Fortunately i was able to combine two of my major life goals; quit smoking and owning a Hardy demon reel. I have lusted after this reel since it's release two years ago, the only problem being that i couldn't justify owning one, the price of the reel was pretty much the same price as my current whole outfit.
This is where the big quit came in. I had only been dimly aware of the amount i spent on tobacco, for as long as i can remember the cost of my habit was borne as would bare the cost of food, utilities and petrol. Once the connection was made between not smoking and owning this object of desire, the rest was easy.
A couple of months later and I'm now the proud owner of a Hardy Demon Outfit and after a fly fishing packed Easter weekend, the sacrifice has definitely been worth it.
I plumbed for the Hardy demon 9'6'' 7wt rod as i would mainly fish small stillwaters and was looking for a rod that would allow me to cast into a decent headwind and yet still be subtle enough to present a couple of dries. The rod excels at both, i wouldn't be a great caster but the rod is definitely alot more forgiving than my previous Greys GRX one.
The smaller Demon 5000 reel was chosen as i would rarely need to go into the backing and I just thought it looked
I matched the outfit up with a WF floating two tone hardy fly line. This final extravagance was the sweetener on the deal I got from the tackle shop and I'm really pleased with it. There is very little memory, you can easily tell when the running line starts and it picks up off the water brilliant.
So far I've managed to bring it out to two fisheries Woodford and Murloc both times there were active fish near the surface that were responding well to buzzers. The rod and reel have preformed admirably and whilst i struggle to justify the expense I am glad I went the extra distance and bought something i know I'll use and cherish for the next decade or so
19 comments:
Andy, I also quite smoking when I found it hard to breath and also when I crunched the numbers. I figured I could have bought a piece of land or down payment on a house. As for justifying fishing gear, well never felt the need too. I just buy it.
Tight lines with the new reel
Hi Andy...enjoy reading your posts. I'm hoping to fish woodburn over the next couple of weeks. Any good advice you can pass on around flies to use etc? Thanks
FW i'm starting to come around to that way of thinking. a year off the ciggies and i'd have enough to buy a small second hand boat
Jonny - Cheers for your comment. I haven't fished the dams in a while. For some good current info you could try http://www.flyfishingireland.org/forum/index.php there are many local anglers on here that will help you out. You've put me in the mood to get back to woodburn now.
nice post Andy!hope you will try catch snakehead using flyfishing
GOOD FOR YOU!!!!! I wish my husband would stop smoking. Congrats
Congrats on giving up the smoking.
I am a smoker my self and i am now suffering for it.
I waas wanting to pick your brain if i may.
I went out to day and bought my N Ireland fishing licence and permit
(£80 quid) I am looking to go salmon fishing on the Mourne river but I can.t wortk out if I need to buy a day ticket or will the licence and permit cover me.
I have fished on and off from I was a kid and as far as catching fish goes I am still a kid. That is to say I am useless. Still I like to get out and try.
Any help would be great.
I think I will start off with stoneyford so I can get back into the swing of things.
I am thinking of starting a blog to cover my experances and give some hope to other budding fisher men. Well if I can catch a fish, anyone can!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brian - i don't know too much about salmon fishing. it is something i hope to get into though. there is good info on the Mourne on http://www.dcal-fishingni.gov.uk/index/wild_salmon_trout_locations/river_mourne_wild.htm also there is a good book called Rivers of ireland by Peter O'Reilly. i've both his books and find them invaluable. i've fished stoneyford a couple of times in the last few months and have caught a couple of brownies off the far bank by the rocky shore. there were amazing buzzer hatches coming off, they were so loud i thought i was beside a racetrack. let me know how you get on
Hi Andy. what a night, i mean bad..
first i decovered my spinning reel was broke. though i have two of them the other one had little line on it so I was not getting out to far. lost a spinner. As for the fly. well I am a little bit rusty to tell you the truth and with the wind coming face on I had no hope. Talked to a few people and there was nothing doing. Also the place is like a tip-head with rubbish every where. Can't see me going back to soon. Still, it was good to get out in the fresh air.
thanks..
alot of the dcal waters are like that in co antrim. If you have transport you could try Bantry in Co Tyrone
congratulations for you finally quit smoking. i know that its not easy to stop. i've tried it once when i was younger but it makes me sick so i quit. i really hope that you can come to Malaysia one day and bring along your precious reel and try fly fishing for snakehead species here.
Your snakeheads look scary. I know a couple of guys that would fly fish for pike. Probably similar tactics would work
Hi Andy. I have a wee blog I just started up and was wondering if you would give me a link on your blog. You can find me at http://gethookedni.blogspot.com
I wiil of course give you one.
Tight lines.
Brian
@ Brian
Of course. Thats a great looking blog you have, good poem too
Hey Andy, you haven't updated here recently. How are things? How's the new reel?
Congrats andy
It 's a good choice of quitting smoking
Smoking badly damages the health this should be none to the smoker who smokes. Smokers feel that they get pleasure from it but they do not know how badly it affects the health. If someone decides to quit smoking then there is lot of ways for it. Quitting smoking is not the easy task we need to put the lot of efforts in it. In the mission of quitting smoking we can take, the help of our family members, friends and relatives. Also by taking the help of your near and dear ones, you can quit smoking.
I'm happy to hear that you've stopped smoking and you've finally owned your dream fishing reel. In my case, when I quit smoking for good, I first visited the dentist in Los Angeles to whiten my discolored teeth as part of fixing my image.
congrats, I am trying to quit myself. Great blog, you got a new follower
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