Question:

I store it all in Clear Creek tube I purchased from Zimbo, one of the regulars of this group…

Ahem. More like we went in together on a group order. –Steve

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Sorry Steve should have mentioned the ‘gang’ thing…yes indeed I got it with a group order…but my main point was it was perfect for my 3 piece, cuz it had 3 compartments and keeps my 3 forks all snug and safe Padishar Creel

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Has anyone fished with a Cabela’s Three Forks Fly Rod?  I was thinking about getting one.  they are going for $40.00 in their new catalog.  Good, Bad, feels like a broomstick?

Frank Church, John Popp and I believe Jon Cook have all stated several times over in the past few years that they highly recommend it.  I have a Browning Medallion 7′ 5wt that’s within that price range that I would recommend.  Quite a fun rod that has bested many a smallmouth bass. Moderately slow action. Mu

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I have a Cabela’s Stowaway 5 pc. 5 wt.  I love the action on this rod. However, the other day I left the rod in my truck.  It was inside the green canvas bag, inside an aluminum tube.  I went to fish with it and on the third section at the ferrule there was a whitish color to the dope used on the wrapping.  The eye closest to the ferrule also had the soft white dope. The stuff was soft to the touch. I fished with it and by the end of the day the dope was almost dry, but with a cloudy haze on the finish.  I traded emails with Cabela’s and I’m sending the rod back.  I don’t think the dope cured correctly when it was applied. I’ve never had this problem with another make.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have the 7′6" 3 piece 3wt 3 forks rod.  It is a wonderful rod, and I am quite pleased with the fit and finish of the entire rod.  It is a medium to stiffer action.  I put an orvis reel and line on it and I have taken nice trout with no issues at all.  It even has a hook keeper that many lightweight rods seem not to have (Redington are you paying attention?).  I store it all in Clear Creek tube I purchased from Zimbo, one of the regulars of this group, and it fit perfectly.  All in all it is one of my favorite sticks…I think you will be pleased with one…I fish a lot of small streams so I am not familar with their bigger rods, but if the workmanship is the same, I think they would be worth a look… Padishar Creel – I also love my Cabela’s stowaway as well.  Frank Church, I believe, is also quite please with his Cabela’s rods.

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Has anyone fished with a Cabela’s Three Forks Fly Rod?  I was thinking about getting one.  they are going for $40.00 in their new catalog.  Good, Bad, feels like a broomstick? Frank Church, John Popp and I believe Jon Cook have all stated several times over in the past few years that they highly recommend it.  I have a Browning Medallion 7′ 5wt that’s within that price range that I would recommend.  Quite a fun rod that has bested many a smallmouth bass. Moderately slow action. Mu

These are the rods I chose to keep in my Toyota Rice Burner 24/7/365.  The big reason was that at 40 bucks apiece, if someone steals them, then I’m not bankrupted in getting them replaced.  I have both the 3 Forks 3pc 3 wt. and the 8′ 2pc 5 wt. which should cover any fishing situation I’m apt to find myself into.  For the money, they are hard to beat, and thus far have held up very well.  No broomsticks here either, both have a moderate action (maybe just a tad on the slow side of moderate, especially the 5 wt) With Cabela’s return policy, you can hardly go wrong with the 3 Forks series. Frank Church in Elkhart, IN bassbugr AT yahoo dot com

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Yeepers, I use the 3X3X7.5 for brim, trout to 3+lb (when traveling). small to average size bass. It travels with me more than my wife and is quieter. A pretty good rod, for the price a great rod. I use the reel for despooling and the line is so-so. put the rod together with a small bass pro reel and a decent line and you’ll have a combo that will look and perform like a much higher priced set-up. — John Popp in Sanford Fl.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Has anyone fished with a Cabela’s Three Forks Fly Rod?  I was thinking about getting one.  they are going for $40.00 in their new catalog.  Good, Bad, feels like a broomstick? Thanks Rob

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Has anyone fished with a Cabela’s Three Forks Fly Rod?  I was thinking about getting one.  they are going for $40.00 in their new catalog.  Good, Bad, feels like a broomstick? Thanks Rob

Good choice. My Cabela’s 3wt Three Forks has a very similar (fast) action to my Sage 5wt SP, at less than 10% of the cost. I recently used it exclusively on a three-day float of the Middle Fork of the Salmon, partly because I didn’t want to risk an expensive rod in a raft. It was a joy to use. (It’s outfitted with a good reel and line. The reel costs three times the price of the rod. Even the line is more expensive than the rod.) The only problem I see is that the reel seat is a cheap piece of junk, but what can you expect for forty bucks? — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

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Agreed, it’s thin aluminum. On the other hand my 6′ 4wt Fenwick has a robust silver nickel real seat. Problem is the reel is easily removed at the end of the day with the Cabellas, where as with the Fenwick I have to beat the reel loose. I’m not sure which I prefer, cheap easy on-off or reel won’t fall off. — John Popp in Sanford Fl.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Has anyone fished with a Cabela’s Three Forks Fly Rod?  I was thinking about getting one.  they are going for $40.00 in their new catalog.  Good, Bad, feels like a broomstick? Thanks Rob Good choice. My Cabela’s 3wt Three Forks has a very similar (fast) action to my Sage 5wt SP, at less than 10% of the cost. I recently used it exclusively on a three-day float of the Middle Fork of the Salmon, partly because I didn’t want to risk an expensive rod in a raft. It was a joy to use. (It’s outfitted with a good reel and line. The reel costs three times the price of the rod. Even the line is more expensive than the rod.) The only problem I see is that the reel seat is a cheap piece of junk, but what can you expect for forty bucks? — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

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Has anyone fished with a Cabela’s Three Forks Fly Rod?  I was thinking about getting one.  they are going for $40.00 in their new catalog.  Good, Bad, feels like a broomstick? Thanks Rob

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Can Only speak for the 3 wt 3 piece….cosmetics fair….workmanship fair….fish-a-bility excellent. My favorite dry fly rod. Very good rod for the price. Durability….the jury is still out. jim

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Has anyone fished with a Cabela’s Three Forks Fly Rod?  I was thinking about getting one.  they are going for $40.00 in their new catalog.  Good, Bad, feels like a broomstick? Thanks Rob

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I have the 7′6" 3 piece 3wt 3 forks rod.  It is a wonderful rod, and I am quite pleased with the fit and finish of the entire rod.  It is a medium to stiffer action.  I put an orvis reel and line on it and I have taken nice trout with no issues at all.  It even has a hook keeper that many lightweight rods seem not to have (Redington are you paying attention?).  I store it all in Clear Creek tube I purchased from Zimbo, one of the regulars of this group, and it fit perfectly.  All in all it is one of my favorite sticks…I think you will be pleased with one…I fish a lot of small streams so I am not familar with their bigger rods, but if the workmanship is the same, I think they would be worth a look… Padishar Creel – I also love my Cabela’s stowaway as well.  Frank Church, I believe, is also quite please with his Cabela’s rods.

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I have the Cabela’s Three Forks in 6wt with the Prestige (Okuma Sierra) reel. I agree 100% with Jim Bennett’s review with the following addition on durability….excellent.  The rod & reel have been blown off the top of my truck onto pavement, canopy door closed on it and all the hell a newbie can do to a rod.  It’s still fishing! Jeff

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Can Only speak for the 3 wt 3 piece….cosmetics fair….workmanship fair….fish-a-bility excellent. My favorite dry fly rod. Very good rod for the price. Durability….the jury is still out. jim Has anyone fished with a Cabela’s Three Forks Fly Rod?  I was thinking about getting one.  they are going for $40.00 in their new catalog.  Good, Bad, feels like a broomstick? Thanks Rob

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Question:

Hi Indy; I live in Wisconsin.  While some folks here may disapprove of fishing for gills on the redds, it’s certainly not true of all of us.  Most of the people I know do it.  The limit for bluegills has been reduced to 25 per day in Wisconsin; still more than enough, I think.  I can’t fault anything else you have to say on the subject, but personally I prefer to use lighter tippet…2 or 3 lb.  I believe it spooks the fish less and makes it easier to use tiny flies effectively.  I also like to gut and scale the fish rather than filleting because you always lose some of the meat when you fillet, and I want it all!

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Hi Indy; I live in Wisconsin.  While some folks here may disapprove of fishing for gills on the redds, it’s certainly not true of all of us.  Most of the people I know do it.  The limit for bluegills has been reduced to 25 per day in Wisconsin; still more than enough, I think.  I can’t fault anything else you have to say on the subject, but personally I prefer to use lighter tippet…2 or 3 lb.  I believe it spooks the fish less and makes it easier to use tiny flies effectively.  I also like to gut and scale the fish rather than filleting because you always lose some of the meat when you fillet, and I want it all!

