Question:

I was in Wisconsin this past weekend doing allot of fishing with a buddy of mine. We started out on Fenner Lake at his cabin casting into lily pads and weedbeds for bass on Friday night. They were attacking my Dahlberg Diver but nothing of any substantial size was interested, just the little guys. They were allot of fun though. I’ll ask forgiveness now, I can’t recall any of the stream name, my friend was playing guide but the conditions were about the same on all the streams in the area. On Saturday we went to a little brook trout stream by his cabin and each landed one, but the fishing was real slow. The water was crystal clear and even 6x leaders were spooking them. We had to do allot of hanging over tall grasses and just dipping nymphs in to avoid spooking them. Later that day we hit another stream that was a bit wider and slower. The conditions were the same though. I managed to get one small brown but everything was getting spooked very easily. That evening we went back to the lake to go after pike. I was casting this monstrous streamer that was my buddies concoction. It was basically allot of orange and black fish hair with huge weighted eyes. We were casting to weedbeds right on drop offs. After about 50 casts I had a take, never having fished for pike on purpose the take caught me by surprise. Especially after swinging a 9wt around with that huge fly. I was slightly spellbound and pulled the rod tip up like I was catching a small trout, basically I didn’t set the hook. We saw his side as he turned on the fly. He looked pretty big but was only on for a minute. He’ll turn into my new "the one that got away" story. He was the only taker pike wise. I caught a few bass again and the biggest crappie I’ve ever seen. Now it gets rough. On Sunday we hit about 5 or 6 streams with no luck on any of them. The spook factor was worse than the day before. But on one stream we saw a small fish in his feeding lane. I cast a small hairs ear past him a dozen times and he didn’t spook at all, but didn’t seem interested. So I took my buddies rod, he was fishing a caddis emerger. Again we cast over him a dozen or so times without even an acknowledgement. So now wit our two rods, my buddy would change flies on one and I would cast the other. So we were just passing rods back and forth. After about 20 minutes of this we were getting pretty vindictive against this fish. We had already sent about 15 different flies by him. After about an hour we gave up. So in all my infinite wisdom I decided well I’m gonna at least scare the shit out of this bugger, and went charging up stream towards him. I got about 3 feet away and noticed we spent the last hour pulling our hair out trying to cast to a piece of seaweed drifting in the current. Talk about feeling dumb. We then proceeded to go back to his cabin and drank ourselves into a stupor. Oh well. Tim Apple

Response:

After about an hour we gave up. So in all my infinite wisdom I decided well I’m gonna at least scare the shit out of this bugger, and went charging up stream towards him. I got about 3 feet away and noticed we spent the last hour pulling our hair out trying to cast to a piece of seaweed drifting in the current. Talk about feeling dumb. We then proceeded to go back to his cabin and drank ourselves into a stupor. Oh well. Tim Apple

You coulda done worse – you coulda caught it.  BTW, did it spook? Peter Visit The Streamer Page at http://www.mountaincable.net/~pcharles/streamers/index.html

Response:

"Timothy Apple" wrote //good report snipped//   . . .I got about 3 feet away and noticed we spent the last hour pulling our hair out trying to cast to a piece of seaweed drifting in the current. Talk about feeling dumb. We then proceeded to go back to his cabin and drank ourselves into a stupor. Oh well.

Several years ago I was fishing a stream in the smokies. I was near the mouth of the stream and saw these HUGE fish cruising slowy up and down the creek. I must have spent at least an hour throwing everything I had at them before I realized they were carp. Bob — http://rwpatton.home.netcom.com/

Response:

I got about 3 feet away and noticed we spent the last hour pulling our hair out trying to cast to a piece of seaweed drifting in the current. Talk about feeling dumb.

That reminds me of partridge hunting (ruffed grouse to everyone else).  When you are looking for birds, every stump and rock looks like a bird. Pete Collin

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Question:

You know yore from Arkansas if:

Oh palms thankyou for a great laugh. Jeanne

Response:

This is very funny – I have already forwarded it to some friends! Helen

Helen me too. LOL Jeanne

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This is very funny – I have already forwarded it to some friends! Helen You know yore from Arkansas if: 34. Your working TV sits on top of your non-working TV. I thought that was Ashtabula, Ohio.

  Nonsense – they’re much classier in Ashtabula. Ghoulagirl. "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."                                         – Obi-Wan Kenobi, "Star Wars".

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This is very funny – I have already forwarded it to some friends! Helen You know yore from Arkansas if: 34. Your working TV sits on top of your non-working TV. I thought that was Ashtabula, Ohio. Marley Hey, I *like* Ashtabula! Nancy

You *know* Astabula???  I like Jefferson. Marley

Response:

You know yore from Arkansas if: 1. You take your dog for a walk and you both use the same tree.

BTDT 18. You’ve been involved in a custody fight over a hunting dog.

BTDT but not a hunting dog. 23. You know how many bales of hay your car will hold.

Yup. 24. You have a rag for a gas cap.

BTDT And I’m from NY.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You know yore from Arkansas if: 1. You take your dog for a walk and you both use the same tree. BTDT 18. You’ve been involved in a custody fight over a hunting dog. BTDT but not a hunting dog. 23. You know how many bales of hay your car will hold. Yup. 24. You have a rag for a gas cap. BTDT And I’m from NY.

Gasp!  Your last name’s not "Clinton", is it? P2P

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This is very funny – I have already forwarded it to some friends! Helen You know yore from Arkansas if: 34. Your working TV sits on top of your non-working TV. I thought that was Ashtabula, Ohio. Marley Hey, I *like* Ashtabula! Nancy You *know* Astabula???  I like Jefferson. I spent the night in an old hotel in Ashtabula once, though I forget why.  It was nice, kinda like stepping into 1956 Mayberry.  I kept waiting for Aunt Bea in her apron to bring out more hot rolls and home made jam from the kitchen.

Is Ashtabula on the coast, by any chance? I have a vague memory of hearing it mentioned on a local radio station when we were on board ship, on the east coast. Helen – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Nancy "Well if you think I am going to stand for this lying down, you had better think again!"      Celeste  12/30/96

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I spent the night in an old hotel in Ashtabula once, though I forget why.  It was nice, kinda like stepping into 1956 Mayberry.  I kept waiting for Aunt Bea in her apron to bring out more hot rolls and home made jam from the kitchen. Is Ashtabula on the coast, by any chance? I have a vague memory of hearing it mentioned on a local radio station when we were on board ship, on the east coast. No, Ashtabula is inland, in a small time warp located in northeastern Ohio.  If there’s any water involved, it might be the "coast" of Lake Erie, but I don’t really remember and I’m too lazy to haul out my atlas to even check to see if I’ve got the right lake.  BTW, years ago Lake Erie was such a joke that it could barely qualify as being a body of water–I mean, it was wet like water, but it did catch fire at least once.  I hear it’s better now… Nancy

Yes, it’s on Lake Erie and even has a port, though I seriously doubt any real ships ever land there.  It also has a beach, which a least when I was hanging there, was a blacktop parking lot.  The city is the drug capital of the world and many strange characters inhabited the area.  One afternoon I was staking out a suspected killer (don’t ask!) when I noticed I’d locked my keys in my car.  oh oh.  A whole crowed of nice Baltic immigrants offered assistance with coat hangers.  It was rather humiliating and halted my career in professional snooping for years to come. Marley – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

<snip I once ran into a group of Baltic immigrants on a beach, and for some unknown reason the men all seemed to be wearing their Speedo-type swimsuits backwards.  It was *not* a nice effect, no matter how dapper they seemed to think they looked.

