Question:

Frank Reid writes: 2nd week of June for me too.

Are you going to drive up, Frank? Dave

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Don’t know.  Was thinking of taking the fast train to Boston and a bus to the stop near your house.  That would save me 11 hours on the road. — Frank Reid Reverse email to reply. .

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2nd week of June for me too. — Frank Reid Reverse email to reply.

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Peter Charles writes: I’ll give her a ring tomorrow.  2nd week of June sounds right for us – will Jo be there then?

Well, we planned on her going the first week.  We have Angler’s cabin (by the water).  So, if you could make it then, so much the better. Some days that woman knows how to twist the knife.  

Hey, she’s   taken some lessons from the Pirate, dontchaknow? Dave

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[sounds like a bit of tough sledding but even so – it’s Lakewood so who cares, eh? For all you folks planning on going to Lakewood in June:  I have made reservations for the first, second, and fourth weeks.  There was some talk about having a non-clave gathering – Peter, wayno, Jeff, et al.  If youse guys are serious about it, better call Maureen at 207-243-2959.   You’ll need to send her a deposit.  Also, Frank Reid – pick a time.  How about 3rd week?  Or, whenever. Gotta go fix dinner.  What a drag……. Dave

I’ll give her a ring tomorrow.  2nd week of June sounds right for us – will Jo be there then? Suzie labouriously looked through her datebook to see if she was ‘otherwise occupied"  then with a whoop, she announced that she was free those weeks because *she* was retired!!  Some days that woman knows how to twist the knife.   Peter Visit The Streamer Page at http://www.mountaincable.net/~pcharles/streamers/index.html

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I’m glad your friend liked my rod, Dave.  I am fixing to build one for myself that is a copy of yours, I liked how that taper cast so much. I took a terrific vacation with a couple friends in Alberta and British Columbia a couple weeks ago.  The fishing and the scenery was how you would imagine it being in Heaven.  I fished bamboo almost exclusively the whole while I was out there, using an 8 1/2 foot 6 weight I made for a friend who kindly let me use the rod on that trip.  One of our guides eyed the rod as we loaded up the drift boat in the morning.  He made a vary tactful but mistrustful remark about it, saying,"You know, there are bull trout in here envisioned cane splinters flying should I hang a hog.  I assured him that the rod – against my pleading – had been used to land chinook salmon by its owner, so I din’t forsee any problems on this trip.  I was happy with the 6 weight’s performance.  We had a good dose of that western wind I have read so much about.  I did fine by waiting in between gusts and firing a cast out there.  I landed a 2 foot long bull trout on that drift.  It was considered small by the locals, but the thrill of getting my first bull wasn’t small. It looked and acted like a giant brook trout while I reeled it in. It will be a long wait until we all get to go back there next year, I’m telling you! Pete

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Thanks for the report, Dave.  Sounds like a nice time.  How many folks are out there on the river this time of year? Pete Collin

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Peter Collin writes: How many folks are out there on the river this time of year?

Lots.  There were 11 Lakewood guests fishing (and about 12 kids/wives who weren’t), plus some folks boated in on Sat and Sun. BTW, I let my friend try the rod.  He fell for it.  His wife wants to buy him a boo rod for Christmas/birthday, but he’s always said no.  But after trying your’s, he is sold on it. He was surprised when he found out that it was not as slow as he thought bamboo would be.  <g Dave

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Got in this afternoon after four days at Lakewood.  River was running at 800 cfs, ideal for wading and fishing.   First thing I did was to find out the river temps.  Down-stream it was 74 at 2nd Current, and a very warm 75 at Lower Dam.  I checked out Upper and found it to be 71 at 6 a.m., and it worked up to 74 around noon.  So, it was fishing early and up-river.  My friend Bob McDonald and I hit the dam and immediately got into some small (10-12 inch) salmon.  We were both fishing the same pattern – LaFontaine Caddis Emerger.  Bob was fishing it dry and I fished it as a nymph.  They weren’t fussy – they liked it either way.  We both caught some nice 14+ inch salmon, feisty as hell.  We played them short because of the temps. I called Dave Bottom Saturday night and told him about the noon/afternoon water temps down-river, and we agreed it best if he not make the trip and the walk-in.  We’ll meet up in October and fish the Kennebec at East Outlet. Both Sunday and Monday were the same – warm, humid, and the fish hitting consistantly only on the LaFontain pattern.  I hate to tie that pattern, and since I was running short, I tried other patterns.  No deal!  They wanted only the emerger pattern.  Bob left after lunch on Sunday and knowing I was running short of that fly graciously gave me five from his box – he’s a better tier than I.   Monday night/early Tuesday morning a much needed rain came through. I love it when it rains at Lakewood; the cabin is warm (if you’ve made a fire!), and you can hear every drop on the roof.  Wonderful sleeping.   When I awoke at 5:30, it was cool with just a sprinkle coming down.  After a quick cup of coffee from my thermos and letting Henry out to take a leak, I hit the dam.  Absolutely beautiful in the mist of early morning.  I took up station at Zimmerman’s Run, so named because roff’s very own Steve Zimmerman fished it for three straight days without taking a leak, dump, or eating/sleeping.  <G  First cast produced a small salmon, but it got better with the next fish, a respectable 14 incher. I returned after a great breakfast, and fished this run and two or three other feeding lines accessable from the rocks.  I continued to catch some nice landlocks and a 15 inch brookie.  When the sun came out at 10 a.m., fishing ceased!  I took one more salmon before returning to camp for lunch.  I don’t know what put them down. The sun?  It was bright from Sat – Mon.   After a terrific lunch and a much needed nap, I returned to the dam around 4 p.m. and fished until 6.  Fishing was great, but the catching was scarce.   I spoke to some camp guests who had been fishing down-stream both Mon and Tues, and the only thing they caught were *bass* and yellow perch at both the 2nd Current and Lower Dam.  They killed them per posted instructions from Maine F & G.   The lake level is down 4 feet from full.  Input from Upper Dam is 220 cfs (their minimum flow), while Middle Dam is 800 cfs.  It doesn’t take a math major to see that the lake will be empty come September if they don’t get rain or change the flows. For all you folks planning on going to Lakewood in June:  I have made reservations for the first, second, and fourth weeks.  There was some talk about having a non-clave gathering – Peter, wayno, Jeff, et al.  If youse guys are serious about it, better call Maureen at 207-243-2959.   You’ll need to send her a deposit.  Also, Frank Reid – pick a time.  How about 3rd week?  Or, whenever. Gotta go fix dinner.  What a drag……. Dave .  

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Question:

I’ve got three buddies that want to go with me to the lower part of Ontario to Walleye fish and to do some river/stream trout fish. I’ve been looking a little bit for a place that can suit all our needs but can’t seem to find one. Anyone got some suggestions? Thanks Matt

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I’ve got three buddies that want to go with me to the lower part of Ontario to Walleye fish and to do some river/stream trout fish. I’ve been looking a little bit for a place that can suit all our needs but can’t seem to find one. Anyone got some suggestions? Thanks Matt

Typing with left hand here . . . Grand River – upper section, smallmouth & carp – upper mid-section,- mostly brown trout, occasional smallie, pike, and carp – middle section, smallmouth, some pike and carp, steelhead (in season). – lower section, smallmouth, pike, pickerel (walleye), gar pike, carp, mooneye (in season), chinook (in season), steelhead (in season). – lower section can be navigated by power boat; canoe and drift boat for the rest – don’t go over any weirs – it hurts. That should get you started. More to follow when both hands are working . . . Peter Visit The Streamer Page at http://home.cogeco.ca/~pcharles/streamers/index.html

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Typing with left hand here . . .

(snip) More to follow when both hands are working . . .

How did you do the caps?? Your nose? riverman

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Typing with left hand here . . . (snip) More to follow when both hands are working . . . How did you do the caps?? Your nose? riverman

No, my . . . never mind . . . CAPSLOCK ON, CAPSLOCK OFF, or just stretched out the pinkie Peter Visit The Streamer Page at http://home.cogeco.ca/~pcharles/streamers/index.html

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Typing with left hand here . . . (snip) More to follow when both hands are working . . . How did you do the caps?? Your nose?

Oh man, you just HAD to ask, didn’t you?! Wolfgang shiny new nickel says it ain’t his nose.      :(

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– lower section, smallmouth, pike, pickerel (walleye), gar pike, carp,

Pickerel aren’t walleye on this side of the boder, Peter.  I think they used to be, but the more rigorous border checks since 9/11 make it tougher to travel on a false passport! Scott

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– lower section, smallmouth, pike, pickerel (walleye), gar pike, carp, Pickerel aren’t walleye on this side of the boder, Peter.  I think they used to be, but the more rigorous border checks since 9/11 make it tougher to travel on a false passport! Scott

I know, I know.  It’s made the education of our southern neighbours in the use of proper piscine terminology in the Queen’s English, so much more difficult.  These things are sent to try us. (Imagine calling a pike, a pickerel?  What is this world coming to? And a walleye?  Whoever heard of walls having eyes, let alone, swimming?) Peter Visit The Streamer Page at http://home.cogeco.ca/~pcharles/streamers/index.html

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I know, I know.  It’s made the education of our southern neighbours

        wtf is a "neighbour"?         yfitons         wayno  (damn brits never have been able to spell.)

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I know, I know.  It’s made the education of our southern neighbours    wtf is a "neighbour"?    yfitons    wayno  (damn brits never have been able to spell.)

a yank Peter Visit The Streamer Page at http://home.cogeco.ca/~pcharles/streamers/index.html

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Recieved the flies and want to say thanks–for some reason at a clave the guys seem to think I am a fly moocher–actually I am only an art appreciater. took my grandson to brim pond [he is trying to get fly fishing merit badge] put a yellaw  on and he caught  a brim on his first fly fishing lesson My buddy the newby came down and he caught  a bass on one of your purple jobs–he wants to buy a dozen flies. Think the glo glo stuff you put on bottom of fly really works. My trip thru Texas in August turned into a new Zealand trip in December so donm"t know when I will see you but wanted  you to know that BIG DALE  flies are a big hit in Carolina. Indian Joe McIntosh

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merit badge] put a yellaw  on and he caught  a brim on his first fly fishing lesson My buddy the newby came down and he caught  a bass on one of your purple jobs

That is the kind of feedback that I love. The only reason I tie them is for folks to catch fish with them. I can see the grin on your face from here as your grandson caught a brim on one. Big Dale

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That is the kind of feedback that I love. The only reason I tie them is for folks to catch fish with them.

Well BD, I was lucky enough to win some of your flies at two separate claves and I think I have told you before how much I have enjoyed them, but if not, I am now. <g I have caught bream, smallmouth, rainbows and browns off them here in GA and even tried a couple in the Baltic when I was in Denmark. Great flies. — Charlie…

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Actually, walleye are often called "yellow pike", not pickerel, and at one time there was a strain called "blue pike" in the lower Niagara.

There’s some talk that the blue pike isn’t extinct.  If it wasn’t packed, I find the literature review I have, done by MNR on all of the peer reviewed stuff on pickerel (walleye) and I’m pretty sure that there is one that mentions the blue pike.  It’s also know as the blue pickerel here (figures, eh?) http://www.nativefish.org/BluePike/ Just one more to add to our legacy. BTW, I’ve also heard of walleye/pickerel/yellow pike being referred to as pikeperch.  It’s seems mostly a European usage – same as zander. blue pikeperch n : variety inhabiting the Great Lakes [syn: blue pike, blue pickerel , blue walleye, Strizostedion vitreum glaucum] Peter Visit The Streamer Page at http://home.cogeco.ca/~pcharles/streamers/index.html

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BTW, I’ve also heard of walleye/pickerel/yellow pike being referred to as pikeperch.  It’s seems mostly a European usage – same as zander. blue pikeperch n : variety inhabiting the Great Lakes [syn: blue pike, blue pickerel , blue walleye, Strizostedion vitreum glaucum]

Where does Northern Pike fit into this? I’ve tried eating Northerns several times (once in Montana, once in Finland) and the local Finnish slang of ‘mudfish’ certainly applies to the bland taste. However, in Riga, Pikeperch was a local delicacy. I never ventured to try it, figuring it was a desperation food. riverman

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – BTW, I’ve also heard of walleye/pickerel/yellow pike being referred to as pikeperch.  It’s seems mostly a European usage – same as zander. blue pikeperch n : variety inhabiting the Great Lakes [syn: blue pike, blue pickerel , blue walleye, Strizostedion vitreum glaucum] Where does Northern Pike fit into this? I’ve tried eating Northerns several times (once in Montana, once in Finland) and the local Finnish slang of ‘mudfish’ certainly applies to the bland taste. However, in Riga, Pikeperch was a local delicacy. I never ventured to try it, figuring it was a desperation food. riverman

It gets confusing as pike get called all sorts of names south of the border, but north, it’s all pike – northern, (Esox lucius) and what is known as chain pickerel south of the border (Esox niger) or chain pike in the GWN.  Then there’s grass pike (Esox americanus vermiculatus) which is also known as grass pickerel plus a few other names, you know where.  Then there’s the muskie – Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy). BTW, fresh pike is very tasty. Anything with an Esox genius is in the pike family.  Apparently the word Esox means pike so who knows where the pickerel part came from. Peter Visit The Streamer Page at http://home.cogeco.ca/~pcharles/streamers/index.html

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – BTW, I’ve also heard of walleye/pickerel/yellow pike being referred to as pikeperch.  It’s seems mostly a European usage – same as zander. blue pikeperch n : variety inhabiting the Great Lakes [syn: blue pike, blue pickerel , blue walleye, Strizostedion vitreum glaucum] Where does Northern Pike fit into this? I’ve tried eating Northerns several times (once in Montana, once in Finland) and the local Finnish slang of ‘mudfish’ certainly applies to the bland taste. However, in Riga, Pikeperch was a local delicacy. I never ventured to try it, figuring it was a desperation food. riverman

Most of us up North here in the Midwest go for Walleye as the major game fish.  I find it okay to eat, but Northern Pike is delicious. I’d guess it depends on the habitat you find it in and the food it’s been eating, as with venison.  Might also matter how quickly and well it’s cleaned, too.  I slightly to greatly overcook it, so that might make a difference, too.   Local nickname for Notherns when I was a kid was ’snakes.’ — rbc:  vixen    Fairly harmless remove invalid or hit reply to email. Though I’m very slow to respond. http://www.visi.com/~cyli

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Most of us up North here in the Midwest go for Walleye as the major game fish.  I find it okay to eat, but Northern Pike is delicious. I’d guess it depends on the habitat you find it in and the food it’s been eating, as with venison.  Might also matter how quickly and well it’s cleaned, too.  I slightly to greatly overcook it, so that might make a difference, too.   Local nickname for Notherns when I was a kid was ’snakes.’ — rbc:  vixen    Fairly harmless remove invalid or hit reply to email. Though I’m very slow to respond. http://www.visi.com/~cyli

Speaking of walleyes ,"Cyli", Thursday I caught two of them in the old river channel between the dam and the powerhouse just north of your campsite on the Wisconsin R.. I also took 7 bass including one that had to push 4 lbs. All on a bunny leech variation called a "Koch’s Lamprey" and all within an hour and forty five minutes. You’ve got to head back this way soon. George C.

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    Speaking of walleyes ,"Cyli", Thursday I caught two of them in the old river   channel between the dam and the powerhouse just north of your campsite on the   Wisconsin R.. I also took 7 bass including one that had to push 4 lbs. All on a   bunny leech variation called a "Koch’s Lamprey" and all within an hour and forty   five minutes. You’ve got to head back this way soon. Nice bass! What kind of line were you using to get at the Walleyes? Usually they’re too deep to get them on fly gear. I fished with a guy a couple of times that was "crazy" about getting a big Walleye on a fly. The lower section of the Miracle Mile has a Walleye run in the Spring. I fished upstream for trout and he would troll the more placid water downstream with a clouser on a sink tip behind his bellyboat. He literally trolled all day hoping to get a Walleye. It took him a dozen trips before he got one. He said it weighed 10 pounds! VERY determined guy. Willi

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Nice bass! What kind of line were you using to get at the Walleyes? Usually they’re too deep to get them on fly gear. I fished with a guy a couple of times that was "crazy" about getting a big Walleye on a fly. The lower section of the Miracle Mile has a Walleye run in the Spring. I fished upstream for trout and he would troll the more placid water downstream with a clouser on a sink tip behind his bellyboat. He literally trolled all day hoping to get a Walleye. It took him a dozen trips before he got one. He said it weighed 10 pounds! VERY determined guy. Willi

Believe it or not I was using a floating fly line with a 9′ leader. It was also at noon with nary a cloud in the sky. Go figure. The fish were stacked up below a small chute leading into a very large pool about 300 yards below the open gate of the dam. Were the fish there to hit on injured baitfish being washed down? Possibly. Also the freshwater lampreys the fly was tied to copy die after spawning, maybe I just lucked into a good situation. The lead eyes on the fly put it on the bottom which was maybe 5 or 6 feet. Needless to say, though, the walleyes were a surprise. George Cleveland

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Anything with an Esox genius is in the pike family.  Apparently the word Esox means pike so who knows where the pickerel part came from.

Walleye (some call them walleye pike) are in the perch family.  No Esox here Scott

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Anything with an Esox genius is in the pike family.  Apparently the word Esox means pike so who knows where the pickerel part came from. Walleye (some call them walleye pike) are in the perch family.  No Esox here Scott

I know, I just find all the tangling of all the names, interesting. Peter Visit The Streamer Page at http://home.cogeco.ca/~pcharles/streamers/index.html

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I know, I just find all the tangling of all the names, interesting. Peter

The minute ya got em all down, they’ll just change em Scott

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Question:

I am a beginner at fly fishing (Boy, what fun??). Among the many questions that I have is about a creel. How is it used, do you just put a freshly caught fish in the creel, or what?

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A creel is simply a basket to hold freshly caught fish, instead of putting them on a stringer. I’ll assume you’re talking about wicker creels (the weaved wooden kind.)  If you’re going to use a creel, it’s a good idea to put a layer of damp moss in it, to keep the fish cool and to keep it from drying out. I’ve read before that people even stick a layer of moss between each fish, to keep them fresh. you can either wear the creel with the help of a shoulder strap, or leave it on the bank until you need it (the latter would be easier on your shoulder, but it would mean slogging back to the bank when you wanted to keep a fish. I don’t think there’s too many guys still carrying a creel as an every-day piece of tackle, as many fly fishers have adopted the habit of catch & release fishing, only keeping fish every once in a while to eat. Again, to answer your question tho, the creel is just a basket to keep your fish in, instead of using a stringer. I’ve read that fish kept in a creel are usually better eating (better flavor) than those kept on a stringer. Creel is also a bit more convenient to carry than a stringer when you’re packing the fish out, as the creel is worn much like a ladie’s purse (or duffel bag, if you really need a macho example) instead of carrying it out in your hand. Hope this info is some help to you. PS…you don’t sound very enthused about taking up flyfishing, is there anything you’re confused about or need help with?

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am a beginner at fly fishing (Boy, what fun??). Among the many questions that I have is about a creel. How is it used, do you just put a freshly caught fish in the creel, or what?

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A creel is simply a basket to hold freshly caught fish,

        a very wise man once said that "guilt replaced the creel"… wayno

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        a very wise man once said that "guilt replaced the creel"… wayno

No, I’m pretty sure that it was Tbone… Kevin

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          a very wise man once said that "guilt replaced the creel"… wayno No, I’m pretty sure that it was Tbone…

Yes, it was TBone.  The wise man was the one who said "guilt debased the meal" <g — Warren Findley Remove (nospamZZ) to respond via email http://www.geocities.com/troutbum_mt/

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   a very wise man once said that "guilt replaced the creel"…

I thought it was a "quilt" that replaced the creel? Don’t tell me I was reading that wrong, it makes even *less* sense your way. <g — Charlie…

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I am a beginner at fly fishing (Boy, what fun??). Among the many questions that I have is about a creel. How is it used, do you just put a freshly caught fish in the creel, or what?

Reed: Having come up with the "Old Men" who were still of a mind set that it was OK, even expected to "keep" the fish you caught I have a lot of experience with the wicker creel. Commonly it was lined with cedar fronds that were first wet in the river in which you were fishing thus keeping your catch cool. A fresh set of fronds was added as the creel recieved "layers" of fish. The fish was ALWAYS gutted and gilled first. The old guys commonly cut open their first fish (yep even if undersized) to examine stomach contents. Over the years my wickers were replaced with canvas. Then the canvas was left behind as fish became scarcer and privacy on the river became almost non-existant. Now the only fish I keep from the river are usually too badly injured to release with good survival chances. There is the infrequent meal when Fish are abundant. These then fit in my pouch nicely. My wickers now serve as traveling tackle boxes while spin fishing. For that they work freaking great! Especially while wading. The shoulder strap when used, goes (if wearing the creel on the right side) over the right shoulder, and then the body strap circles the torso and holds the shoulder strap in proper position. In general though creels went out of style and use just about the time when I finally figured out how to make one.  Figures! Mostly they are just a romantic and nostalgic accessory that sees little use these days. Buy some other piece of equipment instead. Something like a nice streamer wallet (also somewhat out of style but very classy), a couple of good braided butt leaders, or perhaps a nice tippet caddy. I would buy a nice streamside light for those times (everytime I am out) when you fish in the dusky dusk. These would see more use and provide more enjoyment. You could even buy some tying materials and REALLY get the bug. Tight Lines M. Wm.

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I am a beginner at fly fishing (Boy, what fun??). Among the many questions that I have is about a creel. How is it used, do you just put a freshly caught fish in the creel, or what?

He must know all there is to know about creels…

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        a very wise man once said that "guilt replaced the creel"… wayno No, I’m pretty sure that it was Tbone…

LMAO!

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          a very wise man once said that "guilt replaced the creel"… wayno No, I’m pretty sure that it was Tbone… Yes, it was TBone.  The wise man was the one who said "guilt debased the meal" <g

First, I’m articulate, and now THIS!  I’m starting to worry about you Warren.     Wolfgang who is beginning to feel embarrassed by the actions of the thiasus

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Thanks for the replies. I have been fishing for bluegills and other panfish. I do beleive in catch and release, but there are times that I want to keep a few for supper.

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First, I’m articulate, and now THIS!  I’m starting to worry about you Warren.    

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I thought it was a "quilt" that replaced the creel? Don’t tell me I was reading that wrong, it makes even *less* sense your way. <g

Quilts can be bulky, and a wet quilt can weigh a ton. OTOH, a forked stick can do a pretty good job. Seriously, creels are nice to have. I feel naked without one. The wicker jobs are classic, but the canvas ones are more practical and less prone to damage. If you’re keeping a fish, kill it and field dress it ASAP, and put in in the creel. As it says, keep well soaked while in use. this will keep your catch cool and fresh. Now the sermon: Don’t keep a fish unless the stream can handle some harvest, and you intend to actually eat the fish, rather than letting it slowly rot in the fridge. Even when I don’t intend to keep anything, I’ll often use it as a streamside beer cooler. The looks you get on C&R water with a dripping, laden Polar Creel can be priceless. — Rusty Hook Laramie, Wyoming

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Question:

There are some part 135 operators making pretty good bucks flying the mail up in Alaska. Apparently the US govt is paying buuckoo bucks for operators to fly the mail and appareantly anyone can mail anything anywhere in Alaska (like their groceries) and the govt picks up the bill. So you have a lottta operators makin money flyin the mail up there, paying off their big buck turbines. Another route would be to get a government flying job with the Mounties, Fish and Wildlife or some such. Those guys get paid descent wages to fly descent planes and have reasonable schedules. It’s not the majors and both are govt jobs, which kinda suck, but those are the sort of options ya got up there other than a flyin’ bum in the bush leagues, which is loads of fun but suck on pay. Anyway ya do it, eventually you are gonna to have to get an IFR ticket, I mean ya just aint an aviator without one! O – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am a commercial  bush pilot living in Canada, I fly floats in the summer and wheel/skis in the winter.  I  do all of my fueling, cleaning, loading, basically im a one man show. I love the float season, i love flying into little lakes, beaching on a island, dumping my passengers off and then swimming or fishing for a while if I have time before my next flight. My problem is this;  I know that if I want to make any money I will probibaly have to move into the multi ifr stuff in the next couple of years before i get too old (im 26).  And the problem with that is I have done the ifr ground school twice (3-day cram fest in Vancouver for $200) and have not completed it either time.  I am bored shitless and cant concentrate!  I just cant get into it and I’m not sure why? For you comm pilots out there flying ifr all the time; does it suck?  are you bored most of the time?  I go up to the cockpit on air canada A320 sometimes and visit the pilots and they dont seem to have much to do….or see. Any float drivers turned ifr drivers out there who can give me some encouragement?   Are there any fun ifr jobs where i dont have to dawn a shirt with those prissy gold bars?  Am I doomed to choose between a job I hate for the money or a job I love and poverty? Help, jon Sounds to me that you should direct your energies toward finding a way to make more money doing what you love. Enough creative thought can make you happy *and* rich. Talk to your clients in-depth and find out what they would like to see you do better and listen for hints about what services you can provide that will help them enjoy the experience more. Become upscale and charge higher prices. People are willing to pay a premium for quality and service, trust me. Regardless, if you are happy doing what you are doing, you are luckier than most. As you get older you will find that happiness is more valuable and harder to come by than any amount of money. Good luck and fly safe. — Jeff ‘The Wizard of Draws’ Bucchino http://www.wizardofdraws.com

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shirt with those prissy gold bars?  Am I doomed to choose between a job I hate for the money or a job I love and poverty?

It sounds like you’re already doing exactly what you should be doing… BTW, congratulations tim PP-ASEL

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am a commercial  bush pilot living in Canada, I fly floats in the summer and wheel/skis in the winter.  I  do all of my fueling, cleaning, loading, basically im a one man show. I love the float season, i love flying into little lakes, beaching on a island, dumping my passengers off and then swimming or fishing for a while if I have time before my next flight. My problem is this;  I know that if I want to make any money I will probibaly have to move into the multi ifr stuff in the next couple of years before i get too old (im 26).  And the problem with that is I have done the ifr ground school twice (3-day cram fest in Vancouver for $200) and have not completed it either time.  I am bored shitless and cant concentrate!  I just cant get into it and I’m not sure why? For you comm pilots out there flying ifr all the time; does it suck?  are you bored most of the time?  I go up to the cockpit on air canada A320 sometimes and visit the pilots and they dont seem to have much to do….or see. Any float drivers turned ifr drivers out there who can give me some encouragement?   Are there any fun ifr jobs where i dont have to dawn a shirt with those prissy gold bars?  Am I doomed to choose between a job I hate for the money or a job I love and poverty? Help, jon

Sounds to me that you should direct your energies toward finding a way to make more money doing what you love. Enough creative thought can make you happy *and* rich. Talk to your clients in-depth and find out what they would like to see you do better and listen for hints about what services you can provide that will help them enjoy the experience more. Become upscale and charge higher prices. People are willing to pay a premium for quality and service, trust me. Regardless, if you are happy doing what you are doing, you are luckier than most. As you get older you will find that happiness is more valuable and harder to come by than any amount of money. Good luck and fly safe. — Jeff ‘The Wizard of Draws’ Bucchino http://www.wizardofdraws.com

Response:

I am a commercial  bush pilot living in Canada, I fly floats in the summer and wheel/skis in the winter.  I  do all of my fueling, cleaning, loading, basically im a one man show.   I love the float season, i love flying into little lakes, beaching on a island, dumping my passengers off and then swimming or fishing for a while if I have time before my next flight.   My problem is this;  I know that if I want to make any money I will probibaly have to move into the multi ifr stuff in the next couple of years before i get too old (im 26).  And the problem with that is I have done the ifr ground school twice (3-day cram fest in Vancouver for $200) and have not completed it either time.  I am bored shitless and cant concentrate!  I just cant get into it and I’m not sure why?  For you comm pilots out there flying ifr all the time; does it suck?  are you bored most of the time?  I go up to the cockpit on air canada A320 sometimes and visit the pilots and they dont seem to have much to do….or see. Any float drivers turned ifr drivers out there who can give me some encouragement?   Are there any fun ifr jobs where i dont have to dawn a shirt with those prissy gold bars?  Am I doomed to choose between a job I hate for the money or a job I love and poverty? Help, jon

Response:

Question:

Well, a couple of weeks ago when I got my first fly rod, I wasn’t sure whether the reel was left or right handed, and it took me quite a while to figure out how to put all of the tackle together.  With the help of some newsgroup posters and lurkers I managed to put it all together. (I was a hunter 30 years ago, but have never been a fisherman until this summer).  On Sunday I went to Childrens lake in Boiling Springs, PA (just a few miles from my home) and practiced casting for a while.  Took my 9-year-old son along, and spent most of my time untangling his tackle for him, but I did get some good casting practice in.  Monday morning I hit the Yellow Breeches alone, tried various flies, and after an hour or so – Success !!  Caught my first brook trout, a nice 10-incher.  Fished the rest of the day without further success, but I was really happy about that first hit.  I’m definitely hooked !

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Well, a couple of weeks ago when I got my first fly rod, I wasn’t sure whether the reel was left or right handed, and it took me quite a while to figure out how to put all of the tackle together.  With the help of some newsgroup posters and lurkers I managed to put it all together. (I was a hunter 30 years ago, but have never been a fisherman until this summer).  On Sunday I went to Childrens lake in Boiling Springs, PA (just a few miles from my home) and practiced casting for a while.  Took my 9-year-old son along, and spent most of my time untangling his tackle for him, but I did get some good casting practice in.  Monday morning I hit the Yellow Breeches alone, tried various flies, and after an hour or so – Success !!  Caught my first brook trout, a nice 10-incher.  Fished the rest of the day without further success, but I was really happy about that first hit.  I’m definitely hooked ! </PRE</HTML

That’s a great story Brian.   Glad to have you in the fly fishing fraternity. What fly did you end up catching the brookie on? Was it wet or dry. Dream of the possibilities. Joel Axelrad

Response:

Brian, congratulations on the catch.. now, get that second mortgage all worked up so you can get a bunch of gear and go nutty over minor itty bitty gizmos for the ol’ vest.  Congrats, edwin

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Well, a couple of weeks ago when I got my first fly rod, I wasn’t sure whether the reel was left or right handed, and it took me quite a while to figure out how to put all of the tackle together.  With the help of some newsgroup posters and lurkers I managed to put it all together. (I was a hunter 30 years ago, but have never been a fisherman until this summer). On Sunday I went to Childrens lake in Boiling Springs, PA (just a few miles from my home) and practiced casting for a while.  Took my 9-year-old son along, and spent most of my time untangling his tackle for him, but I did get some good casting practice in.  Monday morning I hit the Yellow Breeches alone, tried various flies, and after an hour or so – Success !!  Caught my first brook trout, a nice 10-incher.  Fished the rest of the day without further success, but I was really happy about that first hit.  I’m definitely hooked !

Response:

   Monday morning I hit the Yellow Breeches alone, tried various flies, and after an hour or so – Success !!  Caught my first brook trout, a nice 10-incher.  Fished the rest of the day without further success, but I was really happy about that first hit.  I’m definitely hooked !

   That’s not bad at all. When I took up flyfishing, it was 600 round trip miles to good trout water, and I drove it five times before achieving your level of success.

Response:

Congratulations Brian!  Your post brought back fond memories for me. When I was attending grad school at U. of Maryland in the early eighties, I’d sometimes bag a day of classes and drive up to PA and fish the Breeches.  Be sure to spend some time on Falling Spring Branch too. A lovely stream (at least it used to be). JR

Response:

I know Falling Spring well.  I went to high school in Chambersburg and spent a lot of time in the area as my best friend lived on Falling Spring Road. Haven’t been back there in many years, though.  I’ll have to check it out one day in the fall.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Congratulations Brian!  Your post brought back fond memories for me. When I was attending grad school at U. of Maryland in the early eighties, I’d sometimes bag a day of classes and drive up to PA and fish the Breeches.  Be sure to spend some time on Falling Spring Branch too. A lovely stream (at least it used to be). JR

Response:

Wish I could remember for sure which fly it was, but I think it was a tan caddis, probably a  14. I’ve already accumulated two big boxes full of flies !

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Well, a couple of weeks ago when I got my first fly rod, I wasn’t sure whether the reel was left or right handed, and it took me quite a while to figure out how to put all of the tackle together.  With the help of some newsgroup posters and lurkers I managed to put it all together. (I was a hunter 30 years ago, but have never been a fisherman until this summer). On Sunday I went to Childrens lake in Boiling Springs, PA (just a few miles from my home) and practiced casting for a while.  Took my 9-year-old son along, and spent most of my time untangling his tackle for him, but I did get some good casting practice in.  Monday morning I hit the Yellow Breeches alone, tried various flies, and after an hour or so – Success !!  Caught my first brook trout, a nice 10-incher.  Fished the rest of the day without further success, but I was really happy about that first hit.  I’m definitely hooked ! </PRE</HTML That’s a great story Brian. Glad to have you in the fly fishing fraternity. What fly did you end up catching the brookie on? Was it wet or dry. Dream of the possibilities. Joel Axelrad

Response:

Monday morning I hit the Yellow Breeches alone, tried various flies, and after an hour or so – Success !!  Caught my first brook trout, a nice 10-incher.  Fished the rest of the day without further success, but I was really happy about that first hit.  I’m definitely hooked !

That’s great.  Don’t get discouraged – contrary to appearances and what you may have heard, I found that can be a tough stream.  You will find easier (and toughher!) water.  Good luck! Regards, Jeff

Response:

Question:

Would anyone like to give a history of Roff. When it started,who are the longest posters Etc.

Response:

I and several others helped kick off alt.fishing in the late 1980’s, and the Associated Press and several well known magazines interviewed us and ran articles on the new forum for fishers. Until the early 1990’s, I posted stats on who the top posters were per year.  Readership was about 20,000-40,000 in the early years Several years later, Brian Dixon (then in Colorado, ironically now working for HP a few buildings away from me) successfully led an effort to get the rec.outdoors.fishing.* hierarchy started. Certainly many of us older posters don’t post as much due to other activities. I remain very impressed with the quality and value of the fishing forums, and thank many of you for keeping things going. Thomas Gilg – President, Mid-Willamette Fly Fishers, Corvallis Oregon – VP Conservation, Oregon Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers – Oregon [Fish] Restoration and Enhancement Board, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife    (i.e. I and 6 others get to decide how to spend the several-dollar surcharge on every    angling license sold in Oregon to improve fisheries and fishing opportunities) – lots of other fishing conservation and education stuff

Response:

Would anyone like to give a history of Roff. When it started,who are the longest posters Etc.

I’m not sure who started ROFF or how long ago it was, but I’ll bet HWMNBN was the one who introduced him to USENET as they developed new fly patterns in a foxhole in the Korean War. –Steve (hey, someone’s gotta namedrop, even during a Clave)

Response:

, I posted stats on who the top posters were per year.  Readership was about 20,000-40,000 in the early years    thomas, is there any way that you or some other tekkie could roughly determine the number of posters/lurkers on roff at the present? wayno

There’s no way to count pure lurkers, without having server logs for every access point on the net – world wide. Most of us are already booked for other more worthy endeavors, but I invite my good friend from The Old North State to have at it with his usual gusto ;^) Otherwise, you could scoop a contributing authors list through one of the news archivers for as far back as they go. I figure that roughly 500 authors have contributed (positively or otherwise) since Opening Day. /daytripper (who’s heading for the Cape of Cod for the week. Buh Bye! ;^)

Response:

thomas, is there any way that you or some other tekkie could roughly determine the number of posters/lurkers on roff at the present?

Well, number of posters would be fairly easy. However, if there’s someone out there who can tell how many lurkers there are, please let me know. I have a few questions to ask about my future. –Steve

Response:

Tom;   From a self professed computer geek and fly fishing fanatic, thank you.          Frank Reid Before you buy.

Response:

, I posted stats on who the top posters were per year.  Readership was about 20,000-40,000 in the early years

        thomas, is there any way that you or some other tekkie could roughly determine the number of posters/lurkers on roff at the present? wayno

Response:

Amen! Well done Tom. This ng and ROFFT are the major reasons I enjoy my online time. — Jamie http://clik.to/flyfish

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Tom;   From a self professed computer geek and fly fishing fanatic, thank you.          Frank Reid Before you buy.

Response:

Wayne Harrison: … is there any way that you or some other tekkie could roughly determine the number of posters/lurkers on roff at the present?

Someone somehow used to post USENET readership statistics in one of the news.* newsgroups.  I think they derived actual readership numbers from some NNTP servers, and then did some reasonable math to come up with total readership.  They would also list top posters for the top lists. Someone with time on their hands might cruise the news.* groups to see if they still post such results. Thomas Gilg

Response:

Someone with time on their hands might cruise the news.* groups to see if they still post such results.

I found: http://metalab.unc.edu/usenetb-bin/to-group.pl?rec.outdoors.fishing.fly Not that I have time on my hands you understand<g. — Charlie…

Response:

Remarq.com, which I use as a free newsreader (hence the stupid phone ad at the bottom of my posts) lists ROFF as having 1958 Threads and 2241 posters. Don’t know how far back that goes nor how many of those posters are various "G" alias’ Cheers, Allen Epps Got questions?  Get answers over the phone at Keen.com. Up to 100 minutes free! http://www.keen.com

Response:

Wayne Harrison: … is there any way that you or some other tekkie could roughly determine the number of posters/lurkers on roff at the present? Someone somehow used to post USENET readership statistics in one of the news.* newsgroups.  I think they derived actual readership numbers from some NNTP servers, and then did some reasonable math to come up with total readership.  They would also list top posters for the top lists.

You could make REALLY crude guesstimates, but it would be nearly impossible to get real numbers short of asking every ISP newsprovider to track each of their users and report back. They probably did something like, there are x news providers, with y average users a piece, z% of their users read usenet and then look at the posting amounts of each newsgroup to get some idea of the popularity of various group’s readers. It’s probably a good estimate +-40-50%.      - Ken —     "I was gratified to be able to answer promptly,       and I did.  I said I didn’t know."     — Mark Twain

Response:

Someone with time on their hands might cruise the news.* groups to see if they still post such results. I found: http://metalab.unc.edu/usenetb-bin/to-group.pl?rec.outdoors.fishing.fly

Thanks.  On that site I found their explanation on how the readership is estimated… "Readers      Estimated total number of people who read this group, worldwide      There are two sources of error in this number. The number is      computed by multiplying the number of people in the sample who      actually read the group by the ratio of estimated network size to      sample size. The estimated total can therefore be biased by errors in      the network size estimate (see above) and also by errors in the      determination of whether or not someone reads a group. Assuming that      "reading a group" is roughly the same as "thumbing through a      magazine", in that you don’t necessarily have to read anything, but      you have to browse through it and see what is there, then the      measurement error will come primarily from inability to locate .newsrc      files, which can either be protected or moved out of root directories.      There is no way of measuring the effect on the measurements from      unlocated .newsrc files, but it is not likely to be more than a few      percent of the total news readers. "      - Ken —     "I was gratified to be able to answer promptly,       and I did.  I said I didn’t know."     — Mark Twain

Response:

Someone with time on their hands might cruise the news.* groups to see if they still post such results. I found: http://metalab.unc.edu/usenetb-bin/to-group.pl?rec.outdoors.fishing.fly Not that I have time on my hands you understand<g. — Charlie…

    chocolat, you da king uh da world!  and the source is located in a unc.edu file–unfreaking impeachable! wayno

Response:

Question:

Ps is everyone here from America.

rec.outdorrs.fishing.fly gets, like nearly all international newsgroups, mostly postings from Americans. There are people from other countries reading this group and writing articles but they are a minority. You might consider subscribing to the European Flyfishers mailing list. If you are interested, just mail me, I’ll give you information, about how to subscribe. regard Wolfgang  

Response:

[snip] Ps is everyone here from America. Clea.

No, there are also quite a few Canadians, but I know it’s hard to tell the difference as a lot of us wear Dallas Cowboys or Miami Dolphins jackets, plus we own half of Florida, and we can all speak fluent American. Peter

Response:

Peter Charles wrote [snip] Ps is everyone here from America. No, there are also quite a few Canadians, but I know it’s hard to tell the difference as a lot of us wear Dallas Cowboys or Miami Dolphins jackets, plus we own half of Florida, and we can all speak fluent American.

Rumor has it that to do so, you have to practice for years to keep from automatically ending every sentence with "eh".  8-) Is this true?–                                                       -dnc-

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Peter Charles wrote [snip] Ps is everyone here from America. No, there are also quite a few Canadians, but I know it’s hard to tell the difference as a lot of us wear Dallas Cowboys or Miami Dolphins jackets, plus we own half of Florida, and we can all speak fluent American. Rumor has it that to do so, you have to practice for years to keep from automatically ending every sentence with "eh".  8-) Is this true?–                                                      -dnc-

Very true.  Most of us can handle ‘eh’ in moderation.  But for the poor addicted abusers, well they can always turn to EhEh for help. Peter

Response:

Just for interest, I

Question:

Hi Group I realize the last Wednesday Chat had some problems. With help from this newsgroup (Joe Byrd) the folks at Fly Fish America have fixed-up their chat place with a thing called "Java" or something like that – I’m not as computer literate as I should be but struggling. So —— Let’s try another chat session on Wednesday evening at 6:00pm MST at http://www.FlyFishAmerica.com?  then click on the "Chat icon-bar." I hope to see my "on-line" friends there. — Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT http://www.flyshop.com/Expo/Specialty/BTsPdcts/index.html

Response:

Hi Group I realize the last Wednesday Chat had some problems. With help from this newsgroup (Joe Byrd) the folks at Fly Fish America have fixed-up their chat place with a thing called "Java" or something like that – I’m not as computer literate as I should be but struggling. So —— Let’s try another chat session on Wednesday evening at 6:00pm MST at http://www.FlyFishAmerica.com?  then click on the "Chat icon-bar." I Sorry, I made a mistake on the address, here it is

http://www.FlyFishAmerica.com/ — Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT http://www.flyshop.com/Expo/Specialty/BTsPdcts/index.html

Response:

I’ll be there!!!! Joe

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Group I realize the last Wednesday Chat had some problems. With help from this newsgroup (Joe Byrd) the folks at Fly Fish America have fixed-up their chat place with a thing called "Java" or something like that – I’m not as computer literate as I should be but struggling. So —— Let’s try another chat session on Wednesday evening at 6:00pm MST at http://www.FlyFishAmerica.com?  then click on the "Chat icon-bar." I Sorry, I made a mistake on the address, here it is http://www.FlyFishAmerica.com/ — Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT http://www.flyshop.com/Expo/Specialty/BTsPdcts/index.html

Al, Here is the deal,  Tell me what 0600 MST is in relation to GMT, and I promise not to tell you what java is. Cheers Bruce….

Response:

Well, I can’t answer a lot of questions, but the difference between GMT and MST is 7 hours – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I realize the last Wednesday Chat had some problems. With help from this newsgroup (Joe Byrd) the folks at Fly Fish America have fixed-up their Here is the deal,  Tell me what 0600 MST is in relation to GMT, and I Bruce….

Response:

Hello all… Sorry for the troubles we had before but they are now behind us. I re-wrote the FlyFishAmerica.com chat area, it has been fixed, it supports a lot more users and is wicked fast. It does not require any downloading or special software and is based on SERVERside Java which does not even require a Java enabled browser. Bob Stewart http://www.flyfishamerica.com/chat/chat.html

Response:

Question:

I am looking for royalty free clip-art of trout and flyfishing in general. I have some Corel 3.0 clip-art but it is pretty skimpy. I remember running across a site that had some free clip art by Dave Whitlock. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the address. <snip — K.G. (Kat) Cruickshank, ichthyophile. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

K.G. Try – http://www.flyfield.com/clipart.htm Mike

Response:

Try http://www.flyfield.com for royalty free clip art by Dave Whitlock.

Response:

I am looking for royalty free clip-art of trout and flyfishing in general. I have some Corel 3.0 clip-art but it is pretty skimpy. I would appreciate any information on sites where this clip-art can be downloaded from. Thanks for your help. Frank Wood.

There is some on http://www.elisis.demon.co.uk/ukflyw3/ mainly salmon related, mainly antique. Andrew

Response:

I am looking for royalty free clip-art of trout and flyfishing in general. I have some Corel 3.0 clip-art but it is pretty skimpy. I would appreciate any information on sites where this clip-art can be downloaded from. Thanks for your help. Frank Wood.

Response:

I am looking for royalty free clip-art of trout and flyfishing in general. I have some Corel 3.0 clip-art but it is pretty skimpy.

I remember running across a site that had some free clip art by Dave Whitlock. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the address. If you do an Alta Vista search on his name it’s sure to turn up though. (And yes, it was legitimate, no copyright violations. Mr. Whitlock himself had generously made this stuff available.) — K.G. (Kat) Cruickshank, ichthyophile. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Response:

Question:

You should really do your homework befor going to the devils river. Legally, your cannot step on the streambed due to mexican land grants. You might wan’t to check out the water temperatures as well. Jeff goodwin **  Ashley Laurent,Inc. **  Software Development  **     Consulting          ** *                                   *                                         * * 10,000 Research Blvd, Suite 128   *     voice: 512-478-0776                 * * Austin, Texas 78759               *     fax  : 512-478-0803                 * *                                   *                                         * * Microsoft Solution Provider       *     Complete Systems Design/Development * * OS/2 Premier Developer            *     Workflow and Workgroup Solutions    * * Novell Professional Developer     *     Industrial Appl./Device Drivers     * – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m heading to Texas in late March to flyfish for smallmouth on Devil’s River.  I’ve never been there before, nor have I done much fly-fishing for smallmouth.  Can anyone recommend flies or provide any other useful advice?  I was thinking of just tying some muddlers and wooly buggers, and maybe some ghosts.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Response:

Ashley: I live in south-central Texas and have fished the Devil’s on several occasions. Right now the river is going to be low because of the drought along the border. Generally speaking the best source of information is probably from Jim Kuper at The Tacklebox Outfitters in San Antonio, Tx. Jim is knowledgeable about floating the Devil’s from Baker’s Crossing to Lake Amistad. Contact Jim at (210) 821-5806. As I said, I’ve fished the Devil’s several times over the last 3 years. Because of the draught each year seems to get worse. Last summer I decided not to go back until the draught broke… I’m still waiting. DNW

Response: