Question:

and having much love and respect for my little 3 wt. I decided it was getting late and time to leave. When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring, especialy when they are spawning. Those that are about a foot long are a hell of a lot of fun on a fly rod. Last summer here in the Dallas area there were grasshoppers on three of our area lakes which were matched by hoppers tied on size 2/0 hooks. One guy caught a 10 pound channel cat that took one of those huge hopper patterns off the surface. I don’t know what weight rod he was using. Big Dale  

It’s amazing the variety of species that will take a dry under the right circumstances.  My son went up North fishing for walleye on his uncles boat.  He didn’t take any fly gear with him, instead he borrowed spinning gear from his uncle.  They got the boat out onto the lake, motored over to Serge’s favourite walleye spot only to see hundreds of walleye sipping hexes off the top.  They were both skunked.  He was kinda kicking himself when he got home. I’ve also heard of walleye taking midges in the middle of winter. Peter

Response:

Had a 15lb cat take a Frank’s Fighting Craw in the shallows when I was fission for bass.  I pulled away from shore to keep him out of the weeds. When I finally got him close enough to get the hook out, he flipped and spiked my tube.  I was using my life vest for floatation before I got to shore.         Frank Reid – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I broke the only rod I’ve ever broken on a fish, trying to land a big catfish. I was in a float tube and got towed around the lake for awhile. I finally got the fish up to the tube and while trying to figure out how and the hell I was going to "land" it, it dove straight down, the rod broke at the ferrule and the tippet popped. Willi a fly and having much love and respect for my little 3 wt. I decided it was getting late and time to leave. When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring, especialy when they are spawning. Those that are about a foot long are a hell of a lot of fun on a fly rod. Last summer here in the Dallas area there were grasshoppers on three of our area lakes which were matched by hoppers tied on size 2/0 hooks. One guy caught a 10 pound channel cat that took one of those huge hopper patterns off the surface. I don’t know what weight rod he was using. Big Dale

Response:

Dale, Oak Creek in Arizona had channel cats which cruised up and down  the stream in groups of three or four.  They were quite different from regular cat fish.  It was not uncommon to take one while fishing for trout.  They fought and tasted quite good. Ernie When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring,

especialy <snip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Big Dale

Response:

Had a 15lb cat take a Frank’s Fighting Craw in the shallows when I was fission for bass.  I pulled away from shore to keep him out of the weeds. When I finally got him close enough to get the hook out, he flipped and spiked my tube.  I was using my life vest for floatation before I got to shore.        Frank Reid

Dang Frank, is that what you call poetic justice?  Besides, if you were "fission" he probably would glow in the dark.  :-) Frank (missed ‘im by a whisker) Church

Response:

It’s amazing the variety of species that will take a dry under the right circumstances.  My son went up North fishing for walleye on his uncles boat.  He didn’t take any fly gear with him, instead he borrowed spinning gear from his uncle.  They got the boat out onto the lake, motored over to Serge’s favourite walleye spot only to see hundreds of walleye sipping hexes off the top.  They were both skunked.  He was kinda kicking himself when he got home. I’ve also heard of walleye taking midges in the middle of winter.

I was lucky enough to hit a hatch of large mayflies on a trip to northern Canada with my father. I caught both Walleyes and a number of small Lakers on dries. My father never learned to fly fish and was able to catch only one small Laker. Walleyes taking midges though is a new one for me. That would be fun! Willi

Response:

When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring, especialy when they are spawning.

Okay. Where on the Front Range can one find channel cats? Even seeing the word "catfish" is making me homesick for Kansas. Put down the chainsaw and listen to me. It’s time for us to join in the fight.

Response:

Mike, stand up, close your eyes, click your heels together three times and say ‘there’s no place like home’. Hell, if Dorothy can do it… Herman <snip Okay. Where on the Front Range can one find channel cats? Even seeing the word "catfish" is making me homesick for Kansas. Put down the chainsaw and listen to me. It’s time for us to join in the fight.

– Cheers, Herman Herman Nijland Daytime webmaster Lifetime flyfisher

Response:

Mike, stand up, close your eyes, click your heels together three times and say ‘there’s no place like home’. Hell, if Dorothy can do it…

It was the dog the whole time… — Charlie…

Response:

When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring, especialy when they are spawning. Okay. Where on the Front Range can one find channel cats? Even seeing the word "catfish" is making me homesick for Kansas.

Cherry Creek Reservoir has a strong population of good sized Channel Cats. They are also stocked in lots of the smaller lakes around the metro area. Willi

Response:

Mike, stand up, close your eyes, click your heels together three times and say ‘there’s no place like home’. Hell, if Dorothy can do it… Herman

        responses like that are the best (hell, maybe the *only) reason to hang out in this nuthouse.  hilarious, herman. wayno

Response:

Mike, stand up, close your eyes, click your heels together three times and say ‘there’s no place like home’. Hell, if Dorothy can do it…

I tried that yesterday. I was still stuck in Denver traffic, only this time I was standing outside of my car on I-25. And I don’t think I had time to set the parking brake while I was clicking. Put down the chainsaw and listen to me. It’s time for us to join in the fight.

Response:

        we are all going to need a great deal of time on the water to heal the wounds that have come from the recent Great Absurdity.

   Great Absurdity, like that term. Willi

Response:

I broke the only rod I’ve ever broken on a fish, trying to land a big catfish. I was in a float tube and got towed around the lake for awhile. I finally got the fish up to the tube and while trying to figure out how and the hell I was going to "land" it, it dove straight down, the rod broke at the ferrule and the tippet popped. Willi – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – and having much love and respect for my little 3 wt. I decided it was getting late and time to leave. When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring, especialy when they are spawning. Those that are about a foot long are a hell of a lot of fun on a fly rod. Last summer here in the Dallas area there were grasshoppers on three of our area lakes which were matched by hoppers tied on size 2/0 hooks. One guy caught a 10 pound channel cat that took one of those huge hopper patterns off the surface. I don’t know what weight rod he was using. Big Dale

Response:

Finally got out yesterday for a spot of thrashing the water.

        (nice report snipped)         now, then, john, don’t you have to admit that this subject matter just beats hell out of that political hogshit?         we are all going to need a great deal of time on the water to heal the wounds that have come from the recent Great Absurdity. your friend in the old north state wayno – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

and having much love and respect for my little 3 wt. I decided it was getting late and time to leave.

