First Fish Out of Lake Newport for 2014!!!

Spring is here finally!!! The Sakura blossoms are just about at peak and the weather is nice a warm. The other thing that comes with early spring - the fish here at the local lakes start to come out of their winter slumber! Fly fishing does not necessarily require a long drive anymore and I can start working on my tan again. These were the first willing tug of war participants out of Lake Newport! I had to fish a jighead leggy nymph to get them to take - but catching is better than not catching. The surface hits will come soon enough. I was using the loaner Epic 580 (8'0" 5wt) rod made by George M of Tight Lines Custom Rods. This rod casts my 5wt RIO Perception line really well. It does so with machine-like efficiency - so much so that it does not feel like it has character. This is not a bad thing, but in comparison to the 686 Epic that I have, this just seems a hair bland. I have ordered a 480 build it yourself kit, so I'll be able to have hands on that as well - but that is a topic for a future post. In summary, the 580 Epic is a great rod, but it is not one that feels 'sweet' to me. But it does hammer largemouth.... If this is a sign of things to come, this is going to be a great spring fishing in the Northern Virginia area!!!

Swift Epic 580 (TFM Loaner)

I brought "The Fiberglass Manifesto" Epic 580 loaner program rod out to Lake Newport today for some practice casting on the water Dang people - this rod casts good!!! If you are at all interested in casting fiberglass fly rods, but are not looking to take a leap of faith and just pick one (which is actually hard - most shops don't carry fiberglass) - you should check out the TFM Loaner program. This is the third rod I have borrowed (Orvis Superfine Glass 7'0" 3wt, the majestic Kabuto 7033, and this Epic 580) and the exposure to different rods and the work of different builders is awesome. This is a nice rod. Crisp, responsive, and mellow. I could easily control around 30-40' of line. The aesthetics are awesome (Tight Loops build by George M). But, the 580 is not as nice as the Epic 686. I'll bring both out in the next couple of days and make a few casts.

In an Hours Time... And Something New...

This was Sunday just after noon. This was Sunday just after 2 pm. Saturday was mostly rain, but throw in the sleet and it just gets down right miserable. Oh - and another Fiberglass Manifesto loaner rod came in - the 580 Epic from Tight Lines (George M). This is going to be fun - timed perfectly with the water starting to warm up!!!