Question:

Padishar,    The term lure was used because it has a broader in meaning.  I stopped trying to determine the definition of "fly" long ago.  If you would care to give it a try go ahead. All I can say is all flies are lures, but not all lures are flies. Ernie "Padishar Creel" wrote – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Ernie, I assume by the "lure" comment that this is not a true fly because of the glass beads Padishar Creel

Response:

Ernie, I assume by the "lure" comment that this is not a true fly because of the glass beads?  If I tied the same thing with mylar piping, or wide floss, tensile chenille, or perhaps Ice yard would that be classed as a fly?  The reason I ask, is that one of the streams I use this pattern on is strictly a "fly fishing only stream".  That last thing I want to do is use a "lure"….

I don’t know why Ernie wrote "lure", but I can’t see why glass beads would disqualify this as a "true" fly. Glass beads are often used in flies, or strung onto the tippet in front of the fly. Aren’t all flies lures? The chamois nymph I’ve been touting for whitefish is something else. I’d call it "bait". — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

rw The definition in the dictionary of fly and fly fishing follows:  I don’t see any thing about glass beads. (I"m getting crotchety in my old age) Ernie fly 2 ( fl

Question:

Yo Dave, I’m with you. And I know this guy is probably going to beat me up for getting out of line here, but I couldn’t help imagining Pat’s voice as Eddie G Robinson’s." See, I use only braided line, see. You use that mono and the fish is going to rub you out, see. N’yeah" – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – "PAT" But I take it as an insult when you tell me I don’t have a clue. Look pards, I don’t know where you’re from, and don’t care really. ok lemme explain… i didnt mean to insult you i just thought it funny that you are telling a new jig man to forget the $150 curado he just bought and upgrade to 80 lb test.. he surely doesnt need that… you must agree that a new jig man who obviously isnt fishing for millions in prize money wouldnt need to go buy a $300 dollar set up with 80 lb test.. if he misses one fish a day who cares? Thats why its called fishing not catching! On to the next comment.. You misunderstood or misread what i wrote.. as it is quoted above i said that the name tuna should have been the first clue.. i said nothing about you being clueless.. yo might be a great fisherman but seems to me that you dispense tournament advice to an amatuer who is gettin interested in a type of fishing.. My last point.. the name "pards" might actually be taken as offensive.. i had nothing in my letter to you that was meant to be taken as a direct insult to you.. yet you reply to my email seems to not hold as much charecter!!! End of discussion. Dave

Response:

Amen, AJH.  They should have to put labels about Jigs being addictive.  :-) After you start sticking those big beauties on the jig-n-chunk, your hooked for life.  I used to only use a jig for a short time at the end of the winter season, but then I learned to catch bass on the jig-n-pig (usually zoom super chunks).  Now I use them all year through.  Swimming them through shoreline weeds is almost as much fun as top water fishing. Bassman

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I fish a jig and pig just like a plastic worm. I use a 3/16 or 1/4 oz black and blue jig (Strike King Bitsy Bug) with a Zoom swimmin chunk Sapphire blue trailer. Right now I am using 14lb hi vis mono, I have ordered 30lb test Berkley Fireline in the hi vis green. I too feel it’s very important to watch the line when fishing jig and pig and worms. I am trying the Fireline in hope of improving my hook set and maybe it will allow me to feel the bass bite. Once you catch a few bass on the jig and pig you become obsessed with it. Anybody want to buy 1200 powerworms. Also I remove about half of the fibers in the weed guard, I think it allows a better hook set. I have caught at least 12 bass on the swimmin chunk I have on now and it still looks good so you can one advantage it has over the worm. Stick with it you will get hooked

Response:

"PAT" But I take it as an insult when you tell me I don’t have a clue. Look pards, I don’t know where you’re from, and don’t care really.

ok lemme explain… i didnt mean to insult you i just thought it funny that you are telling a new jig man to forget the $150 curado he just bought and upgrade to 80 lb test.. he surely doesnt need that… you must agree that a new jig man who obviously isnt fishing for millions in prize money wouldnt need to go buy a $300 dollar set up with 80 lb test.. if he misses one fish a day who cares? Thats why its called fishing not catching!   On to the next comment.. You misunderstood or misread what i wrote.. as it is quoted above i said that the name tuna should have been the first clue.. i said nothing about you being clueless.. yo might be a great fisherman but seems to me that you dispense tournament advice to an amatuer who is gettin interested in a type of fishing.. My last point.. the name "pards" might actually be taken as offensive.. i had nothing in my letter to you that was meant to be taken as a direct insult to you.. yet you reply to my email seems to not hold as much charecter!!! End of discussion.

Dave

Response:

Me too. — Why is it called ‘Tourist Season’ if we can’t shoot them ?     Shawn

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’d like to hear more. We routinely fish with 1oz. jigs in less than 3′ of water.   I’ll explain later if anyone’s interested. What your car says about you – Ford Crown Victoria – "I enjoy having people slow to 55mph and change lanes when I pull up behind them" — Got questions?  Get answers over the phone at Keen.com. Up to 100 minutes free! http://www.keen.com

Response:

holy smokes…..thanks for the input. Keep em’ comin’ I had luck w/ one fish so far. 3 pounder. As soon as the thing hit the water BOOM had a 4" green tube as a trailer. That was it for the rest of the day….I guess i’m gonna keep on fishin’ keeping a open mind. Brian

Response:

"Dave" Adjusted his Orvis fly fishing cap, put on his topsiders, laid down his Harvard business journal and decided the world needed to hear this: The name , tuna blank, of your "Heavy" setup should have been the first clue that you are not correctly set-up for bassin’ Dave

Look pards, I don’t know where you’re from, and don’t care really. I fish for money.  I described my tournament setups.  Why?  Lemme s’plain. First off, you gotta realise, we’re not throwing that jig on some rocky bank.   Three scenarios that I’ll explain, and maybe you’ll understand. 20′ deep matted hydrilla.  Use a minimum of a 1oz. jig.  Usually a 11/2 oz. when it’s really thick.  When that fish hits, if he moves laterally two feet, he’s gone. Lost, never to be seen again.  You must get him off the bottom and up through the matted grass instantly.  It ain’t gonna happen with 12 pound mono.  Period. Falcon lake, pitching into flooded mesquite trees.  VERY large, very strong fish.  They will stay in the thickest, nastiest part of the cover.  We used to use 30#mono, but you’d still get two a day lost by sawing off in the cover.   Skipping a jig under boat houses and docks.  Nasty place, lot’s of things to rub mono off on.  The braid ended the problem. Look Skippy, everyone goes fishing for a different reason.  If you think it’s more "sporting" to use light line, hey that’s just fine.  I’ve caught 120lb. Tarpon on fifteen pound line too.  It’s a different deal.  In a bass tournament, one lost fish is worth thousands of dollars. Literally.  If I can eliminate that from ever happening, then that’s what I’m gonna do.  But I take it as an insult when you tell me I don’t have a clue.  You spend one day on the lake with me, and you use your 6lb. mono.  Then let’s compare sacks at the end of the day.   End of discussion. Pat Goff

Response:

Hi Brian: Brain: "This is what i understand to date. You try to get it in the water next to or right in the cover making the least amount of noise you can. right?" Reply: Yes & No.  When flipping or pitching, you try and get as close as you can to your target without spooking the fish.  Often this will depend on water clarity and depth.  Depending on how close you are to your target depends on if you are flipping (0-15ft.) or pitching (15-40ft.).  Flipping is easy. Pitching on the other hand requires a lot of skill and practice.  The longer the rod the easier it is to perform both of these techniques. Your 6′6" rod is the minimum length you want to use for this technique.  A 7′6" or 8′ flipping (heavy) is the best rod for this technique.  But with 6′6" you should be able to pitch up to 25′ comfortably and quietly. Brian: "Here’s a scenario of a river we fish often. The edges of the river have thick weeds and brush back about 25 feet all seeming to be in 1-3 feet of water. NOW do i throw the jig into the brush? how far back do i throw it? OR do I just try to work the edges?" Reply: When I am fishing a weedbed, I first flip or pitch to the shade side of weed points, cuts, and holes (1′ to 3′ in) along the edge.  I position the boat parallel to the weedbed but 15′ to 20′ off the weedbed itself and work the entire edge.  Then I would slowly and quietly move my boat so that it was just touch the weeds and then flip or pitch to the holes that are further in the weeds and thoroughly fish the weedbed out. Brian: "When should i use different colors or weights of jigs?" Reply: As for color you need to know what the fish are feeding on.  If the primary forage is crawfish, then I would use black, brown, pumpkin, or watermelon. If the primary forage is shad then I would use black, white, or black/white blend or gray/black/white blend.  Clear water (crawfish) I use brown/black (jig skirt/trailer), pumpkin/green or pumpkin/orange, watermelon/brown, pumpkin/brown, pumpkin/black.  Clear water (shad) white/black (jig skirt/trailer), black/white, white/white, black&gray/white. As far as weight, I use small 1/8, 3/16, 1/4 ounce jigs for smallmouth around rock and gravel bottom (0-8 ft of water)and #101 or #11 pork trailers, or 5/16 ounce for deeper water #11 trailer.  I use 5/16 & 3/8 ounce jigs for largemouth along weedbeds, brush piles, etc.  I use 1/2, 3/4, and 1 ounce jigs for thick weeds or fishing deep structures.  But I believe we can all learn from Woo’s Classic victory.  So you can count on me trying 3/16 & 1/4 jigs on 8 pound test with #11 trailers in deeper water. Brian: "Do you flip it in there, let it sit for a while? bounce it off the bottom? swim it? Or are there any rules at all? Does the same things apply here the same as in all other tackle? Or is it just a convoy mission to get in there, scare the crap out of the fish, so he’ll bite and then bring him on home?" Reply: Tough question.  I personally start with flipping or pitching a jig into the cover and let it settle to the bottom.  Then I hop it a couple of times in place (1" to 3"), then a couple more moving hops (6"-12") and then I swim it out.  Remember to stop it just before the jig gets to the top and let it drop a second and then pull it.  Once I get a strike or two, I know what they want and I drop the other movements. Brain: "If somebody could be kind enough to explain the point of Jig-n-a pig. It would make me(i bet a bunch of other people too!) understand it better." Reply: There are many types of jigs, all for different types of cover and presentations.  Jigs can represent many different types of forage.  A simple hair jig looks more like a fish or larvae.  A larger hair jig with a bigger pork trailer can represent a mouse or small animal.  While rubber skirted jigs look more like crawfish.  Silicone skirted jigs can represent both fish and crawfish depending on color.  Let’s start with "Hair" jigs.  These are the oldest type and are super effective in clear water or when there is little cover.  The hair moves with the water action (waves) and applied action looks more alive (in my opinion) then do silicone skirts.  They are excellent in colder water situations.  Rubber and silicone skirted jigs and all the possible colors can be customized to match the forage in your area. I always custom blend my skirts to closely match the crawfish or forage fish in the lake I am fishing.  Example.  The crawfish in my home lake are light brown and have black and light orange patches.  So I start with a pumpkin colored skirt and add a strain or two of black and orange.  Then I put on a brown or orange trailer.  On the orange trailer I use a black permanent marker and dye it so that it looks mostly black with orange spots. The jig can be presented in a lot of ways to match the conditions you are fishing.  A light jig (1/8, 3/16, 1/4 ounce) with a #101 can represent a small fish or crawfish.  On clam water this setup will have a medium fall rate (about 1 to 1.5 seconds per foot)  The same jig with a #11 pork trailer will fall much slower (1.5 to 2 second a foot), and look like a bigger fish or crawfish.  The same jig with a #1 trailer will fall real slow (2 to 3 seconds a foot) and an even larger fish and crawfish. Brian: When jig hits the water does it really matter if it’s quiet or not?" Reply: Most of the time you want to flip or pitch this type of lure into the water as quietly as possible.  But there are times when splashing the jig can be beneficial (like in muddy water or at night or when casting the jig on top of thick matted weeds). Hopes this helps. — Craig Baugher

Response:

I’d like to hear more. We routinely fish with 1oz. jigs in less than 3′ of water.   I’ll explain later if anyone’s interested.

What your car says about you – Ford Crown Victoria – "I enjoy having people slow to 55mph and change lanes when I pull up behind them" — Got questions?  Get answers over the phone at Keen.com. Up to 100 minutes free! http://www.keen.com

Response:

Mobees, also some ‘good’ reading on the subject here: http://www.bassdozer.com/articles.shtml What your car says about you – Ford Crown Victoria – "I enjoy having people slow to 55mph and change lanes when I pull up behind them" — Got questions?  Get answers over the phone at Keen.com. Up to 100 minutes free! http://www.keen.com

Response:

 My "light" duty setup is a Quantum flipping rod 7′6" with 50lb. Oldham’s braid.  My "heavy" setup is a Waterloo double wall tuna blank-8′ with 80lb. Oldham’s braid. 50lb. Oldham’s braid. 80lb. Oldham’s braid.

I have caught 100+ pound sharks..the meanest fighter pound for pound.. on 20 lb test around very sharp coral heads..much sharper than logs…I understand needing heavy equipment but heavy in the bass world is 20lb test… if you need 50 or 80 pound test for a 10 pound bass what would you use for a real fish? When i am land locked as i am now i use 6 or maybe 12 pound test and have done very well with bass.  It seems funny to me that you need heavier test than i have ever fished in the ocean with to catch bass… maybe you could email me and explain to me why the overly strong choice in test line?  The name , tuna blank, of your "Heavy" setup should have been the first clue that you are not correctly set-up for bassin’ Dave

Response:

I fish a jig and pig just like a plastic worm. I use a 3/16 or 1/4 oz black and blue jig (Strike King Bitsy Bug) with a Zoom swimmin chunk Sapphire blue trailer. Right now I am using 14lb hi vis mono, I have ordered 30lb test Berkley Fireline in the hi vis green. I too feel it’s very important to watch the line when fishing jig and pig and worms. I am trying the Fireline in hope of improving my hook set and maybe it will allow me to feel the bass bite. Once you catch a few bass on the jig and pig you become obsessed with it. Anybody want to buy 1200 powerworms. Also I remove about half of the fibers in the weed guard, I think it allows a better hook set. I have caught at least 12 bass on the swimmin chunk I have on now and it still looks good so you can one advantage it has over the worm. Stick with it you will get hooked

Response:

Mobees drank two pots of coffee, kicked the dogs off the porch, ran the kids off on the yard, sat down and decided the world needed to hear: When should i use differnet colors or weights of jigs? do you flip it in there, let it sit for a while? bounce it off the bottom? swim it? Or are there any rules at all?

Ok, I’m going to get probably ripped for what I’m going to tell you, that’s fine, if they’ve caught half the fish we’ve caught on a jig, I’ll listen to ‘em. There are no "rules"  I’ll tell you that right now. The only rule is figure out what’s working right now. Don’t ever be afraid to experiment with colors, weight, trailers, and combinations. Ok, I’ll give you a few things I’ve learned, and discovered. 1. Use a heavier jig when the water’s hot.  When the water’s warm, the metabolism of the bass is way high, so you need to match the speed of you lure to the fish’s aggressiveness.  We routinely fish with 1oz. jigs in less than 3′ of water.   I’ll explain later if anyone’s interested. 2.  Cast it into the MIDDLE of the cover.  That’s where they live. 3.  Don’t be afraid to experiment.  We use solid white, purple, chartuese, and other goofy looking colors.  Try lot’s of different trailers.  We’ll use an entire 8" lizard on the back of a jig with much success.   4.  Don’t be afraid to vary your presentation.  Somedays they just aren’t on the bottom.  Someday’s they want it fast, someday’s slow, they’ll tell you when you figure it out. 5.  Be a sniper.  You need to learn to put that jig into places you wouldn’t send your rabbit hound.   6.  Upgrade your equipment.  This isn’t a slam on your new rod&reel pards, but that’s what I’d fish an open rock bank with.  My "light" duty setup is a Quantum flipping rod 7′6" with 50lb. Oldham’s braid.  My "heavy" setup is a Waterloo double wall tuna blank-8′ with 80lb. Oldham’s braid. 7. Upgrade your jigs.  Anything you buy with an American made hook is second rate.  Anyone who’s ever used one would agree the Oldham’s eye-max is the finest jig made.  512-847-9202   There is much more to fishing the most effective quality bass lure made, and we’ll continue this discussion if anyone’s interested. Pat Goff

Response:

Brain, I will try to answer some of your questions, and I’m sure there are other here that can tell you more than I can.  You will find that certain presentations produce more bass than others.  It depends on the weather, water conditions, mood of the fish (which is affected by everything), and also on what you feel comfortable with. Often times bass will hit a jig/pig combo on the initial drop.  These are the blessed times when you can ease along a bank, pitching or flipping a jig to cover and set the hook as soon as the bait starts to fall.  But they don’t always do that.  Sometimes they will not touch it jig if you are moving it.  They prefer for it to just lay there wriggling on its own, then the move in a pick it up.  You just have to try it one way and if it doesn’t work change.  I have noticed that on high pressure days, or in extremely clear water, the bass seem to prefer that the lure remain motionless, at least as far as your input to the motion is concerned.  I have also done well in these conditions by using a heavy jig head and getting the reaction strikes as the bait rips past them on the way to the bottom.  In murky water or flowing water bass seem to like to hit the jig on the initial fall. But, as I mentioned before… sometimes it’s just trial and error. Some things that you should follow as basic rules will help you increase your catch on jig and pigs combos.  Always watch your line.  Try to allow your bait to fall straight down on a simi-tight line; not so tight that the lure can’t fall straight down, but tight enough to remain in contact with the lure as it falls.  Always watch your line.  Place the lure into the water as quietly as possible, especially in shallow or clear water conditions.  Always watch your line.  Put you lure as close to cover as possible.  The clearer the water or higher the barometric pressure, the closer and deeper in cover they tend to be.  Set the hook fast upon detecting a strike, whether by site or feel, don’t pause at all like you might do with soft plastic lures.  And, always watch your line. I don’t know if this gives you a detailed enough outline of how to fish the jig-n-pig, but just as with any other lure, it’s always up to the bass to dictate how they will bite, we just have to figure it out. Good luck and always watch your line, Bassman Duane Knight

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi everybody. I wanted to figure out how to fish jig n a pig style w/ 20 pound test on a heavier pole w/ a baitcasting reel. So i went out and bought a Shimano Curado and a lightning rod med/heavy 6′6" rod. thru on a 3/8 jig w/ a matching pork trailer…great. that’s the easy part….Now, I’m practicing how to flip it different ways etc…Okay…thats about as far as i got.    This is what i understand to date. You try to get it in the water next to or right in the cover making the least amount of noise you can. right? Sounds easy enough.     Here’s a scenario of a river we fish often. The edges of the river have thick weeds and brush back about 25 feet all seeming to be in 1-3 feet of water. NOW do i throw the jig into the brush? how far back do i throw it? OR do i just try to work the edges? I know i should just get out there and use it,use it and use it some more, but i like to understand things, before i go out and fish. When should i use differnet colors or weights of jigs? do you flip it in there, let it sit for a while? bounce it off the bottom? swim it? Or are there any rules at all? Does the same things apply here the same as in all other tackle? Or is it just a convoy mission to get in there, scare the crap out of the fish, so he’ll bite and then bring him on home??? I need help w/ this. If somebody could be kind enough to explain the point of Jig-n-a pig. It would make me(i bet a bunch of other people too!) understand it better. When jig hits the water does it really matter if it’s quiet or not? So many ?’s…..Anyway thanks in advance for any info you can provide me! Brian

Response:

Hi everybody. I wanted to figure out how to fish jig n a pig style w/ 20 pound test on a heavier pole w/ a baitcasting reel. So i went out and bought a Shimano Curado and a lightning rod med/heavy 6′6" rod. thru on a 3/8 jig w/ a matching pork trailer…great. that’s the easy part….Now, I’m practicing how to flip it different ways etc…Okay…thats about as far as i got.    This is what i understand to date. You try to get it in the water next to or right in the cover making the least amount of noise you can. right? Sounds easy enough.     Here’s a scenario of a river we fish often. The edges of the river have thick weeds and brush back about 25 feet all seeming to be in 1-3 feet of water. NOW do i throw the jig into the brush? how far back do i throw it? OR do i just try to work the edges? I know i should just get out there and use it,use it and use it some more, but i like to understand things, before i go out and fish. When should i use differnet colors or weights of jigs? do you flip it in there, let it sit for a while? bounce it off the bottom? swim it? Or are there any rules at all? Does the same things apply here the same as in all other tackle? Or is it just a convoy mission to get in there, scare the crap out of the fish, so he’ll bite and then bring him on home??? I need help w/ this. If somebody could be kind enough to explain the point of Jig-n-a pig. It would make me(i bet a bunch of other people too!) understand it better. When jig hits the water does it really matter if it’s quiet or not? So many ?’s…..Anyway thanks in advance for any info you can provide me! Brian

Response:

Question:

I second the trashing of the Airflow lines.  I’ve only been fly fishing for 12 years, but for the last 2 years I’ve been ff about 4-5 times a week. I’ve used the Airflo Delta and Bass lines:  they suck terribly.  Never ever lose their memory hhhhhhhmmmmmmmm. I ike my  7 wt. forward.

Maybe they’re remembering the last nice fish you caught. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

Never ever lose their memory hhhhhhhmmmmmmmm. I ike my  7 wt. forward. Maybe they’re remembering the last nice fish you caught. The bonito?

Yeah, that’s the one. What did it go?  Two, three pounds? — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

Never ever lose their memory hhhhhhhmmmmmmmm. I ike my  7 wt. forward. Maybe they’re remembering the last nice fish you caught.

The bonito? Capt. Gary S. Colecchio West Palm Beach "The only people who have any business fishing are  young boys and married men. Everyone else should be  out getting laid."  …I said that.

Response:

The bonito? Yeah, that’s the one. What did it go?  Two, three pounds?

Well, if you tie a 3 lb. bonito tail to tail with a 10 lb. trout, my bet is on the bonito!!!:) Lloyd Heilbrunn

Response:

Which style line is it?  When did you get it? what kind of waters do you fish with it?  These conditions may have som bearing on the lines’ perfomance.  I fish for bass and pickerel in NJ where the water temperatures ranges from 50 to 85 degrees.  Actually I have noted no difference in the line’s coiling and tangling properties. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I second the trashing of the Airflow lines.  I’ve only been fly fishing for 12 years, but for the last 2 years I’ve been ff about 4-5 times a week. I’ve used the Airflo Delta and Bass lines:  they suck terribly.  Never ever lose their memory (when in Florida I stretched a line around my garage and left it in the 100 degree heat for 24 hours, and it still retained its memory coil) and they are sure to tangle on at least 25 to 50% of your casts. Even the cheapest Cortlands (333) and SAs are far better. Adam hhhhhhhmmmmmmmm. I ike my  7 wt. forward. Capt. Gary S. Colecchio West Palm Beach "The only people who have any business fishing are  young boys and married men. Everyone else should be  out getting laid."  …I said that.

Response:

I second the trashing of the Airflow lines.   I’ve used the Airflo Delta and Bass lines:  they suck terribly.  Never ever lose their memory (when in Florida I stretched a line around my garage and left it in the 100 degree heat for 24 hours, and it still retained its memory coil) and they are sure to tangle on at least 25 to 50% of your casts.

I’ve not had those problems with an Airflo 4wt Long Belly. Mu

Response:

I second the trashing of the Airflow lines.  I’ve only been fly fishing for 12 years, but for the last 2 years I’ve been ff about 4-5 times a week. I’ve used the Airflo Delta and Bass lines:  they suck terribly.  Never ever lose their memory (when in Florida I stretched a line around my garage and left it in the 100 degree heat for 24 hours, and it still retained its memory coil) and they are sure to tangle on at least 25 to 50% of your casts.  Even the cheapest Cortlands (333) and SAs are far better. Adam

hhhhhhhmmmmmmmm. I ike my  7 wt. forward. Capt. Gary S. Colecchio West Palm Beach "The only people who have any business fishing are  young boys and married men. Everyone else should be  out getting laid."  …I said that.

Response:

I second the trashing of the Airflow lines.  I’ve only been fly fishing for 12 years, but for the last 2 years I’ve been ff about 4-5 times a week. I’ve used the Airflo Delta and Bass lines:  they suck terribly.  Never ever lose their memory (when in Florida I stretched a line around my garage and left it in the 100 degree heat for 24 hours, and it still retained its memory coil) and they are sure to tangle on at least 25 to 50% of your casts.  Even the cheapest Cortlands (333) and SAs are far better. Adam

Response:

Question:

OK, this is old, but it looks like it’s expired, so I’m going to post it here again.  40 of the 47 Page-A-Day calendars are ready for download. They never could get the 4 puzzle calendars [Bridge, Mensa, Scrabble, Chess] and the 2 web calendars [Fly Fishing, Audubon Birds] to work, so those 6 have been scrapped.  The 365 NEW WORDS A DAY works, but has a weird little problem with the pronunciation font.  They’re working on it, but I’m not going to post another update when that’s fixed. So, that leaves 40 good working calendars, and if you really don’t care about the pronunciation font, you can count it as 41.  Here’s where you can find them: http://www.page-a-day.com/downloads.html If you’re looking for a ZODIAC sign calendar, and #freeasd’ers have occasionally heard me read from them, you can find them at [for example] http://www.page-a-day.com/beta/hari.exe http://www.page-a-day.com/beta/htau.exe http://www.page-a-day.com/beta/hcan.exe I think you can see the pattern.  For a MAC version, replace the .exe with .hqx and download that instead. Each download calendar is about 2 Meg in size, unless it’s a PHOTO calendar, which is about 3 Meg.  Their servers are a little flaky and you might need to download more than once. Also, the Photo calendars only go to the end of March, but you can download the quarterly updates, and this is where you’ll find those. http://www.page-a-day.com/cars/download.html http://www.page-a-day.com/cats/download.html http://www.page-a-day.com/dogs/download.html http://www.page-a-day.com/gard/download.html <– Gardens http://www.page-a-day.com/golf/download.html <– Golf Holes I’ve had no trouble running several calendars at once. — Salt of the Earth

Response:

OK, this is old, but it looks like it’s expired, so I’m going to post it here again.  40 of the 47 Page-A-Day calendars are ready for download. They never could get the 4 puzzle calendars [Bridge, Mensa, Scrabble, Chess] and the 2 web calendars [Fly Fishing, Audubon Birds] to work, so those 6 have been scrapped.  The 365 NEW WORDS A DAY works, but has a weird little problem with the pronunciation font.  They’re working on it, but I’m not going to post another update when that’s fixed. So, that leaves 40 good working calendars, and if you really don’t care about the pronunciation font, you can count it as 41.  Here’s where you can find them: http://www.page-a-day.com/downloads.html If you’re looking for a ZODIAC sign calendar, and #freeasd’ers have occasionally heard me read from them, you can find them at [for example] http://www.page-a-day.com/beta/hari.exe <– Aries http://www.page-a-day.com/beta/htau.exe <– Taurus http://www.page-a-day.com/beta/hcan.exe <– Cancer I think you can see the pattern.  For a MAC version, replace the .exe with .hqx and download that instead. Each download calendar is about 2 Meg in size, unless it’s a PHOTO calendar, which is about 3 Meg.  Their servers are a little flaky and you might need to download more than once. Also, the Photo calendars only go to the end of March, but you can download the quarterly updates, and this is where you’ll find those. http://www.page-a-day.com/cars/download.html http://www.page-a-day.com/cats/download.html http://www.page-a-day.com/dogs/download.html http://www.page-a-day.com/gard/download.html <– Gardens http://www.page-a-day.com/golf/download.html <– Golf Holes I’ve had no trouble running several calendars at once. — Salt of the Earth

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Question:

I’m looking to camp in RM. nat’l park this summer with the grandsons. Any recommendations for streams in or near the park? Thanks, Terry

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There are several fly shops in Estes Park check with one of those about current fishing conditions.  You can find good fishing on both sides of the continental divide.  The runoff is expected to be down a little bit from past years so the fishing should be pretty good starting the end of June in the streams and rivers.  Hope this information helps you, if you have further questions contact me at: Scot’s Sporting Goods in Estes Park. Suzanne

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Question:

I have an ‘M.sinensis giganteus’. The season is too short here in southern Ontario (USDA 5) and consequentially this majestic plant will not flower (go to seed).This grass is from, I believe, northern China/south eastern Russia.How can I ‘cheat’ the plant into flowering? Thanks for any and all help. John.

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I have an ‘M.sinensis giganteus’. The season is too short here in southern Ontario (USDA 5) and consequentially this majestic plant will not flower (go to seed).This grass is from, I believe, northern China/south eastern Russia.How can I ‘cheat’ the plant into flowering? Thanks for any and all help. John.

Where did you get this plant? I would love to have one.  I live in Oklahoma and the miscanthus I have do wonderfully.

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Where did you get this plant? I would love to have one.  I live in Oklahoma and the miscanthus I have do wonderfully.

  Get a copy of the Kurt Bluemel catalog. They specialize in grasses and their catalog lists 53 varieties of Miscanthus, typically at $6 each. Good quality plants.  Their address is 2740 Greene Lane Baldwin, MD 21013-9523 410 557-7229   Doesn’t your grass grow pretty much horizontal in all that wind? <g  I grew up near/in Enid. — Lloyd R. Fortney ….. http://www.phy.duke.edu/~fortney physics, research, teaching, photography, flower gardening, travel, and fly fishing

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Question:

I recently broke the fly rod that I grew up fishing – an 8 ft 8 wt fiberglass Shakespeare.  I need to replace it and want a rod that I will not "out grow".  I have considered an L.L. Bean guide series 9 ft, 7 or 8 wt at about $200 with a lifetime unconditional guarantee.  I also saw a 9 ft 8 wt Loomis IMX recently for $275 on a close-out.  The Loomis cast very nicely.  I have not felt the Bean rod but have always been very happy with their products. Any advice would be appreciated.  How much better is the Loomis & is it worth the extra money?  Has anyone used the Bean rod? I grew up fishing for pickerel and bass in Delaware, but I primarily fish for Steelhead and smallmouth bass since moving to California and would like to do some Shad fishing.

