Question:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Stan, I’m tracing my package via the internet, an option I didn’t have with the batch that got lost, since I sent that one with ordinary mail. Anyway, the package has already left Sweden and is flewn over the Atlantic Ocean this very minute. With a bit of luck it should arrive on Friday. Them flies are getting to be really expensive, I mean, they were tied twice and sent twice. If only I could say that I was a good tier it might have made sense, but since I said I would send flies I felt I had to give it another try.
I, for one, appreciate the "stand-by-your-commitment" attitude you display. — TL, Tim . . .and you aren’t going to make your money back based on the ones *I* tied. 
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Stan, I’m tracing my package via the internet, an option I didn’t have with the batch that got lost, since I sent that one with ordinary mail. Anyway, the package has already left Sweden and is flewn over the Atlantic Ocean this very minute. With a bit of luck it should arrive on Friday. Them flies are getting to be really expensive, I mean, they were tied twice and sent twice. If only I could say that I was a good tier it might have made sense, but since I said I would send flies I felt I had to give it another try. I, for one, appreciate the "stand-by-your-commitment" attitude you display. — TL, Tim . . .and you aren’t going to make your money back based on the ones *I* tied.
/Roger If I were into fly fishing and related stuff to make money, with my approach I’d be named a bankrupt idiot. =)
Response:
Nothing to report really, nothing has arrived since Monday. As far as I can tell, here’s the latest tally: Already received: *Scott Seidman: tungsten-beaded sulfur nymph *Stan Gula: Zug Bug variant *Tim Johnson: PT nymph *Svend Tang-Petersen: poxy back general mayfly *Randy Kane: flash back PT *John Whiteley: Sawyer PT *Stephen Welsh: Peacock and Possum *Wolfgang: Plain vanilla GRHE *Joe Fleischman: GRW *Jim Rahn: ‘The Generic’ *Shawn Armstrong: Gold Bead Head Cress Bug *Hans van der Stroom: Ritz D Waiting for: Rocktrout(aka Bouncer): Mountain Midge Roger Ohlund: caddis pupae, with beadhead Clark Reid: unknown Herman Nijland: suspender polder nymph Paul Goodwin: a surprise Bouncer, what’s your status? Does anybody have his email address? Roger feels his package is lost (he mailed it 3 weeks ago) and will be sending another set by package courier instead of post. Next Thursday is Thanksgiving and I’m going to be tied up with transportation, shopping and chef duties most of the week so it looks like we will wait until Saturday at least. I’ll check in then and we can decide what to do about missing flies. On Saturday we can decide the ultimate cutoff date, but I propose that we need to (at come point) distribute the ones I’ve received, and all participants, whether their delivery is here or not, should get a set. Any late arriving flies will be donated to 2003 claves or other worthy cause at my discretion. One set will be saved for Tim Apple, and at least one set will be donated to Dave LaCourse’s friend in Maine. –Stan
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Nothing to report really, nothing has arrived since Monday. As far as I can tell, here’s the latest tally: Already received: *Scott Seidman: tungsten-beaded sulfur nymph *Stan Gula: Zug Bug variant *Tim Johnson: PT nymph *Svend Tang-Petersen: poxy back general mayfly *Randy Kane: flash back PT *John Whiteley: Sawyer PT *Stephen Welsh: Peacock and Possum *Wolfgang: Plain vanilla GRHE *Joe Fleischman: GRW *Jim Rahn: ‘The Generic’ *Shawn Armstrong: Gold Bead Head Cress Bug *Hans van der Stroom: Ritz D Waiting for: Rocktrout(aka Bouncer): Mountain Midge Roger Ohlund: caddis pupae, with beadhead Clark Reid: unknown Herman Nijland: suspender polder nymph Paul Goodwin: a surprise Bouncer, what’s your status? Does anybody have his email address? Roger feels his package is lost (he mailed it 3 weeks ago) and will be sending another set by package courier instead of post. Next Thursday is Thanksgiving and I’m going to be tied up with transportation, shopping and chef duties most of the week so it looks like we will wait until Saturday at least. I’ll check in then and we can decide what to do about missing flies. On Saturday we can decide the ultimate cutoff date, but I propose that we need to (at come point) distribute the ones I’ve received, and all participants, whether their delivery is here or not, should get a set. Any late arriving flies will be donated to 2003 claves or other worthy cause at my discretion. One set will be saved for Tim Apple, and at least one set will be donated to Dave LaCourse’s friend in Maine. –Stan
Sounds good to me, Stan, tho I’m in no rush personally. These nymphs in no way resemble anything I’ll be fishin with in Dec! Let’s put off the real decision till the Tues or Wed after Thanksgiving, if you don’t mind, to give travellers a chance to get home, and holiday mail lags a chance to catch up. I have no trouble with the everyone whos in gets a set thing, whether flies show or not. Makes the latecoming flies collectors items, and a challenge to complete your set! Kind of like baseball cards when I was a kid. — Scott Reverse first field of address to reply
Response:
<snip –Stan (nymphs everywhere)
I thought it was wayno and/or Wolfgang that had this, er, problem. 
— TL, Tim
Response:
Stan, I’m tracing my package via the internet, an option I didn’t have with the batch that got lost, since I sent that one with ordinary mail. Anyway, the package has already left Sweden and is flewn over the Atlantic Ocean this very minute. With a bit of luck it should arrive on Friday. Them flies are getting to be really expensive, I mean, they were tied twice and sent twice. If only I could say that I was a good tier it might have made sense, but since I said I would send flies I felt I had to give it another try. /Roger Still have my fingers crossed though, one never knows where the mail might fail.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have heard from Herman and Roger that their flies are on the way.
Response:
One more time… Here we are two weeks past the deadline, and still waiting. Clark’s flies arrived today (and I spilled them all over my kitchen floor) but there are still two non-US entries missing in the mail, and two US entries just plain missing in action. I have heard from Herman and Roger that their flies are on the way. Since I’ll be very busy this week and I can’t do the packaging and mailing until Sunday anyway, I’m going to wait until then. I really want to give Roger and Herman a chance because I think these non-US flies are worth the wait. Salmonfly and Bouncer, this is your last notice – if you’re in contact me. On Sunday I start packaging. –Stan (nymphs everywhere)
Response:
Nothing to report really, nothing has arrived since Monday. As far as I can tell, here’s the latest tally:
Well heck; if’n I’d known I had this much time I’d have tied better flies. Joe F.
Response:
Gotta love a fly called "Trout Crack." Pretty soon, you’re on the stuff solid, rarely sleeping, breaking close family ties, sleeping outdoors, and waking up with week-old stubble and a wicked hangover. My stubble is more like 25 years old, but that sure sounds familiar.
Yeah, that was Penns Clave #1 — Scott Reverse first field of address to reply
Response:
Here’s a (bad) picture of the full set so you can get a dim idea what’s coming. http://gula.org/images/flies.jpg Gotta love a fly called "Trout Crack."
It’s not funny. At first you just have a little on a recreational basis. Pretty soon, you’re on the stuff solid, rarely sleeping, breaking close family ties, sleeping outdoors, and waking up with week-old stubble and a wicked hangover. — TL, Tim Of course, you could just be at a ‘clave.
Response:
Gotta love a fly called "Trout Crack." Pretty soon, you’re on the stuff solid, rarely sleeping, breaking close family ties, sleeping outdoors, and waking up with week-old stubble and a wicked hangover.
My stubble is more like 25 years old, but that sure sounds familiar.
Response:
They start going out today. All the preaddressed containers are going out in an hour. The others, where I have to write addresses, are going tomorrow. Here’s a (bad) picture of the full set so you can get a dim idea what’s coming. http://gula.org/images/flies.jpg Hope you all are enjoying the holidays!
Good job, swapmeister pro tem — Scott Reverse first field of address to reply
Response:
Here’s a (bad) picture of the full set so you can get a dim idea what’s coming. http://gula.org/images/flies.jpg
Gotta love a fly called "Trout Crack." Frank Reid
Response:
They start going out today. All the preaddressed containers are going out in an hour. The others, where I have to write addresses, are going tomorrow. Here’s a (bad) picture of the full set so you can get a dim idea what’s coming. http://gula.org/images/flies.jpg Hope you all are enjoying the holidays!
Response:
Question:
That’s a pretty little fish from a lovely looking stream! Ian Scott http://www.about-flyfishing.com/ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – For anyone that’s interested take a look at my first fish of the year. Here is the baby that started that inspired the post. www.thefigs.net
Response:
For anyone that’s interested take a look at my first fish of the year. Here is the baby that started that inspired the post. www.thefigs.net
Response:
…..Valley Creek…….flows through Valley Forge National Park…….a perfect breeding ground for the Brownies, and they thrived, even in the shadow of the Philadelphia metropolis……
Damn! I looked at that creek one time, about six or seven years ago. My sister’s back yard borders the park. When I went to visit her I looked at the stream rather closely and thought that it might be an adequate habitat but…..nah, WAY too urban. Damn! Wolfgang who hadn’t bothered to bring any fishing gear :(
Response:
Carlos!! First fish on a fly, on Valley Creek!! Quite an accomplishment! My first trout came on an Olive Caddis Pupa (didn’t have a clue what it was then) on the Tulpehocken in Reading. I was fortunate enough to be on that creek, which is quite wide, so I didn’t have to worry as much about catching the trees. I did my share of churning up the water behind me, but would suggest the same approach to any new flyfisherman (just make sure to give yourself plenty of room between yourself and the trainee). As for Valley Creek, although I caught my first trout on the Tulpehocken, Valley Creek was my training ground (before and after). For those of you who don’t know this creek, The bottom section (the most productive) flows through Valley Forge National Park. It’s a catch and release section of water due to PCB pollution from a train spill. Although this event was unfortunate, it did force the DER to take this stream off of the stocking list. Because of it’s limestone character, Valley Creek turned out to be a perfect breeding ground for the Brownies, and they thrived, even in the shadow of the Philadelphia metropolis. These fish are quite "smart" though, because of the regs, and significant fishing pressure, they have been caught & released several, if not numerous, times. The stream is not too wide (guessing an AVERAGE of 7-8 feet, but my comrade may correct me) and usually quite clear, so the approach can be quite tough. There is a good population of midges on this creek, and the most prolific mayfly hatch is the Sulphur in May/June. Valley Forge Park itself is a nice place to take the family to learn about history, and to just take in the sites. It is a very large park for it’s location close to the city, and there is a large contingent of deer in the park that can easily be seen in the morning and evenings (of course they are protected). There’s plenty of room to spread out the picnic blanket, a paved recreation/walking trail flows throughout the park, but you can wander wherever you choose. There’s also a nice bike trail along the Schuylkill River (Valley Creek empties into this river in the Park) that can lead you right into Center City Philadelphia if you have the energy (it’s 15-20 miles to Center City). There is also a nice population of Smallmouth (in the River only) but it’s tough to fish ‘em unless you have a boat or float tube (guessing 200+ feet wide and cannot be crossed by foot). Although the average fish in this creek is probably 10-14 inches at best, I’ve caught 20+ inch Browns in this creek, and have seen a few 25+, at the right time of year. If you plan on visiting the Park make sure to pack the fly gear. A basic pair of hippers should get you by, remember to keep in the shadows, and tread softly, The Finn
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I got my brand new fly fishing gear as a gift from my wife for Christmas in the way of an Orvis gift certificate. Eager to get out on the water, not haveing fly fished before, I took my gear to the local pond to practice my casting. Went well, nice open space after several cast seemed to have the hang of it. A couple of weeks later went to fish at Valley Creek here in PA. This stream is a class A Wild Trout stream that is very difficult to fish. Spent the afternoon untageling my line from trees and loosing several nymph flies. But today, 2 days after the first snow storm in the Philadelphia area, I had the urge to get out and try my rod again. Went back to the same stream because I know at this time of year this was my best shot to catch something. Within minutes of getting to the stream I found a "honey hole" 4 feet deep and filled with trout, after an hour of casting a hares ear nymph, I guessed that I had spooked all the fish because of my line slapping the water, or getting caught in fallen leaves, or snaging rocks, so I decided to move upstream and hope to find another hole like this one. 3 hours later, after a mile of walking upstream and not seeing a single fish, I decided it was time to call it a day. With my tail between my legs I walked back towards the honey hole where my car was parked. I decided before I go in I would just make a couple more casts hopeing the fish came back. As I lifted my line a felt a tug, prepared to lose another fly, I lifted my rod tip a lo and behold "FISH ON". A beutiful 10 inch brown, not a big fish, but a fish that will stay in my mind forever. The first fish of the year, and on a fly, it just doesn’t get much better than that. I thought maybe this story would inspire a thread of stories about everyones first fish caught on a fly. I’m sure there are many stories out there that stick in peoples memories.
Response:
Yes, this is all true. The creek from what I was told is extremly hard to fish. I felt very lucky to catch one on my second visit there. I am actually moving in the summer about 15 min. from Tuplehocken, I have not fished there yet but have heard some great things about it. Valley Creek and French Creek are currently my home waters until June. Are there any tips about Tuplehocken that I can use, especially since it will be my new home waters.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Carlos!! First fish on a fly, on Valley Creek!! Quite an accomplishment! My first trout came on an Olive Caddis Pupa (didn’t have a clue what it was then) on the Tulpehocken in Reading. I was fortunate enough to be on that creek, which is quite wide, so I didn’t have to worry as much about catching the trees. I did my share of churning up the water behind me, but would suggest the same approach to any new flyfisherman (just make sure to give yourself plenty of room between yourself and the trainee). As for Valley Creek, although I caught my first trout on the Tulpehocken, Valley Creek was my training ground (before and after). For those of you who don’t know this creek, The bottom section (the most productive) flows through Valley Forge National Park. It’s a catch and release section of water due to PCB pollution from a train spill. Although this event was unfortunate, it did force the DER to take this stream off of the stocking list. Because of it’s limestone character, Valley Creek turned out to be a perfect breeding ground for the Brownies, and they thrived, even in the shadow of the Philadelphia metropolis. These fish are quite "smart" though, because of the regs, and significant fishing pressure, they have been caught & released several, if not numerous, times. The stream is not too wide (guessing an AVERAGE of 7-8 feet, but my comrade may correct me) and usually quite clear, so the approach can be quite tough. There is a good population of midges on this creek, and the most prolific mayfly hatch is the Sulphur in May/June. Valley Forge Park itself is a nice place to take the family to learn about history, and to just take in the sites. It is a very large park for it’s location close to the city, and there is a large contingent of deer in the park that can easily be seen in the morning and evenings (of course they are protected). There’s plenty of room to spread out the picnic blanket, a paved recreation/walking trail flows throughout the park, but you can wander wherever you choose. There’s also a nice bike trail along the Schuylkill River (Valley Creek empties into this river in the Park) that can lead you right into Center City Philadelphia if you have the energy (it’s 15-20 miles to Center City). There is also a nice population of Smallmouth (in the River only) but it’s tough to fish ‘em unless you have a boat or float tube (guessing 200+ feet wide and cannot be crossed by foot). Although the average fish in this creek is probably 10-14 inches at best, I’ve caught 20+ inch Browns in this creek, and have seen a few 25+, at the right time of year. If you plan on visiting the Park make sure to pack the fly gear. A basic pair of hippers should get you by, remember to keep in the shadows, and tread softly, The Finn I got my brand new fly fishing gear as a gift from my wife for Christmas in the way of an Orvis gift certificate. Eager to get out on the water, not haveing fly fished before, I took my gear to the local pond to practice my casting. Went well, nice open space after several cast seemed to have the hang of it. A couple of weeks later went to fish at Valley Creek here in PA. This stream is a class A Wild Trout stream that is very difficult to fish. Spent the afternoon untageling my line from trees and loosing several nymph flies. But today, 2 days after the first snow storm in the Philadelphia area, I had the urge to get out and try my rod again. Went back to the same stream because I know at this time of year this was my best shot to catch something. Within minutes of getting to the stream I found a "honey hole" 4 feet deep and filled with trout, after an hour of casting a hares ear nymph, I guessed that I had spooked all the fish because of my line slapping the water, or getting caught in fallen leaves, or snaging rocks, so I decided to move upstream and hope to find another hole like this one. 3 hours later, after a mile of walking upstream and not seeing a single fish, I decided it was time to call it a day. With my tail between my legs I walked back towards the honey hole where my car was parked. I decided before I go in I would just make a couple more casts hopeing the fish came back. As I lifted my line a felt a tug, prepared to lose another fly, I lifted my rod tip a lo and behold "FISH ON". A beutiful 10 inch brown, not a big fish, but a fish that will stay in my mind forever. The first fish of the year, and on a fly, it just doesn’t get much better than that. I thought maybe this story would inspire a thread of stories about everyones first fish caught on a fly. I’m sure there are many stories out there that stick in peoples memories.
Response:
nice’un matt… my first was discovered in lost cove creek. i continue to this day to be the recipient of the meager crumbs offered by ol pj, who for some misguided reason carted my ass along on one of his wayno-less forays into lost cove creek in 1979 or 1980. on our way through morganton, i bought a fenwick fiberglass rod and a martin reel. back then you could drive the goat trail to the creek…if you didn’t care about the underbody. as i recall, jim showed me a knot, gave me 2 yellow humpies, and said – "there’s the stream, the fish are in it, good luck"… leaving me to flog about in lonely but uncriticized desperation, he then went way upstream to the sassafrass area. i waded, slid into the water with my rubber-sole hip boots (yeah, he thought that was funny too – jim’s got a dangerous sense of funny – i soon discovered the humor, painfully so). but, i caught a trout in a riffle right in front of me. don’t have any idea what it was, but it hooked me and i’ve been wigglin happy on the hook ever since. to this day, i consider pj’s gift of the stream second only to the grace of marriage to my wife rachel. jeff (who’s formal education in trout streams didn’t begin until i matriculated with wally and some of this crowd) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Although, not my first fish on a fly, there is one trout that sticks out in my mind as a defining moment in my fishing career. My freshman year at Appalachian State found me far from friends and family, "trapped" in the mountains of N.C., with no drivers license and only my mountain bike to get around. The state of PA had decided that it would be safer for my fellow citizens if I went without a license for a few years, so I pedaled my ass everywhere. This sounds pretty healthy, until you’re faced with a two mile ride home after last call. Anyway, I had studied up on Boone for a few years while living in Chapel Hill and had a long list of streams scoped out well before I was able to move there. I had dog eared guide books, a pile of coffee stained topos and a long overdue North Carolina coffee table book (sorry Chapel Hill Public Library) that would ultimately lead me to some North Carolina Brookies. I arrived in time for the spring semester and waited out the winter for my first Carolina Mountain spring. It did arrive eventually, but by that time I was hellbent on catching some trout. Over the winter I had made ‘friends’ with a neighbor of mine whose dad had exiled him to the mountains for an out of control cocaine and hooker habit, which he financed with his dad’s Visa. True story, nice guy, but a little "troubled". The gist of the story is that the guy’s grandfather had given him a few cane rods. First time I laid eyes on that Abercrombie and Fitch ( he wouldn’t part with the Orvis, even after months of badgering) a deal was struck. I was out one Yamaha receiver and the proud owner of my first bamboo rod. This was a really big deal at the time and could only mean good things in my quest for Brookies. By the blue lines on my topo, the nearest stream to my hole-in-the-wall basement apt. was Winklers Creek. In the heat of the summer, this stream plays host to naked hippy chicks who sun themselves on the rocks. My first trip there was far too chilly for that type of thing but later in the year I had quite a few pleasant days out. Hippy chicks are not shy about their love of the sun, and rarely turn down a cold beer. Oh yeah, so on a sunny April afternoon, I strapped the rod to the bike, made a quick stop at Peabody’s to grab a few pints for the event, and hit the stream. I put in at the "swimming pool" where I cast the A&F on water for the first time. She was heavy, but had a nice feel, and I soon had the rhythm down enough to get moving and catch some fish. Not twenty feet upstream from the "swimming pool" was a smaller pool, banked by huge boulders on all sides and covered by a canopy of spring greenery. I had sense enough at the time to sneak up on my quarry and managed to find a spot hidden from the pool where I could sit with a pint and relax while I scanned for risers. I barely had a gulp of beer down before I saw my first sign of life. A trout rose in a flash from the bottom, swirled, and engulfed a small sulfur. It was the type of rise that says, "throw me your sloppiest, splashiest cast and I’ll still eat the fly". I sat there for maybe a minute or two, slammed half my beer and then slinked down the the tail of the pool. I took position where could peer over a boulder and pick my victim. The fish were rising sporadically but persistently and before too long I let loose with my cast. The 9 foot cane rod was huge for this stream but handled the line beautifully. My cast dropped perfectly on the water. Of course, like in any good fishing story, the fish rose from the bottom gnashed down on the fly and headed for deeper water. I heaved back, set the hook, and proceeded to land my first North Carolina Brookie. I have since felt similiar emotions, but only rarely, and only when something happens that makes me think "it could *never* get any better than this". McCray It took me a while to remember the first one, even tho it was less than 3 years ago. I had to refer back to old messages & posts to finally pin it down. The first one for me also represented another milestone, of sorts: it was without any ambiguity the smallest striped bass I have ever seen, somewhere around 9 inches or so. It took a 10 and a half foot 9 weight to tame him :-) I thought maybe this story would inspire a thread of stories about everyones first fish caught on a fly. I’m sure there are many stories out there that stick in peoples memories.
Response:
Although, not my first fish on a fly, there is one trout that sticks out in my mind
Good story Matt. Willi
Response:
That must have been an epic battle on that 7 weight. Touch and go the whole time, eh?
BTW, Jeff, sometimes to add excitement to the fish-landing activity I’ll loosen my reel seat just enough while fishing so that hooking a fish causes the reel to fall off into the water. Makes an otherwise average fish seem like a *monster*. Just another of those tricks I learned from a fellow ROFFian. ‘Course seeing as you are the one who *taught* me that trick I guess you already know it. –Steve
Response:
Yeah – I ’bout died of exhaustion. Must have had to fight the monster for 30 seconds, but time went by so slow it seemed like a whole minute or two. — Bob Patton
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Welcome to this perfidious hobby! Your family and friends have my sympathy. My first ever fish on a fly was a rainbow caught on an orange cow dung fly beside the picnic area at Snowbird creek almost seventeen years ago. I had a $60 Daiwa 7-weight fly rod and some kind of Cortland reel. That must have been an epic battle on that 7 weight. Touch and go the whole time, eh?
Response:
That must have been an epic battle on that 7 weight. Touch and go the whole time, eh? BTW, Jeff, sometimes to add excitement to the fish-landing activity I’ll loosen my reel seat just enough while fishing so that hooking a fish causes the reel to fall off into the water. Makes an otherwise average fish seem like a
*monster*. alright, alright….
Response:
Congratulations! My first fish on a fly was a chub. I hated chub. This stupid chub, which was sitting in a pool with a few brook trout, took my wooley bugger that I was told would catch me lots of brook trout. The chub dang near devoured the whole fly. I really dislike fish that make squeaking noises when you’re trying to dislodge a hook from it’s mouth. I can never get over that. Spooks me too much to hear this ugly looking thing make noises while I’ve got the forceps in its mouth. Gives me the shivers. I almost gave up on fly fishing after that. I was about 15 years old, and had the impression that the only fish I could catch on a fly were beautiful trout. Thankfully, I’ve discovered that’s not true. I still can’t deal with the freakin squeeks of a chub though. Ian Scott http://www.about-flyfishing.com/
Response:
nice story matt…… i crossed winkler’s yesterday on a trip into boone. the ice has melted and i thought about the times when we used to fish that lil ole feeder stream that flows into winklers….. mebbe i’ll go back there this year. we’re getting rain today…. unbelievable, maybe 6 inches of snow this season total. i’m gonna head out somewhere today if the rains let up…. thinkin’ about high up on the watauga. see ya in pa, –walt – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Although, not my first fish on a fly, there is one trout that sticks out in my mind as a defining moment in my fishing career. My freshman year at Appalachian State found me far from friends and family, "trapped" in the mountains of N.C., with no drivers license and only my mountain bike to get around. The state of PA had decided that it would be safer for my fellow citizens if I went without a license for a few years, so I pedaled my ass everywhere. This sounds pretty healthy, until you’re faced with a two mile ride home after last call. Anyway, I had studied up on Boone for a few years while living in Chapel Hill and had a long list of streams scoped out well before I was able to move there. I had dog eared guide books, a pile of coffee stained topos and a long overdue North Carolina coffee table book (sorry Chapel Hill Public Library) that would ultimately lead me to some North Carolina Brookies. I arrived in time for the spring semester and waited out the winter for my first Carolina Mountain spring. It did arrive eventually, but by that time I was hellbent on catching some trout. Over the winter I had made ‘friends’ with a neighbor of mine whose dad had exiled him to the mountains for an out of control cocaine and hooker habit, which he financed with his dad’s Visa. True story, nice guy, but a little "troubled". The gist of the story is that the guy’s grandfather had given him a few cane rods. First time I laid eyes on that Abercrombie and Fitch ( he wouldn’t part with the Orvis, even after months of badgering) a deal was struck. I was out one Yamaha receiver and the proud owner of my first bamboo rod. This was a really big deal at the time and could only mean good things in my quest for Brookies. By the blue lines on my topo, the nearest stream to my hole-in-the-wall basement apt. was Winklers Creek. In the heat of the summer, this stream plays host to naked hippy chicks who sun themselves on the rocks. My first trip there was far too chilly for that type of thing but later in the year I had quite a few pleasant days out. Hippy chicks are not shy about their love of the sun, and rarely turn down a cold beer. Oh yeah, so on a sunny April afternoon, I strapped the rod to the bike, made a quick stop at Peabody’s to grab a few pints for the event, and hit the stream. I put in at the "swimming pool" where I cast the A&F on water for the first time. She was heavy, but had a nice feel, and I soon had the rhythm down enough to get moving and catch some fish. Not twenty feet upstream from the "swimming pool" was a smaller pool, banked by huge boulders on all sides and covered by a canopy of spring greenery. I had sense enough at the time to sneak up on my quarry and managed to find a spot hidden from the pool where I could sit with a pint and relax while I scanned for risers. I barely had a gulp of beer down before I saw my first sign of life. A trout rose in a flash from the bottom, swirled, and engulfed a small sulfur. It was the type of rise that says, "throw me your sloppiest, splashiest cast and I’ll still eat the fly". I sat there for maybe a minute or two, slammed half my beer and then slinked down the the tail of the pool. I took position where could peer over a boulder and pick my victim. The fish were rising sporadically but persistently and before too long I let loose with my cast. The 9 foot cane rod was huge for this stream but handled the line beautifully. My cast dropped perfectly on the water. Of course, like in any good fishing story, the fish rose from the bottom gnashed down on the fly and headed for deeper water. I heaved back, set the hook, and proceeded to land my first North Carolina Brookie. I have since felt similiar emotions, but only rarely, and only when something happens that makes me think "it could *never* get any better than this". McCray It took me a while to remember the first one, even tho it was less than 3 years ago. I had to refer back to old messages & posts to finally pin it down. The first one for me also represented another milestone, of sorts: it was without any ambiguity the smallest striped bass I have ever seen, somewhere around 9 inches or so. It took a 10 and a half foot 9 weight to tame him :-) I thought maybe this story would inspire a thread of stories about everyones first fish caught on a fly. I’m sure there are many stories out there that stick in peoples memories.
