Question:

Whom’s Never read or heard that one before!

That’s the sound of things going right by him. — Charlie…

Response:

On the way home from some errands, I stopped in at a local pawn shop. I like pawn shops and have purchased quite a few things from them in the past. They strangely, had a very large assortment of boxes of fly tying hooks in various sizes, styles and manufacturers in a large bag. After some haggling, I purchased them. There were about forty boxes of hooks. Some boxes had a couple hundred hooks and some as few as twenty or so. Lots of hooks. It was a collection made over time with a wide range of manufacturers: TMC, Dai Rikki, DaiChi, Mustad, Partridge, Tiemco, and a couple others. I decided to try and consolidate these hooks with the hooks I already had on hand so I wouldn’t have some many boxes of hooks. I thought it would be easy, for example a size 12 standard dry will be the same, or at least very close, for all manufacturers. Not even close. Even comparing hooks that were the same in terms of size, wire weight, shaft length, bend style etc., the differences were striking. The thing that was most enlightening to me was the difference between the sizes among the different manufacturers. I always thought that hook size was standardized and was based on the hook gap. This doesn’t seem to be so. For example, there was a size 22 hook from one manufacturer that had the same hook gape as an 18 from a different manufacturer, even though the styles were identical. Length of shaft and wire weight also varied widely among the manufacturers even with the same description. This is something I should have noticed in my years of tying but until I directly compared various manufacturers’ hooks to each other, I didn’t notice it. It seems that the differences between the manufacturers’ hooks was most pronounced in the smaller sized hooks. I was disappointed that the pawnshop didn’t have any of the person that pawned the hooks, tackle or fly tying materials. I did get a few other things in the bag with the hooks. Most of it was junk but I did get several carded and snelled Pott’s Hand Woven Hair Flies. Since there was a discussion on them recently I scanned them and posted them to ABPF. Willi

Response:

[snipped] I was disappointed that the pawnshop didn’t have any of the person that pawned the hooks, tackle or fly tying materials.

Apparently, the broker wouldn’t meet his price. Maybe he wasn’t quality material? /daytripper (Wondering what you’d tie up with a piece of "deadbeat"

Response:

[snipped] I was disappointed that the pawnshop didn’t have any of the person that pawned the hooks, tackle or fly tying materials. Apparently, the broker wouldn’t meet his price. Maybe he wasn’t quality material? /daytripper (Wondering what you’d tie up with a piece of "deadbeat"

A Ginkles Special…..(?) TC, R

Response:

[snipped] I was disappointed that the pawnshop didn’t have any of the person that pawned the hooks, tackle or fly tying materials. Apparently, the broker wouldn’t meet his price. Maybe he wasn’t quality material?

I was thinking he must be used to pretty tough pawn shops. <g — Charlie…

Response:

[snipped] I was disappointed that the pawnshop didn’t have any of the person that pawned the hooks, tackle or fly tying materials.

Odd, I heard they invariably ask for an arm and a leg. TL MC

Response:

  There were about forty boxes of hooks. Some boxes had a couple hundred hooks and some as few as twenty or so. Lots of hooks. It was a collection made over time with a wide range of manufacturers: TMC, Dai Rikki, DaiChi, Mustad, Partridge, Tiemco, and a couple others. I decided to try and consolidate these hooks with the hooks I already had on hand so I wouldn’t have some many boxes of hooks. I thought it would be easy, for example a size 12 standard dry will be the same, or at least very close, for all manufacturers. Not even close.

    I keep my hooks the drawer of an old dresser. For the most part, they are still in the original packaging, so there are several hundred packages and maybe fifteen different types of packages. The drawer is usually a mess and it’s quite difficult to find what I’m looking for, even though I periodically tidy everything up and arrange them according to size and style. (It seems like it only stays tidy for a week or so)This mess is to blame for a huge amount of duplication, in that I frequently buy hooks I thought I was out of, only to later find out I had a couple hundred left. Anyhow, last weekend I figured I’d get everything organized, so I went out and bout a bunch of Spirit River 21 compartment storage containers. I carried all of my hooks down to the dining room table and laboriously arranged them by type and size, with the intention of dumping different brands of the same size/type in the same compartment. I ran up against the same problem Willi described, and decided to just forget about it.     Willi- do you want to swap some hook containers for hooks? I can bring them by tomorrow.

