Question:

I know ‘zackly what you mean, Charlie. I spend too much time there also. The guy you referred to is "Mac" who is famous for ruining production rods and then listing them as "restored". His latest kick is plaid signature wraps. But then, there ARE still a few deals showing up daily. I snagged a Courtney Ryley Cooper SB/Doublebuilt for $71 last week and a good friend made off with an unidentified Ray Bergman/Dickerson for the ridiculous sum of $36 + shipping. Vigilance pays off sometimes.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –     As an unapologetic gear whore, I spend way too much time (and money) on e-bay. I’ve been burned more than once by bamboo swindlers, lately the crooks seem to outnumber the honest dealers. I just noticed a Heddon#17 that opened at $75.00 more than it is worth, the first (and only) bidder made an opening bid of $150.00 more than the opening price.I recently read about some guys who were indicted for bidding up their own items (utilizing other user names) to create a false sense of interest, and I suspect that is what’s happening with the Heddon. A lot of this crap still goes on, beware of it. When you see so many low end Montagues selling for $85.00 with 4 or 5 total bids, beware of the short tipped Sunbeam that has been bid up to $175.00 by fifteen bidders. Don’t be fooled into thinking something is valuable, just because there appears to be a lot of interest in the item.    Always insist on a return privilege after you’ve won a bid. I’ve been burned three times this year by swindlers who blatantly lied about the product, the worst case being the guy who’s 8′ Redwing arrived as a no-name Japanese rod, worth $35.00.    There are several guys who sell a lot of counterfeit rods on e-bay. One guy out of central Oregon is pretty good, and it takes an expert’s eye to detect some of the working class rods he’s turned into high dollar collectibles. There’s another guy here in Colorado who takes crappy rods, changes the reel seat, and slaps on a coat of glossy varnish. This guy is also in the habit of turning 9′ buggy whips into 7 1/2′ "highly collectibles, rods like this sell for over $1000.00". Do you have any idea what it does to a rod’s castability (a cheap rod that wasn’t good to start with) when you cut 6" out of each section? It pains me just to look at some of his images, which usually depict a way too small ferrule crammed onto a crudely whittled-down section.    With that said, there are some occasional deals to be had. I often skip over the ads that don’t even mention the maker’s name in the header, 99% of them are junkers. Last fall, I bought a mint Edwards salmon rod, the seller didn’t know what it was, and I wasn’t sure until it arrived; I paid less than $200.00 for it. I had no use for a bamboo salmon rod, so I recently swapped it for a 7 1/2′ Granger. So, with a little bit of luck, I’ve come out about even on e-bay.

Response:

I feel for you and have noticed the same thing in the local equivilent, lots of cheap gear with unrealistic prices on them. On the other hand I recently put a scsi card up for auction at half its used value.I was abused for putting a "high" price on it. Damned if I was going to put a $4000 scsi controller (still in shrink wrap) on auction for 30 bucks. There are a hell of a lot of unscrupulous dealers out there and many people the law in the states regarding false claims when selling something. There must be something around to stop them.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –     As an unapologetic gear whore, I spend way too much time (and money) on e-bay. I’ve been burned more than once by bamboo swindlers, lately the crooks seem to outnumber the honest dealers. I just noticed a Heddon#17 that opened at $75.00 more than it is worth, the first (and only) bidder made an opening bid of $150.00 more than the opening price.I recently read about some guys who were indicted for bidding up their own items (utilizing other user names) to create a false sense of interest, and I suspect that is what’s happening with the Heddon. A lot of this crap still goes on, beware of it. When you see so many low end Montagues selling for $85.00 with 4 or 5 total bids, beware of the short tipped Sunbeam that has been bid up to $175.00 by fifteen bidders. Don’t be fooled into thinking something is valuable, just because there appears to be a lot of interest in the item.    Always insist on a return privilege after you’ve won a bid. I’ve been burned three times this year by swindlers who blatantly lied about the product, the worst case being the guy who’s 8′ Redwing arrived as a no-name Japanese rod, worth $35.00.    There are several guys who sell a lot of counterfeit rods on e-bay. One guy out of central Oregon is pretty good, and it takes an expert’s eye to detect some of the working class rods he’s turned into high dollar collectibles. There’s another guy here in Colorado who takes crappy rods, changes the reel seat, and slaps on a coat of glossy varnish. This guy is also in the habit of turning 9′ buggy whips into 7 1/2′ "highly collectibles, rods like this sell for over $1000.00". Do you have any idea what it does to a rod’s castability (a cheap rod that wasn’t good to start with) when you cut 6" out of each section? It pains me just to look at some of his images, which usually depict a way too small ferrule crammed onto a crudely whittled-down section.    With that said, there are some occasional deals to be had. I often skip over the ads that don’t even mention the maker’s name in the header, 99% of them are junkers. Last fall, I bought a mint Edwards salmon rod, the seller didn’t know what it was, and I wasn’t sure until it arrived; I paid less than $200.00 for it. I had no use for a bamboo salmon rod, so I recently swapped it for a 7 1/2′ Granger. So, with a little bit of luck, I’ve come out about even on e-bay.

Response:

 I haven’t worked for any sellers and I don’t think  I’m stupid (tho I did take up flyfishing after a fashion  this last year, so may that’s questionable…).  But I  don’t have any interest in planning my life around  eBay pumpkin times to buy Yet Another Thing  that I do not really need.  Whatever this thing that I  can’t live without is, it will inevitably pop up again,  either on eBay or somewhere else.

     Good advise, generally. I let a lot of desirable things go, just because I couldn’t be near the computer at the time of their closing (a man has to fish, you know). The point I tried to make is, if you bid twenty dollars with ten hours till closing, somebody is more likely to come along and outbid you, whereas the same bid right at closing is more likely to get the item. I don’t buy *anything* unless I get a good deal on it, and I’m not the only puter user in the world who recognizes a good deal.      I picked up an item last week that I really wanted, but I couldn’t be around the computer at the time of closing. The item (I’d never seen one like it before) had gone six days without a bid, but I figured other sharks (like me) were circling in the waters. With ten hours to go, I bid twice the opening price (and a third the real value) and left for the day, allowing the proxy bid to do it’s thing. I returned that evening to find I’d won the item for a price just fifty cents under my max. A review of the bid history revealed a bidding war had erupted in the final six minutes of the auction, and I was literally saved by the bell. If I hadn’t won it wouldn’t have mattered anyway, because it’s only stuff.

Response:

 That’s the best advice re eBay.  Further, I would  make that "max you’re willing to pay" at least 20  to 25 percent less than I would be willing to pay  through another venue.  If you get the item and it is  what was advertised, you’ve done well.  If you don’t  get it it’s no big deal, invariably another one will  come along.

Right.  There is a little more risk involved because the people aren’t established businesses.  98% of mine have been fine.  If you use common sense and check for bad feedback, it helps.  Paying with PayPal or other credit card service also helps protect you.  If you’re not buying something pretty rare, and you’re not in a big rush, you can get respectable deals.

