Question:

   Back to the pond today

(snipped) These are lots of fun to read.  Thank you. — rbc:  vixen    Fairly harmless remove invalid or hit reply to email. Though I’m very slow to respond. http://www.visi.com/~cyli

Response:

Stan, Do you have a link to a gurgler pattern? Do I have links!

excellent!! Thanks, Rob

Response:

crystal chenille or Estaz body instead of a palmered hackle.

I seldom use anything but crystal chenille or estaz for body material. This includes the gurglers I tie for the huge hoppers we get around here about every other year. Those tied iin size 2/0 have caught 8 pound channel cats off the surface for me. They hove not been out this year, so I guess I have till next year till I die of a heart attack as I battle a huge catfish on a gurgler. I also have enjoyed this thread a hell of a lot. It has been tough for me this year as my favorite bluegill lake was drained a few months ago.  They also drained the lake where I have caught more bluegill that actualy weigh over a pound. Seems like my favorite waters are being ruined by folks that don’t know what the hell they are doing. Big Dale  

Response:

Back to the pond today to worry the panfish population.

<… Todd, I’ve been enjoying your bluegill posts.  I’m a long time bluegill junkie myself – living in a place where the pond is 15 minutes from my door, and the nearest trout water is over twice that (also the only fishable trout water for 3/4 the population of Massachusetts in the summertime…). I went out three days this week, and had three completely different experiences.  There’s a saying about the weather in Massachusetts… Sunday was cold and rainy and the fish just weren’t interested in surface bugs, but I persisted.  I do like to fish subsurface, but I had my 4 wt. and didn’t want to mess with weighted nymphs.  I plugged away with my green gurglers and caught about a dozen fish – missed dozens more.  It was mostly small fish making a big show – coming out of the water to grab the fly, and being to small to take it under water.  I could just leave it sitting next to the rapidly fading lily pads, and several dinks would play with it, until finally a decent fish would make it’s move.  Funny, and lots of fun. I went out again Tuesday.  It had rained steadily all day Monday so I stayed dry and tied up a few more gurglers.  Tuesday was a real change in the weather.  In the mid 80s and mostly sunny.  When I got to the pond at 4:30 there was a huge midge hatch going on and bluegills were rising all over the pond.  So, I got to fish to risers all evening.  These fish aren’t fussy, and I would just plop the gurgler into a patch where there were working fish, and one would immediately jump on the fly.  The bluegills and orange and blue damsel flies were gorging on tiny red midge emergers and adults. The pond surface was almost carpeted by the bugs.  The fish were fat and happy, as was I. Wednesday was different again.  No midges coming off, no surface risers, but the big gills were back in shallow water.  The orange damsel flies were out in number and I switched to an orange gurgler.  Another 30+ fish evening. It’s supposed to be back into the low nineties over the weekend, so I’m looking forward to several more warm evenings out on the pond this week, –Stan

Response:

The orange damsel flies were out in number and I switched to an orange gurgler.  Another 30+ fish evening.

Stan, Do you have a link to a gurgler pattern?  I just hit a local lake this week.  Could only stop by quickly on the way home 2 eves., last night picking up 4 bluegills in 20 minutes.  Two of them were nice sized…about the biggest I can recall catching…although they weren’t large fish.  One was probably about 6" or so and nice and fat.  Thinking about it some more, I’m not sure what type of [sun, pan] fish it was.  Nevertheless, the 2 big ones took hard causing my 4 wt click&pawl to sing for a second or so. — Rob

Response:

Stan, Do you have a link to a gurgler pattern?

Do I have links! Here’s the one I tied for the Dog Days Swaps (hey Paul…). http://gula.org/roffswaps/recipe.php?page=DD2002&id=8 Dale W tied a purple version, and Larry Schmitt tied a bumblebee variant. The ultimate source is Jack Gartside’s page: http://www.jackgartside.com/step_gurgler.htm There are lots of variants.  Most I see for smaller fish use a crystal chenille or Estaz body instead of a palmered hackle.

Response:

        Back to the pond today to worry the panfish population. Had the place to myself early.  Caught 8 on the Chironomid, but seemed the fish were deep.  It’d been cloudy most of the day, and calm.  Sun came out before I got off work, but was still relatively calm when I headed to the pond, and I thought I might get some dry fly action.  Of course, by the time I got there (< 10 minutes), the wind had picked up and no surface action to be seen.  Tied on my last bead-head scud, and picked up 10 more bluegill. Then the action took a break.         About that time, a somewhat scruffy looking young couple arrived on scene.  The guy asked me if the trout were biting (of course, to the uninitiated, fly fishing is for trout… .  Told him I was working the bluegill, and had brought in 18 to that point. He asked how deep, etc.  Clued him in as to what I thought the proper depth was, and he and his wife/girlfriend rigged up their bobber rigs and set about attempting to catch some for themselves.  They didn’t look like they had the proveribal pot to pee in, or a window to throw it out.  Asked me what an "eating size" bluegill would be.  Figured they were there to get some subsistance eats.         Got the bead-head scud hung up in cattails, and lost it. Back to Chironomids.  Went to the opposite side of the pond so as not to worry them with my casting.  Figured out the proper retrieve to connect with fish again, and proceeded to get a good run going.  The couple weren’t having much luck that I could tell, watching out of the corner of my eye.         In the span of about 40 minutes, I brought another 22 bluegill to hand.  Fast and furious action.  Even managed to catch a couple big ones.  Walked over to the couple and handed the two big ones to them, and said "these ought to be good eating size".  They thanked me profusely, and I packed up my rod at that point and went home. Felt a good bit guilty that I was hauling fish out of the water right and left when they weren’t getting much action, and probably in need of some victuals (not to mention releasing all of mine).         I hope they enjoyed the fish dinner.  Know all too well how it was to be young and hungry.  Game & Fish is going to kill out the pond later this fall anyhow and restock it in the spring, so better to give a few fish to someone in need than have them all go to waste, as it were.  Went home feeling good in more than a few ways. Todd

Response:

Question:

Good report deleted. Some general questions. When does the shad run start and how long does it last?

Around late March/early April through early May.   The peak varies from year to year.   Seems to be doing quite well this past week, though. How widespread are the runs?

If you mean when do the fish come up the river, it seems to be triggered by higher than average flows.   Early morning & late afternoon are reportedly better, but I don’t go enough to say yes or no.   I’ll add a bit of clarity in that the Susquehanna River holds more fish for longer than do these lower tributaries.   I just like Deer Creek because it’s so darned pretty and a lot easier fishing than on the big river (not to mention safer wading). Many years ago, when the shad were considerably more plentiful, one could arrive in the wee dawn hours and take up a position in quiet waters just below Conowingo Dam.   Once the rest of the world woke up and demanded electricity, they’d start the turbines in the hydro plant.   That was like an ON switch for the shad.   With the higher flows, they’d start biting imediately. Are they on spawning beds when you’re fishing for them or are they in the process of migrating upstream?

The ones I see and catch are migrating.   Quite honestly, I’m not familiar with their spawning habits.   I’ve never noticed a redd in the area I fish, but I’m relatively close to the mouth of the creek. Do the runs draw big crowds?

Crowd being a subjective term, I’d still say yes.   Some pools are known to be excellent spots, and to fish these, your space and mobility will be determined by other fishermen there.   Also, it is not FFO, and there are often a few spin fishermen crowding the FFers.   Having I said that, I’ll say that it is variable by time of day or day of the week.   It’s not necessary to fish the known spots though, the entire river usually holds fish at the peak of the run.   I’ve never had a problem finding a decent pool for myself. And since you didn’t ask: Yellow and red marabou streamers with gold or silver tinsel bodies are the fly of choice.   Use a sink tip line when the water is up.   Cast across and throw in a downstream mend.   They’ll hit on the swing. Joe F.

Response:

We have a HUGE run of shad in the Columbia R. throughout July, sometimes topping 100,000 per day.  These are fairly large fish, running about 3 to 7lbs, with the average about 4lbs.  Hard fighting fish, especially in the considerable current below Bonneville dam, which seems to be the best fishing area.  You can catch them on a fly, but most people use spinning gear, 8-12lb mono, and  small jigs (shad darts) with and ounce or more of pencil lead, since the best fishing is often 30 to 100 yards or more out (where the current is, beyond the eddies or slack water).  Also fisherman are often nearly touching shoulders, so flyfishing is well nigh impossible unless you fish well away from the crowds where the fishing is poor.  You also have to horse the fish in since there are so many lines in the water.  But with the fish so prolific, it can still be a blast. Pat K  

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – We have a HUGE run of shad in the Columbia R. throughout July, sometimes topping 100,000 per day.  These are fairly large fish, running about 3 to 7lbs, with the average about 4lbs.  Hard fighting fish, especially in the considerable current below Bonneville dam, which seems to be the best fishing area.  You can catch them on a fly, but most people use spinning gear, 8-12lb mono, and  small jigs (shad darts) with and ounce or more of pencil lead, since the best fishing is often 30 to 100 yards or more out (where the current is, beyond the eddies or slack water).  Also fisherman are often nearly touching shoulders, so flyfishing is well nigh impossible unless you fish well away from the crowds where the fishing is poor.  You also have to horse the fish in since there are so many lines in the water.  But with the fish so prolific, it can still be a blast. Pat K

Sounds like the "old days" on the Susquehanna below the Conowingo Dam when the larger American shad were plentiful there.   It was certainly not the kind of fishing I enjoy now; but still, it was a great fun of a different sort. Joe F.

Response:

writes: (snip) I might get out again tonigh, & take my son & SWMBO.   Now where the hell is that other reel? Joe F.

Nice report Joe!The rain continuing over the weekend could have made for a tough day on the water.  A lot of fishermen would not even attempt it.  Says something for perserverance and determination! Wayne To Fish is Human….To Release Divine!      —–  Posted via NewsOne.Net: Free Usenet News via the Web  —–      —–  http://newsone.net/ —  Discussions on every subject. —–    NewsOne.Net prohibits users from posting spam.  If this or other posts

Response:

Good report deleted. Some general questions. When does the shad run start and how long does it last? How widespread are the runs? Are they on spawning beds when you’re fishing for them or are they in the process of migrating upstream? Do the runs draw big crowds? Willi

Response:

I’d hoped to get out over the weekend to give the shad run another shot, but the weather looked grim.   By Saturday evening, though, it had at least stopped raining steadily.   Around 5 p.m., SWMBO suggested I might get a couple hours in before dark.   In 10 min., I had the car packed and was on my way. I got to Deer Creek by 6, and as I parked my car, a few of the fishermen already at the Stafford Bridge pool were wading back to their cars.   The one guy I asked just said, "slow."   Still, I struggled into my waders, put my new Mike C. 4 wt. together, and dug in my bag for the reel.   Well, shit. I didn’t have the sink tip line I would certainly need with the water running as high as it was.   In a remarkable bout of foresight and redundancy, however, I had brought my 6 wt and its sink tip line.   Sorry, Mike; it’ll have to wait until next time.   I rigged the 6 wt. & waded out to a spot about 100 yds upstream of the other handful there. I was expecting slow, and the whole time I was gearing up, I didn’t see anybody else hooking up.   So I was pleasantly surprised when I nailed about a one-pounder on about my fifth cast.   Cool.   The barbless hook easily came free, and I went back to casting across the fast current.   Not long afterward, bam, another one.   Okay, that’s two in the first five minutes; how slow could it be?   In the end, not slow at all. After the tenth fish in less than an hour, I remembered a stale Montecruz in my vest pocket.   Most of the hits were coming at the end of the swing across the current, so after one cast, I tucked the rod under my arm and just let my line trail downstream while I lit the cigar.   About the time I got the stogie fired up, I had another fish on, and I set the hook with my armpit.  It was a little too easy; but I admit, I was having fun. As darkness approached, the average size of the fish increased, so I didn’t want to leave.   The last one, when I could barely see, was pushing two pounds.   In landing that one, I managed to tangle my line & tippet so badly there was no way I’d be able to undo it in the dark, so I was done for the night.   I’d caught well over 20 fish in about two hours. The 6 wt. was just a bit heavy for the size fish I was catching, and most of them could be pulled almost straight in.   A few bigger ones put up a pretty good fight, though, with a couple actually making the drag sing a few bars. I might get out again tonigh, & take my son & SWMBO.   Now where the hell is that other reel? Joe F.

