Question:

Mine or Dan’s? I am a disfunctional custom finish carpenter. Who longs to build everyone at least one perfect fishing rod. — Dave Norton Millennium Custom Rods http://www.millenniumcustomrods.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What is your career field? Bill Dave, I am glad that your not closing the doors.  Eventually I hope to have enough cash to order a rod from you, from all I have heard it will be great.  Now if you can help me find a job, I’ll order it right soon ;<} Good fishing and catching! No more dail-up! Guess I have to figure out how to change the "sig". The cable modem was a father’s day present. or birthday present, hhmmm perhaps both. Damn that means I am done for the year, and I didn’t get that Curado replaced. Double crap!!! Dan I’ve rambled enough, back to the rocking chair.  ZZZZZZZZZ Remove left x for a direct reply.

Response:

What is your career field? Bill

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Dave, I am glad that your not closing the doors.  Eventually I hope to have enough cash to order a rod from you, from all I have heard it will be great.  Now if you can help me find a job, I’ll order it right soon ;<} Good fishing and catching! No more dail-up! Guess I have to figure out how to change the "sig". The cable modem was a father’s day present. or birthday present, hhmmm perhaps both. Damn that means I am done for the year, and I didn’t get that Curado replaced. Double crap!!! Dan I’ve rambled enough, back to the rocking chair.  ZZZZZZZZZ Remove left x for a direct reply.

Response:

MX I think! Wait till you see the whole site. Chris my new webmaster & I talked some to nite. Soon he will have our whole catalog, some 86 different — Dave Norton Millennium Custom Rods http://www.millenniumcustomrods.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hey… I like that! Was that with Dreamweaver? Charles, he is in charge of flyrods only, by the way check out the new site. It is still under construction, but I really like the direction it is headed! — Dave Norton Millennium Custom Rods http://www.millenniumcustomrods.com I’ll volunteer for that field tester job Dave. LOL Dan, not only are we not closing up shop; we just got the final quotes form our supplier for the the spinning rods. Wish I could help you out in the employment field, shucks if this doesn’t play out I’ll likely be with you. Also we just finished a prototype 2 piece 8′6"  6wt. flyrod. Our feild tester has been having fits to get his hands on it since he first test cast it. So all you folks that fly fish for smallies, we’ve got you covered also. — Dave Norton Millennium Custom Rods Dave, I am glad that your not closing the doors.  Eventually I hope to have enough cash to order a rod from you, from all I have heard it will be great.  Now if you can help me find a job, I’ll order it right soon ;<} Good fishing and catching! No more dail-up! Guess I have to figure out how to change the "sig". The cable modem was a father’s day present. or birthday present, hhmmm perhaps both. Damn that means I am done for the year, and I didn’t get that Curado replaced. Double crap!!! Dan I’ve rambled enough, back to the rocking chair.  ZZZZZZZZZ Remove left x for a direct reply.

Response:

Hey… I like that! Was that with Dreamweaver?

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Charles, he is in charge of flyrods only, by the way check out the new site. It is still under construction, but I really like the direction it is headed! — Dave Norton Millennium Custom Rods http://www.millenniumcustomrods.com I’ll volunteer for that field tester job Dave. LOL Dan, not only are we not closing up shop; we just got the final quotes form our supplier for the the spinning rods. Wish I could help you out in the employment field, shucks if this doesn’t play out I’ll likely be with you. Also we just finished a prototype 2 piece 8′6"  6wt. flyrod. Our feild tester has been having fits to get his hands on it since he first test cast it. So all you folks that fly fish for smallies, we’ve got you covered also. — Dave Norton Millennium Custom Rods Dave, I am glad that your not closing the doors.  Eventually I hope to have enough cash to order a rod from you, from all I have heard it will be great.  Now if you can help me find a job, I’ll order it right soon ;<} Good fishing and catching! No more dail-up! Guess I have to figure out how to change the "sig". The cable modem was a father’s day present. or birthday present, hhmmm perhaps both. Damn that means I am done for the year, and I didn’t get that Curado replaced. Double crap!!! Dan I’ve rambled enough, back to the rocking chair.  ZZZZZZZZZ Remove left x for a direct reply.

Response:

Charles, he is in charge of flyrods only, by the way check out the new site. It is still under construction, but I really like the direction it is headed! — Dave Norton Millennium Custom Rods http://www.millenniumcustomrods.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ll volunteer for that field tester job Dave. LOL Dan, not only are we not closing up shop; we just got the final quotes form our supplier for the the spinning rods. Wish I could help you out in the employment field, shucks if this doesn’t play out I’ll likely be with you. Also we just finished a prototype 2 piece 8′6"  6wt. flyrod. Our feild tester has been having fits to get his hands on it since he first test cast it. So all you folks that fly fish for smallies, we’ve got you covered also. — Dave Norton Millennium Custom Rods Dave, I am glad that your not closing the doors.  Eventually I hope to have enough cash to order a rod from you, from all I have heard it will be great.  Now if you can help me find a job, I’ll order it right soon ;<} Good fishing and catching! No more dail-up! Guess I have to figure out how to change the "sig". The cable modem was a father’s day present. or birthday present, hhmmm perhaps both. Damn that means I am done for the year, and I didn’t get that Curado replaced. Double crap!!! Dan I’ve rambled enough, back to the rocking chair.  ZZZZZZZZZ Remove left x for a direct reply.

Response:

No more dail-up! Guess I have to figure out how to change the "sig". The cable modem was a father’s day present. or birthday present, hhmmm perhaps both. Damn that means I am done for the year, and I didn’t get that Curado replaced. Double crap!!! — Dave Norton Millennium Custom Rods

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Now Dave… if you’re gonna play with Connie’s computer… at least change the name. The idea of a less expensive rod sounds good. Can you compete though with places like Bass Pro Shops? I’m sure that there’s a much greater benefit from a semi-custom rod than the BPS specials, so you’ll have to stress that, as well as educate people like you have taught me. With that range of prices though… and the right salesman/sales pitch… you’d be running on the right track. Now… is this going to be feasible? Don’t forget that your time and talent is worth money as well. I don’t think that I’d drop the higher end line altogether… but rather keep them available when people begin to understand what a custom rod can do for them. I know that when I first began buying my rods, I was happy as a lark with the $20~$30 rods. As time came to replace them, I realized that if I wanted one that would last longer and help my confidence, I’d have to pay a little more. Once I got a really good rod in my hands, I knew that I’d never be happy with anything less. That’s why I came to you about my next rod. Hopefully, I’ll be able to drum you up a little business when I receive mine. I’ve already begun the teaching, and have impressed a few people. Wait until they see one of yours! Due to a recent downturn in the custom market we actually thought about closing up shop. And then an idea over came us. What if we could produce a line of rods in semi-production mode that would appeal to the more average angler.  To this end we are working with our suppliers to build a semi-custom rod at will retail for about $125.00 These rods will preform as well as our custom models yet, they will not have the frills. We are currently working on 10 models to include baitcastrs & spinning rods. We hope to have production models ready soon. These rods will be offered both in the retail market & as direct sales from our website. Which is now under going a major reconstruction. The new site will finally include our fly rod assembly. We hope that you will take the time in the coming months to check us out. — Dave Norton Millennium Custom Rods

Response:

I’ll volunteer for that field tester job Dave. LOL

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Dan, not only are we not closing up shop; we just got the final quotes form our supplier for the the spinning rods. Wish I could help you out in the employment field, shucks if this doesn’t play out I’ll likely be with you. Also we just finished a prototype 2 piece 8′6"  6wt. flyrod. Our feild tester has been having fits to get his hands on it since he first test cast it. So all you folks that fly fish for smallies, we’ve got you covered also. — Dave Norton Millennium Custom Rods Dave, I am glad that your not closing the doors.  Eventually I hope to have enough cash to order a rod from you, from all I have heard it will be great.  Now if you can help me find a job, I’ll order it right soon ;<} Good fishing and catching! No more dail-up! Guess I have to figure out how to change the "sig". The cable modem was a father’s day present. or birthday present, hhmmm perhaps both. Damn that means I am done for the year, and I didn’t get that Curado replaced. Double crap!!! Dan I’ve rambled enough, back to the rocking chair.  ZZZZZZZZZ Remove left x for a direct reply.

