Question:

*** post for FREE via your newsreader at post.newsfeed.com *** Hi, I’m new to fly fishing and just purchased a Fenwick Highlander HLF906 9′      6 weight in Australia. I checked Fenwick’s site but this rod isn’t mentioned. I’ve been told that it is a medium action rod, but as this is my first rod I have no idea. Any comments would be appreciated. ta, Gary  —–= Posted via Newsfeed.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeed.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–== 100,000 Groups! – 19 Servers! – Unlimited Download! =—–

Response:

"Gary, but as this is my first rod I have no idea.

….then, that rod is anything you want it to be……

Response:

says… *** post for FREE via your newsreader at post.newsfeed.com *** Hi, I’m new to fly fishing and just purchased a Fenwick Highlander HLF906 9′      6 weight in Australia. I checked Fenwick’s site but this rod isn’t mentioned. I’ve been told that it is a medium action rod, but as this is my first rod I have no idea. Any comments would be appreciated.

Hi Gary, I have an HighLander in an #8 for fishing saltwater and like its very firm action.  Impressed enough with the action (the hardware is a littly chintzy on the #8) to find out if they had smaller sizes especially a #4.  Where did you score your #6?  Sorry I can’t comment on the action of the lower weights, haven’t seen one yet. Steve

Response:

"Gary, but as this is my first rod I have no idea. ….then, that rod is anything you want it to be……

Wow. So deep (really deep), so fast. — TL, Tim I’d want mine to be a Hardy 7′9" 4wt.

Response:

"Gary, but as this is my first rod I have no idea. ….then, that rod is anything you want it to be…… Wow. So deep (really deep), so fast. — TL, Tim I’d want mine to be a Hardy 7′9" 4wt.

I wanted mine to be about 14 inches and praised by all women, but all I got was a broken Popcicle stick. Op

Response:

"Gary, but as this is my first rod I have no idea. ….then, that rod is anything you want it to be……

You write good words, John.  You write words to live by. "The moving finger writes; and, having writ, moves Wolfgang hey, why’s everybody pointing at ME?!      :(

Response:

You write good words, John.  You write words to live by. "The moving finger writes; and, having writ, moves

I’ve been sitting on variations on _that_ for days and you go and waste it in this thread! Steve (I did wonder just _who_ would crack first

Response:

You write good words, John.  You write words to live by. "The moving finger writes; and, having writ, moves I’ve been sitting on variations on _that_ for days and you go and waste it in this thread!

Ya takes yer opportunities where ya finds ‘em. Steve (I did wonder just _who_ would crack first

O.K., I’m easy.      :) Wolfgang

Response:

O.K., I’m easy.      :)

Naw, just cheap…

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – "Gary, but as this is my first rod I have no idea. ….then, that rod is anything you want it to be…… Wow. So deep (really deep), so fast. — TL, Tim I’d want mine to be a Hardy 7′9" 4wt. I wanted mine to be about 14 inches and praised by all women,

She, glad… but all I got was a broken Popcicle stick.

Wee, bad Op

Not e-gad? Signed, Daysed and cunfoosed

Response:

says… Hi, I’m new to fly fishing and just purchased a Fenwick Highlander HLF906 9′      6 weight in Australia. I checked Fenwick’s site but this rod isn’t mentioned. I’ve been told that it is a medium action rod, but as this is my first rod I have no idea. Any comments would be appreciated.

Gary, While out looking for a spare SW outfit this morning I came across a 6wt in a shop I rarely visit.  Didn’t cast it but felt good in the hand – fast action by the feel, single foot guides of sufficient size and a half-decent looking reel seat (better than the 8wt). You could do a lot lot worse for the $s.   Steve (who has another $50 worth of tying materials for his trouble and no spare outfit … Next Shop – Lilydale

Response:

Question:

Planning  a family trip with 2 kids (aged 5 & 7) and my wife during early December. We plan to start  off from Adelaide and fly back from Melbourne. Planning to hire a car and stay in the local B&Bs. Looking for suggestions, ideas or itinerary and advices.

Response:

Planning  a family trip with 2 kids (aged 5 & 7) and my wife during early December. We plan to start  off from Adelaide and fly back from Melbourne. Planning to hire a car and stay in the local B&Bs. Looking for suggestions, ideas or itinerary and advices.

Don’t miss the Great Ocean Road. http://www.greatoceanroad.org/ My kids love the Adventure Playground in Warrnambool. Daniel — Daniel Bowen, Melbourne, Australia Visiting Australia FAQ http://www.custard.net.au/australia/

Response:

Planning  a family trip with 2 kids (aged 5 & 7) and my wife during early December. We plan to start  off from Adelaide and fly back from Melbourne. Planning to hire a car and stay in the local B&Bs. Looking for suggestions, ideas or itinerary and advices.

That’s plenty of time.  As Daniel mentioned, don’t miss the Great Ocean Road.  You should also perhaps start by taking a run through the Flinders Ranges, perhaps as far up as Wilpena Pound.  A lot of people bag on Port Augusta but I quite like the place and there are some things that would be of interest to the kiddies – the Wadlata centre is pretty good (although the souvis are pretty pricey and poor value) and the Arid Lands Botanic Centre (hope I have that name right) is worth a squint if you’re into that sort of thing.  Spencer Gulf has some great sailing and fishing (check what’s in season, I’ve not been in December, yet).  The French Hot Bread place on Commercial St. is the best in the country. From there, I would head back down and across, taking the G.O.R.; then go up into the goldfields (Ballarat, Bendigo) which have theme areas and rebuilt "old time" streets, etc. which the kids should enjoy. Finally, keep a few days for each city.  I’m not normally a city person, but Adelaide does have some charms which take some time to grow on you (once you get used to all the churches).  Take a tram to Glenelg and spend some time on the beach (hopefully all that construction is finished by now) and be sure to take in the central market just off King William Square (at the other end of the tram).  With any luck (does anyone know?  I’m about a year out of date) the Don Bradman display will still be on in one of the buildings (library?) on North Tce. As for Melbourne, I haven’t spent enough time there yet to be knowledgeable about what’s the best use of time/best interest to kids but there will be lots.  It’s quite a charming city.  I’ll leave that to the natives. HTH

Response:

Hi if you go to see the litle penguins at Phillip Island try to get a night at AMAZING THINGS for the kids it is not spectacular but like i said it is good for the kids. Walter from Belgium — Swagmanneke( walter caremans) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Planning  a family trip with 2 kids (aged 5 & 7) and my wife during early December. We plan to start  off from Adelaide and fly back from Melbourne. Planning to hire a car and stay in the local B&Bs. Looking for suggestions, ideas or itinerary and advices.

Response:

in message As for Melbourne, I haven’t spent enough time there yet to be knowledgeable about what’s the best use of time/best interest to kids but there will be lots.  It’s quite a charming city.  I’ll leave that to the natives.

Depends what they like. Off the top of my head… – tram rides (especially if you don’t have trams in your part of the world) – museum and Scienceworks http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/ – Puffing Billy steam train http://www.puffingbilly.com.au/ – penguins at Phillip Island http://www.penguins.org.au/ – Healesville sanctuary (native animals) and Melbourne Zoo http://www.zoo.org.au/ and plenty of parks and gardens to explore. Try browsing around http://melbourne.citysearch.com.au/ Daniel — Daniel Bowen, Melbourne, Australia Visiting Australia FAQ http://www.custard.net.au/australia/

Response:

Take your time on the Great Ocean Road.  It is a great view but you need time to enjoy it,  Don’t miss the twelve Apostles.   If you have time, check out Phillips Island and the penguin parade.  Phillips Island is on the opposite side of Melbourne from Adelaide. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Planning  a family trip with 2 kids (aged 5 & 7) and my wife during early December. We plan to start  off from Adelaide and fly back from Melbourne. Planning to hire a car and stay in the local B&Bs. Looking for suggestions, ideas or itinerary and advices. That’s plenty of time.  As Daniel mentioned, don’t miss the Great Ocean Road.  You should also perhaps start by taking a run through the Flinders Ranges, perhaps as far up as Wilpena Pound.  A lot of people bag on Port Augusta but I quite like the place and there are some things that would be of interest to the kiddies – the Wadlata centre is pretty good (although the souvis are pretty pricey and poor value) and the Arid Lands Botanic Centre (hope I have that name right) is worth a squint if you’re into that sort of thing.  Spencer Gulf has some great sailing and fishing (check what’s in season, I’ve not been in December, yet).  The French Hot Bread place on Commercial St. is the best in the country. From there, I would head back down and across, taking the G.O.R.; then go up into the goldfields (Ballarat, Bendigo) which have theme areas and rebuilt "old time" streets, etc. which the kids should enjoy. Finally, keep a few days for each city.  I’m not normally a city person, but Adelaide does have some charms which take some time to grow on you (once you get used to all the churches).  Take a tram to Glenelg and spend some time on the beach (hopefully all that construction is finished by now) and be sure to take in the central market just off King William Square (at the other end of the tram).  With any luck (does anyone know?  I’m about a year out of date) the Don Bradman display will still be on in one of the buildings (library?) on North Tce. As for Melbourne, I haven’t spent enough time there yet to be knowledgeable about what’s the best use of time/best interest to kids but there will be lots.  It’s quite a charming city.  I’ll leave that to the natives. HTH

Response:

Question:

You want skeeters?  Try Western Montana.  Mosquitos are their state bird!  After they drained me, they even offered me a glass of orange juice! Gus Weber

If the Red Cross could train them, they wouldn’t need volunteers.

Response:

I didn’t want to explain the cause of my injuries to the attending physician, if Angelfire has such a thing.

Hahahaha!  Those flies are deadly…… nothing compared to the skeeters in Bismark, ND though. Did you go to the Vietnam Memorial? Hunter

Response:

Thanks again Bob. On my recent trip to CO this past August we were going to stay at The Spa because they now have a small RV park with hookups for about 6 or so RVs, but alas only for fully self contained units and they don’t allow pets.  The massages across the street are excellent BTW. We ended up right outside town at a RV park right on the San Juan River (I think it’s called Riverview, it’s on the left as you are leaving town on Hwy 160 going toward Wolf Creek Pass) with a nice little pond of their own. Very friendly and helpful people.  I’ve been there before. The other thing I might mention is that just before you get to Wolf Creek Pass there is a turnout on the right that lets you take a nice hike up to the headwaters of the San Juan River.  It’s a nice (uphill) hike and the falls at the top are beautiful. — Peace, Love and Serenity, Madeleine

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – A few notes of passing interest…. Chama, New Mexico I stayed in the Rio Chama RV Park, a nice piece of cottonwood bottom right along the river, next to a trestle bridge for the Cumbres and Toltec steam excursion train.  The Station is about a half mile west. While watching the horrible news on TV that evening, I heard a couple of loud spaced reports, like shotguns going off nearby.  I thought, "It’s black powder season – but in town?" I went down to the tracks and met one the guys who ride around in golf carts helping people park their houses.  He was walking back from the woods along the track. "Somebody shooting down here?" "Nah.  That was me.  Firecrackers.  Them bears are tryin’ to climb the fence again." It turns out that a sow and 2 cubs had been getting into the garbage cans, and apparently tore up a screen door the day before.  One of the weapons used by the Forest Service to control them is rubber bullets, which are packed with a light powder charge into a 12 gauge shotgun shell.  On request, they pass them out in small numbers to residents. I heard one fellow laughing about his "doofus" neighbor who picked up a few and then realized he only had a 20 gauge to shoot them with. Pagosa Springs, Colorado I have been coming to Pagosa to ski for 20 years.  I always stayed at the Spa Motel, to make use of the hot spring baths, the swimming pool, and the occasional massage.  One of my favorite memories of this place is the year it snowed so much the ticket office at Wolf Creek was buried, and the whole enterprise was shut down for days.  I eventually escaped to Purgatory, pointing my Bronco carefully down the middle of the white space between the humps of the fencing along the buried highway, hoping to stay on the road.  But the night before I left, I spent an interesting hour in the warm swimming pool, watching those big heavy flakes crowd down out of the black sky, plopping into the pool around me.  I’m sure they didn’t really hiss as they hit the water, but that’s the way I remember it. The swimming pool is still ok, but I am sorry to report the indoor soaking pool is not being maintained properly.  This may be just one bad day, so check it out if you come through.  They give out flannel sheets to wrap up in when you are steaming, and you can lay back on benches and drift off till you cool down and go back in.  The water is still 108 degrees, or maybe more, but when I went it hadn’t been cleaned in a while.  There was stuff floating on the surface, and it had an oily feel, and the whole room smelled like some sort of nasty soup or old dish water. The good news is that the place across the street (The Springs) is greatly improved from my last visit.  These are a series of outdoor pools (bathing suit required) in tiers down to the river, going from 110 degrees down to tepid.  If I were just a little bit younger, I’d have to say the babes in string bikinis ain’t so hard to look at, either.  $12 for the day.   I’m talking about the pools. Creede, Colorado I was wandering desolately down the main street, beseeching complete strangers for access to a phone line so I could e-mail you guys, when I saw a large orange tabby limping across the street.  She was collared, tagged, and belled.  Her left rear foot was held up high, and it looked like something red stained the paw. I ducked into the Kentucky Belle, which is a grocery store, and told the clerk it looked like someone’s cat was hurt. "Big orange cat?" "Yeah." "That’s the town cat.  She don’t belong to anyone special.  She got froze to a bridge." The girl was checking out groceries and talking over her shoulder. She was obviously busy, so I didn’t press her, though now I wish I had.  This was a healthy animal, with an imperious air only slightly spoiled by the her legged gait.  On closer inspection, the red stuff on her paw looked like some kind of medicine. The Town Cat.  I guess if you’re going to get stuck to a bridge, this is the place to do it. Between Mora and Angelfire, New Mexico I’ve noticed the black flies here are bigger and slower than the ones I’m used to in Texas.  And louder.  If you happen to leave your door open during your nap, they’ll make you dream in black and white, of old war movies.  Spitfires and B-29s.  Since I never know when a nap is coming at me, I am apt to do this. I bought a fly swatter at the Wal-Mart in Las Vegas, N.M.  Actually they came packaged in pairs, which I took as an omen.  Never know when you might need back-up. In all fairness, though, I have to say they are a tough, tenacious bunch.  I was particularly impressed with a certain Sampson of their lot.  I decided to skip Taos on the way up.  It’s a good town for walking, but finding a place to park the Behemoth I’m living in just didn’t seem attractive to me this time round.  The traffic is crazy there around the square, and you can’t avoid it. So I took a winding narrow road out of Mora, past Coyote Creek State Park.  When the road opened up a bit approaching Angelfire, I stopped in a turnout, arranged a nice view of the Sangre de Cristos, and made a sandwich.  A few flies got in, so I lay about with the swatter till they granted me a funereal peace. After I got back in the truck and started off down the hill, I noticed through the windshield that one of these smug odious vermin had made himself a perch exactly where the hood ornament would be, if I had one.  I sped up to 30 mph.  He was unconcerned.  40 mph.  He couldn’t care less.  50 mph.  If a fly could yawn, he would.  As I approached 60 mph, I saw him hunker down a little on the slick surface of the paint.  Got you now, sucker. But as luck would have it, a car slowed down in front of me, approaching a curve, and I had to let up.  I didn’t want to explain the cause of my injuries to the attending physician, if Angelfire has such a thing.  As I slowed down to 30 mph, the devil flew away.  But I cannot say blew away.  He left calmly, at a time and place of his own choosing. And that’s it for now. Bob

Response:

You want skeeters?  Try Western Montana.  Mosquitos are their state bird!  After they drained me, they even offered me a glass of orange juice! Gus Weber – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I didn’t want to explain the cause of my injuries to the attending physician, if Angelfire has such a thing. Hahahaha!  Those flies are deadly…… nothing compared to the skeeters in Bismark, ND though. Did you go to the Vietnam Memorial? Hunter

Response:

No, I’ve been before, and this week I just didn’t need the depression it brought on.

full of Harleys. Their owners were mostly pretty scary looking…. ……there wasn’t a dry eye in the place. I had to leave I was a mess, I can’t take it when other people cry….. it was heartbreaking to be there…. Hunter

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thanks again Bob. On my recent trip to CO this past August we were going to stay at The Spa because they now have a small RV park with hookups for about 6 or so RVs, but alas only for fully self contained units and they don’t allow pets.  The massages across the street are excellent BTW. We ended up right outside town at a RV park right on the San Juan River (I think it’s called Riverview, it’s on the left as you are leaving town on Hwy 160 going toward Wolf Creek Pass) with a nice little pond of their own. Very friendly and helpful people.  I’ve been there before. The other thing I might mention is that just before you get to Wolf Creek Pass there is a turnout on the right that lets you take a nice hike up to the headwaters of the San Juan River.  It’s a nice (uphill) hike and the falls at the top are beautiful.

Thanks yourself.  I am going back through Pagosa this weekend.  They are having a big festival and balloon ascension, and besides it’s on the way to the fleshpots of Durango.  I give Riverview a look.  I went to the falls years ago, and I think I’ll revisit. Now I’ve got to go unload my wallet and get some flyfishing lessons for tomorrow.  Hectic pace out here.  :) Bob

Response:

I didn’t want to explain the cause of my injuries to the attending physician, if Angelfire has such a thing. Hahahaha!  Those flies are deadly…… nothing compared to the skeeters in Bismark, ND though. Did you go to the Vietnam Memorial? Hunter

No, I’ve been before, and this week I just didn’t need the depression it brought on. It’s a good display, though.  There’s another in California with a lot of good sculpture.  It’s off IH5, but right now I can’t look it up, I’m stuck in a phone booth.  Later. Bob

Response:

A few notes of passing interest…. Chama, New Mexico I stayed in the Rio Chama RV Park, a nice piece of cottonwood bottom right along the river, next to a trestle bridge for the Cumbres and Toltec steam excursion train.  The Station is about a half mile west. While watching the horrible news on TV that evening, I heard a couple of loud spaced reports, like shotguns going off nearby.  I thought, "It’s black powder season – but in town?" I went down to the tracks and met one the guys who ride around in golf carts helping people park their houses.  He was walking back from the woods along the track. "Somebody shooting down here?" "Nah.  That was me.  Firecrackers.  Them bears are tryin’ to climb the fence again." It turns out that a sow and 2 cubs had been getting into the garbage cans, and apparently tore up a screen door the day before.  One of the weapons used by the Forest Service to control them is rubber bullets, which are packed with a light powder charge into a 12 gauge shotgun shell.  On request, they pass them out in small numbers to residents. I heard one fellow laughing about his "doofus" neighbor who picked up a few and then realized he only had a 20 gauge to shoot them with. Pagosa Springs, Colorado I have been coming to Pagosa to ski for 20 years.  I always stayed at the Spa Motel, to make use of the hot spring baths, the swimming pool, and the occasional massage.  One of my favorite memories of this place is the year it snowed so much the ticket office at Wolf Creek was buried, and the whole enterprise was shut down for days.  I eventually escaped to Purgatory, pointing my Bronco carefully down the middle of the white space between the humps of the fencing along the buried highway, hoping to stay on the road.  But the night before I left, I spent an interesting hour in the warm swimming pool, watching those big heavy flakes crowd down out of the black sky, plopping into the pool around me.  I’m sure they didn’t really hiss as they hit the water, but that’s the way I remember it. The swimming pool is still ok, but I am sorry to report the indoor soaking pool is not being maintained properly.  This may be just one bad day, so check it out if you come through.  They give out flannel sheets to wrap up in when you are steaming, and you can lay back on benches and drift off till you cool down and go back in.  The water is still 108 degrees, or maybe more, but when I went it hadn’t been cleaned in a while.  There was stuff floating on the surface, and it had an oily feel, and the whole room smelled like some sort of nasty soup or old dish water. The good news is that the place across the street (The Springs) is greatly improved from my last visit.  These are a series of outdoor pools (bathing suit required) in tiers down to the river, going from 110 degrees down to tepid.  If I were just a little bit younger, I’d have to say the babes in string bikinis ain’t so hard to look at, either.  $12 for the day.   I’m talking about the pools. Creede, Colorado I was wandering desolately down the main street, beseeching complete strangers for access to a phone line so I could e-mail you guys, when I saw a large orange tabby limping across the street.  She was collared, tagged, and belled.  Her left rear foot was held up high, and it looked like something red stained the paw.   I ducked into the Kentucky Belle, which is a grocery store, and told the clerk it looked like someone’s cat was hurt. "Big orange cat?" "Yeah." "That’s the town cat.  She don’t belong to anyone special.  She got froze to a bridge." The girl was checking out groceries and talking over her shoulder. She was obviously busy, so I didn’t press her, though now I wish I had.  This was a healthy animal, with an imperious air only slightly spoiled by the her legged gait.  On closer inspection, the red stuff on her paw looked like some kind of medicine. The Town Cat.  I guess if you’re going to get stuck to a bridge, this is the place to do it. Between Mora and Angelfire, New Mexico I’ve noticed the black flies here are bigger and slower than the ones I’m used to in Texas.  And louder.  If you happen to leave your door open during your nap, they’ll make you dream in black and white, of old war movies.  Spitfires and B-29s.  Since I never know when a nap is coming at me, I am apt to do this. I bought a fly swatter at the Wal-Mart in Las Vegas, N.M.  Actually they came packaged in pairs, which I took as an omen.  Never know when you might need back-up. In all fairness, though, I have to say they are a tough, tenacious bunch.  I was particularly impressed with a certain Sampson of their lot.  I decided to skip Taos on the way up.  It’s a good town for walking, but finding a place to park the Behemoth I’m living in just didn’t seem attractive to me this time round.  The traffic is crazy there around the square, and you can’t avoid it. So I took a winding narrow road out of Mora, past Coyote Creek State Park.  When the road opened up a bit approaching Angelfire, I stopped in a turnout, arranged a nice view of the Sangre de Cristos, and made a sandwich.  A few flies got in, so I lay about with the swatter till they granted me a funereal peace. After I got back in the truck and started off down the hill, I noticed through the windshield that one of these smug odious vermin had made himself a perch exactly where the hood ornament would be, if I had one.  I sped up to 30 mph.  He was unconcerned.  40 mph.  He couldn’t care less.  50 mph.  If a fly could yawn, he would.  As I approached 60 mph, I saw him hunker down a little on the slick surface of the paint.  Got you now, sucker. But as luck would have it, a car slowed down in front of me, approaching a curve, and I had to let up.  I didn’t want to explain the cause of my injuries to the attending physician, if Angelfire has such a thing.  As I slowed down to 30 mph, the devil flew away.  But I cannot say blew away.  He left calmly, at a time and place of his own choosing. And that’s it for now. Bob

