Why I Caved & Bought High-End Fly Fishing Nippers

After threatening to do it for over a year, I finally did it.

I bought a pair of high-end, premium, expensive fly fishing nippers.

For years I’ve used whatever. Usually this meant cheaply made, free, serviceable nippers. They performed well in the context of their primary function: they nipped tippet material. Even the dodgiest pair of nippers cuts 4X just fine.

That being said, there were moments when I was frustrated with my free, $5, or even $20 nippers.

  • Severing backing and fly line, while not a frequent event, is difficult.
  • Cutting the heaviest and the finest diameters of mono or fluorocarbon requires precise finger/thumb placement. When you’ve got a few things going on in your hands, this is a bigger deal than it sounds.
  • Since you have to grab them over and below the blades, their small profile can be obscured by your fingers. This makes precise cuts a little more cumbersome.
  • The needle for cleaning hook eyes is usually useless.
  • They’ve bent from too much pressure, being smashed, and general use.

At last year’s Fly Fishing Show, I deliberately got a hold of all the major names’ nippers. I felt them, simulated some action, and spoke to corporate reps. When it was all said and done, there was a pair of nippers that seemed to outpace the competition.

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Fly Fishing on Memorial Day

Fly fishing is an inherently contemplative activity. Although we frequently think about what we are doing, as the intricacies of pursuing fish demand such focus, there is ample time for our minds to wander.

Personally, I believe that there are some things to ponder that are more valuable than others. That being said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with simply allowing yourself a few moments or hours thinking about “nothing.”

However, if you are fishing on Memorial Day I suggest at least a little bit of your time be spent contemplating the purpose of the holiday.

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Happiness, Fly Fishing, and Being 3

He didn’t catch a single fish.

His older brother caught fish. His cousins caught fish. His dad caught fish.

Although he wanted to catch fish, he was happy to just be in the water. And although I did catch fish, I’m happy that makes him happy.

His rod is about two feet long. It has only two guides and is about as stiff as they come. The tiny spincasting reel works about 70% of the time. If I’ve got the right marabou jig on there, he can whip it out a good fifteen feet. Assuming the reel engages before the jig nestles into the lake bottom muck, he’s got a good chance at panfish or pickerel.

Or, he can lay on the dock and use the rod to attempt to stab minnows. That probably isn’t going to work, but he is happy doing it.

Seeing as fighting with equipment and skewering cagey baitfish doesn’t yield a lot of fast-paced action, there are other forms of entertainment on the water. I don’t think many fly fishers are aware how fun it is to throw handfuls of sand into the lake for hours. With all the stealth that angling requires, I bet that few adults appreciate the sensation of running headlong into the lake over and over again. Patrolling the beach as a life guard, and informing everyone in earshot as much, is about as good as it gets.

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Spring Creeks: Words Aren’t Enough

Crystal clear.

Bug factory.

Low gradient.

Constantly cold.

Lush vegetation.

Year ‘round.

Lots of big, wild, selective, spooky trout.

Each statement describes one aspect of spring creeks. But even all of them together fail to adequately communicate how special these unique waterways are.

I’ve been privileged enough to fish spring creeks in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Missouri. Each is different, but each has so many similarities. Powerful aquifers continually push unfathomable quantities of clean, cool water. These underground sources create the gentle, meandering flows that fly anglers seek out from coast to coast.

If you haven’t sought out a spring creek, you’re missing out.

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Don’t Take Your Flies to Town, Son

You’re not going to catch it.

Wait. Let me make it even more plain and simple: you’re not even going to be able to get your fly in front of it.

I know you can see the fish. I know that you haven’t spooked it, that you’ve been catching trout all day, and that all you have to do is get it to see your fly.

The only problem is that it isn’t going to happen.

The particular fish in question is right behind a log jam or a culvert or a root ball. It is decently sized. It is quite visible. But it has the one thing going for it that gives it the upper fin: it is the uncatchable fish.

There are lots of uncatchable fish out there. Everyone comes across them while fly fishing. Moving upstream you’ll notice a spot that likely holds a fish. It has structure, it has depth, and it has that fishy look about it. But then, as you try to ascertain how and where you’re going to cast, you hit a snag. Branches, rocks, or some manmade features are between you and the fish.

The fish is in the perfect spot. Its probably getting a steady stream of insects and disoriented baitfish. And it certainly has ample shelter. This presents you with the predicament at hand.

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Last Cast of the Week, 5/11/2018

Most Fridays on Casting Across are  devoted to other people’s contributions in the fly fishing community. Articles, pictures, social media accounts, videos, podcasts, products, and more will be featured on The Last Cast of the Week.

Today, I’m sharing items from   Hatch Magazine, Onesimus Fly Rods, & Outside.

If you’d like to be featured in the Last Cast of the Week, or have seen something that others might be interested in, use my  contact form  or shoot me an email (matthew[at]castingacross[dot]com). Also, be sure to  subscribe to Casting Across to never miss a post.

Check out the links, along with my thoughts, below:

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Net Worth: Sealing the Deal in Fly Fishing

If you think about it, simply carrying a net while fly fishing is like a personal vote of confidence. By bringing it with you, you’re essentially saying, “today I am going to need this, because I am going to catch a fish.” This doesn’t necessarily mean that the net is the motivational speaker of fly fishing gear, but I’ll admit that I think optimistic thoughts whenever I clip mine on my back as I head to the water.

You don’t need a net to go fishing. Growing up walking around ponds, I was used to lipping bass and grabbing catfish around their fins. It wasn’t until my teenage years, when I became enamored with fly fishing and its traditional trappings, that I purchased a net.

And fly fishing for trout is the perfect application for carrying and employing a net. Trout aren’t the easiest fish to lay hold to. Even if you did, their anatomy isn’t conducive to tolerating a big squeeze. Practically, the tippet being used is light enough that hand-lining isn’t an option. Plus, with a lot of fly fishing being done in knee- to waist-deep water, even the smallest trout have the high ground when it comes to maneuvering. Using a net just makes sense.

However, nets aren’t a one-size-fits-all proposition. The angler who chases trout in moderately sized freestone rivers won’t need a huge-hooped net with a long handle. More importantly, anyone chasing steelhead or salmon can’t settle for a small and unobtrusive net with a fifteen-inch opening. Size, shape, and even aesthetics all need to be considered.

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