Question:

And don’t be ashamed to dunk a worm for catfish.

I was a fairly successful bass fishermen in my youth, but once I returned in my adult years I have not done well, even with the same tackle and same locations, well, I can understand that. I figured if I wasn’t going to catch fish, I might as well do it with style (flyfishing).  I know this sounds sarcastic, but there’s truth in it. I *do* need to get a better start this time, and would like guidance and lessons, in my area, which is San Jose – the Santa Cruz moutain area not far from me…. I remember as a kid with my dad fishing for and watching steelhead in the San Lorenzo river in Boulder creek, in the tropical parts of the mountains. They would circle in and out of the dark pools.  This was before the great drought in the 80’s which did in much of the salmon and trout in that area. My desire to fish has much to do with where I fish as it does just catching fish.   Hope this makes sense.  And I would love to fish for blue gill if I knew somewhere good. Greg

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RP138 wrote … … It sounds like you should go out with a guide  - several times to learn what works.  This way you will catch fish and remain interested in a really great sport.  A few $ spent on lessons always makes a real difference.    Bob.

If you intend to fly fish, starting with a guide is the best advice I know of.  This can be expensive (250-300 $ a day) but a good guide is worth it. There is a fly fishing school in Northern California called Clearwater House (they have a web site).  This is where I got jump started into fly fishing and I highly recommend it (or others like it, if you can find them). Another key factor in fishing, any type of fishing, is having a fishing buddy.  Even though you’ll see solitary fishers, you will find that the social aspect of fishing is an important factor for most fishers.  This NG is proof of that.  A good place to meet potential fishing partners is at a fishing club.  Most localities have fishing clubs for every type of fishing; bass clubs, fly fishing clubs, deep sea clubs…you name it and generally they welcome newcomers.  There’s a few curmudgeonly types on ROFF who will poo-poo this advice because it’s not for them.  Just ignore them. Find some other’s who enjoy what you want to try and join them.  That’s the surest way to start yourself off on a pastime that will reward you for a life time.

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Another key factor in fishing, any type of fishing, is having a fishing buddy.  Even though you’ll see solitary fishers, you will find that the social aspect of fishing is an important factor for most fishers.

So right.  Makes all the difference.  But it’s not like golf – can’t explain it, but that’s the case .There’s a few curmudgeonly types on ROFF who will poo-poo this advice because it’s not for them.  Just ignore them.

That’s true too. But I’ll bet those cumudgeonly types started fishing with somebody, and graduated to the solitary fisherman.  I enjoy fishing alone, but there’s nothing better than the cold beer with your fishing buddy at the end of the day. Mark Faulkner

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(snipped) << There’s a few curmudgeonly types on ROFF who will poo-poo this advice because it’s not for them.  Just ignore them. Find some other’s who enjoy what you want to try and join them.  That’s the surest way to start yourself off on a pastime that will reward you for a life time. I beg your pardon, David.  I am a curmedgeon and I think you have given the best advice possible!  Nothing learns a man quicker than catchin’ a fish, and many times, a guide is the only way.  I applaud your advice, sir.  The advice about finding a fishing partner is especially good — I am willing and able if you live in Mass. Dave "the biggest curmedgeon around" LaCourse

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<<That’s true too. But I’ll bet those cumudgeonly types started fishing with somebody, and graduated to the solitary fisherman.  I enjoy fishing alone, but there’s nothing better than the cold beer with your fishing buddy at the end of the day. This is true.  I will steal two Sleeman’s from Peter Charles and share with you at the ‘clave.  But *only* if I catch more fish than you! Dave LaCourse

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Dave "the biggest curmedgeon around" LaCourse

Using George’s spell checker again Dave<g? (Maybe a curmudgeon contest at the clave?) — Charlie…

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Dave "the biggest curmedgeon around" LaCourse

Using George’s spell checker again Dave<g? (Maybe a curmudgeon contest at the clave?) — LOL.  Ya got me, Charlie.  And you are on….. Dave

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Dave "the biggest curmedgeon around" LaCourse Using George’s spell checker again Dave<g? (Maybe a curmudgeon contest at the clave?) — LOL.  Ya got me, Charlie.  And you are on…..

Rocking chairs at 2 paces it is<g! — Charlie…

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Every 4 to 5 years I get interested in fishing, again…. Usually I go out, fish like mad for a few months, and then after not catching a damn thing, give it up for the next 4 to 5 years. I tried flyfishing last go-around, but didn’t get far. Can anyone recommend a good rod/reel/line/leader/fly set-up for fishing the streams around Boulder creek, CA, or even Guadalupe river in San Jose (yes, I’ve heard there’s fish). Any help would be appreciated, I definately would like to keep it as simple as possible. Greg

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A nice 81/2′ to 9′ 4wt with a cheap reel and a good floating weight forward line should do the trick.  It sounds like you should go out with a guide  - several times to learn what works.  This way you will catch fish and remain interested in a really great sport.  A few $ spent on lessons always makes a real difference.    Bob.

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<<A nice 81/2′ to 9′ 4wt with a cheap reel and a good floating weight forward line should do the trick.  It sounds like you should go out with a guide  - several times to learn what works.  This way you will catch fish and remain interested in a really great sport.  A few $ spent on lessons always makes a real difference.    Bob. Hi, Bob. You know, I have seen lots of advice given on these pages to newbies, but your’s (above) makes a helluva lot of sense, especially the "guide" part.  There is nothing more convincing to a newbie than catching fish, and if they know little about the art, the best way is with a guide.   Dave LaCourse

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : Every 4 to 5 years I get interested in fishing, again…. : : Usually I go out, fish like mad for a few months, and then : after not catching a damn thing, give it up for the next 4 to 5 : years. Greg, This may sound snide or something…but I mean it in all honesty. Unless you change your approach, your mentality towards it, you will not be a fisherman. You will give up each time. Fishing cannot be aquired in a few months. It is not a recreation you will conquer in a short time by throwing yourself at it. Sure, you can learn some basic skills, like flycasting, by hours of backyard practice. But where to cast? What to cast? When to cast?  All these questions will only begin to be answered by spending time, much time, on the water. By watching, waiting, and making many, many mistakes. It is a lifetime of learning, of which we all just scratch the surface. It is about figuring out how the natural world is working on that day, in that hour, that you are there, so that you can mimic it, or agitate it, or attract it, in such a way as to make a fish strike. If you perservere, the rewards are great. And, you can make it easier at the start by going after fish that are generally easy to catch, like panfish. Your local shop can tell you what and where you might find easier fishing. And don’t be ashamed to dunk a worm for catfish. JonCook.

What Jon said nails it also. I went fishing at Jordanelle Res. yesterday, float tubed while the ole lady tried her kickboat. 4 hours in the water-didn’t catch a damn thing froze my ass and feet off. Didn’t even get a hit. Same with my wife. But it didn’t matter. We were out there, having fun(?) It’s a state of mind. I fish because it’s relaxing, catching them is an added bonus. Plus it keeps me out of trouble. Plus it’s good distance casting practice. We did help some  first time, "We just got the boat and the salesman said it was all ready to go" boaters. No one bothered to tell them what the little hole below the outdrive was for and why there was no plug in it. After he saw he was taking on water, he decided to ask for some timely advice. The engine wouldn’t stay running, but his bilge pump worked great. My wife had her chest waders still on and walked out to help them get a little closer to shore where we could load it on the trailer. (there was no dock because this is a PWC launch ramp). Got the boat loaded, couldn’t find any plug, and told him it would be a good idea to also unplug his lights from the trailer before launching. Didn’t catch a fish  yesterday, but still had a hellava good time. done that

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Question:

There are some world-class streams within a half hour of State College.  I particularly recommend the Little Juniata, Penn Creek, or Fishing Creek (Clinton Country).  I’d recommend getting a copy of Trout Streams of Pennsylvania by Dwight Landis.  It has detailed maps and fly recommendations.  If you can’t get it where you are, call Cold Spring Anglers in Carlisle, PA or Yellow Breeches Outfitters in Boiling Springs, PA. — Anti-spamming measure in use.  To reply, remove one "z" from email address.

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Does anyone know where I can go FF near State College, PA?  I will be there in early October.  Is it too late to go FF? What flies should I have ready? THANKS!!! Mac

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Does anyone know where I can go FF near State College, PA?  I will be there in early October.  Is it too late to go FF? What flies should I have ready? THANKS!!! Mac

Dear Mac; Right in State College is one of the best wild trout fisheries in all of the East: Spring Creek.  It runs from State College to Bellefonte and is C&R over (basically) it’s entire length due to Arochlor (PCB) contamination.  The Logan Branch is another good choice.  It comes into Spring closer to Bellefonte.  For the best up-to-date fishing conditions, contact Flyfisher’s Paradise, a flyshop located outside of State college, about 3 miles from the creek, if that.  I don’t have their #, but the Area Code is 814, so call Info. and get the #.   Flies: Sz 16-18 Sow bugs, Sz. 16-18 Pheasant Tails, and Midges, both surface and pupae would be your Ace-in-the-hole flies. Jason B.

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Question:

I’m investigating a position in Baker, Oregon and have been told by the recruiter that the flyfishing is "the best in the country".  I don’t know if anyone in Last Chance, ID or Steamboat, OR or Flaming Gorge, UT would disagree but I’d love to hear from someone who has fished in the creeks, rivers and lakes around Baker.  You can e-mail me at Ken

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Ken, All fishing in Oregon is highly over rated.  The population has grown so fast that most streams and lakes are depleted except for the odd truckload of planters dumped  in every now and then to satisfy the bloodlust of recently arrived new Oregonians.  Recruiters are frequently reduced to lying in order to seduce those in search of a lifestiyle and environment that disappeared long ago.  The real action is in Colorado where guys like Moe Skeeter and Walleye Miller have taken steps to insure that fish are plentiful and anglers are few. I’m investigating a position in Baker, Oregon and have been told by the recruiter that the flyfishing is "the best in the country".  I don’t know if anyone in Last Chance, ID or Steamboat, OR or Flaming Gorge, UT would disagree but I’d love to hear from someone who has fished in the creeks, rivers and lakes around Baker.  You can e-mail me at Ken

– Mike in PDX "When the trout are lost, smash the state."                          Tomn McGuane

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Question:

Hello all- I want to relate the experience I had my first time……flyfishing. (You were expecting something else?)   Last winter I ran across a Martin 6/7wt rod & reel at Target. It’s not my first choice for a place to buy fishing gear, but at $20 on clearance I figured I couldn’t go wrong. I upgraded the reel to a Martin 63SS (also on clearance for $10), and then, after much consideration, fitted it w/ an Air-cell WF line.  I already had a float tube and have been enjoying that using my spinning rod. So finally, The Long Winter was over, the staircase I promised my wife for Christmas 3 yrs ago was built, and I hit the water last Sunday (5/18). There’s a small, maybe 80 acre, spring fed lake near my home in East Central MN. that I like to go to….full of Bass, crappie, sunnies, and a few northerns. Just before I was about to take off a wind kicked up out of the N/NE about 15-20 mph, which I figured wouldn’t bode well for a novice, so I went with the idea of probably just practicing casting, maybe staying for an hour or so. ……Four or five hours later, I figured I better quit because my hand was starting to cramp up. I haven’t had that much fun in a LONG time! I think I might be an addict…..I didn’t catch but three fish, none of them wighing much more than the fly, or wooly bugger, or whatever it was I had tied on, but the freedom of the tube along with the lightness of the tackle is, I believe, my kind of sport. I’m already thinking of upgrading again.  Do I have a disease? Thanks for listening.  Just thought I’d share my good times. Later, Pete

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Peter, Sorry to say, but yes you are hooked. It’s a slow, painful, yet incredibly enjoyable death and the support groups are a blast!!! Welcome to the ring and Fish On Fly Boy!!! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hello all- I want to relate the experience I had my first time……flyfishing. (You were expecting something else?)   Last winter I ran across a Martin 6/7wt rod & reel at Target. It’s not my first choice for a place to buy fishing gear, but at $20 on clearance I figured I couldn’t go wrong. I upgraded the reel to a Martin 63SS (also on clearance for $10), and then, after much consideration, fitted it w/ an Air-cell WF line.  I already had a float tube and have been enjoying that using my spinning rod. So finally, The Long Winter was over, the staircase I promised my wife for Christmas 3 yrs ago was built, and I hit the water last Sunday (5/18). There’s a small, maybe 80 acre, spring fed lake near my home in East Central MN. that I like to go to….full of Bass, crappie, sunnies, and a few northerns. Just before I was about to take off a wind kicked up out of the N/NE about 15-20 mph, which I figured wouldn’t bode well for a novice, so I went with the idea of probably just practicing casting, maybe staying for an hour or so. ……Four or five hours later, I figured I better quit because my hand was starting to cramp up. I haven’t had that much fun in a LONG time! I think I might be an addict…..I didn’t catch but three fish, none of them wighing much more than the fly, or wooly bugger, or whatever it was I had tied on, but the freedom of the tube along with the lightness of the tackle is, I believe, my kind of sport. I’m already thinking of upgrading again.  Do I have a disease? Thanks for listening.  Just thought I’d share my good times. Later, Pete

David726 E-mail for further assistance to:

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: Do I have a disease? Oh poor poor Pete!  My pitty goes out to you, and I understand because the same thing has happened to me in the last year. I have it so bad that the other day my wife said I should just go to Alaska for 6 months fishing and get it all out of my system.  Her thought was that then I could come back and be cured of my angling, and recently fly fishing disease. I explained to her that would be equivelant to sending a cocaine addict to Columbia expecting him to come back clean. Does anybody know what the fish in Alaska will be hitting on over the next 6 months.  ;-) — Kevin W. Tharp http://www.geocities.com/yosemite/4351

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Hello all- I want to relate the experience I had my first time……flyfishing. (You were expecting something else?)  

