Question:
Evolution of the Penn’s Creek Fisherman: 6. sleep, eat, drink, laugh, fish, in no special order….. Remember, it’s evolution, short cuts can be dangerous…….
We like living on the edge. Danger is our business. Besides, we ain’t all that sure about all that evolution stuff……and there’s just too damn much to remember! 
Wolfgang who sure hopes there ain’t gonna be a quiz.
Response:
We like living on the edge. Danger is our business. Besides, we ain’t all that sure about all that evolution stuff……and there’s just too damn much to remember! Wolfgang who sure hopes there ain’t gonna be a quiz.
Quiz? I made all of that stuff up…I’m still at Step 1….
Response:
We like living on the edge. Danger is our business. Besides, we ain’t all that sure about all that evolution stuff……and there’s just too damn much to remember! Wolfgang who sure hopes there ain’t gonna be a quiz. Quiz? I made all of that stuff up…I’m still at Step 1….
Um…..Step 1 sounds a mite strenuous for us geezers. I believe I’ll stick with step 6. Hey, I know! While you guys are running up and down the stream for 16 hours I’ll stay behind and guard the beer! Yeah, that’ll work! 
Wolfgang it feels so good to be useful in the golden years.
Response:
Mike, nice piece……btw, your Marabou Minnows are waiting on my kitchen table. Tom p.s. About that "invite a bunch of out-of- towners" step…….
Response:
<g …but, if’n it ain’t a twelve step program, none of my crowd will comply or progress… i’ll be lookin for you at dawn and dusk or somewhere in mid-upstream hike… but only 16 hours doesn’t leave much time for many niceties, except perhaps your offering me a beer… jeff (in the land of one-step fishing) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Evolution of the Penn’s Creek Fisherman: 1. Catch as many fish as you possibly can, running up and down the creek 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, sucking down some food after dark, dressing the wounds, drying out the soaked clothes, and drinking as fast as you fish, so you can pass out, and wake up early in the morning, to get out for another 16 hours. 2. Catch as many fish as you can pausing for a few minutes to focus on the big fish at dawn, and dusk. Catching lunch in between the nymph water, and the hatch pools, and stay up later talking about how the f$#% the 20+ incher could snub your squirrelly fly presentation, wake a bit later in the morning. 3. Sleep in, wake up to a drool soaked pillow, eat a good breakfast, do some nymphing in the best holes, catch just as many fish as you did in step one in a few hours, eat lunch, drink beer, drink beer, nymph fish in the water you won’t fish the hatch in, stake out the perfect pool, wait for the amazing sequence events to take place (midges, midge spinners, emerging sulphurs, emerging grey fox, sulphur spinners, emerging sulphurs, march brown spinners, emerging sulphurs, while the caddis are there throughout), pick a fly to concentrate on, and wonder how the f$%# that monster brown could refuse your perfect fly presentation. Drink more than your old body can handle, go to beginning of step three. 4. Wake up early, eat breakfast, take a shower, wait for everyone to go upstream to all of the "best" water, fish the real water, drink beer, eat an early lunch, pass everyone going back for lunch, nymph fish, go back for early dinner, drink beer, wait for everyone to go back to the stream, go fishing on one of the other local streams, fly up over the mountain, take a couple shots, wait for someone from step one to leave the best hole, fish the hatch, throw the spinner over that one huge fish with some half assed cast, hook-it, fight it, breaks you off three feet from ya, drink tequila, take a day off the schedule, go to the beginning of step four. 5. Invite a bunch of out-of towners, teach’em step one, go to step four, somewhere around nymph fishing or dinner (taking care not to skip the beer, and shots). Enjoy everyone flying up and down the stream, throw an attractor fly out there on 2x tippet at dark, sleigh the dragon, 6. sleep, eat, drink, laugh, fish, in no special order….. Remember, it’s evolution, short cuts can be dangerous……. The Finn By the way, step one is the most fun…..
Response:
Mike, nice piece……btw, your Marabou Minnows are waiting on my kitchen table. Tom p.s. About that "invite a bunch of out-of- towners" step…….
Hey, since I was one of those out of towners last year, can I move up? — Frank Reid Reverse email to reply. .
Response:
Hey, I know! While you guys are running up and down the stream for 16 hours I’ll stay behind and guard the beer! Yeah, that’ll work! Wolfgang it feels so good to be useful in the golden years.
A step 7!!!
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p.s. About that "invite a bunch of out-of- towners" step……. Hey, since I was one of those out of towners last year, can I move up? — Frank Reid Reverse email to reply.
You already did, although I had to practically drag you upstream myself…..in the midst of trying to locate some C4 to combat your arsenal (watch out for those underwater trip wires), but "can’t we all just get along?" The Finn
Response:
Hey, I know! While you guys are running up and down the stream for 16 hours I’ll stay behind and guard the beer! Yeah, that’ll work! Wolfgang it feels so good to be useful in the golden years. A step 7!!!
See, that’s what I’m talking about….there’s ALWAYS another step….it’s like trying to keep up with Miller. :( Wolfgang is it nap time yet?
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"can’t we all just get along?"
Works for me. Wolfgang
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Well, I hope to be more mobile this year. The doc is thinking about using Botox on my back. Oh, by the way, got a real wading staff now, and hopefully won’t loose it. — Frank Reid Reverse email to reply.
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hey, I know! While you guys are running up and down the stream for 16 hours I’ll stay behind and guard the beer! Yeah, that’ll work! Wolfgang it feels so good to be useful in the golden years. A step 7!!! See, that’s what I’m talking about….there’s ALWAYS another step….it’s like trying to keep up with Miller. :( Wolfgang is it nap time yet?
It’s the last step you want to avoid…. The BIG nap. Willi
Response:
is it nap time yet? It’s the last step you want to avoid…. The BIG nap.
While postponement is allowed, avoidance simply isn’t tolerated in these parts. Wolfgang one MUST observe the social niceties! :)
Response:
It’s the last step you want to avoid…. The BIG nap. While postponement is allowed, avoidance simply isn’t tolerated in these parts.
You obviously haven’t read the latest in magnetic immortality theory. http://www.alexchiu.com/ 
— Ken Fortenberry
Response:
It’s the last step you want to avoid…. The BIG nap. While postponement is allowed, avoidance simply isn’t tolerated in these parts. You obviously haven’t read the latest in magnetic immortality theory. http://www.alexchiu.com/
O.K., sure, but what’s it really worth when breast enhancement schemes don’t wor….um…..never mind. Wolfgang
Response:
Evolution of the Penn’s Creek Fisherman: 1. Catch as many fish as you possibly can, running up and down the creek 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, sucking down some food after dark, dressing the wounds, drying out the soaked clothes, and drinking as fast as you fish, so you can pass out, and wake up early in the morning, to get out for another 16 hours. 2. Catch as many fish as you can pausing for a few minutes to focus on the big fish at dawn, and dusk. Catching lunch in between the nymph water, and the hatch pools, and stay up later talking about how the f$#% the 20+ incher could snub your squirrelly fly presentation, wake a bit later in the morning. 3. Sleep in, wake up to a drool soaked pillow, eat a good breakfast, do some nymphing in the best holes, catch just as many fish as you did in step one in a few hours, eat lunch, drink beer, drink beer, nymph fish in the water you won’t fish the hatch in, stake out the perfect pool, wait for the amazing sequence events to take place (midges, midge spinners, emerging sulphurs, emerging grey fox, sulphur spinners, emerging sulphurs, march brown spinners, emerging sulphurs, while the caddis are there throughout), pick a fly to concentrate on, and wonder how the f$%# that monster brown could refuse your perfect fly presentation. Drink more than your old body can handle, go to beginning of step three. 4. Wake up early, eat breakfast, take a shower, wait for everyone to go upstream to all of the "best" water, fish the real water, drink beer, eat an early lunch, pass everyone going back for lunch, nymph fish, go back for early dinner, drink beer, wait for everyone to go back to the stream, go fishing on one of the other local streams, fly up over the mountain, take a couple shots, wait for someone from step one to leave the best hole, fish the hatch, throw the spinner over that one huge fish with some half assed cast, hook-it, fight it, breaks you off three feet from ya, drink tequila, take a day off the schedule, go to the beginning of step four. 5. Invite a bunch of out-of towners, teach’em step one, go to step four, somewhere around nymph fishing or dinner (taking care not to skip the beer, and shots). Enjoy everyone flying up and down the stream, throw an attractor fly out there on 2x tippet at dark, sleigh the dragon, 6. sleep, eat, drink, laugh, fish, in no special order….. Remember, it’s evolution, short cuts can be dangerous……. The Finn By the way, step one is the most fun…..
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – is it nap time yet? It’s the last step you want to avoid…. The BIG nap. While postponement is allowed, avoidance simply isn’t tolerated in these parts. Avoidance is a commonly used tactic by me. It works well in lots of situations. Ya think I may need to rethink that strategy on this one?
Nah, go for it. Keep us posted on how it works out. Wolfgang eagerly awaiting the first installment at penn’s. :)
Response:
<SNIP You obviously haven’t read the latest in magnetic immortality theory. http://www.alexchiu.com/
TL MC
Response:
is it nap time yet? It’s the last step you want to avoid…. The BIG nap. While postponement is allowed, avoidance simply isn’t tolerated in these parts.
Avoidance is a commonly used tactic by me. It works well in lots of situations. Ya think I may need to rethink that strategy on this one? Willi
Response:
Question:
….There is nothing more fun than tying flies from a Pheasant skin.
"Wolfgang wrote Geez Ernie, I don’t know quite how to put this Wolfgang "She said, that ain’t the way to have fun, son"
Wolfie, Just wait until you are 70 before commenting. Ernie
Wolfie, you don’t have to be 70 to agree with Ernie! You can loose it by 48 too! — Padishar Creel "What do we live for if it is not to make life less difficult to each other." – George Eliot
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irridescent body feathers,go to make up a Jack Gartside pattern, the Sparrow. A very versatile subsurface fly, can be nymph or minnow. Tom Littleton
Use the reddish colored ones for a rusty sparrow. Heavily weighted it is a great crawfish pattern. Fish it with the old Heave it and leave it technique. Everything on this fly moves with very little current. Big Dale – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
Response:
Do you people know any pattern that requires pheasant feathers, other than the tail? Cheers, Peter.
I tie a nymph for lakes with the marabou type fluff from the rump feather and a dubbed body color to match the fluff with a gold rib. Looks like a really dark hares ear with a fluffy tail. Simple pattern to tie and is quite effective. Darin
Response:
This is simply not true. Mobile fibres such as marabou, polar bear hear, cat fur, and several others will simply not behave like this. If a fly tied with such fibres is placed in water and left immobile, the fibres tend to fill out to their full volume,and wave around with every nuance of the current. When pulled through the water, the fibres compress as a result of the ensuing water resistance, and many such flies assume a streamlined, torpedo like appearance in such circumstances.
Hmm in my experience Polar bear is very stiff and brittle. THe attractive thing about polar bear is that it is translucent. Tying streamers with polar bear creates a baitfish imitation that is translucent, much like many baitfish. I find it nothing like maribou, and I had to promise to leave the damn cats alone Ernie, There is a pattern up here in Maine, called the muddler hopper that uses those nicely patterned feathers from the back of the pheasant as a wing. essentially the pattern is a muddler headed hopper pattern, very effective and we fish them like dalhberg divers once they begin to sink. Brookies love ‘em Flyfish – countdown to the clave!
Response:
Hmm in my experience Polar bear is very stiff and brittle. THe attractive thing about polar bear is that it is translucent.
One word: Icelandic Sheep. OK, 2. Regards, Jeff
Response:
The blue rump fleathers can be used as eyes on baitfish imitations or wound as hackles on soft hackle flies. Tom ‘for the children of the world’ is a non-profit organization in the state of Washington that aids the child victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Visit our website at: http://www.forworldschildren.org – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – <snip Various short but passionate affairs with some materials, very often originally based on nothing more concrete than a desire to avoid wasting them, the plumulaceous base feathers from the common pheasant being a case in point, with rather disappointing results, have somewhat dampened my enthusiasm for experimentation in this regard. A hunting friend just gave me a complete pheasant skin to tie flies from. Apart from the tail feathers I use for various nymphs, I have not used pheasant for any flies. Do you people know any pattern that requires pheasant feathers, other than the tail? Cheers, Peter.
–
Response:
This is simply not true. Mobile fibres such as marabou, polar bear hear, cat fur, and several others will simply not behave like this. If a fly tied with such fibres is placed in water and left immobile, the fibres tend to fill out to their full volume,and wave around with every nuance of the current. When pulled through the water, the fibres compress as a result of the ensuing water resistance, and many such flies assume a streamlined, torpedo like appearance in such circumstances. When fished "sink and draw", that is to say, pulled, and then stopped, and then pulled again, such fibre bunches tend to "pulse", as they are alternately compressed, and then released from compression. Presumably it is the apparent indication of life imparted by such "pulsing" and other movement, which causes many fish to attack them. When fishing downstream ,on a tight line in heavy current for instance, such "pulsing" may be only slight, or even non existent, as the current is never weak enough to allow the fibres to fluff out to their full volume, and the flies retain a streamlined shape irrespective of manipulation by the rod and line. In heavy currents etc , other more robust, or springy, fibres must be used to achieve such effects. The flies must be tied to suit the circumstances. Failure to appreciate this quite simple fact, will result in less fish being caught Some flies may have a particular shape or appearance in air, but it is not sensible to assume that they will retain such an appearance in water, which is quite obviously a completely different medium. Their BEHAVIOUR, or FUNCTION, if you prefer, may also be completely different.This is not entirely dependent on the materials used in their construction, but also the way in which they are used, and under what circumstances. Wetting a fly and then looking at it in air is not a viable test, it must be completely immersed in water, and its various properties tested, if one wishes to know how it will behave under similar circumstances. Some things may be inferred from experience, or previous knowledge of certain fibres, without these tests, but only such tests are proof positive. You may check this quite easily, it is not necessary to take my word for it, just fill a sink with water and pull a fly tied like this through it. Then pull some others through as well, you will notice massive differences in their respective behaviour immediately. Exactly the same applies for soft hackled wet flies, which is why the patterns mentioned, when tied in this specific way, are not suitable for upstream fishing, or at least not as suitable as others. Streamlined nymphal shapes, with a translucent, waving or "wriggling" body effect, as you put it, will only be apparent when the flies are pulled through the water, or at least held in the current, which is basically the same thing. Compressive fibre streamlining occurs as a direct result of water resistance. Without this they will not compress. Water resistance forces the fibres backwards, veiling the body, and this will then be an excellent imitation of an active swimming nymph. Or a fish for instance, in the case of some lures etc. This will only occur if the fly is pulled through the water, ( retrieved), or fished downstream on a tight line. In ALL OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES the fly will not assume such an appearance. There are many variables here, and one may pursue such studies into realms of detail far beyond the scope or interest of most anglers. Various fibres behave in various ways, and there are a considerable number of excellent and valid reasons why most of these flies are tied with specific feathers. While it may be true that flies tied with somewhat less attention to detail, and with substitute feathers, still catch fish, it is my experience, and that of many others, that they are nowhere near as effective as the original patterns tied correctly. If as you say you have noticed no difference, then that forces me to a number of conclusions. The first one is, if it does not matter as you say, then why are you arguing so vehemently against it? The second one is, as I know this to be an easily demonstrable fact, I am bound to assume that you have not tried it, as otherwise you could not possibly have a differing opinion. This subject is simply not a matter of opinion, it is a matter of known fact. The third one is, as I already stated, the originals, tied ( and fished! ),correctly, catch more fish. In order to know this you must have either tried it, or at least have it on hearsay that this is so. As you have obviously not tried the originals, or even apparently heard any reliable evidence to support this idea, you are in no position to argue as to its veracity. Fourthly, ease of tying is not my main criterion when tying flies, in fact it is not usually even a criterion at all. As an argument in favour of using less suitable materials, it is pure nonsense. If you can not tie flies using these materials, either due to a lack of manipulatory skill, or simply because you are unable to obtain them, then that is most unfortunate for you, but it is not a valid reason for arguing against others doing so. My flies are tied purely to catch fish, and they do so, with remarkable regularity and consistency. I do not really give a tinker
Question:
Tried to access the web page to get some info for a trip next month but the browser couldn’t find it. Has flyline.com moved? I tried adventurewest.com too, but it couldn’t be found either. Brent
Response:
Tried to access the web page to get some info for a trip next month but the browser couldn’t find it. Has flyline.com moved? I tried adventurewest.com too, but it couldn’t be found either. Brent
Not sure, but I think the server on which Ralph has his web site is down. I haven’t been able to get through either for the last several days. FAS
Response:
Hi- We live- but our server has been unplugged. We were on the Adventure West Magazine server. Ad West, left for bigger digs in Seattle and in the process, apparently, unplugged their server. They have yet to answer my email or phone class regarding the situation. We WILL reappear, but I’m at a loss as to when, where and under what guise. -Ralph Tried to access the web page to get some info for a trip next month but the browser couldn’t find it. Has flyline.com moved? I tried adventurewest.com too, but it couldn’t be found either. Brent Not sure, but I think the server on which Ralph has his web site is down. I haven’t been able to get through either for the last several days. FAS
California School of Flyfishing. Fishing conditions, hatch charts, product reviews, tips, techniques and more. http://www.FLYLINE.com
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi- We live- but our server has been unplugged. We were on the Adventure West Magazine server. Ad West, left for bigger digs in Seattle and in the process, apparently, unplugged their server. They have yet to answer my email or phone class regarding the situation. We WILL reappear, but I’m at a loss as to when, where and under what guise. -Ralph Tried to access the web page to get some info for a trip next month but the browser couldn’t find it. Has flyline.com moved? I tried adventurewest.com too, but it couldn’t be found either. Brent Not sure, but I think the server on which Ralph has his web site is down. I haven’t been able to get through either for the last several days. FAS California School of Flyfishing. Fishing conditions, hatch charts, product reviews, tips, techniques and more. http://www.FLYLINE.com
Ralph, Could you post a Tahoe area report here? Thanks, Michael Smith
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