Question:

I went to the library a couple of hours ago and checked out a book about the sense of smell, simply because it caught my eye.  While reading it at dinner a while ago I was reminded of the second thing I noticed on arriving at Jay’s cabin in the UP; the delicious and unique aroma of the north woods.  Every place has its own smell (libraries are another favorite, or rather, class of favorites…they’re all different) and this one, in the spring, combines rich undertones of damp earth, crisp aromatic conifers dominated by balsam fir, pungent aspens, and a host of lesser elements.  Every time it hits me I am immediately transported back to innumerable other visits for fishing, hunting, wood cutting, and sitting on the porch, which brings me to the first thing I noticed and which cut short my reverie, for there on the porch was the supine form of one medium sized Asadi.  It was either dead or asleep.  A few light kicks at the chair confirmed that it was the latter. After a few moments of hale fellow well mets I bundled the poor boy, much bedraggled from a long journey a hot sauna and wrasslin with some barley pop, off to see Agate Falls.  Agate is one of the more spectacular falls in the UP, which is littered with the things, and would later prove to be the last place we fished on this trip. When we got back to the neighborhood of the shack we stopped to visit Jay’s brother Bret, who lives in a trailer just a couple hundred yards down the road.  Bret is a journeyman electrician, which would allow him to live virtually anywhere he pleases.  He is also a VERY avid hunter and fisher.  That he chooses to live in such a place is indicative of what it has to offer to the outdoor enthusiast.  As we chatted (Asadi tried to buy Bret’s hat from his five year old daughter but she was too cagey for him), Jay drove up.  A few minutes later we all arrived at the shack to find Mr. Petah Charles there.  The evening was devoted to making plans for departure the next morning, sorting through gear, eating, and pouring offerings to the fish gods and the great god Ethanol.  Asadi, having gotten a considerable head start on the rest of us, easily won the evenings round of libations.  We were all pleased to discover that Peter speaks pretty good English for a ferriner.   We arose tolerably early the next morning and after a few brief stops for breakfast, extra packing food, conferences, mapping, waterfall viewing, fly shop hunting (without noticeable success, I might add), and other piddling chores, we managed to hit the trail precisely at the crack of noon….or thereabouts.  Jay decided to take a rather more challenging route than the rest of us so it was up to me to deliver the requisite lecture to the newbies…….stop whenever you feel a need, drink plenty of water, ANY discomfort on feet is to be taken very seriously and attended to immediately, yada, yada, yada.  I set a moderate pace for the first half mile so as not to tax the rookies. After a ten minute break during which Peter never bothered to remove his pack, I let him take the lead, and I spent the next hour and a half sprinting to keep him in sight while John, carrying some very heavy and very non traditional backpacking food and a head that looked suspiciously larger than it used to, was left to bring up the rear.  We arrived at the mouth of the Big Carp, after a trip of 4 1/4 miles, an hour and fifty minutes after hitting the trail, and this with a couple of rest stops totaling about fifteen minutes.  Goddamn Cannuck voyageurs!   More later……gotta rest. Wolfgang

Response:

[ominous preclavian rumblings noted and snipped] More later……gotta rest. Wolfgang

John, Peter, and Wolfgang "alone together" in the woodz? Whoa… /daytripper (Jealous – or grateful? Tough call…

Response:

Question:

Hi I’m new this year to both fly fishing and fly tying.  i live in Edmonton Alberta and am trying to find people around here who are also starting out. Anyone who qualifies, please e-mail me. Ashman

Response:

Check for local Trout unlimited chapters…….good place to start networking so to speak…….

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hi I’m new this year to both fly fishing and fly tying.  i live in Edmonton Alberta and am trying to find people around here who are also starting out. Anyone who qualifies, please e-mail me. Ashman

Response:

Hi I’m new this year to both fly fishing and fly tying.  i live in Edmonton Alberta and am trying to find people around here who are also starting out. Anyone who qualifies, please e-mail me.

Edmonton eh?   You lucky dog; you get to listen to CKUA all the time.   I only get the Real Audio feed when I’m at my computer. Joe

Response:

Question:

Right on. Al

Response:

Right on. Al

Fly" while slicing  your sandwich in two with your fillet knife. —

Question:

I think the Who Am I? post simply stated what many of us have come to realize  - the regular posters on ROFF are a community – and a very open one at that.   For those who taken exception to the post or the many ‘gutter’ threads that develop on ROF I say thanks for the interest. I for one appreciate it. For better that than no reaction. Hey Walt.  I agree.  The Who am I thread makes me want to puke.  Think of all those mass marketers out there ferreting names, ages children professions, locations and email addresses of "dedicated" fly fishers.  I hate to be their postal worker or ISP.

get real. They have far better ways to get the names, addresses and incomes of hundreds of thousands – they wouldn’t bother with the handful who posted an abrreviated bio under the "Who am I" thread. Just thought that I’d mention that with the alan 46r thread this place seems more like roff than rofft. There is a veritable lovefest (who am i) going on over there. Strange indeed. oh yeah…on topic… uhmmm, well, I mentioned thread. –Wataugan Walt Paul Shook said: <<I’m glad to hear that I am not the only one that thinks the "Who I Am" thread

is a bit strange. Dave Laplace said: ROFF is a bunch of pretty nice guys and gals.  They are simply exchanging their "vital statistics".

Ralph H remove "(take_this_out)" for email reply. "I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams." – Hamlet

Response:

Walt Winter wrote – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – (Fiddleaway wrote) The bottom line is that the response to the Who Am I thread speaks for itself.  The majority of the respondents thought it of enough value to participate.  Clearly, Randall, Walt and Paul are in the minority, but in spite of themselves, in responding they too have given us a little insight as to who they are.  Thanks guys. ok, i’ll rise to the occasion…. Hey buddy, don’t group me with Randall or Paul. I have no idea what the hell Randall is agreeing with (certainly not with my view). I was one of the first responders and have read and enjoyed every damn "who am i" bio.

I apologize for grouping you with the other naysayers.  As a matter of fact, I thought I had remembered that you had given a positive response to the Who Am I thread early on.  But I didn’t read the later ones (as they digressed into responses to Who Am I rather than originals).  My fault for assuming the poster who grouped you with them was correct. Mea culpa.  Consider me well chagrined. —                                                       -dnc-

Response:

–                                                       -dnc- Ralph H wrote – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I think the Who Am I? post simply stated what many of us have come to realize  - the regular posters on ROFF are a community – and a very open one at that.   For those who taken exception to the post or the many ‘gutter’ threads that develop on ROF I say thanks for the interest. I for one appreciate it. For better that than no reaction. Randall Davis says: Hey Walt.  I agree.  The Who am I thread makes me want to puke.  … Just thought that I’d mention that with the alan 46r thread this place seems more like roff than rofft. There is a veritable lovefest (who am i) going on over there. Strange indeed. Paul Shook said: <<I’m glad to hear that I am not the only one that thinks the "Who I Am" thread is a bit strange.

The bottom line is that the response to the Who Am I thread speaks for itself.  The majority of the respondents thought it of enough value to participate.  Clearly, Randall, Walt and Paul are in the minority, but in spite of themselves, in responding they too have given us a little insight as to who they are.  Thanks guys.

Response:

The bottom line is that the response to the Who Am I thread speaks for itself.  The majority of the respondents thought it of enough value to participate.  Clearly, Randall, Walt and Paul are in the minority, but in spite of themselves, in responding they too have given us a little insight as to who they are.  Thanks guys.

ok, i’ll rise to the occasion…. Hey buddy, don’t group me with Randall or Paul. I have no idea what the hell Randall is agreeing with (certainly not with my view). I was one of the first responders and have read and enjoyed every damn "who am i" bio. What has happened here is a typical out of context post by Ralphbot. He’s done it in the past and he’s at it again. Welcome back roboboy. Tim and Jon really have to sharpen up there programming skills(aws) and do something about these damn bugs that keep poppin up. Step up to the friggin’ plate Tim and take your at bat. Until then, I’m rippin the fucking white flags down and I’ll kick all of your sorry asses if I see ya on my river, well, mudhole. Wading staff use by able-bodied men is for pussies (myself included). Brookies rule. Single-malt scotch. I don’t miss the NBA. Hillary, 2000 (this buds for you georgie Ralphbot needs a lube-job. Who ate FIFI? –Wataugan "I’ll kick yer ass" Walt

Response:

        ralph, what the hell was all that shit you, or someone else, strung together?  how about taking responsibility for a little clarity.  i know walt well enough to know that he supports the humanization of this group through communication about who we are. what you, or somedamnbody has published, misrepresents his viewpoint. a. wayne harrison

Response:

. Hillary, 2000 (this buds for you georgie –Wataugan "I’ll kick yer ass" Walt

 I was fine till here , Hillary ?? Oh God ..drink more Scotch Man, it may clear your muddled head.    Hillary, 2000…. good christ. And I thought Al "the Stump" Gore was scary….. HM

Response:

I was fine till here , Hillary ?? Oh God ..drink more Scotch Man, it may clear your muddled head.    Hillary, 2000…. good christ. And I thought Al "the Stump" Gore was scary….. HM

HM, just kiddin’, Iza tryn ta raisz Ginko ferm da ded. –Wataugan "Moe Skeeter 2000" Walt

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I was fine till here , Hillary ?? Oh God ..drink more Scotch Man, it may clear your muddled head.    Hillary, 2000…. good christ. And I thought Al "the Stump" Gore was scary….. HM HM, just kiddin’, Iza tryn ta raisz Ginko ferm da ded. –Wataugan "Moe Skeeter 2000" Walt

  Well, the water has been real cold as of late. Not many bugs on the water here, so to speak. HM

Response:

       ralph, what the hell was all that shit you, or someone else, strung together?  how about taking responsibility for a little clarity.  

nothing Walt wrote was quoted out of context. If you or he had a problem with what he said it is your problem not mine. The ‘bot is a creation of your, his (and tim’s) lack of comprehension  -  not mine. Frankly I understood what Walt said perfectly tho’ his addled old mine may have lost the thread since he wrote it <g:  Given the history of animous and invective the break out of the sudden "love-fest" was a surprising – however it wasn’t strange it simply spoke to what many of us longed for – a relief from all the bad sentiment and a return to respect for all as people. We are a community despite the efforts of some to break us down. Ralph H remove "(take_this_out)" for email reply. "I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams." – Hamlet

Response:

       ralph, what the hell was all that shit you, or someone else, strung together?  how about taking responsibility for a little clarity.  i know walt well enough to know that he supports the humanization of this group through communication about who we are. what you, or somedamnbody has published, misrepresents his viewpoint. a. wayne harrison

Wayne go to the Ng Rec.outdoors.fishing.fly.tying and you can find the original thread there – check out Walt’s contribution – you will see what I included was exactly what he said – ditto for all the others. Ralph H remove "(take_this_out)" for email reply. "I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams." – Hamlet

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -The bottom line is that the response to the Who Am I thread speaks for itself.  The majority of the respondents thought it of enough value to participate.  Clearly, Randall, Walt and Paul are in the minority, but in spite of themselves, in responding they too have given us a little insight as to who they are.  Thanks guys. ok, i’ll rise to the occasion…. Hey buddy, don’t group me with Randall or Paul. I have no idea what the hell Randall is agreeing with (certainly not with my view). I was one of the first responders and have read and enjoyed every damn "who am i" bio. What has happened here is a typical out of context post by Ralphbot. He’s done it in the past and he’s at it again. Welcome back roboboy.

Walto-gin – don’t imbibe and post within the same time zone. Randall took you out of context not I – I quoted you exactly. Go back and re-read the thread in ROFT which you intiated! Wash the kettle black off your face while you are at it! ;^) What you said was clear to me – big flame fest on ROFT love-fest on ROFF – a surprising turning of the worm. Ralph H remove "(take_this_out)" for email reply. "I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams." – Hamlet

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Harrison) says:        ralph, what the hell was all that shit you, or someone else, strung together?  how about taking responsibility for a little clarity.  i know walt well enough to know that he supports the humanization of this group through communication about who we are. what you, or somedamnbody has published, misrepresents his viewpoint. a. wayne harrison Wayne go to the Ng Rec.outdoors.fishing.fly.tying and you can find the original thread there – check out Walt’s contribution – you will see what I included was exactly what he said – ditto for all the others. Ralph H

Ralph….. The following enclosed below is verbatim of what I wrote on rofft. It in no way condemns, ridicules, or "makes me want to puke" the "WHO AM I THREAD". As mentioned earlier, I have no idea why Randall decided to agree with me or what the hell he agreed with. IMHO, you were bored and decided to try and muddy some waters elsewhere now that your arch-enemy Tim has decided to cool off for awhile. All I have in response to you is that whilst my brain may be addled temporarily at times with a comforting single-malt indulgence, yours, unfortunately, seems to be addled permanently most likely from birth. Get a grip man, –Wataugan "hellfire and brimstone southerner" Walt – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Just thought that I’d mention that with the alan 46r thread this place seems more like roff than rofft. There is a veritable lovefest (who am i) going on over there. Strange indeed. oh yeah…on topic… uhmmm, well, I mentioned thread. –Wataugan Walt

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Walto-gin – don’t imbibe and post within the same time zone. Randall took you out of context not I – I quoted you exactly. Go back and re-read the thread in ROFT which you intiated! Wash the kettle black off your face while you are at it! ;^) What you said was clear to me – big flame fest on ROFT love-fest on ROFF – a surprising turning of the worm. Ralph H

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Harrison) says: Wayne go to the Ng Rec.outdoors.fishing.fly.tying and you can find the original thread there – check out Walt’s contribution – you will see what I included was exactly what he said – ditto for all the others. Ralph H Ralph….. The following enclosed below is verbatim of what I wrote on rofft. It in no way condemns, ridicules, or "makes me want to puke" the "WHO AM I THREAD". As mentioned earlier, I have no idea why Randall decided to agree with me or what the hell he agreed with.

Yes it is verbatim. It is in fact exactly what I included in my cross post to ROFF…  and yes I agreed in my previous post in this thread that what you said was taken out of context by Randall and Paul Shook … IMHO, you were bored and decided to try and muddy some waters elsewhere now that your arch-enemy Tim has decided to cool off for awhile.

so why are attacking me? Is it in character for you to assault the ‘love fest’ you previously defended? All I have in response to you is that whilst my brain may be addled temporarily at times with a comforting single-malt indulgence, yours, unfortunately, seems to be addled permanently most likely from birth.

well that’s fine – in these repartee games I’ve always adhered to adage "turn about is fair play" Let’s give it a rest Walt. Just thought that I’d mention that with the alan 46r thread this place seems more like roff than rofft. There is a veritable lovefest (who am i) going on over there. Strange indeed. oh yeah…on topic… uhmmm, well, I mentioned thread. –Wataugan Walt

Ralph H remove "(take_this_out)" for email reply. "I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams." – Hamlet

Response:

Question:

you might visit http://www.troutangler.com they wont be too far out of your way. — happy trails, Mike Foate Polo Ponies, Ranch Vacation, Web Site Design http://www.rockinghorseranch.com

Response:

Starting from Yosemite, crossing Nevada, Utah, Colorado and back to San Francisco. In early June (12 days). Where are the best places for flyfishing???? (catch & release, too) Accomodation suggestions?? Thanks in advance. Giovanni from Italy.

Response:

Starting from Yosemite, crossing Nevada, Utah, Colorado and back to San Francisco. In early June (12 days). Where are the best places for flyfishing????

That is not enough time!   20 Lakes Basin east of Yosemite. Walker River, north on Hwy. 395 Truckee River north of there. Across Nevada and Utah, hit the all of the larger streams/rivers in CO.   —  markb – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Giovanni from Italy.

Response:

Starting from Yosemite, crossing Nevada, Utah, Colorado and back to San Francisco. In early June (12 days). Where are the best places for flyfishing???? (catch & release, too) Accomodation suggestions?? Thanks in advance. Giovanni from Italy.

Giovanni: The period you will be fishing is pretty much dead in the middle of the "normal" spring runoff here in the Rockies.  With that in mind, you may find yourself sticking to tailwater streams below artificial lakes.  Another possibility is some of the lakes themselves. Here in Utah, three of the better-known tailwaters are the Green River below Flaming Gorge Reservoir, the Provo River below Jordanelle and Deer Creek Reservoirs, and Currant Creek below Currant Creek Reservoir.  All have extremely good fishing at times although the Provo and the Green tend to get a *lot* or pressure so the fish are fairly educated.  You can wade fish all of those streams, but you would probably have more luck on the Green if you hire a guide for a float trip – it’s a *big* river. I don’t know what your opinion of lake fishing with flies is, but there can be some very good fishing that time of year in some of the lakes in Utah. Strawberry Reservoir (about 1.5 hours south and east of Salt Lake City) is the premier lake in Utah, but there are many others that offer good fishing if you have a float tube or other type of boat.. Up in Wyoming, the New Fork River near Pinedale has the reputation as fishing the best early in the season, but there is very little public water.  You can, however, do float trips with a number of guide operations. I’ve never fished it, but the Ham’s Fork River outside Kemmerer is supposed to be very good.  Most of the other streams are fairly likely to be very high from runoff that time of year. A possible thought would be lake fishing on private water.  Western Rivers Flyfishing shop in Salt Lake City offers day trips on a number of lakes at a private ranch called L C Ranch.  Supposed to be VERY good fishing and they provide everything you might need. Good luck.  Accomodations are pretty easy that time of year here in Utah. Email me direct if you have any other questions. Bob

Response:

Question:

I’m Interested in buying a boat for shallow water fishing in Bays and Rivers (Chesapeake Bay) Can anyone give me thier opinion on the Carolina Skiffs. I’ll be flyfishing from this boat. Preferably would like to hear from skiff owners or dealers. Thanks Nick DelleDonne "The Evening Rise Fly Angler’s Shop"

Response:

I’m Interested in buying a boat for shallow water fishing in Bays and Rivers (Chesapeake Bay) Can anyone give me thier opinion on the Carolina Skiffs. I’ll be flyfishing from this boat. Preferably would like to hear from skiff owners or dealers. Thanks Nick DelleDonne "The Evening Rise Fly Angler’s Shop"

Hi Nick: I own a Southern Skimmer,(pretty much the same boat) I love it, you don’t need much water to run in or that much power to push it. I use mine on the great south bay on long island(NY) and it gets a little bouncy when its rough but on a river or lake where it’s a little calmer it should be great. J Branca

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Question:

Fly fishing is an art.

Response:

Fly fishing is an art.

Most definitely true!!!!! After all, anyone who can hook a fly has to be artful!!!! heh Paul

Response:

Fly fishing is an art.

 It is what you make it, Not all anglers would I call artistic, when it comes to fly fishing, I have seen a few beginners who actually get me to laugh so hard, I am powerless to do anything but stand there, with tears in my eyes,,,,But when perfected, I couldent agree with you more,  just aint no feeling in the world like it..

Response:

Question:

Any suggestions as to what brand/type of equipment a person who is just beginning fly fishing should consider.  I have fished with a spincast setup for years but we are moving to Montana (Red Lodge) and given the opportunities for fly fishing there I would like to begin to learn fly fishing.   Any suggestions would be gretly appreciated.  Andy.

Response:

Try a setup from Orvis, they have several setups for about $150. (evrything inlcuded to get you started) Rod, Reel, Backing, Line and Leader..etc. Keith

Response:

I read the other two replies and agree with door #1… a low end orvis setup (green mountain) is a good place to start.  Response #2 suggested a 7 weight… NOT!  I’ve been fishing a 5 wt for all sizes and species of trout (as well as a 26"+ landlocked salmon) from Maine to California as well as Canada.  I truly believe it’s a good weight for all sizes (San Juan River 22" rainbows, Bow River 24" rainbows, Owens River 18" browns, etc.).  I like a good tussle and would rather use a light/delicate rod & presentation than something as beafy as a 7 weight.  Some people use them on migrating king salmon in the salmon river of NY. Good Luck! Karl

Response:

St Croix makes an acceptable quality graphite 8-1/2′ #5/6 2 piece rod that runs $75-100 and Cabelas makes an acceptable quality 567 graphite click drag reel for $20. This would put a starter into an outfit for under $125, plus line and will let someone learn on graphite rather than glass and converting. IT REALLY IS A LOT DIFFERENT….when you’re learning, you tend to "over cast" and can end up with a blster on your palm [;0 which makes the experience less enjoyable. The only negative about this AMERICAN MADE rod is the cork in the grips tend to be of lesser quality, so inspect them closely and sand the grip down with emery cloth or 220 grit sandpaper before you go out the first time—- I had to take a rod back because the dark spots in the grip were soft and they fell out! The rod was replaced (Thank You Pete at Fly Fishing Outfitters in Lafayette, CA 510-284-FISH) with no questions asked, and it’s replacement has performed admirably. Hey, just my opinion….but no matter what you do, FISH BY ANY MEANS!! I have flyfished for over 30 years and 1993 marked my first graphite purchase…..all I can say is IF YOU CAN, start on graphite!!! Larry #:)#

Response:

St Croix makes an acceptable quality graphite 8-1/2′ #5/6 2 piece rod that runs $75-100 and Cabelas makes an acceptable quality 567 graphite click drag reel for $20. This would put a starter into an outfit for under $125, plus line and will let someone learn on graphite rather than glass and converting.

Larry,  My first rod was bamboo, my next rod was fiberglass and then of course a graphite.  The biggest change for me was between bamboo and fiberglass.  I still have all three types of rods and enjoy fishing them all.  The biggest kick is fishing the bamboo rod with a tapered silk line.  You really appreciate the advances in line technology after you have tried to keep a silk line floating all day. Ernie Harrison

Response:

Question:

Anybody out in cyberspace have any info on Steelheading in S. Alaska, specifically Prince of Wales Island in the spring? I would like to do a budget, do it yourself type trip in May. If you have any info please Ken L.

Response:

I have fished Prince of Wales Island several times in september for Silvers,           Chum,Pinks and Sockeyes. Thats the right time of the year for a trip, fly to Ketchican, rent a car from Alaska car rental at the airport and take the Aroura State Ferry to Hollis on Prince Wales Island, drive to the town of Craig and stay at Ruth Anns Hotel for $65 a night. The ferry price is $125 with car. The car rental is $40 a day, 14 day fishing licence is $30, buy it in Ketchican. There is 1200 miles of logging roads on the Island and a lot of rivers along the roads. Excellent Steel Head fishing. You can write to Tongrass National Forest for maps of roads and rivers and also info on where the steel head are in May. There are grocery stores and restaurants available. There are very few people fishing so you will not have to fight crowds. There are no Grizzly Bears but you will see a lot of Black Bears, they are safe. The trip can be done for a $1000 or less for 8-10 days, depending on air fare. Have a good trip!

Response:

Question:

(Fournier Thomas A.J.) writes: Am having trouble casting more than 15 feet without knots in line.

I’m sure you can cast further than that, but I get the point. Usually, excessive knotting is the result of overpowering the cast, thus allowing tailing loops to form. Spend an hour in an open space–not fishing. Watch your cast as you gradually work out line to different distances. I’ll bet you’ll find two things. First, your backcast is breaking down, causing the line to describe something more like a figure-8 than a pair of balanced loops. The remedy is to add a little more power at the start of the backcast and to move your forearm in an upwards direction as it sweeps past you. Second, I’ll bet your loops are *real* tight right now, even with the breakdown. Slow down and open the loop a bit. The line will accept more power (speed) and travel further with less effort. If your loops stand one foot tall or less, that’s too tight and wind knots are inevitable. Try the graduated target method for an afternoon. E-mail me if you need any info on how to set that up. Good luck! JL 8-Wt Editor

Response:

(Fournier Thomas A.J.) writes: Am having trouble casting more than 15 feet without knots in line. Best advice I’ve received — don’t cast with your wrist.  Your wrist stays locked, and tight (almost touching) the pole, and your arm does the casting.  This forces you to move your arm quickly, from 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock and back, to achieve the desired result.  If you do this, you’re casting with the strength of your arm and back and not just with your wrist — you get less tired and the line shoots farther and straighter. Ben

Ben is giving you excellent advice here. My local guru gave me a little casting clinic a few weeks ago and got me to break the bad habit of cocking my wrist on the backcast by tying my forearm to the reel seat – he used a peice of monofilament, but a heavy rubber band would work even better.  I can now lay out sixty or seventy-foot casts with a DT 3-wt., where before I couldn’t do much better than forty or fifty feet.  I found that not cock- ing my wrist has also kept the fly off the water (or in the bushes) on the backcast.  I’m convinced this helps in not spooking a pool.  So get a heavy rubber band or one of those spool keepers and practice a while fishing for lawn trout.  I hope it helps you as much as it has me!  Also, if you’re knotting your line it may because you’re starting your forecast too soon. Try laying off until the rod is "loaded", i.e., ’til you feel the weight of the backcast really pull on the rod tip. Cheers,

Response:

(Fournier Thomas A.J.) writes: Am having trouble casting more than 15 feet without knots in line.

MISATTRIBUTION!!! I can cast 15 feet.  Honest.  No, really. Best advice I’ve received — don’t cast with your wrist.  Your wrist stays locked, and tight (almost touching) the pole, and your arm does the casting.  This forces you to move your arm quickly, from 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock and back, to achieve the desired result.  If you do this, you’re casting with the strength of your arm and back and not just with your wrist — you get less tired and the line shoots farther and straighter. Ben

Good advice. Keep your stick on the ice. Thos.

Response:

I have a Sage fishing pole and the line seems to be sticking in the bottom loop by the handle.  Is this unusual?

Not sure if you mean the little loop just above the handle cork/foam (which is parallel to the rod instead of perpendicular), but if your line is strung through it, that might be the problem. That bottom loop is just there to hook a fly to while you’re not fishing, to keep the fly from snagging on trees, shrubs, and ears of friends. Not sure if this was what you meant by bottom loop, but I thought I’d pipe up just in case. — Scott Ferguson                          My views are mine; what’s mine is mine Cray Computer Corporation       http://www.craycos.com/~ferguson/ferguson.html

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  I’ve been having some problems casting and I wondered if anyone could give me some advice.  I’m kinda new to fly fishing so any advice would greatly be appreciated. I’ve been having trouble casting more than about fifteen feet without getting knots around my fly or tiring myself out. I don’t understand what I am doing wrong. I’ve followed all the directions they gave me at the fishing school I went to .  I’m afraid it might be my fishing pole that might be the trouble.  I have a Sage fishing pole and the line seems to be sticking in the bottom loop by the handle.  Is this unusual? Does anyone else have this problem?  Is my

Ref. "bottom loop":  someone else has already pointed out fly line should be strung from reel to tip only through fly rod guides, not the hook keeper attached just above the handle. Ref. "fifteen feet": modern fly rods are rated to flex under the weight of the first 30 feet of a particular line.  If less line than 30 feet extends beyond the rod tip, it’s that much harder to get the rod to flex OK.  I.e. it’s (usually) harder to cast a fly 20 feet than 40 feet. Unmentioned common casting error is failure to hold the line in the left hand so that it does not move relative to the stripper guide.  While the rod is moving (false casting) the line length beyond the tip should be held constant by left-hand control.  If the line is travelling up and down the guides, i.e. getting longer and shorter, energy is being lost rather than being transferred from hand to rod to line beyond tip. —  |          Donald Phillipson, 4180 Boundary Rd., Carlsbad         |  |        Springs, Ont., Canada K0A 1K0; tel: (613) 822-0734       |  |  "What I’ve always liked about science is its independence from |  |  authority"–Ontario Science Centre (name on file) 10 July 1981 |

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – writes: Am having trouble casting more than 15 feet without knots in line. Best advice I’ve received — don’t cast with your wrist.  Your wrist stays  locked, and tight (almost touching) the pole, and your arm does the  casting.   This forces you to move your arm quickly, from 10 o’clock to 2  o’clock and back, to achieve the desired result.  If you do this, you’re  casting with the strength of your arm and back and not just with your   wrist — you get less tired and the line shoots farther and straighter. Ben

I would also suggest reading Mel Krieger’s book, "The Essence of Fly Casting" and watching his videos. Gary W. Godden

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(Fournier Thomas A.J.) writes: Am having trouble casting more than 15 feet without knots in line.

Best advice I’ve received — don’t cast with your wrist.  Your wrist stays locked, and tight (almost touching) the pole, and your arm does the casting.  This forces you to move your arm quickly, from 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock and back, to achieve the desired result.  If you do this, you’re casting with the strength of your arm and back and not just with your wrist — you get less tired and the line shoots farther and straighter. Ben

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  I’ve been having some problems casting and I wondered if anyone could give me some advice.  I’m kinda new to fly fishing so any advice would greatly be appreciated. I’ve been having trouble casting more than about fifteen feet without getting knots around my fly or tiring myself out.

Try cleaning your fly line.  I find that if I practice on a lawn (especially a new mown lawn) gunk accumulates that impedes the smooth flow of the line through the guides.  When the line is sticky I have to work harder to shoot line.  When I work hard my timing goes off, I "punch" the line out, and I get wind knots. Keep your stick on the ice. Thos.

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  I’ve been having some problems casting and I wondered if anyone could give me some advice.  I’m kinda new to fly fishing so any advice would greatly be appreciated. I’ve been having trouble casting more than about fifteen feet without getting knots around my fly or tiring myself out. Unmentioned common casting error is failure to hold the line in the left hand so that it does not move relative to the stripper guide.  While the rod is moving (false casting) the line length beyond the tip should be held constant by left-hand control.  If the line is travelling up and down the guides, i.e. getting longer and shorter, energy is being lost rather than being transferred from hand to rod to line beyond tip.

FWIW: I had real problems keeping the energy going as well, until a kindly passer-by pointed out this last to me, and also taught me to "load the rod", as he called it. Just a little yank (4-6") on the line with my left hand just as I begin to go forward on the cast really helps me a lot. Also, I was not waiting long enough on the backcast for the line to go all the way out. I still count "one-mississippi-two", but as my .sig shows, I mostly plug & chug, so I don’t get a whole lotta practice. Anyway, without that guy I probably woulda chucked the whole thing, so thanks guy if you’re out there. (Course, I didn’t have a Sage, either)         /   V  V  V  V  V  V  V  /      King’s Computer Management, Inc.        <   0  0  0  0  0  0  0  (o   1633 NE Hwy 10      VVV              Y                 612-784-8042 (voice)                      VVV Heddon Lucky 13 leopard: the lure doesn’t catch fish, fish catch the lure. Opinions? I’m married. I am not allowed to have opinions.

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* Le 09-25-94, JENNIFER LEIGH BOUGHNER exprimait . ALL le propos suivant: JL   I’ve been having some problems casting and I wondered if anyone could JLgive me some advice.   <deleted stuff JLmight be my fishing pole that might be the trouble.  I have a Sage JLfishing pole and the line seems to be sticking in the bottom loop by the <deleted stuff JLfat part be hanging up?  We used orvis poles at my school and we didn’t JLhave any trouble at all. One thing you might want to verify is the flexibility of your Sage pole compare to the Orvis. If you have a soft pole (or slow action) compare to a stiff pole (or fast action) there might be the source of your problem. You have to wait more before changing direction in your cast, to give the line the time to extend completely and the pole to charge (whip action) to the max. If you do not wait enough, than your doing all the work and not the pole. Furthermore, I noticed myself that when I’m not doing it right there are nots in my line. I hope this help. Au plaisir de vous lire, Denis Lamy Trois-Rivieres (Quebec, Canada) ~~~ * VbReader 2.2 #67 * La pensee n’est helas souvent qu’un eclair dans la nuit.

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   I’ve been having some problems casting and I wondered if anyone could give me some advice.  I’m kinda new to fly fishing so any advice would greatly be appreciated. I’ve been having trouble casting more than about fifteen feet without getting knots around my fly or tiring myself out. I don’t understand what I am doing wrong. I’ve followed all the directions they gave me at the fishing school I went to .  I’m afraid it might be my fishing pole that might be the trouble.  I have a Sage fishing pole and the line seems to be sticking in the bottom loop by the handle.  Is this unusual? Does anyone else have this problem?  Is my line too big? I have the line with the triangle in the front. Could the fat part be hanging up?  We used orvis poles at my school and we didn’t have any trouble at all. Thanks for your help, Jennifer    " In our family there wasn’t a clear line between religion and fly fishing.."                 …Norman Mclean

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I’ve been having some problems casting and I wondered if anyone could give me some advice.

It sounds like you’re trying to cast too fast. One of the main reasons for "wind knots" is too quick a motion through the cast. The loop gets too tight, resulting in tailing loops, wind knots and no distance. A very helpful exercise, particularly when getting used to a new rod, is to set out a couple of markers at ten-foot intervals. Start with the ten-foot mark and lay down just enough line to reach it. Pull the line off the reel and manually lay it on the ground between you and the mar if you have to. Then, without pulling any line back through the guides, simply pick the line up with the rod, swing it behind you and lay it back down onto the ten-foot mark as gently as possible. Do this as many times as it takes until you’re comfortable and consistent. Then do the same with the 20-foot mark. You should be able to pick up 25 to 30 feet of line off grass without having to do more than swing the rod back and forth. This exercise will teach you the rythm of your rod and your own body. Once you’ve found those, casting further should be easy. Personally, I floundered around for months before I tried this exercise. Once I did, casting problems get much less severe. It’s no panacea, but I’ve tried it with other novices and all have found that it helped. Good luck! JL 8-Wt Editor LPM Editor

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