Question:

Does anyone know anything about flyfishing the east coast of the Yucatan, south of Cancun?  Supposedly there are snook and small tarpon (redfish?) in the bays and estuaries there.  I’m particularly interested in the areas around Akumal, Xel-Ha, and Boca Paila. Thanks, J

Response:

Check out www.rodreeladventures.com I can’t give any recommendation, because I haven’t used them at all. Good luck, Bill… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Does anyone know anything about flyfishing the east coast of the Yucatan, south of Cancun?  Supposedly there are snook and small tarpon (redfish?) in the bays and estuaries there.  I’m particularly interested in the areas around Akumal, Xel-Ha, and Boca Paila. Thanks, J

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Question:

BTW: why don’t trout eat those skittery little black bugs that hang out near shore and in eddies? I read somewhere that they emit a mild toxin into the water which repels the fish.  They hang out in groups because then there is a higher concentration of the toxin, providing a higher level of safety.

Oh, she’s talking about water striders! I thought she was talking about midges. Kevin’s right. Water striders are toxic. I remember last year at the San Juan Clave there were lots of midges in the eddies and other slackwater, but the fish were ignoring them. I wondered why, and still do. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

BTW: why don’t trout eat those skittery little black bugs that hang out near shore and in eddies? I read somewhere that they emit a mild toxin into the water which repels the fish.  They hang out in groups because then there is a higher concentration of the toxin, providing a higher level of safety.

Thank you.  That sounds right.  I know they’re not fast, as I’ve always been easily able to hand catch one.   — rbc:  vixen    Fairly harmless remove invalid or hit reply to email. Though I’m very slow to respond. http://www.visi.com/~cyli

Response:

BTW: why don’t trout eat those skittery little black bugs that hang out near shore and in eddies?  

I understood that these were just not a favorite food of trout…being that they’re as hard as peanuts.  In NJ, those and skating spiders are not eaten by trout in any waters that I know of.

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One of the first hurdles a beginer needs to clear is to learn how to present a fly on a dead drift. It’s a very important skill but how often is it necessary or even desirable?

I’m loving trying to do it for drys or surface lures, but I can’t bring myself to feel that anything but a really dead bug will drift fairly freely, and even that bug will bounce into and off of things, including the bottom if using an under surface fly / lure. BTW: why don’t trout eat those skittery little black bugs that hang out near shore and in eddies?  I don’t see them much in water where other varieties of decent sized game fish are around or else they stay so shallow that nothing big can get them.  Is it the Monarch butterfly sort of thing in the water? — rbc:  vixen    Fairly harmless remove invalid or hit reply to email. Though I’m very slow to respond. http://www.visi.com/~cyli

Response:

One of the first hurdles a beginer needs to clear is to learn how to present a fly on a dead drift. It’s a very important skill but how often is it necessary or even desirable? I’m loving trying to do it for drys or surface lures, but I can’t bring myself to feel that anything but a really dead bug will drift fairly freely, and even that bug will bounce into and off of things, including the bottom if using an under surface fly / lure.

I kind of hate to post this, because I’m such a "fucking putz" at presenting nymphs compared to people like Willi and Bruce, but here’s my understanding of the theory. There’s something called the "turnover point." When you cast your nymph out, in the normal scheme of things, you should try to get your indicator upstream of the nymph. The current on the surface carries the indicator downstream faster than the deep-drifting nymph. Upstream mends can help, but you risk pulling the fly right out of the trouts’ mouths. There is a point — the "turnover" point — when the nymph is just below the indicator. This is when it’s doing its best rendition of a "dead drift." If you know where the fish are, try to make that the turnover point. BTW: why don’t trout eat those skittery little black bugs that hang out near shore and in eddies?  I don’t see them much in water where other varieties of decent sized game fish are around or else they stay so shallow that nothing big can get them.  Is it the Monarch butterfly sort of thing in the water?

Good question. I think it’s because trout are wary. They don’t want to expose themselves to predators in shallow water when there’s plenty of stuff to eat in safer places. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

There is a point — the "turnover" point — when the nymph is just below the indicator. This is when it’s doing its best rendition of a "dead drift." If you know where the fish are, try to make that the turnover

point. According to Borger, the indicator is more of a drift indicator than strike indicator.  He says if your indicator is drifting as fast as the surface current and your nymph is near the bottom, your nymph is probably dragging. A split shot will help slow it down.  I suppose this would be past the "turnover point" you describe.

Response:

According to Borger, the indicator is more of a drift indicator than strike indicator.  He says if your indicator is drifting as fast as the surface current and your nymph is near the bottom, your nymph is probably dragging. A split shot will help slow it down.  I suppose this would be past the "turnover point" you describe.

Even using the most thought out or "best" combination of weight, leader length etc. there will usually only be a small portion of your drift where the fly is truly approaching a dragfree drift. Like Steve said, you want to try and have this "good" part of the drift in the area that you think holds fish. The deeper the water, overall, the more pronounced this is. You can get more instances of a dragfree drift through mending, but because of the varied currents, it impossible to get a dragfree drift throughout the drift. It’s often difficult to get a dragfree drift with a dry fly. With a dry you can see what’s going on and with a dry, you’re essentially only dealing with a flat plane or two dimensions. With a sunken nymph, in most situations, you have to make inferences about what’s going on with your fly and you’re dealing with three dimensions. MUCH more difficult but fortunately for us, I think the fish are more tolerant of drag with a nymph. Willi

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BTW: why don’t trout eat those skittery little black bugs that hang out near shore and in eddies?

