Lagopus: I could be wrong, but I don't remember ever catching a brown out here in the Western states with quite that coloration. Ours seem much paler, w/o the rich golden hues, even on fairly big fish.
CitoriFeather16: I fished a used Phoenix silk line that I picked up in March for the very first time last Sunday and I was floored by how nice it was. The price for them (almost $300) always stopped me from buying one when I first started fishing silk (almost 25-years ago). Now I'm sorry I waited so long. I am going to try a new line dressing called Otter Butter on it next trip. From everything I've read, it is a significant improvement over mucilin and should float the line for almost 7-hours of continuous use. Really looking forward to that.
Gil: Hardy Perfects may truly be the ultimate expression of what a fly reel could and should be. I have owned and used many and they are all simply stunning in form and function. I'm probably not quite done with them yet, but I'm on sabbatical for a while as I learn about our older domestic reels. Old Pfluegers have been a revelation for me, and I just got my first Shakespeare Russell today (a pre-1935 Model 1893). I'm looking forward to learning more about them all through actual use.
Last edited by Lloyd3; 04/26/17 10:18 PM.