Response:

Question:

Hi All, There is a lot of low elevation action right now in Nor Cal. We have the striper spawning run that is below and above my town of Sacramento now. April/May/ June is prime time so go for it. There are small spring run steelhead and trout in all the valley rivers/streams and they are feeding on salmon fry and insects. The black bass are really taking off now especially on the sunny days. The shad run is getting close with May/June being the prime months for wading. They will be boat fishing for them very soon. Many low elevation lakes are seeing the end of the winter trout before they go deep and the bass are coming to the banks with the warm weather. Bill Kiene Kiene’s Fly Shop Sacramento, CA, USA www.kiene.com

Response:

Trip Report of Sorts We got majorly lost driving back to anaheim from universal studios…last week. We missed the turnoff from 10 to 5 and didn’t notice it until we hit highway 15, Ontario, etc. and I told the driver….uh…."what road are we on…?". Ugly American Tourists on their day off. Your pal, — TBone The Halfordian Golfer

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi All, There is a lot of low elevation action right now in Nor Cal. We have the striper spawning run that is below and above my town of Sacramento now. April/May/ June is prime time so go for it. There are small spring run steelhead and trout in all the valley rivers/streams and they are feeding on salmon fry and insects. The black bass are really taking off now especially on the sunny days. The shad run is getting close with May/June being the prime months for wading. They will be boat fishing for them very soon. Many low elevation lakes are seeing the end of the winter trout before they go deep and the bass are coming to the banks with the warm weather. Bill Kiene Kiene’s Fly Shop Sacramento, CA, USA www.kiene.com

Response:

Trip Report of Sorts We got majorly lost driving back to anaheim from universal studios…last week. We missed the turnoff from 10 to 5 and didn’t notice it until we hit highway 15, Ontario, etc. and I told the driver….uh…."what road are we on…?". Ugly American Tourists on their day off. Your pal,

Shit, if you didn’t notice until you got to Ontario – you were REALLY lost.  :) Peter Visit The Streamer Page at http://home.cogeco.ca/~pcharles/streamers/index.html

Response:

Okay Bill, you convinced me.  I will leave these 30 lb stripers in the Chesapeake and the shad run and head to California.  Thanks for the tips by the way.  I talked to my buddy and he is bringing his raft and rowing frame. We will get a guide (hopefully) on the Lower Sac for Saturday and then raft it on Sunday and Monday. By the way, with my history, you might want to call the volunteer fire departments for the areas downstream from Redding and alert them to my presence.  They might want to stock up on grappling hooks.  Anyone else with a video camera is free to film from a safe distance.  Again, I thank you and my widow thanks you. — Frank Reid Reverse email to reply.

Response:

Shit, if you didn’t notice until you got to Ontario – you were REALLY lost.  :) Peter

Hey, I grew up 10 miles from Ontario, does that mean I can claim dual citizenship? — Frank Reid Reverse email to reply.

Response:

Shit, if you didn’t notice until you got to Ontario – you were REALLY lost.  :) Peter Hey, I grew up 10 miles from Ontario, does that mean I can claim dual citizenship?

Frank, we’d be proud to call you one of ours.  Hell, you’d fit right in.  (Not sure if that’s a good thing, though?) Peter Visit The Streamer Page at http://home.cogeco.ca/~pcharles/streamers/index.html

Response:

(excuse if this is a duplicate, but my server is a bit wanky) Okay Bill, you convinced me.  I will leave these 30 lb stripers in the Chesapeake and the shad run and head to California.  Thanks for the tips by the way.  I talked to my buddy and he is bringing his raft and rowing frame. We will get a guide (hopefully) on the Lower Sac for Saturday and then raft it on Sunday and Monday. By the way, with my history, you might want to call the volunteer fire departments for the areas downstream from Redding and alert them to my presence.  They might want to stock up on grappling hooks.  Anyone else with a video camera is free to film from a safe distance.  Again, I thank you and my widow thanks you. — Frank Reid Reverse email to reply.

Response:

We got majorly lost driving back to anaheim from universal studios…last week. We missed the turnoff from 10 to 5 and didn’t notice it until we hit highway 15, Ontario, etc. and I told the driver….uh…."what road are we on…?".

