Question:

Well done.  Wish I knew Bob so the picture would be absolutely crystal clear, but I get the idea.  Great pictures, Wolfie. Dave

Response:

And therein lies both the beauty and the curse of the lowly Power Bar. These little miracles can be recycled indefinitely with no noticeable loss of flavor or change in texture.

That’s because they suck to begin with. Give me an 8 oz bag of King’s peppered beef jerky and a few bags of M&Ms.

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…..and hoisted our packs once again.  Check the crew.  Jeff’s wearing a glazed, almost beatific, smile…..endorphins or sumpthin…..he’ll get over it, and Bob just looks cramped and mean.  Right.  Everybody’s ready.  And up the trail we go. Half an hour later, our first real break.  Jeffie, the merciless bastard, agrees to a ten minute stop at a campground known, for reasons which by now are of absolutely no interest to me, as "the sawdust pile".  As he goes to look at the stream, Bob swigs from a plastic bladder filled with a mysterious brownish fluid, and I search the suspension system of my backpack in the probably vain hope of finding a scapula which I noticed, some time ago, was not in it’s accustomed position in the left dorsal proximal (or maybe it was the distal…….how DOES one tell them apart?) quadrant of my torso, a young couple approaches from downstream. He goes off to admire the stream….or make one of his own, and she stops to chat.  They are on a seven mile hike and the turn around is at "the sawdust pile", so we have come three and a half miles.  As we rest, several of the elderly day hikers from one of the pontoon boats we passed on the lake straggle in……well, actually, a  couple of them blaze by in a swirling cloud of dust and are only barely stopped by the frantic shouts of their friends or they might be in central Labrador by now. It is at this campground that we first notice the bear proof food hangers.  At each of the campgrounds the park service has installed one or more of these.  A steel cable is stretched between two trees some twenty to thirty feet apart.  Suspended from this cable are several more which are formed into continuous loops, each of which runs through a pulley at the top.  There is a pair of hooks on each of the loops, and a series of plastics sleeves held in place with nuts and bolts. The sleeves act as handholds, making it easier to haul up the hooked load of food.  Each cable also has a sturdy halyard clip which is placed such that it just reaches a screw eye about waist high in the trunk of the tree with the load suspended aloft.  Simple, elegant, cheap, and very effective. There will be one more rest stop before arrival at what will become our home for two nights and a day.  This time, I open my pack and take out something to eat.  Even Jeff is willing to stop for twenty minutes or so, but he is driven and Bob, who wears a look that says, "well, I’d probably like to sit down and die here with you, but I think I’ll take my chances with Jeff this time, nevertheless," accompanies him, leaving me to my fate.  "Ya’ll go on ahead," sez I, "I’ll catch up". I dawdle for a bit, enjoying the surroundings and the weather.  It is October and the leaves are beautiful.  A trout stream rushes by within easy reach and I know that I am within a mile of camp on a trail with an average grade of 2 or 3 percent……a trail which should more properly be called a highway….hell, a veritable Autobahn of hiking trails. This is the sort of trail that backpackers dream about after a hard day of climbing steep ascents over rolling cobbles and through calf deep mud.  So, I sit for a while and sip water and smoke a cigarette.  The day hikers have been left behind and I have a lovely spot all to myself.  Just me and the trees….and the stream….and the rocks….and the bea….um….well shit, maybe it IS time to get moving again. There is no sign of Jeff or Bob for the next half hour.  I am just about to cross another bridge when I happen to look to the right and catch a glimpse of movement.  Uh oh…….oh, it’s the boys.  It appears we have arrived at last.  Nice campground.  Not quite as barren looking as the others we had passed, and there is a more or less level spot on a tiny spit that over looks the confluence of Hazel and whatever the little feeder that comes out of Bone valley is called.  Not all THAT little actually.  This is a major tributary for a stream the size of Hazel, carrying about half as much water.   We set up camp quickly.  Two tents are erected in about fifteen minutes, a clothes line is strung, and three suddenly rejuvenated fly fishers are suited up and ready to rock in another ten or so.  Jeff dives in right at the camp site, Bob goes up the tributary, and I walk down a few hundred yards to fish my way back up. Hazel creek is different water than most that I have fished in the North Carolina mountains.  Where Santeetlah and the others plunge and roar in a frenzy of moving water, Hazel merely rushes in exuberance.  The is bigger water….not BIG, mind you, but bigger.  There are actual pools, trenches, runs, and even some sizable eddies where the others have pockets.  There are deep holes holding mysteries.  There are places too deep and or fast to wade through; you have to go around.  An hour or so of fishing produces a few small fish, and that’s enough.  I arrive back at the campsite and see Bob working his way up the tributary.  We spend the next hour and a half exploring a couple hundred yards of this promising water.  The promise is not fulfilled in any spectacular fashion, but we know the fish are there, as they are in Hazel itself, as they HAVE to be in water that looks like this.  We have been ASSURED that they are there by witnesses like Jeff and Wayno, but we believe it anyway. Back in camp, we eventually prepare the first of what will be a series of dismal meals.  Having flown half way across the country, I came without any food and we survived on what Bob had left over from previous trips and a few odds and ends we picked up in Robbinsville.  Not that my bringing anything from home would have made any real difference.  I’ve always been fairly indifferent to comestible niceties while on the trail….just too much bother, but I hope I never live to see another "Power Bar", and I believe the others share this sentiment.  Damned things look like they’ve been eaten once already, and neither the flavor nor the consistency does anything to dispel that disturbing impression      Two other campers who arrived while we were out fishing rattle pots and pans (cast iron pans!) as they enjoy what smells like bacon and beans….THEY came in on horses, trailing a pack mule…..bastards!     We kindle a fire using the wood which the previous tenants have thoughtfully left for us.  It’s a bit of a chore, as the wood is wet….looks and feels like it’s been rained on for a few days.  But it is mostly surface moisture and among the three of us we manage to keep a cheery blaze going till late into the night, as we each enjoy his own brand of poison and tell lies.  Long about 7:30 Jeff bags it and the rest of the party is not far behind. Morning comes early as Jeffie has not slept a wink…..something about cougars and bears cavorting around his tent all night long.  After a hasty breakfast of coffee, liquor, power bar wrappers, and crawly things, it was back to the stream for a full day of fishing.  Bob elected to stay in the general neighborhood of camp while Jeff and I decided to head upstream a couple of miles.  Jeff was eager to see virgin water….the section that had been closed to fishing for the past 25 years, despite having been informed that it wasn’t really all that virginal.  Seems the locals have been raping it pretty steadily throughout that time…..what’s new?  Virgin or not, a mile or so was enough for me and I ducked into the stream as Jeff continued up the trail.  In all, I fished two miles or a bit more that day.  For the first hour or two I worked the water carefully and caught fish steadily at the rate of one every three or four minutes.  By the end of that time it was clear that it was just going to be one of those days.  One of those infrequent days when it simply doesn’t matter much what you do. Wishing to see more of the stream and thinking that I might eventually overtake Jeff, I began to move much more quickly and only fished what seemed to me the most appealing spots.  I’d like to think that twenty years of experience and hard practice have prepared me to be able to pick the best spots to fish, but the truth is it was just one of those days.  The catching pace remained constant throughout the day.  I ended up with something like sixty or seventy, based on calculating the time fished and the steady catch rate.  The largest were three ten inch rainbows, all unusually fat.  The rest ranged from three through eight inches or thereabouts with a fairly even distrubtion…..about normal for most of the waters I’ve fished in NC or back home in Wisconsin and Michigan, for that matter.  Surprisingly, all were rainbows and browns, with the rainbows predominating.  Not a brookie in the bunch. By late afternoon, having gotten bored with catching fish, bouncing around on wet rocks and taking a couple of bone jarring falls, and knowing that I had about a three mile hike back to camp, I decided it was time to see if I could locate the trail which task, after caroming off several nasty and impenetrable rhodo thickets, I eventually accomplished. Took about forty-five minutes of fast paced downhill hiking to make it back.  Arriving back at camp, I found Jeff in the stream there.  He had given up some time ago, gone back down the trail and then hiked up to bone valley where he found the meadow we had been told of completely overgrown with trees.  Things change.  He then came back to the campground where he caught a fat ten inch rainbow (it seems they suddenly put on a great deal of weight on reaching that threshold size) just before I arrived.  Although neither Jeff nor Bob had as good a day of catching as I did, we were all agreed that it had been a glorious day.  The sun shined all day long and the temperature must have reached about sixty.  Where a sunbeam managed to penetrate the canopy and hit a relatively still spot in the stream the bottom shone with a breathtaking clarity.  The water, it seemed, was even clearer than the