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 "Jeff Connelly" Right.  There is a little more risk involved because the people aren’t established businesses.  98% of mine have been fine.  That’s in the same ballpark as my experiences:  I’ve had 2 not very good transactions out of a  total of about 70.

    I have been burned three times out of 100+ transactions. All three of the bad deals were bamboo fly rods; I’ve never gotten a bum deal on other types of merchandise.

Response:

It’s a numbers game.  Play enough and you will get burned.  I wuz 3 out of 100 + and no bamboo rods! John – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – "Jeff Connelly" Right.  There is a little more risk involved because the people aren’t established businesses.  98% of mine have been fine.  That’s in the same ballpark as my experiences:  I’ve had 2 not very good transactions out of a  total of about 70.    I have been burned three times out of 100+ transactions. All three of the bad deals were bamboo fly rods; I’ve never gotten a bum deal on other types of merchandise.

Response:

Good idea and good advice, but not always permitted under eBays rules.  If a seller refuses your return privilege request/demand after you’ve won, he can legitimately post negative feedback about you and eBay would stand behind the seller every time.

Oh, one more thing regarding feedback.  Feedback is only slightly useful because it’s 2-way feedback, and after a number of years I’ve come to the conclusion feedback should be sent to the seller only.  Otherwise, it’s just a game where people know they will usually get negative feedback in retaliation for giving negative feedback.  Therefore, I believe most people don’t give negative feedback ever.  Many sellers have much less negative feedback than they deserve.  One way feedback, such as on Amazon, seems to work much better.  Moral of the story: if an eBay seller has much negative feedback, you should avoid him.  If he doesn’t – well, you really don’t know much.

Response:

    As an unapologetic gear whore, I spend way too much time (and money) on e-bay. I’ve been burned more than once by bamboo swindlers, lately the crooks seem to outnumber the honest dealers. I just noticed a Heddon#17 that opened at $75.00 more than it is worth, the first (and only) bidder made an opening bid of $150.00 more than the opening price.I recently read about some guys who were indicted for bidding up their own items (utilizing other user names) to create a false sense of interest, and I suspect that is what’s happening with the Heddon. A lot of this crap still goes on, beware of it. When you see so many low end Montagues selling for $85.00 with 4 or 5 total bids, beware of the short tipped Sunbeam that has been bid up to $175.00 by fifteen bidders. Don’t be fooled into thinking something is valuable, just because there appears to be a lot of interest in the item.    Always insist on a return privilege after you’ve won a bid. I’ve been burned three times this year by swindlers who blatantly lied about the product, the worst case being the guy who’s 8′ Redwing arrived as a no-name Japanese rod, worth $35.00.    There are several guys who sell a lot of counterfeit rods on e-bay. One guy out of central Oregon is pretty good, and it takes an expert’s eye to detect some of the working class rods he’s turned into high dollar collectibles. There’s another guy here in Colorado who takes crappy rods, changes the reel seat, and slaps on a coat of glossy varnish. This guy is also in the habit of turning 9′ buggy whips into 7 1/2′ "highly collectibles, rods like this sell for over $1000.00". Do you have any idea what it does to a rod’s castability (a cheap rod that wasn’t good to start with) when you cut 6" out of each section? It pains me just to look at some of his images, which usually depict a way too small ferrule crammed onto a crudely whittled-down section.    With that said, there are some occasional deals to be had. I often skip over the ads that don’t even mention the maker’s name in the header, 99% of them are junkers. Last fall, I bought a mint Edwards salmon rod, the seller didn’t know what it was, and I wasn’t sure until it arrived; I paid less than $200.00 for it. I had no use for a bamboo salmon rod, so I recently swapped it for a 7 1/2′ Granger. So, with a little bit of luck, I’ve come out about even on e-bay.

Response:

I just noticed a Heddon#17 that opened at $75.00 more than it is worth, the first (and only) bidder made an opening bid of $150.00 more than the opening price.

   Sorry to add to my own thread, but I just noticed this Heddon has a short tip, so it’s opening price was about $200.00 more than it is worth. It has now been "bid up" to approximately 3X what it’s really worth.    And fwiw, last week I purchased a higher grade Heddon, in better shape. I paid $200.00 + shipping to a reputable dealer from Michigan.

Response:

    As an unapologetic gear whore, I spend way too much time (and money) on e-bay.

As long as you sell (almost) as much as you buy, you’ll be alright What’s that?  You end up buying a lot more than you sell??  :-) I recently read about some guys who were indicted for bidding up their own items (utilizing other user names) to create a false sense of interest, and I suspect that is what’s happening with the Heddon.

Between me and especially my brother we’ve seen a lot of eBay action, and this and much more does go on.  It’s virtually unstoppable in the long run. There’s really only one way around it for the buyer, and it’s quite simple… Don’t be fooled into thinking something is valuable, just because there appears to be a lot of interest in the item.

…know what the value of the item you want to buy.  This is obviously true no matter what you buy – it’s not an eBay thing.  Well, maybe I oversimplified, because in some cases where an item is very rare, it’s the other bids that help you determine its value.  eBay is a good value-meter for things that are not unique, and that a good number of transactions occur for.  For the life of me though, I can’t understand people that bitch and moan because they got outbid "at the last second".  They complain about "poachers", who wait until the auction is a minute from ending, and swoop in with their "guerilla bid".  So freakin’ what?  Proxy bid the max that you’re willing to pay.  There is one thing that sellers can get away with though that’s unethical.  Use a fake name to raise the bid if you think a buyer has proxy-bidded higher than his actual bid.  If you go over it by mistake, just retract the bid.  That way you have a way of knowing how high a person will go, and make him go there.  I don’t think eBay would let you get away with it more than a few times though.    There are several guys who sell a lot of counterfeit rods on e-bay.

The best defense I’ve found against counterfeits, unethical dealers, etc. is a good credit card company.  If you have a good one, they’ll back you up when you refuse payment on an item.  One of the problems with eBay transactions is that there tends to be too many places to lay blame, so everyone points somewhere else.  eBay points to the seller or to a mediator (which is not free), the seller of course won’t help, the payment company (PayPal or whoever) points to the FBI, the FBI isn’t going to take it seriously, or the payment company points to your credit card company.  If your credit card company is good, the buck stops there and you’re covered. I think internet buying and selling is the greatest thing since the electric guitar, but buying rare or unique items without seeing them in person is tough.

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There was one about a month back that I got a kick out of. One of the ebay regulars that refinishes rods with glossy new varnish had a Granger rod – I think. He said it was a Granger rod, however, He replaced the grip with one that didn’t match the original, replaced the reeelseat with an antique aluminum one, replaced the ferrules and guides. He even removed the granger stamp from the rod and wrote Granger on it. Sounds just a little suspicious to me. Paul

    As an unapologetic gear whore, I spend way too much time (and money) on e-bay.

[snip] – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

For the life of me though, I can’t understand

people that bitch and moan because they got outbid "at the last second".  They complain about "poachers", who wait until the auction is a minute from ending, and swoop in with their "guerilla bid".  So freakin’ what?<   I was watching a flyrod on Ebay.  Someone put a bid in with less than a minute to go, only to be aced out by another bidder who got in with 9 seconds left.  Talk about "the last second."  I imagine that next to the last bidder was pissed.

Response:

I was watching a flyrod on Ebay.  Someone put a bid in with less than a minute to go, only to be aced out by another bidder who got in with 9 seconds left.  Talk about "the last second."  I imagine that next to the last bidder was pissed.

In the few instances I’ve been a participant in these last second bids, it’s been fun to watch.   For my part, I’ve never really regretted being beat at the last second.   I bid what I’m willing to pay.   If somebody’s willing to pay more, good for them.   I’ve never felt bad about losing one that way. Joe F.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I was watching a flyrod on Ebay.  Someone put a bid in with less than a minute to go, only to be aced out by another bidder who got in with 9 seconds left.  Talk about "the last second."  I imagine that next to the last bidder was pissed. In the few instances I’ve been a participant in these last second bids, it’s been fun to watch.   For my part, I’ve never really regretted being beat at the last second.   I bid what I’m willing to pay.   If somebody’s willing to pay more, good for them.   I’ve never felt bad about losing one that way. Joe F.

joe, the animosity generated plum evades me. back in my golden years when i travelled to quite a few thousand auctions buying antiques, libraries, estates and such, i set my limit….. and since i was pretty much a foolish bidder, if some fool outbid me…. well, congrats, nicely done. all i can say is i never regretted winning and i never regretted nor angered over losing. i take that back…. my only regret is that i didn’t go to 27k on a full bronze figurine at an auction outside of daytona beach one evening….  i believe the fool that out-bid me would have dropped out and i would today be enjoying the finest deco sculpture i’ve ever seen… enjoying daily cuz i never would have sold her…. course, marie probably would have divorced my silly ass. ah well…that’s life…. you win some and you lose some. anyway…. the point being…. at auction, and at ebay, thars a hammer. when it slams down… the *last* bidder wins….tain’t much use losing sleep over it…imho. –walt

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For the life of me though, I can’t understand people that bitch and moan because they got outbid "at the last second".  They complain about "poachers", who wait until the auction is a minute from ending, and swoop in with their "guerilla bid.

     Groundless bitching it is. The earlier a bidding war gets started, the higher the price inevitably goes. You gotta play by the home court rules, and use all the legal tactics. When I see something I *really* want, I get involved in the last couple of minutes. Anybody who hasn’t figured this out doesn’t deserve to win the bid. And anybody who actively bids an item with days to go is either stupid or working for the seller. I think internet buying and selling is the greatest thing since the electric guitar, but buying rare or unique items without seeing them in person is tough.

    Agree

Response:

He said it was a Granger rod, however, He replaced the grip with one that didn’t match the original, replaced the reeelseat with an antique aluminum one, replaced the ferrules and guides. He even removed the granger stamp from the rod and wrote Granger on it. Sounds just a little suspicious to me.

Did it have a number on it, by any chance? {;-) George Adams "From the rockin’ of the cradle to the rollin’ of the hearse, the goin’ up was worth the comin’ down." ___Kris Kristofferson "The Pilgrim/Chapter 33"

Response:

<snip    Always insist on a return privilege after you’ve won a bid. I’ve been burned three times this year by swindlers who blatantly lied about the product, the worst case being the guy who’s 8′ Redwing arrived as a no-name Japanese rod, worth $35.00.

Good idea and good advice, but not always permitted under eBays rules.  If a seller refuses your return privilege request/demand after you’ve won, he can legitimately post negative feedback about you and eBay would stand behind the seller every time.  If you want a return privilege, send the seller an e-mail BEFORE you bid, unless there is some sort of return policy/guarantee in the items description and/or auction terms.  It doesn’t take much negative feedback to get people really turned off about dealing with you.    There are several guys who sell a lot of counterfeit rods on e-bay. One guy out of central Oregon is pretty good, and it takes an expert’s eye to detect some of the working class rods he’s turned into high dollar collectibles. There’s another guy here in Colorado who takes crappy rods, changes the reel seat, and slaps on a coat of glossy varnish. This guy is also in the habit of turning 9′ buggy whips into 7 1/2′ "highly collectibles, rods like this sell for over $1000.00". Do you have any idea what it does to a rod’s castability (a cheap rod that wasn’t good to start with) when you cut 6" out of each section? It pains me just to look at some of his images, which usually depict a way too small ferrule crammed onto a crudely whittled-down section.

Wow.  I haven’t been shopping for bamboo rods, but what you describe here is downright amazing.  Good deal for the seller, I guess.    With that said, there are some occasional deals to be had. I often skip over the ads that don’t even mention the maker’s name in the header, 99% of them are junkers. Last fall, I bought a mint Edwards salmon rod, the seller didn’t know what it was, and I wasn’t sure until it arrived; I paid less than $200.00 for it. I had no use for a bamboo salmon rod, so I recently swapped it for a 7 1/2′ Granger. So, with a little bit of luck, I’ve come out about even on e-bay.

I’ve done more selling than buying on eBay, and none of it fishing-related. As a seller, I can honestly state that I have never ripped anybody off.  One guy did buy an old clone PC from me and he paid more for shipping than he did for the PC.  He may have been a fool, but I didn’t rip him off. As a buyer, my experience is much more limited.  Initially, I wasn’t playing like an eBay vulture–so I always got outbid.  More recently I bought some books and got a tremendous deal.  Six hardback novels from the 70s for less than $20, shipping and all, all in excellent condition. With any sort of ‘collectible’ item, or anything of significant value–say over $100–I’d be careful.  There are LOTS of eBay scam artists out there, and plenty of them never get caught.  A slight misrepresentation can result in a practically valueless item being bid up as if it were the real thing. Caveat Emptor never rang more true than the day eBay arrived. Tom G eBay vulture

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Question:

South Africa is not all that bad I do admit to a lot of crime here though Aids is not much of a problem among the white communities they say something like 35% of all Africans are infected From Gavin

That’s what I was talking about.  It’s been in the news over here quite a bit lately.  Didn’t realize that it was localized to the black community. — Levi "So long, and thanks for all the fish."

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if one was limited to 1 line for each line weight #2-#12 and could only spend about $50 on each line what kind,weight,taper,density(floating sinking etc.)price and color would it be is there a preference for certain line which lines are the most popular which line would you recommend for a beginner what do you think of multi tips etc. these answers will help in restocking a new fly shop in south africa we have got airflow flylines but want to now what the craze is now information will be greatly appreciated tight lines from Gavin

If I walked into a fly shop and they had only 1 type of line in each weight, I would immediately walk out. Peter G. Aitken

Response:

If I walked into a fly shop and they had only 1 type of line in each weight, I would immediately walk out.

