Question:

FWIW, several years ago I conducted an experiment to compare fluorocarbon tippet with "standard" tippet on a spring creek where the fish were somewhat leader-shy.  There really did not seem to be a significant difference between the two.  When fish approached my fly from the leader side, they tended to refuse my offering, but would take the fly if they approached from some other direction.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – been using orvis super strong 6x & 7x  tippet with good results. found out today they make a fluorocarbon tippet. told it is invisible in water! its slightly larger in dia. per equivalent test of mono though. its also pricey. $10.00/25 meters. any one tried it?

Response:

: been using orvis super strong 6x & 7x  tippet with good results. found out : today they make a fluorocarbon tippet. told it is invisible in water! its : slightly larger in dia. per equivalent test of mono though. its also pricey. : $10.00/25 meters. : any one tried it? I haven’t tried the Orvis line … however I found the brand I used very useful for getting (dragging) small wet flies (18-20) through scummy surface films in backwaters and the like.  It certainly helps sink small wets that may otherwise tend to float in still water. steve

Response:

says… Forget about it for dry flies. It’s too stiff, so it ruins the drag. My impression is that it’s best for streamers in large-tippet situations, like bonefishing. I’m planning to take a couple of spools of 10lb and 13lb fluorocarbon tippet to Xmas Island.

Berkley’s got a new line out called Vanish… It’s a Fluorocarbon Line but it’s much more supple than the other kinds I have tried. I have a spool of 12lb test I use for my salt water Fly Gear. I also use it for part of leaders as well in the butt section to make it stiffer… — Michael Era

Question:

Response:

Hey, this is a "Catch & Release" newsgroup…                            - jqt –

Response:

Well said, and moderate yesiree. Dave – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Remove me from your mailing list you forgot to say please. for that little faux-paus, you have to grovel here by posting: "oh pretty please, please for god’s sake, let me please be removed from this list" hourly, for three more weeks. sorry, it’s the facs maam. waldo, snedekerated appointed facs bastard.

Response:

You did it again Wayne.  You used up all of the on topic subjects, now we only have off topic subjects to talk about. Ernie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Remove me from your mailing list Wayne Harrison wrote no, wait, stop!  don’t leave!  we can do better, i swear! we’ll stay on topic, honest to god!  please, wait…listen, how about this:  um, let’s see…oh, yeah:  7.5 foot rods are great for eastern freestone streams of average size; i like thomas & thomas, but that’s because i’m a very wealthy gear whore—you can get great, all-american type bargains at cabela’s.  remember to use a 9′5wt on those big, brawling western rivers, though.  oh, yeah, if you’re looking for a tip on where to go, try the beaverkill in new york, the madison or the yellowstone in montana, the south platte in colorado…ok, here’s a *real* inside tip:  go to the confluence of the frying pan and the roaring fork in colorado; a great guide lives there, in a shiny new house.  he let’s people stay for free.  oh, if you don’t know how to cast very well, always remember to keep your wrist firm, and don’t overpower the rod, ok?  hey, if you get all frustrated about your choice of fly your first time out on the battenkill, just slip an improved clinch (tied with an orvis leader) around that trusty ol royal wulff (size 14 is *unbeatable*) and hold on, pard!  and, heck, if you don’t haul em in by the dozens, what’s to worry:  i mean, it is "fishing", not "catching", right (pretty funny, eh?), and the whole point is to just be closer to nature or give a kid a chance to fish or be with god in your own special way or… did anybody ever tell you that you snore terribly? wayno, on topic, do or die.

Response:

Remove me from your mailing list Before you buy.

Response:

Remove me from your mailing list

        no, wait, stop!  don’t leave!  we can do better, i swear! we’ll stay on topic, honest to god!  please, wait…listen, how about this:  um, let’s see…oh, yeah:  7.5 foot rods are great for eastern freestone streams of average size; i like thomas & thomas, but that’s because i’m a very wealthy gear whore—you can get great, all-american type bargains at cabela’s.  remember to use a 9′5wt on those big, brawling western rivers, though.  oh, yeah, if you’re looking for a tip on where to go, try the beaverkill in new york, the madison or the yellowstone in montana, the south platte in colorado…ok, here’s a *real* inside tip:  go to the confluence of the frying pan and the roaring fork in colorado; a great guide lives there, in a shiny new house.  he let’s people stay for free.  oh, if you don’t know how to cast very well, always remember to keep your wrist firm, and don’t overpower the rod, ok?  hey, if you get all frustrated about your choice of fly your first time out on the battenkill, just slip an improved clinch (tied with an orvis leader) around that trusty ol royal wulff (size 14 is *unbeatable*) and hold on, pard!  and, heck, if you don’t haul em in by the dozens, what’s to worry:  i mean, it is "fishing", not "catching", right (pretty funny, eh?), and the whole point is to just be closer to nature or give a kid a chance to fish or be with god in your own special way or…         did anybody ever tell you that you snore terribly? wayno, on topic, do or die.

Response:

Remove me from your mailing list

You are hearby transferred to the mailing list of alt.flyfishingvampires.flonk.flonk.flonk!! — Wayne To fish is human….To release Divine! Before you buy.

Response:

Well he is not going to get a refund for unsubscribing so soon

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Wayno That was goooooooooooooooooood. Almost poetic. I see an opportunity as a Wallmart greeter. My hero. Dave PS Maybe need a line on how to dress and perhaps something about how now that they are retired from mid management they can’t expect others to coddle them. Remove me from your mailing list no, wait, stop!  don’t leave!  we can do better, i swear! we’ll stay on topic, honest to god!  please, wait…listen, how about this:  um, let’s see…oh, yeah:  7.5 foot rods are great for eastern freestone streams of average size; i like thomas & thomas, but that’s because i’m a very wealthy gear whore—you can get great, all-american type bargains at cabela’s.  remember to use a 9′5wt on those big, brawling western rivers, though.  oh, yeah, if you’re looking for a tip on where to go, try the beaverkill in new york, the madison or the yellowstone in montana, the south platte in colorado…ok, here’s a *real* inside tip:  go to the confluence of the frying pan and the roaring fork in colorado; a great guide lives there, in a shiny new house.  he let’s people stay for free.  oh, if you don’t know how to cast very well, always remember to keep your wrist firm, and don’t overpower the rod, ok?  hey, if you get all frustrated about your choice of fly your first time out on the battenkill, just slip an improved clinch (tied with an orvis leader) around that trusty ol royal wulff (size 14 is *unbeatable*) and hold on, pard!  and, heck, if you don’t haul em in by the dozens, what’s to worry:  i mean, it is "fishing", not "catching", right (pretty funny, eh?), and the whole point is to just be closer to nature or give a kid a chance to fish or be with god in your own special way or… did anybody ever tell you that you snore terribly? wayno, on topic, do or die.

Response:

mraz says: remove me from your mailing iist

Actually, mraz, you are not subscribed to a mailing list.  This is a newsgroup.  YOU have to unsubscribe yourself.  No one at Rec. Outdoors. Fishing. Fly (ROFF) can unsubscribe you.  I know how to do it with my isp, but not with your’s.  Do you have a window that that says "Remove" or perhaps "Quit"? Highlight roff and click on Remove or whatever and you should be unsubscribed. good luck. Dave L.

Response:

True, but it wouldn’t have been as much fun. Ernie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – remove me from your mailing iist Jeff Cook wrote Okay, stop torturing the guy. <snip By the way, a simple question or polite request would have been much less noisy. Jeff Cook

Response:

remove me from your mailing iist Before you buy.

I don’t know how to break this to ya bud, but you subscribed yourself and only you can unsubscribe.  Perhaps you should use the Help feature in your email/news client and put in the word "subscribe" in the help search.   Don’t blame us if you don’t know how to use your newsreader. Peter

Response:

<snipped some helpful advice Please hold, an analysts will be with you shortly. <elevator music

actually Insid….doesn’t roff employs a proctologist for unsubscribing the az’s… jeff (avoiding the endoscope and proctoscope, and enjoyin the sh*t outta        roff)

Response:

Well he is not going to get a refund for unsubscribing so soon

I say we hold him hostage and stake him out for the meowers…

Response:

remove me from your mailing iist

Okay, stop torturing the guy. This is not a mailing list, it is a newsgroup. You are not subscribed to anything, but are actively asking for these messages to be displayed. Ask your internet provider or read the help files of your newsgroup reader software or your my-deja.com service to figure out how to drop rec.outdoors.fly.fishing from your active newsgroup list so you won’t be distracted by it anymore. By the way, a simple question or polite request would have been much less noisy. — Jeff Cook http://www.cookstudios.com Washington DC area

Response:

good luck.

There should be instructions on deja.com on how to do this, it’s not an ISP issue unless you are accessing through a news server as opposed to a web site. — Charlie…

Response:

        i have come to the terrifying conclusion that this goddam place is the hotel california, without the "champagne on ice", and all the other perks.

ROFLMAO! bc.

Response:

remove me from your mailing iist Before you buy.

Response:

remove me from your mailing iist

Pardon me, could you please repeat that?

Response:

remove me from your mailing iist

But you haven’t even asked for the address to send the unsubscribe fee.  It takes an incredible number of man-hours to unsubscride someone from this end, and we need to pass the costs onto the person requesting an emergency unsubscription. Now, it may cost you extra, as the ROFF tech staff is not sure where we keep the "iists" for mailing. Please hold, an analysts will be with you shortly. <elevator music

Response:

I say we hold him hostage and stake him out for the meowers…

Let’s stake him out and give him a good flonking! — Wayne To fish is human….To release Divine! Before you buy.

Response:

I was extremely disappointed to find that you made no mention of what breathable waders he should buy. –Steve – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – no, wait, stop!  don’t leave!  we can do better, i swear! we’ll stay on topic, honest to god!  please, wait…listen, how about this:  um, let’s see…oh, yeah:  7.5 foot rods are great for eastern freestone streams of average size; i like thomas & thomas, but that’s because i’m a very wealthy gear whore—you can get great, all-american type bargains at cabela’s.  MORE GREAT STUFF DELETED wayno, on topic, do or die.

Response:

Remove me from your mailing list

OK, I give up.  Whence cometh this overwhelming need to be abused in a public forum?  Would the Flagellants not accept you?  Have you been so naughty that you feel no punishment is strong enough?  What….WHAT on this Earth compels one to so obviously and abjectly come begging for a beating?

Response:

Remove me from your mailing list Wolfgang replied OK, I give up.  Whence cometh this overwhelming need to be abused in a public forum?  Would the Flagellants not accept you?  Have you been so naughty that you feel no punishment is strong enough?  What….WHAT on this Earth compels one to so obviously and abjectly come begging for a beating?

Add him to the femailing list. Ernie

Response:

Good luck. I have been trying to unsubscribe for 5 years. I have finally determined this NG is the ultimate virus that even my Norton Super Virus Killer cannot kill.

Response:

Good luck. I have been trying to unsubscribe for 5 years. I have finally determined this NG is the ultimate virus that even my Norton Super Virus Killer cannot kill.

        i have come to the terrifying conclusion that this goddam place is the hotel california, without the "champagne on ice", and all the other perks.         wayno, who is…afraid

Response:

Remove me from your mailing list

you forgot to say please. for that little faux-paus, you have to grovel here by posting: "oh pretty please, please for god’s sake, let me please be removed from this list" hourly, for three more weeks. sorry, it’s the facs maam. waldo, snedekerated appointed facs bastard.

Response:

Wayno That was goooooooooooooooooood. Almost poetic. I see an opportunity as a Wallmart greeter. My hero. Dave PS Maybe need a line on how to dress and perhaps something about how now that they are retired from mid management they can’t expect others to coddle them. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Remove me from your mailing list no, wait, stop!  don’t leave!  we can do better, i swear! we’ll stay on topic, honest to god!  please, wait…listen, how about this:  um, let’s see…oh, yeah:  7.5 foot rods are great for eastern freestone streams of average size; i like thomas & thomas, but that’s because i’m a very wealthy gear whore—you can get great, all-american type bargains at cabela’s.  remember to use a 9′5wt on those big, brawling western rivers, though.  oh, yeah, if you’re looking for a tip on where to go, try the beaverkill in new york, the madison or the yellowstone in montana, the south platte in colorado…ok, here’s a *real* inside tip:  go to the confluence of the frying pan and the roaring fork in colorado; a great guide lives there, in a shiny new house.  he let’s people stay for free.  oh, if you don’t know how to cast very well, always remember to keep your wrist firm, and don’t overpower the rod, ok?  hey, if you get all frustrated about your choice of fly your first time out on the battenkill, just slip an improved clinch (tied with an orvis leader) around that trusty ol royal wulff (size 14 is *unbeatable*) and hold on, pard!  and, heck, if you don’t haul em in by the dozens, what’s to worry:  i mean, it is "fishing", not "catching", right (pretty funny, eh?), and the whole point is to just be closer to nature or give a kid a chance to fish or be with god in your own special way or… did anybody ever tell you that you snore terribly? wayno, on topic, do or die.

Response:

Question:

Does anyone have any information on the actual fishing conditions (hatch, water temp. water level…) for the rivers in the northern part of New York state (Chateauguay, Salmon Marbel, Ausable, Saranac, Chasy…..). Or better phone numbers where I could get these information on a daily basis.

Response:

Does anyone have any information on the actual fishing conditions (hatch, water temp. water level…) for the rivers in the northern part of New York state (Chateauguay, Salmon Marbel, Ausable, Saranac, Chasy…..). Or better phone numbers where I could get these information on a daily basis.

Check out Francis Betters’ site… I think it’s called the Adirondack Fisherman, or something like that.  Do a search with his name and fly fishing.  I believe he posts a hatch report for the Ausable, and will give really up-to-date info by phone. Bob Scott

Response:

Question:

Does anyone have any place they recommend avoiding in the Bahamas for one reason or another… safety? crowds? pollution? Thanks! Patrick

Response:

Does anyone have any place they recommend avoiding in the Bahamas for one reason or another… safety? crowds? pollution?

Nassau, for the three reasons mentioned. — DAVe & Skoshi, ‘69 Stamas 26′ http://personal.mia.bellsouth.net/mia/d/r/drsi/

Response:

Does anyone have any place they recommend avoiding in the Bahamas for one reason or another… safety? crowds? pollution?

How ’bout that endless expanse of white sand gliding by just inches below your keel…  Y’know, The Bottom.  Definitely, avoid the bottom.

Response:

I will NEVER go back to Nassau! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Does anyone have any place they recommend avoiding in the Bahamas for one reason or another… safety? crowds? pollution? How ’bout that endless expanse of white sand gliding by just inches below your keel…  Y’know, The Bottom.  Definitely, avoid the bottom.

Response:

Does anyone have any place they recommend avoiding in the Bahamas for one reason or another… safety? crowds? pollution? Thanks! Patrick

Nassau for sure!

Response:

The northernmost Abacos seemed a tad dreary… of course it’s all relative; fishermen find Walker’s Cay a piscatorial paradise- scuba & beachcombing too. Norman’s Cay was a smuggling hotspot in the ’80s, but appears to be under control… now pilots fly there for fishing, scuba & gourmet food, not ‘business’.  Bimini & points south ditto. When cruising anywhere truly remote, tho, a bit of disgression is a good idea. Trimtab Does anyone have any place they recommend avoiding in the Bahamas for one reason or another… safety? crowds? pollution? Thanks! Patrick

Before you buy.

Response:

All the places I go

Response:

<snip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This is a case of advice that is misguided, and when one generalizes with "Never", they are failing to consider that numerous "lake" type vessels have made quite successful voyages to and through the Bahamas, simply by selecting the weather conditions appropriate to their vessel.  Obviously when a norther is blowing against the Stream, or the winter trades are at their best, even well found cruising designs find it wiser to remain in port, but to simply recommend against this voyage under any conditions, is to be out of touch with the reality of what frequently occurs with great success.  Pick your weather, ang go!  With the shoal draft, and large accomodations, a house boat can be a wonderful cruising design for the Bahamas, with the obvious necessity to carry adequate fuel. Good Cruising, 73 — Sean Holland NP2AU S/V Spindrift

You know in all the posts on this subject, nobody has thought to ask our intrepid boater just how fast his houseboat can go.  If he can wring 20kts out of it wihtout straining, it’s only a 2.5 or 3 hour crossing … more than enough time if he waits for the weather.  He can strap a liferaaft to the stern, tank up with gas, turn on his GPS, get out his charts and be in the Bahamas in time for lunch if he starts out at 0830!  The posters talking about leaving at night in order to get to port at the destination in the daylight are talking about doing 5 or 6 kts, not 15 or 20. If he really wants to know, he should take the boat offshore a ways to see how it reacts in ocean swells in the kind of weather he wants to cross in.  If he has trouble, he can head back; if he isn’t intent on crossing, he’ll head back anyway.  You’ll never know until you try it. Colin S.

Response:

There are houseboats in the Virgin Islands and I’m sure they weren’t built there.

Sure there are; and they may have island hopped in good weather to get there.  Or they may have come as deck cargo on a freighter. I’m not trying to rain on your parade; but safety comes first, for both you and your crew. You worked hard all your life to enjoy your retirement.  Don’t become a U.S. Coast Guard statistic. Jim Md.

Response:

Previously in response to a request for info on taking a house boat to the Bahamas someone said: You’re pushing the envelope friend.  In no case should a houseboat be taken offshore.   If you want to go to the Bahamas, buy an airline ticket. There are houseboats in the Virgin Islands and I’m sure they weren’t built there.

This is a case of advice that is misguided, and when one generalizes with "Never", they are failing to consider that numerous "lake" type vessels have made quite successful voyages to and through the Bahamas, simply by selecting the weather conditions appropriate to their vessel.  Obviously when a norther is blowing against the Stream, or the winter trades are at their best, even well found cruising designs find it wiser to remain in port, but to simply recommend against this voyage under any conditions, is to be out of touch with the reality of what frequently occurs with great success.  Pick your weather, ang go!  With the shoal draft, and large accomodations, a house boat can be a wonderful cruising design for the Bahamas, with the obvious necessity to carry adequate fuel. Good Cruising, 73 — Sean Holland NP2AU S/V Spindrift

Response:

This is a case of advice that is misguided, and when one generalizes with "Never", they are failing to consider that numerous "lake" type vessels have made quite successful voyages to and through the Bahamas, simply by selecting the weather conditions appropriate to their vessel.  Obviously when a norther is blowing against the Stream, or the winter trades are at their best, even well found cruising designs find it wiser to remain in port, but to simply recommend against this voyage under any conditions, is to be out of touch with the reality of what frequently occurs with great success.  Pick your weather, ang go!  With the shoal draft, and large accomodations, a house boat can be a wonderful cruising design for the Bahamas, with the obvious necessity to carry adequate fuel.

I agree that is is silly, if not rude, to tell a prospective motor boater or sailer to "buy an airplane ticket," but I still think that taking a houseboat across the Gulf Stream is, well, not smart.  To cross the stream under the best conditions, one must leave Florida in the evening in order to cross the bar at Bimini or go into the canal at Grand Bahama in daylight (and don’t Bahamas’ customs rules require daylight entry?)  Not all water-borne hazard will be spotted at night, and for an inexperienced captain, large cargo ships can be a real hazard; a flat bottom houseboat is not the vessel for maneouvering in shipping lanes. Also, the weather can never be predicted with the kind of reliability that would allow one to cross the Gulf Stream in a houseboat, particularly in winter, the main crusing time; and again, the deep water passages between the westerly cays and Nassau require better.   That "lake type sailboats" often venture to the Bahamas succesfully is merely an argument by ancedote, and so a dangerous one.  There are many, many, many cruisers anchored (right now!) in Elizabeth Harbor, off Georgetown, who got there on sheer luck alone.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This is a case of advice that is misguided, and when one generalizes with "Never", they are failing to consider that numerous "lake" type vessels have made quite successful voyages to and through the Bahamas, simply by selecting the weather conditions appropriate to their vessel.  Obviously when a norther is blowing against the Stream, or the winter trades are at their best, even well found cruising designs find it wiser to remain in port, but to simply recommend against this voyage under any conditions, is to be out of touch with the reality of what frequently occurs with great success.  Pick your weather, ang go!  With the shoal draft, and large accomodations, a house boat can be a wonderful cruising design for the Bahamas, with the obvious necessity to carry adequate fuel. I agree that is is silly, if not rude, to tell a prospective motor boater or sailer to "buy an airplane ticket," but I still think that taking a houseboat across the Gulf Stream is, well, not smart.  To cross the stream under the best conditions, one must leave Florida in the evening in order to cross the bar at Bimini or go into the canal at Grand Bahama in daylight (and don’t Bahamas’ customs rules require daylight entry?)  Not all water-borne hazard will be spotted at night, and for an inexperienced captain, large cargo ships can be a real hazard; a flat bottom houseboat is not the vessel for maneouvering in shipping lanes. Also, the weather can never be predicted with the kind of reliability that would allow one to cross the Gulf Stream in a houseboat, particularly in winter, the main crusing time; and again, the deep water passages between the westerly cays and Nassau require better. That "lake type sailboats" often venture to the Bahamas succesfully is merely an argument by ancedote, and so a dangerous one.  There are many, many, many cruisers anchored (right now!) in Elizabeth Harbor, off Georgetown, who got there on sheer luck alone.

Another opinion:  A few years ago those of us who made 5 knots or less felt we should cross at night, so that if we missed the Bahamas altogether we would have all day to find the island we were looking for.  With GPS that is no longer necessary.  Easiest crossing is 50 NM from Lake Worth to West End  on Grand Bahama Island.  Anchor in Lake Worth until you are sure of settled weather with wind from the west.  I have waited as long as 10 days for the right conditions.  There will be other boats waiting out weather.  Often a group of boats cross together.  It is a comfort to cross with other boats.  The entrance to the marina at West End is tricky.  I have gone in there at least ten times, and I still worry about it. From West End on around as far as Little Harbor there are short hops and numerous anchorages.  I don’t recommend the stretch from Little Harbor to Eleuthera in a houseboat. I haven’t hear of a restriction on entering the Bahamas at night.  Go in and either anchor or dock, raise the yellow "Q" flag and don’t get off the boat until Customs arrives.

Response:

Anchor in Lake Worth until you are sure of settled weather with wind from the west.  I have waited as long as 10 days for the right conditions. If the wind is out of the west, ahead of a cold front, wouldn’t you expect it to clock through NW then North as the front passes?  Not a good time to be in the stream. John L. Miller

Yes, sometimes the window is only about 4 hours from the time the wind picks up from the west (almost *always* in advance of a cold front) to the time it swings around to a 30 knot+ northerly gale.  Against the fast north- flowing Gulf Stream, the sea conditions become unbelievably bad with any breeze from the north. I’d ship the houseboat if I were you.  The Bahama banks would be a wonderful place for a boat like that, but getting it there across the Gulf Stream is quite a big risk. Dan

Response:

 This is a case of advice that is misguided, and when one generalizes with "Never", they are failing to consider that numerous "lake" type vessels have made quite successful voyages to and through the Bahamas, simply by selecting the weather conditions appropriate to their vessel.

I said never and I meant never.  Houseboats are not designed for offshore work under any circumstances.  Talking about ideal wind and sea conditions is nonsense.  We are not explorers, we are pleasure boaters;   and there is no reason to place any person aboard in danger with a vessel which can only operate in ideal wind and sea conditions. The insurance companies share this view, I believe. Ask what the premium increase will be for a houseboat taken offshore.   Jim Md.

Response:

Anchor in Lake Worth until you are sure of settled weather with wind from the west.  I have waited as long as 10 days for the right conditions.

If the wind is out of the west, ahead of a cold front, wouldn’t you expect it to clock through NW then North as the front passes?  Not a good time to be in the stream. John L. Miller

Response:

Anchor in Lake Worth until you are sure of settled weather with wind from the west.  I have waited as long as 10 days for the right conditions. If the wind is out of the west, ahead of a cold front, wouldn’t you expect it to clock through NW then North as the front passes?  Not a good time to be in the stream. John L. Miller

Absolutely true! An Irwin 45 named "Sandy Lanes" that took off ahead of me in the westerlies before a strong cold front, wound up being driven ashore on the west side of Gun Cay! I waited until after the front passed when light southerlies began to blow and had no problem. — J.A. Rogers Sailaway Cruising Club http://www.cqws.com/zone1/sailaway/

Response:

One of the respondents to Horace’ query stated: : You’re pushing the envelope friend.  In no case should a houseboat be : taken offshore.  I might try it if I was a Haitian boat person; but : fortunately, I’m not. : : If you want to go to the Bahamas, buy an airline ticket. Depends on the houseboat, doesn’t it?  For shoal water cruising, a smaller houseboat, with less draft, would be far more appropriate than many of the offshore keelboats currently pussyfooting around the banks. Even a craft as large as Horace’s houseboat would be vastly preferable to a similar sized keelboat, if one wanted to follow the barrier reef down Andros Is. On the other hand, a craft as well-powered as Horace’s houseboat shouldn’t have problems finding an appropriate window of time, in which to cross the Straits of Florida safely. He’ll probably have greater problems finding a mooring at port of entry (grin). If I did it, I’d want a smaller boat with less than 2′ of draft, even if it were substantially slower.  But hell, if you’ve got the boat, and the desire (and the money)… Go for it, Horace! It should be a real adventure! Good Cruising, —      Bob Martin

Response:

The boat is 60×14 with 22" of freeboard and a 42" draft. She has twin 228HP MercCruser outdrives and a fuel capacity of 175 Gals. Cruise speed at 1500RPM is about 8 knots with 21 knots at full speed. I plan to install Radar and GPS before the trip. Am I crazy or do you think this is possible ? What would you recommend ?

You’re pushing the envelope friend.  In no case should a houseboat be taken offshore.  I might try it if I was a Haitian boat person; but fortunately, I’m not. If you want to go to the Bahamas, buy an airline ticket. YOu should keep that nice houseboat in sheltered waters.  And there are plenty of sheltered waters that are perfect for you.  How about the ICW from New England to Fla?  How about the Erie Canal, the nicest fresh water cruise on the planet?  How about the Mighty Mississipp? Good Luck. Jim Md.

Response:

You’re pushing the envelope friend.  In no case should a houseboat be taken offshore.  I might try it if I was a Haitian boat person; but fortunately, I’m not. If you want to go to the Bahamas, buy an airline ticket.

There are houseboats in the Virgin Islands and I’m sure they weren’t built there. — J.A. Rogers Sailaway Cruising Club http://www.cqws.com/zone1/sailaway/

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Ed: I’m in the process of rebuilding, from the hull up, a 60ft houseboat with the ultimate purpose of curising to the Bahamas from the closest point in Florida when I retire in six years. I’ve talked to a couple of people who say this is possible, if I pick the right time of year and watch the weather carefully. The boat is 60×14 with 22" of freeboard and a 42" draft. She has twin 228HP MercCruser outdrives and a fuel capacity of 175 Gals. Cruise speed at 1500RPM is about 8 knots with 21 knots at full speed. I plan to install Radar and GPS before the trip. Am I crazy or do you think this is possible ? What would you recommend ?

There was a rig which moored in Daytona Beach for a while.  On a small river barge type hull was a white frame building with a sign "Marine Research Laboratory" (It allowed anchoring in places where people might otherwise object.)  Around the perimeter of the barge were trailer hitch balls.  The owner supposedly took it to the Bahamas using a "tug" consisting of an open runabout with a large outboard.  He had a short tower frame on the tug with another trailer hitch ball and an A-frame with three female hitchs on the corners.  By repositioning the frame he could pull, push, or run along side.  He did spend some time waiting for just the right weather conditions. I think your houseboat is several cuts above this in surviveability, but yes, the word crazy does come to mind.  Crazy is fine as long as you don’t expect someone else to bail you out. Roger —

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You’re pushing the envelope friend.  In no case should a houseboat be taken offshore.  I might try it if I was a Haitian boat person; but fortunately, I’m not. If you want to go to the Bahamas, buy an airline ticket. There are houseboats in the Virgin Islands and I’m sure they weren’t built there.

I second that!  A houseboat on the Gulf Stream is courting suicide, and there ARE some deep water passages to be made within the archipelago. Don’t do it, especially as a novice. Go, but with a good keel and skeg beneath you.

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You’re pushing the envelope friend.  In no case should a houseboat be taken offshore.  I might try it if I was a Haitian boat person; but fortunately, I’m not. If you want to go to the Bahamas, buy an airline ticket. There are houseboats in the Virgin Islands and I’m sure they weren’t built there. — J.A. Rogers Sailaway Cruising Club http://www.cqws.com/zone1/sailaway/

There might be places that you could go through once you are there.  I think a lot of large freight (cars etc) go by local freighters.  That approach should get your boat there. I crossed the Gulf stream with a perfect forcast.  By the time I was 2 hours out, I was seeing the worst continuous conditions that I had ever seen in 30 years of sailing. We are all masters of our vessels despite what anyone says.  I would give this all little thought though. Hans Paabor Rocinante I Scarborough, Ontario With great power comes great responsiblity (Spiderman)

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I mentally swapped the critical specs of your houseboat and was thinking it draws 22” and has 42” of freeboard when I wrote advising you to Go For It! Considering you have almost no spare freeboard and are a bit deeper than I believed, I should qualify my answer: You probably should not go in winter, when the weather is quite changeable (and the forecasts are therefore less reliable). Keeping in mind that safe anchorages may sometimes be 30-40 miles (i.e.four-six hours) apart, if the wind springs up suddenly the resulting sea might be too much for your boat. The Banks can develop a very steep chop. I don’t know how well houseboats drive into head seas but I suspect, not too well. You should find out first-hand before going. Dead calm conditions are, I’m told,  common in late spring and summer (save for the odd hurricane, but that’s another story).  At any rate, take a liferaft or Whaler type dinghy and a handheld VHF. And, of course, insure the vessel. Byron

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If anyone is contemplating cruising in Bahamas, I may be able to help. While I have not been to each cay, I have cruised throughout the island nation, from Walker’s Cay on the north to Long Island in the southern region. This year I am going south thru southernmost Bahamas to Turks & Caicos, despite news of major drug running and politicians’ alleged

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Ed: I’m in the process of rebuilding, from the hull up, a 60ft houseboat with the ultimate purpose of curising to the Bahamas from the closest point in Florida when I retire in six years. I’ve talked to a couple of people who say this is possible, if I pick the right time of year and watch the weather carefully. The boat is 60×14 with 22" of freeboard and a 42" draft. She has twin 228HP MercCruser outdrives and a fuel capacity of 175 Gals. Cruise speed at 1500RPM is about 8 knots with 21 knots at full speed. I plan to install Radar and GPS before the trip. Am I crazy or do you think this is possible ? What would you recommend ? Thanks Ron Brown

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If anyone is contemplating cruising in Bahamas, I may be able to help. region. This year I am going south thru southernmost Bahamas to Turks & Caicos, despite news of major drug running and politicians’ alleged

In 16 years cruising in the Bahamas, drug running and politicians have been the least of my worries or problems.  They are simply not an issue for the average cruiser, and there are fewer drugs to encounter in the islands than on your average midtown street corner back in the states. Just returned from a fast passage from Ft. Lauderdale to Provo, (T&C), and the only problems encountered were related to the vessel, rather than politics or recreational pharmacy products. Good Sailing, 73,  Sean — Sean Holland NP2AU S/V Spindrift

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Go for it! Weather is key but the crossing from Miami to Gun Cay or Bimini should only take you a few hours (it’s 50nm or thereabouts). You will want to cross during a period of winds <12kts out of a southerly quadrant. You should experience chop no more than a foot or two over an easy swell. We spent a winter cruising the Bahamas in a 36′ sailboat. So long as you pick your weather carefully and hole up in one of the many protected anchorages during frontal passages, you should have no problem. Additionally, your shoal draft will open up many anchorages denied sailboats. So you should be able to avoid any unpleasantness. I would urge you to buy a short-wave receiver like the Grundig Yacht Boy 400 to get USCG weathercasts on NMN and to tune into the Bahamas marine net, as well as the big picture weather outlook from "Herb" on 12.359 at 2000 UCT. You may have to be very patient to get favorable conditions for operating in the NW Providence Channel; if it’s wintertime, you probably don’t want to operate in the northern half of the Bahamas (Abacos) as they get some very nasty weather indeed. Good luck! Byron Westerly ketch "Vela"

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Question:

What would be the best way to fish at Henry’s lake in Sept. From the bank or boat or would the best fishing be in streams in the area?

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I have fished Henry’s Lake a number of times in Sept. and October.  It can be very good in the fall.  I prefer Henry’s Lake because the fish are big, strong cut-throats and they are ready to eat.  I have fished mostly from a float tube and find it to work very well.  I use a full sinking line and olive or brown crystal buggers. I would suggest that you call a guide at Henry’s Lake by the name of Bill Schiff.  I think that is the right spelling.  His fly fishing store is right on the main hwy. just before you head up the canyon to West Yellowstone.  He knows Henry’s better than almost anyone I know. If it were me, I’d stay on Henry’s Lake unless it is real windy.  At that point, I’d go over to Cliff or Wade Lakes in Montana to do the same type of fishing.

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I have fished Henry’s a number of times in September.  I find that the

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Question:

I will arrive in Hot Springs Aug. 10th and be fishing several days. Would appreciate any tips on good locations and what may be hatching or emerging at that time. Thank you. Don Whipple from Kansas

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I have fly fished for trout on the Little Red below the dam in Heber Springs, AR.  The trout feed on freshwater shrimp that are coming out of the bottom of the lake.  A mysis shrimp pattern imitates this. This is the only fly fishing I have done in AR, and there may be good places closer to Hot Springs than this.  Looking at my road atlas, I see no less than 10 rivers crossing the highways near Little Rock. My brother has done some fly fishing on the White River. Good Luck, Eric

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Question:

I’m planning a trip to the Yellowstone area in early September.  Does any one have advice on the best bets that time of year?  Any favorite places that you wouldn’t pass up if driving through the Park? Thanks for any help, Mike Fair

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Mike, …..theres a lot of fishing in and around the park. Call Dan Baillys(sp?) in Livingston or any other Fly Fishing store to get advise with in a week of your trip.The rivers in Montana are still high due to the heavy snows. I own Hawley Mt. guest Ranch 25 miles north of Yellowstone on the Boulder River and we offer lodging and fishing but we have a 4 day min. You can call me 406-932-5791 and I will be happy to tell you about the conditions.                                                                       Bryant BBlewett

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Mike, …..theres a lot of fishing in and around the park. Call Dan Baillys(sp?) in Livingston or any other Fly Fishing store to get advise with in a week of your trip.The rivers in Montana are still high due to the heavy snows. I own Hawley Mt. guest Ranch 25 miles north of Yellowstone on the Boulder River and we offer lodging and fishing but we have a 4 day min. You can call me 406-932-5791 and I will be happy to tell you about the conditions.                                                                      Bryant BBlewett

I was there a couple years ago for a week following Labor Day.  It turned out to be a great time to be in Yellowstone.  Most of the facilities were still open, but there weren’t very many people in the park.  Most of the  people who were there stayed on the busses or in the gift shops.  My wife and I were often by ourselves on the rivers or the hiking trails. I fished the Yellowstone in several spots, the Firehole and several of the creeks which feed into the Yellowstone.  The rivers were full of Cutthroat  I was recently recalling this trip and decided that I will return in September ‘97 to see if it was really as good as I remembered it. One warning, the park facilities only stay open for about two weeks after Labor Day, at which point everything by Old Faithful Lodge starts closing down. Please report back if you go this September. Tim Johnson

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Mike,  Everything should be fishing well at that time with the late runoff and all.  If the weather is warm the madison below Quake lake should be good for hoppers.  Many shops in West can supply flies and info. I hate driving in the park, but the uppper northeast area is a fav. spot.  Soda Butte creek towards Cooke City and even the Clarks Fork past Cooke City. Doug Stephens

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Question:

Any suggestions for good fly fishing in the Vernon, B.C  (Canada) area, will be visiting the area at the end of the month and wondered if there are any worthwhile spots, Cheers, Ken

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There are hundreds of *excellent* areas – far too numerous to mention.   Vernon is in the Okanagan Valley which is surrounded by plateaus, mountains, etc., containing some of the best Kamloops rainbow fishing anywhere.  Any local fishing shop will be able to give you lists of what is in the area you are going to/passing through.  But you will need to travel out of Vernon by 1-2 hours in order to reach most of them. Good Luck. Don

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: There are hundreds of *excellent* areas – far too numerous to mention.   : Vernon is in the Okanagan Valley which is surrounded by plateaus, : mountains, etc., containing some of the best Kamloops rainbow fishing : anywhere.  Any local fishing shop will be able to give you lists of what : is in the area you are going to/passing through.  But you will need to : travel out of Vernon by 1-2 hours in order to reach most of them. Some general ideas: 1. the area to the east of Kelowna, e.g. Dee or Beaver Lakes 2. the Thompson-Nicola plateau west of Kelowna, e.g Pennask, Hatheume, Headwaters, Logan etc Lakes 3. go east on the Monashee highway through Lumby and over to the Columbia and Kootenay watersheds; some possibilities might include Whatshan (sp) Lake, just north of the Fauquier/Needles ferry (west side) and Summit Lake, about a half-hour south of Nakusp on the road to New Denver 4. go north to Shuswap or Mara Lakes, or continue on to the Thompson at Kamloops 5. take the road (hiway 33?) between Kelowna and Rock Creek (via Beaverdell) and fish any section of the Kettle River that looks good (most of it will) 6. Go south to Vaseux Lake (between Okanagan Falls and Oliver) to fish the second-best bass lake (almost all LM’s) in BC; use a tube or canoe (no motors allowed) Most of these destinations, like Don says, are 1-2 hours from Vernon. Generally, the Okanagan does not boast a lot of stream fishing, but the lakes are pretty good. (born in Penticton Hospital and raised in Keremeos and Oliver) 3798 Woodland Drive     voice: (604) 368-9315 Trail, BC               data:  (604) 368-9341

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Question:

You might try straws with the tippet strung between the ends and the flies stuck in the straw.  That’s still a pain sometimes too, I wish I knew the perfect method. Curtis

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Hi Tim, Your idea on storing already assemble nymph and dropper fly sounds great. I think I’ll do something similar myself. Thanks! Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT (96 catalog)

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any suggestions on how to store a dropper/point combination?  I hate to discard the tippet and start all over again when reusing the same combination.  thanks

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any suggestions on how to store a dropper/point combination?  I hate to discard the tippet and start all over again when reusing the same

Round your hat, easy if brimmed, otherwise still possible. — |  Donald Phillipson, 4180 Boundary Road, Carlsbad Springs,  | |        Ontario, Canada, K0A 1K0, tel. 613 822 0734         |

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any suggestions on how to store a dropper/point combination?  I hate to discard the tippet and start all over again when reusing the same Round your hat, easy if brimmed, otherwise still possible.

I took a newbie nymphing awhile back…I was waiting for him at the house (you know how those damned newbies are) and thought I could save some time on the river by pre-tying some of these casts, so I did…I tied a dozen BigFLy/Little fly combinations using a 14 inch hunk of 5X. At the time, I found a little cardboard watch box (approx: 1 X 3 X 6) with this carboard insert. I simply cut slits in each end of this insert…put the big hook in the slit, wrapped the tippet around and stuck the little hook into the cardboard.  Put the insert back in the box. It really worked well, except for the 5th law of flyfishing… that a hatch was on and midge emergers were in order, not the deep drift casts I had ready. (lucky bastard still probably has a dozen damn droppers and 2 dozen of my best nymphs in his vest somewhere hanging in a garage while he’s out golfing…) Tim Walker

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Question:

TIP OF THE DAY; Studying insects helps anglers Knowing when aquatic insects should hatch gives you an advantage. Near the end of April, I fished a stretch of the Whitewater River = expecting a hatch of Hendrickson mayflies. I knew from experience that the adults show up on the water’s surface sometime between 2 = and 5 p.m. The day was perfect for good mayfly action, dark and ugly. At 11 a.m., I started wading upcurrent,  fishing  streamers. They didn’t = work. Next I dredged deep pools with nymphs. Bottom-hugging snags ate my nymphs. The trout were sulking.  A few tentative taps at my nymph pattern kept me awake. By 3 p.m., after 4 hours of hard  fishing,  I had caught and released only = four small browns. I probably would have given up then if I hadn’t known there would be a hatch. Just as I was beginning to wonder if the hatch really would occur, I roundeda bend and spied a platoon of 11- to 14-inch browns frol= icking in an ankle-deep riffle. They attacked. Every other drift through the riffle brought a strike – on each of the four different=  Hendrickson dry-fly patterns I used.

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URL http://www.deltanet.com/users/msangil

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