Question:

Just thought I’d post this for a friend, hopefully this is allowed by all of you. She is selling her fly fishing ranch along with all her fly shop inventory. If any of you are interested take a look here; http://www.blackfireflyfishing.com Thanks!!

Response:

Just thought I’d post this for a friend, hopefully this is allowed by all of you. She is selling her fly fishing ranch along with all her fly shop inventory. If any of you are interested take a look here; http://www.blackfireflyfishing.com

Wolfgang workin in a coal mine, goin down down down

Response:

helping? …you should rename the post: "helping rip-off the ignorant"…the prices are a joke,,she must be giving you a cut of the hefty product..id offer you 30cents on the dollar..like any other "liquidation"…so go play in the middle of the River..your bargain aint welcome here bubbye

Just thought I’d post this for a friend, hopefully this is allowed by all of you. She is selling her fly fishing ranch along with all her fly shop inventory. If any of you are interested take a look here; http://www.blackfireflyfishing.com Wolfgang workin in a coal mine, goin down down down

— Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).

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Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – very nice indeed. the conditions you describe are mirrored here in the NC mountains at this time. one question willi, what do you grease the tippet with? With the atmosphere around here lately, I’m pretty sure you don’t want to know. Willi

i guess i should have been clearer….. a floatant or sinkant? …could care less about the brand names… walt — Walter G. Winter Ezflyfish.com:  http://www.ezflyfish.com Blue Ridge Book Gallery: http://users.boone.net/wgw/brbg.html

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Autumn is my favorite time of the year in Colorado. The leaves are turning, the nights are cool but the days are warm, the tourists are gone, the rivers are low, clear and cool, and the fish are hungry.    (snip)    nice little vignette, troutmeister. wayno

It is a wonderful time of the year. Hopefully, Sir Louie and I will experience the same in a Grand River Autumn. Peter

Response:

Autumn is my favorite time of the year in Colorado. The leaves are turning, the nights are cool but the days are warm, the tourists are gone, the rivers are low, clear and cool, and the fish are hungry.

   Hungry and moody. I spent two hours yesterday afternoon on the river Willi and I call our home water. I was dazzled by the shimmering yellow aspen trees, and saddened by the feeling that another fine season of fishing is winding to a close. During my first hour on the water, I hooked 17 fine fish; every spot that looked like it may have EVER held a fish yielded one. About the time I started to feel like I was a pretty talented fisherman, the action ceased. I used every trick in the book to catch another five fish in two more hours. Sheesh.

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Petah Charles writes: It is a wonderful time of the year. Hopefully, Sir Louie and I will experience the same in a Grand River Autumn. Peter

What?  You aren’t guarantying fine weather?  Well, if we get rained out (muddy waters and all), Joanne, Joanne and I will sit around a bottle of single malt and shoot the breeze. (Looking forward to it) Dave

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i guess i should have been clearer….. a floatant or sinkant? …could care less about the brand names…

When fish have moved into shallow feeding areas and are feeding on small stuff ie midges, bwo’s etc. I use a floatant on the leader up until the last few inches. If there isn’t too much glare, you can follow the floating tippet and often see a flash from the fish taking the fly or see the tippet move with a take.  If there is too much glare, I’ll use a very small smear of florescent biostrike? (a putty like stuff)to give me something to follow. Takes are generally very subtle when fish are feeding on this small stuff. I use quill bodied flies quite a bit and if the quills are not coated with cement, they absorb water and sink well. Willi

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Autumn’s soft, midday light that has lost its summer intensity, allows good fish to move into very shallow pockets of water with just enough current to hide them [snip] . Fights seem a bit more determined and the colors a bit more intense.

I drove over to your fine state a week ago for the first time, while I only fished the South Platte near Deckers and the eleven mile canyon, I managed to find a little solitude and hook some of your fine colorado fish with 20 and 22 BWO’s. I can’t tell you how great it was to be fishing again and while I’m sure there are better streams in CO than the So. Platte but for two days it was heaven to me. Great post and you are a lucky man to live in such a beautiful place. — Wayne Knight Expert in creating tailing loops and windknots Otherwise Fishless in Kansas Before you buy.

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I like those warm days following a sub-freezing night when the fishing doesn’t start picking up until 11:00am, and then it’s over by 4:00pm. [good stuff snipped]

Great post, rw. Thanks for the imagery. You gotta love the crisp weather of the mountains in fall. –Steve

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When fish have moved into shallow feeding areas and are feeding on small stuff ie midges, bwo’s etc. I use a floatant on the leader up until the last few inches. If there isn’t too much glare, you can follow the floating tippet and often see a flash from the fish taking the fly or see the tippet move with a take.  If there is too much glare, I’ll use a very small smear of florescent biostrike? (a putty like stuff)to give me something to follow. Takes are generally very subtle when fish are feeding on this small stuff. I use quill bodied flies quite a bit and if the quills are not coated with cement, they absorb water and sink well. Willi

gotcha….. I’ve tried floatant on my leaders and tippet for small midge fishing. I’m not sure if it helps or not but I do know that when I "mud" the tippet for emergers, very small nymphs, or wets I seem to get more takes. I also like to keep a tight line fishing this style with a little twitch every few seconds. Takes are generally sound with that style and for c/r the hook is usually in the mouth versus deeper in the throat or gills. I usually have a long leader/tippet, 12′ +, when fishing this way. report: for all you roffians headed’ this way, the delayed harvest rivers have been stocked for the fall/winter fishing. The Watauga is running low, we can’t seem to shake this drought. –Walt — Walter G. Winter Ezflyfish.com:  http://www.ezflyfish.com Blue Ridge Book Gallery: http://users.boone.net/wgw/brbg.html

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The Watauga is running low, we can’t seem to shake this drought.