LOL.  I didn’t think about that but I agree.  Unless it is the only shop within a 100 miles and I need stuff now. I’ve been in a situation where I went fishing to a location that I was told had a local fly-shop.  Therefore, I chose to buy some of my stuff at their shop in hopes of getting some local information.  However, the shop turned out to be a small corner in a gas station.  The only other shop was 3 hours away. — Vern The new ROFF page: http://home.earthlink.net/~flyfishing4fun "Wilderness needs no defense, only more defenders"                             quote by Edward Abbey Before you buy.

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If I walked into a fly shop and they had only 1 type of line in each weight, I would immediately walk out.  If you were in a society where the average yearly  income is 1/100 of the US, you might view shopping  opportunities in a different light.  Greg.

I could be wrong, but I’m guessing that Gavin’s folks aren’t selling a lot of fly lines to the native South Africans. — Levi "So long, and thanks for all the fish."

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 HMMMM  lessssseee. I net 85K so 1/100 would be $850. HOLY SMOKES Pancho I just spent more for 6 mo. professional hazard insurance than the average annual income of 4/5 of the world.Not to mention the annual dues I pay to the various professional societies.AH the wonders of tax loopholes.  By the way 3 out of 4 people make up 75 % of the worlds population.   OK OK OK  shut up and go fishing. —  Don Thompson  Zoomie(BushBug)  ACA#3460  TLCB#335  Any Time, Any Place  Pull the chocks, lets get this kite in the air.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If I walked into a fly shop and they had only 1 type of line in each weight, I would immediately walk out.  If you were in a society where the average yearly  income is 1/100 of the US, you might view shopping  opportunities in a different light.  Greg.

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I second the trashing of the Airflow lines.  I’ve only been fly fishing for 12 years, but for the last 2 years I’ve been ff about 4-5 times a week. I’ve used the Airflo Delta and Bass lines:  they suck terribly.  Never ever lose their memory (when in Florida I stretched a line around my garage and left it in the 100 degree heat for 24 hours, and it still retained its memory coil) and they are sure to tangle on at least 25 to 50% of your casts.  Even the cheapest Cortlands (333) and SAs are far better. Adam

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But poke holes in them with a pin first and you might (with luck) have a few new customers in … maybe … 15-20 years!

My mother sells rubbers to sailors. My pop pokes  the holes with a pin. My sister performs the abortions. My God, how the money rolls in! (Just kidding…Mom’s a lawyer, Dad teaches, and the closest thing I have to a sister is their female Golden Retriever) Vegetables aren’t food. Vegetables are what the food eats.

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LOL…the minute I read your message and saw the word ‘airflow’ I thought, "*((&%)# line memory!"  Then I read the replies that are above mine and have little to add.   Absolute crap.   I’ve been fly fishing many years now and can think of few things I’ve purchased that have caused me more anger and headaches during the short time I used it. I now keep what’s left of it in my large fishing box to use for emergency shoe laces, tent rope, etc. Until recently I had a large enough house lot so that I could stretch my fly lines out in the sun full length under tension to get out any line memory, prior to most trips.  It worked great on everything but the Airflow, which still looked like a floating slinky on the surface when used the next day. I’m not as conversant as some on the new lines, so can’t recommend any particular brand, but just wanted to add my $.02 worth about ‘Airflow.’ Max Before you buy.

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Trash the AirFlo lines, stock a full line of AirFlo leaders, get SA and Cortland fly lines, give out free condoms with each purchase over $50 or you’ll have no customers in 5 years. — Wayne To fish is human….To release Divine! Before you buy.

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Gavin, I thought you were the 16 year old kid.  Didn’t you say that you started fly-fishing 6 years ago when you were 10?  Now, you have your own fly-shop in South Africa? — Vern The new ROFF page: http://home.earthlink.net/~flyfishing4fun "Wilderness needs no defense, only more defenders"                             quote by Edward Abbey Before you buy.

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I second the trashing of the Airflow lines.  I’ve only been fly fishing for 12 years, but for the last 2 years I’ve been ff about 4-5 times a week. I’ve used the Delta and Bass lines:  they suck terribly.  Never ever lose their memory (when in Florida I stretched a line around my garage and left it in the 100 degree heat for 24 hours, and it still retained its memory coil) and they are sure to tangle on at least 25 to 50% of your casts.  Even the cheapest Cortlands (333) and SAs are far better. Adam

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – if one was limited to 1 line for each line weight #2-#12 and could only spend about $50 on each line what kind,weight,taper,density(floating sinking etc.)price and color would it be is there a preference for certain line which lines are the most popular which line would you recommend for a beginner what do you think of multi tips etc. these answers will help in restocking a new fly shop in south africa we have got airflow flylines but want to now what the craze is now information will be greatly appreciated tight lines from Gavin

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – if one was limited to 1 line for each line weight #2-#12 and could only spend about $50 on each line what kind,weight,taper,density(floating sinking etc.)price and color would it be is there a preference for certain line which lines are the most popular which line would you recommend for a beginner what do you think of multi tips etc. these answers will help in restocking a new fly shop in south africa we have got airflow flylines but want to now what the craze is now information will be greatly appreciated tight lines from Gavin

Again, trash the airflow lines.  I like the Rio lines.  However, Corland is a big company and might be easier to get in South Africa. Their lines are okay depending on which one you get. — Vern The new ROFF page: http://home.earthlink.net/~flyfishing4fun "Wilderness needs no defense, only more defenders"                             quote by Edward Abbey Before you buy.

Response:

Trash the AirFlo lines, stock a full line of AirFlo leaders, get SA and Cortland fly lines, give out free condoms with each purchase over $50 or you’ll have no customers in 5 years. — Wayne

___  The voice of experience!  Good advice. — Mr.G. http://www.gink.com "the sage continues"

  gink.vcf

< 1K Download

Response:

… give out free condoms with each purchase over $50 or you’ll have no customers in 5 years.

But poke holes in them with a pin first and you might (with luck) have a few new customers in … maybe … 15-20 years! Tight Lines, Tony Deacon

Response:

That is "Airflo", not "airflow", which is immaterial in any case as it is only fit for the bin. If you do not already know the answers to these questions, quite apart from the prices involved, then you should not be opening a fly shop. The "craze" at the moment appears to be inline skates. 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 —— Original Message —– Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.fishing.fly Sent: Donnerstag, 13. Juli 2000 19:56 if one was limited to 1 line for each line weight #2-#12 and could only spend about $50 on each line what kind,weight,taper,density(floating sinking etc.)price and color would it be is there a preference for certain line which lines are the most popular which line would you recommend for a beginner what do you think of multi tips etc. these answers will help in restocking a new fly shop in south africa we have got airflow flylines but want to now what the craze is now information will be greatly appreciated tight lines from Gavin — "In order to know what is possible one must constantly attempt the impossible" http://www.mikeconnor.de if one was limited to 1 line for each line weight #2-#12 and could only spend about $50 on each line what kind,weight,taper,density(floating sinking etc.)price and color would it be is there a preference for certain line which lines are the most popular which line would you recommend for a beginner what do you think of multi tips etc. these answers will help in restocking a new fly shop in south africa we have got airflow flylines but want to now what the craze is now information will be greatly appreciated tight lines from Gavin

Response:

… give out free condoms with each purchase over $50 or you’ll have no customers in 5 years. But poke holes in them with a pin first and you might (with luck) have a few new customers in … maybe … 15-20 years! Tight Lines, Tony Deacon

If they live that long.  Odds aren’t as good as they used to be in SA. — Levi "So long, and thanks for all the fish."

