Newoldarmy said:

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I've just been cutting them off and doing nail knots to make a new loop once they get worn.

Those welded loops are trash, but the way lines are made now makes the nail knot deal hard because the line cover slips on the core.

Definitely either a conspiracy to sell more line or a manufacturing deficit.

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Do a nail-knot on the fly line and leave enough of a tag end on the fly line past the nail knot to whip in a half-hitch around the butt section that's nail-knotted. Then trim the excess of the hitch and coat with an epoxy- I use Loon Clear Cure UV Knot-sense.

I have this done on my primary 8, 10, and 12wt rigs. It's probably overkill on the 8wt but whatever.

Here's a how-to video and where I picked it up: https://vimeo.com/82401443

Holy *****

Game changer.

Thanks!

Jackpot! Thanks Finn!

Excellent. Been thinking about going to Biscayne Bay for permit, but haven't pulled the trigger because I don't like Miami.

Don't do it.

I blew a fantastic opportunity at a permit in July and I haven't slept right since.

I'm sure after I catch one they will be easier, but this first one is a real grudge *#$@.

Great pics dude. What are you shooting with? I've been trying to step up my photo game while also getting away from the hero shots but I'm not really satisfied with my results so far.

The top two you are asking about are IPhone pics from JT. He takes them then plays with the editing until they look like that. It's crazy.

Edit: just noticed in looking at the pics that the red hat I'm wearing has bonefish slime all over the bill. They're like gafftops or sailcats.

Can anyone else not see Newoldarmy's pics? It's a box telling me to upgrade my photobucket account. I deleted all of my uploaded photos the other day and anything hosted on PB still says this to me.

Finn, how long does that butt section typically last you before you have to cut it off and replace it? My concern to not doing loop to loop connections for my fly line to leader has always been that I'd eventually start getting into the head of the fly line and affect it's performance, but I guess that would take several butt section replacements. I also assume doing the direct fly line to butt section knot over loop to loop becomes more critical when it comes to fishing for bigger game. Idk if I'll do this for my 8wt setup but definitely am considering it for my 12wt setup.

I've too have been looking to step up my photo game as well lately. I mostly just use an old point and shoot with a timer to take selfies, but my wife has a Nikon D7000 that I've been wanting to learn to use and take out with me bc I'm always thinking how much better pictures like this



or this



could be if I was using something with a little higher quality and zoom than the point and shoot I got when I was in the 9th grade.

A good buddy of mine does a ton of photography, specifically outdoor stuff, and basically from what he's told me there's two ways to get really good pictures. First is actually being a good photographer and composing the picture and selecting the appropriate exposure (focal length, shutter speed, aperture) for what you're wanting the picture to look like. If you're good there's little to no editing on the back end. The other way to do it, which apparently is what most guys do, is still being good at selecting the correct exposure but shooting in RAW formats. This format maintains the full dynamic range of color and light so there's lots of freedom in editing on the back end to add effects and sharpen things but this takes special software to handle the RAW images. From experience I can also tell you that it takes a certain artistic eye and talent to take really really good pictures. I've gone out with my buddy to take pictures and try and learn from him and he sees things differently and knows how to compose pictures to really enhance certain aspects of whatever he's shooting. He mostly shoots film, so he shoots manual (no preset modes on the camera) and he doesn't do any editing to his photos. Photography is just a hobby of his but if you want to check him out you can look him up on Instagram @mikemcjungle. He's a good Ag.

Awesome

...waiting on delivery.

"Your boat may be the nicest one we have ever built. We took some pictures of it in the water, put it on social media and it got the best response we have ever had......Hal Chittum".

sunchaser said:

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...waiting on delivery.

"Your boat may be the nicest one we have ever built. We took some pictures of it in the water, put it on social media and it got the best response we have ever had......Hal Chittum".

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NICE!

sunchaser said:

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...waiting on delivery.

"Your boat may be the nicest one we have ever built. We took some pictures of it in the water, put it on social media and it got the best response we have ever had......Hal Chittum".

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Wait? You're the guy taking delivery of the new Chittum Laguna Madre they've been posting??

Let me know when you get it, I'm driving to Port A to drool over it. But don't worry, I'll bring a shammy to buff it all out.

Finn Maccumhail said:

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sunchaser said:

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...waiting on delivery.

"Your boat may be the nicest one we have ever built. We took some pictures of it in the water, put it on social media and it got the best response we have ever had......Hal Chittum".

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Wait? You're the guy taking delivery of the new Chittum Laguna Madre they've been posting??

Let me know when you get it, I'm driving to Port A to drool over it. But don't worry, I'll bring a shammy to buff it all out.

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A friend of mine is getting one here in Houston soon Finn if you don't want to drive as far and Garret is keeping his up at the shop lately.

RickSawyer said:

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Finn Maccumhail said:

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sunchaser said:

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...waiting on delivery.

"Your boat may be the nicest one we have ever built. We took some pictures of it in the water, put it on social media and it got the best response we have ever had......Hal Chittum".

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Wait? You're the guy taking delivery of the new Chittum Laguna Madre they've been posting??

Let me know when you get it, I'm driving to Port A to drool over it. But don't worry, I'll bring a shammy to buff it all out.

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A friend of mine is getting one here in Houston soon Finn if you don't want to drive as far and Garret is keeping his up at the shop lately.

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Yeah, I've seen Garrett's Chittum but I understand there are some differences in the Laguna Madre from the previous iterations. But I'll probably take you up on the other one coming soon.

This it? It's a sweet looking skiff. The blue white combo and carbon wheel are sharp!

https://instagr.am/p/BaZy9xuguDb

https://instagr.am/p/BaZzFp1AuW9

We use a lot of Hollow Ace offshore in a variety of different ways. I have about everything Daho makes and I rig up every thing from dolphin type setups, kingfish, reef donkeys to trolling. It's really pretty easy to learn.

I thought about your question and took some #60 Hollow Ace and did about a 5" loop loop and if you are trying to avoid tying/untying/tying a leader onto the weld loop I think it will work fine. This gets your ties to the Hollow Ace & leader loop. All you need to do loops is a reverse latch tool. I have done some #40 stuff but it's pretty hard to work with....for me.

It seems to me like if you cut the weld loop off and start nail knotting the fly line that you are whittling on the high dollar line......but I know nothing.

Sunchaser you tease:



Anyone interested in a much less swanky skiff (not mine)? $6k for a shadowcast in Texas ain't bad at all.

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/#/topics/2417170

That's brutal! Cute kid...

Anyone have any experience with the Tibor Signature reels? I'm looking at a new 8wt setup and can't find much feedback on the reel.

fellow Tibor Everglades user here. Great reels!

This type of whoring is more than acceptable. Do you have the matte black everglades? If so, that's different than the frost black yes? bc the frost black looks slightly matte but hard to tell in pics.

elnaco said:

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This type of whoring is more than acceptable. Do you have the matte black everglades? If so, that's different than the frost black yes? bc the frost black looks slightly matte but hard to tell in pics.

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Matte, yes.

Does anyone have any experience with the Tibor Gulfstream reel! I am thinking about buying one for my 11 weight rod.

More Everglades photos:

Kids love them.


Texas Permit love them.


Louisiana redfish love them.


Texas redfish love them.


Anguillan ladyfish love them.

rgarza35 said:

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Does anyone have any experience with the Tibor Gulfstream reel! I am thinking about buying one for my 11 weight rod.

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A friend of mine has had two fall apart right where the reel foot mounts to the reel. I have never had one personally but I went with a Mako 9600 instead of the Gulfstream for my larger reel...

I think the matte black is what they're calling the Frost Black but I'm not sure. I have a matte black Riptide and it looks a lot like the Frost Black.

I could be wrong though.

Anyway, my personal preference is the Everglades over the Signature 7/8 because I prefer the unsealed, cork drag over the sealed drag systems. They also weigh the same at 8.5 ounces so weight shouldn't be a consideration. Plus, I don't think the extra $140 for the Signature over the Everglades provides any measurable improvement in performance between the two. Spend that $140 on a quality line and some flies or boxes.

rgarza35 said:

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Does anyone have any experience with the Tibor Gulfstream reel! I am thinking about buying one for my 11 weight rod.

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Yup. I have one on my 12wt.

My experiences vary from Rick's so take it for what it's worth. I've handled multiple 100+ pound tarpon on mine and I know several well-respected tarpon guides who swear by the Gulfstream for big poon. Guys who have been landing giant tarpon on the same Gulfstream for nearly 20 years.

That being said, the Mako (especially if it's an original Jack Charlton) is probably a better reel. But it's also double the price of the Gulfstream. I've had those same tarpon guides tell me that if they're honest, the Mako is a better real but for 99.9% of the people fishing them there's no reason to spend that vs. the Gulfstream.

I think you would not be remotely disappointed in going with the Gulfstream but if you want to spend the money on the Mako you wouldn't regret it either.

So I'm needing a little help guys. I've been trying to figure out Green's Lake and for the life of me I can't find clean water. On Saturday I found my way up a path into the marsh near the back part of Greens and it was a little cleaner, but it's normal for me to get back there and not actually spot fish through all that chocolate. The wife put a nice cast on a slot red but she put the death grip on her line when the fish ran and it shook the fly. And that was the only red seen that morning (saw a lot of spotted gar)...

I started exploring the wetlands restoration area and the backdoor entrance from Harborwalk. Has anyone done any good around that area? It looked promising but the wind picked up so i decided to head in.

texican08 said:

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I started exploring the wetlands restoration area and the backdoor entrance from Harborwalk. Has anyone done any good around that area? It looked promising but the wind picked up so i decided to head in.

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Have you tried backpage instead of the wife?

It was probably still really fresh after Harvey (thus the gar). It's kind of par for the course fishing the marshes though. They get fresh (and off colored) and that's why the shrimp and crabs are there, and the redfish follow the bait. It's a necessary cycle for the health of that ecosystem.

This cold front with a reinforcing front should flush the marsh out pretty good and drop the tides.

I used to spend a lot of my time looking for "clean" water in the marsh. I finally gave up on that and started spending that time learning the subtler signs of redfish in the chocolate milk water. It's paid dividends because there just isn't the acreage of clear water flats that they get down South, so what few flats we have up here that are regularly clear get pressured pretty hard.

Salt of the water said:

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It was probably still really fresh after Harvey (thus the gar). It's kind of par for the course fishing the marshes though. They get fresh (and off colored) and that's why the shrimp and crabs are there, and the redfish follow the bait. It's a necessary cycle for the health of that ecosystem.

This cold front with a reinforcing front should flush the marsh out pretty good and drop the tides.

I used to spend a lot of my time looking for "clean" water in the marsh. I finally gave up on that and started spending that time learning the subtler signs of redfish in the chocolate milk water. It's paid dividends because there just isn't the acreage of clear water flats that they get down South, so what few flats we have up here that are regularly clear get pressured pretty hard.

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This is spot on. Watch for shrimp popping, listen for feeding fish, watch for tension on the water etc... a few times of year that particular area really cleans up and offers an extremely fun day but it doesn't last long. Also, know your tides and study how and where the water clears on tidal movements. Happy to discuss further over email, fredericksawyer at gmail