Yeah, the 4-level.  Depending on which way you hit that interchange where the 10, 101, 5, 110 all seem to merge, you might have to cross 4 lanes of highway in 1/8 mile to reach your desired destination. Mu

Response:

I’m planning a vacation for the end of July, and was considering the Shasta region of Northern Cal.  To fish the McCloud, Trinity,etc.  What I’ve read however seems to promote an awful lot of private water, and I’m not going to be able to afford guided trips.  Can anyone clue me in as to public access out there, and what to expect?  If I’m going to be frustrated by access, I’d rather go to Montana/Idaho/Wyoming as I usually do.  Thanks in advance. Ray P

Response:

Yes by all means go to Montana/Idaho/Wyoming we don’t have any guides and the water is all private. — Ernie Harrison Remove NOSPAM to send E-mail – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m planning a vacation for the end of July, and was considering the Shasta region of Northern Cal.  To fish the McCloud, Trinity,etc.  What I’ve read however seems to promote an awful lot of private water, and I’m not going to be able to afford guided trips.  Can anyone clue me in as to public access out there, and what to expect?  If I’m going to be frustrated by access, I’d rather go to Montana/Idaho/Wyoming as I usually do.  Thanks in advance. Ray P

Response:

(Rapalm) writes: I’m planning a vacation for the end of July, and was considering the Shasta region of Northern Cal.  To fish the McCloud, Trinity,etc.  What I’ve read however seems to promote an awful lot of private water, and I’m not going to beable to afford guided trips.  Can anyone clue me in as to public access out there, and what to expect?  If I’m going to be frustrated by access, I’d rather go to Montana/Idaho/Wyoming as I usually do.  Thanks in advance. Ray P

Hi Ray, There’s huge amounts of public water on the McCloud, Upper Sac, Trinity, Hat Creek, Pit River, Upper Klamath River, etc.     The McCloud has about a 3 mile section that is owned and operated by the Nature Conservancy and they limit access to a max of 10 rods at any one time.  All of the area from the McCloud Reservoir (lake) down to this is public access and great water.  Lots of public access above the reservoir too, but mostly stocked because it is open to bait fishing.  The Upper Sac has ~ 40 miles of public access.  Virtually all of the Trinity, Hat Creek, Pit River and Upper Klamath are open to public access. The Fall River is totally surrounded by private land but there is public access provided by CalTrout by  Island Bridge.  You do need a pram or other small boat to fish it, ther is no bank access.  The Fall and the section of Hat Creek below the influx of the Rising River are both big spring creeks.  The others are freestone streams.  Scenery is much different than Montana – much greener. Exception would be the Fall River which is best characterised as a large meadow stream that barely moves. Best to call before you come to see what conditions are on the different rivers.  I can tell you what the current conditions are on the McCloud and Upper Sac because I guide on those rivers.  Although I’ve guided in the past on the Fall and on Hat Creek, I’m not sure I’ll do so this year.  The Fly Shop in Redding is usually a good source for info on most of the N. CA rivers.  The Trinity Fly Shop will have current info on the Trinity.  With all the snow and rain we’ve had this year, I’d expect July to be good in N CA.                                            Good Fishing,                                                     Dan Dan Gracia Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools

Response:

Question:

I’d like to come along on the next cruise if I could please, for the food if  nothing else! Sounds wonderful, and what short cruising is all about. Peggy Carr

Response:

The penultimate weekend of our sailing season was glorious. With no guests scheduled, we thought to anchor out Saturday night under the cliffs of Upper Nyack, in the Tappan Zee. Saturday morning began with a visit to the Union Square Greenmarket for provisions. For the trip, we came away with a piece of codfish, cooking and salad tomatoes, onion, Rocambole garlic, purple Anaheim pepper and a yellow one from an untagged basket, salad greens I don’t even know the names of, and little yellow-fleshed fingerling potatoes. We got off the dock at 1110. The tide was on the second half of the flood, running north at 1.5 kts near the marina(just south of the Holland Tunnel), with slack in about two to three hours. The slack travels north, getting to Tarrytown over an hour later. The wind was south, extremely light. With the main bairly keeping steerageway, we hoisted our half-ounce chute. 1,000 square feet of almost-imaginary gossamer nylon, it filled and lifted immediately. It would draw the boat close to the speed of the wind, so any fluctuation in wind strength would cause it to sag, but it kept us going a little faster than the tide. 1210 At the 79th Street boat basin, a northeast breeze came up, about 10 kts. Chute down, jib up, sheeted to rail outside lifelines. This made it possible to make and handle sandwiches. Farm-grown atlantic salmon with horseradish mayonnaise and capers on sourdough. I patched a small hole I had seen while the chute was flying. This old sail (1984) has about half a dozen small tape patches and two larger ones sewn by a sailmaker, all before we owned the boat. Still with the jib at Spuyten Duyvil, and Osprey with a fish crossed our bow heading west to the Jersey shore. A Greater Black Back gull harrassed the osprey all the way, trying to get it to drop the fish. This is common Bald Eagle behavior, and eagles do get away with it. The gull, impressive as it is, is no eagle and the osprey held on, getting its fish to a tree on the Palisades. Meanwhile the NE wind was dying, and two more ospreys were fishing near Riverdale, the fancy section of the Bronx just north of Spuyten Duyvil. Splashes of fall color here and there on the Palisades. The southerly returned so quietly that we rehoisted the half ounce from the forward hatch, without bothering to repack it in stops. This was nearly successful, but the sail caught on the pole lift where it enters the mast. I had to let out a few inches on both the halyard and the pole lift to get it free. No damage. 1430 passed Yonkers pier. Wind picking up, still from the south. The flood is dying out but the wind now more than makes up for it. The land starts moving by. We do a very messy spinnaker gybe right off Hastings Boat Club, very emabrrassing. A perfect one near Irvington. Lots of sailboats in this part of the river. 1510 under the Tappan Zee Bridge. About 8 miles in 40 minutes. Another gybe went well, and we were almost euphoric. We wanted to go on forever, but know it gets dark early. Running downwind in the summer would be quite unpleasant, with sweat pouring into my eyes. The temperature was just right on Saturday. My sunglasses did fog up about 3 times, however. We dropped sails off Upper Nyack, where we planned to anchor. The current was ebbing quite strongly by this time, the slack having caught and passed us. The southerly was quite strong. THe combination makes anchoring a little tricky, although the holding ground here is perfect, medium clay. By letting the boat lose way completely and drift, we can get out one anchor without wrapping the keel. The wind was overcoming the ebb, so we set the south anchor, a 5-kg Bruce, first. Then, at the end of the rode, we set the Fortress FX-16 to the north. Then, two 12-lb kellets went down, hooked around both rodes, keeping them together below the keel. For cocktails we enjoyed chevre and cold-smoked trout, both from local farms that come to the greenmarket. A bottle of Gruet, a bubbly from New Mexico that we like very much, with a pair of fine crystal champagne flutes that we only use alone, and in a non-bouncy place. For dinner, the codfish, cooked in a bed of peppers, onion, plum tomatoes (blanched in the potato water , peeled and seeded) and fingerling potatoes went well with a Chardonnay, 1965 from Hogue Cellars in Oregon. Everything but the wine from the greenmarket. The temperature remained unseasonably warm through a perfect evening, with no mosquitos. After we hit the sack, it rained occasionally through the night. In the morning, it was misty, dead calm, and the tide was against us. After a late breakfast we weighed anchor and motored south. Without the concentration the spinnaker required the day before, we enjoyed a blaze of fall color, most intense from Piermont to  the 41st parallel, which we toasted with Cream Stout. It (the parallel) was right where we had left it, and all was right with the world, except for wind. We enjoyed the scenery under power to south of the GW bridge. On the way, we saw a falcon fly north up the center of the river, more ospreys, red-tail hawks as well as the usual vultures at the top of the palisades. South of the bridge, a light southerly came up, and although the tide was still flooding slightly, we had only 5 miles to the marina. We set main and jib again, and had a delightful beat. We just kept going past the marina into the harbor, with the tide ebbing strongly. We encountered a friend (the one who went with us to Maine last month) on a J27 out of the Chelsea Piers sailing school. We tried to circumnavigate Governors Island, but straight downwind in the Buttermilk channel wasn’t making it. We had to power into the 2.9-kt current briefly. Then back to the marina. 20 years without a car, a TV, or a home page

Response:

Question:

Hi all, Just thought I’d let everyone know that I caught my first trout ever on a fly rod yesterday. Man, what a thrill. Although I’m basically a "live-bait on a spin reel person", I’ve messed around with my "fly outfit" the last couple of years. Never had much success until yesterday though. Not a bad sized rainbow either. Around 11". Oh well, I’m sure this is no big deal to most of you but I just had to tell someone. Everyone in my family has no clue as to what it’s like. I figure you all do. See ya on the streams!!!!! Tom

Congratulations on the first trout on a fly! Got mine last summer.  Went t some state parks in southeast Minnesota in mid august.  Caught my first on a #12 Wolly Bugger a 12"Rainbow. caught the rest – a total of 14 browns from 8-13 inches mostly on my own design— a kind of peacock and guinea soft hackle that looks like a small minnow when wet.  Don’t know what to call it. Biggest thrill was casting about 40 ft across the river at Forrestville, having a 12" brown jump out of the water with the fly in its mouth, run half way across the river to me and do a double flip 10 feet in front of me!  Talk about getting hooked on fly fishing!  WOW! I will be going back this year to MN or Wisconsen to repeat the fun! Good luck, Ken — Remove NO-SPAM- from return address to e-mail me. Sorry, but this is to discourage spammers and auto junk mail generators. Ken Wells "When In Doubt….Go fishing."

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all, Just thought I’d let everyone know that I caught my first trout ever on a fly rod yesterday. Man, what a thrill. Although I’m basically a "live-bait on a spin reel person", I’ve messed around with my "fly outfit" the last couple of years. Never had much success until yesterday though. Not a bad sized rainbow either. Around 11". Oh well, I’m sure this is no big deal to most of you but I just had to tell someone. Everyone in my family has no clue as to what it’s like. I figure you all do. See ya on the streams!!!!! Tom Tom, Nice going with the first trout…I am also relatively new (<2 yrs) and enjoy hearing about people and fly fishing. Of course the next step done this road-to-ruin is fly tying….no rush, take your time, but getting your first trout on a fly you tird is also outstanding…. As you can probably tell, I’m consumed by this experience called fly fishing….if I only didn’t have to work…… — John Carney          Fly Fisher & Parrot Head (NO-SPAM in address to avoid spamming)

And I’ll bet that, just for a minute or two, while you were landing thiat first trout, you considered throwing away ALL your baitcasting and spinning gear.  Welcome to the Club!! Mac McCaskill

Response:

Trout hit my first two casts hard, and kept hitting every type of dry fly I used aggressively all day. I missed a ton of good strikes (sure could use some advice on setting the hook correctly),

Tom; You note that you missed these aggressive strikes.  That happens because (often) an aggresively striking wild fish is hanging-out under/around some current somewhere near the bottom.  He sees your fly (food) and shoots up, slamming the fly and zips right back down to the bottom as fast as a Rattle-snake strike.  Well, unlike a natural fly, yours has a leader attached to it.  I’m sure that you have noticed how much force water can exert on your line.  This happens with the fly.  The drag of the tippet can pull the fly from the fish’s mouth, or cause him to "spit it out" before you can set the hook.  I have noticed this a lot recently while fishing emergers during the sulfur hatch.  WHACK!… nothing. Jason Beary

Response:

Congratulations on the first trout on a fly! Got mine last summer.  Went t some state parks in southeast Minnesota in mid august.  Caught my first on a #12 Wolly Bugger a 12"Rainbow. caught the rest – a total of 14 browns from 8-13 inches mostly on my own design— a kind of peacock and guinea soft hackle that looks like a small minnow when wet.  Don’t know what to call it.

A bug. John Fereira

Response:

[snipped] Just thought I’d let everyone know that I caught my first trout ever on a fly rod yesterday.

