Question:

I’m in RW’s boat. I use an improved clinch for everything. — Tight Lines! Brian D. Nelson Diamond N Outfitters, Missoula, Montana www.diamondnoutfitters.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Since so many folks started posting what terminal knot they use at the fly, I started keeping track. Some folks had multiple answers for different situation, so I just counted each one. Here’s the results so far. Feel free to post yours and I’ll keep the running tally. Clinch Knot: 4 (Charlie Choc, rw, Bob Weinberger, daytripper) Uni Knot: 3 (Lazarus Cooke, Mike Connor, Vaughan Hurry) Homer Rhode: 2 (Charlie Choc, riverman) Palomar: 1 (Danl) No-Slip Loop Knot: 1 (rw) Improved Clinch: 1 (rw) Turle: 1 (rw) The Improved Clinch is suprising; I’d have thought it was the most common. Possibly not so. Other folks? Lurkers? riverman

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The Improved Clinch is suprising; I’d have thought it was the most common. Possibly not so. Other folks? Lurkers?

I nearly always use the improved clinch, but once in a while I’ll use the uni-knot. — Rusty Hook Laramie, Wyoming

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I’m in RW’s boat. I use an improved clinch for everything. —

Just coming off the road, so late on this…improved clinch for me too, tippet to fly. Frank Church

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I try to tie an improved clinch, but must confess that all too often it turns out to be a "Granny". Big Dale

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Improved Clinch in mono, Uni Loop in braided wire, haywire twist in singlestrand. I’m puzzled by these failures of the improved clinch, I’ve never seen the problem. Chas

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I’m puzzled by these failures of the improved clinch, I’ve never seen the problem.

I think mine were probably due to improper tightening, but the regular clinch is working fine for me now. — Charlie…

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I’m puzzled by these failures of the improved clinch, I’ve never seen the problem. I think mine were probably due to improper tightening, but the regular clinch is working fine for me now.

I’m sure mine were due to improper tightening, and the regular clinch has always worked fine for me for anything smaller than the typical saltwater hook. I use Orvis SS leader material for fresh water. Maybe that’s a factor… /daytripper

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      Since so many folks started posting what terminal knot they use at the fly,   I started keeping track. Some folks had multiple answers for different   situation, so I just counted each one. Here’s the results so far. Feel free   to post yours and I’ll keep the running tally.        clinch from backing to line, line to leader; improved clinch   leader to tippet, tippet to fly. How do you use a clinch knot to join two lines together? Willi

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –  Since so many folks started posting what terminal knot they use at the fly,  I started keeping track. Some folks had multiple answers for different  situation, so I just counted each one. Here’s the results so far. Feel free  to post yours and I’ll keep the running tally.        clinch from backing to line, line to leader; improved clinch   leader to tippet, tippet to fly. How do you use a clinch knot to join two lines together? Willi

        if i told you, i’d have to kill you.  :) yfitons wayno  (really, you’d have to see it to understand) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

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Since so many folks started posting what terminal knot they use at the fly, I started keeping track. Some folks had multiple answers for different situation, so I just counted each one. Here’s the results so far. Feel free to post yours and I’ll keep the running tally. Clinch Knot: 4 (Charlie Choc, rw, Bob Weinberger, daytripper) Uni Knot: 3 (Lazarus Cooke, Mike Connor, Vaughan Hurry) Homer Rhode: 2 (Charlie Choc, riverman) Palomar: 1 (Danl) No-Slip Loop Knot: 1 (rw) Improved Clinch: 1 (rw) Turle: 1 (rw) The Improved Clinch is suprising; I’d have thought it was the most common. Possibly not so. Other folks? Lurkers? riverman

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Oops. The Turle was Lazarus. Sorry. rm

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Clinch Knot: 4 (Charlie Choc, rw, Bob Weinberger, daytripper) Uni Knot: 3 (Lazarus Cooke, Mike Connor, Vaughan Hurry) Homer Rhode: 2 (Charlie Choc, riverman) Palomar: 1 (Danl) No-Slip Loop Knot: 1 (rw) Improved Clinch: 1 (rw) Turle: 1 (rw) The Improved Clinch is suprising; I’d have thought it was the most common. Possibly not so. Other folks? Lurkers?

I use the Pitzen knot.  Favorite for the past three years.

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Feel free to post yours and I’ll keep the running tally.

Clinch Knot George Adams "From the rockin’ of the cradle to the rollin’ of the hearse, the goin’ up was worth the comin’ down." ___Kris Kristofferson "The Pilgrim/Chapter 33"

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Since so many folks started posting what terminal knot they use at the fly, I started keeping track. Some folks had multiple answers for different situation, so I just counted each one. Here’s the results so far. Feel free to post yours and I’ll keep the running tally.

        clinch from backing to line, line to leader; improved clinch leader to tippet, tippet to fly.

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Mostly improved clinch sometime just a clinch.

    Mostly just a clinch, sometimes improved clinch.

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Since so many folks started posting what terminal knot they use at the fly, I started keeping track. Some folks had multiple answers for different situation, so I just counted each one. Here’s the results so far. Feel free to post yours and I’ll keep the running tally.    clinch from backing to line, line to leader; improved clinch leader to tippet, tippet to fly.

This explains a lot, wayno. /daytripper (y’all are just too clinched up!

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clinch from backing to line, line to leader; improved clinch leader to tippet, tippet to fly.

Tied by your fishing partner, no less. –Steve

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Since so many folks started posting what terminal knot they use at the fly, I started keeping track. Some folks had multiple answers for different situation, so I just counted each one. Here’s the results so far. Feel free to post yours and I’ll keep the running tally. Clinch Knot: 4 (Charlie Choc, rw, Bob Weinberger, daytripper) Uni Knot: 3 (Lazarus Cooke, Mike Connor, Vaughan Hurry) Homer Rhode: 2 (Charlie Choc, riverman) Palomar: 1 (Danl) No-Slip Loop Knot: 1 (rw) Improved Clinch: 1 (rw) Turle: 1 (rw) The Improved Clinch is suprising; I’d have thought it was the most common. Possibly not so. Other folks? Lurkers? riverman

improved clinch jeff

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Oops. The Turle was Lazarus. Sorry.

I don’t even know how to tie a Turle knot. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Since so many folks started posting what terminal knot they use at the fly, I started keeping track. Some folks had multiple answers for different situation, so I just counted each one. Here’s the results so far. Feel free to post yours and I’ll keep the running tally. Clinch Knot: 4 (Charlie Choc, rw, Bob Weinberger, daytripper) Uni Knot: 3 (Lazarus Cooke, Mike Connor, Vaughan Hurry) Homer Rhode: 2 (Charlie Choc, riverman) Palomar: 1 (Danl) No-Slip Loop Knot: 1 (rw) Improved Clinch: 1 (rw) Turle: 1 (rw) The Improved Clinch is suprising; I’d have thought it was the most common. Possibly not so. Other folks? Lurkers? riverman

Improved Clinch G.C.

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Improved Clinch for me, Occasionally the Turle. Clark

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Since so many folks started posting what terminal knot they use at the fly, I started keeping track. Some folks had multiple answers for different situation, so I just counted each one. Here’s the results so far. Feel free to post yours and I’ll keep the running tally. Clinch Knot: 4 (Charlie Choc, rw, Bob Weinberger, daytripper) Uni Knot: 3 (Lazarus Cooke, Mike Connor, Vaughan Hurry) Homer Rhode: 2 (Charlie Choc, riverman) Palomar: 1 (Danl) No-Slip Loop Knot: 1 (rw) Improved Clinch: 1 (rw) Turle: 1 (rw) The Improved Clinch is suprising; I’d have thought it was the most common. Possibly not so. Other folks? Lurkers? riverman

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I like the Trilene knot, especially on bigger hooks. http://www.fish4fun.com/TrileneKnot.htm Kevin

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Clinch mostly. 6 turns on 6x and above. 5 turns on 5x. 4 turns on 4x and below. Loop jam for swinging flys. None other needed. Joel Axelrad **DFD**

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  The Improved Clinch is suprising; I’d have thought it was the most common.   Possibly not so.     Other folks? Lurkers?   Mostly improved clinch sometime just a clinch. Willi

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Mostly improved clinch sometime just a clinch. Willi

Ditto.  Occasionally a Trilene knot too, depending on the size of the eye. I start with a clinch, and if it holds when I test it, I don’t worry. –Stan

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Question:

<SNIP. A wise man once wrote… <SNIP      - Ken Very flattering!   Sometimes I can not help thinking that a "wise man" would keep his silence more often.

Probably, but what’s the fun of being wise if you can’t say stupid things every once in a while.  :-)      - Ken

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The only evidence I have that you yourself might be a "real" or even a "good" angler is your oft-repeated assertions here that you are.  I have no overwhelming reason to disbelieve you other than the inherent little untruths contained in your entertaining exits from ROFF ("I will tell you a little story,  my all too eager to condemn friend. It does not matter a lot, as it will in any case be my last post to this newsgroup"), so I choose to assume you’re correct.  I do, however, have personal knowledge that Joe Howell is.  I also know that he would not, on the basis of reading few snippet quotes on a newsgroup, be so eager to condemn a fellow angler as a "greedy and self-serving human being" and a "snobby prat." JR

For the record. I have never asserted any such thing. What you or others choose to interpret, or believe,  is your own affair. You are indeed perfectly correct about my "exits". To be perfectly honest, very considerable thought and self-analysis notwithstanding, I can not for the life of me explain why I feel obliged to post here at all, or why I felt obliged to return. As I have no reasonable explanation, I will refrain from even attempting to tender one. As you so ably demonstrate in your description of my behaviour, and its consequences. What people say is important. Of the thousands of posts I have written in recent years, you remember the "exits", and the associated comments, and base your evaluation, of myself on that. Rather odd don

Question:

and having much love and respect for my little 3 wt. I decided it was getting late and time to leave. When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring, especialy when they are spawning. Those that are about a foot long are a hell of a lot of fun on a fly rod. Last summer here in the Dallas area there were grasshoppers on three of our area lakes which were matched by hoppers tied on size 2/0 hooks. One guy caught a 10 pound channel cat that took one of those huge hopper patterns off the surface. I don’t know what weight rod he was using. Big Dale  

It’s amazing the variety of species that will take a dry under the right circumstances.  My son went up North fishing for walleye on his uncles boat.  He didn’t take any fly gear with him, instead he borrowed spinning gear from his uncle.  They got the boat out onto the lake, motored over to Serge’s favourite walleye spot only to see hundreds of walleye sipping hexes off the top.  They were both skunked.  He was kinda kicking himself when he got home. I’ve also heard of walleye taking midges in the middle of winter. Peter

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Had a 15lb cat take a Frank’s Fighting Craw in the shallows when I was fission for bass.  I pulled away from shore to keep him out of the weeds. When I finally got him close enough to get the hook out, he flipped and spiked my tube.  I was using my life vest for floatation before I got to shore.         Frank Reid – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I broke the only rod I’ve ever broken on a fish, trying to land a big catfish. I was in a float tube and got towed around the lake for awhile. I finally got the fish up to the tube and while trying to figure out how and the hell I was going to "land" it, it dove straight down, the rod broke at the ferrule and the tippet popped. Willi a fly and having much love and respect for my little 3 wt. I decided it was getting late and time to leave. When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring, especialy when they are spawning. Those that are about a foot long are a hell of a lot of fun on a fly rod. Last summer here in the Dallas area there were grasshoppers on three of our area lakes which were matched by hoppers tied on size 2/0 hooks. One guy caught a 10 pound channel cat that took one of those huge hopper patterns off the surface. I don’t know what weight rod he was using. Big Dale

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Dale, Oak Creek in Arizona had channel cats which cruised up and down  the stream in groups of three or four.  They were quite different from regular cat fish.  It was not uncommon to take one while fishing for trout.  They fought and tasted quite good. Ernie When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring,

especialy <snip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Big Dale

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Had a 15lb cat take a Frank’s Fighting Craw in the shallows when I was fission for bass.  I pulled away from shore to keep him out of the weeds. When I finally got him close enough to get the hook out, he flipped and spiked my tube.  I was using my life vest for floatation before I got to shore.        Frank Reid

Dang Frank, is that what you call poetic justice?  Besides, if you were "fission" he probably would glow in the dark.  :-) Frank (missed ‘im by a whisker) Church

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It’s amazing the variety of species that will take a dry under the right circumstances.  My son went up North fishing for walleye on his uncles boat.  He didn’t take any fly gear with him, instead he borrowed spinning gear from his uncle.  They got the boat out onto the lake, motored over to Serge’s favourite walleye spot only to see hundreds of walleye sipping hexes off the top.  They were both skunked.  He was kinda kicking himself when he got home. I’ve also heard of walleye taking midges in the middle of winter.

I was lucky enough to hit a hatch of large mayflies on a trip to northern Canada with my father. I caught both Walleyes and a number of small Lakers on dries. My father never learned to fly fish and was able to catch only one small Laker. Walleyes taking midges though is a new one for me. That would be fun! Willi

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When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring, especialy when they are spawning.

Okay. Where on the Front Range can one find channel cats? Even seeing the word "catfish" is making me homesick for Kansas. Put down the chainsaw and listen to me. It’s time for us to join in the fight.

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Mike, stand up, close your eyes, click your heels together three times and say ‘there’s no place like home’. Hell, if Dorothy can do it… Herman <snip Okay. Where on the Front Range can one find channel cats? Even seeing the word "catfish" is making me homesick for Kansas. Put down the chainsaw and listen to me. It’s time for us to join in the fight.

– Cheers, Herman Herman Nijland Daytime webmaster Lifetime flyfisher

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Mike, stand up, close your eyes, click your heels together three times and say ‘there’s no place like home’. Hell, if Dorothy can do it…

It was the dog the whole time… — Charlie…

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When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring, especialy when they are spawning. Okay. Where on the Front Range can one find channel cats? Even seeing the word "catfish" is making me homesick for Kansas.

Cherry Creek Reservoir has a strong population of good sized Channel Cats. They are also stocked in lots of the smaller lakes around the metro area. Willi

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Mike, stand up, close your eyes, click your heels together three times and say ‘there’s no place like home’. Hell, if Dorothy can do it… Herman

        responses like that are the best (hell, maybe the *only) reason to hang out in this nuthouse.  hilarious, herman. wayno

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Mike, stand up, close your eyes, click your heels together three times and say ‘there’s no place like home’. Hell, if Dorothy can do it…

I tried that yesterday. I was still stuck in Denver traffic, only this time I was standing outside of my car on I-25. And I don’t think I had time to set the parking brake while I was clicking. Put down the chainsaw and listen to me. It’s time for us to join in the fight.

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        we are all going to need a great deal of time on the water to heal the wounds that have come from the recent Great Absurdity.

   Great Absurdity, like that term. Willi

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I broke the only rod I’ve ever broken on a fish, trying to land a big catfish. I was in a float tube and got towed around the lake for awhile. I finally got the fish up to the tube and while trying to figure out how and the hell I was going to "land" it, it dove straight down, the rod broke at the ferrule and the tippet popped. Willi – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – and having much love and respect for my little 3 wt. I decided it was getting late and time to leave. When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring, especialy when they are spawning. Those that are about a foot long are a hell of a lot of fun on a fly rod. Last summer here in the Dallas area there were grasshoppers on three of our area lakes which were matched by hoppers tied on size 2/0 hooks. One guy caught a 10 pound channel cat that took one of those huge hopper patterns off the surface. I don’t know what weight rod he was using. Big Dale

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Finally got out yesterday for a spot of thrashing the water.

        (nice report snipped)         now, then, john, don’t you have to admit that this subject matter just beats hell out of that political hogshit?         we are all going to need a great deal of time on the water to heal the wounds that have come from the recent Great Absurdity. your friend in the old north state wayno – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

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and having much love and respect for my little 3 wt. I decided it was getting late and time to leave.

When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring, especialy when they are spawning. Those that are about a foot long are a hell of a lot of fun on a fly rod. Last summer here in the Dallas area there were grasshoppers on three of our area lakes which were matched by hoppers tied on size 2/0 hooks. One guy caught a 10 pound channel cat that took one of those huge hopper patterns off the surface. I don’t know what weight rod he was using. Big Dale  

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Finally got out yesterday for a spot of thrashing the water. There is a little lake about 5 miles from the house that is just eat up with hungry small bream so, time being short, I chose that location to relax. Poppers were not interesting to the denizens of the deep so I tied on a bitty streamer of no real pattern and began flailing. I was having a blast dragging 6 to 8" fish from home and hearth and plopping them back when another angler sauntered down to the fishing dock. Likable guy, fishing cats with shrimp, no problem, we talked and fished. He was pulling cats, I bream. Then it happened, his line straightened and began singing off his reel. Now this guy was fishing with, as I would describe as salt water gear, 15-20 lb. test stuff. Of coarse I pulled up till the fight would be over. After about 5 min or a week dependant on your outlook, and a close call around a piling, a three foot channel cat was within the reach of my net and promptly was on the dock. Because Cats there have been known to take a fly and having much love and respect for my little 3 wt. I decided it was getting late and time to leave.

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Question:

If you fish lakes for trout and other species, this is for you. Whether a pro or a beginner the articles will be welcomed. Fly patterns techniques, how-to and all the pitfalls when selecting equipment and where to use it and when. Best of all it’s FREE!

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Ok it’s free, but where the heck is the site? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If you fish lakes for trout and other species, this is for you. Whether a pro or a beginner the articles will be welcomed. Fly patterns techniques, how-to and all the pitfalls when selecting equipment and where to use it and when. Best of all it’s FREE!

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Ok it’s free, but where the heck is the site?

I can’t help you with the URL for the original poster’s magazine (can’t find it myself), but there is a decent on line magazine at http://www.fishandfly.co.uk , if you’re interested. Brian Cass

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Ok it’s free, but where the heck is the site? If you fish lakes for trout and other species, this is for you. Whether a pro or a beginner the articles will be welcomed. Fly patterns techniques, how-to and all the pitfalls when selecting equipment and where to use it and when. Best of all it’s FREE!

Try http://www.rural.escape.ca/angling_north/ and click on "fly fishing".

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Try http://www.rural.escape.ca/angling_north/ and click on "fly fishing".

And it will be well worth your time — set aside an evening for it. Bob Sheedy knows more about flyfishing for trout in lakes than all the rest of us put together, and I suspect he catches more 20+ inch trout before lunch on the average weekend than I have caught in my life. Be sure to get a towel to wipe the drool off your keyboard when you see the pictures of the trout he catches.  Bob, if you’re listening, you want to set up a Prairie Clave sometime? Kevin

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What’s the address dude?

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If you fish lakes for trout and other species, this is for you. Whether a pro or a beginner the articles will be welcomed. Fly patterns techniques, how-to and all the pitfalls when selecting equipment and where to use it and when. Best of all it’s FREE!

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Question:

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

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

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

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Question:

Help, please: Here’s the scenario.  I fish a river that contains a population of wild, anadromous (I think), brook trout.  Most of the fish are in the 8 to 13" size, and they are caught fairly easily on dries.  There’s another size class, about 14 to 18", that can be caught on large dries, muddlers, streamers, etc with fair regularity at dawn and dusk. But the deeper pools also hide another size class.  These fish seem to be in the 5 to 6 lb. class. I’ve only seen them a couple of times, following an 8 or 10" fish in on the end of my line.  One grabbed a trout my son was landing last year, about 6 feet from shore, and tore off line to the far end of the pool before making off with the smaller fish. So, they’re clearly piscivorous.  Never seen one rise for a fly.  I think I need a streamer pattern that represents about  a 6 or 8" brook trout.  Any ideas?  I’d also love to be able to cast it with a #6 rod, but hey, life involves compromises. Thanks in advance to the collective wisdom of the group. brent

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Help, please: Here’s the scenario.

(snip of description of paradise) Thanks in advance to the collective wisdom of the group. brent

        just tell me where you are, brent, and i will supply all the wisdom you will ever need.         you will be covered in streamers. wayno

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Help, please: Here’s the scenario.  I fish a river that contains a population of wild, anadromous (I think), brook trout.  

I’ve never heard of anadramous brook trout. Can this be so? — something bogus to avoid spam)

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<<So, they’re clearly piscivorous.  Never seen one rise for a fly.  I think I need a streamer pattern that represents about  a 6 or 8" brook trout.  Any ideas?  I’d also love to be able to cast it with a #6 rod, but hey, life involves compromises. Thanks in advance to the collective wisdom of the group. There are a number of streamers that imitate a little brook trout. I think the key is size and depth.  I would tie it in a #2 or #4, 4x to 6x long, and use a sink tip line to get it down.  I would also retrieve very quickly.  You could easily cast it with a 6 wt.  Won’t be pretty <G, but you can get out a good one. Now, if you were to meet me at this little fishing hole, I will supply the correct flies and tackle.  d;0) Dave LaCourse

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I’ve never heard of anadramous brook trout. Can this be so?

Sure can.  In New England they call them "Salters".  Some coastal streams have a fairly good run.  Also some browns. George Adams

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Several strains of brook trout are anadramous. — Nicholas J. Slodki http://trampled.net/Nikolai0/

: : Help, please: : : Here’s the scenario.  I fish a river that contains a population of wild, : anadromous (I think), brook trout. : :I’ve never heard of anadramous brook trout. Can this be so? : :– : :something bogus to avoid spam) :

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Help, please: Here’s the scenario. (snip of description of paradise) Thanks in advance to the collective wisdom of the group. brent         just tell me where you are, brent, and i will supply all the wisdom you will ever need.         you will be covered in streamers. wayno

Wayno: Its the Cains River.  Flows into the Main southwest Miramichi near Blackville, N.B. The stretch under discussion is roughly 15 km. long. Its a stretch of the Crown Angling Reserve Waters managed by NBDNRE. Its fly fishing only, hook and release, barbless.  Beautiful.  Moose, bear, deer, eagle, bobcat, etc.  I think there’s one occupied camp on the whole stretch; no bridges.  Its $10 canadian per day, limit of 6 rods per day. The catch?  Available to NB Residents ONLY.   (On the other hand, the other hundred or so Km. of the Cains is open to fly fishing by non-residents accompanied by a resident guide.) Sorry.  I guess I can’t expect that coat of many streamers, can I? Any chance of a pattern suggestion anyway?  You could fish it vicariously through me. brent

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Help, please: Here’s the scenario. (snip of description of paradise) Thanks in advance to the collective wisdom of the group. brent         just tell me where you are, brent, and i will supply all the wisdom you will ever need.         you will be covered in streamers. wayno

hook. Mr. G. drift* —

Question:

June 14, 1998 Montauk Sportfishing Report I

Question:

When I hunt I do not wear camo. I do not use scent-b-gon washes for my clothes. I do not spray doe estrus everywhere, or play taped hen turkey calls on a portable deck. I DO, however, use a double-barreled shotgun which was manufactured in 1990, modern magnum loads, and electric socks.

Forgive my ignorance, but what are electric socks? Michael Smith

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Which begs a question of all who have been involved in the ’strike indicator’ controversy: What is it about fly fishing that appeals most to you? Those who relish the streamside strategy, the endless presentations into pools you just KNOW are full of trout, a cold cheese sandwich and a smoke for lunch amid the splendor of our natural settings…those are the ones I feel more akin to, and for whose sportsmen’s ethos I have the utmost respect. However, for those who consider a day without an entry into the log book of either a catch or a kill a wasted day, you are the ones who are, in my opinion, missing the point. You might as well be using dynamite on the fish and bazookas on deer. So, if I am mistaken in wanting to change the focus of this debate from hardware, then flame me at will. However, if in truth the true debate is found in the ethos of the sportsman, consider yourself well and weigh in with your position. W.E.S. Harman Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia "L’ecrivain original n’est pas celui qui n’imite personne, mais celui que personne ne peut imiter." (The original writer is not he who refrains from imitating others, but he who can be imitated by none.) – Francois-Rene De Chateaubriand,  "Genie du Christianisme"

I’m sorry, but the issue should be not what technology is used, but rather the attitude and the intend with which it is employed.  The purist takes issue with the uninitiated to avoid having to share, as by sharing, in his mind, he is reduced. Peter

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When I hunt I do not wear camo. I do not use scent-b-gon washes for my clothes. I do not spray doe estrus everywhere, or play taped hen turkey calls on a portable deck. I DO, however, use a double-barreled shotgun which was manufactured in 1990, modern magnum loads, and electric socks. Forgive my ignorance, but what are electric socks? Michael Smith

You don’t want to know unless your sure your waders don’t leak. Mike

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -As an all-around outdoor sports kind of guy, I find myself in the company of hunters and fishermen quite a bit. I consider myself something of a traditionalist, largely due only to the fact that I find that technology often has the effect of taking the sport out of being a sportsman. When I hunt I do not wear camo. I do not use scent-b-gon washes for my clothes. I do not spray doe estrus everywhere, or play taped hen turkey calls on a portable deck. I DO, however, use a double-barreled shotgun which was manufactured in 1990, modern magnum loads, and electric socks. With fishing it is largely the same. I do not use strike indicators, ’stink baits’ or other fly-modifications, or barbed hooks. I DO use a graphite rod, DuPont line, and nylon leaders. The point of all of this is that, at a certain point, technology can and does take the sport out of being a sportsman. I use modern equipment because it is safer and more reliable than antiques. This I find easy to defend. However, the modifications, concoctions, and natural subterfuges which technological advancement makes available to us, I believe allows the worst of us to compensate for our lack of knowledge and patience, placing more importance on the kill than the hunt (or the landing over the actual fishing). Which begs a question of all who have been involved in the ’strike indicator’ controversy: What is it about fly fishing that appeals most to you? Those who relish the streamside strategy, the endless presentations into pools you just KNOW are full of trout, a cold cheese sandwich and a smoke for lunch amid the splendor of our natural settings…those are the ones I feel more akin to, and for whose sportsmen’s ethos I have the utmost respect. However, for those who consider a day without an entry into the log book of either a catch or a kill a wasted day, you are the ones who are, in my opinion, missing the point. You might as well be using dynamite on the fish and bazookas on deer. So, if I am mistaken in wanting to change the focus of this debate from hardware, then flame me at will. However, if in truth the true debate is found in the ethos of the sportsman, consider yourself well and weigh in with your position. W.E.S. Harman Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia "L’ecrivain original n’est pas celui qui n’imite personne, mais celui que personne ne peut imiter." (The original writer is not he who refrains from imitating others, but he who can be imitated by none.) – Francois-Rene De Chateaubriand,  "Genie du Christianisme"

A fine question. I fish for a variety of reasons. The strongest is that I love the sea, I go there summer and winter with or without a rod, but fishing is what turns voyeurism into an actual connection for me. That connection can be made with a 12′ surf rod, or a dropline even, but I use a fly rod. I enjoy the uncertainty of fly fishing. When I began my friends all used spinning gear, and would probably catch 20 cod before I would catch anything on the fly. But once I’d catch something they would say "I can’t believe you actually caught something on that rod." This gave me a sense of accomplishment, a feeling of overcoming an obstacle. I like that. With my surf rod I can go out and spray casts all over the place and cover a tremendous amount of water, and I will catch a fish more often than not. With my fly rod I can only fish water within 100′ of me. Sometimes this water doesn’t look like it can hold anything, and when it does it is a happy surprise. It’s this surprise I like best in fishing, and the more I tip the odds in my favor the less of a surprise it is when I catch a fish. So for me technology diminishes the joy I find in fishing. That’s why when I’m in my boat I try never to look at the fishfinder. I look at the water depth so I can find changes, then turn it off. I think the purpose of many of the technological advances in sport are marketing driven. Make something difficult easier and you get more appeal to the masses. If it took 100 hours for every fish we caught, many would not fish, so for the industry it’s good business to make the sport easier. People who are new to the sport will not notice the difference, and will probably get as much enjoyment from it as I do. I would not enjoy using their methods, and they probably would not enjoy mine, and I think that’s OK. All this makes me think back to a bumper sticker I had in the 70s that said "Short Skiis Suck". In order to make skiing easier and more widely appealing, manufacturers put out these short, easy to skid turn skiis. All of a sudden any bozo could survive a difficult run. Those of us who were still on 205s, 210s etc. didn’t care for this, and didn’t care for the difference it made in the shape of a mogul; gnarly choppy bumps instead of smooth, rounded bumps. When I think of this it seems to me that in any sport major technology shifts will be despised by those who got there without them, while the newer people will wonder what’s the big deal. That most of what I like is the traditional and most of what I don’t like is technological just tells me that I’m getting on in years :-                                                 jc

Response:

Michael: Electric socks keep ones feet warm while hunting in sub-zero temperatures. Well, they’d keep them warm at any time, but are especially useful when hunting in seriously cold weather. Might I add they are also useful for wearing under waders when you’re going to be in super-cold water. W.E.S. Harman Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia "L’ecrivain original n’est pas celui qui n’imite personne, mais celui que personne ne peut imiter." (The original writer is not he who refrains from imitating others, but he who can be imitated by none.) – Francois-Rene De Chateaubriand,   "Genie du Christianisme" – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – When I hunt I do not wear camo. I do not use scent-b-gon washes for my clothes. I do not spray doe estrus everywhere, or play taped hen turkey calls on a portable deck. I DO, however, use a double-barreled shotgun which was manufactured in 1990, modern magnum loads, and electric socks. Forgive my ignorance, but what are electric socks? Michael Smith

Response:

Forgive my ignorance, but what are electric socks? Michael Smith

Look at them as part of your outdoor potty training. They teach you to pee far from you standing position, and not to dribble. 8^) Bruce….

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – …snip… The point of all of this is that, at a certain point, technology can and does take the sport out of being a sportsman. I use modern equipment because it is safer and more reliable than antiques. This I find easy to defend. However, the modifications, concoctions, and natural subterfuges which technological advancement makes available to us, I believe allows the worst of us to compensate for our lack of knowledge and patience, placing more importance on the kill than the hunt (or the landing over the actual fishing). Which begs a question of all who have been involved in the ’strike indicator’ controversy: What is it about fly fishing that appeals most to you? Those who relish the streamside strategy, the endless presentations into pools you just KNOW are full of trout, a cold cheese sandwich and a smoke for lunch amid the splendor of our natural settings…those are the ones I feel more akin to, and for whose sportsmen’s ethos I have the utmost respect. However, for those who consider a day without an entry into the log book of either a catch or a kill a wasted day, you are the ones who are, in my opinion, missing the point. You might as well be using dynamite on the fish and bazookas on deer.

This is in the same vein as my post from last week on "What is flyfishing to You: Was…". Its something that takes some meditation to answer with the convictions of truth. Your ruminations focusing on technology are well meant but the more I consider it the more I think they are perhaps misplaced. The reason is that what you describe relishing is the challenge of succeeding in a "fair chase" endeavor. This is not merely the harvesting (or R’ing) of the game but is the overcoming of obstacles barring your way to that success. Thus, for an accomplished sportsman excess technological "advantages" take the challenge and fun out of the endeavor. For those of lesser prowess, these technological advantages put them into the game closer to the same challenge level as the more accomplished individuals and can therefore experience similar joys when they succeed occasionally. As sporting prowess increases, the sportsman will often shift the balance in the "fair chase" equation back to a level that gives more challenge, thus voluntarily negating to some extent their increased skill level. This is often accomplished by going to more traditional and less technological methods (witness the resurgence of popularity in long bow archery for hunting to replace compound bows) or by setting and only seeking greater challenges for themselves (trophy bucks only, traveling to impenetrable areas to fish, targeting very selective trout, etc, etc). In the end, it is all relative to the individual. A sportsman, as I see it, certainly wants some success but not necessarily too much so that a challenge remains to be met. Where an individual falls on this scale can be shifted through technological innovation. It may be true to some extent that the ultimate purist has the least success in their sport (in terms of numbers). When I consider what flyfishing is to me I can roll over a litany of single experiences in my mind but none of them suffice as individual justifications to flyfish (or bowhunt, which falls in the same aesthetic category for me). When I look back at memories of flyfishing the conclusion that I have come to is that these endeavors are the closest thing to a striving for perfection that I may ever experience. What are the true memories at the end of a season? It is not the nice day catching many fish, one after another. It is not the various places gone, people seen, sunsets, bugs, gear, or water. These are part of the collage of experience that you can lovingly thumb through upon reflection but not the core. The core memories are the fleeting moments when the striving for perfection has been nearly achieved, the proper selection of gear for a promising spot never before considered or never properly fished before. A new insight and the laying in of the right fly on a lightly presented cast- just right. A sipping rise and a good fish on, well played and now in hand and for a moment in time everything has stopped and the universe has altered its course to revolve around that fleeting instant where judgement and skill (and perhaps some luck) have combined to meet the challenge that has been set. It may be the only fish of the day but it will be remembered long after the season ends and many more fish have been taken with less grace and spirit. So there flows the river Why. Jon (Am in total agreement on the "gotta get my game (fill in species here)" to have fun attitude described previously)

Response:

As an all-around outdoor sports kind of guy, I find myself in the company of hunters and fishermen quite a bit. I consider myself something of a traditionalist, largely due only to the fact that I find that technology often has the effect of taking the sport out of being a sportsman. When I hunt I do not wear camo. I do not use scent-b-gon washes for my clothes. I do not spray doe estrus everywhere, or play taped hen turkey calls on a portable deck. I DO, however, use a double-barreled shotgun which was manufactured in 1990, modern magnum loads, and electric socks. With fishing it is largely the same. I do not use strike indicators, ’stink baits’ or other fly-modifications, or barbed hooks. I DO use a graphite rod, DuPont line, and nylon leaders. The point of all of this is that, at a certain point, technology can and does take the sport out of being a sportsman. I use modern equipment because it is safer and more reliable than antiques. This I find easy to defend. However, the modifications, concoctions, and natural subterfuges which technological advancement makes available to us, I believe allows the worst of us to compensate for our lack of knowledge and patience, placing more importance on the kill than the hunt (or the landing over the actual fishing). Which begs a question of all who have been involved in the ’strike indicator’ controversy: What is it about fly fishing that appeals most to you? Those who relish the streamside strategy, the endless presentations into pools you just KNOW are full of trout, a cold cheese sandwich and a smoke for lunch amid the splendor of our natural settings…those are the ones I feel more akin to, and for whose sportsmen’s ethos I have the utmost respect. However, for those who consider a day without an entry into the log book of either a catch or a kill a wasted day, you are the ones who are, in my opinion, missing the point. You might as well be using dynamite on the fish and bazookas on deer. So, if I am mistaken in wanting to change the focus of this debate from hardware, then flame me at will. However, if in truth the true debate is found in the ethos of the sportsman, consider yourself well and weigh in with your position. W.E.S. Harman Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia "L’ecrivain original n’est pas celui qui n’imite personne, mais celui que personne ne peut imiter." (The original writer is not he who refrains from imitating others, but he who can be imitated by none.) – Francois-Rene De Chateaubriand,   "Genie du Christianisme"

Response:

Question:

Hi, thanks for the response.  Is there any flats fishing in Costa Rica? I’m interested in a trip in 1997 .  Please e mail if possible. — Tim Ackerman "Everyone Lives Downstream"

Response:

Hi, thanks for the response.  Is there any flats fishing in Costa Rica? I’m interested in a trip in 1997 .  Please e mail if possible. — Tim Ackerman "Everyone Lives Downstream"

Hi Tim, I believe that the east side is jungle rivers running to the ocean with tarpon and snook and the west coast is blue water with bill fish, dorado and wahoo. Lots of flats in other eastern Central American coasts. William Kiene Kiene’s Fly Shop Sacramento,CA,USA

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Question:

Ron,   Try a bright light green, cream, orange, or hot pink glo bug and sink the fly so it drifts drag free across the bottom. Also try some bright colored western spey flies and steelhead flies. There is a person named Helvie that wrote a book on steelhead flies, look through that also . —

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  On the Puyallup river in Washington State I have seen several people    I have only seen one fly fisherman on this river and wonder   why?                                          Thanks Ron

    Ron – You don’t see many trying to flyfish the Puyallup River because, by the time the steelhead arrive in the Summer or Fall, the river is floured (like coffee with cream).  Once the snow melt on the glaciers is done and we start getting ice melt, only stink baits really work well on this glacier-fed river. The glaciers have volcanic ash in them that "flour" the water.                         – Jewelee                           Puyallup, WA

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On the Puyallup river in Washington State I have seen several people using spincasting gear with spinners to catch Steelhead.  I am new to fly fishing and am hooked.  I know I will never be a worm fisherman again!!!!  I would think that a fly rod would do a awsome job on this river.  I have only seen one fly fisherman on this river and wonder why?  I am going to try this weekend and would like any suggestions on types of flies and patterns to use?  The spinners that I have seen people use have had bright orange on them.                                        Thanks Ron

Response:

Ron,    I have not fished the Puyallup yet, but I tie a wooly bugger pattern with black marabou and flashabou, and an orange marabou that are more successful overall than the classic Skykomish Sunrise, etc. An advantage for me is that they are easy to tie and when I lose one, it’s not like losing an art treasure. email me about your success. I could send you some flies in exchange for good wading locations. good luck!    Jack – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – On the Puyallup river in Washington State I have seen several people using spincasting gear with spinners to catch Steelhead.  I am new to fly fishing and am hooked.  I know I will never be a worm fisherman again!!!!  I would think that a fly rod would do a awsome job on this river.  I have only seen one fly fisherman on this river and wonder why?  I am going to try this weekend and would like any suggestions on types of flies and patterns to use?  The spinners that I have seen people use have had bright orange on them.                                        Thanks Ron

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