My new rod.

I started fly fishing using a Silstar Dia Flex graphite 8' 6' 6/7wt fly rod with a rimfly fly reel with a drag that couldn't stop a sneeze and cortland 7wt forward floating fly line . I learnt to cast with this rod 20 years ago and soon after stopped fishing but I did manage to master a basic cast first.
This year I decided to get back into fishing and update my fly reel and chose a Vision Koma reel with a Rio smallmouth bass 7wt forward floating line. This improved my casting a little , but I was still having problems casting larger flies and my next step was to buy a new rod. I shopped around and read a few reviews and decided to go with a Temple Fork Bvk 7wt 4 Piece 9ft, designed by Lefty Kreh and Flip Pallot.

The rod has a fast action very lightweight and after a few casts I could see my distance has improved dramatically. It was a pleasure and light to cast the larger/heavy flies and wow I can cast a very small light fly miles.

I manage to get out and fish yesterday morning at my local estuarine system Minnamurra River. I have tied a small shrimp type fly and hoped to catch some bream or estuary perch. My 3rd cast scored me my first fish on my new fly rod.

Not quiet what I was targeting but what a way to christen a new rod with this grunting brick !

Casting Videos

I found this series of fly casting videos on youtube , these videos are well presented and very easy to follow.


The ROLL CAST

The REACH CAST

The PILE CAST

Fly Casting Essential One: Eliminate Slack Line

Fly Casting Essential Two: Timing

Fly Casting Essential Three: Vary the Casting Arc

Fly Casting Essential Four: Power Application

Fly Fishing. Essential Five: Straight Line Path of the Rod Tip

Tips for Fly Casting in the Wind

The TUCK CAST

The Wiggle Cast

Aerial Mend

Bucket Mend

Simple Curve Casts

Flying the Flats

It was the last hour of the run out tide at Minnamurra River as I started to waded across the sand flats. I am fishing a 7wt rod with a weight forward floating fly line with a 16ft 10lb fluorocarbon leader, with a pearl crystal flash Crazy Charlie with a red thread head I had tied earlier.

I like to fish the last of the run out and the first odd hour of the in-coming tide, in Minnamurra the tide moves slowly at this period making it easy to fish with a floating line and lighter flies. I moved across the flats till the edge of the channel was in view along this section of the flats there are large patches of weed and a nice drop off into the channel. With the morning sun on my back I peered into the water with my polaroid glass looking for fish or areas where to cast. My retrieval is slow I strip about 10cm of line and let the fly have a small rest before stripping line again , this help keep the fly deep and bouncing along the bottom in the strike zone. 

The tide had turned and bang I'm on !! A short long burst of line screamed from my reel and shit, its gone. I re-tied my fly and cast my fly towards the train bridge along the edge of the channel drop off , a perfect cast into the honey hole 1, 2, 3 strips BANG!!! I'm on !!!! Fly line ripped through my fingers as I tried to slow the fish and fumble with the reel to retrieve line so I could play the fish from my reel. A dark brown shape appeared from the depths, and with a big head shake the flathead took a look at me and took of in another run, I played the fish back to me before running again.I soon had the fish on the bank which came in at a new fly fishing PB for a flatty at 55cm .

Released to fight another day.