Question:

Segar Grand Max is pretty hot right now.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i like fluoracorbon material since the fish kant see it.  its expensive but works awsome.  have you ever perchased florocarbon from cabelas?  is it good.

Response:

i like fluoracorbon material since the fish kant see it.  its expensive but works awsome.  have you ever perchased florocarbon from cabelas?  is it good.

Everyone I know whose fishing I respect uses the same old Maxima – reliable, strong, doesn’t get in a twist. LC — Lazarus Cooke

Response:

i like fluoracorbon material since the fish kant see it.

If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around, will berkeley hear it? (the bishop of Cloyne, not the tackle manufacturer in Iowa) Mu

Response:

<Crap snipped. What you write, is an affront to most people

Question:

Hello!  Has anyone hiked in Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada? I’ll be heading up there in June and I’m looking to spend a couple nights in the backcountry and flyfish.  I’d like to hike in, camp and fish, hike to a second location, and camp for the second night/fish.  Any route suggestions? TIA!

Response:

Haven’t been to that particular park, but anywhere in N.Ontario is bad for bugs at that time of year. Be prepared for blackflies and mosquitoes, i.e. bring bug jackets and bug dope (DEET).

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello!  Has anyone hiked in Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada? I’ll be heading up there in June and I’m looking to spend a couple nights in the backcountry and flyfish.  I’d like to hike in, camp and fish, hike to a second location, and camp for the second night/fish.  Any route suggestions? TIA!

Response:

Hello!  Has anyone hiked in Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada? I’ll be heading up there in June and I’m looking to spend a couple nights in the backcountry and flyfish.  I’d like to hike in, camp and fish, hike to a second location, and camp for the second night/fish.  Any route suggestions? TIA!

Don’t know about fly fishing, but the Gargantua Harbour / Warp Bay area is excellent to hike and explore for several days. Orphan Lake Trail will get you down to the coast where there are several sites to pitch a tent. Peter

Response:

Question:

Some might even prefer celibate Waynos ? TL MC — "Humour is a great comfort in adversity" http://www.mikeconnor.de

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You prefer celibate winters, I assume? — Charlie…

Response:

they do exactly what you do.  hell, you’ve probably had more actual "experience" than many of the advisors posting here. wayno

I don’t know about that, Wayno.  If you ask my wife she’ll tell you most of my fly fishing experience so far is in spending WAY too much money on it:) Tim (I know the kids need to go to college honey…but can’t they work their way through??)

Response:

I usually just use the tippet end of the tapered leader until I change (or lose) several flies and notice the leader getting too short.

The only thing with that is you’re probably into a thicker leader diameter by that time, which might or might not matter.  Plus, if you tie on a tippet from the start, then you know exactly how much you’ve used up (how close to your knot you’ve gotten) If it is a good idea to add tippet from the start, would it be best to use the same tippet size as the leader (i.e. 5X tippet added to a 5X tapered leader) or would it be better to taper it even more by one "X" size?

Either way.  One thing you can do is buy a leader that’s a bit shorter and heavier than you want.  If you want a 9′ 5X, get a 7.5′ 3X or 4X, then tie on 18" of 5X material.  Don’t take the numbers *too* seriously – it’s possible that the 5X tippet from one manufacturer is as thick as the 4X leader tip from another manufacturer, but it should be close enough. Regards, Jeff

Response:

Geez, and I thought a tippet was one of those little tips that Jeff was giving.  Or maybe that was a snippet of a tippet? PatK – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – but can’t figure out what a tippit is? Thanks Adam Adam, A tippet is just that.  A tip to be added to the leader for attaching flys.  You may have purchased an outfit with a tapered leader.  You will find that as you attach flys and replace them, the leader shortens rapidly.  A tippet is tied to the tip of a leader to give a sacrificial attaching point for flys as well as allows you to take the diameter down to the final presentation size for the particular situation. Tippet material is available in various sizes and a length is cut and attached to the leader.  The tippet may be a few inches to several feet long. — Wayne To fish is human….To release Divine! Before you buy.

Before you buy.

Response:

Geez, and I thought a tippet was one of those little tips that Jeff was giving.  Or maybe that was a snippet of a tippet? PatK

Naw, couldn’t be Jeff.  I don’t think you find that in the glossary of terms in the back of "Fly Fishing for Dummies"! — Wayne To fish is human….To release Divine! Before you buy.

Response:

Geez, and I thought a tippet was one of those little tips that Jeff was giving

    normally, that would be referred to as "a pantload". wayno

Response:

who the hell would have the gall, or more especially the *time*, to argue with a human faq?

Almost as difficult as trying to document your nubile adventures, eh Wayno? –Steve

Response:

Is it a good idea to attach a length of tippet to a brand new tapered leader before tying on the first fly?

Yes, it is. If you need a 9-foot 6x leader buy a 7.5 foot 4x tapered leader (or 3x, or whatever the leader snobs say), cut a little bit off (kind of nearly up to the taper) and tie on 6x tippet right away. Try to use the same brand of leader and tippet, and throw away your old tippet before you use it up.         This tippette brought to you by,         rw

Response:

Geez, and I thought a tippet was one of those little tips that Jeff was giving    normally, that would be referred to as "a pantload". wayno

Hey, you could keep griping about it, or you could set me straight if I post a pantload – that way the lurking newbies and I might learn something. Regards, Jeff

Response:

Adam, A tippet is just that.  A tip to be added to the leader for attaching flys.  You may have purchased an outfit with a tapered leader.  You will find that as you attach flys and replace them, the leader shortens rapidly.  A tippet is tied to the tip of a leader to give a sacrificial attaching point for flys as well as allows you to take the diameter down to the final presentation size for the particular situation. Tippet material is available in various sizes and a length is cut and attached to the leader.  The tippet may be a few inches to several feet long.

