Czech it Out!
Everyone has "one of those days" every now and then. Today was certainly mine. I could not get anything going in the right direction today. The smallest of tasks turning into major time consuming projects, that snowball into what seems like an insurmountable comeback by the end of the day. By noon, I had all that I could handle. Time for research and development!
I packed up the gear and headed up to Nolan Creek in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I decided today was the day to try the Syndicate Fly Fishing 10' 3 weight rod geared for Euro-Nymphing. I also packed in a set of Frogg Togg waders. Yes, I said Frogg Toggs. This is a real wader and not made of the weird material the rain jackets have.
I rigged up the Syndicate rod with 18 feet of leader/tippet. I tied on Umpqua's Indicator Leader (4x) then tied in some Rio 6x from that. I noticed quickly that the FroggToggs were incredibly comfortable, especially for a decent hike up the creek. I wet the line and on the first run I set the hook into a nice wild rainbow. "Fluke", I thought. I cast twice more in this same hole landing fish each time. From that moment on, I am sold on this rod. I finally quit counting. These type numbers for two hours of fishing are more characteristic of Delayed Harvest fishing, not for wild trout. I have been humbled many times fishing the park, but on this trip I walked out of the trail with my head high.
There are many good nymphing rods out there, but if you are in the market for one, I can recommend this one! The Syndicate rod is a 10' 3 weight, 4 peice and retails at $299.99. It comes with a rod tube and a warranty. The light weight and action of the rod help the angler to feel the slightest of strikes; thus more fish. Come by the shop and "Czech" it out!