When I was living in the Austin area a few years ago I learned that you can take channel cats on a fly rod WITH DRY FLIES at times in the spring, especialy when they are spawning. Those that are about a foot long are a hell of a lot of fun on a fly rod. Last summer here in the Dallas area there were grasshoppers on three of our area lakes which were matched by hoppers tied on size 2/0 hooks. One guy caught a 10 pound channel cat that took one of those huge hopper patterns off the surface. I don’t know what weight rod he was using. Big Dale  

Response:

Finally got out yesterday for a spot of thrashing the water. There is a little lake about 5 miles from the house that is just eat up with hungry small bream so, time being short, I chose that location to relax. Poppers were not interesting to the denizens of the deep so I tied on a bitty streamer of no real pattern and began flailing. I was having a blast dragging 6 to 8" fish from home and hearth and plopping them back when another angler sauntered down to the fishing dock. Likable guy, fishing cats with shrimp, no problem, we talked and fished. He was pulling cats, I bream. Then it happened, his line straightened and began singing off his reel. Now this guy was fishing with, as I would describe as salt water gear, 15-20 lb. test stuff. Of coarse I pulled up till the fight would be over. After about 5 min or a week dependant on your outlook, and a close call around a piling, a three foot channel cat was within the reach of my net and promptly was on the dock. Because Cats there have been known to take a fly and having much love and respect for my little 3 wt. I decided it was getting late and time to leave.

Response:

Question:

Hi All, We went to BC last week and the water was high because they have had a lot of  unusual rain the past month or so. I had a customer by that lives in Great Falls, MT and he said they were in a draught? What is happening out your way? — Bill Kiene Kiene’s Fly Shop Sacramento, CA, USA www.kiene.com

Response:

My favorite rivers flooded last week, so we fished bluegills and went out for draughts afterwards (BBC Pale Ale – heavy on the Cascade hops this summer).  Definitely no drought in Massachusetts this year.  It hasn’t hit 90 degrees (F) in over a month.

Raining like heck in Juneau, Alaska and it hasn’t hit 90 degrees since we’ve been keeping records.

Response:

It is still hot in Dallas. Duh!! remember we are not all that far from Wichita Falls which has the claim of one of the most appropriately named bicycle races in a few weeks, The Hotter Than Hell 100. Lake Lewisville is still over 13 feet low. Big Dale .

Response:

My favorite rivers flooded last week, so we fished bluegills and went out for draughts afterwards (BBC Pale Ale – heavy on the Cascade hops this summer).  Definitely no drought in Massachusetts this year.  It hasn’t hit 90 degrees (F) in over a month.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – We went to BC last week and the water was high because they have had a lot of  unusual rain the past month or so. I had a customer by that lives in Great Falls, MT and he said they were in a draught? What is happening out your way? Bill Kiene

Response:

What is happening out your way?

Serious drought in Georgia. — Charlie…

Response:

Wet and cool in Ontario – all of the rivers are high and we’ve had a few floods. Cheers Visit The Streamer Page at http://members.home.net/pcharles/streamers/index.html

Response:

What is happening out your way?

reporting from north carolina:         it’s been a great year for bermuda grass.  the golf course fairways are lush and green.  of course, i live in paradise.  in fact, there is a little town about 20 miles northwest of here by the name of "eden". wayno

Response:

Hi All, What is happening out your way?

Big Dale covered the DFW area (hotter’n hell, 11 or 12 days over 100, and dry) and it was hot (mid 90s), with a little rain in Orlando area, raining to beat all hell on the MS/AL Gulf Coast, particularly Mobile. TC, R – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text — Bill Kiene Kiene’s Fly Shop Sacramento, CA, USA www.kiene.com

Response:

Well, in Ohio farmers are expecting exceptional corn crops…….spring rains have been the pits. Of course this is smallmouth bas country which is some fine fishing.  This spring as the fishing started to heat up we began having rains.  Oh, you could find a place to fish but my usual haunts were high and muddy.  About the time you thought you could go fishing tomorrow, put a hurtin on me. So for a month I was unable to fish….and this while the wife and little girl were out of town.  By the time the water was fishable again, boom, summer was here….algae, green water the whole bit. Early morning and late evening were the ticket….I just missed out on a whole spring of fishing…….john – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi All, We went to BC last week and the water was high because they have had a lot of  unusual rain the past month or so. I had a customer by that lives in Great Falls, MT and he said they were in a draught? What is happening out your way? — Bill Kiene Kiene’s Fly Shop Sacramento, CA, USA www.kiene.com

Response:

Lotta Summer rain here in Maryland.  Some of the stockies are still around, as the rain has kept the rivers cool.  Temp was in the 70s yesterday.  Nebraska on the other hand is in draught and its sizzlin’ hot in the 100s.        Frank Reid Before you buy.

Response:

 in fact, there is a little town about 20 miles northwest of here by the name of "eden".

When I lived in Kansas I used to fish by a little town named ‘Climax’ not far from ‘Eureka’. — Charlie…

Response:

 in fact, there is a little town about 20 miles northwest of here by the name of "eden". When I lived in Kansas I used to fish by a little town named ‘Climax’ not far from ‘Eureka’. — Charlie…

        "climax" is about 15 miles southeast.  in the nether regions, one might say. wayno

Response:

 in fact, there is a little town about 20 miles northwest of here by the name of "eden". When I lived in Kansas I used to fish by a little town named ‘Climax’ not far from ‘Eureka’. — Charlie…

Not far from Friends University, I take it? <G R

Response:

When I lived in Kansas I used to fish by a little town named ‘Climax’ not far from ‘Eureka’. — Charlie…

  When I lived in Nebraska and owned a 90 hp Super Cub, my flying buddy and I talked about establishing a record for the quickest time in a Super Cub on a flight from Colon, Nebraska to Athol, Kansas:) Bob Skinner   Buffalo, WY — —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–==  Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–

Response:

Ya’ll keep your pre-verted towns away from the home of my dear, sainted mother.  She lives in Virgin, UT.  As a matter of fact, I was jus’ thinkin’.  There’s this lady, lives down the street, name’s Mary.  Then again, she CAN’T be that Mary, ’cause she moved up from Las Vegas.    Virgin is the only place in the world with an actual Virgin Recycling Center.                       Frank Reid Before you buy.

