Question:

This is one of the very few Orvis products that I used with satisfaction in the past.  Since it left the market I haven’t been able to find a good liquid floatant that worked as well (not that I’ve tried too hard).  I can’t remember the reason it was taken off the market, and whether there was a good homemade concoction to replace it (seem to me I heard of something, but it escapes me). I know I’m at risk of opening up some stupid thread-war about Gink, and the like, but looking for a liquid floatant (not a spray either).  Orvis has some new stuff out that your suppose to treat the fly with ahead of time, but really looking for something affordable (I think it was $5 for a half oz) and something I can use "on the fly" (sorry). The Finn

Response:

From the price you quote you’re from the US or Canad (it would be twice as much in downunder dollars).  Therefore you should be able to avail yourself of the opprtunity to try Albolene (scent free) – a hand cream and lubricant with …errr… a myriad of uses.  Many here (roff) use said hand cream for floatant.  This is second hand info though never tried it myself. fingers crossed, Steve

Response:

Ohhhhhhhhh nooooooooo,  not the albolene threads again…. Steve – thanks for the info but looking for a liquid cure,  I think the albolene is ginkish…..or gel, in it’s form. Anyone else??

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – From the price you quote you’re from the US or Canad (it would be twice as much in downunder dollars).  Therefore you should be able to avail yourself of the opprtunity to try Albolene (scent free) – a hand cream and lubricant with …errr… a myriad of uses.  Many here (roff) use said hand cream for floatant.  This is second hand info though never tried it myself. fingers crossed, Steve

Response:

Ohhhhhhhhh nooooooooo,  not the albolene threads again…. Steve – thanks for the info but looking for a liquid cure,  I think the albolene is ginkish…..or gel, in it’s form. Anyone else??

Er, OK, now I’m curious: why does it have to be "liquid form?"  If you simply don’t want a "gel," try Frog’s Fanny, or if you want "homemade," silica (desiccant) dust.  If you MUST have a liquid, get any of the myriad of products out there that come in liquid form. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – From the price you quote you’re from the US or Canad (it would be twice as much in downunder dollars).  Therefore you should be able to avail yourself of the opprtunity to try Albolene (scent free) – a hand cream and lubricant with …errr… a myriad of uses.  Many here (roff) use said hand cream for floatant.  This is second hand info though never tried it myself. fingers crossed, Steve

Response:

Ohhhhhhhhh nooooooooo,  not the albolene threads again…. Steve – thanks for the info but looking for a liquid cure,  I think the albolene is ginkish…..or gel, in it’s form.

  Ah, sorry ’bout that.   Steve

Response:

You didn’t stick around long enough.      We left at 2:30 on Sunday.  What was Skinner doing so far from home? Lost?      Nah, just the usual stuff, like eating my groceries and drinking my booze.

  And damn good booze and food it was!  Even better than the other 20 times I sponged off you. Snoop — —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–==  Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–

Response:

How was the show?

  I thought it was a great show.  A little bigger this year which made it less crowded.  The crowd was thinner on Sunday.  My favorite part is the "Destination Theaters".  I saw some slides of some really neat country in CO and MT.  Nothing about Wyoming, though.  You know—not much to say about the fishing in this lousy state.   The only downside was having to follow Wilson around the booths with a mop. All that drooling— Snoop — —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–==  Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–

Response:

Rusty Hook says: I like Loon Hydrostop. It’s a pretreatment, and is a thin liquid. Dunk the flies in it and let them dry overnight…. This just in… Got a new product at a fly fishing expo last Sunday that’s supposed to be even better than hydrostop. The name escapes me at the moment; Gorilla Proof or something like that. I’ll give a full report after the thaw.

How was the show? Willi

Response:

You didn’t stick around long enough.

     We left at 2:30 on Sunday.  What was Skinner doing so far from home? Lost?

     Nah, just the usual stuff, like eating my groceries and drinking my booze.

Response:

Rusty Hook says: I like Loon Hydrostop. It’s a pretreatment, and is a thin liquid. Dunk the flies in it and let them dry overnight…. This just in… Got a new product at a fly fishing expo last Sunday that’s supposed to be even better than hydrostop. The name escapes me at the moment; Gorilla Proof or something like that. I’ll give a full report after the thaw.

How was the show. Willi

Response:

Rusty Hook says: I like Loon Hydrostop. It’s a pretreatment, and is a thin liquid. Dunk the flies in it and let them dry overnight….

This just in… Got a new product at a fly fishing expo last Sunday that’s supposed to be even better than hydrostop. The name escapes me at the moment; Gorilla Proof or something like that. I’ll give a full report after the thaw. — Rusty Hook Laramie, Wyoming

Response:

Got a new product at a fly fishing expo last Sunday that’s supposed to be even better than hydrostop.

   Hey, you weren’t at the show! You said you’d be easy to spot because you’d be wearing a plaid shirt and baseball cap, and there wasn’t anybody there dressed like that (except me and Skinner).

Response:

Charlie Wilson protests:    Hey, you weren’t at the show! You said you’d be easy to spot because you’d be wearing a plaid shirt and baseball cap, and there wasn’t anybody there dressed like that (except me and Skinner).

You didn’t stick around long enough. I finally showed up on Sunday afternoon, complete with flannel cap and baseball shirt, or something similar.  What was Skinner doing so far from home? Lost? — Rusty Hook Laramie, Wyoming

Response:

Just prefer to dunk and run,  less mess and waste.  I’ve tried some of the others, and they sucked,  just looking for some suggestions,…

I like Loon Hydrostop. It’s a pretreatment, and is a thin liquid. Dunk the flies in it and let them dry overnight. My dries go straight from the vise (or the raffle) into the hydrostop, then into the storage box after they dry. About the only thing that defeats the stuff is fish slime, and a quick shake in dry floatant crystals will take care of that. — Rusty Hook Laramie, Wyoming

Response:

Still available here in Australia – I purchased a spraycan only about a week before Christmas.  

It’s off the market in the US, something about cancer risk. I’ll keep an eye out for it the next time I’m out of the country and bring some back. Useful stuff. — Charlie…

Response:

Have you tried ScotchGuard?   That was taken off the market too.

Still available here in Australia – I purchased a spraycan only about a week before Christmas.  However, apparently there is some new "Super ScotchGuard" on the horizon or already out there, but I haven’t come across it yet. — NightStalker Email addy is nightstalker87 at hot(you know).com

Response:

says… Ohhhhhhhhh nooooooooo,  not the albolene threads again…. Steve – thanks for the info but looking for a liquid cure,  I think the albolene is ginkish…..or gel, in it’s form. Anyone else??

Have you tried ScotchGuard?  Spray (yeah – I know) on the flies when they are tied or before the trip.  They float like crazy. — NightStalker Email addy is nightstalker87 at hot(you know).com

Response:

Have you tried ScotchGuard?  

That was taken off the market too. — Charlie…

Response:

Er, OK, now I’m curious: why does it have to be "liquid form?"  If you simply don’t want a "gel," try Frog’s Fanny, or if you want "homemade," silica (desiccant) dust.  If you MUST have a liquid, get any of the myriad of products out there that come in liquid form.

Just prefer to dunk and run,  less mess and waste.  I’ve tried some of the others, and they sucked,  just looking for some suggestions,

Response:

I just use Gink. Whatever you think about the man the stuff works fine for me. Don’t try to get me into an argument or anything.  The guy asked a question, I answered it.  Imagine that. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This is one of the very few Orvis products that I used with satisfaction in the past.  Since it left the market I haven’t been able to find a good liquid floatant that worked as well (not that I’ve tried too hard).  I can’t remember the reason it was taken off the market, and whether there was a good homemade concoction to replace it (seem to me I heard of something, but it escapes me). I know I’m at risk of opening up some stupid thread-war about Gink, and the like, but looking for a liquid floatant (not a spray either).  Orvis has some new stuff out that your suppose to treat the fly with ahead of time, but really looking for something affordable (I think it was $5 for a half oz) and something I can use "on the fly" (sorry). The Finn

Response:

Question:

If I have told Wally once, I have told him a thousand times:  "Don’t fish *my* stream without talkin’ to me first!"  I would have been more than happy to remove the spell I have cast upon the stream, had I known that the two of you were goin’ to fish up there.  Wally makes this same bet with other fishermen Steve.  There is one ‘bow that I haven’t been able to get through to, and he and Wally are buddies, so the whole thing was rigged against you. Next time you really want to catch trout on "Opie’s" stream, just let me know! Op

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I bought dinner for Waldo this evening. It seems I made a little streamside bet and he won. Here’s what happened…

Response:

…eagerly awaiting Waldo’s dinner report…… john

Response:

…eagerly awaiting Waldo’s dinner report…… john

well my friends, it all started innocently enough when steve (who by this time was wondering if there were any fish over 3" in opies crik) suggested that the first person who caught a trout of respectable size on a dry would be further rewarded with a free dinner by the other. that was the moment i decided to change flies. i had been fishing a hopper with a prince nymph dropper and snipped all that off and went to my good ole standby, a yellow humpy. as the day had progressed with little action on the muddy waters, i started skittering the humpy in some fast sluice runs. the only rainbow in the crik took offense, and nailed the humpy and i brought him to hand….. all the while singin that ‘ole blues ditty…. "justa’ catchin’ dinnuh… oh yeah…." i released the fish back into the waters knowing that it would be only a short time for steve to catch a trout. as dinner had been procured, i broke my fly off on a rhodo and let steve finish the stretch. he soon had a brookie at hand and seem satisfied. we pulled out and began the walk back to the car, both of us completely happy with the day. dinner was served at a local morganton eatery and when finished, steve headed home and i did likewise. one could wonder why we were happy with only a fish apiece of respectable size. well, i was overjoyed just to be back on some NC trout water after a hiatus of nearly two months….. long overdue and i’ll be damned if it will be that long…. ever again. –waldo

Response:

I bought dinner for Waldo this evening. It seems I made a little streamside bet and he won. Here’s what happened… First off, I met Waldo at his brand spankin’ new fly shop this morning and it looks like a real winner. Nice location, nice inside layout, nice tackle just as on his Web site, with more brand name equipment to come soon as I understand it. Anyway, cool digs and I wish him success. Despite the heavy rains last night, we headed up "Opie’s" Creek for an afternoon of fishing. We had hoped to have legal representation during the trip, but none was available. A good lawyer is apparently hard to find these days. The water levels were rather high (from what I understand–this was my first visit to this particular stream) and the water was a bit murkier than normal, but it was nothing to be afraid of and certainly not conditions that would keep the two of us from fishing since neither one of us has fished the NC mountains in well over a month. That’s pretty much status quo for me, of course, but Waldo was visibly shaking by the time we got rigged up The water was cold–sorry JeffC1474 I forgot to take a streamside temperature reading–the weather was very nice, the company was grand. All the makings of a great day on the stream. Except that apparently someone forgot to tell the fish. As far as casting and fly placement goes, I had my best stuff today and left it all on the stream. I ended up catching about 14 sucker minnows all under 2 inches in length. Seriously. Neither one of us could buy a "real" fish even with nymphs and we both worked the water HARD. That stream has some of the most choice runs, ripples and pools I have ever seen and we got nothing. Nada. Bupkus. Finally, I needed to see if the master could break the spell and bring a trout to hand so I suggested that the first one to catch a fish longer than 2 inches on a dry fly should receive a free meal compliments of the loser. Lemme just say that Waldo sure knows how to work for a meal Actually, it looked for a time as though we would both go hungry, but finally Waldo was rewarded with a nice rainbow and then I caught a little brookie (over 2" but not by a whole heck of a lot) on the next cast. So, he won the dinner and I came in a close–oh so close–second. Bon apetite, Waldo me boy. Already looking forward to next time, –Steve

Response:

Question:

OH NO  don’t ask the boner to whup it out. —  Don Thompson Another of the Thompson Boys

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You might ask one our regulars to show you his "maps". TL MC — "Where fishing is concerned, most anglers are basically manic excessives" http://www.mikeconnor.de

Response:

I here the Brown Trout are good there. Especially in the river when the treatment plants overflow. It must suck living in Ohio!

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi –    I worked in Utah for about 8 months last year, and got interested/started in fly fishing – then I got transferred to Cincinnati…  So now that I’m in Ohio – any suggestions as to where I should go to fly fish?  Not a lot of mountain strams around here…    Thanks!      Brian

Response:

Look I’m really sorry, but the law is the law….no trailer trash allowed. You can however visit for no more than a two weeks period…. john

Response:

<Seemingly excellent advice snipped look for a book, ’smallmouth strategies for the fly rod’ by will ryan……a good place to start. get a gazetteer with county maps….get a kayak…

You might ask one our regulars to show you his "maps". TL MC — "Where fishing is concerned, most anglers are basically manic excessives" http://www.mikeconnor.de

Response:

Mouse imitations. —  Don Thompson

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I love bass too, John.  But I’m new to fly fishing.  What type of flies do you use for smallmouth?     Brian

Response:

yes, and popper and muddlers but, my all time favorite is wooly buggers. tied in various colors, white , yellow purple etc.  Now you would use a cone head wooly.  Soon, a bead head….during the spring feed and spawn  a wooly with no weight.  then a bead head, going to a cone head in the hot summer. Tie them with an upturned barb so you can fish over the bottom and over brush. I like them with a little flashabou in them and my favorite is a brown and dark red and dirty rusty red and  dark green color to imitate crayfish. Or any mixture of those colors… Any place you can get in the water on the Miami is good, any of the ohio tributaries…Brush Creek…little Miami…Scioto, Hocking , Ceasars creek…. basically, if it flows all year and doesn’t freeze solid in the winter it has smallmouth… look for a book, ’smallmouth strategies for the fly rod’ by will ryan……a good place to start. get a gazetteer with county maps….get a kayak… john

Response:

Lake Ere steelhead. Smallmouth bass in all state waters..walleye, saugeye….white bass runs….we even have a couple of trout streams,,,,but I don’t bother with them very much unless I am jonesin’ real bad.  smallmouth rules in Ohio. john……Dayton

Response:

I love bass too, John.  But I’m new to fly fishing.  What type of flies do you use for smallmouth?     Brian – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Lake Ere steelhead. Smallmouth bass in all state waters..walleye, saugeye….white bass runs….we even have a couple of trout streams,,,,but I don’t bother with them very much unless I am jonesin’ real bad.  smallmouth rules in Ohio. john……Dayton

Response:

Thank’s, Harry – a much more useful suggestion

than Idaho or Michigan (are those suburbs of Cincinnati or something?)…  

I *think* Idaho is a small town in KY (either that or a woman’s name and profession) but Michiscum (also known as "Meatchicken") is up north somewhere.  <g

Response:

Hi –    I worked in Utah for about 8 months last year, and got interested/started in fly fishing – then I got transferred to Cincinnati…  So now that I’m in Ohio – any suggestions as to where I should go to fly fish?  Not a lot of mountain strams around here…    Thanks!      Brian

Response:

Hi –    I worked in Utah for about 8 months last year, and got interested/started in fly fishing – then I got transferred to Cincinnati…  So now that I’m in Ohio – any suggestions as to where I should go to fly fish?  Not a lot of mountain strams around here…    Thanks!      Brian

If you want mountain streams go to Montana, but stop short of Idaho, please. Seriously, I’ve read that there are pretty decent runs of "landlocked rainbow trout", aka "faux steelhead", in Ohio, in the streams that feed Lake Erie. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

Hi –    I worked in Utah for about 8 months last year, and got interested/started in fly fishing – then I got transferred to Cincinnati…  So now that I’m in Ohio – any suggestions as to where I should go to fly fish?  Not a lot of mountain strams around here…    Thanks!      Brian

Try Michigan…

Response:

Brian writes: So now that I’m in Ohio – any suggestions as to where I should go to fly fish?

