Question:

this is a huge area for a country where it rains constantly, and which is therefore awash with good fishing rivers and lakes.   There are pages and pages to be written about each of the counties you’re mentioning. I strongly suggest three books (or two, depending on whether you prefer to fish rivers or loughs/lakes.) http://www.moytura.com/irishbooks/sport1.htm for Peter O’Reilley’s definitive books on loughs and rivers. Also "A Man May Fish", written maybe in the sixties , for an account of fishing in Ireland that will make you want to spend a lot longer than a day doing it. You can start looking for secon hand copies on bookfinder.com at http://www.bookfinder.com/search/?st=sl&ac=sl&qi=WQ0EJCyJRTTzZZcAfRgT1i9 WQ0eGIYgT:122:227 Best Wishes Lazarus – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello- My husband and I are planning a trip to Ireland in the latter part of September this year.  We will mostly be visiting with family while there, but will have about 1 week to explore after that.  We are mostly interested in Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Roscommon areas.  We might have just a day to fish. Does anyone have experience fishing in this area?  Good streams/rivers to check out?  Any suggestions of a good outfitter to rent us the necessary gear for a day? Thanks in advance for any input! Betsy in Santa Fe

Response:

Thank you to Dave and Lazarus for your replies.  Yes, I will check out those books, Lazarus.  Dave, thanks for the Google suggestion.  I had actually already done that.  I guess I wasn’t clear enough in my original post, but I was hoping for some personal accounts or experiences to be shared.  Just a differnet approach for us to consider before we leave… Thanks again! Betsy

Response:

Hello- My husband and I are planning a trip to Ireland in the latter part of September this year.  We will mostly be visiting with family while there, but will have about 1 week to explore after that.  We are mostly interested in Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Roscommon areas.  We might have just a day to fish. Does anyone have experience fishing in this area?  Good streams/rivers to check out?  Any suggestions of a good outfitter to rent us the necessary gear for a day? Thanks in advance for any input! Betsy in Santa Fe

Response:

Bwalker writes: My husband and I are planning a trip to Ireland in the latter part of September this year.  We will mostly be visiting with family while there, but will have about 1 week to explore after that.  We are mostly interested in Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Roscommon areas.  We might have just a day to fish. Does anyone have experience fishing in this area?  Good streams/rivers to check out?  Any suggestions of a good outfitter to rent us the necessary gear for a day? Thanks in advance for any input! Betsy in Santa Fe

Go to www.google.com (or any of the other search engines), and type in "fly fishing" + "Ireland".  You will get lots of hits.  The info is at your fingertips. hth Dave

Response:

Question:

Thank GOD (and you, too, Steve) for an actual flyfishin’ post! Too good to snip – I’m leaving the whole thing intact! /daytripper (it’s gonna be one long GD winter!) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -The holiday season is just about done here now and I can return to my local streams from the ‘holiday’ I take from fishing this time every year… Oh, I fished once or twice,  once at the behest of my brother-in-law and his son.  Having invested a little time teaching them to cast previously, I was interested to see how they’d progressed … and their camp was near some of my favourite nearby mountain stream. Anyhow, I arrived later than I’d hoped (around 7am) and found them still in bed … AND  they left their fly gear at home and were bent on using bait and lures.  I guess its hard to give up old ways that you’ve had success with, they won’t leave the fly gear at home again.   There are lots of snakes (mostly tigers) in the area we were to fish… snakes weird me out, but some  birds help locate them – some of the larger species attack snakes that get too close to their roosts – the racket the birds make is fair warning … I haven’t seen that for a year or so now,  though I still see lots of snakes.  It is a pity the birds don’t seem to squawk and swoop the swimming tigers – another good reason to fish upstream. So after warnings about snakes,  watching where you put appendages, we set off to some relatively difficult to get to water … me pointing out likely pools where they may try their luck when I left at lunch time. An average day’s highlight – getting it all right – almost.  As we approached a pool through the bush I was yammering on about being cautious approaching pools … and right on cue the sight of a good brown finishing a rise  and slinking back into the depths of the pool put a nice little exclamation mark on my commentary.  The rise was in the bubble line at the head of the pool.  We waited, the three of us, but it didn’t show again in 15 minutes.  The lad became restless, and headed off downstream to the main body and tailout of the pool … there were fish there, I’d scouted it earlier while wading but I suspect they see a lot of hardware.   We wait … still nothing … patience deserts me to.   As the fly is worked across the pool to the bubble line and beyond to a rock ledge where I’ve had fish before, a commentary on roll-casting and working the head of the pool is met with attentive grunts and yeps from my brother-in-law … at the ledge a slick graceful rise and an audible slurp added the final touch.  The fish took a couple of metres of line and hung me up under a log.  My brother-in-law saw all this and commented that: "It was just like on television".   I wish I’d let him roll-cast that fly over there.   We shared water and heckled each other till lunch – the fly worked – the lures didn’t.   That evening they went to the places I directed them to earlier, and witnessed their first major evening rise and had their first major skunking. From the excited phone call I received later in the week thanking me, they described  "fish leaping and splashing … insects everywhere … no hope with bait or lure…It was amazing … ", the river did her part and I guess I didn’t do to badly either.   All that was over a fortnight ago, and today was very different – I was alone. Checked and dismissed some access points – god some people are thoughtless, littering imbeciles.  I really wasn’t in the mood for new water today anyway, I didn’t want to think to much about what I was doing. So it was back to a lowland haunt, where I know the riffles that tend to hold fish during hot weather … cool and drizzly mornings like this morning are invigorating for fish and fisherman alike after a hot spell. Fishing the riffles and bubble lines produced fish all morning till a weather change came through rather more early and a lot stronger than expected – I really hate it when a  tree branch  crashes into the drink next to me … still its probably a better ticker test than any ECG. Wandering the banks, thoughts tend to meander a bit – back to the trip above, health, scenery, the creatures …..   The wind picked up a little, the hills became visible as the clouds lifted.  The wind blowing over the hills causes updrafts and eddies on the hillsides much like a pool, but on a grander scale.  The remaining wisps of fog and mist clinging to the trees are sucked up into the cloud bank above the hills … I’ve been here a hundred times and not seen that here before.   A high-flying flock of Ibis had me mistaking them for cormorants and cursing their existence. Recalling the ROFF thread about cormorants had me wondering about some of the imbalances foist on the river recently. What about the last fish – it had gashes down its back – parallel scars. Ibis? – marsh birds I think … I did see a Heron earlier the water is so low – even for this time of year – the secure lies are becoming thin on the ground – so to speak.   Someone, with all good intentions no doubt, has decided to clear steep sections of the bank of all vegetation, reinforce them with tonnes of rock, and replant with what looks like typical suburban rockery plants.  Those plants will not survive the next flood. In the meantime, these sections of river have been denuded of fish habitat.  In one section this has caused an increased flow around a now uniform bend, which has virtually destroyed the pool that formed below it and has shifted tonnes of gravel downstream to be deposited on a beach that wasn’t there a couple of years ago. Rivers change but I prefer nature to do it … For some unkown reason, the Bellbirds were particularly plentiful today, their calls certainly add ambience to the river.  I think I winged a Wren on a back cast by the racket that exploded behind me on one cast.   Still it wasn’t as bad as the Swallow that tangled in my leader and hit the drink – what a ruckus – Swallow and leader survived.  What  the hell was making that odd call – it sounded like what I imagine to be the laugh of some ROFFians after to many stogies.  Possibly  black parrots, its that time of year … Steve

