This week we talked to Jim Teeny, Oregon fly fishing legend about his new projects and product lines. This is an excerpt of that conversation:
What is the most exciting fishing you’re getting into these days in Oregon?
Jim Teeny: Spring Chinook — they start entering the rivers in June. You can always get this info on what rivers have Springers from ODFW. To hook a spring Chinook on a fly is darn near the ultimate fresh water adventure. They’re strong, fast, fat coming in from the ocean. They are going to be in all summer. The springers are explosive.
We’ve had some days on springers where some of us are hooking over 50. You might land one out of three or five and boy is it a workout. We stay with 10 weight rods, a springer can be 12-30 lbs. But as far as powerhouses they’re the best. A lot of guys think you can’t catch them on flies, but they really are wrong.
We use a relatively new line I developed three years ago called our Chuck and Duck — the worlds fastest sinking tips, they’ll almost beat a rock to the bottom. There is tungsten in the coating. It’s not a beautiful casting line. But when you’re in the right water and need to get down, it’s very deadly.
We here you have a new fishing show in the works, can you tell us about it?
Jim Teeny: The show is called Alaska Outdoors and it’s airing in Alaska and British Columbia. It starts September 20th, Saturdays at 5pm. It’s going to run through the rest of the year, and in 2009 we plan to change the name of the program — after my book Fly Fishing Great Waters. We’re focusing on involving kids and groups like Casting for Recovery and Project Healing Waters.
We need to have some meat — big fish — but also have the show be extremely educational. We’d like to talk about tackle selection, and why we’re doing that. My goal would be take the viewer right with me on the trip, and end the program by showing how to tie the patterns we’re using.
What’s new from the Teeny product line?
Teeny: We’re planning to introduce new products this in September at the fly tackle dealer show.
We are working on our popular Mini Tip line. It’s 90 or 100 feet in length and we’re going to introduce a 60-foot entry level line. The reason for the 60-foot line is we are able to greatly reduce the cost of the line to the consumer — it knocks almost $20 off the retail price. If you’re not casting much over 50 feet, then these are a great value.
We’re also working on the Mark Bachmann integrated Spey line. Mark guides on the Deschutes River and owns The Fly Shop in Welches, OR. The one piece Spey line is really going to simplify spey fishing for people who don’t’ like using multiple tips that are looped and hinge lines.
We’re also working on a clear floating tip line with Bruce Chard, very well known guide from Big Pine Key in the Florida Keys for tarpon, permit and bonefish. Our new HPC coating is just the best coating we’ve ever had and if you’re a good caster, you can pick 60-70 feet off the water. Not only can you get the distance — which can be very important in saltwater — but you can get the fly and leader to turn over really well.
