bluegill and yellow perch are real suckers for miniature plastic grubs. If you catch as many as I do, you've also found you're forever having to change worms because the fish keep pulling them off the tiny jig hooks it's necessary to use with them. This is another problem you can remedy in your spare time this winter. Get some Super Glue. Put a drop right behind the head of your jig. Now slide your small grub into place. You'll find it stays there when you use it and you'll catch three times as many fish because you'll spend all of your time catching instead of replacing worms.
I'd like to share another thought where Super Glue or any of the other quick-drying glues are concerned. It used to be I was forever discarding a container because its contents had dried out after I'd only used it a time or two. I'm now getting a much longer life out of my fast-drying glue containers. I do so by being careful to wipe off excess glue from the tip of its container when I'm done with it. Then I store the container in an upright position in my freezer. The glue doesn't freeze solid. Even more important, it also doesn't dry out as my glue containers were always doing before I started storing them as I do now. I save a few bucks in the process.
I could go on for the next 10 pages detailing the necessity of polishing spinners, checking rod guides, sharpening hooks, etc., etc. But anybody who knows a salmon from a submarine has to recognize those needs. One thing that isn't as apparent is what a great help it is to have a space in the house you can use for working with your tackle. These days I have an entire room for that purpose, but it hasn't always been so. When we lived in a duplex many years ago I talked my wife into letting me have one corner of a bedroom for the desk I used to house my fly tying materials, tackle tools, etc. At another residence I managed to set up shop in the attic. I couldn't walk around up there, but I'm almost always sitting when I work on my gear anyway so it was no problem.
Having a place where you can keep your tackle repair items in one spot is a tremendous help. You can walk away and leave a project and come back to it at your convenience. A desk with lots of drawer space is ideal. I picked up a couple of used desks years ago and they're still doing the job for me.
http://www.ifish.net/stanf2vice.jpg
Having a couple of small vises at your work bench really helps the tackle tuning process. One vise should be the type used to tie flies.
Be sure such a desk has room to mount a couple of small vises up front. You'll need two vises. One should be of the fly tying type, the other just a miniature of a big vise. Both are super tools for those many times you'll need a third hand. Set up a light that can be adjusted to different angles so you can see what you're doing and you're in business.
One final thought: If you've lived long enough to know girls aren't just soft boys, you also know anticipation is half the fun of doing almost anything. Certainly it applies to fishing. Find that place in the house I mentioned, get a couple of rugs for the dogs to lie on, plug in a small radio, find a good country music station and go to work. I've got to believe you'll enjoy it every bit as much as I do.
Best of all---somewhere down the line it's a cinch to pay off in more fish.