Response:

The trout in Northern California are plentiful and in great condition after four years of good rain and snowfall.  River runoff has reduced to the point where dry fly fishing is good and will remain that way for the rest of the year.  This is the year for those 100 trout days. Ernie

Response:

Not far from Friends University, I take it?

About 75mi (or so) east of Friends University of Central Kansas<g. (not the officially sanction name of the school). — Charlie…

Response:

   "climax" is about 15 miles southeast.  in the nether regions, one might say.

Ah, you’ve been there<g. — Charlie…

Response:

What is happening out your way?

Its looking like drought in CO.  Streams not controlled by dam releases are running quite low and warm, at least on the eastern slope.  Hopefully at least some of the fish will survive.

Response:

Up here in the Lakes District it has been raining off and on all summer. The last 5 days or so it’s been sunny. I haven’t been to any rivers in a couple of weeks just fishing the lake so I can’t say how they are. One plus though if the water is high it usually brings record runs for the fall.             Ian – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hi All, We went to BC last week and the water was high because they have had a lot of  unusual rain the past month or so. I had a customer by that lives in Great Falls, MT and he said they were in a draught? What is happening out your way? — Bill Kiene Kiene’s Fly Shop Sacramento, CA, USA www.kiene.com

Response:

What is happening out your way?

I have only been able to fly fish our local river on two occasions in the last three months becasue it’s so muddy.  We watered the lawn only once this entire summer.  Not flood per se, but steady precipitation. Mu

Response:

What is happening out your way? I have only been able to fly fish our local river on two occasions in the last three months becasue it’s so muddy.  We watered the lawn only once this entire summer.  Not flood per se, but steady precipitation. Mu

Today, will be (provided we don’t get rain) the  144th consecutive day without measurable precipitation in Las Vegas – Going for the record of 150 set in 1950!  So I guess you could say that we are having a drought.  BUT!  20 minutes after it starts raining, we will be in a flood.  I normally fish in Utah – about 3 hours north of here.  Creeks and ponds in that area are near or at record lows.  Fire danger is rated at Extreme+.  

Response:

What is happening out your way? In The Southern Tier of Vermont,  We had three months of nearly

continuous rains.  The rivers and streams were quite high and not very fishable.  This has settled quite a bit in the past month and the fishing is the best that it has been in my experiance. There has been a fairly steady Sulfur hatch and #10 & #12 sulfers are highly reliable and productive. The Trout are very numerous, well distributed, and in excellent health.   They are deep, broad, and remarkably brightly colored.  They are also guite long winded, makeing for some outstandingly long fights.  Some of the jumps are spectacular. The health of the fisheries is probably due to higher than average streamflows. In fact, fishermen should be extra aware of the weather. Because of the high water table, flash flooding can be an important consideration.  You want to be sure that you leave yourself a ready escape if you are fishing in the rain. If it has rained, the rivers and streams will be high for a couple of days.  The best times to fish are when the water has cleared and receded some.  Evening is the best time, with the last hour of light being the peak time.   So, just choose a water and hang on!                                     Mike Don’t forget to let them go.

Response:

Question:

        George and I have butted heads on a couple of issues in the past, but he was gracious enough to give up some of his time to let me interview him about his ‘Bastard’ project.  Whatever anyone thinks, he sure is passionate about this and believes in his rods. The article is at http://flyfishing.about.com/ Ian Scott

Response:

Enjoyed the article.  As a recent Bastard owner, I can attest to the quality of the rod, although I was not getting 75 ft casts.  That, however, is a minor quibble.  It is a solid value. Mark Faulkner – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –         George and I have butted heads on a couple of issues in the past, but he was gracious enough to give up some of his time to let me interview him about his ‘Bastard’ project.  Whatever anyone thinks, he sure is passionate about this and believes in his rods. The article is at http://flyfishing.about.com/ Ian Scott

Response:

Enjoyed the article.  As a recent Bastard owner, I can attest to the quality of the rod, although I was not getting 75 ft casts.  That, however, is a minor quibble.  It is a solid value.

Mark, what weight/type line(s) are you using on your new rod?

Response:

Enjoyed the article.  As a recent Bastard owner, I can attest to the quality of the rod, although I was not getting 75 ft casts.  That, however, is a minor quibble.  It is a solid value. Mark, what weight/type line(s) are you using on your new rod?

        tripper:  i thought i would have to "light line" my 7.5/4wt, but it seemed spot on with a double taper 4. wayno

Response:

Enjoyed the article.  As a recent Bastard owner, I can attest to the quality of the rod, although I was not getting 75 ft casts.  That, however, is a minor quibble.  It is a solid value. Mark, what weight/type line(s) are you using on your new rod?    tripper:  i thought i would have to "light line" my 7.5/4wt, but it seemed spot on with a double taper 4. wayno

Excellent –  and thanks very much for the tip, Wayno! You might have just saved me the cost of springing for a new DT3F, as I already have a fairly fresh DT4F that I can wind onto a vintage Hardy Sunbeam – ought to balance the rod reasonably well. My apologies, btw, for hijacking this thread… /daytripper

Response:

Excellent –  and thanks very much for the tip, Wayno! You might have just saved me the cost of springing for a new DT3F, as I already have a fairly fresh DT4F that I can wind onto a vintage Hardy Sunbeam – ought to balance the rod reasonably well. My apologies, btw, for hijacking this thread… /daytripper

trip…. as i mentioned to mark via e-mail, i’ve fished 3,4, & 5 wt lines on the 7.5 aught. the 3 wt is light but does fish ok. the 4 wt is real good and the 5 wt line really loads the rod well. all were wf’s. walt — Ezflyfish.com http://www.ezflyfish.com BRBG http://www.abebooks.com/home/BLUEBOOKS P.O. Box 5112  Banner Elk, NC 28604 (828)963-5001

Response:

Excellent –  and thanks very much for the tip, Wayno! You might have just saved me the cost of springing for a new DT3F, as I already have a fairly fresh DT4F that I can wind onto a vintage Hardy Sunbeam – ought to balance the rod reasonably well. trip…. as i mentioned to mark via e-mail, i’ve fished 3,4, & 5 wt lines on the 7.5 aught. the 3 wt is light but does fish ok. the 4 wt is real good and the 5 wt line really loads the rod well. all were wf’s.

Thanks, Walt! I prefer double tapers, and judging from your experience it sounds like a DT4 ought to work just fine. btw: There’s a real story going on behind the scenes that I’ll share with y’all when I return from Maine. The happy ending is a lock. /daytripper (psyched!)

Response:

Question:

Saturday morning my wife and I are leaving for a week of vacation in which I intend to fly our Cherokee from Chicago to Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada). The first day we need to get to Oshawa, Ontario to stay with family.  From there, our course is open to suggestions. If anyone has any hints to share, they would be appreciated. I know enough to have the following questions: – is it better to stay in the U.S. as long a possible,   or would it be preferred to go north of the border?   (I assume that fuel is much more expensive in Canada) – are there any places I should avoid or places I should    be sure to see? – I have a CANPASS, but is zigzagging back and forth    across the border going to give me problems? – where can I get Canadian Charts/approach plates along   the way?  I have all NOAA VFR charts and Jepp charts   for the first half of the trip and for Maine, but the Maine   charts don’t go as far as Halifax. Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences. roman

Response:

Very good idea to go to halifax. I have been there last year one month before the crash at Peggy’s cove. We rented a small car and went down to Mahone bay, Lunenberg and small fishing port including Peggy’s cove. With your Cherokee you can fly to Ottawa for a fuel stop and see the Canadian aviation museum. From there fly direct to Quebec city. There at Aero Boutik they have all the maps you will need. If you want to make a stop there there is many very good restaurants in the old Quebec. The fuel is at .90$ a liter in canadian $. It means about .60$US and if you change the liter to US gals it makes about $2.50 a gall + or -. After a visit to Quebec city (you can spend as long as 2 weeks there and you will still have a lot of things to see.) You can fly direct to Halifax, it is a 3 hours ride when flying over Maine. You will not have to report for customs there because you take off in Canada and land in Canada. I made it several times. Another thing that you can do is flying from Halifax to the Magdalen Island. It is another very nice spot. But be careful because it is generally loaded with visitors. A couple of days there would be OK. You need to make a reservation for hotels. Hotel Bellevue is the right spot. I also have a Cherokee 140 and like to fly in New England. On the way back you go directly in Maine at cities like Camden, Lincolnville, Bar harbor to eat their lobster. You can go to DiMillo’s restaurant in Portland. This is the spot for a good lobster club sandwich. If you have the time you can go down a little more and fly to Westerly R.I. and have a look to the beach there. After it will be the time to fly back home. Have a good trip Bernard C-FXAO and C-YAN

Response:

: problems. I think there is a pilot shop in Oshawa where you can purchase the : maps (you’ll need the Toronto, Montreal and Halifax VNCs as well as the : Canada Flight Supplement). There is a flying school on the south side at Oshawa (the number I mentioned previously) that has Toronto and Montreal, but I wouldn’t bet on more than that. (I don’t know about the north side, should go look some day:-) You might want to get the charts via mail order before you leave. Sporty’s has them (but are a bit pricey). A place called VIP Pilot Centre has same day delivery. Their number is 1-800-361-1696. (If that # doesn’t work, they are in St. Hubert, Quebec.) Enjoy the trip, rick

Response:

Thanks to all for the helpful suggestions.  We are planning to leave tomorrow and go through Buttonville where the nice people at the Prop Shop have promised to have all my charts waiting. Once again – thanks to all. roman – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : problems. I think there is a pilot shop in Oshawa where you can purchase the : maps (you’ll need the Toronto, Montreal and Halifax VNCs as well as the : Canada Flight Supplement). There is a flying school on the south side at Oshawa (the number I mentioned previously) that has Toronto and Montreal, but I wouldn’t bet on more than that. (I don’t know about the north side, should go look some day:-) You might want to get the charts via mail order before you leave. Sporty’s has them (but are a bit pricey). A place called VIP Pilot Centre has same day delivery. Their number is 1-800-361-1696. (If that # doesn’t work, they are in St. Hubert, Quebec.) Enjoy the trip, rick

Response:

– is it better to stay in the U.S. as long a possible,  or would it be preferred to go north of the border?  (I assume that fuel is much more expensive in Canada)

Nope, marginally more expensive, and not even that, sometimes.  Avgas in southern Canada seems to usually work out to between $2.25 and $2.50 per gallon; call ahead and avoid any suprises, like *no* fuel.  No reason not to go as north as you can if you don’t get that way too often.

Response:

maps (you’ll need the Toronto, Montreal and Halifax VNCs as well as the

Oops, I believe that’s Moncton VNC not Halifax (charts are in the plane!)

Response:

: Saturday morning my wife and I are leaving for a : week of vacation in which I intend to fly our Cherokee : from Chicago to Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada). : The first day we need to get to Oshawa, Ontario to : stay with family.  From there, our course is open : to suggestions. I’ve never gone there by air, but the beaches on the north shore of PEI are very nice. If you are interested in aviation fun while at Oshawa, you can get a ride in a Harvard (T-6), optionally including aerobatics. (Or Tiger Moth or Waco… their number is 905-720-2831.) Have a nice trip, rick

Response:

I planned a trip to Halifax (Sydney actually) from Toronto earlier this year but never made it because of the weather. In my Cherokee 140 w/ 50 gal tanks, I picked St. Georges or Sherbrooke as intermediate stopping points. I think you can fly almost direct from Oshawa and stay in Canadian airspace. There is an MOA near the Maine/Quebec border that you should get NOTAMs on. CANPASS is very friendly, easy to use and convenient. You should have no problems. I think there is a pilot shop in Oshawa where you can purchase the maps (you’ll need the Toronto, Montreal and Halifax VNCs as well as the Canada Flight Supplement). As you near Toronto Class C airspace from Chicago, the controllers will appreciate it if you stay about a mile south of the shoreline as Pearson uses Rwy 26 most of the time. Give Toronto City Centre a call as you approach their Class D and they will probably let you do a circuit around the CN tower if you’re interested on your way to Oshawa. Niagra is also a pleasant detour (check the air regs first if you intend to go). Let me know how your first leg goes. I’m planning on flying down to Chicago in October. /Sung FYI — I think Fredericton NB is the only airport around there that charges landing/terminal fees and should be avoided if you want to minimize costs.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Saturday morning my wife and I are leaving for a week of vacation in which I intend to fly our Cherokee from Chicago to Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada). The first day we need to get to Oshawa, Ontario to stay with family.  From there, our course is open to suggestions. If anyone has any hints to share, they would be appreciated. I know enough to have the following questions: – is it better to stay in the U.S. as long a possible,   or would it be preferred to go north of the border?   (I assume that fuel is much more expensive in Canada) – are there any places I should avoid or places I should    be sure to see? – I have a CANPASS, but is zigzagging back and forth    across the border going to give me problems? – where can I get Canadian Charts/approach plates along   the way?  I have all NOAA VFR charts and Jepp charts   for the first half of the trip and for Maine, but the Maine   charts don’t go as far as Halifax. Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences. roman

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On the way back you go directly in Maine at cities like Camden, Lincolnville, Bar harbor to eat their lobster.

bar harbor: cottage street bakery and deli.  the best bakery i’ve yet found. MAN are those pies ever good!  whale watching out of bar harbor is pretty good too, though if you’re prone to seasickness you’d better not do it right after CSB&D… for us, canadian customs at halifax were a snap.  in fact, all the canadian customs were friendly, businesslike, and quick.  the US guys gave us more trouble, but nothing like the horror stories you hear. — rw "By filing this ‘Bug Report’ you have challenged the honor of my family.  Prepare to die!"  – from "Things Likely To Be Overheard If You Had A Klingon Programmer"

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Saturday morning my wife and I are leaving for a week of vacation in which I intend to fly our Cherokee from Chicago to Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada). The first day we need to get to Oshawa, Ontario to stay with family.  From there, our course is open to suggestions. If anyone has any hints to share, they would be appreciated.

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Question:

I have only read one article on anything close to a home-made +ACI-braided+ACI- leader.  It is a section on +ACI-furled+ACI- leader in the book titled +ACI- Micro Patterns+ACI- by Darrel Martin.  Though a book about fishing flies sizes 16 or smaller, this section may be of help to you in terms of method and materials.  Give it a try anyway. tight lines. jimmy

+AD4-Please accept my apologies for the previous message – it appears there is +AD4-some problem with my service provider. +AD4- +AD4-I am looking at what woule be involved in braiding my own fly lines from +AD4-mono for salt water/suf type situations. As far as I can determine, getting +AD4-the weight of the line itself right is one of the major obstacles (to +AD4-ensure that the line is balanced to the rod, but what other problems am i +AD4-likely to come up against? +AD4- +AD4-Does anyone else have any experience in this area? +AD4- +AD4-TIA, +AD4- +AD4-    Vic

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Home braided fly lines are the ideal compliment to hand whittled tapered leaders…. I remember grandpa out on the porch braiding up fly lines for the whole damned neighborhood. He’d do a line fer ya in exchange for a bottle of Mead back during prohibition. — TimW, Halfordian Golfer "Guilt replaced the creel…"

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Here we go again, the first liar doesn’t stand a chance.  Did he whittle them out of a solid block? — Ernie Harrison Want To Tie Tapered leaders? Go To: http://users.ccnet.com/~emh/knots – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Home braided fly lines are the ideal compliment to hand whittled tapered leaders…. I remember grandpa out on the porch braiding up fly lines for the whole damned neighborhood. He’d do a line fer ya in exchange for a bottle of Mead back during prohibition. — TimW, Halfordian Golfer "Guilt replaced the creel…"

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Must have been one hell of a leader to fetch such a high price.  People went to jail for that, you know. jimmy

+AD4-Home braided fly lines are the ideal compliment to hand whittled tapered +AD4-leaders…. +AD4- +AD4-I remember grandpa out on the porch braiding up fly lines for the whole +AD4-damned neighborhood. +AD4- +AD4-He’d do a line fer ya in exchange for a bottle of Mead back during +AD4-prohibition. +AD4- +AD4— +AD4-TimW, Halfordian Golfer +AD4AIg-Guilt replaced the creel…+ACI- +AD4- +AD4- +AD4-

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I am looking at what woule be involved in braiding my own fly lines from mono for salt water/suf type situations. As far as I can determine, getting the weight of the line itself right is one of the major obstacles (to ensure that the line is balanced to the rod, but what other problems am i likely to come up against?

Friction drag in the air seems the main problem. For either unit weight or unit length, braided mono fly line would have much more surface than standard plastic line, thus incur much more drag in the air. You would probably need an unusual fly rod to be able to aerialize it for any cast longer than that available with a standard line. — |  Donald Phillipson, 4180 Boundary Road, Carlsbad Springs,  | |        Ontario, Canada, K0A 1K0, tel. 613 822 0734         |

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Please accept my apologies for the previous message – it appears there is some problem with my service provider. I am looking at what woule be involved in braiding my own fly lines from mono for salt water/suf type situations. As far as I can determine, getting the weight of the line itself right is one of the major obstacles (to ensure that the line is balanced to the rod, but what other problems am i likely to come up against? Does anyone else have any experience in this area? TIA,    Vic

Hi Vic, I experimented along these lines ( pardon the pun ! ) for quite a while. Practically None of the results were satistactory. It was very complex and time consuming, and I could hardly cast the results.  The best result was with braided terylene cord. I unravelled this and plaited the end down to a taper.  It was a terrible mess about but it works OK. It also floats of itself without dressing etc. In the meantime I reckon one is better off buying a line than trying to make one. The experiments with mono just cost me a lot of time for nothing really. There is also some braided cord available which I think is courlene, which gave fairly good results, I am still playing about with this. Hope this helps. Tight lines ! Mike Connor

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Please accept my apologies for the previous message – it appears there is some problem with my service provider. I am looking at what woule be involved in braiding my own fly lines from mono for salt water/suf type situations. As far as I can determine, getting the weight of the line itself right is one of the major obstacles (to ensure that the line is balanced to the rod, but what other problems am i likely to come up against? Does anyone else have any experience in this area? TIA,     Vic

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Question:

Have seen ad and sent for brochure on Diamondback rods, anyone have any experience with this company? I am interested in buying a blank from them. Would appreciate any life experiences with this company. Thanks, DLowe

They are nice rods.  I have fished them, at the request of my fishing partner who sells them.  They cast very similar to a Scott, have a nice finish, etc.  Life experiences you may not find, as they haven’t been around that long (like maybe 5 or 6 years?) Tight lines, -Burton

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Excellent company run by first class people who build a fine product. You won’t be disappointed in my opinion. Tom Dougherty – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Have seen ad and sent for brochure on Diamondback rods, anyone have any experience with this company? A few years ago, I bought a prototype 8 1/2′ 3/4 wgt. (prototype meaning no graphics on the rod and it wasn’t listed in their brochure) that I ran across on sale, and I think it’s wonderful.  It has a slow action, rather like my Winston 3 wgt., but it’s a bit heavier than an all-graphite rod would be (I think it’s one of their ‘lamiglass’ hybrids).  It casts both 3 & 4 wgt. lines equally well; I choose which based on wind conditions and fish spookiness.  HPH

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after reading all reply’s i am happy to know that i am not the only one who has broken there diamondback rods.i have two backwater series rods and both have broken at the ferrule,the last one breaking on the first cast of the first day in the florida keys.great trip!!they did repair them very fast but not even a letter of explanation.i think my next rod is an rplx.                                                           larry morris

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I love fly fishing in general it is so fun!!!! I love you too

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I love fly fishing in general it is so fun!!!! I love you too

that was beautiful man. you still aren’t getting my beer, though… TimW

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I love fly fishing in general it is so fun!!!! I love you tooGeez Jerry –

Isn’t 10:32 in the morning a tad early to be drinking?

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I love fly fishing in general it is so fun!!!! I love you too

..T-Bone..Send the Doc a homebrew!!….;)

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I love fly fishing in general it is so fun!!!! I love you too ..T-Bone..Send the Doc a homebrew!!….;)

Nah, he’d just use it to splash back more prozak. TimW

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I love fly fishing in general it is so fun!!!! I love you too ..T-Bone..Send the Doc a homebrew!!….;)

Actually it sounds like he has had one too many already! -Burton

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6/7 wt, 8-1/2 ft four-piece rods for years.  Very stiff action and will punch a line into the wind like no other rod I’ve ever used. Great for alpine lake fishing, which is why this is my backpacking rod of choice. Also great for going deep in big streams. Forget delicate presentations, however.  I also broke mine, and Diamondback fixed it very nicely. I think Diamondback used to private label a line of rods for L.L.Bean. Good luck!

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Have seen ad and sent for brochure on Diamondback rods, anyone have any experience with this company? I am interested in buying a blank from them. Would appreciate any life experiences with this company. Thanks, DLowe 21757.

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Have seen ad and sent for brochure on Diamondback rods, anyone have any

experience with this company? I am interested in buying a blank from them. Would appreciate any life experiences with this company.<< I like the action of the rods, I have two a 9wt and a 5 wt. The five weight broke at the ferrules while casting the first time out and it took too long (IMO) to get it back but they did fix it. I will not buy another one, that is my experience. Wayne Knight Marietta GA                                              

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Have seen ad and sent for brochure on Diamondback rods, anyone have any experience with this company? I am interested in buying a blank from them. Would appreciate any life experiences with this company. Thanks, DLowe 21757.

      I visited the factory up in Vermont a few years ago, and at the time their set-up looked efficient and clean; they stocked a nice line of rods, blanks and rod-building supplies. I’ve not been there recently.   Louise Scharrenberg

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Have seen ad and sent for brochure on Diamondback rods, anyone have any experience with this company?

A few years ago, I bought a prototype 8 1/2′ 3/4 wgt. (prototype meaning no graphics on the rod and it wasn’t listed in their brochure) that I ran across on sale, and I think it’s wonderful.  It has a slow action, rather like my Winston 3 wgt., but it’s a bit heavier than an all-graphite rod would be (I think it’s one of their ‘lamiglass’ hybrids).  It casts both 3 & 4 wgt. lines equally well; I choose which based on wind conditions and fish spookiness.  HPH

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Have seen ad and sent for brochure on Diamondback rods, anyone have any experience with this company? A few years ago, I bought a prototype 8 1/2′ 3/4 wgt. (prototype meaning no graphics on the rod and it wasn’t listed in their brochure) that I ran across on sale, and I think it’s wonderful.  It has a slow action, rather like my Winston 3 wgt., but it’s a bit heavier than an all-graphite rod would be (I think it’s one of their ‘lamiglass’ hybrids).  It casts both 3 & 4 wgt. lines equally well; I choose which based on wind conditions and fish spookiness.  HPH

I built a rod on a Diamondback 3 pc. Backwater blank last year and have fished it, oh probably 100 times more or less. The first two times out I broke the ferrule between the mid and tip section. Diamondback was real good about replacing it, and the rod designer, George, seemed genuinely interested in what the hell I was doing with their rods to do this :- I was using a 450 head (10 weight blank). The third ferrule was the charm and I’ve since had no problems at all, though I notice they’ve gone to the (IMO) much more reliable tip over butt ferrule in this year’s Saltwater rods (yay!). In terms of performance it casts very well with the rated line (#10) no need to overload it for wind or large flies. It’s less stiff than my Cabelas HML and a little more stiff than my Fisher GT40 if that helps. I can cast it all day without fatigue. Their stock rods seem very well built, I like their clown nose fighting butts, and the saltwater blank is especially nice to look at. I’d get another one, esp. with the new ferrule.                                                                 jc

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Question:

Whats the best model/brand fly line? (wf5-floating)

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Whats the best model/brand fly line? (wf5-floating)

My vote is for the Ultra 3 by Scientific Anglers. Take Care,

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Whats the best model/brand fly line? (wf5-floating) My vote is for the Ultra 3 by Scientific Anglers.

Considering price as well, Cortland 333 (2nd choice 444) — |  Donald Phillipson, 4180 Boundary Road, Carlsbad Springs,  | |        Ontario, Canada, K0A 1K0, tel. 613 822 0734         |

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I don’t know what the best line is but I can tell you to stay away from Courtlands Lazer Line.  I’ve got a DT5F that casts great….unfortunately it floats like a brick.  If I wanted a sinking line I would have bought one.  

