Trout Fisherman 487 (Digital Sampler)

LONEW OK

TRIED & TESTED

FIRST FOR TACTICS, TACKLE & WHERE TO FISH

l Hardy FWS rods l Vision Vene jacket l Wychwood lines l Stillwater DX reel

14 Deadly

UK RESERVOIRS

Tiny dries, big results

Daddies With full dressings!

UK SMALL WATERS

Cool tips for hot days

AUG 17 - SEPT 13, 2016 | £3.40

ISSUE 487

The world's best

FLY FISHING We inspire you to book your trip of a lifetime

16

FEATURING

NEW ZEALAND

SCOTLAND

LOCATIONS

CUBAN FLATS

IRELAND

Words & pictures: Jeffrey Prest

6 TROUT FISHERMAN | AUGUST 17 - SEPTEMBER 13

BE INSPIRE D Get a taste for adventu r in Scotland e

Open SECRET Even if budget or schedule stops you short of the Highlands, the rest of Scotland doesn’t lack for ‘great escapes’. We track one down in the hills above Stirling

Crawford McEwan heads to Frandy’s inviting southern shore.

AUGUST 17 - SEPTEMBER 13 | TROUT FISHERMAN 7

TACTICS RESERVOIRS Words: Russell Hill Pictures: Peter Gathercole

18 TROUT FISHERMAN | AUGUST 17 - SEPTEMBER 13

The film DIRECTOR When trout are feeding on small insects trapped in a calm surface, little alterations make a huge difference to your catch rate, says Craig Barr

A stunning Farmoor rainbow, taken on a dry, is carefully returned.

AUGUST 17 - SEPTEMBER 13 | TROUT FISHERMAN 19

TACTICS IRELAND The writer Russ Owen (right) with a Lough Conn salmon.

Bars of silver & gold Lexus Champion of Champions winner Russ Owen and pals go in search of Irish browns, rainbows and salmon Words: Russ Owen Pictures: Martin Founds

26 TROUT FISHERMAN | AUGUST 17 - SEPTEMBER 13

I

’M delighted to have won this fantastic holiday at last year’s Lexus Championship sponsored by Anglers World Holidays who’ve this year taken on the main sponsors role.

I travel to the west of Ireland with Phil Cotton, John Horsey and Martin Founds of AWH, heading for the famous Mount Falcon Estate on the banks of the River Moy and a stone’s throw away from the great lakes of Lough Conn and Lough Mask. The prospect of what lays ahead of us is simply mouth-watering as we board the ferry at Holyhead for the crossing to Dublin and the drive across Ireland.

Phil and myself arrive at the very impressive Mount Falcon Hotel ahead of John and Martin. As is customary we check out the bar area while waiting for their arrival. Sometime later, after they’ve joined us, we’re shown to our luxurious four-bedroom apartment on the estate.

Later that evening we meet Stuart Price, the estate’s fishing manager, who helps to organise our fishing for the week.

Our first outing is on Lough Conn, which holds found memories for me being the venue of my first senior international cap some years ago!

The loughs of Ireland offer stunning fishing and scenery.

“A few fish move but no olives show. However, we still manage several fish up to 1lb 8oz around the bays and rocks.”

The first day Day one dawns with the usual mix of Irish weather – wind and rain. But this doesn’t dampen our appetite, so after a fine Irish breakfast we meet our guide for the day and a former Irish captain Seamus Kelly along with his brother and fellow international, Patrick.

As we tackle up in Clogans Bay with the imposing Castle Hill looking down on us, I’m as excited as when I first fished this lough many years ago.

Now Lough Conn is not renowned for big fish, although there are many: it’s the free-rising fish and the chance of a salmon that attracts anglers. We head out of Clogans and across a choppy lough to Bog Bay in the hope of an olive hatch and some rising fish. But the cold wind and heavy rain isn’t conducive to a hatch. A few fish move but no olives show. However, we still manage several fish up to 1lb 8oz around the bays and rocks.

Lunchtime looms and we find a sheltered spot for a welcome brew with a sandwich.

After lunch we check out Castle Hill Bay – a renowned area, but with so much recent rainfall the water is coloured and we move along again back to the points around East of Mayo. We spend a couple of hours here and pick up two more pound fish before calling it a day.

