Question:

"LAST GAS BEFORE YOSEMITE.  NO GAS IN YOSEMITE VALLEY!"  Their regular unleaded was $2.309.  Both statements were absolutely true – they were the last station before the Yosemite West entrance and there is no gas in Yosemite Valley.   What they

didn’t mention was that about 10 miles inside of the gate, at Crane Flats, there is a gas station selling unleaded regular for $2.019. This reminds me of something I learned the hard way….. on I-95 heading north in Florida there’s a billboard…. LAST CHANCE TO BUY GAS IN FLORIDA… Oh, I think to myself… better buy now. So I did. Then I crossed into Georgia and gas is much much cheaper…. oops. Hunter

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – "LAST GAS BEFORE YOSEMITE.  NO GAS IN YOSEMITE VALLEY!"  Their regular unleaded was $2.309.  Both statements were absolutely true – they were the last station before the Yosemite West entrance and there is no gas in Yosemite Valley.   What they didn’t mention was that about 10 miles inside of the gate, at Crane Flats, there is a gas station selling unleaded regular for $2.019. This reminds me of something I learned the hard way….. on I-95 heading north in Florida there’s a billboard…. LAST CHANCE TO BUY GAS IN FLORIDA… Oh, I think to myself… better buy now. So I did. Then I crossed into Georgia and gas is much much cheaper…. oops. Hunter

You forgot the "<g", right? Tell me you forgot the "<g". — bill Theory don’t mean squat if it don’t work.

Response:

You forgot the "<g", right? Tell me you forgot the "<g".

Nope, It was my first visit driving to Florida….. and driving back out of Florida.  I wasn’t pulling the trailer, I was in my 1996 Suburban.  I didn’t know about the price difference, I hadn’t bought gas in GA on the way down. /-: I thought it was funny that they had that LAST CHANCE TO BUY GAS IN FLORIDA sign….. it cost me, but it was funny. Hunter

Response:

You forgot the "<g", right? Tell me you forgot the "<g". Nope, It was my first visit driving to Florida….. and driving back out of Florida.  I wasn’t pulling the trailer, I was in my 1996 Suburban.  I didn’t know about the price difference, I hadn’t bought gas in GA on the way down. /-: I thought it was funny that they had that LAST CHANCE TO BUY GAS IN FLORIDA sign….. it cost me, but it was funny. Hunter

I have successfully restrained myself from commenting further. — bill Theory don’t mean squat if it don’t work.

Response:

FWIW, we drove through portions of NC, VA, WV, MD, PA, NY, CT, MA, and VT. (We didn’t hit NJ, RI, NH, or ME.) The highest prices we saw were in CT and NY.

I probably should have posted a link in my previous message. Here it is: http://www.taxfoundation.org/variousrates.html — Don Bradner www.arcatapet.net

Response:

FWIW, we drove through portions of NC, VA, WV, MD, PA, NY, CT, MA, and VT. (We didn’t hit NJ, RI, NH, or ME.) The highest prices we saw were in CT and NY. I probably should have posted a link in my previous message. Here it is: http://www.taxfoundation.org/variousrates.html

        I assure you those tax rates are *way* wrong- heck, we have a $.05/gallon *county* tax. The table at http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/wrgp/gasol… (which is from a little more than a year ago) give the Florida state gas tax as $.136/gallon-($.259 for diesel)  with a footnote that various other taxes add an average of $.123/gallon.         That said- Florida has no income tax, so gas taxes are, IMHO, the best way to charge the user for the service. — Chris Bryant Bryant RV Services- http://www.bryantrv.com

Response:

I saw a clever gimmick when we were in California in July.  We were staying just outside of the west entrance to Yosemite and there was a gas station there with a big sign – "LAST GAS BEFORE YOSEMITE.  NO GAS IN YOSEMITE VALLEY!"  Their regular unleaded was $2.309.  Both statements were absolutely true – they were the last station before the Yosemite West entrance and there is no gas in Yosemite Valley.   What they didn’t mention was that about 10 miles inside of the gate, at Crane Flats, there is a gas station selling unleaded regular for $2.019.On the other side, at Wawone, there is also a station selling for the same price – just nothing in the valley.

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Last year when prices took a big jump some here posted that they were going to have to cancel their vacations.  I remember pointing out that for the trip they planned the extra cost would be less than $20.  All they would have to do is pass up one of the T-Shirt counters.

Well, that works for folks who routinely hit the T-shirt counters. But what about those of us who already pass them up? Does this mean we can no longer afford to travel? <g WalMart might figure they can charge $10 a night for parking!

Can’t do it. If they did, they’d be in the campground business, which is not what their zoning and business licenses would permit (I’d bet). And the local campground owners would then have a legitimate complaint. Wal-Mart can give it away, but they can’t charge for it… GB in NC

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Last year when prices took a big jump some here posted that they were going to have to cancel their vacations.  I remember pointing out that for the trip they planned the extra cost would be less than $20.  All they would have to do is pass up one of the T-Shirt counters. Well, that works for folks who routinely hit the T-shirt counters. But what about those of us who already pass them up? Does this mean we can no longer afford to travel? <g WalMart might figure they can charge $10 a night for parking! Can’t do it. If they did, they’d be in the campground business, which is not what their zoning and business licenses would permit (I’d bet). And the local campground owners would then have a legitimate complaint. Wal-Mart can give it away, but they can’t charge for it… GB in NC

I’m sure most people do the same as we do.  If traveling gas is higher than expected, we just cut back in other areas, usually dining out.  Too bad for the restaurants but we allot a certain amount for traveling and we would rather cut back on dining out than miss some side trip.  We’ll remember the scenery long after we would have forgotten the meal. LZ

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Last year when prices took a big jump some here posted that they were going to have to cancel their vacations.  I remember pointing out that for the trip they planned the extra cost would be less than $20.  All they would have to do is pass up one of the T-Shirt counters. Well, that works for folks who routinely hit the T-shirt counters. But what about those of us who already pass them up? Does this mean we can no longer afford to travel? <g WalMart might figure they can charge $10 a night for parking! Can’t do it. If they did, they’d be in the campground business, which is not what their zoning and business licenses would permit (I’d bet). And the local campground owners would then have a legitimate complaint. Wal-Mart can give it away, but they can’t charge for it… GB in NC