Probably because they are too difficult for the trout to catch. They would experience a net loss in calories because of the energy expended in trying to catch them. Game fish are instinctively aware of the energy/food value relationship, and tend to feed accordingly. George Adams "From the rockin’ of the cradle to the rollin’ of the hearse, the goin’ up was worth the comin’ down." ___Kris Kristofferson "The Pilgrim/Chapter 33"

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With a sunken nymph, in most situations, you have to make inferences about what’s going on with your fly and you’re dealing with three dimensions. MUCH more difficult but fortunately for us, I think the fish are more tolerant of drag with a nymph.

        and i suspect that this is because many of the insects we are attempting to imitate with nymphs are alive, and move upwards and from side to side as they attempt to reach the surface, as opposed to the nearly motionless float of duns and spinners. wayno (lifelong reader of field&stream)

Response:

BTW: why don’t trout eat those skittery little black bugs that hang out near shore and in eddies?

I read somewhere that they emit a mild toxin into the water which repels the fish.  They hang out in groups because then there is a higher concentration of the toxin, providing a higher level of safety. Kevin — Check out the Pike Clave Website: <http://www.misu.nodak.edu/~vang/PikeClave/

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What percentage of fish do you take during a "dragfree" drift for: Dries       95% Nymphs       95% Wets       40% Streamers      10% Your percentage for nymphs is surprising to me.  Do you usually let them swing across at the end of the dragfree part of the drift?  I take many fish on nymphs, especially BH PTs, on the rising part of the swing–almost as many as when I fish traditional wets (soft hackles, etc.) this way.

    What I really meant to say was, 95% of the time I nymph I *really* try for a dead drift. The other 5% of the time is when I’m moving (stumbling) upstream, dragging the thing behind me, and some inconsiderate trout bites it.

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Willi asks: What percentage of fish do you take during a "dragfree" drift for:

 Dries (over 90)  Nymphs ( not sure, probably most; 75?)  Wets (less than 10)  Streamers (less than 5) — Rusty Hook Laramie, Wyoming

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What percentage of fish do you take during a "dragfree" drift for: Dries Nymphs Wets Streamers My estimates: Dries: 90 Nymphs: 80 Wets: 50 Streamers: 20

Dries: definitely in the 90+% range during most mayfly hatches. During stonefly hatches, however, or even when I fish a hopper during terrestrial season, I twitch my fly when it’s drifting. Granted, I attempt for it to be subtle, and only a movement every couple of feet or so, but a lot of the hits come right at the twitch. Nymphs: I’d like to think that ALL my fish hit during drag free drift but I think that’s impossible to do all the time. I’d rank it there around 75%. Wets: When I fish them, which isn’t that often, they are moving for sure. 25%. Streamers: Practically all my fish come during the strip or the swing. I do pick up fish occasionally during a drag-free drift but I don’t fish a streamer that often that way. 10% — Brian D. Nelson Diamond N Outfitters, Missoula, Montana www.diamondnoutfitters.com

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Dries: definitely in the 90+% range during most mayfly hatches. During stonefly hatches, however, or even when I fish a hopper during terrestrial season, I twitch my fly when it’s drifting. Granted, I attempt for it to be subtle, and only a movement every couple of feet or so, but a lot of the hits come right at the twitch.

I concur with this. Another "action" technique I especially like is skittering a caddis imitation through shallow, pocket water. Not sure if it is more effective than just a drag free drift but it sure produces some exciting takes. Streamers: Practically all my fish come during the strip or the swing. I do pick up fish occasionally during a drag-free drift but I don’t fish a streamer that often that way. 10%

I’m not a very able streamer fisherman but I frequently cast up and across with a streamer and let it drift down pretty much drag free to allow it to sink. I have taken some fish during this "drag free" part of the drift. Peter? Willi

Response:

Dries: definitely in the 90+% range during most mayfly hatches. During stonefly hatches, however, or even when I fish a hopper during terrestrial season, I twitch my fly when it’s drifting. Granted, I attempt for it to be subtle, and only a movement every couple of feet or so, but a lot of the hits come right at the twitch. I concur with this. Another "action" technique I especially like is skittering a caddis imitation through shallow, pocket water. Not sure if it is more effective than just a drag free drift but it sure produces some exciting takes.

A very fun hatch on the Clark Fork is a #14 olive caddis, a ‘green rock worm’, IIRC. A free-living caddis. Use a LaFontaine-style (God rest his soul) emerging caddis fished just under the surface film down and across or just straight down. If the fly is making a ‘V’ they don’t seem to want it. But if you get it to still be twitching & dragging, literally just under the surface, they wack it pretty hard. There is a particular hole on the CF that really can only best be fished with an almost straight down approach with this method, but right at dusk on a mid-July evening… oh boy! Streamers: Practically all my fish come during the strip or the swing. I do pick up fish occasionally during a drag-free drift but I don’t fish a streamer that often that way. 10% I’m not a very able streamer fisherman but I frequently cast up and across with a streamer and let it drift down pretty much drag free to allow it to sink. I have taken some fish during this "drag free" part of the drift. Peter?

I must amend to my streamer statement above that most of my streamer fishing is done from a boat. With a good oarsman at the helm, you can get some amazingly good presentations that can cover a lot of good water. — Brian D. Nelson Diamond N Outfitters, Missoula, Montana www.diamondnoutfitters.com

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Dries: definitely in the 90+% range during most mayfly hatches. During stonefly hatches, however, or even when I fish a hopper during terrestrial season, I twitch my fly when it’s drifting. Granted, I attempt for it to be subtle, and only a movement every couple of feet or so, but a lot of the hits come right at the twitch. I concur with this. Another "action" technique I especially like is skittering a caddis imitation through shallow, pocket water. Not sure if it is more effective than just a drag free drift but it sure produces some exciting takes. Streamers: Practically all my fish come during the strip or the swing. I do pick up fish occasionally during a drag-free drift but I don’t fish a streamer that often that way. 10% I’m not a very able streamer fisherman but I frequently cast up and across with a streamer and let it drift down pretty much drag free to allow it to sink. I have taken some fish during this "drag free" part of the drift. Peter? Willi

I rarely fish streamers on the dead drift though it can be a useful imitation of a dead or dying minnow with the right pattern.  I tried one day for steelhead using a small, weighted streamer on the dead drift and ended up with a bunch of bugle trout.  They obviously feed on the dead.  I’ve also had carp and smallies suck in streamers when I’ve been counting the fly down on the sink, while fishing in still water. I know that you know this Willi, but as a general comment  . . . About drag for dries, nymphs, and wets – I try to get the situation right for the insect that’s active.  One example – on Whiteman’s Creek, it was Hendrickson time but there was nothing in the air.  I was dead drifting a H. nymph by a log jam in fairly deep water and was batting a fat zero.  Then I remembered that Hendrickson nymphs migrate to shallow, slow water to hatch.  I was standing on the inside of a bend in shallow, slow water so I slowly retrieved my H. nymph along the bottom toward me and picked up a 12" rainbow on the first try.  A few more casts picked up some more fish.   Some mayfly nymphs and caddis pupae are very active swimmers and some mayfly emergers change into adult form a foot or so below the surface before swimming up with their wings (e.g. Dark Hendricksons.)  Many caddis do the same and with some species, the gas they generate causes them to rocket up.  As caddis have micro hairs on their wings they can fly off immediately on emergence whereas mayflies usually need to dry their wings first resulting in lots of fluttering.  Some caddis skitter across the surface before flying off and a few stillwater caddis will skate on the surface all the way to the shore.  When egg laying, some caddis and mayflies dap their eggs on the surface while other caddis and mayflies dive, penetrating the meniscus and laying their eggs on the bottom before swimming back up and flying off (or dying in the mayfly case.)  Small trout will often leap out of the water after dapping egg layers while others actively chase the divers. None of this behaviour can be imitated by a dead drift. Moral:  Know the behaviour of the bug.  Drag is not always your enemy – especially when it’s deliberate. Peter Visit The Streamer Page at http://home.cogeco.ca/~pcharles/streamers/index.html

Response:

One of the first hurdles a beginer needs to clear is to learn how to present a fly on a dead drift. It’s a very important skill but how often is it necessary or even desirable? What percentage of fish do you take during a "dragfree" drift for: Dries Nymphs Wets Streamers My estimates: Dries: 90 Nymphs: 80 Wets: 50 Streamers: 20 Willi

Response:

One of the first hurdles a beginer needs to clear is to learn how to present a fly on a dead drift. It’s a very important skill but how often is it necessary or even desirable? What percentage of fish do you take during a "dragfree" drift for: Dries … My estimates: Dries: 90

When people talk about "educated" fish, I think recognizing a dragfree drift is the piscine equivalent of the PhD. I also think it’s highly dependent on the particular watershed. Some places, relatively sterile mountain streams for instance, you can catch a fish with just about any sort of drift at all. On a heavily fished spring creek I’d say that the percentage of fish I take with a dragfree drift is for all intents and purposes 100%. — Ken Fortenberry

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One of the first hurdles a beginer needs to clear is to learn how to present a fly on a dead drift. It’s a very important skill but how often is it necessary or even desirable?

Well, IMO, the term "drag free" drift is the wrong term to use for _teaching_ beginners, although _presenting_ in such fashion, is, to me, different than _fishing_ a fly, even if the take occurs within a second or two of presentation.  What is important as to _fishing_ is to not appear so unnatural as to either confuse, and therefore, "spook," a fish or simply telegraph that an offering isn’t food. Granted, this often means no unnatural drag, which is often "drag free" and likely, most experienced fishers know this and use the term "drag free" as a catch-all term.  But I think it does beginners a disservice to teach absolutes (take "the wrist must always be locked or you are casting improperly" training many get, for example) as being an absolute success/failure type of situation. What percentage of fish do you take during a "dragfree" drift for: My estimates: Dries: 90 Nymphs: 80 Wets: 50 Streamers: 20

Hmm…I thought a little about it, and I can’t come up with any numbers beyond mere WAGs.  Maybe to my detriment, I don’t seem to take note of this type of data in such a way to be able to quantify it. I’m not suggesting that doing so is improper, just that I don’t.  Or maybe I do take subconscious note, but it has become one of those "I don’t know why I do it that way, I just do" things.   But if forced to make a WAG, I’d say dries, about like your number, wets, about 80-90, and streamers, upwards of 0, but less than 10 <G (simply due to the way I <mostly fish streamers, they wouldn’t be doing much "drifting," drag-free or otherwise, as I take your meaning of "drifting.") TC, R – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Willi

Response:

One of the first hurdles a beginer needs to clear is to learn how to present a fly on a dead drift. It’s a very important skill but how often is it necessary or even desirable? What percentage of fish do you take during a "dragfree" drift for: Dries  

have to say 99%  Worked dries are a minor tactic for me. Nymphs  

couldn’t possibly tell with the deep nymphs, but certainly to shallow sighted fish 100% Wets

70% Streamers

10% Steve

Response:

What percentage of fish do you take during a "dragfree" drift for: Dries       95% Nymphs       95% Wets       40% Streamers

     10%

Response:

What percentage of fish do you take during a "dragfree" drift for: Dries       95% Nymphs       95% Wets       40% Streamers      10%

Your percentage for nymphs is surprising to me.  Do you usually let them swing across at the end of the dragfree part of the drift?  I take many fish on nymphs, especially BH PTs, on the rising part of the swing–almost as many as when I fish traditional wets (soft hackles, etc.) this way.   JR

Response:

One of the first hurdles a beginer needs to clear is to learn how to present a fly on a dead drift. It’s a very important skill but how often is it necessary or even desirable? My estimates: Nymphs: 80

The more I think about nymphing, the harder it is to believe that a drag free drift happens very often.  Think how difficult it can be with dry flies – in 2 dimensions.  Nymphing is in 3 dimensions, so the problems you have with a dry fly drift are magnified.  Finally, add in the fact that the water slows near the bottom of the river where we often fish nymphs, and it’s a wonder we ever catch a fish. I conclude 2 things: – we are not always getting a drag free drift, but many nymphs do move around under water under their own power.  Sometimes drag simulates this. – there are so many swirling currents in "mixed water" (near bottom rocks and obstructions), that even the trout can’t always detect drag underwater.  Even natural nymphs move in randomly changing ways in some of the "micro currents". There must be places where the flow is constant and trout can detect drag, but there must be places where it’s not, too.  You can probably convince yourself of this by tossing little things into turbulent water several times and watching how they drift differently each time.

Response:

One of the first hurdles a beginer needs to clear is to learn how to present a fly on a dead drift. It’s a very important skill but how often is it necessary or even desirable?

An interesting question, and one I have no idea of the answer.   One thing RDean said tweaked my though process however, and I began thinking not in terms of drag, but time as measurement.   I’m actually amazed at how many of the fish I catch hit the fly within a couple seconds of it hitting the water.   That probably means I suck at drag free drift.   I’m also amazed at how fast the fish can get there.   Unless I’m dropping it right on his nose, those guys really cover some ground, so to speak.   On occasions where flows are simple enough, I do catch some farther down the drift, but generally if I don’t have a take in the first 5 sec., I’m not going to get one. Joe F.

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Question:

Technique: Roll Cast: Bring the sinking line on top Back Cast: Just off vertical…allowing the sinking line to lay on the water Forward Cast: The rod loads from picking up the back cast and by adding a haul the line shoots approximately 60/70′ each cast Getting The Fly Down: Strip line off the reel until the fly is

Question:

What does everyone use, if at all, for a thermometer?

Numbers are only necessary for bragging.

Of course, they are! For winter camping only, I like to carry one of those minimum registering thermometers that you lay down horizontally beside your sleeping bag. Makes for great stories when you get home! There are so few of us that enjoy winter camping and most of the people in the office really believe that anyone who sleeps outside in the winter is right off their rocker.

I cycle-comute year round.  When I come in on the bicycle and its -40, I don’t have to tell them anything for them to think I’m off my rocker. On teh home front, since I go solo most of the time, I don’t want them to think I am out in too extreme conditions, so I figgure its better if I don’t know.  "Real cold!" is good enough. — Fight Spam! Join CAUCE (Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email)                  at http://www.cauce.org/  It is there as an experiment to see if email spammers scan content — Pete Hickey               |                         |       VEIWIT University of Ottawa      |                         |      mirrors for Ottawa,Ont. Canada K1N 6N5|  (613) 562-5800×1008    |       dyslexics.

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A note regarding those of us who have Garmin GPS’. Some models are able to display temperature inside the case. This was intended specifically for internal calibration functions, but I’ve found it very accurate. It means letting the unit sit awhile in the environment you wish to measure. It can be accessed by specific combined key-presses. For more info, the following address should be enlightening. http://www.celia.mehaffey.com/dale/secret.htm jr

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Actually we are using this for a couple of reasons. — 1. Fun toy 2. Gathering data for the conditions during igloo building with our Icebox product. We do not feel giving inaccurate info to possible customers is right. It is a very nice unit but overkill for most unless you like gadgets.

I love gadgets. How big is this one, and how much does it cost? Adam Marx "Why must I fail at all my attempts at masonry?"

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The Suunto Vector has a thermoeter that seems to be pretty accurate. Along with the thermoeter, you get an altimeter, a compass, and a timepiece with stopwatch and 3 alarms (for cooking chili).

way kewl. how low does the thermometer read? how much do they cost and where can they be had? Cheaper than dirt sells a little coleman zipperpull, thermometer, compass, windchill chart for $2.97, but from the picture it appears it only goes down to about 0F. http://www.campmor.com campmor seems to have the best selection including digital (reads down to -58F), pen shaped (-50F) and keychain/compass(-30F).

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There are so few of us that enjoy winter camping and most of the people in the office really believe that anyone who sleeps outside in the winter is right off their rocker.

Paul,    Mmmmmm! Don’t the respect feel good? "You gotta be nuts".    Ed Huesers    http://www.grandshelters.com

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I have owned several, and while they may be pretty accurate, they will NOT give you an accurate indication of surrounding temperature until some time (manufacturer’s recommendations vary, but they seem to require at least 20 min.) after they are removed from your body (wrist)

I don’t usually take much note of the temp, but a couple of weeks ago I had my Avocet lying on the ground as I set up camp and cooked dinner. As I was starting to clean up I noticed that the Avocet read 39 F while my water bottle had frozen nearly half way from the bottom (I always prop the bottle upside down). I’d guess that for ice to form in your bottle just about fast enough to see it, it must be near 20. Guess it’s time for servicing, unless they are this innacurate by default. — Spammers NOTE: Your email to me is prohibited except for submissions for my proofreading services, for which my fee is $500 per email.

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What kind of experience do you folks have with digital thermometers? I would think they don’t work very well in cold (like 0 degrees fahrenheit) considering reduced battery output and lcd displays are probably very sensitive to cold temperatures.

Well, it does take a while for the display to display what it is displaying at 0F.  Also, the chronometer loses a bit of time at those temperatures.  After a week at shirt-sleeve temperatures, it’s less than a half-second off.  After three nights at 0F, it’s a second or two off. So, is it better to stick with old reliable liquid thermometers?

Better?  Different.  More reliable?  They are easier to break. — Jim Fuller

Response:

What does everyone use, if at all, for a thermometer?

I used to use a little thermometer, but it was in-accurate. I then realized that I didn’t need that kind of accuracy anyway.  Numbers are only necessary for bragging. I have a few indicators.  Water…  If its liquid it’s above freezing, solid below.    If the trees are cracking from the cold it’s even colder.  Inhale through the nose.  If the nose-hairs freeze together, its quite cold.  The volume of the sound when walking on snow gives an indication as well. All these give me enough of an indication of the temperature for practical purposes. -Pete — Fight Spam! Join CAUCE (Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email)                  at http://www.cauce.org/  It is there as an experiment to see if email spammers scan content — Pete Hickey               |                         |       VEIWIT University of Ottawa      |                         |      mirrors for Ottawa,Ont. Canada K1N 6N5|  (613) 562-5800×1008    |       dyslexics.

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    What does everyone use, if at all, for a thermometer?     I used to use a little thermometer, but it was in-accurate.   I then realized that I didn’t need that kind of accuracy   anyway.  Numbers are only necessary for bragging.   Of course, they are! For winter camping only, I like to carry one of those minimum registering thermometers that you lay down horizontally beside your sleeping bag. Makes for great stories when you get home! There are so few of us that enjoy winter camping and most of the people in the office really believe that anyone who sleeps outside in the winter is right off their rocker. — Cheers, Paul Weiss Personal Home Page: http://www.netaccess.on.ca/~cpweiss/ Quote: "To you, it’s a six-pack … to me, it’s a support group!"            "Don’t take life too seriously … nobody gets out alive!"                                                        

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  We use a kestrel 3000, Wind speed,temp,wind chill,barameter,dew point,   humidity, heat stress index.   This is a very nice unit and very light. I can get temp readings in 5 to   10 seconds.   — Oooohhh … now doesn’t that sound like one sexy toy!! — Cheers, Paul Weiss Personal Home Page: http://www.netaccess.on.ca/~cpweiss/ Quote: "To you, it’s a six-pack … to me, it’s a support group!"            "Don’t take life too seriously … nobody gets out alive!"                                                        

Response:

Actually we are using this for a couple of reasons. — 1. Fun toy 2. Gathering data for the conditions during igloo building with our Icebox product. We do not feel giving inaccurate info to possible customers is right. It is a very nice unit but overkill for most unless you like gadgets. — Guy (Gadget Boy) Menge http://www.grandshelters.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – We use a kestrel 3000, Wind speed,temp,wind chill,barameter,dew point, humidity, heat stress index. This is a very nice unit and very light. I can get temp readings in 5 to 10 seconds. Wow!  What are you doing?  Hiking or waxing for an olympic XC ski event? — Fight Spam! Join CAUCE (Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email)                  at http://www.cauce.org/  It is there as an experiment to see if email spammers scan content — Pete Hickey               |                         |       VEIWIT University of Ottawa      |                         |      mirrors for Ottawa,Ont. Canada K1N 6N5|  (613) 562-5800×1008    |       dyslexics.

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What does everyone use, if at all, for a thermometer? I am interested in getting one, a digital readout would be nice……any suggestions?

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What does everyone use, if at all, for a thermometer? I am interested in getting one, a digital readout would be nice……any suggestions?

Temperature, for me, has been more of a curiosity than something I need to know.  On a cold winter morning, I like to say, "Golleee, it’s down to 10 degrees out here." I have had two nice liquid-filled thermometers that came in a plastic case. I broke both of them.  Dropped one, and one broke in the pack.  Right now I have a little liquid filled one about an inch long that is sort of a zipper pull, and I put it on one of my pack zippers.  No problem yet. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Visit  http://members.aol.com/MarvWelte/index.html for backpacking info.