LOCH-STYLE LEADER SET- UP 16ft of 8lb fluorocarbon from a floating line 5ft

Day two The forecast is for 20-25mph winds today so we take advantage of the one-acre lake in the hotel grounds. It’s shallow with good weed growth and crystal clear water.

The stocked rainbow trout seem to be very happy with an abundance of food available.

The fish are feeding at the surface and just below. Phil catches very well using Buzzers under a small indicator. The fish are in perfect condition with big tails and many look like long-term residents. I also

Octopus 5ft

Claret Dabbler 6ft

Loch-style fishing on Conn with a guide.

Black & Gold Dabbler

catch on Buzzers as well as small Shuttlecock CdC. After lunch the weather improves so we call Seamus and head back to Lough Conn for the afternoon. It’s windy but there’s no rain so we hope that the sun’s warmth will bring things on a little.

We try the Bog Bay area again and pick up a couple of fish but still no hatch of olives so we head down the lough to the Brackwansha shore – an area with some AUGUST 17 - SEPTEMBER 13 | TROUT FISHERMAN 27

FOCUS ON WEED Words & pictures: Nick Hart Weed is necessary but too much can cause problems for anglers.

New series

Beat the WEED!

Fishing guide and Exe Valley manager Nick Hart meets your flyfishing problems head on

H

ELPING people to get more out of their flyfishing has been my life for the last 18 years. What I love about flyfishing is the problem solving aspect and, when we get it right, it’s very satisfying.

To get started I’d like to talk about weed, particularly on small stillwaters. As a fishery manager I’ve endured many sleepless nights trying to figure out the best ways to combat unwanted aquatic vegetation. Every watercourse needs some weed, it literally breathes life into the water and offers habitat for all sorts of trout food, but just a little too much can spell disaster.

Every fishery owner is obliged to stay on top of the problem so that their customers receive value for money, but nonetheless, Mother Nature will often have her way so fishing in completely weed-free conditions during the warm summer months may not be possible. Here are some ideas to help you deal with the issue, hopefully turning a potentially frustrating session into a memorable one.

Tactics to combat weed One of the most common errors is to fish methods requiring a constant retrieve. If the weed is down deep then this may not be an issue, but surface algae in particular can cause serious headaches as it clings to everything, often coating the leader and fly in a green slime, which needs to be cleaned off between casts.

The solution is to fish static. The chances are that if there’s a lot of weed 38 TROUT FISHERMAN | AUGUST 17 - SEPTEMBER 13

about, especially algae, that the water temperature is fairly high. The oxygen content will therefore be greatly reduced and in such circumstances the trout are quite likely to be lethargic. Even a slowly retrieved fly may be too fast.

My own favourite static tactic is the dry fly and it lends itself perfectly to fishing amongst the weed. Watch carefully for signs of fish popping up in any available holes and even if you don’t see any indication of life, present a few flies in there anyway, you might be pleasantly surprised.

“My own favourite static tactic is the dry fly...perfect for weed.”

Even better, tie a length of leader direct to the dry – New Zealand style – add a Buzzer or similar pattern and use the buoyant fly as an indicator. Alternatively for even more buoyancy sink a subsurface pattern through a gap in the weed and use a brightly coloured foam indicator to register the takes. It is wise to check with the fishery before you try this method because some do not allow the use of indicators.

Stalking is also possible in weedy conditions because the vegetation not only offers the trout cover but helps to camouflage our presence. Trout shun very dense areas of weed, but if there is sufficient water available to cruise and

DRY FLY & NYMPH NZ STYLE SET-UP Leader to floating line

Buoyant Sedgehog dry

Leader length depends on depth required

Nymph

hunt then there may just be a chance of adding a fish to the bag, even a specimen!

Fix up some kind of stalking grub, preferably easily seen, find a fishy looking corner and use any available gaps in the weed like a window. This is visually exciting fishing and my heart skips a few beats every time a trout comes into view.

The trick is to get the fly down to the fish as quickly as possible so leaded stalking bugs are ideal and the cast in this situation may be nothing more than a tip flick, just a few feet from the shore.

