Question:

The Sowbug Roundup is a local club event put on by The North Arkansas Fly Fishers Club of Mountain Home Arkansas and is this coming Friday and Saturday March 15 and 16. The cost of admission is only 5 bucks for both days. There will be over 100 fly tiers to watch and it is a hell of a lot of fun. If you are going to be in the area you should consider attending. The fishing is great on the White River when they are not running all eight turbines. For more information go to www.Northarkansasflyfisher.org and click on The Sowbug Roundup. I think I will tie Waldo’s version of the Yellerhammar. Big Dale

BD, I posted last night but my server doesn’t show…. anyways, the past two weekends it has performed admirably. I probably caught a few more on the BH version. –waldo

Response:

The Sowbug Roundup is a local club event put on by The North Arkansas Fly Fishers Club of Mountain Home Arkansas and is this coming Friday and Saturday March 15 and 16. The cost of admission is only 5 bucks for both days. There will be over 100 fly tiers to watch and it is a hell of a lot of fun. If you are going to be in the area you should consider attending. The fishing is great on the White River when they are not running all eight turbines. For more information go to www.Northarkansasflyfisher.org and click on The Sowbug Roundup. I think I will tie Waldo’s version of the Yellerhammar. Big Dale  

Response:

Big Dale writes:

(good info snipped) I think I will tie Waldo’s version of the Yellerhammar.

Waldo’s version of the Yellerhammar does not have a point or bend on the hook. He’s a mean bastid……. Dave

Response:

The Sowbug Roundup is a local club event put on by The North Arkansas Fly Fishers Club of Mountain Home Arkansas and is this coming Friday and Saturday March 15 and 16. The cost of admission is only 5 bucks for both days. There will be over 100 fly tiers to watch and it is a hell of a lot of fun. If you are going to be in the area you should consider attending. The fishing is great on the White River when they are not running all eight turbines. For more information go to www.Northarkansasflyfisher.org and click on The Sowbug Roundup. I think I will tie Waldo’s version of the Yellerhammar. Big Dale

BD, It’s worked great the past two weekends. I think I may have caught a few more with the bead-head version…. but who’s countin’? <g –waldo

Response:

Big Dale writes: (good info snipped) I think I will tie Waldo’s version of the Yellerhammar. Waldo’s version of the Yellerhammar does not have a point or bend on the hook. He’s a mean bastid……. Dave

cripes…. i missed a golden opportunity to get in cahoots with the ‘ole swapmeister with the copy he sent forty. shoot…. dang! –waldo

Response:

Question:

Hi Corey,  have a look at these URL

Question:

<SNIP Another question: Are Midges ever fished Below the surface film? When?

midges or more properly chironomids are best fished with pupae imitations in still water. As the pupae rises slowly through several feet of water before hatching at the surface trout frequently feed on these well below the surface – often just a few feet of the bottom. Long leaders and bead head imitations are popular in many still water locations.

Response:

I regularly fish some nearby ponds.  The most consistent bugs are midges and small mayflies, the trout grow large.  The best fishing often occurs in low light conditions, very early morning or twilight.  Since my eyes aren’t the best, I’ve had to improvise.  I tie a series of dry and damp flies on 18" to 30" pieces of tippet.  If I break one off or need to change flies I just run my hand down the leader until I find the knot and snap off the tippet. Then it’s relatively easy to attach a new tippet with a surgeon’s knot.  I fish from a john boat and arrange the new tippets in the bow of the boat with the hooks in some foam and the lines loosely coiled.  The change only takes a few seconds.  I’ve used the same system on the river with mixed results. Joe   —

Response:

<SNIP Another question: Are Midges ever fished Below the surface film? When?

Hi Bob, years ago all flies were tied to gut or horsehair, and the lengths were attached to the leader as required.  I would advise longer lengths than six inches if you do this, eighteen inches or so probably being better. Longer pieces get progressively more unmanageable. You will need to use "cast carriers" as well to keep your stuff from tangling, these can be as simple as pieces of card with slits cut in them to wrap the tippet and fly around. Loops as you suggest at six inches or less, that near your fly would just cause a mess, and ruin your presentation, as knots probably would too. I have seen an elderly gentleman using old plastic line spools with a piece of foam stuck to both sides  for this as well, he had a couple of about twenty four inch lengths wrapped round the spool, and the fly stuck in the foam.  Seemed to work OK. He was knotting the tippet directly to the end of his leader. If I was obliged to do this I would consider using the tiny silver rings available for this purpose, and attaching these to the end of the leader, then just attach the tippet with an improved clinch. These are very small, but a great deal easier to thread than a small fly eye. Midges can be fished very successfully just below the film, most especially pupa imitations. This is particularly effective during a rise of course. Adult midges may also be fished sub-surface. In cases where the trout are feeding on indeterminate minutiae a cream midge size 22 has worked quite well for me, although I very rarely fish flies this small usually. This may be fished at any depth, though not too deep seems to work best. Nymphing with a black or brown midge pupa is often very successful indeed. TL MC