[snipped] Well done Tom!  Nice innitt? On a more serious note(!)  You are now in danger of becoming the best Definition: The best angler in the world = whichever angler at that given instant in time is enjoying themselves the most. richard

Response:

Congratulations Tom, I too caught my first, a 14" Brown, on Wednesday in the Clear Fork river (Ohio).    It was a store-bought fly, but that didn’t make it any less exciting.   Like you, nobody around me has any clue what its like. Bob  

Response:

Hi, Congratulations. I had the same problem,  so I bought my fiance her own kit,  now she joins me on all the trips,  and the best is that she is not using my expensive rods. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hey Tom: <<Oh well, I’m sure this is no big deal to most of you but I just had to tell someone. Everyone in my family has no clue as to what it’s like. I figure you all do. It is a "big deal". The outdoor learning process can sometimes be frustrating when there is no father, brother, aunt or uncle to answer your questions or share your experiences. So…, thanks for taking the time and sharing with us. Congratulations! Tight lines, Joe

Response:

Congratulations, Seems just like yesterday … so many years now. Next will be that monster brown on a fly you tied.  Nothing beats the feeling of a first anything.  I don’t know about others on ROFF but there is still nothing like splash of an eager trout or the slurp of the grandfather of all trout. That’s just a feeling that never gets old. Corey http://www.ncweb.com:80/users/crbock/

Response:

Hi all, Just thought I’d let everyone know that I caught my first trout ever on a fly rod yesterday. Man, what a thrill.

Just wanted to drop my 2 cents in, too. I fished the Great Smoky Mountain National Park last weekend, doing some very deep, hike-in mountain stream fishing, and had the best day of dry fly fishing in my short (about 1 year) career fly fishing. Trout hit my first two casts hard, and kept hitting every type of dry fly I used aggressively all day. I missed a ton of good strikes (sure could use some advice on setting the hook correctly), but I did bring in an 11-inch wild mountain rainbow. My God, what a fish this was! Never seen that kind of coloring before. These fish are naturally reproducing, wild trout (even though their ancestors were imported to the area and stocked until the 1970s). Even so, this guy fought hard, jumped at least 12 times, and left me speechless at having takien my first wild trout in such a beautiful setting. For you Midwestern FFers, I have a story on FFing in the Smokies coming up in the summer issue of Midwest Fly Fishing magazine that provides local contact numbers and other information. E-mail me off-list if you want more information. Dave McCarty

Response:

Hey Tom:

<<Oh well, I’m sure this is no big deal to most of you but I just had to tell someone. Everyone in my family has no clue as to what it’s like. I figure you all do. It is a "big deal". The outdoor learning process can sometimes be frustrating when there is no father, brother, aunt or uncle to answer your questions or share your experiences. So…, thanks for taking the time and sharing with us. Congratulations! Tight lines, Joe

Response:

Hi all, Just thought I’d let everyone know that I caught my first trout ever on a fly rod yesterday. Man, what a thrill. Although I’m basically a "live-bait on a spin reel person", I’ve messed around with my "fly outfit" the last couple of years. Never had much success until yesterday though. Not a bad sized rainbow either. Around 11". Oh well, I’m sure this is no big deal to most of you but I just had to tell someone. Everyone in my family has no clue as to what it’s like. I figure you all do. See ya on the streams!!!!! Tom

Tom, Nice going with the first trout…I am also relatively new (<2 yrs) and enjoy hearing about people and fly fishing. Of course the next step done this road-to-ruin is fly tying….no rush, take your time, but getting your first trout on a fly you tird is also outstanding…. As you can probably tell, I’m consumed by this experience called fly fishing….if I only didn’t have to work…… — John Carney          Fly Fisher & Parrot Head (NO-SPAM in address to avoid spamming)

Response:

Hi all, Just thought I’d let everyone know that I caught my first trout ever on a fly rod yesterday. Man, what a thrill. Although I’m basically a "live-bait on a spin reel person", I’ve messed around with my "fly outfit" the last couple of years. Never had much success until yesterday though. Not a bad sized rainbow either. Around 11". Oh well, I’m sure this is no big deal to most of you but I just had to tell someone. Everyone in my family has no clue as to what it’s like. I figure you all do. See ya on the streams!!!!! Tom

Response:

Hi all, Just thought I’d let everyone know that I caught my first trout ever on a fly rod yesterday. Man, what a thrill. Although I’m basically a "live-bait on a spin reel person", I’ve messed around with my "fly outfit" the last couple of years. Never had much success until yesterday though. Not a bad sized rainbow either. Around 11". Oh well, I’m sure this is no big deal to most of you but I just had to tell someone. Everyone in my family has no clue as to what it’s like. I figure you all do. See ya on the streams!!!!! Tom

didja et it…? — TimW Halfordian Golfer

Response:

Question:

I have a General Sikorski clematis and from what I’ve found I think it should be pruned to the first bud from the end of the plant in Feb or March but wanted to see if anyone can verify that for me.  Thanks. Ed

  General Sikorski is a type II clematis that blooms mainly on old growth.  As such it never needs serious pruning, but in early spring, just as it starts to leaf out, it would profit from having the dead ends clipped off back to the first (top) good leaf bud.  You might want to spread and tie up the ends at about this time as well.  After the first heavy bloom, the Carroll Garden’s catalog recommends a light pruning to increase secondary flower production later in the season on new growth.  I presume this means clipping off some of the growing ends just after a leaf to divert resources to flowers, but I never get around to doing it on my type II. — Lloyd Fortney http://www.phy.duke.edu/~fortney/ has links to my garden, flower, flyfishing, and travel JPEG images as well as teaching, research, and stuff like that

Response:

I have a General Sikorski clematis and from what I’ve found I think it should be pruned to the first bud from the end of the plant in Feb or March but wanted to see if anyone can verify that for me.  Thanks. Ed The Melo Family Ed, Carolyn, Alyson and Lauren Pickering Valley Service Unit (Girl Scouts) http://www.voicenet.com/~edmelo/pvsu.html

Response:

Question:

Hi Dan – Glad to se you are on-line again. Missed you while you were out – but I went to ASU ! bob

Hey Bob, Sorry, didn’t mean it as a slam against ASU.  I was making fun of his "gotta get some weapons" post to the fly fishing newsgroup.  I just happened to know that Arizona State is in that area because my daughter lived in Mesa for a while.  I figured this guy was a student there and wondered if his parents knew what he was doing – possibly with the school money.  Didn’t mean anything by it  8^                                                Oops!                                                   Dan Dan Gracia                                                               Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools If you kill that big fish you can’t catch ‘em again.  So what if they eat other fish?  If you kill the big ones there will only be little ones left (funny how that works!).

Response:

Hi Dan – Glad to se you are on-line again. Missed you while you were out – but I went to ASU ! bob – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – (Allan Gay) writes:     I live in Arizona and I am looking into purchasing a crossbow just to shoot for fun and possibly at pigs during the handgun season.  If you have a used crossbow that you want to sell respond to me personally with a description of what crossbow you have and how much you are willing to sell it for.  I live in mesa, I am ready to buy right now, don’t waste time e-mailing me, I want to start shooting as soon as possible,  I pay in cash. with a description and whatever price you want for it.   I will get back to all of you.  I am serious, I am ready to pay cash right now for a recurve or crossbow or if you have both.  E-mail me right now for jims, any other cool toys you might have.  I do not personally want the slim jim but i have a friend who will pay for one and any books on how to use them.  e-mail me with any info on anything you want to sell, you might be surprised at what i will buy!!!!! You betcha!! we got ‘em.  Use ‘em mostly over here to shoot carp and squawfish.  Have a special today on the whitefish model though only for resident Montanans and Oregonians. YOu must be going to Arizona State right?  Does your mother know you are doing these things?????                                       8^                                            Dan Dan Gracia                                                               Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools If you kill that big fish you can’t catch ‘em again.  So what if they eat other fish?  If you kill the big ones there will only be little ones left (funny how that works!).

– Dr. Robert K. Sato Catalytica Inc. 430 Ferguson Drive Mountain View, CA  94043   USA Voice:  (415)940-6375 Fax:    (415)960-0127

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -(Allan Gay) writes:     I live in Arizona and I am looking into purchasing a crossbow just to shoot for fun and possibly at pigs during the handgun season.  If you have a used crossbow that you want to sell respond to me personally with a description of what crossbow you have and how much you are willing to sell it for.  I live in mesa, I am ready to buy right now, don’t waste time e-mailing me, I want to start shooting as soon as possible,  I pay in cash. with a description and whatever price you want for it.   I will get back to all of you.  I am serious, I am ready to pay cash right now for a recurve or crossbow or if you have both.  E-mail me right now for jims, any other cool toys you might have.  I do not personally want the slim jim but i have a friend who will pay for one and any books on how to use them.  e-mail me with any info on anything you want to sell, you might be surprised at what i will buy!!!!!

You betcha!! we got ‘em.  Use ‘em mostly over here to shoot carp and squawfish.  Have a special today on the whitefish model though only for resident Montanans and Oregonians. YOu must be going to Arizona State right?  Does your mother know you are doing these things?????                                       8^                                            Dan Dan Gracia                                                               Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools If you kill that big fish you can’t catch ‘em again.  So what if they eat other fish?  If you kill the big ones there will only be little ones left (funny how that works!).

Response:

     I live in Arizona and I am looking into purchasing a crossbow just to shoot for fun and possibly at pigs during the handgun season.  If you have a used crossbow that you want to sell respond to me personally with a description of what crossbow you have and how much you are willing to sell it for.  I live in mesa, I am ready to buy right now, don’t waste time e-mailing me, I want to start shooting as soon as possible,  I pay in cash. with a description and whatever price you want for it.   I will get back to all of you.  I am serious, I am ready to pay cash right now for a recurve or crossbow or if you have both.  E-mail me right now for  any other cool toys you might have.  I do not personally want the slim jim but i have a friend who will pay for one and any books on how to use them.  e-mail me with any info on anything you want to sell, you might be surprised at what i will buy!!!!!

Response:

Question:

I will be making my first trip to the boundry waters in early June and would appreciate any recos regarding what would be the most appropriate footwear (boots) for use during the day. I have many choices for while at camp, but, I’m uncertain as to what would be best for during the course of the day where we will be in and out of the canoe portaging. Thanks! Galen

Response:

I have worn L.L.Bean "Bean Boots " for years and can’t say that I have seen anything better. These boots have leather uppers and rubber bottoms and are about as watertight as a ducks butt.  The basic requirements "as I see em" are: 1. Boots need to provide good ankle support, portages are sometimes "a bit on the rugged side " and two or three days from civilization with a canoe & pack to carry is no place for an ankle sprain. 2. Boots need to be reasonably water resistant. You will we wading and slogging thru mud in many places. 3. Boots need to be reasonably light and comfortable. Do not try to break in a new pair of boots on the trip, it’s no place for blisters on the feet either. Enjoy your trip to the BWCAW and E-Mail your Federal  legislators today and encourage them to defeat the Oberstar bill(see postings this newsgroup) that would reduce the wilderness protection status of the BWCAW.