Hi Wolfgang, I sometimes go to 4 lb. but that 2 to 3 lb. line breaks too often on big gills, especially here in Florida.  I had to go to my 8 weight fly rod and 6 lb. leader just to get those big ones out of the weeds. The lighter leader just doesn’t get it.  Those big gills are bedding here right now, by the way, and I’m going out this morning.  Fried a mess of fillets on Sunday night.  Tres bon!  There are some excellent big bluegill holes in Badger State up in Douglas Co. where I formerly lived.  Sorry I got the ‘gill limit wrong.  Things change.  Best wishes. — Don Jordan "The Real Indiana Jones" http://realindy.com

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Hi all. Just wondering when do you like to fish for gills. I live in West Michigan.  Please give me a tip. Thank you.

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my best gills are caught in mid may to end of june

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Anytime, anywhere!  Here in Wisconsin (and in Michigan, I believe) there is no closed season on bluegills.  A lot of people like to fish for them through the ice and they get a lot of them that way.  Personally, I don’t care for hard water fishing…too cold standing out on the ice…but to each his own.  I started fly fishing about fifteen years ago and quickly discovered that it is THE best method for catching bluegills; they LOVE bugs.  The best fishing is in the early mornings and late evenings during the spawning season.  Bluegills are very aggressive about protecting their redds.  I have seen them come up off the nest and bite ducks who happened to swimming nearby.  Apparently even small bugs are seen as a threat and are vigorously attacked.  For reasons unknown to me the average size of fish I catch is considerably greater during the spawn too.  Maybe because it’s the biggest that do most of the breeding.  Here in Southern Wisconsin the gills spawn early, starting sometime in May most years, though it varies a bit according to the weather.  When I lived up in the central part of the state a few years ago it was usually late May or early June.  And of course, in the northern reaches of WI and MI it will be later yet. The hot fishing lasts until the beginning of the hot weather of summer, at which time things taper off somewhat, though there are still days when the action can be phenomenal. All in all, I think the best policy is to get out and fish whenever possible.  Regardless of all other considerations, the people who catch the most fish are the ones who spend the most time fishing.  If you have never used a fly rod for bluegills, do so as soon as possible!  It’s about the most fun I’ve ever had without being naked, and as a matter of fact…..uh…..hm….maybe we won’t go there. Good luck. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all. Just wondering when do you like to fish for gills. I live in West Michigan.  Please give me a tip. Thank you.

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I grew up in LaPorte, Indiana (somewhat close to West Michigan). In LaPorte, we have a lot of lakes.  I don’t live there now unfortunately or I’d be fishing every weekend! When I grew up, my father, grandfather and I used to fish all the time…we caught bluegill and perch from March all the way through to October.  The best times seemed to be spring and fall. And, we found that the best nearly always tended to be worms dug up from the garden or there were times when grubs were the best. Ted Hi all. Just wondering when do you like to fish for gills. I live in West Michigan.  Please give me a tip. Thank you.

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Hi all. Just wondering when do you like to fish for gills. I live in West Michigan.  Please give me a tip. Thank you.

Hi Trudude, The absolute very best time to catch bluegill is when they are bedding. I know some guys up north may abhor this practice, but it is the standard approach everywhere from Illinois to Florida.  They bed in shallow water and their nests are usually visible.  The most fun is to catch them on a fly rod.  If you’re in a lake with huge gills in the 10 plus inch category, you will want at least a no.5 weight rod and at least 6 lb. test leader.  I like small poppers and foam body spiders,,,green, white, black, yellow.  Sometimes a sinking fly will work better.  I have had great sucess on a standard trout nymph with just a tiny, tiny bit of weight on it.  If you aren’t a fly guy, get an ultralight spinning outfit and cast 1/32nd jigs or 1/32nd oz. spinner baits.  If you’re a live bait guy, crickets are best during spawn, but anything will work.  Redworms when it is slow, on the bottom. Go to http://realindy.com/Previous.htm  read about casting jigs and spinners for bluegill.  Good pix too. Bluegill spawn from Florida to Ontario, beginning in April in the South, but probably peak out in May/June at your lattitude with emphasis on June.  They are the most active during the full moon. Bluegill are far and away the best eating fish extant, in my opinion, and most ‘gill anglers like them filleted rather than beheaded,scaled and gutted, etc.  There are no bag limits on them in the South, but Wisconsin had a 50-fish limit when I lived there. Catching big bluegill on light tackle is the most fun I have every year, and that’s counting fly fishing for trout in the Rockies and muskies in northern Wisconsin.  A 10-inch bluegill puts up an incredible fight and if you ever hit those 11 and 12 inch hogs, buddy they will flat whip your butt! I hope you catch a big mess of ‘em this spring.  Happy dining! — Don Jordan "The Real Indiana Jones" http://realindy.com

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Sorry about the 2 messages, but, bluegill aren’t hard to catch, as a matter of fact they’re quite easy.

When they’re biting. There are times when they’re just not interested. —  << << << << << << << <<  << << << << << << << <<

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About you r bluegill fishing.

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Sorry about the 2 messages, but, bluegill aren’t hard to catch, as a matter of fact they’re quite easy. That’s just about the only thing I catch. All you have to do is find a school of bluegill, put a bobber on and a small jig. (Make sure your bobber is situated right. They feed by the bottom or in the middle of the water). cast out in the school and wait. ( oh yes I forgot the most important part : Hook a Berkley "smelly" plastic worm on the jig. they come in swirly tails and grug. use the swirly tails.

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Question:

I’ve got the reports coming in from the MassWildlife.  They are generally posted on Fridays, but let’s just say when I get them, you get them.  http://www.fishine.com — Mark Cahill Mark Cahill’s Fishing New England – Daily Fishing News http://www.fishingne.com The Internet Journal of Saltwater Fly Fishing – Editorial Director http://www.reel-time.com/

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Uh, that url is actually http://www.fishingne.com Sorry! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve got the reports coming in from the MassWildlife.  They are generally posted on Fridays, but let’s just say when I get them, you get them.  http://www.fishine.com — Mark Cahill Mark Cahill’s Fishing New England – Daily Fishing News http://www.fishingne.com The Internet Journal of Saltwater Fly Fishing – Editorial Director http://www.reel-time.com/

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Question:

Thanks for the help, guys…. SpEEdo… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – He’s asking 17,500 on the side of it.  It’s a helluva deal with that big tuna tower and all the fishing rigging.  However, I’ve talked to 8 long-time sport fishermen about it and they told me Pacemaker had some I had one of these (1973) for sale two years ago.  It is great for near coastal cruising.. It has a relatively low center of gravity making it very stable.  It isn’t a full V hull as it is very flat in the stern.  This allows it acess to shallower water, but makes it pound more in the steep chop.  The flying bridge is fairly small. but adequate.  The fellow who bought it uses it in the L.I. sound regularly, and loves it.  There was no problem with blisters or delaminations. I think the $17,000 is a little high even rigged for offshore.  I sold the one at my place for $12,000 with two near new engines.  No fishing equiptment though. Boatbasin http://www.boatbasin.com

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<snip However, I’ve talked to 8 long-time sport fishermen about it and they told me Pacemaker had some AWFUL problems with blisters, delaminations and other ugly things that put the company out of business…..yecch.

What years were the eight?  An old-time marine surveyor told me that boats made before the Arab oil embargo of the mid-seventies had few if any problems with blisters.  Only after the embargo hit and oil prices went sky-high did manufacturers start tampering with resin formulations and unknowingly create blister city.  The boat in question is a ‘72 model and may be perfectly blister-free. Bill, W7TI

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He’s asking 17,500 on the side of it.  It’s a helluva deal with that big tuna tower and all the fishing rigging.  However, I’ve talked to 8 long-time sport fishermen about it and they told me Pacemaker had some

I had one of these (1973) for sale two years ago.  It is great for near coastal cruising.. It has a relatively low center of gravity making it very stable.  It isn’t a full V hull as it is very flat in the stern.  This allows it acess to shallower water, but makes it pound more in the steep chop.  The flying bridge is fairly small. but adequate.  The fellow who bought it uses it in the L.I. sound regularly, and loves it.  There was no problem with blisters or delaminations. I think the $17,000 is a little high even rigged for offshore.  I sold the one at my place for $12,000 with two near new engines.  No fishing equiptment though. Boatbasin http://www.boatbasin.com

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There’s one for sale in Charleston I have to walk by every time I go to my bud’s sailboat.  It had a little smoke damage from a fire in a home air conditioner he used but has been completely restored inside. It has radar/sonar/GPS/tv/microwave/Loran/2 alarms/lights/water/well, you get the idea. He’s asking 17,500 on the side of it.  It’s a helluva deal with that big tuna tower and all the fishing rigging.  However, I’ve talked to 8 long-time sport fishermen about it and they told me Pacemaker had some AWFUL problems with blisters, delaminations and other ugly things that put the company out of business…..yecch. Sure is tempting….it’s still floating, the new AC/heat pump is pumping and I see lights inside the stained-glass windows….(c; SpEEdo – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am considering a 30′ Pacemaker – 1972. The owner says the model is Sportfish, but it sure has a small cockpit. It has a fly bridge and lower helm station which behind the step down salon/galley. This open helm area extends quite a way into the cockpit and includes the engine hatches (it has a fighting chair) and the cockpit seems quite short. I wonder if this is more a Cruiser model than a SF and if I’d get a better fishing boat if I looked for a later model. Does anyone have any knowledge of these models? I have looked in the "Sportfishing Boats 28-82′" guide and the oldest Pacemaker they show is a 1973 that has a different layout. The boat is in very good condition with outriggers, 489 hrs on 220/hp chryslers, older electronics (no GPS or radar) – he is asking $19K. Does this sound reasonable?? Thanks!

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I am considering a 30′ Pacemaker – 1972. The owner says the model is Sportfish, but it sure has a small cockpit. It has a fly bridge and lower helm station which behind the step down salon/galley. This open helm area extends quite a way into the cockpit and includes the engine hatches (it has a fighting chair) and the cockpit seems quite short. I wonder if this is more a Cruiser model than a SF and if I’d get a better fishing boat if I looked for a later model. Does anyone have any knowledge of these models? I have looked in the "Sportfishing Boats 28-82′" guide and the oldest Pacemaker they show is a 1973 that has a different layout. The boat is in very good condition with outriggers, 489 hrs on 220/hp chryslers, older electronics (no GPS or radar) – he is asking $19K. Does this sound reasonable?? Thanks!

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I wouldn’t trust the reliability of the hourmeter.  You need both a survey and a mechanic to check out your boat to decide if 19K is a good price. — — Jim Proud, but feeble minded Regal Owner Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead.

| I am considering a 30′ Pacemaker – 1972. The owner says the model is | Sportfish, but it sure has a small cockpit. It has a fly bridge and lower | helm station which behind the step down salon/galley. This open helm area | extends quite a way into the cockpit and includes the engine hatches (it has | a fighting chair) and the cockpit seems quite short. | | I wonder if this is more a Cruiser model than a SF and if I’d get a better | fishing boat if I looked for a later model. Does anyone have any knowledge of | these models? I have looked in the "Sportfishing Boats 28-82′" guide and the | oldest Pacemaker they show is a 1973 that has a different layout. | | The boat is in very good condition with outriggers, 489 hrs on 220/hp | chryslers, older electronics (no GPS or radar) – he is asking $19K. Does this | sound reasonable?? | | Thanks! |

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Question:

I head into the hospital for ACL reconstruction of my left knee this morning and am out of business for the next 5 to 6 months.

I had my left knee done last October, the right one done in December and was on the water again in April. Had the lakes been open, I might have been fishing even sooner – the Doc told me a kickboat would be excellent  therapy. In any case,  good luck with the surgery. Regards, Dennis Smith Loveland, CO Dennis Smith Loveland, CO

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Well it is time to hang up my fly rod for the year.  I head into the hospital for ACL reconstruction of my left knee this morning and am out of business for the next 5 to 6 months. Mike

 Mike, Here’s wishing you a successful visit to the hospital, and get over it quickly. Good luck. Regards from Wales. — Bill

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Well it is time to hang up my fly rod for the year.  I head into the hospital for ACL reconstruction of my left knee this morning and am out of business for the next 5 to 6 months. Mike

– Mike, Good luck with your surgery and we’ll be sure to save some fish fer ya… –Walt

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Well it is time to hang up my fly rod for the year.  I head into the hospital for ACL reconstruction of my left knee this morning and am out of business for the next 5 to 6 months.  All of you flyfishing nuts will have to make sure and post your adventures to the newsgroup so that I can at least read about flyfishing. All was not lost for the year, I did get the opportunity to catch a 20 pound Rainbow Trout two weeks ago.  Definetly the highlight of my fishing life. Unfortunately, August was the wrong month to get the Gerrard’s in Kootenay Lake on a fly rod so will have to go back in April or May and attempt to get one. Have fun and enjoy the rest of your Summer! Mike

Mike: Sorry to hear about the knee problems. What kind of reconstruction are you having?  I had patellar graft reconstruction on my left knee 6 years ago and have been *extremely* happy with the result. You might even find that you could still get some fishing in this season.  By three months post-op, I was doing a lot of the things I wanted to, just being careful. Best of luck to you.  It is amazing what they can do to repair things these days. Bob

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Well it is time to hang up my fly rod for the year.  I head into the hospital for ACL reconstruction of my left knee this morning and am out of business for the next 5 to 6 months.  All of you flyfishing nuts will have to make sure and post your adventures to the newsgroup so that I can at least read about flyfishing.   All was not lost for the year, I did get the opportunity to catch a 20 pound Rainbow Trout two weeks ago.  Definetly the highlight of my fishing life. Unfortunately, August was the wrong month to get the Gerrard’s in Kootenay Lake on a fly rod so will have to go back in April or May and attempt to get one. Have fun and enjoy the rest of your Summer! Mike

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Question:

Hi John, Steffen Rods are built by the Steffen brothers, their company is located in Northern Arizona near Lee’s Ferry.  They build extremely fine rods. You may have gotten that one for a steal, if it was cheap in a swap meet.  These rods should easily compare to Scott, Sage, Loomis, etc. in quality. The only difference, naturally is the action of the rod.  Steffen Bro’s do build their own blanks. These rods are not too well known, because the boys aren’t very dependable in shipping rods out to their retailers. Certain times of the year, fishing on Lee’s Ferry is more important than making an income.  A lot of retailers will not stock their rods for this reason. Although, sometimes I have to agree with their attitude about fishing before working. It must depend on how much cash you have in the bank. Good Luck Bill — William Endicott – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I recently acquired a rod at an estate sale.  The seller didn’t know the history of it.  It is graphite, marked Steffen Rod Co.  The blanck is unsanded gray, reminiscent of a Scott Power Ply.  Does anyone know anything about the Steffen Rod Co.?  Are they still in business?  Is this just a custom built Powerply or is it actualy a blank made for this company?  Any help you can give me would be appreciated.  BTW…it doesn’t cast half bad. John Woodling Sacramento, CA

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Does anyone know anything about the Steffen Rod Co.?  Are they still in business?  Is this just a custom built Powerply or is it actualy a blank made for this company? John Woodling Sacramento, CA

John; Steffen Rod Co. is based in Arizona, but I’m not sure of the town. Their rods are much more popular out there in the West than they are here in the East. However, they are gaining in popularity.  They "roll their own" at Steffen.  They are very competent rods.  They are certainly still in business, but you don’t hear much about them.  They forego national advertising to keep their overhead at a minimum.  They also don’t offer an unlimited warrantee, but will repair rods at a reasonable price.  Right now, they only offer 2 series of rods.  One is like yours and the other is sanded and with fancier hardware, but it’s the same rod, essentially.  We have a guy here in eastern PA who sells their stuff.  Very good casting rods for $250.  Compared to my Scott Alpha, they are significantly slower; not that it is a *bad* thing. Jason Beary

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I recently acquired a rod at an estate sale.  The seller didn’t know the history of it.  It is graphite, marked Steffen Rod Co.  The blanck is unsanded gray, reminiscent of a Scott Power Ply.  Does anyone know anything about the Steffen Rod Co.?  Are they still in business?  Is this just a custom built Powerply or is it actualy a blank made for this company?  Any help you can give me would be appreciated.  BTW…it doesn’t cast half bad. John Woodling Sacramento, CA

Dear John: Mark Steffen, of Steffen Brothers, lives in Flagstaff, Arizona. He sells his rods locally through Peace Surplus Sporting Stores, 779-4521. Mark is the current President of the our local fly fishing group…. Northern Arizona Flycasters, Inc. Besides making great rods, he is an all around good guy, hardcore fisherman and fly fishing activist. Give him a call if you have any questions. Dawson Henderson

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I recently acquired a rod at an estate sale.  The seller didn’t know the history of it.  It is graphite, marked Steffen Rod Co.  The blanck is unsanded gray, reminiscent of a Scott Power Ply.  Does anyone know anything about the Steffen Rod Co.?  Are they still in business?  Is this just a custom built Powerply or is it actualy a blank made for this company?  Any help you can give me would be appreciated.  BTW…it doesn’t cast half bad. John Woodling Sacramento, CA Dear John: Mark Steffen, of Steffen Brothers, lives in Flagstaff, Arizona. He sells his rods locally through Peace Surplus Sporting Stores, 779-4521. Mark is the current President of the our local fly fishing group…. Northern Arizona Flycasters, Inc. Besides making great rods, he is an all around good guy, hardcore fisherman and fly fishing activist. Give him a call if you have any questions. Dawson Henderson

I have fished Steffen steelhead (8wt) and 4-piece 6-wt rods for years. They are marvelous. I use the 4-piece in New Zealand just about every day for 4-6 week trips and find that it handles innumerable large fish, horrendous wind, and roll-casting very heavy nymphs on the Tongariro like no other rod.The Midge in Los Altos Calif carries the rods. If you have trouble with a Steffen, the maker repairs them very well. Try it, you’ll like it!!

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Hi ! Does anybody know, how to purchase one of these rods here in europe witout knowing a pal who travels the US frequently ?? TIA

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I recently acquired a rod at an estate sale.  The seller didn’t know the history of it.  It is graphite, marked Steffen Rod Co.  The blanck is unsanded gray, reminiscent of a Scott Power Ply.  Does anyone know anything about the Steffen Rod Co.?  Are they still in business?  Is this just a custom built Powerply or is it actualy a blank made for this company?  Any help you can give me would be appreciated.  BTW…it doesn’t cast half bad. John Woodling Sacramento, CA

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Question:

First response is : Replace the line if it’s 13 months old.  How much do you fish this line, I try to give my old (12 months) fly lines to beginners to encourage them.  Next, I did the same thing last week, I was fishing False Albacore off of Montauk, LI, NY and layed down a beautiful Cuban on my motor controls so I could tye on a new Clouser.  I looked down to see the Tarpon Taper Intermediate line smoking and melting as it laid up against the cigar.  I picked up the  gar, took a couple of puff, rolled my fingers around the melted area of the fly line and through it at 100 breaking ""albies".  I landed four more fish that afternoon with that line and plan to use it again next week.  I wouldn’t fish that burned line on a Tarpon (BIG TARPON that is) trip but this burn went right down to the core yet still seems to have plenty of strength. That’s my story and I’m stickin to it! Bonefly

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I’ve repaired fly lines on several occasions but never from a burn.  I did cut an almost new fly line in half when I stepped on it with stream cleatl.  To repair the cut line I removed the plastic coating on each end, lapped the ends over each other and sewed them together with needle and thread.  I followed that with a smooth coat of Zap A Gap.

Now That’s a patch! How did the line hold up? Carl carl

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I’ve repaired fly lines on several occasions but never from a burn.  I did cut an almost new fly line in half when I stepped on it with stream cleatl.  To repair the cut line I removed the plastic coating on each end, lapped the ends over each other and sewed them together with needle and thread.  I followed that with a smooth coat of Zap A Gap. Now That’s a patch! How did the line hold up

Hi Carl The line seems to holding up very well.  I made the repairs last year and have used the line hard since then with no problems. — Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT (97 catalog) http://www.flyshop.com/Expo/Specialty/BTsPdcts/index.html

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I may have pulled the ultimate bonehead manuveur.  I melted my flyline with a cigar while tying on a fly.  The central core is not exposed, but the plastic is clearly damaged.  The line is 13 months old. My question to this esteemed group (as I am sure someone else has done this before): Will this affect the strength of the line? Should I discard the line? Should I attempt to coat the damaged area with something? Thanks,  Steve Haun

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I may have pulled the ultimate bonehead manuveur.  I melted my flyline with a cigar while tying on a fly.  The central core is not exposed, but the plastic is clearly damaged.  The line is 13 months old. My question to this esteemed group (as I am sure someone else has done this before): Will this affect the strength of the line? Should I discard the line? Should I attempt to coat the damaged area with something? Thanks,  Steve Haun

Hi Steve, I’ve repaired fly lines on several occasions but never from a burn.  I did cut an almost new fly line in half when I stepped on it with stream cleatl.  To repair the cut line I removed the plastic coating on each end, lapped the ends over each other and sewed them together with needle and thread.  I followed that with a smooth coat of Zap A Gap. — Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT (97 catalog) http://www.flyshop.com/Expo/Specialty/BTsPdcts/index.html

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Yet another reason to stop smoking!

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I may have pulled the ultimate bonehead manuveur.  I melted my flyline with a cigar while tying on a fly.  The central core is not exposed, but the plastic is clearly damaged.  The line is 13 months old. My question to this esteemed group (as I am sure someone else has done this before): Will this affect the strength of the line? Should I discard the line? Should I attempt to coat the damaged area with something? Thanks,  Steve Haun

Steve, As long as the core is ok, you might try Aquaseal over the melted portion. Spread it thin, wet your finger and smooth it out. It should work fine. Almost have done the same on several occasions. Norm

