Question:

My limited salt water flyfishing led to being bitten by a shark.  Vinnie and I were casting for perch from some tidal rocks at the James V. Fitzgerald wildlife preserve just south of Pacifica in Northern California.  It was an extra low tide and we were having moderate success.  We also had a bait rod set up and hooked a nice leopard shark on a strip of squid.  I took the hint and tied on a large white streamer of Vinnie’s design.  It worked and I was into a 4 foot leopard shark – a very nice leopard shark indeed.  It was a long, dogged fight that drew the attention of a group of people who were enjoying the tide pools.  As I landed the beautiful fish we were surrounded by onlookers.  I intended to keep the fish in the water and slip the hook out, but several people were asking for a look.  Here’s where I’m grateful for thick neoprene.  Now a leopard shark has relatively small teeth.  We’re not talking great white, mako or even blue shark here, but they do have teeth, so when I lifted the shark by the tail for my "audience" and he swiftly swung right up and onto my thigh, well I was a bit suprised.  The fish bit right into my upper thigh and proceeded to get his pointy little teeth stuck like velcro in my waders.  Well it brought a gasp from the crowd and sincere laughter from Vinnie.  The waders now have a very distinct "jaws" shaped area of leakage, but the leg went unscathed.  Had I been in shorts and bare legs this could have been a lot more interesting. JE * Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping.  Smart is Beautiful

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Any time you step into saltwater you become a potential part of the food chain.

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Jonnie, what color/pattern were your waders? also size? wet or dry? i’m planning a lil shark fishin myself….

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Interesting story.  I was expecting  something worse, as there are MUCH bigger sharks that roam the Northern California coast…… —Muskie Before you buy.

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Question:

I pretty much expect my fly to sink on the firts cast or two, to me it seems after the inital wetting then shaking off the water (via-false casting) the fly will then float. Good Luck.

Response:

Herman,    I think Dry Shake is just powdered desiccant.  Once your fly gets wet or slimed wash it off, use your Dry Shake and blow the powder off of the fly. Then treat it with a good floatant.  This has a law of diminishing returns though and you will eventually have to change the fly. Ernie Harrison Have you tried a Blood Knot Machine?  http://home.pacbell.net/ernie2 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I found that Dry shake works great – for only a short time. Once dried, my fly is floating beautifully, after five minutes, it sinks like a stone. Goes Titanic, so to speak.. I quit using the stuff, use CDC flies mainly and dry them with with a flykerchief. Two false casts and ready to go.. Herman RW: <<I’ve been using Dry-Shake for soaked flies. Just dry them out as much as you can with false casting and/or a cloth or a paper towel, then use the Dry-Shake. It works great. No need to false cast or blot with anything, RW.  After a fly has been slimed by the fish, simply wash it off in the water, put it in a bottle of dessicant, shake, and voila, good as new. Dave L. — Cheers, Herman Herman Nijland Daytime webmaster Lifetime flyfisher

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I found that Dry shake works great – for only a short time. Once dried, my fly is floating beautifully, after five minutes, it sinks like a stone. Goes Titanic, so to speak.. I quit using the stuff, use CDC flies mainly and dry them with with a flykerchief. Two false casts and ready to go.. Herman RW: <<I’ve been using Dry-Shake for soaked flies. Just dry them out as much as you can with false casting and/or a cloth or a paper towel, then use the Dry-Shake. It works great. No need to false cast or blot with anything, RW.  After a fly has been slimed by the fish, simply wash it off in the water, put it in a bottle of dessicant, shake, and voila, good as new. Dave L.

–         Cheers, Herman         Herman Nijland         Daytime webmaster         Lifetime flyfisher

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RW: <<I’ve been using Dry-Shake for soaked flies. Just dry them out as much as you can with false casting and/or a cloth or a paper towel, then use the Dry-Shake. It works great. No need to false cast or blot with anything, RW.  After a fly has been slimed by the fish, simply wash it off in the water, put it in a bottle of dessicant, shake, and voila, good as new. Dave L.

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Vern, I found Gink works best when allowed to dry completely.  This prevents the "sheen" on the water.  I also considered pre-coating my flys in the box before a trip but George recommended against it.  He says it can soften the hackles and make the dry flys less effective.  I have found that once a fly becomes really wet, applying Gink (or any floatant) seems to be ineffective.  I pat and blow dry (sling dry) the fly prior to re-coating.

I’ve been using Dry-Shake for soaked flies. Just dry them out as much as you can with false casting and/or a cloth or a paper towel, then use the Dry-Shake. It works great. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

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Vern, I found Gink works best when allowed to dry completely.  This prevents the "sheen" on the water.  I also considered pre-coating my flys in the box before a trip but George recommended against it.  He says it can soften the hackles and make the dry flys less effective.  I have found that once a fly becomes really wet, applying Gink (or any floatant) seems to be ineffective.  I pat and blow dry (sling dry) the fly prior to re-coating. — Wayne To fish is human….To release Divine! Before you buy.

Response:

I went to my local fly shop and bought a bottle of that famous stuff, "Gink."  On my way home I was hungry and decided to take my 4 year old to the IHOP.  As we were eating, I pulled out the little bottle from my shirt pocket. Popping the cap open I took a sniff.  There was no smell.  The bright yellow label was easy to read.  However, the information was uninformative and precocious as it claimed, "the most important product in any fly fisherman’s vest."  Though it might become the most important product in my vest, it isn’t yet. My four year old stabbed anther piece of egg with his fork as I poured a drop of Gink on the back of my hand.  It felt much like messuage oil.  It felt good on the back of my hand as I tried to rub it in.  It wouldn’t rub in.  The same amount of Gink remained on the back of my hand.  This is a good thing, I thought.  If it isn’t absorbed by my skin it becomes harder to effect my health. I pulled out two identical flies that I just bought at "Clearwater," my local fly shop and placed a little Gink on one fly.  The water glass was half empty so I poured a little water into an empty coffee cup and placed both flies on the water.  Both flies floated.  There was no difference. Okay, but what if the fly hits a little turbulence or pulled under water for a second or two?  Taking a toothpick, I pushed each one under water for exactly ten seconds.  Now, they both sunk.  I thought to my self, what good was this stuff?  Maybe, it wasn’t a fare test. I continued eating and cut the rest of my boy’s pancakes into bite size pieces.  After a short time, I decided to give Gink another test.  I dropped a single drop into the coffee cup of water.  I noticed that it stayed in one ball and then turned cloudy.  I took and touched the drop of Gink.  It had hardened.  I tried to sink the Gink, but it kept popping up to the surface. The little drop of Gink was very resilient and would not sink.  Something was definitely in this little bottle that floats. That’s when I noticed it.  A faint oily film hovered in the surface of water.  I don’t know what this stuff is, but it couldn’t be good for our rivers. I was now more intrigued than before.  I tore two small pieces of napkin and put Gink on one of them.  I then put both in the water and tried to sink them.  The piece of napkin without Gink instantly absorbed water, became soft, and sank.  The Gink piece of napkin wouldn’t sink, even after making a whirlpool and poking it several times.  However, the piece of napkin with Gink was stiff. Let’s try the flies one more time, I thought.  I put Gink on one more fly and performed the same test.  Again, the fly sunk even after holding it under water for one second.  Well, it didn’t completely sink.  The fly hovered at the top of the water just under the surface.  It was not on top of the water, it was under the water. I don’t know what this all means.  I’m going to have to try this Gink stuff Monday when go fishing on a new river, well new for me. Vern

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Question:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Question:

I have a Cortland 7" 3/4 wt. rod, is this good for pond fishing in a canoe? I am new to fly fishing although I have 2 old 9" rods. Thanks Mike — Posted via Talkway – http://www.talkway.com Exchange ideas on practically anything ™.

Response:

As with so many things in life, it isn’t how big it is that matters, it’s what you do with it. I take three rods in my canoe, depending on what I’m fishing for.  For bass I use a 10ft 7 wt (big honkin’ rod).  For trout on a dry fly (or bluegills), I have a lovely 8′6" 4wt.  And for trout on streamers I prefer a 9′ 6wt.   If you canoe with someone else, consider carefully how many rods you can fit in the canoe without increasing the risk of stepping on a rod tip. I have a Cortland 7" 3/4 wt. rod, is this good for pond fishing in a canoe? I am new to fly fishing although I have 2 old 9" rods. Thanks Mike — Posted via Talkway – http://www.talkway.com Exchange ideas on practically anything ™.

– James A. Foster                                Assoc. Prof Center for Secure & Dependable Computing/SCI   U. of Idaho http://www.cs.uidaho.edu/~foster              208.885.7062 pgp key at: ftp://ftp.cs.uidaho.edu/pub/foster/pgp-key.asc

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Thanks James, You forgot to say how many rods will fit in a van before one meets up with the door as did my last one.

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Mike     I fish from a canoe also, and feel the 7 footer is a bit of a handicap since it limits how much line you can comfortably pickup. Stillwater conditions frequently call for casting in different directions on short notice,especially when the fish are really on the move, and the short rod would make me crazy. I’d recommend nothing shorter than 8 feet. Jeff

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have a Cortland 7" 3/4 wt. rod, is this good for pond fishing in a canoe? I am new to fly fishing although I have 2 old 9" rods. Thanks Mike — Posted via Talkway – http://www.talkway.com Exchange ideas on practically anything ™.

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Question:

Without question, the greatest challenge in saltwater fly-fishing is the casting. To achieve consistent success, fly-fishers must be able to deliver a fly in excess of 50 feet–and usually they must be able to do this in the wind. Although there are a number of fly-casting tapes on the market, Saltwater Fly-Casting: 10 Steps to Distance and Power is the first video fly-casting program available: a detailed overview of the mechanics of distance fly-casting, coupled with a step-by-step practice program viewers can use to become more effective fly-casters. The program focuses on the specific needs of saltwater anglers, but is of value to all fly-fishers who wish to add distance and power to their casts. Hosted by George V. Roberts Jr., author of A Fly-Fisher

Question:

Does any one know it? Thanks, Nick Pujic

Response:

Does any one know it?

Hi Nick, He has at least three that I know of.  I usually use the following to reach him:                                   Good Fishing,                                           Dan Dan Gracia Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools Mt. Shasta Fly Fishing Schools http://www.thegrid.net/flyfish

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Question:

Grow up and get a life!  If you have a "head in the sand" approach to flyfishing that’s fine, but don’t try to foist it on the rest of us.  Most fly fishers enjoy a variety of approaches to catch, and often release, a variety of fish species.   To each his or her own.

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A nicely weighted nymph, quietly cast upstream, on a dead drift, is truly the only sporting way to pursue the honorable Mr. Trout.                                                        __ john quill taylor                                     / / writer at large                                      / /   Hewlett-Packard, Storage Systems Division    __     /_/ / Boise, Idaho U.S.A.                         /_/  __ _ Telephone: (208) 396-2328 (MST = GMT – 7)     /  \  / Snail Mail: Hewlett-Packard                    / \             11413 Chinden Blvd                 \             Boise, Idaho 83714                   _/             Mailstop 852                            _/                                                   _/       "When in doubt, do as doubters do." – jqt –                   haiti, rwanda, cuba, bosnia, … we have a list,              where is our schindler?

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Question:

3M makes a fly line dressing that brings out the natural lubricants in the line itself and puts more on it.  Great Great Great STuff

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writes: Has anybody tried "lard" (yes, I mean pure porky lard for cooking) or any other greasy-oily domestic product?

     In the Bad Old Days of silk lines, commercial line dressings contained lanolin (i.e., mutton fat), but what good lard would do on a vinyl-covered line, I don’t know.  Silicones act like oils but are much less sensitive to changes in temperature (and do not become rancid!)      Wash your line in warm water and mild soap, rinse, then wipe dry with a soft cloth.  You will be surprised how much better a clean line floats and shoots than a dirty one.  – Roger

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Does anybody know of any domestic product we could use to apply on fly lines instead of these expensive silicone products a careful fisherman must buy many times a year in order to protect his line? Has anybody tried "lard" (yes, I mean pure porky lard for cooking) or any other greasy-oily domestic product? Fly fishing is older than "silicone" I believe, so what would ancient fly fishers use on their lines? …of course we know they didn’t use synthetic lines as we do now, but still! I am asking before I try for I am bored by the commercial aspect of fishing.  And I do go fishing every day. If some of you fly fishers out there would kindly give me informations on this by E-Mail, I would gather the answer and publish them in an article here in the NewsGroup.  It might be helpful for all of us. If I get no answer, well next year I’ll know because I’ll try a few tricks. Thanks for reading me.  If you got any answer you can mail ‘em to me (Jean-Pierre) at E-Mail address:

I think that a can of Mucilin is about as much as a mocha? William Kiene Kiene’s Fly Shop Sacramento,CA,USA

Response:

Does anybody know of any domestic product we could use to apply on fly lines instead of these expensive silicone products a careful fisherman must buy many times a year in order to protect his line? Has anybody tried "lard" (yes, I mean pure porky lard for cooking) or any other greasy-oily domestic product? Fly fishing is older than "silicone" I believe, so what would ancient fly fishers use on their lines? …of course we know they didn’t use synthetic lines as we do now, but still! I am asking before I try for I am bored by the commercial aspect of fishing.  And I do go fishing every day. If some of you fly fishers out there would kindly give me informations on this by E-Mail, I would gather the answer and publish them in an article here in the NewsGroup.  It might be helpful for all of us. If I get no answer, well next year I’ll know because I’ll try a few tricks. Thanks for reading me.  If you got any answer you can mail ‘em to me (Jean-Pierre) at E-Mail address:

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Question:

The show is scheduled for September 11-14. In years past, Organizers, Etc. (800 283-2754) have helped attendees with travel and lodging reservations. You might give them a call for details.

Response:

Hello Simon: Contact the staff of the International Fly Tackle Dealer Show at: PO Box 370 Camden, ME 04843 Clay

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I am very keen to attend the Denver Fly Fishing Trade Show in September. Could someone please furnish me with details.

The organization behind the promotion of this show is Fly Rod & Reel Magazine.  Their address is:         Fly Rod & Reel              PO Box 370              Camden, Maine 04843 You can also send E-Mail from their home page at: http://flyfishers.com/fly-rod-reel.html Regards, Trent P Roberson          Rx F Fish "For Your Good Health, Fly Fish" URL=http://www.xnet.com/~rxffish

Response:

I am very keen to attend the Denver Fly Fishing Trade Show in September. Could someone please furnish me with details.

You can write Fly Tackle Dealer Magazine at Box 370 Camden, Maine 04843. You can probably e-mail Fly Rod and Reel (same group) through their web site (sorry, don’t know the Domain Name).    -Ralph Ralph Cutter, California School of Flyfishing. http://www.flyline.com

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Question:

Help!  I can’t make my rod tiptop stay put.  I am considering epoxy.  Do any of you rod-building types out there have advice on the subject?   Thanks! Randy Walsh

Make sure that you use 5 minute epoxy, and nothing stronger!!  Should you ever be required to replace the tiptop and you have used rgular epoxie, you will most likely damage the blank attempting to remove the tiptop.  It also may be a good idea before you attempt to epoxy the top in place that you clean the area of the tip where the top will be. Any dirt or grease will definitely affect the bonding ability of the epoxy.  As well you want to ensure that there is no shine where the epoxy will be.  If that section of the blank is shiny scuff it with a plastic type scouring pad.  A good product for this is something called smooth scuff.  All you want to do is scuff the finish.  You do NOT want to remove the finish and risk cutting into the fibre of the blank.  This is why you should not use sandpaper.  To clean the blank, just use a little rubbing or denatured alcohol and let it dry before you apply the 5 minute epoxy. Ian Scott Wishbone Custom Rods 2 Henry St.,  RR 1 Grand Valley, Ont., 519-928-2906

Response:

There is some risk with 5-min epoxy for tip-top attachment. Depending on the polymer mixture used (including Devcon’s), the epoxy may not retain its flexibility and the tip may fatigue and snap over repeated hook sets, fish etc. I would recommend going to a polymer which provides some flexibility when cured and retains elasticity under high loads (epoxy, on the other hand, loses elasticity at high loads upon curing and can result in a "brittle" fracture not unlike cast iron). One such product is manufactured by Flex Coat and comes in a solid "stick" form which is melted with head and rubbed onto the tip of the rod prior to application. Ryan Jordan

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Help!  I can’t make my rod tiptop stay put.  I am considering epoxy.  Do any of you rod-building types out there have advice on the subject? Thanks! Randy Walsh

Devcon 5 MINUTE epoxy. Phil Koenig Mattan Custom Tackle http://fishdoc.com./

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Help!  I can’t make my rod tiptop stay put.  I am considering epoxy.  Do any of you rod-building types out there have advice on the subject? Thanks! Randy Walsh Devcon 5 MINUTE epoxy. Phil Koenig Mattan Custom Tackle http://fishdoc.com./

I use the same medium cure epoxy I use on the rod seat and cork handle. Don’t could on the flex coat and wrap to hold it on. My tip tops tack a lot of beating in trees etc.

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Help!  I can’t make my rod tiptop stay put.  I am considering epoxy.  Do any of you rod-building types out there have advice on the subject?   Thanks! Randy Walsh

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Randy Walsh writes: Help!  I can’t make my rod tiptop stay put.  I am considering epoxy.  Do any of you rod-building types out there have advice on the subject?   Thanks!

Try 5 minute epoxy. It will hold and is reversable with heat. Jonathan Clarke

Response:

Help!  I can’t make my rod tiptop stay put.  I am considering epoxy.  Do any of you rod-building types out there have advice on the subject?   Thanks! Randy Walsh

Flexcoat sells tip top adhesive that you apply with heat.  Then, if the tip’s not on proper, or you want to remove it, just heat it up and fix it, or take it off.  You can find it in most fly fishing catalogs.  The problem with epoxy is that if you get it on crooked, too bad. Steve

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Help!  I can’t make my rod tiptop stay put.  I am considering epoxy.  Do any of you rod-building types out there have advice on the subject?   Thanks! Randy Walsh

You should be using epoxy, the 5 minute type. This will allow you to remove the tip or replace the tip with a little heat. Good luck Dennis & George

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writes: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Help!  I can’t make my rod tiptop stay put.  I am considering epoxy. Do any of you rod-building types out there have advice on the subject?   Thanks! Randy Walsh You should be using epoxy, the 5 minute type. This will allow you to remove the tip or replace the tip with a little heat. Good luck Dennis & George

The other consideration (I think) might be the fit.  I have had problems in the past if the tip was Just a little too large.  I’ve used the hot glue method for years and had no serious problems if the fit was right…. Steve

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