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – … give out free condoms with each purchase over $50 or you’ll have no customers in 5 years. But poke holes in them with a pin first and you might (with luck) have a few new customers in … maybe … 15-20 years! Tight Lines, Tony Deacon If they live that long.  Odds aren’t as good as they used to be in SA. — Levi "So long, and thanks for all the fish."

South Africa is not all that bad I do admit to a lot of crime here though Aids is not much of a problem among the white communities they say something like 35% of all Africans are infected From Gavin

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – That is "Airflo", not "airflow", which is immaterial in any case as it is only fit for the bin. If you do not already know the answers to these questions, quite apart from the prices involved, then you should not be opening a fly shop. The "craze" at the moment appears to be inline skates. TL MC "In order to know what is possible one must constantly attempt the impossible" http://www.mikeconnor.de

Im just wanted to know as we have sold most of AIRFLO stock and plan to get more I said if 1 was limited to $50 which is about R320 with our exchange rate at the moment Oh I dont own a shop I am helping my friend who does regards Gavin

Response:

if one was limited to 1 line for each line weight #2-#12 and could only spend about $50 on each line what kind,weight,taper,density(floating sinking etc.)price and color would it be is there a preference for certain line which lines are the most popular which line would you recommend for a beginner what do you think of multi tips etc. these answers will help in restocking a new fly shop in south africa we have got airflow flylines but want to now what the craze is now information will be greatly appreciated tight lines from Gavin

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Question:

I have a Leki "Wanderfraund" (my German spelling is bad) which I saw in a shop window in Germany and bought from Leki in the US.  It telescopes.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – (apologies if this shows up twice) … I use Folstaff wading staffs for flyfishing in streams, they are collapsible and very sturdy, yet lightweight.  Folstaffs fit into a holster you slip onto pack belts. I could use a good folding staff for hiking on established trails (and some bushwhacking).   And could certainly go with the Folstaff, but I’m wondering however if there are other makes/models of collapsible models to research first ? thanks in advance, Sue Colorado Before you buy.

Response:

(apologies if this shows up twice) … I use Folstaff wading staffs for flyfishing in streams, they are collapsible and very sturdy, yet lightweight.  Folstaffs fit into a holster you slip onto pack belts. I could use a good folding staff for hiking on established trails (and some bushwhacking).   And could certainly go with the Folstaff, but I’m wondering however if there are other makes/models of collapsible models to research first ? thanks in advance, Sue Colorado Before you buy.

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Question:

Kudo’s Stan…. The site looks great. –Walt – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Site is fixed.  There was a single character error in the last line. *** (for HTML weenies only) I had a ‘?’ instead of a ” closing the table tag.  Apparently got added late yesterday as I was doing last minute editing and IE doesn’t care about closing the table, but Netscape pukes on it. ***end of weenie section Thanks for the feedback guys. Stan, I don’t see any links…. I’m using netscape 4.72. Works fine with IE 5.5. — Charlie… I can see it in IE, but not Netscape also. Kevin

– Ezflyfish.com: http://www.ezflyfish.com Blue Ridge Book Gallery: http://www.amazon.com/shops/blueridgebooks

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Well, it seems that the page is "picky" about browsers and/or Java(Script), or ???.  I don’t get anything but the .jpg of Paul’s tying table and the text block below – no links, etc..  FWIW, why must such pages have "tricks" that require specific browsers, etc.  With commercial sites, IMO, it’s insane, business-wise, but with "shared info" sites, it’s annoying and possibly/probably restricts those who can see it, which seems to be in direct conflict with the point of the site. It doesn’t use any tricks at all.  No JavaScript, no nonsense.  The site *is* database driven so we can set up a site with 40 flies quickly – one template for each of three different page styles, with all details (fly info, tyer’s name, links to the pictures) filled from database lookups.  The script runs on the server and dishes out clean simple HTML that should run on any browser. Can you tell me if you see an error message below the line under the intro text?  Does it say something like ‘too many database connections’ or something similar?  If so, try again later – the free server this is on has just recently updated it’s database server and there have been problems all week.  Sorry, but that’s what we get for free.  I’m hoping to move this to a better server very soon. –Stan

It’s now running fine, thanks, and it looks great – a "well done!" to both you and Paul for your efforts, and to the tyers for a great bunch of flies.   To the tyers: all look great and a job well done.  If Stan is so disposed, maybe the tiers could send names and recipes for those missing?  I noticed some had recipes and some didn’t, and I’d bet I’m not the only one who would like to see all the recipes, esp. on the personal patterns. TC, R

Response:

Stan, thank you Wim – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Congratulations to both of you, a really good job. Stan, I recognized the spelling of my name. Could you please do me a favour and change Muschok to Mischok? Thanks Wim Paul Goodwin has shot some nice pics of flies from the PNW Swap and I did a lot of reframing and sharpening on his old FS2000 pics.  The site is up and running and ready for the FS2001 pictures as soon as Frank sends the flies out next week. See the ROFF Swap site at www.roff.f2s.com Comments are welcome. –Stan

Response:

Paul Goodwin has shot some nice pics of flies from the PNW Swap and I did a lot of reframing and sharpening on his old FS2000 pics.  The site is up and running and ready for the FS2001 pictures as soon as Frank sends the flies out next week.

——- The photographs and presentations are wonderful!  How did you ever get those tiny flies to photography so clear?  Thanks to Paul and Stan for all their hard work on our behalf… — Padishar Creel "Man is the best computer we can put aboard a spacecraft…and the only one that can be mass produced with unskilled labor." –  Wernher von Braun

Response:

Another great page for information on a great place for fly fishing. Not to mention it’s the home of the 50 pound stripper. Lots of great pics. http://www.geocities.com/virginiasbestkeptsecret/

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Congratulations to both of you, a really good job. Stan, I recognized the spelling of my name. Could you please do me a favour and change Muschok to Mischok? Thanks Wim Paul Goodwin has shot some nice pics of flies from the PNW Swap and I did a lot of reframing and sharpening on his old FS2000 pics.  The site is up and running and ready for the FS2001 pictures as soon as Frank sends the flies out next week. See the ROFF Swap site at www.roff.f2s.com Comments are welcome. –Stan

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Not to mention it’s the home of the 50 pound stripper.

Virginia’s best kept secret is a 50 pound stripper? Did Vern move out from Vegas and start a new act, or something? – sid banishing the thought

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You got’em clod Sid.  Sure wish I had caught that one! Opie  –the porcupine kid–

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Not to mention it’s the home of the 50 pound stripper. Virginia’s best kept secret is a 50 pound stripper? Did Vern move out from Vegas and start a new act, or something? – sid banishing the thought

Response:

Paul Goodwin has shot some nice pics of flies from the PNW Swap and I did a lot of reframing and sharpening on his old FS2000 pics.  The site is up and running and ready for the FS2001 pictures as soon as Frank sends the flies out next week. See the ROFF Swap site at www.roff.f2s.com Comments are welcome. –Stan

Response:

….Comments are welcome.

The bug sitting on the Rube Goldberg solar system model thingy in the foreground is obviously in robust good health, as is made evident by it’s alert posture.  Those in the background have evidently succumbed to ethanol fumes.  I think there is a lesson here for all of us. Wolfgang

Response:

Paul Goodwin has shot some nice pics of flies from the PNW Swap and I did a lot of reframing and sharpening on his old FS2000 pics.  The site is up and running and ready for the FS2001 pictures as soon as Frank sends the flies out next week. See the ROFF Swap site at www.roff.f2s.com Comments are welcome. –Stan

Well, it seems that the page is "picky" about browsers and/or Java(Script), or ???.  I don’t get anything but the .jpg of Paul’s tying table and the text block below – no links, etc..  FWIW, why must such pages have "tricks" that require specific browsers, etc.  With commercial sites, IMO, it’s insane, business-wise, but with "shared info" sites, it’s annoying and possibly/probably restricts those who can see it, which seems to be in direct conflict with the point of the site. TC R

Response:

Could be.But that wine glass looks like my shirt one evening when the mayflies were hatching. —  Don Thompson Another of the Thompson Boys

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Paul Goodwin has shot some nice pics of flies from the PNW Swap and I did a lot of reframing and sharpening on his old FS2000 pics.  The site is up and running and ready for the FS2001 pictures as soon as Frank sends the flies out next week. See the ROFF Swap site at www.roff.f2s.com Comments are welcome. –Stan Well, it seems that the page is "picky" about browsers and/or Java(Script), or ???.  I don’t get anything but the .jpg of Paul’s tying table and the text block below – no links, etc..  FWIW, why must such pages have "tricks" that require specific browsers, etc.  With commercial sites, IMO, it’s insane, business-wise, but with "shared info" sites, it’s annoying and possibly/probably restricts those who can see it, which seems to be in direct conflict with the point of the site. TC R

Response:

Mayflies that look like black ghosts???

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Could be.But that wine glass looks like my shirt one evening when the mayflies were hatching. —  Don Thompson Another of the Thompson Boys Paul Goodwin has shot some nice pics of flies from the PNW Swap and I did a lot of reframing and sharpening on his old FS2000 pics.  The site is up and running and ready for the FS2001 pictures as soon as Frank sends the flies out next week. See the ROFF Swap site at www.roff.f2s.com Comments are welcome. –Stan Well, it seems that the page is "picky" about browsers and/or Java(Script), or ???.  I don’t get anything but the .jpg of Paul’s tying table and the text block below – no links, etc..  FWIW, why must such pages have "tricks" that require specific browsers, etc.  With commercial sites, IMO, it’s insane, business-wise, but with "shared info" sites, it’s annoying and possibly/probably restricts those who can see it, which seems to be in direct conflict with the point of the site. TC R

Response:

 Nope. The density of the "critters"  hehe  My shirt,cap,jeans,everything was a near solid mass of Mayflies. —  Don Thompson Another of the Thompson Boys

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Mayflies that look like black ghosts??? Could be.But that wine glass looks like my shirt one evening when the mayflies were hatching. —  Don Thompson Another of the Thompson Boys

Response:

Well, it seems that the page is "picky" about browsers and/or Java(Script), or ???.  I don’t get anything but the .jpg of Paul’s tying table and the text block below – no links, etc..  FWIW, why must such pages have "tricks" that require specific browsers, etc.  With commercial sites, IMO, it’s insane, business-wise, but with "shared info" sites, it’s annoying and possibly/probably restricts those who can see it, which seems to be in direct conflict with the point of the site.

It doesn’t use any tricks at all.  No JavaScript, no nonsense.  The site *is* database driven so we can set up a site with 40 flies quickly – one template for each of three different page styles, with all details (fly info, tyer’s name, links to the pictures) filled from database lookups.  The script runs on the server and dishes out clean simple HTML that should run on any browser. Can you tell me if you see an error message below the line under the intro text?  Does it say something like ‘too many database connections’ or something similar?  If so, try again later – the free server this is on has just recently updated it’s database server and there have been problems all week.  Sorry, but that’s what we get for free.  I’m hoping to move this to a better server very soon. –Stan

Response:

The last line of text was: "This page was designed and programmed (using PHP and MySQL) by Stan Gula. Please post any comments on ROFF." This was followed by a plane line. There seemed to be no way to get to any other pages. Willi

Response:

Paul Goodwin has shot some nice pics of flies from the PNW Swap and I did a lot of reframing and sharpening on his old FS2000 pics.  The site is up and running and ready for the FS2001 pictures as soon as Frank sends the flies out next week. See the ROFF Swap site at www.roff.f2s.com Comments are welcome. –Stan

Stan, I don’t see any links…. I’m using netscape 4.72. –Walt — Ezflyfish.com: http://www.ezflyfish.com Blue Ridge Book Gallery: http://www.amazon.com/shops/blueridgebooks

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Paul Goodwin has shot some nice pics of flies from the PNW Swap and I did a lot of reframing and sharpening on his old FS2000 pics.  The site is up and running and ready for the FS2001 pictures as soon as Frank sends the flies out next week. See the ROFF Swap site at www.roff.f2s.com Comments are welcome. –Stan Stan, I don’t see any links…. I’m using netscape 4.72.

Works fine with IE 5.5. — Charlie…

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Stan, I don’t see any links…. I’m using netscape 4.72. Works fine with IE 5.5. — Charlie…

I can see it in IE, but not Netscape also. Kevin

Response:

I have a simple three row table under that line and I’m checking it out in Netscape.  Thanks for the feedback everybody.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Stan, I don’t see any links…. I’m using netscape 4.72. Works fine with IE 5.5. — Charlie… I can see it in IE, but not Netscape also. Kevin

Response:

Site is fixed.  There was a single character error in the last line. *** (for HTML weenies only) I had a ‘?’ instead of a ” closing the table tag.  Apparently got added late yesterday as I was doing last minute editing and IE doesn’t care about closing the table, but Netscape pukes on it. ***end of weenie section Thanks for the feedback guys.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Stan, I don’t see any links…. I’m using netscape 4.72. Works fine with IE 5.5. — Charlie… I can see it in IE, but not Netscape also. Kevin

Response:

Site is fixed.  

Indeed it is.  It looks great.  Thanks, Kevin

Response:

Good job, Stan. Very nice site. George Adams "From the rockin’ of the cradle to the rollin’ of the hearse, the goin’ up was worth the comin’ down." ___Kris Kristofferson "The Pilgrim/Chapter 33"

Response:

Congratulations to both of you, a really good job. Stan, I recognized the spelling of my name. Could you please do me a favour and change Muschok to Mischok? Thanks Wim – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Paul Goodwin has shot some nice pics of flies from the PNW Swap and I did a lot of reframing and sharpening on his old FS2000 pics.  The site is up and running and ready for the FS2001 pictures as soon as Frank sends the flies out next week. See the ROFF Swap site at www.roff.f2s.com Comments are welcome. –Stan

Response:

That’s what makes Netscape the best platform for testing pages.. Never mind Stan, great job well done. Cheers, Herman Site is fixed.  There was a single character error in the last line. *** (for HTML weenies only) I had a ‘?’ instead of a ” closing the table tag.  Apparently got added late yesterday as I was doing last minute editing and IE doesn’t care about closing the table, but Netscape pukes on it. ***end of weenie section Thanks for the feedback guys.

–         Cheers, Herman         Herman Nijland         Daytime webmaster         Lifetime flyfisher

Response:

Paul Goodwin has shot some nice pics of flies from the PNW Swap and I did a lot of reframing and sharpening on his old FS2000 pics.  The site is up and running and ready for the FS2001 pictures as soon as Frank sends the flies out next week. See the ROFF Swap site at www.roff.f2s.com Comments are welcome. –Stan

Nice job Stan!   Thanks and my appreciation to both you and Paul. Frank (up to my arse in packages) Church

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Visit our Web Site at http://www.angelfire.com/bc2/jerifly Merry Christmas jeri

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 The Best Fly Swap you will ever Join  Visit our Web Site at  http://www.angelfire.com/bc2/jerifly  Merry Christmas  jeri

Response:

Question:

I purchased a pair of GoreTex waders a couple years ago from LL Bean. The price was much more reasonable than some, and the Bean service is excellent. I haven’t exposed them to a great degree of abuse, but the material appears quite durable. They are well made, double thickness at the knees. The suspenders are adequate, but could be sturdier. John Nesselrode Shawnee, KS

Response:

I bought a pair of the Clearwater waders.  I fished in the early season (read cold) here in Minnesota and found that they erformed very well with fleece pants underneath.  They are truly awsome on a 80 degree day with 80% humidity.  However, after around 65 days on the water the seam tape on both feet started to come off.  Although they never leaked, I took them to my Orvis dealer as I was going to Montana and didn’t want them to start leaking.  I walked out with a new pair for free, now that’s service.   Anyway, the new pair has been fine so far.  I think I am harder on my gear than most.  I fish 3-4 times a week on small streams and am often crashing through brush in the dark with no flashlight. Long Live Hay Creek MikeH

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They’re great!!!

Response:

I remember seeing a thread about Gore-Tex waders a while back. Would anyone be willing to put forth their $.02 again, for I’m interested in these waders. Thanks, — Don Pisinski C.C.S. Digital Equipment Corporation (When replying remove the "x" from the e-mail address) My opinions are not reflective of the opinions of my employer, my  cat, dog, or goldfish.

Response:

Don, I finally broke down and got some goretex waders but not before an outfitter/shop did me a huge favor.  They let me try out the Clearwater and Bulletproof waders by Orvis and I was stoked.  Then they ruined me by letting me try out the Simms Guide models.  The Simms’s were the most comfortable and the quietest in my experience (fishing them each for a day in warm temps and cold water) but at $350.00, I balked.  My wife, in a rare display of toy-encouragement, thought that since I believed they were the ones to get and I didn’t come out of them all stinky and wet, said go ahead.  I can’t comment on their long term wear and tear, others will though, but I think it was a good decision for me even though I had to use money from the "Bamboo savings". Try them out if you can and I must say that the Clearwaters color is the most pleasant if only because EVERY outdoors-wear maker uses sage or light green/olives in all their clothes.(Fashion tip courtesy the beautiful Stephanie). Good Luck, Bob

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I remember seeing a thread about Gore-Tex waders a while back. Would anyone be willing to put forth their $.02 again, for I’m interested in these waders. Thanks, — Don Pisinski C.C.S. Digital Equipment Corporation (When replying remove the "x" from the e-mail address) My opinions are not reflective of the opinions of my employer, my  cat, dog, or goldfish.

Hi Don I’ve been guiding and fishing in Simms GoreTex waders for several years now and find they are great. The comfort of being able to fish in light weight breathable waders is one of the nicest things I’ve done for myself in years. The downside of any of these waders is minute pin holes that wild roses, nettles, thistles, etc can cause in the membrane of the waders. I just accept this will happen and patch the waders when needed. It’ real simple to do and a minor inconvienience when compared to the comfort. Take care & … — Tight Lines ….. Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Catalog,Tips & Tricks, Fishing Reports, & NeverSink at: http://www.btsflyfishing.com

Response:

I remember seeing a thread about Gore-Tex waders a while back. Would anyone be willing to put forth their $.02 again, for I’m interested in these waders. Thanks,

Don, I recently bought a pair of Orvis 3mm neoprenes to fish the cold waters of Labrador.  When I got there, all the guides were wearing Orvis’ Gore-tex $300 + waders.  This was their 2nd or 3rd year with them, and they were wearing like stainless steel.  The guides were in them from 8 in the morning til 6 every day.  They said that the neoprenes they used to wear wore out too quickly.  They swore by the Gore-tex. Upon my return, I went to my Orvis dealer and jokingly told him that I had purchased the wrong waders — I should have bought the Gore-tex.  Long story short — he took back the 3mm neoprenes and I paid the difference (<$100) for the Gore-tex.  Now, *that’s* what I call a guarantee!!  BTW, the Gore-tex are famulous in cold water or warm air. Dave L.

Response:

Question:

Heading for the Salmon River next week. Any info on the fishing would be appreciated. Thanks Mike

Response:

Mike writes: Heading for the Salmon River next week. Any info on the fishing would be appreciated. Thanks Mike

I can’t speak for all the Salmon Rivers of the world, but the one in New York is covered by a call to 315-298-2993 to either Dave Patrick or Malinda Barna who also keep as update under the FFBN AOL fishing conditions section.   They run the excellent Altmar Smokehouse fly shop right on the river.   Also Bill Fling keeps an excellent page updated at http://www.salmon-river.com Was there 2-4 May and had poor water (Very high) conditions, but with a few steelies produced on flies after a great deal of very hard work.   Am returning next week.  The fish are clearly in the water and nice fish too… But with 2000 cfs flowing were scattered badly and very difficult to get close to or find.   Corkers are highly recommended as is a good wading staff.  Small nymphs and small bright, Eztaz type flies on 5 pound long tippets … Water may be high but is exceedingly clear.  Tightlines, Alan E. Hoover Anglers’ Rest Powhatan, Va        *the trout teach many, lessons*

Response:

Mike writes:

Water on the Salmon River has been high 1700 cfs or better. Fish have been difficult but some have been taken. Four fish were taken at DSR yesterday. I’d try big, egg imitations and others in bright colors. We do have a minor stonefly hatch on currently. Bill — Bill Fling                     Tel. (315) 298-3044 SALMON RIVER ANGLERS LODGE     FAX  (315) 298-2619 P.O. Box 353                   Rt. 13, Rome Road Pulaski, NY 13142-0353   ‘SALMON RIVER/LAKE ONTARIO SPORTFISHING REPORTS’             ‘http://www.salmon-river.com’

Response:

Anyone have anything good or bad to say about the Orvis DXR anti-reverse reels??

Response:

Question:

I am planning to attempt to build a 9′, 5 weight fly rod for myself this fall or winter.  My motivations are a) I’m too cheap to buy a new factory-made model; b) it seems like a neat thing to be able to do. But I need some advice, including: 1.  an good instruction book; 2.  what kind of rod blank, and where to buy it; 3.  where to buy other necessary parts & tools; Also, is this even a sensible, realistic thing to do?  I mean, will I have to buy a bunch of expensive tools?  I am reasonably patient and capable with tools, etc., but I am certainly no craftsman.  Can a normal human being build a fly rod?  How much time/money will it take? (I have more of the former).  Does anyone know of rodbuilding classes in the Denver, CO area? Tight Lines! Marshall

Response:

I am planning to attempt to build a 9′, 5 weight fly rod for myself this . . . Also, is this even a sensible, realistic thing to do?  I mean, will I to buy a bunch of expensive tools?  I am reasonably patient and capable with tools, etc., but I am certainly no craftsman.  Can a normal human

It’s really very simple, and requires no special tools, or instruction book beyond what the pamphlet you get free with a complete rod kit (e.g. from Orvis 25 years ago:  don’t know if they still sell kits.)  But there are good books, by Pfeiffer, Marshall and others. Your main question is where to buy, in person or by mail.  You are best off if you can buy a kit or all components and glues from a store you can visit in person, in which you have confidence.  If you have to buy by mail, you need to know brand-names e.g. whether a St. Croix or Sage blank best suits your budget and your personal fishing needs.  You need have no worry about whipping on guides, gluing handles etc. — anyone can do this, and it does not take long. — |  Donald Phillipson, 4180 Boundary Road, Carlsbad Springs,  | |        Ontario, Canada, K0A 1K0, tel. 613 822 0734         |

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Question:

Hi I live in the Flathead valley in the town of Whitefish Montana and fly fish most of the rivers and lakes. If you need help with this area let me know.                                  Larry

Response:

I’ve never been west but plan on seeing Glacier National Park my first time out.  What streams/rivers/lakes in the area would you recommend? BFisher

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Question:

: dblehaul asks, "what kind of fly line for fishing nymphs on the : bottom… : Use your floating line and a weighted nymp.   Add split shot if you need : it until you can feel it ticking on the bottom, or hang on the bottom : periodically.  Much better control than a sink tip in moving water for : nymphing. Ditto. This set-up has worked great here in Colorado.

Response:

what type of line do you think would be best for fishing nymphs on the bottom (of a stream that is)..i was thinking about a fast sink tip where the first 15 feet sink..i won’t be fishing EXTREMELY deep water…any suggestions? Frankie

Response:

dblehaul asks, "what kind of fly line for fishing nymphs on the

bottom… Use your floating line and a weighted nymp.   Add split shot if you need it until you can feel it ticking on the bottom, or hang on the bottom periodically.  Much better control than a sink tip in moving water for nymphing.

Response:

You may want to take a look at a Teeny Nymph line.  Fantastic! Robert < Robert  <

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I agree wholeheartedly

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: what type of line do you think would be best for fishing nymphs on the : bottom (of a stream that is)..i was thinking about a fast sink tip where : the first 15 feet sink..i won’t be fishing EXTREMELY deep water…any : suggestions? : Frankie         I haven’t tried every line on the market, but I had a lot of success using the Teeny Lines. For your particular case I can mention two line types:                 – T series (T130-7200) for 5-8 Wt Lines. They have a long sinking Tip (maybe some 25 feet) and they sink extremely fast.                 – Mini Tip. This line uses a 5 feet sinking section allowing a good nymph fishing.         If the stream your are going after isn’t more than feet deep I suggest you use the Mini-Tip. Otherwise, I would highly recommend one of the T-Series Lines (for your situation I think the T-130 is better).         I just looked on my Dan Bailey’s Catalog and saw:                         T-130 : $49.95                         Mini-Tip : $47.95                                                 ( 209 West Park St.                                                   PO BOX 1019                                                   Livingston, Montana                                                   59047-1019  ) THANKS GOD FOR FLY FISHING!!!!                                         RODRIGO SANDOVAL

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I live in the highlands of Scotland and have been fly fishing for a number of years, often with the old guys and keepers, ghillies etc. Over this period of time, they’ve told me all sorts of secrets, tips and tricks that help catch more fish. I have written down a lot of this stuff (I’m a journalist by trade, so I would) and have found that there is a real mine of information there. I was thinking of putting all these secrets and stuff together in a little booklet or book since there is so much, and wondered if anyone would be interested in having a copy. This is not meant to be on any commercial basis, but more just to pass on the information to other fishermen the wisdom that was passed on to me by these old guys who were forever young. I guess a lot applies to the Scottish Highlands, but many of the tricks are hard won and universal in nature. If there is enough people who would want such a book, I will put it together – but if there is no demand, there is probably no point in doing it. Initial figuring out for the project would mean the book would cost around #5 UK and $15 US & Canada with the airmail included. Anyhow, I have most of the stuff in shorthand and its pretty remarkable, some of the ideas or weird, but do work and often make the difference between no fish and big fish. At least its literature and maybe it should be done for the British Library, at least it will be a memorial to some of the old guys, now passed on. EMail me back and let me know if you think its worth doing and if you want to send your home address (snail mail) I’ll write you when its done. Just let me know how you feel Ray Berry —  * 1st 2.00b #5141 * Watch where you go…remember where you’ve been…

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: I was thinking of putting all these secrets and stuff together in a : little booklet or book since there is so much, and wondered if anyone : would be interested in having a copy. You can never have too many fishing books.  Sounds like there would be some good info as well as good reading in your book. Bruce Conner

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lots of tantalising stuff about a non-commercial book offer ….

Post-it to the net, I’ll read it **smirk**. steve

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: I live in the highlands of Scotland and have been fly fishing for a : number of years, often with the old guys and keepers, ghillies etc. : Over this period of time, they’ve told me all sorts of secrets, tips : and tricks that help catch more fish. : I have written down a lot of this stuff (I’m a journalist by trade, so : I would) and have found that there is a real mine of information there. : I was thinking of putting all these secrets and stuff together in a : little booklet or book since there is so much, and wondered if anyone : would be interested in having a copy. Might be worth writing the book and looking for a publisher. The market for fishing books is not too wonderful at the moment, but those which deal with the instruction side do best, or so I understand. It would make a change to see something a bit original come out. Nigel — Sussex University, England

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