Question:

Thanks for the info!  Actually, I’ve been able to find a 2001 model, for about $500 less w/ warranty.  It’s hard to judge on the upgrades, since they do vary from boat to boat.  The boat I’m looking at indicates it has all the goodies… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – There’s a 2000 ClackaCraft w/ all the goodies for sale parked (this weekend) by the Agate Pass bridge off Bainbridge… asking $5100, says it was $6700 new. Looks like I’m going to get a used drift boat this spring!  The fishing gods apparently have taken kindly to me for one reason or another.  I have accumulated a ton of information on a number of different boats and have talked to a number of people first hand on which boat is the best. Just like a fly rod, each person has their own opinion.  I have all but decided upon a glass boat and have pretty much decided upon either a Hyde, ClackaCraft, Ro, or perhaps a Nord West boat. Anyone care to share any other comments?  I wonder if the new boat would work on the Henry’s Fork?  Hmmmm….

– remove all x’s for reply email. To worry is folly so let us be jolly.

Response:

There’s a 2000 ClackaCraft w/ all the goodies for sale parked (this weekend) by the Agate Pass bridge off Bainbridge… asking $5100, says it was $6700 new. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Looks like I’m going to get a used drift boat this spring!  The fishing gods apparently have taken kindly to me for one reason or another.  I have accumulated a ton of information on a number of different boats and have talked to a number of people first hand on which boat is the best. Just like a fly rod, each person has their own opinion.  I have all but decided upon a glass boat and have pretty much decided upon either a Hyde, ClackaCraft, Ro, or perhaps a Nord West boat. Anyone care to share any other comments?  I wonder if the new boat would work on the Henry’s Fork?  Hmmmm….

Response:

Looks like I’m going to get a used drift boat this spring!  The fishing gods apparently have taken kindly to me for one reason or another.  I have accumulated a ton of information on a number of different boats and have talked to a number of people first hand on which boat is the best.   Just like a fly rod, each person has their own opinion.  I have all but decided upon a glass boat and have pretty much decided upon either a Hyde, ClackaCraft, Ro, or perhaps a Nord West boat.   Anyone care to share any other comments?  I wonder if the new boat would work on the Henry’s Fork?  Hmmmm…. — remove all x’s for reply email. To worry is folly so let us be jolly.

Response:

Question:

    Earlier today I e-mailed Willi a picture of an attractive young lady in a library, wearing thick glasses and little else (see last weeks Boulder library thread). Willi hasn’t answered or posted anything to roff since then, so I can only assume Susan opened the e-mail and promptly killed the poor guy.              (snif)

Response:

    Earlier today I e-mailed Willi a picture of an attractive young lady in a library, wearing thick glasses and little else (see last weeks Boulder library thread). Willi hasn’t answered or posted anything to roff since then, so I can only assume Susan opened the e-mail and promptly killed the poor guy.              (snif)

Not something that Susan would give a shit about, well maybe if she found us in bed together, but a picture? You mentioned fishing.  Think you could get us on one of those stretches you have "ins" on just outside of town?  When there’s water flowing, the lower Poudre has been very good.  Lots of midges out with the fish feeding all day. The trout in the canyon although catchable are icecubes already. Willi

Response:

You mentioned fishing.  Think you could get us on one of those stretches you have "ins" on just outside of town?

Hah! Now she is after you Charlie.  You’re next on the endangered fly fisherman’s list! — Warren www.geocities.com/troutbum_mt

Response:

You mentioned fishing.  Think you could get us on one of those stretches you have "ins" on just outside of town? Hah! Now she is after you Charlie.  You’re next on the endangered fly fisherman’s list!

   Yup, I wasn’t fooled for a second. I wonder if Sue’s a very good fly fisher?

Response:

Not something that Susan would give a shit about, well maybe if she found us in bed together, but a picture?

   Well I, for one, hope she never finds us in bed together.

Response:

Not something that Susan would give a shit about, well maybe if she found us in bed together, but a picture?    Well I, for one, hope she never finds us in bed together.

ME too!!!! When I reread it after posting, I knew it didn’t sound right. Willi

Response:

You mentioned fishing.  Think you could get us on one of those stretches you have "ins" on just outside of town? Willi

  Careful, Willi.  I had the pleasure of spending last Friday evening with Charlie & Pat for a visit and supper (and a fine cigar).  The next day, Charlie took me to one of his secret fishing holes.  I caught giant bluegill, crappie, a largemouth and a couple of different species of trout.  All on streamers.  What a beautiful day.  Must have caught 20 fish (to Charlie’s 40?).  But, my shoulder may never be the same.  Put a "hitch" in it setting the hook so many times.  I tried an ice pack but the only thing that seems to relieve the hurt is some ‘ol Mil. Snoop — —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–==  Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–

Response:

Question:

Hi John, there is a great deal of help available on the net.  A couple of these sites should be of considerable help to you with basic stuff. Most of them have specific beginners sections.  If you have trouble with any of the terms etc, then just post to the group again, somebody will help you. Here are the URL

Question:

… I dislike intensely the the get-rich-quick spams, the porno spams, and the like, but this one was pretty innocuous. Lighten up, Ken. Lifting email addresses from a Usenet newsgroup to use in mass mailings is not innocuous. If that’s what flyfishamerica is doing, and it appears that they are, it’s shameless at best and at worst unethical.

They are definitely getting it from ROFF.  I use this account only for usenet and sure enough I had one here.  Fastest way to make sure they never get any of my business.  Send complaints to Later,      - Ken

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – … I dislike intensely the the get-rich-quick spams, the porno spams, and the like, but this one was pretty innocuous. Lighten up, Ken. Lifting email addresses from a Usenet newsgroup to use in mass mailings is not innocuous. If that’s what flyfishamerica is doing, and it appears that they are, it’s shameless at best and at worst unethical. They are definitely getting it from ROFF.  I use this account only for usenet and sure enough I had one here.  Fastest way to make sure they never get any of my business.  Send complaints to

With all due respect, I think you guys are going overboard here. Just send a POLITE email to flyfishamerica explaining the error of their ways. If they don’t stop then you can go thermonuclear. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – … I dislike intensely the the get-rich-quick spams, the porno spams, and the like, but this one was pretty innocuous. Lighten up, Ken. Lifting email addresses from a Usenet newsgroup to use in mass mailings is not innocuous. If that’s what flyfishamerica is doing, and it appears that they are, it’s shameless at best and at worst unethical. They are definitely getting it from ROFF.  I use this account only for usenet and sure enough I had one here.  Fastest way to make sure they never get any of my business.  Send complaints to With all due respect, I think you guys are going overboard here. Just send a POLITE email to flyfishamerica explaining the error of their ways. If they don’t stop then you can go thermonuclear.

With all due respect, nobody’s going thermonuclear.  They are being handled the same way every other spammer gets handled.  I get unsolicited email, they and their administrator gets an email complaint.  I am forced to maintain separate accounts because pieces of @#%^ spammers pull things like this.  If they can send me crap, I can certainly send them an email back.  I do not send spammers email directly as this usually just confirms to them that they have a valid address and gets you more email.  The same does for those BS, reply to be unsubscribed messages.  They are usually just trolling to get responses so that they can send you more spam. For anyone who is interested, there is a free service that does email forwarding for you so that you can complain without your address being collected.  Go to www.abuse.net and read the FAQ for details. They even have some scripts to automate the process of finding the real address and composing the complaint.  I’ve been using them for over a year now and am up to 750 complaints.  There’s no reason to put up with spam and quite frankly opt-out is BS (somebody has a sig with that in it). And that concludes the monday morning rant session.  :-)      - Ken

Response:

Anybody else get SPAM from flyfishamerica.com ? — Ken Fortenberry

yeah, i got one. i also got one about 2 months ago. it’s too bad they are resorting to that, they don’t need to. where do you think they got their mailing list? walt — Ezflyfish.com:  http://www.ezflyfish.com http://auctions.yahoo.com/booth/ezflyfish_com Used, Rare, & Out-of-Print Books: http://users.boone.net/wgw/brbg.html

Response:

I posted to ROFF in an attempt to ascertain if they obtained my email address from ROFF. I still don’t know how I "landed on" their list but I’d be curious to know. — Ken Fortenberry

I’ve been getting spam from some flyfishing place lately, but I just deleted it.  Don’t know if it’s from flyfish america or not.  I wouldn’t be suprised if ROFF gets scanned once  in a while. — Levi Life is anything that dies when you stomp on it.                                                         — Dave Barry

Response:

Maybe it was only for "bud" drinkers.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Anybody else get SPAM from flyfishamerica.com ? — Ken Fortenberry

Response:

Just checked my trash can…fly fish america it is. — Levi Life is anything that dies when you stomp on it.                                                         — Dave Barry

Response:

THAT’S the $64,000 question. I hope it’s not ROFF but what does a Unix weenie from Illinois, a cop from Colorado and a super model from North Carolina, (nice shot of you on pg 104 of Orvis, Walt) have in common besides ROFF ?

We all drink beer? That’s the ticket. Maybe our brains were scanned by ECHELON at the check-out counter at the Cork and Barrel? Or what do you get when you cross a sysadmin from Illinois, a cop formerly from Illinois, and a supermodel from North Carolina? (Next Clave, I’ll buy a six pack for whoever comes up with the best punchline to that one. It has to be available in Denver, though.) Opt out == cop-out. What’s so hard to understand?

Response:

THAT’S the $64,000 question. I hope it’s not ROFF but what does a Unix weenie from Illinois, a cop from Colorado and a super model from North Carolina, (nice shot of you on pg 104 of Orvis, Walt) have in common besides ROFF ?

it’s pretty obvious where they got the list. i canned mine when it arrived, like i do with the other 30 or so spams i get every day. i initially thought it was b/c of my com address, but now i’m certain that they have scanned roff for addresses. shame really, they have a good and informative free magazine that they make available to ff’ers. walt — Ezflyfish.com:  http://www.ezflyfish.com http://auctions.yahoo.com/booth/ezflyfish_com Used, Rare, & Out-of-Print Books: http://users.boone.net/wgw/brbg.html

Response:

Well, this infrequent poster didn’t get that message.  So, either the spamblocker in my reply-to address works, or my ISP is doing a good job of blocking spam.  I suspect maybe a little of both.  They must be using good address cleaning to remove the blocker in Mr. Erana’s address…  Or maybe they’re getting their list  from somewhere else? –Stan – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Anybody else get SPAM from flyfishamerica.com ? Yup. — Michael Era

Question:

Hi all, I may be taking a trip to Jamaica in the late winter and was wondering if there was any good flyshing there.  Anyone have any thoughts? laird v

Response:

no body in jamaica knows it, but the island is surrounded by narrow flats seperatedf rom the ocean by reef not that far from the "beach". There are tons of rivers emptying into the ocean as well. I think its an undiscovered opportunity to check out and i know there are tarpon around. of course, it depends on where you’re going

Response:

Question:

Hi, I missed the original post, but if it’s tailing loops, Dan is right on – the timings the thing. I would just add that you might also check that ou are indeed throwing the line "up and over". I find that many problems originate when a caster is just whipping the rod, rather than concentrating on putting the fly line up and over the shoulder, this ensures a straight take away, and does a lot to prevent side loops, which most people confuse with tailing loops. Just a thought…. Bill – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Dan, I have to say that your recent series of posts has been one of the most helpful things I have ever seen in this newsgroup. I’m sure a lot of us have learned from it, even those of us who have been fishing for a while (I can still tail the odd loop just fine after twenty years with a fly rod). We might even have to stop bitching about Orivs for a while… (-: Andrew Andrew N. Herd Associate Editor, Waterlog Magazine http://www.demon.co.uk/medlarpress/ writes: If the timing is bad, the line drops well below the plane on the forward cast before you bring it forward and it can hit the line.  Practicing your casting at times other than just when you’re fishing can go a long way to develop the sense of timing needed to correct this.  A practical exercise to allow you to see the cast without swiveling your shoulders (swiveling shoulders causes you to throw hooks in your cast) is to either use a side-arm cast, or angle your body at about 60 degrees to the target so you can move your head to watch the back cast extend without moving your shoulders. Snip                        Hope this helps,                                Dan Dan Gracia Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools

– Bill Curry Tight Lines Guide Service Lockeport, Nova Scotia, Canada http://www.tightlines.ns.ca

Response:

This is one of the best explanations/techniques I have heard for identifying this problem!!!  A couple years ago I was throwing tailing loop after tailing loop.  Since it was the end of the day and I had gotten up at 4:00am I just figured I was tired and decided to call it a day.  Just then (of course) a big brown noisily slurped a hopper and I decided on "just a couple more casts". I promptly threw a tailing loop AND tangled in an overhanging branch.  I snapped off the leader.  When preparing to tie on a new one I noticed a crack in the flyline about 2 or 3" up from the leader.  I trimmed the line, tied on a new leader and proceeded to make several casts that were better than most I had thrown all afternoon.  Now I have a technique for identifying the problem rather than lucking out.  Thanks! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – writes: If anyone can help me I could really use some advice (and I really don’t want to hear anything about my socks not matching my shoes).  I consider myself an intermediate fly caster, but I occassionally will get a closing loop where the leader will actually wrap itself around the loop.  I read in a book that it can be caused by accelerating into the foreward cast too soon and not smoothly accelerating. Does anyone else have some advice? All opinions are appreciated. Hi Dana, Before you start worrying about your casting technique, take a quick look at the junction of the leader to the fly line.  If it is cracked so that it hinges instead of transferring energy smoothly, no amount of casting modification will make it work. Perfectly executed casts with this mechanical problem will throw tailing loops. If you’re not sure whether or not the junction causes a hinge, here’s a simple test: 1.  Hold the fly line in one hand and the leader in the other with the junction in the middle and about 6" of material on each side of it. 2.  Push your hands together until they are about 6" apart.  This should form an upside down "U"  in the line. 3.  Raise one hand while lowering the other.  This will roll the junction over the upside down "U" in the line. 4.  If it rolls over smoothly then your casting technique is the problem. If one side collapses instead of rolling over, then you have a mechanical "hinging" problem.  If you use too fine of a diameter monofilament for the butt section of your leader, that will cause hinging on the leader side – If you use too heavy of a diameter mono for the butt section it will cause the fly line to collapse.  Any crack that is serious enough to cause casting problems becomes immediately apparent with this test.  In any case the answer is to cut off the old junction and replace it with one of the right size.  You will often have to cut off a few inches of the fly line if it’s badly cracked. I’ll address some casting options in another post.                            Hope this helps,                                      Dan Dan Gracia Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools

Response:

Dan, I have to say that your recent series of posts has been one of the most helpful things I have ever seen in this newsgroup. I’m sure a lot of us have learned from it, even those of us who have been fishing for a while (I can still tail the odd loop just fine after twenty years with a fly rod). We might even have to stop bitching about Orivs for a while… (-: Andrew Andrew N. Herd Associate Editor, Waterlog Magazine http://www.demon.co.uk/medlarpress/ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – writes: If the timing is bad, the line drops well below the plane on the forward cast before you bring it forward and it can hit the line.  Practicing your casting at times other than just when you’re fishing can go a long way to develop the sense of timing needed to correct this.  A practical exercise to allow you to see the cast without swiveling your shoulders (swiveling shoulders causes you to throw hooks in your cast) is to either use a side-arm cast, or angle your body at about 60 degrees to the target so you can move your head to watch the back cast extend without moving your shoulders.

Snip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –                        Hope this helps,                                Dan Dan Gracia Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools

Response:

Hi Dana, It sounds like the old trailing loop syndrome.  We all start off with it as a throw back to the spinning rod. Your book is correct. I’ve taught many people how to cast and they all go through this problem.  Most seem to correct the problem once they’ve heard the problem explained in a way that makes sense to them. So I’ll explain it in a different way. Hold your rod out directly straight from you and push down. Notice the Tip of the rod goes up before it goes down with the rest of the rod. When you start a cast the same thing happens. If you apply too much power too soon the rod tip goes down before it goes forward. The line simply follows along going down before it comes up. Sometimes catching itself on the way back up. Any power applied before the tip of the rod reaches the 12:00 position will cause the rod tip to go down before forward. Therefore the majority of power must be applied after the tip of the rod has past the butt. Good Luck — William Endicott – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If anyone can help me I could really use some advice (and I really don’t want to hear anything about my socks not matching my shoes).  I consider myself an intermediate fly caster, but I occassionally will get a closing loop where the leader will actually wrap itself around the loop.  I read in a book that it can be caused by accelerating into the foreward cast too soon and not smoothly accelerating. Does anyone else have some advice? All opinions are appreciated. Thanks, Dana

Response:

Something that improved my casting was to convince myself there was no difference between the back and forward cast.  I started false casting 30′ of line and slowly rotated while keeping the line going in the same direction until I was facing what was my back cast.  When I could rotate 360 degrees under the cast and keep it going smoothly with tight loops and not shock the line or have tailing loops, my attitude toward the mechanics of casting changed and my casting improved. — Ernie Harrison Remove NOSPAM to send E-mail – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If anyone can help me I could really use some advice (and I really don’t want to hear anything about my socks not matching my shoes).  I consider myself an intermediate fly caster, but I occassionally will get a closing loop where the leader will actually wrap itself around the loop.  I read in a book that it can be caused by accelerating into the foreward cast too soon and not smoothly accelerating. Does anyone else have some advice? All opinions are appreciated. Thanks, Dana

Response:

writes: If anyone can help me I could really use some advice (and I really don’t want to hear anything about my socks not matching my shoes).  I consider myself an intermediate fly caster, but I occassionally will get a closing loop where the leader will actually wrap itself around the loop.  I read in a book that it can be caused by accelerating into the foreward cast too soon and not smoothly accelerating. Does anyone else have some advice? All opinions are appreciated.

Hi Dana, Before you start worrying about your casting technique, take a quick look at the junction of the leader to the fly line.  If it is cracked so that it hinges instead of transferring energy smoothly, no amount of casting modification will make it work. Perfectly executed casts with this mechanical problem will throw tailing loops. If you’re not sure whether or not the junction causes a hinge, here’s a simple test: 1.  Hold the fly line in one hand and the leader in the other with the junction in the middle and about 6" of material on each side of it. 2.  Push your hands together until they are about 6" apart.  This should form an upside down "U"  in the line. 3.  Raise one hand while lowering the other.  This will roll the junction over the upside down "U" in the line. 4.  If it rolls over smoothly then your casting technique is the problem.  If one side collapses instead of rolling over, then you have a mechanical "hinging" problem.  If you use too fine of a diameter monofilament for the butt section of your leader, that will cause hinging on the leader side – If you use too heavy of a diameter mono for the butt section it will cause the fly line to collapse.  Any crack that is serious enough to cause casting problems becomes immediately apparent with this test.  In any case the answer is to cut off the old junction and replace it with one of the right size.  You will often have to cut off a few inches of the fly line if it’s badly cracked. I’ll address some casting options in another post.                             Hope this helps,                                       Dan Dan Gracia Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools

Response:

writes: If anyone can help me I could really use some advice (and I really don’t want to hear anything about my socks not matching my shoes).  I consider myself an intermediate fly caster, but I occassionally will get a closing loop where the leader will actually wrap itself around the loop.  I read in a book that it can be caused by accelerating into the foreward cast too soon and not smoothly accelerating. Does anyone else have some advice? All opinions are appreciated.

Besides the mechanical problems addressed in another post, your casting technique can certainly cause this problem. The two most common causes are bad timing, and the afore-mentioned jerky accelleration.  If the timing is bad, the line drops well below the plane on the forward cast before you bring it forward and it can hit the line.  Practicing your casting at times other than just when you’re fishing can go a long way to develop the sense of timing needed to correct this.  A practical exercise to allow you to see the cast without swiveling your shoulders (swiveling shoulders causes you to throw hooks in your cast) is to either use a side-arm cast, or angle your body at about 60 degrees to the target so you can move your head to watch the back cast extend without moving your shoulders.   For the side-arm cast, lay the rod out directly in front of you with the reel pointed in the direction of the target (not pointed down at the ground *very important*).  Use a slicing motion, not a scooping motion to make the cast while keeping your shoulders perfectly still.  You can watch the loop travel in both directions and you can easily see the width of the casting arc you’re using.  By changing the width of this casting arc you can widen or tighten your loops.  *Dont wait for the line to straighten out entirely* before you start your forward cast.  It takes a split second reaction time to initiate the forward cast and if you wait until it straightens out entirely it will fall considerably and bleed off energy before you actually start your forward cast. Reaction time is different for everyone and you have to find out just when is right by trial and error.  For starters pick a spot a foot or two back from the end of the fly line, and when the unrolling loop reaches that point, start your forward cast.  Adjust this distance farther back from the end of the fly line or closer to it as needed.  When you hit it "spot on" the fly will just sort of stop for a split second in mid-air.  That’s perfect.  The good news is that it doesn’t have to be perfect, but the closer you can get to it the more efficient your casting will be. Bad accelleration is a more common problem with tailing loops and it becomes particularly noticeable when making longer casts or when casting in windy conditions.  The tendency is to put a lot more force into the rod and that usually results in jerking it forward.  This sudden jerk causes the rod to load (flex) suddenly and then unload (straighten) slightly because less energy is used to finish the stroke than start it.  This causes the rod tip to travel in a concave or U shape and will always throw a tailing loop.   Extra power can be added to a casting stroke, but it must be at the very end – "Accellerate to a Stop".  If this is the problem, try stopping the rod more suddenly at the end of the stroke instead of hitting it harder at the start. Another option that will result in the same thing is to start the beginning of your cast by pulling on the rod, not jerking it.  With proper accelleration and the right casting arc, your rod tip will travel in a straight line "—-" from start through the flexing and to the finish which will throw a tight efficient loop.                         Hope this helps,                                 Dan Dan Gracia Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools

Response:

If anyone can help me I could really use some advice (and I really don’t want to hear anything about my socks not matching my shoes).  I consider myself an intermediate fly caster, but I occassionally will get a closing loop where the leader will actually wrap itself around the loop.  I read in a book that it can be caused by accelerating into the foreward cast too soon and not smoothly accelerating. Does anyone else have some advice? All opinions are appreciated. Thanks, Dana

Response:

Question:

Hi.  I just moved to West Lafayette Indiana from Wyoming.  I am here to finish my degree (Resort management) and will be here until June.   Does anybody know of a place nearby where I can fly fish?  I used to (well, 3 weeks ago) fish almost everyday and I desperately miss it.  Thanks!! Shannon WYShan.aol.com

Just practice catch and release, and don’t eat the fish anyway. You are somewhat lucky in that you have a number of rivers and creeks up there that have some nice smallmouth fishing. You can float the Tippy or find some smaller streams for wading. Ask around, and check in at some bait shops. I don’t know of FFng clubs in the Purdue area, but there are further north. Also there is some good farm pond fishing for Largemouth and bluegill. As far as trout go, do as I do and go to Mich or out west. Kevin Williams

Response:

You ain’t that far from Missouri or Arkansas. A 3 day expedition to the Ozarks will help you get over your leaving Wyoming blues. I have fished both of these states pretty heavily in the last year (after moving here from Summit Co. Colorado) and have been smitten by the unspoiled beauty, the "pure strain McCloud Rainbows" (available nowhere else in the U.S.) and the relative lack of pressure in the Wild Trout management areas. If you would like some more information and/or would like to get together and see what there is in Missouri, feel free to e-mail me at: Tight Lines and Keep the Faith. Joe Sandone

Response:

HI SHANNON, YOU ARE NOT TOO FAR FROM SOME OF THE BEST FALL RUN GREAT LAKES FISHING IN THE MIDWEST.  PROBALBLY ABOUT AN HOUR. IN THE TOWN OF PORTAGE IS THE LITTLE CALUMET RIVER AND SALT CREEK AND  ABOUT A MONTH FROM NOW THE FISH WILL BEGIN TO MOVE IN. BRING YOUR 9WT.  LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED FURTHER DETAILS.

Response:

Let me offer a few suggestions. Trail Creek (and Salt Creek and the Little Calumet River) in Michigan City, about 2 hours from West Lafayette, offers some good steelhead fishing pretty much year round.  In the fall, chinooks, cohos, and browns are also available.  Obviously, they’re all hatchery fish, so I never feel guilty about keeping one every now and then.  I’ve taken steelhead up to 17 pounds, though bait fisherman get them over twenty pounds in the fall with some regularity.  The chinooks may top 30 lbs.  Careful, though, most of the southern shore of Lake Michigan and surrounding area reminds me of a toxic, industrial wasteland.  Damn, it ain’t Wyoming.  I gotta move. Let me also suggest the Pigeon River near Howe.  It’s probably 3 hours from Lafayette.  It’s a fairly pretty river with browns and rainbows, some of them pretty big, but all hatchery raised.  Indiana has a problem getting its trout to reproduce in the wild.  Anyway, for more info or suggestions, contact me. Bruce

Response:

Shannon – how far are you from South Bend? You can come up and fish for steelhead and salmon in the St. Joseph River right in Leper Park. Other spots in southwest Michigan too. email me for more info. Ann

Response:

: Hi.  I just moved to West Lafayette Indiana from Wyoming.  I am here to : finish my degree (Resort management) and will be here until June.   Does : anybody know of a place nearby where I can fly fish?  I used to (well, 3 : weeks ago) fish almost everyday and I desperately miss it.  Thanks!! : Shannon : WYShan.aol.com Well, you are 30 (maybe less) miles from the Middle Fork Illinois State Fish and Game Reserve. It’s just north of Kick-a-poo state park and NW of Danville (Both Illinois) As a indiana resident, you’ll need a non-resident license, (i think it’s under $25 for a year or around $15 for 10 days) I think your 50+ miles from Lake Michigan, but you should be near Sugar Creek (which runs thru that section of indiana). You should call the Indiana DNR, they should have free information that they’ll mail you (I’m sure they have set-aside areas too)       Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page:  http://www.ripco.com/~jwn/

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<snip : One warning:  Get a copy of the regs and carefully read the consumption : advisories– there is *no* water in Indiana that is not under some level : of consumption advisory for toxins like heavy metals, pesticides, dioxin, : etc.  On some waters you shouldn’t eat anything, on others it’s okay to : have 1-2 meals a week; pregnant women are advised not to eat any fish : caught here at all.  I’ve got the full EPA data on these advisories and : think it’s actually worse than the state regs let on– I won’t eat any : fish caught in Indiana water.   <snip On the Illinois DNR page, they have divided fish into 3 catagories, one that you can eat a few times a week, one that you can never eat, and my favorite catagory (group II) which shouldn’t be consumed by males under 16, females who ever anticipate giving birth, and there are a few other people who, depending on their health, can’t eat group II fish.  (i just always liked the "ever anticpate" clause).       Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page:  http://www.ripco.com/~jwn/

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You poor soul.  I have pity on you.  Wyoming to Indiana.  That’s probably worse than what we did– Oregon/Idaho to Indiana.  If you want to fish here it’ll be panfish, bass, and perhaps the hybrids they call "wipers." The best fishing is in farm ponds, though the large reserviors have produced a number of record bass and catfish.  Down south (where I am) there are monster catfish in some of the old quarries (seen Breaking Away?).  There are basically no salmonids at all though, with the exception of the Lake Michigan fishery and some stockers they put in a couple of creeks as sacrifices.  It’s a whole ‘nuther ballgame out here, let me tell you.  My steelhead gear and trout flies went into storage long ago, and only come out when I’m lucky enough to make it back West. One warning:  Get a copy of the regs and carefully read the consumption advisories– there is *no* water in Indiana that is not under some level of consumption advisory for toxins like heavy metals, pesticides, dioxin, etc.  On some waters you shouldn’t eat anything, on others it’s okay to have 1-2 meals a week; pregnant women are advised not to eat any fish caught here at all.  I’ve got the full EPA data on these advisories and think it’s actually worse than the state regs let on– I won’t eat any fish caught in Indiana water.   All that said, it’s good fun to learn to panfish, and I’ve found that bluegill or small bass on a #4 line can be a load of fun.  You’ll want to check out Turkey Run State Park and the Willow Slough, Lasalle, Hillenbrand, Winamac, and Kanakee fish and wildlife areas up in your corner of the state.  If you have time, drive up to Michigan for the real fishing; we did over Memmorial Day and it was well worth the 8 hour drive, if only to see running water that wasn’t brown. Good luck- — Derek R. Larson           Indiana University       Department of History   "Eastward I go by force, but Westward I go free!"  -H. D. Thoreau

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Shannon, Depending on how close you are to Lake Michigan you are within a short drive of year-round steelhead fishing. Pick up a fly fishing mag and check the ads. I bet there is an outfitter close by.

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Hi.  I just moved to West Lafayette Indiana from Wyoming.  I am here to finish my degree (Resort management) and will be here until June.   Does anybody know of a place nearby where I can fly fish?  I used to (well, 3 weeks ago) fish almost everyday and I desperately miss it.  Thanks!! Shannon WYShan.aol.com

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Question:

There seems to be some debate as to whether an Orvis rod warranty can be transferred with the sale of a rod.  Does it only apply to the original owner?  This would seem foolish as Orvis shouldn’t really care.  A warranty such as their one of 25 years is an implication of faith in their products, not the purchasers.  I am looking at buying a used rod and would greatly appreciate any feedback (perhaps from Orvis or a dealer?).   Thank you. Paul Tickner

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Orvis: built to last, not to cast. Just kidding guys.. Frankie

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I recently sold an Orvis rod, and carefully read the warranty card.  It indicated that the 25yr warranty was only good for the original owner. Hope this helps Rich There seems to be some debate as to whether an Orvis rod warranty can be transferred with the sale of a rod.  Does it only apply to the original owner?  This would seem foolish as Orvis shouldn’t really care.  A warranty such as their one of 25 years is an implication of faith in their products, not the purchasers.  I am looking at buying a used rod and would greatly appreciate any feedback (perhaps from Orvis or a dealer?).   Thank you. Paul Tickner

– Rich Miyara 74 Anderson Hill Enfield NH  03748 Phone:  (603) 650-7827 wk Home:   (603) 632-4090 hm (bef. 9PM ET)

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Sage is the same (i.e. warranty good for original owner only).

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I’ve broken my Orvis Rocky Mtn. 4pc 4 wt. 3 times in 3 different sections in the last year and a half, got them all repaired or more like replaced, didn’t spend a dime, well $5 for shipping. I’m sold on the 25 yr. warranty, as to whether it’s built to last or to cast…. it’s up to you, but it’s sure nice to have a rod that you can treated like a real fishing equipment rather than a piece of heirloom that you might damage on the stream, which i think sure takes the fun out of fishing…….

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Sorry- Orvis rod guarantees only apply to orginal owners of the rod. I know because I just bought a new orvis and thats what ist said on the warranty. I bet that you could just get the person who sold you the rod to trade it in forr you though- or just have them brake it before they sell it to you so you can start out with a new rod. I would not assume that orvis would like this- but it is a no questions asked guarante. tight lines! -matt

: There seems to be some debate as to whether an Orvis rod warranty can be : transferred with the sale of a rod.  Does it only apply to the original : owner?  This would seem foolish as Orvis shouldn’t really care.  A : warranty such as their one of 25 years is an implication of faith in their : products, not the purchasers.  I am looking at buying a used rod and would : greatly appreciate any feedback (perhaps from Orvis or a dealer?).   : Thank you. : Paul Tickner

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I’ve broken my Orvis Rocky Mtn. 4pc 4 wt. 3 times in 3 different sections in the last year and a half, [snip] it’s sure nice to have a rod that you can treated like a real fishing equipment rather than a piece of heirloom that you might damage on the stream, which i think sure takes the fun out of fishing…….

Then again, one should treat a nice graphite rod as something other than a walking stick!!  A nice graphite rod is a delicate and wonderful tool, and deserves better than to be whipped mercilessly upon the water and beat against every stream bank and overhanging tree limb in sight!!! ___ Bob Scott  WY7O | Roses are red, Violets are blue

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Then again, one should treat a nice graphite rod as something other than a walking stick!!  A nice graphite rod is a delicate and wonderful tool, and deserves better than to be whipped mercilessly upon the water and beat against every stream bank and overhanging tree limb in sight!!!

Unless it is an Orvis! Frankie

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I’ve broken my Orvis Rocky Mtn. 4pc 4 wt. 3 times in 3 different sections in the last year and a half, got them all repaired or more like replaced, didn’t spend a dime, well $5 for shipping. I’m sold on the 25 yr. warranty, as to whether it’s built to last or to cast…. it’s up to you, but it’s sure nice to have a rod that you can treated like a real fishing equipment rather than a piece of heirloom that you might damage on the stream, which i think sure takes the fun out of fishing…….

St Croix, (I can hear some of you moaning already) has the same guarantee. I just broke a Premier Graphite 8′ 4-wt.  Called St Croix, explained what had happened (involves my wife, my fly-rod and the basement door), they said to mail it to them with a check for $5.00 shipping and handling and they would replace it.  Came three days ago…brand new…pretty as can be. Now if only the rivers would thaw….      I’m sorry but my karma is broken, anyone know a good mechanic?

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I bought an Orvis d"demo" rod from a dealer, and proceeded to splinter the tip of the rod as well as rot out the reel seat. I was never asked by Orvis to provide proof of original ownership, and had the rod replaced immediately. In fact, Orvis did not have any similar rods in stock, and allowed me to purchase a replacement rod myself, which I was credited for upon them receiving the original damage goods.

: Sorry- Orvis rod guarantees only apply to orginal owners of the rod. I : know because I just bought a new orvis and thats what ist said on the : warranty. I bet that you could just get the person who sold you the rod : to trade it in forr you though- or just have them brake it before they : sell it to you so you can start out with a new rod. I would not assume : that orvis would like this- but it is a no questions asked guarante. : tight lines! : -matt

: : There seems to be some debate as to whether an Orvis rod warranty can be : : transferred with the sale of a rod.  Does it only apply to the original : : owner?  This would seem foolish as Orvis shouldn’t really care.  A : : warranty such as their one of 25 years is an implication of faith in their : : products, not the purchasers.  I am looking at buying a used rod and would : : greatly appreciate any feedback (perhaps from Orvis or a dealer?).   : : Thank you. : : Paul Tickner

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Amen.  I just recently picked up the habit, and dove right in with a Rocky Mountain 6 wt, 4 piece.  I’m relieved to hear that they back it up the way they claim. Also, I agree that fishing is more enjoyable without breaks to clear ice from the guides. If have any recommended streams in the southeast, drop a line.  I spend a lot of time in NC and the mountains of VA. Evan

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Question:

I have recently thought of trying to fish with fly gear.   What is a good way for me to try this sport without breaking the bank?

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* Le 01-05-95, JIM E. BECKER exprimait . ALL le propos suivant: JE JEI have recently thought of trying to fish with fly gear.   JEWhat is a good way for me to try this sport without breaking the bank? – First go to a local fly shop. They are the best source of advice. – Then try to get some lessons or rent the equipment to try it out (you will have to buy the flies though). But be aware that once you start you won’t be able to stop. I guess it should be classified has one of the incurable but  non-fatal disease…   Hope this help. Au plaisir de vous lire, Denis Lamy Trois-Rivieres (Quebec, Canada) ~~~ * VbReader 2.2 #67 * Veni, vidi, visa (Je suis venu, j’ai vu, j’ai paye)

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Question:

I may be stopping in the Ozarks around Branson or Cassville to fish for trout on my way out west from Cincinnati. Where is the best trout stream (s) anywhere in the Ozarks? I am leaving Sunday. Thanks, Richard

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I may be stopping in the Ozarks around Branson or Cassville to fish for trout on my way out west from Cincinnati. Where is the best trout stream (s) anywhere in the Ozarks? I am leaving Sunday. Thanks, Richard

The best trout stream that I know of is near Lebenon, Mo about 2 or so hours away from Branson.  The place is called Bennet Spring.  They have their own hatchery and release fish everyday, if I remember correctly. Another nice feature is that they have various areas of the park setup for different types of fishing so fly fishers don’t have to cast around bobbers.  Well at least that’s the way things were back in 1983.  Another park you might want to look into is called Mauntauk, or something like that.  It’s in the same general area as Bennet springs yet it didn’t seem to be too crowded. I also think that Missouri has an 800 number to call that might be able to give you more information. good luck Troy Carlo

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