Question:

[ . . . ] "Since his graduation from Princeton summa cum laude in 1983, Walter Kirn ‘83 has studied at Oxford University, worked as an editor at Spy magazine in New York City, published an acclaimed collection of stories, My Hard Bargain, and a novel, She Needed Me, and freelanced for various publications. Six years ago, he left Manhattan for Montana, attracted by the silence and the barking dogs that keep one from going ‘too deep into the verbal jungle.’ He became New York magazine’s book critic and continues to write regularly for several New York-based national publications from Montana, where he lives with his wife, Maggie-the daughter of actress Margot Kidder and writer Tom McGuane-and their 10-month-old baby, Maisie . . . .

[ . . . ] This isn’t real, is it? Are you sure one of the _New York Magazine_ competition writers didn’t do this? E. Penrose

Response:

This is rich. In the May 31, 1999 issue of Time Magazine, featuring a Special Report: How to Spot a Troubled Kid, Walter Kirn, author of the article "Inside Ritalin" wrote a piece titled: "The Danger of Suppressing Sadness – What if Holden Caulfield had been taking Prozac?" Holden Caufield, as I’m sure you remember, was the dropout hero of J.D. Salinger’s "The Catcher in the Rye." In that article, Kirn states: " . . . . I know from my own experience with clinical depression (contracted as an adult and treated with a combination of therapy and drugs) that such diseases are real and formidable, impossible to wish away . . . ." Pshaw. Tom

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I purchased the December issue of GQ today, which because of the really hot pictures of Charlize Theron on the cover and elsewhere in the magazine, wasn’t a total waste of $3.00. The article, "Inside Ritalin," by Walter Kirn is a complete work of fiction, in my opinion, both as it related to Kirn’s ADD status – ". . . . the symptoms first appeared in junior high school . . . ." – and his experience with Ritalin – " . . . . there I am, as jazzed as any speed freak who’s just put his girlfriend in the hospital after an all-night quarrel in a motel room . . . . ," unless he was taking 800 mg. a day. Kirn is a book critic and fiction writer.  His 1999

novel "Thumbsucker" is a – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – cynical coming of age story.  "When young Justin Cobb is finally cured of his thumbsucking habit, his obsessions change to less benign ones that include sex, drugs, fly-fishing, Mormonism, and Ritalin. This comic novel is set vividly in the world of the 1980s." From the Princeton "In Review" November 3, 1999 http://www.princeton.edu/~paw/archive_old/PAW99-00/04- 1103/1103irtx.html "Interview with Walter Kirn ‘83 "Since his graduation from Princeton summa cum laude in 1983, Walter Kirn ‘83 has studied at Oxford University, worked as an editor at Spy magazine in New York City, published an acclaimed collection of stories, My Hard Bargain, and a novel, She Needed Me, and freelanced for various publications. Six years ago, he left Manhattan for Montana, attracted by the silence and the barking dogs that keep one from going ‘too deep into the verbal jungle.’ He became New York magazine’s book critic and continues to write regularly for several New York-based national publications from Montana, where he lives with his wife, Maggie-the daughter of actress Margot Kidder and writer Tom McGuane- and their 10-month-old baby, Maisie . . . . "Q: Do you feel torn between fiction and nonfiction? "A: My primary ambition is to be a fiction writer. At some point I made a conscious decision not to teach-yet-and so the alternative was quote unquote grub street, which I think is an honorable tradition much maligned by the lofty academics of the 20th century. I write for four magazines-Vanity Fair, GQ, Time, and New York-and for each one I try to exercise a different faculty. . . . Being a critic wasn’t an aspiration of mine, but it was something I could do from Montana, where I moved six years ago . . . . "Q: Tell us about your family. "A: I grew up in a tiny Minnesota town of 500 people called Marine-on-St.-Croix. My father actually went to Princeton, Class of 1960, and was a patent attorney at 3M in Minnesota. My mother, like the mother in Thumbsucker, was a registered nurse. In its vital statistics, the family in the book very much resembles my own. But I get tired of explaining: A writer’s like the magpie, he picks everything shiny and brings it back to his nest . . . It’s mix and match, exaggerate, distort, delete, imagine-it’s not transcribe." "Mix and match, exaggerate, distort, delete, imagine" fairly describes Kirn’s purportedly autobiographical "Inside Ritalin." Watch out for "literary types" and save your $3.00 for something

useful. Tell us more about those pictures…. — Mark Probert Make sure your vote counts–DO NOT vote from the Banana Republic of Florida!

Response:

I read Vanity Fair regularly, and have never noticed thisWalter Kim……am I missing something?