Is it a good idea to attach a length of tippet to a brand new tapered leader before tying on the first fly? I usually just use the tippet end of the tapered leader until I change (or lose) several flies and notice the leader getting too short. I’ve often wondered what most experienced fly fishermen do with a new leader (assuming they don’t tie their own and use store-bought tapered leaders). If it is a good idea to add tippet from the start, would it be best to use the same tippet size as the leader (i.e. 5X tippet added to a 5X tapered leader) or would it be better to taper it even more by one "X" size? Tim

Response:

It is a good idea to add tippet from the start. You may use lighter tippet if your fly size will allow that. Very light tippet on larger flies or weighted nymphs etc is prone to breaking very quickly, so don

Question:

You may want to try some attractant, it may or may not actually attract them but the confidence boost can do wonders.  Try some beef liver cut into strips, it stays on the hook better.  If you own a pair of binoculars use them.  Most of all have fun and don’t give up! I promise fish will come, I saw (on TV) a trout hit a trolled plastic Batman action figure and your using better bait then that. Chris www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Rapids/4724/

Last summer my kids used gummy worms at my father-in-law’s farm pond, and caught a couple of catfish and a largemouth.  It was a very hot day though, and before long, the rest of the worms had melted into one big glob  :-(

Response:

.ONE LAST THING …SCENT OF YOUR HANDS HEAVY SMOKING,GREASE ,OIL WILL DETER A FISH FROM BITING,ANY LURE MOST OF THE TIME .. Just to add to the last angler’s comments…….Never wash your hands with soap…..If you have to, use some Berkeley Erase and put on your hands. Good fishin’ Garry

You may want to try some attractant, it may or may not actually attract them but the confidence boost can do wonders.  Try some beef liver cut into strips, it stays on the hook better.  If you own a pair of binoculars use them.  Most of all have fun and don’t give up! I promise fish will come, I saw (on TV) a trout hit a trolled plastic Batman action figure and your using better bait then that. Chris www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Rapids/4724/

Response:

Try livebait, if you don’t catch something soon, change body of water; experiment!… Take your time and observe what’s going on around you  [and definitely, READ].

Response:

Some basic rules :  Use purple or Grape colored 6in. plastic Throw in rock piles & heavy brush near shoreline off the main channel move plastics about 6_12 in. at a time in slow or fast jerks. Always pause for a moment between jerks. thats when you watch the line for twitches . At this point set the hook as hard as you can.                  try this.

Response:

 T I M E…YOU JUST HAVE TO PUT YOUR TIME IN…..AND AS FAR AS YOUR NEIGHBORS GO…TELL THEM YOUR A CATCH AND RELEASE TYPE OF GUY…CONSERVATION…..YOU WANT YOUR CHILDRENS CHILDREN TO CATCH FISH ON CATCHING SOME FISH ,START FISHING AROUND OTHER PEOPLE,WATCH WHAT THEY DO!!!!!!! HOW THEY CAST,BAIT ,RIG THEIR POLES….TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE LURE,SLOW,FAST,BROKEN RETREIVE) DONT BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS…GO TO A COUNTY LIBRARY…READ….ORRENT A MOVIE…THEY SHOULD HAVE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO’S ON ALL TYPES OF FISHING….ONE LAST THING …SCENT OF YOUR HANDS HEAVY SMOKING,GREASE ,OIL WILL DETER A FISH FROM BITING,ANY LURE MOST OF THE TIME …I HOPE THAT WILL BRIGHTEN YOUR

Response:

Suggest you try Lafayette Reservoir during the winter months for trout.  Use four pound test, with a small slip sinker, that ends at a snap swivel; a leader of 18" to 24" with a snap swivel on one side and a size 14 or 16 gold treble hook on the other; baited with rainbow, flourescent orange, yellow or green power bait.  Take a row boat to the East Cove in the morning before the sun hits the water.  Cast and let it settle to the bottom – wait.  This is a great way to catch stockers up to 5 lbs.   It is what I usually do when the Sierra is in a cold freeze until the rivers are open for flyfishing.  Wear WARM CLOTHES.  Tight lines. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i love to fish. the problem is, i don’t know how. i usally fish the stocked lakes here in the san francisco-east bay because it’s the only type of fishing that my work schedule will allow me to do.i fish for bass, trout,and catfish.i use a bigger seperate pole for the cats, using chicken livers, while throwing spinners and plastic worms for bass , and power bait for trout, but i never catch any fish. maybe i need rigging skills, i don’t know, but my nieghbors always see me leave with poles and come home with no fish, but it’s even more embarassing when i take some of the son’s of my wifes friends, (or even worse) my own 5 year old daughter who only likes to go when we catch fish.                                                              please help                                                                   cakeman300

  vcard.vcf

< 1K Download

Response:

i love to fish. the problem is, i don’t know how. i usally fish the stocked lakes here in the san francisco-east bay because it’s the only type of fishing that my work schedule will allow me to do.i fish for bass, trout,and catfish.i use a bigger seperate pole for the cats, using chicken livers, while throwing spinners and plastic worms for bass , and power bait for trout, but i never catch any fish. maybe i need rigging skills, i don’t know, but my nieghbors always see me leave with poles and come home with no fish, but it’s even more embarassing when i take some of the son’s of my wifes friends, (or even worse) my own 5 year old daughter who only likes to go when we catch fish.                                                              please help                                                                   cakeman300

Response:

.ONE LAST THING …SCENT OF YOUR HANDS HEAVY SMOKING,GREASE ,OIL WILL DETER A FISH FROM BITING,ANY LURE MOST OF THE TIME ..

Just to add to the last angler’s comments…….Never wash your hands with soap…..If you have to, use some Berkeley Erase and put on your hands.  Good fishin’ Garry

Response:

I’d say Chris covered the best basics, and I’d like to add this cause it happened to me when I started fishing years ago. Do not,I repeat, do not sit around all day Saturdays watching Dance, Houston, Winkleman, Orlando, Lindner,etc , because you’ll wind up tossing 2oz.spinnerbaits, porko fanbelts, carolina rigs, pop-r’s and  rattletraps  tied to 50 lb spiderwire  on some big ass 7 foot pole. Your on a "shit" streak,so rig light line no bigger than 6lbs. for a while. Remember that plastic worms are still on record as catching more bass in more situations than any other lure including live worms. When you are absolutely sure you are fishing too slow, …. SLOW DOWN some more!  "Do sumpin" lures often do something all right .. they keep you casting and retrieving so much,a fish would need a rocketpac just to catch the ‘ damn things! hope this helps ..Saint                                            *Z*  ~ The Saint                                                        

Response:

Question:

: Why dont you look into a used inflatable. They are incredibly light, Can : move real well with minimum H.P., and can be trailered with ease. Most : 13-16 ft inflatables weigh less that 900lbs with engine. They can also : carry more weight in most circumstances than aluminum or fiberglass boats : of the same size. That would have been a good thought, too, but I ended up buying a new 16′ Carolina Skiff, with the semi-v hull. So far, I couldn’t be more delighted. With the boat, that is. My car, as a tow vehicle — another story. Yeah, the Saturn can pull it. On flat stretches, or down-grades, I can even shift into 5th at highway speeds. But I discovered the hard way about certain ramps. Too steep, too slippery, sand at the base….<sigh It sure as hell takes the fun out of things, when you’re worried like hell about getting it back out of the water, at the end of the day….