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Response:

Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Jon Cook writes: : So, our esteemed ROFFian Ken Fortenberry left for the New Mexico ‘clave : yesterday morning.  Want to guess what the weather is like in that section : of the country today?   d;0) Hah! at weather.com for Farmington, NM, they list:  Today, showers, high 48, low 30 That is sooo eerily funny! The rest is:  Saturday, partly cloudy, 50/28  Sunday, snow, 44/24  Monday, partly cloudy, 38/24 The upside is with clouds come hatches! JonCook. —

It was predictable, Jon.  It is the Forty Curse.  I’ll guarantee he is smiling all day today, and not because he’s fishing. See you on Sunday. Dave

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In the who goes swimming first pool, I’ll pick Louie on the 2nd day.

And I’ll take the sure bet of Louie on Day 1. /daytripper

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In the who goes swimming first pool, I’ll pick Louie on the 2nd day. Paul Dave and all the other SJ clavers, May your traveling be safe, your fishing fine, and your upper half remain dry. Darin

Hell, I got Louie on the first three hours.  I’ve seen that boy wade and it ain’t pretty. If Tripper was there, I’d pick him for "first off the dock." doing the full gainer with a one-and-a-half twist with a fish on, that he has made famous. Peter Visit The Streamer Page at http://members.home.net/pcharles/streamers/index.html

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Daytrtipper: In the who goes swimming first pool, I’ll pick Louie on the 2nd day. And I’ll take the sure bet of Louie on Day 1. /daytripper

I am bringing my wading walker with me – it folds up and the airline said ok. I *can’t* fall with that.  d;0) D.

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Fort’s curse reversed: he got my ol’ Whiskerface for a room mate.  And I got to visit my mother all day.  I can’t believe y’all guys are worried about the weather.  Northern mountainous New Mexico in mid-December?  Nah – y’all are tough guys, right? Remember a bad day fishing is better than a good day working. Bob’s (fisher)wife in El Paso. "It doesn’t do to leave a dragon out of your calculations if you live near one." Bilbo Baggins.

It was predictable, Jon.  It is the Forty Curse.  I’ll guarantee he is smiling all day today, and not because he’s fishing.  See you on Sunday.  Dave

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As long as there are no uphill *speed-bumps* on the trail to the water, Tripper would do just fine. — Opie  **Panhandling for a better tomorrow!**

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If Tripper was there, I’d pick him for "first off the dock." doing the full gainer with a one-and-a-half twist with a fish on, that he has made famous. Peter

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If’n we can just get Frank Reid to show up, these other stumblebums don’t have a chance, my money is on Fabulous Frank!!  ;-) Frank (living on the memories of the Rapp Clave) Church – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – In the who goes swimming first pool, I’ll pick Louie on the 2nd day. Paul Dave and all the other SJ clavers, May your traveling be safe, your fishing fine, and your upper half remain dry. Darin Hell, I got Louie on the first three hours.  I’ve seen that boy wade and it ain’t pretty. If Tripper was there, I’d pick him for "first off the dock." doing the full gainer with a one-and-a-half twist with a fish on, that he has made famous. Peter Visit The Streamer Page at

http://members.home.net/pcharles/streamers/index.html – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

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Naw, I saw Tripper doing a deep water two-step with a recalcitrant wading staff and he didn’t go down. He’s as sure footed as a millipede. However, he is liable to break something. Once every two years whether he needs to or not. (ankle, collar bone, back, face, back again, neck, knee) Did I leave anything out? Paul

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – In the who goes swimming first pool, I’ll pick Louie on the 2nd day. Paul Dave and all the other SJ clavers, May your traveling be safe, your fishing fine, and your upper half remain dry. Darin Hell, I got Louie on the first three hours.  I’ve seen that boy wade and it ain’t pretty. If Tripper was there, I’d pick him for "first off the dock." doing the full gainer with a one-and-a-half twist with a fish on, that he has made famous. Peter Visit The Streamer Page at

http://members.home.net/pcharles/streamers/index.html – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

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Yeah, the knee is a disappointment – it was one of the last two things that still worked… And to my Canadian friend: sadly, that was only a half-twist. Lost degree of difficulty points, but scored high by not losing the salmon… /daytripper (*Anyone* can catch a fish standing still – where’s the challenge in that? ;^) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Naw, I saw Tripper doing a deep water two-step with a recalcitrant wading staff and he didn’t go down. He’s as sure footed as a millipede. However, he is liable to break something. Once every two years whether he needs to or not. (ankle, collar bone, back, face, back again, neck, knee) Did I leave anything out? Paul In the who goes swimming first pool, I’ll pick Louie on the 2nd day. Paul Dave and all the other SJ clavers, May your traveling be safe, your fishing fine, and your upper half remain dry. Darin Hell, I got Louie on the first three hours.  I’ve seen that boy wade and it ain’t pretty. If Tripper was there, I’d pick him for "first off the dock." doing the full gainer with a one-and-a-half twist with a fish on, that he has made famous. Peter Visit The Streamer Page at http://members.home.net/pcharles/streamers/index.html

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Full contact Fly fishing. Now that’s a sport.

May well be happening down in the land of enchantment even as we speak (so to speak) if the promises made here in the last month or so carry any weight.     Wolfgang never a satellite receiver around when you need one

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In the who goes swimming first pool,… I’ll take Fortenberry and 2 hours on day 2 for a dozen flys!!

WE HAVE A WINNER ! Dan’l and I went to Float ‘n Fish after lunch on Day 2. Much to my everlasting shame and embarrassment, I purchased a strike indicator. Oh, the flyfishing gods were PISSED ! I took a swim at the top of Audie’s Run just minutes after tying on the friggin’ bobber. I thanked the flyfishing gods for lettin’ me off easy, and used nothing but dry flies for the rest of the trip. Somebody owes Mr. Hart a dozen flies. — Ken Fortenberry

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Dan’l and I went to Float ‘n Fish after lunch on Day 2. Much to my everlasting shame and embarrassment, I purchased a strike indicator.

You PURCHASED a strike indicator!? Do you buy, like, ONE? Bruiser’s strike indicators, made of macrame rope (I swear I’ve seen it used for soft rope halters) are the BEST. They’re easy to install, they float like a bloated corpse (with one application of floatant), and they move with the faintest strike. They saved my cookies on the last day. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

Full contact Fly fishing. Now that’s a sport. "can I get a ruling on this? You take a drop two rod lengths from the moose."