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What does everyone use, if at all, for a thermometer? I am interested in getting one, a digital readout would be nice……any suggestions?

The Suunto Vector has a thermoeter that seems to be pretty accurate. Along with the thermoeter, you get an altimeter, a compass, and a timepiece with stopwatch and 3 alarms (for cooking chili). You can get a reasonably good metal-cased conventional "stream" thermometer at almost any fly-fishing outfitter for less cost. — Jim Fuller

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The Suunto Vector has a thermoeter that seems to be pretty accurate. Along with the thermoeter, you get an altimeter, a compass, and a timepiece with stopwatch and 3 alarms (for cooking chili).

Just one thing about those "wristwatch thermometers."  I have owned several, and while they may be pretty accurate, they will NOT give you an accurate indication of surrounding temperature until some time (manufacturer’s recommendations vary, but they seem to require at least 20 min.) after they are removed from your body (wrist).                   The pen is mighter than the devil’s playground              

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We use a kestrel 3000, Wind speed,temp,wind chill,barameter,dew point, humidity, heat stress index. This is a very nice unit and very light. I can get temp readings in 5 to 10 seconds. — Guy Menge http://www.grandshelters.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What does everyone use, if at all, for a thermometer? I am interested in getting one, a digital readout would be nice……any suggestions?

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We use a kestrel 3000, Wind speed,temp,wind chill,barameter,dew point, humidity, heat stress index. This is a very nice unit and very light. I can get temp readings in 5 to 10 seconds.

Wow!  What are you doing?  Hiking or waxing for an olympic XC ski event? — Fight Spam! Join CAUCE (Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email)                  at http://www.cauce.org/  It is there as an experiment to see if email spammers scan content — Pete Hickey               |                         |       VEIWIT University of Ottawa      |                         |      mirrors for Ottawa,Ont. Canada K1N 6N5|  (613) 562-5800×1008    |       dyslexics.

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Question:

Hello: I am looking for the San Jose Flyfishing Club.  If you have any info, please send to me.  Tia…. Steve

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Hello: I am looking for the San Jose Flyfishing Club.  If you have any info, please send to me.  Tia….

They used to hold their meetings at the corner of Saratoga Ave. and Williams and occasionally would announce their meetings in the SJ Mercury.  They could also occasionally be found meeting at the Campbell "Perc" ponds on the weekend.  I understand they have a casting pond there now. John Fereira

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San Jose Flycasters hold their monthly meeting at the Senior Center at the corner of Payne and Saratoga on the second Wednesday of every month – next meeting is July 9. Many club members can be found at the Campbell Casting ponds located withing Los Gatos Creek Park. On Thursday nights there are a number of club members providing free casting instruction. bob sato — Dr. Robert K. Sato Catalytica Inc. 430 Ferguson Drive Mountain View, CA  94043   USA Voice:  (415)940-6375 Fax:    (415)960-0127

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Sorry – I forgot to include: Meetings start at 7 pm. bob sato – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – San Jose Flycasters hold their monthly meeting at the Senior Center at the corner of Payne and Saratoga on the second Wednesday of every month – next meeting is July 9. Many club members can be found at the Campbell Casting ponds located withing Los Gatos Creek Park. On Thursday nights there are a number of club members providing free casting instruction. bob sato — Dr. Robert K. Sato Catalytica Inc. 430 Ferguson Drive Mountain View, CA  94043   USA Voice:  (415)940-6375 Fax:    (415)960-0127

– Dr. Robert K. Sato Catalytica Inc. 430 Ferguson Drive Mountain View, CA  94043   USA Voice:  (415)940-6375 Fax:    (415)960-0127

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Question:

Hey guys,         When I tried to move to the other chat site, I got a message that I needed either Java support or use an IRC site.  It then gave me the name of an IRC site to click on.  When I tried this, it then told me that it couldn’t find it.  Please help. John

Hi John I did as well and was unable to get on. I know we’ve had a couple of false starts but I think with Joe Byrd’s help we will get a good and regular chat going — at least that’s what I’m working toward. — Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT http://www.flyshop.com/Expo/Specialty/BTsPdcts/index.html

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Hey guys,         When I tried to move to the other chat site, I got a message that I needed either Java support or use an IRC site.  It then gave me the name of an IRC site to click on.  When I tried this, it then told me that it couldn’t find it.  Please help. John

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Question:

I am traveling to Last Chance, ID for the weekend.  I would appreciate any reports on conditions on the Henry’s Fork and the rivers in the park, especially the Firehole.  Suggestion for flies and sizes will be appreciated (I’ve been tying mostly small caddis dries, princes, and GRHE — sizes 16 & 18). Thanks. Jim Impara

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I am traveling to Last Chance, ID for the weekend.  I would appreciate any reports on conditions on the Henry’s Fork and the rivers in the park, especially the Firehole.  Suggestion for flies and sizes will be appreciated (I’ve been tying mostly small caddis dries, princes, and GRHE — sizes 16 & 18). Thanks. Jim ImparaHi Jim

The whole area is fishing good.  Your choice of flies are right on but add some BWO dries and emergers as well. — Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT (97 catalog) http://www.flyshop.com/Expo/Specialty/BTsPdcts/index.html