*They* must have invented THONGS!!!! LOL Helen – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Nancy "Well if you think I am going to stand for this lying down, you had better think again!"      Celeste  12/30/96

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I spent the night in an old hotel in Ashtabula once, though I forget why.  It was nice, kinda like stepping into 1956 Mayberry.  I kept waiting for Aunt Bea in her apron to bring out more hot rolls and home made jam from the kitchen. Is Ashtabula on the coast, by any chance? I have a vague memory of hearing it mentioned on a local radio station when we were on board ship, on the east coast. No, Ashtabula is inland, in a small time warp located in northeastern Ohio.  If there’s any water involved, it might be the "coast" of Lake Erie, but I don’t really remember and I’m too lazy to haul out my atlas to even check to see if I’ve got the right lake.  BTW, years ago Lake Erie was such a joke that it could barely qualify as being a body of water–I mean, it was wet like water, but it did catch fire at least once.  I hear it’s better now… Nancy Yes, it’s on Lake Erie and even has a port, though I seriously doubt any real ships ever land there.  It also has a beach, which a least when I was hanging there, was a blacktop parking lot.  The city is the drug capital of the world and many strange characters inhabited the area. You mean…Aunt Bea?  OH NOOOOOoooo…  I thought that was homemade jam…

I don’t remember any Aunt Bea’s but there were some whacked out locals. One afternoon I was staking out a suspected killer (don’t ask!) I actually did that once myself.  Just once.  I got into it without entirely understanding the situation, and I got tired of it really quickly.

I was working on a capital murder retrial.  We won but the real killer walked anyway.  He was supposedly the bastard son of one of the local chiefs of police and a snitch. when I noticed I’d locked my keys in my car.  oh oh.  A whole crowed of nice Baltic immigrants offered assistance with coat hangers.  It was rather humiliating and halted my career in professional snooping for years to come. I once ran into a group of Baltic immigrants on a beach, and for some unknown reason the men all seemed to be wearing their Speedo-type swimsuits backwards.  It was *not* a nice effect, no matter how dapper they seemed to think they looked. Nancy

Oh, please . It’s very late here. I spent a few hours on a train  once with some Estonian women in sweaters adorned with gold lame tigers. Marley Marley – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – "Well if you think I am going to stand for this lying down, you had better think again!"      Celeste  12/30/96

Response:

You know yore from Arkansas if: 1. You take your dog for a walk and you both use the same tree. 2. You can entertain yourself for more than an hour with a fly swatter. 3. Your property has been mistaken for a recycling center. 4. Your boat has not left the driveway in 15 years. 5. You burn your yard rather than mow it. 6. You think the Nutcracker is something you did off the high dive. 7. The Salvation Army declines your mattress. 8. Your entire family sat around waiting for a call from the governor to spare a loved one. 9. You offer to give someone the shirt off your back and they don’t want it. 10. You have the local taxidermist on speed dial. 11. You come back from the dump with more than you took. 12. You keep a can of Raid on the kitchen table. 13. Your wife can climb a tree faster than your cat. 14. Your grandmother has "Ammo" on her Christmas list. 15. You’v! ! e been kicked out of the zoo for heckling the monkeys. 16. You think a subdivision is part of a math problem. 17. You’ve bathed with flea and tick soap. 18. You’ve been involved in a custody fight over a hunting dog. 19. Your kids take a siphon hose to show and tell. 20. You think a hot tub is a stolen indoor plumbing fixture. 21. You took a fishing pole to Sea World. 22. You go to the stock car races and don’t need a program. 23. You know how many bales of hay your car will hold. 24. You have a rag for a gas cap. 25. Your father executes the "Pull my finger" trick during Christmas dinner. 26. Your house doesn’t have curtains but your truck does. 27. You wonder how service stations keep their restrooms so clean. 28. You can spit without opening your mouth. 29. You consider your license plate personalized because your father made it. 30. Your lifetime goal is to own a fireworks stand. 31. You sit on your roof at Christmas! ! time hoping to fill your deer quota. 32. You have a complete set of salad bowls and they all say Cool Whip on the side. 33. The biggest city you’ve ever been to is Wal-Mart. 34. Your working TV sits on top of your non-working TV. 35. You thought the Unabomber was a wrestler. 36. You’ve used your ironing board as a buffet table. 37. You think a quarter horse is that ride in front of K-Mart. 38. Your neighbors think you’re a detective because a cop always brings you home. 39. A tornado hits your neighborhood and does a $10,000 worth of improvement. 40. You’ve used a toilet brush as a back scratcher. 41. You’ve asked the preacher "How’s it hangin’?" 42. You missed 5th grade graduation because you had jury duty. 43. You think fast food is hitting a deer at 65 mph. 44. Somebody tells you that you’ve got something in your teeth and you take them out to see what it is. P2P

Response:

22. You go to the stock car races and don’t need a program.

Uh-Oh!! 23. You know how many bales of hay your car will hold.

Double Uh-Oh!! Becky Young ….Though nothing can bring back the hour of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower, We will grieve not; rather find strength in what remains behind — William Wordsworth

Response:

You know yore from Arkansas if:

snip 39. A tornado hits your neighborhood and does a $10,000 worth of improvement.

  This one struck me as really funny for some reason – ROR! Ghoulagirl. "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."                                         – Obi-Wan Kenobi, "Star Wars".

Response:

This is very funny – I have already forwarded it to some friends! Helen

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You know yore from Arkansas if: 1. You take your dog for a walk and you both use the same tree. 2. You can entertain yourself for more than an hour with a fly swatter. 3. Your property has been mistaken for a recycling center. 4. Your boat has not left the driveway in 15 years. 5. You burn your yard rather than mow it. 6. You think the Nutcracker is something you did off the high dive. 7. The Salvation Army declines your mattress. 8. Your entire family sat around waiting for a call from the governor to spare a loved one. 9. You offer to give someone the shirt off your back and they don’t want it. 10. You have the local taxidermist on speed dial. 11. You come back from the dump with more than you took. 12. You keep a can of Raid on the kitchen table. 13. Your wife can climb a tree faster than your cat. 14. Your grandmother has "Ammo" on her Christmas list. 15. You’v! ! e been kicked out of the zoo for heckling the monkeys. 16. You think a subdivision is part of a math problem. 17. You’ve bathed with flea and tick soap. 18. You’ve been involved in a custody fight over a hunting dog. 19. Your kids take a siphon hose to show and tell. 20. You think a hot tub is a stolen indoor plumbing fixture. 21. You took a fishing pole to Sea World. 22. You go to the stock car races and don’t need a program. 23. You know how many bales of hay your car will hold. 24. You have a rag for a gas cap. 25. Your father executes the "Pull my finger" trick during Christmas dinner. 26. Your house doesn’t have curtains but your truck does. 27. You wonder how service stations keep their restrooms so clean. 28. You can spit without opening your mouth. 29. You consider your license plate personalized because your father made it. 30. Your lifetime goal is to own a fireworks stand. 31. You sit on your roof at Christmas! ! time hoping to fill your deer quota. 32. You have a complete set of salad bowls and they all say Cool Whip on the side. 33. The biggest city you’ve ever been to is Wal-Mart. 34. Your working TV sits on top of your non-working TV. 35. You thought the Unabomber was a wrestler. 36. You’ve used your ironing board as a buffet table. 37. You think a quarter horse is that ride in front of K-Mart. 38. Your neighbors think you’re a detective because a cop always brings you home. 39. A tornado hits your neighborhood and does a $10,000 worth of improvement. 40. You’ve used a toilet brush as a back scratcher. 41. You’ve asked the preacher "How’s it hangin’?" 42. You missed 5th grade graduation because you had jury duty. 43. You think fast food is hitting a deer at 65 mph. 44. Somebody tells you that you’ve got something in your teeth and you take them out to see what it is. P2P

Response:

This is very funny – I have already forwarded it to some friends! Helen You know yore from Arkansas if: 34. Your working TV sits on top of your non-working TV.

