A Simple/Fast Mayfly

Claude is tying up flies ready for a NZ trip and has chanced on this tie. I’m not sure if it will supplant the classic parachute Adams as one comment stated, but for sure much easier to tie.

https://youtu.be/v9lbMit905A

Omitting feathers for wings makes things simpler. Lyall offered some advice “Don’t forget that Mayflys can also be brown and it might be good to have a couple with bright coloured posts.” Different light coloured posts will assist visibility in different lighting conditions.

Most material is easily identified, but the wing/post is poly yarn.

Happy tying.

keyword dryfly

The Long-awaited National Carp Control Plan has been Released

See the announcement here.

Key point, this is not a plan to release the carp herpes virus. It is a report to Federal and State Environment Ministers on the extensive research that has been conducted into the feasibility and risks. It identifies implementation issues including additional research required before deciding to release the virus. The ministers are currently considering the NCCP report and next steps.

The mortality rate won’t give us “Carpaggedon” but the risk of natural selection of fish immune seems lower than we’d been led to fear. Susceptibility to the virus of other species remains open for further research (I need to look more closely at trout. Earlier work seemed very limited).

The full plan is here. The document is huge some 4,000 pages, however the executive summary (9 pages including many pictures) is quite readible and commended to you.

For those who want just a taste, I’ve extracted a section called ‘Key Points’ below:

Introduced European Carp, or common carp, are a serious pest in Australia’s fresh waters, damaging aquatic plants, muddying water, and harming native animals through predation and competition for food.

Research by the National Carp Control Plan (NCCP) has identified that carp occur at high densities across extensive areas of south-east Australia. The national biomass of carp ranges from 200,000 tonnes and possibly up to approximately 1 million tonnes under ideal breeding conditions featuring consecutive high rainfall years.

The NCCP was established to investigate the carp virus’s potential to reduce carp populations at a continental scale. The NCCP completed an extensive research and investigations program involving 19 research projects and five investigations overseen by expert advisory groups and scientists. While many uncertainties remain, and preclude an unequivocal recommendation of feasibility at this point, NCCP research confirms that the carp virus has potential as a biocontrol agent. The body of evidence assembled by the NCCP research program is sufficient to enable Australian governments, should they choose, to proceed with additional targeted planning and research activities to inform an eventual decision on whether or not the virus should be used for biocontrol. Such a pathway could reduce, but would not eliminate, remaining uncertainties.

NCCP modelling indicates that, if successfully deployed, the virus could reduce and suppress carp populations by approximately 40–60% (and by up to 80% in less resilient carp populations). These modelled outcomes depend on some assumptions about how the carp virus will move through Australian carp populations, and on the potential development of resistance or immunity via several possible mechanisms. NCCP research indicates reduction of carp impacts may benefit from an integrated approach in which virus deployment is preceded by targeted harvesting, particularly in high-density carp populations. If the virus is eventually released as a biocontrol agent in Australia, an adaptive management approach is recommended which involves ongoing assessment of epidemiological performance to inform virus release operations. This approach would mitigate against departures from the predicted epidemiology.

Preliminary research indicates Australian carp may not possess the gene variants (alleles) that bestow heritable genetic resistance to the virus, meaning that the carp virus could potentially be effective for considerably more than 10 years. However, this work was exploratory, and did not constitute a comprehensive survey of Australian carp genetics. More broadly, the genetic basis for resistance to the carp virus remains imperfectly understood (though considerable international research in this area is ongoing). One uncertainty regarding genetic resistance is the role carp-Goldfish hybrids could play in its evolution. These hybrids are less susceptible than non-hybrid carp to the disease caused by the virus, and this relative invulnerability could bestow a selective advantage. Therefore, the rate at which genetic resistance to the virus would evolve among Australian carp remains largely uncertain, although the NCCP has developed the genetic tools to improve knowledge in this area. The potential emergence of herd immunity is also an uncertainty.

The carp virus will not infect humans or any other mammal, and there is considerable evidence the carp virus will not infect other non-target species (e.g. native fish). However, a very high level of confidence in the species-specificity of any biological control agent is required before its release. Additionally, concern regarding the virus’s specificity to carp is relatively common in the Australian community. Unless addressed, such concerns could negatively affect social licence for carp biocontrol. For these reasons, additional non-target species susceptibility testing of selected fish species is recommended if governments wish to proceed with activities to inform an eventual decision on whether or not to proceed with carp biocontrol.

Broadscale and long-term water-quality impacts resulting from carp biocontrol operations are unlikely. Local water-quality impacts are likely under particular conditions, and in some ecosystem types (mainly those with low or no flows). Some aquatic habitats in the Murray– Darling Basin (MDB) already have water-quality parameters (particularly dissolved oxygen levels) that are marginal for native fish species. Further degradation of these parameters by decomposing carp could cause fish kills in these areas unless effectively managed. Carcass management strategies and methods can theoretically mitigate water-quality risks as demonstrated in NCCP case studies, noting that capacity to manipulate river flows specifically to benefit carcass management may often be limited or non-existent and physical collection of carcasses presents challenges.

If Australian governments choose to proceed with the additional activities required to inform a final decision, and this process eventually lead to virus release, implementation of carp virus biocontrol would likely involve two to three years of coordinated deployment focused initially on the MDB, with ongoing adaptive management beyond initial deployment.

A future carp biocontrol program would require investment. An NCCP case study of possible virus deployment in the Murray and Murrumbidgee systems roughly estimated that virus deployment and subsequent post-release management would cost around $190 million (at 2019 costings). This area covers more than 30% of the carp biomass in Australia including the highest densities of carp. If governments choose to proceed with activities to inform decision making, more accurate and detailed costings will be required.

Although uncertainties and risks remain, these are likely to be reduced through a pathway of targeted further research, implementation planning, adoption of NCCP recommendations, and by development of detailed post-release monitoring plans and an implementation governance structure that enables adaptive management. At the national scale, further regulatory approvals will be required if governments proceed with the assessment pathway. Community consultation, public communications, and stakeholder engagement are also important given the possible impacts and high level of interest in carp biocontrol.

November 2022 Burley Line (Newsletter Issue 184)

Nice for the club to receive thanks for our efforts with fly casting instruction – certainly drew in maybe a record number of new recruits. The letter of thanks came along with some photographic evidence of (perhaps) lessons learnt, which in turn earns plaudits as our cover photo above – well done David. One of our youngest friends, not yet a member, has caught his first fish on fly – fly cast by himself no less – though he has a big advantage with the waters he is fishing and the excellent flies produced by his dad (a close look at the photo reveals JQ’s tricky weedguard). Greg S and Peter have been fascinated by the amount of water around right now, though it was only after they sent this stuff to me that things got very dire in southern NSW and Victoria – our heart goes out to those affected.

Our News blog has been very active. Some pointers here for those who have not registered for automatic email alerts on new posts. A key one for me, relates to the NSW Council of Freshwater Anglers who have uploaded some correspondence showing recent actions the Council has been active in on behalf of anglers.

On one hand it is disappointing that river conditions have led to a postponement of our premier trophy, the Lyle Knowles, but secretly I’m happy as I may actually be in town and available to have a go 🙂 Aside from Lyle Knowles, later this month and early in December we have a rush of diverse fishing activities. Be sure to contact the organisers and commit.

I made contact with Roger, our North American motorcycle road tripper. He wasn’t able to get something prepared for this issue, but is hoping to deliver next month. He is currently on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada waiting for some rain due in a couple of days which he hopes will activate the Atlantic Salmon. Next week he’s heading to Toronto with plans to have a crack at Ontario Steelhead. I look forward to hearing all about it and sharing it with you here.

With the postponement of Lyle Knowles this edition was looking to be a bit thin – I am much thankful for those who have provided copy this month especially some last moment stuff from Claude and BJ. Hopefully next month will be a bumper given the events but, as always, I would appreciate any and all contributions. Copy to me by 22 Nov would be appreciated.

RFA of NSW Nov 2022 Newsletter

Available here. Much we’ve seen already, Sydney focussed or seriously saltwater. Interesting points:

  • Blackwater expected to cause fish deaths. Communities within the Barwon-Darling, Murray, Murrumbidgee, Edward-Wakool and Lachlan catchments are warned to be on alert for fish deaths in the coming days
  • Federal Labor puts hold on major dams

NSWCFA Recent Activity

Recent activities of the NSW Council of Freshwater Anglers hit my InBox this month:

  • The Council has been haggling with Minister Dugald Saunders Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Western New South Wales (and hence fishing) on two matters
    • NSW Local Land Services have been closing off access to TSRs without consultation with the angling public or even NSW Fisheries – we’ve suffered this in our region too; and
    • commercial fishermen have been netting the Macleay River making a mockery of catch control and licence fee funded stocking of bass in the river.
  • The National Carp Control Plan seemed to have disappeared from progress and NSWCFA have been agitating for visibility, especially in light of the current full water levels.

Subsequent to the receipt of responses from Minister Saunders, the correspondence has been made available.

RFA of NSW October 2022

Has arrived, available here. Key points:

  • RFA meets with Minister Dugald Saunders
  • Expression of Interest – vacancies on RFSTEC and RFFTEC
  • “We got weights in fish!” – An angry mob of anglers assailed cheaters in a fishing tournament at Ohio in the USA a couple of weeks ago.

NSWCFA Oct 2022 Newsletter

Alistair McBurnie

Has arrived here.

Key items:

  • Queensland freshwater anglers to reap rewards of fish habitat trial
  • National Carp Control Plan finally handed to federal Agriculture Department
  • Premier fast-tracks Warragamba Dam wall raising
  • New attempt at approval for Tasmanian helicopter camping/fishing

Choosing a Fly Line

I found this in the Newsletter of the Southern Fly Fishers Club. Reproduced with the kind permission of the authors and Essential Flyfisher. Check out their website and the associated blog – very informative. This full article includes a lot of detail about specific brands of lines and a discussion on anticipated costs. (The introductory portion was published in the October 2022 Burley Line.)

Bob Young and Mike Stevens

Fly lines tend to be forgotten when it comes to putting together a fly fishing outfit. Many are eager to get their hands on the latest and greatest when it comes to fly rods, often driven by the glowing descriptions – either by the rod manufacturers, a retailer or a sponsored guide or user. Make no mistake though, most rods are very good and it is great to get your hands on a new one.

Line selection is something that, chosen correctly, will make more difference than any other part of your kit. This decision will have a profound impact on your fishing. In some cases, we do end up with an appropriate line for the job but there are many occasions when anglers are fishing with the wrong line.

Take some time to think about this. It is the mass of the flyline that give you the ability to tow the fly. A light line – say a 2 weight, will not tow a 2/0 Clouser with heavy brass eyes.

However, a 10 weight line will tow it with ease. But if you used a 10 weight line fishing for trout you would spook every fish in the lake as the big heavy line lands.

Maybe you should start by selecting a fly line based on the size and weight of fly or flies, target species of fish and how you fish them. And be honest about your casting ability Let’s consider the characteristics of a fly line which affect its performance and how these characteristics relate to the above line selection criteria.

Fly Line Tapers: There are two basic common taper types – Double Taper (DT) line which has a taper at each end connected by uniformly thick line between these tapers. Some anglers like double taper lines because when one end wears out the line can be reversed and continue to be used. Weight Forward (WF) lines are made up of a thicker “head” at the front(fly) end and a thin running line at the back (reel) end. The “head” comprises a front taper, belly and rear taper. Each of these head components plays a role in how the line behaves e.g. long front tapers with small tip diameters dissipate energy and result in gentle fly presentations (good for small dry flies) whereas short front tapers and/or large tip diameters result in aggressive line turnover which is good for heavy/bulky flies and casting into the wind.

If an angler is using an aggressive front taper but needs a more delicate presentation a simple adjustment is to use a longer tapered leader which has the effect of extending the front taper. The belly of the line is where the greatest mass is and the larger the belly the more energy can be stored. This is good for longer line carries when casting further. Longer rear tapers help smooth loop unrolls when casting. In addition, long heads facilitate roll casting and mending at distance but require more casting skill for longer line carries whereas shorter heads are useful when casts must be made quickly to faster moving fish. A useful rule of thumb is that the maximum head length of a line should be about the length of line the angler can comfortably carry as any more will be wasted. Generally, head lengths vary from about 35ft to 60ft with a huge variety of tapers and designs. These variations are all designed to suit different situations.

Fly Line Weight: Fly lines are classified by weight according to a standard established by the American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA) and refer to the weight of the first 30 feet of the line (excluding the tip) e.g. if the first 30 feet of a line weighs 160 grains (regardless of whether it is a floating, sinking, sink-tip, DT or WF line) it is classified as a 6 weight line e.g. DT6F, WF6S or WF6F/S. This information is useful when choosing a rod to cast this line. A good starting point would be to look at a 6 weight rod for this although if the caster has sufficient skill almost any fly rod can be made to cast any line. It is worth noting that some fly lines are deliberately made heavier than their AFFTA rating to facilitate rod loading at shorter fishing lengths and turnover of heavier flies e.g. Scientific Anglers MPX (half size heavier) and RIO Grand (full size heavier). Heavier lines are usually needed for successful turnover of heavy/bulky flies and are useful when casting in strong winds – they are not blown around as easily. Some manufacturers’ sinking lines are also overweighted by two lines, so make sure you read the box. And remember, the line is only rated to 30 feet, so if you have a line with a long head and 50 feet of line out it is probably equivalent to a line 3 weights heavier. So, a 6 weight with long head could easily be an 8-9 weight at 50 feet.

Fly Line Coatings and Density: The fly line coating used will determine whether the line is a floating line, a sinking line or a floating line with a sink-tip as these coatings are used to change the density of a line. Whether a line floats or sinks is important to make sure that the fly is presented at the depth in the water column where the target species will be found.

For example, a floating line would be used to target fish which are found feeding at or within a few feet of the surface whereas a sinking line will be used to get down to fish below these levels. Sinking lines can be obtained with various sink rates to get the fly down a little (intermediate lines) or a lot (very fast sinkers). Note that sinking lines come in three types – “standard” sinking lines which sink in a U shape where the whole line supposedly sinks evenly, then parabolic, where the belly of the line sinks quicker than the tip (and fly), or “uniform” sinking lines which sink in a relatively straight line (the fly sinks the furthest). The uniform lines can give better take detection. Sinking lines can be easier to cast than floating lines as they have smaller diameters (for a given line weight) but are more difficult to get out of the water to commence a new cast. Most of the line needs to be retrieved before false casting.

The line coating will also impact on line flexibility with temperature which is important when considering whether your target species will be found in the mountains or at the equator at sea level. The coating materials also have varying degrees of resistance to abrasion with the stiffer coatings (tropical lines) generally being more resistant to wear. If you use a tropical line in colder climates “memory” (coiling) will be an issue. Likewise, a cold water line used in the tropics will be very limp and won’t shoot through the guides.

Fly Line Texture: Lines are available today with or without textured coating. The purpose of texturing is to reduce the line’s contact area with the rod guides thereby reducing friction and improving shootability. They can be noisy though and this annoys some. Bruce Richards, fly line designer for over 30 years for Scientific Anglers, says textured lines never need cleaning and will always remain more slippery than a smooth line. Some manufacturers have different textures in different places throughout the length of the line.

Fly Line Core: The breaking strength of the line (relevant for the size and aggression of the target species) and also the amount of line stretch (relevant for detecting unseen takes and also for avoiding break-offs when setting hooks in large, fast-moving fish). The core strength can be anywhere from 15 to 100 pounds. For trout fishing it is typically 20 or 30 pounds. RIO have lines called ‘InTouch’ that have very low stretch and Airflo have a popular sinking line called ‘Sixth Sense’.

Fly Line Colour: Lines are available in a wide range of colours and there is a division of opinion as to whether bright lines spook fish. There is no doubt that it is easier for the angler to see where their cast is going with a brighter line. Line flash is probably more significant than colour, although if you go to New Zealand, guides will probably not talk to you if you have a bright line. Interestingly, the more you pay the more colours there are in a line. Cheap lines are usually one colour, whilst the expensive lines are 2-3 colours with the change in colour usually around the end of the head.

Some trout lines and profiles explained:

RIO Gold: The RIO Gold is an all-round, floating line. It has been very popular worldwide for many years and is made by Farbank, who also own Sage and Redington. The line has a long head and back taper that gives casters good line control and stability at range – whether casting or mending. The profile is designed to load a fly rod at close range, and has a head length of 46 feet.

RIO Grand: The RIO Grand is a full line size heavier than the industry standard and features more weight distributed towards the front of the line to easily load faster action fly rods. The line has a short head that is easy to cast, making it the perfect choice for fast action rods, or for more novice casters that like a little extra load to help them with the cast.

Scientific Anglers Trout: True to line weight with a very long head of more than 60 feet. This is almost identical to SA’s Expert Distance line that gained a lot of favor over the last few years. A good caster can hold a lot of this line in the air and it is a good line for roll casts. A good dry fly line in three different styles – Mastery, Amplitude Smooth and Amplitude texture.

Scientific Anglers MPX: Short head and overweighted. Depends on which weight, but the head is around 35ft with a short front taper and most of the weight in the first few feet. This line will turn over heavy flies and nymphs with ease. The MPX comes in three incarnations – Mastery at the budget end and the Amplitude, which is super slippery with texture. As it has a short head is does not overload the rod when you have 50-60 of line out.

Scientific Anglers Infinity: A line that is overweighted by half, it loads the rod quickly and is a great all-round line – especially good for beginners.

Whilst there are many different brands of fly lines on the market the top three are Scientific Anglers, RIO and Airflo. Cortland was the leading brand for many years, but lost their way for a number of reasons. Cortland is doing a lot of work to re-establish themselves and look to be doing a great job.

SA and RIO also make lines for other brands so it is difficult to know exactly who built your line.

How much should you pay for a fly line? This is a very big question and one with a lot of considerations. You will find lines from under twenty bucks for an internet bought Asian made piece of coloured string to over $200 for the best lines.

At the top of the price range is the Scientific Anglers Amplitude range. These have texture, varying colours along their length and are constructed from the slipperiest and longest lasting coating. Are they as slippery as SA says? At a recent show two lines were cast by 10 different people. They were similar tapers. One was a leading brand and their standard line. Price around $140. The second line was the SA Trout taper. No one knew which was which. Without exception everyone cast 10-15ft further with the SA Amplitude line. SA claim their lines last many times longer than standard lines. If that is true it makes them the best value.

Currently the SA Amplitude Trout is my favorite line. I fish with the same line that we cast on the bitumen car park at the rear of the shop. It gets a very hard time and is still performing brilliantly on the water. (Mike)

SA have a new line coming to the market in October. It is called a Trout Standard and has a total head length of around 50 feet. It is a textured line and looks like a very good all-round line.

Sinking Lines: I will delve into sinking lines in another article.

Easy Way to do a Blood Knot

A pointer from Jaime.

I think I am right saying this is exactly a blood knot. At the end tags go in the same direction which is different to the regular way I normally do it but I don’t think that it’s a big issue. I think this simple trick at the beginning makes all easier!

I don’t use blood knots much, almost exclusively surgeons (but I like triple surgeons), just because they are easier. But now with this new method I will use more blood knots. I normally prefer blood knots when building a leader for euro-nymphing, mostly to tie the sighter. Reason is that I like to leave tags in both sides of my sighter, about 2cm long. They stick out nicely so the sighter is more visible, normally those tags stick out out of the water. So when you use a blood knot those tags are perfectly perpendicular to the line, so when the line is laying on the water the tags really stick up, and not diagonally which can happen with a surgeon knot.