MAINE - Life in the Slow Lane
hi Koda, nice to meet ou finally and thanks for the reel. I managed to get the backing on it finally, with some help from my wife. Still haven't fish with it because of the damn work, but I can't wait to see how it does with fish on.
Thanks for the report fella. So why haven't I been fishing with you yet? And Sebastian for that matter?
T~
Great to hear more members uniting . Got to love them beaver ponds Koda. I have to ask do you have any photos of the two of you fishing ?
Nice report Koda. I noticed the same thing this week on the upper Pemi; they want 'em small. I pitched a #12 sulfer dun and watched them look at it and retreat, tied on a #20 sulfer dun and WhaMo!
Sebastian - You are going to love that TFO Finesse rod. I've had my 3wt for over a year now and love the thing. I have mine strung with Wulff TT line and while I can't rocket it accross the river in the short casts it's amazingly accurate and it roll casts really nice. It also has some nice sensitivity when nymphing without an indicator. Oh and TFO is a fantastic company to deal with should something happen to the rod, I got a replacement no questions asked (in less than a week!).
At some point I need to meet up with you two and do a little fish'n!
BTW Koda keep working on that IM12 1wt blank-- You Know I WANT One!
Sebastian
The pleasure was mine Sir 
I can't wait for you to get into some fish with that TFO rod. Your wife must be like mine. They can untangle about anything. Me I go so far, get angry, and cut the damn line. There is a certain magic in the 1 and 2 weight fly rods I believe. Holding a mere 6 ounces in your hand that is made up of rod, reel, backing and line is like casting with a little wand. And the fight from the fish is something very addicting once it is experienced. Especially this time of year, when very small flies are in order, the little rods reign supreme. You will land a fly on the water so delicate it will seem to be alive. I will be looking forward to your very excited report. 
T Bone
It has been said that only mad dogs and Englishmen fish in the noon day sun. In most cases on the rivers and streams I would tend to agree, save of course the streams covered by a good tree canopy. The ponds and lakes are another story as we get most of our fish between 1 and 4 trolling. I am very suspect that the high sun offers a superior visibility to trolled flies passing over them.
With that said, this time of year the streams and rivers are a couple of hour event at first light, and another couple at last light. Most of the time I get the last light as the mornings here are insane most days. Being retired you would think I have all the time in the world to fish, but with the business it just ain't so. Most mornings are a panic to get the shipping done, and there is always something going on with my dealers and Reps. Too, in order to keep up with all the juicy technology in fly fishing gear I spend a lot of time on the CAD system getting new ideas in the works. As said, I'm VERY excited about the IM12 matrix and will ring out all it has to offer.
So, I'd love to hook up with you, it's just a matter of finding a window to do it. Sebastian hit one of those slots and we didn't even plan it but I'm glad we got a chance to meet and fish together. Trust me when I say, he is a wonder to watch on the water. I hope I get to fish with him again and he can give me some coaching on his nymph technique. He pulled that rainbow out literally at his feet! A very talented young man that I believe will be in the fishing books one day.
I checked the Smith River yesterday, man is she low. The Needleshop is down to a trickle, and the Newfound also is pretty low. The Pemi is stable, that may be an option. I'm thinking of doing some panfish here in a bit and give the trout a break. Maybe we can beat some up together. Hell, a plate size kiver puts up a wicked fight on a 2 weight
Dave
As long as there are Beaver Ponds I'll be a happy man. Of all I've fished, those hands down are my favorites. They are living eco systems that attract fish as well as everything else. Most times I find it hard to stay focused as there is always something going on. Deer, bear, Osprey, owls, eagles, beavers, muskrats, and the list goes on forever. I drift in and out watching and trying to fish, but more times than not I do more gawking than fishing. But it's ok, there will always be another time to fish
Keith
Same same as for T Bone. We gotta do it, and we will, just a matter of when. I'm all over the IM12 1 WT blank for you. I'm working 2 suppliers at the moment. For sure I want to be there with a camera when you sink the hook in a good trout with that 1 weight. It will be a Kodak moment and the look on your face will be worth a King's ransom.
