Question:

What an excellent book. The most common advice from the guides in the book it to slow down, look around, and try to figure out what’s going on before you tie on a fly or wade in and start fishing. It’s also amazing how many of them fish dries with 14 ft+ leaders.  Pile cast for sure. Most of them seem to prefer Double Taper lines, which made me feel good. bruce h

Response:

What an excellent book.

I checked that book out from the library about a year and a half ago. Interviewing a variety of guides from many different areas is a great idea. It was interesting reading a book with lots of different viewpoints. Lots of information to pick up. Although I enjoyed the book, I thought that the author could have asked more and better questions. Willi

Response:

Question:

I eventually landed several beautiful, dark colored rainbows and lost several more as I slipped and slid my way along the ice.  I did lose a rather nice rainbow due to ice in the guides, but such is fishing during this time of year.  I was a little rusty from not having fished in almost two months, but it all came back rather quickly.  Funny how sometimes the harder you try, the worse you get and then you just let things happen and it is like you never even had that extended break. Probably the best thing about actually taking that break is that I rediscovered what fly fishing is to me and just how much it means to me.  I even caught some fish which made it all that much sweeter.  The best fish I landed, a 17" rainbow, had me mesmerized after I slipped the hook out of his mouth.  He lay there in the net peacefully, as if to give me ample time to admire his beauty before I released him.

Thanks for the report. Glad to hear you got out.  Winter Rainbows do seem to be somehow more colorful. Willi

Response:

Warren, Have you tried a Leader Link? Ernie

Is that leader link the braided loop thing that you slide over your flyline tip and then secure with a little bit of tubing and some glue?

Response:

Warren, Have you tried a Leader Link? Ernie Is that leader link the braided loop thing that you slide over your flyline tip and then secure with a little bit of tubing and some glue?

No. They’re little plastic, tube-like things, with holes through each end and two slots on the middle. You run the flyline through a hole, run it up through a slot, tie a knot in the end, and pull it tight. Do the same thing with the leader through the other hole. They work great. They’re made by Eagle Claw. I add a butt section with a leader link and then tie on the leader with a blood knot. To replace leaders I just cut and retie at the butt section. It might last for months. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

"Michael" wrote Is that leader link the braided loop thing that you slide over your flyline tip and then secure with a little bit of tubing and some glue?

Michael,   It is a little nylon piece, shaped like a grain of rice, but a little larger with a hole through the center the long way and a hole through the sides. Ernie

Response:

I haven’t had time to post this sooner, but I went fishing this last Saturday on the Yellowstone.  It was a cold day, the wind was howling, and there were several snow flurries causing temporary white outs. Perfect day to be alone on the river. Before heading out, I stopped in at Dan Bailey’s to check the board and see if they had any recent info.  After being told that there wasn’t much happening on the river and that the spring creeks were fishing well, I still decided to head out.  I did receive several looks that all but said "Are you nuts?!?!"  Well, that is still being debated but I went out anyway. I found a nice stretch of water that wasn’t being blasted by the wind and as I rigged up the snow stopped.  The wind also started letting up from a constant gale force wind, to an occasional strong gust.  Things started off slow and I proceeded to work my way upstream where I got into a pod of whitefish.  After catching two and remembering some fond memories of JeffC the Whitefish King, I moved further upstream in search of trout. I eventually landed several beautiful, dark colored rainbows and lost several more as I slipped and slid my way along the ice.  I did lose a rather nice rainbow due to ice in the guides, but such is fishing during this time of year.  I was a little rusty from not having fished in almost two months, but it all came back rather quickly.  Funny how sometimes the harder you try, the worse you get and then you just let things happen and it is like you never even had that extended break. Probably the best thing about actually taking that break is that I rediscovered what fly fishing is to me and just how much it means to me.  I even caught some fish which made it all that much sweeter.  The best fish I landed, a 17" rainbow, had me mesmerized after I slipped the hook out of his mouth.  He lay there in the net peacefully, as if to give me ample time to admire his beauty before I released him. A few weeks ago I asked if anyone had ever tried using that Zap-a-Gap connection for joining the leader to the fly line.  After getting no response I decided to try it.  Not only did it hold very well, but it was a nice change of pace in not having to fight the line hanging up on the guides.  Even when ice began clogging the guides, the fly line and leader connection would pass through without hang ups. I am now planning on carrying the needle, needle vise, and Zap-a-Gap in my vest in case I need to change a leader.  It is a very quick and easy way to connect a leader to a fly line and I found it much easier than tying a nail knot.  I am still amazed at how easily the connection passes through the guides. — Warren Findley

Response:

Warren, Have you tried a Leader Link? Ernie "Warren" wrote <snip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am now planning on carrying the needle, needle vise, and Zap-a-Gap in my vest in case I need to change a leader.  It is a very quick and easy way to connect a leader to a fly line and I found it much easier than tying a nail knot.  I am still amazed at how easily the connection passes through the guides. Warren Findley

Response:

Warren, Have you tried a Leader Link? Ernie

I actually installed a Leader Link on Warren’s line during the Western Clave, Ernie. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

(another excellent report snipped) Hey Warren, I caught a fish on your little green seredipitiy sunday. The fish were visible because the stream is so low, and there were midges hatching all over.  My favorite winter bug (extra fuzzy small hare’s ear) wasn’t working, so just for the hell of it i tied on your 18 green serendipity.  I’ve tried since the montana trip to catch a NM trout with a one of those flies and it finally worked.  I was in a small stream near albq. BTW, these were real midges that you could actually see with the naked eye, not those tiny SJ midges.  If your ears were ringing Dec 9-12 it’s because we must have said "warren would like this river" 20 times. bruce h — bare your soul let your spirit burn out along the road to no return – r.e. keen

Response:

Question:

Someone told me that this fly is deadly for whitefish, and they were right. It’s tied with a body of chamois leather, like the kind you use to dry a car. The thing is that it doesn’t look like anything I’ve ever found in a whitefish stomach or like any underwater bug I’ve ever seen. My theory is that the whitefish smell it, which I suppose makes it bait. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

Whatever it is, I bet Whitefish Jeff from NC would want a few dozen. Danl PS Steve, Hows the fire situation up around your cabin? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Someone told me that this fly is deadly for whitefish, and they were right. It’s tied with a body of chamois leather, like the kind you use to dry a car. The thing is that it doesn’t look like anything I’ve ever found in a whitefish stomach or like any underwater bug I’ve ever seen. My theory is that the whitefish smell it, which I suppose makes it bait. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

Whatever it is, I bet Whitefish Jeff from NC would want a few dozen. Danl PS Steve, Hows the fire situation up around your cabin?

Bad. Real bad. There are fires all over the place. They’ve closed the Middle Fork for the first time ever, which really hurts the economy of this town, and the road over Galena Pass to Ketchum is closed. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

Whatever it is, I bet Whitefish Jeff from NC would want a few dozen.

