free apple products

Ok, so the internet caught up with me and here's the obligatory 'freebies' offer. What's interesting is, it actually is legit. While it's nice to get free things, even free shiny things, the pre-requisite of needing to 'complete an offer' - while cheap or even free - is a hassle.

My advice, if you're currently looking for some cheap internet hosting, a free trial of Netflix/LOVEFiLM or something, then you're got nothing to lose, and get a couple of friends to do it to and you'll get an iPod Nano for doing not much at all on your part!

Anyhow, head over here and start it off, i reckon with all these social networking sites/email etc you can average 3 referrals a week, that's an iPad2 in about a month :)

http://apple.freebiejeebies.co.uk/

Commercial break over... Now back to fishing

Beginners guide to fly fishing, Part 1 - the fly rod

The fly rod

Technological advances have made the fly rod a wonderful engineering achievement in itself. They are supremely light, normally made of a carbon/graphite composition which makes casting them a pleasure. Depending on what your target fish species is and the location, there are different fly rods for different occasions. Fly rods are differentiated by their AFTM rating (Association of Fishing Tackle Manufacturers of America) between 0 and 15, which not only suggest the ideal line weight (we'll get onto that) but also the target fish (weight). Here's a rough break-down of AFTM ratings and their applications:

• AFTM 0-2 - chalk stream fishing, very delicate presentation, approx. 1-2lb max. fish weight
• AFTM 3-4 - small streams, also delicate presentation, similar target weight to AFTM 0-2
• AFTM 5-7 - ideal for rivers and size still-waters, max. fish weight 15lb
• AFTM 8-9 - ideal for still-waters and reservoirs, coastal fishing for sea trout
• AFTM 9-11 - stronger action is ideal for pike and salmon fishing
• AFTM 12+ - suited to salmon and tarpon fishing

Modern fly rods normally specify the AFTM just above the handle as either a single digit or 2 digits i.e. #5 or #5/6. On some older rods three AFTM ratings would be suggested i.e. #6-8, though these are rare nowadays.

A good choice for starting out is a #5-6 or #6-7 weight rod giving the option of both rivers and still-waters.

Beginners guide to fly fishing, the equipment

Fly fishing implements 4 essential components - the rod, the reel, the line and the fly. That's it! Easy right?! Well the most important is in understanding how these components work with one another.

I'll be compiling a multi-part guide that will walk you through each of these components, until you're confident to start fly fishing...

Part 1

Nice weather for flytying

Screenshot of the FRV.dk website, showing the island of Amager (Southern Copenhagen) to the left, and the Øresund (Copenhagen to Sweden) bridge in the lower middle of the map.

Not ideal conditions for even the stoutest of shooting heads... Phew!

Thanks to FRV.dk.

... means more time at the vice... :)

Cod and flies please

As we're experiencing a somewhat blustery period here in Copenhagen I felt some reminiscing of the more productive times were in order. October 2010 was a particular good time for some fly fishing for cod (torsk) off Amagerstrand. While cod are not a particularly sought-after quarry for fly fishers, late evenings in the summer/autumn months on the coast of the Øresund sees the arrival of large shoals of cod hunting their evening foodstuff, making for some exciting sport!

This evening's brace fell to a tanned shrimp imitation, although they were evidently feeding on other prey.

Great fighters on a 5wt!

So you want to start fly fishing!

I spent my younger years course fishing and the occasional sea fishing trip when the weather was amicable. Back then, for me, fly fishing represented a more articulate 'version' of the hobby (or sport if you're of the competitive nature). That's not to say course fishing, sea fishing and the myriad of variations between are not advanced or articulated, but fly fishing held a certain Je ne sais quoi - some culmination of waving 30 yards of line around, the delicate presentation and the astounding fly patterns to ponder at the waterside - that made it something special.

And so for the benefit of a friend who responded with a quirky smile when I explained I frequently go of fly fishing on the coast, I felt compelled to write a quite simple introduction the art of fly fishing.

For the web-savvy, here's a shortcut to the rather clinically, but usefully written wikipedia fly fishing entry.

Grizzly chartreuse-yellow clouser (minnow imitation)

I've been having some good responses to hackled fry imitations recently, something about the air-trapping qualities of the packed barbs maybe? Well I thought I should diversify my current tropical patterns and tie a hackle-sporting clouser variant.

Grizzly chartreuse-yellow clouser (minnow imitation)

Here's the finished pattern, tied on a F314 size 4:

Step 1
Start off with a loose sparse wrap from 4mm behind the eye down to a point opposite the barb. I'm using 6/0 uni thread as I like the accuracy but it's good to use a higher grade also.

Step 2
Secure approximately 2 & 1/2" of chartreuse-yellow mixed with a few strands of Angel Hair. Substitute the angel hair with any similarly sparkly material. Ideally about 1/2" should protrude beyond the crook of the hook. Secure the chartreuse evenly around the hook-shank, forming the body, up to a point 5 or 6mm from the eye.

Step 3
While at the head, tie in and secure firmly a pair of dumbbell eyes, I'm using 2.5mm here, 3mm would also suffice. Return to the rear and tie in 4 inches of Pearl Mylar, 5 inches of 1.5mm copper wire and the grizzly hackle. Return with securing turns to the head.

Step 4
Neatly turn the mylar towards the head and secure with 2 turns of the uni-thread. Now wrap the copper wire towards the head leaving 1 to 1.5mm gaps. Approximately 4mm from the dumbbell eyes, tighten the copper turns into touching coils, this will increase the weight around the head area. Secure and trim, it's a good idea to add a few extra turns, covering any sharp edges at the end of the copper wire.

Step 5
Secure the hackle using pliers and make neat turns between the copper wraps in the same direction. When reaching the touching copper wraps, make ample turns and secure and trim to end. Now angle the protruding chartreuse-yellow back towards the crook and secure with 4 to 5 turns.

Step 6
Pinch-in 3.5 inches of off-white polar hair and secure with 3 turns. To aid in creating the head cone, trim the polar hair about 3mm in front of the dumbbell eyes. Add sparse, tight turns across the entire head area to secure all materials. Whip finish and trim the uni.

Step 7
The final step is optional, depending on the thread chosen to tie-in the materials. Using higher grade chartreuse-green thread, I've created a smooth cone head. The same effect could be achieved using Bud-Bond or Veniards Floo Gloo, head cement etc. Whip finish and varnish accordingly.

The completed grizzly clouser.