Question:

I just got an old willow creel from a friend. The willow look pretty dry and there is no varnish to protect it. Since i want to use it when i’m fly fishing should i put something on it , if so what should i use; Varnish, linseed oil…….or is there any special product i should know of? Thanks for your help! Before you buy.

Response:

I just got an old willow creel from a friend. The willow look pretty dry and there is no varnish to protect it. Since i want to use it when i’m fly fishing should i put something on it , if so what should i use; Varnish, linseed oil…….or is there any special product i should know of?

Yo Robert.   I’m heading down to the fly shop today.   You get the latest FFA yet? Joe F.

Response:

Willow creels require no maintenance apart from a wash now and again. Line the creel with damp grass before placing fish in it. You may also soak the creel in the stream before placing fish in it.  The evaporation which then ensues helps keep the fish cool.  The grass also prevents too much slime from soaking into the creel itself and producing the most horrendous stink. TL MC — "If you have tried everything you know, and nothing works, then perhaps it is time to accept that you don

Question:

Riverrat…  ever seen an anglerfish?  i figger if the fish use attractants, i oughtta too.  it’s the only thing me and the ol anglerfish got goin for us.  but, i do like stimulators nearbout as much <G jeff – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – and whatabout the area, isn’t it a restricted stream where you can’t use attracters? <vbg RiverRat

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If it’s the same Mrs. Hathaway that I remember, she ran for Congress in the 80’s in south central PA.  Died a few years later.

That’s the one (Nancy Kulp). — Charlie…

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<snipped In the old days long before I was around, they used deer fat to grease leaders.   There is an article on the web talking about using Albolene for flys and deer fat for leaders: http://www.fieldandstream.com/looking_back/19980101.html bc.

Response:

listen fellas….honest, i don’t know who hacked into my system and wrote that crazy stuff.  some drunk sob, i’m sure. …but i did find a fly floating (still at 8:53 am) in a bowl of water and some streaks of bacon grease on my keyboard….   jeff   – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – …y’all snicker, but 5:27 pm and the damn fly is still floating…i’m on the lookout for bears though!  …         Come and listen to a story bout a man named jeffro         barely kept his sanity while thinkin to and fro;         then one day, while cookin some breakfast food,         he found the bacon grease, when to the fly applied,         yielded results that raised a grin far and wide.         Crude, but mighty good… better’n Miss Hathaway nude.         hawg squeezins, chitlin fixins…         fly’s still a-floatin, Ms. Hathaway longing… satisfied… jeffro  (ya can call me mr.J – ain’t got no meter, just a puzzled peter) BTW, who is Ms. Hathaway and how did she get dragged into this? Inquiring minds want to know. She was a character on the TV sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies", and I confess I was the one who brought her up in relation to ‘Jethro’ Miller<g. — Charlie…

Response:

it’s tough bein on the leadin edge of new adventures.  my rag tag outfitter company, Ursa Urticants R Us, Inc., is always looking for fresh meat, er…talent. you appear to meet all of our criteria.  an application is in the mail. jeff PS – Great story…any photos available?   – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Grizzly Fishing 101 . Having fished for grizzlies,  I would like to advise that a bacon greased dry presentation simply does not cut it when attempting to "match the hatch".  From personal experience, one is advised to use a much larger stimulator or attractor pattern. About 15lb. larger to be exact. Case Study: On our yearly trip to the Karluk we are routinely "asked" to share prime water with the local grizzly or three.  Last year a sow and her two cubs could be expected to make a daily circuit up or down the middle of the river easily taking coho, steelhead, sockeye and dolly from our favorite runs. As mom and the kids could usually be seen coming from some distance, our strategy was to simply begin fishing our way back to camp. Cast, walk during the swing, retrieve quickly and cast again making steady progress toward camp. One eye on the happy family, one eye on your line as it makes the swing. Quickly now. On one occasion, I was first to camp so hurried to my tent to retrieve a camera to record what had become a daily ritual. Several of my compatriots were still fishing but were making increasingly rapid progress to camp as the distance between the two groups of fishers was decreasing . At this point, something few fishermen can imagine occurred. When is the last time you made a cast where you DIDN’T want to catch a fish ?  Worse , having made the unimaginable cast, you hook a bright 15lb.coho, who, in her suicidal wisdom heads straight for big mama. Apparently a #4 Egg Sucking Leach was not going to be a "grizzly" enough finish for this lady. Photo 1: Both fishermen look in surprise as the coho decides to go airborne 3 feet in front of larger fisher. Confused look on both faces. One of opportunity, one of desperation. Photo 2: Sensing easy fodder, mama heads for coho while puny male human is captured with  rod horizontal, pulling in desperation trying to break off one of his best fish of the day. Wakes are apparent in the water as each make their way to their individual destinations. A touch of the McCallan is shared to honor the first grizzly to the "fly". MS level courses in hooking and landing are being developed. Ph.D. in C&R is unlikely. Tight lines all, — Jeff www.teleport.com/~salmo/jp.htm bears – Ms. Hathaway – bears – Ms. Hathaway…hmmmm…. ok…i’ll redirect my efforts here… well, you guys are always looking for a new adventure…how about – flyfishing for grizzlies…yeah, that’s it.  it’ll be like swimming with the white sharks in australia.  lacourse, you fry the bacon and i’ll weld us up some steel cages to "fish" from…

Response:

and whatabout the area, isn’t it a restricted stream where you can’t use attracters? <vbg RiverRat

Response:

Grizzly Fishing 101 . Having fished for grizzlies,  I would like to advise that a bacon greased dry presentation simply does not cut it when attempting to "match the hatch".  From personal experience, one is advised to use a much larger stimulator or attractor pattern. About 15lb. larger to be exact. Case Study: On our yearly trip to the Karluk we are routinely "asked" to share prime water with the local grizzly or three.  Last year a sow and her two cubs could be expected to make a daily circuit up or down the middle of the river easily taking coho, steelhead, sockeye and dolly from our favorite runs. As mom and the kids could usually be seen coming from some distance, our strategy was to simply begin fishing our way back to camp. Cast, walk during the swing, retrieve quickly and cast again making steady progress toward camp. One eye on the happy family, one eye on your line as it makes the swing. Quickly now. On one occasion, I was first to camp so hurried to my tent to retrieve a camera to record what had become a daily ritual. Several of my compatriots were still fishing but were making increasingly rapid progress to camp as the distance between the two groups of fishers was decreasing . At this point, something few fishermen can imagine occurred. When is the last time you made a cast where you DIDN’T want to catch a fish ?  Worse , having made the unimaginable cast, you hook a bright 15lb.coho, who, in her suicidal wisdom heads straight for big mama. Apparently a #4 Egg Sucking Leach was not going to be a "grizzly" enough finish for this lady. Photo 1: Both fishermen look in surprise as the coho decides to go airborne 3 feet in front of larger fisher. Confused look on both faces. One of opportunity, one of desperation. Photo 2: Sensing easy fodder, mama heads for coho while puny male human is captured with  rod horizontal, pulling in desperation trying to break off one of his best fish of the day. Wakes are apparent in the water as each make their way to their individual destinations. A touch of the McCallan is shared to honor the first grizzly to the "fly". MS level courses in hooking and landing are being developed. Ph.D. in C&R is unlikely. Tight lines all, — Jeff www.teleport.com/~salmo/jp.htm

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – bears – Ms. Hathaway – bears – Ms. Hathaway…hmmmm…. ok…i’ll redirect my efforts here… well, you guys are always looking for a new adventure…how about – flyfishing for grizzlies…yeah, that’s it.  it’ll be like swimming with the white sharks in australia.  lacourse, you fry the bacon and i’ll weld us up some steel cages to "fish" from…

Response:

BTW, who is Ms. Hathaway and how did she get dragged into this? Inquiring minds want to know.

