New book cover for: 101 LAKES AND PONDS OF THE GREATER NEW YORK AREA

 

This is a new cover for my book about more than one hundred and one lakes and ponds in and near NYC

The book covers many of the places listed in my blog.  Whether you fish in New Jersey or New York,

you can find a place to fish. All of these fisheries are near public transportation. Many of the fish you want to catch are in these waters.

New book cover for THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SEMI AUTOMATIC FLY REELS

 

I updated the cover of my book.  It is the same book but it now shows the OCR Bighorn fly

 reel and the Big Chub fly reel offered by Amazon. It has taken the better part of twenty years to produce this book. It provides the history and development of semi automatic fly reels. 

 

This book is the definitive guide to one of the most exciting advancements in modern fly fishing: the rise of the semi-automatic fly reel. As these reels gain rapid momentum among serious anglers—and even find their way into competitive fly-fishing arenas—the need for a clear, trustworthy explanation has never been greater.

If you’ve heard the buzz but aren’t sure what sets these reels apart, this book gives you the inside track. You’ll discover exactly how semi-automatic fly reels work, why they’re outperforming traditional systems in key situations, and what separates them from fully automatic reels. I also break down how they compare to standard fly reels, so you can make confident, informed decisions about your gear.

Whether you're a curious newcomer, a gear enthusiast, or a competitor looking for an edge, this book will show you why semi-automatic reels are becoming essential tools for the modern angler.

Now available on BOOK.BY and AMAZON.COM

My latest book available on Amazon

 

Newest books available on Amazon now!

 

How To PROPERLY Seat Fly Rod Ferrules & Thoughts on Ferrule Wax

Mirror carp caught on my Maxcatch fiberglass 6wt fly rod, Loab Lake

After several years of not catching any mirror carp, I landed two in less than a week!

The smaller one, on my last outing and the larger, a few days earlier. Weather was nice,

about 60F. There was very little wind but now the sun sets at about five o'clock exactly.

 

Fish are still feeding between 2PM and 4PM.  This time I didn't chum except just before

I started to fish. Less work for me.  I used my 6 wt, Maxcatch fiberglass rod and the Thinkfish 

Bold semi automatic reel.

Amazon's generic semi automatic fly reel

I caught this ten pound carp this afternoon using the Amazon generic semi automatic fly reel;

proving that it can be used for big fish. I used a double taper 4 wt fly line &

a 6 wt, 8 foot six inch 4 piece fiberglass, Maxcatch fly rod; which I call "Orange Betty".

The generic fly reel has the standard, Franco Vivarelli fly reel interior. Nothing new here just

 standard semi automatic fly reel insides.  This reel (first edition) came with a special

wrench that allowed the spool to be removed. The spool has a knob that can be used to

retrieve fly line manually

I fitted my Japanese 6 foot, six inch 2 wt with this nymphing reel 

Pictured here are the OCR Bighorn and the Amazon generic semi automatic fly reel. While 

these reels have similar features ; they have different uses.  The Bighorn is a multiuse fly reel, 

everything from trout to light saltwater.  The Amazon reel is designed for nymphing.

This picture shows the reel with my 10 foot 2 wt  nymphing rod.                            

Rear view of the reel

My 10 foot, 4piece 2wt  nymphing fly rod.

Close up of the Amazon generic semi automatic fly reel. Still less than $55.00.

Can you name the semi automatic fly reels?

 
 Pictured are the semi automatic fly reels I have used in the past. A few are no longer in production.

Every thing from the generic reel available on the Amazon to the old Franco Vivarelli Goldstar. 

New carp fisher

 

She caught this one herself after a few days of being skunked!  I've had a tough time posting pictures

due to issues with my computer. I think I solved the problem with the help of the "Geek Squad".  But NYC currently has a heat wave with daily temperature exceeding 90+F!  Too hot to go outside and I feel sorry for the poor fish who are trapped outside in the water with no air conditioning.

Level Up Your Fishing Game with This Knot Shortcut.

Школа нахлыста Павла Купцова «Fly Casting School»

The best video about fly fishing for carp

This is the greatest video about fly fishing for carp I have ever seen.  My favorite is the spiral cast he uses

This film and the accompanying music make this video enjoyable. Too bad there are not more films like this.

