Question:

Yo. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

But why not deal with personal conflicts by e-mail so that Roffians who hate this stuff are not forced to read (and tempted to join in).

I’ve dipped in & out of this group a few times over the past 3 years or so, and have made and heard made the same comments as yours several times. Each time (as it will likely do now) the response will confirm that the majority of the people who actually POST in this group ENJOY it being a place where playground games are played. I think it’s just a combination of the topic not having as much objective discussion potential (there’s an argument right there), and that the outspoken people are, uh, outspoken. There’s another group called alt.flyfishing that I think was started to get away from this, but it is pretty pathetic when you have to giev up an entire newsgroup because the majority of posters (remember they do post!) want to talk about something else. And there’s me pontificating off-topic too. — Jeff Cook http://www.cookstudios.com Video, Audio, Print & the Web Washington DC & London

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Being one of those who read a number of discussions on ROFF in the past few months – without participating myself – I have a few remarks that might shine some light on this issue. The majority of ROFF post is limited to relatively few people, let’s say some fifty "regulats". Plus an additional number of posters who take part only occasionally. Most Roffians are American, some are Canadian or British, only quite a few are European or from other parts of the world. To Europeans like myself  - who master the English language well enough to comprehend the interesting discussions on FF – the discussions on other subjects than FF are irrelevant, often annoying and sometimes impossible to understand because they require a thorough and detailed insight in the American way of life, which most of us have not.Though there are contributors who have interesting and valuable information both for newbies and skilled fly fishermen it’s too bad that ROFF is so often abused with crap.(I must admit, however, that it can be amazing to observe how easily Americans cross swords and how they fight their verbal wars!) But why not deal with personal conflicts by e-mail so that Roffians who hate this stuff are not forced to read (and tempted to join in). Well, my overall impression of ROFF is definitively a positive one – though I am well aware of the fact that many fly fishermen prefer to keep out of the heat, pick up the information they can use and leave it to that. If certain sunscribers would participate in a more diciplined manner and focus on what should bring us together – FF being our core business for that matter – ROFF may offer an even more suitable forum in the exchange of FF know how, discussion on FF issues and establishing contacts between individual Roffians. I’m stepping in – still eager to learn – addicted to FF (among other things) as long as I’m going strong!

Thank you Henk.  It’s always good to read a well reasoned message in this asylum.  I cannot speak for the group (well, o.k., I often DO, but they don’t like it), but I really do appreciate your insights……despite disagreeing with some of the particulars.      :) It is an accident of history that the majority of participants here are American and that the common language used is English.  There isn’t much that anyone can do about this.  However, as the vast majority of Americans are monolingual, it seems to me that you have us at something of a disadvantage in that you can harangue us, without comprehension on our part (let alone fear of retribution), in whatever your native language may be.  Not only will this allow you to have your say, and without contributing to what many see as unproductive flame wars but, if experience is any teacher, many of us will be stunned into a bemused silence. I grew up in a European household, albeit a transplanted one.  I have also studied a bit of history.  It is thus with complete confidence that I say I don’t believe contentiousness to be a peculiarly American trait.  If I read the books aright, various European, Africans, South Americans, Asians, and our friends in the antipodes have all crossed swords from time to time, both intramurally and internationally.  As appealing as the metaphor is though, it should be noted that what goes on here is, in fact, a bit less dramatic, not to mention downright traumatic, than outright warfare.  In truth, it is no different than what can be observed to this day in the marketplaces and other public fora of Istanbul, Seattle, Paris, Sao Paolo, Canberra, Beijing, and a thousand other places.  Moreover, as divisive as it all must seem, it is VERY important to remember that what has gone on here for years, and what continues to go on now, has had quite the opposite effect of what one might imagine. Even as I write these words plans are underway for several gatherings to take place in the near future.  These events will be attended by dozen of people who have already met and enjoyed one another’s company as a direct result of participation in this forum, and dozens more who have not yet had the pleasure but will undoubtedly, if the past is any guide, come away with pleasant memories and a strong desire to do it again.  To be sure, most of these claves have occurred on American soil and been attended mostly be Americans.  But this is to be expected given the demographics.  On the other hand, the first "official" European ROFFian clave is shortly to take place.  I’m sure we ALL hope that this sets a precedent which will bear fruit in the years to come.  Even more, I am also sure that virtually all of the regular participants here harbor some hope of attending such an event and meeting their European and other international friends; for, make no mistake about it, true friendships have been built here and continue to be, whatever the dots on the screen may suggest to the contrary. It is my sincere hope that I will be among the lucky ones to greet guests from another country at one of our gatherings here some day, AND be greeted in turn at one of theirs. Wolfgang

Response:

…….And there’s me pontificating off-topic too.

Well, if ya GOTTA be ironic, ya might as well do it self-consciously!   Wolfgang thanks for stopping in!

Response:

Being one of those who read a number of discussions on ROFF in the past few months – without participating myself – I have a few remarks that might shine some light on this issue. ROFF post is limited to a small number of people, let’s say some fifty "regulars". Plus an additional number of posters who take part only occasionally. Most of them are American, some are British, only quite a few are European or from other parts of the world. To Europeans like myself – who master the English language well enough to comprehend the interesting discussions on fly-fishing topics – the discussions on other subjects than FFare not only very irrelevant and annoying but more often than not impossible to understand because they require a thorough and detailed insight in the American way of life, which we have not. Though there are a number of contributors who have interesting and valuable information both for newbies and skilled fly-fishermen it’s a pity that this forum is so often abused. (I must admit, however, that, from a more or less scientific point of view, it is interesting to observe how easily Americans cross swords and how they fight their verbal wars!) But why not deal with personal conflicts by e-mail so that Roffians who are not interested are not forced to read (and tempted to join in)! Well, my overall impression is definitely a positive one. If certain subscribers would participate in a more disciplined manner and focus on what should bring us together – flyfishing being our core business for that matter – ROFF may offer an even more suitable forum in the exchange of FFknow-how, the discussion on FF issues and the establishing of contacts between individual Roffians. I’m stepping in – still eager to learn – addicted to flyfishing (among other things) as long as I’m going strong! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any estimates. I personally know of only 3 South Africans. Just wondering’s’all. More or less impossible to tell.  The numbers also fluctuate considerably. I once heard an estimate that for every poster there may be up to ten lurkers. I have no idea if this is true. On some bulletin boards they have software to check how many people have visited etc, and on at least two I visit, the above estimate proved to be too low. Sometimes five or six people had posted, and over a hundred had read the messages without responding. It would probably be extremely difficult to do anything like this on ROFF, as newsgroups are propagated by various servers all over the globe. Finding out how many people visit the group on these servers, and collating such information, would be more or less impossible I fear. And it would subject to at least some inaccurate reporting, as well. I don’t know how many folks have multiple server access, but at least some do (I have several), and so, although I only use the one, my client checks them all and therefore, it would "ring up" several "lurkers" as having checked ROFF when, in fact, it was a regular poster’s client simply doing its job. TC, R TL MC

Response:

Any estimates. I personally know of only 3 South Africans. Just wondering’s’all. Ari Ari & Gaelle Bert                                   +27 (0) 83 232 9903 & +27 (0) 83 236 5308 +27 (0) 11 443 9984 / +27 (0) 11 882 8537 (fax)                 www.troutfishing.co.za www.africanfishing.com Physical Address: 72 Swemmer Rd, Sunningdale, 2192 Postal Address: P.O.Box 79067, Senderwood, 2145, South Africa

Response:

Any estimates. I personally know of only 3 South Africans. Just wondering’s’all.

There are 5.  Most of us are really Wolfgang’s sock puppets.

Response:

There are 5.  Most of us are really Wolfgang’s sock puppets.

And its damned uncomfortable, too. Kevin Or am I?

Response:

Any estimates. I personally know of only 3 South Africans. Just wondering’s’all. There are 5.  Most of us are really Wolfgang’s sock puppets.

Now it’s all clear! How can he keep all those balls in the air? — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

Any estimates. I personally know of only 3 South Africans. Just wondering’s’all.

More or less impossible to tell.  The numbers also fluctuate considerably. I once heard an estimate that for every poster there may be up to ten lurkers. I have no idea if this is true. On some bulletin boards they have software to check how many people have visited etc, and on at least two I visit, the above estimate proved to be too low. Sometimes five or six people had posted, and over a hundred had read the messages without responding. It would probably be extremely difficult to do anything like this on ROFF, as newsgroups are propagated by various servers all over the globe. Finding out how many people visit the group on these servers, and collating such information, would be more or less impossible I fear. There are obviously a large number of lurkers and visitors though. I have received large amounts of e-mail from people who never post here, asking for advice etc, and mentioning something they saw on ROFF. Many do not want to post to a newsgroup, for whatever reason, but they seem happy enough to read them. TL MC

Response:

There are 5.  Most of us are really Wolfgang’s sock puppets.

And its damned uncomfortable, too.<   Not to mention the smell.   Harry he only uses "dirty sock" puppets.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any estimates. I personally know of only 3 South Africans. Just wondering’s’all. More or less impossible to tell.  The numbers also fluctuate considerably. I once heard an estimate that for every poster there may be up to ten lurkers. I have no idea if this is true. On some bulletin boards they have software to check how many people have visited etc, and on at least two I visit, the above estimate proved to be too low. Sometimes five or six people had posted, and over a hundred had read the messages without responding. It would probably be extremely difficult to do anything like this on ROFF, as newsgroups are propagated by various servers all over the globe. Finding out how many people visit the group on these servers, and collating such information, would be more or less impossible I fear.

And it would subject to at least some inaccurate reporting, as well. I don’t know how many folks have multiple server access, but at least some do (I have several), and so, although I only use the one, my client checks them all and therefore, it would "ring up" several "lurkers" as having checked ROFF when, in fact, it was a regular poster’s client simply doing its job. TC, R – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -TL MC

Response:

Being one of those who read a number of discussions on ROFF in the past few months – without participating myself – I have a few remarks that might shine some light on this issue. The majority of ROFF post is limited to relatively few people, let’s say some fifty "regulats". Plus an additional number of posters who take part only occasionally. Most Roffians are American, some are Canadian or British, only quite a few are European or from other parts of the world. To Europeans like myself  - who master the English language well enough to comprehend the interesting discussions on FF – the discussions on other subjects than FF are irrelevant, often annoying and sometimes impossible to understand because they require a thorough and detailed insight in the American way of life, which most of us have not.Though there are contributors who have interesting and valuable information both for newbies and skilled fly fishermen it’s too bad that ROFF is so often abused with crap.(I must admit, however, that it can be amazing to observe how easily Americans cross swords and how they fight their verbal wars!) But why not deal with personal conflicts by e-mail so that Roffians who hate this stuff are not forced to read (and tempted to join in). Well, my overall impression of ROFF is definitively a positive one – though I am well aware of the fact that many fly fishermen prefer to keep out of the heat, pick up the information they can use and leave it to that. If certain sunscribers would participate in a more diciplined manner and focus on what should bring us together – FF being our core business for that matter – ROFF may offer an even more suitable forum in the exchange of FF know how, discussion on FF issues and establishing contacts between individual Roffians. I’m stepping in – still eager to learn – addicted to FF (among other things) as long as I’m going strong!