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yeah, the knee is a disappointment – it was one of the last two things that still worked… And to my Canadian friend: sadly, that was only a half-twist. Lost degree of difficulty points, but scored high by not losing the salmon… /daytripper (*Anyone* can catch a fish standing still – where’s the challenge in that? ;^) Naw, I saw Tripper doing a deep water two-step with a recalcitrant wading staff and he didn’t go down. He’s as sure footed as a millipede. However, he is liable to break something. Once every two years whether he needs to or not. (ankle, collar bone, back, face, back again, neck, knee) Did I leave anything out? Paul In the who goes swimming first pool, I’ll pick Louie on the 2nd day. Paul Dave and all the other SJ clavers, May your traveling be safe, your fishing fine, and your upper half remain dry. Darin Hell, I got Louie on the first three hours.  I’ve seen that boy wade and it ain’t pretty. If Tripper was there, I’d pick him for "first off the dock." doing the full gainer with a one-and-a-half twist with a fish on, that he has made famous. Peter Visit The Streamer Page at http://members.home.net/pcharles/streamers/index.html

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So, our esteemed ROFFian Ken Fortenberry left for the New Mexico ‘clave yesterday morning.  Want to guess what the weather is like in that section of the country today?   d;0)

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Dave and all the other SJ clavers, May your traveling be safe, your fishing fine, and your upper half remain dry. Darin

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and your upper half remain dry.

Is that like wishing them leaky waders? <g — Charlie…

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In the who goes swimming first pool, I’ll pick Louie on the 2nd day. Paul

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Dave and all the other SJ clavers, May your traveling be safe, your fishing fine, and your upper half remain dry. Darin

Response:

So, our esteemed ROFFian Ken Fortenberry left for the New Mexico ‘clave yesterday morning.  Want to guess what the weather is like in that section of the country today?   d;0)

Do us all a favor Dave, and pack some splints, bandages, iodine, sutures, and a couple of big boxes to ship a pair of busted up old ROFFians home in.       Wolfgang fretting over who is to act as referee

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Hah! You obviously have never witnessed the spectacle that I bring to the art of wading. Danl leaving for the SJ, somehow I’ve got more stuff for a 4 day trip than I did for 3 weeks in Montana… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – In the who goes swimming first pool, I’ll pick Louie on the 2nd day. Paul Dave and all the other SJ clavers, May your traveling be safe, your fishing fine, and your upper half remain dry. Darin

Response:

In the who goes swimming first pool, I’ll pick Louie on the 2nd day. Paul

I’ll take Fortenberry and 2 hours on day 2 for a dozen flys!! — Wayne To fish is human….To release Divine! Before you buy.

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and your upper half remain dry. Is that like wishing them leaky waders? <g — Charlie…

Or pissing their pants. Ernie

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Actually, here’s the safest bet of all: Forty’s already arguing with his guide about indicator usage. It will be cold like crazy.  Dan’l if it’s not too late to ask, when do you arrive?  I’m picking up rw at 7 or so and we’re heading to the river from the airport.  We’ll arrive about midnight and start fishing at 2 or so (g). Also, i guess bob jones is already there and blackcat’s on his way. bruce h — bare your soul let your spirit burn out along the road to no return – r.e. keen Before you buy.

Response:

Wolfgang: Do us all a favor Dave, and pack some splints, bandages, iodine, sutures, and a couple of big boxes to ship a pair of busted up old ROFFians home in.

Dave, who will try to see things are copesetic at all times…

Response:

Question:

These trout can be very selective though, if they are rising to "Benson and Hedges", "Camels" may be useless, and indeed on occasion only a "John Player Special" will do the trick,  reduced strength cigarettes have also been found wanting. Apparently the material used in the filter makes them float too low in the surface film, and even trout are not stupid enough to believe that soggy cigarette butts  are emerging aquatics. Untipped cigarettes may often prove effective, although they tend to disintegrate rapidly.  If you want a real lunker, then try throwing Havana stubs attached to a very long leader off a suitable bridge. TL MC — "In order to know what is possible one must constantly attempt the impossible" http://www.mikeconnor.de – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Trout guts are fun. Not to be Ted Nugent about it, or anything, but

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You guys have missed it altogether.  This fish are addicted!.  They obviously can’t smoke underwater so they do the next best thing and inhale the butts.  Imagine the high a lttle trout gets from the average sized butt?  I really doing think somebody should be suing a tobacco company about this.  After all, these fish could get really sick and if you eat them, you’re getting second hand smoke (or is that third?) Can anybody say, "Class action?" Peter

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A few years ago, in April (it snowed that day) I caught a 3.5 lb Blagdon trout that a spherical glstening ball in its stomach.  On unwrapping it I could just discern some gold and the words ‘can damage your health’.  So it would seem. Gordon – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – These trout can be very selective though, if they are rising to "Benson and Hedges", "Camels" may be useless, and indeed on occasion only a "John Player Special" will do the trick,  reduced strength cigarettes have also been found wanting. Apparently the material used in the filter makes them float too low in the surface film, and even trout are not stupid enough to believe that soggy cigarette butts  are emerging aquatics. Untipped cigarettes may often prove effective, although they tend to disintegrate rapidly.  If you want a real lunker, then try throwing Havana stubs attached to a very long leader off a suitable bridge. TL MC — "In order to know what is possible one must constantly attempt the impossible" http://www.mikeconnor.de Trout guts are fun. Not to be Ted Nugent about it, or anything, but

Response:

You guys have missed it altogether.  This fish are addicted!.  They obviously can’t smoke underwater so they do the next best thing and inhale the butts.  Imagine the high a lttle trout gets from the average sized butt?  I really doing think somebody should be suing a tobacco company about this.  After all, these fish could get really sick and if you eat them, you’re getting second hand smoke (or is that third?) Can anybody say, "Class action?"