– Tight Lines, –Walt Fly Fishing NC & more… http://www.ezflyfish.com http://www.wilsoncreekoutfitters.com
Response:
Welcome to this perfidious hobby! Your family and friends have my sympathy. My first ever fish on a fly was a rainbow caught on an orange cow dung fly beside the picnic area at Snowbird creek almost seventeen years ago. I had a $60 Daiwa 7-weight fly rod and some kind of Cortland reel. The really neat thing was that I caught it on a dry fly and got to see the fish rise and take the fly. I don’t know why I picked Snowbird instead of a more convenient stream, but that was it. — Bob Patton
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I got my brand new fly fishing gear as a gift from my wife for Christmas in the way of an Orvis gift certificate. Eager to get out on the water, not haveing fly fished before, I took my gear to the local pond to practice my casting. Went well, nice open space after several cast seemed to have the hang of it. A couple of weeks later went to fish at Valley Creek here in PA. This stream is a class A Wild Trout stream that is very difficult to fish. Spent the afternoon untageling my line from trees and loosing several nymph flies. But today, 2 days after the first snow storm in the Philadelphia area, I had the urge to get out and try my rod again. Went back to the same stream because I know at this time of year this was my best shot to catch something. Within minutes of getting to the stream I found a "honey hole" 4 feet deep and filled with trout, after an hour of casting a hares ear nymph, I guessed that I had spooked all the fish because of my line slapping the water, or getting caught in fallen leaves, or snaging rocks, so I decided to move upstream and hope to find another hole like this one. 3 hours later, after a mile of walking upstream and not seeing a single fish, I decided it was time to call it a day. With my tail between my legs I walked back towards the honey hole where my car was parked. I decided before I go in I would just make a couple more casts hopeing the fish came back. As I lifted my line a felt a tug, prepared to lose another fly, I lifted my rod tip a lo and behold "FISH ON". A beutiful 10 inch brown, not a big fish, but a fish that will stay in my mind forever. The first fish of the year, and on a fly, it just doesn’t get much better than that. I thought maybe this story would inspire a thread of stories about everyones first fish caught on a fly. I’m sure there are many stories out there that stick in peoples memories.
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I thought maybe this story would inspire a thread of stories about everyones first fish caught on a fly. I’m sure there are many stories out there that stick in peoples memories.
I was bullied into trying a fly rod by my fishing partner one day about 12 years ago and my first fish as a brightly spotted brookie about 4" long, caught on what I think was a little bloody butcher. All of which sounds fine, until you realize I was using a 10′ 7wt rod and fishing for steelhead (lake run rainbows?) at the time…… Things have improved a little since. It was a pretty fish though, and it remains the only brookie I have ever caught on a fly. Vaughan
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I started fly-fishing with a two-handed European-style salmon rod. (Most of the guys in our unofficial fishing club prefer salmon fishing nowadays.) The first catch was a 4" salmon parr from river Gaula in Norway. — Jarmo Hurri address or apply rot13 to header email address.
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Welcome to this perfidious hobby! Your family and friends have my sympathy. My first ever fish on a fly was a rainbow caught on an orange cow dung fly beside the picnic area at Snowbird creek almost seventeen years ago. I had a $60 Daiwa 7-weight fly rod and some kind of Cortland reel.
That must have been an epic battle on that 7 weight. Touch and go the whole time, eh?
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I thought maybe this story would inspire a thread of stories about everyones first fish caught on a fly. I’m sure there are many stories out there that stick in peoples memories. I was bullied into trying a fly rod by my fishing partner one day about 12 years ago and my first fish as a brightly spotted brookie about 4" long, caught on what I think was a little bloody butcher. All of which sounds fine, until you realize I was using a 10′ 7wt rod…
Well that puts RWP’s fish battle to shame, doesn’t it?
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Lissen here – that was an epic battle. Me and my stick versus the cunning slimy carnivorous predator! — Bob Patton
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I thought maybe this story would inspire a thread of stories about everyones first fish caught on a fly. I’m sure there are many stories out there that stick in peoples memories. I was bullied into trying a fly rod by my fishing partner one day about 12 years ago and my first fish as a brightly spotted brookie about 4" long, caught on what I think was a little bloody butcher. All of which sounds fine, until you realize I was using a 10′ 7wt rod… Well that puts RWP’s fish battle to shame, doesn’t it?
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Although, not my first fish on a fly, there is one trout that sticks out in my mind as a defining moment in my fishing career. My freshman year at Appalachian State found me far from friends and family, "trapped" in the mountains of N.C., with no drivers license and only my mountain bike to get around. The state of PA had decided that it would be safer for my fellow citizens if I went without a license for a few years, so I pedaled my ass everywhere. This sounds pretty healthy, until you’re faced with a two mile ride home after last call. Anyway, I had studied up on Boone for a few years while living in Chapel Hill and had a long list of streams scoped out well before I was able to move there. I had dog eared guide books, a pile of coffee stained topos and a long overdue North Carolina coffee table book (sorry Chapel Hill Public Library) that would ultimately lead me to some North Carolina Brookies. I arrived in time for the spring semester and waited out the winter for my first Carolina Mountain spring. It did arrive eventually, but by that time I was hellbent on catching some trout. Over the winter I had made ‘friends’ with a neighbor of mine whose dad had exiled him to the mountains for an out of control cocaine and hooker habit, which he financed with his dad’s Visa. True story, nice guy, but a little "troubled". The gist of the story is that the guy’s grandfather had given him a few cane rods. First time I laid eyes on that Abercrombie and Fitch ( he wouldn’t part with the Orvis, even after months of badgering) a deal was struck. I was out one Yamaha receiver and the proud owner of my first bamboo rod. This was a really big deal at the time and could only mean good things in my quest for Brookies. By the blue lines on my topo, the nearest stream to my hole-in-the-wall basement apt. was Winklers Creek. In the heat of the summer, this stream plays host to naked hippy chicks who sun themselves on the rocks. My first trip there was far too chilly for that type of thing but later in the year I had quite a few pleasant days out. Hippy chicks are not shy about their love of the sun, and rarely turn down a cold beer. Oh yeah, so on a sunny April afternoon, I strapped the rod to the bike, made a quick stop at Peabody’s to grab a few pints for the event, and hit the stream. I put in at the "swimming pool" where I cast the A&F on water for the first time. She was heavy, but had a nice feel, and I soon had the rhythm down enough to get moving and catch some fish. Not twenty feet upstream from the "swimming pool" was a smaller pool, banked by huge boulders on all sides and covered by a canopy of spring greenery. I had sense enough at the time to sneak up on my quarry and managed to find a spot hidden from the pool where I could sit with a pint and relax while I scanned for risers. I barely had a gulp of beer down before I saw my first sign of life. A trout rose in a flash from the bottom, swirled, and engulfed a small sulfur. It was the type of rise that says, "throw me your sloppiest, splashiest cast and I’ll still eat the fly". I sat there for maybe a minute or two, slammed half my beer and then slinked down the the tail of the pool. I took position where could peer over a boulder and pick my victim. The fish were rising sporadically but persistently and before too long I let loose with my cast. The 9 foot cane rod was huge for this stream but handled the line beautifully. My cast dropped perfectly on the water. Of course, like in any good fishing story, the fish rose from the bottom gnashed down on the fly and headed for deeper water. I heaved back, set the hook, and proceeded to land my first North Carolina Brookie. I have since felt similiar emotions, but only rarely, and only when something happens that makes me think "it could *never* get any better than this". McCray
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It took me a while to remember the first one, even tho it was less than 3 years ago. I had to refer back to old messages & posts to finally pin it down. The first one for me also represented another milestone, of sorts: it was without any ambiguity the smallest striped bass I have ever seen, somewhere around 9 inches or so. It took a 10 and a half foot 9 weight to tame him :-) I thought maybe this story would inspire a thread of stories about everyones first fish caught on a fly. I’m sure there are many stories out there that stick in peoples memories.
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Hippy chicks are not shy about their love of the sun, and rarely turn down a cold beer. Oh yeah, so on a sunny April afternoon, I strapped the rod to the bike…
Yeah, I hear dat….
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Although, not my first fish on a fly, there is one trout that sticks out in my mind as a defining moment in my fishing career.
boys, i have fished for thirty years in the blue ridge, and i have seen exactly three folks who can do it as well as this guy. thanks for pulling back the veil on your first time, mccrayfish. the down side is, it will get much tougher the older you get. the blue ridge is not a gentle partner. your friend in the old north state wayno
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I got my brand new fly fishing gear as a gift from my wife for Christmas in the way of an Orvis gift certificate. Eager to get out on the water, not haveing fly fished before, I took my gear to the local pond to practice my casting. Went well, nice open space after several cast seemed to have the hang of it. A couple of weeks later went to fish at Valley Creek here in PA. This stream is a class A Wild Trout stream that is very difficult to fish. Spent the afternoon untageling my line from trees and loosing several nymph flies. But today, 2 days after the first snow storm in the Philadelphia area, I had the urge to get out and try my rod again. Went back to the same stream because I know at this time of year this was my best shot to catch something. Within minutes of getting to the stream I found a "honey hole" 4 feet deep and filled with trout, after an hour of casting a hares ear nymph, I guessed that I had spooked all the fish because of my line slapping the water, or getting caught in fallen leaves, or snaging rocks, so I decided to move upstream and hope to find another hole like this one. 3 hours later, after a mile of walking upstream and not seeing a single fish, I decided it was time to call it a day. With my tail between my legs I walked back towards the honey hole where my car was parked. I decided before I go in I would just make a couple more casts hopeing the fish came back. As I lifted my line a felt a tug, prepared to lose another fly, I lifted my rod tip a lo and behold "FISH ON". A beutiful 10 inch brown, not a big fish, but a fish that will stay in my mind forever. The first fish of the year, and on a fly, it just doesn’t get much better than that. I thought maybe this story would inspire a thread of stories about everyones first fish caught on a fly. I’m sure there are many stories out there that stick in peoples memories.
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With my tail between my legs I walked back towards the honey hole where my car was parked. I decided before I go in I would just make a couple more casts hopeing the fish came back. As I lifted my line a felt a tug, prepared to lose another fly, I lifted my rod tip a lo and behold "FISH ON". A beutiful 10 inch brown, not a big fish, but a fish that will stay in my mind forever. The first fish of the year, and on a fly, it just doesn’t get much better than that. I thought maybe this story would inspire a thread of stories about everyones first fish caught on a fly. I’m sure there are many stories out there that stick in peoples memories.
well, with deepest regret i must admit that your story is far more heroic than mine. i signed up to work for a law firm in greensboro, nc, in the fall of 1969. one of the partners was a guy who is still one of my best friends, a yankee from uptstate new york, around the roscoe area. i had fished with a fly rod since i was 9 or 10, but only for warm water fish. he suggested a trip to the catskills, and there we were: the beaverkill, the willowemoc, harry darby, walt dette, all that yankee folklore…and it was really neat. but the first fish i caught was a 6 inch brown, hauled in on the end of a muddler minnow, on the east branch of the delaware, a long way from the crystal waters that would become my home, just a year or so from then. but that’s another story, with another friend. wayno – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
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"Carlos Figueroa" wrote… I thought maybe this story would inspire a thread of stories about everyones first fish caught on a fly. I’m sure there are many stories out there that stick in peoples memories.
Your story is better than mine. The first fish I caught on a fly was a 3" Bluegill 23 years ago. But I can safely say it’s been all up hill from there. Joel Axelrad **DFD**
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My first was a ten inch brook trout on a size 8 hopper. I was lucky enough to spend my younger years in a town with many good trout streams within biking distance, and caught this one on a little spring creek that ran behind the IGA. It was great growing up with 3 trout streams within 15min bike ride of my house, and once I got the hang of the fly rod, there were some dandy Bull trout to be had. With the ban on bulls in Alberta, I’d bet some of my old fishin’ grounds have some dandy bulls (Although I once found a dead 34" bull under the bridge, so even then there were some hogs). Robbie
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Question:
I want to take just a moment to thank the people who tried to connect for the Wednesday evening chat session. Unfortunately, FlyFishAmerica’s Web Page Chat option just didn’t work quite the way we wanted it to. I hurriedly configured an alternate means but unfortunately not everyone had Java enabled browsers. So in the interim until the folks at FlyFishAmerica can come up with an alternate means of chatting we will connect via IRC Client Software. In other words you will need mIRC, WsIRC for IBM Clones, or Homer and IRcle for Mac’s. In configuring set your irc server to: 206.230.8.18, on port 6667. We will chat Wednesday Feb 5, at 18:00 MST or 20:00 Eastern Joe
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I want to take just a moment to thank the people who tried to connect for the Wednesday evening chat session. Unfortunately, FlyFishAmerica’s Web Page Chat option just didn’t work quite the way we wanted it to. I hurriedly configured an alternate means but unfortunately not everyone had Java enabled browsers. So in the interim until the folks at FlyFishAmerica can come up with an alternate means of chatting we will connect via IRC Client Software. In other words you will need mIRC, WsIRC for IBM Clones, or Homer and IRcle for Mac’s. In configuring set your irc server to: 206.230.8.18, on port 6667. We will chat Wednesday Feb 5, at 18:00 MST or 20:00 Eastern JoeForgive me for being computer illiterate, but, what is and irc server?
Where do you get it? Is it software? More info. please. John
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connect via IRC Client Software. In other words you will need mIRC, WsIRC for IBM Clones, or Homer and IRcle for Mac’s. In configuring set your irc server to: 206.230.8.18, on port 6667. We will chat Wednesday Feb 5, at 18:00 MST or 20:00 Eastern JoeForgive me for being computer illiterate, but, what is and irc server? Where do you get it? Is it software? More info. please. John
John if you are using an IBM Clone then go to http://www.tucows.com and in the area for text chat download a program called mIRC. It is pretty easy to set up. mIRC will allow you to connect to IRC (Internet Relay Chat)
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I want to take just a moment to thank the people who tried to connect for the Wednesday evening chat session. Unfortunately, FlyFishAmerica’s Web Page Chat option just didn’t work quite the way we wanted it to. connect via IRC Client Software. In other words you will need mIRC,WsIRC for IBM Clones, or Homer and IRcle for Mac’s. In configuring set your irc server to: 206.230.8.18, on port 6667. We will chat Wednesday Feb 5, at 18:00 MST or 20:00 Eastern JoeForgive me for being computer illiterate, but, what is and ircserver? Where do you get it? Is it software? More info. please. John if you are using an IBM Clone then go to http://www.tucows.com and in the area for text chat download a program called mIRC. It is pretty easy to set up. mIRC will allow you to connect to IRC (Internet Relay Chat)
Hello all… Sorry for the troubles we had before but they are now behind us. I re-wrote the FlyFishAmerica.com chat area, it has been fixed, it supports a lot more users and is wicked fast. It does not require any downloading or special software and is based on SERVERside Java which does not even require a Java enabled browser. Bob Stewart http://www.flyfishamerica.com/chat/chat.html
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I guess this question is for Al Beatty as much as everyone else. Are we gonna try to chat Wed. evening again?
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I guess this question is for Al Beatty as much as everyone else. Are we gonna try to chat Wed. evening again?
Hi Joe Why don’t you start the chat and I’ll join in if I can. I have a fly tying class to teach and I’m not sure how long it will take. By the way I sure like your IRC server you showed me yesterday, it was great. Thanks much for sending me the soft ware. Good Tying &…. (the bobbin is on the way). — Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT http://www.flyshop.com/Expo/Specialty/BTsPdcts/index.html
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Where is the chat session going to be held from now on? John
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John: It is up in the air right now…..FFAmerica is in the process of working on their chat section ontheir page. Til then try in your irc client to connect to: Server: 206.230.8.18 Port: 6667 Channel #FlyTyer Wednesday’s at 8:00pm EST – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Where is the chat session going to be held from now on? John
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