Response:

Question:

With a crossbow. Clark

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any one can cast a dead cat, it’s the live cat that takes real application!!!! Speaking of which, what is the best way to attach the hook and weight a cat? Warren "get a dog and kill a non-barn cat" Findley <g

Response:

With a crossbow.

So do you tie the tippet on around the bolt by the fletching, then pull the bolt through and then tie on the hook or what? Inquiring minds want to know dammit! <g — Warren Findley Remove (nospamZZ) to respond via email http://www.geocities.com/troutbum_mt/

Response:

Yes tippet to the bolt and fired so the barbed bolt buries deep enough to ensure a solid connection. If a hook is reverse mounted and tied to the bolt it should be left protruding  enough to ensure hookups. Another tip… good floatant for cats is Mherke’s Manx. Clark

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – With a crossbow. So do you tie the tippet on around the bolt by the fletching, then pull the bolt through and then tie on the hook or what? Inquiring minds want to know dammit! <g — Warren Findley Remove (nospamZZ) to respond via email http://www.geocities.com/troutbum_mt/

Response:

(Salmo gairdneri) The steelhead

Steelhead and rainbows have been reclassified as Onchorynchus mykiss since they are related to pacific salmon and not atlantic salmon. Ocean prowling fish follow food to depths ranging in the hundreds of feet.  This is known to be true in all our deep land locked and Great Lakes.  Color becomes a primary concern to fly tiers and most everyone does not know that the color "Yellow" changes the deeper it goes under water.

Color can matter greatly.  Trolling on the Great Lakes at deptsh of 60 to 100 feet, one week the hot color might be Monkey Puke and the next week it’s a Kevorkian. Mu

Response:

Color can matter greatly.  Trolling on the Great Lakes at deptsh of 60 to 100 feet, one week the hot color might be Monkey Puke and the next week it’s a Kevorkian.

Hmm…I can’t find those colors on my Borger chart… /daytripper (Any shot for #27?)

Response:

Splork!  Trip, you get the bill for cleaning the spewed Dr. Pepper out of my keyboard.     — Frank Reid Reverse email to reply.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Color can matter greatly.  Trolling on the Great Lakes at deptsh of 60 to 100 feet, one week the hot color might be Monkey Puke and the next week it’s a Kevorkian. Hmm…I can’t find those colors on my Borger chart… /daytripper (Any shot for #27?)

Response:

George: Thanks for the info about streamers. I think most of us have not spent as much time as we should learning to tie and fish streamers properly. WhenIi went to the FFF Show in Livingston last month one of the classes in tying that I took was one taught by Scott Sanchez. Among the flies he taught us to tie was the Double Bunny. For those who are not aware, this is the fly that won the One Fly Contest three times and they considered banning it from the contest simply because it worked so well. This fly uses a large hook, a bunch of .035 lead wire and two magnum sized rabbit strips glued together. If you tie it big enough, you need AT LEAST an 8 weight rod to cast it and a 10 weight rod is even better. Casting this streamer is no damn fun, since it feels like you are casting a dead cat, but it sure catches big fish. Our local striper lake is turning over now, so the striper fishing has gone away for a while below the damn, but I am getting a box full of Double Bunny flies ready for when this fishing returns. I may have to break out the big rod and a few of these streamers next month when I will be fishing the White River in Arkansas. I feel a need to work some of these streamers in some holes in that river. Big Dale

Response:

Any one can cast a dead cat, it’s the live cat that takes real application!!!!

Speaking of which, what is the best way to attach the hook and weight a cat? Warren "get a dog and kill a non-barn cat" Findley <g

Response:

Any one can cast a dead cat, it’s the live cat that takes real application!!!! Clark

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – George: Thanks for the info about streamers. I think most of us have not spent as much time as we should learning to tie and fish streamers properly. WhenIi went to the FFF Show in Livingston last month one of the classes in tying that I took was one taught by Scott Sanchez. Among the flies he taught us to tie was the Double Bunny. For those who are not aware, this is the fly that won the One Fly Contest three times and they considered banning it from the contest simply because it worked so well. This fly uses a large hook, a bunch of .035 lead wire and two magnum sized rabbit strips glued together. If you tie it big enough, you need AT LEAST an 8 weight rod to cast it and a 10 weight rod is even better. Casting this streamer is no damn fun, since it feels like you are casting a dead cat, but it sure catches big fish. Our local striper lake is turning over now, so the striper fishing has gone away for a while below the damn, but I am getting a box full of Double Bunny flies ready for when this fishing returns. I may have to break out the big rod and a few of these streamers next month when I will be fishing the White River in Arkansas. I feel a need to work some of these streamers in some holes in that river. Big Dale

Response:

GEORGE GEHRKE Snake River – Hell’s Canyon                     September 5, 2001, 12:00 AM Asotin, WA 99402 PH: 509-243-4100 FAX: 509-243-4644  The old adage, "If you want to catch big fish you should use big bait," has a proven history of working.  When it comes to streamers and their use, I can’t begin to tell all the stories involving the deadly use of them. Streamers are intended to perform two major things when fishing under water.  To entice as in offering an attractor and two, to duplicate something.  In the latter case, streamers are intended to duplicate minnows and small fish. There is a third presentation and that is the combining of the two of an attractor that is also a minnow.  The first streamer that comes to mind is the "Mickey Finn" because it is an attractor but also comes across as a small trout such as the rainbow, brown, or even the cutthroat.  Many large fish take streamers with great power because they sometimes only get a glimpse of it shooting by. I never go anywhere without a couple of these babies somewhere in my vest. Specifically, today I took Gladys out to "Ernie’s Restaurant" which is a Gulf Side place in South Panama City.  It sits among the docks and your view is that of beautiful boats moored dock side.  In between is the kind of clean water that has prowling Snook and other various predators. As we sat snacking on our entrees of crab-cakes and mushrooms laced with a large Jack Daniels Black and seven, I noticed the slick, mirrored water about a hundred yards up, between to docks starting to vibrate which is "nervous water" which really are minnows being corralled.  I said, "Gladys, look!  See that nervous water?  You’re about to see a very nice fish come leaping or swirling right there. Like us, the feed is on."  I no sooner say this and by golly, a very large Snook came out of the water with a mouthful of minnows while two others only slash and soon the water goes calm.  A minute later, the nervous water moves twenty yards toward the docks and under one of them.  The chase continues for over a half hour. Perhaps they were small mullet?  If one knew what they were and if they had a streamer that matched that nervous water, it would be a winner.  There is nothing more thrilling then catching a Snook that pushes twenty pounds or more.  Often these babies around docks are ten to fifteen pounders and on a fly rod one couldn’t ask for more. Well, saltwater fly fishing with streamers isn’t the only place you can catch big fish.  Fresh water streamers are the things one uses most often to set World Records with.  Del Canty of old is a prime example of a master streamer fly fisherman.  He once came to the American Sportsman’s Club in Denver Colorado with a 12 pound Rainbow he caught with a size 4 Muddler Minnow just above the Wigwam Club.  He used a sinking line and twitched that Muddler across the bottom of a deep pool and he was there at day break.  Catching big fish with streamers seems to work best at night, early morning and late evenings. When ocean running salmon and steelhead, both being anadromous fish, give the fly fisherman a great advantage because they come back to their birth rivers with memories.  Yes, conditioned memories, for they know what they’ve been chasing and feeding on a thousand miles away. IF, we as fly fishermen can "Match the Memory" with the proper streamers, you’ve hit a home run. Here, is a unique problem that presents itself.  As with the Mickey Finn, one is able to duplicate minnow type and attractive thoughts such as sparkle of the Minnie scales that explode and drift and shine during feeding attacks into schools of minnows.  We can duplicate the carnage in the red we use in our streamers for the blood, and you’re able to tie the baby smolt of other fish, the sardines, darters, any number of things that live in between you and their ocean homes. (Salmo gairdneri) The steelhead, will return to the ocean three and even four or more times but not much over that.  The salmon return and often propagate only once and then die.  Their flesh turns back into nutrients and returns to the sea.  Birds, animals, all that is in contact with a salmon river benefit directly and indirectly.  But the steelhead is a creature that can provide a fly fisherman with an endless amount of useful information.  For instance. Ocean prowling fish follow food to depths ranging in the hundreds of feet.  This is known to be true in all our deep land locked and Great Lakes.  Color becomes a primary concern to fly tiers and most everyone does not know that the color "Yellow" changes the deeper it goes under water. It doesn’t take much depth to affect yellow as the ultraviolet rays separate from normal white light when it enters the water.  Yellow becomes various shades of green.  If Steelhead or any other fish that is atune to a shade of green on an offering being offered deep, a green at the beginning will be the wrong green down deep, whereas one may want to consider starting with a shade of yellow for it to become the right shade of green upon arrival.  This is why I have some Green Butted Skunks tied with yellow butts instead of green, just in case. It works! What we don’t know about fly tying and streamers is infinitely greater then what we know, which means, we really don’t know all that much yet.  Streamers and tying them and then fishing them, even in these modern times is of less interest to the general fly fishing public then they were in the past.  I’m from the old streamer school of fly fishermen.  I’m one of those old fogies that did more (and still do) more streamer fly fishing then dry fly fishing.  In fact, I do three times more nymph fishing then I do dries.  To my mind, trout and most fish do 9/10ths of their feeding under water, not taking things off the top only 1/10th of the time.  Somehow, I think following the real action makes more sense.  True, dry fly fishing is the nicest thing to do since sex.  Who can argue with that.  Thank goodness fly fishing lasts longer. I don’t know what the real percentage is regarding how much food trout get under water but I’m confident it’s over 7/10ths of the time. Trout don’t like coming to the surface because it’s dangerous!  If the food supply and calorie content makes it worth it, sure they’re going to rise to the fly but it is still dangerous.  This is one of the main reasons STREAMERS make trout feel right at home.  They are used to chasing things and they like chasing my streamers. That, sort of makes me smile a lot. Out of a half dozen favorite flies I’d pick the Muddler Minnow and Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear as my first two choices.  The Muddler is so ugly it’s pretty.  Dave Whitlock has tied various styles of them and anyone who researches that aspect of his signature regarding Muddler Minnows will not be wasting their time. One should seine for the Muddler Minnows in their rivers for this could be an eye opener because they are often larger, darker, more big headed and uglier then you imagine.  Large trout don’t chase too many Muddlers because they are a well camouflaged fish and they hug the bottom in order to stay alive.  By offering a Muddler Minnow Streamer that comes off the bottom will get many fishes attention.  Many times when Steelhead fishing, you can track one of these in a convincing wake because you’re able to trim the chin in such a manner so it will plane properly.  Talk about a champion offering, this often will save the day. I often abandon streamers during the heat of the day not unless I can get into broken water where large fish are sulking under their window of safety.  Even then, the current is much too fast and you will often get only the eager, strong eighteen inch browns and bows.  It is NIGHT TIME where big fish come out to chase little fish up to about twelve to fourteen inches.  This is why one need not fear feeling ridiculous by offering a streamer monstrosity whenever it suits their fancy.  You know those big #2 4X hooks you have in storage slowly rusting away from lack of  use?  Well, those are the babies that those meat eating ten to twenty pound browns will chase willingly.  The darker the night, the better.  Never, never, never under estimate the seeing powers of trout’s eyes.  If you catch a big hog brown, do your future fishing a favor. Fillet it and send it to T-Bone for his Barbie. The attractive powers of streamers and night fishing is one of those unsung aspects of fly fishing that usually appeals to those who are willing to try anything new and who are not afraid of things that go thump in the night!  I knew of a day time worker that slept at night. He often fly fished at night and he always seemed to be catching the really big fish. Think about Bates and Steamers and Bodacious Browns.  You just might get hooked. Tying Streamers is really a LOT OF FUN!  Hooking up using them, even more!