She was Mr. Drysdale’s sado-masochistic lover/secretary who was always trying to get Jethro to show her his (fly) rod.   Or something like that. Shoot your television, Bob Scott

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Ya, save her for Louie.  She’s already past changing. Her and LaPlac would make a fine looking couple at the places IJ sends him to<g. — Charlie…

Be great fun watching them decide who would lead.  :) Peter

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…y’all snicker, but 5:27 pm and the damn fly is still floating…i’m on the lookout for bears though!  …  

<Interesting lyric snipped Damn Jeff! Don’t know what you’re smoking down there, but winter’s coming and we yankees could sure use some. 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/Chapter33"

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floating…i’m on the lookout for bears though!  …      Come and listen to a story bout a man named jeffro    barely kept his sanity while thinkin to and fro;

Well Peter it sounds like he made it to the likker cabinet. Big Dale

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BTW, who is Ms. Hathaway and how did she get dragged into this? Inquiring minds want to know. She was a character on the TV sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies", and I confess I was the one who brought her up in relation to ‘Jethro’ Miller<g. — Charlie… Ahhh.  I remember – but can she cook?  Seems to me she was only good at wearing bad tweed suits and lusting.

If it’s the same Mrs. Hathaway that I remember, she ran for Congress in the 80’s in south central PA.  Died a few years later. Mark faulkner

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – BTW, who is Ms. Hathaway and how did she get dragged into this? Inquiring minds want to know. She was a character on the TV sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies", and I confess I was the one who brought her up in relation to ‘Jethro’ Miller<g. — Charlie… Ahhh.  I remember – but can she cook?  Seems to me she was only good at wearing bad tweed suits and lusting. If it’s the same Mrs. Hathaway that I remember, she ran for Congress in the 80’s in south central PA.  Died a few years later. Mark faulkner

        aw, hell no, markey!  they’re talking about the "jane hathaway" from "beverly hillbillies", *not* the "ms. hathaway" you taught to do the "dirty macarena"  in the holiday inn just south of carlisle…         wayno, just keepin the record straight – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

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…while cooking breakfast for rachel this morning, i also steamed some of the hackles on several of my well-used and misshapen flies.  the parallel universe i was drifting through at the time caused me to think about bacon fat grease as a floatant.  once cool, it becomes a waxy substance like gink, aquel, etc.  It could be easily strained and poured into an applicator before it hardens up, and with a squeeze it will ooze out of a gink bottle in its cool state.  It’s hard as hell to clean out of the pan with soap and water, so it adheres pretty good…whaddayathink, would a dab or two work as a floatant on a dry fly?  If so, perhaps lacourse’s bacon fryin will be good for something in May besides causing involuntary streamside bowel movements, eh? jeff (always thunking…)

  No disrespect jeff, but what morning herb produced this Parallel Universe? The stuff would turn to rock as soon as it hit the water. More than just a few bears may want to have a parallel experence with you  as well Harry Mason www.Troutflies.com

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..whaddayathink, would a dab or two work as a floatant on a dry fly?  If so, perhaps lacourse’s bacon fryin will be good for something in May besides causing involuntary streamside bowel movements, eh?

I think Jethro tried that once on the Beverly Hillbillies, but it just got Miss Hathaway excited if I recall correctly<g. — Charlie…

Response:

bears – Ms. Hathaway – bears – Ms. Hathaway…hmmmm…. ok…i’ll redirect my efforts here… well, you guys are always looking for a new adventure…how about – flyfishing for grizzlies…yeah, that’s it.  it’ll be like swimming with the white sharks in australia.  lacourse, you fry the bacon and i’ll weld us up some steel cages to "fish" from… ok, carrying this bit of foolishness to it’s illogical extreme, i’ve now tested the bacon grease thing in 64 degree water…it seems to float the fly, sort of…oops, it’s goin under…no, wait, it’s in the meniscus of the glass bowl, exuding a slick…ok, time to change parallels here…do ya think it might be xink-like?  you know, catch those early mornin breakfast trout?  … for those more into the Ms. Hathaway thing, i’m sure the bacon gease could serve the same blissful purpose as albolene in coating those… um, i’ll let you know how that one turns out….oh, rachel, dear… jeff (dropped on his head as a child -)   – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – …while cooking breakfast for rachel this morning, i also steamed some of the hackles on several of my well-used and misshapen flies.  the parallel universe i was drifting through at the time caused me to think about bacon fat grease as a floatant.  once cool, it becomes a waxy substance like gink, aquel, etc.  It could be easily strained and poured into an applicator before it hardens up, and with a squeeze it will ooze out of a gink bottle in its cool state.  It’s hard as hell to clean out of the pan with soap and water, so it adheres pretty good…whaddayathink, would a dab or two work as a floatant on a dry fly?  If so, perhaps lacourse’s bacon fryin will be good for something in May besides causing involuntary streamside bowel movements, eh? jeff (always thunking…)   No disrespect jeff, but what morning herb produced this Parallel Universe? The stuff would turn to rock as soon as it hit the water. More than just a few bears may want to have a parallel experence with you  as well Harry Mason www.Troutflies.com

Response:

[a bunch of floating blithering and dithering snipped] jeff (dropped on his head as a child -)  

Jeffy, follow this carefully.  Go to the likker cabinet.  Pick out the strongest thing you got.  Drink it all.  Lie down until you feel better.  Then go to the nearest Orvis store and buy the floatant gunk. Leave the bears to Tripper.  He’s an expert when it comes to the mating rituals of oversized and dangerous wildlife.  As for Ms. Hathaway, leave her for Louie.  I hear he’s not too fussy about such things.  I’ll take the bacon and eggs.  (eggs sunnyside up and bacon well done but not crispy, don’t forget the toast and coffee)  And keep your flies outa my bacon. Peter (who knows his priorities)

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BTW, who is Ms. Hathaway and how did she get dragged into this? Inquiring minds want to know. Peter

Response:

BTW, who is Ms. Hathaway and how did she get dragged into this? Inquiring minds want to know.