Supposed to rain this weekend up by Robbinsville (Forty effect I presume), maybe you’ll get some too. — Charlie…

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I drove over to your fine state a week ago for the first time, while I only fished the South Platte near Deckers and the eleven mile canyon, I managed to find a little solitude and hook some of your fine colorado fish with 20 and 22 BWO’s. I can’t tell you how great it was to be fishing again and while I’m sure there are better streams in CO than the So. Platte but for two days it was heaven to me.

The Platte is/was a fine river. It holds many good fish. However, with its proximity to Denver and Colorado Springs it is the heaviest fished river in the state. The section around Deckers has the reputation of being a very difficult river, especially for people fishing it the first time. Congrats on having success. Willi

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Autumn is my favorite time of the year in Colorado. The leaves are turning, the nights are cool but the days are warm, the tourists are gone, the rivers are low, clear and cool, and the fish are hungry. Autumn’s soft, midday light that has lost its summer intensity, allows good fish to move into very shallow pockets of water with just enough current to hide them.  Large fish wait in water barely deep enough to cover their backs to feed most efficiently on the small emerging bugs. A careless wade sends the fish shooting back into the pools leaving wakes of water in their path. A tiny fly on a long, light, greased leader is the key. A cast several feet above the lie lets the fly sink just enough to interest the fish. No weight, no indicator. Just a flash in the shallow water or the nudge of the floating tippet. Takes are hard and confident and the pressure from the strike sends the fish airborn. Fights seem a bit more determined and the colors a bit more intense. Willi

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Autumn is my favorite time of the year in Colorado. The leaves are turning, the nights are cool but the days are warm, the tourists are gone, the rivers are low, clear and cool, and the fish are hungry.

    (snip)     nice little vignette, troutmeister. wayno

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Autumn is my favorite time of the year in Colorado. The leaves are turning, the nights are cool but the days are warm, the tourists are gone, the rivers are low, clear and cool, and the fish are hungry.     (snip)     nice little vignette, troutmeister. wayno

very nice indeed. the conditions you describe are mirrored here in the NC mountains at this time. one question willi, what do you grease the tippet with? walt — Walter G. Winter Ezflyfish.com:  http://www.ezflyfish.com Blue Ridge Book Gallery: http://users.boone.net/wgw/brbg.html

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Willie wrote;Autumn is my favorite time of the year in Colorado. The leaves are turning, the nights are cool but the days are warm, the tourists are gone, the rivers are low, clear and cool, and the fish are hungry.

This sounds like a fairy tale to me. I don’t think there will be an Autum in Texas this year…mabye in January. It is still in the mid 90’s and I have a hard time calling that Autumn. Big Dale

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very nice indeed. the conditions you describe are mirrored here in the NC mountains at this time. one question willi, what do you grease the tippet with?

With the atmosphere around here lately, I’m pretty sure you don’t want to know. Willi

Response:

Autumn is my favorite time of the year in Colorado. The leaves are turning, the nights are cool but the days are warm, the tourists are gone, the rivers are low, clear and cool, and the fish are hungry.

That sounds like the Stanley area, Willi, but our Autumn probably comes earlier than yours. The good Autumn fishing here is at about 7000 feet. I like those warm days following a sub-freezing night when the fishing doesn’t start picking up until 11:00am, and then it’s over by 4:00pm. There are just enough hoppers to keep fish looking at the surface, but the serious fish-catching is done with common nymphs — the perfect setup for a "hopper/dropper" rig. The water is skinny and the fish are concentrated in holes. This is easy fishing, once you get there. I can roll out of bed late, build a fire, make coffee and bacon and eggs, and take my time planning the trip. Then I can come home in daylight. Perfect. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

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one question willi, what do you grease the tippet with? With the atmosphere around here lately, I’m pretty sure you don’t want to know.

Red Mucilin works a lot better than G*** for greasing tippets. — Ken Fortenberry

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Question:

: Stephen, : Good story – I’ve not yet trout fished in Victoria, but I was down Victoria : way over the last four or five days working at Warragul (very exciting). I : drove over the Goulburn River and King Parrot Creek between Seymour and Yea. : How far from there do you fish? Geeze I hope you didn’t get fried … King Parrot produced my second trout I used to get there regularly, but the Breakaway is a lot further upstream on the Goulburn, and this is where I spend most of my time up that way now.   By Seymour, the Goulburn becomes a bit too cloudy for fly-fishing but its still good at the King Parrot … and even if not the Parrot is/was a lot of fun. IMO Better fishing is to be had in the Kiewa, King, Ovens Rivers … but its a little far – even for a weekend. BTW: I look forward to seeing more about your Sunday mornings Steve — http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~steve/fush/

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SNIPPED Geeze I hope you didn’t get fried …

I was at a three day outdoor truck show – we got fried (up to 38), frozen (down to 10), wet (pissed down) and wind blown (white caps in farm dams). Damn good fishing weather ! JK

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: I was at a three day outdoor truck show – we got fried (up to 38), frozen : (down to 10), wet (pissed down) and wind blown (white caps in farm dams). : Damn good fishing weather ! *laugh* Pretty standard summer fair steve — http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~steve/fush/

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Damn, it was 3 AM this morning, and there I was wide awake and full of anticipation.

Oh yes!  I know that feeling. I look forward to meeting them all again…’Sfunny how you remember the good, the poignant, the others just fade away in memory.

Having shoveled snow once again this morning, yours was a welcome story. Mu, in the northern hemisphere.

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Stephen, Good story – I’ve not yet trout fished in Victoria, but I was down Victoria way over the last four or five days working at Warragul (very exciting). I drove over the Goulburn River and King Parrot Creek between Seymour and Yea. How far from there do you fish? Cheers JK

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Damn, it was 3 AM this morning, and there I was wide awake and full of anticipation.  Yes, I enjoy my fishing that much, I wake at ungodly hours wondering if its time to get going. Some days 3am would be right but not today, I’m doing an afternoon in the hills and evening rise on the meadows … silly brain.  As much as it can be frustrating I think I actually enjoy the sense of anticipation that is apparently triggered by the pre-trip rituals – cleaning the line, replenishing the boxes, cleaning specs and checking leaders. The time of year brings me to change water – a change due about now – these changes bring on nostalgia attacks replete with memories of past conquests and some characters. Simon and I met at the upper limits of an upstream stroll from the Breakaway Bridge on the Goulburn river.  The usual banter resulted in my showing Simon where I’d had a couple of fish and picking a nymph from his box, showing him where to cast it.  To sit back and watch him catch his first fish from the Goulburn after a "couple of years of tryin’" was by far the best thing about that day … by the grin on his face you’d reckon he had a five pounder … I haven’t seen him to talk to since, though I’ve seen him on the other bank while he watched a mate fish … This time last year I encountered Kurt at the Breakaway a couple of times. Kurt is what you’d describe as a character and, as with most characters, he tends to use or elicit colourful language so you may wish to skip the next paragraph or two. My first whiff of Kurt  was literally that – a waft of roll-your-own tobacco smoke carried on the breeze.   The grass along this section is over head high and my call bought no response … never mind I was still basking in the afterglow of having a good fish inhale my fly. Another whiff, a lot stronger this time, and there he was built like a drover’s dog, salt and pepper beard – moustache stained below the nostrils. Pointing to his fag end – "G’day, I’ve been smellin’ you for 10 minutes." "Yeah, I’m a smelly curt." Well with a comeback like that how could you not get on with the retired coot – a week at home with the missus, a week on the wallaby fishin’ – quite a life I’d say. The thing that was really memorable about Kurt was his language – "Effing curt" this or that … yet he never called me as much as a dopey bugger when I hung up in the greenery … he never cursed fish that got off – "Too effing tight/loose, Kurt", water "When will you learn to Effing read the water Kurt, Effwit!", trees or even other anglers who wandered to close. We shared the same backwaters – usually well away from each other sometimes together – He showed me a few things about those backwaters, how to fish them long where I prefer to fish them short.  He did have a pet hate, never ever under any circumstances should you even think of tying let alone use "one of those pheasant tails with the peacock thorax".  The last phrase dripped with such loathing I didn’t press him … perhaps this year. That was then, today is a different water, one where: I’ve showed a Scot the virtues of a Yellow Humpy, Spotted for John while he cast his lures, got skunked with Louis of Chile … One evening I met a bloke at the access – a bloke with a flyrod and a mobile phone – "Waiting for the surgeon to call …". His pallor should have tipped me that he wasn’t that well, of course it may have been a loved one but I doubt it … an offer to walk with him was rejected. He’d "stay near the car and fish the nearby pools- I just want to fish a bit."  He and the car were gone when I returned- I don’t remember the fishing that night, but I do remember him. I look forward to meeting them all again…’Sfunny how you remember the good, the poignant, the others just fade away in memory. steve — http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~steve/fush/

Response:

Damn, it was 3 AM this morning, and there I was wide awake and full of anticipation.  Yes, I enjoy my fishing that much, I wake at ungodly hours wondering if its time to get going. Some days 3am would be right but not today, I’m doing an afternoon in the hills and evening rise on the meadows … silly brain.  As much as it can be frustrating I think I actually enjoy the sense of anticipation that is apparently triggered by the pre-trip rituals – cleaning the line, replenishing the boxes, cleaning specs and checking leaders.   The time of year brings me to change water – a change due about now – these changes bring on nostalgia attacks replete with memories of past conquests and some characters. Simon and I met at the upper limits of an upstream stroll from the Breakaway Bridge on the Goulburn river.  The usual banter resulted in my showing Simon where I’d had a couple of fish and picking a nymph from his box, showing him where to cast it.  To sit back and watch him catch his first fish from the Goulburn after a "couple of years of tryin’" was by far the best thing about that day … by the grin on his face you’d reckon he had a five pounder … I haven’t seen him to talk to since, though I’ve seen him on the other bank while he watched a mate fish … This time last year I encountered Kurt at the Breakaway a couple of times. Kurt is what you’d describe as a character and, as with most characters, he tends to use or elicit colourful language so you may wish to skip the next paragraph or two. My first whiff of Kurt  was literally that – a waft of roll-your-own tobacco smoke carried on the breeze.   The grass along this section is over head high and my call bought no response … never mind I was still basking in the afterglow of having a good fish inhale my fly. Another whiff, a lot stronger this time, and there he was built like a drover’s dog, salt and pepper beard – moustache stained below the nostrils. Pointing to his fag end – "G’day, I’ve been smellin’ you for 10 minutes." "Yeah, I’m a smelly curt." Well with a comeback like that how could you not get on with the retired coot – a week at home with the missus, a week on the wallaby fishin’ – quite a life I’d say.   The thing that was really memorable about Kurt was his language – "Effing curt" this or that … yet he never called me as much as a dopey bugger when I hung up in the greenery … he never cursed fish that got off – "Too effing tight/loose, Kurt", water "When will you learn to Effing read the water Kurt, Effwit!", trees or even other anglers who wandered to close.   We shared the same backwaters – usually well away from each other sometimes together – He showed me a few things about those backwaters, how to fish them long where I prefer to fish them short.  He did have a pet hate, never ever under any circumstances should you even think of tying let alone use "one of those pheasant tails with the peacock thorax".  The last phrase dripped with such loathing I didn’t press him … perhaps this year. That was then, today is a different water, one where: I’ve showed a Scot the virtues of a Yellow Humpy, Spotted for John while he cast his lures, got skunked with Louis of Chile … One evening I met a bloke at the access – a bloke with a flyrod and a mobile phone – "Waiting for the surgeon to call …". His pallor should have tipped me that he wasn’t that well, of course it may have been a loved one but I doubt it … an offer to walk with him was rejected. He’d "stay near the car and fish the nearby pools- I just want to fish a bit."  He and the car were gone when I returned- I don’t remember the fishing that night, but I do remember him.   I look forward to meeting them all again…’Sfunny how you remember the good, the poignant, the others just fade away in memory. steve — http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~steve/fush/

Response:

Question:

Also try http://www.floridaflyfishing.com Jim – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any local info on fishing with Fly in Florida ? Out of towner (Actually out of country – London England) is trying to plan some Saltwater Fly fishing from Skiffs in Florida – any info or help appreciated. I need to identify region, accomodation & a guide with a boat .. Everything in fact !

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This is a good start. I’ve fished with this guide several times on West Coast of Florida. He knows his stuff. rgill http://www.gianttarpon.com/fishingguide.htm Any local info on fishing with Fly in Florida ? Out of towner (Actually out of country – London England) is trying to plan some Saltwater Fly fishing from Skiffs in Florida – any info or help appreciated. I need to identify region, accomodation & a guide with a boat .. Everything in fact !

– How very simple life would be if only there were two of me A restless me to drift and roam a quiet me to stay at home.                    from "The Double Life" by Don Blanding

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I am not a fly-fisherman, but I do have a site that includes a list of over 100 South Florida guides on the internet, including many who specialize in flyfishing trips. The guides list is at http://inshore.com/f-guides.html. On a more personal note; I have fished with Capt. Chris Asaro several times and while he allows me to use spinning tackle, he really does prefer fly. He has his own site at http://www.sightfish.net/ . Jim Sawyer www.inshore.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any local info on fishing with Fly in Florida ? Out of towner (Actually out of country – London England) is trying to plan some Saltwater Fly fishing from Skiffs in Florida – any info or help appreciated. I need to identify region, accomodation & a guide with a boat .. Everything in fact !

Response:

Any local info on fishing with Fly in Florida ? Out of towner (Actually out of country – London England) is trying to plan some Saltwater Fly fishing from Skiffs in Florida – any info or help appreciated. I need to identify region, accomodation & a guide with a boat .. Everything in fact !