One of the more amusing urban legends I’ve heard lately was an explanation of why so many deer get run over on the highway. After eating cigarette butts that people fling from their car windows, they become addicted to the nicotine, and hang out along the highways looking for more; sooner or later, they get hit by a car. — Rusty Hook Laramie, Wyo Before you buy.

Response:

Trout guts are fun. Not to be Ted Nugent about it, or anything, but I’ve learned a lot from trout guts. For example, I’ve learned that trout eat many more terrestrials than I thought possible. I’ve learned that trout on some streams often eat ladybugs and that smallish red humpies are excellent imitators for ladybugs. Importantly, I’ve also learned that my wife has no real appreciation for the disassembly of trout guts on certain kitchen counters. Also, she doesn’t particularly care for my habit of bringing chunks’o bugs from trout stomachs to show her while she’s painting landscapes. Important lessons, one and all. Today’s lesson, however, was particularly instructive in light of the recent discussion hereabouts on how much and how fast your average trout learns. Now, I don’t keep all that many trout, but when I do, I definitely like to see what the heck they’ve been up to, dining-table wise. Occasionally, if the surroundings support it, I even keep a largish one. So, it was with particular interest that I cleaned an 18 incher tonight, eager to see on what such a large (and presumably, smarter than average) trout might be dining. Tiny tricos? Evanescent midges? Taco supremes? In addition to a couple ladybugs, the first two things out of this particular stomach were caddis larvae. Complete caddis larvae — casings and all. In this particular river, the casings average about 3/4 inch to an inch in length, cylindrical, made out of the usual caddis larva materials of gravel and small sticks. Probing further, the next item on our trutta post mortem appeared to be yet another caddis larva — same length, same diameter, same…waitasec. Most caddis larvae don’t rebound when you press on them. Most caddis larvae aren’t fibrous. Most caddis larvae don’t read "Benson & Hedges" on the side. Yup — it was a cigarette butt. In addition to mocking whatever pretensions I might have had about fishing on a "pristine" stream, this event also gave new credence to that episode in, "The River Why," where Gus concocts a fly made out of hot dog wrappers and cigarette butts to fool the wily old bass in the town pond (’scuse me if my memory isn’t totally clear on that passage…think I’m getting the gist of it nonethemenos). It also made me question the advisability of imagining too much intelligence on the part of your average trout brain. Maybe sometimes the answer is just to throw something big, ugly, and nicotine-stained out there and hope for the best. So, anyway, the long and short of it is that I’ve started smoking. Besides having heard good things about the habit in general, I also need a ready source for new inventions at the vise. Look for a gold-ribbed Camel’s butt at a fly swap near you soon . tight lines and full ashtrays, – sid

Response:

Question:

Hi I’m new this year to both fly fishing and fly tying.  i live in Edmonton Alberta and am trying to find people around here who are also starting out. Anyone who qualifies, please e-mail me. Ashman

Response:

Check for local Trout unlimited chapters…….good place to start networking so to speak…….

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hi I’m new this year to both fly fishing and fly tying.  i live in Edmonton Alberta and am trying to find people around here who are also starting out. Anyone who qualifies, please e-mail me. Ashman

Response:

Hi I’m new this year to both fly fishing and fly tying.  i live in Edmonton Alberta and am trying to find people around here who are also starting out. Anyone who qualifies, please e-mail me.

Edmonton eh?   You lucky dog; you get to listen to CKUA all the time.   I only get the Real Audio feed when I’m at my computer. Joe

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Question:

i’ll be vacationing in hampton beach new hampshire, and would appreciate advice on good spots for either stripers or smallies. what about the inlet and back waters at hampton beach or the mouth of the merrymack river at the mass border? what flies are working well? thanks.

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i’ll be vacationing in hampton beach new hampshire, and would appreciate advice on good spots for either stripers or smallies. what about the inlet and back waters at hampton beach or the mouth of the merrymack river at the mass border? what flies are working well? thanks.

Reel-Time has weekly fly fishing reports for the Merrimack River, and has recently been expanded to cover the NH and Maine Coast.  I write about the Merrimack and can tell you that the Merrimack has been doing well.  Olive/white clousers and Chartreuse/white clousers have been taking fish.  The URL’s in my sig. — Mark N. Cahill For E-mail remove the _Remove_This from the reply to address. http://www.geocities.com/Baja/3297/fishing.htm Mark Cahill’s Fishing New Engand -Daily Fishing News http://www.reel-time.com/ The Internet Journal of Saltwater Fly Fishing – Metropolitan Boston Regional Editor

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Question:

  I NEED to take my wife to a place where she can catch some trout – or SOMETHING – before she decides that WE don’t like fishing any more.   She presents well, but never seems to catch a fish. I am very unfamiliar with Virginia streams, and don’t know enough to help her with selecting an appropriate fly,I often find the Va. streams, that are stocked, fished-out ( I really believe that people follow the stocking trucks. I have taken her to stocked streams in the Nat’l forest and NOONE caught a fish. The rainbows and browns up high are very timid and a wonderful challenge, but Lisa doesn’t need a challenge now – just a fish or two so she can remember what it is all about ( I like to catch fish now & then too and this plea is not really so selfless ) Any info that you might have on a reasonable beginner stream with stocked trout would be most appreciated. Thanks Scott

Response:

Scott , have you tried the Jackson River? Its North of Covington, in the Hot spring area, there you will find good,I mean great Catch and release waters full of nice trout and others to catch. Your wife could easily catch enough to make her want to stay there forever!

Response:

Scott,    Perhaps something from the bass family would do her nicely? My wife became interested when the Smallmouth started biting, she’s into trout now, but it was the bass that interested her first. It’s a tough time of year to start if she’s a beginner. The water’s low and the fish are skittish and spooky. You need a long leader and a delicate approach. I took my wife to the Jackson this past weekend, and shewent fishless. If you can, try the Potomac, the Shenandoah River or the James, tie a Yellow popper (not too big) onto a 3-4x tippet or a black Wolley Bugger #8 and let her at ‘em. She’ll catch a fish. Best time for beginners is March to July. Hope this helps! Keith in Waterford, VA

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 I NEED to take my wife to a place where she can catch some trout – or SOMETHING – before she decides that WE don’t like fishing any more. <<

Try another kind of fish. I recommend the Shenandoah. Give Manny Sainz a call at ‘the Hatch’ a bed and breakfast in Edinburg. He and his wife Bobby will give you a room, nice meal. hospitality, and a bunch of (non-trout) fish! Simon Hallett

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Question:

The guy is a snake oil selling fraud. I mean, who couldn’t catch 10 lb bass with regularity in a fish farm? If you are trying to learn how to fish, don’t use butthead Bill as a benchmark! FB — Fishin Buddy  o <<     o  |           These opinions are offered by weight  <     <  o       <J           provocative content may have occurred      <<       <<                    during shipping and handling.

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what caused such a rash against Bill.

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what caused such a rash against Bill.

He’s not a bad fisherman as long as he has his divers hookin’ those toads for him.

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The guy swears by a certain product (Stow Away Batteries)-(Now Champion), (Diawa)-(Now Quantum)and then turns around and talks up a new one when the sponsor antes up more money. He cant even stay with the people who sponsored him through his fishing career and made him what he is today. Just my opinion.

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I have to agree. Bill Dance will push the product that offers to pay him the most $$$. It really detracts from the show and his credibility. Al in NH

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Bill is  no worse than R. Martin, who is open about his "tools" used to film his spots.  As he put it to a friend of mine  - – - " they made Star Wars in a studio with tricks, didn’t they ??"   I guess it just comes with the turf.

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Bill is ALOT worse than Roland Martin. How many times do you hear where Roland is fishing today? Logan Martin, Okechobee, Lanier. Lakes everyone know and can access. And Bill? "We’re here fishing Gump’s Private Pond where trespassers will be shot."

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He is miles ahead of Jimmy, throw the fish in live well from the front of the boat, Houston. — Gert Jensen                         Editor: BACKCASTS 600 Warren Rd.                      VP Communication   Bldg.1, Apt.3-A                     Northeastern Council   Ithaca, NY 14850                    Federation of Fly Fishers Ph:607-257-5796                     ‘Conserving–Restoring–Educating Through Fly Fishing’       See our Home Page: http://light.lightlink.com/ephemera/

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I boycotted Dance for over 4 years after a 1986 episode where he was fishing for smallmouth below a TVA reservoir.  It seemed great at first (99% of his shows were just largemouth so this was a nice change of pace), but then he hooked what he thought was a world record smallmouth.  The fish turned out to be a large drum.  A real fisherman would have been thrilled to have caught something that fought well enough to be a record smallie, but Bill murdered the poor fish by drum".  What a jerk!  Real men know drum are a classy gamefish and a valuable asset to the ecosystem.  Of course drum are too smart to bite lures on a regular basis so Dance, thinking with his wallet, would not get sponsorship $ for intelligent species like drum, carp, etc. The Dancin’ Eel: most useless lure ever made? Stumbling onto his show in late 1990, he seemed to have become a kinder, gentler angler, taking better care of fish, but his shows seem staged. IMHO the only worthwhile Dance show is "The Worst of Bill Dance", 40 minutes of celebrity guests and bloopers.  Dance haters can take pleasure when he falls in the water, bangs his head, hooks himself, etc. Ahti Eric Rovainen

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The best part of bill dance? When in the bloopers episode, his snagged lure flies out of a tree (huge crankbait) and pops him in the croch. YES! Thats funny!

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What!, we all don’t use those bullshit "Nightcrawler Links"? Yes, cheap hotdogs in cherry koolaid.

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I have to agree. Bill Dance will push the product that offers to pay him the most $$$. It really detracts from the show and his credibility. Al in NH

How about Roland Martin??? His show is just an info-mercial for spiderwire the the guide who happens to be on his boat that week! RonM

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I have started watching Bill in the past 9 months. He is one of my favorites. Maybe I am missing something. He has good tips for me. He talks about how to preserve nature. Yes he sells products but are we supposed to stop watching Full House because they drink Pepsi. He has to fund his show. All shows need funding. There are not enough viewers to demand high dollars for a fishing show. This is just my opinion. I do like Jimmy, Bill, Hank, and Bass Masters.

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   I watch Bill Dance’s shows, too.  Every fisherman out there with a show advertises all the time.  That’s how they can pay for the show.  But I sure wish old Bill would just grab those bass out of the water when he gets them to the boat instead of yanking them up in the air so that it looks like they’re jumping.    Dennis  

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Question:

Recently returned from a guided tour with Dennis of Trout Creek Flies. Had a great time. Caught several 20 inchers and a total of 50+fish. I highly recommend this guide as he knows all the hot spots in the river. Lunch was great too!! larry and darlene

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Recently returned from a guided tour with Dennis of Trout Creek Flies. Had a great time. Caught several 20 inchers and a total of 50+fish. I highly recommend this guide as he knows all the hot spots in the river. Lunch was great too!! larry and darlene How much does Dennis charge for a guide trip? Mark    

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Path: news.teleport.com!psgrain!news.sprintlink.net!uunet!library.erc.clarkson.ed u!ub!csn!news.usafa.af.mil!dfyc16.usafa.af.mil!GLIVINSKIDK%DFYC Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.fishing.fly Organization: United States Air Force Academy Lines: 11 Distribution: USA NNTP-Posting-Host: dfyc16.usafa.af.mil Summary: big fish Keywords: trout,fly fishing Recently returned from a guided tour with Dennis of Trout Creek Flies. Had a great time. Caught several 20 inchers and a total of 50+fish. I highly recommend this guide as he knows all the hot spots in the river. Lunch was great too!! larry and darlene How much does Dennis charge for a guide trip? Mark    

I was at the Green for few days around March 20.  I arranged a trip through Dennis (Trout Creek Flies).  It cost $240, but that was the low season price – $275 is the standard price (April 1 – ?).  I stayed at the Flaming Gorge Lodge (arrnged by Denni) and noticed that they had wading guides available as well, and if you are looking to save $, it’s cheaper and the wading was great at that time (very low water).  The fishing was great too… Anthony

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Question:

I dont mean to burst your bubble but you mention three items together that are antonyms of alaska.  Anywhere theres fish theres people.  It’s expencive.  And for most of Alaska dry flyfish is not the perfered method (usualy egg patterns of attractors) although I almost soley dryflied there all summer. But I caught more Grayling than trout and less than my buddies with egg pat. Ive guided there for the past two summers and have seen people try to take the economy route and be unhappy.         Two suggestions Rust’s flying service about $125 a day for guided         day fishing.  Rust is quite dependable.  my next and stronger suggustion         is goto or call McFee’s flyshop in Anchorage and ask for Dennis (owner)         tell him Kyle from Wilderness Place lodge sent you and he’ll give you the scoop.  Good Luck any questions feel free to contact me directly.         University of Illinois

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I dont mean to burst your bubble but you mention three items together  that are antonyms of alaska.  Anywhere theres fish theres people.  It’s expencive.  And for most of Alaska dry flyfish is not the perfered method (usualy egg  patterns of attractors) although I almost soley dryflied there all summer.  But I caught more Grayling than trout and less than my buddies with egg pat.  Ive guided there for the past two summers and have seen people try to take  the economy route and be unhappy.    Two suggestions Rust’s flying service about $125 a day for guided    day fishing.  Rust is quite dependable.  my next and stronger suggustion    is goto or call McFee’s flyshop in Anchorage and ask for Dennis (owner)    tell him Kyle from Wilderness Place lodge sent you and he’ll give you the scoop.  Good Luck any questions feel free to contact me directly.    University of Illinois

I agree that egg patterns are the best bet, but dry fly fishing in Alaska can be very rewarding.  The reason people don’t catch more fish on drys is because they just don’t try them enough.   They simply assume they will be ineffective.  Alaska is not devoid of insect life, it just takes some exploring and investigating to figure out what the fish are taking.  If you go to Alaska to catch salmon, sure, dry flies are going to be ineffective.  But, if you fish for rainbows and grayling, and you really should, then drys can be a blast!  By the way, that should be McAfee’s Fly Shop, not McFee’s.  Have fun, and catch and release!  Good fishing. -Steve  

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jay) writes:

You might want to consider flying into King Salmon on Alaska Airlines and hook up with an outfitter there(sorry no names :I stayed at a flyout camp). An outfitter can set you up to float the American River, which is an oustanding remote dryfly river. It will take about 4-5 days to float the river to the mouth on Bristol Bay. Great big country and has a major bear problem( last year had major league charge from a big male who was protecting his fresh moose calf kill) .Don’t go alone! The flys I used were: Royal Wulff 12,14                                Yellow Humpy 12,14,16                                Gray Caddis-various                                 Royal Stimulator 12,14 The rainbows liked the Royal ties and the Grayling liked the the more subdued colors Adams etc.You should catch at least 100+ per day! (you must release all fish in the Bristol Bay watershed) FRANK

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I am planning to try fishing in Alaska this coming june and am interested in dry fly fishing in  fairly quiet places. I would like to do this fairly inexpensively. I have about 10 days to spend. Any help would be appreciated. Keep a tight line.

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I am planning to try fishing in Alaska this coming june and am interested in dry fly fishing in  fairly quiet places. I would like to do this fairly inexpensively. I have about 10 days to spend. Any help would be appreciated. Keep a tight line.

There are ways to fish Alaska fairly inexpensively after you get here. The biggest expense is the cost of an airline ticket.  Once here, the USFS has cabins they rent for $25/night on some excellent fishing systems.   What species are you specifically interested in?  Southeast Alaska has cutthroat trout, steelhead, rainbow fishing in June.  The Bristol Bay area is known for its outstanding rainbow fishing. Let me know some specifics on what your interested in and we have informational leaflets that I can send to help you out. Doug Jones

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Question:

Jensen) writes: Looking for foul weather gear

I would not look too hard for a bargin when looking for raingear, you will regret it later.  Get yourself some Grundens, Guy Cottons, or as a last resort some Helly Hansons(although Hellys have really gone down hill lately).  I work in the seafood industry in Alaska, and I have found that Grundens makes the best raingear out there.  And you can get it in day glow colors if you want to.  Look at comercial fishing outlets for them.

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: I would not look too hard for a bargin when looking for raingear, you will : regret it later.  Get yourself some Grundens, Guy Cottons, or as a last : resort some Helly Hansons(although Hellys have really gone down hill : lately).  I work in the seafood industry in Alaska, and I have found that : Grundens makes the best raingear out there.  And you can get it in day : glow colors if you want to.  Look at comercial fishing outlets for them. faulies, not me. But I would like to check out a commercial supplier in LA or OC, just to see what’s there.  Anyone know where to find one?

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-    I’m looking for foul weather gear but don’t want to pay the high prices – that the local stores charge.  Is there a good mail order place for this – stuff? I recently found a Helly Hansen mfg’s outlet store near Kenosha, Wisconsin.  I think they were just trying to sell yuppie sweaters and similar trendy stuff and they had their real foul weather gear on the shelf just to impress people. Never the less, they did have everything from their low end, $120 suits, to their high end, $900 suits.  They also had a hand written tag that explained in detail why each item was a mfg defect.  If I didn’t already have a suit I would have been very tempted to buy a $270 suit for $180 because they got their name embrodered on the wrong corner of the pocket. G. Jackson

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        I postedthis elsewhere so I’ll post it here.  Don’t get sucked in by all that expensive sailing oriented shit.  Read on.      On my first ocean cruise in 1981, I bought some "Offshore" foul weather gear at R.E.I. in Seattle.  Total piece of shit. After some pretty rough usage (we lost a rudder) and 31 days at sea, the seams leaked.  I took them back to R.E.I.  They said that they wern’t meant for the kind of sailing I do, but for the "weekend" sailor." I said "Well why the fuck! do you call it "Offshore"? To make a long story short, they wouldn’t refund my money and it just confirmed my opinion of R.E.I. as a fashion house for frustrated yuuppies. Growing up in Seattle, I have resisted the R.E.I Clone look mightily although I have to admit, Pile Jackets are great for me as I’m allergic to wool.      Where is this leading to?      Buy Helly Hansen fisherman foul weather gear. No seams, no fly, no pockets, NO LEAK!!!!  I’ve worn mine for 10 years fishing in Alaska and California and on many trans ocean sails.  Still wearing them.  My mother is borrowing them for a river rafting trip this month.  About $80 last time I bought (I have two pair) — — Turn off ascii capture on the personal computer 4;1H Press the <Return Key to return to mail … —

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     On my first ocean cruise in 1981, I bought some "Offshore" foul weather gear at R.E.I. in Seattle.  Total piece of shit. After some pretty rough usage (we lost a rudder) and 31 days at sea, the seams leaked.  I took them back to R.E.I.  They said that they wern’t meant for the kind of sailing I do, but for the "weekend" sailor."I said "Well why the fuck! do you call it "Offshore"? To make a long story short, they wouldn’t refund my money and it just confirmed my opinion of R.E.I. as a fashion house for frustrated yuuppies. Growing up in Seattle, I have resisted the R.E.I Clone look mightily although I have to admit, Pile Jackets are great for me as I’m allergic to wool.      Where is this leading to?      Buy HELLY HANSEN fisherman foul weather gear. No seams, no fly, no pockets, NO LEAK!!!! And they are tough as steel and easy to patch. I’ve worn mine for 10 years fishing in Alaska and California and on many trans ocean sails.  Still  wearing them.  My mother is borrowing them for a river rafting  trip this month.  About $80 last time I bought (I have two pair) —

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     I’m looking for foul weather gear but don’t want to pay the high prices that the local stores charge.  Is there a good mail order place for this stuff?                                      we suck!"

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:      I’m looking for foul weather gear but don’t want to pay the high prices : that the local stores charge.  Is there a good mail order place for this : stuff? I wouldn’t do it.  I would rather have something that fits.  I ended up with a "Grotto" jacket from Boat/US and Explorer trousers from West Marine because each fit properly.  (I can hear them fighting in the closet.) It’s kind of hit and miss because everything is S/M/L/XL. My biggest disapointment was the lack of rad colors. And my BIG IDEA, now placed in the public domain, is glow-in-the-dark zippers – so you can get them on at 3 am.

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