Question:

and having much love and respect for my little 3 wt. I decided it was getting late and time to leave. When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring, especialy when they are spawning. Those that are about a foot long are a hell of a lot of fun on a fly rod. Last summer here in the Dallas area there were grasshoppers on three of our area lakes which were matched by hoppers tied on size 2/0 hooks. One guy caught a 10 pound channel cat that took one of those huge hopper patterns off the surface. I don’t know what weight rod he was using. Big Dale  

It’s amazing the variety of species that will take a dry under the right circumstances.  My son went up North fishing for walleye on his uncles boat.  He didn’t take any fly gear with him, instead he borrowed spinning gear from his uncle.  They got the boat out onto the lake, motored over to Serge’s favourite walleye spot only to see hundreds of walleye sipping hexes off the top.  They were both skunked.  He was kinda kicking himself when he got home. I’ve also heard of walleye taking midges in the middle of winter. Peter

Response:

Had a 15lb cat take a Frank’s Fighting Craw in the shallows when I was fission for bass.  I pulled away from shore to keep him out of the weeds. When I finally got him close enough to get the hook out, he flipped and spiked my tube.  I was using my life vest for floatation before I got to shore.         Frank Reid – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I broke the only rod I’ve ever broken on a fish, trying to land a big catfish. I was in a float tube and got towed around the lake for awhile. I finally got the fish up to the tube and while trying to figure out how and the hell I was going to "land" it, it dove straight down, the rod broke at the ferrule and the tippet popped. Willi a fly and having much love and respect for my little 3 wt. I decided it was getting late and time to leave. When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring, especialy when they are spawning. Those that are about a foot long are a hell of a lot of fun on a fly rod. Last summer here in the Dallas area there were grasshoppers on three of our area lakes which were matched by hoppers tied on size 2/0 hooks. One guy caught a 10 pound channel cat that took one of those huge hopper patterns off the surface. I don’t know what weight rod he was using. Big Dale

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Dale, Oak Creek in Arizona had channel cats which cruised up and down  the stream in groups of three or four.  They were quite different from regular cat fish.  It was not uncommon to take one while fishing for trout.  They fought and tasted quite good. Ernie When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring,

especialy <snip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Big Dale

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Had a 15lb cat take a Frank’s Fighting Craw in the shallows when I was fission for bass.  I pulled away from shore to keep him out of the weeds. When I finally got him close enough to get the hook out, he flipped and spiked my tube.  I was using my life vest for floatation before I got to shore.        Frank Reid

Dang Frank, is that what you call poetic justice?  Besides, if you were "fission" he probably would glow in the dark.  :-) Frank (missed ‘im by a whisker) Church

Response:

It’s amazing the variety of species that will take a dry under the right circumstances.  My son went up North fishing for walleye on his uncles boat.  He didn’t take any fly gear with him, instead he borrowed spinning gear from his uncle.  They got the boat out onto the lake, motored over to Serge’s favourite walleye spot only to see hundreds of walleye sipping hexes off the top.  They were both skunked.  He was kinda kicking himself when he got home. I’ve also heard of walleye taking midges in the middle of winter.

I was lucky enough to hit a hatch of large mayflies on a trip to northern Canada with my father. I caught both Walleyes and a number of small Lakers on dries. My father never learned to fly fish and was able to catch only one small Laker. Walleyes taking midges though is a new one for me. That would be fun! Willi

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When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring, especialy when they are spawning.

Okay. Where on the Front Range can one find channel cats? Even seeing the word "catfish" is making me homesick for Kansas. Put down the chainsaw and listen to me. It’s time for us to join in the fight.

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Mike, stand up, close your eyes, click your heels together three times and say ‘there’s no place like home’. Hell, if Dorothy can do it… Herman <snip Okay. Where on the Front Range can one find channel cats? Even seeing the word "catfish" is making me homesick for Kansas. Put down the chainsaw and listen to me. It’s time for us to join in the fight.

– Cheers, Herman Herman Nijland Daytime webmaster Lifetime flyfisher

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Mike, stand up, close your eyes, click your heels together three times and say ‘there’s no place like home’. Hell, if Dorothy can do it…

It was the dog the whole time… — Charlie…

Response:

When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring, especialy when they are spawning. Okay. Where on the Front Range can one find channel cats? Even seeing the word "catfish" is making me homesick for Kansas.

Cherry Creek Reservoir has a strong population of good sized Channel Cats. They are also stocked in lots of the smaller lakes around the metro area. Willi

Response:

Mike, stand up, close your eyes, click your heels together three times and say ‘there’s no place like home’. Hell, if Dorothy can do it… Herman

        responses like that are the best (hell, maybe the *only) reason to hang out in this nuthouse.  hilarious, herman. wayno

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Mike, stand up, close your eyes, click your heels together three times and say ‘there’s no place like home’. Hell, if Dorothy can do it…

I tried that yesterday. I was still stuck in Denver traffic, only this time I was standing outside of my car on I-25. And I don’t think I had time to set the parking brake while I was clicking. Put down the chainsaw and listen to me. It’s time for us to join in the fight.

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        we are all going to need a great deal of time on the water to heal the wounds that have come from the recent Great Absurdity.

   Great Absurdity, like that term. Willi

Response:

I broke the only rod I’ve ever broken on a fish, trying to land a big catfish. I was in a float tube and got towed around the lake for awhile. I finally got the fish up to the tube and while trying to figure out how and the hell I was going to "land" it, it dove straight down, the rod broke at the ferrule and the tippet popped. Willi – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – and having much love and respect for my little 3 wt. I decided it was getting late and time to leave. When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring, especialy when they are spawning. Those that are about a foot long are a hell of a lot of fun on a fly rod. Last summer here in the Dallas area there were grasshoppers on three of our area lakes which were matched by hoppers tied on size 2/0 hooks. One guy caught a 10 pound channel cat that took one of those huge hopper patterns off the surface. I don’t know what weight rod he was using. Big Dale

Response:

Finally got out yesterday for a spot of thrashing the water.

        (nice report snipped)         now, then, john, don’t you have to admit that this subject matter just beats hell out of that political hogshit?         we are all going to need a great deal of time on the water to heal the wounds that have come from the recent Great Absurdity. your friend in the old north state wayno – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

and having much love and respect for my little 3 wt. I decided it was getting late and time to leave.

When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring, especialy when they are spawning. Those that are about a foot long are a hell of a lot of fun on a fly rod. Last summer here in the Dallas area there were grasshoppers on three of our area lakes which were matched by hoppers tied on size 2/0 hooks. One guy caught a 10 pound channel cat that took one of those huge hopper patterns off the surface. I don’t know what weight rod he was using. Big Dale  

Response:

Finally got out yesterday for a spot of thrashing the water. There is a little lake about 5 miles from the house that is just eat up with hungry small bream so, time being short, I chose that location to relax. Poppers were not interesting to the denizens of the deep so I tied on a bitty streamer of no real pattern and began flailing. I was having a blast dragging 6 to 8" fish from home and hearth and plopping them back when another angler sauntered down to the fishing dock. Likable guy, fishing cats with shrimp, no problem, we talked and fished. He was pulling cats, I bream. Then it happened, his line straightened and began singing off his reel. Now this guy was fishing with, as I would describe as salt water gear, 15-20 lb. test stuff. Of coarse I pulled up till the fight would be over. After about 5 min or a week dependant on your outlook, and a close call around a piling, a three foot channel cat was within the reach of my net and promptly was on the dock. Because Cats there have been known to take a fly and having much love and respect for my little 3 wt. I decided it was getting late and time to leave.

Response:

Question:

Try Paint Creek in Oakland County.  The stream has both natural reproduction & plantings of brown trout.  The stream is also maintained by the Clinton Valley chapter of Trout Unlimited.  The browns can push 20".  The rainbows are actually steelhead smolts and should be quickly released as they are fully native, and the steelhead fishing in the Clinton River system depends on them.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am looking for a location(s) to fly fish in southern L.P. Michigan. Regards, M.

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No trout streams according to the L&N book. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thanks for all the quick responses; however, are there any locations on the middle to southest corner of the state? Regards, M. I am looking for a location(s) to fly fish in southern L.P. Michigan. Regards, M.

Response:

Thanks for all the quick responses; however, are there any locations on the middle to southest corner of the state? Regards, M.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am looking for a location(s) to fly fish in southern L.P. Michigan. Regards, M.

Response:

A good little book that I have is called "Michigan Trout Streams" by Linsenman & Nevala. Try Augusta Creek just north of Augusta, northeast of Kalamazoo (I’ve had some decent luck there) or farther southwest, Dowigiac Creek & River are listed  near Sumnerville, but I’ve never fished it myself. Good Luck.

If memory serves, Linsenman & Nevala report that there are landlocked salmon in one of the lakes in SW Michigan; I believe it may be Gull Lake.

Response:

I am looking for a location(s) to fly fish in southern L.P. Michigan. Regards, M.

Response:

I am looking for a location(s) to fly fish in southern L.P. Michigan.

There’s salmon fishing between Croton and Newaygo on the Muskegon River and a lot more info at  http://www.steelheadsite.com — Ken Fortenberry

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A good little book that I have is called "Michigan Trout Streams" by Linsenman & Nevala. Try Augusta Creek just north of Augusta, northeast of Kalamazoo (I’ve had some decent luck there) or farther southwest, Dowigiac Creek & River are listed  near Sumnerville, but I’ve never fished it myself. Good Luck. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am looking for a location(s) to fly fish in southern L.P. Michigan. There’s salmon fishing between Croton and Newaygo on the Muskegon River and a lot more info at  http://www.steelheadsite.com — Ken Fortenberry

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Question:

As somebody else already mentioned in the thread,a loop in the leader to tippet connection is a bad idea.If you plan on making any type of technical presentation whatsoever a looped tippet will not be responsive.Heck,most dryfly fishing gurus recommend that you don’t use a loop anywhere in your leader because of the effect it has on presentation.The minimal amount of money or line that you would save with a replaceable tippet would not be worth the loss in accuracy.

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Hi Fly2bass, I never really thought about it since I do not use loop connectors, except for line to leader.  But does this mean that the braided leader systems are not a good thing?  This is the only case where I have seen loop to loop connection for the leader to tippet. — Fritz – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – As somebody else already mentioned in the thread,a loop in the leader to tippet connection is a bad idea.If you plan on making any type of technical presentation whatsoever a looped tippet will not be responsive.Heck,most dryfly fishing gurus recommend that you don’t use a loop anywhere in your leader because of the effect it has on presentation.The minimal amount of money or line that you would save with a replaceable tippet would not be worth the loss in accuracy.

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<Rant on – I believe the origninator of this thread was Greg Wood.  Greg, I flat cannot believe that a looped tippet connection has ANY negative effect on presentation, dry fly or otherwise.  This is based on a fair amount of experience with these connections.  I do hope you try the looped system and report here what you conclude from the experiment.  I would consider THAT useful information.  That kind of information is what I read this newsgroup for.  Don’t worry about the gushing negativity based on heresy. – Rant off Hi Fitz, I haven’t tried the Orvis system yet because I can’t see what advantage the Orvis system might offer over more conventional setups.  Still, I plan to give em a try next time I place an order with Orvis, simply because I am curious. Always looking for a better way to do things.  Does anyone out there who has actually tried the Ovis leader system like it?  If not, Why? You would see more examples of loop-to-loop rigging if you read the saltwater literature or talked to people that fish the salt.  Lefty Kreh is the most widely known advocate of loop connections that I can name. I hesitate to use his name because last time I said "Lefty does it " I drew hostile fire.   I don’t know how widespread the practice is but it does have a following. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Fly2bass, I never really thought about it since I do not use loop connectors, except for line to leader.  But does this mean that the braided leader systems are not a good thing?  This is the only case where I have seen loop to loop connection for the leader to tippet. — Fritz As somebody else already mentioned in the thread,a loop in the leader to tippet connection is a bad idea.If you plan on making any type of technical presentation whatsoever a looped tippet will not be responsive.Heck,most dryfly fishing gurus recommend that you don’t use a loop anywhere in your leader because of the effect it has on presentation.The minimal amount of money or line that you would save with a replaceable tippet would not be worth the loss in accuracy.

Response:

John A Schroeder writes:

(snip) I haven’t tried the Orvis system yet because I can’t see what advantage the Orvis system might offer over more conventional setups.  Still, I plan to give em a try next time I place an order with Orvis, simply because I am curious. Always looking for a better way to do things.  Does anyone out there who has actually tried the Ovis leader system like it?  If not, Why?

I have used the braided loop on the line to a perfection loop on the leader, and it certainly didn’t stop me from catching fish.  But, if the braided loop is put on incorrectly, it could "hinge".  This happeded to me once and I simply snipped it off and put a new one on – worked fine after that.   I also use a nail knot connection on my lighter weight rods and do not notice a difference.   I think that the biggest objection to the loop to loop is that Orvis is known for putting the loop on the fly line. Dave LaCourse "We can’t change the winds, but….. we can adjust our sails!!"

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Question:

Jim W. http://www.telusplanet.net/public/mechanic – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

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Absolutely amazing.  I checked the newsgroups using "test" and got 411 hits.  Using "alt.test" I got the following.  And you come here to do your "test"?  That is just amazing. alt.test alt.test.a alt.test.abc.xyz.lmn alt.test.big.al alt.test.binaries alt.test.cjc alt.test.control-message alt.test.d alt.test.dana alt.test.ds alt.test.fest alt.test.fishing   alt.test.flyfishing alt.test.group alt.test.hello-world alt.test.hulabaloo alt.test.ignore.yes.its.that.easy alt.test.io alt.test.mis3 alt.test.my.new   alt.test.not-r alt.test.obi-wan alt.test.one alt.test.only alt.test.test   alt.test.testing alt.test.test2 alt.test.tickle alt.test.two alt.test.wombat alt.test.yer.posts alt.test.z Never underestimate stupid people in large groups. Read the rec.woodworking FAQ at:  http://www.robson.org/woodfaq/ (It explains SWMBO, its origin; where to get free plans)

Response:

Question:

Why write what you would like to express in such large letters?

It’s a question of a diciple to his / her beloved master Osho. In order to make a clear viewable difference the bookprinting company decided to choose this typo with large letters for the question.  It seems to me that you aren’t very confident of beliefs and that’s why you feel forced to "scream" your thoughts.

Who’m are you talking to? This was a question asked by an anonymous disciple at the 18th of August 1976 in the Buddha Hall of the Ashram in Poona / India and I’m not shure that this disciple will read your posting in this NG … However it’s fruitless to make assumptions because I don’t know you.

Indeed – we all don’t know this person. Or are you assuming that I’m – Hari Har Singh – Osho??? I don’t hope so … Arguing is worthless, if it’s knowledge we seek, then open-discussion is more appropriate.

There are many ways to knowledge. An open discussion is allways wellcomned. Who likes to be told that they’re wrong, anyway.

Better to be told that 1 time than running along the wrong way a whole lifetime, hm? We all have different points of view, different perceptions of things, so how could you tell someone that they are wrong?

Many ppl have been and are wrong. That’s nothing impossible. To make mistakes is human. And do you want to leave them in their mistake if you can give them a hint? Simply because you’re right doesn’t make someone else wrong, does it?

??? To who’m are you talking to?? I never said that I’m "right"! Science can’t be denied, I agree with that…however I feel something, an energy that I can’t describe personally through science.  If anyone would be felt by everyone.

Are the Ionsons possibly thinking that I’m Osho?? Shall I really write big QUOTE – QUOTE – QUOTE – QUOTE lines in the next Osho quote I send? The next time I quote Mr. Bill Clinton, Albert Einstein or the Pope maybe somebody thinks I’m one of these persons … That’s a nice trick!! )) — Sat Nam – Hari Har Singh The second question: Question 2

<snipped

Response:

Why write what you would like to express in such large letters?  It seems to me that you aren’t very confident of beliefs and that’s why you feel forced to "scream" your thoughts.  However it’s fruitless to make assumptions because I don’t know you.  Arguing is worthless, if it’s knowledge we seek, then open-discussion is more appropriate.  Who likes to be told that they’re wrong, anyway.  We all have different points of view, different perceptions of things, so how could you tell someone that they are wrong?  Simply because you’re right doesn’t make someone else wrong, does it?  Science can’t be denied, I agree with that…however I feel something, an energy that I can’t describe personally through science.  If anyone would be felt by everyone. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The second question: Question 2 EACH CENTER OPENING BRINGS A DIFFERENT JEWEL: KUNDALINI, BALANCE, LOVE, EXPRESSION, A DIAMOND MIND. THIS IS THE DILEMMA: WHICH TO CHOOSE? YOU SAY CHOICELESSNESS IS BLISS, BUT SOCIETY REWARDS SPECIALISTS. ALSO, ON THE CELLULAR LEVEL, THE EVOLUTION OF COMPLEX ORGANISMS ARISES OUT OF THE INCREASING SPECIALIZATION OF ITS CELLS. YES, my emphasis is not to choose — be choiceless. Because if you choose, you become narrow. Every choice narrows you down. Every choice says, "Now I will have a window to the sky, not the whole sky." Why? Why have a frame to the sky? The sky is frameless. When you stand at a window and look into the sky, you have falsified the sky — because your window-frame looks as if it is framed on the sky. Then you have only a limited vision, narrow. Why be poor? Why not come out of the house and see the sky as it is — infinite? To me, life is an infinite expanding energy. Don’t make any choice! That’s why I don’t put sannyas against the world. I say be a sannyasin and be in the world, because a sannyasin, if he chooses the life of the monk and escapes from the world, will be poorer for that — because the world has many things to give to you. It is a tremendously beautiful device of God’s — to help you grow, to give you challenges, to give you new adventures; to give you opportunities to test yourself, your awareness, your being. If you escape from the world you will be escaping from all these opportunities. Sitting in a cave in the Himalayas you will be very poor — poor in the sense that you will not have richness of experience. And by and by you will become stupid. You will become silent — that’s true — because there will be nothing to distract you. But that silence also is of the Himalayas, it is not yours. Come back to the world and in the marketplace you will see your silence has disappeared. It was not yours — it was part of the Himalayan silence. You were deceived by yourself. When silence happens in the marketplace then it is true, then it is yours — now nobody can take it away. Now no distraction can be a distraction to you. You can remain anywhere; whatsoever the situation, your silence will remain there as a deep substratum to your being. It is inner. So I don’t say leave the world. I say be in the world and yet be beyond it — so that you can have both the experiences of the sansari, the worldly, and the sannyasin, the other-worldly. When both are possible, why choose? Make life as big as possible. Don’t narrow it down. "Each center opening brings a different jewel… the dilemma is which to choose." No, no need to choose any center. All the centers, all the seven chakras of the body, have to function well. All the centers of the body have to function in a unity, in an organic unity. From sex to sahasrar, from the first to the seventh, they should vibrate like an orchestra. You can choose one center. That’s what people have done: some people have chosen the sex center — they remain, around and around they go. They move in a circle. Their whole life remains just a process of sexuality — very poor. I don’t call them sinners; I simply call them very poor people. And poor by their own choice — when more was possible. It is as if you have an aeroplane and you yoke bullocks to it and use it as a bullock-cart. You are poor — not a sinner. You are simply foolish, stupid! Or you can use the aeroplane like a truck, like a bus — a little better than the bullock-cart, but still you are foolish. Such a costly vehicle, and you are using it as a bus! A vehicle that can fly into the skies, you are using it as a truck on the road. That’s what is happening. You have a beautiful orchestra within you, the full range, all the colors, all the notes — all that is possible is possible within you, but you cling to one center: the sex. Somebody clings to some other center, somebody to some other. And then there are people who think: "Leave all this, and we should just remain in the ajna chakra — in the third-eye center." That too is narrowing down your being. Better than being a bullock-cart but still you are a truck on the road. Then there are a few who think that they have to use only the sahasrar against all the six — then again you are confining your being. Then you have an aeroplane, but you never get down on the earth. You are going to have a big accident sooner or later because sooner or later the gas will be finished, the petrol will not be there. Flying continuously is dangerous. Sometimes come back to the earth, down to earth; refill the petrol, rest, relax; get ready to fly again. That’s the way. And the earth is beautiful — as much as the sky. The stars are beautiful, but have you watched, sitting in an aeroplane? — you cannot look very long in the sky, it is boring. It is beautiful, but it is monotonous. People start falling asleep sooner or later. They look outside the window for a little while and then they feel bored — it is monotonous. Earth is tremendously beautiful, never monotonous. So many flowers, so many trees, s o many birds, so many people. My emphasis is to live in all the seven centers together. Never lose contact with the lowest, and never avoid flying with the highest. Use all the centers! Then your wings will be in the sky and your roots will be in the earth. And a perfect man is a meeting of heaven and earth — that’s what Taoists say: a meeting of heaven and earth. That’s what a perfect man is: meeting of the physical and the spiritual, meeting of the body and the soul, meeting of the world and renunciation, meeting of prose and poetry. AND THE questioner asks: "You say choicelessness is bliss but society rewards specialists." That’s true — society is not interested in your bliss: society is interested in its own efficiency. Society is not bothered whether you are ecstatic or not — that is none of its business. Society wants you to be just efficient mechanisms, robots. Do the work that society wants you to do, and then the society is finished with you. What you do with your own being is none of its business. In fact, the society wants you not to do anything on your own, because that can become a distraction from efficiency. A man who is very happy cannot be so efficient — because he is so bubbling with happiness that efficiency seems trivial. What does it matter whether you earn one thousand rupees a month or ten thousand rupees a month? If his needs are fulfilled, a happy man doesn’t bother. He stops at a point; he is not obsessed with money. If a happy man sees that five days working is enough, then two days he rests — goes fishing or to the mountains. If he sees that only two days working is enough, then he works two days — in five days there are many more important things to do. He has to compose poetry, and he has to play his guitar, and he has to dance; and he has to just sit with friends and gossip; he has to meditate, pray, dance — he has a thousand and one things. His work is a need he has to fulfill. He enjoys it, but he is not obsessed with it. A happy man is never a perfectionist. Only unhappy people are perfectionists, only unhappy people are obsessed with their work — because that is the only way they can avoid themselves, they can avoid facing themselves. they can avoid encountering themselves. They are continuously working; late hours they will go on working; unless they fall asleep they go on working. Why? because they are afraid. If they stop work, then what to do? Then they are left to themselves and they cannot face themselves. Society is, of course, interested in specialists. And specialists, more or less, become inhuman — because they know too much about too little. Their whole vision becomes narrow, narrow, narrow. I have heard — the story must belong to the twenty-first century: One man knocked at a doctor’s, an eye specialist’s office, and he said, "My left eye is hurting very much, and I cannot see rightly, my vision is blurred." The doctor said, "Excuse me, I am sorry, but I specialize only in right eyes. For the left eye you will have to go to some other specialist." Narrower and narrower goes on the path of the specialist. He never sees the tree; he only can see the leaf. The whole is lost in the part. And, of course, the part cannot exist without the whole. In fact, all divisions are arbitrary. The leaf is not separate from the branch; the branch is not separate from the tree; the tree is not separate from the roots; the roots are not separate from the earth. Everything is in organic unity. The specialist goes on dividing, and by and by those divisions, those demarcations, take on too much importance. A specialist becomes inhuman. I have heard: A doctor put an elderly man on a diet because of his weight problem. The man returned to his doctor in two months’ time and he had lost dozens of pounds. The doctor was very pleased with the result. The patient said, "I

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Response:

The second question: Question 2 EACH CENTER OPENING BRINGS A DIFFERENT JEWEL: KUNDALINI, BALANCE, LOVE, EXPRESSION, A DIAMOND MIND. THIS IS THE DILEMMA: WHICH TO CHOOSE? YOU SAY CHOICELESSNESS IS BLISS, BUT SOCIETY REWARDS SPECIALISTS. ALSO, ON THE CELLULAR LEVEL, THE EVOLUTION OF COMPLEX ORGANISMS ARISES OUT OF THE INCREASING SPECIALIZATION OF ITS CELLS. YES, my emphasis is not to choose — be choiceless. Because if you choose, you become narrow. Every choice narrows you down. Every choice says, "Now I will have a window to the sky, not the whole sky." Why? Why have a frame to the sky? The sky is frameless. When you stand at a window and look into the sky, you have falsified the sky — because your window-frame looks as if it is framed on the sky. Then you have only a limited vision, narrow. Why be poor? Why not come out of the house and see the sky as it is — infinite? To me, life is an infinite expanding energy. Don’t make any choice! That’s why I don’t put sannyas against the world. I say be a sannyasin and be in the world, because a sannyasin, if he chooses the life of the monk and escapes from the world, will be poorer for that — because the world has many things to give to you. It is a tremendously beautiful device of God’s — to help you grow, to give you challenges, to give you new adventures; to give you opportunities to test yourself, your awareness, your being. If you escape from the world you will be escaping from all these opportunities. Sitting in a cave in the Himalayas you will be very poor — poor in the sense that you will not have richness of experience. And by and by you will become stupid. You will become silent — that’s true — because there will be nothing to distract you. But that silence also is of the Himalayas, it is not yours. Come back to the world and in the marketplace you will see your silence has disappeared. It was not yours — it was part of the Himalayan silence. You were deceived by yourself. When silence happens in the marketplace then it is true, then it is yours — now nobody can take it away. Now no distraction can be a distraction to you. You can remain anywhere; whatsoever the situation, your silence will remain there as a deep substratum to your being. It is inner. So I don’t say leave the world. I say be in the world and yet be beyond it — so that you can have both the experiences of the sansari, the worldly, and the sannyasin, the other-worldly. When both are possible, why choose? Make life as big as possible. Don’t narrow it down. "Each center opening brings a different jewel… the dilemma is which to choose." No, no need to choose any center. All the centers, all the seven chakras of the body, have to function well. All the centers of the body have to function in a unity, in an organic unity. From sex to sahasrar, from the first to the seventh, they should vibrate like an orchestra. You can choose one center. That’s what people have done: some people have chosen the sex center — they remain, around and around they go. They move in a circle. Their whole life remains just a process of sexuality — very poor. I don’t call them sinners; I simply call them very poor people. And poor by their own choice — when more was possible. It is as if you have an aeroplane and you yoke bullocks to it and use it as a bullock-cart. You are poor — not a sinner. You are simply foolish, stupid! Or you can use the aeroplane like a truck, like a bus — a little better than the bullock-cart, but still you are foolish. Such a costly vehicle, and you are using it as a bus! A vehicle that can fly into the skies, you are using it as a truck on the road. That’s what is happening. You have a beautiful orchestra within you, the full range, all the colors, all the notes — all that is possible is possible within you, but you cling to one center: the sex. Somebody clings to some other center, somebody to some other. And then there are people who think: "Leave all this, and we should just remain in the ajna chakra — in the third-eye center." That too is narrowing down your being. Better than being a bullock-cart but still you are a truck on the road. Then there are a few who think that they have to use only the sahasrar against all the six — then again you are confining your being. Then you have an aeroplane, but you never get down on the earth. You are going to have a big accident sooner or later because sooner or later the gas will be finished, the petrol will not be there. Flying continuously is dangerous. Sometimes come back to the earth, down to earth; refill the petrol, rest, relax; get ready to fly again. That’s the way. And the earth is beautiful — as much as the sky. The stars are beautiful, but have you watched, sitting in an aeroplane? — you cannot look very long in the sky, it is boring. It is beautiful, but it is monotonous. People start falling asleep sooner or later. They look outside the window for a little while and then they feel bored — it is monotonous. Earth is tremendously beautiful, never monotonous. So many flowers, so many trees, so many birds, so many people. My emphasis is to live in all the seven centers together. Never lose contact with the lowest, and never avoid flying with the highest. Use all the centers! Then your wings will be in the sky and your roots will be in the earth. And a perfect man is a meeting of heaven and earth — that’s what Taoists say: a meeting of heaven and earth. That’s what a perfect man is: meeting of the physical and the spiritual, meeting of the body and the soul, meeting of the world and renunciation, meeting of prose and poetry. AND THE questioner asks: "You say choicelessness is bliss but society rewards specialists." That’s true — society is not interested in your bliss: society is interested in its own efficiency. Society is not bothered whether you are ecstatic or not — that is none of its business. Society wants you to be just efficient mechanisms, robots. Do the work that society wants you to do, and then the society is finished with you. What you do with your own being is none of its business. In fact, the society wants you not to do anything on your own, because that can become a distraction from efficiency. A man who is very happy cannot be so efficient — because he is so bubbling with happiness that efficiency seems trivial. What does it matter whether you earn one thousand rupees a month or ten thousand rupees a month? If his needs are fulfilled, a happy man doesn’t bother. He stops at a point; he is not obsessed with money. If a happy man sees that five days working is enough, then two days he rests — goes fishing or to the mountains. If he sees that only two days working is enough, then he works two days — in five days there are many more important things to do. He has to compose poetry, and he has to play his guitar, and he has to dance; and he has to just sit with friends and gossip; he has to meditate, pray, dance — he has a thousand and one things. His work is a need he has to fulfill. He enjoys it, but he is not obsessed with it. A happy man is never a perfectionist. Only unhappy people are perfectionists, only unhappy people are obsessed with their work — because that is the only way they can avoid themselves, they can avoid facing themselves. they can avoid encountering themselves. They are continuously working; late hours they will go on working; unless they fall asleep they go on working. Why? because they are afraid. If they stop work, then what to do? Then they are left to themselves and they cannot face themselves. Society is, of course, interested in specialists. And specialists, more or less, become inhuman — because they know too much about too little. Their whole vision becomes narrow, narrow, narrow. I have heard — the story must belong to the twenty-first century: One man knocked at a doctor’s, an eye specialist’s office, and he said, "My left eye is hurting very much, and I cannot see rightly, my vision is blurred." The doctor said, "Excuse me, I am sorry, but I specialize only in right eyes. For the left eye you will have to go to some other specialist." Narrower and narrower goes on the path of the specialist. He never sees the tree; he only can see the leaf. The whole is lost in the part. And, of course, the part cannot exist without the whole. In fact, all divisions are arbitrary. The leaf is not separate from the branch; the branch is not separate from the tree; the tree is not separate from the roots; the roots are not separate from the earth. Everything is in organic unity. The specialist goes on dividing, and by and by those divisions, those demarcations, take on too much importance. A specialist becomes inhuman. I have heard: A doctor put an elderly man on a diet because of his weight problem. The man returned to his doctor in two months’ time and he had lost dozens of pounds. The doctor was very pleased with the result. The patient said, "I feel so young. doctor. Only today I saw a girl’s bare arm and I felt like biting it!" The doctor said, "You could have done. It’s only about forty calories.’ A specialist is a specialist. All specialization becomes basically inhuman. It loses track of the whole. But the society is interested in efficiency. So beware of the society. Society is not interested in your happiness, in your joy. The interest of the society is more production, efficiency, more work — and don’t ask for what, because they don’t know for what. If you work hard they will say to create better situations — for what? — to work still harder. It is just like a man who earns money and you ask him "For what?" He says, "To earn more money. "And then you earn more money, then what?" He says "To earn still more money." The thing seems to be vicious. The individual has totally different interests from the society, because the society has no soul. The society is soulless. And if you become too much a part of the society, it will reduce your soul also to a … read more »

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#but hes like the Senator from my state Jesse #Helms. You may not always agree with him but you always know where #he stands, #he doesn’t teeter or waiver from his beliefs. somebody said back there a bit–if it’s true, why isn’t Jesse insisting that the coons stay in their own part of town as he did back in the good old days? Helms changes, like everybody whose standards are flexible and who considers himself to be a man of principle but returns to the senate voluntarily.  (and many thinking folks hope he comes to his senses.) As for Gierach, he’s an excellent stylist with an ironic wit, and it’s all fiction mind you, which appellation our BB seems to aspire to much more recently. "Strait-laced" as Shakespeare (or should I say the Earl of Oxford?) had it–the pompous Malvolio of Twelfth Night made a fool of himself by coming around in the opposite look, the dandified and contrived "cross-gartered" style. . .in other words, he went out as what he wasn’t, and was laughed off the creek for it.  Went insane, if I remember correctly.  And Shakespeare wrote about what he wasn’t for a buck, collected "such rascal counters" happily; he would have signed his name for more if he’d had the chance, I reckon. Dave

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I actually met John Gierach in Lyons, Colorado at Mike Clarks shop  this last fall.  We stopped by the shop on our way to the Frying Pan.  John G.  was actually very pleasant and eventhough he didn’t have to stay and talk, he did. I haven’t read all the posts about him, but wanted to put in me 2 cents worth about my brief contact with him and how he seemed like a pretty decent guy, besides being a great writer!

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I met John Gierach in Lyons, Colorado at Mike Clarks shop… John was

actually very pleasant and even though he didn’t have to stay and talk, he did. … he seemed like a pretty decent guy,besides being a great writer! Hey Skilch, you’re right about Gierach. I live "up the road" from John, and bump into him, Mike, and the clan on the high country streams occasionally. I’ve also yakked with him at Mike’s rod shop, and been to John’s fly tying clinics. I don’t know Gierach very well, but I like the guy – and I certainly admire what he’s been able to accomplish in his career. Anybody who can win the Robert Traver Award for excellence in outdoor writing, author thousands of magazine articles, newspapers columns, and ten of the best selling fly fishing books in recent history is bound to invite some criticism from those who wish to hell they had his gift – and his success. Too bad. Regards, Dennis

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[deleted] and ten of the best selling fly fishing books in recent history is bound to invite some criticism from those who wish to hell they had his gift – and his success.

Please. Noone (at least not me) is being critical of either: 1) the fact that john is a nice guy  or 2) that they envy his gifts. If you read past the subject line in these posts, you would have had no need to defend him on those scores. In my critical estimation, as a consumer of flyfishing books, John Gierach is a good writer, but not a great writer.  He got someone to publish him, in my opinion, and the rest is history.   Steve Spinolio is a better writer, in my book, than John Gierach, or Russell Chatham.   I enjoy John Geirach at least as much or more than E. Donnel Thomas, "Whitefish Can’t Jump", but they are very much on the same, simple, short story format that does not define great writers.   I like Ted Lesson’s writing better than Gierach. Again, it has nothing to do with John being a good guy or a clever successful hard-working man.  I am certain that he is all that.  You don’t buy a flyrod or a car for that matter just because the builder is a ‘nice guy’.   I liked James Bashline, who was not a writer, really…but offered me something of value in "Nightfishing for Trout". A sad truth is, IMO, the sale of books often has as much to do with the publishers backing them and the level of gloss on the dust jacket as it does quality of content.  The best thing you could do as a writer is get Nick Lyon’s in your court.  That is power there. The number of sales define the number of awards and some of us are simply critical of the writing itself and are not star struck, nor do we have penis envy.  In Johns case, he has moments of really good stuff, but overall the stuff is repetitive, monotonous, politically correct and often boring.   To me, life offers more exciting fishing trips than John Gierach does in his writing.   So sue me. — TimW Halfordian Golfer

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: In my critical estimation, as a consumer of flyfishing books, John Gierach : is a good writer, but not a great writer.  He got someone to publish him, in : my opinion, and the rest is history.   Steve Spinolio is a better writer, in : my book, than John Gierach, or Russell Chatham.   I didn’t know Spinolio had written anything beyond a post or two, one of which I have on my office wall.  Where can I find his writing?   To be a writer, one must write.  I battle with this everyday.  I suspect most do. At the very least, Gierach writes in large amount.  That’s something to be proud of.   — Rick T. Rick Fletcher   –   http://www.chem.uidaho.edu/~fletcher/ Associate professor of chemistry  |  That’s Idaho, not Iowa.    | ad hominem University of Idaho               |  Upper Left Hand Corner.    | ad hominem Moscow, ID 83844-2343             |  No, I don’t grow potatoes. | ad hominem

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Does Gierach still live in Lyons? I spent summers there (I’m an East Coast boy) in the early ’70’s and fished the St. Vrain top to bottom–my grandfather owned the trailer park in the big bend just outside of Lyons (next box up from the park.) I think I trespassed on his property a few times. Dave

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:I enjoy John Geirach at :least as much or more than E. Donnel Thomas, "Whitefish Can’t Jump", but :they are very much on the same, simple, short story format that does not :define great writers. You were doing just fine Moe until you said the above which caused me to laugh out loud. You can’t take those darn short stories seriously, you slay me sometimes… TC

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they are very much on the same, simple, short story format that does not define great writers.

I gotta wonder what Ernest Hemmingway woulda said about that. Big Two Hearted River for example, is far from simple. Ben

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: In my critical estimation, as a consumer of flyfishing books, John Gierach : is a good writer, but not a great writer.  He got someone to publish him, in : my opinion, and the rest is history.   Steve Spinolio is a better writer, in : my book, than John Gierach, or Russell Chatham.   I didn’t know Spinolio had written anything beyond a post or two, one of which I have on my office wall.  Where can I find his writing?  

Any idea when he is to return? Or if he will? Kiyu

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I actually met John Gierach in Lyons, Colorado at Mike Clarks shop  this last fall.  We stopped by the shop on our way to the Frying Pan.  John G.  was actually very pleasant and eventhough he didn’t have to stay and talk, he did. I haven’t read all the posts about him, but wanted to put in me 2 cents worth about my brief contact with him and how he seemed like a pretty decent guy, besides being a great writer!

If Geirach is really the guy he says he is in his writing, then he reallly doesn’t give a rat’s ass about all these postings about him, pro and con. If he logs on to defend himself, you may be assured he is a fraud. I predict with the former.  One problem I see here is that many insist on judging him as a flyfisherman, based on his writings. The only way you can judge him as a flyfisher, is to fly fish with him. As a reader, you must judge him as an outdoor writer, an entertainer, if you will. On that basis I find him well worth an evening in the easy chair. Since I haven’t fished with him, I can’t comment on the other. DAO DAO

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If Geirach is really the guy he says he is in his writing, then he reallly

doesn’t give a rat’s ass about all these postings about him, pro and con. If he logs on to defend himself, you may be assured he is a fraud. Funny you should bring that up, Dale. I was with John for an hour or so last week, and asked him if he was aware of the dialog about him on the internet. He just chuckled and said, "Yeah,  the guys told me about it. Sounds like those people are pissing away some good fishing time wrangling over nothing." … or words to that effect. He won’t be logging on. He doesn’t own a computer. As a reader, you must judge him as an outdoor writer, an entertainer, if you

will. On that basis I find him, well worth an evening in the easy chair.< Precisely.

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If you read past the subject line in these posts, you would have had no needto

defend him on those scores. Your right Moe, I was arguing apples and oranges here. My apologies.  He got someone to publish him, in

my opinion, and the rest is history. Right again, but he didn’t get just "anyone" to publish him. Pruett, Lyons, Simon & Shuster and Stackpole are hardly the kind of publishing houses to invest in ho-hum writers. <  Steve Spinolio is a better writer, inmy book, than John Gierach, or Russell Chatham … or E. Donnel Thomas I’m not familiar with Spinolio. Is he someone I should be reading. Know where I can find any of his stuff?, but they are very much on the same, simple, short story format that does not

define great writers.  I suspect you may open a real can of worms with that judgement, Moe. A sad truth is, IMO, the sale of books often has as much to do with the

publishers backing them and the level of gloss on the dust jacket as it does quality of content. Maybe, but again, big publishing houses aren’t likely to invest in writers whose work doesn’t sell. As for" quality of content", that’s a pretty subjective matter.   The number of sales define the number of awards… I’m not so sure that’s an accurate statement. Lyons didn’t publish Trout Bum, nor much of Gierach’s other works. And if I’m not mistaken, John won the Traver Award for a fictional piece that appeared in FR & R. nor do we have penis envy.

????Where’d that come from?   In Johns case, he has moments of really good stuff, but overall the stuff is repetitive, monotonous, politically correct and often boring.  To me, life offers more exciting fishing trips than John Gierach does in his writing.  So sue me. Actually, I’d rather go fishing with you, but If I were to sue-  and win – how much could I get? later DES

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To be a writer, one must write.  I battle with this everyday.  I suspect most

do. Amen to that. At the very least, Gierach writes in large amount.  That’s something to be

proud of. And to that one, as well. DES

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Much of Shakepeare’s work was "formulaic" and "Typical" yet in retrospect his work is viewed as "ground breaking".  Perhaps Gierach’s stuff needs the appreciation that only time and distance can impart to the nonappreciative and overly cautious segments of his audience.

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I find it humerous that all these straight laced flyfisherman find the time to criticize one of their own. I pose a question to any of you who find it within your right to criticize John at a personal or professional level:Have you ever had a conversation with the man? Do you know him and how he lives and his quality of life? I think that most critics would say NO to these questions. John is a very simple man. He’s a very acute journalist who has developed a style both in and out of the newspapers of his own. He is a fine flyfisherman and a generally nice guy to know. Most people who know him feel the same way. If one thing you can say of John, and I hope not to insult him with this comparison, but hes like the Senator from my state Jesse Helms. You may not always agree with him but you always know where he stands, he doesn’t teeter or waiver from his beliefs. A quality I believe to be a goal for most men. The other point is I believe that most flyfisherman, a strangely stoic bunch as it goes, are somewhat jealous of a man who can do what most of us want to do ALL the time instead of just some of the time, like most of us. So don’t wander down a road that you’re not familiar with, you may hit a tree or a parked car or Butch, the local dog who everybody in town knows would be sleeping in the road at 2:00pm on a tuesday. It might be hazardous. Jim Brady

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I was with you until you last paragraph. Literature, great and small, is open game to critics and it is wonderful for an author to have a defender. But, to think that people offer an descenting opinion because they are jealous of a guy who fishes for a living is absurd. By in large, my fly fishers are smarter and better read than that. It’s an opinion. Agree. Disagree. Who cares. I can speak to the issue with a decent amount of authority. I have been in the communications industry for 27-plus years and have only fly fished for half that time. Gierach is a fine writer. I have most of his books. But, I think we all can agree that he is not producing groundbreaking work here. His stuff is Day Berry In Waders, whihc is fine. Hell, Dave Berry won a Pulitzer. As much as I like Gierach, he gets, like anyone else who writes for pay alot, myself included, formulaic, and hence some of his stuff becomes "typical". Knowing where someone stands is not necessarily the greatest commendation one can make about literature. Read Mein Kampf and you know where that guy stood too! My view is simple, stuff like Gierach’s should entertain and inform. Period. I do not expect it to change my life or create a new vision for my life. I leave that to far better writers with something to say on the topic. But, as for whiling away an evening after slaving over a hot word processor all day, I’ll take Gierach any day of the week. Ask the man and I am sure he will tell you he is not out to change the world. He’;s a writer and damn few of us are good enough to change the world. But, if we any good at what we do, we can inform and entertain for a while, even a moment. So, lighten up! Besides, I think Gierach is a big boy and can defend himself nicely. Hollis – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I find it humerous that all these straight laced flyfisherman find the time to criticize one of their own. I pose a question to any of you who find it within your right to criticize John at a personal or professional level:Have you ever had a conversation with the man? Do you know him and how he lives and his quality of life? I think that most critics would say NO to these questions. John is a very simple man. He’s a very acute journalist who has developed a style both in and out of the newspapers of his own. He is a fine flyfisherman and a generally nice guy to know. Most people who know him feel the same way. If one thing you can say of John, and I hope not to insult him with this comparison, but hes like the Senator from my state Jesse Helms. You may not always agree with him but you always know where he stands, he doesn’t teeter or waiver from his beliefs. A quality I believe to be a goal for most men. The other point is I believe that most flyfisherman, a strangely stoic bunch as it goes, are somewhat jealous of a man who can do what most of us want to do ALL the time instead of just some of the time, like most of us. So don’t wander down a road that you’re not familiar with, you may hit a tree or a parked car or Butch, the local dog who everybody in town knows would be sleeping in the road at 2:00pm on a tuesday. It might be hazardous. Jim Brady

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Another follow-up on this thread… Just don’t read or buy the books he has written if you don’t like his writing.  As for me, I like a lot of what John has written. Most of his writing is non-technical, and therefore fine pleasure reading, if I’m into it. While Christmas cleaning btw, I perused through a lot of old Fly Fisherman and Rod and Reel Mags in my collection dating all the way back to the early eighties.  The writer in question (John) has been around for a long time, has "paid his dues," and in a professional sense is worthy of respect even if many people don’t like his work.  No need for debate or slander of the individual on a ng forum. Wayne Fenior Midland, MI – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I was with you until you last paragraph. Literature, great and small, is open game to critics and it is wonderful for an author to have a defender. But, to think that people offer an descenting opinion because they are jealous of a guy who fishes for a living is absurd. By in large, my fly fishers are smarter and better read than that. It’s an opinion. Agree. Disagree. Who cares. I can speak to the issue with a decent amount of authority. I have been in the communications industry for 27-plus years and have only fly fished for half that time. Gierach is a fine writer. I have most of his books. But, I think we all can agree that he is not producing groundbreaking work here. His stuff is Day Berry In Waders, whihc is fine. Hell, Dave Berry won a Pulitzer. As much as I like Gierach, he gets, like anyone else who writes for pay alot, myself included, formulaic, and hence some of his stuff becomes "typical". Knowing where someone stands is not necessarily the greatest commendation one can make about literature. Read Mein Kampf and you know where that guy stood too! My view is simple, stuff like Gierach’s should entertain and inform. Period. I do not expect it to change my life or create a new vision for my life. I leave that to far better writers with something to say on the topic. But, as for whiling away an evening after slaving over a hot word processor all day, I’ll take Gierach any day of the week. Ask the man and I am sure he will tell you he is not out to change the world. He’;s a writer and damn few of us are good enough to change the world. But, if we any good at what we do, we can inform and entertain for a while, even a moment. So, lighten up! Besides, I think Gierach is a big boy and can defend himself nicely. Hollis

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Tim, I think if I could paraphrase your response–if you’re gonna set up shop as an icon (or let others set you up), you better expect some iconoclasts will come along. It goes with the job. I have to agree…good, not great. Trouble is, good writers don’t usually stay in print 50 years later. And in 100 years, no one remembers who the good writers were. That’s a tribute for great writers, and I don’t think we should start throwing that appelation around lightly. BTW–do you know where these straight-laced, stoic fishermen are. They’re not around here, that’s for damned sure! I don’t think I last an afternoon fishing with one of ‘em! Roger

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I find it humerous that all these straight laced flyfisherman find the time to criticize one of their own.

        (lots of stuff snipped) , but hes like the Senator from my state Jesse Helms. You may not always agree with him but you always know where he stands, he doesn’t teeter or waiver from his beliefs. A quality I believe to be a goal for most men.

        let me tell you, jack, that he is also my senior senator, a fact that renders me nauseous, but is presently unavoidable.  and if you think ol jesse wouldn’t sell every goddam inch of hazel creek to the highest bidder in the tree cuttin industry, then you are blind as a bat.  and having read gierach, i can’t believe he would accept such a comparison. The other point is I believe that most flyfisherman, a strangely stoic bunch as it goes, are somewhat jealous of a man who can do what most of us want to do ALL the time instead of just some of the time,

        how much the guy fishes has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of his prose.  which, imho, is very high.  but your apology for him, in the face of timbo’s protestations, is lamentable.         a. wayne harrison

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Much of Shakepeare’s work was "formulaic" and "Typical" yet in retrospect his work is viewed as "ground breaking".  Perhaps Gierach’s stuff needs the appreciation that only time and distance can impart to the nonappreciative and overly cautious segments of his audience.

Is it really you ?  I thought you were dead ? Comparing Gierach to Shakespeare ? Like the guy that painted a happy face on a dairy cows underside. Udderly Silly. — TimW Halfordian Golfer

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I find it humerous that all these straight laced flyfisherman

I’ve spent enough time around this group the past couple of years to know that most of the laces don’t get any crookeder than the ones you’ll find round here. Nope…not a straight lace in the bunch (I say that with pride, so don’t anyone get offended). Roger

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Much of Shakepeare’s work was "formulaic" and "Typical" yet in retrospect his work is viewed as "ground breaking".  Perhaps Gierach’s stuff needs the appreciation that only time and distance can impart to the nonappreciative and overly cautious segments of his audience.

I would have to disagree on calling much of Shakespeare formulaic or typical. Sure, he may have used some common conventions and story lines adopted from other sources, but if you compare Shakespeare’s King Lear, for example, with contemporary version’s like Nahum Tate’s, Big Bill the Bard’s on a whole new plane. As for Geirach I don’t think the same can be said. I have read and enjoyed his work as light reading over my lunch hour. Or on a camping trip. Groundbreaking? Unconventional? Original? I don’t think so. There is very little that hasn’t been done before by others, and won’t be done again. It’s not even a terribly distinctive voice. This doesn’t make it unpleasant or without value. But I don’t think it’s the kind of stuff posterity is going to elevate into the canon of great works. If you went back 100-200 years and looked at the best selling books…other than the bible, you probably wouldn’t recogize many of them. The reason they were so popular was not that they were original, but rather that they perfectly mimicked the conventions of their day. They appealed to contemporary tastes. That…I think…is what Geirach does. He ain’t writing for the ages. Roger

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Seems to me that how nice a guy a person is, how authentic or otherwise attractive his lifestyle might ain’t got a lot to do with the quality of his writing, and thus the orig. poster just misses the point of some of Gierach’s detractors entirely. Hemmingway, for instance, does not seem to be the kind of guy one would enjoy spending lots of time with, and while through happy circumstances I can afford to fish as much as Gierach (or maybe even more), that don’t make me a writer.         That said, I think that most if not all of Gierach’s detractors miss a point too, and that is that almost no author I know of who has turned out more than just a book or two is able to maintain the same quality of prose over and over and over again. But even then, there are authors who write one great great work and then are either silent or write crap, and others who simply maintain a fairly high level consistently  throughout their careers.         For my money I suspect some of Gierach’s stuff

Question:

I am planning a trip to Montana in mid to late September and could use some advice on fly selection. My  girfriend will be fishing the Yellowstone, Madison, and in the park. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

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I am planning a trip to Montana in mid to late September and could use some advice on fly selection. My girlfriend and I will be fishing the Yellowstone, Madison, and some in Yellowstone Park. I would like to tie as many flies as possible before the trip. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

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I am planning a trip to Montana in mid to late September and could use some advice on fly selection. My girlfriend and I will be fishing the Yellowstone, Madison, and some in Yellowstone Park. I would like to tie as many flies as possible before the trip. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

Hi Tim, In September, in particular, the browns are quite active preparing to spawn. Preparing for this results in two activities: gorging lots of food to build up necessary fat deposits for spawning, and protecting their spawning lies from predators. Both activities result in excellent streamer fishing from September to November. Be prepared with a selection of Muddlers, Woolly Buggers, Matuka and Woolhead Sculpins, and Zonker patterns, to name a few of the more locally popular flies. September is also a fine time here for insects. Hydropsyche caddis are still emerging heavily on all the rivers (size 14-16, pale green & tan), as well as the late emergence of Rhyacophila (the "Bright Green Caddis Larva," size #14-16, olive adult). Baetis become the dominant mayfly (olive, size #18-22 with smaller sizes more typical of the fall emergence), with Mahogany duns (brown, size 14) providing late season action for the larger mayflies, especially on the Gallatin River. There are lesser hatches which are also "locally" important on some rivers, including Tricos (Madison), Attenella (upper Yellowstone), etc. I’d also suggest that you contact local fly shops for the area you’ll be visiting, including Jacklin’s in West Yellowstone and Montana Troutfitters or The River’s Edge in Bozeman. They can provide you with locally effective "hot" patterns and up-to-date fishing reports. Good Luck, Ryan Jordan J&J Flies (Bozeman)

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I had good luck using a PMD nymph at Buffalo Ford last Sept. Not much else was working at the time. Frank Cada

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I am planning a trip to Montana in mid to late September and could use some advice on fly selection. My girlfriend and I will be fishing the Yellowstone, Madison, and some in Yellowstone Park. I would like to tie as many flies as possible before the trip. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

Hi Tim You will need a series of Bead Head nymphs and Hare’s Ear Nymphs #10 – #16, assorted Wulffs #12 – #18, Parachute Adams #16 – #20, assorted Compara Duns #14 – #22, Elk Hair Caddis #12 – #20 both light and dark,   Real important for that time of years is #8 Grass Hoppers — my favorite is a Whit’s Hopper or something similar.  By the time September rolls around the fish will have seen many different Hopper patterns and the more realistic the better.  This is especially true in the Park.  The fish on Slough Creek as an example will often "nudge" a hopper patterns several times before taking it.  It’s important that you not strike when they nudge the fly but wait for them to take it.  It can be a real nerve racking experience but a lot of fun as well. Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT (96 catalog)

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It matters a GREAT deal WHERE on the Yellowstone you’ll be fishing.  The Yellowstone, as you know, is a very large river that can be broken down into several sections.  If you can be more specific as to the area you’ll be fishing, I’ll tell you the information you want to know.

Response:

I am planning a trip to Montana in mid to late September and could use some advice on fly selection. My girlfriend and I will be fishing the Yellowstone, Madison, and some in Yellowstone Park. I would like to tie as many flies as possible before the trip. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

Have some hoppers for warm days. Wooly buggers in whatever fancies you. I like black with a touch of flash and the Bakers hole special which is yellow and brown with a touch of flash. Bead head Hares ears in a variety of sizes and bead head Prince seems to work on the Madison. Definitely have some size 18-22 pmd type emergers in pale yellow. Last year this was our most effective fly on the madison the first week of October. (I still after all these years can’t figure out how those trout see those flies in all that rough water!) Fished them with a small strike indicator on the nymphs and like a dry for the emergers. I personally still used the strike indicator on th emergers cause I sure can’t see the fly. I would also still have the basics in a variety of sizes like Wulfs Adams, Caddis and sparkle duns, but the nymphs were most productive for us. The Wooly Buggers were the most productive on the Yellowstone above Le Hardy Rapids. Kevin Williams

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I am planning a trip to Montana in mid to late September and could use some advice on fly selection. My girlfriend and I will be fishing the Yellowstone, Madison, and some in Yellowstone Park. I would like to tie as many flies as possible before the trip. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

I suggest calling Madison River Outfitters in West Yellowstone.  (I don’t feel comfortable publishing phone numbers, but I’m sure you can call information.)

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Question:

Harrison, You may be right.  I believe I observed Jim and Kelly Watt on the tele one Sat. morning years ago.  For the life of me I can’t remember what ol’ Jimbo looks like BUT I have a vivid picture of Kelly, lips and all.   "Epoxylips", I need to remember that one.  Thank you for correcting me. Stephen Hiner

Stephen:         Just to set you straight, Jimbo is the one who laughs all the time – every nightclub comedians dream. His vocabulary also seems to consist of a single phrase, "oooooooh, NICE FISH". The other member of the dynamic duo squeals a lot and also has a limited vocabulary, i.e., "ooooooooh, THANK YOU FISH". Sometimes they get confused and say things like "THANK YOU, oooooooooh, NICE FISH", or even "NICE, ooooooh, YOU FISH THANK which isn’t in the script. Then they are difficult to tell apart. I think the double XX member of duo wears pink neoprenes, but I haven’t watched the show in years, so maybe I am mistaken.                                 Harrison

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A sure sign – the apocalypse is near!!!! Stephen Hiner

I’m not sure you meant "apocalypse". Didn’t you mean "epoxylips?"                                                 HRS

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Harrison, You may be right.  I believe I observed Jim and Kelly Watt on the tele one Sat. morning years ago.  For the life of me I can’t remember what ol’ Jimbo looks like BUT I have a vivid picture of Kelly, lips and all.  "Epoxylips", I need to remember that one.  Thank you for correcting me. Stephen Hiner

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Folks, most of you are probably aware of the Forum over at the Virtual Flyshop, (chat room, message boards, etc), but our ‘Experts’ board has been down for some time. We’re pleased to announce tha it is back up again, and we have some excellent fly fishermen willing to field your questions, including Gary LaFontaine, Jim Teeny, Jim & Kelly Watt, Dan Wright, Ian Martin and others. Please feel free to make use of this service! The URL for the VFS Forum is http://www.flyshop.com/Forum Thanks, — Mike Tucker-  The Virtual Flyshop Web: http://www.flyshop.com Phone: 970/225-6445

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A sure sign – the apocalypse is near!!!! Stephen Hiner

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Question:

Asa rule, the weather there is really crummy during that time of year. The crystal clear waters and warm weather that all of us are sold on is about three months away. This period is right during their Winter-Spring transition. If you are lucky, though, you might be able to pick up a small black marlin. I was there last august specifically for that, but we got blown out. For more info on that fishing, contact Capt. Craig "Sparrow" Denham at 079 453 217 which is his phone and fax. For more information on General fishing, contact Carol North at Cairns Reef Charter Services at 070 31 4742 ph. or 070 31 4610 fax. Let me know if you need anymore information. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –  The Iast week in August my wife and I are going to Austrailia  and we will be spending 5 days cruising around the Great Barrier Reef and I will be doing a lot of fly fishing. I would like to know if anyone could give me some info on the type of fish I can expect to catch and what patterns will be good for this area. Thanks Bill.

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 The Iast week in August my wife and I are going to Austrailia  and we will be spending 5 days cruising around the Great Barrier Reef and I will be doing a lot of fly fishing. I would like to know if anyone could give me some info on the type of fish I can expect to catch and what patterns will be good for this area. Thanks Bill.

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Question:

Good flies?   Try something like a black girdle bug with yellow rubber legs.

I’ve also had good luck with a long shank hook (8-4), white marabou tail ( long) body of gold tinsle chenille, palmer wrapped with dark hackle and very small lead eyes or lead wraps forward… looks like the little minnows that smallies love…. Good Luck / /—– /     Bob Bowes |/         |     Defense Systems Divison |   ^   ^   |     Lockheed Sanders Inc |     &     |     Merrimack NH 03045     _/   /      (603)-885-6779     ___ /

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| I’ll be in West Virginia  from 6/7 through 6/13 and | I’ll have three days an a couple of evenings free to | chase smallmouths.   I’m staying at Pipestem State | Park on the New River. | | I’ve never tried smallmouths on moving water | before, so any advice will be appreciated.  I’ll be | using a fly rod but want advice from all anglers.   | I find I can adapt other techniques to fly fishing | quite nicely.  I’ve had great luck with Bay stripers, | landlocked stripers, black bass, ocean pearch, rock | fish, etc. Chip, I have fished the upper Potomac quite a bit for smallmouth and we’re basically talking about the same conditions here. The most efficient technique I have found for spring and fall is a two-inch floating Rapala on ultralight spinning tackle. Spinners work well, too, but they get hung up alot in shallow water, which is where the active fish are. The Rapala dives when retrieved and lets you effectively fish topwater and down to a couple of feet. While I’m not a big fan of spin fishing, I usually fish from a canoe where fly casting is a little awkward. To fly fish I usually beach the canoe and wade. I also use an ultralight casting outfit, though the Rapala is a little too light for it. Works fine with a junior size sluggo (no weight added) and a Zara Spook. For fly fishing in the evening, try deer hair bass bugs. I use patterns tied on #4 hooks and a 6-weight line/rod combination. You could go heavier, but since river smallmouth in this area tend to be on the small side, the light tackle adds to the fun. If there’s alot of glare on the water and/or the fish aren’t coming to the surface, I use a muddler minnow with a little lead tied into it. If you want to take the quality over quantity approach and stalk the larger fish, bring an 8-weight rod and proportionately larger flies. If you’ve never caught smallmouth in moving water, you’re in for a treat, especially with light tackle. You’ll find alot of fish going airborne once they’re hooked. Good luck. —

Response:

Park on the New River. I’ve never tried smallmouths on moving water before, so any advice will be appreciated.  I’ll be using a fly rod but want advice from all anglers.

Depressions, ledges, side pools – all are good holding and cruising zones.   With flies, I often made long casts and retrieved in any old way, as long as they followed.   Then when they all came running in close, I’d work the fly more carefully, often seeing them dare each other to take the fly, and eventually setting the hook when the big one bit down. Good flies?   Try something like a black girdle bug with yellow rubber legs. Thomas Gilg

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I’ll be in West Virginia  from 6/7 through 6/13 and I’ll have three days an a couple of evenings free to chase smallmouths.   I’m staying at Pipestem State Park on the New River. I’ve never tried smallmouths on moving water before, so any advice will be appreciated.  I’ll be using a fly rod but want advice from all anglers.   I find I can adapt other techniques to fly fishing quite nicely.  I’ve had great luck with Bay stripers, landlocked stripers, black bass, ocean pearch, rock fish, etc.

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