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Check out the St. Croix Products I Think For your money they rate up their with poles hundreds of $ more. — Larry D. Madison Life without Black would surely make White blind You. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I recently broke the fly rod that I grew up fishing – an 8 ft 8 wt fiberglass Shakespeare.  I need to replace it and want a rod that I will not "out grow".  I have considered an L.L. Bean guide series 9 ft, 7 or 8 wt at about $200 with a lifetime unconditional guarantee.  I also saw a 9 ft 8 wt Loomis IMX recently for $275 on a close-out.  The Loomis cast very nicely.  I have not felt the Bean rod but have always been very happy with their products. Any advice would be appreciated.  How much better is the Loomis & is it worth the extra money?  Has anyone used the Bean rod? I grew up fishing for pickerel and bass in Delaware, but I primarily fish for Steelhead and smallmouth bass since moving to California and would like to do some Shad fishing.

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Question:

: I hear there’s a good stream in Vail…. Hey, that’s my bit. — Rick T. Rick Fletcher   –   http://www.chem.uidaho.edu/~fletcher/ Associate professor of chemistry  |  That’s Idaho, not Iowa.    | ad hominem University of Idaho               |  Upper Left Hand Corner.    | ad hominem Moscow, ID 83844-2343             |  No, I don’t grow potatoes. | ad hominem

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It’s rare indeed, but if you can find that section of clear bank, slightly inclined, it is possible to ski down while trolling a wooley bugger… TimW

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Does anyone have any statistics on the percentage of skiers who flyfish or flyfishers who ski. I was wondering what kind of turnout might be expected for a flyfishing show held at a ski resort or in a ski resort town where the flyfishing show would be scheduled for the evenings (3 to 10PM).  Please respond directly. thanks, Bill Althoff

The ski industry does a lot of market research including reseach on other sports of interest to skiers.  I have seen those reports in the past but don’t recall the fly fishing is very the list of other sports of interest to skiers.  Ski Area Management magazine could probably give you the data, or put you in touch with the people that have the data. For what it’s worth, my personal observation (28 years teaching skiing, 32 years fly fishing) is that there is not very much natural attraction between skiers and flyfishing (at least alpine, downhill skiers). In contrast, there is a very high cross-over between skiing and sailing or windsurfing.  I suspect you will find a higher correlation between nordic skiers and flyfishing.  I do think however that as interest in fly fishing has increased in recent years, that skiers as a group are a likely target for "recruiting".

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<<<<< clipity clip clip I suspect you will find a higher correlation between nordic skiers and flyfishing.<<<<<< rest clipped

Using backcountry ski’s to get up to fish some pretty areas in the winter sounds great to me. You might want to find some Rivers or Lakes that don’t freeze over tho. It’d be pretty boring to be casting to that little hole in the ice! Ted…. (I x-country ski, but have never tried this)

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Does anyone have any statistics on the percentage of skiers who flyfish or flyfishers who ski. I was wondering what kind of turnout might be expected for a flyfishing show held at a ski resort or in a ski resort town where the flyfishing show would be scheduled for the evenings (3 to 10PM).  Please respond directly. thanks, Bill Althoff

In general, these would be the people I’d avoid like the plague.   Strictly the Jeep Grand Cherokee-driving, capuccino-sipping, Cuban cigar-smoking, "Friends"-watching, cellular phone-carrying, lunch-doing, narcissistic, over-paid, post-Yuppie (have I covered it all?) crowd. I’ll stay home and re-read Haig-Brown. –Rich

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I don’t know about statistics, but I love fly fishing and my family loves skiing (I have problems skiing due to arthritis). So, we usually go out west skiing for my kids spring break (first week of April) and I look for ski areas near good fishing opportunities. A lot of ski areas are right near great fishing areas because mountain streams are great for fishing. My sense is that the FF business picks up in the summer after the snow is gone. A good time to do a show, would be first week of April. Spring skiing is good then and so is pre run-off fishing. Steve Rosenblum

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Does anyone have any statistics on the percentage of skiers who flyfish or flyfishers who ski.

Here’s the sad tale of why these don’t mix. In 1967 a nice friend of the family gave me a gift. He knew I loved fishing so he gave me a bamboo flyrod. Took me a long time to figure out how to use it, couldn’t get that fat line through the hook eye, bait kept flying off when I cast, etc. Finally saw a story in a mag at the rec center, butchered my sister’s Barbie doll, raided the Xmas stuff and tied me a fly. Caught some tinker mackerel and pollock on it. All this was well and good until skiing ruined it. In 1968 I used to ski on a hill behind my house. At the base of that hill lived a – high school girl (I was 12 at the time) and she was cuuute. After the Olympics she had a crush on Jean Claude Killy. I had a pair of skiis, but didn’t have any gates to fly through and win her heart. I cut up all my fishing poles (I had a lot of them) and set me one hell of a course. Learned to ski through it too. She ran away with a basketball player. I had no fishing poles. It was many years later when I was poking around my Dad’s basement, that I found the cork grip with a little stubb of bamboo sticking out of it. A little stub that said "Orvis" on it. This is all true, I only hope that wasn’t a Wes Jordan I ran GS through. So you see skiing and flyfishing just plain don’t mix. The woman part is arguable.                                                                 jc

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Does anyone have any statistics on the percentage of skiers who flyfish or flyfishers who ski. I was wondering what kind of turnout might be expected for a flyfishing show held at a ski resort or in a ski resort town where the flyfishing show would be scheduled for the evenings (3 to 10PM).  Please respond directly.

No statistics, just a few ideas. The same can be said for fly-fishing and skiing regarding portions of the sport.    

Question:

Quesion? If I could sell you a $200.00 rod for 115.00, how many takers would I have. I have the opportunity o buy wholesale, but would have to buy quantity. I don’t want to sit on any inventory, but if I could spread the wealth and make 15.00 a rod on 100 rods I’d be perfectly happy. I don’ want to say what brand, bu it is quality.Let me know what you think. please respond by e-mail Have a super day! Please visit us at .www.teleport.com/~aafinart

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : Quesion? If I could sell you a $200.00 rod for 115.00, how many takers : would I have. : I have the opportunity o buy wholesale, but would have to buy quantity. I : don’t want to sit on any inventory, but if I could spread the wealth and : make 15.00 a rod on 100 rods I’d be perfectly happy. I don’ want to say : what brand, bu it is quality.Let me know what you think. : please respond by e-mail Careful what you sell at a discount. Many of the higher brands of rods are price protected by the manufacturor. If they get wind of any discounting, you could wind up with some legal trouble. Jon Porter

Hey Jon, remember the anti trust laws? Price fixing remains illegal, and market price controls by manufacturers is also illegal.  We all know there is a degree of it but the manufactureres reactions can only be the refusal to continue doing business. MSRP is o.k., and direct agents can lose their agencies – but…for the legal sale of legally obtained merchandise pricing remains the sellers option. jg

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It’s because of people like this that small legitimate custom rod builders have problems getting accounts with major brand name companies. Sage for example use to have a great program for rod builders that they droped because to many people would flood the market with wholesale priced blanks. They got smart…we got screwed….This goes along with snaggin thanks Tom Wolf

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Quesion? If I could sell you a $200.00 rod for 115.00, how many takers would I have. I have the opportunity o buy wholesale, but would have to buy quantity. I don’t want to sit on any inventory, but if I could spread the wealth and make 15.00 a rod on 100 rods I’d be perfectly happy. I don’ want to say what brand, bu it is quality.Let me know what you think. please respond by e-mail <<<<<<<<<<< For typical brand name rod, maybe not a Sage or Powell, the discount a distributor gives a retailer off of the so called retail price is at least 50%.  60% or more is not unlikely.  This allows every rod to be sold at both a "discount" and healthy profit.  I have bought 50% off rods from a retailer, and I was pretty sure he wasn’t loosing money. Bill Buchman

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: Careful what you sell at a discount. Many of the higher brands of rods are : price protected by the manufacturor. If they get wind of any discounting, : you could wind up with some legal trouble. : : Jon Porter : Hey Jon, remember the anti trust laws? Price fixing remains illegal, and : market price controls by manufacturers is also illegal.  We all know : there is a degree of it but the manufactureres reactions can only be the : refusal to continue doing business. MSRP is o.k., and direct agents can : lose their agencies – but…for the legal sale of legally obtained : merchandise pricing remains the sellers option. Hope I don’t start a different argument here.  ;-)  My point was that a manufacturor can set the price for his product. This is what happens with some of the big name rod companies. It would be anti-trust if the various companies got together and decided how they were going to set the prices. But that is not what is happening! It’s simply this:  Say, for instance, that SuperFisher Rod company decides to market their product. As a condition for the dealer to sell their product, the dealer has to agree not to discount it. SuperFisher Rod Company makes the exact same deal with all dealers that move their product. This prevents price wars between dealers selling SuperFisher products. It does not prevent Sage from under cutting SuperFisher in price. Their is no "trust" involved between manufacturors, and no price compitition among dealers for that ONE product. Other companies might do the same with their own product; but it is a different line, and a different price. We are having this problem now in my local area. Rumor has it that one dealer is discounting the price on some merchandise that is price protected. This males it impossible for the compeating dealers in the local market to compete. Good for the consumer, black eye for the manufacturor who has that same agreement with everybody. If they find some truth in it, the discounter will no longer receive his product. Jon Porter

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : Quesion? If I could sell you a $200.00 rod for 115.00, how many takers : would I have. : I have the opportunity o buy wholesale, but would have to buy quantity. I : don’t want to sit on any inventory, but if I could spread the wealth and : make 15.00 a rod on 100 rods I’d be perfectly happy. I don’ want to say : what brand, bu it is quality.Let me know what you think. : please respond by e-mail Careful what you sell at a discount. Many of the higher brands of rods are price protected by the manufacturor. If they get wind of any discounting, you could wind up with some legal trouble. Jon Porter Hey Jon, remember the anti trust laws? Price fixing remains illegal, and market price controls by manufacturers is also illegal.  We all know there is a degree of it but the manufactureres reactions can only be the refusal to continue doing business. MSRP is o.k., and direct agents can lose their agencies – but…for the legal sale of legally obtained merchandise pricing remains the sellers option. jg

 I sometimes deal with a sports shop which used to sell sage and other fine blanks at deep discount. No more! He was reported to the mfgr. by another shop and from then on his  blanks were on continuous back-order! Doug

Response:

I wish you were even close to the truth.  Any dealer who is selling ANY rod at 50% off is losing money.  A dealer who is selling any fly rod at 50% off is either stupid AND desperate, or that dealer is dumping(at a loss), a rod because it has been discontinued by the manufacturer, or has been a dog for a couple of years.  Fly fishing businesses can be more than a hobby, and good dealers can make money, but overall margines are very low compared to other industries, and very low compared to the high cost of running a good business.  As for competing with Cabela’s and Bass Pro, it’s actually not that difficult to beat them.  For people who are only shopping for price, those big guys win their share of the battles, but for customers who want the highest quality products and best possible service along with reliable accurate information, a good fly shop beats those guys ever time.  Good fishing, Stephen Vletas

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A fly fishing shop seems like a really tough business to me. The one near me (Cary, NC) went out of business, but it was located in a giant strip mall (Crossroads) that primarily has discount stores. The margins seem high. But how many times do you have to stand in line at the register? Rarely, it seems, and then it is usually only one or two people at most. The traffic is pretty slow. Lots of people pop in to look, maybe buy a few flies for a buck apiece. An occasional higher dollar item like a rod or good waders helps keep them in business. But they are losing a lot of that to Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops through the mail these days. I have to admit I use mail order to save money many times. A fly shop almost has to be a hobby for the owner. -Andy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – For typical brand name rod, maybe not a Sage or Powell, the discount a distributor gives a retailer off of the so called retail price is at least 50%.  60% or more is not unlikely.  This allows every rod to be sold at both a "discount" and healthy profit.  I have bought 50% off rods from a retailer, and I was pretty sure he wasn’t loosing money.

Response:

Question:

We are headed off to Vermont in a few days to check out the flyfishing scene up there. We’ll be camping in the Rutland area and hitting all the streams around that area. Of course, we’ll also make at least one stop Orvis while we are there. Anybody have anything to share about what streams are good right now? This is going to be my first time ever in the New England area, so it’s all new to me. — Jon Porter http://www.Netwalk.com/~jporter/Backpage.htm

Response:

Jon, You might try the New Haven and Middlebury Rivers in Bristol and Middlebury.  I haven’t been there this year yet, but I understand they are fishing well. 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"

Response:

I was on the Battenkill at the weekend. Water temp was 58-60. Sporadic Hendriksons, no risers though. Might be a bit early yet, but I was talking to the F&W guy and he said there had been feeding fish over the past few days. I think it is worth a shot this weekend. You have to see that hatch in action as those big fly lie thick on the surface of backwaters. Another river worth trying is the Mettawee, about 5 miles west of Manchester. There are public access spots off the highway. This has a nice head of browns, brookies and rainbows. Finally as you head north on route 7, there is Otter Creek paralleling the road most of the way. Again some public access spots, but as this river is heavily stocked expect these points to be busy. Hike up or downstream. Otter Creek has good hatches and holds some beauties (my best is 16" brookie). Sorry I have no up to date stream reports, but I am confident you’ll catch fish assuming the rivers are in good condition. Gary

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – We are headed off to Vermont in a few days to check out the flyfishing scene up there. We’ll be camping in the Rutland area and hitting all the streams around that area. Of course, we’ll also make at least one stop Orvis while we are there. Anybody have anything to share about what streams are good right now? This is going to be my first time ever in the New England area, so it’s all new to me. — Jon Porter http://www.Netwalk.com/~jporter/Backpage.htm

Response:

yesterday, I said:

      in general all the streams are down to fishable levels. I should know better than to spout stuff like that.  No sooner had I finished saying this than the skies opened up, the mighty deluge began, and the NWS started issuing flash flood warnings all over the place.  In 12 hours the New Haven River (my home stream) went from its normal 400 cfs to 5500 cfs.  :-( Now it’s back down to about 1400 cfs, but it still looks like chocolate milk. Should be back to normal in a couple days, though. Cheers, — Dave "the jinx" Guertin http://caddis.middlebury.edu/trout/

Response:

    Jon We are headed off to Vermont in a few days to check out the     Jon flyfishing scene up there. We’ll be camping in the Rutland     Jon area and hitting all the streams around that area. Jon, There are a number of streams in the Rutland area worth checking out. I can’t comment on how they’re fishing right now, but in general all the streams are down to fishable levels.  A couple weeks ago when I was last out, the water was clear but still extremely cold and fishing was slow.  By now things should be picking up considerably. The Mettawee is not too far from Rutland, and is usually excellent. Upper Otter Creek is probably worth checking out, too.  Across the mountains, the White and Black Rivers are also close and very good. Check out my Trout Streams of Vermont page (http://caddis.middlebury.edu/trout/) for a guide to all the streams in the area.  Not much in the way of descriptions yet, but there are maps, and it’s nice to see what rivers are where. Cheers, — Dave Guertin http://caddis.middlebury.edu/trout/

Response:

We are headed off to Vermont in a few days to check out the flyfishing scene up there. We’ll be camping in the Rutland area and hitting all the streams around that area. Of course, we’ll also make at least one stop Orvis while we are there. Anybody have anything to share about what streams are good right now? This is going to be my first time ever in the New England area, so it’s all new to me.

Jon, I have read the other posts folks have put up to help you, but I really would suggest streams less well-known.  Two of these are the Furnace Brook and Castleton River.  Both of these smaller streams will most certainly be running clear and fishable.  For the most part, the other streams suggested are running very high and are muddy at best.  There was flooding  in both the CT River Valley and Otter Valley last night.  If you have any specific questions, I would be happy to help. James Ehlers, Editor Vermont Outdoors Magazine 2 Church Street Burlington, VT 05401 (802) 860-0003 Fax: (802) 860-0005 http://www.vermontoutdoors.com

Response:

The ‘Kill was 58-60 this early??? Am I missing something, or is this a little warm for this time of the year? Hopefully we’re not looking at temps like last summer again!!! Alex – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I was on the Battenkill at the weekend. Water temp was 58-60. Sporadic Hendriksons, no risers though. Might be a bit early yet, but I was talking to the F&W guy and he said there had been feeding fish over the past few days. I think it is worth a shot this weekend. You have to see that hatch in action as those big fly lie thick on the surface of backwaters. Another river worth trying is the Mettawee, about 5 miles west of Manchester. There are public access spots off the highway. This has a nice head of browns, brookies and rainbows. Finally as you head north on route 7, there is Otter Creek paralleling the road most of the way. Again some public access spots, but as this river is heavily stocked expect these points to be busy. Hike up or downstream. Otter Creek has good hatches and holds some beauties (my best is 16" brookie). Sorry I have no up to date stream reports, but I am confident you’ll catch fish assuming the rivers are in good condition. Gary We are headed off to Vermont in a few days to check out the flyfishing scene up there. We’ll be camping in the Rutland area and hitting all the streams around that area. Of course, we’ll also make at least one stop Orvis while we are there. Anybody have anything to share about what streams are good right now? This is going to be my first time ever in the New England area, so it’s all new to me. — Jon Porter http://www.Netwalk.com/~jporter/Backpage.htm

Response:

Joe, Trout season ends Oct 27.  Caddis pupa and larva are always good choices on VT streams.  It is tough to say what exactly will be coming off that far in advance, especially this year with our water levels very high and temps cool.  Typically, tricos, isonychias and pseudocloeon are hatching during that window.  E -mail closer to your trip for more specific conditions. James Ehlers Uncle Jammer’s Guide Service (#2298) If you would like more info on my service including western style fly fishing drift boat trips, send me your postal address and I’ll send you my brochure. Cheers, James

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I am planning one or two trips to Vermont this fall. I will stay at Sugarbush. My ???? are ….#1 When does the season end? Can I plan a Columbus Day trip. Also,(#2) Has the fall fishing got going by Sept 20- would a late Sept. trip be worth while? #3 Can anybody suggest what flies to use? I am planning to try caddis flies and a variety of terrestials. joe hardman TIA

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