Question:

The Sages tend to be faster, more athletic rods, (US made if thats important to you)generally preferred in the West, imitated by others, a bit more expensive, but why waste money on an imitation? Dave Biased, they are made down the road.

Response:

I will say one thing about T&T. They have the prettiest rod cases in the business.

Plus I like the way they include a plastic dowel with their rod bags so that you don’t accidentally damage the rod tip by attempting to shove it into a folded bag.  My guess regarding the rod tube is that it’s from REC. Noticed that some of the Winston’s now appear to be using REC cases (or really good knock-offs). Mu

Response:

My apologies to Mu and the rest of you. If I would have known he meant one east-coast sissy boy in particular, rather than collectively, I would’ve understood immediately this was an inside joke.

My apologies too, soft-hackle.  I purposely did not append a to my post because it was in response to Wayne – who really does have a love affair with T&T.  There are lots of people here on ROFF and the regular posters by virtue of their familiarity with one another often make some people feel excluded.  But hey, I’m glad you spoke up cuz it gave us all a chance to know each other a little better than we did before.  No harm done. BTW, I do like using baitcasting equipment on occasion.  Feeling the humming of a fine piece of machinery under my thumb and making pinpoint casts into cover – well there is a certain pleasure to it.  I also own a minnow trap.  I find trapping/gathering my own bait to be fun too. Sometimes chucking a big spoon from the beach and watching it disappear behind the third gut is a thing of beauty in itself.  A favorite technique of mine for largemouth bass is to pitch an unweighted plastic worm and let it sink ever so slowly, twitching it so that it seems barely alive, until either I can’t stand it any more and have to recast or the fish can’t stand it any more and pounces upon the lure.  Even so, I find that 98% of my fishing is done with a fly rod.  I like tying up my own flies and testing them afield.  In fact I made a commitment in June to fish a single fly for three straight months (2 trips per week) to see if it really was effective or not.  Although I too feel that it’s silly for some people to get hung up on their equipment and techniques, I don’t begrudge them. We all have our own reasons why we fish – but in general most of us do it because it’s fun, plain and simple. Mu

Response:

My apologies to Mu and the rest of you. If I would have known he meant one east-coast sissy boy in particular, rather than collectively, I would’ve understood immediately this was an inside joke. Soft Hackle – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Mu is a highly respected and *cliquish* member of ROFF, thus I am sure he is not in the least confuse as to which rod is best used for flyfishin’!

Response:

I built a Sage 10 wt. RPL+ about 6 years ago. Have used it to catch about 500 salmon all the species in alaska. It is without a doubt the best rod I have ever fished with!! I have no experience with T&T so i can not offer any suggestions along that line. You will however be quite happy with any Sage

Response:

Mu is a highly respected and *cliquish* member of ROFF, thus I am sure he is not in the least confuse as to which rod is best used for flyfishin’! Op

 I personally don’t – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – confuse my flyrod with my real rod, as you seem to be doing. Yeah, many an east-coast sissy boy will agree! Think Sage. Mu yfitgs

Response:

to the scene of his latest crimes and snibbled: Discussions on the relative merits of various pieces of equipment are all well and good, but   It’s the stupidity of the question.  Its like asking "Plastic vs. Plastic". George was not here.  It’s your imagination.

And you were WAY too optimistic, wayno… /daytripper (Shall we proceed apace to Game 2?

Response:

Yeah, many an east-coast sissy boy will agree! Think Sage. …qualities with a certain brand of rod. I personally don’t confuse my flyrod with my real rod, as you seem to be doing. LOL. No worries, soft-hackle. Mu was simply yanking the chain of Wayno (the T&T bigot) and daytripper (the Winston bigot).

This should illustrate that we fully tolerate the unfortunate naifs who get burned by their lack of historical perspective Anyway…One should consider that there are few more cordial bigots than Winston bigots (if I do say so myself I consider myself in the very good company of those similarly afflicted – even those who occasionally experience moments of weakness and fall off the wagon to acquire a Sage, Loomis, TT, or even <shudder Scott… (Orvis, however, is right out!!) [I'll also take this opportunity to point out to my good friend in The Old North State that my littlest Winston 6/2 stood up to an entire day in the hands of the notorious Pamlico Jim Roberts on Upper Lower Middle Upper Creek, whilst your 8/2 TT didn't even survive the walk in. You had the wrong dog, son ] /daytripper (Smoke’em, fish’em, gotta love dem Winstons!

Response:

Yeah, many an east-coast sissy boy will agree! Think Sage. …qualities with a certain brand of rod. I personally don’t confuse my flyrod with my real rod, as you seem to be doing.

LOL. No worries, soft-hackle. Mu was simply yanking the chain of Wayno (the T&T bigot) and daytripper (the Winston bigot). –Steve

Response:

Sage discontinued the two best lines they ever made, the LL and SPL+. When they did that I started building T&T rods and appreciated the advantages of T&T over anything else I have built including Winston. Just curious – Do you sling meat from a baitcasting rig when the flyfishing is slow? The reason I ask is that baitcasters and bassholes are the only types of self-styled anglers who associate manhood with the brand of "fishing pole" being used. Most genuine anglers are confident enough in themselves not to compensate for shortcomings by identifying their personal qualities with a certain brand of rod. I personally don’t confuse my flyrod with my real rod, as you seem to be doing. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yeah, many an east-coast sissy boy will agree! Think Sage. Mu yfitgs

Response:

Discussions on the relative merits of various pieces of equipment are all well and good, but  

It’s the stupidity of the question.  Its like asking "Plastic vs. Plastic". George was not here.  It’s your imagination.

