Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – n’kay , great , but … how do i use it ? don’t ask me.  i never had one. dennis ICQ 71297942 Oh! somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright; The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout But there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has Struck Out thanks , i’ve been whippin it all over the backyard , but i still don’t look like the guy’s on T.V. Does the lack of water spoil the picture? — "I do not know" – GlennT Learning… http://people.A2000.nl/gthomas/GlennHome.htm

you need to see my backyard

Response:

but i never had to pitch my cue over my head , well , there was one time maybe . – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – n’kay , great , but … how do i use it ? Have you ever played pool, snooker, billiards??? Well, you line up the fly……. — Some of my colleagues think that the chemicals we are experimenting with could potentially cause brain damage, however I think that fish crunchy bits of salami my new red hippie noodle. Naked pool frogs?

Response:

n’kay , great , but … how do i use it ?

Have you ever played pool, snooker, billiards??? Well, you line up the fly……. — Some of my colleagues think that the chemicals we are experimenting with could potentially cause brain damage, however I think that fish crunchy bits of salami my new red hippie noodle. Naked pool frogs?

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – ROD": n’kay , great , but … how do i use it ? First rule when learning:  wear a turtleneck.  Seriously. I tried my hand at casting a fly when I was about 10 or 12 years old, and the fly caught in my turtleneck.  Would have been pretty painful if I hadn’t been wearing it. I haven’t tried fly fishing since.  I’m more of a lame-o bait caster. T.T. — Depression is an indiscriminant forager. Drop the "glop" to reply

i’ve been practicing in the backyard , it’s not very easy .

Response:

n’kay , great , but … how do i use it ?

If it’s a fly rod it’s too small, but it back in your pants.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – n’kay , great , but … how do i use it ? don’t ask me.  i never had one. dennis ICQ 71297942 Oh! somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright; The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout But there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has Struck Out thanks , i’ve been whippin it all over the backyard , but i still don’t look like the guy’s on T.V.

Does the lack of water spoil the picture? — "I do not know" – GlennT Learning… http://people.A2000.nl/gthomas/GlennHome.htm

Response:

n’kay , great , but … how do i use it ?

Attach a fly and stand near water containing fish. Wave it about and wait… Fish tanks are not suitable. And if you have reached the sea, you have gone too far. — "I do not know" – GlennT Learning… http://people.A2000.nl/gthomas/GlennHome.htm

Response:

n’kay , great , but … how do i use it ? don’t ask me.  i never had one. dennis ICQ 71297942 Oh! somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright; The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout But there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has Struck Out

thanks , i’ve been whippin it all over the backyard , but i still don’t look like the guy’s on T.V.

Response:

http://www.ehow.com/eHow/eHow/0%2C1053%2C13892%2C00.html http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/076455073X/102-1221305-6766523 ?

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – n’kay , great , but … how do i use it ?

Response:

n’kay , great , but … how do i use it ?

Response:

Question:

No, you all can bring those teeny little eastern ethics into any bar you like over here, but the girls are likely to laugh at them.  :) mind…..um……them ain’t girls! Wolfgang see, ya gotta kinda hold em upsi……well, never mind

Ah, so you *have* been in a bar out here.  Hard to believe, I know, but those *were* the girls that held you upside down. JR

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – No, you all can bring those teeny little eastern ethics into any bar you like over here, but the girls are likely to laugh at them.  :) mind…..um……them ain’t girls! Wolfgang see, ya gotta kinda hold em upsi……well, never mind Ah, so you *have* been in a bar out here.  Hard to believe, I know, but those *were* the girls that held you upside down.

Oh, I’ve been in quite a few bars out there.  Never been held upside down.  And no, those ain’t girls…..some day we’ll explain the bother. Wolfgang wouldn’t be ethical

Response:

…… cuz then he could never never no no uh uh uh venture into a bar west of omaha on accounta then he’d get beat up by a couple dozen cowboys with REALLY BIG ethics…….yup, uh huh.      :)

No, you all can bring those teeny little eastern ethics into any bar you like over here, but the girls are likely to laugh at them.  :) JR

Response:

…… cuz then he could never never no no uh uh uh venture into a bar west of omaha on accounta then he’d get beat up by a couple dozen cowboys with REALLY BIG ethics…….yup, uh huh.      :) No, you all can bring those teeny little eastern ethics into any bar you like over here, but the girls are likely to laugh at them.  :)

mind…..um……them ain’t girls! Wolfgang see, ya gotta kinda hold em upsi……well, never mind

Response:

yellow foam spider was the ticket. After about six months of fishing almost exclusively with nymphs I had forgotten how fun it is to see a fish rise from the depths to take a fly on the surface.

I am glad you had some fun with the panfish flies. Since I am auch a slut about catching bluegill from the surface, I most often start with the yellow foam spider. I seldom am able to catch catfish with a fly, but they are a hell of a lot of fun when they do take the fly. I use head cement on the ghost minnow and I think the smell of it puts the catfish off. Richard Hart who came up with the pattern gives it a spray with Cortland’s Mayfly Scent when he fishes these flies for catfish or carp. As far as I am concerned the flies accomplished their purpose…I could almost see the smile on your face from here. That is what bluegill are all about. Big Dale

Response:

As far as I am concerned the flies accomplished their purpose…I could almost see the smile on your face from here.

So far I have caught brown trout, smallmouth and bream on your flies (that I won at the raffle(s)). No catfish yet, but plenty of smiles for me too. — Charlie…

Response:

The bluegill are just finishing the spawn season at the pond and the aggressive males linger in groups at the edges of the beds waiting for something to happen. Loitering like teenagers at the mall, I guess.

Hokey smokes they’re early down there!  Bluegills won’t be spawning here for another month or so.  I am SO jealous!! Wolfgang assuming that the gills were actually QUITE finished spawning cuz on accounta he would hate to think that steve would fish em on the redds cuz then he could never never no no uh uh uh venture into a bar west of omaha on accounta then he’d get beat up by a couple dozen cowboys with REALLY BIG ethics…….yup, uh huh.      :)

Response:

[deleted] Good points. I actually did try a couple of casts with the smaller fly first, but had no luck so decided to get serious and pull out something I thought would have a chance.

…like stink bait or a 3/0 snagging hook… — TBone Walker The Halfordian Golfer

Response:

Good points. I actually did try a couple of casts with the smaller fly first, but had no luck so decided to get serious and pull out something I thought would have a chance.

Seems to me like catfish or bullhead on a fly would be pretty darn tough fishin’.  The most artificial thing I ever caught one on was a plastic worm. But I’m no catfish commonsewer.

Response:

Just a thought…I think it would have been better if you left the smaller fly on. A small fly won’t "spook" him and if it’s right near his nose he might just suck it in to see if it is food. If you were lazin’ around and not actively eating, a big mac might not seem interesting, but if someone passes a candy dish you’ll probably grab a couple…

Good points. I actually did try a couple of casts with the smaller fly first, but had no luck so decided to get serious and pull out something I thought would have a chance. –Steve

Response:

About two weeks ago or so, Big Dale sent me a box of his hand-tied bass and panfish flies. I thanked him when they arrived, but I had a lingering feeling that I wouldn’t be doing him or his flies justice until I fished with them. The weather and my schedule finally cooperated yesterday afternoon and I finally made it over to my neighborhood pond for a couple of hours. There was quite a bit of wind and I had inadvertently left the reel I was planning to use at home meaning I had nothing but a 4wt line to go with the 5wt rod I brought. Casting was tough but what the heck I was fishing. I tried a couple different fly patterns from Dale’s Box, starting with a Mylar Minnow, changing to a Cap Spider, and finally settling on a yellow foam spider when I didn’t seem to be catching anything beneath the surface. Despite the wind (or perhaps *because of* the wind), the yellow foam spider was the ticket. After about six months of fishing almost exclusively with nymphs I had forgotten how fun it is to see a fish rise from the depths to take a fly on the surface. The bluegill are just finishing the spawn season at the pond and the aggressive males linger in groups at the edges of the beds waiting for something to happen. Loitering like teenagers at the mall, I guess. I caught quite a few fish as I made my way around the pond. After a while I added a LaFontaine’ Twist nymph as a dropper, which seemed to decidedly increase the interest of the bass. All was going well despite the wind and the contorted casting until I happened upon a VERY large catfish sunning himself at the edge of the water. (OK, I don’t know for a fact that it was trying to get sun but it was just lying there in six inches of water with no apparent interest in eating). My heart started pounding, my mouth went dry and I was consumed by a case of MFS (monster fish syndrome). Suddenly, my only intention was to find a way to catch that monster catfish. Hands shaking, I clipped off the dropper and tried to find something in Big Dale’s box that would catch a catfish. I chose a gray and white Ghost Minnow, placed it perfectly on the first cast and slowly stripped the fly past the bigcat’s nose. The catfish slowly turned, ignored the fly, and swam into the depths of the pond. I spent the next fifteen minutes in a pathetic attempt to convince that catfish to comeback and show some interest in me. I should have known better. I knew I wasn’t going to interest that catfish. And I knew that once I started trying to catch it I was going to end up empty-handed and that the leisurely enjoyment of catching half-pound bluegill and bass would be gone. Though perhaps not as profound as the story of Ahab and Moby Dick, there’s a life lesson in there somewhere. Telling me to enjoy the things I have in life, to be happy with my lot and to leave the never-to-be-caught catfish well enough alone. –Steve

Response:

Question:

OK, I found Molunkus.  It’s about 50 miles east of where we go, east of Millinocket.  I know there’s a lot of guides and at least one fly shop in Millinocket.  Try Toute’s Fly Shop in Millinocket (207-723-5442).  Or the Maine Guide Association listings at http://www.maineguides.org/company.html Good luck! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Stan — Thanks for the report.  I am going to be in that area next week — in Molunkus, ME <whereever that is!).  I’m a beginning fly fisherman, but I’m making the trip with a bunch of spin fisherman.  Did you notice if there were any guide services in the area?  Did you flyfish for bass at all?? Thanks again, Craig

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I spent the last week in the beautiful country just outside Baxter State Park in north central Maine.  If you are not interested in details, here’s the summary:  weather was ideal, water temps in the rivers and ponds was between 60 and 64 degrees F, a 6 inch native landlocked salmon on a dry fly is much more fun than a 12" stocked rainbow, moose are really dumb looking. WEATHER The usual daily high was just over 70 F.  High puffy clouds in a perfect blue sky.  The wind would not pick up until 9AM and would stop by 8:30 PM. During the day the wind was pretty constant making canoeing very difficult on the bigger lakes – very big whitecaps were common.  We had one rainy day on Wednesday but the steady rain didn’t start until mid afternoon. HATCHES Spring was cold and rainy so the hatches are at least a week later than normal. Caddis, caddis, caddis.  There was virtually nothing going on top on the ponds or the South Branch Penobscot in the mornings.  A few Hendricksons and the occasional caddis.  Very few mayflies.  We saw lots of black caddis (body and wings) around the ponds but very few in the Penobscot.  Those were usually light tan wings with a brownish-gray body.  One night I pulled a small yellow stonefly out of the air but we didn’t see any on the water. We picked up salmon on almost every kind of caddis dry we had regardless of body color, although a light tan wing and light brown body seemed to work best.  My best fly was a tan foam bodied elk hair caddis with a bleached elk wing and a cdc underwing.  Size 12-14.  The nightly caddis hatch on the Penobscot was amazing – the adults were migrating up river in a continuous stream.  Looking up it looked like a snowstorm.  On the roads there were so many caddis bodies they were kicking up like dust.  Awesome.  And the salmon fishing was awesome because of that. We saw a few caddis on Nesowadnehunk Lake but also the beginning of the big yellow mayfly hatch (size 6, maybe a kind of hexagenia).  That hatch should peak next week.  The brookies were suckers for any big yellow fly. SCENERY World class beauty.  The mountains of Baxter are always in the background wherever you go.  We saw gorgeous sunsets lighting up Katahdin from Nesowadnehunk.  The Penobscot is probably the most scenic river I’ve ever fished. FISH The area is noted for landlocked salmon and brookies.  Not the giant brookies like in the Rapid River, but the pond brookies go up to 18 inches. We mostly saw brookies in the 6-10 inch range.  There are also togue in the bigger lakes (lake trout, we didn’t fish for them), and splake (a sterile brookie/togue hybrid) in the ponds.  My friends caught a couple of splake about 19 inches on trolled wooly buggers in the pond we camped on.  The big story is the landlocked salmon (people call them landlocks or just salmon). The Penobscot in that area is a tail water fishery below the Ripogenus Dam. The big salmon were hard to find last week – we saw a couple in the 16 inch range, one 18 and one 20.  Most were little guys in the 10-12 inch range and a lot in the 6-8 inch range.  They were loving elk hair caddis all week even in the morning when nothing was coming off.  We had a little action on caddis larva and emergers in the daytime.  In general the fishing was fair until about 10AM and then it pretty much shut off until the nightly hatch started at about 7PM.  The nightly caddis hatches were awesome.  There were salmon rising all over the river in every area we fished.  The area was pretty busy but we didn’t have trouble finding fishable stretches where there were no other people. WILDLIFE Moose everywhere and lots of snowshoe hares.  We had one big bull moose who refused to get off the road.  We had the Jeep within 10 feet of him and he just wouldn’t give us room.  After about 15 minutes he decided we were boring and loped off into the woods.  We saw a couple of eagles and an osprey, a black backed woodpecker, loons, mergansers, and one cormorant. I found fresh bear tracks along the river one morning but we didn’t spot any bears.  Found coyote tracks and scat at one lake. ON THE WATER I tried float tubing for the first time on this trip.  I will remember to check for wader leaks the next time.  I had a pinhole leak in the butt of my waders from resting on a rock earlier in the day and within an hour I was floating around with a gallon of water down each leg.  But it as fun, and it certainly is easier to stay put than in a canoe. I also tried fishing from a kayak on this trip.  My friend Steve had brought his Wilderness Systems Pungo and I really liked it.  It was plenty big enough for this big guy and it handled great.  I was able to cruise effortlessly on some big lakes in a  good wind.  Very comfortable, but I would want to insulate the floor the next time – the water was cold.  I am definitely shopping for a fishing kayak before I get a float tube. Three of us took one morning off from fishing to paddle the Lobster River into Lobster Lake, purportedly the ‘most beautiful lake in Maine’.  The ‘river’ is a deep wide flat water – it flows in and out of Lobster Lake depending on the level of the Penobscot.  The day we went it seemed not to be flowing at all.  Two of us were in my cruising canoe and Steve was in the Pungo.  He paddled probably 25% faster than us – I was very impressed. The river is gorgeous and has lots of waterfowl to watch.  Lots of moose, including a cow with twin calves that just watched us paddle through.  The moose calves were a lot lighter than the adults – a light tan, like a white tail deer. Lobster Lake has sandy beaches which is rare in Maine.  We paddled out to a long beach with a 90 foot long white pine we could use as a bench.  Even the driftwood in Maine is special!  Spent about an hour soaking in the sunshine just digging the view.  Mount Katahdin was lit up to the east and Mount Kisco was to the south.  You could walk out about 100 yards and only be hip deep – a great swimming beach for kids.  We were the only people on the lake.  Lots of animal signs on the beach including deer, moose, coyote and raccoon tracks. BUGS Like the hatches, the blackflies were delayed this year.  every time the wind stopped they were on us.  The parking lot at Kokadjo on the Roach River was the worst.  We didn’t get many bites though – they were a bit sluggish. The mosquitoes were out in force every morning and in the evenings. No-see-ums were out all the time.  We didn’t have much trouble out on the water, but we had to really hustle getting geared up. SUMMARY We already booked our cabin for next year. –Stan

Response:

Craig: Well, I’ve never heard of that place, so I can’t help.  Do you know what waters you will be near?  If you’re planning on bass, maybe you are heading for the upper Kennebec or Grand Lake Stream?  We didn’t get near any smallmouth water at all, it’s all salmon and brookies where we were.  If you are going to be anywhere near Greenville I would recommend contacting the Maine Guide and Fly Shop at PO Box 1202, Greenville, Maine 04441 207 695-2266.  Nice people.  Nice shop. –Stan

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Stan — Thanks for the report.  I am going to be in that area next week — in Molunkus, ME <whereever that is!).  I’m a beginning fly fisherman, but I’m making the trip with a bunch of spin fisherman.  Did you notice if there were any guide services in the area?  Did you flyfish for bass at all?? Thanks again, Craig

Response:

Stan — Thanks for the report.  I am going to be in that area next week — in Molunkus, ME <whereever that is!).  I’m a beginning fly fisherman, but I’m making the trip with a bunch of spin fisherman.  Did you notice if there were any guide services in the area?  Did you flyfish for bass at all?? Thanks again, Craig – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I spent the last week in the beautiful country just outside Baxter State Park in north central Maine.  If you are not interested in details, here’s the summary:  weather was ideal, water temps in the rivers and ponds was between 60 and 64 degrees F, a 6 inch native landlocked salmon on a dry fly is much more fun than a 12" stocked rainbow, moose are really dumb looking. WEATHER The usual daily high was just over 70 F.  High puffy clouds in a perfect blue sky.  The wind would not pick up until 9AM and would stop by 8:30 PM. During the day the wind was pretty constant making canoeing very difficult on the bigger lakes – very big whitecaps were common.  We had one rainy day on Wednesday but the steady rain didn’t start until mid afternoon. HATCHES Spring was cold and rainy so the hatches are at least a week later than normal. Caddis, caddis, caddis.  There was virtually nothing going on top on the ponds or the South Branch Penobscot in the mornings.  A few Hendricksons and the occasional caddis.  Very few mayflies.  We saw lots of black caddis (body and wings) around the ponds but very few in the Penobscot.  Those were usually light tan wings with a brownish-gray body.  One night I pulled a small yellow stonefly out of the air but we didn’t see any on the water.  We picked up salmon on almost every kind of caddis dry we had regardless of body color, although a light tan wing and light brown body seemed to work best.  My best fly was a tan foam bodied elk hair caddis with a bleached elk wing and a cdc underwing.  Size 12-14.  The nightly caddis hatch on the Penobscot was amazing – the adults were migrating up river in a continuous stream.  Looking up it looked like a snowstorm.  On the roads there were so many caddis bodies they were kicking up like dust.  Awesome.  And the salmon fishing was awesome because of that. We saw a few caddis on Nesowadnehunk Lake but also the beginning of the big yellow mayfly hatch (size 6, maybe a kind of hexagenia).  That hatch should peak next week.  The brookies were suckers for any big yellow fly. SCENERY World class beauty.  The mountains of Baxter are always in the background wherever you go.  We saw gorgeous sunsets lighting up Katahdin from Nesowadnehunk.  The Penobscot is probably the most scenic river I’ve ever fished. FISH The area is noted for landlocked salmon and brookies.  Not the giant brookies like in the Rapid River, but the pond brookies go up to 18 inches. We mostly saw brookies in the 6-10 inch range.  There are also togue in the bigger lakes (lake trout, we didn’t fish for them), and splake (a sterile brookie/togue hybrid) in the ponds.  My friends caught a couple of splake about 19 inches on trolled wooly buggers in the pond we camped on.  The big story is the landlocked salmon (people call them landlocks or just salmon). The Penobscot in that area is a tail water fishery below the Ripogenus Dam. The big salmon were hard to find last week – we saw a couple in the 16 inch range, one 18 and one 20.  Most were little guys in the 10-12 inch range and a lot in the 6-8 inch range.  They were loving elk hair caddis all week even in the morning when nothing was coming off.  We had a little action on caddis larva and emergers in the daytime.  In general the fishing was fair until about 10AM and then it pretty much shut off until the nightly hatch started at about 7PM.  The nightly caddis hatches were awesome.  There were salmon rising all over the river in every area we fished.  The area was pretty busy but we didn’t have trouble finding fishable stretches where there were no other people. WILDLIFE Moose everywhere and lots of snowshoe hares.  We had one big bull moose who refused to get off the road.  We had the Jeep within 10 feet of him and he just wouldn’t give us room.  After about 15 minutes he decided we were boring and loped off into the woods.  We saw a couple of eagles and an osprey, a black backed woodpecker, loons, mergansers, and one cormorant.  I found fresh bear tracks along the river one morning but we didn’t spot any bears.  Found coyote tracks and scat at one lake. ON THE WATER I tried float tubing for the first time on this trip.  I will remember to check for wader leaks the next time.  I had a pinhole leak in the butt of my waders from resting on a rock earlier in the day and within an hour I was floating around with a gallon of water down each leg.  But it as fun, and it certainly is easier to stay put than in a canoe. I also tried fishing from a kayak on this trip.  My friend Steve had brought his Wilderness Systems Pungo and I really liked it.  It was plenty big enough for this big guy and it handled great.  I was able to cruise effortlessly on some big lakes in a  good wind.  Very comfortable, but I would want to insulate the floor the next time – the water was cold.  I am definitely shopping for a fishing kayak before I get a float tube. Three of us took one morning off from fishing to paddle the Lobster River into Lobster Lake, purportedly the ‘most beautiful lake in Maine’.  The ‘river’ is a deep wide flat water – it flows in and out of Lobster Lake depending on the level of the Penobscot.  The day we went it seemed not to be flowing at all.  Two of us were in my cruising canoe and Steve was in the Pungo.  He paddled probably 25% faster than us – I was very impressed.  The river is gorgeous and has lots of waterfowl to watch.  Lots of moose, including a cow with twin calves that just watched us paddle through.  The moose calves were a lot lighter than the adults – a light tan, like a white tail deer. Lobster Lake has sandy beaches which is rare in Maine.  We paddled out to a long beach with a 90 foot long white pine we could use as a bench.  Even the driftwood in Maine is special!  Spent about an hour soaking in the sunshine just digging the view.  Mount Katahdin was lit up to the east and Mount Kisco was to the south.  You could walk out about 100 yards and only be hip deep – a great swimming beach for kids.  We were the only people on the lake.  Lots of animal signs on the beach including deer, moose, coyote and raccoon tracks. BUGS Like the hatches, the blackflies were delayed this year.  every time the wind stopped they were on us.  The parking lot at Kokadjo on the Roach River was the worst.  We didn’t get many bites though – they were a bit sluggish. The mosquitoes were out in force every morning and in the evenings. No-see-ums were out all the time.  We didn’t have much trouble out on the water, but we had to really hustle getting geared up. SUMMARY We already booked our cabin for next year. –Stan

Response:

Well, they looked like a kind of hexagenia to me, and I know people call them that, but we found little info on the web about hexes really existing in Maine.  Maybe they are really an Eastern Green Drake, but they sure looked true yellow to me.  The Nesowadnehunk inlet is a muddy bottom so it makes sense.  We just call them ‘the big yellow mayfly’ so we all know it’s time to get out the size sixers.  And the hatch my friends saw there last June sounded incredible – so many fish rising it sounded like a steady

rain. Some folks here call them Green Drakes but it’s a misnomer, hexes it is. When they come off in good numbers the ponds look like it’s raining bowling balls. I had the good fortune to hit them two summers ago on thistle pond (just north of Nesowadnehunk a mile or so). I went up 8 nights in a row to fish the hatch, simply awesome fishing. I’m currently scheduled to go back up the 7th, they should be in full hatch then. Flyfish

Response:

Well, they looked like a kind of hexagenia to me, and I know people call them that, but we found little info on the web about hexes really existing in Maine.  Maybe they are really an Eastern Green Drake, but they sure looked true yellow to me.  The Nesowadnehunk inlet is a muddy bottom so it makes sense.  We just call them ‘the big yellow mayfly’ so we all know it’s time to get out the size sixers.  And the hatch my friends saw there last June sounded incredible – so many fish rising it sounded like a steady rain.

______  What a great descriptive Stan.  Good work! MrG/American Sportsman http://www.gink.com/shopcart/index.html http://www.gink.com/rod_facts/bastardjun00.html  LATEST BAMBOO FACTS "the saga continues"

Response:

Well, they looked like a kind of hexagenia to me, and I know people call them that, but we found little info on the web about hexes really existing in Maine.  Maybe they are really an Eastern Green Drake, but they sure looked true yellow to me.  The Nesowadnehunk inlet is a muddy bottom so it makes sense.  We just call them ‘the big yellow mayfly’ so we all know it’s time to get out the size sixers.  And the hatch my friends saw there last June sounded incredible – so many fish rising it sounded like a steady rain.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sorry for the bogus reply…I hit the wrong damn button…my eyes must be going… Stan those big yellow mays, if turely size 6, are indeed the Hex hatch…pant pant… Thistle pond here I come…pant pant… beautiful area around Baxter, makes me wish I never quit up at Great Northern Paper (Millinocket) where I had two beautiful years of living on the edge of nowhere… Flyfish

Response:

Sorry for the bogus reply…I hit the wrong damn button…my eyes must be going… Stan those big yellow mays, if turely size 6, are indeed the Hex hatch…pant pant… Thistle pond here I come…pant pant… beautiful area around Baxter, makes me wish I never quit up at Great Northern Paper (Millinocket) where I had two beautiful years of living on the edge of nowhere… Flyfish

Response:

Thanks, Stan….  I believe we will be fishing on the Penobscot mostly.  The owner of the ‘camp’ where we are staying says that there is access to the landlocked salmon on parts of the river, but I got the impression that I’d mostly be fishing for smallmouths.  Thanks again, Craig – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – OK, I found Molunkus.  It’s about 50 miles east of where we go, east of Millinocket.  I know there’s a lot of guides and at least one fly shop in Millinocket.  Try Toute’s Fly Shop in Millinocket (207-723-5442).  Or the Maine Guide Association listings at http://www.maineguides.org/company.html Good luck! Stan — Thanks for the report.  I am going to be in that area next week — in Molunkus, ME <whereever that is!).  I’m a beginning fly fisherman, but I’m making the trip with a bunch of spin fisherman.  Did you notice if there were any guide services in the area?  Did you flyfish for bass at all?? Thanks again, Craig

Response:

I spent the last week in the beautiful country just outside Baxter State Park in north central Maine.  If you are not interested in details, here’s the summary:  weather was ideal, water temps in the rivers and ponds was between 60 and 64 degrees F, a 6 inch native landlocked salmon on a dry fly is much more fun than a 12" stocked rainbow, moose are really dumb looking. WEATHER The usual daily high was just over 70 F.  High puffy clouds in a perfect blue sky.  The wind would not pick up until 9AM and would stop by 8:30 PM. During the day the wind was pretty constant making canoeing very difficult on the bigger lakes – very big whitecaps were common.  We had one rainy day on Wednesday but the steady rain didn’t start until mid afternoon. HATCHES Spring was cold and rainy so the hatches are at least a week later than normal. Caddis, caddis, caddis.  There was virtually nothing going on top on the ponds or the South Branch Penobscot in the mornings.  A few Hendricksons and the occasional caddis.  Very few mayflies.  We saw lots of black caddis (body and wings) around the ponds but very few in the Penobscot.  Those were usually light tan wings with a brownish-gray body.  One night I pulled a small yellow stonefly out of the air but we didn’t see any on the water.  We picked up salmon on almost every kind of caddis dry we had regardless of body color, although a light tan wing and light brown body seemed to work best.  My best fly was a tan foam bodied elk hair caddis with a bleached elk wing and a cdc underwing.  Size 12-14.  The nightly caddis hatch on the Penobscot was amazing – the adults were migrating up river in a continuous stream.  Looking up it looked like a snowstorm.  On the roads there were so many caddis bodies they were kicking up like dust.  Awesome.  And the salmon fishing was awesome because of that. We saw a few caddis on Nesowadnehunk Lake but also the beginning of the big yellow mayfly hatch (size 6, maybe a kind of hexagenia).  That hatch should peak next week.  The brookies were suckers for any big yellow fly. SCENERY World class beauty.  The mountains of Baxter are always in the background wherever you go.  We saw gorgeous sunsets lighting up Katahdin from Nesowadnehunk.  The Penobscot is probably the most scenic river I’ve ever fished. FISH The area is noted for landlocked salmon and brookies.  Not the giant brookies like in the Rapid River, but the pond brookies go up to 18 inches. We mostly saw brookies in the 6-10 inch range.  There are also togue in the bigger lakes (lake trout, we didn’t fish for them), and splake (a sterile brookie/togue hybrid) in the ponds.  My friends caught a couple of splake about 19 inches on trolled wooly buggers in the pond we camped on.  The big story is the landlocked salmon (people call them landlocks or just salmon). The Penobscot in that area is a tail water fishery below the Ripogenus Dam. The big salmon were hard to find last week – we saw a couple in the 16 inch range, one 18 and one 20.  Most were little guys in the 10-12 inch range and a lot in the 6-8 inch range.  They were loving elk hair caddis all week even in the morning when nothing was coming off.  We had a little action on caddis larva and emergers in the daytime.  In general the fishing was fair until about 10AM and then it pretty much shut off until the nightly hatch started at about 7PM.  The nightly caddis hatches were awesome.  There were salmon rising all over the river in every area we fished.  The area was pretty busy but we didn’t have trouble finding fishable stretches where there were no other people. WILDLIFE Moose everywhere and lots of snowshoe hares.  We had one big bull moose who refused to get off the road.  We had the Jeep within 10 feet of him and he just wouldn’t give us room.  After about 15 minutes he decided we were boring and loped off into the woods.  We saw a couple of eagles and an osprey, a black backed woodpecker, loons, mergansers, and one cormorant.  I found fresh bear tracks along the river one morning but we didn’t spot any bears.  Found coyote tracks and scat at one lake. ON THE WATER I tried float tubing for the first time on this trip.  I will remember to check for wader leaks the next time.  I had a pinhole leak in the butt of my waders from resting on a rock earlier in the day and within an hour I was floating around with a gallon of water down each leg.  But it as fun, and it certainly is easier to stay put than in a canoe. I also tried fishing from a kayak on this trip.  My friend Steve had brought his Wilderness Systems Pungo and I really liked it.  It was plenty big enough for this big guy and it handled great.  I was able to cruise effortlessly on some big lakes in a  good wind.  Very comfortable, but I would want to insulate the floor the next time – the water was cold.  I am definitely shopping for a fishing kayak before I get a float tube. Three of us took one morning off from fishing to paddle the Lobster River into Lobster Lake, purportedly the ‘most beautiful lake in Maine’.  The ‘river’ is a deep wide flat water – it flows in and out of Lobster Lake depending on the level of the Penobscot.  The day we went it seemed not to be flowing at all.  Two of us were in my cruising canoe and Steve was in the Pungo.  He paddled probably 25% faster than us – I was very impressed.  The river is gorgeous and has lots of waterfowl to watch.  Lots of moose, including a cow with twin calves that just watched us paddle through.  The moose calves were a lot lighter than the adults – a light tan, like a white tail deer. Lobster Lake has sandy beaches which is rare in Maine.  We paddled out to a long beach with a 90 foot long white pine we could use as a bench.  Even the driftwood in Maine is special!  Spent about an hour soaking in the sunshine just digging the view.  Mount Katahdin was lit up to the east and Mount Kisco was to the south.  You could walk out about 100 yards and only be hip deep – a great swimming beach for kids.  We were the only people on the lake.  Lots of animal signs on the beach including deer, moose, coyote and raccoon tracks. BUGS Like the hatches, the blackflies were delayed this year.  every time the wind stopped they were on us.  The parking lot at Kokadjo on the Roach River was the worst.  We didn’t get many bites though – they were a bit sluggish. The mosquitoes were out in force every morning and in the evenings. No-see-ums were out all the time.  We didn’t have much trouble out on the water, but we had to really hustle getting geared up. SUMMARY We already booked our cabin for next year. –Stan

Response:

Question:

To jfraser, about the first question regarding losing flies from snagging-  you were right-its part of the sport.  Nymphs, to be most effective have to be fished bouncing on the bottom.  I do not know how deep the water where you fish at is but one thing I do is use a floating line and run my leader length the same depth as the stream.  I then add split shots to the leader according to the speed of the current just until I feel my nymph just touching the bottom. The floating line helps me control my drift better and I can dectect strikes more often. For casting, I always believed in a quartering cast upstream and a drag free float.  On streamers/wet flies at the end of the drift let you fly arc around. a lot of strikes will occur as you fly comes around

Response:

I’d like to thank you and everybody else who is sending me feedback and tips. You ROFF gang are a real friendly bunch! Best Regards, Jeremy Fraser —

Yeah, and if you want this bunch to stay friendly Jeremy, never start a C&R/C&K thread!  ;-) Frank Church USAF Retired Elkhart, IN

Response:

I have just started to learn a few things about trout fly fishing, but there are a couple of questions I haven’t found the answers to in any books or in the ROFF FAQ. Can anybody help me answer these? 1) I’m losing piles of flies casting Type II sinking tip into moving water. I tend to lose them by snagging and I’m wondering if this is just part of the sport or if I’m doing something wrong…? Can I prevent bottom snags by using strike indicators, shorter leaders, slower sink tip fly lines, a combination of the three or by doing something else? Don’t I want to get egg, leech, etc. patterns down on the bottom of rivers below the current? 2) I’ve read so much about casting and 10 to 2, 11 to 1, etc. and this has all been useful (I’m still trying to tame out a nasty tailing loop). I even went to a casting clinic — which was very helpful in getting me thinking about good casting technique. The puzzling thing to me, which hasn’t been well described to me yet, is the retrieve. I am predominantly wanting to fish rivers so I assume this plays a part in retrieving. I also assume that different patterns (wet/dry, terrestrial/non-terrestrial, leech/minnow) call for different retrieve strategies. To me this really means thinking about how your retrieve will sucker the fish into believing your fly is the real thing, therefore I wouldn’t think it would make much sense to retrieve an egg pattern fly with much style because the fly’s "action" would be in the free float of the eggs in the current. I’m sure the retrieve is important in still water; however, is it worth giving much thought to it in moving water or should I just be focusing on getting my fly in the right place in/on the current for the duration of it’s "drag-free" float? Any comments/assistance would be appreciated! Thanks in advance, Jeremy Fraser

Response:

1) I’m losing piles of flies casting Type II sinking tip into moving water. I tend to lose them by snagging and I’m wondering if this is just part of the sport or if I’m doing something wrong…?

Snagging flies is to some extent just the price of entry.  But, with experience, I find myself losing fewer flies than I used to for two reasons: 1.  Some casts I might have made in the past, I realize now will simply end up with a snag and no fish.  So I don’t cast. 2.  I’m a lot better at unsnagging a snagged fly.  Generally if you walk upstream of your fly, and pull back on the line in the opposite direction it entered the snag, perhaps extending your rod tip to the center of the stream, it will come free without a problem.  If it still doesn’t come out, walk further upstream, and try again.  It’s very rare that I have to break off a fly. Today probably lose one fly when before I would have lost 5 or 6.  Suspect your averages will improve too.  is it worth giving much thought to it in moving water or should I just be focusing on getting my fly in the right place in/on the current for the duration of it’s "drag-free" float?

99%+ of the time with nymphs or terrestials, what you want is a drag free float.  Achieving this is what much of becoming a good fisherman is about, and is something I’m still learning.  The techniques of mending, and special casts such as a reach or curved cast, or slack line casts, are very powerful. A lot of what I learned, I was exposed to by friends or guides, then had to learn by myself on the water.  If you’re having trouble keeping a drag free float in a situation, it pays to experiment with different mends or casts until you get it right (even if the fish are gone). Doug Swisher’s advanced casting video has a great introduction to casts which can help you in tricky situations (e.g. a reach cast).  And John Judy has written a book on slack line technique which is interesting, if a bit esoteric. Michael

Response:

1) I’m losing piles of flies casting Type II sinking tip into moving

water. I’m not sure why you are using sinking line.  Unless you are fishing really deep runs consistently (or perhaps fishing streamers??), you should be using floating line.  Your leader is all that should be sinking. An important key to nymph fishing is proper depth.  You should use an indicator that’s adjusted so that your fly moves with the current but occasionally gets delayed by riverbed obstacles.  If you are constantly hanging up or catching moss on your fly, move your indicator closer to your fly, if aren’t getting any false "hits" as you drift, you’re too far off the bottom.  The trick is to have your fly or flies tumbling around in the eddy-like turbulent layer of water produced by the interaction of the current with the riverbottom structure.  That’s where the fish spend a lot of time feeding.  Use an indicator that’s easy to move up and down your line so that you will be encouraged to change it as you move to new spots on the stream.  Adjusting depth has produced more strikes for me (in a drift zone I’ve already fished unsuccessfully) than any other change (such as change of weight or fly type). Proper weighting is also a key factor.  If you have the right amount of weight.  When you cast 1/4 up stream, the ideal is to have your flies "in the zone" as they pass the point straight out from you, cross-current.  Too much weight and you’ll definitely be getting stuck a lot on the bottom. Too little and you won’t be spending much time "in the zone" for each drift.  Personally, I find that if I must use more weight, I get hung up less if I use a couple of small split shot together rather than a larger shot of equivalent weight. The advice about walking up stream to pull the fly out of the snag the way it went in is a really good one.  I’ve saved many a fly this way. 2) … The puzzling thing to me, which hasn’t been well described to me yet, is the retrieve….

For 95% of dry fly fishing, only dead drift will generate strikes.  Some caddis flies do skid along the surface and there are some techniques for imparting action that is natural.   The most important part about the retrieve in dry fly fishing is not to make a big splash or otherwise disturb the water with your initial backcast.  Start your back cast with a brief, slow pull to get the fly moving (especially if it has sunk below the surface) and then use full energy after it’s moving.  Try doing it the wrong way a few times, then the right way.  You’ll see a big difference in the amount of disturbance created as you backcast. When nymphing, you will generate some strikes on the retrieve simply because the pause between each pull causes an alteration in the flies movement that can mimic prey in trouble.  Fish sometimes key on this and you get strikes. Retrieve technique is most important when streamer fishing, but I do not do that much, so I can’t say much about it. Good luck. —                                                       -dnc-

Response:

Dear Rookie,      I’ve found that using floating line with a stike intcator and a small bead head or tiny weight helps to prevent losing all the flys.  I like to use what I call a "pendalum" approach to tying up my flies and weight.  First you take a separate piece of tippet about three to six inches long and tie it to your tippet line (or leader) about two to three inches form the bottom of your line.  Then you put your weight(what ever size you feel is nessicery) on the shorter of the two ends (usually the orriginal line).  Next you tie your choice of fly to the other piece of line and you are ready to go.  The theory is that when the wieght gets hung up on the bottom, it will just slide off and your fly will remain attached.  Granted you will have to replace the wieght, but it’s much more cost efficient than replacing flies.  I also recomend using a strike indicator.  Good luck, and I hope that my description made sence. Aaron

Response:

I think you’re right about casting sinking tip. I’m going to try casting the floating line I’ve got and see if I have better results. I’ll also try sticking a strike indicator on and see if that helps me at all. I’d like to thank you and everybody else who is sending me feedback and tips. You ROFF gang are a real friendly bunch! Best Regards, Jeremy Fraser — – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 1) I’m losing piles of flies casting Type II sinking tip into moving water. I’m not sure why you are using sinking line.  Unless you are fishing really deep runs consistently (or perhaps fishing streamers??), you should be using floating line.  Your leader is all that should be sinking. An important key to nymph fishing is proper depth.  You should use an indicator that’s adjusted so that your fly moves with the current but occasionally gets delayed by riverbed obstacles.  If you are constantly hanging up or catching moss on your fly, move your indicator closer to your fly, if aren’t getting any false "hits" as you drift, you’re too far off the bottom.  The trick is to have your fly or flies tumbling around in the eddy-like turbulent layer of water produced by the interaction of the current with the riverbottom structure.  That’s where the fish spend a lot of time feeding.  Use an indicator that’s easy to move up and down your line so that you will be encouraged to change it as you move to new spots on the stream.  Adjusting depth has produced more strikes for me (in a drift zone I’ve already fished unsuccessfully) than any other change (such as change of weight or fly type). Proper weighting is also a key factor.  If you have the right amount of weight.  When you cast 1/4 up stream, the ideal is to have your flies "in the zone" as they pass the point straight out from you, cross-current.  Too much weight and you’ll definitely be getting stuck a lot on the bottom. Too little and you won’t be spending much time "in the zone" for each drift.  Personally, I find that if I must use more weight, I get hung up less if I use a couple of small split shot together rather than a larger shot of equivalent weight. The advice about walking up stream to pull the fly out of the snag the way it went in is a really good one.  I’ve saved many a fly this way. 2) … The puzzling thing to me, which hasn’t been well described to me yet, is the retrieve…. For 95% of dry fly fishing, only dead drift will generate strikes.  Some caddis flies do skid along the surface and there are some techniques for imparting action that is natural. The most important part about the retrieve in dry fly fishing is not to make a big splash or otherwise disturb the water with your initial backcast.  Start your back cast with a brief, slow pull to get the fly moving (especially if it has sunk below the surface) and then use full energy after it’s moving.  Try doing it the wrong way a few times, then the right way.  You’ll see a big difference in the amount of disturbance created as you backcast. When nymphing, you will generate some strikes on the retrieve simply because the pause between each pull causes an alteration in the flies movement that can mimic prey in trouble.  Fish sometimes key on this and you get strikes. Retrieve technique is most important when streamer fishing, but I do not do that much, so I can’t say much about it. Good luck. —                                                       -dnc-

Response:

Question:

Man you guys are really hallucinatin bout those trees! hehe Open yer eyes and youll uncover that there are Millions of trees out there and anybody willin to do a little investigatin is gonna uncover any kind of tree FREE within reason,,I mean most trees are ground up into sawdust so dont ya think those folks discarding those trees would just LUV some one to come along and take a few???The library has books on USIN SALVAGED WOODS,And even shows where to find your own stache! Everytime i see somebody get excited about findin a lone tree i gotta think BOY if they only knew! hehe                      

Response:

The library has books on USIN SALVAGED WOODS,And even shows where to find your own stache! Everytime i see somebody get excited about findin a lone tree i gotta think BOY if they only knew! hehe

        Just curious.  Does anyone know what the smallest diameter of trunk/limb from Red Oak, White Oak or Walnut trees will yield useable lumber?  Also, normally, what thickness/width can you expect from given diameters?         Terry

Response:

The logs must be 12 inches or better. Once you remove the bark and the sap wood you really don’t have much to work with on the sawmill.  Tree which don’t grow in a thick stand ie. like in a forest will have "reaction wood" which will cause the lumber to deflect when sawn. This can be very dangerous and also reduce useable lumber.   Trees around a house are generally not used since they will contain nails, bolt, etc. Good Luck. Be careful with the salvaged lumber. Morgan Monks – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The library has books on USIN SALVAGED WOODS,And even shows where to find your own stache! Everytime i see somebody get excited about findin a lone tree i gotta think BOY if they only knew! hehe         Just curious.  Does anyone know what the smallest diameter of trunk/limb from Red Oak, White Oak or Walnut trees will yield useable lumber?  Also, normally, what thickness/width can you expect from given diameters?         Terry

Response:

        Just curious.  Does anyone know what the smallest diameter of trunk/limb from Red Oak, White Oak or Walnut trees will yield useable lumber?  Also, normally, what thickness/width can you expect from given diameters?         Terry

This really depends on what you are going to use the wood for. I’m finding a lot of reaction to pieces I have carved from wood centers. These can be as small as a few inches.

Response:

I have access to 3- 6′ lengths of cherry full rounds approx 10" diam.  These were cut from a tree fallen in a storm and have just been out in the elements for almost a year.  There is some cracking on the ends but it is not splitting.  My question is wether or not it would be worth attempting to turn this into acceptable stock for small projects, and second what I would need to do at this point to do just that.  Any information would be appreciated. Beau Wiseman

Response:

Dear Beau: When I was a younger man I became enamored with fly fishing and I tied my own flies.  I used a lot of saddle hackle which comes from roosters. So every time I saw a coup of chickens I started looking it over to see if there was a rooster; everything from Rhode Island Reds, Dominickers, White Legorns, even Banties. Now I can’t drive past a tree without wondering what kind of wonderful grain a tree will have.  I once came upon a crawler tractor ripping up a side of the road and they uncovered large Eucalyptus branches which had been buried in relatively dry soil.  My heart pounded with the same kind of excitement as it did when I saw one of those beautiful roosters. Anyway, I took what I could carry off cleaned off the dirt and let it set. Several months later I put a piece of it on my lathe and became excited with the magnificent grain which began to appear.  My regret is that I didn’t salvage more of it.  I left so much that I could have had, and out here, Eucalyptus dries so fact it checks and cracks. To your question.  Absolutely lay your hands on that Cherry.  Guard it with a gun, then when you have it home, put it under your bed and don’t tell anyone where you have it stored.  If it’s dry, which it probably is, as was my experience, it has a lot of uses.  As to how to get it milled into lumber, I haven’t the foggiest.  If you live in an area where there are mills, getting it into board shouldn’t be that difficult.  If you have the capability, I suggest having a lot of it cut into dimension. Good Luck Robert Lee, Chandler, aZ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have access to 3- 6′ lengths of cherry full rounds approx 10" diam.  These were cut from a tree fallen in a storm and have just been out in the elements for almost a year.  There is some cracking on the ends but it is not splitting.  My question is wether or not it would be worth attempting to turn this into acceptable stock for small projects, and second what I would need to do at this point to do just that.  Any information would be appreciated. Beau Wiseman

Response:

Sure, you have a treasure. Find someone with a large band saw to make the slices you will need and then have them planed. In the meantime, pour some parafin on the ends of the logs to force more even drying. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have access to 3- 6′ lengths of cherry full rounds approx 10" diam.  These were cut from a tree fallen in a storm and have just been out in the elements for almost a year.  There is some cracking on the ends but it is not splitting.  My question is wether or not it would be worth attempting to turn this into acceptable stock for small projects, and second what I would need to do at this point to do just that.  Any information would be appreciated. Beau Wiseman

Response:

My question is wether or not it would be worth attempting to turn this into acceptable stock for small projects,

might as well try. if not at least you’ll have firewood ready to burn. and second what I would  need to do at this point to do just that.

my technique for found wood: paint some sorta sealant on the ends. old paint, commercial selaent, thinned down wood glue, whatever.. remove bark w/ a draw-knife square it up two adjacent faces is fine, w/ a side axe, chainsaw, froe, whatever… take it to your bandsaw w/a resaw blade and rip it into 6/4 (1-1/2") stock… sticker it..  wait… see what develops in a year or two — ~ John  http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/1824/ Please post follow-ups to the group.

Response:

what he said. ‘cept I cut it to 8/4…                 jd – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My question is wether or not it would be worth attempting to turn this into acceptable stock for small projects, might as well try. if not at least you’ll have firewood ready to burn. and second what I would  need to do at this point to do just that. my technique for found wood: paint some sorta sealant on the ends. old paint, commercial selaent, thinned down wood glue, whatever.. remove bark w/ a draw-knife square it up two adjacent faces is fine, w/ a side axe, chainsaw, froe, whatever… take it to your bandsaw w/a resaw blade and rip it into 6/4 (1-1/2") stock… sticker it..  wait… see what develops in a year or two — ~ John  http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/1824/ Please post follow-ups to the group.

– **  James J. Momenee-DuPrie     Operations Manager     ** **  Phone (978) 684-3722        ADSmart Corp.          ** **  Fax (978) 684-3618          100 Brickstone Square  **

Response:

Question:

I’ll be in Livingston, MT in early Aug. I’d like to know if there are places to fly fish near town? I’ll probably be in the Comfort Inn. I’m not looking for trophies, just easy access and some fun. I’d like to be able to give the family the car so I can fish. Is there fishing in walking distance to that part of town? I’ve never been there, so I need advice.

Response:

I’ll be in Livingston, MT in early Aug. I’d like to know if there are places to fly fish near town? I’ll probably be in the Comfort Inn. I’m not looking for trophies, just easy access and some fun. I’d like to be able to give the family the car so I can fish. Is there fishing in walking distance to that part of town? I’ve never been there, so I need advice.

Hi Gerys The Yellowstone River flows right through town and good fishing often can be right at your back door. If close access is your goal then try fishing around the channels near the 9th St bridge, up or down stream from Mayer’s Landing, or Carter’s Bridge (about 2 miles south of town). Good luck & … — Tight Lines ….. Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Catalog,Tips & Tricks, Fishing Reports, & NeverSink at: http://www.btsflyfishing.com

Response:

Question:

C’mon you people, admit it, let share some carp on the fly stories.  These stalwart fighters have been much maligned over the decades regarding their worth as a worthy adversary. I know some of you have forsaken the Trout for the coarseness of what’s still considered in Europe as a noble Fish. The Carp.  Philosophical retorts as well as pragmatic advice on how to catch the suckers is welcome.   (Have tried steelhead type egg flies with little success for starters).

Response:

C’mon you people, admit it, let share some carp on the fly stories.

These stalwart fighters have been much maligned over the decades regarding their worth as a worthy adversary. I know some of you have forsaken the Trout for the coarseness of what’s still considered in Europe as a noble Fish. The Carp.  Philosophical retorts as well as pragmatic advice on how to catch the suckers is welcome.   (Have tried steelhead type egg flies with little success for starters). Danezen,  A friend and I caught a number of carp of 3 to 5 pounds on #14 GRHE in clear quiet water.  Fished the fly with a slow finger winding retrieve.  They make a lot of noise splashing as the hook is set and the first 3 minutes are a good fight…. then it is a down and dogged pull without much character to it until you bring them to net… Seem to lack the stamina of a salmonid. Alan E. Hoover Anglers’ Rest Powhatan, Va        *the trout teach many, lessons*

Response:

I know some of you have forsaken the Trout for the coarseness of what’s still considered in Europe as a noble Fish. The Carp.  Philosophical retorts as well as pragmatic advice on how to catch the suckers is welcome.  

In the absence of other fish, Carp is King. In the presence of other fish, carp is an abomination.

Response:

I have had some success using maribu jigs with hackle bodys, fished off docks and presented like you would to a trout. them buggers can be alfull picky. lots of fun on 2 pound line. The guy crappie fishing next to me about had a heart attack when I landed a 6 pounder on 2 pound line. bright colors seem to help. crashawk

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A number of years ago, I was fishing 11 Mile Reservoir for Pike. I was casting a large black Bunny Fly that had been very successful for me netting me a number of Pike up to twenty pounds. I was fishing a wind swept shoreline from a belly boat & was casting into the roiled water near the bank, retrieving the fly back into the clear. The Pike I had been catching were sitting right at the edge of this line. I made a cast very near the shore & thought that I had snagged. Then all hell broke loose. Following a huge swurl, the fish took off like a freight train running toward the middle of the lake. With an eight weight & a heavy leader, I was unable to slow the fish. When I reached my backing, I turned around, held my rod above my head, & kicked as hard as I could to keep the fish from taking all the line. I followed the fish as well as I could, without being able to gain any line. Finally just when the spool was nearly empty, it stopped. I regained some line by getting right over the fish. Then the work began. For what seemed to be a half hour, I followed the fish, got towed by him, gained line, lost line. I felt I had hooked a CO record pike.I finally gained enough line that I saw the fish. I was *VERY* dissappointed when I saw it was a carp. When I finally landed it, I guestimated it at over twenty pounds, similar in weight to some of the bigger pike I had caught. Over the next few days, my mind kept going back to the battle with this fish. I was probably the most exciting, hard fought battle I’d had with a fish. This turned around my thinking about carp. I now fish for them with dries when they’re surface feeding, & will fish for them with nymphs etc. I find that small flies, as a whole, fish better.   Willi

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – C’mon you people, admit it, let share some carp on the fly stories.  These stalwart fighters have been much maligned over the decades regarding their worth as a worthy adversary. I know some of you have forsaken the Trout for the coarseness of what’s still considered in Europe as a noble Fish. The Carp.  Philosophical retorts as well as pragmatic advice on how to catch the suckers is welcome.   (Have tried steelhead type egg flies with little success for starters). There is a story in the current California Fly Fisher about sneak fishing for large carp in ponds in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Written by Seth Norman with photos by Valentine Atkinson. He scored on egg flies. The fish were spooky. The proper camoflage would be to dress as a bum and cast a short rod from a park bench.

Laugh.  I really miss my subscription to that magazine but I no longer live in California.  If you (the generic you) live in California, and you flyfish,  I highly recommend a subscription to the magazine. -Mark Vinsel BTW, in case this rare willingness to write on your favorite quarry inspires you to want to subscribe, Cal FFer can be reached at: P.O. Box 40429 San Francisco, CA,  94140 (415) 284-0313

At one time they had an email address as well but were having trouble with their service provider and I haven’t seen anything from them in a long time.  I had a good feeling about them when I first subscribed to the magazine and they apologized for not getting back so soon because the staff was out fishing. John Fereira

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Question:

What makes the best strike indicator the old styrophome or the yarn? I have always used the florecent ones but several people I talked to have said that the yarn works as well and doesn’t scare the fish.

Hi Patrick I like a yarn indicator if I’m fishing big, heavy nymphs deep or a larger dry fly on an in-line dropper if I’m fishing a nymph in the first 2-3 feet of water. Often you will catch a fish on the indicator fly – my favorite for the Yellowstone or Madison is a #8 or #10 Royal Wulff. — Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT http://www.flyshop.com/Expo/Specialty/BTsPdcts/index.html

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Corke Vs. Yarn         ..they use bobbers we use strike indicators..many streams don’t allow a fly as an indicator…I use "Biostrike"…works pretty good except when I aggressively cast then I may lose it…but NTL it works fine for me steve – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What makes the best strike indicator the old styrophome or the yarn? I have always used the florecent ones but several people I talked to have said that the yarn works as well and doesn’t scare the fish. Hi Patrick I like a yarn indicator if I’m fishing big, heavy nymphs deep or a larger dry fly on an in-line dropper if I’m fishing a nymph in the first 2-3 feet of water. Often you will catch a fish on the indicator fly – my favorite for the Yellowstone or Madison is a #8 or #10 Royal Wulff. — Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT http://www.flyshop.com/Expo/Specialty/BTsPdcts/index.html

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What makes the best strike indicator the old styrophome or the yarn? I have always used the florecent ones but several people I talked to have said that the yarn works as well and doesn’t scare the fish.

I like yarn.  I keep a couple of colors in my vest.  With yarn you can make a large indicator, a small indicator or several small ones to help you detect subtle takes.  Try mixing two colors to improve visibility in heavy water and bad light. Good luck – Jeff Schmitt

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Hi Patrick, I rarely use any thing but yarn these days.  For about $6, I bought a big spool of bright red yarn and pale yellow yarn from Ben Franklin. I have a feeling that even if I keep guiding for the next 10 years, I will still have alot left over.  Myself and the clients I guide prefer it much more so than the "bobber" strike indicatiors.  You can adjust the amount from the size of an Osprey’s nest if your in choppy water or have trouble seeing small indicators to a pinch for spring creek/fussy fishing.  Grease it up, and it floats high and dry for a very long time.  Plus, with the knot I use, it is easy to readjust it’s position and stays put (doesn’t fly off like most of the slip on indicators. But, I usually use a high floating dry or two for an indicator. What makes the best strike indicator the old styrophome or the yarn? I have always used the florecent ones but several people I talked to have said that the yarn works as well and doesn’t scare the fish.

Paul Williamson Emigrant, MT 59027

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What makes the best strike indicator the old styrophome or the yarn? I have always used the florecent ones but several people I talked to have said that the yarn works as well and doesn’t scare the fish.

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What makes the best strike indicator the old styrophome or the yarn? I have always used the fluorecent ones but several people I talked to have said that the yarn works as well and doesn’t scare the fish.

My favorite strike indicator is a #12 royal humpy.  Sometimes the fish will try to take the indicator.  Might as well have a hook in it! CQ

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Question:

The URL you seek is: http://www.seakayaker.com/gaddis/gadabout.htm

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The URL you seek is: http://www.seakayaker.com/gaddis/gadabout.htm

Hi Dave I bookmarked the site. Thanks for taking the time to post the information. — Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT http://www.flyshop.com/Expo/Specialty/BTsPdcts/index.html

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I’ve been away a week fishing the banks of Argentina for trout. What a blast. My friend told me someone posted info about a Gadabout Gaddis homepage, a hero to me in my childhood. Can anyone post the url here! Much Appreciated Vince

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My friend told me someone posted info about a Gadabout Gaddis homepage, a hero to me in my childhood.

 Truly fun to watch, but you know…we never really got a look at the fly!….any guesses as to what he had on..?…worms…nightcrawlers.., cheese!….;-) Steve D.

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Question:

Will be traveling to Glacier National Park, Montana on the long weekend in September with my wife.  I am wanting to know of any streams or creeks that might provide some flyfishing recreational pleasure.  (Time is limited considering that my wife will be with me on this trip – any advice would be greatly appreciated – I am sure that there are a few flyfisherman whose flyfishing time is limited due to their spouse being on vacation with them)  Are there any sports shops or fly fishing outlets in the Glacier National Park area that might provide some good advice regarding streams, creeks, hatches, flies, etc.  Any information would be helpful since my flyfishing experience has mainly been in Alberta, Canada. Thanks in advance! Jon H.

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I fished the Middle Fork of the Flathead River back in September of 1995 (my honeymoon trip).  I had a great time being guided by one of the guys at Montana Raft company; the guy lives, breathes, and eats flyfishing. Mostly cutthroats. ENJOY!!!

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