Fly fishing with any rod in the 3 to 5 weight class is fun. But when you get into the 1 and 2 weights its another whole new experience, and one that's very very addicting.
Gotta run guys. I have to hit the liquor store. Charlie taught me well. You can't tie your best flies unless you are sipping a rum and coke. I expounded on that a bit to include single malt scotch You go through the flies when the brookies chew on them #20 - #28 flies. Too, a 30 pound beaver straightens a #20 hook right out and renders the fly useless 
Keep the air full of tight loops gents and land those drys on the water as delicate as a maiden's kiss.
he, he , I kinda twisted koda's arm behind his back after I saw myself with the reel in the pocket and asked him if he is fishing that night. He was too nice to lie to me so he said yes and I stucked to him like a tick to the deer. i wanted to give my new 3 wt a try but i eneded up tangling the backing on the spool, as the spool came apart after a day in the hot car. So I ended up using my 4 wt instead and pulled a few fish out on a #14 nymph. I was surprised that the water in the pemi was colder than I thought which explains why I caught the rainbow. I haven't fish this river enough to learn but it seems to have a lot of potential.
Nice work Sebastian! Trick him into it.
I can totally agree with you Koda, watching Sebastian nymph is like watching someone pull a rabbit out of a hat. I have never seen anything like it, and even as rookie fly fisherman I can tell you there is magic in his technique.
I have learned so much in my fly fishing endeavors but I doubt I'll ever learn enough to hold a candle to that.
T~
Sebastian
It was kind of a dead give away as my waders were in the back of the truck Besides, I did not need any twisting of the arm to head out fishing with you. It's not every day I get to fish with a living legend.
Did you get out with the new TFO outfit yet? Can't wait to hear your report on it.
T Bone
That's it Bro, watching Sebastian on the water is like watching David Copperfield. Just like magic, up comes a trout! You are a very determined young man. I'll wager you become a force to reckon with in another year or so. Keep at it.
Well I got to meet Sebastian last night. He came by to pick up a reel for his new TFO Finesse rod. What a sweet little rod that is. He said he was going to put a 2 weight on it. When I heard that I had a big smile. Man he's gonna LOVE it! Then we went to the Pemi to do some fishin. I was into the Fall Fish, Sebastian was into the Smallmouths and picked up a Rainbow doing his Nymph magic. We fished for maybe an hour and a half and it was getting dark so we called it quits. Wind came up and it was snappin right off to the cool side. I was running a French multiplier fly reel and Sebastian thougt it was pretty cool. Was a fun time and I was glad to meet Sebastian at long last.
Tonight I hit the Beaver pond. 14 chunky Brookies on a new IM12 fly rod in a 2 weight. It's a rod that Brian designed and I'm working a similar one from the same builder. I'm some kind of impressed with the little rod. It's dead on in a short cast, and when I put the boots to it she really lays out the line. I feel the fight way more than I do my IM6 2 weights, and it's way faster setting the hook. The rod is as light as a feather. If I lay it next to my Reddington 2 weight (both 7 1/2 footers) it looks to be just about half the diameter from tip to but. The only thing I could think of better would be the same rod in a 1 weight
As far as the Brookies, I was fishing a gray fox dry fly but they didn't want it on top. So when it drowned I fished it as an emerger. Oh yah! Smasharoo
They want em small too. #20 and smaller. Hey, ya gotta give em what they want
So it'll be off to trolling for a couple of days. See what's happening in the ponds.
And that's the story from Hill
Oh, and one beaver. It was bound to happen with 3 of them swimming around me. I layed out a long cast and as the line was looping out up pops the beaver. Ah shit! Hooked em square. I pointed the rod at em to snap the line and out came the hook with a little tufy of fur. I swear he flipped me the tail right after
And, Oh 2, the adler flies are swarming on the Andro!
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