Response:

This is probably going to create a flame, but before I went to the expense of building one of these two rods, I would see if a local fly shops had them in stock and perhaps would let you cast them. I own one of the two rods and have tried the other. I am not the world’s greatest caster, but one fits my casting style much better than the other. After 65 years in this sport, I think a lot of people buy rods based upon brand name rather than trying to find one that fits your particular casting style and ability.

There is a great deal of truth in what you say.  On the other hand, fly casters are much more adaptable than are the tools they use.  Much is written here about the characteristics of various pieces of equipment and how they may suit one person’s ability and style more than another’s.  Much less attention is given to the fact that any competent caster can do pretty well with just about any broomstick or girder.  If a lot of people buy based on considerations other than what best suits their own personal physics it is probably just as well.  Even test casting a rod, reel, and line combination out in the parking lot for ten minutes isn’t really going to tell you all that much about performance out in the creek.  And in truth, one setup might suit an individual angler very well under a certain set of circumstances and be entirely unsatisfactory given different conditions even in the same stretch of a single stream. Discussions on the relative merits of various pieces of equipment are all well and good, but I think most anglers would benefit more from analysis of their own performance than they do from that of their gear. Wolfgang who is dreadfully sorry about the lack of heat.      

Response:

I, my ultimate preference is T&T.    good post.  many will agree. wayno

Yeah, many an east-coast sissy boy will agree! Think Sage. Mu yfitgs

Response:

I, my ultimate preference is T&T. good post.  many will agree. wayno Yeah, many an east-coast sissy boy will agree! Think Sage. Mu yfitgs

    unethical. wayno yfitons (thwtgs) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

I’m looking to build a new 9 wt. rod for the saltwater and stealhead.  I’m between the Sage RPLXi and the Winston Boron XTR.  Any opinions on which is better.  I know its about personal preference but I’d like some outside opinions.

I don’t know about the Winston, but I have a Sage RPLXi 9 weight. Very powerful rod. It’s perfect for bonefish, and particularly for casting heavy flies into a stiff wind. I’ve used it for steelhead, but I feel it’s too fast (i.e., stiff) for that.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I, my ultimate preference is T&T. good post.  many will agree. wayno Yeah, many an east-coast sissy boy will agree! Think Sage. Mu yfitgs     unethical.

Hey, Wayno. How’s that T&T with the "special action" that you loaned to Pamlico Jim? I will say one thing about T&T. They have the prettiest rod cases in the business.

Response:

Hey, Wayno. How’s that T&T with the "special action" that you loaned to Pamlico Jim?

He got it repaired, but it has lost a certain charm now. <g — Charlie…

Response:

Hey, Wayno. How’s that T&T with the "special action" that you loaned to Pamlico Jim?

    that is the rod i am using in zimbo’s pics of our recent small water adventure. they repaired it at no cost.  it is a wonder of an 8′ 2wt.     thanks for askin.  :) your friend in the old north state wayno

Response:

I’d go for the Sage personally. Clark – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I, my ultimate preference is T&T. good post.  many will agree. wayno Yeah, many an east-coast sissy boy will agree! Think Sage. Mu yfitgs

Response:

Of the two, for pure casting ability the XTR, even I can shoot an entire line with the darn thing,  as an overall fishing rod the RPLXi, tho I would suggest you consider the BL5 from Winston. Rod seems soft at first and it is a *soft action* SW rod, but back cast once and let it go…,

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m looking to build a new 9 wt. rod for the saltwater and stealhead.  I’m between the Sage RPLXi and the Winston Boron XTR.  Any opinions on which is better.  I know its about personal preference but I’d like some outside opinions. Thanks Dru

Response:

This is probably going to create a flame, but before I went to the expense of building one of these two rods, I would see if a local fly shops had them in stock and perhaps would let you cast them. I own one of the two rods and have tried the other. I am not the world’s greatest caster, but one fits my casting style much better than the other. After 65 years in this sport, I think a lot of people buy rods based upon brand name rather than trying to find one that fits your particular casting style and ability. Jack in Tn.

Response:

This is probably going to create a flame, but before I went to the expense of building one of these two rods, I would see if a local fly shops had them in stock and perhaps would let you cast them. I own one of the two rods and have tried the other. I am not the world’s greatest caster, but one fits my casting style much better than the other. After 65 years in this sport, I think a lot of people buy rods based upon brand name rather than trying to find one that fits your particular casting style and ability. Jack in Tn.

it might muddy the water a bit, but all the rods listed are extremely nice rods that cast very well.  i personally fish the sage rplxi’s quite a bit… but have cast the winstons and like them too… and the scott’s aint too shabby either… and the t&t’s cast beautifully… and so do the st. croix legend ultras (as a lower cost alternative). chris

Response:

I, my ultimate preference is T&T. Soft Hackle

        good post.  many will agree. wayno

Response:

I prefer Sage to Winston for building rods. True, Winston aesthetics are superior but if you are building the rod you can select your own components. However, my ultimate preference is T&T. Soft Hackle – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m looking to build a new 9 wt. rod for the saltwater and stealhead.  I’m between the Sage RPLXi and the Winston Boron XTR.  Any opinions on which is better.  I know its about personal preference but I’d like some outside opinions. Thanks Dru

Response:

I’m looking to build a new 9 wt. rod for the saltwater and stealhead.  I’m between the Sage RPLXi and the Winston Boron XTR.  Any opinions on which is better.  I know its about personal preference but I’d like some outside opinions. Thanks Dru

Response:

Question:

HI, has anyone built a whitewater dory from plans.  I have found some Mckenzie Drift boat plans, and these seam very similat to what I want. Any help appreciated. Steve Gubser Johnson City, TN

Response:

There are a number of suppliers for your project. Check out a fly fishing magazine in the classified.  Don Hill  in Springfield Oregon  puts out plan, partial kit, and full kit.  (www.driftboats.com)  or Driftboat plans from Montana, www.montana-riverboats.com/boats/index.html,  Tracy Obrian at www.calacess.com/tracy/boatpage.htm or Greg Tatman Wooden boats  at www.gregboats.com .  Also John’s  page if useful, www.cyber-dyne.com/jkohnen/nautical.html  Have fun.  I’m currently working on a highsided 18′  for GrandCanyon and Salmon/Snake waters.

Response:

Question:

Well, I’m taking a break from putting up gear and getting caught up at work and thought I would give a quick run down on the trip.

Great trip report Larry thanks! BWCA has been on our "wish list" since college days eons ago….We are going to get there someday!!! sheila

Response:

BTW, let me recommend a couple peices of gear to you. The Outback Oven, we made Pizzas,biscuits, brownies etc. in these ovens all week. They are light and See, some of us Whitewater boaters do paddle flat water once in awhile. Although this was the first time I had paddled an aluminum canoe in 15 years. SYOTR or Lake Larry

        Great trip report Larry.I can still remember the first time I used an outback oven.It was on Isle Royale in a rather remote campsite.We told the hikers in the camp next to us to hold off on their dinner of dehydrated food because we were going to share our pizza when we cooked.Needless to say they thought we were kidding them.The look on their faces when we pulled out our food and started tossing dough was priceless.Now it’s a regular part of my camp kitchen.         Bill Oehl

Response:

<clip BWCA trip report See, some of us Whitewater boaters do paddle flat water once in awhile. Although this was the first time I had paddled an aluminum canoe in 15 years. SYOTR or Lake Larry

I love the Boundary Waters to.  (Quetico where you where)  I have made 8 tripe ranging from 10 – 20 days up there.  Every time has been great.  My last time I pawned my gear off on some friends in big touring canoes and took my WW K1.   I don’t remember the names but Lac la Croix has several very fun rapids and waterfalls.    One was a pretty large (30+ feet) drop with a lot of water going over from one lake into La Croix.  Not long after it on the right are two more rapids (Bottle ?)    If I am remembering the name correctly Bottle was not a waterfall but was a very heinous narrow rapid of at least 150 yards.  About 15 feet wide and as fast a rapid as I have seen.  I wish I remembered the names……   I guess that is an excuse to go pull out the old maps and pictures. Glad you had fun! Scott Bristow

Response:

Great trip report Larry thanks! BWCA has been on our "wish list" since college days eons ago….We are going to get there someday!!! Give it a try! And don’t let kids stop you. This is my second trip with children and every one had a great time.

It’s not the kids! Its the 36 hour drive with Pete only having 2 weeks of leave a year….of course I could leave him home! He is gotten quite good about supporting my outdoors habits……being an at home homeschooling mom definately has its advantages when it comes to traveling! btw your kid tripping tips are great…..we have used a similar strategies when canoe tripping with our gang…. sheila

Response:

Great trip report Larry thanks! BWCA has been on our "wish list" since college days eons ago….We are going to get there someday!!!

Give it a try! And don’t let kids stop you. This is my second trip with children and every one had a great time. A couple of tips for going with kids. Plan your route through smaller lakes with more frequent portages or allow for stops and side hikes along the bigger lakes. The kids didn’t mind portaging (I made mine carry their personal gear , including sleeping bags, as young as eight), but easily get bored on extented paddles in the lakes. There isn’t such a thing as kids portions in the Woods. Plan on full adult meals, take plenty of snacks(jerky and trail mixes are good, so is hard candy) and add 25% for pre teen boys! And take quick drying cloths. Larry

Response:

Great trip report Larry.I can still remember the first time I used an outback oven.It was on Isle Royale in a rather remote campsite.We told the hikers in the camp next to us to hold off on their dinner of dehydrated food because we were going to share our pizza when we cooked.Needless to say they thought we were kidding them.The look on their faces when we pulled out our food and started tossing dough was priceless.Now it’s a regular part of my camp kitchen.    Bill Oehl </PRE</HTML

We took regular pizza mixes (Chef Boyardee) and dried the sauce on a fruit rollup sheet on the food dryer. We had already dried ground beef, peppers, onions and mushrooms. Add a little pepperoni and dried cheese and you have Pizza Supreme in the Wilderness. Soak all your dried stuff before you use it (it will be ready by the time you prepare everything else.).One package will make enough for 4 to 5 pizzas in the Ovens, according to how thick you like your crust. Larry

Response:

Writes: I love the Boundary Waters to.  (Quetico where you where)  I have made 8 tripe ranging from 10 – 20 days up there.  Every time has been great.

While we entered from Quentico, the trip was an the American side of Lac la Croix.It was my first trip an the BWCA side, I think I like the campsites better than most in Quentico. My last time I pawned my gear off on some friends in big touring canoes and took my WW K1.   I don’t remember the names but Lac la Croix has several very fun rapids and waterfalls. One was a pretty large (30+ feet) drop with a lot of water going over from one lake into La Croix.  Not long after

It’s been a very low water year in the area, I didn’t really see anything that had enough water to scape down in my kayak, let alone a 18.5′ alumimun lake canoe! Didn’t get to some of the big entry rivers, though. I would like to try a touring kayak on some of large lakes. Less effected by wind and waves and definely faster and easier to paddle. Well, maybe next trip. SYOTR Larry

Response:

Well, I’m taking a break from putting up gear and getting caught up at work

and thought I would give a quick run down on the trip. Larry, Great rundown of your Lac La Croix trip! After months of planning, getting permits, and arranging shuttles and a boat (for me, I don’t trip enough to justify buying a tripping canoe), then a couple of weeks drying and repackaging food, planning menus, packing, then repacking and packing again to get everything for three people into packs that would fit into a  18.5′ canoe, my family and I took off after work, meeting my friend Darrell on the road in Indiana on the way to Crane Lake, Minnesota, USA. We had decided to drive straight though, a 1100 mile run for me( please kick me in the head if I decide to do that again). Well, after 20 hours on the road, we arrived at Crane Lake. We quickly loaded onto the shuttle boat and off again. After a quick stop at Canadian Customs, we unloaded and loaded onto a ancient school bus for the ride across Dawson Portage. Did you ever try to get 17′ tripping canoes in a bus? I’m not sure that it wouldn’t have been quicker to walk, the bus had to go that slow.

Our thoughts exactly when we went the same route a couple of years ago. We loaded onto another boat and headed to the Zup’s Fish Camp to pick up our permits. We had decided to take advantage of the fact that the Ontario side allowed motors and have them shuttle us down the lake before crossing back into Boundary Waters. Back into the boat and down to the far end of Lac la Croix.

I still maintain the motor restrictions on the U.S. side are ridiculous! Crossing that big of water in a canoe would take forever.  Most people opt to motor the Canadian side and paddle into the smaller lakes for their trips. Did you get the driver of the boat to swing by the Indian pictographs?  They are awesome! I grew up with the Zup family in Ely, MN.  Their family story is quite incredible, having fought the inclusion of their property on Crooked Lake as part of the Boundary Waters in the ’50s and ’60s.  They lost their fight, and that is why they moved their fishing camp to Canada. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Lac la Croix is one of the larger border lakes in the BWCA. It’s about 30 miles  from one end to the other , with hundreds of miles of shoreline, bays and islands to explore and fish. After a couple of hours paddling, we decided to establish a  base camp at the head of Lady Boot Bay and then day trip out of there. I had been reluctant to try BWCA because of the requirement to use designated camp sites. I had always felt that this would take away the wilderness feel of the area. I found that I liked the sites, they are well chosen, clean and maintained. The pit latrines were well hidden and the female members of our party thought they were great. In many ways, the sites were in better condition than most of the camp sites I found in Quetico. Snip Tuesday started the changing weather. High winds kept us wind bound all day. Rested up and explored around the Camp. For the rest of the trip, the weather would be clear and 80 F one minute and raining and cold the next. Typical Laurentian Shield weather( they tell me they have nice weather for weeks at a time up here, but I think they just tell that to the tourist.)

Welcome to Minnesota!  One thing is for sure, if you don’t like the weather, wait a day.  You should try our winters!  A couple years ago we had -60 degrrees one Saturday, and one week later it was 40 degrees above zero, with rain! Snip Thursday had the same weather pattern, one minute nice, the next nasty. The rain and the wind picked up around noon. We decided that we had better head for camp, which envolved crossing a fairly large open water section. About 1/3 the way across, the wind picked up and it started to rain in sheets. It quickly producted a 2′ chop with the wind gusty up to 40 mph. A real dicey crossing!! My soon to be teenager and budding Whiterwater Kayaker was having a great time.

The big lakes can get pretty rough at times.  Luckily you had a good experience.  My daughter works at a local resort.  Recently she had a guest ask if there were any water parks close by.  I told her if she is ever asked that again to say ‘Yes, it’s called the Boundary Waters – nature’s water park!’ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – He thought this was big time fun ( he still thinks I’m a paddling God, and nothing will happen if I’m in the boat.). We all made it across safely and sit down for some hot coffee liberally braced with Brandy. Since the weather was so changable, decided to stay in camp and make Pizzas in our camp ovens. After 2 hours of cooking Pizzas, everyone had had enough and we settled back to watch the gulls eating the remains of our days catch. The Gulls had spotted were we left the remains of the fish we filletted soon after we arrived. They would fly by every couple of hours to see if we had left dinner yet. On Weds, a couple of Bald Eagles showed up, checking out what the Gulls were doing in the area. On this day, the gulls were very aggressive and attacked one of the eagles and run him off. Thursday, the Eagle didn’t run. The Gulls ignored him until he took off and made a low pass over the bay. You should have seen the Gulls take off!! The next pass, the Eagle flew low over the rocks and snagged the remains of a large Pike on the fly. This was all happening about 30 yards from where we were sitting!! It was better that National Geographic!!

Watching the gulls, bald eagles and ravens can be a real treat! Friday we packed up and paddled back to the Canadian side to be picked up by our shuttle. A quick shower and a great dinner at Zup’s and then back to Crane Lake on Saturday.

We were totally amazed with the wonderful meals prepared at Zup’s fishing camp.  As good as any fine restaurant. For a totally different experience, try Crane Lake in the winter.  We have stayed at one of the resorts on Crane Lake and snowmobiled all over Voyageurs National Park.  Absolutely fantastic!  Lunch at Kettle Falls Hotel, where you can look south and see Canada!  We already have our reservations for next February!  Can hardly wait! Nan

Response:

I still maintain the motor restrictions on the U.S. side are ridiculous! Crossing that big of water in a canoe would take forever.  Most people opt to motor the Canadian side and paddle into the smaller lakes for their trips

True, it is a big lake. but the American side is cut up with islands, peninsulas and bays that offer fairly protected paddling. The no motor restriction is fairly often violated in the passage south of Coleman Island anyway. It would be a great place for a ocean touring kayak. Did you get the driver of the boat to swing by the Indian pictographs? They are awesome!

Yes, but my photo’s didn’t show it as well as you could see it there. Any suggestions? Welcome to Minnesota!  One thing is for sure, if you don’t like the weather, wait a day.  You should try our winters!  A couple years ago we had -60 degrrees one Saturday, and one week later it was 40 degrees above zero, with rain!

No thanks. I was born in the Dakota’s , Artic Hell on the High Plains, which is why I love the southeast USA. I can paddle all winter!! You all talk funny up there anyway :^). The big lakes can get pretty rough at times.  Luckily you had a good experience.  My daughter works at a local resort.  Recently she had a guest ask if there were any water parks close by.  I told her if she is ever asked that again to say ‘Yes, it’s called the Boundary Waters – nature’s water park!’

A calm trip compared to last trip. 6 out of  8 days with high winds, including 3 we should have stayed in camp. And it rained those 6 days too! We were totally amazed with the wonderful meals prepared at Zup’s fishing camp.  As good as any fine restaurant.

They do have a good cook. For a totally different experience, try Crane Lake in the winter.  We have stayed at one of the resorts on Crane Lake and snowmobiled all over Voyageurs National Park.  Absolutely fantastic!  Lunch at Kettle Falls Hotel, where you can look south and see Canada!

I still prefer my water in the liquid state. I did get the info when I was there, it does look interesting. SYOTR or Lake Larry

Response:

Well, I’m taking a break from putting up gear and getting caught up at work and thought I would give a quick run down on the trip. After months of planning, getting permits, and arranging shuttles and a boat (for me, I don’t trip enough to justify buying a tripping canoe), then a couple of weeks drying and repackaging food, planning menus, packing, then repacking and packing again to get everything for three people into packs that would fit into a 18.5′ canoe, my family and I took off after work, meeting my friend Darrell on the road in Indiana on the way to Crane Lake, Minnesota, USA. We had decided to drive straight though, a 1100 mile run for me( please kick me in the head if I decide to do that again). Well, after 20 hours on the road, we arrived at Crane Lake. We quickly loaded onto the shuttle boat and off again. After a quick stop at Canadian Customs, we unloaded and loaded onto a ancient school bus for the ride across Dawson Portage. Did you ever try to get 17′ tripping canoes in a bus? I’m not sure that it wouldn’t have been quicker to walk, the bus had to go that slow. We loaded onto another boat and headed to the Zup’s Fish Camp to pick up our permits. We had decided to take advantage of the fact that the Ontario side allowed motors and have them shuttle us down the lake before crossing back into Boundary Waters. Back into the boat and down to the far end of Lac la Croix. Lac la Croix is one of the larger border lakes in the BWCA. It’s about 30 miles from one end to the other , with hundreds of miles of shoreline, bays and islands to explore and fish. After a couple of hours paddling, we decided to establish a base camp at the head of Lady Boot Bay and then day trip out of there. I had been reluctant to try BWCA because of the requirement to use designated camp sites. I had always felt that this would take away the wilderness feel of the area. I found that I liked the sites, they are well chosen, clean and maintained. The pit latrines were well hidden and the female members of our party thought they were great. In many ways, the sites were in better condition than most of the camp sites I found in Quetico. After setting up camp, I went out on the point and soon caught the first of many Northern Pike. I hadn’t fished for Pike in a few years,managed to let him bit my fingers with his needle sharp teeth. That consigned him to the grill that evening. Sunday, our first full day, we spent fishing and exploring the bays along Coleman Island. My wife, Jean lost a big Pike and my son Nathan landed one 28" long, his first Northern. The winds picked up in the afternoon, so we made a run back to camp. A big supper and more fish on the fire. If you have never tried Pike fillets wrapped in foil and cooked over a fire with butter and lemon pepper, you have missed one of lifes true pleasures. Monday, Darrell and I slipped off to do a little exploring and fishing on our own. Caught a few fish, paddled around a bit on the Mainland side of the bay before heading back. Tuesday started the changing weather. High winds kept us wind bound all day. Rested up and explored around the Camp. For the rest of the trip, the weather would be clear and 80 F one minute and raining and cold the next. Typical Laurentian Shield weather( they tell me they have nice weather for weeks at a time up here, but I think they just tell that to the tourist.). Weds the weather let up enough for a day trip into a couple of surrounding lakes that envolved a couple of short portages. I had hoped to see a Moose, but when your paddling with a 10, 11, and 12 year old, that sucker would have to have been deaf not to hear us coming. Oh well. My wife caught her first Pike! I almost fell over laughing watching her land it! The weather went to Hell at lunch, so we made a dash back to the Camp. Thursday had the same weather pattern, one minute nice, the next nasty. The rain and the wind picked up around noon. We decided that we had better head for camp, which envolved crossing a fairly large open water section. About 1/3 the way across, the wind picked up and it started to rain in sheets. It quickly producted a 2′ chop with the wind gusty up to 40 mph. A real dicey crossing!! My soon to be teenager and budding Whiterwater Kayaker was having a great time. He thought this was big time fun ( he still thinks I’m a paddling God, and nothing will happen if I’m in the boat.). We all made it across safely and sit down for some hot coffee liberally braced with Brandy. Since the weather was so changable, decided to stay in camp and make Pizzas in our camp ovens. After 2 hours of cooking Pizzas, everyone had had enough and we settled back to watch the gulls eating the remains of our days catch. The Gulls had spotted were we left the remains of the fish we filletted soon after we arrived. They would fly by every couple of hours to see if we had left dinner yet. On Weds, a couple of Bald Eagles showed up, checking out what the Gulls were doing in the area. On this day, the gulls were very aggressive and attacked one of the eagles and run him off. Thursday, the Eagle didn’t run. The Gulls ignored him until he took off and made a low pass over the bay. You should have seen the Gulls take off!! The next pass, the Eagle flew low over the rocks and snagged the remains of a large Pike on the fly. This was all happening about 30 yards from where we were sitting!! It was better that National Geographic!! Friday we packed up and paddled back to the Canadian side to be picked up by our shuttle. A quick shower and a great dinner at Zup’s and then back to Crane Lake on Saturday. BTW, let me recommend a couple peices of gear to you. The Outback Oven, we made Pizzas,biscuits, brownies etc. in these ovens all week. They are light and compact. Zip off leg supplex pants, they dry quick and they were by far the favorite. We had several different brands, liked them all. Well suited for the rapid changing weather on the Canadian Shield. See, some of us Whitewater boaters do paddle flat water once in awhile. Although this was the first time I had paddled an aluminum canoe in 15 years. SYOTR or Lake Larry  

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Question:

I am planning a trip to Mosquito Lagoon the weekend of July 24.  This is a trip I am very excited about since I’ve wanted to fish that area for a long time.  My primary target is reds but will take anything that bites.  I use both light tackle and fly gear, artificials only.  I will only have a 15′ canoe with trolling motor. Any areas that you could suggest including launch sites would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help. Dave Moore Dave’s South Florida Home Page http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/9975

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am planning a trip to Mosquito Lagoon the weekend of July 24.  This is a trip I am very excited about since I’ve wanted to fish that area for a long time.  My primary target is reds but will take anything that bites.  I use both light tackle and fly gear, artificials only.  I will only have a 15′ canoe with trolling motor. Any areas that you could suggest including launch sites would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help. Dave Moore Dave’s South Florida Home Page http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/9975

      I’d not worry about a boat, but instead hire a guide. There are any number, all listed in the yellow pages. Some even guarentee "fish or no fee". Make sure the guide is a light/fly guide. The average price last time I checked was $250/ 1/2 day. Even if you don’t fish, the view and wildlife is well worth the price, and a real bargain with fishing thrown in.                                                       John Popp                                                     in Sanford Fl.

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I am planning a trip to Mosquito Lagoon the weekend of July 24.  This is a trip I am very excited about since I’ve wanted to fish that area for a long time.  My primary target is reds but will take anything that bites.  I use both light tackle and fly gear, artificials only.  I will only have a 15′ canoe with trolling motor. Any areas that you could suggest including launch sites would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help. Dave Moore

DAve, There are only 2 access points to the lagoon both are on the Canaveral national seashore. The north entry point ( best fishing) is off of A1A in New Smyrna. The second is Eddy creek out of Titusville on rt 402. The primary fish in the lagoon are Reds, LAdyfish, Trout and Jacks with Tarpon and snook being there every once in a while. Hope this helps.      Jim Dave’s South Florida Home Page http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/9975

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am planning a trip to Mosquito Lagoon the weekend of July 24.  This is a trip I am very excited about since I’ve wanted to fish that area for a long time.  My primary target is reds but will take anything that bites.  I use both light tackle and fly gear, artificials only.  I will only have a 15′ canoe with trolling motor. Any areas that you could suggest including launch sites would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help. Dave Moore DAve, There are only 2 access points to the lagoon both are on the Canaveral national seashore. The north entry point ( best fishing) is off of A1A in New Smyrna. The second is Eddy creek out of Titusville on rt 402. The primary fish in the lagoon are Reds, LAdyfish, Trout and Jacks with Tarpon and snook being there every once in a while. Hope this helps.     Jim Dave’s South Florida Home Page http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/9975 I don’t understand that there are only two access points to the

Indian River Lagoon. The lagoon streaches from New Syrna to below Vero Beach There are literally thousands of access places. There are also some very good guides that work the river and the Banana River. If you are coming to Central Florida for the first time I strongly suggest you use a guide for your first experience. If you want the names and address of some guides Email me and I will supply you several. George Partridge Custom Rods – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

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Dave’s South Florida Home Page http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/9975 I don’t understand that there are only two access points to the Indian River Lagoon. The lagoon streaches from New Syrna to below Vero Beach

There are literally thousands of access places. There are also some very good guides that work the river and the Banana River. If you are coming to Central Florida for the first time I strongly suggest you

use a guide for your first experience. If you want the names and address of some guides Email me and I will supply you several. George

The Lagoon its self is only 23 miles long. it goes from New Smyrna to Titusville. The bannana river runs to Vero beach. Both are great fishing but the lagoon has most of the flats for reds. If you want snook ( big snook) head towards Vero. Hope this clears things up.      Jim Partridge Custom Rods

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Question:

Looking for a form or possibly even software on which I can enter all data on fishing trips for future references (ex. date, time, weather, etc.). Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks. Evert

Response:

Looking for a form or possibly even software on which I can enter all data on fishing trips for future references (ex. date, time, weather, etc.). Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks. Evert

Evert, take a look at our FISHbase Anglers Log software, at http://www.terrafin.com You can view sample screens or download an evaluation version. Jeff Gammon Terrafin Software

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Looking for a form or possibly even software on which I can enter all data on fishing trips for future references (ex. date, time, weather, etc.). Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks. Evert

Hello, have a look at http://www.vendel.se/fg.html – The Fisherman

Question:

Anyone here do any fly fishing in central Texas?  I am new to the sport and am looking for peple to go fishing with.  I live in Austin but would be willing to drive 2-3 hours for a good spot.  I am also interested in saltwater fly fishing around South Padre or Port Aransas.  If you know of any good spots (that you would be willing to share , I would love to hear about them. Please reply by Email.  I don’t read the news groups very often. Thanks, Pace Bonner — TradeWave Corporation                           Voice:  (512) 433-5316 3636 Executive Center Dr., Suite 100            Main:   (512) 433-5300 Austin TX,  78731                               Fax:    (512) 433-5303 Nasdaq:SRVC                                <http://www.tradewave.com/

Response:

Anyone here do any fly fishing in central Texas?  I am new to the sport and am looking for peple to go fishing with.  I live in Austin but would be willing to drive 2-3 hours for a good spot.  I am also interested in saltwater fly fishing around South Padre or Port Aransas.  If you know of any good spots (that you would be willing to share , I would love to hear about them. Please reply by Email.  I don’t read the news groups very often. Thanks, Pace Bonner — TradeWave Corporation                           Voice:  (512) 433-5316 3636 Executive Center Dr., Suite 100            Main:   (512) 433-5300 Austin TX,  78731                               Fax:    (512) 433-5303 Nasdaq:SRVC                                <http://www.tradewave.com/

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Question:

It looks like I will be attending a conference at Disneyland in Anneheim early next month.  Any flyfishing (fresh or Saltwater) in this area ? I am willing to travel within reason. I am not from the USA, so if you specify a fish species, please also add any info on line weights, flies etc, as I noticed on my last trip to the USA that fish names vary considerably around the world. Are there any good shops in the area who could advise me ? Thanks Bruce…..

Response:

It looks like I will be attending a conference at Disneyland in Anneheim early next month.  Any flyfishing (fresh or Saltwater) in this area ? I am willing to travel within reason. I am not from the USA, so if you specify a fish species, please also add any info on line weights, flies etc, as I noticed on my last trip to the USA that fish names vary considerably around the world. Are there any good shops in the area who could advise me ? Thanks Bruce…..

– I’m not sure about the actual fishing in that immediate area, but you’ll be within a long cast with a shooting head of one of the biggest fly shops around – Bob Marriott’s.  DON’T miss it… and set yourself a budget before you walk in the door. <<grin Joe Ellis         o/~ The Synthetic Filker o/~ |    TesserAct Studios  ()X  Darwin (;        Now on the Web at      |   Fairfield, OH 45018  //~~~LL~~~~LL~  http://shell.idt.net/~ellis69 |  New Dimensions In Filk!

Response:

Question:

As I am a rookie to this sport, bare withe me on this question. I understand how and why the leader is to be attached to a floating line, but what function does the tippet serve? Do you/should you always use a tippet with leader? I am guessing there must be specific leader size to tippet size you need to use in combo? Any information on this is very much appreciated. John

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John,         The tippet merely extends the leader to allow for material loss during the changing of flies.  It preserves the integrity of your leader. Use the same size tippet as the X# of your leader, or one size smaller if you want to extend your fly range a bit. Tight threads, Charley – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – As I am a rookie to this sport, bare withe me on this question. I understand how and why the leader is to be attached to a floating line, but what function does the tippet serve? Do you/should you always use a tippet with leader? I am guessing there must be specific leader size to tippet size you need to use in combo? Any information on this is very much appreciated. John

Response:

As I am a rookie to this sport, bare withe me on this question. I understand how and why the leader is to be attached to a floating line, but what function does the tippet serve? Do you/should you always use a tippet with leader? I am guessing there must be specific leader size to tippet size you need to use in combo? Any information on this is very much appreciated.

There are a number of different things that you can put between the end of your fly line and the fly.   One of the most commonly used methods is to purchase a "tapered" leader which, in essense, includes the tippet.  The tippet is basically defined as the last section of line upon which you tie your fly.  After changing flies several times you’ll use up much of the end section of the leader to a point where the diameter of the line is too big and/or the leader is too short.  At that time you can tie some "tippet material" (basically monofiliment that is a smaller diameter then the rest of your leader) so that you can keep using the leader portion. Some people make their own "tapered" leaders by tying short sections of progressively smaller diameter line together.  The smallest diameter section is the tippet and can be replaced when needed. One of the latest "innovations" is a braided loop leader.  A loop of braided material is attached to the flyline using a "chinese finger puzzle" type connection with some shrink wrap tubing.  The braided loop leader is a 6′ section of tapered monofiliment with a braided loop on one end.  That is looped through the loop on the flyline and then all you need to do is tie on 3′ or so of whatever pound test line that you’d like to the end of the leader for your tippet.   — John Fereira Isis Distributed Systems – Ithaca, NY

Response:

As I am a rookie to this sport, bare withe me on this question. I understand how and why the leader is to be attached to a floating line, but what function does the tippet serve? Do you/should you always use a tippet with leader? I am guessing there must be specific leader size to tippet size you need to use in combo? Any information on this is very much appreciated. John

A tippet is the last part of the leader.  On new tapered leaders, it is the last approximately 20 inches.  This is quickly used up tying on new flies, so it must be replaced with another from a tippet spool. You can vary the length and size of the tippet according to conditions (fly size, currents, water clarity, etc.)  The idea is to have the tippet land between straight out (too heavy or short) and piled up (too light and long): with slight curves to allow a drag-free float, and the right amount of slack to set the hook.  There is no rule to achieve this, although dividing the fly size by four is a good place to start the trial and error process. Jim Benenson Los Alamos, NM "To save your rivers, save your mountains" Emperor Yu of China, circa 1600 BC

Response:

As I am a rookie to this sport, bare withe me on this question. I understand how and why the leader is to be attached to a floating line, but what function does the tippet serve? Do you/should you always use a tippet with leader? I am guessing there must be specific leader size to tippet size you need to use in combo? Any information on this is very much appreciated. John

John – Leaders used for fly fishing are tapered.  They begin thick and end thin.  The higher the "X" number, the finer the end will be. Therefore, a 9 foot,  4X leader will be very thick where you attach it to the fly line, and will taper down to a specific diameter.  That diameter of line at the end of the leader is what "4X" means.  The first tapered leaders were made up of several pieces of leader material tied together in successively smaller diameters until the desired terminal diameter was reached.  This last piece of leader is called the "tippet".  It is important, because that is the line that is closest to the fish.  You can still buy or make for yourself "knotted" leaders (I make my own), but many people prefer the newer "knotless" leaders.  But whether it is knotted or knotless, a leader still has a tippet at the end.  And as you fish and change flies, the tippet will get used up, and the leader will get too short and too thick.  So the flyfisher must be able to periodically tie a new tippet on the end of the leader, or else just replace the entire leader when the tippet is used up.  The latter option is, among other things, expensive. So what should you do?  If you are using knotless leaders, I suggest that you buy them one size larger (in diameter) than the tippet you want.  Then tie a 2-3 foot piece of tippet on the end of the leader before you ever use it.  Then you will know when the tippet is used up and can replace it before the taper of the leader is destroyed.  I suggest learning to tie the double surgeons knot to attach the tippet to the leader.  It is easier to tie and stronger than a blood knot. I hope this is helpful! Tight lines,       Gene

Response:

This is probably fly fishing heresy, but I’ve stopped using tapered leaders altogether when fishing streamers and wet flies. I’ve found a straight piece of 4-lb. Stren just as effective for these situations and far less prone  to tangling, especially if I’m using extra weight on the leader.   Plus, I spend less time tying new tippets on the tapered leaders which I really need for dry-fly and nymph fishing.

Response:

This is probably fly fishing heresy, but I’ve stopped using tapered leaders altogether when fishing streamers and wet flies. I’ve found a straight piece of 4-lb. Stren just as effective for these situations and far less prone  to tangling, especially if I’m using extra weight on the leader.   Plus, I spend less time tying new tippets on the tapered leaders which I really need for dry-fly and nymph fishing.

Beyond that, I just spoke to an _excellent_ nymph fisher who uses a level line 90% of the time.  He uses mostly weighted nymphs, and says the level line really turns ‘em over.  BTW, this is not a joke.  I saw a Cortland level line on his reel.. Cost: $7  Can you imagnine what this could do to the flyline market? Jim Benenson Los Alamos, NM "To save your rivers, save your mountains" Emperor Yu of China, circa 1600 BC

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Question:

Will be cruising the BVIs in Feb. Thought that some light surface fishing or fly fishing would be fun. Do i need a license? Any details you can help with on tackle etc.? Thanks

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Will be bare boating Feb. Thought that light spincasting or flyfishing might be fun. Any experience? Do I need a license? Will be using the Moorings. Do they supply any fishing gear?

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Question:

Hey kids. The steelhead are here, the steelhead are here. And we *finally* got a ffishing shop in this town!  I’m a happy guy. — Rick T. Rick Fletcher   –   http://www.chem.uidaho.edu/~fletcher/ Assistant professor of chemistry  |  That’s Idaho, not Iowa.    |  These University of Idaho               |  Upper Left Hand Corner.    |  opinions Moscow, ID 83844-2343             |  No, I don’t grow potatoes. |  are mine.

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So… where is this new flyfishing shop that has finally come to the center of the universe, Moscow? Inquiring minds want to know. Is there somewhere else besides WallyWorld, Husky and Garts? Tim

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