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Question:

It’s pretty sad when the first post to a new group, fly tying, is SPAM. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The FISHING LOG is a Powerful Software Program for Windows  It tracks every aspect of your fishing trips/sessions in great detail. It is colorful, extremely powerful and very user friendly. Keeps track of just about anything you can think of in Fresh Water or Salt. It is a large program of research quality but you can just keep up the sections YOU wish. Export data to other programs for analysis, printing  and charting. The best part is that if you download it yourself it is FREE. Mind that the last characters in the WWW address are all UPPERCASE!                 Bob Sheedy                Master Angler http://www.mbnet.mb.ca/~sheedyr/FISHING.HTM

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The FISHING LOG is a Powerful Software Program for Windows  It tracks every aspect of your fishing trips/sessions in great detail. It is colorful, extremely powerful and very user friendly. Keeps track of just about anything you can think of in Fresh Water or Salt. It is a large program of research quality but you can just keep up the sections YOU wish. Export data to other programs for analysis, printing  and charting. The best part is that if you download it yourself it is FREE. Mind that the last characters in the WWW address are all UPPERCASE!                  Bob Sheedy                 Master Angler http://www.mbnet.mb.ca/~sheedyr/FISHING.HTM

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Question:

I have an 8 wt, 9′ Fenwick boron/graphite salmon rod that is light, powerfull and a joy to fish with.

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Can anyone provide me with information regarding boron rods. Specifically, I recently purchased an used  8′ 5 Wt. rod that appears to be made of boron (I can’t make out the manufacturer).  On test casting, it seemed to perform approx. like a similar IM6 rod but it’s too cold up here and my line’s too stiff to be certain.  I’m thinking of giving it to my 12 year old son for Easter.  Is this sensible or would the IM6 be a better choice?  This will be his first rod although he’s fooled around with mine a bit last year.  Any info. on boron rods in general or this rod in particular would be appreciated.  Thanks in advance.    

I believe orvis also made a boron rod. They all seem to be about like IM6.  This would be a good starter rod in my opinion.

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 The rod maker you are refering to is Don Phillips formerly from  Connecticut now residing in Florida. (remainder omitted)   Don was one, there also was Ted x? of Rodon Rod Co. who mixed the boron  with graphite (further omission)

Darn it, even with this help, I still can’t remember who built my rod.  Both these gentlemen sound familiar.  (Though if forced to guess, I’d say it probably was Don Phillips.)  Two details might help pin it down: I remember seeing the man whose rod my wife (then girlfriend) eventually bought for my birthday [ ] inviting the visitors to a fishing meet in southern New York state to use a hammer on a sample of his material. It never left a mark. Also, the rod was bought from a small fly shop in Bristol, CT, which was the only place we’d ever heard of that actually stocked them.  Other than that shop, I think you had to find the builder and buy directly from him. He did advertise in Fly Fisherman for a while. Does any of this confirm his identity? Thanks for the help.

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writes: Can anyone provide me with information regarding boron rods. Specifically, I recently purchased an used  8′ 5 Wt. rod that appears to be made of boron (I can’t make out the manufacturer).  On test casting, it seemed to perform approx. like a similar IM6 rod but it’s too cold up here and my line’s too stiff to be certain.  I’m thinking of giving it to my 12 year old son for Easter.  Is this sensible or would the IM6 be a better choice?  This will be his first rod although he’s fooled around with mine a bit last year.  Any info. on boron rods in general or this rod in particular would be appreciated.  Thanks in advance.    

The short answer is if it works, use it, regardless of the material it is constructed of.  Boron rods came and went in the 80’s. 100% Boron rods were very powerful and light but very brittle.  I believe  it was Rodon who made some boron rods by fusing the boron to a central wire.  These were solid rods, not hollow and were really thin.  They also rated them for 4 ro 5 different lines, all on the same rod.  100% Boron rods broke very easily if you bumped them against something.  A problem with too high of a modulus in relation to tensile strength.  After the original problems with boron, companies began using boron/graphite mixed rods and those worked well, but were heavy.  They used the boron for the power and the graphite for the strength, and some fine rods were made from that combo.  Orvis had some of their boron/graphite rods win Kudo awards from Rod & Reel in 1987-88?. When high modulus graphite rods became available they took over that market niche as they had almost as much power and were much lighter and easier to cast all day long.                                                     Dan Dan Gracia                                                               Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools If you kill that big fish you can’t catch ‘em again.  So what if they eat other fish?  If you kill the big ones there will only be little ones left (funny how that works!).

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The rod maker you are refering to is Don Phillips formerly from Connecticut now residing in Florida. Also formerly my father-in-law. I own and have fished these rods for many years. They certainly have some unique features. They are very fast because of their small diameter; due to the solid construction. I don’t beleive he has built any in years unless he stsrted up again after his retirement. Happy fishin’ Byard

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i  have an 8 weight 9 ft boron that i would not give up for anything. i broke the tip on a ceiling fan of its mate a10 weight and fenwick would not fix it .it seems after enquirythat their workers were getting the tiny boron splinters underneath their nails so Fenwick quit making them if you come across any borons please let me know -in my book rthey are better than graphite and will manhandle any fish –used on bonefish-that should tell the story                                   Netscape Navigator  1.1N (Macintosh)                 IMPORTANT!  Before going any further, please                 read and accept the terms in the file LICENSE. Release notes for this version of Netscape Navigator are available online.  After starting the program, select "Release Notes" from the "Help" menu.  This will take you to the URL http://home.netscape.com/eng/mozilla/1.1/relnotes/mac-1.1.html which lists new features and known problems of this release. To submit bugs or other feedback, use the "How To Give Feedback" option, also on the "Help" menu, which will take you to the URL http://home.netscape.com/home/how-to-give-feedback.html If for some reason you cannot submit feedback

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 Can anyone provide me with information regarding boron rods. Specifically, I recently purchased an used  8′ 5 Wt. rod that appears to be made of boron (I can’t make out the manufacturer).  On test casting, it seemed to perform approx. like a similar IM6 rod but it’s too cold up here and my line’s too stiff to be certain.  I’m thinking of giving it to my 12 year old son for Easter.  Is this sensible or would the IM6 be a better choice?  This will be his first rod although he’s fooled around with mine a bit last year.  Any info. on boron rods in general or this rod in particular would be appreciated.  Thanks in advance.    

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:  Can anyone provide me with information regarding boron rods. : Specifically, I recently purchased an used  8′ 5 Wt. rod that appears : to be made of boron (I can’t make out the manufacturer).  On test : casting, it seemed to perform approx. like a similar IM6 rod but it’s : too cold up here and my line’s too stiff to be certain.  I’m thinking : of giving it to my 12 year old son for Easter.  Is this sensible or : would the IM6 be a better choice?  This will be his first rod although : he’s fooled around with mine a bit last year.  Any info. on boron rods : in general or this rod in particular would be appreciated.  Thanks in : advance.     In the late 70’s, when graphite was relatively new, there was a lot of experimentation with boron, kevlar, etc. All of these were used in conjunction with graphite and/or fibreglass, with the objective of providing stiffer, more sensitive rods. I have seen a few casting "worm rods" that used boron, and once had a "mooching" rod that was kevlar-reinforced, but I have never come across a fly rod made from these materials. There is still a bit of kevlar in use, but I haven’t seen anyone advertizing boron for about 15 years. As a first rod, this one probably won’t take you too far wrong. The kid will get another rod soon enough (don’t we all?) <g  – 3798 Woodland Drive     voice: (604) 368-9315 Trail, BC               data:  (604) 368-9341

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Can anyone provide me with information regarding boron rods. Specifically, I recently purchased an used  8′ 5 Wt. rod that appears to be made of boron (I can’t make out the manufacturer).  On test casting, it seemed to perform approx. like a similar IM6 rod but it’s too cold up here and my line’s too stiff to be certain.  I’m thinking of giving it to my 12 year old son for Easter.  Is this sensible or would the IM6 be a better choice?  This will be his first rod although he’s fooled around with mine a bit last year.  Any info. on boron rods in general or this rod in particular would be appreciated.  Thanks in advance.    

Fenwick and Browning both had Boron rods.  For some reason they never really made it. I would try to have a line on it that will load it up nicely at a short distance of about 30 feet.  Maybe a #6 line would help him feel the rod load better at first.  If it casts good and isn’t to expensive, it might be a good starter rod. William Kiene Kiene’s Fly Shop

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The rod maker you are refering to is Don Phillips formerly from Connecticut now residing in Florida. Also formerly my father-in-law. I own and have fished these rods for many years. They certainly have some unique features. They are very fast because of their small diameter; due to the solid construction. I don’t beleive he has built any in years unless he stsrted up again after his retirement. Happy fishin’ Byard

 Don was one, there also was Ted x? of Rodon Rod Co. who mixed the boron with graphite….using the two materials in different directions through- out the entire length of the rod. sd

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:  Can anyone provide me with information regarding boron rods.

 Rodon Rod Co. used to produce boron-graphite rods…the material was very difficult to produce the taper with the rod tip control of the newer graphite strains.  The material itself does have unique properties which allowed it to really throw line..  Economics (the bottom line in sales) I THINK!!??? was the demise…..? sd

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 I have seen a few casting "worm rods" that used boron, and once had a  "mooching" rod that was kevlar-reinforced, but I have never come across a  fly rod made from these materials.

I’ve had one for 20 years or so, 8 foot for 4 weight.  It was made by a man in Connecticut who was fairly well known at the time.  Unfortunately, he did not sign his rods, and I’ve forgotten his name long since.  Back then, I liked it better than any of the graphite rods I’d tried.  It still qualifies as a fast rod and handles anything up to a 6-weight line gracefully.  However, by today’s standards it is probably a little insensitive in the tip.  Doesn’t stop me from using it regularly. Of course, now that technology has brought us really good graphite rods with a wide range of actions, I’ve gotten more interested in bamboo.

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Question:

The annual N. California fly fishing conclave is coming up at the end of September.  Three days of tying speakers and displays.  Gary LaFontaine is the headline speaker, along with Lani Waller, Mel Krieger and lots of others.  Its held at the N. Lake Tahoe convention center in Kings Beach on the North shore of Lake Tahoe.  There is also good fishing in the area at this time of year.  The event is sponsored by the Northern California Council, Federation of Fly Fishers.  Contact Dave Duffy, (209)-824-2346 for details.

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(DaveF17965) writes:

Is there any similar event held in Southern California?

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