Question:

I use a Madriver Tahoe(14Ft). Weighs 52 pounds-easy enough to handle by myself. This is a recreational canoe-wide,and with good primary stability- really good for trips with small children and dogs.

Response:

can somebody recomend a good canoe 12′-15′ long and really light under $600 primarily used for fishing thanks chris

Response:

can somebody recomend a good canoe 12′-15′ long and really light under $600 primarily used for fishing thanks chris

Chris,  You want some initial stability…to give you that casting platform. I’d go with a light kevlar or some kind of composite in a wide hull. I love dynamically designed hulls, but I just haven’t paddled anything       lightweight in a medium to narrow width with the secondary stability that’s necessary to avoid hair-raising adventures with any sudden movements or just wind.  Kevlar, or anything else that would be light is just not cheap_$$$, I’d go the USED route.  Be energetic in your search…and you should find something via the web. $.02, Steve

Response:

can somebody recomend a good canoe 12′-15′ long and really light under $600 primarily used for fishing thanks chris

I use an Old Town Pack, 12 foot long, 33 pounds, on lakes and slow rivers.  New they are near $600, but I got mine used for <$300, including a lovely bent shaft paddle.  I have not had a problem with primary or secondary stability for fishing (YMMV).  I use it for both casting and trolling, while my husband has used it for flyfishing (but not as successfully).  I have found that me, 6 Ft or shorter rods work best in small canoes or kayaks.  Get a nice anchor and a brush anchor too.  Enjoy. Pam in Iowa

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Question:

Hi Dale, The lower Sacramento river is getting better every year. The area is mostly between Redding and Anderson. A special system was installed on the dam above Redding so they can control the water temperature out of Shasta for the salmon mostly, but it is helping the trout and steelhead too. Also, a reduced limit has helped too. It has a large population of big wild rainbow trout and in the fall get a ton of King salmon and some steelhead. It fishes good almost year round, but October is one of the top months. There are a lot of caddis in the river and then with the salmon spawning, there are lots of salmon eggs available too. Like an alaskan river, the salmon spawn and die so the trout eat the eggs, then the they eat the salmon fry and they also eat the decaying salmon flesh. It is a great life cycle going on up there. You need size #14 caddis pupa, emergers and dries to deal with the thousand of caddis in the river and you need some salmon egg imitations like Glo Bugs, that were invented in that part of the country. I fish up there a few time a year with veteran Redding guide, George Durand. The main system is a 9′ or longer #6 or 7 weight outfit with a floating line. Then a yarn or wool indicator up high on the leader. Then a bunch (4′ to 8′) of ~4x tippet. The longer and lighter the tippet, the deeper you can go in this big river. Some split shot will give you more depth. George has some of his own special flies, but many anglers use the #14 Bird’s Net or a #14 caddis pupa like a Z-Wing Caddis. A new thing for George the last few years is to hang something like a #16 Flashback PT below the large nymph to imitate the smaller mayflies (Baetis?) that are in the river. PS: This ‘Right Angel’ system of nyphing was developed by Dean Schubert and Dave Hickson of Northern California. It is now used world wide for trout and steelhead and is a standard on the big rivers that flow into Lake Taupo in New Zealand. Going with a guide on the river at first is the best way for most of us. The Fly Shop in Redding has a large staff of good guides and there are some top indepentent guides like George Durand, Art Teeters and Dave Simmons. If you have any questions, feel free to email or call my toll free(USA) number. 800/4000FLY

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Good Evening, All, I wanted to say thanks to everyone who responded to my request for info on where to fish in San Jose or Sacramento.  Several of you e-mailed me and several others responded to my post.  Thanks for taking the time to help me out… I really appreciate it. I have decided to head up to Redding and fish the lower Sac.  I called the Flyshop in Redding and have a tentative booking for a half day float trip on Sunday, 3 Oct.  I plan on fishing the Sac all day Saturday. Anybody care to hook up with an out of towner and enjoy a day of dipping? One last question… looking for fly reccomendations and patterns as I tie (really enjoy it!)  Rachel at the Flyshop recommended a Bird’s Nest and a glo something (salmon egg I presume.)  Anything else to ty up and bring?  Any pattern help would be most appreciated. If any of you are ever in the central Texas area, let me know… be glad show our trout stream (yes, we actually have one!) — Regards, Dale Neidhammer Synchronicity Inc. Field Applications Engineer http://www.syncinc.com 512/515-6466

Response:

Good Evening, All, I wanted to say thanks to everyone who responded to my request for info on where to fish in San Jose or Sacramento.  Several of you e-mailed me and several others responded to my post.  Thanks for taking the time to help me out… I really appreciate it. I have decided to head up to Redding and fish the lower Sac.  I called the Flyshop in Redding and have a tentative booking for a half day float trip on Sunday, 3 Oct.  I plan on fishing the Sac all day Saturday. Anybody care to hook up with an out of towner and enjoy a day of dipping? One last question… looking for fly reccomendations and patterns as I tie (really enjoy it!)  Rachel at the Flyshop recommended a Bird’s Nest and a glo something (salmon egg I presume.)  Anything else to ty up and bring?  Any pattern help would be most appreciated. If any of you are ever in the central Texas area, let me know… be glad show our trout stream (yes, we actually have one!) — Regards, Dale Neidhammer Synchronicity Inc. Field Applications Engineer http://www.syncinc.com 512/515-6466

Response:

Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –    Well, don’t forget Bryce that this fellow described himself as a newbie, and I got the sense that he was tooling around his local waters out East somewhere. Thus, I figured that he was not talking about tangling with 10 lb+ bass and pike regularly, and I guess it seemed to me that a lighter rod would be easy to handle for the guy and thus more enjoyable at this stage. He did not describe his gear all that well, and I thought I’d try to steer him to something that would not require too bad an outlay of funds but which would still be suited enough so that he could get a taste of how much fun it can be with (roughly) appropriately sized gear.     Of course once we suck him more fully into the sport *that’s* when we start revealing that what he *really* needs is 4 or 5  rods. Let’s see, a light 5 wt. for small bass and a stiff 6 wt. for the heavier (and, of course, the 7 or 8 wt. for when he gets for Florida for those potbellied ones), then an 8 wt for standard pike complimented by a 9 wt. for when he gets up to No. Canada for the real torpedos, and maybe then even a 10 wt. in case he ever gets to one of those vague lakes one hears about in Scotland or the deep Yugoslav mountains where the pike look like crocodiles and….    At any rate, my advice was kinda geared to my mental picture of the poster as a "typical" new guy, who just wants some simple but non-intimidating steers, and thus I tried to keep the talk about rods, leaders, tippits, wire tippits, etc. as "clean" as possible without making him shake his head over a lengthy exegesis on the relative merits of a stiff 7 wt. as opposed to a softer 8 wt., or picking lines by reference to how many grams of its weight are in its forward 10% of length. TB

I have to say it is a bit technical. I do get into tiny technicalities often. Thinking that he is a newbie, your response was better. I do think that a 9wt is a bit better but it is just your preference. Bryce

Response:

Gee Bryce, sounds like you’re worried one of those fish might escape the freezer:^). Was that intended for a little sarcasm or are you trying to say my harvesting is wrong? I can deal with both. BryceC

Don’t see the need for such heavy artillery for bass and an occaisional (read not monster) pike. Just sayin’ with the rod and terminal tackle  you describe and a serious hook set, most of those bass will be comin’ one hop into the cooler.

Response:

Gee Bryce, sounds like you’re worried one of those fish might escape the freezer:^).

Was that intended for a little sarcasm or are you trying to say my harvesting is wrong? I can deal with both. BryceC

Response:

 Thus, if you wanted a rig you could reasonably use for both bass and pike I think a moderate to stiff action, 9 foot long 7 weight rod could serve you very well. Rig with bass or "pike" taper line size 7 of course.

With that combo plus a sinking leader such as the type made by Airflow you should be able to cover most pike and large mouth situations.  For smallies if your fishing a large lake you may need a full sinking line  or long sinking tip if you are fishing over 15′ deep. John Hughes Norflok, VA

Response:

 Thus, if you wanted a rig you could reasonably use for both bass and pike I think a moderate to stiff action, 9 foot long 7 weight rod could serve you very well. Rig with bass or "pike" taper line size 7 of course.

I disagree. For bass and pike, I would use an 8 or 9 wt 9′ fast action rod. I agree on the line, get a bass taper. The difference between a bass line and a trout line is the length of the belly. A WF bass line may have a belly of only 25 feet while WF trout may be 40′ you can use tapered leaders. For pike,use an 7′ leader that ends in 12 or 14 lbs test with a 1′ piece of 40 lb hard mono as a bite gaurd. instead of the hard mono, you can use looped bite gaurds. Orvis has some good ones. For bass, omit the bite gaurd. A good reel is necessary. Have 200 yards of 30lb backing. You need disk drag. A good selection of flies include dahlburg divers, poppers, large fur streamers like zonkers, poppers, standard baitfish imitating streamers, and poppers. That will get you started. hope it helps. BryceC

Response:

 Thus, if you wanted a rig you could reasonably use for both bass and pike I think a moderate to stiff action, 9 foot long 7 weight rod could serve you very well. Rig with bass or "pike" taper line size 7 of course. I disagree. For bass and pike, I would use an 8 or 9 wt 9′ fast action rod

.<snip.  A good reel is necessary. Have 200 yards of 30lb backing. You need disk drag .<snip BryceC

Gee Bryce, sounds like you’re worried one of those fish might escape the freezer:^).

Response:

In response to a fellow describing himself as a "newbie" asking about  Thus, if you wanted a rig you could reasonably use for both bass and pike I think a moderate to stiff action, 9 foot long 7 weight rod could serve you very well. Rig with bass or "pike" taper line size 7 of course….

I disagree. For bass and pike, I would use an 8 or 9 wt 9′ fast action rod…. (SNIP)

        Well, don’t forget Bryce that this fellow described himself as a newbie, and I got the sense that he was tooling around his local waters out East somewhere. Thus, I figured that he was not talking about tangling with 10 lb+ bass and pike regularly, and I guess it seemed to me that a lighter rod would be easy to handle for the guy and thus more enjoyable at this stage. He did not describe his gear all that well, and I thought I’d try to steer him to something that would not require too bad an outlay of funds but which would still be suited enough so that he could get a taste of how much fun it can be with (roughly) appropriately sized gear.          Of course once we suck him more fully into the sport *that’s* when we start revealing that what he *really* needs is 4 or 5  rods. Let’s see, a light 5 wt. for small bass and a stiff 6 wt. for the heavier (and, of course, the 7 or 8 wt. for when he gets for Florida for those potbellied ones), then an 8 wt for standard pike complimented by a 9 wt. for when he gets up to No. Canada for the real torpedos, and maybe then even a 10 wt. in case he ever gets to one of those vague lakes one hears about in Scotland or the deep Yugoslav mountains where the pike look like crocodiles and….         At any rate, my advice was kinda geared to my mental picture of the poster as a "typical" new guy, who just wants some simple but non-intimidating steers, and thus I tried to keep the talk about rods, leaders, tippits, wire tippits, etc. as "clean" as possible without making him shake his head over a lengthy exegesis on the relative merits of a stiff 7 wt. as opposed to a softer 8 wt., or picking lines by reference to how many grams of its weight are in its forward 10% of length. TB

Response:

I think I have the knots straight, but on the weekend a guy said I need a shooting line. What is that? I also need some fly advice. I will be buying a fly tieing book but so far I’ve had no luck in finding one with bass flies. I love bass. I’ve only ever caught one on my fly rod using a little white popper (styraphome with square front and feather out the back). I want to catch more. What length & weight of tippet (the mono that ties to my fly) do I need? I would be greatfull for any suggestions, tips or whatever. Anything to get me another bass on my line. I’ve also tried for pike with no luck. Used streamers (I think that’s what they are called). They are long with lots of hair and a big hook and stay on the surface. What a bugger to cast. Is this fly the right one to be using?

Response:

John:         I don’t think you need a "shooting" line, not as that term has traditionally been used at least (also called a "shooting head") with all the modern regular fly lines out there today.         A "shooting" line/head traditionally was a very heavy short piece of flyline that attached to mono on a flyrod and, it’s my understanding, was (and perhaps still is) used for stuff like surfcasting to really get your lure out there. Never very heavily used as I understood it, and very much a specialty thing. Might still be used by some in some instances, but for bass and pike there are many many lines now on the market that will get you all the distance you need with the heavy bugs and stuff you need to throw for these. Check out Cortland’s lines for instance, they have "Bass Taper" lines, and even a "Pike and Muskie" line.         Used to be that fly lines basically came in three basic configurations: Level, tapered, and weight-forward. Level lines of course were a holdover from the old days when technology simply did not allow making a good quality taper on a line. I suppose they are not all that bad. A tapered line has, of course, a taper so that the line gets thinner and lighter at the end where the leader attaches. It allows a more delicate presentation of your fly. A weight-forward taper is reversed, it gets heavier towards the end so as to allow you to more easily throw heavier flies because, of course, what you are *really* throwing in fly casting is not the fly but only the loop formed by your cast, and so the heavier fly you throw the more this interferes with throwing that loop and the heavier the loop is the better, right? A "bass" or "pike" taper is just an exaggerated form of a weight-forward line. For pike I think most folks would say an 8 or 9 weight rod and line is just fine, and will handle almost any pike you can imagine. A 7 weight rig is a tad light for pike if you are really tying into big ones, but it can be done. For bass, I sense that a 7 weight rod/line is pretty prevalent, though lots of guys who know they ain’t going to catch any 10 pounders go with 6 or 5 weight setups to have a bit more fun with smaller, more prevalent fish.         Thus, if you wanted a rig you could reasonably use for both bass and pike I think a moderate to stiff action, 9 foot long 7 weight rod could serve you very well. Rig with bass or "pike" taper line size 7 of course.         As to leaders, you don’t need much length for either fish. For the most part a leader exists so as to separate the potentially scary fly line from your lure so as to not spook your quarry, right? Bass and pike are not very spooky, and that’s good because it’s also easier to throw the kind of lures they like with short leaders. Many pre-made 6 foot tapered knotless leaders are made specifically for bass. They work nice without knots because they don’t collect weeds in the knots. As to the size to get

Question:

Would like to get some feedbacks on this particular rod before making purchase.   How does it compares with the St Croix 9 foot 5/6 two piece rod?? -peter

Response:

Would like to get some feedbacks on this particular rod before making purchase.   How does it compares with the St Croix 9 foot 5/6 two piece rod?? -peter

Hi Peter I’ve cast both rods and they are fine. To me the travel rod seemed slightly faster but that could just be my immagination. They are both fine rods. Take care & … — Tight Lines ….. Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products On line catalog – tips & tricks at: http://www.btsflyfishing.com

Response:

Peter, I can’t give you a comparison as I don’t have both rods, however I do have the 5/6 St Croix travel rod. It compares favorably with my Sage 2 piece rods, which are the LL series. Mine is going into it’s 3rd season now, and I have no complaints whatever, in fact, I’m thinking of getting their 3/4 wt travel rod as well. Best buy on the market for my money.  Good luck. — Frank Church Elkhart, IN – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Would like to get some feedbacks on this particular rod before making purchase.   How does it compares with the St Croix 9 foot 5/6 two piece rod?? -peter

Response:

Would like to get some feedbacks on this particular rod before making purchase.   How does it compares with the St Croix 9 foot 5/6 two piece rod?? -peter

I’ve been using the St. Croix pack rod exclusively for 4 years now.  It is ideal anywhere, anytime.  Really has a lot of power for shooting into the wind also.

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Question:

Have seen ad and sent for brochure on Diamondback rods, anyone have any experience with this company? I am interested in buying a blank from them. Would appreciate any life experiences with this company. Thanks, DLowe

They are nice rods.  I have fished them, at the request of my fishing partner who sells them.  They cast very similar to a Scott, have a nice finish, etc.  Life experiences you may not find, as they haven’t been around that long (like maybe 5 or 6 years?) Tight lines, -Burton

Response:

Excellent company run by first class people who build a fine product. You won’t be disappointed in my opinion. Tom Dougherty – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Have seen ad and sent for brochure on Diamondback rods, anyone have any experience with this company? A few years ago, I bought a prototype 8 1/2′ 3/4 wgt. (prototype meaning no graphics on the rod and it wasn’t listed in their brochure) that I ran across on sale, and I think it’s wonderful.  It has a slow action, rather like my Winston 3 wgt., but it’s a bit heavier than an all-graphite rod would be (I think it’s one of their ‘lamiglass’ hybrids).  It casts both 3 & 4 wgt. lines equally well; I choose which based on wind conditions and fish spookiness.  HPH

Response:

after reading all reply’s i am happy to know that i am not the only one who has broken there diamondback rods.i have two backwater series rods and both have broken at the ferrule,the last one breaking on the first cast of the first day in the florida keys.great trip!!they did repair them very fast but not even a letter of explanation.i think my next rod is an rplx.                                                           larry morris

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I love fly fishing in general it is so fun!!!! I love you too

Response:

I love fly fishing in general it is so fun!!!! I love you too

that was beautiful man. you still aren’t getting my beer, though… TimW

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I love fly fishing in general it is so fun!!!! I love you tooGeez Jerry –

Isn’t 10:32 in the morning a tad early to be drinking?

Response:

I love fly fishing in general it is so fun!!!! I love you too

..T-Bone..Send the Doc a homebrew!!….;)

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I love fly fishing in general it is so fun!!!! I love you too ..T-Bone..Send the Doc a homebrew!!….;)

Nah, he’d just use it to splash back more prozak. TimW

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I love fly fishing in general it is so fun!!!! I love you too ..T-Bone..Send the Doc a homebrew!!….;)

Actually it sounds like he has had one too many already! -Burton

Response:

6/7 wt, 8-1/2 ft four-piece rods for years.  Very stiff action and will punch a line into the wind like no other rod I’ve ever used. Great for alpine lake fishing, which is why this is my backpacking rod of choice. Also great for going deep in big streams. Forget delicate presentations, however.  I also broke mine, and Diamondback fixed it very nicely. I think Diamondback used to private label a line of rods for L.L.Bean. Good luck!

Response:

Have seen ad and sent for brochure on Diamondback rods, anyone have any experience with this company? I am interested in buying a blank from them. Would appreciate any life experiences with this company. Thanks, DLowe 21757.

Response:

Have seen ad and sent for brochure on Diamondback rods, anyone have any

experience with this company? I am interested in buying a blank from them. Would appreciate any life experiences with this company.<< I like the action of the rods, I have two a 9wt and a 5 wt. The five weight broke at the ferrules while casting the first time out and it took too long (IMO) to get it back but they did fix it. I will not buy another one, that is my experience. Wayne Knight Marietta GA                                              

Response:

Have seen ad and sent for brochure on Diamondback rods, anyone have any experience with this company? I am interested in buying a blank from them. Would appreciate any life experiences with this company. Thanks, DLowe 21757.

      I visited the factory up in Vermont a few years ago, and at the time their set-up looked efficient and clean; they stocked a nice line of rods, blanks and rod-building supplies. I’ve not been there recently.   Louise Scharrenberg

Response:

Have seen ad and sent for brochure on Diamondback rods, anyone have any experience with this company?

A few years ago, I bought a prototype 8 1/2′ 3/4 wgt. (prototype meaning no graphics on the rod and it wasn’t listed in their brochure) that I ran across on sale, and I think it’s wonderful.  It has a slow action, rather like my Winston 3 wgt., but it’s a bit heavier than an all-graphite rod would be (I think it’s one of their ‘lamiglass’ hybrids).  It casts both 3 & 4 wgt. lines equally well; I choose which based on wind conditions and fish spookiness.  HPH

Response:

Have seen ad and sent for brochure on Diamondback rods, anyone have any experience with this company? A few years ago, I bought a prototype 8 1/2′ 3/4 wgt. (prototype meaning no graphics on the rod and it wasn’t listed in their brochure) that I ran across on sale, and I think it’s wonderful.  It has a slow action, rather like my Winston 3 wgt., but it’s a bit heavier than an all-graphite rod would be (I think it’s one of their ‘lamiglass’ hybrids).  It casts both 3 & 4 wgt. lines equally well; I choose which based on wind conditions and fish spookiness.  HPH

I built a rod on a Diamondback 3 pc. Backwater blank last year and have fished it, oh probably 100 times more or less. The first two times out I broke the ferrule between the mid and tip section. Diamondback was real good about replacing it, and the rod designer, George, seemed genuinely interested in what the hell I was doing with their rods to do this :- I was using a 450 head (10 weight blank). The third ferrule was the charm and I’ve since had no problems at all, though I notice they’ve gone to the (IMO) much more reliable tip over butt ferrule in this year’s Saltwater rods (yay!). In terms of performance it casts very well with the rated line (#10) no need to overload it for wind or large flies. It’s less stiff than my Cabelas HML and a little more stiff than my Fisher GT40 if that helps. I can cast it all day without fatigue. Their stock rods seem very well built, I like their clown nose fighting butts, and the saltwater blank is especially nice to look at. I’d get another one, esp. with the new ferrule.                                                                 jc

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Question:

I need to wash my Simms waders.  There are no fly shops where I live in Texas.  What is a good safe detergent to use on waders?                                 Chuck

Response:

I need to wash my Simms waders.  There are no fly shops where I live in Texas.  What is a good safe detergent to use on waders?                            Chuck

Hi Chuck I always use the same liquid soap I have for washing dishes, not the powder stuff for the dish washing maching.  Be sure to get the inside rinsed thoroughly or you can get a real bad rash when you wear them if the soap residue is not removed. Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT (96 catalog)

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Question:

Wait a minute!  The Deschutes River is NOT near Portland, Oregon.   It’s gotta be a 3-4 hour drive, at least.  And it’s not that easy to fish from shore.  What about smaller streams on the slopes of Mt Hood or an hour or so west of Portland near Vernonia/Mist or down in Yamhill County (seem to remember some creeks in there near McMinnville – Yamhill River?)?  Anyway, if you consider total travel time, a 3-hour drive is fairly long way to go for an hour or two of fishing.  Where do busy Portlanders REALLY go?

I can make it from McMinnville to Maupin in less than three hours, less from portland. IMHO it is worth the drive, but it does make it a long day. There are some nice small streams out here in Yamhill County. They hold mostly small wild cutthroat and hatchery rainbow. They also get very low in summer and I usually stop fishing them by mid June. I would stay away from the main Yamhill River, unless you are into warmwater fish and don’t mind raw sewage. The upper forks of the Yamhill have small cutthroat and can be fun but nothing great. Tight Lines, Jay Whitworth

Response:

Wait a minute!  The Deschutes River is NOT near Portland, Oregon. It’s gotta be a 3-4 hour drive, at least.  And it’s not that easy to fish from shore.  What about smaller streams on the slopes of Mt Hood or an hour or so west of Portland near Vernonia/Mist or down in Yamhill County (seem to remember some creeks in there near McMinnville – Yamhill River?)?  Anyway, if you consider total travel time, a 3-hour drive is fairly long way to go for an hour or two of fishing.  Where do busy Portlanders REALLY go? — Ken Brown Satis elequontiae, sapientiae parum.

Seriously, people.  Hit the coastal streams.  The searun cutthroat are in and many streams have summer steelhead as a bonus.  But seriously, my son and I target the cutthroat.  They are the best fly rising fish in the state–yes we fish on top–and it is not a 3 hour drive.   And if the fish are not cooperating–there is the beach, maybe the jetties, and a whole smorgasbord of good cafes and restaurants. Paul

Response:

The Deschutes is not 3 hours from Portland. It usually takes me less than two hours to get to Maupin where there is aproximately 25-30 miles of outstanding bank fishing for steelhead and Trout. (And plenty of whitefish if you are nymphing.)

Response:

Wait a minute!  The Deschutes River is NOT near Portland, Oregon. It’s gotta be a 3-4 hour drive, at least.  And it’s not that easy to fish from shore.  What about smaller streams on the slopes of Mt Hood or an hour or so west of Portland near Vernonia/Mist or down in Yamhill County (seem to remember some creeks in there near McMinnville – Yamhill River?)?  Anyway, if you consider total travel time, a 3-hour drive is fairly long way to go for an hour or two of fishing.  Where do busy Portlanders REALLY go? — Ken Brown Satis elequontiae, sapientiae parum.

Busy Portlanders aren’t real fisherpeople.  Real fisherpeople go to the …… Mike in PDX "When the trout are lost, smash the state."                           Tom McGuane

Response:

: Busy Portlanders aren’t real fisherpeople.  Real fisherpeople go to …. Anywhere in Idaho? (Except Leitheiser… he bailed out.  Don’t really blame him, it’s tough to come back to Oregon waters after getting spoiled by all those big Cutts.) — Rick T. Rick Fletcher   –   http://www.chem.uidaho.edu/~fletcher/ Associate professor of chemistry  |  That’s Idaho, not Iowa.    | ad hominem University of Idaho               |  Upper Left Hand Corner.    | ad hominem Moscow, ID 83844-2343             |  No, I don’t grow potatoes. | ad hominem

Response:

I’ll be in the Portland, OR area the end of June – beginnig of July.  I’d appreciate suggestions on places to fish for 2 days (Sat and Sun).  I’ll have a car and don’t have to return to Portland Sat nite.. Thanks in advance for your help. Martin

Response:

I’ll be in the Portland, OR area the end of June – beginnig of July.  I’d appreciate suggestions on places to fish for 2 days (Sat and Sun).  I’ll have a car and don’t have to return to Portland Sat nite.. Thanks in advance for your help. Martin You may want to try the coastal streams–a lot closer than the Deschutes

and the searun cutthroats are the most wonderful fly rod fish you can find.  A friend of mine is a guide.  If you want to, call Glenn Young at (503) 642-4570. A secret–these fish are active surface takers!!!!! Let me know if you go and how you do. Paul

Response:

The Deschutes River – where else.  Call Kaufmann’s Streamborn in Portland for information on the Deschutes and guides (if you want or need one).

Response:

Wait a minute!  The Deschutes River is NOT near Portland, Oregon.   It’s gotta be a 3-4 hour drive, at least.  And it’s not that easy to fish from shore.  What about smaller streams on the slopes of Mt Hood or an hour or so west of Portland near Vernonia/Mist or down in Yamhill County (seem to remember some creeks in there near McMinnville – Yamhill River?)?  Anyway, if you consider total travel time, a 3-hour drive is fairly long way to go for an hour or two of fishing.  Where do busy Portlanders REALLY go? — Ken Brown Satis elequontiae, sapientiae parum.

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writes: Wait a minute!  The Deschutes River is NOT near Portland, Oregon.   It’s gotta be a 3-4 hour drive, at least.  And it’s not that easy to fish from shore.

Whoa!  The Deschutes is about 100 miles from Portland via very good freeways.  This makes it about an hour and a half to an hour and three quarters travel time.  As for fishing from shore, you can’t legally fish from a boat unless you are disabled amd have the proper permits.  I’ll agree that you do have to wade it to flyfish, but that’s true of most any stream!

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Question:

After many years of using FF equipment, I thought that I understood the meaning of value but with prices today being what they are, I’m not sure anymore. I have fished with bamboo and glass and of course now the ubiquitous graphite! I have always held that each man has the duty to select and own the very best equipment he can afford, but somewhere along the line of reason, the meaning of the word value has lost it’s punch. I know that perhaps, one’s ability to feel good about their equipment is an important issue to some and there is of course the snob appeal of ownership that somehow owning the most expensive equipment somehow also creates a better fisherman. Sadly, this is of course not true and most of us who ply the water in search of our outdoor pleasure has found the the type of who I speak. Conversely I seem to run into many more fishermen who are satisfied to use off the shelf equipment as long as it does the job. Now I have not made these comments as a discourse on the merits of one type of person versus the other, but rather to put some meaning into how a person can select the very best in value from the present tremendous spectrum of available graphite rods. I know that there is a rating system for the graphite used in a rod, but the explaination of this tidbit seems to be lost in the hype of fit and finish and word paintings of the fish one can expect to catch. Of course fit and finish should be taken into consideration, but it also must have some limitation brought on by value! I guess the point I am leading to is how can you select a piece of equipment and be satisfied with the relationship between value and quality. I’m not looking for any My granddaddy use to say that the value of anything was more a product of what you thought something was worth than anything else. I suspect that this comes as close to being right as anything. Of course he was living in the late 1800s and we all know about the days when the value of a dollar was a good deal more than it is today. If you consider the value spread between a rod costing $79.00 vs one which cost $1,100.00, somewhere in between, there has to be a value where cost versus quality meet. At what point on the curve does cost outsrip value and value begin to take a beating? I’d be interested in hearing from anyone who would care to join in on this topic. I know that there are more fishermen out there using the under $100.00 rod and reel combinations than those who sport the $500.00 tickets! Your thoughts? —  

Question:

I have been offerd a trip to the area of Dillion Co. in July. I would love to take advantage of this offer. Can anyone tell me what the fishing would be like there. Is a guide a must? are there areas that are easy to get to with out a guide? still water vs. river/stream? We have never visited the state before so we have no idea where we are heading.

Response:

Dear visitor: July in Summit county offers a variety of flyfishing and regular fishing opportunities.  The obvious and most close is the Blue River which flows through Dillon.  There are also numerous private streams and ponds that you can fish.  The best advice I can give you is to call up the fishing stores in Breckenridge or Dillon and tell them what kind of fisherman you are (Novice, etc…) and decide if you are willing to spend money to have a private guide take you on private water.  They run anywhere from 125$/Day to $300/Day depending on the Luxery factor.  With the amount of snow in Summit county this year, runoff will be longer and may not be good in July in the Blue River.  I might want to try Beaver ponds if  the water is not clear.

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Question:

Steve, There is the San Mateo Sportsman’s show that used to be held in March and will be held in Jan or Feb. this coming year (96).  This is a consumer show with all the big guns represented whereas the Fly Tackle Dealer Show is a dealer show not a consumer show.  If you like fly fishing, and live in the Bay Area, don’t miss it.                                                    Dan Dan Gracia Schools Coordinator Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools If you kill that big fish you can’t catch ‘em again.  So what if they eat other fish?  If you kill the big ones there will only be little ones left (funny how that works!).

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I’ll be attending the The Fly Tackle Dealers’ Show in Denver next month. Anyone wishing information on new products (particularly rod blanks and components) exhibited at the show, feel free to post e-mail. I’ll be returning on approx. Sept. 25 and I’ll have a chance to respond at that time. You can also receive a free copy of our current catalogue with custom rods, blanks, componments, fly tying material and accessories by sending your name and snail mail address via e-mail. Phil Koenig Manhattan Custom Tackle    

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