Wail, down here WM’s gone into the used car business – put up a building in the parking lot for a sales office, roped off a couple of lanes, and installed a heavy-duty turntable. Of course, if the CGs in the area are getting $10 for full hookups, WM might only charge $3 for dry camping and $7 for full … (c8

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Took a day trip up to the Detroit Lakes area of Minnesota yesterday to spend a day fishing with two of the kids and their families. They have a cabin rented for a week but we had some appointments so didn’t want to take the motorhome up for just a day or two. Gas prices vary quite a bit in only 50-60 miles.  The entire Detroit Lakes area has gas at 1.33 which is not bad for Labor Day weekend.  As you get closer to the Koch refinery at St. Paul, the price goes up instead of down.  Half way there you are up to 1.50 a gallon. You will never convince me that local cabals don’t huddle and set gas prices.  That hogwash about transportation costs just doesn’t fly.  If that were true, the gas stations near refineries would have half price gas. LZ Gas prices are set by one criteria: "What the market can bear."  I see this all the time where I live. The places closest to me always have matching prices which are some of the highest in the area. Price drop by as much as ten cents/gal on down the road, and can vary more greatly between the stations. I almost never fill up locally because of that. Yep, and everything else we buy.  How come we don’t get big posts about what hamburger, milk and other stuff costs all over the country?  I would guess one reason is because the stores don’t post their prices on big billboards outside the supermarkets.

Nope.  It’s because there are alternatives and therefore competition. If beef is high, you buy pork or chicken and soon beef comes down.  If you need gas to go to work, you jolly well pay the price.  I appreciate those who stop traveling when gas prices go up, as it takes the pressure off those who still want to travel. The part about what the market can bear is only partly true where food is concerned.  Many foods are seasonal in nature, so you eat your fill when they are cheap and pass them by when they are expensive.  Freezers allow you to take advantage of sales and stockpile food but it is not easy to stockpile gasoline and still have it with you on the road.   It’s true our gas is cheap compared to most other countries but we don’t tax gasoline to pay a good share of our social welfare costs as these countries do. LZ

Response:

How come we don’t get big posts about what hamburger, milk and other stuff costs all over the country?  I would guess one reason is because the stores don’t post their prices on big billboards outside the supermarkets.

True, they don’t. But gas stations need to post only four prices to cover just about everybody. Anyway, to answer your question, assuming you were serious (and maybe you weren’t): RVers are probably more aware of fuel prices than food prices, because we have lifestyles that can be directly affected by fuel prices (over which we really have no control) — and while everybody has to eat, on the road and at home, there are food choices to suit every budget and taste. GB in NC

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How come we don’t get big posts about what hamburger, milk and other stuff costs all over the country?  I would guess one reason is because the stores don’t post their prices on big billboards outside the supermarkets. True, they don’t. But gas stations need to post only four prices to cover just about everybody. Anyway, to answer your question, assuming you were serious (and maybe you weren’t): RVers are probably more aware of fuel prices than food prices, because we have lifestyles that can be directly affected by fuel prices (over which we really have no control) — and while everybody has to eat, on the road and at home, there are food choices to suit every budget and taste. GB in NC

Yeah, I do the same thing.  I buy where I get the best price.  Always have.  And it is not just RVers that complain about the prices.  I used to commute 35 miles to work.  Fuel price was pretty important to me then too.  But when you get down to it the extra cost for gasoline is not as much as one might expect.  Of course it depends on how much travel you do.  Assuming 20K miles per year and if you get 10 MPG = 2000 gallons. If you pay as much as 20 cents extra that is $400 a year.  A little over a dollar a day.   10K miles per year would probably be more reasonable = $200 a year extra.   Last year when prices took a big jump some here posted that they were going to have to cancel their vacations.  I remember pointing out that for the trip they planned the extra cost would be less than $20.  All they would have to do is pass up one of the T-Shirt counters. But as with any commodity you charge what you can get.  The like the hotels the RV parks would charge $100 a night if they thought they could get the customers.  Watch out!!  WalMart might figure they can charge $10 a night for parking!  I guess they figure the goodwill is worth that much.

Response:

   I assure you those tax rates are *way* wrong- heck, we have a $.05/gallon *county* tax.

I see that, and that some counties are over 10 cents. It is clear that Florida is grossly represented in the table I pointed to, but many other states are right on or very close. It is probably impossible to compile a simple table that takes everything into account, since some states tax only on dollar amount (fuel-specific, not referring to the general sales taxes), and many add sales tax, including tax on the other taxes. The net effect, though, is that with only a couple of exceptions, most states have "final" rates in the 15-30 cent range, with the point being that it does not come close to explaining the 70-80 cent range typically found around the country. — Don Bradner www.arcatapet.net

Response:

You will never convince me that local cabals don’t huddle and set gas prices. I believe you.  That is, I believe you’ll never be convinced to anything about which you’ve made up yer mind.  It is, of course, foolhardy to believe there are NO "local cabals", but what some folks perceive as conspiracy is more often snooping around to see what the market will bear. Not illegal OR immoral. Will KD3XR

In that case I need to hang a big sign on the side of a truck and park it near the freeway.  I could let people know that gas is 15 cents per gallon cheaper not too many miles down the road. Wonder how they would like THOSE apples?  Think gas prices would come down?  I bet they would. LZ

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Took a day trip up to the Detroit Lakes area of Minnesota yesterday to spend a day fishing with two of the kids and their families. They have a cabin rented for a week but we had some appointments so didn’t want to take the motorhome up for just a day or two. Gas prices vary quite a bit in only 50-60 miles.  The entire Detroit Lakes area has gas at 1.33 which is not bad for Labor Day weekend.  As you get closer to the Koch refinery at St. Paul, the price goes up instead of down.  Half way there you are up to 1.50 a gallon. You will never convince me that local cabals don’t huddle and set gas prices.  That hogwash about transportation costs just doesn’t fly.  If that were true, the gas stations near refineries would have half price gas. LZ Gas prices are set by one criteria: "What the market can bear."  I see this all the time where I live. The places closest to me always have matching prices which are some of the highest in the area. Price drop by as much as ten cents/gal on down the road, and can vary more greatly between the stations. I almost never fill up locally because of that.

Yep, and everything else we buy.  How come we don’t get big posts about what hamburger, milk and other stuff costs all over the country?  I would guess one reason is because the stores don’t post their prices on big billboards outside the supermarkets.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Took a day trip up to the Detroit Lakes area of Minnesota yesterday to spend a day fishing with two of the kids and their families. They have a cabin rented for a week but we had some appointments so didn’t want to take the motorhome up for just a day or two. Gas prices vary quite a bit in only 50-60 miles.  The entire Detroit Lakes area has gas at 1.33 which is not bad for Labor Day weekend.  As you get closer to the Koch refinery at St. Paul, the price goes up instead of down.  Half way there you are up to 1.50 a gallon. You will never convince me that local cabals don’t huddle and set gas prices.  That hogwash about transportation costs just doesn’t fly.  If that were true, the gas stations near refineries would have half price gas. LZ You might check on variance in local taxes. Some Metro areas include extra taxes for mass transit or anything the govmint decides.

Not applicable in this case.  I don’t know where Detroit Lakes is, but seem to remember lots of Indian Reservations in Manysoda.

The White Earth reservation is not far north of there but I doubt that is the reason.  Last week I took the same roads and bought gas for $1.30 only 45 miles up the road, at least a hundred miles from the nearest res.  We have one in East Texas selling gas with no taxes, so much cheaper.

We travel through many Indian reservations and I have never seen a significant difference.  A few cents at most. LZ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – MTV — "MTV" Reply needs modification to work, or in Outlook Express send New Norton AV for any virus.

Response:

Prices over here vary by state, largely due to variations in the state gas taxes. That is commonly mentioned, but hard to work out in reality.

Okay, I bow to your greater wisdom. I haven’t bothered to check tax rates — I just watch the prices as I drive. You saw a variation of 26 cents per gallon. As of December 31, 2001, only two states had rates less than 4 cents per gallon, Florida and Alaska, neither on your route. North Carolina was 24.3 cents, and Vermont was 19 cent.

That’s interesting. Gas at stations throughout VT was a nickel to a dime more than at comparable stations that I know about in NC. And while of course I didn’t encounter GA or FL on this trip, GA always has *far* lower prices than FL. I would have assumed the tax to be lower in GA. (I know — that’s what I get for assuming.) I don’t know your route, but the highest I can find in states you might have passed through was Rhode Island at 28 cents (highest state of all). Connecticut was 25 cents per gallon. At the other end, the lowest would be New Jersey at 10.5 cents.

FWIW, we drove through portions of NC, VA, WV, MD, PA, NY, CT, MA, and VT. (We didn’t hit NJ, RI, NH, or ME.) The highest prices we saw were in CT and NY. We paid the most in CT and MA and the least in VA — but of course we didn’t buy gas in every state. We have a range of "up to" <g 500 miles, but I usually refuel at between 250 and 400. GB in NC

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Took a day trip up to the Detroit Lakes area of Minnesota yesterday to spend a day fishing with two of the kids and their families. They have a cabin rented for a week but we had some appointments so didn’t want to take the motorhome up for just a day or two. Gas prices vary quite a bit in only 50-60 miles.  The entire Detroit Lakes area has gas at 1.33 which is not bad for Labor Day weekend.  As you get closer to the Koch refinery at St. Paul, the price goes up instead of down.  Half way there you are up to 1.50 a gallon. You will never convince me that local cabals don’t huddle and set gas prices.  That hogwash about transportation costs just doesn’t fly.  If that were true, the gas stations near refineries would have half price gas. LZ

Gas prices are set by one criteria: "What the market can bear."  I see this all the time where I live. The places closest to me always have matching prices which are some of the highest in the area. Price drop by as much as ten cents/gal on down the road, and can vary more greatly between the stations. I almost never fill up locally because of that.

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We drove 2600+ miles in nine days and averaged 15+ mpg — using mostly secondary roads and driving more slowly than usual. We paid anywhere from $1.199 to $1.459. (Prices over here vary by state, largely due to variations in the state gas taxes.)

That is commonly mentioned, but hard to work out in reality. You saw a variation of 26 cents per gallon. As of December 31, 2001, only two states had rates less than 4 cents per gallon, Florida and Alaska, neither on your route. North Carolina was 24.3 cents, and Vermont was 19 cent. I don’t know your route, but the highest I can find in states you might have passed through was Rhode Island at 28 cents (highest state of all). Connecticut was 25 cents per gallon. At the other end, the lowest would be New Jersey at 10.5 cents. Out here where I am in California, the state gas tax is 18 cents. Prices locally vary between 1.839 and 1.859, down about 4 cents over the past 3 months. Reason given is the cost of barging it into Humboldt Bay is high. There are only two distributors (regardless of the brand of station you go to, you will find the same plain silver tankers filling them up). The argument falls apart, though, when you visit smaller communities 50 miles away serviced by the same tankers filled from the same barges, and the price will be lower. Presumably, as Will says, the demand/supply ratio is higher here in the population centers around the bay, so we pay more because they can get more. — Don Bradner www.arcatapet.net

Response:

Hi from a newbie,

Hi, Andy, and welcome. $1.50 a gallon, makes me wish I lived in America, prices over here in UK are

Question:

Hey Bill,     Do you ever fish for them with Dries Skated on the surface? That’s a popular tactic up here on many rivers for their bigger brothers so I was just curious how well they took a skated fly. Gary – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi All, September is one of the top months for these small trout sized steelhead. They are 16" and bigger with fish over 20".  Mat Johnson of Kiene’s Fly Shop caught a 27" fish this week. This is the best return we have had in 3 or 4 years. I would try from Goethe Park  downstream to Pardise Beach. Morning and evening is best when the light level in lower.  We use #5, #6 or #7 weight outfits with floating lines in the AM and PM so we can swing wet flies down and accoss to these hot fish. In the day time you can use sinktip lines or indicator fish in the riffles. We use a 9′ 3x leader. We like #8, 10 and 12 wet flies. Some popular patterns are any small steelhead pattern like the Brindle Bug, Assassin, Renegade, Coachman, Burlap and Silver Hilton.  Many trout nymphs or soft hackle wets work well like the This same fishing is happening on the lower Klamath and lower Rogue Rivers as I type this info.

Response:

Hi All, September is one of the top months for these small trout sized steelhead. They are 16" and bigger with fish over 20".  Mat Johnson of Kiene’s Fly Shop caught a 27" fish this week. This is the best return we have had in 3 or 4 years. I would try from Goethe Park  downstream to Pardise Beach. Morning and evening is best when the light level in lower.  We use #5, #6 or #7 weight outfits with floating lines in the AM and PM so we can swing wet flies down and accoss to these hot fish. In the day time you can use sinktip lines or indicator fish in the riffles. We use a 9′ 3x leader. We like #8, 10 and 12 wet flies. Some popular patterns are any small steelhead pattern like the Brindle Bug, Assassin, Renegade, Coachman, Burlap and Silver Hilton.  Many trout nymphs or soft hackle wets work well like the This same fishing is happening on the lower Klamath and lower Rogue Rivers as I type this info.

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Question:

Hi, I need some help by experienced fly fishers and I think this is the right place. I live in the eastern italian Alps and am looking for a good way to catch the european whitefish, as they say it swims somewhere here. The matter is: I don’t simply know how to catch it. I thought "why not a fly?", yeah, but which fly? Then I am running into fantasy. I’m sure someone out there has experience on the matter. Thanks in advance, Bepo

Response:

Bepo I need some help by experienced fly fishers and I think this is Bepo the right place. I live in the eastern italian Alps and am Bepo looking for a good way to catch the european whitefish, as they Bepo say it swims somewhere here. The matter is: I don’t simply know Bepo how to catch it. I thought "why not a fly?", yeah, but which Bepo fly? Then I am running into fantasy. I’m sure someone out there Bepo has experience on the matter. I’m no expert (well that’s a start for an advice ), but the Swedish fly Superpuppan was originally developed for whitefish fishing, although not in your waters. You might still want to check it out and try it in your local caddis colors: http://www.virtualflybox.com/f0100/f0173.html Note that the hackle is cut off from over and below the hook shank. Also, use a high-quality hackle so that the fly hangs in the surface. — Jarmo Hurri address or apply rot13 to header email address.

Response:

Hi, I need some help by experienced fly fishers and I think this is the right place. I live in the eastern italian Alps and am looking for a good way to catch the european whitefish, as they say it swims somewhere here. The matter is: I don’t simply know how to catch it. I thought "why not a fly?", yeah, but which fly? Then I am running into fantasy. I’m sure someone out there has experience on the matter. Thanks in advance, Bepo

I have twice fished for this fish ( Coregonus laveratus), in some large German lakes.  On both occasions, I was with an experienced local fisherman in a boat and equipment known as a "hegene" was used.  This is basically a special paternoster system for jigging, using ( five) nymphs as droppers. Mostly it is used by professional fishermen. The only information I can offer you is in German.  Here is a picture of the equipment used; http://www.hegenenfischen.de/Hegene/Bild_Hegene/bild_hegene.html Normally a very sensitive fly rod is used, and a centrepin reel.  Here are some pictures; http://www.angelprofi.at/Die%20Renke.htm#Die%20Hegene Renke ( whitefish) are considered a great delicacy, especially smoked, but are more or less useless as sport fish.  I assume you wish to catch them to eat? It is also apparently possible to catch them using "normal" jigging equipment and small slim jigs.  In many places they are also fished for using natural bait ( mainly minnows) also usually on paternoster systems. TL MC

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"Mike" shared a nice experience fishing for Whitefish. I have twice fished for this fish (Coregonus laveratus), in some large German lakes. <Snipped, great information Up here in the Pacific Northwest we have The mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) and on at least two trout rivers, the Deschutes and the Crooked River in Oregon, whitefish have considerably larger populations than trout.  The population estimate for the mainstream Deschutes River is 5,000 whitefish per mile. Since I release just about everything I catch these days, I think they are a nice addition to most of the fisheries around here.  They seem to take the same patterns as the trout and I have heard of some patterns tied just for the whitefish, although I have never seen one and I can’t seem to find one on the web today. Chris Fanning

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 Up here in the Pacific Northwest we have The mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) and on at least two trout rivers, the Deschutes and the Crooked River in Oregon, whitefish have considerably larger populations than trout.  The population estimate for the mainstream Deschutes River is 5,000 whitefish per mile. Since I release just about everything I catch these days, I think they are a nice addition to most of the fisheries around here.  They seem to take the same patterns as the trout and I have heard of some patterns tied just for the whitefish, although I have never seen one and I can’t seem to find one on the web today.

I think they’re fun to catch. JeffC has a well deserved reputation as ROFF’s Whitefish expert. RW has a couple of Whitefish patterns. Personally I’m glad that Whitefish seem to be starting to get a better reputation as a game fish. Although some anglers will still throw them in the bushes, this is much less common. Last Fall on the ranch section of Henry’s Fork, the Whitefish would feed right next to the trout. I caught a couple very large Whitefish on dries. On the Madison, Warren and myself found what must of been close to a hundred Whitefish feeding on Trico’s in the outside curve of a section of rapids. Willi

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On the Deschutes below Warm Springs we caught many whitefish while nymphing for rainbows. The Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear (# 12 medium weighted) was my fly of choice when the trout weren’t rising. It seems when we caught one "snooter" in a riffle, we would catch several more in the same spot. They seemed to congregate together. My guess…. And, on the Weber river in Utah 25 or 30 years ago (good trout river), I witnessed a fishermen taking whitefish on a small ( # 14 or smaller) very light colored cream nymph. He was using a spinning rod combo and fishing a school (sp?) of whitefish. Guy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –  Up here in the Pacific Northwest we have The mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) and on at least two trout rivers, the Deschutes and the Crooked River in Oregon, whitefish have considerably larger populations than trout.  The population estimate for the mainstream Deschutes River is 5,000 whitefish per mile. Since I release just about everything I catch these days, I think they are a nice addition to most of the fisheries around here.  They seem to take the same patterns as the trout and I have heard of some patterns tied just for the whitefish, although I have never seen one and I can’t seem to find one on the web today. I think they’re fun to catch. JeffC has a well deserved reputation as ROFF’s Whitefish expert. RW has a couple of Whitefish patterns. Personally I’m glad that Whitefish seem to be starting to get a better reputation as a game fish. Although some anglers will still throw them in the bushes, this is much less common. Last Fall on the ranch section of Henry’s Fork, the Whitefish would feed right next to the trout. I caught a couple very large Whitefish on dries. On the Madison, Warren and myself found what must of been close to a hundred Whitefish feeding on Trico’s in the outside curve of a section of rapids. Willi

Response:

The European whitefish and the mountain whitefish of the North American west are in different genera, so parallels drawn or assumed to exist between them (in the absence of first-hand experience) are suspect in my book. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

Last Fall on the ranch section of Henry’s Fork, the Whitefish would feed right next to the trout. I caught a couple very large Whitefish on dries. On the Madison, Warren and myself found what must of been close to a hundred Whitefish feeding on Trico’s in the outside curve of a section of rapids.

I caught all mine on nymphs – none on dries.  At first I just assumed it was because of how the whitefish mouth is shaped and angled, but you and others have caught them on dries, so obviously they’re able to take flies off the surface.

Response:

I think they’re fun to catch. JeffC has a well deserved reputation as ROFF’s Whitefish expert. RW has a couple of Whitefish patterns.

Chamois nymphs work great, if you don’t mind approaching dangerously close to baitfishing. Copper Johns are also deadly, but they’re unethical, too. Galvanic action. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

On the Deschutes below Warm Springs we caught many whitefish while nymphing for rainbows. The Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear (# 12 medium weighted) was my fly of choice when the trout weren’t rising. It seems when we caught one "snooter" in a riffle, we would catch several more in the same spot. They seemed to congregate together. My guess…. ……

On the very upper Deschutes (above Crane Prairie) the rainbows seem to segregate themselves.  Most runs, pools and riffles you know will contain only rainbows.  Brookies and whitefish, however, tend to share pools. There are a number of deep brook trout holes from which I’ll pull three or four whitefish for each brookie.  I used to think of the whitefish as a sort of admission fee–something you just had to go through, to get past, in order to hook a trout.  In latter years, I’ve come to enjoy catching them as much as the brookies, especially since, on average, they’re a good deal larger.  Powerful fighters, too, and when smoked, fine eating. JR

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http://www.virtualflybox.com/f0100/f0173.html

Ok thanks, more or less I have an idea, an emerging caddis can work. I am going to find out which caddises dwell in the place, so that I can choose the best colours. I was thinking also to a pond olive, they live in that lake and probably whitefish eats it. Bepo

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I have twice fished for this fish ( Coregonus laveratus)

C. lavaretus is the species italians introduced in their lakes during the XIX century. The only information I can offer you is in German.

In two weeks with a dictionary I can read nearly everything (nearly). I assume you wish to catch them to eat?

I will try to catch it to find out if I am able to do it, I don’t like to eat freshwater fish, they are few in number, overfished and not so good at taste, it’s better to let ‘em live. Except for invasive alloctonous species, like rainbow trout and brown trout. Bepo

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The European whitefish and the mountain whitefish of the North American west are in different genera, so parallels drawn or assumed to exist between them (in the absence of first-hand experience) are suspect in my

book. addition, none of them belong to the same genera as the mountain whitefish, bluegills, red eared sunfish, smallmouth bass, rock bass, or black crappie. I have caught all of the above (as well as many others) on elk hair caddis, pt nymphs, pass lakes, grhe, pickett pins, wooly buggers, ants, and hoppers (as well as many others).  Parallels drawn or assumed to exist between them are safe enough in MY book. Wolfgang

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RW wrote "Copper Johns are also deadly, but they’re unethical, too. Galvanic action. " — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ Damn! and I just tied up 2 dozen of them!  I wish you would tell me what flies were unethical before I tie them up I suppose –  to be pure and all – If it catches fish, its probably unethical as a general rule. jh

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Damn! and I just tied up 2 dozen of them!  I wish you would tell me what flies were unethical before I tie them up

If you use anything other than your snout or paws, it’s unethical. <g — Charlie…

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Personally I’m glad that Whitefish seem to be starting to get a better reputation as a game fish. Although some anglers will still throw them in the bushes, this is much less common.

I spent a few days floating the Big Horn with a local guide who grew up on the reservation there.  He sure knew his river, and boy could he handle that boat with authority.   Occasionally I’d hookup with a WFish and the guide seem to get extremely upset about it, I mean really mad.  I’ll never forget him taking those large suckers and huckin’ ‘em as far as he could onto the nearest bank, into the bushes.  He’d call them trash fish and pontificate how they were a disgrace to the fishery…. To this day, I still feel bad about that.  It just didn’t set well with me at all. K

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<SNIP Occasionally I’d hookup with a WFish and the guide seem to get extremely upset about it, I mean really mad.  I’ll never forget him taking those large suckers and huckin’ ‘em as far as he could onto the nearest bank, into the bushes.  He’d call them trash fish and pontificate how they were a disgrace to the fishery…. To this day, I still feel bad about that.  It just didn’t set well with me at all.

Years ago, literally tons of Grayling were caught from certain rivers, and thrown up on the bank. Lots of pike were also destroyed in this way.  There are still one or two stupid and short-sighted people who consider grayling a pest. Apart from that, something rather puzzles me.  If people catch and release, what does it matter what they catch and release? Or is it that there is some indefinable but somehow much greater kudos involved in catching certain salmonids? There are plenty of other fish which are just as challenging to catch, some a lot more so than trout etc. As a general rule, I keep sizeable takeable fish I catch, but I consider others as a bonus usually, ( even if I am obliged to release them), and not as pests. I just like catching fish, I am not overly fussy what type. Just curiosity, no wish to start a C&R debate. TL MC

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Years ago, literally tons of Grayling were caught from certain rivers, and thrown up on the bank. Lots of pike were also destroyed in this way. There are still one or two stupid and short-sighted people who consider grayling a pest.

I

Question:

I called Scott at 7:15 yesterday morning and got his answering machine. The

cut out the other stuff so it wouldn’t piss me off any more The sun was a fiery ball touching the mountains as I was driving home. As often as I fish, today was so incredibly perfect that will remain with me for the rest of my life. bruce

As Dr. Hook once said "Beautiful". Wish I was there big Al

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I called Scott at 7:15 yesterday morning and got his answering machine. The weather forcast said 47 degrees and partly cloudy. Damn, I wanted to go fishing! I Gave Scott twenty minutes and called again. This time he picked up on the second ring. "I knew it was you, he said". " I was just watching the weather channel so I knew you’d be calling."  We agreed to meet at his place in an hour. Rushing around the house, I threw a quick lunch together, grabbed my gear,and kissed my wife as I headed out the door. I noticed that the trees were starting to bud out along the river, hinting of spring just a week away as I zoomed down the interstate to meet Scott at our appointed time. We decided to float from Holter dam to Craig, hoping that the trout would be rising to midges in some of our favorite spots. If not we would fish streamers until we found rising fish. After running our shuttle we were finally on the water! Since we took Scott’s boat, I offered to row first, which he readily accepted. Floating quietly down the river I was intoxicated by the fresh smell of the Missouri as the geese honked indignantly at our passing. Everywhere were signs of spring. The greening of the willows, The myriads of ducks and geese already pairing up for nesting and the eagles screaming from the cliffs overhead. We found a pod of nice trout rising to midge emergers on a seam next to a gravel bar behind an island. Scott was using a Griffiths gnat with a wd40 emerger as a dropper. I elected to start off with a size twenty sparkle midge pattern without a dropper. Scott was fast into a 15 inch rainbow. After his third fish, I dropped my purist ways and tied on a red brassie as a dropper and in three casts was onto a fish of my own. We were able to coax a couple more fish to the fly before deciding to move on. Things slowed down for a while so we switched to streamers.  we caught a couple more  fish on brown woolybuggers but the dry fly action had stopped for the time being. The day slipped by all to quickly as we drifted down this magnificent river. We reflected on fishing trips in the past and planned trips for the future. I reminded Scott of the Skwala hatch on the Dearborn next month and the Salmon fly hatch on a small stream we keep quiet about.  All to soon we were within sight of Craig and the end of our day. " Let’s go check out that back channel above the rocks." I suggested.  Scott manuvered the boat quietly into the backwater. Two really nice fish were sipping midges just at the limits of my casting ability. The water was perfectly calm reflecting the sky and mountains in a tapestry of springtime colors. On my fifth cast the fly landed perfectly. Without hesitation,the trout poked his head out of the water and delicately plucked my "gnat" from the surface. "That’s enough for me" I told Scott as I released the chrome colored beauty. "You fish the rest of the way out." As we floated the last half mile Scott hooked and released seven trout including a beautiful nineteen inch brown. All on a woolybugger that had a blown hackle trailing behind it. "Hey if it works why change!" He laughed. The sun was a fiery ball touching the mountains as I was driving home. As often as I fish, today was so incredibly perfect that will remain with me for the rest of my life. bruce

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Question:

Howdy FFers, I was planning on a 3 day float trip with an outfitter in Oregon in September with some friends.  Has anyone been on one of these trips in September?  Which river could give the best experience for some "inexperienced"  Flyfishers…

snip John I would opt for floating the Deschutes from Mack’s Canyon to the mouth.  Should be excellent steelhead fishing at that time of the year.  I highly reccommend the crew at the Fly Fishing Shop at Welches, Or.  Excellent guides and great company.  They only run three guides and two of them are the owners.   Try www.teleport.com/~flyfish/ for a description of their trips or call them at 503-622-4607.  I think they also have a 1-800 number.  800-266-3971 but have never used it so can’t swear it’s still a valid number.   No finicial relationship just a satisfied customer. Jim Jones For e-mail reply replace spam with sns Jim Jones For e-mail reply replace spam with sns

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Howdy FFers, I was planning on a 3 day float trip with an outfitter in Oregon in September with some friends.  Has anyone been on one of these trips in September?  Which river could give the best experience for some "inexperienced"  Flyfishers… Best wilderness?  Best outfit?  We could do trout, steelhead, or smallmouth for fun.   Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for your help, -John —        My Policy is to ALWAYS Blame the Computer

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Question:

I’m interested in fishing from a kayak and have seen ads from a California company that makes a molded plastic catamaran-style kayak they claim is "designed for fishermen."  Anyone have any experience with Mendocino Kayaks? Obviously I’d like something that paddles easily, is relatively stable, light-weight and car-toppable.  I’d welcome comments and suggestions.

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I currently own an Ocean Kayak malibu II, I love it. Its a two seater so maybe a single for you? The "sit on top" kayaks are real stable to fish from , which is my main reason for my purchacing one. I dont know your type of fishing, mine is fly fishing salt water flats and channels.Maybe this will help. Good luck mike – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m interested in fishing from a kayak and have seen ads from a California company that makes a molded plastic catamaran-style kayak they claim is "designed for fishermen."  Anyone have any experience with Mendocino Kayaks? Obviously I’d like something that paddles easily, is relatively stable, light-weight and car-toppable.  I’d welcome comments and suggestions.

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Question:

I’m an italian fly fisherman,i will be in Vancouver for the next August i need some address of fly fishing shops, thanks Massimiliano

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I’m an italian fly fisherman,i will be in Vancouver for the next August i need some address of fly fishing shops, thanks Massimiliano i do not know which vancouver you are asking about (B.C. or WA), both have great fishing nearby.  if you meant vancouver, wa you might try The Greased Line Fly Shop at 360-573-9383.  i have been in a couple times and they are knowledgeable in the ways of steelhead. Enjoy the west coast while you’re out here.  If you meant BC, forget this message

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I’m an italian fly fisherman,i will be in Vancouver for the next August i need some address of fly fishing shops, thanks Massimiliano

If Vancouver BC: Babcock’s 931-5044 Michael & Young’s 588-2833 Outdoors unlimited 463-0707 Ruddick’s 434-2420(Burnaby) or 681-3747 (Granville Island – downtown) Terminal Tackle 536-4665 B.

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m an italian fly fisherman,i will be in Vancouver for the next August i need some address of fly fishing shops, thanks Massimiliano If Vancouver BC: Babcock’s 931-5044 Michael & Young’s 588-2833 Outdoors unlimited 463-0707 Ruddick’s 434-2420(Burnaby) or 681-3747 (Granville Island – downtown) Terminal Tackle 536-4665 B.

Ruddicks in Burnaby will be moving soon.  They have a sale on stuff ’til the end of the month. — The views expressed are my own and does not represent those of my employer.

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  Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.fishing.fly   Ruddicks in Burnaby will be moving soon.  They have a sale on stuff ’til   the end of the month.

How does (did) the Burnaby branch compare to the Granville Island store in terms of selection etc.  I’ve never been to that branch. thanks,         -tony — Tony Gades. Seattle, WA.  USA http://weber.u.washington.edu/~tgades http://weber.u.washington.edu/~tgades/Fishing/fish_page.html email: replace the "this_address_is_wrong" with "tgades"

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SNIP How does (did) the Burnaby branch compare to the Granville Island store in terms of selection etc.  I’ve never been to that branch. thanks,         -tony — Tony Gades. Seattle, WA.  USA http://weber.u.washington.edu/~tgades http://weber.u.washington.edu/~tgades/Fishing/fish_page.html email: replace the "this_address_is_wrong" with "tgades"

Burnaby store is older, larger, more stuff, more selection, less swanky.  They also offer fly tying classes there.                         -cheers — The views expressed are my own and does not represent those of my employer.

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:   Ruddicks in Burnaby will be moving soon.  They have a sale on stuff ’til :   the end of the month. : How does (did) the Burnaby branch compare to the Granville Island : store in terms of selection etc.  I’ve never been to that branch. The store out in Burnaby was "the big one", while the one on Granville Island was a small one meant to snag a few bucks from the large number of folks who go down to the island daily. Not certain why they’re closing out that location. I like Michael & Young; I also visit a little place called "Hanson’s" (perhaps "Hansen’s") in the high-rent district in downtown Van (it’s on Hornby, I believe, only a couple of blocks from my employer’s corporate offices in the Waterfron Centre). Not big, few tying supplies, but you can buy a rod and a few flies, or book a guide who can speak Japanese or Cantonese or German. — 3798 Woodland Drive     voice: (250) 368-9315 Trail, BC               data:  (250) 368-9341

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For Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada I would recommend my favorite, Michael & Young Flyshop in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver.(604-588-2833) The shop is a short walk (1/2 mile) from the Surrey skytrain station by Surrey Centre Mall (30 min. skytrain ride from downtown).  They supply equipment and excellent advice to flyfishermen looking for action locally, at  not too distant hotspots like Kamloops, Merritt, or Vancouver Island (2-3 hrs drive) or even in exotic places like Mexico.  Ruddicks Fly Shop in Burnaby (another suburb) may be closer and is supposed to provide similar service, though I haven’t been there. (604-434-2420) Hope you enjoy your trip. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m an italian fly fisherman,i will be in Vancouver for the next August i need some address of fly fishing shops,

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I’m an italian fly fisherman,i will be in Vancouver for the next August i need some address of fly fishing shops, thanks Massimiliano

For Vancouver BC try Hanson’s Fishing Outfitters, 102-580 Hornby Street, in downtown Vancouver. Ph 604 684 8988.  They also have a web site but I don’t know the URL. Peter Sealy

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Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You do not specify what type of Japanese Maples these are, but…. I would recommend not pruning your Japanese Maple.  My wife’s grandmother had some very nice old maples that we had to prune every year, only because some gardner had once pruned them back.   Her/our experience was that once they’re pruned the pruned ends bush out and sucker heavily.  Every year these trees (15-20 feet tall) would bush out and become so thick you couldn’t see into them.  The pleasure of the japanese maple is the open, airy look, which was totally destroyed by the pruning. G-maw railed on and on every year about how they should never have touched those trees.  She was quite an experienced gardner and ikebana instructor, and knew her stuff.  In her opinion, the only pruning that should ever be done is to remove large branches to help promote the open feel these trees should have.  The natural shape is wonderful if you just let it go and grow up…

   My advice is also non-professional, and while I agree with these sentiments about what happens if you prune badly, it doesn’t follow that J. Maples shouldn’t be pruned.  It’s certainly true that if you lop off a major branch of most deciduous trees, the tree will put out many shoots from that point and generally look bad.  The proper thing is to prune early to establish the shape of the tree as it grows…and this pruning should generally be of complete stems or branches.  If you must cut off a thicker branch or stem other than at the base, it should be just beyond a smaller side branch that you expect to provide a better shape.  It may still be necessary to get rid of suckers, but they are easily rubbed off with your thumb when small, and the resprouting does not go on forever.   I too like the open airy look of a properly trimmed J. Maple, but this rarely happens by accident or neglect. — Lloyd Fortney http://www.phy.duke.edu/~fortney/ has links to my garden, flower, flyfishing, and travel JPEG images as well as teaching, research, and stuff like that

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I LOVE THIS COMMENT AND INTEND TO PLAIGERIZE IT(SP): This is non-professional advice and if followed, voids your warranty… MY SENTIMENTS EXACTLY!!! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – In our yard in Tuscaloosa, Alabama we have nice small three year old Japanese Maple  in need of pruning for better shaping, etc.  Is it OK to prune branches now

Question:

I just tie the dropper leader to the bend of my hook.  This doesn’t work so good if you are tying with barbless hooks because the hump that is created when you debarb keeps the tippet from sliding off the hook.  I to have had two fish on at once a few times and find that the bigger on usually gets away.

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Question:  How would one go about fishing a double rig?  Do you just tie a dropper loop somewhere up the leader, or tie a second leader to the back of the first fly’s hook?  I fished the Middle Fork of the South Platte at Tomahawk SWA yesterday, and chatted with a guy who recommended that I fish a streamer in tandem with the hopper I’d already been using. Says he caught an 8-pound brown out of that small stream with that same rig!  BTW, fishing wasn’t too bad, but a 40 mph north wind cropped up at about 7:30 p.m., just in time to blow away all the caddis flies that had become active… — MORGAN P. BROWN                 Colorado School of Mines                 Rice University                 Phone:   (303) 215-9190 URL:     http://timna.mines.edu/~mbrown                http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~mpbro

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Question:  How would one go about fishing a double rig?  Do you just tie a dropper loop somewhere up the leader, or tie a second leader to the back of the first fly’s hook?  I fished the Middle Fork of the South Platte at Tomahawk SWA yesterday, and chatted with a guy who recommended that I fish a streamer in tandem with the hopper I’d already been using. Says he caught an 8-pound brown out of that small stream with that same rig!  BTW, fishing wasn’t too bad, but a 40 mph north wind cropped up at about 7:30 p.m., just in time to blow away all the caddis flies that had become active… — MORGAN P. BROWN                     Colorado School of Mines             Rice University                     Phone:   (303) 215-9190 URL:     http://timna.mines.edu/~mbrown           http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~mpbro

Morgan, I used a double rig this weekend at Burrels Ford on the Chattoogga River this past weekend and caught a nice brown.  Grant it a nice Brown for this stream is somewhere around 12 to 13 inches, but it was big around.  I used a Tennessee Wullf with a WD-40 dropper however.  It took the Tennessee Wullf and not the dropper.  My luck with droppers hasn’t been all that great, but I figure,  with another fly in the water I am doubling my chances! Have a good’un! Walt Whitman    

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Question:  How would one go about fishing a double rig?  Do you just tie a dropper loop somewhere up the leader, or tie a second leader to the back of the first fly’s hook?

Around here it is common to simply tie the fly off and then tie another piece of tippet (usually 1x less then the first) directly to the eye again…. I hate ASCII pics…but here goes              where: ——- is line in and out                     ~ are the respective cinch knots                     o is the hook eye This seems awkward, but it is easy and it works.  The idea behind having 1x less on the tip fly is that if it gets snagged, you won’t lose both… Hope this helps… TimW

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[deleted] and not the dropper.  My luck with droppers hasn’t been all that great, but I figure,  with another fly in the water I am doubling my chances!

of getting a snag ! TimW

Response:

Question:  How would one go about fishing a double rig?  Do you just tie a dropper loop somewhere up the leader, or tie a second leader to the back of the first fly’s hook?  

Morgan,       I fish two flies frequently for bass and panfish, attaching the second fly’s leader to the bend in the first hook by a loop.  The loop-to-hook connection seems to be OK for strenght, but ocasionally the leader and trailing fly come off for no aparently reason, so it’s probably more secure (if less convienent) to attach them to the hook with an improved cinch knot.   —

Response:

Morgan, We often fish double rigs in South Africa.  The way that I used to do it is to simply to tie the dropper on to the main leader as a second tippet, using a hard mono such as mason to do it.  This resulted in many tangles.  I then adopted the New Zealand style of tying a second tippet from the eye of the first fly.  This has worked great for me, especially with dry and nymph/buzzer combinations fished on a dead drift on rivers, or drifting with the wind on lakes.  I have twice had 2 fish on at the same time, which is a problem, because the larger one always breaks ! Fishing this method is the reason for my recent queries on flourocarbon. Cheers Bruce

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Question:

I’m after a good method to clean both floating and sinking flylines? Also does any one have a good method of removing the coil out of lines and making them subtle again (the lines are Cortlands and are only one season old, hence I don’t wish to replace them quite yet). Many thanks,  Steve.

Response:

Steve, Fly lines can be cleaned with mild detergents and water (like dishwashing liquid) to remove most dirt and scum.  If the line is really dirty you can step up to a more concentrated cleaner like 409 or Fantastic.  Quality fly line coatings are PVC based and not adversely effected by common cleaning materials.  We even use lacquer thinner to clean the tar and dirt off of the "street" lines used for rod demos here at the shop without adverse effect, although I wouldn’t recommend it unless absolutely necessary. After cleaning, the line should be treated with a good line dressing to rejuvinate the surface lubricants and increase shootability.  The line dressing may also help increase the suppleness of your line and reduce coiling. Good Luck! Clay

Response:

The best flyline cleaner we have found is distributed by Umpqua Feather Merchants and is called "Glide." Glide not only cleans the dirt and grime off of the line but it also leaves a slick coating behind which adds to the shootability of your line. They also sell plastic boxes with foam inserts that you pull your line thorugh to strip the dirt and coat the line. The whole setup will run you about ten bucks. Let me know if you’re having trouble finding it. As far as coils go, I imagine that you’re referring to your sinking line primarily. I have yet to find a full proof method for combatting this problem. My only reccomendation is to not use a leather leader straightener because you can’t tell how much heat/friction you’re generating and can easily melt the exterior coating on your lines. Good Luck and I’m anxious to hear if you receive any responses helping to cure this problem. Western Rivers Flyfisher {full service fly shop and outfitter} 867 East 900 South – SLC, UT 84105 (800)545-4312~~(801)521-6424~~fax(801)521-6329 Green River reports, Utah fishing conditions, and statewide guide info.

Response:

The best flyline cleaner we have found is distributed by Umpqua Feather Merchants and is called "Glide." …. line. The whole setup will run you about ten bucks. Let me know if you’re having trouble finding it. Western Rivers Flyfisher {full service fly shop and outfitter}

And I think I know where… I was at the Delaware River Club last weekend and I asked Bob Wills about a cleaner.  He said, "wanna see what I use?" and he held up a Armoral sprayer and then he gave me a couple of the Cortland pads. That’s that kind of treatment that will keep me coming back to a flyshop. — John Fereira Isis Distributed Systems  Ithaca, NY

Response:

[snipped the recommendation on line cleaner] As far as coils go, I imagine that you’re referring to your sinking line primarily. I have yet to find a full proof method for combatting this problem. My only reccomendation is to not use a leather leader straightener because you can’t tell how much heat/friction you’re generating and can easily melt the exterior coating on your lines. Good Luck and I’m anxious to hear if you receive any responses helping to cure this problem.

I’ve found that the only way to take the "coil" out of fly lines – especially in with saltwater lines in cold weather – is to "stretch" the line out. I just grab about 4-5 feet of line between both hands, build up some stretching force – holding it for a few seconds – then slide the line along to do the next 4-5 feet, until I’ve gotten about 60-70 feet of the line straightened out. Tedious to be sure, but it works, and AFAIK there’s no risk to damaging the line. It’s well worth the 5 or so minutes it takes to stretch out the "memory"… <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< < Digital Equipment Corp.    Alpha Server Engineering  < <         "Read this and nobody gets hurt ;^)"         < <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Response:

My vote for a great fly line cleaner goes to good ol’ Armor All.  The   stuff works great to clean and float your line. It also lubricates the   line nicely, so your line really screams through the guides,  making your casts easier and farther.  You can buy a large size bottle in the auto   section of K mart, Walmart, etc., for just a few dollars, and it will   last you for years.  I keep a small plastic squirt bottle filled and in   my vest, along with a small rag to apply it. Dale Owens

ArmorAll works fine short term, but long term causes premature line failure.  As I understand the process, AA accelerates the built in leaching process of the plasticizers in the line material.  Note that in the past many people used ArmorAll for lines AND waders (Seal Dris) with initial positive results from appearance point of view but detrimental results to longevity.                         Mike in PDX                "When the trout are lost, smash the state."                                            Tom McGuane

Response:

Jon,         I had one reply that reccomended laying my line out in the sun for an hour or so and then giving it a gentle strech, simple and it worked a treat.  Thanks for the info re flyline cleaner, I ended up giving them a wash in a mild Lissapol (non-ionic detergent) and warm water solution, it seemed to remove the dirt and old silicone quite well, I then redressed the dry line with silicone and its as good as new.                                                  Steve Jackson                                                  Canberra, Australia

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