[BCOrchidGuy]

Barbless hooks are good

Lessons are good (I hope)

Kush makes the Reverse snake roll look easy

Barbless hooks are good.... really good

Spey flies, nymphs and all other flies all hurt when forcebly impaled in your butt

Barbless hooks are good

Duck n cover doesn't always work

Barbless hooks are good

A 14 ft rod doesn't mean you can foresake your chest waders

Spending $1000 on a rod and reel and some line doesn't make me a god and the fish will not through themselves at my feet now.

Pinks will however swim under my foot on loose gravel while I'm playing a nice fresh coho.

Hip waders don't cut the mustard when you fall on your knees in knee deep water

Doing a Single spey and trying to turn 90degrees can bring a fly precariously close to your ear

#2 Partridge M hooks sound alot like a bullet when coming close to your ear.

They make next to no noise when they hook the back of your leg

Barbless hooks are good

Needless to say I've got alot of lessons to learn, I'm going to take a lesson soon I just wanted to try the new rod out. I ended up landing a wild coho and a Jack spring but I wouldn't say it was because of my grace and finesse. I'd recommend ANYONE take a lesson before trying out your new spey rod.... it's your ear though...

Doug

 

[Philster]

Here's another thing

Keep your line CLEAN

 

[Carl]

Hooked a big one, eh?

Good to hear you had fun, and survived. From experience I can recommend wearing sunglasses and a hat with brim all the way around. A little overhang can make those ears feel a tad less vulnerable.

My most painful lessons have come from times I've not adjusted my cast for the wind. If you make the right cast for the conditions, and a decent stroke, you'll be fine. But in the end, barbless is good. And leave the lead eyes at home!--Not only do they hurt like hell, they'll also break your prized new toy. Good luck!

 

[flytyer]

And keep the tape with you on the river that you used to tape the ferrules with, it comes in handy to temporarily patch the holes in your waders until you get the spey casting down. Glad to hear you had fun (I'll leave the frustration part out) and got the coho.

 

[BCOrchidGuy]

So maybe I'm not the first one to learn these lessons?

Flytyer, I read about taping the ferrules on my rod, as I understand it the ferrules can work loose from the stresses of casting? I noticed my rod didn't loosen up at all, I just used a dab of the wax that came with my St. Croix

Doug

 

[t_richerzhagen]

Not the first

Nothing new under the sun. No BC, you are not the first and will not be the last. I think it is part of the rite of passage.

Indeed, barbless is good, especially when you have to remove it from your lip or under your chin. Amazing what the wind can do.