Take a look at – http://www.flyshop.com/Centers/Midwest/7-98Mad/index.html

Response:

Thank’s, Harry – a much more useful suggestion than Idaho or Michigan (are those suburbs of Cincinnati or something?)…    Brian – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Brian writes: So now that I’m in Ohio – any suggestions as to where I should go to fly fish? Take a look at – http://www.flyshop.com/Centers/Midwest/7-98Mad/index.html

Response:

Question:

Great report Steve! I envy you…three years ago I had to spend two weeks staight in Colorado for my new job and a guy in my training class wanted to take me fly fishing (this was before I ever had even held a fly rod).  Since I knew nothing about it, and my friend was not from around there either, I fugured we would spend a whole Saturday just trying to find a place to fish so I declined.  He talked a nice looking young Blonde woman in our class into going (seems she was an expert) and they had the time of their lives. Sometimes I could just kick my own ass!! Tim

Response:

(snip)

 so I declined.  He talked a nice looking young Blonde woman in our class into going (seems she was an expert) and they had the time of their lives. Sometimes I could just kick my own ass!! Tim

David

Response:

I was in Colorado Springs this last week on business, and finding out beforehand that my hotel would be just over an hour from some very nice trout waters, I brought along a couple of fly rods, chest waders, and boots. As it turned out, although I didn’t have much time to fish, the extra baggage was well worth it. I’m writing this post as I sit in the airplane on the flight home. After finishing up my work on Monday evening, I sped off to the nearest fly shop–Angler’s Covey (www.anglerscovey.com)–and bought a three-day license and a few flies. Angler’s Covey is a great little place and the folks were very helpful. They showed me maps of the area and told me that most of the fishing in the surrounding reservoirs and rivers is done with nymphs and streamers. Despite not having done any wet-fly fishing to speak of, I concluded that I’d give it a try, but I bought a few dries to use when I (inevitably) got tired of not catching anything. While I was looking around in the fly shop, I saw that they had Bucks Bag pontoon-style float tubes on sale. I’ve looked for these at home (Raleigh, NC area) and have found that they are either in short supply or are way over-priced. So, I closed my eyes, squeezed the trigger, and bought one. As I sit here, it dawns on me that sometime before this plane lands I’m going to have to figure out how I’m going to hide this latest impulse purchase from my wife. Anyway, by the time I had everything, it was too late to get to any trout waters before dark, so I set my sites on a community lake in the middle of town. I’m told that Quail Lake contains a wide variety of fish–bluegill, bass, catfish, pike, gar, and even trout–but I can only confirm that it contains bluegill. I caught a mighty two-incher on a size 18 mosquito in about an hour of fishing. From what I could tell as I looked across the pond at the handful of bait-fishermen along the opposite shore, I was the only one who caught anything. Under normal circumstances, I would have religiously killed and eaten such a prize fish, but not having so much as a toaster in my hotel room, I had to reluctantly release the fish to its most assured death. Despite my lack of success, I had a great time practicing my roll cast and deepening my relationship with my newest reel (the Bougle I bought from Walt Winter, www.ezflyfish.com). I’ll admit I got a few grins and chuckles from some of the other people at the lake ("what on earth is a fly fisherman doing in a place like this?") but most everyone left me alone. Everyone, that is, except for the old codger who approached me and said "just what the hell are you trying to catch?" To which I responded, "I have absolutely no idea. You tell me." Too bad he wasn’t there to see me haul in that two-inch beauty!! Tuesday night my work ended earlier, so I headed west from Colorado Springs, past Pike’s Peak and along Highway 24 to Eleven-Mile Canyon. Some may say that religion doesn’t play a role in a discussion of fly fishing, and that may well be true, but there are places on earth that reaffirm a man’s faith that a Supreme Being had a hand in the creation of the world. Eleven-Mile Canyon is such a place. It is a narrow canyon formed of ancient running waters, with a mixture of high-mountain meadows and granite rock formations that one must see to believe. Were it not for the beauty of the South Platte river that flows from the canyon, I might have completely forgotten that I had come to fish, and focused my attention instead on the unbelievable boulders and cliffs and mountain air that left me both literally and figuratively breathless. I saw few other people as I drove along the dirt road that follows the path of the river, and indeed it seemed as though I had the canyon all to myself. Rather than descending in altitude at a constant rate as it travels down the canyon, the river (not often more than ten feet wide or more than four feet deep) alternates between whitewater rapids and meandering stream. Regardless, at every turn the water appeared to me to be entirely fishable and I could hardly wait to pull over and make the first anxious casts. Following the advice I’d been given by a nice gentleman at the entrance to the canyon, I drove about five miles up the road and began to fish some of the pools in the faster water with a San Juan Worm and a Woolly Bugger. Earlier in the day I had felt a bit of a fool for bringing along my long-sleeved shirt, heavy hip waders and felt-soled boots, especially with the weather as warm as it has been in Raleigh as of late, but I was glad I had them with me. The water was deliciously cold and the air was crisp. (Indeed, at 8:00pm I observed that the air temperature was 55F.) I worked my way up the stream, flailing away with my strike indicator and nymph, without so much as a clue what I was doing, but having a blast the whole way. But after about an hour of climbing in and out of pools and over rocks without so much as a strike, I began to get a bit intimidated by the speed of the water and my lack of nymphing knowledge, so I decided to head back down the canyon. About two miles down, I came to a meadow I had passed earlier where the water slows and softens, and noticing I only had a few moments of daylight left, I was overcome by the need to make a few final casts. After spending the previous hour amid the loud gurgle of rapid water, I was startled at how quiet the canyon had become. I quickly tied on a dry fly and tried my luck again. My moving-water fly presentation leaves much to be desired–indeed it could be said without too much exaggeration that the length of my drag-free drift is often no longer than my arm–but at least I could see the fly and I could see fish rising to take flies in the twilight. Within a few minutes I had several near-misses and soon thereafter caught a very nice rainbow trout. After a respectable battle, I let the fish go, and upon inspecting my fly noticed that it was pretty beat-up. By the time I replaced the fly (I’m trying to be more deliberate in the way I tie the clinch knot these days), dusk had turned to dark and it was time to go. It would have been nice to catch more than one fish, but as I made the 75 minute treck back to the hotel, my spirits were soaring. I had caught a trout in Colorado on a dry fly amidst the back drop of some of the best scenery this world has to offer. Later that evening, I chatted with George Gerke and told him of my trip. He used to live in Colorado, and he gave me the phone number of an old friend of his who lives in Colorado Springs and told me to call him. Actually, he did more than that. He went so far as to call his friend and upon receiving no answer called his friend’s son. Say what you will about George Gerke, but he has his heart in the right place even if his foot sometimes finds itself where it doesn’t belong. George, if you’re reading this… even though I wasn’t able to make contact with Phil (he was out of town as you know), I sincerely appreciated your gesture and consider you a friend. It showed me a side of you that doesn’t always make its way into your newsgroup posts. Thank you. Wednesday evening I went back up to Eleven-Mile canyon and, arriving later than I had the previous night, went straight to the meandering-water section of the river and fished almost exclusively with dry flies. (I tried a San Juan Worm when I first got there–I would like to get good at nymphing–but as soon as fish started rising I switched over to dries.) I caught two frisky 10" brown trout– both of which after being hooked spent more time in the air than in the water–and I observed that the fish seemed to care much less about what fly I presented than how I presented it. I’m looking forward to the Fall Ball as it will hopefully give me the chance to watch a few of you and learn a few things. As it turned out, Wednesday was my last opportunity to fish and although I’m disappointed that I was only able to spend about five hours fishing during the week, I had an absolutely wonderful time. I caught fish, I soaked in the beauty of God’s creation, and my company paid for the whole trip. Sometimes life is good. Tailing Loops, Steve Zimmerman PS. I’m back home now. My new float tube is still in the trunk. I’m still trying to figure out how to explain it to Julie and how to hide it in my expense report.

Response:

Great story Steve……hmmm float tube eh…. could be those bass down in Cary are in fer a wee bit of trouble. –Walt – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I was in Colorado Springs this last week on business, and finding out beforehand that my hotel would be just over an hour from some very nice trout waters, I brought along a couple of fly rods, chest waders, and boots. As it turned out, although I didn’t have much time to fish, the extra baggage was well worth it. I’m writing this post as I sit in the airplane on the flight home. After finishing up my work on Monday evening, I sped off to the nearest fly shop–Angler’s Covey (www.anglerscovey.com)–and bought a three-day license and a few flies. Angler’s Covey is a great little place and the folks were very helpful. They showed me maps of the area and told me that most of the fishing in the surrounding reservoirs and rivers is done with nymphs and streamers. Despite not having done any wet-fly fishing to speak of, I concluded that I’d give it a try, but I bought a few dries to use when I (inevitably) got tired of not catching anything. While I was looking around in the fly shop, I saw that they had Bucks Bag pontoon-style float tubes on sale. I’ve looked for these at home (Raleigh, NC area) and have found that they are either in short supply or are way over-priced. So, I closed my eyes, squeezed the trigger, and bought one. As I sit here, it dawns on me that sometime before this plane lands I’m going to have to figure out how I’m going to hide this latest impulse purchase from my wife. Anyway, by the time I had everything, it was too late to get to any trout waters before dark, so I set my sites on a community lake in the middle of town. I’m told that Quail Lake contains a wide variety of fish–bluegill, bass, catfish, pike, gar, and even trout–but I can only confirm that it contains bluegill. I caught a mighty two-incher on a size 18 mosquito in about an hour of fishing. From what I could tell as I looked across the pond at the handful of bait-fishermen along the opposite shore, I was the only one who caught anything. Under normal circumstances, I would have religiously killed and eaten such a prize fish, but not having so much as a toaster in my hotel room, I had to reluctantly release the fish to its most assured death. Despite my lack of success, I had a great time practicing my roll cast and deepening my relationship with my newest reel (the Bougle I bought from Walt Winter, www.ezflyfish.com). I’ll admit I got a few grins and chuckles from some of the other people at the lake ("what on earth is a fly fisherman doing in a place like this?") but most everyone left me alone. Everyone, that is, except for the old codger who approached me and said "just what the hell are you trying to catch?" To which I responded, "I have absolutely no idea. You tell me." Too bad he wasn’t there to see me haul in that two-inch beauty!! Tuesday night my work ended earlier, so I headed west from Colorado Springs, past Pike’s Peak and along Highway 24 to Eleven-Mile Canyon. Some may say that religion doesn’t play a role in a discussion of fly fishing, and that may well be true, but there are places on earth that reaffirm a man’s faith that a Supreme Being had a hand in the creation of the world. Eleven-Mile Canyon is such a place. It is a narrow canyon formed of ancient running waters, with a mixture of high-mountain meadows and granite rock formations that one must see to believe. Were it not for the beauty of the South Platte river that flows from the canyon, I might have completely forgotten that I had come to fish, and focused my attention instead on the unbelievable boulders and cliffs and mountain air that left me both literally and figuratively breathless. I saw few other people as I drove along the dirt road that follows the path of the river, and indeed it seemed as though I had the canyon all to myself. Rather than descending in altitude at a constant rate as it travels down the canyon, the river (not often more than ten feet wide or more than four feet deep) alternates between whitewater rapids and meandering stream. Regardless, at every turn the water appeared to me to be entirely fishable and I could hardly wait to pull over and make the first anxious casts. Following the advice I’d been given by a nice gentleman at the entrance to the canyon, I drove about five miles up the road and began to fish some of the pools in the faster water with a San Juan Worm and a Woolly Bugger. Earlier in the day I had felt a bit of a fool for bringing along my long-sleeved shirt, heavy hip waders and felt-soled boots, especially with the weather as warm as it has been in Raleigh as of late, but I was glad I had them with me. The water was deliciously cold and the air was crisp. (Indeed, at 8:00pm I observed that the air temperature was 55F.) I worked my way up the stream, flailing away with my strike indicator and nymph, without so much as a clue what I was doing, but having a blast the whole way. But after about an hour of climbing in and out of pools and over rocks without so much as a strike, I began to get a bit intimidated by the speed of the water and my lack of nymphing knowledge, so I decided to head back down the canyon. About two miles down, I came to a meadow I had passed earlier where the water slows and softens, and noticing I only had a few moments of daylight left, I was overcome by the need to make a few final casts. After spending the previous hour amid the loud gurgle of rapid water, I was startled at how quiet the canyon had become. I quickly tied on a dry fly and tried my luck again. My moving-water fly presentation leaves much to be desired–indeed it could be said without too much exaggeration that the length of my drag-free drift is often no longer than my arm–but at least I could see the fly and I could see fish rising to take flies in the twilight. Within a few minutes I had several near-misses and soon thereafter caught a very nice rainbow trout. After a respectable battle, I let the fish go, and upon inspecting my fly noticed that it was pretty beat-up. By the time I replaced the fly (I’m trying to be more deliberate in the way I tie the clinch knot these days), dusk had turned to dark and it was time to go. It would have been nice to catch more than one fish, but as I made the 75 minute treck back to the hotel, my spirits were soaring. I had caught a trout in Colorado on a dry fly amidst the back drop of some of the best scenery this world has to offer. Later that evening, I chatted with George Gerke and told him of my trip. He used to live in Colorado, and he gave me the phone number of an old friend of his who lives in Colorado Springs and told me to call him. Actually, he did more than that. He went so far as to call his friend and upon receiving no answer called his friend’s son. Say what you will about George Gerke, but he has his heart in the right place even if his foot sometimes finds itself where it doesn’t belong. George, if you’re reading this… even though I wasn’t able to make contact with Phil (he was out of town as you know), I sincerely appreciated your gesture and consider you a friend. It showed me a side of you that doesn’t always make its way into your newsgroup posts. Thank you. Wednesday evening I went back up to Eleven-Mile canyon and, arriving later than I had the previous night, went straight to the meandering-water section of the river and fished almost exclusively with dry flies. (I tried a San Juan Worm when I first got there–I would like to get good at nymphing–but as soon as fish started rising I switched over to dries.) I caught two frisky 10" brown trout– both of which after being hooked spent more time in the air than in the water–and I observed that the fish seemed to care much less about what fly I presented than how I presented it. I’m looking forward to the Fall Ball as it will hopefully give me the chance to watch a few of you and learn a few things. As it turned out, Wednesday was my last opportunity to fish and although I’m disappointed that I was only able to spend about five hours fishing during the week, I had an absolutely wonderful time. I caught fish, I soaked in the beauty of God’s creation, and my company paid for the whole trip. Sometimes life is good. Tailing Loops, Steve Zimmerman PS. I’m back home now. My new float tube is still in the trunk. I’m still trying to figure out how to explain it to Julie and how to hide it in my expense report.

– Ezflyfish.com http://www.ezflyfish.com BRBG http://www.abebooks.com/home/BLUEBOOKS P.O. Box 5112  Banner Elk, NC 28604 (828)963-5001

Response:

I was in Colorado Springs this last week on business, and finding out beforehand that my hotel would be just over an hour from some very nice trout waters, I brought along a couple of fly rods, chest waders, and boots. As it turned out, although I didn’t have much time to fish, the extra baggage was well worth it. I’m writing this post as I sit in the airplane on the flight home. After finishing up my work on Monday evening, I sped off to the nearest fly shop–Angler’s Covey (www.anglerscovey.com)–and bought a three-day license and a few flies. Angler’s Covey is a great little place and the folks were very helpful. They showed me maps of the area and told me that most of the fishing in the surrounding reservoirs and rivers is done with nymphs and streamers. Despite not having done any wet-fly fishing to speak of, I concluded that I’d give it a try, but I bought a few dries to use when I (inevitably) got tired of not catching anything. While I was looking around in the fly shop, I saw that they had Bucks Bag pontoon-style float tubes on sale. I’ve looked for these at home (Raleigh, NC area) and have found that they are either in short supply or are way over-priced. So, I closed my eyes, squeezed the trigger, and bought one. As I sit here, it dawns on me that sometime before this plane lands I’m going to have to figure out how I’m going to hide this latest impulse purchase from my wife.