Response:

Question:

ideal stream for a last minute fish as you are heading home (once, rachel waited in our packed car for 20 minutes while i had a "last fish" on our way home),

So the common thread here in your recent posts is that you are an expert at testing the patience of women  Hope Walt wasn’t beaten too severely for spending time with you instead of his lady. – Mu

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        on day 2, i explored some of the watauga county backroads, looking for new and remote streams, and found a couple areas i’ll try to convince walt to sample with me.  walt is an extraordinarily good fishing companion and has an ability to fish many of the tough areas…an ability i lack. one of the back roads intersected with the blue ridge parkway, which runs along a ridge above the valley in which my cabin sits.  i was close to a stream i literally fell into some years.  it runs beside the parkway at about 3000 feet elevation, but is about 30 to 50 feet below the parkway.  there are some large pull-offs and parking areas beside the road, so it’s not a hidden location by any means.  i discovered it years ago on the way from upper boone’s fork, frustrated with all the hikers and crowds in and around that stream, on the last day of a trip. determined to fish someplace new, but without much time to do so, i stopped, geared up, and proceeded to fall/trip/butt-bump/slide down a steep bank to within 10 feet of the stream.  rod unbroken, but spirit bent, i fished about 100 yards of a lovely stream, even with the sounds of traffic on the blue ridge parkway overhead.  it consisted of small holding or pocket waters with a nice gradient allowing adequate cover for a blundering buffoon like me to sneak up and float a dry fly.  i was stunned when i caught a 6 inch brook trout. since that trip, i have fished the stream on numerous occasions and always caught a brookie.  on this trip, in the 100 yards i usually fish, i caught 5 of the beauties.  i had always assumed it was necessary to find the remotest and highest locations in the blue ridge watersheds to catch wild brookies…but here they are in a stream beside the parkway, near privately owned meadows, and easily accessed by the general public in just a brief walk (or tumble) down a bank.  this is an ideal stream for a last minute fish as you are heading home (once, rachel waited in our packed car for 20 minutes while i had a "last fish" on our way home), or as an appetizer as you are heading for other waters.  it’s not on the delorme and as best i can tell is not stocked at all…i’ve never caught a stocked fish in it.           day 3, a bit hung over from last evening’s libations and with rainy weather coming in, i fished the stream in front of my cabin.  although it has some trout in it (i’ve caught a 10 inch rainbow and a 12 inch brown, and hooked and brought to hand a 20 inch brown with the most fearsome lower hook-jaw i’ve seen on ole salmo, it’s not good trout water in my area of the stream.  upstream about a mile, and for almost 6 miles, it’s a hatchery supported stream and gets a lot of pressure from spin fishers, especially the week after the hatchery trucks come through.  anyway, i took my 7′6" 4/5 weight St.Croix and fished about a mile with a black wooly bugger.  the stream holds a bunch of smallmouth bass and bluegill/redeye/bream(?)- panfish -, and i spent 4 hours disengaging the hook from copious quantities of the panfish and about 10 smallies, with the largest being 11 inches.  in some of the deeper pools, i saw some smallmouth i know were larger than 14 inches.  anyway, a nice day’s fishing within walking distance of the cabin and the comforts of she who must be obeyed. jeff

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Question:

As with anything having to do with this sport, get the best you can afford. Metz, Spencer, and a half-dozen other growers often sell half capes for about the same price as the next grade down. Unless you are tying up to professional prodution a good #2 grade half will last through several seasons. Everyone resents the initial outlay of $$$ for a good cape, but the payoff is you don’t purchase them very often. Cabela’s and other supply houses also sell decent genetic necks that are quite useful, if limited in size and color.

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how bout finding some fishin’ buddies to split some necks with….that how I started out. some times stores will sell you split necks, if you take classes from them…they can always use the other half in class or for production tying. i agree with the other respondent, however, buy the best you can..you’ll be disappointed with the #3’s for drys size 14 and smaller. happy tying,….and DON"T GIVE UP!! there aren’t enuff of us out there! #:)#  Larry Medina

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Hoffman Super Saddle. Tons of real long feathers 10 down to 18 or so. Can tie two or three flies per feather.

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I need some new hackle, I’m getting better at tieing, and the hackle from the kit sucks.  I would like to hear some opinions on which Hackle to buy.   I am leaning towards Metz grade #3 in Grizzly from Orvis (29 bucks), anyone know of a better deal let me know.  Thanks. Scott

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I thought that a grade three hackle would be better for tying wet flies than dry, but I just read an article that said that they rate the hackle by the count of usable feathers, the main size, and length. I thought that a grade 3 hackle would be softer hackle than a grade 1 or 2 is this true or are there just more usable feathers on a grade 1. Can you tye as good a dry with a grade 3 hackle as you could with grade 1.  I am simply a begginer I dont know grade 3 hackles are softer by expierience I just thought that was how it was THANKS! The factors that determine a hackle grade are numerous.  A neck or saddle are graded on the number of usable hackles, length of hackle, color, webbiness, stem diameter and uniformity of barbule lengtht. Now the problem arises when you compare hackles from two different companies.  A #2 Hoffman  may be better than a #1Metz metz.  Will a #3 be "softer"?  Well yes it may have a little, or a lot, more web depending on the company.  A #3 Hoffman will tie a good dry fly, but some of the other companies it may not.   The best thing to do is to inspect it carefully before you buy it.  Generally it can be said that you will get what you pay for. About 7 years ago I bought my first Hoffman saddle and now I am hooked.  I have currently 5 Hoffman saddles and 3 necks.  They are the only ones I use for my dries.  I know they are kinda expensive and I have a tight budget, but they are worth it.  There is nothing more frustrating to me than trying to tie a good fly with a shitty feather.   Good Luck, Marty

Hi Marty, I agree. Hoffman is only company that has saddle hackle that is small and stiff for trout dries. In the old days, we always used rooster saddles for wets and rooster necks for dries. Henry Hoffman changed that. Metz saddles are better for wet flies as they don’t seem to be stiff enough for dries. Bill Kiene Kiene’s Fly Shop Sacramento,CA,USA 800/4000FLY

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  <big snip   Then Metz started to become available and Henry started to bring over some of his first "super grizzly".  This is one area where materials have only gotten better.

  Amen to that. Several months ago a guy came into the local shop carrying grampa’s tying kit. Grampa must have been a serious tyer, the kit had a lot of really nice stuff (jungle cock cape, etc), the tools and thread were all top quality from that era. The dry fly hackles were a different story altogether; the individual feathers were all tapered, the stems were thick (compared to modern hackle), and none of the feathers would tie smaller than about sz 10. Charlie

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writes: Amen to that. Several months ago a guy came into the local shop carrying grampa’s tying kit. Grampa must have been a serious tyer, the kit had a lot of really nice stuff (jungle cock cape, etc), the tools and thread were all top quality from that era. The dry fly hackles were a different story altogether; the individual feathers were all tapered, the stems were thick (compared to modern hackle), and none of the feathers would tie smaller than about sz 10.

I’m not yet as old as grandpa, but a size 16 would be the smallest you could find on a neck, they would be less than an inch long, and you would need to use at 3 or 4 feathers to tie one fly.  Thought I’d died and gone to heaven when I got my first Metz #2 brown neck.  I still have it but there are no feathers left smaller than #10.                                                         Dan Dan Gracia Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools

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writes:    Hi! I thought that a grade three hackle would be better for tying wet flies than dry, but I just read an article that said that they rate the hackle by the count of usable feathers, the main size, and length. I thought that a grade 3 hackle would be softer hackle than a grade 1 or 2 is this true or are there just more usable feathers on a grade 1. Can you tye as good a dry with a grade 3 hackle as you could with grade 1.  I am simply a begginer I dont know grade 3 hackles are softer by expierience I just thought that was how it was THANKS!

Hi Dolph, As others have said here, none of the growers grade on the same standards.  But within a particular brand, there is a big difference between a #1 and a #3. Historically (this is all subject to change), the #1 necks had higher feather counts, smaller sizes, less webbing, longer length feathers (more useable feather), more flexible stems,  rounder stems, and denser barb counts on the feather (more barbs per inch).  Usually the biggest difference between 1 and 2’s is the quantity of small sizes – more of the 20 through 24 sizes on the #1’s.  Often the #1’s don’t have useable size 10 or 12 feathers because the stems are too thick.  #3 necks often have more webbing than 1’s or 2’s but not always.  Most often the biggest difference between 2’s and 3’s is that the stems on the 3’s are stiffer, and sometimes oblong instead of round.  This makes them very tough to wind. The grading system is hardly perfect and you can often look through a batch of #2’s and find some that are as good as the #1’s and #’3s that are as good as 2’s.   Nothing compares to the Hoffman’s necks.  Their #2’s are comparable to just about anyone elses #1’s.  The saddles make great dry fly tying feathers but primarily have only 2 sizes on them.  The necks have a wide assortment of sizes.  Haven’t seen any saddles that will compare with the Hoffman’s for dry flys. For wet flies I still use hen neck feathers.  They are shorter and have more rounded tips.  These are always webby and fold easily for that swept back look on wets.  Used to be able to find them easily and they were cheap.  Haven’t seen many in recent years.  Get them if you can find them, they are a far better choice for wet flies than rooster necks. We are spoiled today with the necks available.  I remember when indian capes were all that you could get.  I would take a trip over to Tigard, OR once in a while just to paw through Kaufmann’s capes.  Lance and Randall would go over to India each year, select their own stock, and bring it back.  Then Metz started to become available and Henry started to bring over some of his first "super grizzly".  This is one area where materials have only gotten better.                          Good Tying,                               Dan Dan Gracia Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools

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When you use TWO on a dry fly, you need to take a size 16 (for example) feather from the right side of a cape and the left side.   Mr. G.

Good post.   I’m curious about your left/right suggestion.  I never make any effort to use feathers from opposite sides of the cape when double wrapping. Could you elaborate more on why this is useful? Regards, Joe.  

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        Hi! I thought that a grade three hackle would be better for tying wet flies than dry, but I just read an article that said that they rate the hackle by the count of usable feathers, the main size, and length. I thought that a grade 3 hackle would be softer hackle than a grade 1 or 2 is this true or are there just more usable feathers on a grade 1. Can you tye as good a dry with a grade 3 hackle as you could with grade 1.  I am simply a begginer I dont know grade 3 hackles are softer by expierience I just thought that was how it was THANKS!                                         Dolph

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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit DEAR BUZZARD:  You happen to ask a question that I must rise too.  It is an excellent question.  May I add a few thoughts to get this discussion going? The observation is keen that different hackle manufacturers are indeed grading their hackles differently.  In fact, I doubt the lot of them ever got together and came up with a standard that rates necks from different companies to the same matching-game.  Everyone should give this some thought. Frankly Buzzard, you’re going to have to become a good judge of hackle/necks yourself.  There are certain things you must always pay attention too and I’m not about to cover them all here and now.  But each tier has certain patterns that require different advantages from feathers.  They can be softness, hardness, webbing, lack of webbing, short feathers, long feathers, narrow and wide, the combinations are endless and all feathers have a use in fly tying in one fly or another. Remembe this.  Never throw them away. Besides colors (any color) A feather for DRY FLY FISHING is different in desired aspects than hen feathers for wet flies, nymphs, streamers, etc. BUT!  A hen feather doesn’t necessarily mean it is a feather of less worth. I (personally) won’t settle for a number two neck when for a few dollars more I will be happier with a number one (1)!  The difference between a two and a one can be miles apart even though the numbers are next to each other.  Numbers mean different values to different people.  In grading feathers (Cock necks) throw the number system out the window. Waste it.  It means nothing between manufacturers, BUT with a specific manufacturer such as Hoffman necks, it can be a very reliable numbering system because of one factor.  Hoffman Products (now raised in Grand Junction Colorado) are CONSISTANT and TIGHT in quality.  Whereas; Metz Necks vary with the wind and each chicken season.  Quality always suffers when production increases beyond supervisory abilities.  Hate to say it, but its true. A DRY FLY FEATHER must have certain factors for each tier.  Length, evenly wide hackles, very little webbing, barbel stiffness, sharp tips (not curled on the ends, etc.) flexiable (not brittle) stems, maturity, (in look and feel)  and when you inspect a neck, make sure the skin isn’t brittle so it will crack when bent a little.  (Use some gink on the skin back to keep it from drying out.  Excellent for this, incidently.  And please everyone, don’t slam me for offering a friendly fact) So, basically, today . . .  because of neck retail prices, the trend is splitting a Hoffman neck.  When you buy a split, you are getting only right handed or left  handed bends in feathers.  When you use TWO on a dry fly, you need to take a size 16 (for example) feather from the right side of a cape and the left side.  So, what I’m saying, is . . . if at all possible, always buy the complete neck if its financially comfortable or possible. I’ll let everyone take it from here. Mr. G.         Hi! I thought that a grade three hackle would be better for tying wet flies than dry, but I just read an article that said that they rate the hackle by the count of usable feathers, the main size, and length. I thought that a grade 3 hackle would be softer hackle than a grade 1 or 2 is this true or are there just more usable feathers on a grade 1. Can you tye as good a dry with a grade 3 hackle as you could with grade 1.  I am simply a begginer I dont know grade 3 hackles are softer by expierience I just thought that was how it was THANKS!                                         Dolph

Content-Type: text/x-vcard; charset=us-ascii; name="vcard.vcf" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Description: Card for Mr. G. Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="vcard.vcf" begin:          vcard fn:             Mr. G. n:              ;Mr. G. org:            Gehrke’s Fly Fishing Products title:          President note:           Do something, even if it’s right x-mozilla-cpt:  ;0 x-mozilla-html: FALSE end:            vcard

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Question:

I dunno what the numbers are, but it is my understanding that you are 3 times more likely to drown in Yellowstone then get eaten by a bear there. Have fun, TimW

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I dunno what the numbers are, but it is my understanding that you are 3 times more likely to drown in Yellowstone then get eaten by a bear there.

Also, if you are going to worry about the animals around here, *many* more people are gored by bison, often fatally, than get hurt by bears in Yellowstone.   Bear attacks in Yellowstone are extremely rare.  More people get kiled on the Gallatin Road driving to Yellowstone, you are more likely to die of a heart attack from working too hard carrying your float tube in a few miles, etc. It is worth taking the obvious precautions like raising your food cooler and cooking stuff up on a bear pole if you are camping on Shoshone Lake, but bear dangers are not high. Denbigh

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 I’m heading to Yellowstone in about 3 weeks. My partner wants to carry the  float tubes back to a couple of prime lakes, some with grayling. We’ll be  checking closely with the rangers, but I was wondering if any of you have  had any first hand experience there with bear sightings? It IS grizzly  country, after all…yikes! When my friend and his wife went there a few  years ago they WANTED to spot bears for photo ops, but never saw a one.

Although 2 to 5 bear attacks are experianced annually in Yellowstone, It is unlikely you will see a grizzly.  No firearms are allowed in the park. If you follow the recommended precautions with food, and a large enough group(making noise as your walking) you should be ok. you will more likely see alot of buffalo(respect them and keep your distance)

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I’ve heard that more people are attacked by moose each year than by bears.  In Yellowstone you are far more likely to be killed by a bisson than a bear.  Buy some spray if you want a bit of added security and wear a bell to prevent any close encounters.  Otherwise go have fun fishing, its an amazing place to catch trout.

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I saw a TV show on Alaska fly-fishing once where a fellow was into a large salmon for quite some time.  A Ranger came by and informed the gent he would have to leave the area temporarily as there was a grizzly bear coming.  The guy looked up to see the aforementioned grizzly a mere 100 yds upstream and coming his way.  He looked at his line, the end of which held the salmon of a lifetime, then looked back at the bear.  His hesitation caused the Ranger to again advise him of the gravity of the situation.  The man again looked longingly at his line and again at the closing bear.  The Ranger, becoming a tad more frantic in his demeanor, told the man more loudly and more forcefully that he should leave!  Once more the man struggled with his desire for the fish.  Finally, the Ranger unsheathed his knife and cut the anglers line, thus ending his inner turmoil.  Now THAT’S a true fly-fisher!!!

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No but I got chased and snapped at by a very angry swimmin cow moose while rafting near the headwaters to Earthquake Lake.  It was durin stonefly hatch and we think she had a calf in the willows. Only a paddle smack on the nose turned her away or she would have had the rubber raft.

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I’m heading to Yellowstone in about 3 weeks. My partner wants to carry the float tubes back to a couple of prime lakes, some with grayling. We’ll be checking closely with the rangers, but I was wondering if any of you have had any first hand experience there with bear sightings? It IS grizzly country, after all…yikes! When my friend and his wife went there a few years ago they WANTED to spot bears for photo ops, but never saw a one.

Don, You should check out the thread: bear repellent for Yellowstone   (38 long and counting) Does anyone have the stats for the number of bear attacks in North America or USA each year?  Im sure its not many considering the number of people that are constantly in bear country!   IMHO bears are not the horrible monsters most seem to preceive them as!  I planted trees for 5 months in several remote parts of Bristish Columbia one year.  (I was young and figured it was my last chance before hitting the real world) (I was right).  Bear encounters were very common.  Neither I or anyone else carried bells or anything like that. (all the foreman carried spray).  You were usually about a 1/4 mile from anyone else.  We never had a single problem that year! Usually the bears were more afraid of you than you of them, and took off.  At that time the company I worked for had not had a single attack in its 14 year history. I (and 3 others I was with) ran into a small griz in YNP last week. It really didnt seem to care that we were there and had obviously seen people before.  Yet, we keep hearing these stories of people treed in YNP by bears!?!  Maybe the bears in YNP get really irratated by all the people??  I know I did!  :)   (20 min traffic delays becuase there is a bear in view from the road) I will try to find the bear attack stats and post them.  In the meantime if you have some please post em! Enuff Rambling for Now, Jason

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I’m heading to Yellowstone in about 3 weeks. My partner wants to carry the float tubes back to a couple of prime lakes, some with grayling. We’ll be checking closely with the rangers, but I was wondering if any of you have had any first hand experience there with bear sightings? It IS grizzly country, after all…yikes! When my friend and his wife went there a few years ago they WANTED to spot bears for photo ops, but never saw a one.

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Question:

I am going to be in Islamorada, FL for part of the week of November 20 and am interested in spending a day fishing the flats.  Can anyone recommend a good-quality guide who doesn’t charge a king’s ransom? MZ

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Stop at Bonefish Bob’s shop.  He is most helpful with questions.  Best ? guide- Jim Lopez phone at Marathon.  Expensive, tho.  Ask Bob. Regards, CLiff

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Johnson’s out of Baldwin, MI used to guide down there. I don’t know if they still do but they would be able to offer someone’s name.

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I just went bone fishing with Capt. Steve Impallomeni (305) 292-9837 . and had a wonderful day with him!  I also would suggest dealing with Capt. Jeffrey Cardenas of The Saltwater Angler (800) 223-1629 for bookings and information … they were the best help and friendliest people I dealt with in Florida! KStJ

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Question:

Oh, was that hate mail? I thought it was just another ‘96 fund-raising blurb from the Republican National Committee.

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Unless someone changes the name of this conference to rec.woodworking.politics keep those comments to yourself or take them elsewhere.

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Now that the Republicans control Congress, and will control the White House  after the next election – I’m sure that hate mail was from Democrats! Let’s keep this kind  of nonsense off this board. Name: O.C. Garza Time: 13:46:39 Eat…Breath…Good Cigars…Fly Fishing…Die!

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Question:

I am wanting some suggestions for good trout fly fishing in the mountains of western north carolina.  I am new to this art and any help would be appreciated. — Michael Ebbs Center for Communications and Signal Processing North Carolina State University

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<< am lookin for information on the western half of North Carolina… In the Ashville area, the fly shop of choice for info is Hunter Banks. I like to fish the Pisgah National Forest, specifically the Davidson River but there are many other near by from GA to Va. If you want your trout easy & big the Cherokee reservation has some tribal stocked waters which they will sell you daily permits. The national park has an abundance of streams.   Also suggest the rivers in the Joyce Kilmer nat forest, as well as the French Broad around Ashville. There is also  fly shop in Cashiers and near Blowing Rock (different shop) for additional info, but the guys at Hunter Banks will give you so much info, you’ll not be able to digest it all at once. Good Luck Wayne Knight — Wayne Knight CSERVE, 71151, 2762

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Just got back from a visit to my folks in Waynesville.  Took a tour of the eastern edge of the Great Smokies.  The Catalooche, and Big Creek in that area are both good although the fish apparently can be a little picky on the Catalooche.  Both streams are gorgeous and as a rule not crowded due to relatively limited road access.

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