Gapen Catalog | Fly Fishing | Jigs | Most Sensitive Rods | Wilderness Reels | Ugly Bug | Muddler |

GAPEN’S
Better Fly Fishing with Flies
(continued)
segments back in a semi-submerged manner. Such a presentation is dramatically
effective on trout, bass and panfish early and late in the day.
This same semi-submerged style of retrieve works extremely well on rivers
where the angler retrieves in a cross current manner,
either downstream or upstream.
NOTE: Gapen’s produce a Muddler Jig, a lure
brought back by demand. See the listing on page 104 of
this catalog. This bait is extremely effective on trout,
salmon, smallmouth
bass and
walleye as well as numerous
saltwater flat species such as redfish.
The original muddler
To obtain a DVD on “How-To” Tie The
Original Muddler turn to page 158 and place
an order. In the DVD I tie the fly exactly as my
father did during its creation on the Nipigon
River in Ontario, Canada.
Dan Gapen, Sr.
Yes, I’m extremely proud of the fly
pattern my father, Don Gapen, created in
the 1930s and we continue to produce it in
the manner which Dad first fashioned it.
Dan Gapen,
sr. with a
muddler fly
victim
muddler Jig
‘bobber’ anne and bob kook
show off a dandy pair of
steelhead Trout caught on
beaded muddler flies
Incorrect
NEED-TO-KNOW
Fishing Tips:
FROM
HIMSELF!
TRICKS TO IMPROVE
YOUR FLY FISHING
Correct
Tricks to improve a beginner or a long-term
fly-rodder begin with position of your thumb.
(see photo at left)
The thumb can, and is, the key to properly
working any style of fishing rod, especially a fly
rod.
You’ve seen or experienced the problem of
airborne fly line becoming wrapped around
one’s head, arms and body. To correct this a fly rodder
needs to perform a motion from 10 o’clock to 1 o’clock as
they cast. This is better done if you cock your thumb such as
indicated in the photo. Such a setting
of your thumb locks the tendons
from thumb up to the shoulder
assuring the rod does not go back past
1 o’clock. ANY ATTEMPT AT SUCH A MOVE-
MENT PAST ONE O’CLOCK WILL CREATE SUCH
A PAIN IN THE SHOULDER THAT THE CASTER
WILL WISH HE HADN’T. In other words one’s casting
arm has now been locked into the proper casting
position.
Next, the LIFT and PAUSE must be enacted in
proper timing.
The LIFT is performed as the rod leaves the 10
o’clock position. It’s done with a sharp snap of the wrist
which gathers the proper momentum.
Incorrect
Correct
The rod as it lifts up and over the caster’s head will see the PAUSE at 1 o’clock
follow. Next, the PAUSE is critical as the line bows out in a long loop past the rod
tip as it reaches the 1 o’clock position. Some would describe this pause as a time set
of 1 to 3 seconds depending on the length of line being cast.
Next, the FORWARD ROD THRUST is performed after the caster feels a slight
tug at rod tip as the line’s back rolling loop straightens out, signaling the need to
force your rod forward to complete the cast.
The DANCE is my expression to the movement of your body as you complete a
fly cast. By this term I ask that you do a bit of rock and rolling with your upper
body.
1) As the line is ‘lifted’ and you begin your cast your casting shoulder moves
backwards in the direction of the backward thrust.
w w w. g a p e n . c o m
111
F i s h G a p e n ’ s w w w. g a p e n . c o m F i s h G a p e n ’ s
112