Response:

Why dont you look into a used inflatable. They are incredibly light, Can move real well with minimum H.P., and can be trailered with ease. Most 13-16 ft inflatables weigh less that 900lbs with engine. They can also carry more weight in most circumstances than aluminum or fiberglass boats of the same size. DB

Response:

Most fiberglass boats are heavy, and that’s the bottom line at to how much push you get from the kicker.  I’ve got a 15′ glass boat that weights about 400 lbs, the builder stamps it as rated for 25hp, but he personally says its ideal for 15 hp, and the coast guard rates it for 40 hp.  I put a 1997 25hp Mercury on it, and it jumps.  Clearly, I could pull a skier. Also, flat bottom boats (like mine) skip like a stone, once you’re on plane, they fly.  But they’re torture in any kind of chop. Carolina skiffs and whalers are heavy.  If you want to conserve, get an aluminum boat.  If you want to know about my boat builder, email me. (small shop in Central Florida.) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It sounds like you want a setup like I got. The boats a 16 foot 1968 Duracraft Aluminum boat. The boat is heavy duty (not a sears special!!!), waying in at about 250 pounds. Its welded at the seems and then has rivited ribs. It was powered by a 1965 Wizard(aka West bend aka Chrysler) 20 HP. This was plenty of power for fishing, though I am in the process of getting a new one (probabl;y a 25hp honda, yamaha, or Mercury). this will probably pull a skier ,maybe, maybe not, never tried. The boat is very stable, is plenty fast for fishing, even with three people, and is strong despite its age. As for trailering, what you got will pull it, (heck even a geo metro would pull it). Figure 250 pounds for the boat, 110 pounds about for the motor, 15 0for the trailer, 100 pounds for gear, 65 pounds for Golden Retriever, and your still under 1000 pounds. Ive pulled this setup with a ‘86 nissan Sentra, so what you got will definantly pull it.                                    Good Luck,                                            Nathan Spitzer Hi folks — I’m suffering from boat fever again, and I’d appreciate any input y’all would be willing to provide, on some pretty basic questions. A couple years ago bought a canoe — almost exclusively for freshwater fishing. Canoe’s aren’t terrific fishing platforms, and finally I sold it and bought a 12′ aluminum Jon boat, which I car-topped. All I could afford, along with an old Sears 5hp engine, which still gives me nightmares. This boat was better, but issues related to car-topping started to become problematic: Haul nasty, leaking engine down 3 flights of stairs, and put in the back seat. Go back for rods, tackle, paddle, anchor, cooler, trolling motor and *heavy* battery, a zillion other things, and load *that* somewhere in my car. Drive somewhere else where my boat was. Tie that on the roof. Scratch roof, getting careless trying to load the boat by myself. Drive to the lake. Do all of the above, in reverse. And that’s just getting in the water. Y’all probably get the idea — I should have bought a trailer, but I couldn’t afford one, at the time. So I finally sold that, too, a month ago. Enough rambling. I’m at a point where I’ve got a little more money, and would like a truly decent boat for fishing/recreation. First: Towing. This is a big issue, and I know nothing about it. I’ve got a 4dr, FWD Saturn with 100k+ miles. I recall the owner’s manual saying something about 1k lbs max, but….? Is that realistic? Were I to buy a used 4-cyl truck, something like an S-10, or Nissan, or Toyota, would this dramatically increase my towing capacity? Are there any web-sites devoted to this — I sure haven’t found much, searching. Second: I’ve seen some ads for "hulls only" for things like 13′ Whalers, and Carolina Skiffs and such. Exactly what would be involved dressing ‘em up for a fishing boat, with enough power to tow the infrequent skier? I’m not entirely inept with common tools, but I’m not sure if this is really a job for the the casual handyman, or if it would cost more than a used boat in the same configuration — ie, center console, a couple seats. Also, would a motor sufficient to pull a skier (nothing fancy, just adequate) + boat + trailer start to get well over anything I could possibly tow with my car or a light-truck? *Roughly*, and I know this is an extremely technical issue in and of itself, but how many HP are we talking about for the above, anyway? 40? 50? 60, minimum? The thing is, I’ve seen old MFG’s and stuff, with ancient, but large OB’s, in the price range I’m looking at. They look heavy as *hell*, and also I have no idea if they’d even run a single season. I’ve seen newish Skiffs with smaller engines (ie, 25hp), that do look light enough to pull with my current car, but I can’t imagine they could get a skier out of the water, and I might be considerably deceived by appearance — they could be quite heavy, too, in reality. Is there any magic combination out there? I could put a hitch on my Saturn and get another, larger Jon boat, but I don’t really want to settle for a compromise, again. I’d rather work for another year or two, and be able to afford something else. Anyway, I’ve babbled enough — any thoughts (to the group’s fine) would sure be appreciated. Steve

Response:

Hi folks — I’m suffering from boat fever again, and I’d appreciate any input y’all would be willing to provide, on some pretty basic questions. A couple years ago bought a canoe — almost exclusively for freshwater fishing. Canoe’s aren’t terrific fishing platforms, and finally I sold it and bought a 12′ aluminum Jon boat, which I car-topped. All I could afford, along with an old Sears 5hp engine, which still gives me nightmares. This boat was better, but issues related to car-topping started to become problematic: Haul nasty, leaking engine down 3 flights of stairs, and put in the back seat. Go back for rods, tackle, paddle, anchor, cooler, trolling motor and *heavy* battery, a zillion other things, and load *that* somewhere in my car. Drive somewhere else where my boat was. Tie that on the roof. Scratch roof, getting careless trying to load the boat by myself. Drive to the lake. Do all of the above, in reverse. And that’s just getting in the water. Y’all probably get the idea — I should have bought a trailer, but I couldn’t afford one, at the time. So I finally sold that, too, a month ago. Enough rambling. I’m at a point where I’ve got a little more money, and would like a truly decent boat for fishing/recreation. First: Towing. This is a big issue, and I know nothing about it. I’ve got a 4dr, FWD Saturn with 100k+ miles. I recall the owner’s manual saying something about 1k lbs max, but….? Is that realistic? Were I to buy a used 4-cyl truck, something like an S-10, or Nissan, or Toyota, would this dramatically increase my towing capacity? Are there any web-sites devoted to this — I sure haven’t found much, searching. Second: I’ve seen some ads for "hulls only" for things like 13′ Whalers, and Carolina Skiffs and such. Exactly what would be involved dressing ‘em up for a fishing boat, with enough power to tow the infrequent skier? I’m not entirely inept with common tools, but I’m not sure if this is really a job for the the casual handyman, or if it would cost more than a used boat in the same configuration — ie, center console, a couple seats. Also, would a motor sufficient to pull a skier (nothing fancy, just adequate) + boat + trailer start to get well over anything I could possibly tow with my car or a light-truck? *Roughly*, and I know this is an extremely technical issue in and of itself, but how many HP are we talking about for the above, anyway? 40? 50? 60, minimum? The thing is, I’ve seen old MFG’s and stuff, with ancient, but large OB’s, in the price range I’m looking at. They look heavy as *hell*, and also I have no idea if they’d even run a single season. I’ve seen newish Skiffs with smaller engines (ie, 25hp), that do look light enough to pull with my current car, but I can’t imagine they could get a skier out of the water, and I might be considerably deceived by appearance — they could be quite heavy, too, in reality. Is there any magic combination out there? I could put a hitch on my Saturn and get another, larger Jon boat, but I don’t really want to settle for a compromise, again. I’d rather work for another year or two, and be able to afford something else. Anyway, I’ve babbled enough — any thoughts (to the group’s fine) would sure be appreciated. Steve

Response:

It sounds like you want a setup like I got. The boats a 16 foot 1968 Duracraft Aluminum boat. The boat is heavy duty (not a sears special!!!), waying in at about 250 pounds. Its welded at the seems and then has rivited ribs. It was powered by a 1965 Wizard(aka West bend aka Chrysler) 20 HP. This was plenty of power for fishing, though I am in the process of getting a new one (probabl;y a 25hp honda, yamaha, or Mercury). this will probably pull a skier ,maybe, maybe not, never tried. The boat is very stable, is plenty fast for fishing, even with three people, and is strong despite its age. As for trailering, what you got will pull it, (heck even a geo metro would pull it). Figure 250 pounds for the boat, 110 pounds about for the motor, 15 0for the trailer, 100 pounds for gear, 65 pounds for Golden Retriever, and your still under 1000 pounds. Ive pulled this setup with a ‘86 nissan Sentra, so what you got will definantly pull it.                                         Good Luck,                                                 Nathan Spitzer – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hi folks — I’m suffering from boat fever again, and I’d appreciate any input y’all would be willing to provide, on some pretty basic questions. A couple years ago bought a canoe — almost exclusively for freshwater fishing. Canoe’s aren’t terrific fishing platforms, and finally I sold it and bought a 12′ aluminum Jon boat, which I car-topped. All I could afford, along with an old Sears 5hp engine, which still gives me nightmares. This boat was better, but issues related to car-topping started to become problematic: Haul nasty, leaking engine down 3 flights of stairs, and put in the back seat. Go back for rods, tackle, paddle, anchor, cooler, trolling motor and *heavy* battery, a zillion other things, and load *that* somewhere in my car. Drive somewhere else where my boat was. Tie that on the roof. Scratch roof, getting careless trying to load the boat by myself. Drive to the lake. Do all of the above, in reverse. And that’s just getting in the water. Y’all probably get the idea — I should have bought a trailer, but I couldn’t afford one, at the time. So I finally sold that, too, a month ago. Enough rambling. I’m at a point where I’ve got a little more money, and would like a truly decent boat for fishing/recreation. First: Towing. This is a big issue, and I know nothing about it. I’ve got a 4dr, FWD Saturn with 100k+ miles. I recall the owner’s manual saying something about 1k lbs max, but….? Is that realistic? Were I to buy a used 4-cyl truck, something like an S-10, or Nissan, or Toyota, would this dramatically increase my towing capacity? Are there any web-sites devoted to this — I sure haven’t found much, searching. Second: I’ve seen some ads for "hulls only" for things like 13′ Whalers, and Carolina Skiffs and such. Exactly what would be involved dressing ‘em up for a fishing boat, with enough power to tow the infrequent skier? I’m not entirely inept with common tools, but I’m not sure if this is really a job for the the casual handyman, or if it would cost more than a used boat in the same configuration — ie, center console, a couple seats. Also, would a motor sufficient to pull a skier (nothing fancy, just adequate) + boat + trailer start to get well over anything I could possibly tow with my car or a light-truck? *Roughly*, and I know this is an extremely technical issue in and of itself, but how many HP are we talking about for the above, anyway? 40? 50? 60, minimum? The thing is, I’ve seen old MFG’s and stuff, with ancient, but large OB’s, in the price range I’m looking at. They look heavy as *hell*, and also I have no idea if they’d even run a single season. I’ve seen newish Skiffs with smaller engines (ie, 25hp), that do look light enough to pull with my current car, but I can’t imagine they could get a skier out of the water, and I might be considerably deceived by appearance — they could be quite heavy, too, in reality. Is there any magic combination out there? I could put a hitch on my Saturn and get another, larger Jon boat, but I don’t really want to settle for a compromise, again. I’d rather work for another year or two, and be able to afford something else. Anyway, I’ve babbled enough — any thoughts (to the group’s fine) would sure be appreciated. Steve

Response:

Question:

Bill, These sound like questions posed to you by the DEC (or whoever) after you sent them our responses? And thanks for taking this on. The DEC needs to know that people really are concerned about this issue. Regarding the previous thread we have discussed, would you think a one fish limit would adversely effect businesses? Would a catch and release regulation adversely affect busines??

This of course depends on the business. I’m sure places that buy/sell eggs would suffer, as would those who clean and smoke fish. I would suspect that the business to guide and lodge people who already practice CPR (Catch, Photo, Release) would be unchanged, or even see an increase in business. If I had a message to send to the folks in Pulaski, it would be that a nice flyrod costs significantly more than an Ugly Stick. As can be shown all over the world – there is money to be made by catering to people who flyfish. Just because you outlaw snagging or whatever doesn’t mean that the local economy is in ruin. In fact, changing the regs should be viewed as a method to *INCREASE* the cash flow into the area. A shop just might have to switch from cleaning fish and tying spawn sacks to tying flies and selling materials. Big deal. Would you continue to be challanged by this fishery if either regulations went into effect?

Well, duh! <big grin, of course If the challenge was just to bring home a cooler full of fish, then there are better ways of doing that then standing in 33 degree water in a blizzard. OF COURSE I’d still be challenged. These are steelhead for crying out loud. They’re never going to be push-overs no matter how many you can keep. Heck, let’s be radical here. Make the whole d*mned river Catch and Release, artificials only. And stop stocking all those Pacific salmon and maybe the temptation to snag might actually fade a bit. Replace them with Atlantics. If you can get a significant run of sizeable Atlantic Salmon, the money will flow into Pulaski like never before. Or just make up the difference with Lakers, Browns, and Steelhead. Eventually, you might be able to fish the Salmon River without having to defend your reasons why. Wouldn’t that be nice? Well – you *did* ask for opinions, didn’t you? Bob Petti Endwell, NY

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Regarding the previous thread we have discussed, would you think a one fish limit would adversely effect businesses? Would a catch and release regulation adversely affect busines?? Would you continue to be challanged by this fishery if either regulations went into effect? Again, thanks for your comments. Bill — Bill Fling                     Tel. (315) 298-3044 SALMON RIVER ANGLERS LODGE     FAX  (315) 298-2619 P.O. Box 353                   Rt. 13, Rome Road Pulaski, NY 13142-0353  ’SALMON RIVER/LAKE ONTARIO SPORTFISHING REPORTS’            ’http://www.salmon-river.com’

I love the Salmon River area.   I won’t come up to fish the public streches in the fall when the slobs are shoulder to shoulder in the river (a friend went up last year, and said that fellow "anglers" would cut his line or burn it through with a cigarette when he couldn’t follow a fish downstream fast enough and it crossed in front of someone else.)  However, another friend tells me that he knows how to take steelhead on dries in October, obviously in the private stretches, and I want to come up and try that. I also plan to come up and fly fish for pike and smallmouth in the lower river in July, when the town is quiet and the fish relatively unmolested.  And I am considering a winter drift-boat trip. Will a one-fish regulation hurt business?  I think yes, at least at first, because a lot of the people who come up are looking for the festival atmosphere and the chance to kill something. Can the lost business be made up?  Perhaps, if quality is emphasized over quantity, and an effort is made to attract the sportsman and actively dissuade the slob.  One-fish limits, FF-only, emphasizing underexploited opportunities with local species like pike can help. But can they overcome the volume you will lose?  I don’t know, and I am pessimistic, as much as I know that I would be eager to come. "Moderation should never be taken to extremes"

Response:

Bill, These sound like questions posed to you by the DEC (or whoever) after you sent them our responses?

Nope, these are my questions regarding a really serious issue here locally. I’m a new president of the local Chamber of Commerce and need to find out what our customers think. You know, those folks who make this economy possible! And thanks for taking this on. The DEC needs to know that people really are concerned about this issue.

No problem, my skin is getting thicker every day. Thanks for the input, it counts. Sincerely, Bill — Bill Fling                     Tel. (315) 298-3044 SALMON RIVER ANGLERS LODGE     FAX  (315) 298-2619 P.O. Box 353                   Rt. 13, Rome Road Pulaski, NY 13142-0353   ‘SALMON RIVER/LAKE ONTARIO SPORTFISHING REPORTS’             ‘http://www.salmon-river.com’

Response:

Regarding the previous thread we have discussed, would you think a one fish limit would adversely effect businesses? Would a catch and release regulation adversely affect busines?? Would you continue to be challanged by this fishery if either regulations went into effect? Again, thanks for your comments. Bill — Bill Fling                     Tel. (315) 298-3044 SALMON RIVER ANGLERS LODGE     FAX  (315) 298-2619 P.O. Box 353                   Rt. 13, Rome Road Pulaski, NY 13142-0353   ‘SALMON RIVER/LAKE ONTARIO SPORTFISHING REPORTS’             ‘http://www.salmon-river.com’

Response:

Question:

Yesterday, my buddy and I went out to a stretch of the Winnipeg River, east of Winnipeg, Manitoba. We head to our best spring pike spot. An expansive weed flat in a shallow, north bay. We chuck some spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. Lots of followers! HUGE followers! No bites except for a couple 12-inchers. Try some sluggos – nothing. Try some Rapala-type minnows – nothing.  ’Well, I guess they aren’t hungry’ my buddy says…..We’re packing up, and I spot an old spoon in the bottom of my tackle box. Now, I always thought spoons were kinda…, what…., old fashioned? Low-tech? What the heck, it’s worth a try. I toss it….BANG – 5 pounder. Nice. Try again. BANG – 8 pounder. NICE. My buddy loads up a weedless spoon – BANG – 6 pounder. We drifted across the flat for 2 hours, caught over 20 fish. One was my new personal best, 13 pounds, 37inches long…. caught on a ‘five of diamonds’ spoon. Now, compared to some of the fly-in spots, these aren’t big fish. But considering that these were caught 5 minutes from a public boat launch, we couldn’t have been happier. Lesson learned – pike like spoons. Thanks,guys,,,,just had to share my good fortune. Brian ps – all the fish were caught on Fusion – I love Fusion. SOLID hooksets, especially when your barbs are pinched.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yesterday, my buddy and I went out to a stretch of the Winnipeg River, east of Winnipeg, Manitoba. We head to our best spring pike spot. An expansive weed flat in a shallow, north bay. We chuck some spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. Lots of followers! HUGE followers! No bites except for a couple 12-inchers. Try some sluggos – nothing. Try some Rapala-type minnows – nothing.  ’Well, I guess they aren’t hungry’ my buddy says…..We’re packing up, and I spot an old spoon in the bottom of my tackle box. Now, I always thought spoons were kinda…, what…., old fashioned? Low-tech? What the heck, it’s worth a try. I toss it….BANG – 5 pounder. Nice. Try again. BANG – 8 pounder. NICE. My buddy loads up a weedless spoon – BANG – 6 pounder. We drifted across the flat for 2 hours, caught over 20 fish. One was my new personal best, 13 pounds, 37inches long…. caught on a ‘five of diamonds’ spoon. Now, compared to some of the fly-in spots, these aren’t big fish. But considering that these were caught 5 minutes from a public boat launch, we couldn’t have been happier. Lesson learned – pike like spoons. Thanks,guys,,,,just had to share my good fortune. Brian ps – all the fish were caught on Fusion – I love Fusion. SOLID hooksets, especially when your barbs are pinched.

I live in Oregon, U.S.A. and fish at Flin-Flon, Manitoba every year and find that my best baits for northerns are spoons and #5 Mepps spinners. We catch numerous pike in the 20-25 pound class with them.  Not every cast, however.  It is still work. I have also found that fishing the Mepps vertically can be productive at times.  Just open the bail and let it drop 50-75 feet to the bottom.  Then give it a "reef" and start cranking.  You might be surprised.  On my first 4 "drops" I landed 3 lake trout.  Sometimes they hit.  Sometimes they don’t!  

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Question:

Asa rule, the weather there is really crummy during that time of year. The crystal clear waters and warm weather that all of us are sold on is about three months away. This period is right during their Winter-Spring transition. If you are lucky, though, you might be able to pick up a small black marlin. I was there last august specifically for that, but we got blown out. For more info on that fishing, contact Capt. Craig "Sparrow" Denham at 079 453 217 which is his phone and fax. For more information on General fishing, contact Carol North at Cairns Reef Charter Services at 070 31 4742 ph. or 070 31 4610 fax. Let me know if you need anymore information. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –  The Iast week in August my wife and I are going to Austrailia  and we will be spending 5 days cruising around the Great Barrier Reef and I will be doing a lot of fly fishing. I would like to know if anyone could give me some info on the type of fish I can expect to catch and what patterns will be good for this area. Thanks Bill.

Response:

 The Iast week in August my wife and I are going to Austrailia  and we will be spending 5 days cruising around the Great Barrier Reef and I will be doing a lot of fly fishing. I would like to know if anyone could give me some info on the type of fish I can expect to catch and what patterns will be good for this area. Thanks Bill.

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Question:

Normally I just give any fish I catch a slurp of beer before I let it go.   Sometimes a puff off my Cuentes Fuega, if I’m really in a good mood. Tim Walker

Most of the fish I catch prefer a fine Macanudo, but I’ve noticed no preference for any particular beer. Grant  

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : Bob feeding wild trout in Montana may not make the F&G happy but its makes : us who release them smile. Write me on e-mail about feeding trout because :                                                                     Bryant : Blewett STOP IT  !!! STOP IT RIGHT NOW DAMMIT !!!   Feeding Wild Trout ? You *MUST* be joking, RIGHT ?!?!? This really, really irritates me and I’ll flame until the damn cows come into the barn.  What are you trying to do here ?  Be ‘nice’ to the little fishies ?  What do you want…do you want them to come around like little collies when you get home from work ? You wanna *FEED* wild trout ?  Stay out of the damn river bed and let the little 400 per sq feet caddis worms make it to another instar.  You wanna be ‘nice’ to the fishie…don’t handle it at all out of the water. I’m sorry, but IMHO this is a really stupid idea. Tim Walker

Have to agree with Tim.  This bizarre practice, of which I have not heard until joining this newsgroup, smacks of trout training.  Now granted, most of us enjoy fishing for non-native species in non-natural environments (e.g., rainbow and brown trout in tailwater areas), so decrying the practice as ‘unnatural’ may be pointless; still, once you have shocked a fish’s system as hard as we do when we catch them, it seems outrageous to think that force-feeding them a grub before release can do anything but hurt them.  If you need to "pay the gods" or in some other way assuage your guilt about this sport, I suggest thinking seriously about what happens when we fish.  The bottom line is this:   Fishing KILLS FISH, whether we release them or not.  A 4% mortality rate on released fish seems like wishful thinking; and even if true, that’s 4 dead fish for every hundred you release.  It seems like some twisted form of denial to claim that we are helping trout by fishing for them.   Our "help" is a by-product of the fact that we care so much about them. Trying to obscure the fatal nature of our sport shows, I think, a lack of responsibility for our actions.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Forgive me if this thread has come and gone…I haven’t seen it in the approx. six months I’ve been on the net. Whilst flipping through one of my many catalogs (Orvis? Cabela’s?) I came across the "accessories" page and found all of those ludicrous gadgets that no one in their right mind should pay money for like long handled bug nets, mesh mits to wear on your hand to "sift the drift", etc.  This section also contained what looked like one of those basting tubes you use to baste your turkey, i.e. it looks like a large plastic medicine dropper.  This contraption turned out to be a stomach pump, used to check out what a fish was eating without chopping it up. I had heard that these things were out there, but had never seen one before and it got me thinking…how many people actually use such things?  Is the act of pumping out a fish’s stomach traumatic to the fish?  My guess is that the potential is there to do some serious damage.  Why would you use one of these things, anyway…if you’ve caught a fish, then you are using an imitation that looked enough like what the fish wanted to eat, enough to fool the fish, anyway.      Besides, isn’t much of the fun in flyfishing the mental aspects of solving the puzzle of what the fish are eating (and getting a reasonable facsimile in front of them)? Using one of these things seems to me a lot like doing a crossword puzzle by copying the solution from the back of the book. However, this concern of mine is secondary to my concern for the welfare of a pumped out fish.  Any thoughts? Paul DiConza       NY Capital District Angler

After reading this, my first reaction was if the fish wasn’t tramatized by the pump, then he probably had a reduced chance of surviving due to having an empty stomach and having to fill it again. This got me to thinking…. I know it’s weird, but what if before you release a fish you drop a food pellet or something similar into it’s gullet? A caught fish has to expend energy to fight, and if we are releasing fish, we want them to survive. Won’t their chances of survival be increased if we feed them before we release them? Maybe a fisheries biologist can concoct a high protien multi-vitamin pellet to give the fish before it’s released. Perhaps we can tip the scales in favor of survival instead of making the fish use precious energy needed for making through the next winter. Any comments? Darryl

Response:

 A feeding frenzy breaks the placidity of the surface as wild voracious brown and rainbows(B.W.-Before Whirl) attack the pellets like blues on shad. He is prepared with his double pom pom chow fly he just bought at the Orvis

.shop.  He casts.  Hooks.  Lands.  He has to beach the 11" brut. Use cigarrete butts, they float well and their free. (accept at Orvis)

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: Normally I just give any fish I catch a slurp of beer before I let it go.   : Sometimes a puff off my Cuentes Fuega, if I’m really in a good mood. C’mon, you’re just blowing smoke up our…gills. Rick — T. Rick Fletcher   –   http://www.chem.uidaho.edu/~fletcher/ Assistant professor of chemistry  |  That’s Idaho, not Iowa.    |  These University of Idaho               |  Upper Left Hand Corner.    |  opinions Moscow, ID 83844-2343             |  No, I don’t grow potatoes. |  are mine.  

Response:

STOP IT  !!! STOP IT RIGHT NOW DAMMIT !!!   Feeding Wild Trout ? You *MUST* be joking, RIGHT ?!?!? This really, really irritates me and I’ll flame until the damn cows come into the barn.  What are you trying to do here ?  Be ‘nice’ to the little fishies ?  What do you want…do you want them to come around like little collies when you get home from work ? You wanna *FEED* wild trout ?  Stay out of the damn river bed and let the little 400 per sq feet caddis worms make it to another instar.  You wanna be ‘nice’ to the fishie…don’t handle it at all out of the water. I’m sorry, but IMHO this is a really stupid idea. Tim Walker

    Tim, you seem to be a bit upset.

Response:

I have been giving C&R fish nice fat grubs for the last several years. My only problem is, how do I explain to the game warden that "no I was not using bait…." On some rivers, you get to know some of the regular large trout.  Some guys bring in food, or toss peices of their lunch to these fish.  Peices of bologna, or wounded grasshoppers found on shore.  They just toss the food to the fish swimming in the river.  Somehow this seems a little more humane  and a lot easier.

And in some states, this could be called "chumming" and is illegal. IMHO, the practice doesn’t make sense anyway.  After being caught, a fish will be tired and scared, and the last thing it wants to do is eat dinner. It usually wants to go hide in a hole and recover for a while. A properly played fish shouldn’t need an extra meal to survive. — Hewlett Packard Co.                         Fort Collins, Colorado       "Midnight shakes the memory as a madman shakes a dead geranium."                                             – T.S. Eliot

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – … Is the act of pumping out a fish’s stomach traumatic to the fish?   I don’t think anyone in their right mind would think they could do this on a fish to be released, …. Are these things marketed for use on fish to be released? Mark Vinsel Mark, you make a good point which I hadn’t thought about.  I just assumed that stomach pumps were in fact marketed for fish to be released.  It never occurred to me that one would want to use a pump on a dead fish…. Paul DiConza

I’ve seen fly fishing videos that demonstrate the use of a stomach pump on fish to be released, and that are fully expected to live.  I feel that there are many things that a flyfisher can do to increse a fish’s chances of survival, and certainly the less a fish is handled the better.  I try to release a fish at my feet while it is still in the water, by just grasping the fly and giving a quick little backwards twist.  I rarely touch a fish at all unless I plan to keep it.  On the other hand I am sure that those who use a stomach pump on a fish are trying to inteligently study the eating habits of the fish they catch, while still giving the fish a "good" chance of survival.   I hope the fish do survive, and I think that most could, if the angler is conscientious about all aspects of the catch/pump/and release process.  Let’s try not to be to hasty about condemning others about their fishing beliefs.   After all, those who don’t fish at all give the fish a much higher chance of survival.  Where does that place us on the rightousness continuum? Provo, Utah

Response:

I don’t know, and I maybe putting my foot in my mouth, but I have read several books and articles about using stomach pumps on fish.  Some scientists say that if you are careful (and quick), using the pump will not hurt the fish in the slightest. -Paul *                       *    "To catch a river unguarded is less a        * * Paul "Cousin" Graham   *    matter of where to look than of when, and   * *                          *  I have a secret time."-Ted Leeson           *

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – … Is the act of pumping out a fish’s stomach traumatic to the fish?   Yes, unless the fish was dead first. I don’t think anyone in their right mind would think they could do this on a fish to be released, especially considering the clear correlation between small time out of water and death rate. I often check the contents of fish I keep, and it is fascinating. I have found two different fish caught from the same section of the same lake at the same time, each gorged with a different specific nymph. I have also set the contents in a cup of water over a weekend trip and watched most of the nymphs come back to life and hatch. A pump is not necessary. Are these things marketed for use on fish to be released? Mark Vinsel

Mark, you make a good point which I hadn’t thought about.  I just assumed that stomach pumps were in fact marketed for fish to be released.  It never occurred to me that one would want to use a pump on a dead fish, when it is so easy to examine the contents of the stomach when the fish is cut open. Maybe some people are too squeamish?!  However, in the back of my mind I seem to recollect a story I read where people were using these things on live fish and releasing the fish to die in the river.  I hope this practice isn’t widespread. Paul DiConza NY Capital District Angler

Response:

Are these things marketed for use on fish to be released?

Yes!  I think it’s a cruel hoax on both fisherfolk and fish to even sell these things.  Now that I’m thinking about it, I beleive I shall send a letter to all my FF supliers and ask them to discontinue carrying them.  If you want to kill and eat a fish, feel free to examine it’s innards.  If you are going to let it go, then please do your best to insure that your efforts are rewarded with the fish surviving so I can catch it later.  Factors that have been shown to improve survival of C&R fish are:         1.      Use barbless hooks.         2.      Use single point hooks.         3.      Use artificial baits (eg flies)         4.      Handle the fish as little as possible         5.      Avoid taking the fish out of water Good luck, and may you get lots of practice in the art of C&R. . Lenny Bloksberg . .

Response:

I agree that pumping the inerds of a fish is nasty and mean thing to do. Also, I imagine that it takes a lot of good fishing time away. Are we on the stream to peer into the gizzards of a lovely fish or enjoy the environment and …  Of course, if you’re trying to retrieve a fly… –grant

Response:

… Is the act of pumping out a fish’s stomach traumatic to the fish?  

Yes, unless the fish was dead first. I don’t think anyone in their right mind would think they could do this on a fish to be released, especially considering the clear correlation between small time out of water and death rate. I often check the contents of fish I keep, and it is fascinating. I have found two different fish caught from the same section of the same lake at the same time, each gorged with a different specific nymph. I have also set the contents in a cup of water over a weekend trip and watched most of the nymphs come back to life and hatch. A pump is not necessary. Are these things marketed for use on fish to be released? Mark Vinsel May the wild ones live, and may their progeny break the tippets of our grandchildren. Visit my gallery: http://www.lanminds.com/local/vinnie/gallery.HTML

Response:

Forgive me if this thread has come and gone…I haven’t seen it in the approx. six months I’ve been on the net. Whilst flipping through one of my many catalogs (Orvis? Cabela’s?) I came across the "accessories" page and found all of those ludicrous gadgets that no one in their right mind should pay money for like long handled bug nets, mesh mits to wear on your hand to "sift the drift", etc.  This section also contained what looked like one of those basting tubes you use to baste your turkey, i.e. it looks like a large plastic medicine dropper.  This contraption turned out to be a stomach pump, used to check out what a fish was eating without chopping it up.       I had heard that these things were out there, but had never seen one before and it got me thinking…how many people actually use such things?  Is the act of pumping out a fish’s stomach traumatic to the fish?  My guess is that the potential is there to do some serious damage.  Why would you use one of these things, anyway…if you’ve caught a fish, then you are using an imitation that looked enough like what the fish wanted to eat, enough to fool the fish, anyway.      Besides, isn’t much of the fun in flyfishing the mental aspects of solving the puzzle of what the fish are eating (and getting a reasonable facsimile in front of them)? Using one of these things seems to me a lot like doing a crossword puzzle by copying the solution from the back of the book. However, this concern of mine is secondary to my concern for the welfare of a pumped out fish.  Any thoughts? Paul DiConza     NY Capital District Angler

Response:

Question:

| The last couple of years I have become more and more keen on fly | fishing after trout. My experience with fishing wet, dry and streamer | flies is good, but when it comes to using nymph flies I have not been | very successful. | | Several have told me how enjoyable and efficient nymphing can be but | I have yet to experience this. | | I dont think this have anything to do with the patterns I have used | as I have tried out several different ones at several occasions. | I rather suspect my lack of success is due to the fact that my | techniques using nymph flies needs improvements. | | So, anybody out there who are having success with nymphing, please | share your techniques with us who dont. | | Terje |         I have been nymph fishing reasonably successfully for about 10 years , although last year I did not have as much success as previous years, I dont know why. I will share my "rules" for nymphing.                 1) Make sure that your nymph is in a dead drift without                 too much slack in your line. Since you cannot see the nymph,                 the determination of whether you are doing this right is many                 times based on where you cast and the feel of the line when                 you pick it up. This part is the hardest to get right.                 2) I generally cast upstream and do not let it drift too far                 downstream from me. Others may certainly use different                                  techniques here.                 3) Use a visible indicator and SET THE HOOK on anything that                 even slightly resembles a strike. 90% of the time it will                 not be a fish, but you never know.                 4) If you are not occasionally hanging up on the bottom, and                 if you are not catching fish, then put more weight on.                 5) Set the hook everytime you pick up your line for another                 cast. I have caught many fish this way and missed many when                 I haven’t followed this rule.                 6) If all else fails–use smaller nymphs.               Nymphing is hard, and its really not as much fun as dry fly fishing ( in my opinion anyways), but it can be very productive. Good luck, Dan

Response:

The last couple of years I have become more and more keen on fly fishing after trout. My experience with fishing wet, dry and streamer flies is good, but when it comes to using nymph flies I have not been very successful.

In a lake ? fast stream ? or slow deep pools? Several have told me how enjoyable and efficient nymphing can be but I have yet to experience this.

I have read that fully 50% of all takes on a nymph go undetected by the fisherman — probably true. It took several months before I started to consistently catch fish on a nymph (fast streams and deep pools). Some people use a strike indicator- small float or adhesive foam pad. I don’t care for them. Instead I try to keep the line tight and watch for *any* deviation in the line movement (floating line). If the slows, speeds up or changes course in its drift I give a slight tug on the line. Be prepared to set the hook if there is any resistance at this point. Often there will be a good, solid  hit on the nymph at the end of its drift, as it starts to turn out in the current, so let it drift till then. If necessary weight the nymph to get it down to the fish. A split-shot about 8 inches above the nymph should do it. Nymphing in slow water is another deal- requires ’swiming’ the nymph through the pool. I haven’t done this so I can’t offer any advice. I dont think this have anything to do with the patterns I have used as I have tried out several different ones at several occasions.

I like very buggy patterns like the GR Hares Ear. I rather suspect my lack of success is due to the fact that my techniques using nymph flies needs improvements.

or just practice. Try setting the hook on the slightest deviation of the line float. Eventually you start responding preferentially to true takes So, anybody out there who are having success with nymphing, please share your techniques with us who dont. Terje

mike

Response:

The last couple of years I have become more and more keen on fly fishing after trout. My experience with fishing wet, dry and streamer flies is good, but when it comes to using nymph flies I have not been very successful. Several have told me how enjoyable and efficient nymphing can be but I have yet to experience this. I dont think this have anything to do with the patterns I have used as I have tried out several different ones at several occasions. I rather suspect my lack of success is due to the fact that my techniques using nymph flies needs improvements. So, anybody out there who are having success with nymphing, please share your techniques with us who dont. Terje

Response:

| | So, anybody out there who are having success with nymphing, please | share your techniques with us who dont. | | Terje | Step 1) Use a strike indicator until you develop the ability to detect strikes by subtle line motions or flashes. I prefer small flourescent corks that slide up/down the leader. They can be secured to the leader by the end of a toothpick. I usually use a 9 – 12 foot leader. Setp 2) Determine how deep the water is and position the strike indicator 1 1/2 times the water depth above the nymph. Step 3) Nymphing is easier if the water is flowing fast enough for you to approach within 15′ of the fish. FInd a stretch of water with moderate speed, preferably broken up with some boulders or structure. This is not necessary, but I find nymphing to be the easiest on pocket water and in medium speed water with lots of small holding pockets. The easiest depths to nymph are 1-4 feet. Two feet is about perfect. Step 4) Strip about ten feet of flyline off your reel so that you have about twenty feet or less of total line/leader. Setp 5) Flip the line/leader upstream at about a 45 degree angle. Try to have the nymph land downstream of the strike indicator. When the indicator hits the water, raise your rod tip to keep slack line off the water. Have the tip of your rod follow the strike indicator downstream. As the indicator passes you, begin to lower your rod,  feeding line towards the indicator to prolong a drag free drift. When your slack is exhausted, let the indicator sweep across the current until it is directly downstream of you. Start your next cast (or flip) from this position. If at any time during the drift, the indicator pauses, then raise the rod tip slightly, but quickly and feel for a fish. If it’s a fish, it will usually hook itself if you just raise the rod slowly. If upon raising the rod, slightly, you feel nothing, then lower the rod and continue the drift. The pauses of the indicator my be almost imperceptable, so keep your eyes glued to it, and react EVERYTIME it pauses or twitches. Step 5 is the crucial step, and I am not a good enough writer to explain it very well. It is imperative in nymphing that you 1) get as long of a drag free drift as possible.  2) Your nymph must be near the bottom of the stream. I find that I usually have to add a small split shot to get my nymph down quickly. It is better to use too much weight than not enough. Also, since you only need to flip your line, kind of like a roll cast, the split shot do not interfer with casting very much. 3) Be persistent. Fish an area thourghly. Drift the nymph through every pocket of water at least several times. Now, if I have thoroughly confused you, I recommend that you rent a video. There are probably some pretty good nymphing videos and I am sure that you will find them clearer. — The MacNeal-Schwendler Corporation – Bellevue, WA (All opinions expressed are my own and not my employers.)

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