Response:

I was disappointed that the pawnshop didn’t have any of the person that pawned the hooks, tackle or fly tying materials.

It was interesting the way you worded that – what part of the body did you want to haggle for ? Well, that is a sad situation you point out.  How are we supposed to figure out what someone means when they say the fish are taking size 22 BWOs?

Response:

I dunno Willi. Gaining from someone else’s misfortune would seem to me to be bad fishing mojo….and looking for more gain in the form of some destitute brother of the angle’s hocked hackles would be courting skunking, or worse. Your best bet would be to give them all away to a kid and replace them immediately at full price. Your pal, — TBone Walker The Halfordian Golfer

Response:

I dunno Willi. Gaining from someone else’s misfortune would seem to me to be bad fishing mojo….and looking for more gain in the form of some destitute brother of the angle’s hocked hackles would be courting skunking, or worse. Your best bet would be to give them all away to a kid and replace them immediately at full price.

Just shi…er, pull that out of your ass, did ya…? HTH, R

Response:

 It seems that the differences between the manufacturers’ hooks was most pronounced in the smaller sized hooks.

I noticed this when looking to buy some 24’s for griffith gnats. The shop had Tiemco 24’s that were definitely bigger than Mustad 22’s. IIRC the hook gaps were the same, but the shaft on the Tiemco 24’s was longer (I could have the 2 manufacturers reversed, though). I thought it strange, but having worked in software standards I know the slippery slope of what a ’standard’ is Rob

Response:

[snipped] I was disappointed that the pawnshop didn’t have any of the person that pawned the hooks, tackle or fly tying materials. Apparently, the broker wouldn’t meet his price. Maybe he wasn’t quality material?

Oops. That didn’t come out too well. I’m not a dealer, or user, of used body parts. That’s the stuff of cyberpunk science fiction. Willi

Response:

 It seems that the differences between the manufacturers’ hooks was most pronounced in the smaller sized hooks. I noticed this when looking to buy some 24’s for griffith gnats. The shop had Tiemco 24’s that were definitely bigger than Mustad 22’s. IIRC the hook gaps were the same, but the shaft on the Tiemco 24’s was longer (I could have the 2 manufacturers reversed, though). I thought it strange, but having worked in software standards I know the slippery slope of what a ’standard’ is Rob

And WHO (?) or Whom’s Standard should it be you compare with Rob? — George Gehrke  

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."

Response:

: 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!

Response:

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:

Hi all, I’m new to flyfishing and trying to learn as much as possible. This newsgroup is a great source…thanks to all who contribute. I was hoping that some of the group experts could take a look at a web page that I’ve set up with about 9 pictures of what I’m sure are very common dry flies (one nymph is included). A flyfishing guide purchased them for me some time back and now I’m interested in knowing more about them.  Also, if anyone knows of any color reference books or web pages that I can use to identify flies (many books are B&W <sigh…it would be most appreciated…thanks in advance everyone! The web address is http://members.aol.com/kraftshoot/flys.jpg

Response:

Hi all, – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m new to flyfishing and trying to learn as much as possible. This newsgroup is a great source…thanks to all who contribute. I was hoping that some of the group experts could take a look at a web page that I’ve set up with about 9 pictures of what I’m sure are very common dry flies (one nymph is included). A flyfishing guide purchased them for me some time back and now I’m interested in knowing more about them.  Also, if anyone knows of any color reference books or web pages that I can use to identify flies (many books are B&W <sigh…it would be most appreciated…thanks in advance everyone! The web address is http://members.aol.com/kraftshoot/flys.jpg

The photos are a bit dark, and it is extremely difficult to analyse fly patterns just from photos anyway, but here goes. Flies one and two are "Compara duns" these are flies with split tails, a dubbed body, no hackle as such, and elk or deer hair "wings" tied in a specific fashion. Namely spread in a half circle over the upper part of the hook and tilted slightly forward.These are remarkably successful flies, and the tying materials and style are more important as recognition points than any specific patterns or colours. The flies shown are imitations of olives. Fly three is a spinner imitation with what looks like antron wings. Again an olive. I would prefer smoke blue antron as wings on such a fly, but the "transparent" antron works as well. Flies four and five are parachute style dry-flies, with what looks like calf tail post wings, standard cock hackle wound horizontally around the post, and again seem to be olives. Fly six is a more or less standard hackled dry fly with a relatively short hackle, and this is tied over about a third of the body, probably designed for rough water fishing. Once again an olive. Flies seven and eight  are once again Compara duns, and again olives. Fly nine is an emerger pattern, tied with a trailing shuck of hackle fibre The  bead head nymph, which could be used to imitate almost anything, but this again looks like it was tied to represent an olive nymph. Trying to learn the names of all these flies is a waste of time. As long as you know what you use it for, that is really all that matters. Whether it has a name, or is just a reasonable imitation is quite immaterial.  All of the flies shown look like good fish catchers, and could in fact be used in various sizes to imitate a whole host of naturals. But the range shown here are practically all olive imitations. For lists of various patterns etc try : http://www.virtualflyshop.com/ for info on Olives etc try : http://www.fishing-in-wales.co.uk/wildlife/insects/upwing/bwolive.htm You might also like to look at : http://www.virtualflybox.com/ http://freespace.virgin.net/fly.fishing/index.htm   for colour photos of many flies http://www.sea-ex.com/recreational1/fly1.htm In the meantime there are thousands of sites on the web with info on patterns and tying and fly-fishing generally. The best thing to do is use a good search engine, such as http://www.google.com   and start searching for some of them. You will soon find plenty which you can use. The sites above also have links to many others, which you can try. TL MC — "In order to know what is possible one must constantly attempt the impossible" http://www.mikeconnor.de

Response:

You were asking for someone to identify the flies – I don’t know if you were asking for specific names or not.  Mike gave you the *styles*, which I think is a good idea.  I saw a book recently that looks really good – it helps sort out these kinds of flies by style, and helps you organize them in your head.  There are color pictures of all, and it’s not real long or expensive (under $20 US). "Essential Trout Flies" by Dave Hughes.  He identifies the major styles (Comparadun, parachute, traditional Catskill, spent spinner, thorax, etc.) and tells under which conditions each would be best, and how to fish them, and how to tie them.  Check it out http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0811727483/qid=963285608/sr=1-… -4362007-9744861 Good luck Regards, Jeff

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Question:

Has anyone used Rain-X as floatant? How does it work? Shinji

Response:

I bet it would work great at first.  But if you’ll read the label, it has some really strong petroleum distillates.  I woud think it would damge fly line and leave a horrendous taste on flies. As for myself, a rueben sandwich with hot peppers and a budweiser pretty much makes me unsinkable. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Has anyone used Rain-X as floatant? How does it work? Shinji

Response:

it has some really strong petroleum distillates.  I woud think it would

damge flyline and leave a horrendous taste on flies. It’s been more than 50 years since my last chemistry class, but aren’t "distillates" volatile?  Wouldn’t they evaporate? vince norris

Response:

Rain-X ought to work.  It’s basically wax in some solvents (distillates) and when they evaporate, it leaves an easy to polish windshield. Not knowing what the distillates are, it is unclear what effect they might have on the fly head cement, artificial and natural colors, waxed thread, etc. "Some mornings I wonder if it was worth it to gnaw through the leather straps."  – E. Philips

Response:

Rain-X ought to work.  It’s basically wax in some solvents (distillates) and when they evaporate, it leaves an easy to polish windshield.

        my god, george gherke, are you suffering from laryngitits, or under arrest in a foreign land, or asleep, or have you simply expired?         a. wayne harrison

Response:

Rain-X ought to work.  It’s basically wax in some solvents (distillates) and when they evaporate, it leaves an easy to polish windshield.         my god, george gherke, are you suffering from laryngitits, or under arrest in a foreign land, or asleep, or have you simply expired?         a. wayne harrison

The problem with products containing distilates (in fact, just about anything with an organic solvent) is that the solvents will interact with the plasticizers in the fly line.  Most lines today are built with a plastic coating over a braided core.  If you get solvent onto the coating, a wide variety of things can happen, most of them bad.  Typical results can include (but are not limited to) cracking, softening, peeling, loss of the outer skin, etc.  Probably the worst one is the softening.  I have seen fly lines that were contaminated with gasoline or diesel.  These lines were as limp as overcooked spaghetti, and cast about as well.   Other things you need to be really careful about are- sunscreen, and insect repellant. Be very careful about what you put on your $50 fly line, it could ruin your day.  There are a variety of "resonably priced" line cleaners and dressings out there.  Personally I like Glide, with the caveat that I have to be able to let it dry for long enough before I buff it off(1-2 hrs)-If you do not let it dry, or do not remove excess, it is like glue.  Otherwise, I will use SA line cleaner and dressing in a pinch.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Rain-X ought to work.  It’s basically wax in some solvents (distillates) and when they evaporate, it leaves an easy to polish windshield.         my god, george gherke, are you suffering from laryngitits, or under arrest in a foreign land, or asleep, or have you simply expired?         a. wayne harrison The problem with products containing distilates (in fact, just about anything with an organic solvent) is that the solvents will interact with the plasticizers in the fly line.  Most lines today are built with a plastic coating over a braided core.

The Advantage to using rain x is it works best when dry. You pre treat all flies the night before. The next day you are ready and will not get any thing on the flyline but the water you are fishing in. Jim

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – <HTML &nbsp; <BR <BR <BR Rain-X ought to work.&nbsp; It’s basically wax in some solvents (distillates) and <BR when they evaporate, it leaves an easy to polish windshield. <BR <BR&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; my god, george gherke, are you suffering from laryngitits, or <BR under arrest in a foreign land, or asleep, or have you simply expired? <BR <BR&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; a. wayne harrison</BLOCKQUOTE _______ No Wayne honey, I’m not asleep.&nbsp; I just know you know better.What you say about solvents destroying fly lines is excellent and accurate. <Pgeorge gehrke <BRmr. gink <P_______ Now you force me to review the copy below that followed. <

        i knew you wouldn’t dissapoint me, george…         a. wayne harrison

Response:

The last distallate I tasted was in a little ’shne from the hills.  Didn’t like the taste….. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – it has some really strong petroleum distillates.  I woud think it would damge fly line and leave a horrendous taste on flies. It’s been more than 50 years since my last chemistry class, but aren’t "distillates" volatile?  Wouldn’t they evaporate? Home heating oil is a distillate. Try pouring some of that around your basement floor and see how fast it evaporates…

Response:

it has some really strong petroleum distillates.  I woud think it would damge fly line and leave a horrendous taste on flies. It’s been more than 50 years since my last chemistry class, but aren’t "distillates" volatile?  Wouldn’t they evaporate?

Home heating oil is a distillate. Try pouring some of that around your basement floor and see how fast it evaporates…

Response:

Question:

Marcus writes: I have no idea how you reel in.  I fish mostly for bass and that’s probably what I’ll fish for with this rig, but I don’t know what I’d do if a bass took the popper.  How do you set the hook?  I assume you don’t snap the rod up the way you do with a spinning rod, so what do you do?  And reeling, do you reel the bass in by stripping line, or by using the reel?  What do you do if you’ve got a ton of line at your feet and a bass takes it?  Do you let him run while you reel it in or do you strip it in? No bait.  Just flies. Marcus

Bass have a fairly tough mouth.  Generally, move the rod through an arc parallel to the water surface while simultaneously giving a hard strip with your line hand.  Once, you feel the bass fighting and you’ve got all the slack out of the line between the rod tip and the fish. Give another firm pull and try to rip his lips off, this’ll set the hook.  The hardest part about fishing with a popper is pausing the 1/2 sec between when the bass smashes your popper and setting the hook.  If you jerk too soon you’ll pull the fly out of his mouth.  For me 99.5% of the time my reel is only used to store line.  I’ve been at this a few years and have caught a few fish, but I can count on one hand the # of times I’ve had the fight a LMB from the reel.  The Hawgs, 5 lbs and above, will sometimes pull enough line to get onto the reel but its rare.  I’ve tried to reel all the slack in just to fight fish from the reel and they throw the hook while I’m putzing around.  Poppers are usually only good early in the morning and right before sun down.  Most of my LMB are caught subsurface on Clousers, Wooly Buggers, or Dell’s Merkins (yeah, the saltwater permit fly). Good Luck. Patrick

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Dangit, forgot my real important question. HOW do you get the nail into the fly line?  I’ll be damned if I can get it to go in more than 3 mm. Marcus

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just anwser these questens. how do you cast? how do you tell what line to use? how do you real in? how do you cast back out? what bate should i use? hi from payday8887

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how do you cast? how do you tell what line to use? how do you real in? how do you cast back out? what bate should i use?

I’d like to echo these questions with some of my own.  I’m just getting into fly fishing.  I am figuring out casting.  It’s hard, but not impossible. Books are okay for this, videos better.  Ha! I know the answer to #2, use the line that matches your rod.  If you have a 7 rod, use a 7 line.  As for weight forward, double taper, etc, I dunno.  I’m using weight forward since I hear it’s easier for beginners. I have no idea how you reel in.  I fish mostly for bass and that’s probably what I’ll fish for with this rig, but I don’t know what I’d do if a bass took the popper.  How do you set the hook?  I assume you don’t snap the rod up the way you do with a spinning rod, so what do you do?  And reeling, do you reel the bass in by stripping line, or by using the reel?  What do you do if you’ve got a ton of line at your feet and a bass takes it?  Do you let him run while you reel it in or do you strip it in? No bait.  Just flies. Marcus

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Question:

Does anyone out there know where there is any good flyfishing within a 100 miles of San Francisco.  I am going there in October and would like to try my luck.  I would appreciate a direct response thanks

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Hi. Write or call Daiablo Valley Fly Fishemen, PO Box 4988, Walnut Creek, CA. 94596 Pres. Rod Black 415 736-1989 or 510 736-1989. If you need any info. about Montana I can also help. I spend Mayto Nov. at my fishing lodge in MT and Nov to May in San Francisco Bay Area. Have a nice day fishing.                                Bryant BBlewett

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Question:

I will arrive in Hot Springs Aug. 10th and be fishing several days. Would appreciate any tips on good locations and what may be hatching or emerging at that time. Thank you. Don Whipple from Kansas

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I have fly fished for trout on the Little Red below the dam in Heber Springs, AR.  The trout feed on freshwater shrimp that are coming out of the bottom of the lake.  A mysis shrimp pattern imitates this. This is the only fly fishing I have done in AR, and there may be good places closer to Hot Springs than this.  Looking at my road atlas, I see no less than 10 rivers crossing the highways near Little Rock. My brother has done some fly fishing on the White River. Good Luck, Eric

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Question:

Salmom are running, but if fly fishing is your thing check out the Salmon River which is not too far from you or the Scott River also.

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– My wife made reservations for a family vacation on the Klamath near Happy Camp. I am a beginner at flyfishing who is trying to get his teenage son interested. From what I read about the area, early July is not the time to fish the Klamath. It seems to be a Fall/Spring steelhead river. Is there flyfishing there in July? Which of the many feeder streams might be a good bet? Not only would I be gratful to catch and release a few fish but it might turm my son on to a positive experience. Thanks! Feel free to respond by e-mail.

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Question:

I spoke to a guy in a Kalispell flyshop and he told me all the streams were blown out with melt. I will be traveling MT between Kalispell and Helena next week on business but should be able to fish 1-2 days. Where should I go? The flyshop guy said they were doing great at the pothole lakes near Browning. That’s way to far out of my route for me. Thanks. I hope this spring brings many scrappy fish to your lines.

Hi David, Yes most streams here in Montana are high and dirty with spring run off. One area you might check is Libby, Montana. The first 4 miles of the Kootenai River below the dam remains fairly clean during runoff and may very well be your only shot. 4 miles down stream from the dam the Fisher River will probably be pouring a lot of dirty water into the system. Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT (96 catalog)

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The problem you have is that you talked to the fellow at Kalispell last week, and you’re coming next week.  At this time of year, that is an eternity!  In the spring, conditions are volatile.  After 10 days of cold weather, most everything is down again.  If it warms up, it will come back up. If it stays cool, the rivers stay down. You have a couple of options on how you go to Kalispell from Helena.  If you go north from Helena, the Missouri below Holter Dam has come down and is offering some good midge dry fly fishing(if the wind isn’t blowing).  You can wade that stretch of the river, and there are several fly shops in Wolf Creek and Craig, Montana.  If you go west to Missoula and then up to Kalispell you could fish Rock Creek or maybe the Bitteroot south of Missoula.  I’d recommend you talk to the fellows at Grizzly Hackle in Missoula about that fishing.   Dave Kumlien, Montana Troutfitters,Bozeman html

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I spoke to a guy in a Kalispell flyshop and he told me all the streams were blown out with melt. I will be traveling MT between Kalispell and Helena next week on business but should be able to fish 1-2 days. Where should I go? The flyshop guy said they were doing great at the pothole lakes near Browning. That’s way to far out of my route for me. Thanks. I hope this spring brings many scrappy fish to your lines.

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I spoke to a guy in a Kalispell flyshop and he told me all the streams were blown out with melt. I will be traveling MT between Kalispell and Helena next week on business but should be able to fish 1-2 days. Where should I go? The flyshop guy said they were doing great at the pothole lakes near Browning. That’s way to far out of my route for me. Thanks. I hope this spring brings many scrappy fish to your lines.

Rock Creek is fishing pretty good…has is the Bitterroot..but it is pretty high.

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Question:

I am looking at putting together a wellness day for a couple of friends of mine to go fishing at Coldwater Lake, near Mt. St. Helens. One of the guys is off to Arizona before too long and so we have to go somewhat early in the season — Late April — so I was wondering if anyone in the NOrthwest has had any experience in fishing at  this lake — especially early in the season. Thanks in advance, Rusty —

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I’ve never fished Coldwater Lake but have hear they are catching nice fish even right now.  My sources tell me that if the wind kicks up on the lake, your fishing day is pretty much over for us fly fishers.

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My chapter of Trout Unlimited (Des Moines WA) fishes Coldwater Lake usually in mid-June.  The access for fishing is fairly restrictive for those on foot since you are only allowed to fish at I believe 3 bank access spots: 1 near the boat launch on the Western end of the lake, 1 on the north bank about 1 mile up the trail from the parking lot, and 1 (I’m told, since I’ve not walked it) at the far Eastern end of the lake about 4 1/2 miles from the boat launch.  The access spots are IMO not very good for flycasters.  Spinning gear has a better opportunity for successful fishing with the better casting ability in the space allotted.  By the way, there is a pretty stiff fine if the rangers catch you off the approved trails or fishing in a spot that is not designated for such. This is to protect the recovering vegetation and to keep the area pristine.  Also, this is a selective fishery, artificials only, single barbless hooks. Float tubes or small car top boats (electric motors only are allowed per the signage at the launch) have access to better water.  While fish can be whereever they want to be, there is a shelf running along the northern bank that goes into a dropoff to the lake bottom at around 20 feet of depth.  Last June that seemed to be where the fish were for me – used a gaudy olive flashy wooly bugger on a T-300 line to get down to the bottom and bump the logs. If you’re not hitting some structure with the fly, you’re weren’t deep enough last year for me. We didn’t see many hatches the day we were there last June (cloudy, rainy day) but the year before (sunny warm day) we ran into a huge damselfly hatch.   I have heard that with favorable winds, people will put in at the launch and wind drift down to the access at 1 mile and then walk back with their tubes.  After being there a couple of times I think that would be a good strategy.  If the winds are out and about this coming June, we may try that. If you go in late April, I would have travel equipment to handle adverse weather as I recall we went over some fairly high ground on the highway getting in.  Seems like we were over 3000 feet elevation on the way in.   The April 11-25 edition of the Fishing and Hunting News lists Leon at Lewis River Sports (360) 225-9530 as a contact for Coldwate Lake.  I have not talked to them personally but you might want to call and see if they have some additional local information. Hope this helps.  Coldwater is a wonderfully beautiful lake to visit and fish. If you go, be sure to stop by the visitor center up the hill (I would drive not walk to it) and get a panoramic view of the lake.  If you are there on June 15, look for a group of us from TU in tubes flogging the water to a froth. Al Miller Des Moines Chapter of Trout Unlimited Seattle, Washington

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