She was a character on the TV sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies", and I confess I was the one who brought her up in relation to ‘Jethro’ Miller<g. — Charlie…

Response:

BTW, who is Ms. Hathaway and how did she get dragged into this? Inquiring minds want to know. She was a character on the TV sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies", and I confess I was the one who brought her up in relation to ‘Jethro’ Miller<g. — Charlie…

Ahhh.  I remember – but can she cook?  Seems to me she was only good at wearing bad tweed suits and lusting. Ya, save her for Louie.  She’s already past changing. Peter Cheers Visit The Streamer Page at http://www.cgocable.net/~pcharles/index.html

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…y’all snicker, but 5:27 pm and the damn fly is still floating…i’m on the lookout for bears though!  …           Come and listen to a story bout a man named jeffro         barely kept his sanity while thinkin to and fro;           then one day, while cookin some breakfast food,         he found the bacon grease, when to the fly applied,         yielded results that raised a grin far and wide.         Crude, but mighty good… better’n Miss Hathaway nude.         hawg squeezins, chitlin fixins…         fly’s still a-floatin, Ms. Hathaway longing… satisfied… jeffro  (ya can call me mr.J – ain’t got no meter, just a puzzled peter) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – BTW, who is Ms. Hathaway and how did she get dragged into this? Inquiring minds want to know. She was a character on the TV sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies", and I confess I was the one who brought her up in relation to ‘Jethro’ Miller<g. — Charlie…

Response:

   fly’s still a-floatin, Ms. Hathaway longing… satisfied… jeffro  (ya can call me mr.J – ain’t got no meter, just a puzzled peter)

If you’ve been a messin’ with Ms. Hathaway, no wonder your peter’s puzzled.  "Boss?  Why are you abusin’ me so?" Peter

Response:

Ya, save her for Louie.  She’s already past changing.

Her and LaPlac would make a fine looking couple at the places IJ sends him to<g. — Charlie…

Response:

…while cooking breakfast for rachel this morning, i also steamed some of the hackles on several of my well-used and misshapen flies.  the parallel universe i was drifting through at the time caused me to think about bacon fat grease as a floatant.  once cool, it becomes a waxy substance like gink, aquel, etc.  It could be easily strained and poured into an applicator before it hardens up, and with a squeeze it will ooze out of a gink bottle in its cool state.  It’s hard as hell to clean out of the pan with soap and water, so it adheres pretty good…whaddayathink, would a dab or two work as a floatant on a dry fly?  If so, perhaps lacourse’s bacon fryin will be good for something in May besides causing involuntary streamside bowel movements, eh? jeff (always thunking…)

Response:

Jeff I don’t know about the flies, but the bears will love it. Ernie

<snip If so, perhaps lacourse’s bacon fryin will be good for something in May

besides causing involuntary streamside bowel movements, eh? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -jeff (always thunking…)

Response:

Question:

Hi, I am interested in trying my hand a fly fishing this Spring, and I have been given a Horrocks Ibbotson Model 1104 bakelite fly reel and a Langley fly rod that is about 8′ long and came in an aluminum tube.  Everything is in real nice shape, and the reel has the original box.  This set looks to be from the 30’s or 40’s(?) and I am wondering as to whether it would be better to try and learn on this vintage equipment, or sell it/trade it and try and get a more modern outfit.  Any suggestions appreciated, especially if any one can tell me what weight line I should equip it with or have any other hints.  Please email Thank you, Jim K Media, PA  

Response:

Jim, Horrocks-Ibbotson rods were very cheap, production rods.  Even ones in good shape aren’t worth much today.  Go ahead and fish it ot your heart’s delight. Pete C

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Question:

More importantly, where does she fish, where are her favorite pools, and does she prefer wine or Scotch?  Godiva chocolates are always appropriate. Wayne to fish is human…to release divine. This is becoming another Urban Legend. Just who exactly is this phantom drop dead gorgeous fly fishing model? Names please! And just where is this cabin so when I’m in the neighborhood I can drop by and say "howdy, Ma’am". -John

Response:

Whoa, Charlie….let’s think this through a little bit.  Sure, I wouldn’t mind an afternoon on-stream with Lefty, but you distinctly said spending an *evening* with the model.  Want to reconsider?

Nope. You can spend an evening listening to someone talk about their makeup if you like, though. The next morning I’ll know a lot more about fishing and you’ll be convinced that if she hadn’t had to go home early to wash her hair, you could have scored<g. — Charlie…

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Hi all, I’ll go home and get the magazine from my wife this weekend and post whatever information it contains next Monday…  I’m only telling y’all what my wife told me!  If it’s not too long, maybe I’ll post excerpts from the article. Other than that, given a choice between spending the weekend with a model or Lefty Kreh, I’d definitely say I’d have to take Lefty.  That way I’d still be alive when I got home as it might be difficult to flyfish while my wife is shooting at me. Happy New Year! Tom This is becoming another Urban Legend. Just who exactly is this phantom drop dead gorgeous fly fishing model? Names please! And just where is this cabin so when I’m in the neighborhood I can drop by and say "howdy, Ma’am". -John

– Thomas Chou International Sensor Technology 3 Whatney Irvine, CA 92618 Ph: 949.452.9316 Fx: 949.452.9009 www.gotgas.com

Response:

but if she is half the person Left is that would make a wonderful evening discussing fishign and tying! Thought I was gonna be rude there didn’t you <g Pierre – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Actually, I’d rather spend an evening with Lefty than with a fashion model. Not sure about Lefty in drag, though<g. — Charlie… Oh come now man, get your priorities straight.  I’d rather spend an "evening" with the model, I’d rather spend the weekend with Lefty. Oh am I in trouble when I get home tonight.  :-) Later,      - Ken

Response:

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW Charlie ol boy you just made a terrible mistake!!!! Sexist comments like that are really gonna bring the house down..Besides who says that natural beauty needs help?? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Whoa, Charlie….let’s think this through a little bit.  Sure, I wouldn’t mind an afternoon on-stream with Lefty, but you distinctly said spending an *evening* with the model.  Want to reconsider? Nope. You can spend an evening listening to someone talk about their makeup if you like, though. The next morning I’ll know a lot more about fishing and you’ll be convinced that if she hadn’t had to go home early to wash her hair, you could have scored<g. — Charlie…

Response:

but if she is half the person Left is that would make a wonderful evening discussing fishign and tying! Thought I was gonna be rude there didn’t you <g Pierre

Actually, the comparison I was making was an evening with Lefty vs an evening with a ‘regular’ model, not the ‘mythical’ fishing lady in the ad. The supposition was made in an earlier post that the ad was a fake (since I haven’t seen it I have no opinion on that). Given the choice between the ‘fishing lady model’ and Lefty, I’d probably still go with Lefty though, but the choice would be more difficult<g. — Charlie…

Response:

More importantly, where does she fish, where are her favorite pools, and does she prefer wine or Scotch?  Godiva chocolates are always appropriate.

OK, but what size hook should you tie the chocolates onto?  Standard nymph, wide-gape bassin’ hook, ram it onto the post on that funny Partridge parachute hook, or what?  Maybe a dry fly hook, and drown the whole concoction (confection? in Gink?  Inquiring minds…  :-) — Bob Jarvis Mail address hacked to foil spammers!

Response:

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW Charlie ol boy you just made a terrible mistake!!!! Sexist comments like that are really gonna bring the house down..Besides who says that natural beauty needs help??

Have you ever talked to a model, of either sex? The ones I have are mostly interested in their looks and the makeup that helps them ‘enhance’ their looks. My comment wasn’t intended to be sexist, just anti-model<g. Maybe I just ran into a few bad apples. — Charlie…

Response:

This is becoming another Urban Legend. Just who exactly is this phantom drop dead gorgeous fly fishing model? Names please! And just where is this cabin so when I’m in the neighborhood I can drop by and say "howdy, Ma’am".

Not to worry, we’re trying to line her up as a "greeter" at our new flyfishing theme cafe next spring.  Dates and locations to be announced… Cheers, Tony Ritter

Response:

But Tom….what a way to go!!! Wayne To fish is human…to release divine. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all, I’ll go home and get the magazine from my wife this weekend and post whatever information it contains next Monday…  I’m only telling y’all what my wife told me!  If it’s not too long, maybe I’ll post excerpts from the article. Other than that, given a choice between spending the weekend with a model or Lefty Kreh, I’d definitely say I’d have to take Lefty.  That way I’d still be alive when I got home as it might be difficult to flyfish while my wife is shooting at me. Happy New Year! Tom This is becoming another Urban Legend. Just who exactly is this phantom drop dead gorgeous fly fishing model? Names please! And just where is this cabin so when I’m in the neighborhood I can drop by and say "howdy, Ma’am". -John — Thomas Chou International Sensor Technology 3 Whatney Irvine, CA 92618 Ph: 949.452.9316 Fx: 949.452.9009 www.gotgas.com

Response:

Bob,     Its somethig akin to grappling catfish on the Mississippi.  Not a matter of a hook, although a good line doesn’t hurt.  Sometimes its more the line you cast than the bait you use. Wayne To fish is human…to release divine. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -OK, but what size hook should you tie the chocolates onto?  Standard nymph, wide-gape bassin’ hook, ram it onto the post on that funny Partridge parachute hook, or what?  Maybe a dry fly hook, and drown the whole concoction (confection? in Gink?  Inquiring minds…  :-) — Bob Jarvis Mail address hacked to foil spammers!

Response:

Ladies! Feel free to wade in and help us out here! Wayne To fish is human…to release divine.

Response:

Ladies! Feel free to wade in and help us out here!

Oh, I think you’re doing a splendid job! Okay, here’s a new topic. Hasanyone read that David Leitz murder mystery novel about the model photo shoot at a fly fishing lodge… here it is: _Dying to Fly Fish_? — Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Disclaimer: Pushing 40 and born in Fredericton, NB

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George G: like you – and me? George, dogs chase cars, but they don’t know how to drive. d;0) Dave L.

Response:

JR, The main model for the Estee Lauder commercial *can* cast.  She has in fact devoted a great portion of her life to flyfishing.  The story goes like this (abbreviated, of course.  This is the story my wife told me she read in a recent mag article about this)…  She made some money modeling when she was younger, invested it well, and took up flyfishing with some other members of her family.  She is the only one who pursued it with a passion, which she still does, while the others gave it up.  She ties her own flies, owns a cabin by a river, she’s rich, and beautiful… and like I’ve said before, I’ve got dibs.  She is currently around 56 years old.  Now that’s a great looking 56 year old lady, don’t you think?! Hope this clears things up. Tom – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Saw the commercial while watching NYPD Blue.  Sorry guys, but anyone who says his streams in Alberta, N.C., wherever, are crawling with women who look like the model in this commercial, well, no offense, but he lies like a dog.  And her clothes (this all started about her clothes, no?)–well, I’m can’t remember what sort of clothes she had.  Pretty sure, though, that she was wearing clothes. The question is, is this babe a for real fly fisher or not?  The last, long, overhead shot shows a pretty good casting stroke, but this could have been a stand-in.  The stroke in the close-up shots is less convincing.  As for the other obvious questions, I leave those up to the congregation….. JR

Response:

The main model for the Estee Lauder commercial *can* cast.  She has in fact devoted a great portion of her life to flyfishing.

David Hinner’s post of 12/30/98 credits Pixar Studios with the creative morphing of Lefty Kreh into the "Beaverkill Bombshell". Tom – he *does* have a wonderful sense of humor – but are you *sure* you still want that date? Cheers, Tony Ritter

Response:

The main model for the Estee Lauder commercial *can* cast.  She has in fact devoted a great portion of her life to flyfishing. David Hinner’s post of 12/30/98 credits Pixar Studios with the creative morphing of Lefty Kreh into the "Beaverkill Bombshell". Tom – he *does* have a wonderful sense of humor – but are you *sure* you still want that date?

Actually, I’d rather spend an evening with Lefty than with a fashion model. Not sure about Lefty in drag, though<g. — Charlie…

Response:

Actually, I’d rather spend an evening with Lefty than with a fashion model. Not sure about Lefty in drag, though<g. — Charlie…

Oh come now man, get your priorities straight.  I’d rather spend an "evening" with the model, I’d rather spend the weekend with Lefty. Oh am I in trouble when I get home tonight.  :-) Later,      - Ken

Response:

The main model for the Estee Lauder commercial *can* cast.  She has in fact devoted a great portion of her life to flyfishing.  The story goes like this (abbreviated, of course.  This is the story my wife told me she read in a recent mag article about this)…

At the risk of spreading disappointment and gloom, I must point out that not everything you read in a magazine, newspaper or book is Gospel Truth– especially stuff about movie stars, models, athletes, business firms, products, politicians….. Agents and PR firms earn their money by cranking out stuff to create interest in their clients and make them look good. vince norris  She made some money modeling when she was – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -younger, invested it well, and took up flyfishing with some other members of her family.  She is the only one who pursued it with a passion, which she still does, while the others gave it up.  She ties her own flies, owns a cabin by a river, she’s rich, and beautiful… and like I’ve said before, I’ve got dibs.  She is currently around 56 years old.  Now that’s a great looking 56 year old lady, don’t you think?! Hope this clears things up. Tom Saw the commercial while watching NYPD Blue.  Sorry guys, but anyone who says his streams in Alberta, N.C., wherever, are crawling with women who look like the model in this commercial, well, no offense, but he lies like a dog.  And her clothes (this all started about her clothes, no?)–well, I’m can’t remember what sort of clothes she had.  Pretty sure, though, that she was wearing clothes. The question is, is this babe a for real fly fisher or not?  The last, long, overhead shot shows a pretty good casting stroke, but this could have been a stand-in.  The stroke in the close-up shots is less convincing.  As for the other obvious questions, I leave those up to the congregation….. JR

Response:

Whoa, Charlie….let’s think this through a little bit.  Sure, I wouldn’t mind an afternoon on-stream with Lefty, but you distinctly said spending an *evening* with the model.  Want to reconsider? Mark Faulkner – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The main model for the Estee Lauder commercial *can* cast.  She has in fact devoted a great portion of her life to flyfishing. David Hinner’s post of 12/30/98 credits Pixar Studios with the creative morphing of Lefty Kreh into the "Beaverkill Bombshell". Tom – he *does* have a wonderful sense of humor – but are you *sure* you still want that date? Actually, I’d rather spend an evening with Lefty than with a fashion model. Not sure about Lefty in drag, though<g. — Charlie…

Response:

JR, The main model for the Estee Lauder commercial *can* cast.  She has in fact devoted a great portion of her life to flyfishing.  The story goes like this (abbreviated, of course.  This is the story my wife told me she read in a recent mag article about this)…  She made some money modeling when she was younger, invested it well, and took up flyfishing with some other members of her family.  She is the only one who pursued it with a passion, which she still does, while the others gave it up.  She ties her own flies, owns a cabin by a river, she’s rich, and beautiful… and like I’ve said before, I’ve got dibs.  She is currently around 56 years old.  Now that’s a great looking 56 year old lady, don’t you think?! Hope this clears things up. Tom snip

This is becoming another Urban Legend. Just who exactly is this phantom drop dead gorgeous fly fishing model? Names please! And just where is this cabin so when I’m in the neighborhood I can drop by and say "howdy, Ma’am". -John

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Bait for what, George?  They want us to buy Estee Lauder products?  OK, I’m going to find some, some…(some what?), I don’t know, some face cream or something, and see if it floats a fly better than Gink. Then I make a fortune, the model falls for me (and all my money), and we live and fish happily ever after.  Drinking Famous Grouse. …Fade out…. The End. (The crowd goes wild.) JR

"They," are the gutem & eatum boys.  THEY, want you to use garden hackle and sinful things like ‘indicators!’ (Perish the Thought!)  Then they want to catch you making out with that doll that’s been all Ginked up like a sweaty latin lover and print those pictures here on ROFF, heaven forbid!  Well, fear not J.R. because here comes Wayno, the barrister of all time to defend you. Naturally, his fee is going to be a case of Famous Grouse and as you sit there in handcuffs at the ROFF Conclave, we are all going to drink every bit of it while you watch.  But, again, fear not!  This Buds’ for you. (This group isn’t THAT cold hearted pal.) ; )  Don’t you just love it here J.R.? We sure enough love you. Happy New Year.  Remember always –  After midnight when you’ve got her all sauced up – ‘gink keeps it up’ oh my gosh, did I say that? whew!  Doesn’t get any better then this. HAPPPPPPPPPPYYYYYYYYYYY New Year J.R.! fade out because I just passed out. — George Gehrke All Writings

Question:

I will be in Australia’s Northern Territory (near Darwin) in late August through September. I was hoping someone could offer some advice as to what weight rods I should bring and what type of flies. Any help will be greatly appreciated. -Alex Hill

Response:

I will be in Australia’s Northern Territory (near Darwin) in late August through September. I was hoping someone could offer some advice as to what weight rods I should bring and what type of flies. Any help will be greatly appreciated. -Alex Hill

from what appears to be the area you are describing. He has developed some flies that were effective enough for his son to establish a new world record on one of the fish (I don’t remember the name)in a line/tippet class. Please mention Flymaker during your communication. It will probably cause him to be more willing to be of assistance.

Response:

I will be in Australia’s Northern Territory (near Darwin) in late August through September. I was hoping someone could offer some advice as to what weight rods I should bring and what type of flies. Any help will be greatly appreciated. -Alex Hill

Hi Alex, What sort of fish do you want to catch? Freshwater rivers and billabongs (lakes) – barramundi are not really on the bite at that time of year, but saratoga are and are excellent sport on 8-10 wt rods with surface flies like dahlberg divers. Saltwater is excellent in August-September with large spanish mackerel (king mackerel?), longtail tuna, queenfish and giant trevally all close to Darwin. I will try to get some Darwin guides email addresses or phone numbers for you. Cheers John Knight Sydney Fly Rodders’

Response:

Question:

If you’ve got a message, or information which may be of interest to fly fishers in Louisiana, please post it to the Louisiana Fly Fishing web site bulletin board at www.laflyfish.org/laff/bboard.

Response:

Sorry, make that http://www.laflyfish.org/laff/bboard/wwwboard.html. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If you’ve got a message, or information which may be of interest to fly fishers in Louisiana, please post it to the Louisiana Fly Fishing web site bulletin board at www.laflyfish.org/laff/bboard.

Response:

Question:

Ok, this is really *our* impression of Cancun.  I am not trying to provoke any major responses to this, as it is just an opinion from our recent trip there. First of all I did actually like the beaches on/near the Omni Cancun hotel. The beaches were very nice, sand very white and soft and not hot. The water is absolutely beautiful with vivid colors of light-dark blue. Beautiful! If you are a serious beach bum you will love this aspect of Cancun.  I hear that you really need to check out the property you are interested in because some of the beaches have been washed out from past storms and the brochures do not mention that tiny fact.  Most are ok though. The second nice thing is that the bus system is GREAT.  Only 3 pesos (about 20 cents).  The buses run 24 hours a day and every 4-5 minutes.  Easy to use, and much cheaper than cabs which run a minimum of 30 pesos (3$). Now the things I didn’t like: The shop keepers at the various flea markets have very very few bargain items.  Most of the items we were interested in were expensive and the shop keepers really really tried to make you feel bad for being a "wealthy" American who "gets vacations". All in all I can get REAL bargains in Nuevo Larado (Texas/Mexico border city).  If you have LOTS of money and don’t mind turning loose of it then you might feel differently than I/we did. In general the city and resort area had a bad "smell" most places we went. There was an occasional stench that smelled like sewar water or something to that effect. This was noticed most everywhere and we weren’t really sure where it was coming from.  On those lines, when you’re traveling down a street, if you look closely you’ll notice off to the side of the roads there appears to be garbage, rubbish and various other "trash" items that are usually behind shrubs, etc… It’s as if they decided to build a road and "scraped" all the surrounding rubbish off to the side of the road and tried to hide it with shrubs. Expensive, expensive, expensive.  There are no places you can go to have fun or eat or drink without paying a premium price.  And if your hotel or club offers "happy hours" it is for them not for you.  Happy hours at our hotel and some bars are no value.  Our drinks had very little liquor in them and the prices were still high even for watered down drinks.  The only exception is beer, they haven’t found a way to water that down (I think). We also paid $10. (USD) to get into a popular disco/dance club called Christine’s.  It was nice but the drinks were expensive and small and the bar was nice but not as nice as many of our US bars.  Personally I wouldn’t recommend it for the cover alone. Last but not least is all the begging that goes on there.  The vendors are so aggressive that you can’t do or go anywhere without feeling like you’re being accosted.  Small children are just as bad as the grown up folks except a lot (not all) of the vendors will try to intimidate you into buying and if you offer them a price they act insulted and when you leave their shop they start insulting you (Coral Negro flea market). This goes on pretty much everywhere and after the first day it’s all one can do just to go somewhere without being accosted over and over. PS: We are from Texas (good mexican food) and in our opinion we did not like any of the "mexican" food there.  We ate at Senor Frogs as well and the meal was just "so-so".  All of the restaurants did not have spicy mexican food and it was pretty much bland.  I cannot recommend any place except Pat O’ Brians (Great nachos and bbq sandwich). If anyone wants further info please feel free to email me directly at:

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Ok, this is really *our* impression of Cancun.  I am not trying to provoke any major responses to this, as it is just an opinion from our recent trip there. First of all I did actually like the beaches on/near the Omni Cancun hotel. The beaches were very nice, sand very white and soft and not hot. The water is absolutely beautiful with vivid colors of light-dark blue. Beautiful! If you are a serious beach bum you will love this aspect of Cancun.  I hear that you really need to check out the property you are interested in because some of the beaches have been washed out from past storms and the brochures do not mention that tiny fact.  Most are ok though. The second nice thing is that the bus system is GREAT.  Only 3 pesos (about 20 cents).  The buses run 24 hours a day and every 4-5 minutes.  Easy to use, and much cheaper than cabs which run a minimum of 30 pesos (3$). Now the things I didn’t like: The shop keepers at the various flea markets have very very few bargain items.  Most of the items we were interested in were expensive and the shop keepers really really tried to make you feel bad for being a "wealthy" American who "gets vacations". All in all I can get REAL bargains in Nuevo Larado (Texas/Mexico border city).  If you have LOTS of money and don’t mind turning loose of it then you might feel differently than I/we did. In general the city and resort area had a bad "smell" most places we went. There was an occasional stench that smelled like sewar water or something to that effect. This was noticed most everywhere and we weren’t really sure where it was coming from.  On those lines, when you’re traveling down a street, if you look closely you’ll notice off to the side of the roads there appears to be garbage, rubbish and various other "trash" items that are usually behind shrubs, etc… It’s as if they decided to build a road and "scraped" all the surrounding rubbish off to the side of the road and tried to hide it with shrubs. Expensive, expensive, expensive.  There are no places you can go to have fun or eat or drink without paying a premium price.  And if your hotel or club offers "happy hours" it is for them not for you.  Happy hours at our hotel and some bars are no value.  Our drinks had very little liquor in them and the prices were still high even for watered down drinks.  The only exception is beer, they haven’t found a way to water that down (I think). We also paid $10. (USD) to get into a popular disco/dance club called Christine’s.  It was nice but the drinks were expensive and small and the bar was nice but not as nice as many of our US bars.  Personally I wouldn’t recommend it for the cover alone. Last but not least is all the begging that goes on there.  The vendors are so aggressive that you can’t do or go anywhere without feeling like you’re being accosted.  Small children are just as bad as the grown up folks except a lot (not all) of the vendors will try to intimidate you into buying and if you offer them a price they act insulted and when you leave their shop they start insulting you (Coral Negro flea market). This goes on pretty much everywhere and after the first day it’s all one can do just to go somewhere without being accosted over and over. PS: We are from Texas (good mexican food) and in our opinion we did not like any of the "mexican" food there.  We ate at Senor Frogs as well and the meal was just "so-so".  All of the restaurants did not have spicy mexican food and it was pretty much bland.  I cannot recommend any place except Pat O’ Brians (Great nachos and bbq sandwich). If anyone wants further info please feel free to email me directly at:

I got the same impression last time we were there in ‘92.  The only thing I would have to add was the time share terrorists.  We would be walking along enjoying the warm breeze when out of nowhere some guy would come flying out of a moving vehicle and they wouldn’t leave you alone.  Finally we said we were leaving that afternoon and they would give up.  We were there in 1983 and loved it, so we were extremely disappointed when we went back and that will be our last trip to Cancun.  We ventured a little further south to Playa del Carmen and loved it there.  My fear now to go back is that the same thing is happening there as happened in Cancun. Just my 2 cents. Diane

Response:

– thanks to spam bots, my address is despammed, if you are a real person, you should be able to figure it out. This part of the post I can’t let go.  I am also from Texas originally and what you are used to is NOT mexican food.  It is Tex-Mex.  You can not compare mexican food to what you are used to. Mexican food is not spicy. Mexican food rarely contains beef, the land doesn’t support beef well. Chicken, fish, and goats are the mainstay and it varys by the region.  By the way, I like both Tex-mex and mexican food.  I can’t say anything about the food in cancun as I have not been there, but don’t base your comparisons to your local cuisine, its comparing apples and oranges.   – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – PS: We are from Texas (good mexican food) and in our opinion we did not like any of the "mexican" food there.  We ate at Senor Frogs as well and the meal was just "so-so".  All of the restaurants did not have spicy mexican food and it was pretty much bland.  I cannot recommend any place except Pat O’ Brians (Great nachos and bbq sandwich). If anyone wants further info please feel free to email me directly at:

Response:

Don, Being a native Texan I also know the difference between Mexican food and Tex-Mex food.  I never meant to imply they were one in the same HOWEVER there is a difference in what I expected.  I expected Mexican food (I was in Mexico) with a Yucatan flair… things wrapped/cooked in banana leaves, pescado (fish) dishes, etc…  The food we ate down in Cancun were typically recommended highly by the various hotels and some guidebooks but they always turned out to be bad Mexican food without any particular nuance of the region they were supposed to represent (Yucatan).  My comments about spicy wasn’t meaning HOT, I just meant that I preferred my food with some form of taste to it.  The food from Cancun (for the mostpart) was tasteless and appeared to be a poor copy of Tex-Mex (or that’s the way it looked to us). PS: I’ve already received several direct emails agreeing with me so I know that I’m not crazy M. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – — thanks to spam bots, my address is despammed, if you are a real person, you should be able to figure it out. This part of the post I can’t let go.  I am also from Texas originally and what you are used to is NOT mexican food.  It is Tex-Mex.  You can not compare mexican food to what you are used to. Mexican food is not spicy. Mexican food rarely contains beef, the land doesn’t support beef well. Chicken, fish, and goats are the mainstay and it varys by the region.  By the way, I like both Tex-mex and mexican food.  I can’t say anything about the food in cancun as I have not been there, but don’t base your comparisons to your local cuisine, its comparing apples and oranges. PS: We are from Texas (good mexican food) and in our opinion we did not like any of the "mexican" food there.  We ate at Senor Frogs as well and the meal was just "so-so".  All of the restaurants did not have spicy mexican food and it was pretty much bland.  I cannot recommend any place except Pat O’ Brians (Great nachos and bbq sandwich). If anyone wants further info please feel free to email me directly at:

Response:

sorry you feel that way. i’m heading back for my 8th trip end of Jan. i go mostly for the first part of your trip. and because i Love the hotel i stay at (Fiesta American Coral Beach) since it is a mega resort you have to do some searching to find good value. and yes there are some Yucatan restaurants, but mostly it is tex-mex. tim

Response:

I’ve been to Cancun twice. I enjoyed both of my visits. I stayed at the Blue Bay Club and Marina, which is an all-inclusive hotel. Personally, I prefer all-inclusive hotels because you don’t have to carry cash when you’re at the hotel and you can eat and drink as much as you want without worrying about the bill! Also, the food at the hotel was great. They had Mexican options at every meal! The different salsas were fabulous! The hotel staff was friendly and always entertaining. The hotel also had a bus that would take us into town at night to the discos. The discos were pricey but not over the top. I agree that the flea markets were outrageous! I couldn’t take more that 5 minutes they were so rude! I don’t mind bargaining but when they start yelling at you or chasing you, that’s when I draw the line. Luckily, the hotel had theme night and one of which was Mexican. Kiosks were set up and local wares were sold in the main lobby at very reasonable prices. I really had a great time in Cancun and would probably go back. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – sorry you feel that way. i’m heading back for my 8th trip end of Jan. i go mostly for the first part of your trip. and because i Love the hotel i stay at (Fiesta American Coral Beach) since it is a mega resort you have to do some searching to find good value. and yes there are some Yucatan restaurants, but mostly it is tex-mex. tim

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Don, Being a native Texan I also know the difference between Mexican food and Tex-Mex food.  I never meant to imply they were one in the same HOWEVER there is a difference in what I expected.  I expected Mexican food (I was in Mexico) with a Yucatan flair… things wrapped/cooked in banana leaves, pescado (fish) dishes, etc…  <snip I am also from Texas originally and what you are used to is NOT mexican food.  It is Tex-Mex.   PS: We are from Texas (good mexican food) and in our opinion we did not like any of the "mexican" food there.  We ate at Senor Frogs as well and the meal was just "so-so".  All of the restaurants did not have spicy mexican food and it was pretty much bland.  I cannot recommend any place except Pat O’ Brians (Great nachos and bbq sandwich).

I think you’re both missing an important point: Cancun may be in Mexico, but there is no Mexico in Cancun.  It is a Disneyfied version of what the Mexican tourist board thinks tourists want; obviously, they thought correctly.  If Cancun is the only place you’ve ever visited, you have not seen Mexico.  I’ve had to fly to/from there to get to other destinations, and had never had the "opportunity" to spend the night until this past summer (because of an early a.m. flight); I was with a teenaged cousin who had been a good sport about eating real Mexican–after years of Taco Bell–at our other destinations, so let him choose where he wanted to eat dinner in Cancun.  Yeesh, Planet Hollywood…I was truly appalled, during the cab ride, at how built up the island was. Another post-er mentioned nearby Playa del Carmen as a less-touristy destination, but unfortunately, it’s not the sleepy fishing village it was on my first visit, not so long ago.  Still, better than Cancun

Response:

Question:

Looking for a fly shop or resource for current fishing information about the St. Mary’s River, particularly information regarding Fall steelhead. Twice now, I have been to the river and both times the gates were wide open making the river unfishable.  Thanks in advance.

Local guides and clubs are identified in:  Linsenman, Bob, and Steve Nevala  Great Lakes Steelhead: a Guided Tour for Fly Anglers  Backcountry Pubs., Woodstock Vt. 1995 This information will not help you when the dam gates are open. — |  Donald Phillipson, 4180 Boundary Road, Carlsbad Springs,  | |        Ontario, Canada, K0A 1K0, tel. 613 822 0734         |

Response:

Looking for a fly shop or resource for current fishing information about the St. Mary’s River, particularly information regarding Fall steelhead. Twice now, I have been to the river and both times the gates were wide open making the river unfishable.  Thanks in advance. Jim Francois Stillwater, MN

Response:

Question:

Hi, I will be going on a 6 day canoe trip into the Quetico Wilderness area in Canada in mid-July of this year.  Does anyone out there know what to expect?  I would be interested in any info about patterns, techniques for deep fish like walleye, or anything you think might help.  I will be doing the Cache Lake Loop out of Baptism Creek.  Should be loads of fun. Thanks. Chris

Response:

Hi, I will be going on a 6 day canoe trip into the Quetico Wilderness area in Canada in mid-July of this year.  Does anyone out there know what to expect?  I would be interested in any info about patterns, techniques for deep fish like walleye, or anything you think might help.  I will be doing the Cache Lake Loop out of Baptism Creek.  Should be loads of fun.

        Boy, I THINK it was in this newsgroup, but it was possibly in the GPS NG (sci.geo.satellite-nav) or the rec.backcountry newsgroup where I just responded to a very similar question about the Boundary Waters in August. Thus you might want to go to Dejanews and do a search there for same for my (tiny) pearls of wisdom. (And, beyond that, in the rec.backcountry newsgroup if not this flyfishing one if you go back even a little way you’ll find tons of stuff addressing your question. I tried to summarize in the post I referred to above, and damned if I can remember what NG it was in. I seem to recall trying to talk quite a bit about flyfishing so I suspect it was in this NG, but I can’t be sure.)         Basically though, my point was that you should start thinking about smallmouth early in the morning and evenings off rocky shelves in the shallows, and pike in the weeds. There’s lots of ways to check to see if the lakes you are going to are primarily smallmouth or walleye, though the bigger lakes will have both. As to walleye, I don’t know about you but trying to flyfish any further than about 3-4 feet down just ain’t my idea of fun. To each his own though….         Good luck. Tom Burczyk

Response:

I use deerhair poppers for smallmouth morning and evening. White gartside streamer weighed during day,also black woolyburger with a little red tinsel down the back. Try lead eyed woolyburgers with about 4 bass type hackles tied on as a tail fish it with long leader that has silicone on it you can detect the soft takes of walleye. have fun .. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I will be going on a 6 day canoe trip into the Quetico Wilderness area in Canada in mid-July of this year.  Does anyone out there know what to expect?  I would be interested in any info about patterns, techniques for deep fish like walleye, or anything you think might help.  I will be doing the Cache Lake Loop out of Baptism Creek.  Should be loads of fun. Thanks. Chris

Response:

<<<<<I will be going on a 6 day canoe trip into the Quetico Wilderness area in Canada in mid-July of this year.  Does anyone out there know what to expect?  I would be interested in any info about patterns, techniques for deep fish like walleye, or anything you think might help.  I will be doing the Cache Lake Loop out of Baptism Creek.  Should be loads of fun. Thanks. Chris Hi.  I’ll be there, too, and if I see you I’ll wave. I usually have excellent luck catching bass and northerns in that area with a huge orange shrimp pattern that is actually a steelhead fly. Leeches or deer hair mice twitched through the reed beds are dynamite for large northerns, but don’t try that on a 5 weight. On the Seine River near there, I’ve caught blue gills and gigantic lake whitefish on caddis and Adams towards evening. I always see lots of dragonfly nymph shucks around and inch-long brownish mayflies with white wings on the cabin screens each morning. Walleyes are usually down too deep, but you might pick the odd one up in the shallows. I usually paddle into back bays and cast tight to the bank, around brush, next to weeds. P.S. I’ll be doing a reading at the Atikokan Public Library on July 8, so drop in if you’re in the neighbourhood.

Response:

Ditto the last post–also– Keep your attention focused on points, especially ones near deep water. To catch walleyes or northerns in the summer heat you will have to fish like a spin guy.  I like a shooting head line with a "float tip" (if this gets famous then I get credit).  Take your nymph line and rig a loop-to-loop with about six feet of the head section of an old floating line.  Alternative:  fish a floating fly on a sinking line.  Go to leader (a flat butt of 40 and then 30/20 and maybe a 12 pound tippet; it’s a tossup:  catch more walleyes or get cut off by northerns.)  If you have a depth sounder you’re more likely to score.  Pick the windiest point you can find near big water, or near the flow where one lake has necked down into another.  Make your cast down wind and drift with your sinking line then strip back across the wind or with it.  Use clousers or strip leeches–color may matter, and it may vary from chartreuse to black.  A black strip leech with a fluorescent orange head is my favorite.  To move walleyes you will probably have to be at least 12′ deep, and maybe as deep as 18′.  A rocky or gravelly flat that extends in deep water will almost always hold fish.  Move shallower on the same structure for smallies; move out over deep water but near the dropoff for big northerns. In the evening, stake out a likely flat near camp.  Get about a gallon of pure DEET.  As the light falls, make casts across the flat parallel to the deep water or across the wind and scrape the bottom in the same fashion. In the early morning (early:  first light) do the same.  In low-light conditions (or rain or fog) you may find walleyes in 6 to 10 feet of water; you will collide with all three species in that zone.  Also–in bays, especially if it’s warm and especially if the water is clear, make some casts with large topwaters such as hair bugs, bob’s bangers or other poppers, and large dahlbergs.  This may bring on smallies and northerns. If you tie, make up a few really huge dahlberg divers (6 to 8" range) as these are the best bet for big northerns. I’ll be on Basswood lake this year–no time for a really deep penetration of the parks.  Good luck! Dave

Response:

Question:

        I’ll second the Wekiva River Trip from Katie’s Landing.  Did that in a private boat last year with their shuttling….  Their’s is a good and responsible operation.  If you haven’t seen Florida rivers much this one’s a good intro.  I saw all the FL species of herons, plus limpkins, etc. on this run.         Joe P.

Response:

If you want to drive a little further south (typically warmer as well) to North Palm Beach, you can rent Kayaks from The Adventure Times. They have regular guided tours to the Everglades and other local spots including intracoastal and ocean Call em at 407 881-7218 I’m going to be in Orlando the first week in January and am looking for paddling opportunities within say a 60 mile radius.  I won’t be taking a boat so I’m interested in outfitters or state parks that rent equipment. Thanks. Jason

Bob Denton President Gulf Stream International Boynton Beach, Florida Manufacturers of Sink the Stink The Water Sport Deodorizer That Really Works! For information on Boynton Beach, FL Scuba: http://www.flinet.com/gulfstream/scuba.html

Response:

I go to the Cape Canaveral area often.  Fishing for redfish on the flats there is nice.  There is a non-powered only area north of 528 on the Bannanna river also.  You can rent from Extreme Sports, but they are not on the way, being about twenty south from the Cape.  Patrick AFB also rents to military types.  But all they have is small sit on tops.   If you want somethind exciting, the St Johns river, which runs from near the coast where I live, North through Deland.  The Manatees winter at Blue Springs by Deland.  They rent boats there. I’ve gone just North of lake Washington near the coast.  It is very small at that point, so all you will see is the occasional airboater.  The gators there are the biggest I’ve seen.  I fly helicopters for a living, so I’ve seen plenty.  They will probably be staying under the water in early Jan.  In late Feb, they are laying out.  Seeing them on the shore is not scary.  What is is when they shoot down the twenty foot wide stream right under your boat, leaving a wake like the Creature from the black lagoon. I will only take my big two person there, as my 14′ single might lead a big bull gator to think "Yea, I can take him".  

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I’m going to be in Orlando the first week in January and am looking for … Jason

PalnJones is right on with Wekiva.  This is a fantastic paddle (for Florida-no ww).  There is a Wekiva State Park & they rent canoes (not sure about kayaks) through a concessionaire (Kings Landings Canoe).   Kings Landing is the Place to put in and go to the Marina (I’ve been, I had my own kayak with me).  Fabulous river (for Florida).  There is a kayak/canoe/outdoor store in Orlando called something like Travel Country – in yellow pages under canoes – they can help with directions & maybe rentals.  It is 10-20 mile paddle depending where you go and the Kings Landing folks will run shuttle for you. kevin

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I’m going to be in Orlando the first week in January and am looking for paddling opportunities within say a 60 mile radius.  I won’t be taking a boat so I’m interested in outfitters or state parks that rent equipment.

Jason: I would second the recommendation David made about Wekiva Springs; just north of Orlando but literally a wilderness area along the edges of the city.  Wekiva State Park has a well stocked canoe livery and there is also a private company called Katies Wekiva River Landing that rents canoes.  Katies has routes of 6, 9, 12 or 19 miles.  I’ve hiked all along Wekiva and have seen the operation…very professional.  However, I personally have not taken the trips.  Never heard anything bad though.. Katies Info: Toll free from Orlando 628-1482      Other calls 407 332-4470 Ranger station Wekiwa River State Park    407 884-2009 If kayaking is your game, Travel Country Outdoors in Orlando 407 831-0777 does not rent anything but they do have a half day guided trip to Cape Canaveral NWR.  Another kayaking outfitter that does half-day guided trips (maybe rentals) is Agua Azul in Clearwater (near Tampa) 813 530-7555.  They have one trip "closer" to Orlando that is on the historic Hillsborough River out of the Tampa area.  It takes us 1.25 hours to get there from where we live near Disney.  My wife and I have done both of these trips and from a purely novice point of view had a GREAT TIME! Happy Holidays! Robert   Orlando

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I’m going to be in Orlando the first week in January and am looking for paddling opportunities within say a 60 mile radius.  I won’t be taking a boat so I’m interested in outfitters or state parks that rent equipment. Thanks. Jason

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I’m going to be in Orlando the first week in January and am looking for paddling opportunities within say a 60 mile radius.  I won’t be taking a boat so I’m interested in outfitters or state parks that rent equipment. Thanks. Jason

There is a nice flat water (what else would it be) paddle on the Wekiva River, putting on near Apopka.  The water is crystal clear, and we saw alligators (small) the time we did it. There is at least one canoe livery, but I don’t remember the name.  Check the Yellow Pages. David

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