When everything is in position, block out the world, watch the fly, watch the fish and if the imitation has not already been snaffled on the drop, try to induce a take with a smooth lift. Look out for the tell-tale flicker of white as your prize opens its mouth. Then don’t hesitate, lift smoothly to set the hook and then hang on!

Simple static tactics will save the headache of removing weed from your leader but to turn over a leader so that our f lies land perfectly within a hole in the weed, especially at range, might take a little practice. Strangely, casting is often the last thing on some anglers’ minds, but to be in with a chance of precisely positioning a f ly it needs to become a priority.

Fortunately practising accuracy is simple and my own favourite method is to place some targets on a lawn, white plates are perfect (see below). Tie a length of wool on the end of a leader and vary casting strokes, loop sizes and line speeds for shorts bursts of not much more than 20 minutes. A little time spent practising is fun and will improve your enjoyment on the water, helping you to tackle the tricky situations that many might avoid.

The curve cast Sometimes the weed may be too dense and there may not be any gaps to fish into but trout will often locate themselves in clear water on the edge of these areas.

Casting across the weed is risky but it is possible to cast around it instead using a great cast that we can borrow from river anglers known as the ‘shepherds crook’ or ‘curve cast’.

Use a side cast, accelerate to a very positive stop and add a little tug to create a satisfying curve. Experiment with all of these factors to control the amount of

Landing nets are useful for removing bankside weed mats that would hinder netting a fish.

curve you would like. Need more help?

Check out the excellent Single-Handed Spey Casting book by Simon Gawesworth, see chapter 15.

Accurate casting, coupled with weed friendly tactics will help connect you to some unsuspecting trout but as soon as they’re hooked they’ll use their leafy environment to the best of their ability.

Droppers can snag during the fight so don’t use them and knots should be kept to a minimum. Consider using a knotless tapered leader, which offers a seamless link between fly and fly-line while also assisting with accurate presentation.

Finally, preparation is everything so it makes sense to predict what your fish may attempt in its bid for freedom as diving into the vegetation is almost guaranteed!

Be ready to hook and hold. Pull your trout to the surface as fast as possible and have a suitable sized net at the ready, preferably with a long handle. Even better, if possible use the net to clear an area prior to fishing, especially through floating blanket weed, and hopefully it won’t be long before you have a rather surprised trout nestling in the mesh, plucked from a tricky situation. Very satisfying.

Sedgehog Hook: Size 10-14 Kamasan B405 Thread: Veevus 16/0 olive dun Tail and wing: Short and fine olive deer hair Body: Traditional Irish dubbing, sooty olive

Stalking Bug Hook: Size 12-14 heavyweight grub Thread: Fire orange UTC 70 Tail: Red marabou with Mirage tinsel Underbody: Mirage tinsel Body: Red Ultra wire, large Bead: Black tungsten or brass with orange eye l Body and head coated in epoxy or varnish

CURVE CAST DEMONSTRATION

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Make a smooth, accelerated side cast ensuring you’ve formed a horizontal loop.

High line speeds are essential and try to aim where you’d like the line to land.

As the rod stops, make a smooth upwards tug on the line. This reverses the bottom leg of the loop and speeds up the top leg, causing it to kick and form the required curve.

By varying the amount of power and size of the tug you can alter curve size. This takes practice but it’s worth it.

AUGUST 17 - SEPTEMBER 13 | TROUT FISHERMAN 39

WHERE TO FISH ANGLER’S MAP

NEW SERIES

RUTLAND

Our quick guide to early autumn hotspots for bank and boat FLIES TO TRY... and where to fish them

Boat info

Bank

Now is the only time I tend to fish the north arm because you can get really close to the weed around Tim Appletons, Transformer and Burley.

You have to observe a 50m rule in the south arm but there are huge weed beds 2-300 yards out from the shore around Manton and Cattle Trough. Fish Boobies over submerged weedbeds and be ready for a cracking overwintered fish or two.

Shrimp

Burley Reach Tim Appletons

Transformer

Floating Fry

Snail

Main Basin Old Hall Bay

Cattle Trough

Brown’s Island

Orange Blob

Manton Bay Minkie

Bank info

Harbour, Normanton Bank, Three Trees to Fantasy Island along the south shore for fry or snail feeders. All these hotspots have their day now. But many anglers can’t be bothered to drive to the peninsula, where they’ll find solitude at Carrot Creek and Old Hall Bay and excellent chances of a good fish. Don’t leave without having a chuck at Barn Hill Creek.