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I regularly fish some nearby ponds.  The most consistent bugs are midges and small mayflies, the trout grow large.  The best fishing often occurs in low light conditions, very early morning or twilight.  Since my eyes aren’t the best, I’ve had to improvise.  I tie a series of dry and damp flies on 18" to 30" pieces of tippet.  If I break one off or need to change flies I just run my hand down the leader until I find the knot and snap off the tippet. Then it’s relatively easy to attach a new tippet with a surgeon’s knot.  I fish from a john boat and arrange the new tippets in the bow of the boat with the hooks in some foam and the lines loosely coiled.  The change only takes a few seconds.  I’ve used the same system on the river with mixed results. Joe –I have the same problem.  I haven’t tried it yet, but am going to pretie tippets to fly, but longer tippets.  I would store theam coiled up in small zip-lock bags,( suach as tying materials come in) with a piece of paper or cardboard inside with specs of conteants.  Jusst make sure you have a leader straightener with you.  Also Ernie Harrisons knot machine works great and faastens to vest.

Response:

Hi All, I have had the same problem.  I came up with 3 solutions. 1.  I purchased magnifier glasses called Flip Focus which attach to my sunglasses and can be purchased in varying powers.  Try Bob Marriotts in Southern California. 2.  I tie my tiny flies on Orvis large eye hooks. 3.  I use an Orvis threader box which contains a bunch of different sized threaders.  As stated by V. Ursenbach, these threaders will not work on very small flies.  However, with the Orvis large eye hooks I have had no problems.  So far, that is. Pete

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello: I would appreciate any opinions on the following: Looking at some REALLY small midge flies I recently received, and appreciating my eyesight degrading a bit each year, I am thinking about pre-tying a length of, perhaps, 6 inches of #7 tippet to each fly now, in the comfort of my warm kitchen. Trying to do it on the stream seems like it would be an exercise in near futility for me. I have enough troubles threading a size 12 or 14 fly these days. I guess I would also tie a loop in the other end, and use a loop to loop connection to the #6 or #7 regular leader tippet I have on the end of my line. -Does this sound reasonable? -Loop to loop only 6" from the fly-present any new, unique, problems? Another question: Are Midges ever fished Below the surface film? When? Thanks, Bob

Response:

You can fish midges any way you want, surface, in the film or below the film.  They work anytime a hatch is going on or not.  Midges are versitile meaning they are everywhere all the time.  Fish them below the surface with a sinktip, no need to even strip, just let it sit. The results can be surprising.  The loop connection may work, I don’t see why not.  Make them in different lengths so you can see if there is a difference. Good Luck, Forrest — Forrest http://www.FlyFishingREVIEW.com FlyFishingREVIEW.com Before you buy.

Response:

A cheaper solution than even this is a needle threader, available at the sewing notions section of you local store. . . .

One problem with this option: the needle threader will not go through the eye of a small midge. Sometimes I use #18 & #20 hooks and find the eye only large enough to push a single strand of line through.  I should say that I use 7X leader.  If I try to fold the line and push it through to make a polymer knot or such like knot the hook eye is to small.  Pushing a needle threader, which has a rounded end and double thickness of wire, is therefore impossible.  Especially when you try to put the leader in the loop and pull the threader back through with the doubled line.  When you pull it through there is now 2 thickness of line and 2 thickness or wire.  If the eye is to small to put 2 thickness of line through, how can 2 thickness of line and 2 thickness of wire go through?  It’s a nice idea, but it just will not work. Vern

Response:

I have been interested in this thread, too. I often use small flies (#18-22) and light tippets (7X). The light tippet lacks the rigidity to "poke around ’til ya hit the hole." And my eyesight… no it’s the tippet material. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it… Anyway, I did some testing yesterday (Sunday 11/14). I bought needle threaders at a fabric/sewing store: 3 for 99 cents. I tried the threader on a #20 midge. It didn’t work at first. I then smashed the wire to a sharp point. It didn’t work,  either. I then used the "eye cleaner" on my clipper to completely clear the eye. The flattened wire went through it fine. I pulled through 5X tippet material.  Some one mentioned it may bruise to tippet material, so I used as little on the tag end as I could. I clipped the suspect part of the tippet and tied my too-many-turn clinch knot. I have attached the needle threader to my vest. Brad in Houston

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – A cheaper solution than even this is a needle threader, available at the sewing notions section of you local store. . . . One problem with this option: the needle threader will not go through the eye of a small midge. Sometimes I use #18 & #20 hooks and find the eye only large enough to push a single strand of line through.  I should say that I use 7X leader.  If I try to fold the line and push it through to make a polymer knot or such like knot the hook eye is to small.  Pushing a needle threader, which has a rounded end and double thickness of wire, is therefore impossible.  Especially when you try to put the leader in the loop and pull the threader back through with the doubled line.  When you pull it through there is now 2 thickness of line and 2 thickness or wire.  If the eye is to small to put 2 thickness of line through, how can 2 thickness of line and 2 thickness of wire go through?  It’s a nice idea, but it just will not work. Vern

