Fly Rod 101- The Road to the Orvis Access Fly Rod

The Orvis Company has over 150 years of rod making tradition combined with the most innovative technology available in the world today. Regardless if you believe it or not, Orvis is the leading innovator in the fly rod market. The introduction of the Helios fly rod series several years ago has paved the way for a rod design revolution. Many devout Sage, Winston, Loomis and Scott users have added a Helios or 2 to their rod collections. Why? They perform better than they are suppose to perform.

Recent breakthroughs in fiber/resin combination's by a US military contractor has provided Orvis with its raw materials to allow rod designers to create rods that are ultra-lightweight, responsive, crisp and powerful; yet, extremely durable. This technology is only found in the United States which means all the rods mentioned are made by Master craftspeople in Manchester, Vermont.

Historically, even “100% graphite” rods were almost 50% fiberglass. Rod manufacturers were using 100% graphite for the power fibers of the rod, but an equal amount of cross-weave fiberglass scrim was rolled into the blank (scrim is necessary for hoop strength, or keeping the hollow rod tube from collapsing under stress as the rod bends). Was ignoring this fiberglass misleading? No more than ignoring the epoxy and paint on the outside of a rod, or the resin that held the graphite together. A 100% graphite rod would merely be like a hank of loose hair in your hand. Orvis’ first modern breakthrough in graphite rods was the T-3 rod. Heavier, more brittle epoxy resins used to hold the graphite fibers were replaced with lighter, more durable thermoplastic resins, which encased the fibers instead of just sticking to them like epoxy. Next were the Zero Gravity rods, where the cross-weave fiberglass/epoxy scrim was replaced by a unidirectional graphite/epoxy scrim. This made rods lighter and more durable. Finally, the Helios, which replaces the graphite/epoxy scrim with unidirectional graphite/thermoplastic scrim. The Orvis Company

Then came the Hydros. The world's second lightest fly rod. Using graphite design technology found in the award winning Helios, the Hydros rods have similar taper designs but are finished with lightweight chrome snake guides, brushed and anodized two-tone skeletal reel seats, and super-grade cork handles. An exceptional rod in the $500 class.

The Mother-ship has done it again. Orvis has designed and created a mid priced fly rod that is the lightest in its class and at an even better value. The end result is the Access Series of fly rods. They utilize the "Exclusive Load Ratio" developed by Orvis rod designers for the Helios and Hydros rods, which in layman's terms produces a rod that feels powerful yet lively when casting and even playing a fish. I have field tested these rods for Orvis and must say they are beautiful to fish with. This is even in comparison to the Helios which is all I've fished with since their inception several years back.

Weight and price comparison chart for equivalent rods:
Model                                     Weight           Price 
Orvis Access 905-4                    2.5             $350.00
Sage VT2 590-4                         3.3             $475.00
St Croix Legend Ultra 905.4        3.6            $340.00
Temple Fork Axiom 05 904 A     3.9            $249.95  

The price is kept in a very reasonable range because the new process allows them to build a rod with epoxy resins toughened with a small amount of thermoplastics instead of the more expensive thermoplastic resins throughout, yet still maintaining superior strength. The tapers are a result of a mixture of high- and intermediate-modulus carbon fiber materials, along with precise placement of scrim (the material that provides hoop strength for the rods) of various types and at various angles along the rods.  

Access rods are completely new, from raw materials to tapers to hardware. Blanks are a deep glowing root beer color, with matching woven carbon reel seat and champagne aluminum hardware. Cork is a new super-grade cork, some of the finest we’ve seen in years. Guides are hard chrome. Each rod comes with a Safe Passage Rod Carrying Case. The Orvis Company

Available this fall, the Orvis Access fly rods are the next page in Orvis' book of fly rod design. Pre-order an Access (or order a Helios or Hydros) from Casters Fly Shop now and receive a FREE Wonderline; plus, FREE SHIPPING in the Continental United States and NO SALES TAX when ordered and shipped outside of North Carolina. International shipping charges will be applied.

Casters Online Fly Shop

To Fish or Not to Fish- Tips on Reviving Fish

I just need to give my 2 cents on reviving fish. I have heard too many stories, as of late, of anglers seeing trout lying belly up in the stream. Sometimes we forget (or are just not aware) how we are suppose to revive and release our fish; let alone the trophy.

Trout fishing during the "Dog Days" is not only about trying to tickle the desire of experiencing euphoria but it's about the importance of the fish and being sure you do your part to revive them properly. It's more of an ethical issue than anything. To fish or not to fish?  I have nothing against anglers fishing during this time of the year but certain steps need to be taken to insure that your catches are fought and released properly.

First and foremost, get on the water from dawn until about noon, if you can. The overnight period is the only time during the 24 hour day that the river and streams have time to cool down a smidgen. That being said, with 90 plus degree days and 70 plus degree nights, like we have here in the Southeast US and elsewhere, there really isn't much of  a cool down during that period. Therefore, unless you're fishing a higher elevation, spring fed stream with tons of canopy, or a bottom draw tailwater, I don't think you should trout fish at all. Remember, ideal water temperatures for the cold water trout are between 44 and 64 degrees.  Below is a caption about reading the water but it covers temperature ranges, oxygen levels, and the Mr. trouts metabolism (which is controlled mostly by water temperatures).

While very cold water can hold the maximum of dO2 it also slows the trout’s metabolism to the point of suspended animation ( a cryogenic effect ). This is the way it works: from 32 f to 44 f the trout is slowed to the point of needing very little food and he has a over abundance of dO2, up to 30ppm. At 50 f to 55 f the trout’s activity increases and they actively feed for long periods of time and they still have an over abundance of dO2. When the water temperature reaches the 55 f to 65 f range you have the ideal fishing conditions. The trout’s metabolism is in high gear and they feed constantly, dO2 is in the 18 to 12ppm range and there is plenty of food. The food; aquatic insects and their larvae, minnows of all types and crustaceans are prolific and abundant. The fisherman only has to give a proper presentation and he will hook a trout. The great decline starts when the water temperature climbs to 68 f. Brown, Brook and Cutthroat trout start to feel what I call the frying pan effect. Unless there is a lot of turbulence to oxygenate the water, the dO2 falls rapidly to perilously low levels. The trout’s metabolism is racing furiously along and he is burning oxygen as fast as he can adsorb it from the water. As the sun heats the water, he uses the dO2 faster and faster. With out some type of escape valve he will suffocate.  Fishing for Trout by Bryant J. Cochran, Jr.

Next, when you hook a fish land it as quickly as you possible. Try not to putter aimlessly (what I call lallygagging) while playing a fish. Put the "wood" to them, or graphite in our day and age. Use the heaviest leader and tippet material you can get away with. Fluorocarbon is always your best bet. Orvis Mirage is some of the best you'll find.

Once you get the fish to the net (something you must be sure to have and hopefully one with rubber netting like Brodin manufactures). Once netted, be sure to let the fish rest a bit in the net before anything else is done. If you need the "grip and grin" shot be sure to leave the fish in the water, facing upstream, and making sure you have your ducks in a row before you take the shot. When you're ready and the cameraman is ready, pick the fish up and take the shot. Then, back to the net. It is important to learn to hold fish and PLEASE DONT DROP THEM.

Now we're ready to revive them. When reviving, dont move them back and forth in the current (the back part sends water through the gills in the wrong direction). Just hold them in the current with their head facing upstream, in a good bubble line. You'll want to revive them at least twice as long as it took to land them. Maybe even more this time of the year. The lactic acid builds to a point the fish needs extra help getting the oxygen levels and blood pH back to normal; especially the bigger fish. 

What is Lactic Acid Buildup?

Physical exertion from a particularly long fight causes an oxygen deficiency in a fish’s tissues. This forces the fish’s muscles to function without oxygen (anaerobically), which in turn causes lactic acid to build up in the muscle tissue and diffuse into the blood. This subsequently causes the blood pH to drop. Even slight changes in pH can cause disruptions of the metabolic processes that may ultimately kill the fish.

If an angler avoids handling the fish and releases it quickly, its blood pH usually returns to normal and the fish survives. But while fish may appear alive after a long fight, when released, the imbalance in the blood chemistry may kill them as much as three days after capture. This is why, with any species, it’s important to choose the right tackle for the job and get the fish in as quickly as possible.  Easy Does It by Captain John Murray 

Here is another great article from Midcurrent that is a must read: Good Trout Release Practices .

Fluorocarbon Leader and Tippet Material

Brodin Ghost Nets