Tequila Blob 44 TROUT FISHERMAN | AUGUST 17 - SEPTEMBER 13

E

ARLY autumn and beyond often sees weedbeds exposed due to low water on our reservoirs and Rutland – the No.1 reservoir in our Top 100 trout waters – is no exception. Where there’s weed there’s food; where there’s food there’s fish…and expect some big ones at this time of year. We asked former world champion Iain Barr for his preferred areas as we move into autumn.

ADDRESS Rutland Water Fishing Lodge, Normanton Rd, Edith Weston, Oakham, Rutland LE15 8HD CONTACT 01780 686441 EMAIL fishing@anglianwater.co.uk WEB www.anglianwater.co.uk/leisure/waterparks/rutland/fishing/ PRICES Day (8 fish plus catch & release) £26; Day motor-boat hire £27. Plenty of other ticket options.

SEASON March 11 2016 to January 31, 2017

Iain Barr with a quality Rutland rainbow.

Main Basin

Don’t ignore the open water in the Basin where quality fish may be gorging on daphnia. Fish Orange or Tequila Blobs for daphnia feeders or large fry patterns close to towers.

The Dam

Carrot Creek

Main Basin Three Trees to Fantasy Barn Hill Creek

Normanton Bank

Harbour

Key Hotspots

Sailing Club

Bank Main Basin Boat Facilities Parking Refreshments Toilets Fishing Lodge Tourist Info

Rob Edmunds and 5l

b 8oz brown www.trout-fisherman.com

from the north arm.

AUGUST 17 - SEPTEMBER 13 | TROUT FISHERMAN 45

What’s in YOUR BOX?

NEW SERIES

Crawford McEwan relies on his dad for his flies but knows exactly what he’s looking for...

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I DON’T tie so much for trout fishing: I tie all my own grayling flies but my dad takes care of my trout flies.

I don’t fish competitions; I fish purely for pleasure. As you can see, I prefer natural colours rather than the more garish stuff. This is actually the first season I’ve brought a lure box with me. I invested in a lot of lures at the start of the season.

In the main, though, I prefer traditional flies like these, which I would look to fish everywhere.

On the right hand side of the fly box, at the bottom, I’ve got various Snatchers, in claret and olive. Working upwards, we come to Sedges, Hopper Poppers and some Black Hoppers. While I like fishing on the surface, there are days when I need to get my flies down to where the fish are, so I keep a Goldhead Pennell (1) or two in hand.

These Hawthorn flies (2) have done well for me. I remember fishing the dam at Watch Reservoir one day, using Hawthorns and natural

Pennells - I had 15 fish and the majority of them took Hawthorns.

Working up from the bottom of the left-hand side of the box, you’ve got a few Bob’s Bits (3) at the bottom (I fish black or olive versions here; I’ve never done anything with the more orangey versions), some foam Hawthorn flies and then some Heather flies, the ones with the red legs on them.

After various Daddies, I’ve got a couple of Buzzers to use as my point fly from time to time, and also a couple of very small Beetle patterns in there, including a Bracken Clock Beetle (4) that’s given me some good days. Fishing a Hawthorn on the top, the Beetle in the middle and a Pennell on the point, I was picking fish up on all three of them.

If I had to pick one or two patterns to fish with for the rest of my life, I’d probably go for the Bob’s Bits and the Daddy Longlegs. I just like the excitement of seeing the chase. That to me is what flyfishing is all about.

AUGUST 17 - SEPTEMBER 13 | TROUT FISHERMAN 11

Where to fish

GLOBAL TOUR GUIDE

Flyfishing adventures with travel expert Matt Harris

10

LE INCREEDSIB O T PLAC FLY A T S A C

F

OR those anglers that suffer from wanderlust, there has surely never been a better time to be alive. Don’t listen to those old grouches that hanker for those mythical “good old days” of yore.

In the UK at least, we may be the luckiest generation in history.

We have a health service and a million creature comforts that our forefathers could barely have dreamt of, and unlike previous generations, most of us have escaped the misery of conscription and armed conflict.

On top of that, we can travel to the furthest corners of the globe and venture into regions

Book your trip now 3 9

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1 Bolivia 2 Cuba 3 Iceland 4 Guatemala 5 Seychelles

6 Argentina 7 Brazil 8 Tanzania 9 Mongolia 10 New Zealand Stand in a river like this at least once in your life.

that were once the dominion of only the most intrepid explorers.

The likes of Amundsen, Livingstone, Columbus and Pizarro would surely turn green with envy if they were able to see how easily we can now penetrate the uttermost “Heart of Darkness” wilderness, where the fish still flourish and the waters are untainted by all the ugly refuse of the modern world.

For the avid fly-fisher, the ability to explore some of the most remote locations on the planet has opened up a world of possibilities with a fly rod. There are a hatful of incredible flyfishing adventures out there, and while a number require the use of spey rods, I’ve singled out experiences that anglers adept at catching trout back here at home with a single-hander are already well equipped to deal with.

Here are just a few of the very wildest adventures available to the 21st century fly angler.

AUGUST 17 - SEPTEMBER 13 | TROUT FISHERMAN 47

TACKLE NEW GEAR

Compact, large arbor reel with an attractive price tag Stillwater DX 7/8 fly reel £29.99 www.fishingmegastore.com IF you’re looking for a die-cast reel at a very good price then this is definitely one to look at.

The Stillwater DX reel comes in two sizes, a 7/8 and a 5/6 and both cost just £29.99 with spare spools available at £14.99.

I had the 7/8 model to review and while it is a large arbor design it is a smaller, more compact reel than many others on the market. It has a matt black finish and a distinctive metallic red spindle that houses the disc drag components.

The reel is an open face design and both the cage and spool have been ventilated to keep weight down, but without compromising its overall integrity and strength.

To remove the spool from the cage is a simple pull and push fit, no levers to depress or knobs to turn, making it quick and easy. The spool has a lovely concave profile so the line sits well on the spool.

The disc drag mechanism is all housed in a sealed unit, which will stop any grit or dirt from getting in.

It is operated by a large, easily adjusted three-spoke knob on the back of the reel cage. For a reel of this price the drag is extremely efficient and sensitive on the different settings. It has an audible click on the ‘line out’ and ‘line in’ functions.

The stated capacity of the reel is a WF8 line plus 150 yards of 20lb backing which is a little optimistic.

A standard WF7 line with 100 yards of 20lb is easily achievable, and if a WF8 was going on I would use a micro or gel-core backing which would enable you to get sufficient on.

It comes with a drawstring cloth bag.

VERDICT: A brilliant price for a very efficient workhorse of a reel.

TECH-SPEC MODEL: DX 7/8 Price: £29.99 Weight: 149gr (5.3oz) Diameter: 94mm Width: 36mm Capacity: WF7 plus 100 yards of 20lb backing but more if you used a gel core backing Spare spool £14.99

Tom Regula customised rods £POA www.tomregularods.co.uk WHILE a mass-produced fly rod will obviously do its job, you may be looking for something a bit different, something that is unique to you.

A ‘bespoke’ fly rod will be an object of desire; just yours and no one else will have it. It can be custom-built to your own exact specifications and requirements. It could even become a family heirloom to hand down to your family.

Intrigued? Then check out the website of Tom Regula who has 30 years experience of making custom-built rods built on quality blanks to exacting standards. He will build you a rod on a top-of-the-range blank from manufacturers such as Sage, Orvis, G Loomis, Thomas and Thomas, and RL Winston. He will also assist in picking the appropriate model for your own specific needs. You can be as involved in the whole rod building process as you like so you end up with the rod that’s perfect for your needs.

The rod that Tom sent me as an example of his work is built on a Sage Z-Axis 9ft 6in 7wt blank and features a bespoke rod handle and reel seat. It comes with a rod bag and rod tube and the cost for this particular rod is £750 plus p&p.

The handle is a stunning piece of craftsmanship and I’ve certainly never seen anything quite like it before. It marries quality beechwood inserts with high grade Portuguese cork which not only looks beautiful, but also allows you to feel the way the blank works, registering even the softest of takes.

This is because the wooden inserts, which are in 84 TROUT FISHERMAN | AUGUST 17 - SEPTEMBER 13

Tackle Tester’s Choice

touch with the carbon fibre blank, are denser than cork, giving this added sensitivity.

Even though this rod wasn’t customised for me, the handle was a perfect fit, my thumb and the heel of my hand sitting on the beechwood inserts while my forefingers wrapped around the cork sections giving the perfect grip. It is one of the smoothest, most comfortable rod handles I’ve come across, and provided an excellent grip even when wet.

The reel seat with its beechwood insert is selfcentering and is a single ring uplocking design that has been handcrafted from a solid bar of bronze.

Tom obviously has a real fine eye for detail, and he uses top quality materials including aged wood.

Each rod requires weeks of work and the final price will depend on the blank and materials you choose.

VERDICT: This is a beautiful rod and while the wood/cork handle does make for a heavier outfit, it really wasn’t noticeable at all when I was fishing.

Quality craftsmanship in a rod that’s truly unique.

Tom’s craftsmanship is on show in the beautiful reel seat and handle on this Sage blank.

TECH-SPEC MODEL: CUSTOMISED SAGE Z-AXIS 9FT 6IN 7WT Price: £750 Weight: 132gr (4.7oz) Sections: 4 ■ Bespoke signature handle with figured spalted beechwood and Portuguese cork; beechwood fighting butt; bronze reel seat with single uplocking ring ■ Dark olive blank with dark green Gudebrod thread wrappings and green metallic highlights ■ One SIC stripping guide, 10 hard chrome coated snakes, big loop tip ring, and keeper ring ■ Tube and rod bag

Jerk Alert strike indicators £8.79 www.snowbee.co.uk

“The handle marries quality beechwood inserts with high grade Portuguese cork.”

THESE new strike indicators just might be one of the easiest to use and most secure that I’ve seen.

Each indicator consists of two hard fluorescent coloured foam balls, one of which has a square section attached to it. This square section simply pushes into the corresponding square cut-out hole on the other ball. This gives you the finished shape of the indicator.

You then take the bone-shaped rubber connector, and fit it into the slot at one end of the indicator, pull it through the middle of both and fix it into the slot on the other side. The two balls can now be pulled slightly apart but are held together by this rubber connector.

If you’ve connected them correctly you will see a slot running along the top of both foam balls. Place your leader in this slot, pull the two halves of the indicator apart and rotate one of the balls for a full turn, before locking back together. This spins the leader around the rubber band and as the two balls are brought back together the indicator is locked firmly around the leader. The indicator will not move along the leader, nor will it fly off on the cast, no matter how often you thrash the line.

If you want to reset the depth, either shallower or deeper, you just reverse the process by untwisting the indicator, sliding it along the leader to the desired position and then retwist. This is more easily done on a wet leader than a dry one.

When locking the leader in place don’t be tempted to put in lots of turns, as one full turn is usually more than sufficient. If you are using a very fine diameter leader material then maybe two, or a maximum of three, turns would be needed.

Initially I wasn’t convinced by the colour of the

“They are reusable, easy to reposition and cause no leader damage.” indicators (orange and yellow), which look quite muted. However they are actually made from a fluorescent foam and when they are on the water they do stand out very well.

The indicators come in two sizes: small are 18mm x 9mm and the medium 21mm x 11mm. You get four indicators in each pack and six rubber connectors.

There is a handy video on http://skipsoriginals.com if you want a refresher in how to use them.

VERDICT: I really like these indicators as they are reusable, easy to reposition and cause no leader damage.

You can use two together if you want even more buoyancy and once you are familiar with the connection process they are easy to use.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE THE JERK ALERT INDICATORS

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Each indicator consists of two foam balls, one with a square peg and the other with a hole, plus a rubber connector.

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With the two halves of the indicator connected, place your leader into the aligned slot running along the top.

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Push the two foam balls together with the top slots aligned. This gives you the finished shape of the indicator.

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Fix the connector into the slot at one end of the indicator, pull it across the top slot and fit into the slot on the other side.

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Pull the indicator apart and rotate one of the balls for a full turn. This spins the leader around the rubber connector.

When the two halves are brought back together the indicator is locked firmly on the leader.

AUGUST 17 - SEPTEMBER 13 | TROUT FISHERMAN 85

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