Response:

Bob- something I’ve been doig for about four years now for late evening fishing with midges and other small flies, too! I use about a 10-12" piece of tippet material and leave the end plain than use a surgeon’s knot to tie it into my leader….. great for the early mornings when the arthritic fingers haven’t started working yet either! I use clear film cans to store the flies with a small piece of funfoam on the hook points so they don’t tangle…. cut slits down the sides of the film can from the top rim and then slide the tippet through the slit so you can store them individually…. I get 6 or 8 in a can. Personally, I don’t care for loop to loop, especially when I’m fishing something that small and on that light of a leader…it adds two more knots into the equation and increases the chance of failure even more in my mind. As for below the film? Yeah, when they get slimed or forced under by a ripple… I mean short of ca cripple midge, I prefer to fish em on the surface and like using either CDC  as a "loop post" or white Arctic Fox mask as a post to increase visibility. Larry #:)#

Response:

Hi Bob, I’ve seen  a fly box that has sprung steel threaders on which you store the flies.  When you need to tie one on you place the tippet thorugh the threader remove the fly already threaded.  This will certainly help with 12’s, 14 and 16 but I’m not sure whether smaller flies will fit. Perhaps its worth a look. Steve

Response:

Steve: <<Hi Bob, I’ve seen  a fly box that has sprung steel threaders on which you store the flies.  When you need to tie one on you place the tippet thorugh the threader remove the fly already threaded.  This will certainly help with 12’s, 14 and 16 but I’m not sure whether smaller flies will fit. Perhaps its worth a look. Orvis sells two.  For $39 and $28!  Yikes!  Go to an Orvis store and see if it will take 18-22.  Probably will.  I have the same problem, Bob, but I have solved it by using fold-down magnifiers.  You can get them in different magnification powers.  Cheaper than the Orvis trick box. Dave L.

Response:

0] : Steve: : <<Hi Bob, : I’ve seen  a fly box that has sprung steel threaders on which you store : the flies.  When you need to tie one on you place the tippet thorugh the : threader remove the fly already threaded.  This will certainly help : with 12’s, 14 and 16 but I’m not sure whether smaller flies will fit. : Perhaps its worth a look. : Orvis sells two.  For $39 and $28!  Yikes!  Go to an Orvis store and : see if it will take 18-22.  Probably will.  I have the same problem, : Bob, but I have solved it by using fold-down magnifiers.  You can : get them in different magnification powers.  Cheaper than the : Orvis trick box. : Dave L. A cheaper solution than even this is a needle threader, available at the sewing notions section of you local store, three to a package, about $1. It’s a loop of fine music wire staked to a dime sized piece of thin aluminum. You’ll need to pinch the tip of the threader down a bit with pliers or forceps to fit hook eyes–its oblong for needle eyes as it comes. You poke it through the hook eye, put the tippet through the loop and pull it back through. It bruises the tippet a little bit where the wire pulls on it, so discard that little tag end. I find I can pull 5x through #22 eyes, no problem. They last anywhere from 0 to 100 threadings, so carry spares, they’re cheap. I have mine, attached with a bit of mono through a hole punched in the aluminum, on the same zinger as my tippet nipper. A bit of super glue where the wire is attached to the aluminum does help the durability. Mike — Michael McGuire                     Hewlett Packard Laboratories  (remove x’s from email if not      Palo Alto, CA 94303-0971   a spammer) Phone: (650)-857-5491              

Response:

When fishing light tippets, a longer tippet gives you more protection from break offs because of its ability to stretch. I’ve been tempted to pretie tippets but I couldn’t come up with a good way to store them and keep them from tangling in my vest. Instead, I keep a cheap pair of reading glasses in my vest (even though I don’t REALLY need them for reading). I buy at the Dollar store and usually get 2X strength. They help alot. Midges can be fished anywhere in the water column from the film on down. Deep nymphing with midges is very popular on tailwaters.  I was out on my home river (not a tailwater) this AM. The only thing coming off were a few midges. Nothing was rising or sipping but I caught several fish on a 22 midge drifted along the bottom of the runs at the heads of several pools. I came across a huge, dead, hook jawed Brown of about 26". Too old to handle the rigors of spawning, I guess. Willi – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello: I would appreciate any opinions on the following: Looking at some REALLY small midge flies I recently received, and appreciating my eyesight degrading a bit each year, I am thinking about pre-tying a length of, perhaps, 6 inches of #7 tippet to each fly now, in the comfort of my warm kitchen. Trying to do it on the stream seems like it would be an exercise in near futility for me. I have enough troubles threading a size 12 or 14 fly these days. I guess I would also tie a loop in the other end, and use a loop to loop connection to the #6 or #7 regular leader tippet I have on the end of my line. -Does this sound reasonable? -Loop to loop only 6" from the fly-present any new, unique, problems? Another question: Are Midges ever fished Below the surface film? When? Thanks, Bob

Response:

…Looking at some REALLY small midge flies I recently received, and appreciating my eyesight degrading a bit each year, I am thinking about pre-tying a length of, perhaps, 6 inches of #7 tippet to each fly now, in the comfort of my warm kitchen.

There are a couple of problems with this idea.  First, six inches of tippet is much to short for just about any circumstances.  This puts your knot in a very visible location in addition  to doing horrible things to the mechanics of casting.  Second, appropriate tippet length is highly variable and depends on the situation at hand.  For example, in very slow clear water one would ordinarily use a greater length of tippet in order to keep the fly as far as possible from the fly line, and to allow a more natural looking drift.  Since a very long tippet can make casting more difficult (just as a very short one can) one can’t simply always use the long one either.  Third, appropriate tippet diameter is also variable and for the same reasons as above.  Fourth, tippet material is hard enough to keep under control when it is on a spool.  Having a bunch of flies in your vest with lengths of tippet attached would cause a nightmare of snarling and unintended knots. All in all, I think it is much better to acquire and use whatever corrective eye wear you can find. Good luck.

Response:

Hello: I would appreciate any opinions on the following: Looking at some REALLY small midge flies I recently received, and appreciating my eyesight degrading a bit each year, I am thinking about pre-tying a length of, perhaps, 6 inches of #7 tippet to each fly now, in the comfort of my warm kitchen. Trying to do it on the stream seems like it would be an exercise in near futility for me. I have enough troubles threading a size 12 or 14 fly these days. I guess I would also tie a loop in the other end, and use a loop to loop connection to the #6 or #7 regular leader tippet I have on the end of my line. -Does this sound reasonable? -Loop to loop only 6" from the fly-present any new, unique, problems? Another question: Are Midges ever fished Below the surface film? When? Thanks, Bob

Response:

Question:

You won’t be mindin’ if we keep an eye on where the hole card comes from.  ;-)

hell no, i was going to get Honest Wayno’s Guide Service to do the dealing.  If you can’t trust an attorney, who can you trust? Personally, I was hoping one of Big John’s gals would handle the deal. About the fish, now I know why I’ve heard stories of you going through a crate of splitshot a season.  :)

don’t know ’bout ’shot…..you’d have to talk to Matt "egg-dredgin" McCray ’bout dat. Waldo, lost two wild brookies today….man I’m rusty.

Response:

This Clave thing presents a great opportunity for a human interest story for a FFing magazine. Here’s the concept. A bunch of crusty old flyfishers get together in NC. They have only two things in common: a love of flyfishing and an acquaintance through ROFF. These guys don’t know each other face-to-face, for the most part, but they are acquainted through years and years of give-and-take in a Usenet group. Imagine the group dynamics. Who can outfish whom? Who can tell the biggest lies? Who knows the perfect knot? Who has the best self-tied flies? Will they check their weapons at the door? It goes on and on. Yep, it could be a great story. If you know a good writer please clue him in. — something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This Clave thing presents a great opportunity for a human interest story for a FFing magazine. (snip) Yep, it could be a great story. If you know a good writer please clue him in.         more than one of those will be present as participants.  you will not be disappointed with the communiques from the front, nor with reviews filed upon a chance for retrospection. wayno —

wayno, can i be the gun checker? btw, was that you are chub that got the sam in the ass saturday? makes you feel like that monkey, donchano. i can’t even view it now, it hurts. i’m off….damn tax thing tomorrow. waldo

Response:

This Clave thing presents a great opportunity for a human interest story for a FFing magazine. (snip) Yep, it could be a great story. If you know a good writer please clue him in.

        more than one of those will be present as participants.  you will not be disappointed with the communiques from the front, nor with reviews filed upon a chance for retrospection. wayno – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text — something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

Mr. G. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This Clave thing presents a great opportunity for a human interest story for a FFing magazine. (snip) Yep, it could be a great story. If you know a good writer please clue him in.         more than one of those will be present as participants.  you will not be disappointed with the communiques from the front, nor with reviews filed upon a chance for retrospection. wayno — wayno, can i be the gun checker? btw, was that you are chub that got the sam in the ass saturday? makes you feel like that monkey, donchano. i can’t even view it now, it hurts. i’m off….damn tax thing tomorrow. waldo

– Visit: http://www.gink.com        http://www.xink.com        http://www.rodbuilding.com        http://www.rodbuilder.com All Writings & Rights Reserved

Question:

There are two schools of thought on this: !.  Too many guides restrict the rod’s action. 2. Too few guides allow the line to drag against the rod when it flexes. Take your pick. — Ernie Harrison Remove NOSPAM to send E-mail GO TO http://users.ccnet.com/~emh FOR TRAVEL TIE BOX PLANS Hi there! I am building a 7 foot 2-3wt st.croix rod. The problem is that I have found 2 different guide spacing charts for 7 footers. One used 8 guides the other 9. Which one should I use? Jarkko —

—                                             |    Jarkko Karvinen                            |    Student of biochemistry                    |  E. coli happens  University of Turku, Finland               |    tel. +358 (0)2 3338059                        |

— – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am building a 7 foot 2-3wt st.croix rod. The problem is that I have found 2 different guide spacing charts for 7 footers. One used 8 guides the other 9. Which one should I use?<BR The general rule of thumb is one guide for every foot plus the stripper, so 8 is the general rule of thumb.  One thing you might try is to tape the guides on with both the spacing for the 9 guides and the 8 guides and them string a line trhough them and see how the rod flexes.  Basically, the more guides the more friction.  But fewer is not better either – find a hapy medium by flexing the rod with line through the guides and make sure there are no dead spotsor places where the line touches the rod. Or – you might try calling St Croix.  I bet they would give you the guide spacing they use on the factory rod. Al Manchester, NH

      I know you are not the original poster but he may read this. I have an 8′ 8wt, a 7′6" 3wt and a 6′6" 5wt. The question gave me food for thought so I counted the guides on each, they all have 8, stripper included. with the exception of stripper and tip-top are all snake guides, all are factory. I also looked up the guide kits all are 8 guide.                                                              John Popp                                                           in Sanford Fl.

Response:

I know you are not the original poster but he may read this. Ihave an 8′

8wt, a 7′6" 3wt and a 6′6" 5wt. The question gave me food forthought so I counted the guides on each, they all have 8, stripperincluded. with the exception of stripper and tip-top are all snakeguides, all are factory. I also looked up the guide kits all are 8guide. I don’t doubt that all your rods in various lengths have the same amount of gudes.  This is a subjuect that is debated as much as anythng in fly fishing. As I said "the general rule of thumb" is one per foot plus a stripper guide. Many manufacturers leave a guide or two off to save money, some rods cast better with fewer or more guides. There are a couple of ways to determine guide spacing.  Clemens and Anglers Work Shop as well as some otheres I would guess sell a tool that will allow you to test the spacing of the guides with the rod under load.  There is a program that Cane rod builders use that was written by Wayne Catanach that calculates the spacing based on the number of guides you choose and the placement of the stripper guide.  Several books list guide placement charts as well, and Blue Ridge Rod Company includes a very good one in their catalog. I personally have always used the 1 guide per foot plus the stripper for my rods.   In Skip Morris’s book "The Custon Graphite Rod" and in Handcrafting Custom Graphite Fly Rods" by L.A. Garcia, this is the information that they provide, although the spacings are a bit different and Skip Morris provides some good insight as to the actuual placement of guides based on the rod and the fishermam it is intended for, as well as some general guide lines for placement of guides on soft and fast action rods.  It is interesting reading. The mark of a true custom rod may be going to the extra step of testing the guide placement with the rod under stress.  I have done this a few times but the standard guide placements on the graphite rods I have built have all been so close that I dont worry about it any more. It’s an interesting debate for rod builders.  Could you tell me where you looked up the guide kits for these rods?  Might just be a catalog I am missing:))))) Al Manchester, NH

Response:

Hi there! I am building a 7 foot 2-3wt st.croix rod. The problem is that I have found 2 different guide spacing charts for 7 footers. One used 8 guides the other 9. Which one should I use? Jarkko —                                             |    Jarkko Karvinen                            |    Student of biochemistry                    |  E. coli happens  University of Turku, Finland               |    tel. +358 (0)2 3338059                     |

Response:

I am building a 7 foot 2-3wt st.croix rod. The problem is that I have found 2

different guide spacing charts for 7 footers. One used 8 guides the other 9. Which one should I use?<BR The general rule of thumb is one guide for every foot plus the stripper, so 8 is the general rule of thumb.  One thing you might try is to tape the guides on with both the spacing for the 9 guides and the 8 guides and them string a line trhough them and see how the rod flexes.  Basically, the more guides the more friction.  But fewer is not better either – find a hapy medium by flexing the rod with line through the guides and make sure there are no dead spotsor places where the line touches the rod. Or – you might try calling St Croix.  I bet they would give you the guide spacing they use on the factory rod. Al Manchester, NH

Response:

Hi there! I am building a 7 foot 2-3wt st.croix rod. The problem is that I have found 2 different guide spacing charts for 7 footers. One used 8 guides the other 9. Which one should I use? Jarkko

I don’t know how prevelent St Croix rods are in Finland, but your best bet would probably be to find an assembled rod from the manufacturer and copy their guided size and placement. There are some rod shop owners on this group, maybe one of them can measure it for you if you can’t find the rod in your area. Good luck,      - Ken

Response:

Hi there! I am building a 7 foot 2-3wt st.croix rod. The problem is that I have found 2 different guide spacing charts for 7 footers. One used 8 guides the other 9. Which one should I use?

Jarkko, here’s the spacing (and 7 Fuji guides) that I use on a 7ft fly rod. Note that the last (8mm2) is a 2-footed guide, the rest are single foot guides, and the measurements are in inches starting from the tip. If I recall, I got these recommendations from L.G. Custom Tackle (G. Loomis dealer and custom rod builder) many years ago. IMHO I think 9 guides is way too many for anything under 8′. I prefer the single footed Hardloy or SIC Fuji’s to the traditional snake guides which allow the line to slap against the blank. 7′ – 4(6mm), 9(6mm), 15(6mm), 22(7mm), 30(7mm), 40(8mm), 52(8mm2) Now you have 3 choices David E. Malone All opinions expressed are my own.

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Question:

A buddy and me want to do a little hiking, maybe a little fishing this summer. We don’t know ANYTHING so we are looking for easy well marked trails. Any ideas of where we should go? Dave ps please respond to the group and to email, it is easy to miss when only posted to the group!

Response:

A buddy and me want to do a little hiking, maybe a little fishing this summer. We don’t know ANYTHING so we are looking for easy well marked trails. Any ideas of where we should go?

try "50 Hikes in Central Washington"  published by The Mountaineers. -p — Rural Health Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195.

Response:

A buddy and me want to do a little hiking, maybe a little fishing this summer. We don’t know ANYTHING so we are looking for easy well marked trails. Any ideas of where we should go?

Hey Dave — that’s a pretty desolate area.  Don’t know about hiking there, but for fishing, try Dry Falls Lake.  It is the epicenter of the massive flooding that we had in the area in the last couple of million years.  It is a geologic mecca.  This lake is very well protected and is not stocked — no motors at all, barbless hooks, and a one fish limit.  It is prime for canoes/kayaks/float tubes.  I’ve taken some large trout there. Do not take an inflatible raft or inflatible kayak there — the winds can get you big time.  I have an entire gut wrenching/leach infested arms/ lost gear story about that.

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A buddy and me want to do a little hiking, maybe a little fishing this summer. We don’t know ANYTHING so we are looking for easy well marked trails. Any ideas of where we should go? Dave ps please respond to the group and to email, it is easy to miss when only posted to the group!

Dave, I spent 5 years at CWU in E-burg and enjoyed the solitude provided on the Tanum (ridge) and especially behind the airport on the Monashtash.  For fishing (and duck hunting)  I used to go across the Vantage bridge toward George and attend to the "potholes".  The Yakima river was always a great resource and fishing was often good (back in the 60’s and 70’s).   All in all, Ellensburg is a great jumping off point.  I have only good memories of the place.  Perhaps someone can provide trail info for you but I just bushwacked in the low brush forest.  Careful though if you do that.  It’s easy to get lost in this country. Bill BTW, the road up to Monashtash used to go through toward Wenachee but even in the 60’s it was a poor wagon road.  It may be one fantastic trail by now.  You should smell the aroma on a warm spring day!

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A buddy and me want to do a little hiking, maybe a little fishing this summer. We don’t know ANYTHING so we are looking for easy well marked trails. Any ideas of where we should go?

Try the Greewater River off Hwy 410.  The end of the road trailhead offers a well-marked trail paralleling a 20′ – 30′ wide river ideal for fly-fishing.   Jeffrey Olson

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A buddy and me want to do a little hiking, maybe a little fishing this summer. We don’t know ANYTHING so we are looking for easy well marked trails. Any ideas of where we should go? Dave ps please respond to the group and to email, it is easy to miss when only posted to the group!

Hi Dave, Please tell us your definition of "Central Washington".  Do you mean the goegraphic center of the state east of Wenatchee, or do you include the Central Cascades?  If you include the Central Cascades, I suggest you pick up a copy of "100 Hikes in the Alpine Lakes".  It is published by the Mountaineers and contains info on many great dayhikes and backpack trips in the area (the Cascades Mountains between I-90 and Hwy. 2). Also, if your range extends a little farther north, there is another volume, "100 Hikes in the Glacier Peak Region". Kerry

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A buddy and me want to do a little hiking, maybe a little fishing this summer. We don’t know ANYTHING so we are looking for easy well marked trails. Any ideas of where we should go? Hey Dave — that’s a pretty desolate area.

Hey, Gary….there’s over 1 million people in eastern Washington.  Is that your definition of desolate??

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Question:

Looking for sources of info and owner feedback on any aircraft along the lines of the Cessna 180; i.e., taildragger (not necessary, but an option if it is less expensive), good useful load, reasonable speed, 4-6 passenger, simple (no retracts, CS prop OK), IFR.  Usage would be flights from Minneapolis/St.Paul area to northern Minnesota and Canada, with occasional flights out west (Montana, Wyoming), Michigan, Arkansas, and the Carolinas.  Possible flight into grass and dirt strips.  Need good useful load because very few of my fishing buddies are under 200 lbs. each, and I want to fill as many seats plus gear as possible. Keith Miesel Other similar aircraft along these lines would be considered.  I’m just trying to identify my options.

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For carrying a planeload of 200-pounders, plus fishing gear (and I know how that can add up!), you may be looking for a Cessna 206. Great load carrying, plus a big door. The Cessna 180, while it will physically carry a big load, is (at least in the early years) not legal with big loads.  Check gross weight and useful load figures.  Aviation Consumer’s big, two-volume book set of airplane reports (can’t remember the name, and it’s at home) is worth every penny. Great detail on all the popular GA planes. — Tom Gresham, host http://www.guntalk.com (for Gun Talk Radio Show)

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A Cessna 185 will actually outlift a 206 on poundage, but the big door on the 206 makes for easier loading of gear.  My rule is, if you are carrying fannys, use a 185, if cargo, use a 206.  Rough fields also favor the 185. BTW, look at Kenmore Air Harbor’s STC for the 180…they have a 250 pound GW increase weight kit and  40 HP enhancement kit.  They call it a "Super 180". For carrying a planeload of 200-pounders, plus fishing gear (and I know how that can add up!), you may be looking for a Cessna 206. Great load carrying, plus a big door. The Cessna 180, while it will physically carry a big load, is (at least in the early years) not legal with big loads.  Check gross weight and useful load figures.  Aviation Consumer’s big, two-volume book set of airplane reports (can’t remember the name, and it’s at home) is worth every penny. Great detail on all the popular GA planes. — Tom Gresham, host http://www.guntalk.com (for Gun Talk Radio Show)

– Walt Johnson Lockheed Martin Federal Systems                Software Cost Engineering Owego, New York 13827                                VOICE(607-751-2158)

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Looking for sources of info and owner feedback on any aircraft along the lines of the Cessna 180; i.e., taildragger (not necessary, but an option if it is less expensive), good useful load, reasonable speed, 4-6 passenger, simple (no retracts, CS prop OK), IFR.  Usage would be flights from Minneapolis/St.Paul area to northern Minnesota and Canada, with occasional flights out west (Montana, Wyoming), Michigan, Arkansas, and the Carolinas.  Possible flight into grass and dirt strips.  Need good useful load because very few of my fishing buddies are under 200 lbs. each, and I want to fill as many seats plus gear as possible.

If you are serious about the 4-6 passengers in the 200+ lb category plus fishing gear, plus normal baggage then you are out of the 180/185/206 class of airplane. That kind of requirement is only going to be met by something like a Beaver or an AN-2! BTW the price range of the 180 is $60-85K, the 185 is $75-95K and the 206 will run you from $80-110K. A good Beaver will set you back $175K and the AN2 while cheap to buy is REAL expensive to operate, (in the 40GPH range + a lot of oil & maint). Then you have the problem with certification, insurance etc. Are you sure you want to do this? If you can pare your seat requirement down to a max of three passengers and you, then the 180 with little baggage or a 185 with a little more or a 206 with 5 seats and almost no baggage or fuel might get you by. Or….with a 180/185 or get everyone to a nearby spot on a commercial flight and ferry them over to the fishing hole in two or three loads. Or better yet….get a floatplane and have everyone fly to someplace close and take them to a REALLY good fishing hole! R Wood in Alaska

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Question:

Michael, Give Fran Betters a call at 518 946 2605.  I’ll let you know about the Mettawee. Best regards, James Uncle Jammer’s Guide Service Vermont Fly Fishing, Hunting, River and Woodland Outings

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I’ll be in Crown Point, NY this Saturday morning on business, and am hoping to fish in the PM.  Any info on conditions and recommendations of rivers and/or guides will be greatly appreciated.  I’m particularly interested in the Bouquet, Schroon or WB Ausable Rivers for landlocked salmon (if the runs have begun) or trout.  Thanks in advance. MZ

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Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The Dutch government intends to forbid live bait fishing (i.e., fishing with living fish, minnows, etc.) starting January 1, 1997.  If you think this is none of your business, please read on.  Eventually, perhaps sooner than you think, this plan might restrict anyone’s freedom to fish. Not allowing live bait fishing is of course nothing new.  It is in effect in several countries in Europe and, if I am correctly informed, also in some states in the US of A.  Some fishing associations also allow only artificial bait in (some of) the waters they rent.  The reasons vary from country tot country and from place to place.  So what else is new, why should you care? What’s new is, that our government uses an ethical argument: the fish feel pain, suffer, etc.  As you might expect, our government’s current viewpoint is the result of a protracted lobby of the Dutch Animal Rights movement, which have for years argued against fishing for ethical reasons, although the scientific basis for ‘the ethical argument’ seems to be weak.  In fact, neurological evidence points in the opposite direction: fish don’t have the brain structures that are held responsible for feelings of pain and suffering in mammals. Forbidding life bait fishing for ethical reasons is alarming, because once you use an ethical argument against life bait fishing, it’s hard not to apply it to fishing in general and, consequently, forbid fishing entirely.  Of course, the long-term goal of our Animal Rights movement is just that. If fishing is no longer allowed in one country, this will surely encourage Animal Rights movements in other countries to strive for something similar. It is for this reason that I think that fishermen in other countries should care. Lots of fishermen in The Netherlands have written letters of protest to the political parties that support the government’s intention.  Letters from fishermen in other countries would also be most welcome and very much appreciated, the more the better.  We have ridiculously many political parties, but four of them really matter here: PvdA, D66, VVD, and CDA (the latter two do not have a very strong opinion on the matter, but they are among the largest parties). If you would like to support us, please send an E-mail to them.  They should be addressed as follows:                             E-mail address If you write a letter of protest, please be polite.  It wouldn’t do any harm, however, when you pointed out that you would not feel terribly at ease in a country that forbids life bait fishing and that therefore … Because I would like to know whether a protest like this can be organized on the net, I would appreciate being informed by those who do send a letter of I’ll let you know what happens. This is the first posting of this letter.  It will probably be posted by me two times more in the next two weeks. Leo Beem E-mail:

until it’s too late.We in America keep suupporting ,subconciously,politicians who have no balls to stand up to Amimal rights nonsense.Just like gun-ownership and hunting,we will become the fringe ,as the media and liberal politician will paint us .Then ultimately bans on bait will be seen as the middle ground,and then bans on hook barbs,thenbans on anything but fly fishing,then a total ban.And yes ,the fly fishermen will go along with all of this,as their exclusive sense of moral righteousness,and sportsmanship will encourage this type of political crap.     If you don’t believe me,go talk to some members of trout unlimited,who will tell you they are ethically superior in their means of sportsmanship,Of course baitfishing is considered "unsporting" and fishing with barbed hooks is "deadly to the fish".     The other example I have to offer is the so-called assault weapon.Go to a skeet match and speak to the elite shotgunners with Perazzi’s and Beretta’s.They will tell you what neanderthals those men are who own semi-auto rifles and large magazines.They will tell you they should be banned.So you see,Americans have no unity in their ranks.We will lose our outdoor heritage,as our membership continues to compromise on what they consider moral,and ethical

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The Dutch government intends to forbid live bait fishing (i.e., fishing with living fish, minnows, etc.) starting January 1, 1997.  If you think this is none of your business, please read on.  Eventually, perhaps sooner than you think, this plan might restrict anyone’s freedom to fish. Not allowing live bait fishing is of course nothing new.  It is in effect in several countries in Europe and, if I am correctly informed, also in some states in the US of A.  Some fishing associations also allow only artificial bait in (some of) the waters they rent.  The reasons vary from country tot country and from place to place.  So what else is new, why should you care?  What’s new is, that our government uses an ethical argument: the fish feel pain, suffer, etc.  As you might expect, our government’s current viewpoint is the result of a protracted lobby of the Dutch Animal Rights movement, which have for years argued against fishing for ethical reasons, although the scientific basis for ‘the ethical argument’ seems to be weak.  In fact, neurological evidence points in the opposite direction: fish don’t have the brain structures that are held responsible for feelings of pain and suffering in mammals.   Forbidding life bait fishing for ethical reasons is alarming, because once you use an ethical argument against life bait fishing, it’s hard not to apply it to fishing in general and, consequently, forbid fishing entirely. Of course, the long-term goal of our Animal Rights movement is just that. If fishing is no longer allowed in one country, this will surely encourage Animal Rights movements in other countries to strive for something similar. It is for this reason that I think that fishermen in other countries should care. Lots of fishermen in The Netherlands have written letters of protest to the political parties that support the government’s intention.  Letters from fishermen in other countries would also be most welcome and very much appreciated, the more the better.  We have ridiculously many political parties, but four of them really matter here: PvdA, D66, VVD, and CDA (the latter two do not have a very strong opinion on the matter, but they are among the largest parties). If you would like to support us, please send an E-mail to them.  They should be addressed as follows:                             E-mail address If you write a letter of protest, please be polite.  It wouldn’t do any harm, however, when you pointed out that you would not feel terribly at ease in a country that forbids life bait fishing and that therefore … Because I would like to know whether a protest like this can be organized on the net, I would appreciate being informed by those who do send a letter I’ll let you know what happens. This is the first posting of this letter.  It will probably be posted by me two times more in the next two weeks. Leo Beem

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Please be aware that in many states in the good old USA live bait is restricted for reasons other than cruelty. Many fish species used for bait are not indigenous to the local ecology. Introducing foreign species to certain lakes and ponds can wreak havoc and destroy the local ecology. These introduced species can thrive in ares where natural competition is not present. Many states restrict live bait for these reasons. You would be amazed how many so called sportsmen have introduced fish species into local ecologies via bait and or intentionally trying to stock and improve their local fishery. A VERY bad idea.

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Question:

Just returned from the West Branch of the Ausable.  Your best bet is to stop in at Fran Better’s fly shop on Rt. 86 in Wilmington.  Last weekend he recommended a gray haystack dun and emerger as well as a Picket Finn.   Fishing was slow, but I managed to land a brookie and a few browns on those flies, which imitate the Isonychia.  Also saw lots of BWOs and both rusty and sulphur spinners in the evening.  Most of the action took place in the afternoon.

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I am looking for patterns to use on the Au sable river in NY state.   Any ideas, both dry and nymphs.  thanks. Luc Nocente — Luc Nocente

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