Response:

Question:

I’d like to find a nice, animated loop of fly-fishing or trout-feeding for a screensaver on Windows.  I don’t want just a succession of fish pictures, or pretty mountain scenes. I once saw a cool cartoon of a guy casting into a river and a fish jumping over his line, but I was told it was made for  DOS machines and couldn’t be used on Windows.   Any suggestions?

Response:

I’d like to find a nice, animated loop of fly-fishing or trout-feeding for a screensaver on Windows.  I don’t want just a succession of fish pictures, or pretty mountain scenes. I once saw a cool cartoon of a guy casting into a river and a fish jumping over his line, but I was told it was made for  DOS machines and couldn’t be used on Windows.   Any suggestions?

No suggestions, but if you find one can you pass the info on?  I would like something like that as well. Warren X#-[

Trout Dwellers Unite! Western Conclave Guru For info: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/sp_ROFF_people/wclave/wclave.html

Response:

The Sierra game, Trophy Rivers has a free download at their site that I enjoy.  I don’t play the game that much but I love the screen saver. http://www.sierra.com/sierrasports/outdoor/trivers/     Frank Reid

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’d like to find a nice, animated loop of fly-fishing or trout-feeding for a screensaver on Windows.  I don’t want just a succession of fish pictures, or pretty mountain scenes. I once saw a cool cartoon of a guy casting into a river and a fish jumping over his line, but I was told it was made for  DOS machines and couldn’t be used on Windows. Any suggestions?

Response:

I’ll post my emergent mayfly SS on alt.binaries.pictures.fishing. — TimW, Halfordian Golfer "A Cash Flow Runs Through It…" "Guilt replaced the creel…" B.M.P.I.A.

Response:

The best is Webshots at www.webshots.com. You can select from many different scenes and best of all it is free. Enjoy — Philippians 2:13, this is our get-go to serve you.      www.asapshirt.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’d like to find a nice, animated loop of fly-fishing or trout-feeding for a screensaver on Windows.  I don’t want just a succession of fish pictures, or pretty mountain scenes. I once saw a cool cartoon of a guy casting into a river and a fish jumping over his line, but I was told it was made for DOS machines and couldn’t be used on Windows. Any suggestions?

Response:

Question:

This group makes me think about where things are going in our sport. I like to pick out trends I see, fantasize about them and follow them to their extreme conclusions.  Below is one of the perverted, but maybe not too far fetched, scenarios I came up with. Jim and Bob arrived at the Neiman Marcus Orvis shop and met up with Rod, their guide for the day.  They were looking forward for a chance to get away from it all and rip some lips on the famous Turquoise river. A short ride took them to the base of the massive dam. While they were waiting for the Ranger directing traffic to give them the OK to launch, Rod started checking out their equipment. It was the latest and still showroom fresh. "I’m going to replace that 20X tippet you have on for some 15X. 20X is good enough for the little 10 or 15 pounders but when we get into some good fish you’ll be glad you have the 15X," He said. "What’s the new, hot fly?" Jim asked. "Rod’s Killer Krill (patent pending)," Rod replied, "Since they engineered the krill to live in fresh water and stocked the reservoir with them, that’s all the hogs will eat. They won’t even open their mouths for any of the insects that fishermen used to imitate. The fly is tied with Natural Scent Dubbing, so it smells and tastes just like krill, as well as looks like it. It’s the only fly you’ll need." The Ranger signaled to them that their turn had come and they quickly launched their boat and proceeded down stream. Rod skillfully maneuvered the craft to maintain the mandated 20′ between them and other boats. After a short drift, they arrived at the first hole and Rod switched to auto pilot to maintain distance and keep their place in line. He then started his instruction, "These fish are something special. By combining DNA from extinct species, they engineered a Super Trout that fights like an Atlantic Salmon, grows huge like a King and has the beauty of a Greenback Trout. They’re sterile, so all they think about is food and with the dam regulated temperatures and flows, all they do is eat all day, everyday." "They line up all across the bottom, gobbling up every krill that passes. All you need to do is cast up stream and with your Indi-glasses you’ll be able to follow the electro-indicator in your fly as it drifts along the bottom.  When your fly disappears, set the hook because it’s been eaten." The guys started casting.  Jim had fished a little when he was a kid and was having some trouble because he kept fighting the rod by trying to cast on his own. Rod said, "Just let the rod and reel do their job, quit fighting them. Throw a short length of line behind you, hold the rod straight up and let its molecular memory do the rest.  The reel will keep feeding out line and when your cast is far enough, drop the rod tip." The advice helped Jim and after his third decent cast, he got the first hook up. Rod cheered him on, praising Jim’s skill while knowing full well that with the 100 lb. test 15X tippet and the "smart" rod, Jim could land a truck. Fishing was great, as usual, and either Jim or Bob had on a fish every 20 or so casts. They made slow, steady progress down stream, filling in the spot vacated by the boat just below them. After releasing another 30 pounder, Rod reminded them, "This is a restricted take, Trophy river. The first fish caught under 4 pounds must be kept and the fishing for that angler stopped for the day." Rod knew that the state only stocked "Super" trout over 4 pounds in the upper river but in "Keeper Hole", just above the take out, they stocked plenty of old fashion stockers. This was a perfect arrangement for the outfitters, their clients could C&R hogs for a couple of hours, then catch their dinner just before take out. Things, as usual, went according to plan. Jim and Bob caught lots of fish that Rod recorded on Stereo Tape before releasing them. Jim and Bob each caught their dinner and Rod got his tip. That evening while eating their trout dinner and drinking their favorite tiny-mini-micro brew, Trout Sweat, Jim turned to Bob and said, "You know, it just doesn’t get any better than this." Willi

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Willi Thats not a fantasy; its a nightmare. But you do have the writer’s touch. How about another scenario;  one where Jim and Bob remember how the fisheries Dr. Frankensteins had been making great progress on the supertrout, and Bob and Jim had even caught a few in the experimental river, but the whole technology had been lost when some crazed old coot from an island somewhere near Seattle had burned their lab to the ground, hunted down every last one of the technologists, but finally succumbed to the authorities screaming something about deconstructing the meniscus. Dave

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Actually, the guys at Macrohard are working on a virtual reality fly fishing kit. You can plug it in any time,any where. Choose the type of fishing you want (small stream, lake, saltwater, etc.), level of difficulty, wind direction/speed, if the fish are easy or hard to land, etc. The game comes with a virtual fly rod that you wave around…if you present the fly well and you tie your virtual fly onto your virtual tippet ok, the virtual fish will take. What a kick. Also, you can choose if you want Cindy Crawford as your guide. If you choose Cindy, she gives you a kiss everytime you land a fish. You get the sensation of the fish fighting through the virtual rod. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Bob E., Rochester, NY

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What is ya? Ignernt?

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Question:

Hi, I live in Manitoba, and am planning a trip to Alaska next summer.  Would like to fly to Vancouver, and rent a motorhome to drive along the coast to Alaska. There are no roads along the coast. It would be nice, but the cost of constructing a coastal route from Vancouver to Alaska would rival or surpass the cost of the Apollo moon program. There are ferries, though. You need to book well in advance. Consider booking NOW.

That’s completely correct – Val, consider booking now.   Only have two weeks holidays.  If anyone has done this or has any info such as where to rent the motorhome, and the best approach to the trip, length of time needed, etc, please post, or email direct to Two weeks is pushing it very, very hard. I went this summer from Vancouver. This is where I live. Keep the distances in mind. Vancouver to Whitehorse in the Yukon is about 2700km (1677miles) using the Alaska Highway route. You take it from there. Essentially, you would spend the majority of your vacation driving.

This is true — it is possible to do the trip in two weeks…but you would be spending an uncomfortable amount of time actually behind the wheel driving. It is possible to do like 400 miles a day though. Its possible that Peter is giving you a more realistic impression than I. after all, it is a vacation! Hans

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Hi, I live in Manitoba, and am planning a trip to Alaska next summer.  Would like to fly to Vancouver, and rent a motorhome to drive along the coast to Alaska.  Only have two weeks holidays.  If anyone has done this or has any info such as where to rent the motorhome, and the best approach to the trip, length of time needed, etc, please post, or email direct to Thanks for the help!

Since you have only two weeks, you might enjoy your vacation more if you flew directly to Alaska and rented the motorhome in Anchorage.  There are tons of rentals available but you should book way early, like 3 to 6 months in advance to assure you of the size and type of unit you would like to rent. If you have never been to Alaska, I would spend 1 week north of Anchorage (i.e. Fairbanks, Denali, etc.) and 1 week south of Anchorage on the Kenai Penninsula (Seward, Kenai, Homer).  Also it is possible that by next summer you may be able to drive to Whittier, which will give you easy road access to Prince William sound.(This project was well on its way this summer when I was there).  Previously Whittier was only accesable by train, however some of the money from the Valdez oil spill is being used to finance this project.  I have made this trip to Alaska every late August/September (I like to fish for Silver’s on the Kenai river and most of those pesky tourists have gone home)for the last 12 years. E-mail me if I can help. Darwin

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Hi, I live in Manitoba, and am planning a trip to Alaska next summer.  Would like to fly to Vancouver, and rent a motorhome to drive along the coast to Alaska.

There are no roads along the coast. It would be nice, but the cost of constructing a coastal route from Vancouver to Alaska would rival or surpass the cost of the Apollo moon program. There are ferries, though. You need to book well in advance. Consider booking NOW.   Only have two weeks holidays.  If anyone has done this or has any info such as where to rent the motorhome, and the best approach to the trip, length of time needed, etc, please post, or email direct to

Two weeks is pushing it very, very hard. I went this summer from Vancouver. This is where I live. Keep the distances in mind. Vancouver to Whitehorse in the Yukon is about 2700km (1677miles) using the Alaska Highway route. You take it from there. Essentially, you would spend the majority of your vacation driving. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

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Hi, I live in Manitoba, and am planning a trip to Alaska next summer.  Would like to fly to Vancouver, and rent a motorhome to drive along the coast to Alaska.  Only have two weeks holidays.  If anyone has done this or has any info such as where to rent the motorhome, and the best approach to the trip, length of time needed, etc, please post, or email direct to Thanks for the help!

Well, Val, the only problem with your plan is that there isn’t a road up the coast to Alaska for you to drive your motorhome on. I’m not being a smart-alex here, its really true- look at a road atlas. Your options are the Alaska Marine Highway system – alittle expensive to put a RV on. You should plan everything early and make your reservation as early as possible – you can board the ferries in Bellingham WA, with limited service to Prince Rupert, B.C. as well. AMHS:  http://www.dot.state.ak.us/external/amhs/home.html The AMHS will passes through all but the really tiny hamlets and fishing villages in the islands of SE Alaska. Beautiful places, but you’ll have to really juggle your reservations in order to get off one ferry and onto another to get around on in an RV – the ferry system schedule isn’t really setup for that kind of thing. To drive to Alaska, the ALCAN highway runs far inland, from Dawson Creek, BC, through Ft Nelson, Ft St John, Watson Lake and Whitehorse, Yukon -the ALCAN Highway ends in Fairbanks, Alaska and from there Denali Park is just a 1/2 days drive. The Alaska Highway is a very nice long drive, and has its times when it passes through some really remarkable scenery. There is a very nice "manual" for the ALCAN: http://www.themilepost.com/ The Mile Post is full of useful information for travellers along the Alaska (ALCAN) Highway. Its nice that your starting your planning process now. Hope you have a great trip! Two weeks should be plenty of time. Hans, Juneau AK

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Hi, I live in Manitoba, and am planning a trip to Alaska next summer.  Would like to fly to Vancouver, and rent a motorhome to drive along the coast to Alaska.  Only have two weeks holidays.  If anyone has done this or has any info such as where to rent the motorhome, and the best approach to the trip, length of time needed, etc, please post, or email direct to Thanks for the help!

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Question:

Hi, I missed the original post, but if it’s tailing loops, Dan is right on – the timings the thing. I would just add that you might also check that ou are indeed throwing the line "up and over". I find that many problems originate when a caster is just whipping the rod, rather than concentrating on putting the fly line up and over the shoulder, this ensures a straight take away, and does a lot to prevent side loops, which most people confuse with tailing loops. Just a thought…. Bill – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Dan, I have to say that your recent series of posts has been one of the most helpful things I have ever seen in this newsgroup. I’m sure a lot of us have learned from it, even those of us who have been fishing for a while (I can still tail the odd loop just fine after twenty years with a fly rod). We might even have to stop bitching about Orivs for a while… (-: Andrew Andrew N. Herd Associate Editor, Waterlog Magazine http://www.demon.co.uk/medlarpress/ writes: If the timing is bad, the line drops well below the plane on the forward cast before you bring it forward and it can hit the line.  Practicing your casting at times other than just when you’re fishing can go a long way to develop the sense of timing needed to correct this.  A practical exercise to allow you to see the cast without swiveling your shoulders (swiveling shoulders causes you to throw hooks in your cast) is to either use a side-arm cast, or angle your body at about 60 degrees to the target so you can move your head to watch the back cast extend without moving your shoulders. Snip                        Hope this helps,                                Dan Dan Gracia Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools

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

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This is one of the best explanations/techniques I have heard for identifying this problem!!!  A couple years ago I was throwing tailing loop after tailing loop.  Since it was the end of the day and I had gotten up at 4:00am I just figured I was tired and decided to call it a day.  Just then (of course) a big brown noisily slurped a hopper and I decided on "just a couple more casts". I promptly threw a tailing loop AND tangled in an overhanging branch.  I snapped off the leader.  When preparing to tie on a new one I noticed a crack in the flyline about 2 or 3" up from the leader.  I trimmed the line, tied on a new leader and proceeded to make several casts that were better than most I had thrown all afternoon.  Now I have a technique for identifying the problem rather than lucking out.  Thanks! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – writes: If anyone can help me I could really use some advice (and I really don’t want to hear anything about my socks not matching my shoes).  I consider myself an intermediate fly caster, but I occassionally will get a closing loop where the leader will actually wrap itself around the loop.  I read in a book that it can be caused by accelerating into the foreward cast too soon and not smoothly accelerating. Does anyone else have some advice? All opinions are appreciated. Hi Dana, Before you start worrying about your casting technique, take a quick look at the junction of the leader to the fly line.  If it is cracked so that it hinges instead of transferring energy smoothly, no amount of casting modification will make it work. Perfectly executed casts with this mechanical problem will throw tailing loops. If you’re not sure whether or not the junction causes a hinge, here’s a simple test: 1.  Hold the fly line in one hand and the leader in the other with the junction in the middle and about 6" of material on each side of it. 2.  Push your hands together until they are about 6" apart.  This should form an upside down "U"  in the line. 3.  Raise one hand while lowering the other.  This will roll the junction over the upside down "U" in the line. 4.  If it rolls over smoothly then your casting technique is the problem. If one side collapses instead of rolling over, then you have a mechanical "hinging" problem.  If you use too fine of a diameter monofilament for the butt section of your leader, that will cause hinging on the leader side – If you use too heavy of a diameter mono for the butt section it will cause the fly line to collapse.  Any crack that is serious enough to cause casting problems becomes immediately apparent with this test.  In any case the answer is to cut off the old junction and replace it with one of the right size.  You will often have to cut off a few inches of the fly line if it’s badly cracked. I’ll address some casting options in another post.                            Hope this helps,                                      Dan Dan Gracia Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools

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Dan, I have to say that your recent series of posts has been one of the most helpful things I have ever seen in this newsgroup. I’m sure a lot of us have learned from it, even those of us who have been fishing for a while (I can still tail the odd loop just fine after twenty years with a fly rod). We might even have to stop bitching about Orivs for a while… (-: Andrew Andrew N. Herd Associate Editor, Waterlog Magazine http://www.demon.co.uk/medlarpress/ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – writes: If the timing is bad, the line drops well below the plane on the forward cast before you bring it forward and it can hit the line.  Practicing your casting at times other than just when you’re fishing can go a long way to develop the sense of timing needed to correct this.  A practical exercise to allow you to see the cast without swiveling your shoulders (swiveling shoulders causes you to throw hooks in your cast) is to either use a side-arm cast, or angle your body at about 60 degrees to the target so you can move your head to watch the back cast extend without moving your shoulders.

Snip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –                        Hope this helps,                                Dan Dan Gracia Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools

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Hi Dana, It sounds like the old trailing loop syndrome.  We all start off with it as a throw back to the spinning rod. Your book is correct. I’ve taught many people how to cast and they all go through this problem.  Most seem to correct the problem once they’ve heard the problem explained in a way that makes sense to them. So I’ll explain it in a different way. Hold your rod out directly straight from you and push down. Notice the Tip of the rod goes up before it goes down with the rest of the rod. When you start a cast the same thing happens. If you apply too much power too soon the rod tip goes down before it goes forward. The line simply follows along going down before it comes up. Sometimes catching itself on the way back up. Any power applied before the tip of the rod reaches the 12:00 position will cause the rod tip to go down before forward. Therefore the majority of power must be applied after the tip of the rod has past the butt. Good Luck — William Endicott – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If anyone can help me I could really use some advice (and I really don’t want to hear anything about my socks not matching my shoes).  I consider myself an intermediate fly caster, but I occassionally will get a closing loop where the leader will actually wrap itself around the loop.  I read in a book that it can be caused by accelerating into the foreward cast too soon and not smoothly accelerating. Does anyone else have some advice? All opinions are appreciated. Thanks, Dana

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Something that improved my casting was to convince myself there was no difference between the back and forward cast.  I started false casting 30′ of line and slowly rotated while keeping the line going in the same direction until I was facing what was my back cast.  When I could rotate 360 degrees under the cast and keep it going smoothly with tight loops and not shock the line or have tailing loops, my attitude toward the mechanics of casting changed and my casting improved. — Ernie Harrison Remove NOSPAM to send E-mail – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If anyone can help me I could really use some advice (and I really don’t want to hear anything about my socks not matching my shoes).  I consider myself an intermediate fly caster, but I occassionally will get a closing loop where the leader will actually wrap itself around the loop.  I read in a book that it can be caused by accelerating into the foreward cast too soon and not smoothly accelerating. Does anyone else have some advice? All opinions are appreciated. Thanks, Dana

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writes: If anyone can help me I could really use some advice (and I really don’t want to hear anything about my socks not matching my shoes).  I consider myself an intermediate fly caster, but I occassionally will get a closing loop where the leader will actually wrap itself around the loop.  I read in a book that it can be caused by accelerating into the foreward cast too soon and not smoothly accelerating. Does anyone else have some advice? All opinions are appreciated.

Hi Dana, Before you start worrying about your casting technique, take a quick look at the junction of the leader to the fly line.  If it is cracked so that it hinges instead of transferring energy smoothly, no amount of casting modification will make it work. Perfectly executed casts with this mechanical problem will throw tailing loops. If you’re not sure whether or not the junction causes a hinge, here’s a simple test: 1.  Hold the fly line in one hand and the leader in the other with the junction in the middle and about 6" of material on each side of it. 2.  Push your hands together until they are about 6" apart.  This should form an upside down "U"  in the line. 3.  Raise one hand while lowering the other.  This will roll the junction over the upside down "U" in the line. 4.  If it rolls over smoothly then your casting technique is the problem.  If one side collapses instead of rolling over, then you have a mechanical "hinging" problem.  If you use too fine of a diameter monofilament for the butt section of your leader, that will cause hinging on the leader side – If you use too heavy of a diameter mono for the butt section it will cause the fly line to collapse.  Any crack that is serious enough to cause casting problems becomes immediately apparent with this test.  In any case the answer is to cut off the old junction and replace it with one of the right size.  You will often have to cut off a few inches of the fly line if it’s badly cracked. I’ll address some casting options in another post.                             Hope this helps,                                       Dan Dan Gracia Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools

Response:

writes: If anyone can help me I could really use some advice (and I really don’t want to hear anything about my socks not matching my shoes).  I consider myself an intermediate fly caster, but I occassionally will get a closing loop where the leader will actually wrap itself around the loop.  I read in a book that it can be caused by accelerating into the foreward cast too soon and not smoothly accelerating. Does anyone else have some advice? All opinions are appreciated.

Besides the mechanical problems addressed in another post, your casting technique can certainly cause this problem. The two most common causes are bad timing, and the afore-mentioned jerky accelleration.  If the timing is bad, the line drops well below the plane on the forward cast before you bring it forward and it can hit the line.  Practicing your casting at times other than just when you’re fishing can go a long way to develop the sense of timing needed to correct this.  A practical exercise to allow you to see the cast without swiveling your shoulders (swiveling shoulders causes you to throw hooks in your cast) is to either use a side-arm cast, or angle your body at about 60 degrees to the target so you can move your head to watch the back cast extend without moving your shoulders.   For the side-arm cast, lay the rod out directly in front of you with the reel pointed in the direction of the target (not pointed down at the ground *very important*).  Use a slicing motion, not a scooping motion to make the cast while keeping your shoulders perfectly still.  You can watch the loop travel in both directions and you can easily see the width of the casting arc you’re using.  By changing the width of this casting arc you can widen or tighten your loops.  *Dont wait for the line to straighten out entirely* before you start your forward cast.  It takes a split second reaction time to initiate the forward cast and if you wait until it straightens out entirely it will fall considerably and bleed off energy before you actually start your forward cast. Reaction time is different for everyone and you have to find out just when is right by trial and error.  For starters pick a spot a foot or two back from the end of the fly line, and when the unrolling loop reaches that point, start your forward cast.  Adjust this distance farther back from the end of the fly line or closer to it as needed.  When you hit it "spot on" the fly will just sort of stop for a split second in mid-air.  That’s perfect.  The good news is that it doesn’t have to be perfect, but the closer you can get to it the more efficient your casting will be. Bad accelleration is a more common problem with tailing loops and it becomes particularly noticeable when making longer casts or when casting in windy conditions.  The tendency is to put a lot more force into the rod and that usually results in jerking it forward.  This sudden jerk causes the rod to load (flex) suddenly and then unload (straighten) slightly because less energy is used to finish the stroke than start it.  This causes the rod tip to travel in a concave or U shape and will always throw a tailing loop.   Extra power can be added to a casting stroke, but it must be at the very end – "Accellerate to a Stop".  If this is the problem, try stopping the rod more suddenly at the end of the stroke instead of hitting it harder at the start. Another option that will result in the same thing is to start the beginning of your cast by pulling on the rod, not jerking it.  With proper accelleration and the right casting arc, your rod tip will travel in a straight line "—-" from start through the flexing and to the finish which will throw a tight efficient loop.                         Hope this helps,                                 Dan Dan Gracia Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools

Response:

If anyone can help me I could really use some advice (and I really don’t want to hear anything about my socks not matching my shoes).  I consider myself an intermediate fly caster, but I occassionally will get a closing loop where the leader will actually wrap itself around the loop.  I read in a book that it can be caused by accelerating into the foreward cast too soon and not smoothly accelerating. Does anyone else have some advice? All opinions are appreciated. Thanks, Dana

Response:

Question:

I would love to learn how to fly fish – my son gave me a fly rod and reel for fathers day 3 years ago.  With it came some line and a leader – someone told me I need some backing.  What is that for?  How do I learn to cast? What about tying flys on my line?  Can you help? Thanks

Hi Barry I think the best way to learn to fly fish is from a friend and joining your local fly fishing club is a good way to find that friend. Call the Federation of Fly Fishers (406-585-7592) and see if there is a club near you. If none are avaiable your local fly shop is a good place to start. An hour or two invested in casting lesson with a professonal can save you years of frustration trying to learn by yourself. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. — Tight Lines ….. Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Catalog,Tips & Tricks, Fishing Reports, & NeverSink at: http://www.btsflyfishing.com

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I would love to learn how to fly fish – my son gave me a fly rod and reel for fathers day 3 years ago.  With it came some line and a leader – someone told me I need some backing.  What is that for?  How do I learn to cast? What about tying flys on my line?  Can you help? Thanks

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Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I would love to learn how to fly fish – my son gave me a fly rod and reel for fathers day 3 years ago.

Was it for Fathers’ Day because it came without documentation; you know, real men don’t read directions anyway. . .  With it came some line and a leader – someone told me I need some backing.  What is that for?

Backing is a small diameter, lightweight woven line that gets attached to the arbor of the spool of your reel, then tied onto your fly line. If you put just the fly line on the spool, you’ll see there’s probably space left over at the outer edges of the spool.  The backing takes up this extra space, but from the bottom.  The backing also serves as extra line in case you catch a really big fish (or a truck) and all your fly line gets taken from the spool.  Thus the phrase: "Man, that fish took me into my backing."  Lacking some sort of booklet giving you the capacity of your reel using different line sizes–oh, didn’t I mention fly line comes in various diameters and lengths?–take the reel and fly line down to your local fly shop, and ask them nicely if they’ll put the backing and fly line on the reel for you.[Image] They’ll be glad to do it, because you’re going to be buying lots of other stuff there, either now or later, but it’s inevitable.  How do I learn to cast? What about tying flys on my line?  Can you help?

I can’t help, but there are several books that can.  While you’re down at your local fly shop (not the fishing dept. at Walmart, please) look over their selection.  I have heard somewhere that flyfishing has the most extensive literature of any blood sport, and I half believe it. After 20 years, still the best book for absolute tyros is "The Curtis Creek Manifesto" by Richard Sheridan.  Don’t let the comic book format put you off.  The book addresses just about every topic for which the beginner has questions.  It’ll hold you for a couple of seasons. And, of course, for the most experts per square byte, don’t forget this newsgroup, ROFF. Good luck, Anglerboy — Trout fear me, Women want me. http://www.midtown.net/~angler/ Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit <HTML <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITEI would love to learn how to fly fish – my son gave me a fly rod and reel <BRfor fathers day 3 years ago.</BLOCKQUOTE Was it for Fathers’ Day because it came without documentation; you know, real men don’t read directions anyway. . . <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE&nbsp;With it came some line and a leader – someone <BRtold me I need some backing.&nbsp; What is that for?</BLOCKQUOTE Backing is a small diameter, lightweight woven line that gets attached to the arbor of the spool of your reel, then tied onto your fly line.&nbsp; If you put just the fly line on the spool, you’ll see there’s probably space left over at the outer edges of the spool.&nbsp; The backing takes up this extra space, but from the bottom.&nbsp; The backing also serves as extra line in case you catch a really big fish (or a truck) and all your fly line gets taken from the spool.&nbsp; Thus the phrase: "Man, that fish took me into my backing."&nbsp; Lacking some sort of booklet giving you the capacity of your reel using different line sizes–oh, didn’t I mention fly line comes in various diameters and lengths?–take the reel and fly line down to your local fly shop, and ask them nicely if they’ll <PThey’ll be glad to do it, because you’re going to be buying lots of other stuff there, either now or later, but it’s inevitable. <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE&nbsp;How do I learn to cast? <BRWhat about tying flys on my line?&nbsp; Can you help?</BLOCKQUOTE I can’t help, but there are several books that can.&nbsp; While you’re down at your local fly shop (not the fishing dept. at Walmart, please) look over their selection.&nbsp; I have heard somewhere that flyfishing has the most extensive literature of any blood sport, and I half believe it.&nbsp; After 20 years, still the best book for absolute tyros is "The Curtis Creek Manifesto" by Richard Sheridan.&nbsp; Don’t let the comic book format put you off.&nbsp; The book addresses just about every topic for which the beginner has questions.&nbsp; It’ll hold you for a couple of seasons. <PAnd, of course, for the most experts per square byte, don’t forget this newsgroup, ROFF. <PGood luck, <BRAnglerboy <P– <BRTrout fear me, <BRWomen want me. <BR<A HREF="http://www.midtown.net/~angler/"http://www.midtown.net/~angler/</A <BR&nbsp;</HTML Content-Type: image/jpeg Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-Disposition: inline; filename="C:tempnsmail8H.jpeg" <encoded_portion_removed FFFABRRRQAUUUUAFFFFABRRRQAUUUUAFFFFABRRRQB//2Q==

Response:

I would love to learn how to fly fish – my son gave me a fly rod and reel for fathers day 3 years ago.  With it came some line and a leader – someone told me I need some backing.  What is that for?

Strong cheap line between the reel core and the expensive fly line (1) so the fly line does not get too curly by being wound up tight, (2) in case you hook such a big fish that he can pull out all the fly line before you play and land him.  How do I learn to cast?

As posted elsewhere, club membership is the single best bet. If locally unavailable, there are excellent books: look in the library for Joe Brooks. There are also videos nowadays, about both casting technique and how to interpret the water. What about tying flys on my line?  

Knots are needed to attach: — fly hook to fine nylon tippet, e.g. turle knot, — tippet to heavier nylon leader, e.g. blood knot, — leader to fly line  ) both use the — fly line to backing ) needle or nail knot — backing to reel. Nylon (leader material) requires special knots because it is so slippery. Good guidebooks show in pictures how to tie them. — |  Donald Phillipson, 4180 Boundary Road, Carlsbad Springs,  | |        Ontario, Canada, K0A 1K0, tel. 613 822 0734         |

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Question:

        There are five spring ponds on one of Alberta’s largest ranches which have just been opened to flyfishing. The ranch is bordered by the Belly and Waterton Rivers in the southwest of the province, not far from the Montana border.         The scenery is beautiful and so are the trout. Rainbows of over 20" are not uncommon and they cruise the ponds feeding on prolific mayfly, caddis and midge hatches.         If you like to stalk large trout, this is for your.         A friend, Matt Sparrow, is the keeper and he may be contacted by telephoning 403-626-3050. The cost is C$50 per day (for now) and food and lodging may be arranged at the comfortable bunkhouse. Guiding and local flies are also available.

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   There are five spring ponds on one of Alberta’s largest ranches which have just been opened to flyfishing. The ranch is bordered by the Belly and Waterton Rivers in the southwest of the province, not far from the Montana border.

So are those "poor ranchers" not making end meet on cows,that they have to jump into FF ?    The scenery is beautiful and so are the trout. Rainbows of over 20" are not uncommon and they cruise the ponds feeding on prolific mayfly, caddis and midge hatches.

I hope that all those Rainbows get whirling disease,just to take away any  possible profit out from all those  who want make    If you like to stalk large trout, this is for your.    A friend, Matt Sparrow, is the keeper and he may be contacted by telephoning 403-626-3050. The cost is C$50 per day (for now) and food and lodging may be arranged at the comfortable bunkhouse. Guiding and local flies are also available.

If your friend is trying turn this country into Europe or UK with "pay and fish" attitude maybe you should tell him about * Fishing License".How many times do you have to pay for a privilege to fish ?? How many greedy bastards do we have to feed?? Don’t support anybody who is trying to charge you for "just fishing" or you will find yourself in situation :"one day fishing $ 50.00 ,100.00 ,400.00 who knows where the end is *and you may keep the fish too* if you put "XY"amount of $ down. Please anybody from UK,or rest of Europe who can put more light into this ?Thank you. Have nice day Karel K.

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Question:

: If you come up with ideas on how to get your girlfriend to take up : flyfishing for steelhead, drop me a line,…Bill Uyeki If I can make it so she doesn’t have to get up early … walk too far … have someplace warm to sit in the sun while fishing … and generally allow for napping time … I’m set … doesn’t sound condusive to steelhead …  ;-) KStJ

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I spent last weekend on the Mad River trying my luck with the Steelhead run … does anyone have suggestions for someplace closer to S.F.  I’d appreciate a day trip location instead of a weekend trip … and my girl-friend would probably a it also.  ;-) KStJ

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I spent last weekend on the Mad River trying my luck with the Steelhead run … does anyone have suggestions for someplace closer to S.F.  I’d appreciate a day trip location instead of a weekend trip … and my girl-friend would probably a it also.  ;-)

The Gualala (sp?) is 3 hours from SF.  It’s a much smaller river than the Mad, but I’ve seens tons of fish and good water color there 2 days after a rain.  With these smaller coastal rivers, timing is even more critical. The Russian is even closer, but I’ve heard in recent years the number of steelhead returning to the hatchery on Dry Creek is barely over 600.  By comparison, consider that when things are really rockin’, the Mad River Hatchery will get 250+ steelhead a week, and they have to take some back down to the river, because they can’t handle any more! If you come up with ideas on how to get your girlfriend to take up flyfishing for steelhead, drop me a line,…Bill Uyeki

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