Last Carp?

Volia, my many different flies for carp. Among them are sinking and floating flies. My favorite

streamer is a white woolie bugger. 

The picture posted, is maybe, the last carp from the 2023 carp campaign.

 

The shoot out between OCR Bighorn v. The Peux Fulgor semi automatic fly reel

carp fishing at Loeb Lake fall 2023

Sorry for the delay in posting pictures of carp that I caught last week in Central Park

I had some technical difficulties loading these photos.

These fish were caught on consecutive days of fishing, between 3:00 -5:00 pm.

My rod was the Maxcatch, 4 pc,6wt, 8'6" fiberglass fly rod and the OCR Bighorn semi-automatic fly reel. I fished a 7 wt fly line, furled fluorocarbon leader & 8lb tippet..

Can you see the size of the net I used? It is the Promar  Trophy Series #3,

the largest of the folding nets (26 inches wide and 17" deep).

The tourists and passerbyes were impressed with the fish I caught but none of the carp were

longer than 30 inches. I have caught larger fish in this lake and I know that there are fish weighing

more than 30 pounds.

I struggled with the last fish caught. It wouldn't stay in the net. Once, twice, three times it managed

 to find a way out. Very frustrating!

shout out to Jacob!

 

carp fishing O C R Bighorn semi automatic fly reel

 

Caught a little guy this afternoon. The fish likes this position, resting on his belly. I had fun

fishing the Bighorn.  The reel is extremely smooth on the retrieve.

(Hi Maurice)

 

carp campaign

Working the O C R Bighorn fly reel. This is the fourth day of chumming. I arrived half an

hour later than I wanted but I set up my new larger (26 inches) net and started to fish for carp.

This net can hold a toddler.

I'm amazed at how well the Bighorn works fighting an angry carp. It is one thing dealing

with trout or smaller fish but to matter of factly resist the torpedo-like accelerations of a big

carp is impressive!

 I'm having fun. The weather is pleasant and I'm catching carp. 

O C R Bighorn semi automatic fly reel delivers on first day of my fall carp campaign

This is the first carp of my fall carp fishing campaign. I was surprised to catch anything as this is

only the second day of chumming. But I caught two carp and one 8 inch catfish.

This carp became impatient and jumped from the net and had to be detained by my boots.

I fished the new O C R Bighorn semi automatic fly reel and the Maxcatch orange 6 wt "glass"

rod. Henceforth, I will call this rod "Orange Betty" 

SEMI AUTOMATIC FLY REEL SHOOT OUT: O C R BIGHORN V. PEUX FULGOR

This is the "shoot out" of two impressive semi automatic fly reels.

These two reels are almost evenly matched. Both are silent while the fish runs.

Both reels allow for the easy removal of the spool. A knob at the center of the spool

allows for the drag to be adjusted while fishing.

 

Line retrieval is done by pulling the lever; which can retrieve up to three meters

of fly line each time the lever is pulled

 The Bighorn has a fly line guide to eliminate the fly line from creating a

"bird nest" if it over spins when the fly line is retrieved

The Fulgor has no line guide if "over spin" occurs while retrieving fly line.

These two screws allow for the reel to be moved to improve the rods balance.

                The gold-colored artifice allows the fly fisher to shift the rod's balance.

Peux Fulgor has no line guide

O C R Bighorn has a line guide which can be removed if the fisher desires.

The gold-colored knob adjusts the drag. It is captivated and will not fall off.

Big horn spools come with knobs that are removable.  Fulgor offers a knob as a separate optional item

         Bighorn weighs: 7.9 ounces    Fulgor weighs 5.43 ounces

             O C R Bighorn can hold 7 WF line      Peux Fulgor can hold 6WF line

These reels are designed for the serious fly fisher who wants the very best.

It is a "big ticket item".  Semi-automatic fly reels like these can win World Championships.

The Fulgor is Swiss made and the Bighorn is America's first semi automatic fly reel

Both reels can be used for light saltwater action.

The Fulgor has been around for several years but The Bighorn has provided everything that 

anglers had wanted on the semi automatic fly reel. The line guide, larger line capacity, and

 a better price It is the Cadillac of semi automatic fly reels