It’s a really simple pattern. Cut a strip of cream-colored chamois about 1/16 inch wide, double it over, and tie it on with the two ends making a tail and the doubled-over part a body. Tie down the body of chamois with a sparse criss-cross pattern of black thread. Finish with some ginger hackle at the front. My chamois nymphs are size 14. I fished it on a dropper from a large bead-head Prince Nymph and caught maybe 80% of the whitefish on the chamois pattern. It’s deadly. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

The fly was popular about 15 years agoon the South Platte, a river with some snotty fish.  It supposedly imitated "Rock Worms"  ie Crane fly larva. It was one of very few patterns that was successful in sizes larger than an 18. Willi – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Someone told me that this fly is deadly for whitefish, and they were right. It’s tied with a body of chamois leather, like the kind you use to dry a car. The thing is that it doesn’t look like anything I’ve ever found in a whitefish stomach or like any underwater bug I’ve ever seen. My theory is that the whitefish smell it, which I suppose makes it bait. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

Fish smoker??? Is that what that was? Sure didn’t smell like fish from my campsite! Danl (dave ain’t smokin no fish in here, man)

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Whatever it is, I bet Whitefish Jeff from NC would want a few dozen. Ya know, it wouldn’t have been so bad if rw had brought that smoker.  Damn, I like smoked fish!  Not that silly pink salmon stuff either.  Maybe I should have tried that miniature fish smoker Bruiser was carryin’ around with him. At least I *think* it was a mini-fish smoker <wide Gs. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, rw – you should not be using chamois.  It’s true chamois is fairly expensive, but in fly tying terms you get way too big a piece for the price.  There is something called Syn-Sham which is packaged in much smaller pieces and is therefore much more expensive per square foot.  It’s what a real fly tying whore would use. Regards, Jeff

Response:

Whatever it is, I bet Whitefish Jeff from NC would want a few dozen. Ya know, it wouldn’t have been so bad if rw had brought that smoker.  

I didn’t bring it because it runs on AC electricity and I was camping. Of course, you had a motel room, so we could have plugged it in there. It makes a godawful hickory stink. Damn, I like smoked fish!  Not that silly pink salmon stuff either.  Maybe I should have tried that miniature fish smoker Bruiser was carryin’ around with him.  At least I *think* it was a mini-fish smoker <wide Gs.

I had smoked whitefish tonight — fresh out the the smoker, when it’s best, Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, rw – you should not be using chamois.  It’s true chamois is fairly expensive, but in fly tying terms you get way too big a piece for the price.  There is something called Syn-Sham which is packaged in much smaller pieces and is therefore much more expensive per square foot.  It’s what a real fly tying whore would use.

The whitefish wouldn’t be able to smell Syn-Sham, or if they could they wouldn’t like it, which is the whole point. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

Whatever it is, I bet Whitefish Jeff from NC would want a few dozen.

Ya know, it wouldn’t have been so bad if rw had brought that smoker.  Damn, I like smoked fish!  Not that silly pink salmon stuff either.  Maybe I should have tried that miniature fish smoker Bruiser was carryin’ around with him.  At least I *think* it was a mini-fish smoker <wide Gs. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, rw – you should not be using chamois.  It’s true chamois is fairly expensive, but in fly tying terms you get way too big a piece for the price.  There is something called Syn-Sham which is packaged in much smaller pieces and is therefore much more expensive per square foot.  It’s what a real fly tying whore would use. Regards, Jeff

Response:

Someone told me that this fly is deadly for whitefish, and they were right. It’s tied with a body of chamois leather, like the kind you use to dry a car. Someone told me that this fly is deadly for whitefish, and they were right. It’s tied with a body of chamois leather, like the kind you use to dry a car.

<snipped RW,  Maybe you ought to consider tying this for the Great NW Fly Swap in December  I think the pattern would also be nice for carp as well at the whitefish.  Love to have your chamois fly. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." — Benjamin Franklin

Response:

Are you gonna stay up there or are you leaving to escape the smoke? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Bad. Real bad. There are fires all over the place. They’ve closed the Middle Fork for the first time ever, which really hurts the economy of this town, and the road over Galena Pass to Ketchum is closed. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

Are you gonna stay up there or are you leaving to escape the smoke?

I’m staying. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

RW,  Maybe you ought to consider tying this for the Great NW Fly Swap in December  I think the pattern would also be nice for carp as well at the whitefish.  Love to have your chamois fly.

Can’t do that, Padishar. Wouldn’t be prudent. You see, I’m at least 60 miles from the nearest conceiveable source of suitable chamois, and I’m not talking about Switzerland. That would be Ketchum, Idaho, and frankly, I doubt that they have it. This is truly a killer whitefish fly. I’ve been fishing a bead head prince or pheasant tail with a chamois dropper. The trout invariably take the beadhead while the whitefish invariably take the chamois. It’s maybe 8:1 whitefish to trout, which suits me just fine, because I’d rather catch an 18" wild whitefish than a 10" stocker rainbow. Not only that, the whitefish cook up much better. On the other hand, maybe newborn elk calf would substitute. I know a lady who has one in her freezer. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

This is truly a killer whitefish fly. I’ve been fishing a bead head prince or pheasant tail with a chamois dropper. The trout invariably take the beadhead while the whitefish invariably take the chamois. It’s maybe 8:1 whitefish to trout…

If you get the time and inclination, switch the flies for awhile and let us know if the results seem the same, I’m curious. Regards, Jeff

Response:

Question:

I have had this happen to me on occasion. I use a hemostat and open the gap of the hook a small amount as well as off-setting the point a bit. This seems to occur most often when I’m using very small flies, 18-24. Just my 2 cents worth and it helps my hook ups when I can’t seem to hook anything.

Response:

Mike, Maybe you should talk to your Doc.  I just had knee surgery and my Doc said fishing and in particular float tubeing is great therapy.  i.e. cold water for swelling and good low impact excercise.  Talk to a sports medicine specialist.  Which is all We have in Tahoe.   As to missed hook ups?  I miss just as many from a boat as from a tube go figure. Dick W.

Response:

Soft mouths may be part of the problem, it seems when this occurs, the sharper the hook, the larger the tear it makes in the tissue, resulting in a larger oblong hole, enabling the hook to let itself work free easier. Another problem may be fish caught and released rather frequently whose hmouth hasn’t had a chance to heal yet….I mean, I’m sure we’ve all been in a place where we’ve caught the same fish twice in one outing and you know what I’m talking about. What’s the answer? Hell, I dunno…it’s not barbed or duller hooks, that’s fersure! Larry #:)#

Response:

I have seen people dunk the rod tip in the water to prevent the fish jumping. Never tried it myself preferring to keep the tension on the line as the fish jumps. That is quite difficult, I don’t need to tell you. Good observation on the angle in a float tube. I had never thought about that

In salmon fishing, it is normal to "bow to the fish" by dropping the rod tip (not necessarily into the water) when he jumps.  With such large fish, it is prudent to reduce sudden shocks to the hook hold. — |  Donald Phillipson, 4180 Boundary Road, Carlsbad Springs,  | |        Ontario, Canada, K0A 1K0, tel. 613 822 0734         |

Response:

Hi Dennis, Nice to see you on this newsgroup.  Sounds like you had a nice day fishing!!! As you can see, I am fairly limited this year due to the leg but still plan on taking my trip to the Mill Hole on the Kettle River this Summer!

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I had a really strange occurance happen to me this weekend.   I was fishing one of my favorite lakes from a raft (tore up the ligaments in my left knee so no float tube for me this Summer!) with my Sage SP+.  The fishing was really good and I hooked into about 18 fish.  Of these 18, 4 got off via jumping and tossing the barbless fly, 1 actually made it to the boat and the rest of them had the fly pull out of their mouths during the fight.   My hooks were sharp and I didn’t feel like I was doing anything different then normal.  The only thing I can think of is the combination of the odd angle I had to sit in the raft combined with using my 9 foot SP+ (The wrong rod choice for this situation in hind sight.  Should have used my softer DS II.)  I did speak to another angler who reported that his fishing party was having the same problems.   I know fish will develop soft mouths when the water gets really warm but this is a high mountain lake and the water was still quite cool.  Any other ideas? Mike

Mike I wouldn’t think the rod or the angle has much to do with it.  Sunday, I couldn’t get a hookup or land a fish to save my life.  I think it has more to do with what the fish are taking.  Emergers and duns they have to rush, spinners and cripples they can take their time. Yesterday, they were feeding on spent trico spinners.  In retrospect, I should have been slower on the hook set.  I was probably yanking the fly out of their mouths’.  I know, it’s tough to slow down when you’re keyed for the strike.  The previous few times that I have been out, the fish were consistently taking duns and emergers and I missed only a few. Worth a try. Peter

Response:

We have a different problem in the small streams in New Mexico and Colorado.  3 to 6 " small fish jump all over a dry fly and when you snap your wrist from the sudden and violent strike, the 3" to 6" small trout flies by your ear (right ear if right handed, etc.) and lands behind you.  We have found that these "flying" fish will shoot off when released so we assume they enjoy this. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I don’t know if this applies to your situation, but I’ve found that if you apply direct pressure when a fish is facing you, pullouts are much more likely.  I apply pressure to the side when a fish is facing me and try to get it turned and fighting away from me. This is especially true in streams and rivers where you want the fish fighting the current instead of using it to their advantage. Willi I had a really strange occurance happen to me this weekend.   I was fishing one of my favorite lakes from a raft (tore up the ligaments in my left knee so no float tube for me this Summer!) with my Sage SP+.  The fishing was really good and I hooked into about 18 fish.  Of these 18, 4 got off via jumping and tossing the barbless fly, 1 actually made it to the boat and the rest of them had the fly pull out of their mouths during the fight. My hooks were sharp and I didn’t feel like I was doing anything different then normal.  The only thing I can think of is the combination of the odd angle I had to sit in the raft combined with using my 9 foot SP+ (The wrong rod choice for this situation in hind sight.  Should have used my softer DS II.)  I did speak to another angler who reported that his fishing party was having the same problems.   I know fish will develop soft mouths when the water gets really warm but this is a high mountain lake and the water was still quite cool.  Any other ideas? Mike

Response:

Hi Mike, How are you? Sounds like you haven’t given up FF! Either have I, got several 20 to 22 inch brookies and bows last Monday on the Connetquot River. It was a great day. As for fast vs slow rods. I like slow rods for casting drys and faster rods for streamers. As for loosing fish. I can loose as many fish on a fast rod as can on a slow rod. Still casting flies and telling lies. Dennis

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -<<I don’t want to start a rod fight but I’ve seen fishermen of various experience levels have problems with Sage RPL+ and other very fast rods. As I understand it the SP+ is even faster. I watched a fishing friend last year on the Madison above Quake Lake lose fish after fish with a brand new RPL+. I gave him my Loomis GL-3 and he started landing fish. I admit last month I would have given my left something for the RPL+ on Gray Reef with the wind howeling in my face and the Loomis just wasn’t enough gun to reach fish that under normal circumstances would have been easy to cast to. I have used my SP+ for two years now and haven’t ever felt I lost a fish due to the rod being too stiff until this particular weekend.  In fact, on rivers, it is my rod of choice. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I normally fish in my float tube. Sitting in the tube is similar to standing thus I haven’t had a problem hooking and keeping fish.  This occurance in the raft was just unique enough that I thought I would share it and see if anybody else has ever has this type of problem who wasn’t in a full leg brace and sitting at an angle in a rubber raft <grin The most likely cause was my sitting position combined with having a stiffer rod but I wanted to find out if anybody had ever run across trout who seemed to have really soft mouths like a Silver does.  This particular lake was just rehabilitated last year so this is a different gene pool of trout and it is possible that this is a genetic characteristic of the trout that were planted in the lake. Anyway, it really doesn’t matter much.  I had a great time and the one fish I did land was the largest of the year so I have nothing to complain about. Mike

Response:

I have seen people dunk the rod tip in the water to prevent the fish jumping. Never tried it myself preferring to keep the tension on the line as the fish jumps. That is quite difficult, I don’t need to tell you. Good observation on the angle in a float tube. I had never thought about that before. Gary

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I had a really strange occurance happen to me this weekend.   I was fishing one of my favorite lakes from a raft (tore up the ligaments in my left knee so no float tube for me this Summer!) with my Sage SP+.  The fishing was really good and I hooked into about 18 fish.  Of these 18, 4 got off via jumping and tossing the barbless fly, 1 actually made it to the boat and the rest of them had the fly pull out of their mouths during the fight. My hooks were sharp and I didn’t feel like I was doing anything different then normal.  The only thing I can think of is the combination of the odd angle I had to sit in the raft combined with using my 9 foot SP+ (The wrong rod choice for this situation in hind sight.  Should have used my softer DS II.)  I did speak to another angler who reported that his fishing party was having the same problems.   I know fish will develop soft mouths when the water gets really warm but this is a high mountain lake and the water was still quite cool. Any other ideas? Mike

Response:

<<I don’t want to start a rod fight but I’ve seen fishermen of various experience levels have problems with Sage RPL+ and other very fast rods. As I understand it the SP+ is even faster. I watched a fishing friend last year on the Madison above Quake Lake lose fish after fish with a brand new RPL+. I gave him my Loomis GL-3 and he started landing fish. I admit last month I would have given my left something for the RPL+ on Gray Reef with the wind howeling in my face and the Loomis just wasn’t enough gun to reach fish that under normal circumstances would have been easy to cast to. I have used my SP+ for two years now and haven’t ever felt I lost a fish due to the rod being too stiff until this particular weekend.  In fact, on rivers, it is my rod of choice.   Like I mentioned in my previous post, I normally fish in my float tube. Sitting in the tube is similar to standing thus I haven’t had a problem hooking and keeping fish.  This occurance in the raft was just unique enough that I thought I would share it and see if anybody else has ever has this type of problem who wasn’t in a full leg brace and sitting at an angle in a rubber raft <grin The most likely cause was my sitting position combined with having a stiffer rod but I wanted to find out if anybody had ever run across trout who seemed to have really soft mouths like a Silver does.  This particular lake was just rehabilitated last year so this is a different gene pool of trout and it is possible that this is a genetic characteristic of the trout that were planted in the lake. Anyway, it really doesn’t matter much.  I had a great time and the one fish I did land was the largest of the year so I have nothing to complain about. Mike

Response:

I don’t want to start a rod fight but I’ve seen fishermen of various experience levels have problems with Sage RPL+ and other very fast rods. As I understand it the SP+ is even faster. I watched a fishing friend last year on the Madison above Quake Lake lose fish after fish with a brand new RPL+. I gave him my Loomis GL-3 and he started landing fish. I admit last month I would have given my left something for the RPL+ on Gray Reef with the wind howeling in my face and the Loomis just wasn’t enough gun to reach fish that under normal circumstances would have been easy to cast to. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I had a really strange occurance happen to me this weekend.   I was fishing one of my favorite lakes from a raft (tore up the ligaments in my left knee so no float tube for me this Summer!) with my Sage SP+.  The fishing was really good and I hooked into about 18 fish.  Of these 18, 4 got off via jumping and tossing the barbless fly, 1 actually made it to the boat and the rest of them had the fly pull out of their mouths during the fight. My hooks were sharp and I didn’t feel like I was doing anything different then normal.  The only thing I can think of is the combination of the odd angle I had to sit in the raft combined with using my 9 foot SP+ (The wrong rod choice for this situation in hind sight.  Should have used my softer DS II.) I did speak to another angler who reported that his fishing party was having the same problems.   I know fish will develop soft mouths when the water gets really warm but this is a high mountain lake and the water was still quite cool.  Any other ideas? Mike

Response:

I don’t know if this applies to your situation, but I’ve found that if you apply direct pressure when a fish is facing you, pullouts are much more likely.  I apply pressure to the side when a fish is facing me and try to get it turned and fighting away from me. This is especially true in streams and rivers where you want the fish fighting the current instead of using it to their advantage. Willi – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I had a really strange occurance happen to me this weekend.   I was fishing one of my favorite lakes from a raft (tore up the ligaments in my left knee so no float tube for me this Summer!) with my Sage SP+.  The fishing was really good and I hooked into about 18 fish.  Of these 18, 4 got off via jumping and tossing the barbless fly, 1 actually made it to the boat and the rest of them had the fly pull out of their mouths during the fight. My hooks were sharp and I didn’t feel like I was doing anything different then normal.  The only thing I can think of is the combination of the odd angle I had to sit in the raft combined with using my 9 foot SP+ (The wrong rod choice for this situation in hind sight.  Should have used my softer DS II.)  I did speak to another angler who reported that his fishing party was having the same problems.   I know fish will develop soft mouths when the water gets really warm but this is a high mountain lake and the water was still quite cool.  Any other ideas? Mike

Response:

I had a really strange occurance happen to me this weekend.   I was fishing one of my favorite lakes from a raft (tore up the ligaments in my left knee so no float tube for me this Summer!) with my Sage SP+.  The fishing was really good and I hooked into about 18 fish.  Of these 18, 4 got off via jumping and tossing the barbless fly, 1 actually made it to the boat and the rest of them had the fly pull out of their mouths during the fight.   My hooks were sharp and I didn’t feel like I was doing anything different then normal.  The only thing I can think of is the combination of the odd angle I had to sit in the raft combined with using my 9 foot SP+ (The wrong rod choice for this situation in hind sight.  Should have used my softer DS II.)  I did speak to another angler who reported that his fishing party was having the same problems.   I know fish will develop soft mouths when the water gets really warm but this is a high mountain lake and the water was still quite cool.  Any other ideas? Mike

Response:

Question:

The Fly Fisherman is a true FF shop they can accomidate you for fresh and saltwater, they also have a store in Titusville (you can FF for redfish in the indian river and mosquito lagoon area). Dominic Pruitt Cary, NC (Relatives in Orlando area)

Response:

Dear Joseph                 There are two excellent fishing shops Jumbo Sports and The Fly Fisherman, they are both in the yellow pages. I visitedthem while i was on holiday. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have received a very interesting job offer in the Orlando area (zip 32750)… but I’m trying to check some things out before I commit myself. I know the fishing is good down there… but what’s the flt-fishing presence like? Any good shops in the area? Any tying supplies for freshwater? I may be headed down for an interview shortly… any place I should scope out while I’m there? Thanks! — Joe Ellis         o/~ The Synthetic Filker o/~ |   TesserAct Studios  ()X  Darwin (;        Now on the Web at      |  Cincinnati, OH 45240  //~~~LL~~~~LL~  http://shell.idt.net/~ellis69 | New Dimensions In Filk!   If you race a train to the crossing and the train gets there first,      the train wins. If you get there first, the train STILL wins.

Response:

I have received a very interesting job offer in the Orlando area (zip 32750)… but I’m trying to check some things out before I commit myself. I know the fishing is good down there… but what’s the flt-fishing presence like? Any good shops in the area? Any tying supplies for freshwater? I may be headed down for an interview shortly… any place I should scope out while I’m there? Thanks! — Joe Ellis         o/~ The Synthetic Filker o/~ |   TesserAct Studios  ()X  Darwin (;        Now on the Web at      |  Cincinnati, OH 45240  //~~~LL~~~~LL~  http://shell.idt.net/~ellis69 | New Dimensions In Filk!   If you race a train to the crossing and the train gets there first,      the train wins. If you get there first, the train STILL wins.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have received a very interesting job offer in the Orlando area (zip 32750)… but I’m trying to check some things out before I commit myself. I know the fishing is good down there… but what’s the flt-fishing presence like? Any good shops in the area? Any tying supplies for freshwater? I may be headed down for an interview shortly… any place I should scope out while I’m there? Thanks! — Joe Ellis         o/~ The Synthetic Filker o/~ |   TesserAct Studios  ()X  Darwin (;        Now on the Web at      |  Cincinnati, OH 45240  //~~~LL~~~~LL~  http://shell.idt.net/~ellis69 | New Dimensions In Filk!   If you race a train to the crossing and the train gets there first,      the train wins. If you get there first, the train STILL wins.

       One thing you’ll learn is that Orlado is just one area, there are many cities in the area and all are back to back so to speak. Check the phone book and don’t be put off by the city names. There is an Orvis shop in Winter Park, 2 Bitters shops, all kinds of mall shops, KMart sells fly fishing poppers, flys and some low level gear as does WallMart. Fern Park, Altamonte Springs, Winter Park are some of the towns heading north on either I-4 or 17/92 all really close together. There are numerous bait and tackle shops all over the place and Titusville, Cape Canaveral is also close. as to bait and tackle "The big Bass hole is about 6 blocks from my house in Sanford. It’s on lake Monrow (the St.John’s runs through it.) What you’ll need is an 8wt at least for bass and small saltwater possibly a 3wt for bream and a short 5wt for general streamside among trees etc. There are so many shops and sporting goods stores that I can’t begin to tell you about all of them.                                                             John Popp                                                          in Sanford Fl.

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Question:

BULLSHIT.

 Really Cartman? (Great handle btw) that was profound.  Care to elaborate further?

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There is also a program available called "Cookie Cruncher".  It is freeware. You can then allow cookies to be set (preventing cookies can be such a pain because of the constant messages from the browser) and delete them at the end of the session with CC. You can delete all of them or just specific ones.  Sometimes you may want to leave a cookie in place because it may contain your specific preferences about a website.  Not all cookies are bad. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How do I tell when I am being passed a "cookie" & how can I stop a site from accessing my hard drive? From what I hear they can come in and almost get your shorts size off your computer. <G Most browser have settings on whether or not to accept cookies, either with a warning or not at all. FWIW, most cookies store information about what *you* did or entered while visiting a site so you won’t have to do or enter it the next time, not the contents of your hard drive. — Charlie… Thanks. Found it on my browser & xed the box. Kiyu

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I’d like to know just what kind of invasion you think Loomis or any other site my make by using a cookie? So would I, just what kind of info are they looking for – and just who gives them the right to snoop in my computer anyway?

They don’t have the right to snoop  your HD.  And, most likely they are not.  They DO have the right to check on your activity on their site and keep track of it.  That’s what cookies do. Companies like loomis use them to keep track of their potential customers, and their activities in their web site Good point – which is why they did not get my information.  I have no intention of becoming a customer.  Let’s say you go into a fly shop and the clerk follows you around and whenever you go to look at a rod or reel or anything else he says, " before you can look at this item you have to tell me where else you have been shopping and any other information I want or you can’t look at it". Would you do business there?  If on the otherhand they ask me to fill out a survey and I have the time, I just might do that.

Shop owners keep track too.  If nobody seems interested in a particular product they won’t buy any more of it.  They may not follow you around the store, but they ARE paying attention – atleast they should be if they want to stay in business. What else would they want?  Are you keeping a pirated copy of one of their fly rods on your hard drive?  Are you distributing specs on their golf club shafts from home via the net? I am sure I have no idea what else they would want, but as long as they are not going to disclose what information they are seeking, I am not going to give them the opportunity to snoop around in my hard drive.  It’s a question of privacy.  If in order to view their products I have to open my computer up to them, I just simply am not going to look.

You don’t.  You simply accept what amounts to a text file that the site writes to every time you log in.  It beats having some poor schmuck watching logfiles on the server to see what you’re doing (another way to gather info). If Loomis really wanted to find out things about _you_ there are better ways to do it without building some devious little executable to sneak in as a cookie to scan your hard drive. Just knowing that that is possible is reason enough not to accept cookies.

Y’know, you probably don’t even realize it, but you hit sites every day, that check to see what browser you’re using and what plugins are available, and it redirects you to an appropriate file you can see.  Most sites use JavaScript to do this.  Some sites use server-side techniques to do this, but most use JavaScript.  You download it and it goes to work. Cookies aren’t a whole lot different. And hitting this newsgroup is a lot more dangerous to your system that any website.  All kinds of evil, nasty things can be spread by seemingly innocent usenet posts. And as a person who make a living from that same kind of technology, I can say that e-commerce on the web – a thing most of want to see – is almost impossible without cookies and similar technology. That is ridiculous.  I do a lot of business on the WWW, and  I do not accept cookies.  I have never had a problem with a legitimate company even if I did not accept their cookies, and I have never been locked out of a WWW business site for not accepting one before Loomis.  The only reason you want the "cookie" technology is so that you can direct your advertising dollars more wisely.  There is nothing wrong with that as long as the information given up is done so on a voluntary basis.  Most companies allow that choice.  Loomis does not.  Therefore I choose not to do business with them.  

People get, and take info about you all the time in every walk of life.   People who want to know, or need to know, can get scads of info about you without your ever knowing it. And the worst part of it is, you don’t really know what the Loomis cookie is doing, do you?  Chances are it’s only logging your activity on their site and nothing more.  What else could they possibly want to know?  What email program you use?  What good would that do them. My slant is they want to know what you’re doing so they can use it to improve their site or product line and nothing else. And if you’re son parnoid about the net, I would suggest you get off of it and try something a little more passive. </c

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This post started as a fly-fishing post (Loomis website) but has turned into a computer debate. Decide what you want to do and do it. If you want to continue this post, please move it to rec.computer.people.with.too.much.idle.time.on.their.hands.      Thanks,       Bryce

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BULLSHIT. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Before you go condemning G. Loomis, you should really make sure you really understand what cookies do.  Often times, they are simply used to track repeat visitors.  If you look at the kind of data stored in a cookie, you will see it isn’t really a big deal, and can actually be helpful… For example, the Amazon.com web site sends a cookie to its customers, and when I connect to the web site, it is able to read the cookie and know who I am, what my book and layout preferences are, and simplifies the ordering process… They really aren’t any all that dangerous to your privacy…

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How do I tell when I am being passed a "cookie" & how can I stop a site from accessing my hard drive? From what I hear they can come in and almost get your shorts size off your computer. <G Most browser have settings on whether or not to accept cookies, either with a warning or not at all. FWIW, most cookies store information about what *you* did or entered while visiting a site so you won’t have to do or enter it the next time, not the contents of your hard drive. — Charlie…

Thanks. Found it on my browser & xed the box. Kiyu

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Well, I agree that cookies aren’t very significant invasions of privacy

Question:

I just purchased a mint condition South Bend bamboo 9′ fly rod.  Does anyone know the value of a rod like this, or know how I can find out the value.  

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I just purchased a mint condition South Bend bamboo 9′ fly rod.  Does anyone know the value of a rod like this, or know how I can find out the value.  

Len Codela of Turner’s Falls, Massachusetts can appraise it if you send it to him.  His current catalog lists South Bend rods anywhere from $100 or less to $400 or so.  There were many different levels of quality of South Bend rods. His prices are slightly high as he caters to collectors as much as fishers.  Call either 508 or 433-555-1212 to get his number I’m not sure which area code. As this is a fishing more than a collecting forum,  I say the real value is how it feels to fish.  Try out different lines with it if you can, then take it fishing.  If it sings the line out like poetry as smooth as twenty year Scotch, it’s priceless for fishing and that is it’s inspired destiny. Don’t incarcerate it. Mark Vinsel http://www.lanminds.com/local/vinnie/gallery.html

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I just purchased a mint condition South Bend bamboo 9′ fly rod.  Does anyone know the value of a rod like this, or know how I can find out the value.  

I’ve got one of these guys.  There more valuable as a fishing tool, albeit a very heavy one, than they are collectible.  Interestingly the South Bend company was started by Wes Jordan (later of Orvis fame) though the rods produced were mediocre at best.  Still, I fish mine a couple of times a year for half a day or so (really a heavy rod).  I’d say go fish it!                                                                      Dan

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Question:

  This past week on the Provo river the Baetis hatch has started. We’ve done quite well with some comparaduns.  Sometimes, though, the fish just seem to refuse them as well as any BWO or parachute.  The colors are an olive/grey mixture.  I was wondering what other patterns would be good in this situation.  We’ve landed some in the 18" range and would love to hear your suggestions and land some more.  The hatch goes from about 2:00 to 4:00 Curtis Fry

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:   This past week on the Provo river the Baetis hatch has started. : We’ve done quite well with some comparaduns.  Sometimes, though, the : fish just seem to refuse them as well as any BWO or parachute.  The : colors are an olive/grey mixture.  I was wondering what other patterns : would be good in this situation.  We’ve landed some in the 18" range : and would love to hear your suggestions and land some more.  The hatch : goes from about 2:00 to 4:00 : Curtis Fry Try a baetis emerger pattern.  Sometimes if the trout aren’t taking duns, they will be grabbing the emerging nymphs.  There are many ties.  The one I like is a standard nymph pattern, only with a section of ballooned out white or grey poly-yarn imitating the emerging wing where the wingcase would be and sparse hackle extending from the left and right sides of the thorax.  

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Try an olive wet fly…my favorite comes from Syl Nemes as follows: #18 hook–thread:olive 6/0 flymaster                rib:yellow thread 6/0                hackle: starling, 3 turns and get a bit of the                            fluffy stuff at the base of the starling feather. These took a couple of dozen fish last autumn on upper Pine Creek, PA whilst my fishing buddies stayed with drys and got skunked. Worked less spectacularly on Valley Creek,PA two weeks back, but still got a few fish. Both were streams with wild browns and/or brookies, so it should have been a fair test.  I have used this pattern for a year and a half and it seems to work consistently. Fish it like a dry or with a downstream reach cast. Good Luck!                                                               T Littleton

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Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – (Montgomery, Noel D.) writes: Hammond) writes… | | I have had no luck with SSS as an insect repellant.  If | it works for you great.  If you haven’t tried it before, | I’d bring muskol or cutters or whatever your favorite | brand containing 95-100% deet. | | I was curious to see how SSS and Muskol compared because I would rather use a non-deet repellant.  So during one trip I did in the middle of Algonquin Park (it was very hot and there were tons of nice, big mosquitoes) I did a test.  I put SSS on the bare skin of one arm and Muskol on the other. They worked equally well for about a half an hour and then the SSS lost its effectiveness.  The Muskol lasted for hours.  I usually bring both and use the Muskol  on my clothes and hat .  The SSS is too labour intensive having to put it on too often to be effective when the bugs are really bad. – Lori (ps sorry to whoever(I think it was Steve Hammond) I accidently e-mailed this  post to … Hit the wrong button!)

Saw something sometime recently (how’s that for a solid start?) that SSS isn’t really a repellent at all.  It’s oily, so it coats the skin and the mosquitoes can’t get to the skin … or because of it’s scent, the mosquitoes can’t smell the blood. It might work at first, but once perspiration dilutes it and/or washes it away, you would be without protection.

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I have had no luck with SSS as an insect repellant.  If it works for you great.  If you haven’t tried it before, I’d bring muskol or cutters or whatever your favorite brand containing 95-100% deet. I go to the army surplus store and buy a little plastic squeeze bottle of army issue incent repellant.  I believe it’s 90% deet. I’ve been using the same bottle for three seasons.  It cost me about $2.  It works. —

I used that stuff when I was in the USAF…dissolved the vinyl steering wheel in my jeep too.  Left neato fingerprints on anything plastic. Anyway, it did work.  I also read an article once that said the most affective concentration of DEET was about 30%.  This was an Army study, so maybe the latest Army-issue stuff only has about 30% DEET in it.  I buy any brand with about that much in it and they seem to work fine.  I like the stinky ones…reminds me of when I was a kid and going camping, kinda like when you smell sun tan lotion and you remember when you were a kid going to the beach.. Brian — Brian Dixon, Machine Vision Engineer, Hewlett Packard (Corvallis, Oregon)

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After 14 mosquito-free years in Southern California, I get to move to Massachusetts for grad school…  Any mosquitoes there?

Well, I don’t believe the mosquitos are that bad, but up north you have an evil creature called the black fly.  Never encountered one, but from what I hear they’re worse than any mosquito bite. Mosquitos are bad, but I’ll walk into a cloud of mosquitos any day over a cloud of no-see-ums!         Mark — <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Mark Crafts                                                   Melbourne FL

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After 14 mosquito-free years in Southern California, I get to move to Massachusetts for grad school…  Any mosquitoes there? Well, I don’t believe the mosquitos are that bad, but up north you have an evil creature called the black fly.  Never encountered one, but from what I hear they’re worse than any mosquito bite. Mosquitos are bad, but I’ll walk into a cloud of mosquitos any day over a cloud of no-see-ums!

A few years back, I went Pike fishing in the Adirondacks.  When I went back to the house, there were about 20 one inch trails of dry blood on my face. I was told that "black flies" were the culprits.  Are these the same critters that we’re talking about here?        Mark — <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Mark Crafts                                                   Melbourne FL

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Saw something sometime recently (how’s that for a solid start?) that SSS isn’t really a repellent at all.  It’s oily, so it coats the skin and the mosquitoes can’t get to the skin … or because of it’s scent, the mosquitoes can’t smell the blood. Just so you win future trivial pursuit games, I think the current consensus is that mosquitos home in on the CO .                                             2

I think they follow CO2 trails, but home in on heat for the kill. How else can you explain the mosquito bite on my ankle? After 14 mosquito-free years in Southern California, I get to move to Massachusetts for grad school…  Any mosquitoes there?

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I have had no luck with SSS as an insect repellant.  If it works for you great.  If you haven’t tried it before, I’d bring muskol or cutters or whatever your favorite brand containing 95-100% deet.

I go to the army surplus store and buy a little plastic squeeze bottle of army issue incent repellant.  I believe it’s 90% deet. I’ve been using the same bottle for three seasons.  It cost me about $2.  It works. — John Fereira Viacom Cable Pleasanton, CA

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Saw something sometime recently (how’s that for a solid start?) that SSS isn’t really a repellent at all.  It’s oily, so it coats the skin and the mosquitoes can’t get to the skin … or because of it’s scent, the mosquitoes can’t smell the blood.