Response:

Dave, I am glad that your not closing the doors.  Eventually I hope to have enough cash to order a rod from you, from all I have heard it will be great.  Now if you can help me find a job, I’ll order it right soon ;<} Good fishing and catching! No more dail-up! Guess I have to figure out how to change the "sig". The cable modem was a father’s day present. or birthday present, hhmmm perhaps both. Damn that means I am done for the year, and I didn’t get that Curado replaced. Double crap!!!

Dan I’ve rambled enough, back to the rocking chair.  ZZZZZZZZZ Remove left x for a direct reply.

Response:

Dan, not only are we not closing up shop; we just got the final quotes form our supplier for the the spinning rods. Wish I could help you out in the employment field, shucks if this doesn’t play out I’ll likely be with you. Also we just finished a prototype 2 piece 8′6"  6wt. flyrod. Our feild tester has been having fits to get his hands on it since he first test cast it. So all you folks that fly fish for smallies, we’ve got you covered also. — Dave Norton Millennium Custom Rods

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Dave, I am glad that your not closing the doors.  Eventually I hope to have enough cash to order a rod from you, from all I have heard it will be great.  Now if you can help me find a job, I’ll order it right soon ;<} Good fishing and catching! No more dail-up! Guess I have to figure out how to change the "sig". The cable modem was a father’s day present. or birthday present, hhmmm perhaps both. Damn that means I am done for the year, and I didn’t get that Curado replaced. Double crap!!! Dan I’ve rambled enough, back to the rocking chair.  ZZZZZZZZZ Remove left x for a direct reply.

Response:

Now Dave… if you’re gonna play with Connie’s computer… at least change the name. The idea of a less expensive rod sounds good. Can you compete though with places like Bass Pro Shops? I’m sure that there’s a much greater benefit from a semi-custom rod than the BPS specials, so you’ll have to stress that, as well as educate people like you have taught me. With that range of prices though… and the right salesman/sales pitch… you’d be running on the right track. Now… is this going to be feasible? Don’t forget that your time and talent is worth money as well. I don’t think that I’d drop the higher end line altogether… but rather keep them available when people begin to understand what a custom rod can do for them. I know that when I first began buying my rods, I was happy as a lark with the $20~$30 rods. As time came to replace them, I realized that if I wanted one that would last longer and help my confidence, I’d have to pay a little more. Once I got a really good rod in my hands, I knew that I’d never be happy with anything less. That’s why I came to you about my next rod. Hopefully, I’ll be able to drum you up a little business when I receive mine. I’ve already begun the teaching, and have impressed a few people. Wait until they see one of yours!

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Due to a recent downturn in the custom market we actually thought about closing up shop. And then an idea over came us. What if we could produce a line of rods in semi-production mode that would appeal to the more average angler.  To this end we are working with our suppliers to build a semi-custom rod at will retail for about $125.00 These rods will preform as well as our custom models yet, they will not have the frills. We are currently working on 10 models to include baitcastrs & spinning rods. We hope to have production models ready soon. These rods will be offered both in the retail market & as direct sales from our website. Which is now under going a major reconstruction. The new site will finally include our fly rod assembly. We hope that you will take the time in the coming months to check us out. — Dave Norton Millennium Custom Rods

Response:

the light bill.  :-) — Jerry Barton www.jerrys-world.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Due to a recent downturn in the custom market we actually thought about closing up shop. And then an idea over came us. What if we could produce a line of rods in semi-production mode that would appeal to the more average angler.  To this end we are working with our suppliers to build a semi-custom rod at will retail for about $125.00 These rods will preform as well as our custom models yet, they will not have the frills. We are currently working on 10 models to include baitcastrs & spinning rods. We hope to have production models ready soon. These rods will be offered both in the retail market & as direct sales from our website. Which is now under going a major reconstruction. The new site will finally include our fly rod assembly. We hope that you will take the time in the coming months to check us out. — Dave Norton Millennium Custom Rods

Response:

Due to a recent downturn in the custom market we actually thought about closing up shop. And then an idea over came us. What if we could produce a line of rods in semi-production mode that would appeal to the more average angler.  To this end we are working with our suppliers to build a semi-custom rod at will retail for about $125.00 These rods will preform as well as our custom models yet, they will not have the frills. We are currently working on 10 models to include baitcastrs & spinning rods. We hope to have production models ready soon. These rods will be offered both in the retail market & as direct sales from our website. Which is now under going a major reconstruction. The new site will finally include our fly rod assembly. We hope that you will take the time in the coming months to check us out. — Dave Norton Millennium Custom Rods

Response:

Question:

I’m going to fishing Kolob Res. next week.  Any recent fishing reports and/or fly recommendations anyone care to pass on? Thanks, Eric

Though I’ve not been there this year, my family still lives in Virgin and Kolob is one of my "home" waters.  Its best fished this time of year from a float tube.  Remember, its gonna be cold up there, so put on the extra layers. I like to "troll" a big dragonfly nymph in the north end of the lake, near were the creek comes in.  The water is shallower there and will warm faster. Also, chironomids patterns can be successful near shore. — Frank Reid Reverse email to reply.

Response:

I’m going to fishing Kolob Res. next week.  Any recent fishing reports and/or fly recommendations anyone care to pass on? Also, I will be up around the east of the South Slope of the Uintah Mountains (Uintah River) next week as well.  I’d appreciate fly recommendations on the streams and high lakes (Paradise, Pachetta) that you might have. Thanks, Eric

Response:

Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Flypaint writes: I thought near the ends of the canoe were more stable for tying off and hauling up the anchor. -Patrick They probably are ,because your’e pulling your anchor line along a stable central axis point.I personally don’t prefer to do it that way because I don’t like to have to lean back every time I want to raise or lower the anchor.We’re talking about anchoring on slow lazy rivers or lakes,not on raging rapids.Their would have to be one hell of a wind kicking up to put me under just because I tied off on the center support.I also find it gives me better boat positioning.Anyway,my main reason in responding to the post was to share a tip about using the plastic barbell.You can tie your anchor anywhere you want as far as I’m concerned.I don’t recommend tying it to your ankle however. Tight Lines,Shawn

:All the canoes that I have used on rivers have had a pulley mechanism connected to the bow of the canoe with the rope running through a channel in the mechanism with a hammer-like piece coming down to hold it fast while at anchor.  The rope can be reached by any seat in the canoe.   Ken Fortenberry writes about using an onion bag with rocks — excellent idea and one used by Maine Guides.  When hiking into a remote pond, all they have to haul is the onion bag and a piece of rope — the rocks to fill the bag are already there!  Actually, it ain’t an onion bag but a bag designed for scuba divers.  You can find them in most dive shops. Achoring a canoe from the side in any kind of current can be unstable and could cause a turn-over.  But, of course, that’s JMHO. Dave LaCourse: These anchor control pulleys are great, but the single point of control often results in the stern being swung back and forth by the current or the wind.   We use the motor at the square stern of the canoe to act as a rudder.  When we are in rocky rivers (and hence no motor), I just use plastic bar bells and a small piece of chain, like one other poster mentioned, and drop a line off the stern.  The stern anchor doesn’t have to be very heavy, but the line has to be tight to dampen the pendulum effect.  I just tie it off the back; no anchor control necessary. JB

Response:

I thought near the ends of the canoe were more stable for tying off and hauling up the anchor. -Patrick

They probably are ,because your’e pulling your anchor line along a stable central axis point.I personally don’t prefer to do it that way because I don’t like to have to lean back every time I want to raise or lower the anchor.We’re talking about anchoring on slow lazy rivers or lakes,not on raging rapids.Their would have to be one hell of a wind kicking up to put me under just because I tied off on the center support.I also find it gives me better boat positioning.Anyway,my main reason in responding to the post was to share a tip about using the plastic barbell.You can tie your anchor anywhere you want as far as I’m concerned.I don’t recommend tying it to your ankle however. Tight Lines,Shawn

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Flypaint writes: I thought near the ends of the canoe were more stable for tying off and hauling up the anchor. -Patrick They probably are ,because your’e pulling your anchor line along a stable central axis point.I personally don’t prefer to do it that way because I don’t like to have to lean back every time I want to raise or lower the anchor.We’re talking about anchoring on slow lazy rivers or lakes,not on raging rapids.Their would have to be one hell of a wind kicking up to put me under just because I tied off on the center support.I also find it gives me better boat positioning.Anyway,my main reason in responding to the post was to share a tip about using the plastic barbell.You can tie your anchor anywhere you want as far as I’m concerned.I don’t recommend tying it to your ankle however. Tight Lines,Shawn

All the canoes that I have used on rivers have had a pulley mechanism connected to the bow of the canoe with the rope running through a channel in the mechanism with a hammer-like piece coming down to hold it fast while at anchor.  The rope can be reached by any seat in the canoe.   Ken Fortenberry writes about using an onion bag with rocks — excellent idea and one used by Maine Guides.  When hiking into a remote pond, all they have to haul is the onion bag and a piece of rope — the rocks to fill the bag are already there!  Actually, it ain’t an onion bag but a bag designed for scuba divers.  You can find them in most dive shops. Achoring a canoe from the side in any kind of current can be unstable and could cause a turn-over.  But, of course, that’s JMHO. Dave LaCourse

Response:

How do you anchor a canoe for flyfishing when there’s a breeze that keeps moving you off your spot? Thanks!