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: Whats the best model/brand fly line? (wf5-floating) I am about to try out a WF6-F Mastery XPS.  Several fishing buddies and acquaintances think it is "the best". Cortland 444 lines last forever.  Cortland 444 SL lines tend to get sticky.  The Masterline series from Great Britain is not bad. — Burnaby, BC

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Whats the best model/brand fly line? (wf5-floating)

Hello William,         There are many good fly lines available to the angler today.  All of them have attributes that may or may not be what you are looking for. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the cortland lines.  The SL lines float well and sag very little in the eyes of your rod.  The Lazer lines have small dimples in the texture,(much like a golfball) to give you the maximum distance.  My favorite line is by Scientific Anglers.  It is the Mastery XPS.  It  is a supple line allowing great control.  Not a distance line, but I am not a distance guy.  You should go into your local shop and have them explain these subtleties. They may even haave these lines available for you to cast.  Good Luck. Paul J.

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Question:

I have the opportunity to take a "Flyfishing Seminar" in southern Mississippi with Mel Kreiger.  Since ther is little or no freshwater fishing nearby (at least this time of year), I’m assuming the seminar will be concerned mostly with casting.  As a novice who has taken some casting classes i could probably use the help. The problem is the $$$.  They want $175 for each one day session.  The money is donated to a very good cause (the Crosby Arboretum), but it’s still half the cost of a new rod… Anybody out there had any experinece with Mel’s casting classes?  Is it likely to be worth the money? Please let me know ASAP as the price goes up to $225 on the first (yikes, that’s tomorrow…) Many thanks, Bob McAnulty

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have the opportunity to take a "Flyfishing Seminar" in southern Mississippi with Mel Kreiger.  Since ther is little or no freshwater fishing nearby (at least this time of year), I’m assuming the seminar will be concerned mostly with casting.  As a novice who has taken some casting classes i could probably use the help. The problem is the $$$.  They want $175 for each one day session. The money is donated to a very good cause (the Crosby Arboretum), but it’s still half the cost of a new rod… Anybody out there had any experinece with Mel’s casting classes?  Is it likely to be worth the money?

I had the opportunity to take a Mel Krieger seminar for free (through Golden  West Women Flyfishers in S.F.), where Mel’s wife, Fanny, is a member.   Although there were a lot of people, and little personalized attention from Mel, it was still very useful (and I am a pretty good caster already).  If you can spend the money, I think Mel Krieger is a great casting instructor.  If you can’t afford the class, at least buy the  "Essence of Flycasting Video."  I like to just review it every  once in a while to keep my casting sharp.   If you are a novice, with some casting experience, I think Mel will  have you throwing a tight loop and double-hauling by the end of the day. John

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For my money Mel is the best casting instructor anywhere.  I have known him for 20 years and have seen him teach many times.  He even taught me.  I still try to find time to spend with him to break the bad habits I pick up along the way.  He has written several books and has at least two videos.

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I honestly cannot attest to Mel’s "live" presentation, but I will say that I learned a lot from his videotapes on casting. The problem, as I see it, with live seminars and to a certain extent, videos, is that each "master" has his own style of casting. There is no one way to cast, and learning other casting styles after a basic motion is mastered is much easier than trying to learn from a "Master." I do like Mel’s casting style. My recommendation is to buy his video on ADVANCED Fly Casting: this will save you $150 over the cost of the seminar; and you can make a worthwhile contribution to the Crosby Arberitum as an added – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

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I do like Mel’s casting style. My recommendation is to buy his video on ADVANCED Fly Casting: this will save you $150 over the cost of the

seminar. I disagree.  Buy the Essence of Flycasting tape, rather than Essence II.   Essence has the basics, plus some advanced material.  Essence II has some things that may not be useful to the mainstream (spey casting, etc.). This advice only applies if you’re going to buy one tape.  Best bet is to buy them both.

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I’m assuming the seminar will be concerned mostly with casting.  As a novice who has taken some casting classes i could probably use the help.

Yes it is and he is superb.                           Dan

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The problem, as I see it, with live seminars and to a certain extent, videos, is that each "master" has his own style of casting. There is no one way to cast, and learning other casting styles after a basic motion is mastered is much easier than trying to learn from a "Master." I do like Mel’s casting style. My recommendation is to buy his video on ADVANCED Fly Casting: this will save you $150 over the cost of the seminar; and you can make a worthwhile contribution to the Crosby Arberitum as an added

Regardless how you do it, if you move the rod correctly you will get a good cast.   However, the "style" that Mel teaches is efficient, accurate and repeatable all day long without causing soreness or injury.  I espouse this style of casting as I have found it the best for the reasons just stated.  His tapes are superb, however I would recommend "Essence Of FlyCasting" as the best for a novice, and Essence 2 for tournament style casting and 2 handed rod casting. NEITHER of the tapes is a substitute for instruction from the man!!  A competent instructor is far superior to any tape out there because his instruction is personalized to your needs. Price is the difference here.                                                           Dan

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Question:

I’ve never fished the San Juan but hear its productive for bigger fish.   Whats the truth, where can you stay, what are the conditions like around September? Do you need a boat or can you gain access to the better spots on foot? –

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says… I’ve never fished the San Juan but hear its productive for bigger fish.   Whats the truth, where can you stay, what are the conditions like around September? Do you need a boat or can you gain access to the better spots on foot? –

I am leaving tomorrow morning (8-15-95) to go to the San Juan for a few days.  I was originally trying for September but to no avail.  The water level should be at between 500-800 cfm and should make for some good fishing.  If you want, I will make a post when I return advising the conditions and where you might want to stay.  I understand there have been some recent changes their lately regarding hotels, restaurants, etc.  I’ll let you know what I find out. Just let me know.  I’ll do my best not to leave some fish that aren’t completely tired (yeah right)!! Tom Cavitt

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I’ve never fished the San Juan but hear its productive for bigger fish.   Whats the truth, where can you stay, what are the conditions like around September? Do you need a boat or can you gain access to the better spots on foot? –

Give Gary Willmart a call.  He’s President of Colorado Fishing Adventures, Inc. and operates a guiding business on the San Juan River and other rivers and lakes around Pagosa Springs, CO.  His phone is (719) 598-5787 and his address is Colorado Fishing Adventures, Inc., 6421 Pulpit Rock Dr., Colorado Springs, CO  80918. Tell him Dave Baker referred you.  He’s good and really enjoys guiding folks. Abe’s Motel and Fly Shop (owned by Abe Chavez and family) is probably the most popular place right on the river.  I’ve stayed there and it’s nice, they are helpful, and the prices are in the right range.  I don’t have their phone number but check dir. asst. in the Farmington, Aztec, Navajo Reservoir areas. You can also find places in Farmington, NM; Durango, CO; Pagosa Springs, CO; Chama, NM; etc.   Check a map. Sept. conditions are usually excellent and there are lots of big fish. In fact, you probably won’t get many under 16".  Weather’s good, too. Air warm, water cold – bring heavy socks for wading (see below). The upper river, in the first mile or so below the dam, is for wading only – no boats.  That’s what we do and where Gary takes clients. River is wide with lots of places to fish.  Lots of people but you can find good places open because there are so many fish around all over. They are hard to get, though, if you don’t know the river and it’s kind of unique.  So get a guide for at least half a day to show you how to begin, what to look for. I’ve never taken a boat trip but below the wade fishing only area, they allow drift boats.  If that is your interest, talk to Tim Chavez (Abe’s son) who operates the Born ‘N Raised guide service with boats. Pay attention to some unique regulations designed to protect the fishery:  catch & release some places, one fish over 20" other places and you gotta quit fishing when you kill one, barbless hooks, no fishing directly downstream of yourself or someone else (often called the San Juan Shuffle because fish will congregate and pick up food in the trail of debris kicked up by someone wading), etc. Have fun!

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I’ve heard that they bite drys a lot better in September, instead of the usual disco midges and San Jan worms that they ususally fish

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Question:

Would appreciate any suggestions concerning the following: I will be leaving Asheville, NC early Saturday morning (either the day before Father’s Day or the following Saturday), travelling to Washington, DC, taking two days, i.e., spending one night in western Virginia. What’s a good place to spend the night  along Interstate 81 so I can fish for trout on Saturday evening, after the drive from Asheville, and on Sunday morning, before the drive to DC?  The stream(s) should be somewhat easily accessible since I will have to spend time buying an out-of-state license before I can start.  BTW, what does a 2-3 day out-of-state license cost? Thanks again.

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I’ve often fished around the town of Bridgewater, VA. Its on I-81 in the middle of the Shenandoah valley, south of Harrisonburg. There are several creeks around there–the best is Mossy Creek, but to fish it or a couple of the others you need a special permit and they have made it hard to get one, i.e. you have to write in for it OR pick one up as some government office south of Bridgewater. Call the Mossy Creek flyshop in Bridgewater and ask them where to get the permits, or which streams don’t need em. There is a decent motel called the Village Inn near there on Rt. 11, or a great B-n-b about ten miles away in the hills, called Boxwood. Let me know

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What’s a good place to spend the night  along Interstate 81 so I can fish for trout on Saturday evening, after the drive from Asheville, and on Sunday morning, before the drive to DC?  The stream(s) should be somewhat easily accessible since I will have to spend time buying an out-of-state license before I can start.  BTW, what does a 2-3 day out-of-state license cost?

   You have several choices for smallmouth/bluegill flyfishing…not as much for trout (you’d have to drive farther from I-81 for trout).    Both the James River and the Maury River, which I-81 crosses in the vicinity of Lexington & Buena Vista, offer good smallmouth fishing.    My best recommendation, though, is to go ahead and do the longer drive up past Harrisonburg, then stop and fish the South Fork of the Shenandoah.  The Shenandoah offers great smallmouth fishing!  One of my favorite spots is at a bridge crossing a few miles downstream (north) of where Rt. 211 crosses the South Fork on its way to Luray.  You can fish here, then take Rt. 340 north to Front Royal (about 25 miles) where you pick up I-66 East to D.C.    The spot I mention is at the Rt. 643 bridge (or 6-forty-something)…there’s a Virginia Game Commission public boat landing.  You can park and wade upstream where there are some rubble/cobble dams.  I fished there just two weeks ago and caught close to 20 smallmouth in about 90 minutes!    This suggestion basically takes no time off the trip other than what you spend fishing.      —Scott

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   If you fish in a trout stream that is not catch and release, the license is close to $70.00 for out of state !!!   The James river around natural bridge area or Buchanan is good smallmouth fishing.  I think it is easier to fish with a canoe or small boat but it is possible to wade it alot of places if water is not high from run off. (would not be very fly fishable if muddy anyway).  During the week the folks at James River recreation area (a commercial camp ground) were kind enough to let me park my truck there and it is quite wadeable right around the cap ground.  The camp ground is advertised along rt 81.  I launched by boat there and went up stream the fishing was quite good. It is marginally boatable there lots of rocks and stuff.    I have not fished the Maury but it is much smaller and probably more appropriate for wade fishing.  I talk to one local gentleman who liked the Maury better than the James.  Good luck.                                     regards  leo

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Would appreciate any suggestions concerning the following: I will be leaving Asheville, NC early Saturday morning (either the day before Father’s Day or the following Saturday), travelling to Washington, DC, taking two days, i.e., spending one night in western Virginia.

What Pent1 and PWS said about this may be fine, and no doubt the fishing they descibed may be great. But for my buck. I’d haul butt from Ashville all the way to I-66 and Front Royal, Va. Hit Front Royal and get to the K-mart and buy a license and then head back west on Rt. 55 west to Patterson Creek and Elizabeth Furnace park and camping area. Patterson Creek has some challanging fishing and is very accessable and very pretty. And after you have spent as much time there as you want, you are only 2 hrs from D.C.

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I’ve often fished around the town of Bridgewater, VA. Its on I-81 in the middle of the Shenandoah valley, south of Harrisonburg. There are several creeks around there–the best is Mossy Creek, but to fish it or a couple of the others you need a special permit and they have made it hard to get one, i.e. you have to write in for it OR pick one up as some government office south of Bridgewater. Call the Mossy Creek flyshop in Bridgewater and ask them where to get the permits, or which streams don’t need em. There is a decent motel called the Village Inn near there on Rt. 11, or a great B-n-b about ten miles away in the hills, called Boxwood. Let me know

Just 90 minutes from D.C. is the small town of Edinburg 1 mile east of  exit 71.  Go into town, turn left at Main street, then begin looking on the right side of the road for Murray’s Fly Shop.  He’s got maps, advice, and plenty of knowledge abou t the trout AND — if you want to catch some real fish — Smallmouth Bass  fishing in the immediate area.  Harry Murray is the author of at least 2 books about fishing in the area.  His book on smallmouth fishing is excellent!  Phone # is 703-984-4212. Jim IwishIwasfishing Stewart.

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