Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello Wilfred, glad you enjoyed the site.  To your question:    Shooting heads are actually nothing more than pieces of fly-line whose weight is matched as exactly as possible to the rod.  They are normally made by using a normal DT line, from one to two sizes heavier than the recommended line weight for the rod, and cutting this to a suitable length. Which line you choose to start with depends on the intended purpose of the finished head. Any given rod, including fly-rods, will cast best of all when loaded with a specific weight.  Shooting heads are based on this principle.  Once you find the "optimum" weight for your rod, then you can weigh the result, and any line of this actual weight may be cast well with this rod, or indeed even a piece of lead of the same weight. There are of course physical limitations to the length of line etc, but within fairly wide parameters the above holds true.  Again, within certain parameters, the length, diameter, and other line characteristics are quite immaterial, only the actual weight is important. "Ready made" shooting heads are not normally as good as the ones you make up yourself, as they rarely match the rod properly, which rather defeats the object of the exercise. In order to make up a shooting head for any particular rod, the procedure is as follows: Obtain a DT line one size heavier than the recommended line weight, ( if there are two numbers on your rod, i.e. #5/7 ) then use a number seven DT. It is immaterial whether one uses a floater or a sinker, or any other type of line, however, for your particular purpose, ( deep fishing ), a high density sinking line is the only really suitable choice to start with. Put this line on your rod, and then cast it normally without using any hauling etc.  Do not try to cast more than about forty feet maximum, as this may overload the rod, and even damage it.    When you are casting effortlessly and well, with say 30 to 40 feet of line outside the rod tip, ( this will vary considerably dependent on the rod used ), then take a marking pen, lay the rod down, and mark the line at the rod tip. You have just found the ideal line weight for your rod.   Cut the line at this point. Attach your backing line to where the line was cut, ( 20 LB flat nylon monofil, for instance, such as "amnesia", although normal monofil will also work, but has a tendency to tangle more) with a needle knot or similar, ( I prefer loops, see below). Now, using a double haul, ( the technique is described on my site ), you should be able to shoot a great deal of this backing without any trouble or effort at all.  With practice, even extreme distances may be reached. One hundred foot casts are no problem at all, and a great deal more may be reached with practice.  The technique is to lay out the backing on a level surface, or use a line tray or similar, aerialise the head, execute a double haul, and allow the backing to shoot. For your specific purpose, I would actually advise getting a DT line two sizes heavier than your rod recommendation. The procedure is then the same, but your shooting head will be a lot shorter, as the line is heavier to start with. Do not try to aerialise more than thirty feet of this line, it will damage your rod. A "short"  heavy head is more advantageous for deep fishing, as it sinks more rapidly, and also more uniformly.  This may mean that your "head" is only twenty -five feet long.  This is slightly more difficult to cast, but it is better for your purpose. One does have the advantage that one is constantly casting a piece of line of the same length and weight, and once this is learned, there is never any need to alter ones timing etc.  This is quite easy with a little practice. You do not say which flies you would like to use, but normally for this purpose, largish streamers and similar flies are used. The rig described will carry quite large heavy flies fairly easily. The trick now is to cast the line out, and start "counting down" in seconds, retrieve, when you get a take, then you know the fish are at this depth, and on subsequent casts you simply count the same number of seconds before starting your retrieve.   You do not of course know the actual depth you are fishing at, but this is not necessary, and it would do you little good to know it anyway. There are quite a few problems associated with very deep fly-fishing, not the least of which is finding the fish.  Large lakes and similar bodies of water invariably have what is known as a "thermocline" at some specific depth, which varies with the weather etc. This is a distinct separation line between relatively "warm" surface water, and relatively "cold" water.  The temperature difference may be quite considerable, and the fish may be on one side or the other of the thermocline,  if you are not fishing in the correct zone, you will catch nothing at all, a few inches deeper or higher, and you may get a bagfull. The "countdown" method allows you to find this depth fairly quickly. It is rarely necessary to fish even close to the bottom in such deep lakes, as there are very few fish there at all, if any.   Most of the deep lakes I fish in Summer, ( in Winter, there is no thermocline as such, for various physical reasons, this of course assumes that your "Winter" is cold ), generally have fish ( and large ones ! ) at between 25 and 50 feet, and these fish invariably feed on shoals of baitfish. On very large lakes, you can "trail" this rig behind the boat at slow speed, paying out backing to control the depth.  The more backing out, and the slower the speed, the deeper you fish.  This may help you to find the fish before you tire yourself out casting!  Use a larger reel than you normally would, with plenty of backing line. At the very least one hundred and fifty yards.  If you get hooked into a ten pounder or more it will give you a hell of a fight usually, and very long unstoppable runs are fairly typical of such fish. If you do not have enough backing, they will simply break you. The best flies are invariably streamers as I said, and you should use larger ones.  Most of my "standards" are at least three inches long, and sometimes larger. The leader you use can simply be a piece of normal monofil line, I invariably use a ten foot length of ten pound nylon.  "Turnover", and "presentation" are not factors in this type of fishing, in the sense that the "presentation" takes place under water at considerable depth, and any casting finesse on the surface is superfluous. This is not an elegant method of fishing, but it is extremely effective. If you find that even this rig gets down too slowly ( unlikely but possible ), then obtain a length of "lead core" line, follow the procedure described for making up a shooting head, but use the lead core line to do this. Only use a short piece of this to start casting with, and be careful, a whack in the back of the head from this stuff will quite possibly knock you out, and if it hits the rod it may shatter it.  This rig is a real pig to cast, as the timing is extremely critical, but it will get down deep and fast, and more and more people are using such rigs for fishing in deep water, especially in the ocean.  Personally I prefer the more "normal" high density sinker, as it is more pleasant to use. For fishing at depths in excess of say thirty or forty feet, there is no real alternative to a high density head, or lead core line.  You will doubtless be surprised at how long it takes such a line to sink as well.  If you want to try this, then simply cast out, and wait for the line to hit bottom.  You will feel this when it happens, the backing line will "go slack". If you want to increase your fishing depth, then after casting, pay out backing as required until you reach your previously determined "count down" depth. This also helps the line to sink in a more or less horizontal plane, and prevents the line hanging "straight down" under the boat, which makes for bad presentation. The fish you are attempting to imitate rarely swim vertically, and a horizontal presentation is invariably more succesfull. For "trailing " behind the boat ( this method is often called "trolling", which is however incorrect ), the lead core line may be superior, especially as casting is not then necessary. Just pay line out as required. To close, if you wish to experiment with shooting heads, then I would advise you to buy "mill ends" from the following address.  These are cheap, and of excellent quality, and one can make up a whole range of heads for various purposes for very little money.  I have used these for years.  You can make up two shooting heads from a DT line, and you can use the odd thirty feet which is left over from the middle for other experiments, or making up other custom lines, like sink tips, intermediates etc. I use "shooting heads" almost exclusively, for all my fishing, and I am very happy with them. I can change lines at will, simply by looping a new head onto my backing, even when "normal" trout stream fishing etc. I carry up to ten heads coiled in a wallet in my jacket pocket, and I can immediately react to any changes in water or weather etc, simply by looping on a new head Mullarkey & Sons 184-185 Waterloo Street, Burton-on-Trent, Staffs DE14 2NQ England You can pay by credit card, order by phone,  ( I believe they are working on a web-site as well )  the service is excellent, and many of the other products are worth taking a look at as well. Their phone number is  01283   566777  ask them to send you a catalogue. I have no connection with them by the

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Ooops !  This post was actually a mistake, it was a reply to an e-mail which I once again accidentally posted to ROFF.  Oh well never mind, if it was of any help to you. I am sure nobody will mind.   I will have to avoid posting when I am tired out in future. TL MC — "In order to know what is possible one must constantly attempt the impossible" http://www.mikeconnor.de Excellant Post – Very informative.  I have been cutting double tapered

lines

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I used to cut double tapers in half for small stream fishing but quit when my son came back from the Lamar River in Yellowstone one Fall and complained about only having hip boots and 1/2 Double Taper Line. Seems the trout were feeding just out of reach and he thought I had endangered the family jewels. Ernie

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Excellant Post – Very informative.  I have been cutting double tapered lines in two for years, mostly because I am cheap and use only half a line most of the time anyway.   Your method of tuning the line is brilliant. This fall I will have a section of 10 weight on the old Ugly Stick up on the Ho. I use to have a size G-A "spinning taper"  ( made to fly fish with a spinning rod )  that I used on a nine weigh.  It  was 14′ long and worked very well but I haven’t seen one for years.  I have been using a weight forward line and never have been really thrilled with them. Thanks again   BJ Conner Hello Wilfred, Mike "In order to know what is possible one must constantly attempt the impossible" http://www.mikeconnor.de —–Urspr

Question:

I’m thinking of buying a sinking line, but cannot afford any more trips to the Orvis shop I’m looking at the Cortland lines ( $38 CDN )  and the Scientific Anglers ( $46 CDN ) 1) Anyone have an opinion on these lines ? ( good / not so good , etc ) 2) I have 2 rods ( 5wt and 8wt ) Which one should I get the sinking line for ? I bought the 8wt for salmon ( floating lines only allowed ) but may start using it on some large still waters I fish. Thanks for you comments Craig Montreal,Quebec Canada

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I’m thinking of buying a sinking line, but cannot afford any more trips to the Orvis shop I’m looking at the Cortland lines ( $38 CDN )  and the Scientific Anglers ( $46 CDN ) 1) Anyone have an opinion on these lines ? ( good / not so good , etc )

I *really* like the Cortland uniform sink lines in the "super-sink" rates. Excellent for dredging while maintaining some semblance of contact with the fly. 2) I have 2 rods ( 5wt and 8wt ) Which one should I get the sinking line for ? I bought the 8wt for salmon ( floating lines only allowed ) but may start using it on some large still waters I fish.

Whatever floats your boat. I have full sinkers for my 5 weight rods, 7 weight rods, and 9 weight rods. I rarely use anything larger than the 5 for fresh water, the heavier ones are mostly for the salt, and the occasional pike trip… /daytripper

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Proper flyfishing is just not done with sinking lines.

George? Is dat you?

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m thinking of buying a sinking line, but cannot afford any more trips to the Orvis shop I’m looking at the Cortland lines ( $38 CDN )  and the Scientific Anglers ( $46 CDN ) 1) Anyone have an opinion on these lines ? ( good / not so good , etc ) 2) I have 2 rods ( 5wt and 8wt ) Which one should I get the sinking line for ? I bought the 8wt for salmon ( floating lines only allowed ) but may start using it on some large still waters I fish. Thanks for you comments Craig Montreal,Quebec Canada

Craig, I’ve had two full sink Cortlands and an SA.  They both perfomed as expected. Cheers Visit The Streamer Page at http://members.home.net/pcharles/streamers/index.html

Response:

I’m thinking of buying a sinking line, but cannot afford any more trips to the Orvis shop I’m looking at the Cortland lines ( $38 CDN )  and the Scientific Anglers ( $46 CDN ) 1) Anyone have an opinion on these lines ? ( good / not so good , etc )

depends on which sink-rate you are looking for.  fast sink or intermediate or somewhere in between.  besides the 2 companies you mention, if you have a local shop with rio lines give them a look, imo their selection of sinking lines blows away sa or cortland. 2) I have 2 rods ( 5wt and 8wt ) Which one should I get the sinking line for ? I bought the 8wt for salmon ( floating lines only allowed ) but may start using it on some large still waters I fish.

if most of your fishing is in lakes, i’d get the lines for the 5 wt. for lake fishing, look at one of the clear intermediate lines if a lot of your fishing is around the shallow margins of lakes. cb

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Proper flyfishing is just not done with sinking lines. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

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Proper flyfishing is just not done with sinking lines. —

Thanks all , for your help, even you rw — Craig Montreal, Quebec Canada

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Proper flyfishing is just not done with sinking lines. — Thanks all , for your help, even you rw — Craig Montreal, Quebec Canada

MrG. http://www.gink.com/shopcart/index.html (shop site)   affordable bamboo flyrods & blanks

Response:

I use Scientific Angler but the Cortland should be just as good.  I would suggest you use the larger rod.  Most of the fishing with weighted line is for trolling large streamers or for casting out large nymphs into deep lake waters…more suited to the larger rod.         Dan in Quebec

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m thinking of buying a sinking line, but cannot afford any more trips to the Orvis shop I’m looking at the Cortland lines ( $38 CDN )  and the Scientific Anglers ( $46 CDN ) 1) Anyone have an opinion on these lines ? ( good / not so good , etc ) 2) I have 2 rods ( 5wt and 8wt ) Which one should I get the sinking line for ? I bought the 8wt for salmon ( floating lines only allowed ) but may start using it on some large still waters I fish. Thanks for you comments Craig Montreal,Quebec Canada

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Question:

I’ve found an exellent flytying page…… Take a look at this URL……: http://nff.sit.no Jan D.

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Wow what a great site. I am getting the materiel to tie fys. Can’t wait. Thanks for the site.

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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

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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

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Question:

Can anyone tell me about fishing for striped bass in Oregon? Thanks, Gary Ingram

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Can anyone tell me about fishing for striped bass in Oregon? Thanks, Gary Ingram

Hi Gary, I guess there are some in the lower Umpqua river and in a tributary, the Smith river?  It was really smoken’ in the 60s and 70s, but it kinda’ died?  It might be going a bit, but you will have to explore the local areas. Bill Kiene Kiene’s Fly Shop Sacramento,CA,USA 800/4000FLY www.kiene.com

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I also am a striper fanatic in oregon.  I have a few secrets as to what and where to catch stripers here in oregon.  If you are interested  I may have a deal for you that can put you on some trophies.     If interested reply to this message!!!!

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Question:

Ok, this is really *our* impression of Cancun.  I am not trying to provoke any major responses to this, as it is just an opinion from our recent trip there. First of all I did actually like the beaches on/near the Omni Cancun hotel. The beaches were very nice, sand very white and soft and not hot. The water is absolutely beautiful with vivid colors of light-dark blue. Beautiful! If you are a serious beach bum you will love this aspect of Cancun.  I hear that you really need to check out the property you are interested in because some of the beaches have been washed out from past storms and the brochures do not mention that tiny fact.  Most are ok though. The second nice thing is that the bus system is GREAT.  Only 3 pesos (about 20 cents).  The buses run 24 hours a day and every 4-5 minutes.  Easy to use, and much cheaper than cabs which run a minimum of 30 pesos (3$). Now the things I didn’t like: The shop keepers at the various flea markets have very very few bargain items.  Most of the items we were interested in were expensive and the shop keepers really really tried to make you feel bad for being a "wealthy" American who "gets vacations". All in all I can get REAL bargains in Nuevo Larado (Texas/Mexico border city).  If you have LOTS of money and don’t mind turning loose of it then you might feel differently than I/we did. In general the city and resort area had a bad "smell" most places we went. There was an occasional stench that smelled like sewar water or something to that effect. This was noticed most everywhere and we weren’t really sure where it was coming from.  On those lines, when you’re traveling down a street, if you look closely you’ll notice off to the side of the roads there appears to be garbage, rubbish and various other "trash" items that are usually behind shrubs, etc… It’s as if they decided to build a road and "scraped" all the surrounding rubbish off to the side of the road and tried to hide it with shrubs. Expensive, expensive, expensive.  There are no places you can go to have fun or eat or drink without paying a premium price.  And if your hotel or club offers "happy hours" it is for them not for you.  Happy hours at our hotel and some bars are no value.  Our drinks had very little liquor in them and the prices were still high even for watered down drinks.  The only exception is beer, they haven’t found a way to water that down (I think). We also paid $10. (USD) to get into a popular disco/dance club called Christine’s.  It was nice but the drinks were expensive and small and the bar was nice but not as nice as many of our US bars.  Personally I wouldn’t recommend it for the cover alone. Last but not least is all the begging that goes on there.  The vendors are so aggressive that you can’t do or go anywhere without feeling like you’re being accosted.  Small children are just as bad as the grown up folks except a lot (not all) of the vendors will try to intimidate you into buying and if you offer them a price they act insulted and when you leave their shop they start insulting you (Coral Negro flea market). This goes on pretty much everywhere and after the first day it’s all one can do just to go somewhere without being accosted over and over. PS: We are from Texas (good mexican food) and in our opinion we did not like any of the "mexican" food there.  We ate at Senor Frogs as well and the meal was just "so-so".  All of the restaurants did not have spicy mexican food and it was pretty much bland.  I cannot recommend any place except Pat O’ Brians (Great nachos and bbq sandwich). If anyone wants further info please feel free to email me directly at:

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Ok, this is really *our* impression of Cancun.  I am not trying to provoke any major responses to this, as it is just an opinion from our recent trip there. First of all I did actually like the beaches on/near the Omni Cancun hotel. The beaches were very nice, sand very white and soft and not hot. The water is absolutely beautiful with vivid colors of light-dark blue. Beautiful! If you are a serious beach bum you will love this aspect of Cancun.  I hear that you really need to check out the property you are interested in because some of the beaches have been washed out from past storms and the brochures do not mention that tiny fact.  Most are ok though. The second nice thing is that the bus system is GREAT.  Only 3 pesos (about 20 cents).  The buses run 24 hours a day and every 4-5 minutes.  Easy to use, and much cheaper than cabs which run a minimum of 30 pesos (3$). Now the things I didn’t like: The shop keepers at the various flea markets have very very few bargain items.  Most of the items we were interested in were expensive and the shop keepers really really tried to make you feel bad for being a "wealthy" American who "gets vacations". All in all I can get REAL bargains in Nuevo Larado (Texas/Mexico border city).  If you have LOTS of money and don’t mind turning loose of it then you might feel differently than I/we did. In general the city and resort area had a bad "smell" most places we went. There was an occasional stench that smelled like sewar water or something to that effect. This was noticed most everywhere and we weren’t really sure where it was coming from.  On those lines, when you’re traveling down a street, if you look closely you’ll notice off to the side of the roads there appears to be garbage, rubbish and various other "trash" items that are usually behind shrubs, etc… It’s as if they decided to build a road and "scraped" all the surrounding rubbish off to the side of the road and tried to hide it with shrubs. Expensive, expensive, expensive.  There are no places you can go to have fun or eat or drink without paying a premium price.  And if your hotel or club offers "happy hours" it is for them not for you.  Happy hours at our hotel and some bars are no value.  Our drinks had very little liquor in them and the prices were still high even for watered down drinks.  The only exception is beer, they haven’t found a way to water that down (I think). We also paid $10. (USD) to get into a popular disco/dance club called Christine’s.  It was nice but the drinks were expensive and small and the bar was nice but not as nice as many of our US bars.  Personally I wouldn’t recommend it for the cover alone. Last but not least is all the begging that goes on there.  The vendors are so aggressive that you can’t do or go anywhere without feeling like you’re being accosted.  Small children are just as bad as the grown up folks except a lot (not all) of the vendors will try to intimidate you into buying and if you offer them a price they act insulted and when you leave their shop they start insulting you (Coral Negro flea market). This goes on pretty much everywhere and after the first day it’s all one can do just to go somewhere without being accosted over and over. PS: We are from Texas (good mexican food) and in our opinion we did not like any of the "mexican" food there.  We ate at Senor Frogs as well and the meal was just "so-so".  All of the restaurants did not have spicy mexican food and it was pretty much bland.  I cannot recommend any place except Pat O’ Brians (Great nachos and bbq sandwich). If anyone wants further info please feel free to email me directly at:

I got the same impression last time we were there in ‘92.  The only thing I would have to add was the time share terrorists.  We would be walking along enjoying the warm breeze when out of nowhere some guy would come flying out of a moving vehicle and they wouldn’t leave you alone.  Finally we said we were leaving that afternoon and they would give up.  We were there in 1983 and loved it, so we were extremely disappointed when we went back and that will be our last trip to Cancun.  We ventured a little further south to Playa del Carmen and loved it there.  My fear now to go back is that the same thing is happening there as happened in Cancun. Just my 2 cents. Diane

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– thanks to spam bots, my address is despammed, if you are a real person, you should be able to figure it out. This part of the post I can’t let go.  I am also from Texas originally and what you are used to is NOT mexican food.  It is Tex-Mex.  You can not compare mexican food to what you are used to. Mexican food is not spicy. Mexican food rarely contains beef, the land doesn’t support beef well. Chicken, fish, and goats are the mainstay and it varys by the region.  By the way, I like both Tex-mex and mexican food.  I can’t say anything about the food in cancun as I have not been there, but don’t base your comparisons to your local cuisine, its comparing apples and oranges.   – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – PS: We are from Texas (good mexican food) and in our opinion we did not like any of the "mexican" food there.  We ate at Senor Frogs as well and the meal was just "so-so".  All of the restaurants did not have spicy mexican food and it was pretty much bland.  I cannot recommend any place except Pat O’ Brians (Great nachos and bbq sandwich). If anyone wants further info please feel free to email me directly at:

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Don, Being a native Texan I also know the difference between Mexican food and Tex-Mex food.  I never meant to imply they were one in the same HOWEVER there is a difference in what I expected.  I expected Mexican food (I was in Mexico) with a Yucatan flair… things wrapped/cooked in banana leaves, pescado (fish) dishes, etc…  The food we ate down in Cancun were typically recommended highly by the various hotels and some guidebooks but they always turned out to be bad Mexican food without any particular nuance of the region they were supposed to represent (Yucatan).  My comments about spicy wasn’t meaning HOT, I just meant that I preferred my food with some form of taste to it.  The food from Cancun (for the mostpart) was tasteless and appeared to be a poor copy of Tex-Mex (or that’s the way it looked to us). PS: I’ve already received several direct emails agreeing with me so I know that I’m not crazy M. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – — thanks to spam bots, my address is despammed, if you are a real person, you should be able to figure it out. This part of the post I can’t let go.  I am also from Texas originally and what you are used to is NOT mexican food.  It is Tex-Mex.  You can not compare mexican food to what you are used to. Mexican food is not spicy. Mexican food rarely contains beef, the land doesn’t support beef well. Chicken, fish, and goats are the mainstay and it varys by the region.  By the way, I like both Tex-mex and mexican food.  I can’t say anything about the food in cancun as I have not been there, but don’t base your comparisons to your local cuisine, its comparing apples and oranges. PS: We are from Texas (good mexican food) and in our opinion we did not like any of the "mexican" food there.  We ate at Senor Frogs as well and the meal was just "so-so".  All of the restaurants did not have spicy mexican food and it was pretty much bland.  I cannot recommend any place except Pat O’ Brians (Great nachos and bbq sandwich). If anyone wants further info please feel free to email me directly at:

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sorry you feel that way. i’m heading back for my 8th trip end of Jan. i go mostly for the first part of your trip. and because i Love the hotel i stay at (Fiesta American Coral Beach) since it is a mega resort you have to do some searching to find good value. and yes there are some Yucatan restaurants, but mostly it is tex-mex. tim

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I’ve been to Cancun twice. I enjoyed both of my visits. I stayed at the Blue Bay Club and Marina, which is an all-inclusive hotel. Personally, I prefer all-inclusive hotels because you don’t have to carry cash when you’re at the hotel and you can eat and drink as much as you want without worrying about the bill! Also, the food at the hotel was great. They had Mexican options at every meal! The different salsas were fabulous! The hotel staff was friendly and always entertaining. The hotel also had a bus that would take us into town at night to the discos. The discos were pricey but not over the top. I agree that the flea markets were outrageous! I couldn’t take more that 5 minutes they were so rude! I don’t mind bargaining but when they start yelling at you or chasing you, that’s when I draw the line. Luckily, the hotel had theme night and one of which was Mexican. Kiosks were set up and local wares were sold in the main lobby at very reasonable prices. I really had a great time in Cancun and would probably go back. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – sorry you feel that way. i’m heading back for my 8th trip end of Jan. i go mostly for the first part of your trip. and because i Love the hotel i stay at (Fiesta American Coral Beach) since it is a mega resort you have to do some searching to find good value. and yes there are some Yucatan restaurants, but mostly it is tex-mex. tim

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Don, Being a native Texan I also know the difference between Mexican food and Tex-Mex food.  I never meant to imply they were one in the same HOWEVER there is a difference in what I expected.  I expected Mexican food (I was in Mexico) with a Yucatan flair… things wrapped/cooked in banana leaves, pescado (fish) dishes, etc…  <snip I am also from Texas originally and what you are used to is NOT mexican food.  It is Tex-Mex.   PS: We are from Texas (good mexican food) and in our opinion we did not like any of the "mexican" food there.  We ate at Senor Frogs as well and the meal was just "so-so".  All of the restaurants did not have spicy mexican food and it was pretty much bland.  I cannot recommend any place except Pat O’ Brians (Great nachos and bbq sandwich).

I think you’re both missing an important point: Cancun may be in Mexico, but there is no Mexico in Cancun.  It is a Disneyfied version of what the Mexican tourist board thinks tourists want; obviously, they thought correctly.  If Cancun is the only place you’ve ever visited, you have not seen Mexico.  I’ve had to fly to/from there to get to other destinations, and had never had the "opportunity" to spend the night until this past summer (because of an early a.m. flight); I was with a teenaged cousin who had been a good sport about eating real Mexican–after years of Taco Bell–at our other destinations, so let him choose where he wanted to eat dinner in Cancun.  Yeesh, Planet Hollywood…I was truly appalled, during the cab ride, at how built up the island was. Another post-er mentioned nearby Playa del Carmen as a less-touristy destination, but unfortunately, it’s not the sleepy fishing village it was on my first visit, not so long ago.  Still, better than Cancun

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Question:

OK Tim.  Your punishment is to suffer 30 lashes with a #1 fly line, then stand naked in the sun and recite the following: This is my rod I called it a pole I ask god’s forgiveness to save my poor soul. —                                                            -dnc- – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I guess I have to invest in another pole. Timothy Murphrey North Pole Alaska Timothy, the word is "rod", not pole.  You use garden hackle when you fish with a pole, you know those wiggly things. Ernie Harrison

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Tim, See what I mean? —                                                            -dnc- – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Ernie Harrison writes: Timothy, the word is "rod", not pole.  You use garden hackle when you fish with a pole, you know those wiggly things. Ernie Harrison The difference between a "rod" and a "pole" is about $350. Dave L.

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Hey, never mind. The silicon jelly I have works fine on dry flies. My wife and I went fishing on a pond just near the house, which is stocked with trout. Not bad for my second time. I even learned a few things, and what’s more, I think I retained the knowledge of  said lessons!  Even my wife tried it out(she’s not much for fishing), and she really likes fly fishing now, so I guess I have to invest in another pole. By the way, there’s some lakes here with pike in them. They behave differently (a little) from river pike. Would they hit flies, and what kind? Timothy Murphrey North Pole Alaska

Response:

I guess I have to invest in another pole. Timothy Murphrey North Pole Alaska

Timothy, the word is "rod", not pole.  You use garden hackle when you fish with a pole, you know those wiggly things. Ernie Harrison

Response:

Ernie Harrison writes:

I guess I have to invest in another pole. Timothy Murphrey North Pole Alaska

Timothy, the word is "rod", not pole.  You use garden hackle when you fish with a pole, you know those wiggly things. Ernie Harrison The difference between a "rod" and a "pole" is about $350. Dave L.

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Question:

May your Christmas Present be an Orvis Bamboo with a Guide missing! Mr. Gink — MZ

Response:

May your Christmas Present be an Orvis Bamboo with a Guide missing!

Oh yeah ?!?!?!? Well…may you get the same thing, and break it when you drop your "Tickle Me Elmo" on it, which breaks as well… TimW

Response:

   Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.fishing.fly    Organization: Fly Fishing Products Manufacturer    May your Christmas Present be an Orvis Bamboo with a Guide missing!    Mr. Gink AND, that you live in a climate where you can’t use it for growing tomatoes! cheers,         -tgades

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Question:

A friend of mine needs some information on fly fishing the Chesapeake, near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. He wants to know if anyone knows any good spots, how to access them, what flies to use, etc. Any information on guide services in the area would also be appreciated. Thanks!

Try Anglers Sport Center (410) 252-0556 in Annapolis, Tochtermans in Baltimore is at (410) 522-4237, Wolfs (410) 378-1112 in Ellicott City or The Fisherman’s Edge (Joe Bruce) is at (410) 719-7999 Catonsville.

Response:

A friend of mine needs some information on fly fishing the Chesapeake, near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. He wants to know if anyone knows any good spots, how to access them, what flies to use, etc. Any information on guide services in the area would also be appreciated. Thanks!

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Question:

Do you need goods or have questions about fly tying, tools or materials?  Would be happy to help anyone out.

Response:

YOU BET. I CAN USE ALL THE INFO I CAN GET ABOUT FLY TYING.  I JUST STARTED AND I THINK I’VE SET A NEW STANDARD FOR CLUTZINESS.  BUT I INTEND TO KEEP IT UP .  I CAN ONLY GET BETTER.  THANKS FOR WHATEVER YOU CAN PROVIDE.

Response:

YOU BET. I CAN USE ALL THE INFO I CAN GET ABOUT FLY TYING.  I JUST STARTED AND I THINK I’VE SET A NEW STANDARD FOR CLUTZINESS.  BUT I INTEND TO KEEP IT UP .  I CAN ONLY GET BETTER.  THANKS FOR WHATEVER YOU CAN PROVIDE.

I can understand everything you are going through.I would try to find a fly tying course or flyfishing club. Practice makes perfect.

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