I thought that was Ashtabula, Ohio. Marley

Response:

Question:

That’s the best troll I have seen in a long time.  Raise the age limit another thirty years and include "married" and you can have a dirty old man. Good luck. Ernie

Hey, then I’d qualify! — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

I’m interested in meeting a 40-ish single fly fishing guy in the S.F. Bay Area. I’m a good fly fisher; fit, grounded gal, not a psycho…just would love to have a companion someday

Might be better to post this to    alt.ac-dc.lonelyhearts.fun or try joining the chat at www.thecaddis.com tonight at 8pm pacific.. this shop is based in Belmont and a few of the participants are local…. don’t know the marital or physical or mental status of the folks that show up, but like anything else on the ‘Net, y’spends yer $$ and y’takes yer chances… Larry #:)# 40+, married, partially psycho and fit (to be tied)

Response:

Lets be frank, 40ish single straight flyfisherman are scarcer than hen’s teeth in S.F. Dave – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’d suggest you join a club; people are at least somewhat sane there. Drop by the Casting Pond in Golden Gate Park, right next to the Police Stable  near Polo Field on a Sunday morning, and you will find some local fishing club members holding their weekly meets. 40ish single flyfishermen are scarcer than hen’s teeth, but it’s your call…. JT

Response:

Lets be frank, 40ish single straight flyfisherman are scarcer than hen’s teeth in S.F.

No, I’ll be Frank. You’ll be Nancy, — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

50-ish married WM seeks flyfishing supermodel in her 20s (early 20s) in the SF Bay Area. I’m not a psycho. I’m just looking for a meaningful, platonic relationship with a member of the fair sex with common interests. Prefer proven fish catcher with ability to tie knots in 7x and 8x tippet threaded through size 28 flies. Will split the gas 50/50. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

– "In order to achieve what is possible, one must constantly attempt the impossible" http://www.mikeconnor.de

Lets be frank, 40ish single straight flyfisherman are scarcer than hen’s teeth in S.F. Dave

Should a young married couple be frank and earnest ?  No one of them should be a woman. Lets face it , all flyfishermen are weirdos. TL MC

Response:

I’m interested in meeting a 40-ish single fly fishing guy in the S.F. Bay Area. I’m a good fly fisher; fit, grounded gal, not a psycho…just would love to have a companion someday for my many No. Calif. fishing weekends.   Sorry if this is against some kind of newsgroup rules (not really)… Thanks, and Happy New Year.

check out the two Casting Clubs in the Bay Area – G.G. Casting Club at the Angler’s Lodge in the park, and the Oakland Casting Club at Leona Park in Oakland, they "meet" Sunday morning The folks at the GG can give you directions to the Oakland Club – in the summer they do trips to No Calif., etc. Hope this helps.    http://www.newsfeeds.com       The Largest Usenet Servers in the World!

Response:

I’m interested in meeting a 40-ish single fly fishing guy in the S.F. Bay Area. I’m a good fly fisher; fit, grounded gal, not a psycho…just would love to have a companion someday for my many No. Calif. fishing weekends.   Sorry if this is against some kind of newsgroup rules (not really)… Thanks, and Happy New Year.

Response:

I’m interested in meeting a 40-ish single fly fishing guy in the S.F. Bay Area. I’m a good fly fisher; fit, grounded gal, not a psycho…just would love to have a companion someday for my many No. Calif. fishing weekends.   Sorry if this is against some kind of newsgroup rules (not really)… Thanks, and Happy New Year.

ACW: Hell, that’s the most on-topic post I’ve seen this week! But watch out for a guy named Wayno. With an invite like yours, he’ll claim to be "in the SF Bay Area". If you hook up with him, he will definitely leave you…..changed! /daytripper (This was a Public Service Announcement ;^)

Response:

I know a ton of guys in the Bay that fit the bill, unfortunately (for me) I’m only 27.  Anyway if your serious I could put you in touch with some of these guys. Forrest http://www.FlyFishingREVIEW.com FlyFishingREVIEW.com Read Reviews on the Fly Fishing Gear you want! Before you buy.

Response:

That’s the best troll I have seen in a long time.  Raise the age limit another thirty years and include "married" and you can have a dirty old man. Good luck. Ernie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m interested in meeting a 40-ish single fly fishing guy in the S.F. Bay Area. I’m a good fly fisher; fit, grounded gal, not a psycho…just would love to have a companion someday for my many No. Calif. fishing weekends.   Sorry if this is against some kind of newsgroup rules (not really)… Thanks, and Happy New Year.

Response:

I’d suggest you join a club; people are at least somewhat sane there. Drop by the Casting Pond in Golden Gate Park, right next to the Police Stable  near Polo Field on a Sunday morning, and you will find some local fishing club members holding their weekly meets. 40ish single flyfishermen are scarcer than hen’s teeth, but it’s your call…. JT – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m interested in meeting a 40-ish single fly fishing guy in the S.F. Bay Area. I’m a good fly fisher; fit, grounded gal, not a psycho…just would love to have a companion someday for my many No. Calif. fishing weekends.   Sorry if this is against some kind of newsgroup rules (not really)… Thanks, and Happy New Year.

Response:

I’d suggest you join a club; people are at least somewhat sane there. Drop by the Casting Pond in Golden Gate Park, right next to the Police Stable  near Polo Field on a Sunday morning, and you will find some local fishing club members holding their weekly meets. 40ish single flyfishermen are scarcer than hen’s teeth, but it’s your call….

I just read a chapter in Thomas McGuane’s new book, The Longest Silence, about the San Francisco Fly Casting Club. It’s called "Twilight on the Buffalo Paddock." That guy can write! If you go there, ACW, keep an eye on the underbrush. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

Question:

Well, fortunately, I found that 1%! Thanks to everyone who’s responded so far!

Some useful information and links can be found at Aviation in BC http://www.totavia.com/BCaviation/

Response:

for places to fly, things to see, etc?

Campbell River is a nice town. They have a golf course near by and the salmon fishing is excellent…..although I am not sure about May. There are some very nice lodges. Joiner Cartwright, Jr. Houston, Texas

Response:

Hello , I have done a lot of flying in that area including my multi and instrument rides it is a beautiful area. The thing I remember most about my flying there was (actually in may) one day between Vancouver and Victoria closer to Victoria I found myself over a large group of killer whales. I was in the process of trying to build time for my next rating so I continued watching them for a while it was very beautiful. Hope you get that lucky. There are a good number of float planes around but you will never find that to be 99% maybe 30% the farther north you go you will find lots. The sights there are great and the weather not too bad.  Good luck if you have any questions I’ll try to help Rob – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – From my 3 week holiday in BC, it seemed to me that 99% of light (and not-so-light) aircraft had floats. Aircraft with wheels were as rare as floatplanes are in UK. Well, fortunately, I found that 1%! Thanks to everyone who’s responded so far!  –G —  Gordon Dewis             |  WWW Virtual Library Geography Section is now at:  BA Hons Geography        |    http://www.icomos.org/WWW_VL_Geography.html

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This is a cryptographically signed message in MIME format. This is a multi-part message in MIME format. Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi all… I’m going to British Columbia at the beginning of May and I’m taking a day to do some flying out of Victoria (CYYJ).  I’ve already made arrangements for a plane from noon to dark with the obligatory check-ride in the morning.  Does anyone have any recommendations for places to fly, things to see, etc? Thanks!  –G —  Gordon Dewis             |  WWW Virtual Library Geography Section is now at:  BA Hons Geography        |    http://www.icomos.org/WWW_VL_Geography.html

From my 3 week holiday in BC, it seemed to me that 99% of light (and not-so-light) aircraft had floats. Aircraft with wheels were as rare as floatplanes are in UK. –Colin

Response:

There is an airport at Naniano, Campbell R., Port Hardy, Tofino,(Long Beach) Nice in fair weather. Also Vancouver, Pitt Meadows, Powell River, Sechelt, On the mainland. Also on the mainland side Sqaumish, 3/4 hr drive to Whistler, Pemberton, about the same to Whistler. If you have flaots you can go any place you like. Most BC air ports outside of Vancouver are not in towns but 10-15 min away, I guess due to lack of flat ground. Hoe you enjoy your visit!! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all… I’m going to British Columbia at the beginning of May and I’m taking a day to do some flying out of Victoria (CYYJ).  I’ve already made arrangements for a plane from noon to dark with the obligatory check-ride in the morning.  Does anyone have any recommendations for places to fly, things to see, etc? Thanks!  –G —  Gordon Dewis             |  WWW Virtual Library Geography Section is now at:  BA Hons Geography        |    http://www.icomos.org/WWW_VL_Geography.html

Response:

Question:

 3.  I have always presumed that the two air bladders which provide a back support on my floatube are ample to at least keep me afloat.   Is this a naive assumption.

It is more likely you will flip upside down and drown than lose all three air bladders. Ernie Harrison

Response:

3.  I have always presumed that the two air bladders which provide a back support on my floatube are ample to at least keep me afloat.  Is this a naive assumption.

I think that the assumption is correct BUT: These tubes are not attached to your body.  That is you have to make sure you can hold on to them one way or another. Maybe more critical is hypo thermia.  If your main flotation fails, the chances are that you are going to get wet.  Depending on conditions and time immersed, this can lead to great trouble. William Buchman

Response:

I already posted this once, but got no responses.  So I’m going to try once more to see if I can get some answers.  If you remember responding to my first post, let me know by e-mail.  This will let me know that for some reason, I am not seeing all of the messages posted to this board.  Thanks                                                            -dnc- Some of the recent posts on float tube and wader safety have really opened my eyes to the issue.  Thanks to all for the fair warning.  But now I have more questions. 1.  The ‘Sea Hunt’ solution:  Remember when scuba diver Mike (Lloyd Bridges) used to save the day with one of those little, autoinflatable ‘balloons’ he kept handy?  Do those devices still exist.  Seems like the perfect solution; non bulky, yet there when you really need it.  Anyone have any knowledge on such devices and how well they work, etc. 2.  If I were to tip over backwards in my floatube as I was exiting the water, it seems like the right thing to do would be to (a) disengage the quick release on the strap that connects the seat to the tube (b) reach up and push the tube away as I slide my feet out of the tube. i.e. I come out of the tube the same way I usually do (except for the fact that I’m upside down).  This seems like the common sense way to do it, but is it the optimal solution when you are in very shallow water (say, just deep enough so you can’t use your arms to push your head above water).   3.  I have always presumed that the two air bladders which provide a back support on my floatube are ample to at least keep me afloat.  Is this a naive assumption. 4.  I forgot, if you do fall into a strong current, you try to keep your feet pointed downstream: correct?  Seems like you have the double problem of keeping your head away from rocks and also trying to keep water out of your waders.

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I already posted this once, but got no responses.  So I’m going to try once more to see if I can get some answers.  If you remember responding to my first post, let me know by e-mail.  This will let me know that for some reason, I am not seeing all of the messages posted to this board.  Thanks                                                            -dnc- Some of the recent posts on float tube and wader safety have really opened my eyes to the issue.  Thanks to all for the fair warning.  But now I have more questions. 1.  The ‘Sea Hunt’ solution:  Remember when scuba diver Mike (Lloyd Bridges) used to save the day with one of those little, autoinflatable ‘balloons’ he kept handy?  Do those devices still exist.  Seems like the perfect solution; non bulky, yet there when you really need it.  Anyone have any knowledge on such devices and how well they work, etc. 2.  If I were to tip over backwards in my floatube as I was exiting the water, it seems like the right thing to do would be to (a) disengage the quick release on the strap that connects the seat to the tube (b) reach up and push the tube away as I slide my feet out of the tube. i.e. I come out of the tube the same way I usually do (except for the fact that I’m upside down).  This seems like the common sense way to do it, but is it the optimal solution when you are in very shallow water (say, just deep enough

You can now get CG approved inflatable PFD’s. You should always wear a PFD in your tube. (some places it’s the law) You should ALWAYS wear a belt around the ouside of your waders high enough to prevent water from spilling into them & regulate the amount you take in. Be Safe!! Bill D.  so you can’t use your arms to push your head above water). – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 3.  I have always presumed that the two air bladders which provide a back support on my floatube are ample to at least keep me afloat.  Is this a naive assumption. 4.  I forgot, if you do fall into a strong current, you try to keep your feet pointed downstream: correct?  Seems like you have the double problem of keeping your head away from rocks and also trying to keep water out of your waders.

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Question:

Sounds like fun!  Where do I order supplies? Thanks!

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Good idea Judy— I "haunt" office supplies places like Staples and Office Depot to look for clear or transluscent envelopes which are probably similar to what you are describing. Makes it so easy to find what you are working on and looks very neat stored. Since I bought my see through vinyl bag, I want to buy more! It looks so neat storing my current project and because I never work on one thing at a time—I can use a few more clear vinyl bags to store other ongoing projects as well as stash I need right away. I shall be looking at the July summer sales so I can buy more clear vinyl tote bags! I’ve noticed clear vinyl zipper cosmetic bags in different sizes too but the ones I wanted to buy had shampoos and lotions in them I didn’t want—does anyone know a source to buy these bags…empty? — Lula from Wooly Dreams Design I only like WORK when it’s attached to a NEEDLE…. http://home.earthlink.net/~woolydream/ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Lula, Mine is on show as well… I have a small [I work in hand] zip lock carry thing (technical term) 24cm x 18cm. [Just dug one out... they are Transparent Data Envelopes]  The really good thing about them is that the chart of my carry along project can be placed against one side and is easy to read without removal. The only problem is that the buisness card holder isn’t quite wide enough for my bus weekly [if bought Monday they die around Thursday].

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Hi Judy I read your memo on plastic bags for needlework.  Do not leave your needlepoint in plastic bags for a very long time.  Wool needs to breathe and if it is in plastic it does not breathe.  For a short time its o.k. But not good for a long period of time; the wool will rot.  I am a needlepointer and new to AOL.  I have been on Compuserve.  I am thinking of cancelling Compuserve. EdithNYC  

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I know similar advice has been posted before, but friends, check out the fishing section of your local sporting goods store. There are all sorts of nifty little (and big) carrying cases with compartments just right for our stitching stuff. Yesterday I was looking for some fishing line to use for basting gridlines on my linen (helps count, doesn’t get caught in the stitches) and came home with a soft-sided zippered case designed for fishing supplies. It has heavyweight zip-lock style bags with sturdy adhesive tabs with holes to go on the two rings attached to the bag. The outside of the case is water repellent and has a handle. It’s perfect for carting around all of those odd fibers for my current needlepoint project. I’ll post the name brand, etc. of the one I bought if anyone is interested, but just go and see what they have in your area.

You are soooo right about the fishing department.  I got a great little box that fits in my tote bag at KMart’s department – 2 sides with compartments – now holding my sissors, needles (in small wooden cases), pen, pencil….. the modern "chatalaine"!  I also got a set of small cases that screw together for a better price than the craft "megastore" nearby.  Also, if you or DH or someone else fly fishes and ties flys – my DH is always eying my stash – he loves the many different fibers – especially some of the flashy ones.  Now, I always go along when he wants fishing stuff and he likes to come along when I go to the XS or needlepoint store… Kandy June

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I know similar advice has been posted before, but friends, check out the fishing section of your local sporting goods store.

        SNIP  I’ll post the name brand, etc. of the one I bought if anyone is interested, but just go and see what they have in your area. I’m interested — please post the info! Chris

Okay, Chris, the case I bought is called a Spinner Wrap, brand name TackleLogic, manufactured by AmSport. There are also two larger wrap cases with different names, but the same basic design. I found mine at Oshman’s here in Houston. June

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Since I have no shame in showing off my needlepoint wherever I go, I found the ultimate show-off the needlework carrying bag today! A clear plastic see through tote bag of heavy gauge vinyl (not like the plastic handled–thin clear plastic carrying bags) with a tab lock on top–and two long handles.

Hi Lula, Mine is on show as well… I have a small [I work in hand] zip lock carry thing (technical term) 24cm x 18cm. [Just dug one out... they are Transparent Data Envelopes]  The really good thing about them is that the chart of my carry along project can be placed against one side and is easy to read without removal. The only problem is that the buisness card holder isn’t quite wide enough for my bus weekly [if bought Monday they die around Thursday]. Judy  

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In that case, how ’bout the new bags by Ziploc?  I’m talking about the plastic bags sold specifically for veggie storage.  They’re riddled w/ holes, to allow the veggies to breathe. pj I read your memo on plastic bags for needlework.  Do not leave your needlepoint in plastic bags for a very long time.  Wool needs to breathe and if it is in plastic it does not breathe.  For a short time its o.k.

… — WCU Computer Center          | Western Carolina University  |  "Now, if I had a brain and it wasn’t Cullowhee, N.C. 28723        |   in my head, where would I keep it?" 704-227-7282                 |                          -Ryan Steele

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I read your memo on plastic bags for needlework.  Do not leave your needlepoint in plastic bags for a very long time.  Wool needs to breathe and if it is in plastic it does not breathe.  For a short time its o.k. But not good for a long period of time; the wool will rot.  I am a needlepointer

Edith: What is a short time and what is a long time?   I use Ziploc bags for my works-in-progress.  I stitch my way through meetings and dropping a Ziploc into my tote is easy.   Also, the Ziplocs keep things separated in the basket at home.   I estimate a needlepoint (with wool) project is in progress for 6-8 months (depending on my enthusiasm and the number of meetings I have). Speaking of plastic, I keep all my Paternayan in Rubbermaid plastic storage boxes.  I have for about 10 years.  To my eye and nose the yarn is as fresh as it would be had it continued to live in the copier-paper boxes it had inhabited before.  (Rubbermaid is translucent, copier paper boxes aren’t, hence the change.)    Last year, temporarily, my sewing room was in the basement.   Neither yarn nor floss nor fabric (I am a quilter) suffered.    [Basement is finished and a dehumidifier runs all summer. -- I'm able to be up- stairs now and appreciate the sunlight.] Nann

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Since I have no shame in showing off my needlepoint wherever I go, I found the ultimate show-off the needlework carrying bag today! A clear plastic see through tote bag of heavy gauge vinyl (not like the plastic handled–thin clear plastic carrying bags) with a tab lock on top–and two long handles. I always did think it was a shame to hide all those pretty yarns and threads along with the canvas stretched on scroll bars that I happen to be working on! Now I can be a show off for the summer months when I head off on my travels again. No problem with moisture–the bag is an open tote and kept out of the sun. — Lula from Wooly Dreams Design http://home.earthlink.net/~woolydream/

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Since I have no shame in showing off my needlepoint wherever I go, I found the ultimate show-off the needlework carrying bag today! A clear plastic see through tote bag of heavy gauge vinyl (not like the plastic handled–thin clear plastic carrying bags) with a tab lock on top–and two long handles.

And are you planning on letting us know where we can get such a bag?   Hmmmm????  ;) Tara R. Scholtz         University of Maryland at College Park If training has not made a horse more beautiful, nobler in carriage, more attentive in his behavior, revealing pleasure in his own accomplishment…then he has not truly been schooled in dressage.                                 -Col. Handler

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Hi Tara– Since you’re in MD — take a ride to Laurel and the big open shopping center on RT 1 — it’s a shop named Gallo a few doors from the Woolworths—this is the first time I went there–it’a place full of inexpensive clothing and accessories. There were some bigger clear vinly tote bags there too with a black quilted bottom and trim—leopard bottom and trim and gold vinyl trim one. Also other vinyl totes in see through bright colors. All the different sized bags were all priced at $10 Nice and fun way to tote around and show off the needlework you’re working on!!! — Lula from Wooly Dreams Design http://home.earthlink.net/~woolydream/ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – And are you planning on letting us know where we can get such a bag? Hmmmm????  ;) Tara R. Scholtz         University of Maryland at College Park

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 Since I have no shame in showing off my needlepoint wherever I go, I  found the ultimate show-off the needlework carrying bag today!  A clear plastic see through tote bag of heavy gauge vinyl (not like the  plastic handled–thin clear plastic carrying bags) with a tab lock on  top–and two long handles. TAnd are you planning on letting us know where we can get such a bag?  Hmmmm????  ;)   Well I don’t know about any one elses bags but I made mine. I was looking for a specific piece of fabric in my stash when I ran across a piece I had stitched a while back and had put back into the box of fabrics when done pending money for framing. Well I set the piece aside on the sewing table to get the the fabric I needed and when I went to pick up the stitched dragon I noticed to my amazement that the fabric I had been working a quilt with matched the color of the dragon I went out and bought another yard of that fabric and used the dragon for the front of a "tote bag" to haul my stitching projects with  Made it about 20 inches tall and about 15 inches wide with long carry straps that would allow to go over the shoulder. Used some scraps of batting and muslin to line it with for strength and added a few pockets for things like pencils (for pattern marking) and scissors and extra needles.  No pattern used just sat at the table and played with the fabric and it came out great. Scroll frame fits in well with loads of room for a small tackle box (to hold floss bobbins and scissors and extra needles) as well as a clip board with the pattern which allows me to lean it up against something to see the pattern while I stitch. Roseanne Brown Please do not add my name to any mail list unless I ask for it. —  * QMPro 1.51 * Work is for people who don’t know how to stitch.

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This sounds *wonderful*!!  Where, oh where, did you find such a treasure?!!! C’mon, share!!! Sherri

: Since I have no shame in showing off my needlepoint wherever I go, I : found the ultimate show-off the needlework carrying bag today! : A clear plastic see through tote bag of heavy gauge vinyl (not like the : plastic handled–thin clear plastic carrying bags) with a tab lock on : top–and two long handles. : I always did think it was a shame to hide all those pretty yarns and : threads along with the canvas stretched on scroll bars that I happen to : be working on! : Now I can be a show off for the summer months when I head off on my : travels again. No problem with moisture–the bag is an open tote and : kept out of the sun. : — : Lula from Wooly Dreams Design : http://home.earthlink.net/~woolydream/

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Hi Sherri– I posted a follow up post to Tara S on where I found my see through vinyl needlework tote bag. However, I see you are in PA so where I bought mine won’t be applicable to you. Some the best places to find different and useful odds and ends are those boutique stores one finds in many malls—-places like Claire’s Accessories. Very often you’ll find inexpensive neat little plastic cases and zippered bags that can be used for holding needlework accessories. Or go look in beach wear or accessory departments to find more see through bags in different materials. Like the almost transparent nylon mesh used for nice looking tote style bags too. I bought a black zippered tote bag of nylon mesh that I carry and show off my bigger pieces of working needlepoint—and that only cost $7. on sale! — Lula from Wooly Dreams Design http://home.earthlink.net/~woolydream/ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This sounds *wonderful*!!  Where, oh where, did you find such a treasure?!!! C’mon, share!!! Sherri : Since I have no shame in showing off my needlepoint wherever I go, I : found the ultimate show-off the needlework carrying bag today! : A clear plastic see through tote bag of heavy gauge vinyl (not like the : plastic handled–thin clear plastic carrying bags) with a tab lock on : top–and two long handles.

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For people in Canada,  Mountain Equipment Co-op (a wilderness outfitters type shop) sells bags like this.  They are see through. Since they are constructed for heavy duty work, they may be a little much for some.  If I remember correctly, they come in various sizes. Cheers, Nancy Lorraine – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Since I have no shame in showing off my needlepoint wherever I go, I found the ultimate show-off the needlework carrying bag today! A clear plastic see through tote bag of heavy gauge vinyl (not like the plastic handled–thin clear plastic carrying bags) with a tab lock on top–and two long handles. I always did think it was a shame to hide all those pretty yarns and threads along with the canvas stretched on scroll bars that I happen to be working on! Now I can be a show off for the summer months when I head off on my travels again. No problem with moisture–the bag is an open tote and kept out of the sun. — Lula from Wooly Dreams Design http://home.earthlink.net/~woolydream/

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I know similar advice has been posted before, but friends, check out the fishing section of your local sporting goods store. There are all sorts of nifty little (and big) carrying cases with compartments just right for our stitching stuff. Yesterday I was looking for some fishing line to use for basting gridlines on my linen (helps count, doesn’t get caught in the stitches) and came home with a soft-sided zippered case designed for fishing supplies. It has heavyweight zip-lock style bags with sturdy adhesive tabs with holes to go on the two rings attached to the bag. The outside of the case is water repellent and has a handle. It’s perfect for carting around all of those odd fibers for my current needlepoint project. I’ll post the name brand, etc. of the one I bought if anyone is interested, but just go and see what they have in your area. June

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I know similar advice has been posted before, but friends, check out the fishing section of your local sporting goods store. There are all sorts of nifty little (and big) carrying cases with compartments just right for our stitching stuff. Yesterday I was looking for some fishing line to use for basting gridlines on my linen (helps count, doesn’t get caught in the stitches) and came home with a soft-sided zippered case designed for fishing supplies. It has heavyweight zip-lock style bags with sturdy adhesive tabs with holes to go on the two rings attached to the bag. The outside of the case is water repellent and has a handle. It’s perfect for carting around all of those odd fibers for my current needlepoint project. I’ll post the name brand, etc. of the one I bought if anyone is interested, but just go and see what they have in your area.

I’m interested — please post the info! Chris

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Question:

I,m looking to purchase property in NM,Colo.,Wy,Id, or Mont.. I need input as to the best areas for Elk and Deer(mule) hunting. Raw land is okay. I need water, access, seclusion,and prefer to border Forest Service lands. thanks, Keith

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S I,m looking to purchase property in NM,Colo.,Wy,Id, or Mont.. I need input S as to the best areas for Elk and Deer(mule) hunting. Raw land is okay. I S need water, access, seclusion,and prefer to border Forest Service lands. S thanks, Keith The Bitterroot Valley of Montana is a top choice Keith. I live there and hunt elk, mule deer, and whitetails when I’m not flyfishing the Bitterroot river or selling real estate. Prices are rising there like everywhere, but great land for what you want is still available reasonably. Don’t wait long though as Montana has been re-discovered. If you’re into hunting and deciding which of those states to settle in, you might also wish to obtain the fish and game laws in those states. Montana is very liberal in seasons, etc. I begin bowhunting in August and can still bowhunt for whitetails until Jan 15! Dennis Vick … nfx v2.6 [C0000]  http://www.westonia.com/blueview/

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[snip] : participants of this newsgroup. Reading the story was somewhat eerie. Had : Duncan been lurking in the background, reading the pointless and : frequently nasty arguments between fly-fishing purists (who would never : use an Orvis rod and would drown anyone they saw with a celular phone) : and the evil fly fishing yuppies, who unabashedly use Orvis, make money, : and contaminate the purists’ streams with their very presence? I : seriously doubt that Duncan has been listening in; this ridiculous debate : must be played out on streams and in bars and fly shops all around the : country. I don’t know if he passes through here, but I’m pretty sure he lives in Montana now.  He lives it every day.  I wonder if he has a personalized license plate? Rick T. Rick Fletcher   –   http://www.chem.uidaho.edu/~fletcher/ Assistant professor of chemistry  |  That’s Idaho, not Iowa.    |  These University of Idaho               |  Upper Left Hand Corner.    |  opinions Moscow, ID 83844-2343             |  No, I don’t grow potatoes. |  are mine.

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I don’t know if he passes through here, but I’m pretty sure he lives in   Montana now.  He lives it every day.  I wonder if he has a personalized   license plate? Rick T. Rick Fletcher   –   http://www.chem.uidaho.edu/~fletcher/ Assistant professor of chemistry  |  That’s Idaho, not Iowa.    |  These University of Idaho               |  Upper Left Hand Corner.    |  opinions Moscow, ID 83844-2343             |  No, I don’t grow potatoes. |  are mine.

Rick,     He does live in Montana now, bought a place a year or so ago.  Probably does drive thru Moscow as he still comes to Portland from time to time for readings and the odd appearance at a club meetings.                         Mike in PDX                "When the trout are lost, smash the state."                                            Tom McGuane

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I agree with the above.  The *introduction* , where he describes river teeth is worth the price of the book.  Longspeer

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David James Duncan’s new book <iRiver Teeth<i is, simply put, absolutely wonderful. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys good writing. Many of the pieces in this book –I’m not sure whether to call them stories or essays — are not "fishing stories", but several of them are, and one of these, "Not Rocking the Boat" should be required reading for participants of this newsgroup. Reading the story was somewhat eerie. Had Duncan been lurking in the background, reading the pointless and frequently nasty arguments between fly-fishing purists (who would never use an Orvis rod and would drown anyone they saw with a celular phone) and the evil fly fishing yuppies, who unabashedly use Orvis, make money, and contaminate the purists’ streams with their very presence? I seriously doubt that Duncan has been listening in; this ridiculous debate must be played out on streams and in bars and fly shops all around the country. I haven’t quite finished the book yet, but all of the pieces I have read so far have been top-notch writing. No real surprise there. "The Mickey Mantle Koan" (not one of the "fishing stories") is worth the price of the book all by itself. Dave Guinee

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Question:

Watch out for the new toilet rings they are not the old beeswax kind and are to soft and oily. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Try Test clips from Radio shack, they are a lot cheaper than those from the fly shop.  Also,  Wax Toilet gaskets make about the tackiest dubbing Arrrrrrg!  THE WAX TOILET GASKET.    What a great idea.  I thought this thread was dead.  We  were just ready to put together kits and start tying.  We would have come up short.  But saved by the toilet gasket.    What can we use to store all this great equipment?  Maybe we should go to a pot party and buy some Tupper ware.   Nah!  We are doing such a fine job.  Throw the plastic out.   I’m a river keeper, too!      .

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Thread sucking is a method…

And here I thought that I had invented this.  Oh well, another delusion of grandeur blown all to bits… <grin regards, John — Dr. John G. Hardie Indiana University Cyclotron Facility

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Thread sucking is a method…

      Sounds a little like Blondie’s definition of Dagwood as a fly tyer: "thread-sucking-leach." —

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writes: I would like to start a new thread on fly tying tools and paraphernalia, specifically, home-brew tools or modifications to store-bought ones.  I am afraid of this hobby going the way of many others, where the manufacturers (and peer pressure) convince everyone that they need to buy things that are easily made at home.  I offer a few here to get things going: Who wants to add more? Dave

Here is another one for the bench.  You can make an inexpensive dubbing teaser by asking your dentist for a root-canal pick.  Epoxy them in a wood handle and you got yourself an Awsome Dubbing Teaser. Nick

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I use a selection of cartridge cases instead of an adjustable hair stacker.  Short = 9 mm Parabellum, Medium = 357 Mag, Long = Sawed off rifle case. — Keep your stick on the ice.

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I think there is a point where using home grown flytying tools vs. store bought tools is more trouble than it’s worth.  Hackle pliers are just not that expensive.  Working with good tools designed for flytying is going to make the whole experience more enjoyable.  Sure you can save a few bucks over the long run is it really worth it. On the other hand, several people advocated the use of bobbins with ceramic inserts.  Has anyone really come up with a good estimate about how long it takes to wear a groove in the tube of a bobbin with a metal sleave?  For the cost of a bobbin with a ceramic sleeve I can buy a couple of cheaper steel sleeve bobbins.  So it wears out after five years or so.  I would have save a lot of time over those years because I didn’t have to thread a bobbin (I use the thread sucking technique too and it works well for me) everry time I changed threads.

This is a very valid point.  I think the choice of tools follows with the depth of one’s tying.  Do you tie 100 flys in a sitting or just 3 or 4?  Do you tie for yourself only, just for friends to give away, or hundreds to sell to others?   I find that with the limited amount of tying I do — just for myself and a few friends — I can get by with the cheaper steel bobbin.  I have yet to wear a groove in one that I bought for 25 cents on clearance.  Hackle plyers are cheap.  Why spend hours grinding one smooth?  Or for that matter…. Why spend $125 or more on a vise?  If I made a business out of tying flys, however, my attitude would change drastically.  I would then want the best tools money can buy.   I enjoy hearing about the better tools and I have tried them out from time to time, but I tend to weigh their price with their advantages over my rather limited private use.   I feel the same way about rods and reels.   Bob

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Try Test clips from Radio shack, they are a lot cheaper than those from the fly shop.  Also,  Wax Toilet gaskets make about the tackiest dubbing wax you’ve ever seen.             Tom Loveday   Keizer, OR                I’d Rather Be Fishing

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Try Test clips from Radio shack, they are a lot cheaper than those from the fly shop.  Also,  Wax Toilet gaskets make about the tackiest dubbing Arrrrrrg!  THE WAX TOILET GASKET.    What a great idea.  I thought this thread was dead.  We  were just ready to put together kits and start tying.  We would have come up short.  But saved by the toilet gasket.    What can we use to store all this great equipment?  Maybe we should go to a pot party and buy some Tupper ware.   Nah!  We are doing such a fine job.  Throw the plastic out.

For that matter, while you’re shopping at the hardware store for toilet items, pick up some lead wool.  It’s cheap and it makes great lead weight for flies. Jamus – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –   I’m a river keeper, too!      .

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:  What is the Thread Sucking technique for preparing a bobin? Aaron,  He’s refering to the practice of allowing some slack in your tying thread, placing the tip of the thread into the end of the barrel of your bobbin, and giving a sharp intake of air (i.e. "Sucking") to the other end of the barrel of the bobbin.  This pulls the thread through the barrel unless there is too much wax buildup to allow the thread in or you’re like me and insist on getting that slack you allowed wrapped around various parts of your anatomy and gumming up the works! Charley (been tying for my friends for 22 years!)

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Working with good tools designed for flytying is going to make the whole experience more enjoyable.  Sure you can save a few bucks over the long run is it really worth it.

I don’t use tools specifically manufactured for fly tying to save money.  I do it   for the same reason why I don’t watch drag racing.  Most drag racing, and other   "sports",  have come down to a competition of machines and equipment as opposed to   man.  I enjoy tying flies with as little manufactured tools as possible because it   becomes a question of what is making the fly that catches the fish, a skilled   creative person or equipment.  I still catch plenty of fish. —

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This is an old one, but many people use electronic test lead clips as hackle pliers.  They come in a variety of sizes and can be bought at places like Radio Shack. I’ve also heard of using the (hemostat or tubing?) clamps from a medical supply store for hackle pliers.  File the teeth off of the clamping surfaces.  (I’m not in the medical profession, so I probably have the exact type of clamp wrong.)  

I think the proper medical term for those kinds of clamps is "roach clip" I think there is a point where using home grown flytying tools vs. store bought tools is more trouble than it’s worth.  Hackle pliers are just not that expensive.  Working with good tools designed for flytying is going to make the whole experience more enjoyable.  Sure you can save a few bucks over the long run is it really worth it. On the other hand, several people advocated the use of bobbins with ceramic inserts.  Has anyone really come up with a good estimate about how long it takes to wear a groove in the tube of a bobbin with a metal sleave?  For the cost of a bobbin with a ceramic sleeve I can buy a couple of cheaper steel sleeve bobbins.  So it wears out after five years or so.  I would have save a lot of time over those years because I didn’t have to thread a bobbin (I use the thread sucking technique too and it works well for me) everry time I changed threads. — John Fereira "Guru of Miscellany" Pleasanton, CA "Ask me about my vow of silence."

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And here I thought I was one of the only ones to show up at the local welding shop with a set of new (slightly modified) Vise-Grips and a length of steel rod, asking for them to be welded together. It’s just about the only way to handle big saltwater hooks! JL 8-Wt Editor

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And here I thought I was one of the only ones to show up at the local welding shop with a set of new (slightly modified) Vise-Grips and a length of steel rod, asking for them to be welded together. It’s just about the only way to handle big saltwater hooks!

An HMH vise with a super magnum jaw will handle the largest hooks. Mark Miller

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On the other hand, several people advocated the use of bobbins with ceramic inserts.  Has anyone really come up with a good estimate about how long it takes to wear a groove in the tube of a bobbin with a metal sleave?

For those of us who tie large bass bugs and use Kevlar thread, you can tear up a steel tube in short order (less than a season). The ceramic tubes hold up much better when Kevlar is you spinning thread of choice. JL 8-Wt Editor

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This is an old one, but many people use electronic test lead clips as hackle pliers.  They come in a variety of sizes and can be bought at places like Radio Shack. I’ve also heard of using the (hemostat or tubing?) clamps from a medical supply store for hackle pliers.  File the teeth off of the clamping surfaces.  (I’m not in the medical profession, so I probably have the exact type of clamp wrong.)  I don’t know, however, if this alternative is cheaper than the ones from fly tying supply stores. Dave

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Couldn’t agree more about exercising good home-grown common sense inventivenes to accomplish just about everything promised by the gadget-floggers.

Very true.  And, although this observation drifts slightly away from the subject of home-made tying tools, the very best tools a fly tier has are his or her hands.  I try to rely on mechanical tools as little as possible, tying as much as possible with the fingers.  This saves time otherwise lost in locating, picking up and putting down the tool each time a fly is tied. Laying out your tools and materials in advance, and then tying with less fiddling with unnecessary tools, allows you to swiftly and smoothly tie a dozen flies of the same pattern, and they’ll be tighter, better flies. Woods Hole, MA   USA

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My father-in-law has made me several hair stackers out of copper and brass pipe scraps and end fittings, using sizes which just fit inside the next.  I then glued rubber on the bottom so they don’t rattle when tapped to stack the hair.  He also made me a vise, but nothing can substitute for my HMH. A bic pen with the guts removed is possibly the most useful tool for pushing back piles of spun deer hair, and also half hitching. You can often thread your bobbin by starting the thread and then sucking it through, that is if the wax is not built up too bad. The ultimate in homemade tools, the mouth!

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A spent shotgun shell can be used as a hair stacker. I made a "bobbin hanger" (not sure if there is an official name) out of a wire coat hanger.  I have seen fancier ones made from a piece of rod soldered to a small metal tube that slips over the upright rod of a vice.  Before wrapping hackle, you half-hitch the thread, then extend the thread out off of the eye end of the hook and over the bobbin hanger.  The thread is now out of the way for winding the hackle. Dave

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The front end of a ballpoint pen casing makes a find half-hitch tool. Different pens yield different sizes of hole in the tool.  (Is there anyone who doesn’t Who wants to add more?

I have not seen it lately, perhaps to a lack of looking around, but back in the fifties I use to see people using vise grips for fly tying vises.  It worked great, depending on the fly, at times you lay the VG on it side, adjust the jaw closure to be proper for you size hook and have at it.  I think it would probably work for any fly if you build a modest little stand out of wood and hold the vise up off of the table or what ever.  When we used to tye the flys out on the boat, we just stuck the jaw part over the edge of a table.   I just remembered a local tyer in Annapolis, Md also used a vise grip.  He did not cotton to a lot of foolishness,  but his flys sure worked. George,

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Couldn’t agree more about exercising good home-grown common sense inventivenes to accomplish just about everything promised by the gadget-floggers. But Dave, I think you’re a little late. Look in this year’s catalogs and you’ll see there’s everything from fly steam-cleaners to special brushes to re-align plume barbs. (sigh!) The gadgeteers have alread won. Still, we don’t have to buy, do we? If you can get your hands on some back issues of American Fly Tyer and Angler, there’s a regular series on the sort of thing you’re talking about.  Have fun. — David A. Calderisi

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I would like to start a new thread on fly tying tools and paraphernalia, specifically, home-brew tools or modifications to store-bought ones.  I am afraid of this hobby going the way of many others, where the manufacturers (and peer pressure) convince everyone that they need to buy things that are easily made at home.  I offer a few here to get things going: A potter’s needle tool is a cheap alternative to a dubbing needle. You can make a dubbing needle from a sewing needle and a piece of wooden dowel rod.  Glue the needle into a hole drilled in the end of the dowel.  If you break the needle across the eye first, the two jagged ends can be jammed into the bottom of the hole for better holding power.  (Be careful and protect your eyes when cutting/breaking the needle.) Dental floss threaders (available at drug stores) can be used as bobbin threaders. You can make a bobbin threader out of piano wire.  Bend a piece of wire in half, drill a hole in the end of a wooden dowel rod, and epoxy the two ends of the wire into the hole. I suspect you can also make a dubbing fur winding tool in a similar fashion. Nail polish works as head cement.  I’ve had Sally Hansen’s "Hard As Nails with Nylon" in nude (i.e., clear) highly recommended.  Pull out the bristles from the brush and replace with a (broken off) sewing needle, instead.  The needle applicator will allow you to apply a drop at a time without needing to grab your dubbing needle or a toothpick to do it.  (I’ve seen other people use this trick, but haven’t done it yet myself.  I am not sure if you need to epoxy the needle in place or if it will stick there on its own.) The front end of a ballpoint pen casing makes a find half-hitch tool. Different pens yield different sizes of hole in the tool.  (Is there anyone who doesn’t know this one already?) Who wants to add more? Dave

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Question:

I am trying to find out about the Bonaventure River in Quebec and in particular what kind of permits/licenses/arrangements need to be made to fish this river. Can someone give me a pointer?  Thanks in advance. – Rick —        Advanced Languages Project – University Computing Services        Lederle Graduate Research Center        University of Massachusetts             Amherst, MA  01003

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* Le 12-26-94, RICK HUDSON exprimait . ALL le propos suivant: RHI am trying to find out about the Bonaventure River in Quebec and in RHparticular what kind of permits/licenses/arrangements need to be made to RHthis river. Can someone give me a pointer?  Thanks in advance. Try calling 1-800-567-8584, it’s the number of my local fly shop it’s some kind of specialty of the owner and staff to know these thing since they serve US customers often. And they have some kind of list of all local association for salmon fishing in Quebec. Au plaisir de vous lire, Denis Lamy Trois-Rivieres (Quebec, Canada) ~~~ * VbReader 2.2 #67 * Un comite au moins six pattes, mais aucun cerveau.

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