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I purchased the December issue of GQ today, which because of the really hot pictures of Charlize Theron on the cover and elsewhere in the magazine, wasn’t a total waste of $3.00. The article, "Inside Ritalin," by Walter Kirn is a complete work of fiction, in my opinion, both as it related to Kirn’s ADD status – ". . . . the symptoms first appeared in junior high school . . . ." – and his experience with Ritalin – " . . . . there I am, as jazzed as any speed freak who’s just put his girlfriend in the hospital after an all-night quarrel in a motel room . . . . ," unless he was taking 800 mg. a day. Kirn is a book critic and fiction writer.  His 1999 novel "Thumbsucker" is a cynical coming of age story.  "When young Justin Cobb is finally cured of his thumbsucking habit, his obsessions change to less benign ones that include sex, drugs, fly-fishing, Mormonism, and Ritalin. This comic novel is set vividly in the world of the 1980s." From the Princeton "In Review" November 3, 1999 http://www.princeton.edu/~paw/archive_old/PAW99-00/04- 1103/1103irtx.html "Interview with Walter Kirn ‘83 "Since his graduation from Princeton summa cum laude in 1983, Walter Kirn ‘83 has studied at Oxford University, worked as an editor at Spy magazine in New York City, published an acclaimed collection of stories, My Hard Bargain, and a novel, She Needed Me, and freelanced for various publications. Six years ago, he left Manhattan for Montana, attracted by the silence and the barking dogs that keep one from going ‘too deep into the verbal jungle.’ He became New York magazine’s book critic and continues to write regularly for several New York-based national publications from Montana, where he lives with his wife, Maggie-the daughter of actress Margot Kidder and writer Tom McGuane- and their 10-month-old baby, Maisie . . . . "Q: Do you feel torn between fiction and nonfiction? "A: My primary ambition is to be a fiction writer. At some point I made a conscious decision not to teach-yet-and so the alternative was quote unquote grub street, which I think is an honorable tradition much maligned by the lofty academics of the 20th century. I write for four magazines-Vanity Fair, GQ, Time, and New York-and for each one I try to exercise a different faculty. . . . Being a critic wasn’t an aspiration of mine, but it was something I could do from Montana, where I moved six years ago . . . . "Q: Tell us about your family. "A: I grew up in a tiny Minnesota town of 500 people called Marine-on-St.-Croix. My father actually went to Princeton, Class of 1960, and was a patent attorney at 3M in Minnesota. My mother, like the mother in Thumbsucker, was a registered nurse. In its vital statistics, the family in the book very much resembles my own. But I get tired of explaining: A writer’s like the magpie, he picks everything shiny and brings it back to his nest . . . It’s mix and match, exaggerate, distort, delete, imagine-it’s not transcribe." "Mix and match, exaggerate, distort, delete, imagine" fairly describes Kirn’s purportedly autobiographical "Inside Ritalin." Watch out for "literary types" and save your $3.00 for something useful. Tell us more about those pictures…. — Mark Probert Make sure your vote counts–DO NOT vote from the Banana Republic of Florida!

Response:

~~~ Words escape me.  Rent "The Devil’s Advocate" for a good gander, and don’t break the rewind button on your VCR remote. _____

Kim……am I missing something?" ~~~ He’s not not cup of espresso.  I did a google.com search on "Walter KIRN" and came up with a lot of stuff he’s written in "New York Magazine" and "Time", each of which have on-line versions, but I had never heard of him before. "Vanity Fair" is not on-line, as far as I can tell.   This doesn’t really answer your question, though. Cheers, Tom

Response:

Magazine_ competition writers didn’t do this?" ~~~ It’s real in the same sense that the writings of Hunter S. Thompson are real. Cheers, Tom

Response:

I purchased the December issue of GQ today, which because of the really hot pictures of Charlize Theron on the cover and elsewhere in the magazine, wasn’t a total waste of $3.00. The article, "Inside Ritalin," by Walter Kirn is a complete work of fiction, in my opinion, both as it related to Kirn’s ADD status – ". . . . the symptoms first appeared in junior high school . . . ." – and his experience with Ritalin – " . . . . there I am, as jazzed as any speed freak who’s just put his girlfriend in the hospital after an all-night quarrel in a motel room . . . . ," unless he was taking 800 mg. a day. Kirn is a book critic and fiction writer.  His 1999 novel "Thumbsucker" is a cynical coming of age story.  "When young Justin Cobb is finally cured of his thumbsucking habit, his obsessions change to less benign ones that include sex, drugs, fly-fishing, Mormonism, and Ritalin. This comic novel is set vividly in the world of the 1980s." From the Princeton "In Review" November 3, 1999 http://www.princeton.edu/~paw/archive_old/PAW99-00/04-1103/1103irtx.html "Interview with Walter Kirn ‘83 "Since his graduation from Princeton summa cum laude in 1983, Walter Kirn ‘83 has studied at Oxford University, worked as an editor at Spy magazine in New York City, published an acclaimed collection of stories, My Hard Bargain, and a novel, She Needed Me, and freelanced for various publications. Six years ago, he left Manhattan for Montana, attracted by the silence and the barking dogs that keep one from going ‘too deep into the verbal jungle.’ He became New York magazine’s book critic and continues to write regularly for several New York-based national publications from Montana, where he lives with his wife, Maggie-the daughter of actress Margot Kidder and writer Tom McGuane-and their 10-month-old baby, Maisie . . . . "Q: Do you feel torn between fiction and nonfiction? "A: My primary ambition is to be a fiction writer. At some point I made a conscious decision not to teach-yet-and so the alternative was quote unquote grub street, which I think is an honorable tradition much maligned by the lofty academics of the 20th century. I write for four magazines-Vanity Fair, GQ, Time, and New York-and for each one I try to exercise a different faculty. . . . Being a critic wasn’t an aspiration of mine, but it was something I could do from Montana, where I moved six years ago . . . . "Q: Tell us about your family. "A: I grew up in a tiny Minnesota town of 500 people called Marine-on-St.-Croix. My father actually went to Princeton, Class of 1960, and was a patent attorney at 3M in Minnesota. My mother, like the mother in Thumbsucker, was a registered nurse. In its vital statistics, the family in the book very much resembles my own. But I get tired of explaining: A writer’s like the magpie, he picks everything shiny and brings it back to his nest . . . It’s mix and match, exaggerate, distort, delete, imagine-it’s not transcribe." "Mix and match, exaggerate, distort, delete, imagine" fairly describes Kirn’s purportedly autobiographical "Inside Ritalin." Watch out for "literary types" and save your $3.00 for something useful. Cheers, Tom

Response:

Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – x-no-archive: yes It looks, from the pictures in the Old Town catalogue as if the pack may have a  slightly shallower and more curved hull – do you think this would make much difference over the 119k? (stability, or dryness?) If you can find them both on display, take a close look at them. The cross section line drawing in the catalog for the Pack looks more like the actual profile of the 119K in real life. The bottom of the 119 isn’t nearly as flat as the catalog line drawing would suggest; it’s more like a shallow-V, with a nice curve into the bilges. The 119 should be slightly dryer as it is a couple of inches deeper in the center, bow, and stern, has a bit more flare on the sides, and has a slightly higher load rating (although I don’t think I would try to put that much into one!). Either would likely be good choice for your intended use. Good luck! Bob

Thanks for your help, Bob. I think I may go for the 119. Roger —

Response:

 I have had my "pack" for about 3 years now and have taken it from boundary waters to the everglades. Its a great little canoe…pretty stable until the water gets about 1/2-1 foot chop with hefty breeze then it gets dicey & youll want a heavier craft…easy to portage, nice & light…not a speed demon but it’ll get ya there..I prefer a kayak paddle, better tracking..hardly draws any water with my 190 lbs in it…only downside is it needs some kind of skid plate to combat abrasion on the bottoms bow & aft. I wouldnt trade it for anything except maybe a ceder strip cajun piroque Before you buy.

Response:

It looks, from the pictures in the Old Town catalogue as if the pack may have a  slightly shallower and more curved hull – do you think this would make much difference over the 119k? (stability, or dryness?)

        Again, never been inthe 119k, but the Pack is pretty damned stable in my opinion. Any way, tgb, your description of your use of the pack sounds a very pleasant way to spend a day!

        Yeah, from little trout lake to trout lake. But want to add that this is often done while on week or so solo trips, and that little canoe has handled all my gear for same. (Generally consisting of one large

Question:

If anyone in this group has fly fished on a trip to South America, New Zealand, or Australia and has any good fishing photographs from that trip, I would be very grateful if you would be willing to share them with me by sending them via email so I can use them on a web site that I am creating. Thank you very much, Bruce

Response:

Bruce, I’ve got tons of pics from various fishing trips to South Amercia……uh….are you gonna have like some kind of ‘adult check’ on the – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If anyone in this group has fly fished on a trip to South America, New Zealand, or Australia and has any good fishing photographs from that trip, I would be very grateful if you would be willing to share them with me by sending them via email so I can use them on a web site that I am creating. Thank you very much, Bruce

Response:

John, I don’t really know what you mean by an "adult check" for my site.  It’s not going to be some kind of porn thing, if that’s what you mean.  It’s just a fishing and hunting web site I’m creating, that will link to various other fishing and hunting web sites around the world. If you have some good fishing photos from South America and you don’t mind me using them, I’d love to see them.  I’ve heard the fishing is great there and the scenery is beautiful. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post. Bruce Bruce – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Bruce, I’ve got tons of pics from various fishing trips to South Amercia……uh….are you gonna have like some kind of ‘adult check’ on the

Response:

Question:

I pretty much expect my fly to sink on the firts cast or two, to me it seems after the inital wetting then shaking off the water (via-false casting) the fly will then float. Good Luck.

Response:

Herman,    I think Dry Shake is just powdered desiccant.  Once your fly gets wet or slimed wash it off, use your Dry Shake and blow the powder off of the fly. Then treat it with a good floatant.  This has a law of diminishing returns though and you will eventually have to change the fly. Ernie Harrison Have you tried a Blood Knot Machine?  http://home.pacbell.net/ernie2 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I found that Dry shake works great – for only a short time. Once dried, my fly is floating beautifully, after five minutes, it sinks like a stone. Goes Titanic, so to speak.. I quit using the stuff, use CDC flies mainly and dry them with with a flykerchief. Two false casts and ready to go.. Herman RW: <<I’ve been using Dry-Shake for soaked flies. Just dry them out as much as you can with false casting and/or a cloth or a paper towel, then use the Dry-Shake. It works great. No need to false cast or blot with anything, RW.  After a fly has been slimed by the fish, simply wash it off in the water, put it in a bottle of dessicant, shake, and voila, good as new. Dave L. — Cheers, Herman Herman Nijland Daytime webmaster Lifetime flyfisher

Response:

I found that Dry shake works great – for only a short time. Once dried, my fly is floating beautifully, after five minutes, it sinks like a stone. Goes Titanic, so to speak.. I quit using the stuff, use CDC flies mainly and dry them with with a flykerchief. Two false casts and ready to go.. Herman RW: <<I’ve been using Dry-Shake for soaked flies. Just dry them out as much as you can with false casting and/or a cloth or a paper towel, then use the Dry-Shake. It works great. No need to false cast or blot with anything, RW.  After a fly has been slimed by the fish, simply wash it off in the water, put it in a bottle of dessicant, shake, and voila, good as new. Dave L.

–         Cheers, Herman         Herman Nijland         Daytime webmaster         Lifetime flyfisher

Response:

RW: <<I’ve been using Dry-Shake for soaked flies. Just dry them out as much as you can with false casting and/or a cloth or a paper towel, then use the Dry-Shake. It works great. No need to false cast or blot with anything, RW.  After a fly has been slimed by the fish, simply wash it off in the water, put it in a bottle of dessicant, shake, and voila, good as new. Dave L.

Response:

Vern, I found Gink works best when allowed to dry completely.  This prevents the "sheen" on the water.  I also considered pre-coating my flys in the box before a trip but George recommended against it.  He says it can soften the hackles and make the dry flys less effective.  I have found that once a fly becomes really wet, applying Gink (or any floatant) seems to be ineffective.  I pat and blow dry (sling dry) the fly prior to re-coating.

I’ve been using Dry-Shake for soaked flies. Just dry them out as much as you can with false casting and/or a cloth or a paper towel, then use the Dry-Shake. It works great. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

Vern, I found Gink works best when allowed to dry completely.  This prevents the "sheen" on the water.  I also considered pre-coating my flys in the box before a trip but George recommended against it.  He says it can soften the hackles and make the dry flys less effective.  I have found that once a fly becomes really wet, applying Gink (or any floatant) seems to be ineffective.  I pat and blow dry (sling dry) the fly prior to re-coating. — Wayne To fish is human….To release Divine! Before you buy.

Response:

I went to my local fly shop and bought a bottle of that famous stuff, "Gink."  On my way home I was hungry and decided to take my 4 year old to the IHOP.  As we were eating, I pulled out the little bottle from my shirt pocket. Popping the cap open I took a sniff.  There was no smell.  The bright yellow label was easy to read.  However, the information was uninformative and precocious as it claimed, "the most important product in any fly fisherman’s vest."  Though it might become the most important product in my vest, it isn’t yet. My four year old stabbed anther piece of egg with his fork as I poured a drop of Gink on the back of my hand.  It felt much like messuage oil.  It felt good on the back of my hand as I tried to rub it in.  It wouldn’t rub in.  The same amount of Gink remained on the back of my hand.  This is a good thing, I thought.  If it isn’t absorbed by my skin it becomes harder to effect my health. I pulled out two identical flies that I just bought at "Clearwater," my local fly shop and placed a little Gink on one fly.  The water glass was half empty so I poured a little water into an empty coffee cup and placed both flies on the water.  Both flies floated.  There was no difference. Okay, but what if the fly hits a little turbulence or pulled under water for a second or two?  Taking a toothpick, I pushed each one under water for exactly ten seconds.  Now, they both sunk.  I thought to my self, what good was this stuff?  Maybe, it wasn’t a fare test. I continued eating and cut the rest of my boy’s pancakes into bite size pieces.  After a short time, I decided to give Gink another test.  I dropped a single drop into the coffee cup of water.  I noticed that it stayed in one ball and then turned cloudy.  I took and touched the drop of Gink.  It had hardened.  I tried to sink the Gink, but it kept popping up to the surface. The little drop of Gink was very resilient and would not sink.  Something was definitely in this little bottle that floats. That’s when I noticed it.  A faint oily film hovered in the surface of water.  I don’t know what this stuff is, but it couldn’t be good for our rivers. I was now more intrigued than before.  I tore two small pieces of napkin and put Gink on one of them.  I then put both in the water and tried to sink them.  The piece of napkin without Gink instantly absorbed water, became soft, and sank.  The Gink piece of napkin wouldn’t sink, even after making a whirlpool and poking it several times.  However, the piece of napkin with Gink was stiff. Let’s try the flies one more time, I thought.  I put Gink on one more fly and performed the same test.  Again, the fly sunk even after holding it under water for one second.  Well, it didn’t completely sink.  The fly hovered at the top of the water just under the surface.  It was not on top of the water, it was under the water. I don’t know what this all means.  I’m going to have to try this Gink stuff Monday when go fishing on a new river, well new for me. Vern

Response:

Question:

It seems that a few ambitious entreprenures are bucking the trend with the demise of theme restaurants around the country to create a fly fishing theme restaurant.

Tony, Please say you made this up.  If so, well done, buddy.  Very, very funny.  If not, I need a drink.   JR

Response:

restaurants are planned in swank locales around the country such as Aspen, Sun Valley, Stowe and Banner Elk, North Carolina.  

huh….Banner Elk? please god, tell me it ain’t so. –Wataugan "swank in carolina" Walt

Response:

restaurants are planned in swank locales around the country such as Aspen, Sun Valley, Stowe and Banner Elk, North Carolina.   huh….Banner Elk? please god, tell me it ain’t so. –Wataugan "swank in carolina" Walt

        hell, walt, now you gonna be sellin books to madonna! wayno the envious – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

In article Greetings all at ROFF, It seems that a few ambitious entreprenures are bucking the trend with the demise of theme restaurants around the country to create a fly fishing theme restaurant. You know the names – Planet Hollywood, The Hard Rock Cafe, etc. This one is tentatively called A Restaurant Runs Though It (what else?) –

(snip) I assume that the featured entrees will be vienna sausage and possum. Mark Faulkner

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – restaurants are planned in swank locales around the country such as Aspen, Sun Valley, Stowe and Banner Elk, North Carolina.   huh….Banner Elk? please god, tell me it ain’t so. –Wataugan "swank in carolina" Walt        hell, walt, now you gonna be sellin books to madonna! wayno the envious

dang wayno, never thought of that…you think bruce and demi will stop by? man oh man, if claudia came by i’d get a tingle in me bells. waldo the hopeful

Response:

dang wayno, never thought of that…you think bruce and demi will stop by? man oh man, if claudia came by i’d get a tingle in me bells.

Bruce and Demi have split up (at least that’s what she told me<g). — Charlie…

Response:

Please say you made this up.  If so, well done, buddy.  Very, very funny.  If not, I need a drink.

JR, The developers of "A Restaurant Runs Through It" wouldn’t  want *anybody* to miss the boat with this opportunity.  Franchises are available throughout the country (except for the North Carolina region which has an oversupply of account reps). Would you like a prospectus to review at your lesiure over the winter? A happy and healthy new year to you and yours! Tony Ritter

Response:

Greetings all at ROFF, It seems that a few ambitious entreprenures are bucking the trend with the demise of theme restaurants around the country to create a fly fishing theme restaurant. You know the names – Planet Hollywood, The Hard Rock Cafe, etc. This one is tentatively called A Restaurant Runs Though It (what else?) – but the developers aren’t really enamored with the name..  Locations for the restaurants are planned in swank locales around the country such as Aspen, Sun Valley, Stowe and Banner Elk, North Carolina.   The menu consists of wholesome family fare with the likes of "Wooly Burgers", "Streamers with Corn on the Cob" along with ice cold Sleeman’s Ale.  "Surf Candies" are always a favorite dessert for the kids. Attractive nymphs ( Hi, my name’s Prince and I’ll be your waiter tonight) attentively wade by your table thoughout your meal assuring that your repast will be one to remember. Around the dining room, you’ll find worn waders and old flyline festively hung up to round out the rustic decor.  I’m pretty impressed with their plan and wanted to pass this information on to fellow ROFFians in a timely manner. With peace, good health and many days astream in 1999, Tony Ritter "Is it well done waiter?" "Yes, it’s a dun, sir!"

Response:

Question:

(GSWheaton) writes: Can anyone suggest a good guide / charter service in Panama?  I’ll be there for several days in late January, and I’d like to do some fishing, preferably on the Pacific side.

The best fishing lodges are in remote parts of Panama and only book full week trips, and they are most likely all booked for January by now. However, there is a new land based operation based on Coiba Island that will book as few as two days at around $2000 per person, complete. Another choice would probably be to go to Contadora Island. You can book a charter at the yacht club there, but the fishing isn’t what you expect when you think of Panama. Capt Gene Kelly Tropical Fishing Adventures

Response:

Can anyone suggest a good guide / charter service in Panama?  I’ll be there for several days in late January, and I’d like to do some fishing, preferably on the Pacific side.

Response:

Can anyone suggest a good guide / charter service in Panama?  I’ll be there for several days in late January, and I’d like to do some fishing, preferably on the Pacific side.

There are at least two famous saltwater operations I’m aware of that book week long trips.  Try Tropic Star Lodge (Pinas Bay) at http://www.tropicstar.com/index.html or Coiba Explorer at http://tucson.com/fishing/  Tropic Star often fills up early though, check the available dates on the web site. Tropic Star is a deluxe fly-in lodge and more world records have been set there than any other locale (according to their brochure anyway).  It’s famous mostly for light-tackle billfish and pelagics off the Zane Grey reef.  Coiba is a live-aboard operation and has perhaps more variety with plenty of inshore exotics as well as good offshore fishing at Hannibal Banks (and other reefs). Both are expensive. We fished Tropic Star last winter when fishing was supposedly poor due to the El Nino but still caught 5 marlin and a couple sails.  Friends of ours fished Coiba a few weeks later and caught many smaller fish but only a couple of sails, no marlin.  Usually better than that at either place.  Hope so as we’re going back this winter I just saw an ad in Marlin Mag for a new land-based operation at Coiba as well run by Tom Yust, who set up the original Coiba mothership deal (I was told). He advertises ‘flexible 2-7 day itineraries’ and has a 31 ft Bertram, and might be a good fit for you if you can’t fish an entire week.   He’s at 800-800-0907. Good luck, it’s an adventure down there. Bill Hilton

Response:

Question:

Looking for fragments of arctic fox for fly tying – anyone know where to find it? Jeff Slater

Response:

Looking for fragments of arctic fox for fly tying – anyone know where to find it?

Furriers usually give scraps away free if asked right. Taxidermists usually have scraps too, but are more used to selling them to fly tyers. — |  Donald Phillipson, 4180 Boundary Road, Carlsbad Springs,  | |        Ontario, Canada, K0A 1K0, tel. 613 822 0734         |

Response:

Looking for fragments of arctic fox for fly tying – anyone know where to find it?

Check with Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone, Montana.  Phone 406-646-9365. They are probably as likely as anyone I can think to have some.  If you’re lucky they’ll have the tails.                                         Hope this helps,                                                Dan Dan Gracia Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools Mt. Shasta Fly Fishing Schools http://www.thegrid.net/flyfish

Response:

Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Anyone Know of an economical method of making chum? Want to make my own ,but don’t want to spend $600 to $700 for a used Hobart type meat grinder. Anyone out there making their own? Any ideas are helpful.Thanks…. and tight lines!    Email  or post Sam, I use an old hand powered meat grinder that I picked up at an antiques auction for 25 bucks. Attach it to a 2×4 and then attach that to a fish tote. Works great… — Tight lines and sharp hooks, Capt. Mark Poirier <OOOO))’

I have made chum in the past using a hand grinder hooked to a motor using the fly wheel out of an old dryer, its big enough to make the grinder run slow. I have also used the same hand grinder hooked to a 12 volt engine started on the boat, its noisy but it works well, you can find the atachments near comm fishing docks that use shum. mine only cost about $50 by using used started and grinder. —   Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water,  a vital ingredient in beer.                             … Dave Barry   John & Donna Koterba http://www.olg.com/jkoterba

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Anyone Know of an economical method of making chum? Want to make my own ,but don’t want to spend $600 to $700 for a used Hobart type meat grinder. Anyone out there making their own? Any ideas are helpful.Thanks…. and tight lines!    Email  or post Sam, I use an old hand powered meat grinder that I picked up at an antiques auction for 25 bucks. Attach it to a 2×4 and then attach that to a fish tote. Works great… — Tight lines and sharp hooks, Capt. Mark Poirier <OOOO))’ I have made chum in the past using a hand grinder hooked to a motor using the fly wheel out of an old dryer, its big enough to make the grinder run slow. I have also used the same hand grinder hooked to a 12 volt engine started on the boat, its noisy but it works well, you can find the atachments near comm fishing docks that use shum. mine only cost about $50 by using used started and grinder. —   Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water,  a vital ingredient in beer.                             … Dave Barry John & Donna Koterba http://www.olg.com/jkoterba

I once used a weed wacker to grind up some menhaden. We did have a sucessful trip but I would frown on the weed wacker idea from now on.

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Anyone Know of an economical method of making chum? Want to make my own ,but don’t want to spend $600 to $700 for a used Hobart type meat grinder. Anyone out there making their own? Any ideas are helpful.Thanks…. and tight lines!    Email  or post

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Anyone Know of an economical method of making chum? Want to make my own ,but don’t want to spend $600 to $700 for a used Hobart type meat grinder. Anyone out there making their own? Any ideas are helpful.Thanks…. and tight lines!    Email  or post

Sam, I use an old hand powered meat grinder that I picked up at an antiques auction for 25 bucks. Attach it to a 2×4 and then attach that to a fish tote. Works great… — Tight lines and sharp hooks, Capt. Mark Poirier – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -<OOOO))’

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Anyone Know of an economical method of making chum? Want to make my own ,but don’t want to spend $600 to $700 for a used Hobart type meat grinder. Anyone out there making their own? Any ideas are helpful.Thanks…. and tight lines!    Email  or post

Here’s some ideas i’ve tried with success: 1. Cheapest fish favor cat food both dry or canned is ready made chum. Just dump into chum pot as is. 2. Use a blender with enough water to chop scraps, then pour into half gallon milk cartons and freeze.  To use, peal off carton and put in chum pot.  As it melts it releases. 3. Popular chum here in Hawaii is old white bread mixed with tomato sardines and water. Works for just about anything.  Mix sand into chum if you want it to sink faster. 4. Buy an inexpensive hand-crank meat grinder (plastic with stainless steel blades works best for saltwater applications).  Mount it on a plate with post (pipe) that fits a rodholder.  Attach a radiator hose to outlet of grinder (length of hose depends on the boat, diameter of hose depends on grinder).  Mount the grinder/plate in a rail rodholder and hang hose overboard.  As you grind fish scraps it will run down the hose overboard.  You can grind on demand.  Pour water into the grinder once in a while to clear grinder and hose. Chum pot easy to make.  Just get a plastic 5 gallon bucket with lid, drill ALOT of 1/4" wholes in the sides and bottom.  Tie a short length of rope to bucket handle.   Now just place some chum into bucket, put lid on and hang it over the side with rope tied to cleat of your boat. Chum leaches out of holes with the motion of the boat.                                                            Spy in Hawaii

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I’ve tried several different chum methods: 1.  Learned this from a professional yellowtail snapper fisherman in the Keys – Buy a block of frozen menhaden, mix it with horse oats, water and fine white beach sand, into a slurry.  Dump it over the side a little at a time.  It makes a "cloud" in clear water that both attracts yellow tail and hides your hook (bait up a chunk of mullet or a menhaden – whatever you have, then toss it into the cloud). 2.  Canned catfood, the cheapest, stinkiest stuff you can find works well. Punch a bunch of holes in the can and hang it over the side of your boat. Or you can open a can, dump it into a bucket mixed with water and ladle it over the side. 3.  Same as above with cheap sardines. 4.  For fresh water, try hog pellets.  Here in Florida, we use ‘em to bait shiner nets.  They work fine. 5.  If you’re near the ocaen, go to a fishhouse and ask to buy their dead crabs.  smash ‘em up and ladle ‘em.  They’re terrific for redfish.

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Anyone Know of an economical method of making chum? Want to make my own ,but don’t want to spend $600 to $700 for a used Hobart type meat grinder. Anyone out there making their own? Any ideas are helpful.Thanks…. and tight lines!    Email  or post

This may sound like BS but a guy told me to use an old lawn mower, you might piss off the neighbors but it might work He said he used it to for bluefish to make shark chum. You also might be able to use a leaf mulcher or wood chipper. Don’t laugh to hard at me I’m just passin it on

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So far, I think this is a great line of discussion.  Does anybody mind if I use some of this as material in my articles?  Actually, some of it might be good for a comedy special on HBO.  "Lawn Mulchers for grass, grits, or chum" or something along those lines. Capt. Charlie Capt. Charlie Walker           Southern Charm Charters 813-546-7257                  http://www.flfish.com/fl

Aloha Charlie,   I almost forgot, the best chum maker of all was my younger sister, her first trip out in the ocean.  Her stomach was churning.  And Her timing was perfect.  We would be drifting and everytime she chummed with her breakfast, the fish would show and the action would get wild.  Just when the fish start drifting away, she would get up and chum some more (ralph!) and action all over again.  She ran out (of internal chum) eventually, and the fish left.  She was a real sport though.  I’ll always remember her reeling in fish while lying down.  Try as we might, we could not get her to eat anymore.  We tried not to think of the chum as we ate the fish that night.  Same thing happened with one of my Buddies on his first time out, too.  Now when I see him I say "you’re not just a friend… you’re a real chum".  We can laugh about it now.                                                 A hui hou, Spy in Hawaii

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So far, I think this is a great line of discussion.  Does anybody mind if I use some of this as material in my articles?  Actually, some of it might be good for a comedy special on HBO.  "Lawn Mulchers for grass, grits, or chum" or something along those lines. Capt. Charlie Capt. Charlie Walker           Southern Charm Charters 813-546-7257                  http://www.flfish.com/fl

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So far, I think this is a great line of discussion.  Does anybody mind if I use some of this as material in my articles?  Actually, some of it might be good for a comedy special on HBO.  "Lawn Mulchers for grass, grits, or chum" or something along those lines. Capt. Charlie Capt. Charlie Walker           Southern Charm Charters 813-546-7257                  http://www.flfish.com/fl

See Dan Akroyd in skit called "Bass-O-Matic" on Best of Sat. Nite Live video.  It slices, dices, and turns live bass into a wholesome and refreshing beverage.<g Mark

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Anyone Know of an economical method of making chum?

Really the most economical system I ever heard of was a can of dog food. You buy a can. Use an Ice pick (everybody has one of these aboard) to punch holes in the can. Tie a line (string) around the can and through it in (tie the line to the boat stupid). I have used this for weakies and blues. Works well. Good luck. Michael W. Madden Technical Director, TekVantage The Chesapeake Bay Mariners’ Guide http://www.tekvantage.com/MarinersGuide/index.html The Far Horizons Sailing Search Engine http://www.tekvantage.com/FarHorizons/index.html Host to: The Havre de Grace Yacht Club http://www.tekvantage.com/hdgyc/index.html Host to: The Crazy Swede Restaurant and Bar http://www.tekvantage.com/crazyswede/index.html

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Friday, December 12, 1997     8:34:01 PM I make a small stream fly fishing magazine on the internet.  Dedicated to the small stream enthusiast, the site contains articles freshly penned by John Shewey, (Ron Cordes and Gary LaFontain soon).  Equipment and techniques, all of the areas that I think you may want to review.  I hope that you enjoy the site as much as the fly anglers who have already visited. Thank you very much, adam Small Stream Fly Fishing http://www.smallstreams.com

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… Small Stream Fly Fishing http://www.smallstreams.com

This site is really quite nice. I’d like to see more photos and text describing the surrounding wildlife: trees, birds, etc. Your photos are very good; it’s nice seeing pictures of the fish not all dominated by the fisher!                            - jqt –

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Question:

Bob,      Thanks.  I use the old pliers technique with no trouble.  Was just wondering if I could find lures (rather than flies) that came ready-barblessed.  But thanks for the reply!!                                             Hal

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Anyone know if barbless hooks are available in US?  (Chinese and Japanese fishing is done with them.)                                Hal Kahn

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Anyone know if barbless hooks are available in US?  (Chinese and Japanese fishing is done with them.)                                Hal Kahn

Hal: I believe you will find that barbless hooks are READILY available if you are tying flies or building tackle.   Also, this may be a very silly case of pointing out the obvious, but you can also make any hook barbless by simply smashing down the barb with a pair of pliers.  If you do, be careful to smash the barb only and don’t dull the point of the hook, but it’s real easy. Good luck, Bob

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Anyone know if barbless hooks are available in US?  (Chinese and Japanese fishing is done with them.)

                                Hal Kahn Orvis sells them.  Any good flyfishing shop should carry them. — John Fereira Isis Distributed Systems – Ithaca, NY

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