Mikael Frodin Coneheads

[tweedcast]

Frodin was demonstrating his new conehead profile at the Tweed Angling Fair at the weekend.

Essentially the cone teardrop profile has been changed to a concave "scallop" shape to throw the water flow outwards, this allows the soft fly wing to expand and flicker without so much current pressure.

Maybe history in the making, maybe mickey in the taking.

Any views ?

[betanut]

Latter rather than the former IMHO

[salmonfly]

tweedcast said:

Frodin was demonstrating his new conehead profile at the Tweed Angling Fair at the weekend.

Essentially the cone teardrop profile has been changed to a concave "scallop" shape to throw the water flow outwards, this allows the soft fly wing to expand and flicker without so much current pressure.

Maybe history in the making, maybe mickey in the taking.

Any views ?

Betanut I’ve seen them back in march and I thought to myself that he might be on to something good BUT and I will repeat myself again BUT what will the cost of change be??

[macd]

In a recent (in the last year) FF&FT there was a supplement on fishing in Ireland. It included a piece which featured inverted an plastic cone attached to the head of a normal fly. Looked sh*t.

Frodin et al spend too much time on the new black. Its all marketing for a particular manufacturer. Enough already!

[macd]

and another thing, why dont they just put fins on and have done with it....its just a hairwing rapala

[macd]

and you were doing so well springer. maybe the swear detector picked on the three leters in the middle of the word spoon....see ;D


Frodin is undoubtedly a great salmon fisher and fly-tyer. But there comes a point where I dont think they are improving fly fishing for salmon. To be fair I havent seen the scalloped cone, but is it not along the same lines of a rapala? Its getting less and less about the skill of the fisher.

Its getting more and more like spinning. But thats marketing for you. Stick Frodin or Norling's name on something and the punters will que up for it.

Like you, I think much of this is wasted on salar. So not much of an improvement is it?


ross

[easky]

Macd - I have seen the plastic cones that you mentioned, they are made by a Swiss guy (can't remember his name) and are softish plastic that you can turn inside out so that they can be either the usual cone shape or a concave shape. I was very doubtful about them but when he demonstrated them in a water tank they really do impart a lot of movement. So they are effective in terms of 'doing what they say on the tin' but like you I had to question are they really a 'fly' or more like a form of spinner??

At the end of the day I suppose it comes down to the individual and how much of a purist you are

[Fruin]

As an experiment, I tied a conehead fly with the conehead on backwards (yeah OK, but I did it in a moment of desperation). I tried this thinking that it would make the fly wobble a bit and impart more movement into the wing. The results were poor. The fly seemed to swim exactly as a conehead tied in the normal fashion.

The only way to achieve a significant difference in the action was to use either a large plastic reversed cone or a large slice of plastic tied as a lip (rapala style).

So, I'm with MacD on this one - marketing nonsense!!!

[macd]

As you well know easky, Im pure of heart

Here's a thought.........what about handlining as a means to imparting movement to the fly.

They will be putting spoilers on the back of flies next.....

[easky]

Fruin - the Swiss plastic cones do give the wobble you talk about but with the added advantage that they can also be adjusted to form a normal cone as well. I think the idea is that this flexibly allows you to fish them normal cone shaped in faster water and then reverse in slower water.

As you say though there is still the question - is it a fly?

E

[easky]

macd, your purity of heart and intention was never in question ;D

As you say a little handlining does do a similar trick and is something that a lot of Irish ff's do (also moving the rod tip as well in slower water).

[macd]

ive heard you boys like to waggle your tip ;D

[easky]

takes one to know one

[macd]

touche ;D

[betanut]

Jings, I might get controversial here but can we agree or disagree that a comfortable precentage of tackle catches anglers and not fish?!!! That's what the latest conehead 'revolution' says to me at least
I'm guilty of being a tackle tart - but it's hooks for me, being a keen fly tyer I like a hook that makes my 'style' of dressing look good. The Salar range suits me well in that respect, but the coloured hook thing? (silver/black gold) Utter bollocks IMHO - there to catch the anglers attention and serves little real practical purpose. Too much is done to make our sport 'easy' - more and more anglers expect to cast 40 yards rather than dream of it, too many anglers want their tackle to do the thinking for them rather than use the old grey cells
Sure, innovation is a good thing. But I'm with macd here, nowt but a furry rapala.
Is it still a fly - errrr no. Effective probably........

[tweedcast]

OK

I agree the whole shebang is likely to be a marketing ploy - and looking at the cost of the Frodin tube fly system it should come with some sort of guaranteed success. I'm not short of a bob or three but decided not to buy at the princely sum of £5 for a length of plastic tube !!!

The principal is interesting however - salmon fly development for the past fifty years has concentrated on achieving more movement in the fly wing - ie hairwing instead of feather wing, temple dog etc. Frodins tube did not vibrate like a rapala - the cone seemed to allow his soft winging fur to open up more than I see my tubes do when testing in the river. Not that this is necessarily the objective in every case - eg collie dog or sunray shadow.

However in the interest of progress and in case this is a leap into the future I'm going to buy a packet of concave cones and tie one up - will try every trip this year for a short spell and report in the winter.

Anyone want a cone ?

M

[betanut]

I'd settle for a 99 flake?

[macd]

oh dear thats a bad one

would like to see a pic of the fly when you get some tied tweedcast.

[tweedcast]

So here is the new cone shape straight from the Guideline website

[macd]

thanks for the pic tweedcast- good to see what we are talking about.

Im sticking to the 'hairy rapala' position, but will be interested in how you get on with them.

Ross