Well sort of.  We get a lot of these, and I was hoping beyond hope that maybe it was in fact something else.  Oh well. Last winter I ran across a Martin 6/7wt rod & reel at Target. It’s not my first choice for a place to buy fishing gear, but at $20 on clearance I figured I couldn’t go wrong. I upgraded the reel to a Martin 63SS (also on clearance for $10), and then, after much consideration, fitted it w/ an Air-cell WF line.  I already had a float tube and have been enjoying that using my spinning rod.

Well you could go wrong, but what the hell! So finally, The Long Winter was over, the staircase I promised my wife for Christmas 3 yrs ago was built, and I hit the water last Sunday (5/18). There’s a small, maybe 80 acre, spring fed lake near my home in East Central MN.

Whoa! Kewl!  Where in Mn pray tell? that I like to go to….full of Bass, crappie, sunnies, and a few northerns. Just before I was about to take off a wind kicked up out of the N/NE about 15-20 mph, which I figured wouldn’t bode well for a novice, so I went with the idea of probably just practicing casting, maybe staying for an hour or so.

Sounds just like MN. ……Four or five hours later, I figured I better quit because my hand was starting to cramp up. I haven’t had that much fun in a LONG time! I think I might be an addict…..I didn’t catch but three fish, none of them wighing much more than the fly, or wooly bugger, or whatever it was I had tied on, but the freedom of the tube along with the lightness of the tackle is, I believe, my kind of sport. I’m already thinking of upgrading again.  Do I have a disease?

Yes.  Most likely.  Some doofus around here might make some lame reference to Traver’s Trout Madness, but not me.  It probably has something to do with minnesota.  Long, round vowels.  Ending sentences with prepositions.  Inclination towards bland foodstuffs. Polka Music (God I hope you don’t live near Sturgeon Lake:-)).  Mosquitos. Calling creeks cricks.  Grain Belt.  The Vikings. Letting an NHL hockey team go like that.  It’s a disease all right, and you have it.   And don’t think that FFing is going to save from it – nope you’re f__king doomed pal. One thing will help, and that doesnt include NEVER GOING TO THE WHITE RIVER NEAR IRON RIVER WISC.  That won’t help you one iota.  So don’t bother going there.  Stay away.  Tell your friends so they go and leave all the good water to you. Thanks for listening.  Just thought I’d share my good times.

Always up for that. </chaz

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Like a Sturgeon.. oh oh… Hooked for the very first time… Like a stur-ur-ur-urgeon… I feel its heartbeat… through my line… I’ll stop now… — TimW Halfordian Golfer

There is.. a fish ..upon a dish.. They call the rising trout… it’s often seen by those who are keen.. but not by those who shout… — Colin J. McPherson B.Eng. Design and Structures Group, School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bath,Bath,U.K.

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Like a Sturgeon.. oh oh… Hooked for the very first time… Like a stur-ur-ur-urgeon… I feel its heartbeat… through my line… I’ll stop now… — TimW Halfordian Golfer There is.. a fish ..upon a dish.. They call the rising trout… it’s often seen by those who are keen.. but not by those who shout…

"…hey !" Now you got the toes tapping…we could be in some serious trouble by friday… — TimW Halfordian Golfer

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Sorry if this has been repeated, It was April the 41st, being a quadruple leapyear, I was driving in downtown Atlantis.  My Barracuda was in the shop, so, I was in a rented Stingray, and it was overheating.  So I pulled into a Shell station, they said I’d blown a seal.  I said:  "Fix the damn thing and leave my private life out of it, okay pal?"  While they were doing that I walked over to a place called the Oyster Bar.  A real dive. But I knew the owner, he used to play for the dolphins.  I said "Hi Gill!", you have to yell, he’s hard of herring.   Gill was also down on his luck, fact is he was barely keeping his head below water.  I bellied up to the sandbar, he poured the usual:  Rusty snail, hold the grunion, shaken, not stirred, with a peanut butter and jelly-fish sandwich on the side, heavy on the mako.  I slipped him a finn, on porpoise.  I was feelin’ good.  I even dropped a sand-dollar in the box for Jerry’s Squids, for the halibut.  Well, the place was crowded.  We were packed in like sardines, they were all there to listen to the big band sounds of Tommy Dorsal.  What sole!  Tommy was rockin the place with a very popular tuna:  "Salmon Chanted Evening", and the stage was surrounded by screaming groupers.  Probably there to see the bass player.  One of them, she was this cute little yellowtail.  And she’s givin’ me the eye.  So I figure this is my chance for a little fun, you know, a piece of pisces.  But she said things I just couldn’t fathom.  She was too deep.  Seemed to be under a lot of pressure.  Boy, could she drink.  She drank like a… er, she drank a lot!  I said: "What’s your sign?"  She said: "Aquarian"  I said "great, let’s get tanked".   I invited her up to my place for a little midnight bait.  I said come on baby you wanna, it’ll only take a few minnows.  She threw me that same old line:  "Not tonight, I got a haddock"  And she wasn’t kiddin either cause, in came the biggest, meanest looking haddock I’d ever seen come down the pike.  He was covered with Mussels.  He came over to me and he said:  "Listen Shrimp, Don’t you come trolling around here."  What a crab.  This guy was steamed.  I could see the anchor in his eyes.  I turned to him and said "ah, baloney, you’re just being shellfish."  Well, I know there was going to be trouble, and so did Gil, cause he was already on the phone to the cods.  The haddock hits me with a sucker punch.  I catch him with a left hook.  He eels over.  It was a fluke.  But there he was, lying on the deck, flat as a mackerel.  Kelpless.  I said:  "Forget the cods Gil, this guy’s gonna  need a sturgeon."  Well, the yellowtail was impressed with the way I landed her boyfriend.  She came over to me and she said "Hey bigboy","you’re really a game fish, what’s your name?"  I said "Marlin."   Well, from then on, we had a whale of a time.  I took her to dinner, I took her to dance.  I bought her a bouquet of flounders.  And then I went home with her.  And what did I get for my trouble:  A case of the clams.  

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Like a Sturgeon.. oh oh… Hooked for the very first time… Like a stur-ur-ur-urgeon… I feel its heartbeat… through my line… I’ll stop now… — TimW Halfordian Golfer

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Question:

Flyfishing has without question introduced me to some of my best friends.  People whom, without the glue of our gentle sport, would most likely never have gotten the opportunity to know one another.  I think this, more than most else, is what I am most grateful for as I think back on the countless seasons spent on lake, stream and river; the thousands of hours on the road chasing our fishes; the many many campfires that always seem to end up too large.         This quality of flyfishing, it’s universal appeal to those so inclined – to bring us to a point where sharing opinions on any topic becomes as easy and comfortable as discussing what fly to use, this I feel is my

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        I’d have to agree with you on what flyfishing can do for a soul, and I’ll throw in another: those other fishermen I have met and helped, or met and been helped by, never to be seen again. Sharing moments never to be shared again, but never to be forgotten. There are a lot of GOOD people out there and its nice to meet them in some of the finest places on earth.

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Question:

I recently began tying dry fly wings with antron yarn. Antron is a very easy material to work with. It provides a good silhouette and rigid post for parachute patterns. Divided and down wings are easy to tie with little bulk making the tying of smaller flies simpler with better proportion as well. Comparaduns are a breeze. Antron wings look aesthetically pleasing and appear to be somewhat translucent and light reflective at the same time. In short, antron seems too good to be true. Being that it’s -30  C outside as I write this, it is unlikely I will be able to test these flies for a few months yet. In the meantime, I’d like to tie flyboxes full of antron dries, but before I go whole hog on antron, I need to know if they fish as good as they look. Thanks Guy

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I recently began tying dry fly wings with antron yarn. Antron is a very easy material to work with. It provides a good silhouette and rigid post for parachute patterns. Divided and down wings are easy to tie with little bulk making the tying of smaller flies simpler with better proportion as well. Comparaduns are a breeze. Antron wings look aesthetically pleasing and appear to be somewhat translucent and light reflective at the same time. In short, antron seems too good to be true. Being that it’s -30  C outside as I write this, it is unlikely I will be able to test these flies for a few months yet. In the meantime, I’d like to tie flyboxes full of antron dries, but before I go whole hog on antron, I need to know if they fish as good as they look. Thanks Guy

Guy, I tried a similar tactic a couple of years ago using Orvis poly-wing material (usually used for spinner wings) which isn’t too different from antron.  Being a rather impatient and lazy tier I found this material easy and fast to use for tying upright wings. As a wing post for parachute patterns I found it worked well and fished as effectively as any other parachute patterns. I had the most hope for Comparaduns tied with this material because I fish them a lot, again partly because of the ease and speed of tying. However, these were not very effective at all.  During the summer of ‘95 I tried Comparaduns tied with this material alongside the standards and for some yet undetermined reason they just were not as effective.  This was not a very scientific experiment because of limited trips and I didn’t have any friends try them; so take my findings for whatever they are worth.  They were tried for the Hendrickson, Sulfur and various BWO hatches. I would encourage you to tie enough antron Comparaduns for an experiment and please let me know how they fish. Good luck, Steve

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I recently began tying dry fly wings with antron yarn. Antron is a very to tie flyboxes full of antron dries, but before I go whole hog on antron, I need to know if they fish as good as they look. I use antron on wet flies with partridge or hen soft hackle.  The flies are a real killer.  The antron seems to trap air bubbles and looks traslucent to the fish (more life like I suppose).  I catch some big fish on them. -Burton

DEAR BURTON: Would you send me a small sample of this new material to look at? Gehrke’s Gink Snake River – Hell’s Canyon Asotin, WA 99402 Would appreciate it. George — MZ

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I recently began tying dry fly wings with antron yarn. Antron is a very to tie flyboxes full of antron dries, but before I go whole hog on antron, I need to know if they fish as good as they look.

I use antron on wet flies with partridge or hen soft hackle.  The flies are a real killer.  The antron seems to trap air bubbles and looks traslucent to the fish (more life like I suppose).  I catch some big fish on them. -Burton

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I use antron on wet flies with partridge or hen soft hackle.  The flies are a real killer.  The antron seems to trap air bubbles and looks traslucent to the fish (more life like I suppose).  I catch some big fish on them. -Burton DEAR BURTON: Would you send me a small sample of this new material to look at? Gehrke’s Gink Snake River – Hell’s Canyon Asotin, WA 99402 Would appreciate it. George

George: you can probably find a sample under your feet – it’s a pretty common synthetic carpet fibre that’s been used for flytying for at least 5 years or more. You’ll also find it sold as "sparkle yarn", etc… I’m actually surprised you never heard of this stuff (and that you didn’t invent it! ;^) Cheers! /dave

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Went through an antron phase a couple of years ago. Overall the dries that I tied fished OK its hard to say whether or not they made a real difference. I think that the smaller flies that I tied worked well with antron wings. These were small gnats size 22 and 24. Antron wings are killer on wet flies though.

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I use antron on wet flies with partridge or hen soft hackle.  The flies are a real killer.  The antron seems to trap air bubbles and looks traslucent to the fish (more life like I suppose).  I catch some big fish on them.

Burton, Try a rib of pearlescent krystal flash on some of them, especially the darker olives.  I swing these at last light.  They seem to almost glow. I really love fishing soft hackles. Ross Wilson

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Went through an antron phase a couple of years ago. Overall the dries that I tied fished OK its hard to say whether or not they made a real difference. I think that the smaller flies that I tied worked well with antron wings. These were small gnats size 22 and 24. Antron wings are killer on wet flies though.

Dear Sir; I concurr.  I really think antron used for wings, caddis stuff, emergent mayflies, midges and trailing shucks is great.  For shucks, instead of the more coarse Z-lon for the small flies, I use regular fine antron yarn and then use a heated metal wire to cause there to be consistent convolutions in the peeling "shuck". JB

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I use antron on wet flies with partridge or hen soft hackle.  The flies Burton, Try a rib of pearlescent krystal flash on some of them, especially the darker olives.  I swing these at last light.  They seem to almost glow. I really love fishing soft hackles. Ross Wilson

Ross, So do I!  I find myself doing it more and more these days, since it allows me to cast which I find relaxing.  As opposed to my chuck-and-duck nymphing with heavy weighted flies. Thanks for the tip, I’ll tie up a few and try them. -Burton

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Being that it’s -30  C outside as I write this, it is unlikely I will be able to test these flies for a few months yet. In the meantime, I’d like to tie flyboxes full of antron dries, but before I go whole hog on antron, I need to know if they fish as good as they look.

See, that’s just the kind of Sunday fly-fishing mentality that’s getting the sport a bad name! Andrew (-: – I’ve been tying wings with antron for several years now, and the fish seem to think it’s OK.

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George, -Sure, glad to do it!  What color would you prefer?  I find it most useful= =20 for wet fly caddis imitations and to wit think I have lt. brown,=20 blue-grey, yellow, grey and lt. olive (maybe even dark olive). -Burton =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I use antron on wet flies with partridge or hen soft hackle.  The flies are a real killer.  The antron seems to trap air bubbles and looks traslucent to the fish (more life like I suppose).  I catch some big fi= sh on them. =20 DEAR BURTON: =20 Would you send me a small sample of this new material to look at? =20 Gehrke’s Gink Snake River – Hell’s Canyon Asotin, WA 99402 =20 Would appreciate it. =20 George –=20 MZ=90 =20 =20

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I chop up sections of this and mix it with other dubbing materials for wet flies. I used one like this at the end of the season and it was destroyed by several large fish. Needless to say my vise has been crankin these out ! — "The true Angler is content to fish alone" Brian Di Carlo – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I recently began tying dry fly wings with antron yarn. Antron is a very to tie flyboxes full of antron dries, but before I go whole hog on antron, I need to know if they fish as good as they look. I use antron on wet flies with partridge or hen soft hackle.  The flies are a real killer.  The antron seems to trap air bubbles and looks traslucent to the fish (more life like I suppose).  I catch some big fish on them. -Burton

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Question:

Hi Dan – Glad to se you are on-line again. Missed you while you were out – but I went to ASU ! bob

Hey Bob, Sorry, didn’t mean it as a slam against ASU.  I was making fun of his "gotta get some weapons" post to the fly fishing newsgroup.  I just happened to know that Arizona State is in that area because my daughter lived in Mesa for a while.  I figured this guy was a student there and wondered if his parents knew what he was doing – possibly with the school money.  Didn’t mean anything by it  8^                                                Oops!                                                   Dan Dan Gracia                                                               Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools If you kill that big fish you can’t catch ‘em again.  So what if they eat other fish?  If you kill the big ones there will only be little ones left (funny how that works!).

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Hi Dan – Glad to se you are on-line again. Missed you while you were out – but I went to ASU ! bob – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – (Allan Gay) writes:     I live in Arizona and I am looking into purchasing a crossbow just to shoot for fun and possibly at pigs during the handgun season.  If you have a used crossbow that you want to sell respond to me personally with a description of what crossbow you have and how much you are willing to sell it for.  I live in mesa, I am ready to buy right now, don’t waste time e-mailing me, I want to start shooting as soon as possible,  I pay in cash. with a description and whatever price you want for it.   I will get back to all of you.  I am serious, I am ready to pay cash right now for a recurve or crossbow or if you have both.  E-mail me right now for jims, any other cool toys you might have.  I do not personally want the slim jim but i have a friend who will pay for one and any books on how to use them.  e-mail me with any info on anything you want to sell, you might be surprised at what i will buy!!!!! You betcha!! we got ‘em.  Use ‘em mostly over here to shoot carp and squawfish.  Have a special today on the whitefish model though only for resident Montanans and Oregonians. YOu must be going to Arizona State right?  Does your mother know you are doing these things?????                                       8^                                            Dan Dan Gracia                                                               Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools If you kill that big fish you can’t catch ‘em again.  So what if they eat other fish?  If you kill the big ones there will only be little ones left (funny how that works!).

– Dr. Robert K. Sato Catalytica Inc. 430 Ferguson Drive Mountain View, CA  94043   USA Voice:  (415)940-6375 Fax:    (415)960-0127

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -(Allan Gay) writes:     I live in Arizona and I am looking into purchasing a crossbow just to shoot for fun and possibly at pigs during the handgun season.  If you have a used crossbow that you want to sell respond to me personally with a description of what crossbow you have and how much you are willing to sell it for.  I live in mesa, I am ready to buy right now, don’t waste time e-mailing me, I want to start shooting as soon as possible,  I pay in cash. with a description and whatever price you want for it.   I will get back to all of you.  I am serious, I am ready to pay cash right now for a recurve or crossbow or if you have both.  E-mail me right now for jims, any other cool toys you might have.  I do not personally want the slim jim but i have a friend who will pay for one and any books on how to use them.  e-mail me with any info on anything you want to sell, you might be surprised at what i will buy!!!!!

You betcha!! we got ‘em.  Use ‘em mostly over here to shoot carp and squawfish.  Have a special today on the whitefish model though only for resident Montanans and Oregonians. YOu must be going to Arizona State right?  Does your mother know you are doing these things?????                                       8^                                            Dan Dan Gracia                                                               Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools If you kill that big fish you can’t catch ‘em again.  So what if they eat other fish?  If you kill the big ones there will only be little ones left (funny how that works!).

Response:

     I live in Arizona and I am looking into purchasing a crossbow just to shoot for fun and possibly at pigs during the handgun season.  If you have a used crossbow that you want to sell respond to me personally with a description of what crossbow you have and how much you are willing to sell it for.  I live in mesa, I am ready to buy right now, don’t waste time e-mailing me, I want to start shooting as soon as possible,  I pay in cash. with a description and whatever price you want for it.   I will get back to all of you.  I am serious, I am ready to pay cash right now for a recurve or crossbow or if you have both.  E-mail me right now for  any other cool toys you might have.  I do not personally want the slim jim but i have a friend who will pay for one and any books on how to use them.  e-mail me with any info on anything you want to sell, you might be surprised at what i will buy!!!!!

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Question:

Can anyone out there tell me the dates etc. of the Southfield Michigan Fly Fishing Show,  Help, Help. David E. Kerridge

Response:

Dave, The show will be held on sta&sun March 16&17 in Southfield, Mi.   See you there! tight lines DWH

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Dave, Second post, my computer died while sending the first post. Here it is again: The Southfied show will be March 16 & 17 thght lines Dave

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Question:

Ron To get the best traction on a wet surface (a boat ramp) look for an all season tire with a high volume of tread surfaces.  This type of tire will have a lot of tiny cuts in the tread design.  When the tire is stressed pulling a load, this type of tread will flex and the edges of these cuts will grip the road surface.  Do Not consider the course off road tread design!  It has the worst hard surface traction. You should also be very light on the gas pedal.  A posi traction differential is also a big help if it is kept maintained and the clutches adjusted. Would you believe I pull a 3800 lb boat up steep boat ramps with a chev s-10 with no problems? Good Luck Wayne

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The next time this happens, try letting some air out of the rear tires – enough to increase the footprint somewhat. Be sure to air up again at the first opportunity. (Longrigger) writes: | Have your buddies jump in the back of the truck to give it wieght. | I have stuck the floor mats in front of the tires once when I was alone | and got stuck, but sand would be alot better. | | Longrigger