Response:

Question:

BTW, just in case the OP fly fishes for trout but just assumed there aren’t any there, there are actually rainbow trout in the mountains in Kauai, at least when I was there about 8 years ago. Regards, Jeff

Response:

We’re going to Hawaii, first to Kauai, then to Mauai.  Interested in doing some inshore saltwater fly fishing.  Any charters that specialize in that on either of the islands?

Despite the nay-sayers you can find saltwater charters in Hawaii who provide fly fishing.  We’ve fly fished Kona with Capt. Gene Vander Hoek ("Sea Genie II"), trying bait and switch for spearfish and small blue marlin.  Gene’s charters have set 26 world records, mostly for light tackle and he fly fishes himself in Costa Rica, Panama and Mexico.  And Del Dykes in Kona also knows fly fishing, per Trey Combs books.  Can’t help you with Kauai or Maui (which are not as noted for fishing as Kona) but there are likely guys out there.  Try a good search engine like www.google.com … good luck. Bill

Response:

Fuck up the best line I had in decades!

The line didn’t allow itself to be fucked up<g. — Charlie…

Response:

*Book’em* not *Bookem’,* dammit!

I wasn’t commenting on the punctuation but the punch line (otherwise I would have mentioned the extra comma<g). — Charlie…

Response:

I caught it when I read your post! 41 years of *cool* down the drain!!  Shit, I’m so stupid.  I hate myself. Fuckin’ idiot.  First out of the startin’ blocks, and what do I do?  Fuck up the best line I had in decades! Opie  –That’s Mr. Dipshit to you buddy!–

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – *Book’em* not *Bookem’,* dammit! I wasn’t commenting on the punctuation but the punch line (otherwise I would have mentioned the extra comma<g). — Charlie…

Response:

We’re going to Hawaii, first to Kauai, then to Mauai.  Interested in doing some inshore saltwater fly fishing.  Any charters that specialize in that on either of the islands? Thanks, MB

Response:

We’re going to Hawaii, first to Kauai, then to Mauai.  Interested in doing some inshore saltwater fly fishing.  Any charters that specialize in that on either of the islands? Thanks, MB

Forget it. Hawaii is not the place for flyfishing. Enjoy its other attractions. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

Bookem’, a guide, Dano! Opie  –That’s Mr. Opus McDopus to you buddy!–

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – We’re going to Hawaii, first to Kauai, then to Mauai.  Interested in doing some inshore saltwater fly fishing.  Any charters that specialize in that on either of the islands? Thanks, MB

Response:

Bookem’, a guide, Dano!

Awesome<g! — Charlie…

Response:

*Book’em* not *Bookem’,* dammit! Opie  –That’s Mr. Opus McDopus to you buddy!–

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Bookem’, a guide, Dano! Awesome<g! — Charlie…

Response:

Question:

I got hooked on it this summer and I recommend that you check out www.kayakfishing.com  Spike is really knowledgeable and I know that you will find what advice you need there.  I got a Malibu 2 (Ocean Kayak) and love it all the way.  i have boated some very large fish from this thing and am now really confident that the sit-on-tops are the way to go. Fish-on I spent quite a bit of time fishing from a canoe, but think I’d like to try a kayak, particularly for carrying in relatively short distances to lakes without boat ramps.  I think I’d prefer an open cockpit, or sit-on type.  Someone suggested I look into the "Pungo".  Does anyone have any experience with the Pungo, or ideas about other types I should be considering?  Thanks much. chuck

– MZ

Response:

I saw someone fly fishing from a kayak this past weekend.  It was quite the site!  I think they were in a Perception Carolina? My Old Town Heron has a large cockpit area but its heavy (50lbs or so) so its not easy to carry long distances.  You ought to look at Dagger’s Atlantis, its a large cockpit and its a pretty light boat. — http://www.ncseakayak.com North Carolina’s Headquarters for Sea Kayakers! Before you buy.

Response:

Ifly fish about 4 days a week, from my kayak’s mostly. I’ve migrated to dagger’s delta & bayou models. Their stable & stealth I can park them anywhere with low profile they get little wind drift. I use a 2 ft. hand paddle to position boat  from place to place as i fish. my wife claims I’ve become obsesed,I think i’ve finialy discovered the ultimate fly fishing vehicle.  good luck& enjoy

Response:

I spent quite a bit of time fishing from a canoe, but think I’d like to try a kayak, particularly for carrying in relatively short distances to lakes without boat ramps.  I think I’d prefer an open cockpit, or sit-on type.  Someone suggested I look into the "Pungo".  Does anyone have any experience with the Pungo, or ideas about other types I should be considering?  Thanks much. chuck

Response:

I spent quite a bit of time fishing from a canoe, but think I’d like to try a kayak, particularly for carrying in relatively short distances to lakes without boat ramps.  I think I’d prefer an open cockpit, or sit-on type.  Someone suggested I look into the "Pungo".  Does anyone have any experience with the Pungo, or ideas about other types I should be considering?  Thanks much.