Well…if you’re not portaging …grab a large coffee can..fill it with cement/concrete…stick in a large eye bolt.  The can will pick up far less muck when in a weedy/muddy bottomed pond/bog/lake. $.02, steve d.

Response:

: All the canoes that I have used on rivers have had a pulley mechanism connected : to the bow of the canoe with the rope running through a channel in the : mechanism with a hammer-like piece coming down to hold it fast while at anchor. :  The rope can be reached by any seat in the canoe.   : Ken Fortenberry writes about using an onion bag with rocks — excellent idea : and one used by Maine Guides.  When hiking into a remote pond, all they have to : haul is the onion bag and a piece of rope — the rocks to fill the bag are : already there!  Actually, it ain’t an onion bag but a bag designed for scuba : divers.  You can find them in most dive shops. : Achoring a canoe from the side in any kind of current can be unstable and could : cause a turn-over.  But, of course, that’s JMHO. : Dave LaCourse Hi; As a Illinois EPA volunteer, we go out often. We’ve been out in days when we have waves coming over the sides of our kayak. We use a two seater and one person handles the anchor (which we just drop over the side) and writes the results and the other (me) lowers the secchi disk and leans over the opposite side (from anchor) of the kayak to take measurments. We do end up going back to work sometimes smelling kind bad, but we have yet to tip… — John Nelson                       Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page        http://www.chicagopaddling.org   http://www.chicagofishing.org  (A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

Response:

How do you anchor a canoe for flyfishing when there’s a breeze that keeps moving you off your spot? Thanks!

Response:

How do you anchor a canoe for flyfishing when there’s a breeze that keeps moving you off your spot? Thanks!

I use an onion sack full of rocks. — Ken Fortenberry

Response:

How do you anchor a canoe for flyfishing when there’s a breeze that keeps moving you off your spot? Thanks! I use an onion sack full of rocks. — Ken Fortenberry

Scott, he’s also been known to use his fishing partner. Peter (promising never to call it an "aluminum monstrosity" again)

Response:

I tie a 5 pound maul (sledge hammer) off the back.  Easy to lift and adjust. Opie  **Panhandling for a better tomorrow!**

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How do you anchor a canoe for flyfishing when there’s a breeze that keeps moving you off your spot? Thanks! I use an onion sack full of rocks. — Ken Fortenberry

Response:

Ken,    The holes in the onion sack are too big to put corn in. Ernie

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How do you anchor a canoe for flyfishing when there’s a breeze that keeps moving you off your spot? Thanks! I use an onion sack full of rocks. — Ken Fortenberry

Response:

How do you anchor a canoe for flyfishing when there’s a breeze that keeps moving you off your spot? Thanks!

Scott, FLOAT TUBE ANCHOR SYSTEM: www.woodrivercompany.com/accessor.htm I have one of these for my float tube and I use with the canoe also…I really like it and I don’t have to haul those muddy rocks that dirty and scratch up my precious and prestine Old Town canoe (that looks like it was dropped by UPS…..Cargo Jet, that is). Padishar Creel

Response:

How do you anchor a canoe for flyfishing when there’s a breeze that keeps moving you off your spot? Thanks!

I use a 1 gal detergent jug filled with sand. You might want two, for when you want to keep the craft sideways to the wind. Pops **** Armed and Safe(tm) **** "By US Code Title 47, Sec.227(a)(2)(B), a computer/modem/printer meets the definition of a telephone fax machine. By Sec.227(b)(1)(C), it is unlawful to send any unsolicited advertisement to such equipment.   By Sec.227(b)(3)(C), a violation of the aforementioned Section is punishable by action to recover actual monetary loss, or $500, whichever is greater, for each violation."

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: How do you anchor a canoe for flyfishing when there’s a breeze that keeps : moving you off your spot? Thanks! I have a <ducking head JetSki anchor that I bought from Overton’s.  It’s small, comes with it’s own storage bag and has a little float on the end just incase you lose the rope.  It also has a clip so I just loop it over a thwart and clip it on. P.S. I do not own a jetski — John Nelson                       Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page        http://www.chicagopaddling.org   http://www.chicagofishing.org  (A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

Response:

How do you anchor a canoe for flyfishing

Hey Scott, I like to use a plastic barbell weight,about eight pounds.I tie a rope through the center and tie the end to the center support bar in mycanoe.The good thing about the barbell weight is because it.s round it’s not likely to hang up on anything.If your anchor hangs up even the least little bit you will have trouble freeing it without flipping your canoe.When pulling your anchor up you want to pull the rope over the side from the center while seated in a stable position.If you lean over the side to haul the anchor you will soon find yourself and all your equipment in the water. Good Luck,Shawn

Response:

I use an onion sack full of rocks.

Yeah, but what yuppie boy isn’t telling you is that those rocks were individually swallowed and pooped out by a rare strain of African wildebeast. Helps ‘em sink faster apparently. –Steve (don’t worry Ken, I’ll get one with a large fridge)

Response:

Scott,   I also like the rock in an onion sack solution, it doesn’t take up much space when not in use so I usually have it with the canoe.   However, I would not tie it to one of the center thwarts.  If there is a current, or a strong wind, this can tip a canoe over.  Also it it easier to tip a canoe when raising the anchor.  It is better to tie to the end of the canoe, I have a carry handle at the bow and stern of my 18′ Wenonah.  It is inconvenient to raise and lower if I am by myself, but I have had a sudden breeze come up and have been happier. Joe – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How do you anchor a canoe for flyfishing when there’s a breeze that keeps moving you off your spot? Thanks!

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Reminds me of my first scuba diving buddy (a college roommate). He insisted that he always carried a scuba knife and dove with a partner for safety reasons. That way, if he saw a shark, he could stab his buddy and swim for shore.

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 i use old window sash weights.  lead bars about 10 inches long with hole already in the end for your cord.  rig pulley off front and you can hold canoe in place during ‘gentle’ winds. fishworship – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How do you anchor a canoe for flyfishing when there’s a breeze that keeps moving you off your spot? Thanks!

Response:

<snip When pulling your anchor up you want to pull the rope over the side from the center while seated in a stable position. <snip I thought near the ends of the canoe were more stable for tying off and hauling up the anchor. -Patrick

Response:

Question:

Agree that the Sage discovery rules on the $200 price point. St Croix the way to go on the $100 level. Great rods, great company. Dave – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Mark, Just pick a winner?  The only way I know to proceed from here is for you to cast all these rods? The next catagory is the $200+ range with the Sage DS2 being at the front of I’ve decided on a 6 weight fly rod to start and I’m wondering what you all feel about the below choices I’m espcially interested in the Bass Pro White River, the Cabela’s Fish Eagle, and the Reddington Red.fly:  Those are my "high three" based on what I know so far. Bass Pro  Hobbs Creek $69.95 Bass Pro White River Classic $99.95 Cabela’s Sweetwater $85.00 Cabela’s Fish Eagle $99.99 St. Croix Pro Graphite $85.00 Reddington Red.fly $75.00 Coutland CL $99.95 — "The number of job openings for Philosopher-Kings is  limited in the late 20th Century." – Dr. Megabyte Tuba Playing Technocrat in Winchester, VA    KD4HRI

Response:

Hi Mark, Just pick a winner?  The only way I know to proceed from here is for you to cast all these rods? The next catagory is the $200+ range with the Sage DS2 being at the front of – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve decided on a 6 weight fly rod to start and I’m wondering what you all feel about the below choices I’m espcially interested in the Bass Pro White River, the Cabela’s Fish Eagle, and the Reddington Red.fly:  Those are my "high three" based on what I know so far. Bass Pro  Hobbs Creek $69.95 Bass Pro White River Classic $99.95 Cabela’s Sweetwater $85.00 Cabela’s Fish Eagle $99.99 St. Croix Pro Graphite $85.00 Reddington Red.fly $75.00 Coutland CL $99.95 — "The number of job openings for Philosopher-Kings is  limited in the late 20th Century." – Dr. Megabyte Tuba Playing Technocrat in Winchester, VA    KD4HRI

Response:

Asadi, Just a quick story to share about flyrods, channel cats and kids.  My daughter was with me at a pond and she was catching pan fish and bass using a soft Orvis (Flea) 6′6" 4 wt rod.  Out of nowhere, a thirty-inch cat fish rose and took the fly, he was hooked in the corner of his mouth in the grissle. Her and her brother ‘fought’ this fish starting around 6 pm.  She was 12 and he was 14.  It gets dark in the summer around 9:30pm.  They took turns as they tired.   I went and got the pickup so we would have lights.  Fortunately, the pond wasn’t so big that when he ran, the fish run out of pond before the kids ran out of backing.  Eventually, they tired the fish enough that Dad could wade out and place the net under him.  It was 10:30pm. A few pictures and the fish was released.  That is what memories are made of. Mike – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I just bought my first graphite the other day.  A Cortland CL, 5/6 weight, 8′6"……. <<snipped Personally, fishing a lot out of a kayak, and considering the usual circumstances I run into..occassional carp and channel cat..if I could afford a rod for every occasion I believe a 7/8 would be my choice for

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The Reddington Red Start took best overall rod a few years ago.  I haven’t heard much about them since Orvis bought them.  Priced at a $100 they were considered a very good buy. Ernie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m curious if others have any opinions on the Reddingtons and their comparative quality.  I have a 5/6 wt Red.Start and a 9wt Red.Fly.  The fly shop owner talked me into a Red.Fly even though he could have easily talked me into a Red.Start at the time (and probably knew it). I’m too much of a novice at this to offer an opinion on comparitive quality especially since the only thing I’ve ever known is Reddington.  But I will say I’ve never had a problem with their warranty.  I snapped the tip on the Red.Start walking out to a pond one time and the fly shop let me swap it out with them the very next day (though I’ve since learned some fly shops want you to deal with Reddington directly). But certainly interested in any unbiased opinions on the relative quality of Reddington.  I was definitely going to buy my son a cheaper Cabela rod and reel though (until I’m sure he’s going to enjoy it). Thank you, Shawn

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I’m curious if others have any opinions on the Reddingtons and their comparative quality.  I have a 5/6 wt Red.Start and a 9wt Red.Fly.  The fly shop owner talked me into a Red.Fly even though he could have easily talked me into a Red.Start at the time (and probably knew it). I’m too much of a novice at this to offer an opinion on comparitive quality especially since the only thing I’ve ever known is Reddington.  But I will say I’ve never had a problem with their warranty.  I snapped the tip on the Red.Start walking out to a pond one time and the fly shop let me swap it out with them the very next day (though I’ve since learned some fly shops want you to deal with Reddington directly). But certainly interested in any unbiased opinions on the relative quality of Reddington.  I was definitely going to buy my son a cheaper Cabela rod and reel though (until I’m sure he’s going to enjoy it). Thank you, Shawn

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Mark E. Sunderlin Winchester, VA

Mark, Haul yourself down to the Fly Fishing show in College Park Maryland this weekend.  Try the rods, pick the one which works best for you. Catch the seminar on Saturday at 10:00. Harry Murray’s talk on smallmouth fishing. — Wayne To fish is human….To release Divine! Before you buy.

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I just bought my first graphite the other day.  A Cortland CL, 5/6 weight, 8′6"……. I’ve used primarily glass rods, and do primarily smallmouth fishing as that is the dominate fish in my area. The rather sensitive, delicate nature of graphite is taking some getting used to, at times I think I would have done well with a 7/8 weight as far as smallmouth goes but I was trying to get a rod I could also use for trout. Personally, fishing a lot out of a kayak, and considering the usual circumstances I run into..occassional carp and channel cat..if I could afford a rod for every occasion I believe a 7/8 would be my choice for With glass I found my 7/8/9 wieghts to be too much for how I prefer to fish, smallmouth in the riverwise, but these graphites are a whole different story. FWIW I found a book "Smallmouth Strategies for the Fly Rod" by Ryan to be – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I’ve decided on a 6 weight fly rod to start and I’m wondering what you all feel about the below choices I’m espcially interested in the Bass Pro White River, the Cabela’s Fish Eagle, and the Reddington Red.fly:  Those are my "high three" based on what I know so far. Bass Pro  Hobbs Creek $69.95 Bass Pro White River Classic $99.95 Cabela’s Sweetwater $85.00 Cabela’s Fish Eagle $99.99 St. Croix Pro Graphite $85.00 Reddington Red.fly $75.00 Coutland CL $99.95 — "The number of job openings for Philosopher-Kings is limited in the late 20th Century." – Dr. Megabyte Tuba Playing Technocrat in Winchester, VA    KD4HRI

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Bass Pro  Hobbs Creek                      $69.95 Bass Pro White River Classic               $99.95 Cabela’s Sweetwater                        $85.00 Cabela’s Fish Eagle                        $99.99 St. Croix Pro Graphite                     $85.00 Reddington Red.fly                 $75.00 Coutland CL                                $99.95

The Sweetwater owned by a friend of mine seemed rather stiff.  The St. Croix at least has a decent warranty and is limber enough for lobbing clousers or split shot.  I would recommend it.  Have no experience with the other rods you mentioned. Mu

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I’ve decided on a 6 weight fly rod to start and I’m wondering what you all feel about the below choices I’m espcially interested in the Bass Pro White River, the Cabela’s Fish Eagle, and the Reddington Red.fly:  Those are my "high three" based on what I know so far. Bass Pro  Hobbs Creek                   $69.95 Bass Pro White River Classic            $99.95 Cabela’s Sweetwater                     $85.00 Cabela’s Fish Eagle                     $99.99 St. Croix Pro Graphite                  $85.00 Reddington Red.fly                      $75.00 Coutland CL                             $99.95 — "The number of job openings for Philosopher-Kings is  limited in the late 20th Century." – Dr. Megabyte Tuba Playing Technocrat in Winchester, VA    KD4HRI

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Question:

James

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Can anyone tell me where I can find salmon fly patterns on the net. I am looking for patterns from Iceland. I have tried two patterns and the colour in them is great, have had great luck with the patterns and would like to get more. Thank you.

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Can anyone tell me where I can find salmon fly patterns on the net. I am looking for patterns from Iceland. I have tried two patterns and the colour in them is great, have had great luck with the patterns and would like to get more. Thank you.

Just curious.  Do you fish these patterns the Icelandic way with the 14′ long rods?  If so, what do you think of that particular style of fishing? Mike

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I thought friction was normal force times coefficient of friction.  Nowhere mentioning pressure or area.  Deflation is for soft surfaces where pressure does need to be reduced? pqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpq        Grasping another opportunity to be wrong! [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

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Man, sand on concrete can REALLY cause you to slip!

This isn’t sand on concrete (like a building site) but sand on a concrete boat ramp. All the ramps I’ve seen have been pretty slippery with weed and green gunk. If I used the same ramp every day, I’d scrub the thing clean and use Jeyes fluid or caustic soda on it occasionally to keep the gunk off. I know little about boat ramps, but I do know about silage clamps and slurry lagoons  (bleurgh !) – even for these noxious devices it’s worth doing a bit of scrubbing & hosing occasionally. Failing that, get as big a contact patch as you can. Soft rubber in small tread blocks (not great mud-plugger tread bars) and a low enough pressure to let the tyre flatten as much as is practical. — alt.flame – Making the world a safer place for postal workers.

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*snip* months, and I’d appreciate some input. In addition, I think it’d make an interesting discussion topic, as well. Ron Morgan Ron, I have a Full size Dodge Van and have never had a problem pulling the boat up the ramp, except for one occasion. It was a really long and very wet ramp. I was having problems with wheel spin, I remember reading somthing about turning your front tires, (somthing about changing the pull ratio) and also applying the parking brake a bit.

    You must have a non-posi rear end on your van…  The emergency brake trick worked on my ‘91 Dakota when semi-stuck in sand (I had a non-posi rearend).   – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Boat pulled right out with out any wheel spin what-so-ever. Good luck. Michael

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The next time this happens, try letting some air out of the rear tires – enough to increase the footprint somewhat. Be sure to air up again at the first opportunity. (Longrigger) writes: | Have your buddies jump in the back of the truck to give it wieght. | I have stuck the floor mats in front of the tires once when I was alone | and got stuck, but sand would be alot better. | | Longrigger

    Try pulling up the anchor on the boat…  (I couldn’t resist!)     No, really…  Tire pressure helps a ton, and the start of the pull is the most important part.  Once underway, roll into the throttle, but maintain traction…  (I think that all of the answers I have read here would help.)     …Sam

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Ron To get the best traction on a wet surface (a boat ramp) look for an all season tire with a high volume of tread surfaces.  This type of tire will have a lot of tiny cuts in the tread design.  When the tire is stressed pulling a load, this type of tread will flex and the edges of these cuts will grip the road surface.  Do Not consider the course off road tread design!  It has the worst hard surface traction. You should also be very light on the gas pedal.  A posi traction differential is also a big help if it is kept maintained and the clutches adjusted. Would you believe I pull a 3800 lb boat up steep boat ramps with a chev s-10 with no problems? Good Luck Wayne

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Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. The boat is on a 4-wheel trailer in good condition. The truck is, of course, rear-wheel drive, and has more than enough horsepower.

. . . . Ron Morgan

Since you have more than enough horsepower – if one rear wheel starts to spin, hold the parking brake release open and apply the parking brake.  If you apply hard enough, both wheels will receive power. You can also try stabbing at the parking brake if the engine does not have enough power. Not a sure fire thing.  But it is another trick to but in your bag. Terry Dobie 83 CJ7 Hailey, ID

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I use my Jeep Grand Cherokee to haul my boat.  I learned the hard way that you have to ease into the pull.  I use an awefull ramp in East Falmouth Cape Cod that is always covered in a thin layer of scum.  On one occasion, I was sort of hurried by other boaters waiting to get out of the water and I pulled to fast.  Before I knew it, my tires were spinning and I was moving backward.  OOOOPS!  Thank god I stopped on time.   I now make sure that my air pressure is a little lower (more surface space), and that I ease into the pull.  At this one particular ramp, I often throw handfulls of sand onto the algae to create a little traction.  I read a lot of others posts where sand is the enemy, but in this scenerio, it works well. Good luck David

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. The boat is on a 4-wheel trailer in good condition. The truck is, of course, rear-wheel drive, and has more than enough horsepower. Special consideration: the ramp is *wet*, due to water dripping off other boats that were just pulled out. My truck can just BARELY pull the boat up the ramp under these conditions. If it’s dry, no problem, but when the ramp is wet, the tires slip and spin, sometimes even smoking. It’s a very, very marginal situation. Last night, I came very close to being stranded at a deserted ramp after dark; I could *not* get that boat up that ramp, and finally made it up after creeping about an inch at a time, before the tires would slip. God only knows what kind of wear this produced on my transmission. Question: what kind of tire tread design would provide the *most* friction? Knobby, off-road type, or a smoother "pavement" type? Remember, by the way, that this is extremely low-speed operation, just barely turning, in fact, so concepts like "hydroplaning" probably wouldn’t apply here. We’re talking about pulling a load up a wet concrete surface. How about it, you guys? I need to buy new tires for my truck in another couple of months, and I’d appreciate some input. In addition, I think it’d make an interesting discussion topic, as well. Ron Morgan

Ron, I have a Full size Dodge Van and have never had a problem pulling the boat up the ramp, except for one occasion. It was a really long and very wet ramp. I was having problems with wheel spin, I remember reading somthing about turning your front tires, (somthing about changing the pull ratio) and also applying the parking brake a bit. Boat pulled right out with out any wheel spin what-so-ever. Good luck. Michael

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How about it, you guys? I need to buy new tires for my truck in another couple of months, and I’d appreciate some input. In addition, I think it’d make an interesting discussion topic, as well.

        Er, does that imply that your current tires are rather bald?         If so, ‘nuf said.         Relative weight of vehicle and tow is important. (If the wheels         on your trailer are bigger than the wheels on your tow vehicle,         you’re in trouble. Saw a Chicago flatlander trying to tow a large         boat with his Beamer. Didn’t make it.)         In your case, the truck should have enough towing weight, but         the question is about weight on the rear wheels.         o The angle of the ramp tends to transfer more weight to the           rear wheels.         o Tounge weight of the trailer is important.         I am hauling a smaller  14′ runabout (40 horse motor) with a         Ranger pickup in a similar situation. I have no problems.         o I have a stick, so can control things better.         o When I was towing with a station wagon and automatic, I would:            o Put the transmission in second            o Step on the brake            o Give it some gas.            o Use the break as a clutch, slowly easing up so that there              was no jerk in the initial pull. Frank R. Borger – Physicist     ___      "I think medical research would show Michael Reese – U of Chicago   |___       that being a Cubs fan lengthens Center for Radiation Therapy   | |_) _    your life. Or maybe it just _seems_ ph: 312-791-8075 fa: 791-2517       |_)

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Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. The boat is on a 4-wheel trailer in good condition. The truck is, of course, rear-wheel drive, and has more than enough horsepower. Special consideration: the ramp is *wet*, due to water dripping off other boats that were just pulled out.

After many years of enjoying the entertainment of watching people pull boats out at a wide variety of ramps throughout the western US, I know this: The initial pull to get a boat up out of the water is substantial, if you think of how hard it is to pull a small water skier up out of the water, imaging something with 30 times the weight and surface tension and bad hydrodynamics (the trailer…not the boat!) Many people think the best approach is to try to accelerate quickly to "get the damn thing going!", so they give their rig too much throttle. Once you break adhesion on a slick surface, you cannot pull a load equivalent to before you spun the wheels.  So if it spins, let off the throttle and let the wheels catch traction.  Then, try again with less acceleration.  Don’t think that spinning your wheels faster will get you up the ramp, ’cause it will only make it harder to get out. As other posts have said, lowering your tire pressure a little will help a lot.  But I have found on most ramps I can get my boat out by just driving a little more gently and not starting the spinning.  I find an auto trans works better, since you can accelerate from a standstill very slowly without having to dump the clutch.  But I have had several trucks with 4 speeds and a couple of 5 speeds.  You just gotta take it easy, and don’t try to pull the boat out fast.

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How about it, you guys? I need to buy new tires for my truck in another couple of months, and I’d appreciate some input. In addition, I think it’d make an interesting discussion topic, as well. Ron Morgan

Wide, sticky tires in my opinion. Though they spread the weight out more, there is more surface for gripping. It will reduce fuel economy somewhat though.  Also, I would worry more about hydroplaning on FRONT wheels where you could loose steering control. You might try putting some weight over that axle or letting 5lb of air out if you get stranded. George Bonser

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I thought friction was normal force times coefficient of friction.  Nowhere mentioning pressure or area.  Deflation is for soft surfaces where pressure does need to be reduced? …        Grasping another opportunity to be wrong!

seems you caught this opportunity nicely That’s the description you find in physics 101, but it doesn’t work well in this case.  It works for flat surfaces in contact (with a few other assumptions).  When you add rough surfaces, compressible and deformable surfaces, and weak surface features (like sand on the ramp) that can withstand only a (smallish) maximum force before breaking away, then surface area and tread play an important role.

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Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. Special consideration: the ramp is *wet*, due to water dripping off other boats that were just pulled out. Ron Morgan

I stuck my truck in Galveston Bay this way.  My solution was to buy an old CJ5.  Now I drop into 4 wheel drive in low range.  And no problem. A cheaper alternative is to mount a trailer ball on the front which keeps those rear wheels way up out of the water. cfly — Charlie and Dorothy Fly Non-Trivial Solutions 2951 Marina Bay Dr. Suite 130-349 League City, TX  77573-2733

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he one with the lower tread life would be better. You could also get a bit wider tires.  I’ve also seen people with a bucket of sand they toss out to get a better grip.

Man, sand on concrete can REALLY cause you to slip! Sand on ICE is ok but no sand is better on non-frozen concrete. George Bonser

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Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. The boat is on a 4-wheel trailer in good condition. The truck is, of course, rear-wheel drive, and has more than enough horsepower. Special consideration: the ramp is *wet*, due to water dripping off other boats that were just pulled out. My truck can just BARELY pull the boat up the ramp under these conditions. If it’s dry, no problem, but when the ramp is wet, the tires slip and spin, sometimes even smoking. It’s a very, very marginal situation. Last night, I came very close to being stranded at a deserted ramp after dark; I could *not* get that boat up that ramp, and finally made it up after creeping about an inch at a time, before the tires would slip. God only knows what kind of wear this produced on my transmission. Question: what kind of tire tread design would provide the *most* friction? Knobby, off-road type, or a smoother "pavement" type? Remember, by the way, that this is extremely low-speed operation, just barely turning, in fact, so concepts like "hydroplaning" probably wouldn’t apply here. We’re talking about pulling a load up a wet concrete surface. How about it, you guys? I need to buy new tires for my truck in another couple of months, and I’d appreciate some input. In addition, I think it’d make an interesting discussion topic, as well. Ron Morgan

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. The boat is on a 4-wheel trailer in good condition. The truck is, of course, rear-wheel drive, and has more than enough horsepower. Special consideration: the ramp is *wet*, due to water dripping off other boats that were just pulled out. My truck can just BARELY pull the boat up the ramp under these conditions. If it’s dry, no problem, but when the ramp is wet, the tires slip and spin, sometimes even smoking. It’s a very, very marginal situation. Last night, I came very close to being stranded at a deserted ramp after dark; I could *not* get that boat up that ramp, and finally made it up after creeping about an inch at a time, before the tires would slip. God only knows what kind of wear this produced on my transmission. Question: what kind of tire tread design would provide the *most* friction? Knobby, off-road type, or a smoother "pavement" type? Remember, by the way, that this is extremely low-speed operation, just barely turning, in fact, so concepts like "hydroplaning" probably wouldn’t apply here. We’re talking about pulling a load up a wet concrete surface. How about it, you guys? I need to buy new tires for my truck in another couple of months, and I’d appreciate some input. In addition, I think it’d make an interesting discussion topic, as well. Ron Morgan

    Ron I had the same ‘problem’ with my old truck (‘91 Dakota with limited slip).  I would put up a slippery ramp and one tire would spin (no posi!)…  I helped the situation by putting all of the crap in the back of the truck that was in the boat, to put more weight over the rear tires (Coolers, skis, gas cans, clothes, etc.)  This made a difference.  I don’t know what type of truck you have, or if it has posi, but with my NEW ‘95 Dakota w/posi + 5 speed I am able to pull that same boat, with all of the crap still in the boat, with no problem out of the same ramp.  I do run a lower tire pressure, as this tends to put more rubber onto the ground, giving more traction.  You might try that too…(it wouldn’t hurt).       BTW  If you didn’t already know this, when pulling out of a boat ramp with a automatic trans, and you work pretty hard to pull that boat up (any pull should be considered) the ramp, make sure you don’t pull up to the staging area and shut off your truck while securing you boat. All of the heat generated by the pull will not leave the transmission (as it didn’t get cooled yet by the transmission cooler)…and can cause a lot of wear/tear/damage to your transmission.  My bone-head friend went through 2 transmissions over 2 seasons going to the Colorado river with his boat.  Every time he got it out of the water he would shut down, secure the boat, then take off…with an air temp of about 110 F. that truck would almost boil the transmission fluid!!!  He learned.     I got a 5 speed ( no cooler needed!), and it works a lot better than a automatic (at least for me it does).     My $.02     ..Sam

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& Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 & pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. The & boat is on a 4-wheel trailer in good condition. The truck is, & of course, rear-wheel drive, and has more than enough horsepower. & Special consideration: the ramp is *wet*, due to water dripping off & other boats that were just pulled out. & My truck can just BARELY pull the boat up the ramp under these & conditions. If it’s dry, no problem, but when the ramp is wet, & the tires slip and spin, sometimes even smoking. It’s a very, & very marginal situation. Last night, I came very close to being & stranded at a deserted ramp after dark; I could *not* get that & boat up that ramp, and finally made it up after creeping about an & inch at a time, before the tires would slip. God only knows what & kind of wear this produced on my transmission. You don’t say what the truck is, but does it have a limited slip differential (pozi-trac, sure-grip, etc)?  If not that would get you double the traction.  They can be added to many of the trucks out there. Hewlett Packard              (707) 794-4848 fax      (707) 538-3693 home 1212 Valley House Drive      http://web.sr.hp.com/~frankb/ Rohnert Park CA 94928-4999   KC6WUG, AMA, DoD #7566, NMLRA, I’m the NRA. U.S.A.              Dodge V8 Dakota, Yamaha IT175 XT350 YZF600R Seca 750

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Almost everybody I know has had the same problem with some combination of boats, ramps and tow vehicles. I have better traction on my jeep since I moved up on tire size. The tires are all weather radials. I can still spin all 4 tires if the ramp is mucky enough. Just having new tires will make a difference because the rubber will be softer and the thicker tread will be more compliant than on the older tires. My neighbor mounted a hitch ball on the front bumper of his 2WD truck which let him keep his rear tires high and dry. This can be particularly important at low tide, especially on ramps in estuaries that tend to silt up and/or grow moss. I carried a 20 foot heavy duty tow rope for several years untill the size of my tow vehicle caught up with my boat. I have also seen tongue extensions used for the same purpose. Many sailboaters use these because a keelboat has to be sent WAY back before it will float off the trailer. They either telescope out of the trailer tongue or are carried along side. Some of them even have their own wheels on them that will take much more abuse than a standard trailer jack wheel. My jeep has mushy rear springs and a short wheelbase, so I don’t run with much tongue weight. You can usually run much more tongue weight on a real truck like yours. 300 or 400 lbs of tongue weight, if you are not already running that much, could do a lot for your traction problems. Check with the truck manufacturer to see what they recommend.                                                 vaaler

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Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. Special consideration: the ramp is *wet*, due to water dripping off other boats that were just pulled out.

Ron, Missed the original post… but here’s a technique I use to get my boat up the ramp that works pretty well.  Then I’ll add an emergency method that is nice to keep in reserve. As with you, I’ve found that getting a boat up a wet ramp can be no small task.  I have a 24 ft Grady White, pulled by a new (OHC 4.6L V8) Mercury Marquis (has towing package, no "de Sade" option).  I also use a GMC P/U, 2WD, also with towing option, also V8 automatic. The idea is to kinda simulate what anti-lock brakes do to help create an anti-slip traction control.  When you get ready to pull out, keep your foot on the brake, hard.  Push on the accelerator to get the engine RPMs up (and thus power), by spinning up the torque converter.  This is kinda like those brake starts you used to do from a traffic light with Dad’s old Galaxie 500.  (Oh sure, like you never did it?!?)  Now s-l-o-w-l-y lift pressure off of the brake until the vehicle and trailer just start to move.  Then KEEP YOUR BRAKE FOOT IN THIS POSITION UNTIL YOU GET MOVING WELL UP THE RAMP.  Modulate your speed with the brake foot.  Leave the accelerator foot pretty far or all the way down.  The brakes are helping to minimize wheel spin!  Taa Daa… Poor man’s traction control! YMMV, and I won’t vouch for any affects on the drivetrain (geez, you’re pulling a big ol’ boat anyhow, and the amount of time it takes to do this is probably 15 seconds or so…) An alternate, and by my vote emergency, method is to use the boat to help get you started.  This one can be a bit dicey.  It can work it you sink in your trailer enough (drive on type…).  As the car starts to pull out, put the boat in gear and gun it.  As you get going, kill the boat engine and tilt up.  Obviously, timing is key here.  Could bend a lower unit or prop; could ride up on the trailer into the tow vehicle…  I don’t recommend this technique except in an emergency.  It beats leaving the boat at the dock until the tide rises, or worse yet, launching the boat, trailer and tow vehicle….  Both methods can be combined. —Steve Steve Cutchen              If we always do what we’ve always done,

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Have your buddies jump in the back of the truck to give it wieght. I have stuck the floor mats in front of the tires once when I was alone and got stuck, but sand would be alot better. Longrigger

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writes: Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. The boat is on a 4-wheel trailer in good condition. The truck is, of course, rear-wheel drive, and has more than enough horsepower. Special consideration: the ramp is *wet*, due to water dripping off other boats that were just pulled out. [...]

Believe it or not, we have a fairly steep ramp here at our marina, and one of the simplest, although not safest ways to do it is to have someone stand on the trailer tongue and hang on to the boat while it’s being removed.  The extra weight on the tongue will most frequently permit lightweight conversion vans and passenger vehicles to make their way up without slippage.  Like I said, this isn’t the safest way, and we do it based on experience rather than have customers do it themselves.   $.02 more . . . — SELKIRK LIGHTHOUSE        Jim Walker, Keeper Lighthouse Marina         Voice:  315-298-6688 P.O. Box 228              Fax:    315-298-6685 ‘SELKIRK LIGHTHOUSE Home Page’           ‘http://www.maine.com:80/lights’ ‘WWW-VL: Lighthouses, Lightships & Lifesaving Stations’       ‘http://www.maine.com:80/lights/www_vl.htm’ ‘Salmon River/Lake Ontario Sportfishing Reports’       ‘http://www.maine.com:80/fish-ny’

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Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. Special consideration: the ramp is *wet*, due to water dripping off other boats that were just pulled out. Ron Morgan

Ron – When you buy your tires, make sure you get a better traction rating.  Talk to the tire dealer about traction ratings and wet pavement.  He may help you out tremendously. (Softer tires may wear quicker.) Other solutions to consider can make a big difference :         1. Put a couple hundred pounds of sand bags or blocks in the                 very back of the truck.  Spinning can be caused by not                 enough weight on the rear wheels.         2. Adjust your boat on the trailer to increase the tongue weight                 of the trailer (not to an extreme).  With the boat further                 on the trailer, you will get more weight on the truck tires.         3. Next truck, get limited slip differential to use both back wheels instead of one. Good luck and may all your ramps be dry ones, Joe

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Question: what kind of tire tread design would provide the *most* friction? Knobby, off-road type, or a smoother "pavement" type? Remember, by the way, that this is extremely low-speed operation, just barely turning, in fact, so concepts like "hydroplaning" probably wouldn’t apply here. We’re talking about pulling a load up a wet concrete surface. How about it, you guys? I need to buy new tires for my truck in another couple of months, and I’d appreciate some input. In addition, I think it’d make an interesting discussion topic, as well.

There’s a lot coming into play. I find all terrains are significantly better than road tires.  I would assume mudders are even better.  My guess would be that the deep tread actually allows some of the edges of the tread to grip the ramp, cause there’s certainly lower area in contact.  Course that also means greater psi. Another factor is the softness of the rubber.  I would suspect that given two identical tires, the one with the lower tread life would be better. You could also get a bit wider tires.  I’ve also seen people with a bucket of sand they toss out to get a better grip.  No-one really complains about sand at a launch ramp. kevin

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Conditions: a standard half-ton truck, attempting to pull a 3,000 pound fishing boat up a fairly steep concrete launch ramp. The boat is on a 4-wheel trailer in good condition. The truck is, of course, rear-wheel drive, and has more than enough horsepower. Special consideration: the ramp is *wet*, due to water dripping off other boats that were just pulled out.

[...]         have you tried deflating the rear tyres a bit?  you’d get a larger         contact area.         andrew —            work phone/fax: 0131 668 8356, office: 0131 668 8357     institute for astronomy, royal observatory, blackford hill, edinburgh                      http://www.roe.ac.uk/ajcwww

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Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Moving to Detroit in a Week or so. Can you recommend me some good fly fishing in the area. Prefer areas that are around 1 to 2 hrs drive. No more. As far as I know there are no quality fly fihing areas within 1-2 hrs of Detroit. 3 hours will take you to the Au Sable and Manistee rivers which are quality fisheries. There is a very good book on fishing in Michigan. I think the author is Linnsman. I will get more specific info to you. Steve Rosenblum, Ann Arbor Steve Rosenblum Ann Arbor, Michigan Actually there is good brook trout FFishing within an hour of Detroit.   Try the Huron River.  There are several Metroparks along the river that provide access.  I haven’t fished it myself (because I didn’t have my gear with me at the time), but I saw several other FFisherpersons and I saw the 10"-16" fish.  The river is wadeable.  Try either the Hudson Mills Metropark or Dexter Huron Metropark.  On a AAA map of "Detroit and Southeast MI" you will find them at roughly coordinates 8K and 8L respectively (just west of Ann Arbor).  Good Luck.

  Actually, those fish you were seeing were probably smallies, cause I don’t think the Huron is clear or cool enough to sustain trout.

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Moving to Detroit in a Week or so. Can you recommend me some good fly fishing in the area. Prefer areas that are around 1 to 2 hrs drive. No more. As far as I know there are no quality fly fihing areas within 1-2 hrs of Detroit. 3 hours will take you to the Au Sable and Manistee rivers which are quality fisheries. There is a very good book on fishing in Michigan. I think the author is Linnsman. I will get more specific info to you. Steve Rosenblum, Ann Arbor Steve Rosenblum Ann Arbor, Michigan

Actually there is good brook trout FFishing within an hour of Detroit.   Try the Huron River.  There are several Metroparks along the river that provide access.  I haven’t fished it myself (because I didn’t have my gear with me at the time), but I saw several other FFisherpersons and I saw the 10"-16" fish.  The river is wadeable.  Try either the Hudson Mills Metropark or Dexter Huron Metropark.  On a AAA map of "Detroit and Southeast MI" you will find them at roughly coordinates 8K and 8L respectively (just west of Ann Arbor).  Good Luck.

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You are quite right Jay.  Those were smallmouth bass and the water is too warm to support trout.  I checked with the DNR and learned that the 5 mile stretch of the Huron River below Dexter is catch and release.  This has helped to improve the smallmouth population.  According to the DNR, they shock the river each spring for reasearch.  They have found smallies up to 21 inches along with rock bass, creek chubs and hog suckers.  In addition, I learned that they stock Proud Lake (within an hour of Detroit) with rainbows and browns.

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: Moving to Detroit in a Week or so. Can you recommend me some good fly : fishing in the area. Prefer areas that are around 1 to 2 hrs drive. No : more. : As far as I know there are no quality fly fihing areas within 1-2 hrs of : Detroit. 3 hours will take you to the Au Sable and Manistee rivers which : are quality fisheries. There is a very good book on fishing in Michigan. I : think the author is Linnsman. I will get more specific info to you. There are scores of quality fly fishing areas within an hour’s drive…unless you’re the sort who thinks ‘quality’ necessarily implies ‘trout’ I know of a number of great bluegill spots within 30 minutes of home, and as one fisherman I met put it, bluegills are ‘gram for gram, the fightingest fish there are!" And there are plenty of bass, pike, carp and many other species that are great fun on a fly, all close enough for after work fishing. Matter of fact, tonight a friend (who belongs to a very nice trout club with a private stream) and I are off to one of our favorite ponds to match wits with the wiley bluegill- and it’s only 20 minutes from home. –mike

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Moving to Detroit in a Week or so. Can you recommend me some good fly fishing in the area. Prefer areas that are around 1 to 2 hrs drive. No more. — Dasu Baregala 123 E 8th St Moscow ID 83843-3009 (208) 883 – 9538

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Moving to Detroit in a Week or so. Can you recommend me some good fly fishing in the area. Prefer areas that are around 1 to 2 hrs drive. No

more. As far as I know there are no quality fly fihing areas within 1-2 hrs of Detroit. 3 hours will take you to the Au Sable and Manistee rivers which are quality fisheries. There is a very good book on fishing in Michigan. I think the author is Linnsman. I will get more specific info to you. Steve Rosenblum, Ann Arbor Steve Rosenblum Ann Arbor, Michigan

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ANYONE IN THIS NEWSGROUP INTERESTED IN A SE MASS S/W FLY FISH COAST E MAIL ME DIRECT REGARDS MATT

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I’m interested.

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I noticed a hat with mosquito netting draped over the face and neck, kind of like a beekeepers bonnet, in an REI catalog. Has anyone tried one of these hats?

Yes. They are fantastic.

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-bill "I hate the stench of insect repellent" faus Have you tried eating LOTS of garlic &/or vitamin B1 for awhile before your trip? They say if you’ve got it oozing out of your pores, the bugs won’t like it. Your friends will be another problem. —

I had a friend that used B1 – LOTS of it.  I don’t know what it does to the bugs, but it makes a GREAT people repellent!  We go out in the winter when the bugs are fewer, not gone, but fewer. Ted

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[headnets]  Yes!  They work.  They’re slightly annoying to wear, altho not as annoying as swarming mosquitoes or the dreaded black flies.  We took it a step farther.  My wife has made netting jackets, complete with hood, for us and our kids.  Leggin’s too, so we can wear shorts in heavy duty bug country.

        I’ve seen commercially made net jackets as well.  You’re supposed to soak the whole thing in DEET between wearings.  Probably best for stationary, high-bug activities like fishing.  I think Bean’s has them.

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I noticed a hat with mosquito netting draped over the face and neck, kind of like a beekeepers bonnet, in an REI catalog. Has anyone tried one of these hats?

        A lightweight approach to physical insect barriers is a plain headnet of no-se-um mesh (looks like a stuff sack, complete with neck drawcord;  about 1 oz. and $5 at Campmor and other places).  It helps to wear a hat underneath (any kind will do) to cover the top of the head and hold the netting away from the face.  Yes, it dims the view a bit, but it keeps the bugs away.  The only tricky part is eating.  ;-)         A caveat;  just because the bugs can’t get to you doesn’t mean they won’t try.  I tried to sleep once in headnet and bivy sack and was kept awake all night by the high-frequency buzzing in my ears.  Next time, I’ll remember my earplugs, but I did get some wonderful pictures of the dawn.  ;-) -bill "I hate the stench of insect repellent" faus

        Likewise.  I’ll almost always choose long clothing and headnet over sun block and bug repellent.

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So many people in the last few months have been recommending B-1 to ward off mosquitos in the last few months that I’m ready to try it, BUT no posting that I’ve seen yet has had *anything* to say about the question "How much is LOTS?" A common size that I’ve seen for B-1 only tablets is 100 mg, which is 6667% of the US RDA.  Does 100 mg/day qualify as LOTS?

        Yeah, I’d say that’d be sufficient!         I have used it in previous years, and it seems to work ok. Takes about a week to take effect though, and you have to remember to take it every day. It’s not foolproof, but does seem to cut into the population of bugs. EXPERIMENT!                                                         -Pat Salsbury

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I remember being eaten alive in the Wind River Range in Wyoming one spring, in spite of lashings of industrial-strength repellent. At least I had the pleasure of killing 10-20 mozzies in one swat! I met a grizzled old fellow who had been camping in the area for 50 years, and he was totally oblivious to the little monsters.

Name of Finis Mitchell, by any chance? Mitchell Peak in the Cirque of the Towers is named after him. I’ve met him too, totally oblivious to mosquitos feeding on his face, telling us about places around about. That was seven or eight years ago – I wonder if he’s still alive and hiking. He was getting up there… but he was in better shape than I.                                                         Jeff Winslow

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I noticed a hat with mosquito netting draped over the face and neck, kind of like a beekeepers bonnet, in an REI catalog. Has anyone tried one of these hats? Yes, I have used one in Alaska and in the Cascades.  They are hot, they interfere with vision, and are generally obnoxious.

I haven’t seen the REI version, but mine is coarser than no-see-um netting. Highly recommended. It is comfortable, doesn’t interfere w/vision (I find my self enjoying the scenery adequately, though prefer the bugless unimpeded world), and is a very welcome addition to the checklist. Perhaps the above poster is using too fine a mesh ? —

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Have you tried eating LOTS of garlic &/or vitamin B1 for awhile before your trip? They say if you’ve got it oozing out of your pores, the bugs won’t like it. Your friends will be another problem.

So many people in the last few months have been recommending B-1 to ward off mosquitos in the last few months that I’m ready to try it, BUT no posting that I’ve seen yet has had *anything* to say about the question "How much is LOTS?" A common size that I’ve seen for B-1 only tablets is 100 mg, which is 6667% of the US RDA.  Does 100 mg/day qualify as LOTS? More? Should I be choking it down by the wheelbarrow load? Can someone give me an order of magnitude here? Thanks!                                 — Dave Alexander — "When I was a little boy in Baltimore in 1954, I wanted  to be a juvenile delinquent when I grew up."                                 — John Waters

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|   Yes!  They [mosquito net hats] work.  They’re slightly annoying to | wear, altho not as annoying as swarming mosquitoes or the dreaded | black flies.  We took it a step farther.  My wife has made netting | jackets, complete with hood, for us and our kids.  Leggin’s too, so | we can wear shorts in heavy duty bug country. I found a simple way to keep the little buggers from biting through my shirt that doesn’t require any fancy sewing skills.  I got an athletic style mesh T-shirt (looks like it’s made of fine fish net) and I wear it underneath a normal long sleve shirt.  This holds the shirt away from my skin by ~1mm making it difficult for the skeeters to reach me. Works great so long as the temperature isn’t too high. —    Advanced Micro Devices       N5PSS    Austin, Texas                1-(512)-462-5389 "You can’t leap a chasm in two jumps."

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I noticed a hat with mosquito netting draped over the face…. Has anyone tried one of these hats?

My wife brought a couple of these from Canada to New Zealand. You look like a real twit, but at least your a happy twit. To my regret, peering through all that gauze makes fly-fishing impossible. She laughs, I suffer. -bill "I hate the stench of insect repellent" faus

Have you tried eating LOTS of garlic &/or vitamin B1 for awhile before your trip? They say if you’ve got it oozing out of your pores, the bugs won’t like it. Your friends will be another problem. —

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I noticed a hat with mosquito netting draped over the face and neck, kind of like a beekeepers bonnet, in an REI catalog. Has anyone tried one of these hats?

Yes, I have used one in Alaska and in the Cascades.  They are hot, they interfere with vision, and are generally obnoxious.  However they stop all the mosquitos, and also things like deer flies and black flies that aren’t impressed by DEET.  And save you from corroding your skin with noxious chemicals.  I still carry it whenever I go to particularly fierce bug country.                                 Chuck Smythe

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All this got me thinking though, how did people sleeping outdoors in the olden days keep the biting bugs away?  

I’ve heard of people in the old days smearing their skin with mud, but have never tried it as a bug repellent. I’ve also heard that you can develop an immunity to your local mosquitoes, so that you’d still get bitten, but not get as irritated as an outsider would. I remember being eaten alive in the Wind River Range in Wyoming one spring, in spite of lashings of industrial-strength repellent. At least I had the pleasure of killing 10-20 mozzies in one swat! I met a grizzled old fellow who had been camping in the area for 50 years, and he was totally oblivious to the little monsters. —

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I noticed a hat with mosquito netting draped over the face and neck, kind of like a beekeepers bonnet, in an REI catalog. Has anyone tried one of these hats?

  Yes!  They work.  They’re slightly annoying to wear, altho not as annoying as swarming mosquitoes or the dreaded black flies.  We took it a step farther.  My wife has made netting jackets, complete with hood, for us and our kids.  Leggin’s too, so we can wear shorts in heavy duty bug country. -bill "I hate the stench of insect repellent" faus

– And little Sir John with his nut brown bowl        Tony Wesley/RPT Software                 And his brandy in the glass        voice: (313) 274-2080           Proved the strongest man at last…    Compu$erve: 72770,2053

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On a related subject, I noticed a hat with mosquito netting draped over the face and neck, kind of like a beekeepers bonnet, in an REI catalog. Has anyone tried one of these hats? -bill "I hate the stench of insect repellent" faus

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Jeff Haferman  how did people sleeping outdoors in Jeff Haferman  the olden days keep the biting bugs away? Before the invention of Avon Skin-So-Soft, the ultimate mosquito repellent, we smeared our skin with a mixture of bison grease and wood ashes.  We also migrated from the bug infested banks of the Great Water to higher, dryer ground during the worst of the mosquito season.

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All this got me thinking though, how did people sleeping outdoors in the olden days keep the biting bugs away?  

They only bathed once a month.

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All this got me thinking though, how did people sleeping outdoors in the olden days keep the biting bugs away?  

Not wash for months at a time?

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I slept beneath the stars on the banks of the Mississippi this weekend, and it was beautiful, with 1 exception – I neglected to bring any mosquito repellent.  I covered my head with a thick sweater and this worked pretty well except I would get too hot and have to remove it. Sleeping near the campfire worked pretty well too since the smoke seemed to keep the bugs away. All this got me thinking though, how did people sleeping outdoors in the olden days keep the biting bugs away?   Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Iowa Iowa City IA  52240

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