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Message from another bonehead! You can try and fix the burned area with one of the knot glues, I have used Loon Outdoors Knot Coat with success. Give the line a good yank after drying to make sure. But better still, because you can never be sure how far down the heat has penetrated into the core, cut out the burned section. Then by dipping each end of the fly line into nail polish remover soften the outer coatings, and strip off about 2 inches from each end of the line. Using a rough comb or brush ‘flay’ the ends of the exposed cores. Lay these exposed and flayed ends of the cores over each other and using a fly tying bobbin wrap the cores with several layers of thread. Then coat the whipped join with one of the knot glues. Ensure the knot glue is applied over the ends of the line coating on either end of the join to stop water ‘whicking’ up the central core. Good luck! Conficoius say man who smokes into wind with loose flyline gets his own back. — Tony Bishop Fish with Bish Taupo New Zealand – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I may have pulled the ultimate bonehead manuveur.  I melted my flyline with a cigar while tying on a fly.  The central core is not exposed, but the plastic is clearly damaged.  The line is 13 months old. My question to this esteemed group (as I am sure someone else has done this before): Will this affect the strength of the line? Should I discard the line? Should I attempt to coat the damaged area with something? Thanks,  Steve Haun

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Question:

Any suggestions for good fly fishing in the Vernon, B.C  (Canada) area, will be visiting the area at the end of the month and wondered if there are any worthwhile spots, Cheers, Ken

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There are hundreds of *excellent* areas – far too numerous to mention.   Vernon is in the Okanagan Valley which is surrounded by plateaus, mountains, etc., containing some of the best Kamloops rainbow fishing anywhere.  Any local fishing shop will be able to give you lists of what is in the area you are going to/passing through.  But you will need to travel out of Vernon by 1-2 hours in order to reach most of them. Good Luck. Don

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: There are hundreds of *excellent* areas – far too numerous to mention.   : Vernon is in the Okanagan Valley which is surrounded by plateaus, : mountains, etc., containing some of the best Kamloops rainbow fishing : anywhere.  Any local fishing shop will be able to give you lists of what : is in the area you are going to/passing through.  But you will need to : travel out of Vernon by 1-2 hours in order to reach most of them. Some general ideas: 1. the area to the east of Kelowna, e.g. Dee or Beaver Lakes 2. the Thompson-Nicola plateau west of Kelowna, e.g Pennask, Hatheume, Headwaters, Logan etc Lakes 3. go east on the Monashee highway through Lumby and over to the Columbia and Kootenay watersheds; some possibilities might include Whatshan (sp) Lake, just north of the Fauquier/Needles ferry (west side) and Summit Lake, about a half-hour south of Nakusp on the road to New Denver 4. go north to Shuswap or Mara Lakes, or continue on to the Thompson at Kamloops 5. take the road (hiway 33?) between Kelowna and Rock Creek (via Beaverdell) and fish any section of the Kettle River that looks good (most of it will) 6. Go south to Vaseux Lake (between Okanagan Falls and Oliver) to fish the second-best bass lake (almost all LM’s) in BC; use a tube or canoe (no motors allowed) Most of these destinations, like Don says, are 1-2 hours from Vernon. Generally, the Okanagan does not boast a lot of stream fishing, but the lakes are pretty good. (born in Penticton Hospital and raised in Keremeos and Oliver) 3798 Woodland Drive     voice: (604) 368-9315 Trail, BC               data:  (604) 368-9341

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Question:

I am looking for a new or secondhand Hardy #4 fly reel to match a Loomis #4 IMX rod. Marquis #4 or #5 , Golden Prince 5/6 or JLH Ultralite #4 or #5. Any info will be of great help. Thanks

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I am looking for a new or secondhand Hardy #4 fly reel to match a Loomis #4 IMX rod. Marquis #4 or #5 , Golden Prince 5/6 or JLH Ultralite #4 or #5. Any info will be of great help. Thanks

Contact Timeless Tackle in Edinburgh Scotland at 44-131-667-1407 or FAX 44-131-662-4215.  They deal in used and antique fishing gear and their list always seems to have a large selection of Hardy equipment. Ken Barry

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Question:

Please, does anyone know the 800 number for Cabellas? Thanks, —

   +1 800 237 4444 Tim

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Please, does anyone know the 800 number for Cabellas? Thanks, — -Wayne Trzyna

Cabela’s (general fishing and hunting) (special flyfishing only catalog also) 812 13th Ave Sidney NE 69160 800-237-4444 (US and Canada) 308-234-5555 308-254-2200 fax 800-695-5000 TDD Cheers, SWJ

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Please, does anyone know the 800 number for Cabellas? Thanks, — -Wayne Trzyna

        1-800-237-4444              /*A river runs through me*                       Jay R. Livernois                                               /                                              /                                             /                                            /                                           /                                       O  /                                       |_/o                                       |                                      / |

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Please, does anyone know the 800 number for Cabellas? Thanks, — -Wayne Trzyna

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