Response:

Steve,   Wow!!! Who cares if it was long….you just made winter go away for a minute or two, at least. Thanks!                            Tom Littleton

Response:

The holiday season is just about done here now and I can return to my local streams from the ‘holiday’ I take from fishing this time every year… Oh, I fished once or twice,  once at the behest of my brother-in-law and his son.  Having invested a little time teaching them to cast previously, I was interested to see how they’d progressed … and their camp was near some of my favourite nearby mountain stream. Anyhow, I arrived later than I’d hoped (around 7am) and found them still in bed … AND  they left their fly gear at home and were bent on using bait and lures.  I guess its hard to give up old ways that you’ve had success with, they won’t leave the fly gear at home again.   There are lots of snakes (mostly tigers) in the area we were to fish… snakes weird me out, but some  birds help locate them – some of the larger species attack snakes that get too close to their roosts – the racket the birds make is fair warning … I haven’t seen that for a year or so now,  though I still see lots of snakes.  It is a pity the birds don’t seem to squawk and swoop the swimming tigers – another good reason to fish upstream. So after warnings about snakes,  watching where you put appendages, we set off to some relatively difficult to get to water … me pointing out likely pools where they may try their luck when I left at lunch time. An average day’s highlight – getting it all right – almost.  As we approached a pool through the bush I was yammering on about being cautious approaching pools … and right on cue the sight of a good brown finishing a rise  and slinking back into the depths of the pool put a nice little exclamation mark on my commentary.  The rise was in the bubble line at the head of the pool.  We waited, the three of us, but it didn’t show again in 15 minutes.  The lad became restless, and headed off downstream to the main body and tailout of the pool … there were fish there, I’d scouted it earlier while wading but I suspect they see a lot of hardware.   We wait … still nothing … patience deserts me to.   As the fly is worked across the pool to the bubble line and beyond to a rock ledge where I’ve had fish before, a commentary on roll-casting and working the head of the pool is met with attentive grunts and yeps from my brother-in-law … at the ledge a slick graceful rise and an audible slurp added the final touch.  The fish took a couple of metres of line and hung me up under a log.  My brother-in-law saw all this and commented that: "It was just like on television".   I wish I’d let him roll-cast that fly over there.   We shared water and heckled each other till lunch – the fly worked – the lures didn’t.   That evening they went to the places I directed them to earlier, and witnessed their first major evening rise and had their first major skunking. From the excited phone call I received later in the week thanking me, they described  "fish leaping and splashing … insects everywhere … no hope with bait or lure…It was amazing … ", the river did her part and I guess I didn’t do to badly either.   All that was over a fortnight ago, and today was very different – I was alone. Checked and dismissed some access points – god some people are thoughtless, littering imbeciles.  I really wasn’t in the mood for new water today anyway, I didn’t want to think to much about what I was doing. So it was back to a lowland haunt, where I know the riffles that tend to hold fish during hot weather … cool and drizzly mornings like this morning are invigorating for fish and fisherman alike after a hot spell. Fishing the riffles and bubble lines produced fish all morning till a weather change came through rather more early and a lot stronger than expected – I really hate it when a  tree branch  crashes into the drink next to me … still its probably a better ticker test than any ECG. Wandering the banks, thoughts tend to meander a bit – back to the trip above, health, scenery, the creatures …..   The wind picked up a little, the hills became visible as the clouds lifted.  The wind blowing over the hills causes updrafts and eddies on the hillsides much like a pool, but on a grander scale.  The remaining wisps of fog and mist clinging to the trees are sucked up into the cloud bank above the hills … I’ve been here a hundred times and not seen that here before.   A high-flying flock of Ibis had me mistaking them for cormorants and cursing their existence. Recalling the ROFF thread about cormorants had me wondering about some of the imbalances foist on the river recently. What about the last fish – it had gashes down its back – parallel scars. Ibis? – marsh birds I think … I did see a Heron earlier the water is so low – even for this time of year – the secure lies are becoming thin on the ground – so to speak.   Someone, with all good intentions no doubt, has decided to clear steep sections of the bank of all vegetation, reinforce them with tonnes of rock, and replant with what looks like typical suburban rockery plants.  Those plants will not survive the next flood. In the meantime, these sections of river have been denuded of fish habitat.  In one section this has caused an increased flow around a now uniform bend, which has virtually destroyed the pool that formed below it and has shifted tonnes of gravel downstream to be deposited on a beach that wasn’t there a couple of years ago. Rivers change but I prefer nature to do it … For some unkown reason, the Bellbirds were particularly plentiful today, their calls certainly add ambience to the river.  I think I winged a Wren on a back cast by the racket that exploded behind me on one cast.   Still it wasn’t as bad as the Swallow that tangled in my leader and hit the drink – what a ruckus – Swallow and leader survived.  What  the hell was making that odd call – it sounded like what I imagine to be the laugh of some ROFFians after to many stogies.  Possibly  black parrots, its that time of year … Steve

Response:

Question:

Hello there, I’m scheduled to spend a couple of weeks near London on work assignment. I’m very interested in any advice you may have for fly fishing in this area. Any and all suggestions are welcome!! Thanks, John Erskine

Response:

I’m scheduled to spend a couple of weeks near London on work assignment. I’m very interested in any advice you may have for fly fishing in this area. Any and all suggestions are welcome!!

Surprisingly good fishing is available near London, as many of the classic chalk streams (Test, Itchen, Bourne, Lambourne, etc.) are within a 90 minute drive west-southwest of the city in Hampshire. Isaak Walton, for example, is buried in Winchester cathedral.  There’s a small chapel where he lies, with stained glass scenes of the apostles fishing, intermixed with scenes of the master himself.  If you hit my website, address below, you can read an account of my trip last year. The problem, of course, is that virtually all of the water is private, controlled either by private land-owners or clubs.  You’ll have to at least pay a rod fee, and probably need to hire a guide, at least to begin. My fishing was arranged by: William Daniel, some of the best water in the area. Michael — www.geocities.com/yosemite/falls/3363 Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

Question:

A big "thanks"to the guys who have so readily replied to my request for help with some very sound advice. I really appreciate your words of wisdom and will be endeavouring to put them into practice. I’m also impressed with this forum – so much response so quickly! Regards, Brian Meredith Nelson New Zealand — Posted via Talkway – http://www.talkway.com Surf Usenet at home, on the road, and by email — always at Talkway.

Response:

Brian: Two other thoughts on the situation. 1.  Another common way to spook fish in NZ is with your line itself.  You need to make sure that your leader is long enough — generally we fished with 12-15 foot leaders.  They’re a bitch to cast, but necessary.  Ideally, you want to put the fly 6 feet in front of the fish (though depending on depth, you may need more), so you still have 6 or 8 feet of leader behind the fish before it attaches to your fly line. 2.  Generally NZ fish aren’t particularly "leader shy", but in slow moving, crystal clear water they may see your tippet.  Generally we would fish with 3x fluorocarbon tippet, but in the situation you describe, I might be tempted to put on a 4x or even 5x fluorocarbon.  That’s only a 4 lbs. breaking strength, but might be necessary. Keep in mind that the deeper the fish, in smooth water, the wider his angle of view.  This is counter intuitive:  the fish sees MORE from a deep lie than from a shallow lie.  So if you’d been approaching fish successfully in shallow water, and judged how close you could get from that, you may get too close.  I made that mistake myself stalking a 10 lbs.+ brown cruising a regular beat in a deep hole, to my everlasting regret.  I got where I thought it would be safe, but he had stopped cruising. Also, you’ve got to stay much further back from a fish in smooth water than in roily water.  A fish lying deep in smooth water may be literally impossible to catch.  E.g. if you have to cast well in front, in order to give time for the nymph to sink, any cast that would present the fly properly would "line" the fish.  Your only hope in that kind of situation would be to wait for the wind to riffle the surface of the water.  Then you might just get a cast in. Michael — www.geocities.com/yosemite/falls/3363

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Some advice for a novice please? I am fortunate to live in New Zealand’s South Island where there are some of theworld’s most renowned trout waters. They are populated mostly by brown trout which are notoriously difficult to catch. This pat weekend I was fishing the source of the Gowan River as it emerges from lake Rotoiti in the Nelson lakes national Park. I spotted my fish, a beautiful looking brown sitting on station in crystal clear and slow moving water. I stalked him with great care and there followed an hour of some of my most careful casting, some of which (not all by any means!) placed my size 6 pheasant tail nymph gently upstream of his mouth before drifting majestically over him. And nothing. He did not move. He did not strike. He just stayed on station and ignored that nymph and the four other varieties I tried. So what was I doing wrong? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. BrianM — Posted via Talkway – http://www.talkway.com Surf Usenet at home, on the road, and by email — always at Talkway.

Response:

<< stalked him with great care and there followed an hour of some of my most careful casting, some of which (not all by any means!) placed my size 6 pheasant tail nymph gently upstream Egads, Brian!  A size *6* pheasant tail

        i figured (fugured?) that size 6 was a typo. wayno

Response:

brianm wrote Some advice for a novice please?

[wily trout story snipped] Next time you see a big fish on station in ultra clear, smooth water, try observing him (without him observing you) for a while to see how he is feeding.  Is he on the bottom?  Just below the surface but never breaking it?  Occasionally sipping? Also, try taking a little mesh net with you to see what’s in the water. Those little nets they sell for tropical fish aquariums work pretty good, but for faster results, try 2-3 square feet of nylon mesh (you can get at any hardware store).  It’s a little cumbersome but at worst, you’ll get an interesting cross section of some of the insects in the water and at best, you just might have a pattern in your box. —                                                       -dnc-

Response:

<<even peter charles has failed to catch a fish; or, at least, legend would have it that way. It is true.  I have witnessed it.  Of course Peter had gotten into the Sleeman’s and had mistaken the broom in the cabin for his fly rod. Dave LaCourse

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This pat weekend I was fishing the source of the Gowan River as it emerges from lake Rotoiti in the Nelson lakes national Park. I spotted my fish, a beautiful looking brown sitting on station in crystal clear and slow moving water. I stalked him with great care and there followed an hour of some of my most careful casting, some of which (not all by any means!) placed my size 6 pheasant tail nymph gently upstream of his mouth before drifting majestically over him. And nothing. He did not move. He did not strike. He just stayed on station and ignored that nymph and the four other varieties I tried. So what was I doing wrong? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

I’ve had the good fortune to fish the South Island in two trips, and I envy your location. I agree with Dave that a size six may be too big.  However NZ nymphs do tend to the larger sizes — mostly 10-14 in my experience (rarely as small as 16, but 6 is HUGE).  You should check with local anglers/shops for advice. Several other points: Often, if the fish is in a comfortable, deep lie, it will not move even if spooked.  So you could easily have spooked it and not realized it.   Besides actually seeing you, if it was a bright sunny day, you could have spooked it with a reflection or a shadow.  Do you have a silver or gold reel?  Other silver metal that might flash?  Even black or dark colors, if glossy, can send a reflection on a bright sunny day that will put off a wary NZ trout. Shadows are especially treacherous if the sun is low and behind you.  Your body and  rod will then cast a shadow upstream. It’s actually very hard to cast lines near a wild NZ trout for an hour without spooking it.  So my guess would be the trout was spooked and was just holding its lie. Also, were there other fishermen around?  YOU might not have spooked it, but someone could have fished to it before you showed up.  This is particularly likely if the fish is in an obvious lie (as this one seems to be). Also, NZ fish will rarely go for a fly pattern once refused.  So, for example, if it saw the PT and decided not to take it (say because you dragged it) you MUST change patterns.  The fish may not have been spooked, simply keyed into some other fly. In general, if you’re pretty sure you covered a NZ fish with a fly once, and it doesn’t take, you should change flies immediately.  (The art is to be sure you’ve covered the fish — that comes with experience.  I had a day on a small stream in NZ where the fish would only take if the fly was DIRECTLY on their nose.  I mean six inches off, which normally is fine, would not induce a strike.  You had to keep casting until you got it right). But generally, there’s no point in chucking the same fly over and over again.  If you’re sure you’ve covered a fish, you should change flies. Again, check with your local shop.  But cased caddis, brassies, etc. might draw a strike that a PT wouldn’t.  It’s not unusual to try 4 or 5 different patterns, and occasionally you can draw a strike on the 5th pattern.  Keep in mind that every time you cast to a NZ fish, you risk spooking him.  So try to make very cast count.  If you think you’ve covered the fish, change flies.  Don’t screw around. If you’re working a fish without any luck, stop after a few casts and watch it.  If it hasn’t been spooked, you should be able to see it nymphing — occasional left or right swings to take a fly.  If it’s glued to a spot without moving, it’s likely spooked.  Waiting a few minutes may let the fish go back on the feed, assuming it wasn’t badly spooked. When all else fails, chuck a Wooly Bugger upstream and across, and strip it by his nose.  I’ve never actually had it work, but I have had totally unresponsive fish at least follow the fly before refusing it.  One of these days, I’m sure, it will work. Michael — www.geocities.com/yosemite/falls/3363 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

<< stalked him with great care and there followed an hour of some of my most careful casting, some of which (not all by any means!) placed my size 6 pheasant tail nymph gently upstream Egads, Brian!  A size *6* pheasant tail?  I should think the fish would be more comfortable ingesting a size 14 -18 ptail.  I may be missing something here, but I have never seen a ptail tied larger than a size 12.  What size tippet did you have? A #6 hook would equate to a 1X or 2X tippet. Big is not necessarily always "better", Brian. Try smaller nymphs, smaller tippet (maybe even fluorocarbon). Of course a size 2X tippet with a #6 pheasant tail would make a wonderful trolling machine.   d;0)  You ain’t trollin’, are you, Brian?     <G Dave LaCourse

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Some advice for a novice please? I stalked him with great care and there followed an hour of some of my most careful casting, some of which (not all by any means!) placed my size 6 pheasant tail nymph gently upstream of his mouth before drifting majestically over him. And nothing. He did not move. He did not strike. He just stayed on station and ignored that nymph and the four other varieties I tried. So what was I doing wrong? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. BrianM

    *assuming you didn’t actually spook him*…let me repeat that: *assuming you didn’t actually spook him*, then you were doing *nothing* wrong.  you were offering fake food to an animal that didn’t want to eat. in short, you were "fishing".  while the same anomaly will continue to occur throughout your fishing career, take heart:  it is a noble endeavor, and your occassional failures make you part of an ever-growing club.     even peter charles has failed to catch a fish; or, at least, legend would have it that way. wayno – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text — Posted via Talkway – http://www.talkway.com Surf Usenet at home, on the road, and by email — always at Talkway.

Response:

Some advice for a novice please? I am fortunate to live in New Zealand’s South Island where there are some of theworld’s most renowned trout waters. They are populated mostly by brown trout which are notoriously difficult to catch. This pat weekend I was fishing the source of the Gowan River as it emerges from lake Rotoiti in the Nelson lakes national Park. I spotted my fish, a beautiful looking brown sitting on station in crystal clear and slow moving water. I stalked him with great care and there followed an hour of some of my most careful casting, some of which (not all by any means!) placed my size 6 pheasant tail nymph gently upstream of his mouth before drifting majestically over him. And nothing. He did not move. He did not strike. He just stayed on station and ignored that nymph and the four other varieties I tried. So what was I doing wrong? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. BrianM — Posted via Talkway – http://www.talkway.com Surf Usenet at home, on the road, and by email — always at Talkway.

Response:

Question:

More importantly, where does she fish, where are her favorite pools, and does she prefer wine or Scotch?  Godiva chocolates are always appropriate. Wayne to fish is human…to release divine. This is becoming another Urban Legend. Just who exactly is this phantom drop dead gorgeous fly fishing model? Names please! And just where is this cabin so when I’m in the neighborhood I can drop by and say "howdy, Ma’am". -John

Response:

Whoa, Charlie….let’s think this through a little bit.  Sure, I wouldn’t mind an afternoon on-stream with Lefty, but you distinctly said spending an *evening* with the model.  Want to reconsider?

Nope. You can spend an evening listening to someone talk about their makeup if you like, though. The next morning I’ll know a lot more about fishing and you’ll be convinced that if she hadn’t had to go home early to wash her hair, you could have scored<g. — Charlie…

Response:

Hi all, I’ll go home and get the magazine from my wife this weekend and post whatever information it contains next Monday…  I’m only telling y’all what my wife told me!  If it’s not too long, maybe I’ll post excerpts from the article. Other than that, given a choice between spending the weekend with a model or Lefty Kreh, I’d definitely say I’d have to take Lefty.  That way I’d still be alive when I got home as it might be difficult to flyfish while my wife is shooting at me. Happy New Year! Tom This is becoming another Urban Legend. Just who exactly is this phantom drop dead gorgeous fly fishing model? Names please! And just where is this cabin so when I’m in the neighborhood I can drop by and say "howdy, Ma’am". -John

– Thomas Chou International Sensor Technology 3 Whatney Irvine, CA 92618 Ph: 949.452.9316 Fx: 949.452.9009 www.gotgas.com

Response:

but if she is half the person Left is that would make a wonderful evening discussing fishign and tying! Thought I was gonna be rude there didn’t you <g Pierre – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Actually, I’d rather spend an evening with Lefty than with a fashion model. Not sure about Lefty in drag, though<g. — Charlie… Oh come now man, get your priorities straight.  I’d rather spend an "evening" with the model, I’d rather spend the weekend with Lefty. Oh am I in trouble when I get home tonight.  :-) Later,      - Ken

Response:

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW Charlie ol boy you just made a terrible mistake!!!! Sexist comments like that are really gonna bring the house down..Besides who says that natural beauty needs help?? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Whoa, Charlie….let’s think this through a little bit.  Sure, I wouldn’t mind an afternoon on-stream with Lefty, but you distinctly said spending an *evening* with the model.  Want to reconsider? Nope. You can spend an evening listening to someone talk about their makeup if you like, though. The next morning I’ll know a lot more about fishing and you’ll be convinced that if she hadn’t had to go home early to wash her hair, you could have scored<g. — Charlie…

Response:

but if she is half the person Left is that would make a wonderful evening discussing fishign and tying! Thought I was gonna be rude there didn’t you <g Pierre

Actually, the comparison I was making was an evening with Lefty vs an evening with a ‘regular’ model, not the ‘mythical’ fishing lady in the ad. The supposition was made in an earlier post that the ad was a fake (since I haven’t seen it I have no opinion on that). Given the choice between the ‘fishing lady model’ and Lefty, I’d probably still go with Lefty though, but the choice would be more difficult<g. — Charlie…

Response:

More importantly, where does she fish, where are her favorite pools, and does she prefer wine or Scotch?  Godiva chocolates are always appropriate.

OK, but what size hook should you tie the chocolates onto?  Standard nymph, wide-gape bassin’ hook, ram it onto the post on that funny Partridge parachute hook, or what?  Maybe a dry fly hook, and drown the whole concoction (confection? in Gink?  Inquiring minds…  :-) — Bob Jarvis Mail address hacked to foil spammers!

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EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW Charlie ol boy you just made a terrible mistake!!!! Sexist comments like that are really gonna bring the house down..Besides who says that natural beauty needs help??

Have you ever talked to a model, of either sex? The ones I have are mostly interested in their looks and the makeup that helps them ‘enhance’ their looks. My comment wasn’t intended to be sexist, just anti-model<g. Maybe I just ran into a few bad apples. — Charlie…

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This is becoming another Urban Legend. Just who exactly is this phantom drop dead gorgeous fly fishing model? Names please! And just where is this cabin so when I’m in the neighborhood I can drop by and say "howdy, Ma’am".

Not to worry, we’re trying to line her up as a "greeter" at our new flyfishing theme cafe next spring.  Dates and locations to be announced… Cheers, Tony Ritter

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But Tom….what a way to go!!! Wayne To fish is human…to release divine. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all, I’ll go home and get the magazine from my wife this weekend and post whatever information it contains next Monday…  I’m only telling y’all what my wife told me!  If it’s not too long, maybe I’ll post excerpts from the article. Other than that, given a choice between spending the weekend with a model or Lefty Kreh, I’d definitely say I’d have to take Lefty.  That way I’d still be alive when I got home as it might be difficult to flyfish while my wife is shooting at me. Happy New Year! Tom This is becoming another Urban Legend. Just who exactly is this phantom drop dead gorgeous fly fishing model? Names please! And just where is this cabin so when I’m in the neighborhood I can drop by and say "howdy, Ma’am". -John — Thomas Chou International Sensor Technology 3 Whatney Irvine, CA 92618 Ph: 949.452.9316 Fx: 949.452.9009 www.gotgas.com

Response:

Bob,     Its somethig akin to grappling catfish on the Mississippi.  Not a matter of a hook, although a good line doesn’t hurt.  Sometimes its more the line you cast than the bait you use. Wayne To fish is human…to release divine. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -OK, but what size hook should you tie the chocolates onto?  Standard nymph, wide-gape bassin’ hook, ram it onto the post on that funny Partridge parachute hook, or what?  Maybe a dry fly hook, and drown the whole concoction (confection? in Gink?  Inquiring minds…  :-) — Bob Jarvis Mail address hacked to foil spammers!

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Ladies! Feel free to wade in and help us out here! Wayne To fish is human…to release divine.

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Ladies! Feel free to wade in and help us out here!

Oh, I think you’re doing a splendid job! Okay, here’s a new topic. Hasanyone read that David Leitz murder mystery novel about the model photo shoot at a fly fishing lodge… here it is: _Dying to Fly Fish_? — Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Disclaimer: Pushing 40 and born in Fredericton, NB

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George G: like you – and me? George, dogs chase cars, but they don’t know how to drive. d;0) Dave L.

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JR, The main model for the Estee Lauder commercial *can* cast.  She has in fact devoted a great portion of her life to flyfishing.  The story goes like this (abbreviated, of course.  This is the story my wife told me she read in a recent mag article about this)…  She made some money modeling when she was younger, invested it well, and took up flyfishing with some other members of her family.  She is the only one who pursued it with a passion, which she still does, while the others gave it up.  She ties her own flies, owns a cabin by a river, she’s rich, and beautiful… and like I’ve said before, I’ve got dibs.  She is currently around 56 years old.  Now that’s a great looking 56 year old lady, don’t you think?! Hope this clears things up. Tom – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Saw the commercial while watching NYPD Blue.  Sorry guys, but anyone who says his streams in Alberta, N.C., wherever, are crawling with women who look like the model in this commercial, well, no offense, but he lies like a dog.  And her clothes (this all started about her clothes, no?)–well, I’m can’t remember what sort of clothes she had.  Pretty sure, though, that she was wearing clothes. The question is, is this babe a for real fly fisher or not?  The last, long, overhead shot shows a pretty good casting stroke, but this could have been a stand-in.  The stroke in the close-up shots is less convincing.  As for the other obvious questions, I leave those up to the congregation….. JR

Response:

The main model for the Estee Lauder commercial *can* cast.  She has in fact devoted a great portion of her life to flyfishing.

David Hinner’s post of 12/30/98 credits Pixar Studios with the creative morphing of Lefty Kreh into the "Beaverkill Bombshell". Tom – he *does* have a wonderful sense of humor – but are you *sure* you still want that date? Cheers, Tony Ritter

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The main model for the Estee Lauder commercial *can* cast.  She has in fact devoted a great portion of her life to flyfishing. David Hinner’s post of 12/30/98 credits Pixar Studios with the creative morphing of Lefty Kreh into the "Beaverkill Bombshell". Tom – he *does* have a wonderful sense of humor – but are you *sure* you still want that date?

Actually, I’d rather spend an evening with Lefty than with a fashion model. Not sure about Lefty in drag, though<g. — Charlie…

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Actually, I’d rather spend an evening with Lefty than with a fashion model. Not sure about Lefty in drag, though<g. — Charlie…

Oh come now man, get your priorities straight.  I’d rather spend an "evening" with the model, I’d rather spend the weekend with Lefty. Oh am I in trouble when I get home tonight.  :-) Later,      - Ken

Response:

The main model for the Estee Lauder commercial *can* cast.  She has in fact devoted a great portion of her life to flyfishing.  The story goes like this (abbreviated, of course.  This is the story my wife told me she read in a recent mag article about this)…

At the risk of spreading disappointment and gloom, I must point out that not everything you read in a magazine, newspaper or book is Gospel Truth– especially stuff about movie stars, models, athletes, business firms, products, politicians….. Agents and PR firms earn their money by cranking out stuff to create interest in their clients and make them look good. vince norris  She made some money modeling when she was – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -younger, invested it well, and took up flyfishing with some other members of her family.  She is the only one who pursued it with a passion, which she still does, while the others gave it up.  She ties her own flies, owns a cabin by a river, she’s rich, and beautiful… and like I’ve said before, I’ve got dibs.  She is currently around 56 years old.  Now that’s a great looking 56 year old lady, don’t you think?! Hope this clears things up. Tom Saw the commercial while watching NYPD Blue.  Sorry guys, but anyone who says his streams in Alberta, N.C., wherever, are crawling with women who look like the model in this commercial, well, no offense, but he lies like a dog.  And her clothes (this all started about her clothes, no?)–well, I’m can’t remember what sort of clothes she had.  Pretty sure, though, that she was wearing clothes. The question is, is this babe a for real fly fisher or not?  The last, long, overhead shot shows a pretty good casting stroke, but this could have been a stand-in.  The stroke in the close-up shots is less convincing.  As for the other obvious questions, I leave those up to the congregation….. JR

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Whoa, Charlie….let’s think this through a little bit.  Sure, I wouldn’t mind an afternoon on-stream with Lefty, but you distinctly said spending an *evening* with the model.  Want to reconsider? Mark Faulkner – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The main model for the Estee Lauder commercial *can* cast.  She has in fact devoted a great portion of her life to flyfishing. David Hinner’s post of 12/30/98 credits Pixar Studios with the creative morphing of Lefty Kreh into the "Beaverkill Bombshell". Tom – he *does* have a wonderful sense of humor – but are you *sure* you still want that date? Actually, I’d rather spend an evening with Lefty than with a fashion model. Not sure about Lefty in drag, though<g. — Charlie…

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JR, The main model for the Estee Lauder commercial *can* cast.  She has in fact devoted a great portion of her life to flyfishing.  The story goes like this (abbreviated, of course.  This is the story my wife told me she read in a recent mag article about this)…  She made some money modeling when she was younger, invested it well, and took up flyfishing with some other members of her family.  She is the only one who pursued it with a passion, which she still does, while the others gave it up.  She ties her own flies, owns a cabin by a river, she’s rich, and beautiful… and like I’ve said before, I’ve got dibs.  She is currently around 56 years old.  Now that’s a great looking 56 year old lady, don’t you think?! Hope this clears things up. Tom snip

This is becoming another Urban Legend. Just who exactly is this phantom drop dead gorgeous fly fishing model? Names please! And just where is this cabin so when I’m in the neighborhood I can drop by and say "howdy, Ma’am". -John

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Bait for what, George?  They want us to buy Estee Lauder products?  OK, I’m going to find some, some…(some what?), I don’t know, some face cream or something, and see if it floats a fly better than Gink. Then I make a fortune, the model falls for me (and all my money), and we live and fish happily ever after.  Drinking Famous Grouse. …Fade out…. The End. (The crowd goes wild.) JR

"They," are the gutem & eatum boys.  THEY, want you to use garden hackle and sinful things like ‘indicators!’ (Perish the Thought!)  Then they want to catch you making out with that doll that’s been all Ginked up like a sweaty latin lover and print those pictures here on ROFF, heaven forbid!  Well, fear not J.R. because here comes Wayno, the barrister of all time to defend you. Naturally, his fee is going to be a case of Famous Grouse and as you sit there in handcuffs at the ROFF Conclave, we are all going to drink every bit of it while you watch.  But, again, fear not!  This Buds’ for you. (This group isn’t THAT cold hearted pal.) ; )  Don’t you just love it here J.R.? We sure enough love you. Happy New Year.  Remember always –  After midnight when you’ve got her all sauced up – ‘gink keeps it up’ oh my gosh, did I say that? whew!  Doesn’t get any better then this. HAPPPPPPPPPPYYYYYYYYYYY New Year J.R.! fade out because I just passed out. — George Gehrke All Writings

Question:

        As far as I’ve been able to ascertain, no one really knows exactly how far back fly fishing dates. Based on caves drawings and such, we do know that our stoop shouldered, uni-browed ancestors did, in fact, fish. Of course, early fishing techniques lacked a lot of the finesse associated with modern angling. Rods, for instance, were much shorter and heavier, and were used in a somewhat different manner than we are accustomed to. A prehistoric angler, favorite rod in hand, would wade out into a stream and take position. He’d carefully balance his tackle, assuring himself that his grip was firm and proper. After quietly surveying the water, he’d swing the rod in the classic ‘ten o’clock – one o’clock – ten o’clock’ manner. Then he’d bash a fish in the head, pick it up, and eat it raw on the spot.         This style of fishing eventually developed into two distinct areas: one group preferred ’sight bashing’, preferring to actually see a fish before swinging. The other tribe members stuck with the more old fashioned form of ‘blind bashing’. The sight-bashers soon came to hate the blind-bashers, claiming that their particular style was messing up the fishing. The blind-bashers fired back with the old traditionalism vs. neo-fishism, and the debate raged, leading to an inevitable spilt up of the tribe. One group moved upstream and the other, down. It wasn’t long before a splinter group of blind bashers decided that using longer poles was the way to go. They, too, eventually moved out to practice their particular style of fish catching. Before you knew it, ideological angling dichotomy had forced civilization to spread to the four corners of the globe. (Interestingly enough, many of these philosophical arguments continue to this day.)         Of course, early fishermen never really looked upon their labors as being a sport. Owing to the presence of other predators on the stream in those days (saber-toothed tigers, tyrannosauruses, etc.), the prehistoric angler constantly ran the risk of being eaten raw on the spot himself. When a trip to the ol’ fishing hole meant a 50/50 shot of being dinner instead of getting dinner, angling could hardly be considered recreational relaxation. It would be many years before people would look upon fishing as anything but a free, albeit risky, meal.         Our angling ancestors did, however, contribute one thing to the sport which has remained with us. One fine morning, an aboriginal angler (we’ll call him ‘Nok’) was working his favorite stream. At the time of the incident, Nok was using the forerunner of today’s electronic fish finder…that is to say he was knee-deep in the stream, bent over with his head fully submerged. As he scanned the water for his breakfast, a large, fish/angler eating cave bear was also surveying the stream for an early repast. It spotted Nok’s exposed backside, strolled over, sniffed, and then took a tentative exploratory nibble.         Now, a modern angler, no longer attuned to the wilderness environment due to ions of soft, urban living, would have surely met certain death under the same circumstances. Nok, on the other hand, reflexes sharply honed by years of eat-or-be-eaten fishing, reacted instantly. In an explosive, blinding fury of splashing, clubbing, and squealing, Nok was out of the stream and up a tree before the bear’s jaws could clamp completely shut. The astonished bear, left with nothing more than a good soaking and a small piece of loincloth dangling from one tooth, just stood and gazed upward at the terrified caveman, whose trembling had quickly denuded the tree of its leaves. After a fashion, it ambled off in search of a less frisky (and somewhat quieter) meal.         Later that evening, while sitting around the campfire, Nok regaled his small band of fellow anglers with a vivid (and, of course, slightly exaggerated) account of the day’s event. Like all good fishermen, the tribe listened quietly to the story, all the while rolling their eyes and winking at each other when Nok wasn’t looking their way. It wasn’t until Nok turned around and presented the physical evidence that they  believed that this wasn’t just another fishing tale. After much congratulatory grunting and chest pounding, the tribal elder announced that from that evening on Nok would be forever known as ‘Gup Nar’…The One That Got Away. "The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men’s lives the hours spent in fishing" – ASSYRIAN TABLET (2000 B.C.) Copyright 1997 Da’ Capn

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When was the strike indicator invented?  Is that in part 2? George Adams

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When was the strike indicator invented?

the day the music died… wayno

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A very well researched and thought out article.  In fact there is some evidence to suggest that our uni-browed ancestors were indeed the biological forerunner of todays polarized sunglasses.     Nature, realizeing that the "Uni-Brow" enabled prehistoric man to fish better – the "uni-brow"  helping to cut down on the surface glare from the water – and being unable to develope polarized eyesight from an evolutionary aspect, procedd to evolve (remember Darwin?) a more intelligent species of hominoid who could later invent polarized sunglassed.     Contrary to the established dogma that man gave up hunter-gatherer society to form an agrarian culture to brew beer, modern theorists now opine it was for the purpose of inventing polarized sunglasses to pursue better fishing.     It is, however, well recorded that primitive man related his tales of adventure around the campfire on the night s of the full moon.  And thus, when Nok exposed his backside to prove the veracity of his tale . . . invented the term "mooning."     Practice C&R and you can kill it later . . . . . . .john

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Question:

: Can you help?  My brother-in-law enjoys flyfishing (mostly in Michigan where : he lives).  We will be vacationing together this August in Boothbay Harbor, : Maine and I would like to be able to point him to a good spot to go : flyfishing. : If you have any suggestions, I would be glad to pass them along.  He would : be most interested in a spot which would be an easy drive from Boothbay. : Thanks, : Bob LaMontagne : Cincinnati, OH The Atlantic Ocean. He can use his fresh water rod and 4 feet of 4 pound tippet with small clousers to catch macks and schoolies, which are likely to be 95%-100% of his hhok ups. If he hangs a big striper, he will have a hell of a great time trying to get him in. Tell him to be SURE to wash all his gear in fresh water after each trip. This means pop the spool out of the reel and wash all the rod guides.

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Boothbay has a number of ponds that are very good fishing. Smallmouth bass will readily take poppers and yellow deerhair bugs in the early morning and evening hours. If he wants to try ocean fly fishing, there are stripped Bass that run 12 to 40 inches, mackerel run 8 to 20 inches and Bluefish up to 25 pounds.     I f he wants landlocked salmon and brook trout, he’ll have to fish tiny dries or nymphs on bottom. If you need to know more or want to purchase flies designed for the fishing here, you can contact me at http://www.kynd.com/~ronmcq/fsf/fsf.html Ron McKusick Featherside Flies Corinna Maine – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Can you help?  My brother-in-law enjoys flyfishing (mostly in Michigan where he lives).  We will be vacationing together this August in Boothbay Harbor, Maine and I would like to be able to point him to a good spot to go flyfishing. If you have any suggestions, I would be glad to pass them along.  He would be most interested in a spot which would be an easy drive from Boothbay. Thanks, Bob LaMontagne Cincinnati, OH

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Can you help?  My brother-in-law enjoys flyfishing (mostly in Michigan where he lives).  We will be vacationing together this August in Boothbay Harbor, Maine and I would like to be able to point him to a good spot to go flyfishing.

Grand Lake Stream (between two lakes in Washington Cty.) has (or used to have) landlocked salmon and trout as well as bass and may be the closest to Mount Desert I.  Check whether any of the Atlantic salmon rivers in August, possibly the Dennys or Machias. — |  Donald Phillipson, 4180 Boundary Road, Carlsbad Springs,  | |        Ontario, Canada, K0A 1K0, tel. 613 822 0734         |

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Can you help?  My brother-in-law enjoys flyfishing (mostly in Michigan where he lives).  We will be vacationing together this August in Boothbay Harbor, Maine and I would like to be able to point him to a good spot to go flyfishing. If you have any suggestions, I would be glad to pass them along.  He would be most interested in a spot which would be an easy drive from Boothbay. Thanks, Bob LaMontagne Cincinnati, OH

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Question:

Need info on how to access the river below Brockaway Mills.

Response:

Rich, I have never fished it myself…my buddies tell me below Brockway is better for smallies later in the season than trout.  That  not withstanding , the best advice for access is to call the warden for that area.  His name is Philip Howland and his number is 802 885 4975.  I am certain he can tell the easiest and most productive area in which to access.  Have fun. James James Ehlers Uncle Jammer’s Guide Service 1997 Guide of the Year Vermont Fly Fishing, Hunting, River and Woodland Outings http://pobox.com/~uncle

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Hi, My sister lives near Ascutney, and I fished the Williams a year ago. We went in near the power plant (dam) at Herrick’s Cove (I think that’s the name), and since the power co. had been letting no water out yet, it was high and quite good fishing. – went all over the cove area, and actually you could go right to the Conneticutt. Directions – take #5 hwy to the jct with 103, sign says NE power picnic area – boat access is there. If I remeber correctly, the rest of the water between the Mill and the cove was a series of small flatwater pools with lots of shallows in between – but then I was there in August ! Bill Need info on how to access the river below Brockaway Mills.

– Bill Curry Tight Lines Guide Service Lockeport, Nova Scotia, Canada http://www.tightlines.ns.ca

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Question:

    My son and I will be going horsepacking and fly fishing just east of Yellowstone in August. Two other fathers and sons are going also. I have committed to tie all the flies for the trip. I have never fished this area before–closest I’ve come is the Bighorn. Living in Tennessee I have no local knowledge. Rivers we could be fishing include the Elk’s Fork, the Boulder/Greybull and the Southfork/Yellowstone. Any ideas on fly patterns we will need that time of year. Thanks in advance for any info.

Response:

   My son and I will be going horsepacking and fly fishing just east of Yellowstone in August. Two other fathers and sons are going also. I have committed to tie all the flies for the trip. I have never fished this area before–closest I’ve come is the Bighorn. Living in Tennessee I have no local knowledge. Rivers we could be fishing include the Elk’s Fork, the Boulder/Greybull and the Southfork/Yellowstone. Any ideas on fly patterns we will need that time of year. Thanks in advance for any info.

Hi Terry, You will need a good selection of Adams Parachute, Humpies, Wulffs, EHC, Bead Heads, Stimulators, and many, many Grass Hoppers. #6 or 8 on the hoppers and #12 and smaller on the others.  Also be sure to have a pattern to immitate PMD’s and BWO’s. Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT (96 catalog)

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I bought "Fly Pattens of Yellowstoe " by Craig Mathews and John Juracek last year. This is execellent fly pattern book for Yellowstone National Park area. Kiyo Shirataki

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Question:

 Does anyone out there have any idea of what the results of our recent  floods in Oregon will be on game fish?  How about our Salmon and  Steelhead populations, or even native trout?    Are there other resources on the internet more specifically for  northwest fly fishing?

I’ve found Creekside Flyfishing in Salem to have one of the best web sites on Oregon flyfishing resources.  You’ll find it at         http://www.halcyon.com/flyshop

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Does anyone out there have any idea of what the results of our recent floods in Oregon will be on game fish?  How about our Salmon and Steelhead populations, or even native trout?   Are there other resources on the internet more specifically for northwest fly fishing? Loren

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Does anyone out there have any idea of what the results of our recent floods in Oregon will be on game fish?  How about our Salmon and Steelhead populations, or even native trout?  

There are several threats to consider, sedimentation being top of my list.  Lots of reds were probably flushed away too– I’ve seen small fisheries destroyed by flooding due to logging, and they never recover.   There’s also the damage to the hatcheries, but that should only affect the age class that was to be released this year (although I’ve heard that the little game Congress played with the budget forced early release, and hence death, of millions of salmon).  I suppose the damge won’t be evident until spring… — Derek R. Larson           Indiana University        Dept. of History                 "Nothing interesting occurred today…"         -Meriwether Lewis at Ft. Clatsop, Oregon, Jan.4th, 1806

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