Friday, December 13, 2013

Cortland Pro Staff Spotlight

Way Yin | www.flycastinginstructor.com


Way Yin
Way Yin recently joined the Cortland Pro Staff, and we’re proud to have him as a leading industry representative and adviser. Way started when he was 8 years old, tying flies and fishing his home-finished fiberglass rod for bass and panfish in Maryland. Over time his interests grew to include the technical aspects of fly casting — including line design, rod design and teaching fly casting — and guiding. He designed the first modern long-belly Spey line, was instrumental in the design of many groundbreaking Spey line tapers, and has been involved in the development of two-handed and switch rods.

Way’s fascination with the mechanics of fly casting and teaching led to the first “unified” theories linking the mechanics and physics of overhead casting to Spey casting. He is an FFF Master Certified Casting Instructor, an FFF Certified Two-Handed Casting Instructor and was the first American to be awarded the Association of Advanced Professional Game Angling Instructors’ Master Instructor Certification. And, he assisted the FFF in developing and administrating its Two-Handed Casting Certification program. He is a former U.K. distance casting champion, and twice placed third in the prestigious CLA Game Fair Spey casting championships.

Tell us a little about your background, I mean aside from the introduction above.
As a lifelong angler I enjoy fishing for Atlantic salmon in the rugged Kola peninsula in Russia, flats fishing for permit and tarpon in the Florida Keys, but mostly steelhead fishing in the Pacific Northwest. I am a licensed guide in Washington and Oregon, but I’m not full time. I graduated from medical school as a trained anesthesiologist and now am a practicing interventional pain management specialist. I also play guitar, have been in a couple of weekend bands, you know — blues and classic rock covers. And I am co-founder along with a Navy SEAL Team veteran of Discover Courage, a nonprofit created to help servicemen and servicewomen struggling with PTS (post-traumatic stress) issues. That being said, I still love teaching anglers how to cast or refine their mechanics.

As a self-described all-around angler, why are you so strongly identified with Spey?
A frequent misconception among the fly fishing public is that Spey casting is only associated with fishing a two-handed rod. The casts that make up the Spey repertoire can be applied to nearly all fly fishing scenarios, from spring creek fishing with a 2-weight fiberglass rod, to nymphing seams between weed beds, to swinging the biggest rivers using a 16-foot two-hander. Learning Spey casts is one of the fastest ways of becoming a better all-around angler.

When I started getting into Spey casting in the mid-1990s, it was considered an “art” and attempts to describe the fundamental mechanics of the cast were derided. So naturally, I had to do it since I like challenges. I guess one reason I’m more associated with Spey, beyond figuring out how the Spey cast works, has to do with products — developing lines, rods and some of the instructional stuff we did based on this understanding. It’s also easier to be a small fish noticed in the relatively small pond of Spey — there are so many awesome single-hand casters and instructors out there.

How would you compare Spey fishing in the U.S. to the various European markets?
Spey casting and fishing in the U.S. has seen rapid growth — and near-rabid interest — over the last 20 years, and the niche continues to grow. Of course, in the U.K. and Scandinavia two-handed approaches for Atlantic salmon have been around for a few hundred years. So by comparison, the whole Spey thing is still evolving and maturing here, which is good news for the retailers because a growing number of anglers are becoming more competent and wanting more products to feed their interests. And I think that the European markets, while selling less because this niche has fully evolved, have benefited from innovations that came from the U.S., including a new casting/fishing style (originating in the Pacific Northwest, commonly referred to as the “Skagit style”), the development of new lines (modern long-belly lines, Skagit lines), and the development of sophisticated and highly capable rods for two-handed fishing.

Is it a regional thing and if so, where has it or is it taking hold in the U.S.?
For two-handed Spey-style casting and fishing, the greatest innovations and interest started in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. Using two-handed rods and lines swinging heavy flies and sink tips for winter steelhead was a real “Aha!” moment, if you previously struggled with a single-hander all day. Countless shoulders and backs have said “thank you two-handed” in the years since pioneers like John Farrar, George Cook and Dec Hogan — influenced by Scandinavians like Goran Anderson — first started playing with two-handers on the Skagit two decades ago. Since then, the two-handed style has naturally spread to other areas in the U.S. like the Great Lakes. The development of smaller, lighter rods has found a crossover for smaller rivers and styles like nymphing as well.

Is the niche so small that Spey anglers have to special order their rigs or do retailers have them covered?
Spey die-hards have always been a very detail-oriented lot. Back in the day, before specialized equipment was widely available, we would splice lines together from bits and pieces of production lines to make our own tapers. My prototypes for the original XLT, for example, were spliced from six to seven parts from different lines, one of which I had to order from the U.K.

These days, there are good lines from a number of manufacturers that fit most of the two-handed fishing applications. However, there is still a lot of room for improvement. As the fishing public matures, and gets better at casting these rods, I believe there will be migration to better line designs that will allow these anglers to fish even more effectively than they are currently.

What should retailers be stocking for the holiday season to address anglers' Spey fix?
Most two-handed anglers, especially beginners and intermediates, feel most comfortable fishing short-belly shooting-head lines, such as those commonly marketed as “Skagit” or “Scandinavian” heads. Although these lines are quite limited from a fishing standpoint, they are pretty easy to cast normal fishing distances (50-80 feet).

Do you have a favorite species to stalk?
My favorites would be big early season Atlantic Salmon in the Kola and steelhead fishing in the Pacific Northwest. It’s a lot cheaper for me to fish steelhead, so that’s mainly what I do; looking forward every year to the fall run. My next favorite is flats fishing for permit. For me, it’s like steel heading, only sicker.

I have a singular outstanding fishing memory, do you?
Not singular, but many wonderful memories vividly etched in my brain. The most recent involved fishing with Special Operations members though Discover Courage, the nonprofit organization I co-founded.

Any favorite spots to fish you wouldn't mind sharing with us?
Croix Pool on the Rynda and also Wet Spot on the Deschutes, but I’m not telling you any more!

You've also been involved with R&D from time to time. Where is technology taking the fly rod market in terms of both performance characteristics and pricing?
Advances in the rod market will likely be influenced by developments in nanotechnology in the resin side of prepreg, and continued refinement of mixing different modulus materials to achieve the best balance between energy release and dampening. I don’t think there are going to be major changes in the use of graphite fibers for a long time.

On the line side, tapers for most applications have largely demonstrated convergent evolution. Until there are significant changes on the rod side, tapers will continue to be refined and performance differences will be incremental. I believe there are huge “out of the box” material combinations in fly lines that may jump performance significantly — and I am excited to be looking at some of these ideas with Cortland.

How important is the Internet to anglers and to Spey fishermen in particular?
The Internet is an awesome thing. You can get access to terabytes of data and an answer to any question nearly immediately. Unfortunately, that answer might not be the right one; this is the down side of instant and easy access. The old saying of “caveat emptor” (buyer beware) has never been more important than in the Internet age. When personal responsibility (and therefore credibility) becomes anonymized some crazy stuff gets posted, which is unfortunate because there really is a lot of great stuff out there.

The Spey market, being relatively small but composed of a lot of real-compulsive gearheads, is uniquely susceptible to pedagogy. As the legion of two-handed fishers matures, however, I believe that the disproportionate influences from a few market “thought leaders” will dilute, and more folks will get the best gear for their needs in hand.

Do you see any change in their buying habits?
Hmmmm. Have to think on this more.

Cortland is about to celebrate 100 years in business, what do you think about that?
Awesome. Definitely want to help add to Cortland’s legacy of product innovation and quality to ensure it lasts through the next 100 years.

Which Cortland products stand out in your mind?
The 444 and Micron.

How do you see technology impacting the fishing line market?
I think novel applications of existing technologies will exceed novel materials’ technology in the short to moderate term. If a real-game-changing material comes out I’m guessing it won’t be for a number of years.

Do you do any sport fishing?
I grew up chucking bait and gear, but my interests (and time) now are pretty much focused on fly fishing.

Your thoughts and hopes for the "new Cortland"?
Cortland has always been known as a line company. I hope the future focus will be back to making the absolute best lines for specific applications in the fly and the sport markets, and driving market innovation in this space.

Any other parting thoughts?
A drunk stumbles out of a bar. Surprised on the street by a nun, he punches her in the face and knocks her to the ground. Tottering over her, he says, “Take THAT Batman!”