Response:

I gave up several years ago trying to keep my feet dry in the BWCA.  I bring a pair of good boots for canoeing and portaging, and a light pair of tennis shoes for camp fishing etc.  My boots are always wet after a couple portages. Scott

Response:

I will be making my first trip to the boundry waters in early June and would appreciate any recos regarding what would be the most appropriate footwear (boots) for use during the day. I have many choices for while at camp, but, I’m uncertain as to what would be best for during the course of the day where we will be in and out of the canoe portaging. Thanks! Galen

I posted this question in rec.boats.paddle two years ago.  I got a wide range of responses, with the majority of respondents suggested hiking boots for the portages.  We did that, and we were glad we did.  A few attempts at doing the short carries in the Tevas that we wore in the canoe led to near-disasters. SInce then, some folk have reported that waterproof L.L. Bean boots served well on the trail and on the water, but I haven’t tried that.  The idea of wearing waterproof boots in a canoe doesn’t appeal to me.  It would detract from the wonerfully relaxed feeling of being on the water. Which part of the BWCA are you entering at? Charlie —                       Charles Shopsis, Dept. Chemistry                   Adelphi University, Garden City NY 11530

Response:

I found that Teva sandals worked great when I went on my first BWCA trip last year. They are light weight, dry quickly and provide great traction when wet. Depending on the time of year and degree of difficulty of your anticipated portages you may want to consider sandals in place of boots. Chuck

Response:

I wear nylon hip waders (snug) and my fly fishing wading boots. I can go out pretty deep, and wear whatever I want under the waders.  I stay dry.  The waders are snug and since BWCA/Quetico has very little current to deal with, I don’t think there are any big saftey concerns. My buddies all had high rubber boots, and had some trouble getting them dried out after accidnetally stepping in too deep.  They said their boots were clamy. P.

Response:

There are many different recommendations for footware in the BWCA.   Partially it depends on where and when your trip will be. Some people just wear sneakers, others rubber boots. Frequently recommended by the experts is LL Bean’s "Maine Hunting Shoe" (rubber lower, leather upper). Myself, I’ve worn everything from cheap nylon hiking boots to Teva sandals and the Bean boots. For easy portages, the sandals are good from late July on.  But earlier than that the bugs will feast on your ankles! Something with ankle support is recommended for most portaging, especially with heavier loads or over the rougher portages. You definitely want something that will not come off in muck.  Its not unusual to have to slog through 6 inches of muck (and I’ve heard reports of people up to the waist in the muck on Yum-Yum portage!)  You don’t want to loose your shoe in a foot or two of muck when you’ve got a canoe on your shoulders! Ken — WinQwk 2.0 a#0

Response:

I led trips in the BWCA for years and I never strayed from my K-Mart "Texas Steer" boots.  They cost like $20 and were just perfect.  Other people I know bought expensive Red Wing boots, logger boots, or gore-text quasi-hiking boots but they always fell apart. My cheap K-mart boots did the trick.  Save your money!

Response:

Some other boots that you might look at are army combat boots.  They are lightweight and don’t cost much either. Matt Johnston Look me up on the Internet. http://www.vt.edu:10021/M/majohnst

Response:

I will be making my first trip to the boundry waters in early June and would appreciate any recos regarding what would be the most appropriate footwear (boots) for use during the day. I have many choices for while at camp, but, I’m uncertain as to what would be best for during the course of the day where we will be in and out of the canoe portaging. Thanks! Galen

I too have spent a lot of time trying to get foot wear in the BWCAW right. What I hit upon was why fight the fact that you are going to get wet.  I use the military jungle boot and depending on the temp either wool socks or neoprene booties. Instead of trying to stay dry I expect to get wet and plan for it. It turns out that this is three season foot wear. Later, Garry

Response:

This may already have been said, but I’ve found that boots are pretty useless while canoing and portaging in BWCAW.  You will end up having to step out of the canoe in water higher than the boot at some point (unless it’s hip waders), and I’ve tromped through sucking mud well up my shins on more than one portage.  What most of the outfitters recommend is Tevas (or the like) or aqua socks while canoing/portaging, and some dry shoes for camp.  I go ahead and bear the weight of hauling my Goretex boots in a pack – it *will* rain, and dry feet in camp can be such a comfort! Enjoy your trip to the BWCAW and E-Mail your Federal  legislators today and encourage them to defeat the Oberstar bill(see postings this newsgroup) that would reduce the wilderness protection status of the BWCAW.

Please! Jerry Houston, TX Howard Lake, MN

Response:

Question:

I am new to fly tying and am looking for inexpensive grizzly saddle hackle for saltwater flies. If you know of a great mail-order house or local store that is worth checking out prices, email me or post. Thanks.

Hi rocdoc Dan Baileys has some fairly good strung saddle hackle that should work for you. Just call them at 800-356-4052 for a catalog or to order. Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT (96 catalog)

Response:

Almost every flyshop (local or mail order) will have inexpensive hackle of all types. Yes, they are great for saltwater and other flies where size and stiffness are not critical. After some experience with that, high quality hackle makes good sense if the flies you are tying demand it. Don’t forget, ask your fly shop employees for help! They’ve been there too.

Response:

I am new to fly tying and am looking for inexpensive grizzly saddle hackle for saltwater flies. If you know of a great mail-order house or local store that is worth checking out prices, email me or post. Thanks.

Response:

Question:

Could someone please post me detials of what this organisation does and how I can get hold of them internationally – 1800 numbers are no good to a New Zealander. Best Wishes Simon Simon Lusk Fly Fishing New Zealand on the WWW http://www-aghort.massey.ac.nz/flyfish/intro Department of Consumer Technology Massey University Palmerston North New Zealand

Response:

Hi Simon The FFF’s moto is Conserving, Restoring, & Educating through Fly Fishing. Our main focus is on education, especially youth, and conservation.  To get information sent to you contact then at the following Compuserve email address: Good luck Al Beatty (former FFF President) BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT

Response:

Could someone please post me detials of what this organisation does and how I can get hold of them internationally – 1800 numbers are no good to a New Zealander. Best Wishes Simon Lusk Fly Fishing New Zealand on the WWW http://www-aghort.massey.ac.nz/flyfish/intro Department of Consumer Technology Massey University Palmerston North New Zealand

Simon, the FFF has a Web site at <http://www.wsa.com/ool/fff.html.  The site gives a lot of information as well as offering a link for E-mail. The direct tele# in Bozeman, MT is 406-585-7592. I hope this helps.   —Catch & Release— To catch a fish is human,     To release it is divine!

Response: