Question:

I took a few photos this afternoon while skiing. I thought some of you might like to see them. It’s just so beautiful up here in the winter, even though the fishing is nonexistent. The URLs are: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2698.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2704.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2707.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2711.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2718.jpg I’ll admit that I was experimenting with the depth of field of my digital camera. Unfortunately, you can’t get the full effect with these small photos. A 6-megapixel camera and a large print would blow you away. BTW, all shots were hand-held. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

nice shots… richard / colorado

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I took a few photos this afternoon while skiing. I thought some of you might like to see them. It’s just so beautiful up here in the winter, even though the fishing is nonexistent. The URLs are: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2698.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2704.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2707.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2711.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2718.jpg I’ll admit that I was experimenting with the depth of field of my digital camera. Unfortunately, you can’t get the full effect with these small photos. A 6-megapixel camera and a large print would blow you away. BTW, all shots were hand-held. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

Nice roff, roffs you have there.   George

Response:

Nice roff, roffs you have there.

They’re the best, George. We communicate telepathically. I’m fortunate to have the finest cross-country skiing you can imagine right out of town, and dogs are very welcome. Arlo, the Golden Retriever, had a lot of problems with getting ice in his paws at first, but the more we do it (like every day) the tougher he gets. The Border Collie, Bee, bounds through the snow like it doesn’t exist. I’m new to cross-country skiing, but I’m finding that it has some similarities to fly fishing. Every day the conditions are a little different. It’s never the same. Not yet, anyway. I love it. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

Put Gink between his toes or better yet, make him a set of booties.  As a last resort, put cotton around his toes and duck tape but don’t wrap tape.  Squeeze it on. Your Dog’s Pal, George’s Arf – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Nice roff, roffs you have there. They’re the best, George. We communicate telepathically. I’m fortunate to have the finest cross-country skiing you can imagine right out of town, and dogs are very welcome. Arlo, the Golden Retriever, had a lot of problems with getting ice in his paws at first, but the more we do it (like every day) the tougher he gets. The Border Collie, Bee, bounds through the snow like it doesn’t exist. I’m new to cross-country skiing, but I’m finding that it has some similarities to fly fishing. Every day the conditions are a little different. It’s never the same. Not yet, anyway. I love it. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

Put Gink between his toes or better yet, make him a set of booties.  As a last resort, put cotton around his toes and duck tape but don’t wrap tape.  Squeeze it on.

Sorry to disappoint you, but I’ve been spraying Pam in his paws. It’s cheaper than Gink. I’ve also been trimming the hair in his paws. The more we ski (well, actually I’m the one who skis) the less he needs it. I bought some fancy booties with Velcro strips ($36) and he promptly lost one. What a waste of money. He hated them, too. It was worth the 36 bucks to see him high-stepping around the cabin when I first put them on. I thought I’d die laughing. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

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Hunting With Hank, when they put the duck tape boots on Hank, pranced around also.  But they get used to it.  What you have to watch out for is frost bitten toes, this is why insulated foot wear is so important. Pam is a good idea.  Better than my idea by a long shot.  If he stops and licks paws, check time. Love the dogs though, they are beauties! George – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Put Gink between his toes or better yet, make him a set of booties.  As a last resort, put cotton around his toes and duck tape but don’t wrap tape.  Squeeze it on. Sorry to disappoint you, but I’ve been spraying Pam in his paws. It’s cheaper than Gink. I’ve also been trimming the hair in his paws. The more we ski (well, actually I’m the one who skis) the less he needs it. I bought some fancy booties with Velcro strips ($36) and he promptly lost one. What a waste of money. He hated them, too. It was worth the 36 bucks to see him high-stepping around the cabin when I first put them on. I thought I’d die laughing. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

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I’m new to cross-country skiing, but I’m finding that it has some similarities to fly fishing. Every day the conditions are a little different. It’s never the same. Not yet, anyway. I love it.

I thought I might get a chance to get my skis out in Atlanta yesterday, but the snow melted too fast. I imagine the XC skiing must be great there. What you need is an Iridium phone with the data kit, and then you could upload photos to your site while you are still out skiing. Certainly couldn’t do that with film. <g — Charlie…

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I’m fortunate to have the finest cross-country skiing you can imagine right out of town, and dogs are very welcome….

The downhill’s not too shabby either, but alas, dogs are rarely welcome at a ski resort. — Rusty Hook Laramie, Wyoming

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Question:

If you bring that I’ll make sure to get a bottle of Zubrowka – Polish vodka flavored with buffalo grass.  The current stuff is actually fake, because the buffalo grass has some kind of blood thinner and the FDA banned it in 1978, but it’s still good.  My uncles used to have bottles of the real stuff and brought it out on holidays.  They’re all over 80 and still healthy as horses, so maybe it’s really good stuff<g.

I brought home a bottle of the real Zubrowka when we returned from a recent trip to Poland.  Should have brought two or three, ’cause the stuff just doesn’t last around my house.  Hands down the finest tasting vodka I’ve had. Bill

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Zubrowka is great stuff. I spent a few months studying in Krakow back before the velvet revolution

        (nifty anecdote snipped)         god, i love the smell of well-written english in the morning…         thanks, sid, from your friend in the old north state wayno

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Screw this wussy stuff and bring on the Slivovitz!!  I’ll try to get some for Penns 2002! Scott If you bring that I’ll make sure to get a bottle of Zubrowka – Polish vodka flavored with buffalo grass.  The current stuff is actually fake, because the buffalo grass has some kind of blood thinner and the FDA banned it in 1978, but it’s still good.  My uncles used to have bottles of the real stuff and brought it out on holidays.  They’re all over 80 and still healthy as horses, so maybe it’s really good stuff<g.

I have a bottle brought to me from Poland by a Polish friend I work with. VERY GOOD STUFF. M. Wm.

Response:

If you bring that I’ll make sure to get a bottle of Zubrowka – Polish vodka flavored with buffalo grass.  

Zubrowka is great stuff. I spent a few months studying in Krakow back before the velvet revolution and can confidently say that one of the few joys of soviet style socialism is plenty of cheap booze. I brought 200 USD to last the entire four months I was there and lived like a king. Well, a king who wipes his ass with newspaper, anyway. TP was tough to come by at the time. And, well, you start to see why it’s a good thing that booze was cheap in soviet socialist economies . My roommate at the time had just arrived from West Berlin where he’d been living in luxury accommodations while studying there. He used to wake up every morning, look out the window and remark with utter defeat, "Well, another shitty day in Poland." The poor guy was so stopped up from the adjustment to Poland’s somewhat challenging diet that after the first five days, he still hadn’t taken a crap. Sympathetic lot that we were, the rest of us in the program started a pool on when he’d eventually find relief, eschewing normal conversation with the poor bastard and instead starting every interaction with completely unveiled references to his predicament. "So, Mike…taken a crap yet?" was a popular starter and the hangdog look that would inevitably accompany the ensuing despondent shake of his head was enough to make you almost feel sorry for the guy. Unless, of course, it was your day in the pool. Poland’s a tough place…especially when there’s money at stake . Anyway, that’s a bit of a digression, but thanks for the memories. Maybe I’ll hit the ole liquor store tomorrow and see if I can’t scare up a bottle of the old Zubrowka. Or just take a crap and think about Mike. Too close to call, really. dziekuje bardzo, – sid

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Screw this wussy stuff and bring on the Slivovitz!!  I’ll try to get some for Penns 2002! Scott If you bring that I’ll make sure to get a bottle of Zubrowka – Polish vodka flavored with buffalo grass.  The current stuff is actually fake, because the buffalo grass has some kind of blood thinner and the FDA banned it in 1978, but it’s still good.  My uncles used to have bottles of the real stuff and brought it out on holidays.  They’re all over 80 and still healthy as horses, so maybe it’s really good stuff<g.

Sounds like a deal.  There’s a Slovenian on my floor–I’ll start working on him for a bottle. This Clave might take on an Eastern European flavor.  Maybe a nice flanken would serve as well. Scott

Response:

Screw this wussy stuff and bring on the Slivovitz!!  I’ll try to get some for Penns 2002! Scott

Plum Vodka from one of the slavic countries Czechoslovakia? Poland? national drink. There is a plum brandy that is good too. — Don Thompson Another Thompson Scion

Response:

Screw this wussy stuff and bring on the Slivovitz!!  I’ll try to get some for Penns 2002! Scott

If you bring that I’ll make sure to get a bottle of Zubrowka – Polish vodka flavored with buffalo grass.  The current stuff is actually fake, because the buffalo grass has some kind of blood thinner and the FDA banned it in 1978, but it’s still good.  My uncles used to have bottles of the real stuff and brought it out on holidays.  They’re all over 80 and still healthy as horses, so maybe it’s really good stuff<g.

Response:

<good TR snipped some sort of Scandinavian drink made from potatoes called (it sounded like at least) Aqua Feet

FYI: http://www.britannica.com/seo/a/aquavit/

Response:

  some sort of Scandinavian drink made from potatoes called (it sounded like at least) Aqua Feet FYI: http://www.britannica.com/seo/a/aquavit/

Thanks for the link Stan.  I still think my description and the name of Aquafeet should be used despite what the encyclopedia has to say about it. <g Lou gave some interesting history about this drink.  Apparently crossing the equator makes it taste better so the good stuff is stamped with when and on what boat it crossed the equator.  If nothing else, it made the drink more interesting because it had a history. — Warren Findley Remove (nospamZZ) to respond via email http://www.geocities.com/troutbum_mt/

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – some sort of Scandinavian drink made from potatoes called (it sounded like at least) Aqua Feet FYI: http://www.britannica.com/seo/a/aquavit/ Thanks for the link Stan.  I still think my description and the name of Aquafeet should be used despite what the encyclopedia has to say about it. <g Lou gave some interesting history about this drink.  Apparently crossing the equator makes it taste better so the good stuff is stamped with when and on what boat it crossed the equator.  If nothing else, it made the drink more interesting because it had a history. — Warren Findley Remove (nospamZZ) to respond via email http://www.geocities.com/troutbum_mt/

Screw this wussy stuff and bring on the Slivovitz!!  I’ll try to get some for Penns 2002! Scott

Response:

Lou Teletski and his friends (Jim, Tom and Eric) have been out in Yellowstone for a week and are leaving today.  I finally got my life caught back up from the Conclave and was able to swing over there yesterday to fish with Lou and his friends.  We met at his hotel room in Gardiner early yesterday morning and decided to go fish some water in the Park that they have never done well on.  This stretch of river can be difficult to fish for a variety of reasons, especially when the fish are uncooperative.  I wasn’t sure what to expect for today.  Hayden Valley was socked in with smoke from a couple of fires in the area.  Depending on which way the wind blew, the smoke would either come in or blow it out and for most of the day we were fortunate to be without. We arrived on the water a little after 9 and were all on the water around 9:40 or so.  There were some Gray Drake spinners around, but very few fish were rising.  Before getting on the water I had given everybody a short description of what had worked for us during the Clave as well as how the Troutmaster had tackled this stretch of water.  We spread out and began fishing.  I started fishing a large stonefly nymph with a prince dropper and fished the deep slots.  I came into the first fish and radioed the group of what the fish had taken.  I caught another fish shortly thereafter and again radioed the group that the fish had again taken the prince nymph. Eric was next into fish on some sort of peacock bodied fly that closely resembled a prince.  It was nice watching Eric catch fish because he enjoyed each one as if it was his first fish.  A few fish started rising in Troutmaster Willi’s hole and I had Lou come over and fish it with me.  I switched over to an Adams and caught another fish.  Jim and Eric caught a couple of fish upstream of us.  Lou didn’t have much luck in Willi’s hole and I eventually worked my way back up to the vehicle to get a quick snack and left Lou down there to catch some fish. After watching the buffalo walked down the road and feeding some birds, Lou and I went and fished upstream of where we started.  A meadow starts in this section and there is a big cove with slow moving water.  The cove is sort of shallow and has a large flat that runs along a very deep section.  We worked our way upstream fishing this deep section and neither of us had any luck. I walked quite a ways upstream trying to find some better water, but it was all the same for as far as I could see. The water in this area would be very good to fish from a float tube because it is more like fishing a lake although it is against the rules to fish it from a float tube.  There is hardly any current and even the very structure is very lake-like.  I walked back down to Lou and we decided to work our back and fish the area we had fished earlier in the morning.  While we were going fishless, the radio crackled with news that the other three guys were getting into fish downstream. As we walked along the bank, we spotted three fish hanging out in the cove close to the bank.  Lou eventually enticed one to the surface with a Gray Wulff.  The fish had taken up positions and began feeding in an area where the cove ends and the river narrows causing the water to move a little faster.  Lou went over and began fishing while I sat on the bank and watched Lou in action.  He caught another fish in this area and the fish started rising more profusely than before.  I started fishing downstream to the fish that were hanging out on the far side of the current and was unable to get a good drift so I changed sides.  Lou in the meantime is catching fish mind you.  I worked my way downstream to an area that allowed me to cross the river and began to hear thunder in the distance.  The wind was coming in fits and during the calm periods the fish would start rising. After crossing the river I saw a bunch of fish on the flats and started fishing for these.  The fish were not taking dries however and I could see them taking nymphs of some sort.  They just swam a couple feet to either side very nonchalantly and opened their mouths to these drifting morsels of food.  I added a small pheasant tail dropper and started fishing the Adams and the dropper.  I didn’t have much luck with the Adams so switched over to a Gray Wulff with the PT dropper.  The wind just happened to pick up and made casting next to impossible where I was at and the thunder started booming very close to our location.  Jim, Tom and Eric packed up and headed upstream while Lou crossed the river. As Lou and I were discussing leaving, a large cutthroat came up and hammered my Gray Wulff.  The fish dove into a weed bed and I lost the fish.  I put a couple more casts out and had another nice sized fish take the PT dropper. This fish ran for the rocks and I could feel the leader ticking up against the rocks before the tippet finally gave out.  We decided to get off the water because of the weather and headed up to the vehicles.  By the time we had put away our gear, the storm had passed and a large group of Gray Drakes were hovering over the vehicle.  We decided to head back to Gardiner for dinner and call it a day.  They still had some packing to do after all. The results were we caught 17 fish with none under 16" between the five of us.  I don’t think anyone caught any 16" fish either.  Most fish seemed to hover around the 17" to 18" range with a few larger that pushed into the  20+" range.  Unfortunately, Tom never did get a fish.  This river has a way of keeping at least one person in the group very humble and my last trip to this river had left me skunked. After a great meal and good conversation we headed back to their room for some coffee and a special drink that Lou had brought.  I say special not because it was so tasty, but because it was from Sweden I think.  It is supposedly some sort of Scandinavian drink made from potatoes called (it sounded like at least) Aqua Feet and that is how it should be said and written IMO because it tasted like someone had mashed up rotten oranges with dirty feet.  We talked for quite some time before I decided it was getting late and I still had a decent drive ahead of me so I should depart.  I had a wonderful time with these guys and was thankful that I had the opportunity to meet Lou.  Another good example as to the quality of the people you meet by way of ROFF.  I couldn’t have asked for a better day or better company other than getting Tom into some fish. — Warren Findley Remove (nospamZZ) to respond via email http://www.geocities.com/troutbum_mt/

Response:

Question:

Off the Patuxent River mouth we were seeing huge clouds of bluefish that would sometimes erupt from the water like bait, but they wouldn’t take any lure or fly that we were using. Got so tired of foul hooking we gave up. Were they balled up cause there were larger fish threatening the school? If so, what fish, larger blues or stripers. And how should be have fished for the larger fish? Bob

Response:

On Thu, 22 Jul 1999 in rec.outdoors.fishing.fly BluesRevue wrote about "Great Balls of Bluefish": … Were they balled up cause

… Never heard the saying "ball of fish" until a few weeks ago, when a boatman on an Irish lake referred to a "ball of fish" (meaning a lot of brown trout).  Is it a common saying in the US?  And does it literally refer to a ball-shaped shoal? — Phil Jones South Wales, UK

Response:

On Thu, 22 Jul 1999 in rec.outdoors.fishing.fly BluesRevue wrote about "Great Balls of Bluefish": Were they balled up cause Never heard the saying "ball of fish" until a few weeks ago, when a boatman on an Irish lake referred to a "ball of fish" (meaning a lot of brown trout).  Is it a common saying in the US?  And does it literally refer to a ball-shaped shoal?

I think "ball" in this context just refers to a mass of slashing fish in the middle of a "blitz", not the shape of their surroundings. /daytripper (now wondering if he should have defined "blitz" ;^)

Response:

I think "ball" in this context just refers to a mass of slashing fish in the middle of a "blitz", not the shape of their surroundings. /daytripper (now wondering if he should have defined "blitz" ;^)

By great coincidence, I changed my screensaver today to the MS Scenes Undersea collection.  One of the pics can only be described as a "ball of fish"..!  I’ll post it to alt.binaries.pictures.fishing. — Phil Jones

Response:

Actually, a ball of fish usually refers to baitfish, which do tend "ball up" or school in the shape of a ball.  There are some great underwater photographs of this phenomenon–one recently in (yuck) Outside magazine.  I don’t imagine this is appropriate to schooling blues, unless they’re under attack from, say, tuna.  When they’re making the attack they tend to be far more random and not in any ordered formation. I suspect, too, that the usage of "ball of fish" in this case, just means a big slug of them–but the origin, I’m pretty sure, refers to the shape of a school of bait. Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

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Question:

The roads are dirt most of the way, but they don’t endander your oilpan. The drive from the Roach over to the dam would be about 45 minutes or a bit less. Nesowadnehunk Falls is down stream from the dam several miles, approximately at mile marker 22. As you head toward Millinocket, there is a pull-off on the right for the falls. It is marked on the Maine Map and Gazeteer (de Lorme). -Rich – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Oops.   I got my rivers mixed up.   I was thinking about the West Outlet of the Kennebec out of Moosehead.   I’ve fished below Ripogenous Dam before. I got skunked, but it’s a beautiful spot. You’re talking "not far from the Roach" in sort of North Woods terms, right? I seem to remember it being about an hour’s worth of logging roads.   Is that about right? I ended up at Nesowdehunk Lake once while getting lost on the way to Baxter SP.   That was fun, but my oil pan doesn’t want me to do it again.   (Missed my turn in the dark on the way back, too.   Ended up in NE Carry before I realized it.)   Where’s N’hunk Falls? If I can squeeze out the time, I might have to head on up there. Thanks and tight lines, Joe F.

– Remove "nospam" from address if emailing direct.

Response:

Thanks, Rich.   I do remember that the road was pretty good most of the way to the dam.   Last time I was up there, I took a side road down to check out Frost Pond after crossing the dam.   That one was pretty tough.   On the other hand, the Taurus SW wasn’t really the ideal off-road vehicle. Joe – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The roads are dirt most of the way, but they don’t endander your oilpan. The drive from the Roach over to the dam would be about 45 minutes or a bit less. Nesowadnehunk Falls is down stream from the dam several miles, approximately at mile marker 22. As you head toward Millinocket, there is a pull-off on the right for the falls. It is marked on the Maine Map and Gazeteer (de Lorme).

Response:

Thanks, Rich.   I do remember that the road was pretty good most of the way to the dam.   Last time I was up there, I took a side road down to check out Frost Pond after crossing the dam.   That one was pretty tough.   On the other hand, the Taurus SW wasn’t really the ideal off-road vehicle.

Frost pond road is bad coming from Rip but if you go the long way around it’s not too bad. (Telos road and take a left just before {or was it just after?} Harrington Lake) The Kakadjo road (Roach to Golden Road) was in pretty bad shape last summer, take it slow and you’ll be fine, go 45 and you’ll get bounced around a bit… flyfish

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Peter Charles: <<I’m off to Labrador with my grandson in two hours.   Dave LaCourse

Good luck, we’ll be thinking of you. Peter I’m baaaaaaaack.  Wonderful trip.  Colder than a well digger’s kapootee, but a wonderful experience for my grandson.  Report Dave LaCourse

Response:

Oops.   I got my rivers mixed up.   I was thinking about the West Outlet of the Kennebec out of Moosehead.   I’ve fished below Ripogenous Dam before. I got skunked, but it’s a beautiful spot. You’re talking "not far from the Roach" in sort of North Woods terms, right? I seem to remember it being about an hour’s worth of logging roads.   Is that about right? I ended up at Nesowdehunk Lake once while getting lost on the way to Baxter SP.   That was fun, but my oil pan doesn’t want me to do it again.   (Missed my turn in the dark on the way back, too.   Ended up in NE Carry before I realized it.)   Where’s N’hunk Falls? If I can squeeze out the time, I might have to head on up there. Thanks and tight lines, Joe F. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Well- You should go up the Greenville Road to the Golden Road and turn right and head toward Ripogenus Dam. You can fish at McKay power station (streamers, quill minnows, nymphs) or lower down at Holbrook pool (best with caddis nymphs, try light or dark olive, usually 14 or 16, with bead heads) Fishing at Nesowadnehunk Falls with streamers can be good (Stand right at the falls) or fish below with nymphs. The warmer the weather, the closer to the dam you fish. A good rain will drop the temperature and pick up the fishing. Hope for thundershowers! Good Luck! -Rich I returned from the West Branch, not too far from the Roach, just over a week ago. Water temperatures were high and rising and the fishing was slowing down. The Roach is a small river and it heats quickly. When I fished there last year in late June, warm weather turned the fishing off. Try driving over the West Branch and fishing some of the deeper and faster water with nymphs and streamers there. Good luck. Sounds as if I may have little choice but to abandon the Roach.   Let’s s ay I head over to the West Branch instead.   Assuming I park on Rt. 15, where would you suggest I go? Joe F. — Remove "nospam" from address if emailing direct.

Response:

Well- You should go up the Greenville Road to the Golden Road and turn right and head toward Ripogenus Dam. You can fish at McKay power station (streamers, quill minnows, nymphs) or lower down at Holbrook pool (best with caddis nymphs, try light or dark olive, usually 14 or 16, with bead heads) Fishing at Nesowadnehunk Falls with streamers can be good (Stand right at the falls) or fish below with nymphs. The warmer the weather, the closer to the dam you fish. A good rain will drop the temperature and pick up the fishing. Hope for thundershowers! Good Luck! -Rich – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I returned from the West Branch, not too far from the Roach, just over a week ago. Water temperatures were high and rising and the fishing was slowing down. The Roach is a small river and it heats quickly. When I fished there last year in late June, warm weather turned the fishing off. Try driving over the West Branch and fishing some of the deeper and faster water with nymphs and streamers there. Good luck. Sounds as if I may have little choice but to abandon the Roach.   Let’s say I head over to the West Branch instead.   Assuming I park on Rt. 15, where would you suggest I go? Joe F.

– Remove "nospam" from address if emailing direct.

Response:

[snip] I’m off to Labrador with my grandson in two hours.   Dave LaCourse

Good luck, we’ll be thinking of you. Peter

Response:

I returned from the West Branch, not too far from the Roach, just over a week ago. Water temperatures were high and rising and the fishing was slowing down. The Roach is a small river and it heats quickly. When I fished there last year in late June, warm weather turned the fishing off. Try driving over the West Branch and fishing some of the deeper and faster water with nymphs and streamers there. Good luck.

Sounds as if I may have little choice but to abandon the Roach.   Let’s say I head over to the West Branch instead.   Assuming I park on Rt. 15, where would you suggest I go? Joe F.

Response:

advice snipped< I’m off to Labrador with my grandson in two hours. Dave LaCourse

Thanks, and good luck. Joe F.

Response:

I returned from the West Branch, not too far from the Roach, just over a week ago. Water temperatures were high and rising and the fishing was slowing down. The Roach is a small river and it heats quickly. When I fished there last year in late June, warm weather turned the fishing off. Try driving over the West Branch and fishing some of the deeper and faster water with nymphs and streamers there. Good luck. Obviously I’ve scheduled the family vacation by factors other than optimal fishing conditions, but I’ll nonetheless find myself on the Roach River in late July.   I’ll check in at Maine Guide Fly Shop when I hit Greenville, but any helpful suggestions from anyone who’s been there would be appreciated. TIA, Joe F.

– Remove "nospam" from address if emailing direct.

Response:

Obviously I’ve scheduled the family vacation by factors other than optimal fishing conditions, but I’ll nonetheless find myself on the Roach River in late July.   I’ll check in at Maine Guide Fly Shop when I hit Greenville, but any helpful suggestions from anyone who’s been there would be appreciated. TIA, Joe F.

Response:

Joe F.: <<Obviously I’ve scheduled the family vacation by factors other than optimal fishing conditions, but I’ll nonetheless find myself on the Roach River in late July.   I’ll check in at Maine Guide Fly Shop when I hit Greenville, but any helpful suggestions from anyone who’s been there would be appreciated. I think you will find the Roach just a little warm in late July.  I fished the Rapid (a tail water) two weeks ago and the temp was 70 degrees.  The temp for July/early August would normally be 70 — much too warm.  Much of Maine is suffering from high temps this year.  The water temp coming out at the Middle Dam should have been in the low 50s on the 1st of June.  Instead it was 63. Major hatches (Hendrickson specifically) normally occur at 53 degrees on the Rapid.  Fishing was outstanding until the water temp reached 70 and it began to slow down.  I would count of using nymphs and streamers in the deeper holes of the Roach, although caddis hatches may come off sporadically.   I’m off to Labrador with my grandson in two hours.   Dave LaCourse

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Question:

The space station is a gigantic waste of funds that would be better used for real space research, instead of a feel-good NASA publicity stunt.

RW has nailed this one. When you see the space station, think "Apple computer commercials." All warm fuzzies, no substance. –Steve (heh heh heh)

Response:

What would be an appropriate tip?

after John Lindsey wroe: He paid $20 mil for one week.

Well, 10 to 20%, of course!! Didn’t we determine that here before for guide’s tip??!! — Tight Lines! Brian D. Nelson Diamond N Outfitters, Missoula, Montana http://www.montana.com/dno 406-626-4022

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Russians just took Tito to Space Station. He paid $20 mil for one week. Guides eat your heart out! <g John

Yes, and all that for not even one fish. TL MC

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Russians just took Tito to Space Station. He paid $20 mil for one week. Guides eat your heart out! <g Yea, but can he fly fish?? If he can afford $20M a week, who cares? (How long do you need to stay in space to become a ‘local’?) <g — Charlie…

And where are the whorehouses? TL MC

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What’s worse is that we are subsidizing his trip.  We, as Americans, are footing most of Russia’s space program presently!  We would be building the space station whether or  not Russia was involved.  Giving extra credit almost  never hurts in the long run.  I think that it’s great that  the space station involves as many countries as it  does.

The space station is a gigantic waste of funds that would be better used for real space research, instead of a feel-good NASA publicity stunt. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

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 … and on top of that, he spent 6 mos. training,  so he would know what he is doing.

And then he still gets sick… so much space?! <g (wish I could go, flyfishing or no flyfishing) Marius Jonker Transkei Piscatorial Society http://home.intekom.com/TPS

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What’s worse is that we are subsidizing his trip.  We, as Americans, are footing most of Russia’s space program presently! Op

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sorry guys, but to my mind this is a criminal waste of money. It is helping a crippled regime waste further money on what, for them, is a lost cause. I know it is up to him, it is his, but there are so many good causes that would benefit from an input like that. Please tell me I’m wrong, the guy has given millions already to good causes. Chris

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Sorry guys, but to my mind this is a criminal waste of money. It is helping a crippled regime waste further money on what, for them, is a lost cause. I know it is up to him, it is his, but there are so many good causes that would benefit from an input like that. Please tell me I’m wrong, the guy has given millions already to good causes. Chris

lots of things are a "so-called" waste of money.  heck, i could sell all my rods, boats, etc… and feed a hell of a lot of poor people.  the guy has the money and in my mind can spend it however he wants… and if he wants to go to space instead of feeding starving kids… that’s his right, and more power to him. before we get too self-righteous about "wastes of money"… we better think about the reason we all gather on this little corner of cyberspace… because i’m sure plenty of people would say the money we spend fishing is a waste and could be better spent…. and i think those people are as dumb as fence-posts <G chris

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Russians just took Tito to Space Station. He paid $20 mil for one week. Guides eat your heart out! <g

I’d bet that just like earthbound guides, the overhead and expenses will eat that $20 mil in short order.   The guide is supplying all the equipment, Tito isn’t going to pay for anything he breaks or loses, and I bet he ain’t gonna tip much either. Joe F.

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Sorry guys, but to my mind this is a criminal waste of money. It is helping a crippled regime waste further money on what, for them, is a lost cause.  I know it is up to him, it is his, but there are so many good causes that would benefit from an input like that. Please tell me I’m wrong, the guy has given millions already to good causes. Chris

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<< Russians just took Tito to Space Station. He paid $20 mil for one week. Guides eat your heart out! <g John What would be an appropriate tip?

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Russians just took Tito to Space Station. He paid $20 mil for one week. Guides eat your heart out! <g John

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Russians just took Tito to Space Station. He paid $20 mil for one week. Guides eat your heart out! <g

Yea, but can he fly fish?? — Brian D. Nelson Diamond N Outfitters Missoula, Montana http://www.montana.com/dno 406-626-4022

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Russians just took Tito to Space Station. He paid $20 mil for one week. Guides eat your heart out! <g Yea, but can he fly fish??

If he can afford $20M a week, who cares? (How long do you need to stay in space to become a ‘local’?) <g — Charlie…

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Here’s another one for yez. Gettin’ itchy and fishing season’s only a couple of weeks gone. Anyways, building much awaited 8 weight and got to wondering what everyone else uses for guides. On my 10 weight I built fighting many stripers they did have a tendency to bend from their original shape, so I’ve decided on snakes. My 11 weight has the following setup; 20,16,12,4,4,4,4,3,3,3. I’ve never actually used <size 3. I think the 20 stripper is overkill for an 8 weight, so I’m thinking along the a light rod. And does it make sense to taper to a 2 and use a large loop tip, which looks more like a 3 or so ? What do you guys use ? Thanks,                                                 jc

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John, Having built over 400 flyrods, and having played with guide sizes, spacing and types for years now, I won’t tell you which type of guide to use, as I believe that is a personal choice, but I think you have the right idea in starting with a #16 stripper and going no smaller than a 3. I would also recommend the large loop tip top. Just my two cents! Tom Dougherty – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Here’s another one for yez. Gettin’ itchy and fishing season’s only a couple of weeks gone. Anyways, building much awaited 8 weight and got to wondering what everyone else uses for guides. On my 10 weight I built after fighting many stripers they did have a tendency to bend from their original shape, so I’ve decided on snakes. My 11 weight has the following setup; 20,16,12,4,4,4,4,3,3,3. I’ve never actually used <size 3. I think the 20 stripper is overkill for an 8 weight, so I’m thinking along the a light rod. And does it make sense to taper to a 2 and use a large loop tip, which looks more like a 3 or so ? What do you guys use ? Thanks,                                            jc

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Here’s another one for yez. Gettin’ itchy and fishing season’s only a couple of weeks gone. Anyways, building much awaited 8 weight and got to wondering what everyone else uses for guides. On my 10 weight I built fighting many stripers they did have a tendency to bend from their original shape, so I’ve decided on snakes. My 11 weight has the following setup; 20,16,12,4,4,4,4,3,3,3. I’ve never actually used <size 3. I think the 20 stripper is overkill for an 8 weight, so I’m thinking along the a light rod. And does it make sense to taper to a 2 and use a large loop tip, which looks more like a 3 or so ? What do you guys use ? Thanks,

Hi John About ten years ago I switched to Sic single foots on my fly rods because I would wear grooves in the single foot guides in a very short time.  I could straighten out the single foots much quicker than I could replace the snake guides.  Just a thought.                                       — Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT (97 catalog) http://www.flyshop.com/Expo/Specialty/BTsPdcts/index.html

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Here’s another one for yez. Gettin’ itchy and fishing season’s only a couple of weeks gone. Anyways, building much awaited 8 weight and got to wondering what everyone else uses for guides. On my 10 weight I built

<snip About ten years ago I switched to Sic single foots on my fly rods because I would wear grooves in the single foot guides in a very short time.  I could straighten out the single foots much quicker than I could replace the snake guides.  Just a thought.                                      

What is Sic?  And how does straightening the guide remove the wear spot. Carl carl

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Here’s another one for yez. Gettin’ itchy and fishing season’s only a couple of weeks gone. Anyways, building much awaited 8 weight and got to wondering what everyone else uses for guides. On my 10 weight I built <snip About ten years ago I switched to Sic single foots on my fly rods because I would wear grooves in the single foot guides in a very short time.  I could straighten out the single foots much quicker than I could replace the snake guides.  Just a thought.                                       What is Sic?  And how does straightening the guide remove the wear spot. Carl carl

SICs are single foot guides with a ring of (I think) silicone carbide in them. Much tougher than the predecessor, Hardloy. The ultimate is the new Fuji Cermet, which is a titanium frame (not TN) with a gold Titanium nitride ring. Groove proof, corrosion proof, much lighter and only about $15 each ($35 for a stripper!). For the record I just unpacked some stuff (we’re in the process of moving) and found a box holding 7 SICs #8. Can’t just toss them at $5 each, so I guess this is what I put on the new 8 weight after all.                                                         jc

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Question:

        I got tired of catching the regular fish we had around here so I asked a friend what we could do about getting in some different species. He said that he had been to Arkansas and up there they planted trout. I called the Fish and Game people and they were more than happy to send me some baby rainbows. Now, here’s the problem….         I keep planting them and they keep dying. I asked my buddy about it and he thinks we’re planting them too deep. My thought is…maybe our soil ain’t right. ps. Would fish meal be a good fertilizer? Why aren’t you fishing? Da’ Capt

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YOU GOT IT RIGHT!  They are definitely planted too deep.  Also, maybe browns would work better? Ed BTW – forget it!

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All hatchery trout should be planted, preferably in dirt. — Ernie Harrison Remove NOSPAM to send E-Mail Selling my Fly Fishing Books Go to: http://users.ccnet.com/~emh – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – YOU GOT IT RIGHT!  They are definitely planted too deep.  Also, maybe browns would work better? Ed BTW – forget it!

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Are you planting the heads UP or DOWN ???? Bill – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –         I got tired of catching the regular fish we had around here so I asked a friend what we could do about getting in some different species. He said that he had been to Arkansas and up there they planted trout. I called the Fish and Game people and they were more than happy to send me some baby rainbows. Now, here’s the problem….         I keep planting them and they keep dying. I asked my buddy about it and he thinks we’re planting them too deep. My thought is…maybe our soil ain’t right. ps. Would fish meal be a good fertilizer? Why aren’t you fishing? Da’ Capt

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Question:

I have primarily used monofilament of 10lb test or smaller on my rods. I have often had lures shoot back at me when attempting to free snagged lures.  My question is if I were to use heavy mono or superlines such as spiderwire, how do I keep lures from zinging back at me at ungodly speeds?  How much should you tug on a lure before you decide to cut the line?  Are there techniques of line-tugging that direct lure-flight away from anglers?  When bank fishing, I sometimes position myself behind a tree, but sometimes there is nothing to hide behind.   I hear a lot about superlines paying for themselves by saving lures, but I think it would be rather difficult (not to mention unsafe) to attempt to straighten out a heavy 4/0 worm hook (I COULD understand light-wire hooks). Anyone out there with similar fears of flying worm weights and treble hooks?  How do you handle such things? Scott

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Actually Scott, when using braided or fused super lines, the lures won’t be zapping back at you at light speed after freeing a snag. The only reason your lures are currently flying back at you is because in the process of pulling a snagged lure free, you are actually stretching the mono like a huge rubber band. So when the lure pulls free of the snag, the mono contracts and ……zzing… But with no stretch super lines…this problem won’t exist. If you pull free of the snag, the lure just would probably move a foot or two only. Either that or you bust the line. Linus

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Scott, – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have primarily used monofilament of 10lb test or smaller on my rods. I have often had lures shoot back at me when attempting to free snagged lures.  My question is if I were to use heavy mono or superlines such as spiderwire, how do I keep lures from zinging back at me at ungodly speeds?  How much should you tug on a lure before you decide to cut the line?  Are there techniques of line-tugging that direct lure-flight away from anglers?  When bank fishing, I sometimes position myself behind a tree, but sometimes there is nothing to hide behind. I hear a lot about superlines paying for themselves by saving lures, but I think it would be rather difficult (not to mention unsafe) to attempt to straighten out a heavy 4/0 worm hook (I COULD understand light-wire hooks). Anyone out there with similar fears of flying worm weights and treble hooks?  How do you handle such things?

The branded lines don’t stretch like mono, so they don’t fly back at you when they break loose.  When you pull on  mono, it stretches like a rubber band.  When it breaks free, it’s time to duck.  When I break a mono line, I look the other way and keep my head down. Richard

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Question:

Friends from England expect visit Vanc. Isl. -Nanaimo and north- late June / early July.They would like to do some flyfishing, prefer dry fly, either fishing lakes from canoe or river wading.  Would appreciate any suggestions of suitable waters and reccommened fly patterns. Thanks in advance

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Friends from England expect visit Vanc. Isl. -Nanaimo and north- late June / early July.They would like to do some flyfishing, prefer dry fly, either fishing lakes from canoe or river wading.

For fly patterns, etc. Roderick Haig-Brown’s books are unbeatable:  he lived there (besides being one of the top angling writers of the century.) For geography, the best source 20 years ago was paperback guidebooks by Alec Merriman of the Victoria Daily Colonist, published by Saltaire. Your friends should also be aware of tidewater fishing for sea-dwelling cutthroat trout, which many people think the best summer angling on Vancouver Island. — |  Donald Phillipson, 4180 Boundary Road, Carlsbad Springs,  | |        Ontario, Canada, K0A 1K0, tel. 613 822 0734         |

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Contact: 1. Murphy’s Sportsfishing Centre in Port Alberni, B.C. (on the island), 4213 Princess Ave., V9Y 5R2, 604-723-8022 2. http://deepcove.com/fish_hotline/ 3. http://vvv.com/flyfish/ 4. http://www.nwlink.com/~mmurphy/wbc.html B. PS. Can someone tell me how to take bookmarks and imbed them into a e-mail/post? Or at least how to copy the text and paste it. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Friends from England expect visit Vanc. Isl. -Nanaimo and north- late June / early July.They would like to do some flyfishing, prefer dry fly, either fishing lakes from canoe or river wading. Would appreciate any suggestions of suitable waters and reccommened fly patterns. Thanks in advance

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Question:

 I use the 14-pound test Berkley Fireline on my three ultra-light salt water spinning rods. It casts nicely and I use Palomar knots with it.  The stuff is so thin, it simply is not as easy to handle as mono. I use it for inshore fishing for redfish, flounder and seatrout. I have *never* lost a fish to line break, but occasionally it does cut when it rubs the wrong way against oyster beds. — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – Harry Krause  Krause & Associates, Inc. Post Office Box 7575 Jacksonville, Florida 32244

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J. Smith, I can already foresee some potential hassles with tying knots with the Fireline — hell, just tying the knot to stay on the reel took a couple of attempts (I had to add a small overhand knot at the tag end to prevent it from slipping through)!   What’s really tough, since the line is so slick, strong and thin, is simply getting a good enough *grip* on the stuff to cinch down the knot! If you don’t use some kind of cloth or kleenex or some other hard tool to wrap the line around, the shit’ll dig right through your skin!

 Try the Polimar (sp?) knot.  I’ve used it on the braided lines like  Fenwick Iron Thread, and Spiderwire in addition to the new Fireline.  If you still have trouble with it, use a double Polimar.  Basically,  you simply double the line then tie a Polimar knot.  Works for me,  really never had problems with the knot when using this one. From what I understand, the gray color does fade, and rather quickly at that.  But of course, if you’re looking for the small-diameter strength and non-stretch attributes, I think the line is thin enough to still work well (I’ll still keep my spinning reel handy with a spool full of good mono!).

 Yup, the color (dark gray) fads into a light gray or white color after  some use 5 trips?  Chris  San Jose, CA

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Every year I try to decide which lines to use. I have tried the braids, liked the low strech,hated the color lose. Does anybody know about this new Fireline? I do all kinds of fishing, bass,walleye,crappie,panfish. [deleted stuff] I can already foresee some potential hassles with tying knots with the Fireline — hell, just tying the knot to stay on the reel took a couple of attempts (I had to add a small overhand knot at the tag end to prevent it from slipping through)!   What’s really tough, since the line is so slick, strong and thin, is simply getting a good enough *grip* on the stuff to cinch down the knot! If you don’t use some kind of cloth or kleenex or some other hard tool to wrap the line around, the shit’ll dig right through your skin!

[deleted stuff] I use the fireline for steelhead.  I’ve found that I have no problems with knots as long as I double up the line before I tie.  It is easier to tie with than spiderwire.  When I was using spiderwire, The only way I could get a knot to stay was with superglue.  I’m pleased with the fireline and have tossed my superglue.  I understand that the spiderwire fusion is the same line with an extra coating for added smoothness on the guides, making it a little thicker in diameter. Andy S.

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Every year I try to decide which lines to use. I have tried the braids, liked the low strech,hated the color lose. Does anybody know about this new Fireline? I do all kinds of fishing, bass,walleye,crappie,panfish.

I haven’t actually ‘fished’ with my new reelful of Fireline, but I did get out to a local reservoir to at least throw out a few practice casts (they’ve also got these cool new ‘casting ponds’ here in Campbell, CA, used primarily by the local fly-fishermen, but also available to us bait- casters).   I can already foresee some potential hassles with tying knots with the Fireline — hell, just tying the knot to stay on the reel took a couple of attempts (I had to add a small overhand knot at the tag end to prevent it from slipping through)!   What’s really tough, since the line is so slick, strong and thin, is simply getting a good enough *grip* on the stuff to cinch down the knot! If you don’t use some kind of cloth or kleenex or some other hard tool to wrap the line around, the shit’ll dig right through your skin! From what I understand, the gray color does fade, and rather quickly at that.  But of course, if you’re looking for the small-diameter strength and non-stretch attributes, I think the line is thin enough to still work well (I’ll still keep my spinning reel handy with a spool full of good mono!). Hopefully, these newsgroup threads will continue regarding these new hi-tech lines; there’s got to be an easy solution to these knot-tying woes.  I’m pretty sure some past discussions in these newsgroups have adequately addressed the problem.  Unfortunately, until I actually ‘tied some on,’ I didn’t bother to read them. Any ideas (already discussed or not) would be gratefully appreciated! J Smith Sunnyvale, CA

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Question:

Sorry about the subject error, but does anyone know of any WWW sites about fly fishing

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The only ones I know of are: http://www.geo.mtu.edu/~jsuchosk/fish/fishpage http://www.indirect.com/ftplink/jshannon.indirect.com.html http://www.unm.edu/pub/flyfish/flyfish.html http://www2.ecst.csuchico.edu/~jschlich http://oeonline.com/~rmarsh/fishpg.html http://www.mind.net/vmt http://www.getnet.com/salmoart http://rmii.com/~flyshop/flyshop.html http://zebu.uoregon.edu/cgi-bin2/Mckenzie/Mckfrontend.pl http://www.peak.org/~robertr/fishing.html http://eagle.dfw.or.gov I hope it is appropriate to publish these.  I started to just email them to you, then decided others might be interested.  I make no guarantees on the effectiveness of these addresses.   If my typing skills don’t get you, some are untested, some are just dated.  I haven’t actually tried all of these since I generally get into this group before getting on the WEB and then I run out of time after reading all the posts on how we hate YUPs.  I need to start a thread on Lawyers…… Have fun, Charley

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