The weekend with new rods and some old friends.

New Sage Accel rod test

I received my new Sage Accel 376-4 rod on Friday, after having a pretty crappy day at work this changed everything my became better. I went and dug out some of my smaller reels, checked the lines that was on them and found just the right on to put on it also found a empty short rod reel case to put it in. the case has room for a pack of leaders, a couple of spools of tippit and a small fly box.

I grabbed two of the other reels that I found and took off for the water. The main thing I wanted out of this rod was to be able to let the line float downstream maybe  20 to 30 feet and be able to pick the line up and do a roll cast cross water in the wind. My Sage Flight 376-4 was just too soft to do this. I thought long and hard and of what I wanted, I looked at the Sage Bolt is a utlra fast rod the same as the Circa both have their place, but neither of them are as short as the Accel.

The Accel is a medium fast action bends deeper in the blank, recovers just a bet slower and still has the power to punch thru the wind. And if I want to slow it down alittle  more I can always put a heaver line on it or a lighter line to speed it up my goal for this rod is to punch thru the wind but still have that light delicate presentation of dry flies at 30-40 feet.

I don’t plan on using this rod for bobber lobbing or hopper dropper rigs just small dries.

So now off to the water the wind is up at the house blowin in at 6+ MPH so up on Salmon Creek thru the valley maybe up to 9 or 10.  I first string it up with some SA GXP 3weight line put on a 7’6” leader 2ft of leader and a size 16 Adams and walk over to water where I know its open and about 25 ft across strip out some line and picked my target. And yes the wind is blowin, downstream steady and hard. The rod did just what it was supposed to do just I was short line laid out fly turned over everything was just rite. Now the roll cast test, almost perfect I’ll need to practice that a little more. 15 minutes later down pat.

I did catch a fish or two while getting this down but both were very small one 6 inch the other maybe 8. But the rod was doing what I wanted.

I changed out the reel with some heavier line same leader set-up and gave it a fling defiantly did slow it down but was able to punch thru the wind a bit better.

Saturday morning 7:30 am   Big Green Lk. 56 wind blowing at 8-10 MPH from the south.

I started out with the 4 weight line on the Accel and brought out the 3 weight line to change out to, still the same set up.

I worked my way across the lake to the far side and just let the wind push me down working the edges with the dry some cast pushing the line into the wind other with the wind. The 4 weight line was doing great keeping the line and leader straight with little effort at 35 ft. When I reached the top of the lake I changed out the reel with the 3 weight line and rowed back up to where I started with the 4 weight line. Same test totally different results much harder to keep the line tight and straight in the wind both facing and with, and a lot more effort to do so.

I then put on a small red strike indicator just to see my cast behind me better and to see how the line was turning over. The results my back cast needed to be shorter and stiffer more crisp of a stop, but it straighten out the cast and leader. After changing back to the 4 weight reel, and doing the same I was able to lighten up and relax more. I also was able to get a longer cast both casting into the wind, across wind and down wind. I definitely slowed the rod down.

While doing all the cast with the indicator I had serval fish come up and hit it. So I tyed on a sz. 16 red Humpy and gave it a fling and this was the first real fish to play out on the rod a nice Bow of 14 inches. Awesome rod action good flex thru the entire rod. I then spent the next 2 hours ripping lips and having a blast. It was close to 11 am and I had something to get done at home with regrets. Well there is no cell reception out there so as sooon as I got closer to town my phone went off and a voice mail.

I was from my Buddy Shawn, he and Dan were in town and were headed to fish Green. I pulled over and gave a call. They had come over to fish Buffalo on the reservation and maybe be hit up Omak Lake. The wind was the killer at both so they were headed to Green.

I said that was just there the wind wasn’t too bad blowing but fish able. And that I needed to go home and get a different rod.             

  When I returned they were there and so was another friend Brian and his son. Good times after a quick lunch, I was back in the water. I tyed on one of my Punkinheads and was back to rippin lips. Soon I had a crowd around me asking what the hell was I using.

“Just a bug that I tye.” What it look like? I pitched one close to Brian and he took a look. Got any more Bro? I passed them all one except to Dan no I’ll try something else. Soon we were all catchin, except Dan, now he wanted one.

I left about 3 just couldn’t take the wind any more. They were ready to pull out as well.

Sunday Gary was down to pick up his new Spey rod and head over to the river to play with it. Man it’s sweet Redington’s Chromer 7136-4. I set it up with a Redington Behemoth 7/8 put on 150yds of backing and slick shooter and started out with 500 grain shooting head. There is lots to change his old style of casting. And we changed shooting heads many times. We settled on 535 gr. O did I say? This rod is sweet. With the Scandi line 425gr the rod shoots line like a dream. EZ 90plus feet true and straight, good bend thru out the whole rod smooth. I'll be telling you more about this rod in the future.