    Try pulling up the anchor on the boat…  (I couldn’t resist!)     No, really…  Tire pressure helps a ton, and the start of the pull is the most important part.  Once underway, roll into the throttle, but maintain traction…  (I think that all of the answers I have read here would help.)     …Sam

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Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. The boat is on a 4-wheel trailer in good condition. The truck is, of course, rear-wheel drive, and has more than enough horsepower. Question: what kind of tire tread design would provide the *most* friction? Knobby, off-road type, or a smoother "pavement" type? Remember, by the way, that this is extremely low-speed operation, just barely turning, in fact, so concepts like "hydroplaning" probably wouldn’t apply here. We’re talking about pulling a load up a wet concrete surface. How about it, you guys? I need to buy new tires for my truck in

Well iv been towing several different boats for many years and with different car’s here’s my $.01 worth. My last boat is a 3500 -4000 lbs boat and trailer, and iv towed it with my four cylinder turbo 5 speed (not many times) it did well no spinning. But now it has posi and very good traction tires on the rear. I now use a 87 jeep cherokee with a posi and BF comp TA’s works very well. Also on thing to remember is your toung weight. My toung weight is over 250+ lbs , thats why I went to the jeep. At first the jeep was a standard rear end and there was some slipping but since the posi the only time it skips is if I jump on the gas to hard. Does any one out there remember the rule of thumb on toung weight? It’s some % of your total weight should be your toung weight. And this also helps if you have to slow your boat down real fast on the hwy. bye

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Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. The boat is on a 4-wheel trailer in good condition. The truck is, of course, rear-wheel drive, and has more than enough horsepower.

. . . . Ron Morgan

Since you have more than enough horsepower – if one rear wheel starts to spin, hold the parking brake release open and apply the parking brake.  If you apply hard enough, both wheels will receive power. You can also try stabbing at the parking brake if the engine does not have enough power. Not a sure fire thing.  But it is another trick to but in your bag. Terry Dobie 83 CJ7 Hailey, ID

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I use my Jeep Grand Cherokee to haul my boat.  I learned the hard way that you have to ease into the pull.  I use an awefull ramp in East Falmouth Cape Cod that is always covered in a thin layer of scum.  On one occasion, I was sort of hurried by other boaters waiting to get out of the water and I pulled to fast.  Before I knew it, my tires were spinning and I was moving backward.  OOOOPS!  Thank god I stopped on time.   I now make sure that my air pressure is a little lower (more surface space), and that I ease into the pull.  At this one particular ramp, I often throw handfulls of sand onto the algae to create a little traction.  I read a lot of others posts where sand is the enemy, but in this scenerio, it works well. Good luck David

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. The boat is on a 4-wheel trailer in good condition. The truck is, of course, rear-wheel drive, and has more than enough horsepower. Special consideration: the ramp is *wet*, due to water dripping off other boats that were just pulled out. My truck can just BARELY pull the boat up the ramp under these conditions. If it’s dry, no problem, but when the ramp is wet, the tires slip and spin, sometimes even smoking. It’s a very, very marginal situation. Last night, I came very close to being stranded at a deserted ramp after dark; I could *not* get that boat up that ramp, and finally made it up after creeping about an inch at a time, before the tires would slip. God only knows what kind of wear this produced on my transmission. Question: what kind of tire tread design would provide the *most* friction? Knobby, off-road type, or a smoother "pavement" type? Remember, by the way, that this is extremely low-speed operation, just barely turning, in fact, so concepts like "hydroplaning" probably wouldn’t apply here. We’re talking about pulling a load up a wet concrete surface. How about it, you guys? I need to buy new tires for my truck in another couple of months, and I’d appreciate some input. In addition, I think it’d make an interesting discussion topic, as well. Ron Morgan

Ron, I have a Full size Dodge Van and have never had a problem pulling the boat up the ramp, except for one occasion. It was a really long and very wet ramp. I was having problems with wheel spin, I remember reading somthing about turning your front tires, (somthing about changing the pull ratio) and also applying the parking brake a bit. Boat pulled right out with out any wheel spin what-so-ever. Good luck. Michael

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*snip* months, and I’d appreciate some input. In addition, I think it’d make an interesting discussion topic, as well. Ron Morgan Ron, I have a Full size Dodge Van and have never had a problem pulling the boat up the ramp, except for one occasion. It was a really long and very wet ramp. I was having problems with wheel spin, I remember reading somthing about turning your front tires, (somthing about changing the pull ratio) and also applying the parking brake a bit.

    You must have a non-posi rear end on your van…  The emergency brake trick worked on my ‘91 Dakota when semi-stuck in sand (I had a non-posi rearend).   – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Boat pulled right out with out any wheel spin what-so-ever. Good luck. Michael

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Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. The boat is on a 4-wheel trailer in good condition. The truck is, of course, rear-wheel drive, and has more than enough horsepower. Special consideration: the ramp is *wet*, due to water dripping off other boats that were just pulled out.

After many years of enjoying the entertainment of watching people pull boats out at a wide variety of ramps throughout the western US, I know this: The initial pull to get a boat up out of the water is substantial, if you think of how hard it is to pull a small water skier up out of the water, imaging something with 30 times the weight and surface tension and bad hydrodynamics (the trailer…not the boat!) Many people think the best approach is to try to accelerate quickly to "get the damn thing going!", so they give their rig too much throttle. Once you break adhesion on a slick surface, you cannot pull a load equivalent to before you spun the wheels.  So if it spins, let off the throttle and let the wheels catch traction.  Then, try again with less acceleration.  Don’t think that spinning your wheels faster will get you up the ramp, ’cause it will only make it harder to get out. As other posts have said, lowering your tire pressure a little will help a lot.  But I have found on most ramps I can get my boat out by just driving a little more gently and not starting the spinning.  I find an auto trans works better, since you can accelerate from a standstill very slowly without having to dump the clutch.  But I have had several trucks with 4 speeds and a couple of 5 speeds.  You just gotta take it easy, and don’t try to pull the boat out fast.

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I thought friction was normal force times coefficient of friction.  Nowhere mentioning pressure or area.  Deflation is for soft surfaces where pressure does need to be reduced? …        Grasping another opportunity to be wrong!

seems you caught this opportunity nicely That’s the description you find in physics 101, but it doesn’t work well in this case.  It works for flat surfaces in contact (with a few other assumptions).  When you add rough surfaces, compressible and deformable surfaces, and weak surface features (like sand on the ramp) that can withstand only a (smallish) maximum force before breaking away, then surface area and tread play an important role.

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I thought friction was normal force times coefficient of friction.  Nowhere mentioning pressure or area.  Deflation is for soft surfaces where pressure does need to be reduced? pqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpq        Grasping another opportunity to be wrong! [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

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Man, sand on concrete can REALLY cause you to slip!

This isn’t sand on concrete (like a building site) but sand on a concrete boat ramp. All the ramps I’ve seen have been pretty slippery with weed and green gunk. If I used the same ramp every day, I’d scrub the thing clean and use Jeyes fluid or caustic soda on it occasionally to keep the gunk off. I know little about boat ramps, but I do know about silage clamps and slurry lagoons  (bleurgh !) – even for these noxious devices it’s worth doing a bit of scrubbing & hosing occasionally. Failing that, get as big a contact patch as you can. Soft rubber in small tread blocks (not great mud-plugger tread bars) and a low enough pressure to let the tyre flatten as much as is practical. — alt.flame – Making the world a safer place for postal workers.

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How about it, you guys? I need to buy new tires for my truck in another couple of months, and I’d appreciate some input. In addition, I think it’d make an interesting discussion topic, as well.

        Er, does that imply that your current tires are rather bald?         If so, ‘nuf said.         Relative weight of vehicle and tow is important. (If the wheels         on your trailer are bigger than the wheels on your tow vehicle,         you’re in trouble. Saw a Chicago flatlander trying to tow a large         boat with his Beamer. Didn’t make it.)         In your case, the truck should have enough towing weight, but         the question is about weight on the rear wheels.         o The angle of the ramp tends to transfer more weight to the           rear wheels.         o Tounge weight of the trailer is important.         I am hauling a smaller  14′ runabout (40 horse motor) with a         Ranger pickup in a similar situation. I have no problems.         o I have a stick, so can control things better.         o When I was towing with a station wagon and automatic, I would:            o Put the transmission in second            o Step on the brake            o Give it some gas.            o Use the break as a clutch, slowly easing up so that there              was no jerk in the initial pull. Frank R. Borger – Physicist     ___      "I think medical research would show Michael Reese – U of Chicago   |___       that being a Cubs fan lengthens Center for Radiation Therapy   | |_) _    your life. Or maybe it just _seems_ ph: 312-791-8075 fa: 791-2517       |_)

Response:

Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. The boat is on a 4-wheel trailer in good condition. The truck is, of course, rear-wheel drive, and has more than enough horsepower. Special consideration: the ramp is *wet*, due to water dripping off other boats that were just pulled out.

[...]         have you tried deflating the rear tyres a bit?  you’d get a larger         contact area.         andrew —            work phone/fax: 0131 668 8356, office: 0131 668 8357     institute for astronomy, royal observatory, blackford hill, edinburgh                      http://www.roe.ac.uk/ajcwww

Response:

Question: what kind of tire tread design would provide the *most* friction? Knobby, off-road type, or a smoother "pavement" type? Remember, by the way, that this is extremely low-speed operation, just barely turning, in fact, so concepts like "hydroplaning" probably wouldn’t apply here. We’re talking about pulling a load up a wet concrete surface. How about it, you guys? I need to buy new tires for my truck in another couple of months, and I’d appreciate some input. In addition, I think it’d make an interesting discussion topic, as well.

There’s a lot coming into play. I find all terrains are significantly better than road tires.  I would assume mudders are even better.  My guess would be that the deep tread actually allows some of the edges of the tread to grip the ramp, cause there’s certainly lower area in contact.  Course that also means greater psi. Another factor is the softness of the rubber.  I would suspect that given two identical tires, the one with the lower tread life would be better. You could also get a bit wider tires.  I’ve also seen people with a bucket of sand they toss out to get a better grip.  No-one really complains about sand at a launch ramp. kevin

Response:

Well, since you’re having trouble on boat ramps with your pickup you need more weight on the wheels.  If you can’t get buddies or bystanders to sit in the bed to get more weight on the rear wheels, try some of that water in 5 gallon pails (like paint pails).  If you’re in salt water you’ll want lids to keep the water out of the bed; in fresh water that’s not a problem.  10 x 5 gal x 8 lbs/gal is 400 lbs, enough to help quite a bit.  Nice thing about this is you don’t need to drag the extra weight around afterwards, and it’s likely to be available wherever you launch your boat .   — Bart Smaalders                  Solaris Performance     SunSoft http://playground.sun.com/~barts                    2550 Garcia Ave                                                         Mt View, CA 94043-1100

Response:

he one with the lower tread life would be better. You could also get a bit wider tires.  I’ve also seen people with a bucket of sand they toss out to get a better grip.

Man, sand on concrete can REALLY cause you to slip! Sand on ICE is ok but no sand is better on non-frozen concrete. George Bonser

Response:

How about it, you guys? I need to buy new tires for my truck in another couple of months, and I’d appreciate some input. In addition, I think it’d make an interesting discussion topic, as well. Ron Morgan

Wide, sticky tires in my opinion. Though they spread the weight out more, there is more surface for gripping. It will reduce fuel economy somewhat though.  Also, I would worry more about hydroplaning on FRONT wheels where you could loose steering control. You might try putting some weight over that axle or letting 5lb of air out if you get stranded. George Bonser

Response:

Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. Special consideration: the ramp is *wet*, due to water dripping off other boats that were just pulled out. Ron Morgan

I stuck my truck in Galveston Bay this way.  My solution was to buy an old CJ5.  Now I drop into 4 wheel drive in low range.  And no problem. A cheaper alternative is to mount a trailer ball on the front which keeps those rear wheels way up out of the water. cfly — Charlie and Dorothy Fly Non-Trivial Solutions 2951 Marina Bay Dr. Suite 130-349 League City, TX  77573-2733

Response:

Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. Special consideration: the ramp is *wet*, due to water dripping off other boats that were just pulled out. Ron Morgan

Ron – When you buy your tires, make sure you get a better traction rating.  Talk to the tire dealer about traction ratings and wet pavement.  He may help you out tremendously. (Softer tires may wear quicker.) Other solutions to consider can make a big difference :         1. Put a couple hundred pounds of sand bags or blocks in the                 very back of the truck.  Spinning can be caused by not                 enough weight on the rear wheels.         2. Adjust your boat on the trailer to increase the tongue weight                 of the trailer (not to an extreme).  With the boat further                 on the trailer, you will get more weight on the truck tires.         3. Next truck, get limited slip differential to use both back wheels instead of one. Good luck and may all your ramps be dry ones, Joe

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Have your buddies jump in the back of the truck to give it wieght. I have stuck the floor mats in front of the tires once when I was alone and got stuck, but sand would be alot better. Longrigger

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Almost everybody I know has had the same problem with some combination of boats, ramps and tow vehicles. I have better traction on my jeep since I moved up on tire size. The tires are all weather radials. I can still spin all 4 tires if the ramp is mucky enough. Just having new tires will make a difference because the rubber will be softer and the thicker tread will be more compliant than on the older tires. My neighbor mounted a hitch ball on the front bumper of his 2WD truck which let him keep his rear tires high and dry. This can be particularly important at low tide, especially on ramps in estuaries that tend to silt up and/or grow moss. I carried a 20 foot heavy duty tow rope for several years untill the size of my tow vehicle caught up with my boat. I have also seen tongue extensions used for the same purpose. Many sailboaters use these because a keelboat has to be sent WAY back before it will float off the trailer. They either telescope out of the trailer tongue or are carried along side. Some of them even have their own wheels on them that will take much more abuse than a standard trailer jack wheel. My jeep has mushy rear springs and a short wheelbase, so I don’t run with much tongue weight. You can usually run much more tongue weight on a real truck like yours. 300 or 400 lbs of tongue weight, if you are not already running that much, could do a lot for your traction problems. Check with the truck manufacturer to see what they recommend.                                                 vaaler

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& Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 & pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. The & boat is on a 4-wheel trailer in good condition. The truck is, & of course, rear-wheel drive, and has more than enough horsepower. & Special consideration: the ramp is *wet*, due to water dripping off & other boats that were just pulled out. & My truck can just BARELY pull the boat up the ramp under these & conditions. If it’s dry, no problem, but when the ramp is wet, & the tires slip and spin, sometimes even smoking. It’s a very, & very marginal situation. Last night, I came very close to being & stranded at a deserted ramp after dark; I could *not* get that & boat up that ramp, and finally made it up after creeping about an & inch at a time, before the tires would slip. God only knows what & kind of wear this produced on my transmission. You don’t say what the truck is, but does it have a limited slip differential (pozi-trac, sure-grip, etc)?  If not that would get you double the traction.  They can be added to many of the trucks out there. Hewlett Packard              (707) 794-4848 fax      (707) 538-3693 home 1212 Valley House Drive      http://web.sr.hp.com/~frankb/ Rohnert Park CA 94928-4999   KC6WUG, AMA, DoD #7566, NMLRA, I’m the NRA. U.S.A.              Dodge V8 Dakota, Yamaha IT175 XT350 YZF600R Seca 750

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. The boat is on a 4-wheel trailer in good condition. The truck is, of course, rear-wheel drive, and has more than enough horsepower. Special consideration: the ramp is *wet*, due to water dripping off other boats that were just pulled out. My truck can just BARELY pull the boat up the ramp under these conditions. If it’s dry, no problem, but when the ramp is wet, the tires slip and spin, sometimes even smoking. It’s a very, very marginal situation. Last night, I came very close to being stranded at a deserted ramp after dark; I could *not* get that boat up that ramp, and finally made it up after creeping about an inch at a time, before the tires would slip. God only knows what kind of wear this produced on my transmission. Question: what kind of tire tread design would provide the *most* friction? Knobby, off-road type, or a smoother "pavement" type? Remember, by the way, that this is extremely low-speed operation, just barely turning, in fact, so concepts like "hydroplaning" probably wouldn’t apply here. We’re talking about pulling a load up a wet concrete surface. How about it, you guys? I need to buy new tires for my truck in another couple of months, and I’d appreciate some input. In addition, I think it’d make an interesting discussion topic, as well. Ron Morgan

    Ron I had the same ‘problem’ with my old truck (‘91 Dakota with limited slip).  I would put up a slippery ramp and one tire would spin (no posi!)…  I helped the situation by putting all of the crap in the back of the truck that was in the boat, to put more weight over the rear tires (Coolers, skis, gas cans, clothes, etc.)  This made a difference.  I don’t know what type of truck you have, or if it has posi, but with my NEW ‘95 Dakota w/posi + 5 speed I am able to pull that same boat, with all of the crap still in the boat, with no problem out of the same ramp.  I do run a lower tire pressure, as this tends to put more rubber onto the ground, giving more traction.  You might try that too…(it wouldn’t hurt).       BTW  If you didn’t already know this, when pulling out of a boat ramp with a automatic trans, and you work pretty hard to pull that boat up (any pull should be considered) the ramp, make sure you don’t pull up to the staging area and shut off your truck while securing you boat. All of the heat generated by the pull will not leave the transmission (as it didn’t get cooled yet by the transmission cooler)…and can cause a lot of wear/tear/damage to your transmission.  My bone-head friend went through 2 transmissions over 2 seasons going to the Colorado river with his boat.  Every time he got it out of the water he would shut down, secure the boat, then take off…with an air temp of about 110 F. that truck would almost boil the transmission fluid!!!  He learned.     I got a 5 speed ( no cooler needed!), and it works a lot better than a automatic (at least for me it does).     My $.02     ..Sam

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Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. The boat is on a 4-wheel trailer in good condition. The truck is, of course, rear-wheel drive, and has more than enough horsepower. Special consideration: the ramp is *wet*, due to water dripping off other boats that were just pulled out. My truck can just BARELY pull the boat up the ramp under these conditions. If it’s dry, no problem, but when the ramp is wet, the tires slip and spin, sometimes even smoking. It’s a very, very marginal situation. Last night, I came very close to being stranded at a deserted ramp after dark; I could *not* get that boat up that ramp, and finally made it up after creeping about an inch at a time, before the tires would slip. God only knows what kind of wear this produced on my transmission. Question: what kind of tire tread design would provide the *most* friction? Knobby, off-road type, or a smoother "pavement" type? Remember, by the way, that this is extremely low-speed operation, just barely turning, in fact, so concepts like "hydroplaning" probably wouldn’t apply here. We’re talking about pulling a load up a wet concrete surface. How about it, you guys? I need to buy new tires for my truck in another couple of months, and I’d appreciate some input. In addition, I think it’d make an interesting discussion topic, as well. Ron Morgan

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The Santa Cruz Fly Fishermen are often found on the Monterey Bay in CA. Most of them do quite well , usually  much  better than the bait fishermen. We enjoy many species of rockfish  as well as shark on a fly, also stripped bass.

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The Santa Cruz Fly Fishermen are often found on the Monterey Bay in CA. Most of them do quite well , usually  much  better than the bait fishermen. We enjoy many species of rockfish  as well as shark on a fly, also stripped bass.

I have fished the Santa Cruz marine area for many years using fly. I find that the rockcod fishing is very productive at this time of year. I use a 7-8 wt. rod with 18 feet of lead core. I use 15 lb. leader with a two fly setup. For shark (mostly Blue shark) I use a cheap 10-11 wt. rod with a very good reel and lots of backing. I use a floating line with 20 lb. tipit with a foot long piece of single strand wire (58 lb. strength) as a shock leader. Also, for both rockcod and shark I make sure that the barb is flattened on my flies. This is for everyone’s good (including the fish). Last year was a very successful year for rockcod and shark. This year, it has been only fair, but some outstanding fish days did occur. John

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