Wow, I didn’t see that one coming, thanks.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

December 2013 News


Dealer Spotlight: The Hook Up   |   Cortland Pro Staff: Way Yin   |   Upcoming Events   |   Product Highlight From HQ   |   Current Deals

New Product Packaging for 2014



At Cortland, we’re continually working to improve our manufacturing process, products and the way we do business. As part of that ongoing effort, our 2014 fly and sport fishing products will feature new packaging design, layout and color scheme. Our new packaging not only conveys essentials like line weight or test, but also technical specs, relevant species and casting type. All in an effort to provide clarity while catching the consumer’s eye.

But we didn’t stop there. We also wanted to create distinctive packaging that was environmentally sound and that honored the heritage of Cortland; enter: the new Cortland Tin. Initially available for our Precision fly line series, the packaging is built around silver tins that feature a tarpon for saltwater and a trout for freshwater. Inside, the fly line is stored on a spool made of 100 percent recycled material (wood, rice hulls and flax fiber). Tins come in recycled cardboard sleeves ready for shelf or Pegboard display.

“During a planning session, we noted the trend toward heightened environmental awareness through the use of recycled materials and minimalist packaging,” recalls CEO Randy Brown. “And in the same discussion it was suggested we try to pay tribute to our illustrious past as we prepare to celebrate 100 years as a leading fishing line company. The new packaging, inspired by our circa 1950s tins, accomplishes both.”

Another advantage to the new packaging is that the tins are reusable. They’re ideal for storing flies, tying materials, tippet spools, leaders, spare coins, river snacks, you name it.

Says Brown, “Personally, I was looking for a way to elevate our products with retailers and anglers while announcing that Cortland is back. The new packaging does that in a big way.”

Please keep a lookout for all the “new” packaging from Cortland coming soon!

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Top 3 Insights for Catching Fall Muskies

The fall season is rapidly concluding for most of us living within the musky range. Additionally the open seasons for muskellunge fishing in some parts of the country are drawing to an end as well. But for anglers who still have time to catch their fish of a lifetime, or have plans to fish again next fall and brave the physically and mentally demanding challenges this great sport of ours brings, I have some insights to share with Cortland Line readers which I hope will lead to a more memorable and successful experience on the water. 



Thursday, October 24, 2013

New Opaque White Indicator Mono

Cortland’s Opaque White Indicator Mono is a very unique new offering that anglers are going to want in their arsenal.  The opaque white mono maintains strong visibility in many light conditions, but white mono sitting on the surface and held off the water allows an angler to target spooky fish in clear water.  Our Opaque White mono is a solid white with no dyes or residue and the white color won’t fade in the sun.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Q&A with Cortland Line Pro Staffer, Bob Jacklin

Bob Jacklin, of Bob Jacklin's Fly Shop in West Yellowstone, Montana has been a member of the Cortland Pro-Staff for over 39 years. Bob has been passing on his knowledge of fly fishing and fly tying to thousands of fly fishing enthusiasts around the world for five decades. We asked Bob a few questions to help you get to know this Fly Fishing Hall of Famer a little better.

Monday, September 30, 2013

Youth angler starts fly fishing passion with 444 Outfit.

About a month ago we received a photo of Jacob, a young Florida angler who recently began fly fishing with his new 444 Outfit. We wanted to share his excitement with you as he embarks on this angling journey. While family and school comes first, we'll let the pictures do the talking for how Jacob now spends his free time.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Q&A with Cortland Line Pro-Staffer, Charles Card


Cortland Line takes an in-depth look at Utah native and fly fishing fanatic Charles Card's past, present and future.  Fresh or saltwater, Charles has had countless trophy fish in his hands, so lets find out what this family man and conservationist is all about in our Q&A.



Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Cam Chioffi, 2013 Youth World Fly Fishing Championship individual gold medal winner

 Who is Cam Chioffi?

"Taught by his dad and grandfather, Cam has loved fishing since he was two. At age eight, he was introduced to fly fishing and has since become a student of the sport, reading and observing every bit of information available.  The first competitive clinic Cam attended was in May 2010 in Pennsylvania.  During that clinic, he learned the basics of competition he uses today.  After that clinic, he was hooked and attended several more around the country with the aim of learning and improving his technique.  In 2013 Cam won the individual gold and team gold at the Youth World Fly Fishing Championships in Ireland. In other recent competitions, he placed 4th (Youth Nationals 2012 in NC) and 7th (America Cup 2012 in CO).  Cam lives in the Boston area and is a member of Greater Boston Trout Unlimited.  His local fishing is done on rivers like the Swift, Farmington, and the Assabet.  He also enjoys fishing Central Vermont for native trout, and Cape Cod for stripers and bluefish.  Cam is a junior at Weston High School where he plays varsity ice hockey and continues to teach fly fishing to his friends and in his community". (http://www.usyouthflyfishingteam.com/)

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Cortland Competition Nymph Rod Review - Housatonic River Outfitters


When Cortland recently came out with their series of Competition Nymph fly rods, I was pleasantly surprised at just how damn good they actually are. At $219.95
(includes a rod tube), you cannot find a comparable specialized nymphing rod at this price point, and in fact they easily compete with rods costing 3 plus times more. They are designed to catch fish, with actions that are specifically tweaked for the deadly technique of Euro Nymphing, enabling you to turn over longer leaders & lightweight flies if necessary, while still giving you tippet protection. They also make fantastic wet fly/soft-hackle rods, due to their extra length & softer tips. These rods are all designed to balance nicely and be light in the hand to minimize fatigue. The #2 and #3 rods are ideally suited to Euro Nymphing, while the #4's crossover into both Euro & Indicator nymphing. To really maximize your rods performance for Euro Nymphing, consider matching it up with a  Cortland Competition Nymph line and make a sighter out of Cortland’s brightly colored Inidcator Mono.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Lake of the Woods musky trip with Cortland Pro, Andrew Ragas

 After last year's somewhat unproductive fishing trip to Lake of the Woods, there was some skepticism on how this years trip would go. As Andrew Ragas describes, "Musky fishing is 10 percent catching and 90 percent mental." The pictures we received over the course of his stay may tell you otherwise!

Q&A with Cortland Line's Product Advisor and Pro Staff Member, Frank Catino

Frank thanks for taking the time to talk to us today. With all of the new changes happening at Cortland Line, could you give us a little information on your new position with the company.


Well after years of being a regional sales representative for Cortland Line in the south eastern US and Florida, I have taken a new position as a Product Adviser and Pro Staff Member. I'm looking forward to the new position and plan to focus on improving and developing specific products.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Cortland Line Pro-Staff: Greg Myerson

While we were attending the 2013 ICAST/IFTD show in Las Vegas, Cortland Line Pro-Staffer, Greg Myerson, was busy putting our 50lb Masterbraid to the test with a 73.54-lb striped bass. on July 11, Greg and his cousin won the boat division of the weekly Striper Cup Tournament on the Long Island Sound. Greg's monster striper came just 8-pounds shy of breaking the striped bass world record he set back in 2011 of 81.88-lb. Here's Greg's version of how it all went down:

Friday, June 7, 2013

Progression

Blog Post By: Loren Williams
Website: http://www.lorenwflyfishes.com/welcome

I have witnessed many progressions in the sport of fly fishing in my 35-years as an active participant.  I started fishing about the time graphite fly rods were coming into the norm and I recall substantial rebuttal from the veterans of the day.  It’s par for the course, and I offer that it is healthy for the sport as anglers, retailers, and manufacturers all benefit-yet we will always have a “comfort zone” where anyone can remain or fall back to should they so choose.

My tenure with Fly Fishing Team USA made me aware of many fishing, tying, and cultural aspects that I may had not been privy to otherwise.  They've made me a better angler, less in a box, and my enjoyment has escalated as a result.

In an earlier blog you can read the words of Joe Goodspeed about the virtues of the Cortland Competition Nymph line as it relates to his methods of nymphing.  In this blog I’d like to offer a slightly different view of the line.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Cortland Brook Series Competition Nymph Rod


Blog Post By: Joe Goodspeed


We are very excited to finally announce the availability of the Competition Nymph rod lineup that has been in the works here at Cortland for more than two years. The 4 piece rods are offered in five different configurations, 9'6'' 2 wt, 10' 3wt, 10' 4wt, 10'6'' 3 wt and 10'6'' 4wt. We recommend pairing one of these new rods with our Competition Nymph Line in both 140gn and 160gn, giving you the ultimate balance to handle various nymphing techniques.  We went through waves of prototypes that saw changes in rod actions, handle design, guides, blank finish, weight distribution/counterbalancing, and other subtle factors…and more importantly spent hundreds of hours testing and tweaking those prototype rods to ensure that each of the 5 rods are the perfect fishing tool for their intended application.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Q&A with Cortland Pro Staffer Andrew Ragas

Andrew Ragas
Cortland Pro Staff
Fishing Headquarters and Ragas Fishing
          http://www.ragasmedia.com
Phone: 708-256-2201
E-mail: andrew@fishing-headquarters.com

Andrew, tell me a little about what you're fishing for most of the time? What's you favorite species to target?

I fish for most freshwater species I have access to. But most of the time I am fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass, and muskies - these are undoubtedly my favorites and my specialties. I tend to dedicate the bulk of my spring and summer months to bass while early summer through late fall go to muskies.

I fish for other species as well which includes walleyes, northern pike, panfish, river redhorse and other cool looking assorted sucker species. To best describe my angling mentality, I am a multi-species angler and couldn't imagine it any other way. Occasionally I will dabble with coldwater fishes such as trout and salmon throughout the Great Lakes region whether it's on the lakes or their feeder tributaries.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Cortland Line is Here for You!

Blog post by Brooks Robinson

Have you ever had complex questions about your fly line that you couldn't answer yourself?  Maybe you just wanted to know more about your lines performance or what leader to build off of it? Take it from me, as someone who hounded their fellow co-workers for tips everyday, the employees of Cortland Line are your source for answers.  Honestly, what better way is there to learn about fly fishing than from the employees at Cortland Line? After all, these are the same people who make and fish the Cortland products you buy!

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Everybody's Talking About Trout BOSS™

Our new Trout BOSS is one of the most talked about lines here at Cortland Line. Some of us think it is the best trout line we have ever made...I am with that bunch! The Trout BOSS allows strong, accurate, smooth casts at distances that other fly lines can't handle. Dry fly fisherman, look no where else for your next Trout Line.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Competition Nymph Line

Blog post by Joe Goodspeed

The Competition Nymph line is a specialty product designed to meet the demands that nymph fishing with the tight line methods European fly anglers have refined. Although there are distinct names for some of these methods – Spanish, French, and Czech Nymphing for example, there is often a considerable overlap between each of these methods, and they all revolve around making natural drifts with flies, usually weighted nymphs, and being able to detect the quick and subtle strikes from trout or grayling in moving water.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Cortland Line on Ebay

Everyone here at Cortland Line knows our own Christian Rotchford is kind of a big deal. What you might not know is what Christian does for work is an even bigger deal for you!

Hey everyone my name is Christian Rotchford. If you haven't checked out our Cortland Line products on Ebay you are missing out! We have great deals on fly lines, rods and reels. Our prices will pleasantly surprise you and our friendly customer service team will gladly help you with your purchase.

We have a large variety of discontinued fly lines including a full line up of shooting heads. Our reels are all STH products that can fulfill almost any style you fish. We also carry a variety of Diamondback rods ranging from 3-6 wt.

As I sit here typing we have rods, reels and fly lines going out the door fast. There are plenty of products left and many more to list but this is your chance to "Buy It Now"! I hope everyone takes advantage of this great opportunity because 50-75% off premium rods, reels and fly lines can't last forever.

Tight lines,
CR

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Cortland Line's New Compact Switch

This past weekend I had a chance to cast our new Compact Switch line. I lined it up on Cortland's Sterling Reel and was using Diamondback's Swinger Switch Rod to swing flies for Steelhead.  Not only does this line rip, but the 25' lime green skagit-style head looks unreal as it turns over big flies and heavy sink tips towards the opposite bank.  

The Compact Switch line (4 - 8wt.) features an aggressive front taper for maximum energy transfer to any sink tip or leader. Head weights for the Compact Switch line are (4) 240gn, (5) 300gn, (6) 375gn, (7)425gn, and (8) 485gn. I paired the (7) weight 425gn with our 11' 6'' 7 weight Swinger rod and model III Sterling reel. Using two different sink tips totaling 490gn and 510gn, the Compact Switch line was a perfect match for swinging big flies!