_______  Tell her you bought her this neat new style pillow for the waterbed? Anyway, by the time I had everything, it was too late to get to any trout waters before dark, so I set my sites on a community lake in the middle of town. I’m told that Quail Lake contains a wide variety of fish–bluegill, bass, catfish, pike, gar, and even trout–but I can only confirm that it contains bluegill. I caught a mighty two-incher on a size 18 mosquito in about an hour of fishing. From what I could tell as I looked across the pond at the handful of bait-fishermen along the opposite shore, I was the only one who caught anything. Under normal circumstances, I would have religiously killed and eaten such a prize fish, but not having so much as a toaster in my hotel room, I had to reluctantly release the fish to its most assured death.

Ha!  Love it.  Perhaps you took a picture/release?  Is that C & PR? Despite my lack of success, I had a great time practicing my roll cast and deepening my relationship with my newest reel (the Bougle I bought from Walt Winter, www.ezflyfish.com). I’ll admit I got a few grins and chuckles from some of the other people at the lake ("what on earth is a fly fisherman doing in a place like this?")

_______  Didn’t they notice ‘that desperate look?’ but most everyone left me alone. Everyone, that is, except for the old codger who approached me and said "just what the hell are you trying to catch?" To which I responded, "I have absolutely no idea. You tell me." Too bad he wasn’t there to see me haul in that two-inch beauty!! Tuesday night my work ended earlier, so I headed west from Colorado Springs, past Pike’s Peak and along Highway 24 to Eleven-Mile Canyon. Some may say that religion doesn’t play a role in a discussion of fly fishing, and that may well be true, but there are places on earth that reaffirm a man’s faith that a Supreme Being had a hand in the creation of the world. Eleven-Mile Canyon is such a place. It is a narrow canyon formed of ancient running waters, with a mixture of high-mountain meadows and granite rock formations that one must see to believe. Were it not for the beauty of the South Platte river that flows from the canyon, I might have completely forgotten that I had come to fish, and focused my attention instead on the unbelievable boulders and cliffs and mountain air that left me both literally and figuratively breathless. I saw few other people as I drove along the dirt road that follows the path of the river, and indeed it seemed as though I had the canyon all to myself. Rather than descending in altitude at a constant rate as it travels down the canyon, the river (not often more than ten feet wide or more than four feet deep) alternates between whitewater rapids and meandering stream. Regardless, at every turn the water appeared to me to be entirely fishable and I could hardly wait to pull over and make the first anxious casts. Following the advice I’d been given by a nice gentleman at the entrance to the canyon, I drove about five miles up the road and began to fish some of the pools in the faster water with a San Juan Worm and a Woolly Bugger.

Earlier in the day I had felt a bit of a fool for bringing along my long-sleeved shirt, heavy hip waders and felt-soled boots, especially with the weather as warm as it has been in Raleigh as of late, but I was glad I had them with me. The water was deliciously cold and the air was crisp. (Indeed, at 8:00pm I observed that the air temperature was 55F.) I worked my way up the stream, flailing away with my strike indicator and nymph,

without so much as a clue what I was doing, but having a blast the whole way. But after about an hour of climbing in and out of pools and over rocks without so much as a strike, I began to get a bit intimidated by the speed of the water and my lack of nymphing knowledge, so I decided to head back down the canyon. About two miles down, I came to a meadow I had passed earlier where the water slows and softens, and noticing I only had a few moments of daylight left, I was overcome by the need to make a few final casts. After spending the previous hour amid the loud gurgle of rapid water, I was startled at how quiet the canyon had become. I quickly tied on a dry fly and tried my luck again. My moving-water fly presentation leaves much to be desired–indeed it could be said without too much exaggeration that the length of my drag-free drift is often no longer than my arm–but at least I could see the fly and I could see fish rising to take flies in the twilight. Within a few minutes I had several near-misses and soon thereafter caught a very nice rainbow trout. After a respectable battle, I let the fish go, and upon inspecting my fly noticed that it was pretty beat-up. By the time I replaced the fly (I’m trying to be more deliberate in the way I tie the clinch knot these days), dusk had turned to dark and it was time to go. It would have been nice to catch more than one fish, but as I made the 75 minute treck back to the hotel, my spirits were soaring. I had caught a trout in Colorado on a dry fly amidst the back drop of some of the best scenery this world has to offer.

______  You were in my back yard CodeGuy.  I know exactly where you were.  Every pool, every riffle.  I wish I was there for you. Later that evening, I chatted with George Gerke and told him of my trip. He used to live in Colorado, and he gave me the phone number of an old friend of his who lives in Colorado Springs and told me to call him. Actually, he did more than that. He went so far as to call his friend and upon receiving no answer called his friend’s son. Say what you will about George Gerke, but he has his heart in the right place even if his foot sometimes finds itself where it doesn’t belong. George, if you’re reading this… even though I wasn’t able to make contact with Phil (he was out of town as you know), I sincerely appreciated your gesture and consider you a friend. It showed me a side of you that doesn’t always make its way into your newsgroup posts. Thank you.

_______ Awe shucks CodeGuy, I lost my head.  I’m a sucker for the newborn but your enthusiasm is so dang contagious!!! Wednesday evening I went back up to Eleven-Mile canyon and, arriving later than I had the previous night, went straight to the meandering-water section of the river and fished almost exclusively with dry flies. (I tried a San Juan Worm when I first got there–I would like to get good at nymphing–but as soon as fish started rising I switched over to dries.) I caught two frisky 10" brown trout– both of which after being hooked spent more time in the air than in the water–and I observed that the fish seemed to care much less about what fly I presented than how I presented it. I’m looking forward to the Fall Ball as it will hopefully give me the chance to watch a few of you and learn a few things. As it turned out, Wednesday was my last opportunity to fish and although I’m disappointed that I was only able to spend about five hours fishing during the week, I had an absolutely wonderful time. I caught fish, I soaked in the beauty of God’s creation, and my company paid for the whole trip. Sometimes life is good. Tailing Loops, Steve Zimmerman PS. I’m back home now. My new float tube is still in the trunk. I’m still trying to figure out how to explain it to Julie and how to hide it in my expense report.

your bed.  Go to the front room and wait.  When you hear a blood curdling scream, she found it!  Calmly walk in and ask, "Did you call honey?" Seriously Steve, Great report.  You took me back home.  I would love to take you fishing like you’ve never seen it in your life.  Just drop by. I will show you all the things you’ve always wanted to know. When it comes to fly fishing I can guarantee it.  You have the main ingredient.  You have the passion.  Nothing else matters with me. Again, thanks for sharing.  I absolutely loved every word. — Mr. G.   http://www.gink.com/html  Fly Fisherman’s Chat Site   "Flyfisherman’s Camp Fires Burning" http://www.gink.com http://www.rodbuilding.com http://www.xink.com

Question:

Ok, I"ve seen a few people mention Labrador in a couple of posts here so I thought I’d ask~ I’ve signed on for a trip up there, based mostly on a friends "hearsay" and word of mouth.  Can any of you give me your honest opinoin of the place..We will be at Coopers Minipi camps.  I’ve seen some of the pics from the place and have read alot about those BIG brookies and pike up there..Any input at all would be greatly appreciated…Thanks! Jeff Boks Fly Fishing~~~~~Just Do It

Response:

Jeff Boks writes:

<<Ok, I"ve seen a few people mention Labrador in a couple of posts here so I thought I’d ask~ I’ve signed on for a trip up there, based mostly on a friends "hearsay" and word of mouth.  Can any of you give me your honest opinoin of the place..We will be at Coopers Minipi camps.  I’ve seen some of the pics from the place and have read alot about those BIG brookies and pike up there..Any input at all would be greatly appreciated…Thanks! Expect to catch brookies in up to about 5 pounds.  Minipi Camps is a well run outfit and popular.  I have heard that the indians have taken a lot of fish from the river, however, so it isn’t as good as it used to be.  No confirmation on this — just listening to some folks who have been up there talk about it.   You might also consider Riverkeep Lodge on the Antikonac River. It is more remote than Minipi and I believe contains more and bigger fish including  pike, LL salmon, lake trout (togue), and whitefish as well as brookies. Regardless where you go, if you are in big brookie and pike water, take along a mouse fly (tied on a 2/0 hook).  Cast into running water and give it some action.  Be sure to wear your seatbelts while doing this!  <g Dave LaCourse

Response:

Ok, I"ve seen a few people mention Labrador in a couple of posts here so I thought I’d ask~ I’ve signed on for a trip up there, based mostly on a friends "hearsay" and word of mouth.  Can any of you give me your honest opinoin of the place..We will be at Coopers Minipi camps.  I’ve seen some of the pics from the place and have read alot about those BIG brookies and pike up there..Any input at all would be greatly appreciated…Thanks!

Minipi just survived a big forest fire; you’ll hear lots of ‘war stories’ about it. — http://members.xoom.com/labradorian

Response:

Question:

Hello,         I’m going on a 5 day trip through the Boundry Waters in September and I’m trying to decide on what kind of footwear to take. The outfitter doesn’t want Teva’s or other types of sandals or other open-toed shoes, sandals do not provide adequate ankle support for the portages that will be required. I’m thinking about just taking a beater pair of high-top tennis shoes but I like something that’ll dry a bit quicker than leather or canvas.          Campmor has a few pairs of watersports footwear that look like they’ll fit the bill for me. One pair is th Hi-Tec Stingrays and the other is the Columbia Snake River Trainer. I suppose either of these would work fine. I kind of like the Hi-Tec ones.         I really would like some opinions and ideas on what I should consider. Suggestions???? Thanks, Al

Response:

Hello,    I’m going on a 5 day trip through the Boundry Waters in September and I’m trying to decide on what kind of footwear to take. The outfitter doesn’t want Teva’s or other types of sandals or other open-toed shoes, sandals do not provide adequate ankle support for the portages that will be required.

They also don’t provide any protection from rocks, sticks, stinging nettles, poison ivy, broken glass, fish hooks.  They are great in camp though.  I’m thinking about just taking a beater pair of high-top tennis shoes but I like something that’ll dry a bit quicker than leather or canvas.

I use el cheapo lightweight hiking boots from Canadian Tire.  They are slow to dry & don’t offer much ankle support.  I’ve worn them regularly for 2 or 3 years including 4 weeks of canoe tripping.  I wear goretex socks to keep my feet dry. — Lloyd Bowles The Mad Canoeist "Keep The open Side Up!" www.madcanoeist.4ever.cc Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

:       I’m going on a 5 day trip through the Boundry Waters in September and : I’m trying to decide on what kind of footwear to take. The outfitter : doesn’t want Teva’s or other types of sandals or other open-toed shoes, : sandals do not provide adequate ankle support for the portages that will : be required. I’m thinking about just taking a beater pair of high-top : tennis shoes but I like something that’ll dry a bit quicker than leather : or canvas. You can’t skimp on ankle support when you’re on a portage, you’re just asking for a sprain or worse.  I usually take 2 pairs of footwear — a good, sturdy pair of hiking boots is required for any portage over about 100 feet, so take them.  Sandals are fine for those short hops, lift-overs, running around the camp, and sitting in the canoe.  It takes maybe 2 minutes to hop out of the canoe, take off your sandals and pull on your hiking boots at the portage… So take both.       "In wilderness is the preservation of the world…" | . .– .   .   .– .-. .-. . . . | | Mundanely: Stephen Fox |-| |-  |   |   `-. |-’ |-| |^| || |            Graphic Designer/ ‘ | `– `– `– –’ |   ‘ ` ‘ ` | ` |            Forestry Technician               (http://webhome.idirect.com/~helspawn)  : Come play Realms of Despair! http://www.game.org :

Response:

I first have to question the outfitter you chose as not wanting Teva’s on a BW trip.  That’s just plain crazy.  I’ve worn Teva’s into every BW trip I’ve taken and highly suggest them to anyone on such a trip.  Supposing that’s not the answer you’re looking for, Converse hi-tops work quite well.  Wear them w/o socks, slop around in the water, and you should be fine.  The bottoms don’t dry out very quickly but that has never been a problem for me. On an added note, hi-tops provide little to no ankle support so, again, Teva’s are a superior choice.  A couple of companies make shoes/boots specifically for portaging.  REI offers one such pair for $75 and Sierra Trading Post offers a water-shoe for $35.  Outfitters in the Ely area, such as Piragis, also sell portage shoes.  Enjoy the BWCA and check out the wild rice pancakes at the Chocolate Moose in Ely to cap off a great trip.

Response:

I would be against Teva’s because of possible foot entrapment walking in /on rocks while unloading the canoe in shallow water. The stiff sole and lack of shoe type structure is too prone to entrapment, I believe. My wife and I use flexible and very thin-soled neoprene booties. At the present my wife uses NRS Kickers and I use the high top NRS Zippered WET Shoe. The high top protects my shin bones from the rocks while loading/unloading the boats. The thin rubber sole has a great tread pattern for traction. We started out with booties when we started canoeing some 11 years ago because we kneel when in the canoe. I felt a stiff sole would increase the risk of entrapping a foot under the seat during a wet exit. We found they do very well for portaging. We’ve used them for 5 trips to Canada including three to Quetico. Last Aug/Sept we did 45 potages in 18 days (Quetico) with no problem. I was carrying a 72 lb. canoe with a 30lb pack and then two packs totaling about 110 lbs on the second trip. We have never felt the need for ankle support, either portaging or backpacking. We use ankle high Bean Main Hunting Shoes, which we have had forever, in camp. At first we planned to change into them on the longer (grater than 1/2 mile) portages, but over the years we’ve never bothered. You definitely have a feel for the ground with the booties. Your foot actually hugs the rocks getting much better traction than stiff soled footwear. We never suffer from sore feet while tripping. However, for the first week home this last time, I felt a little soreness for a few minutes when I first got up in the morning. This passed in about a week. AL – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello, I’m going on a 5 day trip through the Boundry Waters in September and I’m trying to decide on what kind of footwear to take. The outfitter doesn’t want Teva’s or other types of sandals or other open-toed shoes, sandals do not provide adequate ankle support for the portages that will be required. They also don’t provide any protection from rocks, sticks, stinging nettles, poison ivy, broken glass, fish hooks.  They are great in camp though. I’m thinking about just taking a beater pair of high-top tennis shoes but I like something that’ll dry a bit quicker than leather or canvas.

.

Response:

I use a pair of Red Ball rubber construction boots that I bought when I needed to work some concrete.  They are great for canoeing and are cheap. About $10.  Comfortable enough for portaging up to about a mile.  Have good hiking boots but never take them. Charles Elms    http://www.newsfeeds.com       The Largest Usenet Servers in the World!

Response:

How about hiking boots?  Waterproof, and ankle support.  They make portages easier.

I’ve worn Army issue jungle boots on all of my Boundary Waters trips. They provide great support, have good traction and they drain. While they stay wet, if you wear wicking liner socks and wool outer socks under them, your feet stay comfortable. When we make camp, I set them out to dry, hang the socks and put on a pair of sneakers. My wife and daughter were so impressed with them, that they made me buy them some as well. We just returned from a 7 day BW trip yesterday and the jungle boots did fine again. Only problem is that I only have one issue pair left after 28 years and I will have to buy another pair soon. — Michael M. Schmieg Attorney at Law 110 Main Street Milford, Ohio 45150 voice: 513-831-1200 fax:   513-831-1201 http://w3.one.net/~schmieg

Response:

Yeah, but how do they look with a tux?

Response:

 Addias also make a couple water shoes.  No one locally has them.  REI had both the Addias and Hi-Tec’s so you may want to check them out. Just a note: Canoe & Kayak reviewed the Adidas water shoes last year and described them as "slicker than snot" on wet rock.  I recently got a pair of Hi-Tec Piranhas and they are also rather slippery on wet rock. The Teva Wet Climbers (a shoe, not sandal) is somewhat stickier as it has a siped sole (lots of slits in the sole like a sailing deck shoe) 5-10 has the highest rated soles for stickyness on wet rock.

If someone is looking a pair of water shoes that *aren’t* slippery NRS makes a neopreme slip on shoe with a single velcro closure and felt soles. If you look at almost any flyfishing wading boot you’ll find that they have felt soles.  In fact, I use these water shoes for wading while I’m flyfishing more than I do for kayaking. John Fereira Ithaca, NY

Response:

 Addias also make a couple water shoes.  No one locally has them.  REI had both the Addias and Hi-Tec’s so you may want to check them out.

Just a note: Canoe & Kayak reviewed the Adidas water shoes last year and described them as "slicker than snot" on wet rock.  I recently got a pair of Hi-Tec Piranhas and they are also rather slippery on wet rock. The Teva Wet Climbers (a shoe, not sandal) is somewhat stickier as it has a siped sole (lots of slits in the sole like a sailing deck shoe) 5-10 has the highest rated soles for stickyness on wet rock. Mike

Response:

I’ve been looking at both the Stingrays and the Snake River’s…  At least with my feet the Snake rivers were better.  Although I could not find them in my size locally ( NE Ohio) I needed a 10 1/2.  Addias also make a couple water shoes.  No one locally has them.  REI had both the Addias and Hi-Tec’s so you may want to check them out. Corey http://www.ncweb.com/users/possum/ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello,         I’m going on a 5 day trip through the Boundry Waters in September and I’m trying to decide on what kind of footwear to take. The outfitter doesn’t want Teva’s or other types of sandals or other open-toed shoes, sandals do not provide adequate ankle support for the portages that will be required. I’m thinking about just taking a beater pair of high-top tennis shoes but I like something that’ll dry a bit quicker than leather or canvas.          Campmor has a few pairs of watersports footwear that look like they’ll fit the bill for me. One pair is th Hi-Tec Stingrays and the other is the Columbia Snake River Trainer. I suppose either of these would work fine. I kind of like the Hi-Tec ones.         I really would like some opinions and ideas on what I should consider. Suggestions???? Thanks, Al

Response:

The responses I’ve noticed haven’t commented on BW weather in Sept. It can be cold!  Not like winter (tho maybe snow) but still cold. It prolly *will* be cold 2-3 times in Sept with warm spells in between. With luck you’ll catch a warm spell.  But maybe you won’t.  So plan footwear accordingly.  You want to stay dry during the day, or (failing that) to dry quickly.  You need support on portages.  And you must have dry warm camp shoes. Sept is the best time for the BW.  Bugs & tourists are gone.  That’s when the locals come out.  Some of them will quibble about "cold", others will wholeheartedly agree to keep tourists away.  Enjoy yourself. Cecil

And it can snow in July – which it has. When we make our annual sojurn to the BWCA, we use rubber boots. I think they are 16 inches tall and cost 10 or 11 bucks. I also have a pair of GoreTex hunting boots packed away for camp use. Personally, I think it is foolish to wear sandals of any kind on a portage.                            Gary

Response:

The responses I’ve noticed haven’t commented on BW weather in Sept.   It can be cold!  Not like winter (tho maybe snow) but still cold.   It prolly *will* be cold 2-3 times in Sept with warm spells in between.   With luck you’ll catch a warm spell.  But maybe you won’t.  So plan footwear accordingly.  You want to stay dry during the day, or (failing that) to dry quickly.  You need support on portages.  And you must have dry warm camp shoes. Sept is the best time for the BW.  Bugs & tourists are gone.  That’s when the locals come out.  Some of them will quibble about "cold", others will wholeheartedly agree to keep tourists away.  Enjoy yourself. Cecil

Response:

On my two treks into the Boundry Waters with the BSA, we wore jungle boots _ combat boots that are made to get wet but immediately drain water.  They’re only about $40. (Don’t get the $10-$20 kind, they WILL fall apart). It made portages easier and protected our feet. You can get them from most Army surplus stores, but insist on American-made and make sure you break them in. Once we made camp, we took the boots and wet wool socks off, and put on dry socks and sneakers. Reed

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I just got a set of Tecnica Barracudas.  Mostly mesh, but better heel cups than the Columbia shoes.  A cheaper alternative is the Vasque Portage shoes, made of nylon with gum rubber soles.  Sierrra Trading post (httP;//ww.sierratradingpost.com) has them for $14.95.  Waterproof hiking boots seem a bad idea to me too, the water inside will never come out.  I wear high cut Bean booots when its cold, but mostly resign myself to wet feet.  Sandals are great for camp to let the feet dry out. — Andrew

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I just returned from a 5 day trip to Basswood Falls on 6/20.  I wore hiking boots almost the entire trip.  I managed to keep my feet dry!! But, it would have been nice to be able to walk right into the water at the beginning and at the end of the portage with the canoe and drop it into the water!!!  I also broght a pair of sandles so I could walk in the water to where the river was shallow.  (That happened at the beginning and at the end of the trip!  I was able to pull the canoe in the river and avoid two portages!!  We had aluminum canoes so avoiding carrying them was a treat!!  That was at Mudro Lake). – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I first have to question the outfitter you chose as not wanting Teva’s on a BW trip.  That’s just plain crazy.  I’ve worn Teva’s into every BW trip I’ve taken and highly suggest them to anyone on such a trip.  Supposing that’s not the answer you’re looking for, Converse hi-tops work quite well. Wear them w/o socks, slop around in the water, and you should be fine.  The bottoms don’t dry out very quickly but that has never been a problem for me. On an added note, hi-tops provide little to no ankle support so, again, Teva’s are a superior choice.  A couple of companies make shoes/boots specifically for portaging.  REI offers one such pair for $75 and Sierra Trading Post offers a water-shoe for $35.  Outfitters in the Ely area, such as Piragis, also sell portage shoes.  Enjoy the BWCA and check out the wild rice pancakes at the Chocolate Moose in Ely to cap off a great trip.

Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

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Typed:      Here’s my genius idea for primary footwear for summer that I’ve never heard anyone else try and I haven’t had a chance yet either: a pair of Gore-tex socks under a pair of Jungle Boots like the GI’s used to get in Nam

Question:

Hi all, I may be taking a trip to Jamaica in the late winter and was wondering if there was any good flyshing there.  Anyone have any thoughts? laird v

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no body in jamaica knows it, but the island is surrounded by narrow flats seperatedf rom the ocean by reef not that far from the "beach". There are tons of rivers emptying into the ocean as well. I think its an undiscovered opportunity to check out and i know there are tarpon around. of course, it depends on where you’re going

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Question:

  Where do you guys fish?  Colorado?   I hear alot of posters    commenting on how the streams are always crowded.  I know that FF is growing in popularity, but this seems a little  bit much.  Is it just that too many people are fishing the stocked tailwaters, and not going after the smaller wild fish closer to the headwaters?   I usually fish in Michigans Upper Peninsula, for brookies and browns,  and most of the time I have the river to myself.   The fish are good sized, and plentiful.     Is the problem a lack of trout streams?  I also  fish in Colorado,  near the San Juan, but I don’t bother to go there because I know there will be crowds. I just head for the smaller headwater areas, and see few people.  Not as few as I see in the U.P., but much fewer than the larger rivers.   Have your "hotspots" been invaded by numbers of anglers?   Are fisherman encroaching into the once remote areas?   I guess I just can’t follow the folks who complain about too many people.   What rivers are severely overcrowded besides the San Juan?   I’d like to understand. —–Muskie

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What rivers are severely overcrowded besides the San Juan? I’d like to

understand. —–Muskie The Blue, The Platte, The Dolores, The Frying Pan, The Colorado, The White, The Roaring Fork, The Arkansas,  The Cache La Poudre….for starters. — TimW Halfordian Golfer

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  Where do you guys fish?  Colorado?   I hear alot of posters    commenting on how the streams are always crowded.  I know that FF is growing in popularity, but this seems a little  bit much.

Muskie; Flyfishing, like everything else that is in demand and has a viable spot on the information superhighway, is believed to be best represented by bites of info.  This rapid fire, at-your-fingertips has resulted in an obfiscation of information.  Here, in PA, we make the matters worse by selecting only certain streaches of some of our best waters to carry regulations that help insure good trout populations to fish over.  We take it in bites: C&R of Yellow Breeches, Little Lehigh heritage section, Penn’s Creek C&R, Fishing Creek’s Trophy Trout, etc, etc, These are defined destinations that everyone can hoarde to: Ahhahh! Crowded Streams!  No, crowded SECTIONS of streams.  Some among us only want to associate themselves with certain angling destinations: like a nametag or brand name.  MOst don’t care.  However, big names come from good fishiing.  This popularity increases the pressure, fish pops drop noticably from kill fishing, special regs are enacted, and the place gets even more popular. Well, at least that’s how I see it. JB

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What rivers are severely overcrowded besides the San Juan? I’d like to understand. —–Muskie The Blue, The Platte, The Dolores, The Frying Pan, The Colorado, The White, The Roaring Fork, The Arkansas,  The Cache La Poudre….for starters.

The Scioto, The Olentangy, The Mad, Clear Fork, Conneaut, The Grand,… And those are Ohio bass rivers. You guys out west think _you_ have it bad! Jon Porter

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if I wanted to fish in a crowd I would go to the mail and fish.  the is nothing in this world like being on a stream by yourself casting for that big trout.

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I don’t mind crowds at concerts or sporting events.  I really like seeing my store crowded with paying customers.  I kinda got a kick out of the crowds at the shopping mall this past Saturday.  Crowds are very important to an effective demonstration.         On a stream?  No thanks.  Gimme shelter. JE

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if I wanted to fish in a crowd I would go to the mail and fish.  the is nothing in this world like being on a stream by yourself casting for that big trout.

How about being on a stream by yourself casting for little trout?  These days, that seems to be the best crowd-beating tactic for me.  And every once in a while, you still might hook into that 14" whopper! BTW, how do you catch fish by mail?  Can I order over the ‘net? — Jeff Benjamin                benji(at)fc.hp.com Hewlett Packard Co.      Fort Collins, Colorado (Direct reply won’t work:  use address in .sig) "Think!  It ain’t illegal yet." -George Clinton

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The Blue, The Platte, The Dolores, The Frying Pan, The Colorado, The White, The Roaring Fork, The Arkansas,  The Cache La Poudre….for starters.

In Oregon, the Deschutes.  Ruined!  Absolutely stampeded.

Response:

  Where do you guys fish?  Colorado?   I hear alot of posters    commenting on how the streams are always crowded.  I know that FF is growing in popularity, but this seems a little  bit much.

snipped… I hear you Musk-man. I fish WI and except for the few very well known "name" rivers, if I see one guy when I’m fishing I’m often surprised. Here’s an interesting statistic. WI has 2,444 trout streams in the state. Thing is, most people won’t fish them because they are not wide open RivRunThrIt type streams. All the better for me. Cheers. Jon

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Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – In order to promote a commonality of spirit and in rememberance of my late and great dear friend Lee Wulff, I offer the following contest and prizes. Rules: Tie FOUR WULFF FLIES. 1) The Royal Wulff 2) A Blonde or Cream Wulff 3) A Tan Wulff 4) A Grey Wulff 6) One Streamer 7) One Fly of tiers own choosing.  Unlimited Entry. Sizes of the entries choosing.  Small as well as large sizes have equal consideration

EXCELLENT !!!! Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ! Thank you George…Looking forwards and not backwards. My bugs’ll be there !   *AND* my Grey Wulff will win… 8^) TimW Here’s hoping for snow on the slopes and a heater near the tying bench !!! [This is gonna be cool]

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In order to promote a commonality of spirit and in rememberance of my late and great dear friend Lee Wulff.This sounds like a nice contest.Contests don’t have to have huge prizes

to be well recieved! As a former rep. (Western Canada) and  outdoor columnist/writer (I do not get sick of talking about the outdoors), I always admire any manufacturer that shows support for the business in one way or another. As I muddle around with considering repping again in Onatrio, I applaud this initiative, and will mention it at Kingstons next flyfishing get together.F.Y.I. I am starting a new Canadian Outdoor Collector newsletter (I got fed up with the lack of Canuck perspective/content for outdoor collectibles, etc.) regards Outdoor Columnist 101 Bridge St. W. Napanee, Ont., K7R-2C8

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In order to promote a commonality of spirit and in rememberance of my late and great dear friend Lee Wulff, I offer the following contest and prizes. Rules: Tie FOUR WULFF FLIES. 1) The Royal Wulff 2) A Blonde or Cream Wulff 3) A Tan Wulff 4) A Grey Wulff 6) One Streamer 7) One Fly of tiers own choosing.  Unlimited Entry. Sizes of the entries choosing.  Small as well as large sizes have equal consideration Flies submitted to be postmarked by 2 January 1997 Prizes are as follows: 1st Place/Prize         $ 50.00 2nd Place/Prize         $ 40.00 3rd Place/Prize         $ 10.00 4th – 20th Place        Product of your choice. GEHRKE’S GINK will honor all prize/cash payments even if only four entries are made. All flies submitted to the contest become the property of GEHRKE’S GINK. A featured article in our World Famous Newsletter; "Uncle Gink’s Cave" will be published on the winning entries.  All entries should tell us somthing about their flies and of themselves.  How long they have tied, etc. Flies may be photographed for publication in "Uncle Gink’s Cave" which is circulated World Wide to over 6,000 dealers and wholesalers. All those who enter ‘George’s Great Gobs of Flies’ Contest will receive a copy of the Newsletter.  This contest is open to all fly tiers around the world.  The prize is not so much the money but rather the worth of being judged by and shown too a very large audience. Send all entries to the attention of: Mr. George Gehrke Presidents Fly Judging Contest Snake River – Hell’s Canyon Asotin, WA 99402 The contest starts now.  Each year’s contest will honor specific fly patterns invented by long honored tiers.  The ‘Unlimited Class’ will always remain a standard feature.  In this arena, a size .32 midge has every chance of winning as a Blue Doctor will.  It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a good, traditional and properly tied Salmon Fly. Good luck, one and all. Mr. George Gehrke

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Question:

Hi, I am moving to Dusserdorf in the near future. I am thinking of taking my flyfishing equipment with me, or at least tie some flies while I am there. So if anybody can help me with these questions, I would preciate. Are there any areas for fly fishing in that area?

Hi Jussi Virtanen, do you mean Duesseldorf in Germany ? If it is, I can help you.      Michael  …. tie a fly when the trout comes high,          that’s high ..                                          mail: it’s only my opinion                 Michael Nolte

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Hi, I am moving to Dusserdorf in the near future. I am thinking of taking my flyfishing equipment with me, or at least tie some flies while I am there. So if anybody can help me with these questions, I would preciate. Are there any areas for fly fishing in that area? Can I get supplies to tie my own flies from that area ? (important) How well equipped area the local shops in that area ?                         Jussi Virtanen

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