The Pungo seems to be a big seller in the Atlanta area, but I like my Ride (also by Wilderness Systems). The Ride is a sit-on-top as opposed to an open cockpit, and if keeping your butt dry is important it’s probably not for you<g. The Ride is also probably more awkward to carry than the Pungo, I got a set of wheels that slip on the back of a kayak or canoe to use on mine. — Charlie…

Response:

Chuck, I use to fish from a small boat I owned and sometimes from canoes I rented. I sold the boat and didn’t fish for many years. This past summer I decided to fish again and thought to buy a canoe but ended up buying a kayak. I’ll share the details – maybe it will be of help in some way. – canoes were more expensive than I thought and the   idea of using a kayak came to mind. I had no idea what kayaks cost – thought they might be cheaper. I had never heard of anyone fishing from a kayak but thought maybe it would work. – I wanted something small enough to store in my garage.  I did some research online. I was surprised at how long and how expensive some kayaks are. I identified the major companies and the smaller, less expensive models. I narrowed my search to about 3 kayaks. Only one of them had a distributer close by (20 miles away). They had a website and I got the basic info from that. I called and made arrangements to come look at the model of interest – an Old Town – Otter – they had to bring it in from their warehouse several miles away. They had a ‘Loon’ – a more expensive and longer model in stock that was nice but I bought the Otter for just over $300. – the otter is 9′ 6" long and fits just perfect on top of my car, it has a large open cockpit easy to enter/exit, it is not built to ‘roll’ – which having never ridden in a kayak I didn’t know how to do, and I’m not sure ‘rolling’ and fishing go together anyway! It fits nicely in my garage. It weighs 39 pounds – about as light as I could find- and is easy to carry. – I knew nothing about tracking, speed, compounds etc when I bought it but I think all that turned out ok with what I got and the casual fishing I’m doing. – I didn’t know if there would be enough room to fish comfortably from a kayak but it turned out there is – for me. All my ‘gear’ goes in my small backpack – the other items are a paddle and a ‘life jacket’ and one fishing rod. I have a bow line and a stern line tied to the kayak – they are used to tie the kayak to the car. When I launch – I tie the bow line to my paddle and the stern line to my pack – in case I ever flip. I rest my legs on the pack – it’s right in front of me with easy access to my lures etc. I’ve learned to rest the paddle across the kayak when not in use and to ‘fish around it’. I’ve never had a problem  landing a fish because the paddle got in the way. – I don’t know if other styles of kayaks such as those you ’sit on top’ would work better or not – I’ve never tried one. I have made trips of up to 3-4 hrs without getting out of the kayak – I can shift my seating position a little and that helps- but you can’t move around much. -kayak fishing isn’t for everyone, but I like it. I’m small (5′ 8"), a good swimmer (also scuba certified), very comfortable in and around the water, comfortable in confined spaces (use to do some cave exploring). I like being low on the water while I fish – and the way I’m able to move the kayak into places larger craft don’t go – in and around the bank / stumps etc – and it’s so peaceful and quiet – I can come up on fish very quietly – some even swim over to check me out. I think I enjoyed my past canoe trips because it ‘put me close to nature’ – and with the kayak I feel even closer. – the places I fish have boat ramps, but once I went where there was no ramp. I had to carry the kayak down a hill about 50 feet. It was not a problem – but it did take more effort than I thought it would. I wouldn’t want to carry it a hundred yards! – as for negatives, the kayak tips over relatively easy – (that hasn’t been a problem for me), it’s sensitive to the wind – this can be a challenge while trying to fish – sometimes I can take advantage by drifting, depending on shoreline location or even doing some trolling. – I’ll be happy to share other info or answer questions. -larry

Response:

You should look into the Old Towne Loon series.  They have a large open cockpit and are very stable. Bill Bernhardt

Response:

Does anyone have any experience with the Pungo, or ideas about other types I should be considering?

The Pungo would be a great choice – stable, roomy, relatively fast for its size, not too heavy to cart around.

Response:

Here are two sites to try: http://www.waldenkayak.com/models.html ( scroll down to the Walden Scout ) and http://www.otccanoe.com/loon138.html check out the Old Town Loon 138

Response:

Hey Chuck, I do alot of fishing from a sit on top out here in the Pacific ocean. I have an ocean kayak scupper classic. This is a popular boat out here for fishing from. It is about 14 feet long, fairly stable, and has two big hatches so you can store gear inside the kayak. It doesn’t roll, you will fall off before you roll it…but the best thing that I have found is to sit sideways, with your feet in the water when fishing. This makes the boat very stable, I have never even come close to feeling like I was going to tip, when sitting sideways. Its also really comfortable that way. Necky also makes some nice models for fishing and so does Perception. Our company makes some wheels which use the drain holes on many sit on tops as mounting points,(that way the cart can’t slip off the back of the kayak when going over curbs, rocks, roots, etc.) they collapse so you can fit them inside the hatches on the kayak. This is really handy, because once you get to the water, you just disassemble the wheels and take them with you instead of having to take them back to the car. You can make some pole holders out of pvc pipe, or mount some of the holders available at tackle stores to the deck of the kayak, which is really handy. We put sonar on our kayaks too, once you outfit the kayak you have a great fishing machine…This might be more info than you asked for, but what can I say, Im enthusiastic about the sport. Good luck E Scary Sports http://www.scarysports.com

Response:

I spent quite a bit of time fishing from a canoe, but think I’d like to try a kayak, particularly for carrying in relatively short distances to lakes without boat ramps.  I think I’d prefer an open cockpit, or sit-on type. Someone suggested I look into the "Pungo".  Does anyone have any experience with the Pungo, or ideas about other types I should be considering?  Thanks much. chuck

Chuck, look at this site before you do anything: http://www.kayakfishing.com/ Also, make sure you look at all the different boats that might suit your purpose (lake, river, or ocean fishing). In recent years, there have been many innovations, especially in plastic sitontop boats, so give them a try before settling for a more "traditional" solution. For example, Ocean Kayaks, Perception, and Cobra all have models that come with decks molded to accept small coolers, SCUBA tanks, dry bags, caught fish, etc., that are instantly accessible from the seat. Some have hatches that open into compartments that can be used as live bait or fish wells, and can even be equipped with areators. These kayaks can also be outfitted with small anchors or sea drogues to help with drifting, clips to hold spare paddles and rods, rod holders, etc. Perception sells "outback" models of a couple of its boats that are fully geared up for the "outdoorsman," with many of the options I mentioned above. Have fun! Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

Get the Pungo.  It’s a GREAT fishing kayak!! Courtney Rapid Adventures

Response:

I spent quite a bit of time fishing from a canoe, but think I’d like to try a kayak,

The Perception Axess comes in two styles, one style is specificly designed and outfitted for fishing. The boat is a "closed" cockpit type but can easily be paddled without a skirt on flat water and the front of the cockpit area is equipped with little tackle trays and such goodies. It is a very stable boat and a lot of thought went into the bow hull design to reduce the "slapping" of the water that spooks fish. The fishing version of this boat comes in subdued colors, and as far as I know, it is the only boat of its kind anywhere at any price. The whitewater variant is a full-on creek boat and the only real differences are in color, cockpit design and outfitting. The fishing axess has a pretty cool rod holder built in as well. Its a nice nice boat, and yes, I have paddled it. take care have fun go fishing :wq Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

Question:

Okay gang, what would be on your ideal fly fishing web site?  And what sites come close to your ideal? Jeff

Thosands of people should reveal their honey holes, and no one should be able to access the site but me. — Those who say do not know; those who know do not say. — Lao Tsu, who must have been a fisherman. something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

Okay gang, what would be on your ideal fly fishing web site?  And what sites come close to your ideal? Jeff

Response:

Okay gang, what would be on your ideal fly fishing web site?  

Tech stuff: 1. Smart technology design, made to maximize usability on different client configurations. No Frames, No Java, No Java script, No Banners, No animated gifs, No excessive graphics, No risky and non fail-gracefully code, No excessive tables, No overdoing lay-out with html – settle for structure. 2. Universal non-plattform specific readability in terms of fonts and colors. 3. Keep it simple! 99 of a hundred trying to be fancy end up looking like complete and utter imbeciles. Let your content speak for it self, don’t fuck it up with bad design decisions. 4. Do not split long pages into several small ones (common sense applies, though). 5. Make it fast and effortless for visitors to figure out the structure of your website, latest updates and contents (search-engine, what’s new-overview, site map). Do not make your site look cool for the uninterested drooling 7-year old who will visit your site once or twice. Make it functional for your frequent visitors. Read this: http://photo.net/wtr/thebook/ And check out http://www.w3.org/ as well. That is the easy part, now the hard stuff. Content guidelines: 1. Only do stuff you or your staff is knowledgeable on. 2. Do things well and complete, or don’t do them at all. You get no extra points for putting it on the web. The Internet is 20 years old and maturing every minute (ROFF excepted of course . Sucky things aren’t cool any longer just because they are on the web, they just suck. 3. Allow feedback and publicly available comments on everything (interactive). Share what you know, and let others share what they know related to your site. 4. Update regularly. Don’t suddenly take a 6 month absence without notice. Be committed, and stay that way. Content: Firstly, take a look at the major search engines, and see what sites are out there. A million or two. Find anything missing? Or a concept that could be substantially improved upon by you? 1. I couldn’t give a rat’s ass about another site set out to help newbies figure the most basic things. There are plenty of those already (I assume). 2. Neither do I pursue sites which focuses on technical fly fishing stuff, like hatches, insects, knots, rods, technique etc. Of course, an extensive site of this would be interesting, and definitively worthy of a bookmark, and be used as a reference. If the site is somewhat less then really really really great (which will require insane amounts of work), it’s not interesting to me at all. Remember, hundreds of books has been written on these subjects by very knowledgeable people. Be better, or be gone. 3. I want personal stuff. I like pictures and I enjoy stories. I want someone who is adept at writing to share his thoughts and experiences with me. I may be a weirdo, but I tremendously enjoy reading other people’s stories from fly fishing outings/trips. I want to know how they feel, what they are thinking, what happens etc, almost like a diary. Be willing to share. You can probably tell me very little about fly fishing, but you can probably tell me very much about yourself as a fly fisherman. Write a book about it, and put the chapters on your website. Offer intelligent and lengthy stuff. Screw those who gets a headache from reading more than a few minutes straight. Write it so good, that non-fly fishers will enjoy it as well. 4. Be humble, and expect nothing in return. 5. Write in Norwegian, so I can fully enjoy the subtle linguistic concept. (ok, this one is rather optional) That’s how the ideal fly fishing web site is to me. Quite easy, actually. Make one, and I’ll visit regularly, if I like your style. — Christian Figenschou – <URL: http://figen.com

Response:

Question:

Try the white mountains near Apache country. When are you going? Buddy of mine hit the white and black river at around 8000 feet or so in mid March, and streams were high from runoff. These rivers have the fabled apache trout, which appears to resemble a brown trout after a slipped disk operation. Nice looking fish. High water in March skunked our trip, but beautiful country, and i hope to go back. Alex Pacek – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – what are the best spots in az for a flyfishing/backpacking trip?  and not the grand canyon.  thanks

Response:

what are the best spots in az for a flyfishing/backpacking trip?  and not the grand canyon.  thanks

Response:

Question:

It was interesting to see the view that a small rod was best for small streams went unchallenged.  Most of my regular fly fishing is carried out on brooks that an athlete could jump over.  I own rods as short as 7 foot but rarely fish with any rod shorter than 8 foot 6 inches.  In fact prefer a 9 foot rod.  The extra length has been vital many times to push fish away from the near bank and all the tree roots and other hazards.  Casting is easier with the longer rod especially if it is important to keep back from the water’s edge.  Some times a full cast can be avoided with the longer rod by catapulting the fly from the fingers after bending the rod back like a ballista by pulling the line.  Of course it is possible to manage with a short rod but I don’t think it is actually better to fish with. richard

Response:

It was interesting to see the view that a small rod was best for small streams went unchallenged.  Most of my regular fly fishing is carried out

I think the main thing is to have a rod "soft" enough to handle short lines.  This is more important than length of the rod.  I have a very soft 7 and 8 foot, and both work on very small streams, while a stiff Lommis 8 foot rod is useless (in a confined area). Just my .02 worth. PMH

Response:

Question:

The show is advertised for January 19, 20, & 21, at the Royal Plaza Trade Center in Marlborough, MA  doors open at 9:00 on Saturday. I’ve been advised to get there early, it gets crowded. Rob

Response:

<snip Yes indeed – have only missed one (while recovering from surgical reconstruction of my hauling arm =8^O) ‘Course it helps that Marlborough is about 12 minutes from me ;^) For $9 ($8 if you got their mailing) you get to completely forget the freakin’ winter (and this winter it’d be worth more than $9 for that for us Far Easterners, eh?!) visit a bazillion booths filled with all sorts of FF stuff or places to go during the season, see plenty of tying and casting demonstrations, and spend a sh*tload of money (or not) on materials and equipment. Seems like a great deal to me – it’s a lot cheaper than taking your SO to the movies ;^)

I doubt it (remember your comment before…) Cheers! /dave (planning on going Friday)

See you there on friday! (Looking for a new Swift-river-rod?)                Thomas                                          /                       Harvard University                                                / Institute for Molecular and Cellular Biology                     / 16 Divinity Ave.                                                / Cambridge, MA 02138                                            / Tel: (USA) 617 495 3716                                       / Fax:  (USA)  617 495 9300                                 O  /                                                           |_/o                                                         / | – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< < Digital Equipment Corp.    Alpha Server Engineering  < <         "Read this and nobody gets hurt ;^)"         < <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Response:

Am thinking of going to the National Fly Fishing Show down in Massachusetts as a cure for cabin fever, is it worth the nine bucks and the three hour drive? Am most interested in picking up some tying materials. Anyone gone before?

Response:

I went to it a couple of years a go when it was in Boston. This was its first year, it was OK don’t know if its gotten any better or bigger. I saw that there is another show in March in Wilmongton, MA, World Fly Fishing Expo. Saw the ad in the Feb. ‘96 of FF mag. Looks like we’re in for a late fishing season this year!! Check out Battenkill conditions at <AHREF="http://www.sover.net/~batenkil"BattenKill Valley Traders</A The Brookside Angler will be posting local river conditions during the fishing season. Glenn Lemke Manchester

Response:

I went last year.  Tons of stuff and tons of people.  Some of the tables can be repetitive after a while, but there are a lot of unique dealers there as well.  It is worth the $9 but be prepared to get elbowed a few times trying to see what you want. D.P.

Response:

What is the date of this show? Thanks ahead of time. Curtis Quist

Response:

Am thinking of going to the National Fly Fishing Show down in Massachusetts as a cure for cabin fever, is it worth the nine bucks and the three hour drive? Am most interested in picking up some tying materials. Anyone gone before?

Yes indeed – have only missed one (while recovering from surgical reconstruction of my hauling arm =8^O) ‘Course it helps that Marlborough is about 12 minutes from me ;^) For $9 ($8 if you got their mailing) you get to completely forget the freakin’ winter (and this winter it’d be worth more than $9 for that for us Far Easterners, eh?!) visit a bazillion booths filled with all sorts of FF stuff or places to go during the season, see plenty of tying and casting demonstrations, and spend a sh*tload of money (or not) on materials and equipment. Seems like a great deal to me – it’s a lot cheaper than taking your SO to the movies ;^) Cheers! /dave (planning on going Friday) <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< < Digital Equipment Corp.    Alpha Server Engineering  < <         "Read this and nobody gets hurt ;^)"         < <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Response:

Question:

A couple of years ago a group of us fished Boca Grande and we used a variety of guides.  By far the best one was Chris Klingel – I still have his card and the number is (813) 964-2165.  Last year I saw him on one of the flyfishing shows as the guide so he’s probably well sought after. Enjoy, it’s great fishing. David  

Response:

Question:

I have to take an enforced trip to Madeira in January.  It’s been described to me as a holiday. Is it worth taking a rod? — Steve

Response:

:I have to take an enforced trip to Madeira in January.  It’s been : described to  me as a holiday. : Is it worth taking a rod? : — : Steve No, Steve, this is terrible news. Drag your tired body down there. Never mind the gorgeous weather – you’ll survive. And the fishing – oh dear – but it’s not worth your time. It’s ALWAYS worth taking a rod. D.F.

Response: