Question:

Did you hear about the Energizer Bunny dying? Someone put his batteries in backwards and he just kept coming and coming and coming….. Clark

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You forgot to mention stranding me on little dummer with a dead battery. Yes…well….that was another trip, after all… That battery, btw, is totally, utterly, dead. Two years old, too young to die. It’s going back to Sears today… /daytripper

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – [snip] that the world was a better place without me on it… Amen

See, that’s what editing can do to a concept – turn it into a suicide note! /daytripper (although if it gets any hotter here, that’s an idea…)

Response:

You forgot to mention stranding me on little dummer with a dead battery.

Yes…well….that was another trip, after all… That battery, btw, is totally, utterly, dead. Two years old, too young to die. It’s going back to Sears today… /daytripper

Response:

You forgot to mention stranding me on little dummer with a dead battery. Yes…well….that was another trip, after all… That battery, btw, is totally, utterly, dead. Two years old, too young to die. It’s going back to Sears today… /daytripper

Get someone else to lift it for you… Paul

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(snipped report) That was a good read.  Excellent fishing description. Jeez, drink something with some actual caffeine in it next time and we might get a real epic bruce h

Response:

(snipped report) That was a good read.  Excellent fishing description. Jeez, drink something with some actual caffeine in it next time and we might get a real epic bruce h

Be careful what you ask for I suppose I should have mentioned that I rarely have anything with a significant amount of caffeine in it, since 1987, on the recommendation of a cardiac specialist back then who determined it was aggravating a non-life-threatening-but-really-distracting "premature ventricular contraction" syndrome I had been experiencing. And though the PVCs passed after two years, never to return (yet, at least) I still usually avoid caffeine, as I discovered I really didn’t need it – and that the world was a better place without me on it… /daytripper (*definitely*!

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[snip] that the world was a better place without me on it…

Amen

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – So I set my main anchor and starting paying out the anchor line – and totally misjudged the length of the line vs the speed of the outgoing current – and had the end of the anchor line slide through my hand and sink…. down…down….down to the bottom. … Did that once in the middle of the afternoon with half a dozen people on my boat watching…very embarassing. Indeed. Yet Paul – bless his heart – went very easy on me, considering the fullness of the opportunity. I don’t know that I’d be as kind, but then again, it was *my* boat, and we were a long way from land

You forgot to mention stranding me on little dummer with a dead battery.

Response:

[snip] that the world was a better place without me on it… Amen

No, no, no Paul, he didn’t say "IN" it!         Wolfgang

Response:

OK, this is a bit wordy. It didn’t start out that way, it just grew. Mostly ‘cuz I’m wound up like a friggin’ mainspring by caffeinated beverages, and I’d have to burn a kilo to flatten out. Deal with it…And pay no attention to the unethical counting…. So I’m kinda on this corporate shut-down thing for the week – although I’m supposed to be "available", whatever the hell that’s really supposed to mean, which is the only thing keeping me out of the mountains this week. Too bad, I’ll bet the alderflies are a’poppin right about now. So much for Plan A. Anyway, the weather forecast for this week starts out grim and gets worse – we’ll be in the mid 90’s and wicked humid for the next few days. And me with a dysfunctional air conditioning unit at home. Uh oh… Plan B is to spend as much time on water. Any water. So Monday morning I get my boat out of winter mothball mode, clean it up, slap the muffs and a hose on the engine,  fire it up, and wake the neighborhood dead for awhile while I checked the tires and get my gear on board. It looks good. We’re ready. Wife and sons are all working this week. Tough nuggies. Call the SO and let her know once I’m a little more than half way to the Merrimack. Can hear her silently crossing herself, figuring (1) I’m by myself on a big brawny river at night and (2) my back is still sorta healing up after the surgery. The surgery which she is still convinced was necessary because of the boat. Ahem… I tell her not to worry, Paul Goodwin’s gonna meet me at the launch. Then I call Paul  Whoops, no answer at work or on cell. Maybe he went fishing already? He finally calls back when I’m within 15 minutes of the river, he’ll definitely come but he’ll be an hour behind. No problem, I’ll putt around and work a few close by spots then pick him off the dock. So eventually we’re both on board and cruising down river towards the ocean. The tide is dead high so we spent the better part of a couple of hours stripping streamers up on Joppa Flats – basically a square mile of 6′ deep water at high tide – and mud and grass at low – with a vestigial island in the middle. A few weeks ago this area was blazing with activity, but tonite we’d only see the bait gommers with an occasional hook up. Two hours past high tide we motored out through the mouth into the ocean and fished the back side of the south channel rock jetty. This is a spot I always hit if I’m otherwise fishless – because I *always* catch at least a couple of fish here. It’s good for the first three hours of an outgoing tide, otherwise it’s crap. We had about an hour on the jetty point, with me holding the boat just in casting range of the rocks while Paul landed two stripers and popped another before that spot went dead. Towards the end I set two anchors to hold us in place and got in a few casts, got a smack but still blanked. We then scooted back into the river and up the tail edge of the flats, just south of the G13 can. The idea is to fish the drop off on the down stream edge, where the stripers should congregate to catch whatever gets swept off the flats. I’ve hit this spot on days where literally every cast produced a striper.  All you have to do is plop your anchor on the high side and ease down over the drop before making fast. So I set my main anchor and starting paying out the anchor line – and totally misjudged the length of the line vs the speed of the outgoing current – and had the end of the anchor line slide through my hand and sink…. down…down….down to the bottom. Damn – I hate it when I do that. Auxiliary Anchor instantly field promoted to Main Anchor. We fished this area as the sun set and the air began to cool, both on anchor and just drifting. Drifting worked better tonite, with Paul nabbing another couple of stripers, and me finally boating one. Then I got another. Things were looking up The stars were now out so we switched to black streamers. And I promptly caught another striper. And after a bit, my fourth one, a particularly feisty beast that got some really good knuckle-shots in on my reel hand and took me at least 5 minutes and about a quarter mile of drifting downstream to get in the boat. I’m guessing it was 24-25" – not legal, but a nice fish to end the evening, and a reaffirmation that flyfishing for stripers can be a blast… At 11PM and pitch black we motored back up the river, using the GPS to find each channel marker and bridge underpass in turn, as I had programmed into the unit a few years ago, and following the middle of the channel with the sonar display. Wonderful stuff, electronics. Hauled out in the dark (the $5 launch fees apparently won’t light the single streetlamp on the ramp, harrumph!), had my e-brake freeze solid two clicks from released when I backed down to haul the boat – gonna have to fix that beyotch now for sure, hit a local Wendy’s around midnight, then blasted home. Feeling great, back is fine. No ill effects, other than being wound up pretty tight from way too many Classic Cokes. (No – the *drink*, dammit!) SO will be eyeballing me like a hawk in the morning looking for damage, gonna have to literally pop out of bed on the run to keep the heat off me Mid-90’s and humid sucks on dry land. Much nicer to be on the water. Might just have to do the whole thing again tomorrow…Or maybe a lake… /daytripper (bzzzzzz….Man, how do people drink the *really* loaded stuff – like Jolt??)

Response:

(bzzzzzz….Man, how do people drink the *really* loaded stuff – like Jolt??)

I used to drink that stuff back when I was closer to your age. It’s starting to wear off now. <g Nice TR. — Charlie…

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What a nice story – a couple weeks ago I was in Maine.  A buddy of mine took me out twice for stripers in the Yarmouth area.  We were using shooting heads – an absolute hoot – and chasing busting schools.  We had the adrenaline up as long as the tide held out! Pete Collin

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – OK, this is a bit wordy. It didn’t start out that way, it just grew. Mostly ‘cuz I’m wound up like a friggin’ mainspring by caffeinated beverages, and I’d have to burn a kilo to flatten out. Deal with it…And pay no attention to the unethical counting…. So I’m kinda on this corporate shut-down thing for the week – although I’m supposed to be "available", whatever the hell that’s really supposed to mean, which is the only thing keeping me out of the mountains this week. Too bad, I’ll bet the alderflies are a’poppin right about now. So much for Plan A. Anyway, the weather forecast for this week starts out grim and gets worse – we’ll be in the mid 90’s and wicked humid for the next few days. And me with a dysfunctional air conditioning unit at home. Uh oh… Plan B is to spend as much time on water. Any water. So Monday morning I get my boat out of winter mothball mode, clean it up, slap the muffs and a hose on the engine,  fire it up, and wake the neighborhood dead for awhile while I checked the tires and get my gear on board. It looks good. We’re ready. Wife and sons are all working this week. Tough nuggies. Call the SO and let her know once I’m a little more than half way to the Merrimack. Can hear her silently crossing herself, figuring (1) I’m by myself on a big brawny river at night and (2) my back is still sorta healing up after the surgery. The surgery which she is still convinced was necessary because of the boat. Ahem… I tell her not to worry, Paul Goodwin’s gonna meet me at the launch. Then I call Paul  Whoops, no answer at work or on cell. Maybe he went fishing already? He finally calls back when I’m within 15 minutes of the river, he’ll definitely come but he’ll be an hour behind. No problem, I’ll putt around and work a few close by spots then pick him off the dock. So eventually we’re both on board and cruising down river towards the ocean. The tide is dead high so we spent the better part of a couple of hours stripping streamers up on Joppa Flats – basically a square mile of 6′ deep water at high tide – and mud and grass at low – with a vestigial island in the middle. A few weeks ago this area was blazing with activity, but tonite we’d only see the bait gommers with an occasional hook up. Two hours past high tide we motored out through the mouth into the ocean and fished the back side of the south channel rock jetty. This is a spot I always hit if I’m otherwise fishless – because I *always* catch at least a couple of fish here. It’s good for the first three hours of an outgoing tide, otherwise it’s crap. We had about an hour on the jetty point, with me holding the boat just in casting range of the rocks while Paul landed two stripers and popped another before that spot went dead. Towards the end I set two anchors to hold us in place and got in a few casts, got a smack but still blanked. We then scooted back into the river and up the tail edge of the flats, just south of the G13 can. The idea is to fish the drop off on the down stream edge, where the stripers should congregate to catch whatever gets swept off the flats. I’ve hit this spot on days where literally every cast produced a striper.  All you have to do is plop your anchor on the high side and ease down over the drop before making fast. So I set my main anchor and starting paying out the anchor line – and totally misjudged the length of the line vs the speed of the outgoing current – and had the end of the anchor line slide through my hand and sink…. down…down….down to the bottom. Damn – I hate it when I do that. Auxiliary Anchor instantly field promoted to Main Anchor. We fished this area as the sun set and the air began to cool, both on anchor and just drifting. Drifting worked better tonite, with Paul nabbing another couple of stripers, and me finally boating one. Then I got another. Things were looking up The stars were now out so we switched to black streamers. And I promptly caught another striper. And after a bit, my fourth one, a particularly feisty beast that got some really good knuckle-shots in on my reel hand and took me at least 5 minutes and about a quarter mile of drifting downstream to get in the boat. I’m guessing it was 24-25" – not legal, but a nice fish to end the evening, and a reaffirmation that flyfishing for stripers can be a blast… At 11PM and pitch black we motored back up the river, using the GPS to find each channel marker and bridge underpass in turn, as I had programmed into the unit a few years ago, and following the middle of the channel with the sonar display. Wonderful stuff, electronics. Hauled out in the dark (the $5 launch fees apparently won’t light the single streetlamp on the ramp, harrumph!), had my e-brake freeze solid two clicks from released when I backed down to haul the boat – gonna have to fix that beyotch now for sure, hit a local Wendy’s around midnight, then blasted home. Feeling great, back is fine. No ill effects, other than being wound up pretty tight from way too many Classic Cokes. (No – the *drink*, dammit!) SO will be eyeballing me like a hawk in the morning looking for damage, gonna have to literally pop out of bed on the run to keep the heat off me Mid-90’s and humid sucks on dry land. Much nicer to be on the water. Might just have to do the whole thing again tomorrow…Or maybe a lake… /daytripper (bzzzzzz….Man, how do people drink the *really* loaded stuff – like

Jolt??)

Response:

I just posted some pix on abpf of the fish we got.

Response:

So I set my main anchor and starting paying out the anchor line – and totally misjudged the length of the line vs the speed of the outgoing current – and had the end of the anchor line slide through my hand and sink…. down…down….down to the bottom. … Did that once in the middle of the afternoon with half a dozen people on my boat watching…very embarassing.

Indeed. Yet Paul – bless his heart – went very easy on me, considering the fullness of the opportunity. I don’t know that I’d be as kind, but then again, it was *my* boat, and we were a long way from land The stars were now out so we switched to black streamers. … Do you usually do that ?

Yup. I think that’s covered in chapter 1 in the book "Stripers For Dummies" (which I have laying about somewhere  Moreover, a chunky black fly is called for, the more water displacement you can manage, the easier for the fish to find your fly in the dark… /daytripper (I think the dew point just met the temperature at 90. Horrible.)

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Question:

I’m in Berkeley, and I need to pick up some sinking line and some hackle.  Anone know of a store in the area if fly-fishing equipment? I’d hate to go all the way into SF and pay their rip-off prices.

Response:

I’m in Berkeley, and I need to pick up some sinking line and some hackle.  Anone know of a store in the area if fly-fishing equipment?

Try Fish First – www.fishfirst.com – 1404 Solano Ave. Albany CA

Response:

How about the Fly Shop in Redding? It’s a drive, but occasionally they have some good deals. They have a web site at www.theflyshop.com. I’ve a friend who grew up in Redding and she swears by ‘em. LR – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m in Berkeley, and I need to pick up some sinking line and some hackle.  Anone know of a store in the area if fly-fishing equipment? I’d hate to go all the way into SF and pay their rip-off prices.

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Fish First on Solano, call them for stocked supplies

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I agree with the other folks that  Fish First in albany is a fine shop. I also use their fishing reports updated every couple of weeks on the web. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m in Berkeley, and I need to pick up some sinking line and some hackle.  Anone know of a store in the area if fly-fishing equipment? I’d hate to go all the way into SF and pay their rip-off prices.

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Question:

It’s been a while since I actually went out for brookies, and I forgot how hard they hit. It was worse than a pike hitting the fly. I landed three in the range of 14-18 inches and almost lost the pole on the first one.

Yowza!  I’m a little familiar with the area and I’ve never even heard of the water you’re talking about.  Thanks for the report – I printed it off for my "files". Regards, Jeff

Response:

I just returned from a trip to Northern Ny and had a blast up there. Had a few days of good fly fishing on some small streams that are not all that popular or even that large. I started out on Plumb Brook near Degrasse, NY. I had a limited amount of luck that day. Too bright out. About the only day of sun for the two weeks I was there.Got hold of a couple of small brookies and some chub minnows. That was it. The brookies ranged from 4-9 inches but they were fun. I finally can say I got one of my own flies to catch a fish. The next day I got out was to Harrisville (my hometown) and to the Oswegatchie River. Not a lot of luck there, but the river was low for this time of year and the browns seemed really spooky this year. Saw about 40 of them, but no takers on any fly tossed at them. Next it was on to the really small streams. You know the ones…only about 1-5 feet across and usually have a couple of beaver dams around them. Well the water level here was way up and the brookies were out in force. As soon as the fly hit the water, they were out of it after it. More often than not, they missed the fly completely. I caught 40 small ones (once again 4-9 inches long) and saw a few flashes that made my mouth water. I was using a #18 willy’s pip in black with a 3/4" tail. This made them mad since they kept missing it in the water rushing over the dam. I switched to a #10 green and grizzly wooly bugger and thats when the big ones started to hit hard. It’s been a while since I actually went out for brookies, and I forgot how hard they hit. It was worse than a pike hitting the fly. I landed three in the range of 14-18 inches and almost lost the pole on the first one. Wasn’t expecting the pole to be jerked so hard. Pulling them from the hole in the dam was a trip. I thouroughly enjoyed all three hours that day. Ususally when you mention NY and fly fishing, the only places you ever hear of are the Delaware, Battenkill,  Ausable and the Salmon Rivers, but I am here to tell you that if you drive from Watertown NY up Route 3 through Harrisville, Fine, Star Lake, and farther up to Lake Placid, you should hit every little tiny creek, stream and river you see. Some of them will make the whole trip worth while. The trout you will encounter will be brookies, rainbows, and browns (some of which are in the 5-8 pound range). Try little river in Star Lake for Browns. Very large and mean. I talked with a man at the TNT tackle shop in Edwards and he told of 18-22 inch brook trout in Plumb Brook and Elm Brook. Gotta love that. Just goes to show that the most popular places aren’t always the best. Hope you get a chance to try out some of the areas in the near future. I will see some of you up there in October. Some browns and salmon with my name on them. Gonna take a first time fly fisher with me to see how he likes a 40 pound salmon on the end of a 7 wt fly rod with only a 10#  tippet. Good fishing all. The worst day on the water beats the best day in the office. Gordo

Response:

Question:

um…depends on the moment and method of collection… jeff (finally…a reason to be interested in tying)

Oh, I can picture it.  Jeffy standing on a street corner somewhere in Greensboro, scissors and little plastic baggies in hand – soliciting contributions. Good effin’ luck Peter

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um…depends on the moment and method of collection… jeff (finally…a reason to be interested in tying) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Waitaminute.. is that a dry fly or a wet fly?     "On the Sunday we arrived, I tied an outrageously colourful fly which featured a tuft of my wife’s pubic hair — Particle Salad/ Noom Room Studio http://home.earthlink.net/~psalad mp3 songs: http://www.mp3.com/particlesalad

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um…depends on the moment and method of collection…

Pffft. Joe F.

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Waitaminute.. is that a dry fly or a wet fly?     "On the Sunday we arrived, I tied an outrageously colourful fly which featured a tuft of my wife’s pubic hair

– Particle Salad/ Noom Room Studio http://home.earthlink.net/~psalad mp3 songs: http://www.mp3.com/particlesalad

Response:

Waitaminute.. is that a dry fly or a wet fly?     "On the Sunday we arrived, I tied an outrageously colourful fly which featured a tuft of my wife’s pubic hair

This whole story smells a little fishy to me.  :P   minkaz – someone had to say it heheh

Response:

While preparing for my move, I found an article from a major London newspaper that some one had sent me about four years ago.  Rather than editorialize (ok, I had to make one comment) it, I thought that this crowd would appreciate it. Fly fishermen find wifely charms provide new lure By Michael Hornsby, countryside correspondent.     Male anglers are going to indelicate lengths to test the age-old belief on the riverbank that female rivals possess some unfair magic enabling them to hook more and bigger fish.     Scientific research (albeit disputed) provides some support for the idea, suggesting that female pheromones, the bodily scents that attract members of the opposite sex, may work equally well in luring salmon and trout.     Anglers now claim to have proved the theory by incorporating strands of their wives’ pubic hair in the material used to make fishing flies. Disclosure of this dubious practice has provoked a risqu

Question:

Hello. I’m Art Daudelin, a writer on assignment for "Physicians Financial News." I’m doing a piece on Fly Fishing and would like to speak with someone who can give me an overview and philosophy of the sport, as well as some tips, travel spots, etc. An M.D. would make a great subject for an interview, as the magazine is targeted to physicians, but any good insight would be welcome. E-mail me if you are interested… thanks in advance, art daudelin

Response:

If I didn’t fish whenever possible, I’d strangle every911 callin, terminally unemployable slob who gets on teh medic…. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello. I’m Art Daudelin, a writer on assignment for "Physicians Financial News." I’m doing a piece on Fly Fishing and would like to speak with someone who can give me an overview and philosophy of the sport, as well as some tips, travel spots, etc. An M.D. would make a great subject for an interview, as the magazine is targeted to physicians, but any good insight would be welcome. E-mail me if you are interested… thanks in advance, art daudelin

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Question:

How are the fly fishing conditions on the Kern, above and below Lake Isabella? Don

Response:

don’t expect much,  unless recently planted, or unless you hike in above Johnsondale to the Forks of the Kern.  Heavily fished, water too warm in summer for trout.  poor natural replenishment of native trout– many squawfish.  Can fish ok in November

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Question:

t… i use a white zonker fished on an intermediate sink tip in the summer for cats on the fox river in wisconsin. i get by on a  8 wt. st. croix, and have a fine time doing so… i think it’s mainly a problem of identifying the forage fish (in my case, a white perch) and getting down to the cats. and when they strike…well, i’ll leave that for your first fish… hex

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http://www.smallstreams.com/Cat.html The above article is one that resides on my little site. adam Small Stream Fly Fishing http://www.smallstreams.com

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This past spring and summer I caught quite a few channel cats on flies. Any kind of streamer seems to work fine. Drifting the fly near blowdowns and into deeper holes and just letting it hang in the current, no retrieve, seemed to work best. Evan

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Any body out there fly fishing for catfish? Duane:  I can tell you that when the whitefly is on the Susquehanna River, I have had a blast taking rising catfish on a dry.  This would be late July-August in most years.  They fight like an old tire – just drag them in.

….don’t know what kind of catfish that would be (fights like an old tire). In Montana, we have channel catfish in the praire rivers, and they fight like buffalo soldiers.     Note that bacon rind will stay on a hook all day. So will fresh pork skin, which, when fished with a shooting head and a pea-sized split shot, works well for channel catfish. —  * Center For Computational Biology            * Montana State University                            */

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I visit a 50 acre lake about two hours north of Houston, TX a couple times each year and usually take a flyrod with me.  When I cannot get the Bass, Bluegill or Crappie to cooperate (rare) I’ll resort to Catfish.  For me, sizable Blues and Channel Cats will readily take a Woolly Bugger #2-4 Black on 0-1X leader about 7 ft or so.  They don’t seem to be leader shy. — KennyM "I fish because I love to…"

t… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Any body out there fly fishing for catfish? With 4-10 pounders farly normal in the rivers (at least around here) I was wondering if anyone had given this a try. I didn’t find out about this aspect of the sport until after the fishing slowed down for the winter.  Haven’t had much luck with the catfish so far, but I also haven’t had much luck in the last 4 weeks catching anything except a cold. I was wondering what gear was preferred by the more experienced folks to take these wee beasties and what patterns folks used other than Hellgramites and Joe’s Hopper.  With luch like this I’ll have plenty of time to tie the patterns before the water starts getting warm.  (Of course, I could always use the time to catch those funny looking rainbow colored fish that are stocked down here in the winter time.) Thanks in advance for any info.

Response:

Any body out there fly fishing for catfish? With 4-10 pounders farly normal in the rivers (at least around here) I was wondering if anyone had given this a try. I didn’t find out about this aspect of the sport until after the fishing slowed down for the winter.  Haven’t had much luck with the catfish so far, but I also haven’t had much luck in the last 4 weeks catching anything except a cold. I was wondering what gear was preferred by the more experienced folks to take these wee beasties and what patterns folks used other than Hellgramites and Joe’s Hopper.  With luch like this I’ll have plenty of time to tie the patterns before the water starts getting warm.  (Of course, I could always use the time to catch those funny looking rainbow colored fish that are stocked down here in the winter time.) Thanks in advance for any info.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any body out there fly fishing for catfish? With 4-10 pounders farly normal in the rivers (at least around here) I was wondering if anyone had given this a try. I didn’t find out about this aspect of the sport until after the fishing slowed down for the winter.  Haven’t had much luck with the catfish so far, but I also haven’t had much luck in the last 4 weeks catching anything except a cold. I was wondering what gear was preferred by the more experienced folks to take these wee beasties and what patterns folks used other than Hellgramites and Joe’s Hopper.  With luch like this I’ll have plenty of time to tie the patterns before the water starts getting warm.  (Of course, I could always use the time to catch those funny looking rainbow colored fish that are stocked down here in the winter time.) Thanks in advance for any info.

When I lived in Kansas I used to catch a few channel cat on wooly buggers, zonkers and decievers, mostly when I was fishing for white bass or crappie. — Charlie…

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any body out there fly fishing for catfish? With 4-10 pounders farly normal in the rivers (at least around here) I was wondering if anyone had given this a try. I didn’t find out about this aspect of the sport until after the fishing slowed down for the winter.  Haven’t had much luck with the catfish so far, but I also haven’t had much luck in the last 4 weeks catching anything except a cold. I was wondering what gear was preferred by the more experienced folks to take these wee beasties and what patterns folks used other than Hellgramites and Joe’s Hopper.  With luch like this I’ll have plenty of time to tie the patterns before the water starts getting warm.  (Of course, I could always use the time to catch those funny looking rainbow colored fish that are stocked down here in the winter time.) Thanks in advance for any info.

Hi Duaine, I’ve caught a few catfish while "crawling" a woolly bugger through still water. I’ve never been sure if catching them was a mistake or not but they were hooked in the mouth. I’ve never had any real consistant success though. On the other hand I’ve had a lot of fun fly fishing for carp. They tend to hold in slow or non-moving water and take buggers fairly well. Because they are often in shallow water they can be real spooky. Good luck & … — Tight Lines — Al Beatty Whiting Farms (Hoffman Hackle)

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Any body out there fly fishing for catfish? With 4-10 pounders farly normal in the rivers (at least around here) I was wondering if anyone had given this a try.

Duane:  I can tell you that when the whitefly is on the Susquehanna River, I have had a blast taking rising catfish on a dry.  This would be late July-August in most years.  They fight like an old tire – just drag them in. It gets to be an art to distinquish the catfish rises from the smallmouth rises. Mark Faulkner

Response:

Ditto the whitefly post–channel cats belly up to the smorgasbord in late summer on the Potomac, too.  I’ve caught a number of catfish on dark strip-leeches or butch minnows while fishing for smallies.  They will take minnow imitations in our eastern rivers, and quickly too.  An element of luck or accident is involved, though. Dave Motes

Response:

Duane:  I can tell you that when the whitefly is on the Susquehanna River, I have had a blast taking rising catfish on a dry.  This would be late July-August in most years.  They fight like an old tire – just drag them in. It gets to be an art to distinquish the catfish rises from the smallmouth rises. Mark Faulkner

  What kind of catfish were these? I’ve caught a few Channel Cats when fishing for bass & they fought like a freight train. Willi

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Duaine –         There are a couple of small streams and lakes that I know of in Arkansas where the catfish will readily take a fly.  This seems to be somewhat aberrant behavior for a catfish, but in these particular areas they are the primary predator species (for some reason the smallmouth bass haven’t done well there – overfishing?), and they don’t seem to show the normal reluctance that cats show.  The water in these areas is normally gin-clear, and I usually catch channel catfish on flies.  The other species of cats, while present, only occasionally will take a fly.         The cats will only rarely take a dry fly (usually a hopper pattern), but will aggressively charge an olive-green wooly bugger or zonker.  There is a lot of vegetation in these waters, and there is a large number of small (2") fry from bluegill, which the streamers do a pretty good job of imitating.   For some reason, the period during and immediately after a thunderstorm is vastly the most productive.  I’ve taken channel catfish up to 10 lbs. in these waters, sometimes catching 10 or 15 in a single afternoon of fishing.         The largest cat I ever took on a fly was actually on the Potomac river right at the Beltway around Washington D.C.   That particular fish hit a large white streamer I was casting for smallmouth bass, and then proceeded to drag me up and down the river (on foot, no less) for about an hour before I could get close enough to remove the hook.  I didn’t attempt to weigh him, but he was about the length of my leg to the hip (say 36"), and bigger in girth.  My best guesstimate for his weight would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 lbs. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any body out there fly fishing for catfish? With 4-10 pounders farly normal in the rivers (at least around here) I was wondering if anyone had given this a try. I didn’t find out about this aspect of the sport until after the fishing slowed down for the winter.  Haven’t had much luck with the catfish so far, but I also haven’t had much luck in the last 4 weeks catching anything except a cold. I was wondering what gear was preferred by the more experienced folks to take these wee beasties and what patterns folks used other than Hellgramites and Joe’s Hopper.  With luch like this I’ll have plenty of time to tie the patterns before the water starts getting warm.  (Of course, I could always use the time to catch those funny looking rainbow colored fish that are stocked down here in the winter time.) Thanks in advance for any info.

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Question:

I’m new to the group but has anyone ever posted pictures of flies to this NG?  Plus what was the feedback from the College Park, MD FF Show last Weekend?

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no pics in this group but maybe rec.outdoors.fishing.fly.tying — Jan Geert Meents, Munich, Germany | I’m new to the group but has anyone ever posted pictures of flies to this | NG?  Plus what was the feedback from the College Park, MD FF Show last | Weekend? | |

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I’m new to the group but has anyone ever posted pictures of flies to this NG?  Plus what was the feedback from the College Park, MD FF Show last Weekend?

don’t do it.   post to alt.binaries.pictures.fishing see you there ! TimW

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Question:

Advice to the new fisherman, don’t ‘glerk’ off the fish…(trim)

Sound advice, Tim.  But for a minute there I thought you were going to resurrect the rather steamy trout tickling thread that sort of grew on everyone a while back.  Good word, glerk.  Sounds vaguely like what you’d get by crossing a goof with a jerk.  And we certainly have an abundance of both casting their wits into this particular cyberpond. John

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Go to Wal Mart and buy a fly pole, reel, line and flys. Then go to your local river and do it. The rest comes with practice and experience. That’s how most of us do it.

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: Try to think like an animal that has a pea size brain and is : scared to death. : …this is a wild animal who is always frightened. : Fish live in a perpetual state of being "always frightened" and : "scared to death"! Yet, they have "a pea size brain". : What absolute trash! Where do you get this anthropomorphic : hogwash? Come on, Jim.  Tim said you would be a better fly angler if you learned to empathize with the animal.  Have you ever seen a wild trout?  They behave exactly as if they were always threatened (except for the occassional frenzy when hoppers blow into the water, perhaps).   They prefer to feed close to cover, they are VERY sensative to movement from above, they spook easilly if you make much noise. I agree completely with Tim: think of fish as frightened wild animals and you’ll understand them better and catch more…even if they aren’t frightened in a human way. I’d also add: think of them as very, very lazy.  They don’t like to feed on tiny things in fast water: it’s too tiring.  They don’t like swimming up through six feet of water when food is available in three feet.  They like the cushy pillow of current behind a rock on the bottom.  etc. etc. PS-Their brains really ARE pea sized. — Laboratory for Applied Logic    Dept. of Computer Science University of Idaho             www: http://www.cs.uidaho.edu/~foster —–BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK—– Version: 2.6.2 mQCNAzDtvLEAAAEEAKAC21G2Be0K0DMgjLpxrwLmsYfCz8rWcfgyABjr3Ryfk1dO nV7fFFpUF3xohR7die+/B2V9oqRQzTLeSF2ECKlsTY/yUyw2kn+P2ju1umh4Fwzd cVTvc+H69q1+Ft3kmw/PE0Pan+g0PUGGJ43stw3q4OgBHdixbRd/f9giJFDxAAUR tCZKYW1lcyBBLiBGb3N0ZXIgPGZvc3RlckBjcy51aWRhaG8uZWR1PokAlQMFEDD8 ReEXf3/YIiRQ8QEBFrAD/2AFuRWcD/3MENC3qJMC/Or1qxknjkK7Uv+TDf2LHPOY GHBbG9PyWuXQ8of0Dd+JYwf/tzlO9Yk1s1zTdikfriak21FW0bCokxDIhA3myppZ IZDWVA9CyvDYHuP5Ii1NkBvocab813JzDLZA+0iVN5sebGb9zSXR4Za47hlriHeP =RDHK —–END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK—–

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Try to think like an animal that has a pea size brain and is scared to death. …this is a wild animal who is always frightened.

 Obviously you’ve never encountered native browns, ordinarily very wary…during a heavy sulphur, hendrickson, x_drake or salmonfly hatch. …I feel sorry for you…You’ve been missing some of nature’s unique events. tight_lines,             Steve D.

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: writes:

: I know A little but not much,Any tips on casting or anything would help : me. I don’t know where you live, but if you’re near a university or community college, be sure to check out their catalogues and any possible community enrichment programs.  Here at UI we have fly tying classes in the PhysEd Curriculum.  At nearby Washington State University they have flyfishing classes in PhysEd, taught by no less than Dave Engerbretson.  I learned to cast from Dave at a community enrichment summer program here (and from a friend with whom I fish).   — Laboratory for Applied Logic    Dept. of Computer Science University of Idaho             www: http://www.cs.uidaho.edu/~foster —–BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK—– Version: 2.6.2 mQCNAzDtvLEAAAEEAKAC21G2Be0K0DMgjLpxrwLmsYfCz8rWcfgyABjr3Ryfk1dO nV7fFFpUF3xohR7die+/B2V9oqRQzTLeSF2ECKlsTY/yUyw2kn+P2ju1umh4Fwzd cVTvc+H69q1+Ft3kmw/PE0Pan+g0PUGGJ43stw3q4OgBHdixbRd/f9giJFDxAAUR tCZKYW1lcyBBLiBGb3N0ZXIgPGZvc3RlckBjcy51aWRhaG8uZWR1PokAlQMFEDD8 ReEXf3/YIiRQ8QEBFrAD/2AFuRWcD/3MENC3qJMC/Or1qxknjkK7Uv+TDf2LHPOY GHBbG9PyWuXQ8of0Dd+JYwf/tzlO9Yk1s1zTdikfriak21FW0bCokxDIhA3myppZ IZDWVA9CyvDYHuP5Ii1NkBvocab813JzDLZA+0iVN5sebGb9zSXR4Za47hlriHeP =RDHK —–END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK—–

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snippage Catch some bugs.

Yes.  If you can’t find the bugs, this should be a clue. It amazes me how few people get this part.

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Fish live in a perpetual state of being "always frightened" and "scared to death"! Yet, they have "a pea size brain". What absolute trash! Where do you get this anthropomorphic hogwash? No wait, let me guess….

Gosh Jim, You’re right, I’m wrong.  I do *not* know what a fish thinks when it heads for the big mossy on sight of an osprey a flyline or your masculane visage. I did, wrongly, associate fear with this behavior.  Let’s call this running and hiding ‘glerk’ just so there is no anthropromorphism, ok ?  I mean, it would be wrong to say ’spook the fish’, too…right ? Advice to the new fisherman, don’t ‘glerk’ off the fish, they’re tough to catch with their snoot under a rock. Thanks Jim, for pointing this out. Tim Walker

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It’s hard to say but I suggest that you go to the library or a bookstore and get a few books. That has been very helpful for me

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Go to a local shop and see if they offer a casting clinic.  Will save you years of trial and error and lots of wasted time untying knots.  Would recommend the Essence of Flycasting (Vol. I) by mel Krieger for a concise intro to flycasting.  If CA is an option, e-mail me and I will send you a schedule of classes.

Hi Dan, I certainly agree with your suggestion. I advise people (like you) to get training from a person who knows – a flyshop person, a club member, or a school instructor. Good Tying & Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT (96 catalog)

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Go to a local shop and see if they offer a casting clinic.  Will save you years of trial and error and lots of wasted time untying knots.  [SNIP]

With all due respect, This casting business is highly overrated.  Casting should be the *last* thing taught in flyfishing, not the first. (IMHO).   Take out two rod lengths of line…no more, and work on stealth and line control.  If you can’t cast a rod length or two after a couple of minutes, take up carving gnomes in wood. Learn some simple knots…hell use overhand knots, the fish won’t care. Tie ‘em on man and go fishin’ ! This is not rocket science. Fish bait for a few seasons and lures and stuff.  Learn to read the water. Catch some bugs.   Try to think like an animal that has a pea size brain and is scared to death.  Try to put food in front of its face just like you imagine it would look if it were real.   Don’t be a dork wading like an elephant in a white shirt…this is a wild animal who is always frightened.  Respect that…and you will catch fish. TimW "Graduated Line Method of Flyfishing Learning"

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I know A little but not much,Any tips on casting or anything would help me.                                           Thanks                                                                   Brent

Sorry Brent But that question is just too broad to try and answer in a message. I just started out last year and this is what I can suggest 1) Scientific Anglers, LL Bean, Lefty Kreh all have videos to help you get started, as well as there are many books out there to get you started. 2)Go out to a local flyfishing shop and see if they offer course, believe me it is much easier if you start out right, then starting with the wrong techniqwue and trying to correct it later. 3) Grab a cheap-o rod and start practising… Tyson

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I know A little but not much,Any tips on casting or anything would help me.                                            Thanks                                                                          Brent

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Question:

writes: Do people routinely use this technique?  It seems to me that you can just about always get further downstream and quarter upstream, mend upstream and get an easier dragfree drift.  

I think most people consider the downstream mend as a tension technique, but it doesn’t have to be.  One of the reasons to make a downstream mend to help your drift is to throw an elbow into the line which will make it easier to shake out extra line for a downstream drift without moving the fly. You can use the elbow for the extra surface tension to pull against to feed line as long as you don’t pull too hard against it.  Sort of like this:                                                                                                                                                            / Also, sometimes you need to make a downstream mend because the water closer to you has slowed down in relation to the fly and if you don’t mend it will cause tension and thus drag.  One of the things to keep in mind when you’re having a tough time with a drift is that if mending in one direction doesn’t work, try mending it the other.  And remember it may not always be in your best interest to mend the entire line but rather only specific sections of it.                                 Hope this helps,                                        Dan Dan Gracia Orvis West Coast Schools Dan Gracia                                                               Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools If you kill that big fish you can’t catch ‘em again.  So what if they eat other fish?  If you kill the big ones there will only be little ones left (funny how that works!).

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The  down and across drift applys to wet fly and streamer fishing. You want to apply a swimming motion to the fly and present it at a sideway profile to the fish. When you use this method strip the fly back to you at the end of the drift and it looks like a bait fish swimming upstream.  The method you describe about casting upstream and mending line is a nymphing method. Totally different. This is called a Lisenering lift. Where you cast upstream, lifting the rod tip as the fly approaches you to remove the slack and then lowering the rod tip as the fly passes your position. All the while keeping your rod tip in position with the fly through out the drift. Some of the newer guys like to call this high stick nymphing. Call it what you like it is a effective way to nymph. I could go into more detail, but I think you get the picture.                                          Mark Heskett

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Do people routinely use this technique?  It seems to me that you can just about always get further downstream and quarter upstream, mend upstream and get an easier dragfree drift.  If you do the down stream thing you have to wobble the rod to get more line out or mend a lot of line downstream putting you at a greater distance from your fly yet this seems to be a common way to fish everything from open streams to pocketwater. Am I missing something?

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Down and across is an extremely effective method of presenting a dry or emerger to selective fish in flat water….the ONLY successful method in many Spring Creek situations…                         Mike in PDX                "When the trout are lost, smash the state."                                            Tom McGuane

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: Down and across is an extremely effective method of presenting a dry or : emerger to selective fish in flat water….the ONLY successful method : in many Spring Creek situations… Besides this good advice, why not try and cover the entire "clock" from each position?  Up and across, followed by down and across, both sides, then move down or upstream. — Rick T. Rick Fletcher   –   http://www.chem.uidaho.edu/~fletcher/ Assistant 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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Do people routinely use this technique?  It seems to me that you can just about always get further downstream and quarter upstream, mend upstream and get an easier dragfree drift.  If you do the down stream thing you have to wobble the rod to get more line out or mend a lot of line downstream putting you at a greater distance from your fly yet this seems to be a common way to fish everything from open streams to pocketwater. Am I missing something?

Hi, Contrary to popular belief, a drag-free drift is not always the most effective presentation. Fishing for steelhead, salmon, shad, stripers, (and yes, even trout), it is often more effective to fish the fly with movement against the current. Of course, one can fish down-and-across, drag-free, which offers the great advantage of showing the fly before the leader. I hope this helps,   Alan.   Alan Barnard   Kiene’s Fly Shop   Sacramento, Ca.   WWW Fly Tyer   http://www.ns.net/~barnard

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Do people routinely use this technique?  It seems to me that you can just about always get further downstream and quarter upstream, mend upstream and get an easier dragfree drift.  If you do the down stream thing you have to wobble the rod to get more line out or mend a lot of line downstream putting you at a greater distance from your fly yet this seems to be a common way to fish everything from open streams to pocketwater. Am I missing something? Hi, Contrary to popular belief, a drag-free drift is not always the most effective presentation. Fishing for steelhead, salmon, shad, stripers, (and yes, even trout), it is often more effective to fish the fly with movement against the current. Of course, one can fish down-and-across, drag-free, which offers the great advantage of showing the fly before the leader. I hope this helps,   Alan.

     Quartering downstream is a tight line technique, and probably about the oldest technique for fly fishing there is.  Typically used for wet fly and streamer fishing, casting across the current allows the fly to sink.  At the end of the drift, the fly swings in the current (on a tight line) and rises through the water profile until the fly is hanging in the current downstream of you.  To get more depth before the swing, you can make your cast straight across or quartering upstream.   Most hits seem to come as the fly swings.  This can be an effective technique for nymph fishing as well.  (Quartering downstream minimizes "drift" time and maximizes the "swing" time for each cast). John

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Hi John, Of course, one can fish down-and-across, drag-free, which offers the great advantage of showing the fly before the leader. Quartering downstream is a tight line technique, and probably about the oldest technique for fly fishing there is.

The drag-free downstream technique I was referring to is the now common practice on spring creeks of casting downstrream and feeding line at a rate slightly faster than the current. This can be a deadly method on finicky fish that have been heavily fished over. Best wishes,   Alan.   Alan Barnard   Kiene’s Fly Shop   Sacramento, Ca.   WWW Fly Tyer   http://www.ns.net/~barnard

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