Just so you win future trivial pursuit games, I think the current consensus is that mosquitos home in on the CO .                                              2         Mark — <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Mark Crafts                                                   Melbourne FL

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| Saw something sometime recently (how’s that for a solid start?) that SSS | isn’t really a repellent at all.  It’s oily, so it coats the skin and the | mosquitoes can’t get to the skin … or because of it’s scent, the mosquitoes | can’t smell the blood. | | It might work at first, but once perspiration dilutes it and/or washes it away, | you would be without protection. | Actually, I put very little on so that is absorbs into the skin and your skin isn’t oily at all.  I thought I heard that it had citronella  (the stuff they make bug candles with) in it but I’m not sure.

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I have had no luck with SSS as an insect repellant.  If it works for you great.  If you haven’t tried it before, I’d bring muskol or cutters or whatever your favorite brand containing 95-100% deet.   Steve —  Scientific Computing Division            /* /  _][     National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO     ____

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I have had no luck with SSS as an insect repellant.  If it works for you great.  If you haven't tried it before, I'd bring muskol or cutters or whatever your favorite brand containing 95-100% deet.

Yes, my ex-neighbor the entomologist (bug-man) said that SSS does nothing for mosquitos.  DEET is the way to go.  He did say that it works for very small biting insects like black flies because it drowns them.  Steve -- Scientific Computing Division            /* /  _][     National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO     ____

Noel Montgomery

Response:

| | I have had no luck with SSS as an insect repellant.  If | it works for you great.  If you haven’t tried it before, | I’d bring muskol or cutters or whatever your favorite | brand containing 95-100% deet. | | I was curious to see how SSS and Muskol compared because I would rather use a non-deet repellant.  So during one trip I did in the middle of Algonquin Park (it was very hot and there were tons of nice, big mosquitoes) I did a test.  I put SSS on the bare skin of one arm and Muskol on the other. They worked equally well for about a half an hour and then the SSS lost its effectiveness.  The Muskol lasted for hours.  I usually bring both and use the Muskol  on my clothes and hat .  The SSS is too labour intensive having to put it on too often to be effective when the bugs are really bad. – Lori (ps sorry to whoever(I think it was Steve Hammond) I accidently e-mailed this   post to … Hit the wrong button!)

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Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – So Pat, you want a Muskie story……eh???  Now it’s summer of ‘91.  My Muskie fishing partner and I have been beatin’ the drink for 3 seasons, just trying to get a glimpse of ole Moby.  One day, the Sheriff’s Dept. gets a call from a hysterical lady saying something in the lake is trying to eat her 40 lb. springer spaniel. No lie…..she was throwing a stick in the lake for "fido" to go fetch….and something latches on to its hind leg and pulls it under.  The story has it, the dog came up and went down once more. The dog finally struggled to shore, and one of its rear legs is severed badly to the tune of 30-40 stitches at the local Vet.  Now… …  Then I got to thinking,  that fish probably eats a 10 lb. sucker for lunch, and I’m teasing it with a 10 inch piece of wood.  Well…she’s still swimming, and my Muskie fishing partner believes as much of this story as I did his dog story, originally,  and I’m working on a jerkbait that resembles a small canoe. Hope ya liked it, Tom    Oh, I liked it!   I think you ought to take a tip from the fly fishermen. Match the hatch!   Talk to that lady and maybe get a picture or two of her dog, then go looking for a stuffed animal with a resemblance to the springer spaniel.

Or maybe he’s a bait fisherman and might have to go bait fishing first. I suppose he could always go find some poodle hackle and tie up a decent imitation. If you cant find a stuffed animal thats close enugh, start carving on a log, maybe you be done by the time the ice melts. I guess I have to enter a bunch of irealevent lines in order…

You can work around the line count "feature" by changing the "" character in the first line of the quoted text to any other character. Do a global exchange of the first "" character.  In vi the sequence :1,$s/^/|/  will do the trick. — John Fereira

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Keywords: striped bass, Muskies So Pat, you want a Muskie story……eh???  Now it’s summer of ‘91.  My Muskie fishing partner and I have been beatin’ the drink for 3 seasons, just trying to get a glimpse of ole Moby.  One day, the Sheriff’s Dept. gets a call from a hysterical lady saying something in the lake is trying to eat her 40 lb. springer spaniel. No lie…..she was throwing a stick in the lake for "fido" to go fetch….and something latches on to its hind leg and pulls it under.  The story has it, the dog came up and went down once more. The dog finally struggled to shore, and one of its rear legs is severed badly to the tune of 30-40 stitches at the local Vet.  Now… …  Then I got to thinking,  that fish probably eats a 10 lb. sucker for lunch, and I’m teasing it with a 10 inch piece of wood.  Well…she’s still swimming, and my Muskie fishing partner believes as much of this story as I did his dog story, originally,  and I’m working on a jerkbait that resembles a small canoe. Hope ya liked it, Tom    Oh, I liked it!   I think you ought to take a tip from the fly fishermen. Match the hatch!   Talk to that lady and maybe get a picture or two of her dog, then go looking for a stuffed animal with a resemblance to the springer spaniel. If you cant find a stuffed animal thats close enugh, start carving on a log, maybe you be done by the time the ice melts.

I think the greatest muskie lure going (besides a crappie fisherman’s minnow) is a small radio contrlled yellow duckling that actually paddles with its feet.  Ever see the real thing disappear in a humongous eruption? WOW! 1106 Rayburn Ct.                   K9ALD     AFA3WG Mahomet, IL 61853                  Outdoor writer (Fishing) 217-586-4958                       Skamania Reign Supreme! Manager, Network systems, OIM, University of Illinois

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – So Pat, you want a Muskie story……eh???  Now it’s summer of ‘91.  My Muskie fishing partner and I have been beatin’ the drink for 3 seasons, just trying to get a glimpse of ole Moby.  One day, the Sheriff’s Dept. gets a call from a hysterical lady saying something in the lake is trying to eat her 40 lb. springer spaniel. No lie…..she was throwing a stick in the lake for "fido" to go fetch….and something latches on to its hind leg and pulls it under.  The story has it, the dog came up and went down once more. The dog finally struggled to shore, and one of its rear legs is severed badly to the tune of 30-40 stitches at the local Vet.  Now… …  Then I got to thinking,  that fish probably eats a 10 lb. sucker for lunch, and I’m teasing it with a 10 inch piece of wood.  Well…she’s still swimming, and my Muskie fishing partner believes as much of this story as I did his dog story, originally,  and I’m working on a jerkbait that resembles a small canoe. Hope ya liked it, Tom

    Oh, I liked it!    I think you ought to take a tip from the fly fishermen.  Match the hatch!    Talk to that lady and maybe get a picture or two of her dog, then go looking for a stuffed animal with a resemblance to the springer spaniel. If you cant find a stuffed animal thats close enugh, start carving on a log, maybe you be done by the time the ice melts. I guess I have to enter a bunch of irealevent lines in order to beat the stupid breavity suppressor. Does anyone know how to get past it any other way? this is crazy. Well is this enough lines to do the tricK? I hope so.

Response:

Great giant muskie story deleted… Thomas, Have you considered trolling live-bait rigs with St.Bernards hooked though the nose?  :)  :}  ;   :]   (General public; please notice the many smiley faces, put down those damn flame throwers).                    -Pat.

  Pat,   You wouldn’t believe what’s gone through my mind with this fish!!  I think  I’ve come up with the solution…..I call it a Yipper Harness!!  It’ll take most critters up to about 25-30 lbs. Tom

Response:

I’m getting anxious to get the surf rod in action.  Up here in northeastern Massachusetts we have at least another 4 or 6 weeks to go before the stripers show up.  Is anyone down in NJ, NY, Connecticut getting any striped bass action yet?  I’m willing to drive a few hours to fish. Jon — Jonathan Rodin             FTP Software, Inc.            voice: (508) 659-6261                            North Andover, MA  01845

Response:

I’m getting anxious to get the surf rod in action.  Up here in northeastern Massachusetts we have at least another 4 or 6 weeks to go before the stripers show up.  Is anyone down in NJ, NY, Connecticut getting any striped bass action yet?  I’m willing to drive a few hours to fish.

According to Riverview Bait & Tackle; Bass River, MA; schoolies are showing on the south shore of Cape Cod. They’re probably chasing herring (alewives). Now, when will the first blues arrive?! Bruce Smith

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| I’m getting anxious to get the surf rod in action.  Up here in northeastern | Massachusetts we have at least another 4 or 6 weeks to go before the | stripers show up.  Is anyone down in NJ, NY, Connecticut getting any | striped bass action yet?  I’m willing to drive a few hours to fish. | | According to Riverview Bait & Tackle; Bass River, MA; schoolies are showing | on the south shore of Cape Cod. They’re probably chasing herring (alewives). | Now, when will the first blues arrive?! | | Bruce Smith | They have not shown up in NC in any numbers yet, unfortunately you may have to wait a while.                                 -Pat. p.s.  someone up North there, tell me a good MUSKIE story.         (even better if it is mostly true :}   ).

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There are indeed stripers on the southside of Cape Cod, Buzzard’s Bay, Rhode Island and some Connecticut Rivers. I checked out a herring run yesterday and indeed, it was filled with fish: hence the bass are right behind them, up inside the estuaries and marshes, feeding at the mouth of the runs. No luck personally after four outings, but have seen fish taken at dawn on high, outgoing tides where the bays empty into the Sound. Bluefish? May 15 for southern Cape Cod. DCC — Forbes Magazine                                 dchurbuck:MCIMAIL

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  (Text Deleted)                            -Pat. p.s.  someone up North there, tell me a good MUSKIE story.        (even better if it is mostly true :}   ).

 So Pat, you want a Muskie story……eh???   I moved to WI. in Jan. of ‘87.  That spring, the DNR were taking a population survey of various fish species in Lake Wissota, just on the northeast end of Chippewa Falls. They had been out shocking most of the day, and were gathering and tagging quite a bunch of Muskie and walleye.(Notice how the word "Muskie" is the only fish name that commands enough respect of me that I capitalize it)   Late in the afternoon of that spring day,  a huge Muskie, stunned by the field of the shocking machine floats to the surface.  The three DNR people in the shocking boat don’t believe what they see.  They hurriedly try to slip a six foot cradle net under the fish.  The fish is so long its head and tail are both extending beyond the ends of the net.  Before they could hoist this fish to boatside for measuring, it decides it doesn’t want to be in the net!!!! So….it leaves….before any measurements are taken.  The DNR people say it’s a new world record!!!  Right here in Lake Wissota….right here under my nose.   My Muskie fishing partner is a local law enforcement officer, and works in the County Court House in an office near the County DNR fish biologist. He gets the scoop on this fish….it’s true…..Moby Muskihoonge lives right here under my nose.   Now it’s summer of ‘91.  My Muskie fishing partner and I have been beatin’ the drink for 3 seasons, just trying to get a glimpse of ole Moby.  One day, the Sheriff’s Dept. gets a call from a hysterical lady saying something in the lake is trying to eat her 40 lb. springer spaniel. No lie…..she was throwing a stick in the lake for "fido" to go fetch….and something latches on to its hind leg and pulls it under.  The story has it, the dog came up and went down once more. The dog finally struggled to shore, and one of its rear legs is severed badly to the tune of 30-40 stitches at the local Vet.  Now…when my Muskie fishing partner told me this, I just about got torqued off…thinking he was playing with my emotions, but the following Sunday in church, I was approached by a congregation member who also happens to know I’m pretty interested in Muskie fishing and who also happens to be a Vet.  "Ya should’ve seen what I saw the other day ", he said.  Well, the blood is boiling.     Now it’s summer of ‘92.  I have a friend from work with me fishing Muskies on one of the bars in Lake Wissota.  He’s boated a 34" northern pike, and I’ve had two follows…mid to high 30" fish.  My normal fishing partner is at some school in Madison, so that’s why I have a different person along.  I’m throwing my favorite home-made bucktail, a 10 incher, black over orange with a #8 florescent orange willow leaf blade.  A long cast……and not 15 feet from right in front of me…there she is!!!  Moby Muskihoonge…..does the old porpoise trick… and when she goes back down, her tail is waving back and forth in the breeze. I estimate a 15 – 20" spread from point to point on her tail, and she’s  danged near half as long as my 17 ft. bass boat, for sure!!  Four or five lazy waves of the tail, and she’s gone,  leaving a boil in the water about 5 ft. in diameter.   I’m scrambling to get my bucktail back after the cast, and get the biggest bait in my box on my leader……a Super 10 magnum Suick.   Its too late.. a dozen casts of that bait yields nothing but sore arms!! My friend says he saw something out of the corner of his eye, and he saw the boil in the water, but thats all, he won’t confirm the sighting……dogmeat!!   Then I got to thinking,  that fish probably eats a 10 lb. sucker for lunch, and I’m teasing it with a 10 inch piece of wood.  Well…she’s still swimming, and my Muskie fishing partner believes as much of this story as I did his dog story, originally,  and I’m working on a jerkbait that resembles a small canoe. Hope ya liked it, Tom *  Thomas L. Cooley           *     Whatever I say is only my opinion, and     * *  The Muskie Maniac          *     most people at CRI would say it’s not      * *  Chippewa Falls, WI.        *     MUSKIES- Other fish are just BAIT!!        *

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|   (Text Deleted) | |                              -Pat. | p.s.  someone up North there, tell me a good MUSKIE story.   |      (even better if it is mostly true :}   ). | | | | |  So Pat, you want a Muskie story……eh??? Great giant muskie story deleted… Thomas, Have you considered trolling live-bait rigs with St.Bernards hooked though the nose?  :)  :}  ;   :]   (General public; please notice the many smiley faces, put down those damn flame throwers).                         -Pat.

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