Does anyone know anything about flyfishing the east coast of the Yucatan, south of Cancun? Supposedly there are snook and small tarpon (redfish?) in the bays and estuaries there. I’m particularly interested in the areas around Akumal, Xel-Ha, and Boca Paila. Thanks, J
Check out www.rodreeladventures.com I can’t give any recommendation, because I haven’t used them at all. Good luck, Bill… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Does anyone know anything about flyfishing the east coast of the Yucatan, south of Cancun? Supposedly there are snook and small tarpon (redfish?) in the bays and estuaries there. I’m particularly interested in the areas around Akumal, Xel-Ha, and Boca Paila. Thanks, J
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – And I thought I wouldn’t *ever* get my own thread. Tom — Tom Brown The Signal Group Wake Forest, NC "If you’re not the lead dog, the view never changes." Tom Browns Bastard is causing ROFF to rave, a thread has been engendered, the results of this are grave, but he can go casting on ! casting over seventy feet, with a quick flick of the wrist, will cause most Orvis owners here to shake an angry fist, but he will go casting on ! His spouse is not quite certain, what the ruckus is about, all this talk of Bastards, is causing her some doubt, but he will go casting on ! the waiting and the hoping now has not been all in vain, Tom at last is getting his awaited fighting cane, and he will go casting on ! Now Tom is the lead dog, and the view has changed for him, he is getting the first Bastard, with a special coloured trim, and he will go casting on ! lets hope he catches plenty, and enjoys his fishing too, perhaps he will be kind enough to give us a review, as he goes casting on ! TL MC
Thanks for the smile Mike…. –Walt To fish is soliloquy.
George, You sending this to yourself? David NB – when the rods really make an impact you can put the price up to include a ‘doubters’ premium"! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – (snipped) Trust me. I couldn’t have picked a better Bastard to send the proto type to. It was made with great care and it is a casting delight. Couldn’t have picked a better man. I’m gone. — Mr. G. ‘all’s fair with fur or feather’ http://www.gink.com http://www.rodbuilding.com http://www.xink.com 509-243-4100 or 5500
My favorite river appears to have a hatch of what somebody told me was Crane Flys. The insects torso hangs below the wings and the bottom of the torso comes around and looks like it connects with the thorax. Imagine a flying J with wings on the top part of the J and you have the insect I am talking about. Does anybody have any information on these insects and if so, what patterns best imitate them. Thanks! Mike Wilson Fishing!! What else is there?
FlyFis4fun: <<Does anybody have any information on these insects and if so, what patterns best imitate them. Patterns are in "Fly Patterns of Umpqua Feather Merchants", and Stewrt/Allen’s "Flies for trout". Both adult and larva patterns are listed. I can not imagine the crane fly as a major hatch, but if you say so…… Dave LaCourse
My favorite river appears to have a hatch of what somebody told me was Crane Flys. The insects torso hangs below the wings and the bottom of the torso comes around and looks like it connects with the thorax. Imagine a flying J with wings on the top part of the J and you have the insect I am talking about.
If they are indeed crane flies, also know as "daddy long legs" they belong to the family tipulidae, and are terrestrials which often fall on the water in considerable numbers, especially when it is windy, being very clumsy fliers. They are often imitated using long trailing knotted pheasant tail or nylon legs, body, hackle, and hackle tip spent wings to match the colour, usually from light tan to dark brown, but olive and yellow variations are also common. An excellent pattern may be made using detached buoyant mayfly bodies. TL MC
Thanks for the information gentleman but it appears that the insect that I am seeing is something other then the Crane Fly. The insect in question, as afore mentioned, is a pale tan to whiteish tan and flys with its torso bent around to connect near its thorax. It hatches in fair numbers though I must admit, I have never seen any of them actually land on the water. The primary food on this river is Stone Flys so this is more of a question exploration then anything else. Thanks for the help so far. Mike
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thanks for the information gentleman but it appears that the insect that I am seeing is something other then the Crane Fly. The insect in question, as afore mentioned, is a pale tan to whiteish tan and flys with its torso bent around to connect near its thorax. It hatches in fair numbers though I must admit, I have never seen any of them actually land on the water. The primary food on this river is Stone Flys so this is more of a question exploration then anything else. Thanks for the help so far. Mike
Hi Mike, how big is this insect ? Does it hatch from the water, or does it just appear on the water ? TL MC
Many Crane Fly species are terrestial, living in damp soil. Aquatic species are usually found in streams with bottoms of fine gravel silt or sand. Pupation usually takes place in damp soil along stream margins and is therefore of little account to the flyfisherperson. The larvae are simple and tube like and usually not available to fish as they burrow rather deeply and have no swimming abilities. They are available during spates and may be represented by wooly worms. The "Muskrat", an old Polly Rosborough pattern is another Crane Fly larva imitation. Adults seem to be more available during light summer rains and may be represented by any appropriately sized and colored dry fly. As I write this I am watching a hiuge cranefly llumbering around the room….here in the Northwest there is a species that frequents lawns(well watered) and in climax years actually causes quite a bit of damage to the turf. Thanks for the information gentleman but it appears that the insect that I am seeing is something other then the Crane Fly. The insect in question, as afore mentioned, is a pale tan to whiteish tan and flys with its torso bent around to connect near its thorax. It hatches in fair numbers though I must admit, I have never seen any of them actually land on the water. The primary food on this river is Stone Flys so this is more of a question exploration then anything else. Thanks for the help so far. Mike
– Mike in PDX "When the trout are lost, smash the state." Tom McGuane
The insect in question, as afore mentioned, is a pale tan to whiteish tan and flys with its torso bent around to connect near its thorax. It hatches in fair numbers though I must admit, I have never seen any of them actually land on the water. The primary food on this river is Stone Flys so this is more of a question exploration then anything else. Thanks for the help so far. Mike
Hello Mike, I sometimes fish a limestone stream in Eastern Pennsylvania where Orange Craneflys (orange head) gather in clusters all along the stream banks and edge of water. The locals have an easy to tie pattern for the orange cranefly that is very effective.. Basically, your going to tie a dry fly without a tail or wings — just body, legs, & head. Very lightly dubbed muskrat body with Dun colored hackle, use orange thread and build a small head. I hope this helps. Dave
My favorite river appears to have a hatch of what somebody told me was Crane Flys. The insects torso hangs below the wings and the bottom of the torso comes around and looks like it connects with the thorax. Imagine a flying J with wings on the top part of the J and you have the insect I am talking about. If they are indeed crane flies, also know as "daddy long legs"
I don’t know about where you live, Mike, but in the US Crane Flies and Daddy Long Legs are not at all the same thing. Crane Flies actually have wings and fly. They look like gigantic mosquitoes, but they don’t bite. Daddy Long Legs look like large spiders (but they aren’t spiders). They don’t have wings.
Crane Flies: When I was in Ireland a few summers ago, the gillie taught me how to "dibble" for salmon: He put a relatively heavy wet fly at the end of my leader, and then a bushy dry fly on a dropper, about 6′ up from the tippet. The idea was to use the wet fly as an anchor, and then bob the rod tip, so the dry fly danced on the surface of the water…on the surface one second, then suddenly 6" above, like a big bug jumping up and down on the water. So I haven’t tried this over hear yet, frankly, but talking about it did lead to some interesting new information. I told this story to George Anderson, and he said "Sure, the guys over in Dillon (MT) have been fishing the crane fly hatch on the Beaverhead that way for years!" — /* Sandy Pittendrigh –oO0 * http://www.nervana.montana.edu/~sandy */
They look like giant mosquitoes…so how about a size 2 mosquito??? George
Fish the larvae The trout eat them Lots easier to tie too… a Beaver leech — Free Lake Fly Fishing On-Line Magazine Lake Fly Fishing CD’s, Videos, Books http://www.rural.escape.ca/angling_north/fishing/organz.htm
Anyone have any recent info on water and hatch conditions on the Bighorn river below Yellowtail dam? Thanks, Don
Anyone have any recent info on water and hatch conditions on the Bighorn river below Yellowtail dam? Thanks, Don
Hi Don The water is high but fishing is good on subsurface patterns. I’m not sure about the hatches. Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT (96 catalog)
There is a fair amount of info on the Bighorn, including current conditions, on Fly Fishing Adventures (http://www.ffa.com/). Check it out! Also, Bob Krumm lives in Ft. Smith and has guided the Bighorn for 12 years; contact him at (406) 666-2229; or call Bighorn Angler at (406) 666-2233. Larry Krum Editor, The Daily Hatch
Looking for sources of info and owner feedback on any aircraft along the lines of the Cessna 180; i.e., taildragger (not necessary, but an option if it is less expensive), good useful load, reasonable speed, 4-6 passenger, simple (no retracts, CS prop OK), IFR. Usage would be flights from Minneapolis/St.Paul area to northern Minnesota and Canada, with occasional flights out west (Montana, Wyoming), Michigan, Arkansas, and the Carolinas. Possible flight into grass and dirt strips. Need good useful load because very few of my fishing buddies are under 200 lbs. each, and I want to fill as many seats plus gear as possible. Keith Miesel Other similar aircraft along these lines would be considered. I’m just trying to identify my options.
For carrying a planeload of 200-pounders, plus fishing gear (and I know how that can add up!), you may be looking for a Cessna 206. Great load carrying, plus a big door. The Cessna 180, while it will physically carry a big load, is (at least in the early years) not legal with big loads. Check gross weight and useful load figures. Aviation Consumer’s big, two-volume book set of airplane reports (can’t remember the name, and it’s at home) is worth every penny. Great detail on all the popular GA planes. — Tom Gresham, host http://www.guntalk.com (for Gun Talk Radio Show)
A Cessna 185 will actually outlift a 206 on poundage, but the big door on the 206 makes for easier loading of gear. My rule is, if you are carrying fannys, use a 185, if cargo, use a 206. Rough fields also favor the 185. BTW, look at Kenmore Air Harbor’s STC for the 180…they have a 250 pound GW increase weight kit and 40 HP enhancement kit. They call it a "Super 180". For carrying a planeload of 200-pounders, plus fishing gear (and I know how that can add up!), you may be looking for a Cessna 206. Great load carrying, plus a big door. The Cessna 180, while it will physically carry a big load, is (at least in the early years) not legal with big loads. Check gross weight and useful load figures. Aviation Consumer’s big, two-volume book set of airplane reports (can’t remember the name, and it’s at home) is worth every penny. Great detail on all the popular GA planes. — Tom Gresham, host http://www.guntalk.com (for Gun Talk Radio Show)
– Walt Johnson Lockheed Martin Federal Systems Software Cost Engineering Owego, New York 13827 VOICE(607-751-2158)
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Looking for sources of info and owner feedback on any aircraft along the lines of the Cessna 180; i.e., taildragger (not necessary, but an option if it is less expensive), good useful load, reasonable speed, 4-6 passenger, simple (no retracts, CS prop OK), IFR. Usage would be flights from Minneapolis/St.Paul area to northern Minnesota and Canada, with occasional flights out west (Montana, Wyoming), Michigan, Arkansas, and the Carolinas. Possible flight into grass and dirt strips. Need good useful load because very few of my fishing buddies are under 200 lbs. each, and I want to fill as many seats plus gear as possible.
If you are serious about the 4-6 passengers in the 200+ lb category plus fishing gear, plus normal baggage then you are out of the 180/185/206 class of airplane. That kind of requirement is only going to be met by something like a Beaver or an AN-2! BTW the price range of the 180 is $60-85K, the 185 is $75-95K and the 206 will run you from $80-110K. A good Beaver will set you back $175K and the AN2 while cheap to buy is REAL expensive to operate, (in the 40GPH range + a lot of oil & maint). Then you have the problem with certification, insurance etc. Are you sure you want to do this? If you can pare your seat requirement down to a max of three passengers and you, then the 180 with little baggage or a 185 with a little more or a 206 with 5 seats and almost no baggage or fuel might get you by. Or….with a 180/185 or get everyone to a nearby spot on a commercial flight and ferry them over to the fishing hole in two or three loads. Or better yet….get a floatplane and have everyone fly to someplace close and take them to a REALLY good fishing hole! R Wood in Alaska
#but hes like the Senator from my state Jesse #Helms. You may not always agree with him but you always know where #he stands, #he doesn’t teeter or waiver from his beliefs. somebody said back there a bit–if it’s true, why isn’t Jesse insisting that the coons stay in their own part of town as he did back in the good old days? Helms changes, like everybody whose standards are flexible and who considers himself to be a man of principle but returns to the senate voluntarily. (and many thinking folks hope he comes to his senses.) As for Gierach, he’s an excellent stylist with an ironic wit, and it’s all fiction mind you, which appellation our BB seems to aspire to much more recently. "Strait-laced" as Shakespeare (or should I say the Earl of Oxford?) had it–the pompous Malvolio of Twelfth Night made a fool of himself by coming around in the opposite look, the dandified and contrived "cross-gartered" style. . .in other words, he went out as what he wasn’t, and was laughed off the creek for it. Went insane, if I remember correctly. And Shakespeare wrote about what he wasn’t for a buck, collected "such rascal counters" happily; he would have signed his name for more if he’d had the chance, I reckon. Dave
I actually met John Gierach in Lyons, Colorado at Mike Clarks shop this last fall. We stopped by the shop on our way to the Frying Pan. John G. was actually very pleasant and eventhough he didn’t have to stay and talk, he did. I haven’t read all the posts about him, but wanted to put in me 2 cents worth about my brief contact with him and how he seemed like a pretty decent guy, besides being a great writer!
I met John Gierach in Lyons, Colorado at Mike Clarks shop… John was
actually very pleasant and even though he didn’t have to stay and talk, he did. … he seemed like a pretty decent guy,besides being a great writer! Hey Skilch, you’re right about Gierach. I live "up the road" from John, and bump into him, Mike, and the clan on the high country streams occasionally. I’ve also yakked with him at Mike’s rod shop, and been to John’s fly tying clinics. I don’t know Gierach very well, but I like the guy – and I certainly admire what he’s been able to accomplish in his career. Anybody who can win the Robert Traver Award for excellence in outdoor writing, author thousands of magazine articles, newspapers columns, and ten of the best selling fly fishing books in recent history is bound to invite some criticism from those who wish to hell they had his gift – and his success. Too bad. Regards, Dennis
[deleted] and ten of the best selling fly fishing books in recent history is bound to invite some criticism from those who wish to hell they had his gift – and his success.
Please. Noone (at least not me) is being critical of either: 1) the fact that john is a nice guy or 2) that they envy his gifts. If you read past the subject line in these posts, you would have had no need to defend him on those scores. In my critical estimation, as a consumer of flyfishing books, John Gierach is a good writer, but not a great writer. He got someone to publish him, in my opinion, and the rest is history. Steve Spinolio is a better writer, in my book, than John Gierach, or Russell Chatham. I enjoy John Geirach at least as much or more than E. Donnel Thomas, "Whitefish Can’t Jump", but they are very much on the same, simple, short story format that does not define great writers. I like Ted Lesson’s writing better than Gierach. Again, it has nothing to do with John being a good guy or a clever successful hard-working man. I am certain that he is all that. You don’t buy a flyrod or a car for that matter just because the builder is a ‘nice guy’. I liked James Bashline, who was not a writer, really…but offered me something of value in "Nightfishing for Trout". A sad truth is, IMO, the sale of books often has as much to do with the publishers backing them and the level of gloss on the dust jacket as it does quality of content. The best thing you could do as a writer is get Nick Lyon’s in your court. That is power there. The number of sales define the number of awards and some of us are simply critical of the writing itself and are not star struck, nor do we have penis envy. In Johns case, he has moments of really good stuff, but overall the stuff is repetitive, monotonous, politically correct and often boring. To me, life offers more exciting fishing trips than John Gierach does in his writing. So sue me. — TimW Halfordian Golfer
: In my critical estimation, as a consumer of flyfishing books, John Gierach : is a good writer, but not a great writer. He got someone to publish him, in : my opinion, and the rest is history. Steve Spinolio is a better writer, in : my book, than John Gierach, or Russell Chatham. I didn’t know Spinolio had written anything beyond a post or two, one of which I have on my office wall. Where can I find his writing? To be a writer, one must write. I battle with this everyday. I suspect most do. At the very least, Gierach writes in large amount. That’s something to be proud of. — Rick T. Rick Fletcher – http://www.chem.uidaho.edu/~fletcher/ Associate professor of chemistry | That’s Idaho, not Iowa. | ad hominem University of Idaho | Upper Left Hand Corner. | ad hominem Moscow, ID 83844-2343 | No, I don’t grow potatoes. | ad hominem
Does Gierach still live in Lyons? I spent summers there (I’m an East Coast boy) in the early ’70’s and fished the St. Vrain top to bottom–my grandfather owned the trailer park in the big bend just outside of Lyons (next box up from the park.) I think I trespassed on his property a few times. Dave
:I enjoy John Geirach at :least as much or more than E. Donnel Thomas, "Whitefish Can’t Jump", but :they are very much on the same, simple, short story format that does not :define great writers. You were doing just fine Moe until you said the above which caused me to laugh out loud. You can’t take those darn short stories seriously, you slay me sometimes… TC
they are very much on the same, simple, short story format that does not define great writers.
I gotta wonder what Ernest Hemmingway woulda said about that. Big Two Hearted River for example, is far from simple. Ben
: In my critical estimation, as a consumer of flyfishing books, John Gierach : is a good writer, but not a great writer. He got someone to publish him, in : my opinion, and the rest is history. Steve Spinolio is a better writer, in : my book, than John Gierach, or Russell Chatham. I didn’t know Spinolio had written anything beyond a post or two, one of which I have on my office wall. Where can I find his writing?
Any idea when he is to return? Or if he will? Kiyu
I actually met John Gierach in Lyons, Colorado at Mike Clarks shop this last fall. We stopped by the shop on our way to the Frying Pan. John G. was actually very pleasant and eventhough he didn’t have to stay and talk, he did. I haven’t read all the posts about him, but wanted to put in me 2 cents worth about my brief contact with him and how he seemed like a pretty decent guy, besides being a great writer!
If Geirach is really the guy he says he is in his writing, then he reallly doesn’t give a rat’s ass about all these postings about him, pro and con. If he logs on to defend himself, you may be assured he is a fraud. I predict with the former. One problem I see here is that many insist on judging him as a flyfisherman, based on his writings. The only way you can judge him as a flyfisher, is to fly fish with him. As a reader, you must judge him as an outdoor writer, an entertainer, if you will. On that basis I find him well worth an evening in the easy chair. Since I haven’t fished with him, I can’t comment on the other. DAO DAO
If Geirach is really the guy he says he is in his writing, then he reallly
doesn’t give a rat’s ass about all these postings about him, pro and con. If he logs on to defend himself, you may be assured he is a fraud. Funny you should bring that up, Dale. I was with John for an hour or so last week, and asked him if he was aware of the dialog about him on the internet. He just chuckled and said, "Yeah, the guys told me about it. Sounds like those people are pissing away some good fishing time wrangling over nothing." … or words to that effect. He won’t be logging on. He doesn’t own a computer. As a reader, you must judge him as an outdoor writer, an entertainer, if you
will. On that basis I find him, well worth an evening in the easy chair.< Precisely.
If you read past the subject line in these posts, you would have had no needto
defend him on those scores. Your right Moe, I was arguing apples and oranges here. My apologies. He got someone to publish him, in
my opinion, and the rest is history. Right again, but he didn’t get just "anyone" to publish him. Pruett, Lyons, Simon & Shuster and Stackpole are hardly the kind of publishing houses to invest in ho-hum writers. < Steve Spinolio is a better writer, inmy book, than John Gierach, or Russell Chatham … or E. Donnel Thomas I’m not familiar with Spinolio. Is he someone I should be reading. Know where I can find any of his stuff?, but they are very much on the same, simple, short story format that does not
define great writers. I suspect you may open a real can of worms with that judgement, Moe. A sad truth is, IMO, the sale of books often has as much to do with the
publishers backing them and the level of gloss on the dust jacket as it does quality of content. Maybe, but again, big publishing houses aren’t likely to invest in writers whose work doesn’t sell. As for" quality of content", that’s a pretty subjective matter. The number of sales define the number of awards… I’m not so sure that’s an accurate statement. Lyons didn’t publish Trout Bum, nor much of Gierach’s other works. And if I’m not mistaken, John won the Traver Award for a fictional piece that appeared in FR & R. nor do we have penis envy.
????Where’d that come from? In Johns case, he has moments of really good stuff, but overall the stuff is repetitive, monotonous, politically correct and often boring. To me, life offers more exciting fishing trips than John Gierach does in his writing. So sue me. Actually, I’d rather go fishing with you, but If I were to sue- and win – how much could I get? later DES
To be a writer, one must write. I battle with this everyday. I suspect most
do. Amen to that. At the very least, Gierach writes in large amount. That’s something to be
proud of. And to that one, as well. DES
Much of Shakepeare’s work was "formulaic" and "Typical" yet in retrospect his work is viewed as "ground breaking". Perhaps Gierach’s stuff needs the appreciation that only time and distance can impart to the nonappreciative and overly cautious segments of his audience.
I find it humerous that all these straight laced flyfisherman find the time to criticize one of their own. I pose a question to any of you who find it within your right to criticize John at a personal or professional level:Have you ever had a conversation with the man? Do you know him and how he lives and his quality of life? I think that most critics would say NO to these questions. John is a very simple man. He’s a very acute journalist who has developed a style both in and out of the newspapers of his own. He is a fine flyfisherman and a generally nice guy to know. Most people who know him feel the same way. If one thing you can say of John, and I hope not to insult him with this comparison, but hes like the Senator from my state Jesse Helms. You may not always agree with him but you always know where he stands, he doesn’t teeter or waiver from his beliefs. A quality I believe to be a goal for most men. The other point is I believe that most flyfisherman, a strangely stoic bunch as it goes, are somewhat jealous of a man who can do what most of us want to do ALL the time instead of just some of the time, like most of us. So don’t wander down a road that you’re not familiar with, you may hit a tree or a parked car or Butch, the local dog who everybody in town knows would be sleeping in the road at 2:00pm on a tuesday. It might be hazardous. Jim Brady
I was with you until you last paragraph. Literature, great and small, is open game to critics and it is wonderful for an author to have a defender. But, to think that people offer an descenting opinion because they are jealous of a guy who fishes for a living is absurd. By in large, my fly fishers are smarter and better read than that. It’s an opinion. Agree. Disagree. Who cares. I can speak to the issue with a decent amount of authority. I have been in the communications industry for 27-plus years and have only fly fished for half that time. Gierach is a fine writer. I have most of his books. But, I think we all can agree that he is not producing groundbreaking work here. His stuff is Day Berry In Waders, whihc is fine. Hell, Dave Berry won a Pulitzer. As much as I like Gierach, he gets, like anyone else who writes for pay alot, myself included, formulaic, and hence some of his stuff becomes "typical". Knowing where someone stands is not necessarily the greatest commendation one can make about literature. Read Mein Kampf and you know where that guy stood too! My view is simple, stuff like Gierach’s should entertain and inform. Period. I do not expect it to change my life or create a new vision for my life. I leave that to far better writers with something to say on the topic. But, as for whiling away an evening after slaving over a hot word processor all day, I’ll take Gierach any day of the week. Ask the man and I am sure he will tell you he is not out to change the world. He’;s a writer and damn few of us are good enough to change the world. But, if we any good at what we do, we can inform and entertain for a while, even a moment. So, lighten up! Besides, I think Gierach is a big boy and can defend himself nicely. Hollis – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I find it humerous that all these straight laced flyfisherman find the time to criticize one of their own. I pose a question to any of you who find it within your right to criticize John at a personal or professional level:Have you ever had a conversation with the man? Do you know him and how he lives and his quality of life? I think that most critics would say NO to these questions. John is a very simple man. He’s a very acute journalist who has developed a style both in and out of the newspapers of his own. He is a fine flyfisherman and a generally nice guy to know. Most people who know him feel the same way. If one thing you can say of John, and I hope not to insult him with this comparison, but hes like the Senator from my state Jesse Helms. You may not always agree with him but you always know where he stands, he doesn’t teeter or waiver from his beliefs. A quality I believe to be a goal for most men. The other point is I believe that most flyfisherman, a strangely stoic bunch as it goes, are somewhat jealous of a man who can do what most of us want to do ALL the time instead of just some of the time, like most of us. So don’t wander down a road that you’re not familiar with, you may hit a tree or a parked car or Butch, the local dog who everybody in town knows would be sleeping in the road at 2:00pm on a tuesday. It might be hazardous. Jim Brady
Another follow-up on this thread… Just don’t read or buy the books he has written if you don’t like his writing. As for me, I like a lot of what John has written. Most of his writing is non-technical, and therefore fine pleasure reading, if I’m into it. While Christmas cleaning btw, I perused through a lot of old Fly Fisherman and Rod and Reel Mags in my collection dating all the way back to the early eighties. The writer in question (John) has been around for a long time, has "paid his dues," and in a professional sense is worthy of respect even if many people don’t like his work. No need for debate or slander of the individual on a ng forum. Wayne Fenior Midland, MI – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I was with you until you last paragraph. Literature, great and small, is open game to critics and it is wonderful for an author to have a defender. But, to think that people offer an descenting opinion because they are jealous of a guy who fishes for a living is absurd. By in large, my fly fishers are smarter and better read than that. It’s an opinion. Agree. Disagree. Who cares. I can speak to the issue with a decent amount of authority. I have been in the communications industry for 27-plus years and have only fly fished for half that time. Gierach is a fine writer. I have most of his books. But, I think we all can agree that he is not producing groundbreaking work here. His stuff is Day Berry In Waders, whihc is fine. Hell, Dave Berry won a Pulitzer. As much as I like Gierach, he gets, like anyone else who writes for pay alot, myself included, formulaic, and hence some of his stuff becomes "typical". Knowing where someone stands is not necessarily the greatest commendation one can make about literature. Read Mein Kampf and you know where that guy stood too! My view is simple, stuff like Gierach’s should entertain and inform. Period. I do not expect it to change my life or create a new vision for my life. I leave that to far better writers with something to say on the topic. But, as for whiling away an evening after slaving over a hot word processor all day, I’ll take Gierach any day of the week. Ask the man and I am sure he will tell you he is not out to change the world. He’;s a writer and damn few of us are good enough to change the world. But, if we any good at what we do, we can inform and entertain for a while, even a moment. So, lighten up! Besides, I think Gierach is a big boy and can defend himself nicely. Hollis
Tim, I think if I could paraphrase your response–if you’re gonna set up shop as an icon (or let others set you up), you better expect some iconoclasts will come along. It goes with the job. I have to agree…good, not great. Trouble is, good writers don’t usually stay in print 50 years later. And in 100 years, no one remembers who the good writers were. That’s a tribute for great writers, and I don’t think we should start throwing that appelation around lightly. BTW–do you know where these straight-laced, stoic fishermen are. They’re not around here, that’s for damned sure! I don’t think I last an afternoon fishing with one of ‘em! Roger
I find it humerous that all these straight laced flyfisherman find the time to criticize one of their own.
(lots of stuff snipped) , but hes like the Senator from my state Jesse Helms. You may not always agree with him but you always know where he stands, he doesn’t teeter or waiver from his beliefs. A quality I believe to be a goal for most men.
let me tell you, jack, that he is also my senior senator, a fact that renders me nauseous, but is presently unavoidable. and if you think ol jesse wouldn’t sell every goddam inch of hazel creek to the highest bidder in the tree cuttin industry, then you are blind as a bat. and having read gierach, i can’t believe he would accept such a comparison. The other point is I believe that most flyfisherman, a strangely stoic bunch as it goes, are somewhat jealous of a man who can do what most of us want to do ALL the time instead of just some of the time,
how much the guy fishes has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of his prose. which, imho, is very high. but your apology for him, in the face of timbo’s protestations, is lamentable. a. wayne harrison
Much of Shakepeare’s work was "formulaic" and "Typical" yet in retrospect his work is viewed as "ground breaking". Perhaps Gierach’s stuff needs the appreciation that only time and distance can impart to the nonappreciative and overly cautious segments of his audience.
Is it really you ? I thought you were dead ? Comparing Gierach to Shakespeare ? Like the guy that painted a happy face on a dairy cows underside. Udderly Silly. — TimW Halfordian Golfer
I find it humerous that all these straight laced flyfisherman
I’ve spent enough time around this group the past couple of years to know that most of the laces don’t get any crookeder than the ones you’ll find round here. Nope…not a straight lace in the bunch (I say that with pride, so don’t anyone get offended). Roger
Much of Shakepeare’s work was "formulaic" and "Typical" yet in retrospect his work is viewed as "ground breaking". Perhaps Gierach’s stuff needs the appreciation that only time and distance can impart to the nonappreciative and overly cautious segments of his audience.
I would have to disagree on calling much of Shakespeare formulaic or typical. Sure, he may have used some common conventions and story lines adopted from other sources, but if you compare Shakespeare’s King Lear, for example, with contemporary version’s like Nahum Tate’s, Big Bill the Bard’s on a whole new plane. As for Geirach I don’t think the same can be said. I have read and enjoyed his work as light reading over my lunch hour. Or on a camping trip. Groundbreaking? Unconventional? Original? I don’t think so. There is very little that hasn’t been done before by others, and won’t be done again. It’s not even a terribly distinctive voice. This doesn’t make it unpleasant or without value. But I don’t think it’s the kind of stuff posterity is going to elevate into the canon of great works. If you went back 100-200 years and looked at the best selling books…other than the bible, you probably wouldn’t recogize many of them. The reason they were so popular was not that they were original, but rather that they perfectly mimicked the conventions of their day. They appealed to contemporary tastes. That…I think…is what Geirach does. He ain’t writing for the ages. Roger
Seems to me that how nice a guy a person is, how authentic or otherwise attractive his lifestyle might ain’t got a lot to do with the quality of his writing, and thus the orig. poster just misses the point of some of Gierach’s detractors entirely. Hemmingway, for instance, does not seem to be the kind of guy one would enjoy spending lots of time with, and while through happy circumstances I can afford to fish as much as Gierach (or maybe even more), that don’t make me a writer. That said, I think that most if not all of Gierach’s detractors miss a point too, and that is that almost no author I know of who has turned out more than just a book or two is able to maintain the same quality of prose over and over and over again. But even then, there are authors who write one great great work and then are either silent or write crap, and others who simply maintain a fairly high level consistently throughout their careers. For my money I suspect some of Gierach’s stuff
May your Christmas Present be an Orvis Bamboo with a Guide missing! Mr. Gink — MZ
May your Christmas Present be an Orvis Bamboo with a Guide missing!
Oh yeah ?!?!?!? Well…may you get the same thing, and break it when you drop your "Tickle Me Elmo" on it, which breaks as well… TimW
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.fishing.fly Organization: Fly Fishing Products Manufacturer May your Christmas Present be an Orvis Bamboo with a Guide missing! Mr. Gink AND, that you live in a climate where you can’t use it for growing tomatoes! cheers, -tgades
<snip but it also has these heavy nylon cord loops on both sleaves and on the back. What are these used for? I think it’s some kind of fly-fishing kind of thing.<snip
The loops are for little cable retracter thingys to attach to, which in turn attach to yer fly floatant and nippers, etc…. (:-) Jim
I just bought a really coool Columbia shirt with all kinds of niffty pockets with Velcro closures and stuff, but it also has these heavy nylon cord loops on both sleaves and on the back. What are these used for? I think it’s some kind of fly-fishing kind of thing. We don’t know much about fly-fishing down here in Texas. In fact, our idea of fishing is to set a tub of clean water down by a muddy creek and wack the fish on the head with sticks as they wiggle up on the bank trying to get to the clean water. Thanks, Gary Joe
Gary, Those are called ’stringers’, and are used to ’string up’ the guy wearing the shirt for being an elitist, yuppie flyfisherperson. You’ll notice that the location of the loops prevents the wearer of the shirt from reaching the attaching harness to get loose. Once the elitist, yuppie flyfisherperson (EYF) is strung up the rest is like shooting fish in a tub of clean water! :^) Charley
I just bought a really coool Columbia shirt with all kinds of niffty pockets with Velcro closures and stuff, but it also has these heavy nylon cord loops on both sleaves and on the back. What are these used for? I think it’s some kind of fly-fishing kind of thing. We don’t know much about fly-fishing down here in Texas. In fact, our idea of fishing is to set a tub of clean water down by a muddy creek and wack the fish on the head with sticks as they wiggle up on the bank trying to get to the clean water. Thanks, Gary Joe <Opinions expressed and/or implied are not necessarily those of UPR "I don’t know why I do stuff…I just do it." - Bart Simpson
I have done only a little flyfishing. I just bought a cheapo Berkley flyfishing kit with a 7 1/2 foot rod which came with #6 double taper line. When I use it, the line slams into the water like a log. I remember when I was younger, I tried out my Dad’s flyrod which was made of bamboo and used level line. I could make it lay down on the water real nice. What is my biggest problem, the rod or the line. If I switch to a better or different line will that help. I normally fish on small waters like the Owens River above Bishop, CA. Mark Rubin — This is a test of the signature file. Had this been a real sigature file, it would contain cute graphics and a catchy phrase. This is only a test…
I have done only a little flyfishing. I just bought a cheapo Berkley flyfishing kit with a 7 1/2 foot rod which came with #6 double taper line. When I use it, the line slams into the water like a log.
Hi Mark- You might try casting the line toward the tree line rather than the horizon or worse yet, the water. When the line straightens out, follow the line with your rod tip as the line settles to the water. This should soften the landing. Also you might try some roll casts that direct the fly into the air rather than attempting to nail it to the water ar trying for max distance. Despite what the pictures in the magazines show, casting is not nearly as important your ability to mend and control line once it’s on the water.Try not casting at all! Spend some time simply drifting your fly downstream and steer it into fishy spots by practicing your mends. You will quickly find that a longer rod is easier to mend with because it keeps you farther from the fish and it picks up more line from the water. Good luck and soft landings-Ralph
Also, as a new fly fisherperson, I’ve found that the cast comes off better when it is done "almost willfully slowly." And it is even better yet when I’m not thinking about it. My suggestion would be to slow down a lot and see what happens. Also start with shorter casts and work up. My limited experience has shown that most fishing on streams is done in the 15 to 30 foot range . . . sometimes closer. My friend "Doc" keeps telling me "less line" and it is beginning to sink in. Really the best deal would be to spend even 15 minutes with a competent flyfisher . . . who can tell you what is going wrong. Your casting can improve a million percent in even that short amount of time. Bob Vorel
First of all if you havent ever been to VanCampens I strongly suggest that you check it out because the Trout there are BIG and beutiful…..(Browns,Rainbows,Brook…..and its in the Del. Water.Gap) Anway I was wondering….I am a novice Fly-Fisherman and I want to know what Flies I should be using between hatches on this and other coldwater streams….and what will attract them even when they are not really that hungry….. Any Info you can give me on Flies that usually hatch up there or Flies that work would be greatly appreciated….. Thanks Matt,
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have done only a little flyfishing. I just bought a cheapo Berkley flyfishing kit with a 7 1/2 foot rod which came with #6 double taper line. When I use it, the line slams into the water like a log. Hi Mark- <snip Despite what the pictures in the magazines show, casting is not nearly as important your ability to mend and control line once it’s on the water.Try not casting at all! Spend some time simply drifting your fly downstream and steer it into fishy spots by practicing your mends. Good luck and soft landings-Ralph
Good advice indeed, although if I may add a small contribution … Being more a lake angler that the faster water, the Lake Trout of NZ would be long gone, unless they were deep water dwellers, with a noisy line entry such as Mark is describing. I have spent many many hours perfecting my casting (as well as retrieving .. <grin) whilst not actually having been anywhere near the water. I found it invaluable to practice on my own (without annoying fellow anglers, or scaring the fish) in the back yard or local park and to learn to *air* cast ( rather than rip) blind in order to become not only accurate, but to lay out a effecient, long and delicate roll when stalking the elusive NZ Rainbow. Casting practice is also invaluable when sandwiched on both sides by equally feverish anglers, or faced with an annoying and pesky breeze blowing over your right shoulder. Not for the faint hearted, nor inexperienced .. <grin Regards .. Tim.D Wellington, New Zealand.
Too muchfalse casting is a detrriment to accurcacy. I roll the line foward,pick it up and cast it out with one or at the most two false casts. I slight lifting motion to get the line off the water helps too. Practice or get Joan Wulff’s video or both will help. Call my radio show any Sat. morning from 6-7am eastern time toll free at 1-800-298-8255 and tell us how you are doing. Tight lines, The Fishin’ Zone Steve Sloan – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Also, as a new fly fisherperson, I’ve found that the cast comes off better when it is done "almost willfully slowly." And it is even better yet when I’m not thinking about it. My suggestion would be to slow down a lot and see what happens. Also start with shorter casts and work up. My limited experience has shown that most fishing on streams is done in the 15 to 30 foot range . . . sometimes closer. My friend "Doc" keeps telling me "less line" and it is beginning to sink in. Really the best deal would be to spend even 15 minutes with a competent flyfisher . . . who can tell you what is going wrong. Your casting can improve a million percent in even that short amount of time. Bob Vorel
"I’m taking week long trip in June/July to this area. Any
great recommendations on streams/rivers to flyfish on? << Spent some time in Kalispell last fall. This is definitely northwest Montana and it is stunningly beautiful but it is no hotspot for flyfishing. I fished all the streams in the Kalispell/Whitefish area and averaged about 0.5 fish per hour. Two forks of the Flathead River border Glacier National Park on the West and South. These are gorgeous rivers and you’d never regret spending a day on them but they’re not very fertile. Don’t get me wrong – there are plenty of fish but nothing like the famous Montana streams of the Yellowstone area and elsewhere. There is a very nice fly shop in Whitefish (can’t remember the name) where you can get flies and advice. If you go to this area, YOU MUST VISIT GLACIER NATIONAL PARK. It rivals anyplace on earth for beauty. Tim
: Podell writes:
: "I’m taking week long trip in June/July to this area. Any great : recommendations on streams/rivers to flyfish on? I need something wide : enough to backcast on, as I still spend an inordinate amount of time in : the trees on narrow streams….." : In Montana, try the Madison, the Gallatin, the Beaverhead, the : Jefferson, the Big Hole, the Missouri, and the Yellowstone if you don’t : want to travel very far (there are dozens more within a short drive). : Then, of course there are all of the rivers of Yellowstone Park. Not to beat a dead horse… but none of these rivers are in Northwest Montana, either. Mr. Hugh, do you own resort property or something?<g There are many other rivers in the Montana/Idaho region other than around Bozeman/Big Sky. 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.
Podell writes:
"I’m taking week long trip in June/July to this area. Any great recommendations on streams/rivers to flyfish on? I need something wide enough to backcast on, as I still spend an inordinate amount of time in the trees on narrow streams….." Wow, are you in for a surprise and some fun. You are going to be on some rivers where a backcast would have to be hundreds of feet long to get into trouble. There are some BIG rivers to fish. Certainly try the Henry’s Fork in the Harriman State Park, the Teton and perhaps the Falls rivers in Idaho. In Montana, try the Madison, the Gallatin, the Beaverhead, the Jefferson, the Big Hole, the Missouri, and the Yellowstone if you don’t want to travel very far (there are dozens more within a short drive). Then, of course there are all of the rivers of Yellowstone Park. You are going to have to do some serious narrowing down of the options! but you will have fun. Don’t overlook using guides if you can afford it. Many of these rivers are best floated rather than waded. Dallas, TX Ennis, MT
: Podell writes:
: "I’m taking week long trip in June/July to this area. Any great : recommendations on streams/rivers to flyfish on? I need something wide : enough to backcast on, as I still spend an inordinate amount of time in : the trees on narrow streams….." : trouble. There are some BIG rivers to fish. Certainly try the Henry’s : Fork in the Harriman State Park, the Teton and perhaps the Falls rivers in : Idaho. Ummm…none of these rivers are in *Northern* Idaho. But I must agree he is in for a nice surprise. 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.
I’m taking week long trip in June/July to this area. Any great recommendations on streams/rivers to flyfish on? I need something wide enough to backcast on, as I still spend an inordinate amount of time in the trees on narrow streams…..