Question:

I took a few photos this afternoon while skiing. I thought some of you might like to see them. It’s just so beautiful up here in the winter, even though the fishing is nonexistent. The URLs are: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2698.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2704.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2707.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2711.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2718.jpg I’ll admit that I was experimenting with the depth of field of my digital camera. Unfortunately, you can’t get the full effect with these small photos. A 6-megapixel camera and a large print would blow you away. BTW, all shots were hand-held. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

nice shots… richard / colorado

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I took a few photos this afternoon while skiing. I thought some of you might like to see them. It’s just so beautiful up here in the winter, even though the fishing is nonexistent. The URLs are: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2698.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2704.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2707.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2711.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/web/p2718.jpg I’ll admit that I was experimenting with the depth of field of my digital camera. Unfortunately, you can’t get the full effect with these small photos. A 6-megapixel camera and a large print would blow you away. BTW, all shots were hand-held. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

Nice roff, roffs you have there.   George

Response:

Nice roff, roffs you have there.

They’re the best, George. We communicate telepathically. I’m fortunate to have the finest cross-country skiing you can imagine right out of town, and dogs are very welcome. Arlo, the Golden Retriever, had a lot of problems with getting ice in his paws at first, but the more we do it (like every day) the tougher he gets. The Border Collie, Bee, bounds through the snow like it doesn’t exist. I’m new to cross-country skiing, but I’m finding that it has some similarities to fly fishing. Every day the conditions are a little different. It’s never the same. Not yet, anyway. I love it. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

Put Gink between his toes or better yet, make him a set of booties.  As a last resort, put cotton around his toes and duck tape but don’t wrap tape.  Squeeze it on. Your Dog’s Pal, George’s Arf – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Nice roff, roffs you have there. They’re the best, George. We communicate telepathically. I’m fortunate to have the finest cross-country skiing you can imagine right out of town, and dogs are very welcome. Arlo, the Golden Retriever, had a lot of problems with getting ice in his paws at first, but the more we do it (like every day) the tougher he gets. The Border Collie, Bee, bounds through the snow like it doesn’t exist. I’m new to cross-country skiing, but I’m finding that it has some similarities to fly fishing. Every day the conditions are a little different. It’s never the same. Not yet, anyway. I love it. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

Put Gink between his toes or better yet, make him a set of booties.  As a last resort, put cotton around his toes and duck tape but don’t wrap tape.  Squeeze it on.

Sorry to disappoint you, but I’ve been spraying Pam in his paws. It’s cheaper than Gink. I’ve also been trimming the hair in his paws. The more we ski (well, actually I’m the one who skis) the less he needs it. I bought some fancy booties with Velcro strips ($36) and he promptly lost one. What a waste of money. He hated them, too. It was worth the 36 bucks to see him high-stepping around the cabin when I first put them on. I thought I’d die laughing. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

Hunting With Hank, when they put the duck tape boots on Hank, pranced around also.  But they get used to it.  What you have to watch out for is frost bitten toes, this is why insulated foot wear is so important. Pam is a good idea.  Better than my idea by a long shot.  If he stops and licks paws, check time. Love the dogs though, they are beauties! George – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Put Gink between his toes or better yet, make him a set of booties.  As a last resort, put cotton around his toes and duck tape but don’t wrap tape.  Squeeze it on. Sorry to disappoint you, but I’ve been spraying Pam in his paws. It’s cheaper than Gink. I’ve also been trimming the hair in his paws. The more we ski (well, actually I’m the one who skis) the less he needs it. I bought some fancy booties with Velcro strips ($36) and he promptly lost one. What a waste of money. He hated them, too. It was worth the 36 bucks to see him high-stepping around the cabin when I first put them on. I thought I’d die laughing. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

Response:

I’m new to cross-country skiing, but I’m finding that it has some similarities to fly fishing. Every day the conditions are a little different. It’s never the same. Not yet, anyway. I love it.

I thought I might get a chance to get my skis out in Atlanta yesterday, but the snow melted too fast. I imagine the XC skiing must be great there. What you need is an Iridium phone with the data kit, and then you could upload photos to your site while you are still out skiing. Certainly couldn’t do that with film. <g — Charlie…

Response:

I’m fortunate to have the finest cross-country skiing you can imagine right out of town, and dogs are very welcome….

The downhill’s not too shabby either, but alas, dogs are rarely welcome at a ski resort. — Rusty Hook Laramie, Wyoming

Response:

Question:

Or you can do the D.C. version where they close their eyes before they get in the truck.   Makes driving interesting, but they seem to make it.

Which gave rise to the joke: "How do you make a (insert ethnic group here) blind?   Put a windshield in front of ‘em." Joe F. (who wouldn’t be so politically incorrect as to suggest the retelling of ethnic jokes.)

Response:

Fortunately I’m not at that point yet.  Just want to avoid the tedious walk to shore and the rigmarole involved in dropping the waders, etc.  (In addition to making a mint).

The technology already exists.  You would have to modify it of course. Orfice…err I mean Orvis makes a waterproof cuff on their jackets if I recall.  I imagine that could surely be modified for a schlong. Perhaps we should get ahold of Tarp Boy <g — Warren Findley Shut up and fish! For Yellowstone Clave info: http://www.geocities.com/troutbum_mt/YNP.html

Response:

The technology already exists.  You would have to modify it of course. Orfice…err I mean Orvis makes a waterproof cuff on their jackets if I recall.  I imagine that could surely be modified for a schlong. Perhaps we should get ahold of Tarp Boy <g

Right.  I’m going to trust the technology used to protect yupyup forearms. Besides, a cuff is meant to have something (the hand) outside it all the time.  Not exactly what I had in mind.  We need something that opens, dum-de-dum-de-dum, then closes watertight, *with* everything safe and cozy back inside.  There’s a fortune just waiting to be made here.   JR

Response:

Right.  I’m going to trust the technology used to protect yupyup forearms. Besides, a cuff is meant to have something (the hand) outside it all the time.  Not exactly what I had in mind.  We need something that opens, dum-de-dum-de-dum, then closes watertight, *with* everything safe and cozy back inside.  There’s a fortune just waiting to be made here.

Well, using their dry cuff technology, you should be even to close it off small enough so that *your* pecker won’t hang out. — Warren Findley Shut up and fish! For Yellowstone Clave info: http://www.geocities.com/troutbum_mt/YNP.html

Response:

Yes, but strictly speaking, the only truly ethical method is blind (Kung Fu) fly fishing, where you keep your eyes tightly shut from the moment you stop the truck streamside until the time you start it again at the end of the day.

It’s still unethical if you drive with your eyes open. — Charlie…

Response:

Or you can do the D.C. version where they close their eyes before they get in the truck.   Makes driving interesting, but they seem to make it.        Frank – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yes, but strictly speaking, the only truly ethical method is blind (Kung Fu) fly fishing, where you keep your eyes tightly shut from the moment you stop the truck streamside until the time you start it again at the end of the day. JR

Response:

Um, and you’re going to wear a pince-nez on a gear-zip and periodically place them in front of sunglasses?  Yeah, no chance of looking er, "odd" there…<G. Yes, well, who can account for personal tastes?  One man’s oddity is another’s charming eccentricity (helped along by a bit of wishful thinking).

No offense to you, MC, or his buddy, but if you hang a goose-neck magnifier from your vest, "charming eccentricity" will need all the help it can get… I think we may be not on the same page, so to speak.  This would simply be a single small rotating lens that would pivot into place when needed – I doubt it be all that noticeable, hardly "borg-like" (it wouldn’t look like some Cobra helicopter sight), and might even be considered modest, even minimalist, amongst the eyeglass modification bunch.   Actually, the more I thought about it after posting my reply, the more I wondered why I had originally dismissed the idea out of hand.  I know a jeweler in Corvallis and will ask him about suppliers.

And if he can’t, I suspect a ‘net search will turn up a bunch, but if not, let me know – the guy who takes care of my watches has one (this is what gave me the idea), and I’d guess he knows where to get ‘em. Hell, RW has 2 grand Tommy Porchflopper frames with HUD-ready EvianTech2000 biolenses and MC is acting like Erkel and using CNC gear and sneaking into the labs at BASF to redesign Dwayne Wayne’s flip-ups (hey, these 80’s sitcoms just popped into my head, and no, I can’t explain _that_, either.) Fishing in the stream of consciousness again, eh?

Oh, not just fishing – swimming, boating, skiing, and generally cavorting about – the water’s always the right temperature, and it’s always clear as crystal.  Even when it’s an elaborate set of circus animals, or the Roederer…. TC, R – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -JR

Response:

The technology already exists.  You would have to modify it of course. Orfice…err I mean Orvis makes a waterproof cuff on their jackets if I recall.  I imagine that could surely be modified for a schlong. Perhaps we should get ahold of Tarp Boy <g Right.  I’m going to trust the technology used to protect yupyup forearms. Besides, a cuff is meant to have something (the hand) outside it all the time.  Not exactly what I had in mind.  We need something that opens, dum-de-dum-de-dum, then closes watertight, *with* everything safe and cozy back inside.  There’s a fortune just waiting to be made here.   JR

Why not just use a "sea bag" type closure on a fly (a pant fly, not a fishing fly)?  Frankly, if you guys wouldn’t go out with enough crap loaded up and dangling off of you to make Batman jealous <G, the most you’d have to do is undo your suspenders and a belt.  I put my (lightly loaded) vest on last if I have higher-than-waist "water gear" and have _nothing_ not in a pocket – I can ditch it in about 3 seconds.  I just don’t find taking a wizz a big problem, but…. TC, R

Response:

<SNIP  I  e-mailed a couple of angling colleagues, ( mainly because I could not remember which one uses the gear ) the first one sent me this; http://www.altrec.com/shop/detail/7823/14 He reckons it is the bees knees. This might be of interest to Wolfgang ! http://www.franeloptical.com/OPT150900N.html the firm has one or two other novelties which might  be of interest, for instance; http://www.franeloptical.com/Hands_Free_Mags.html http://www.franeloptical.com/FRASNALO.html ( This looks like the swan neck magnifier my other colleague uses). This might work OK as well. http://www.frankedmunds.thomasregister.com/olc/frankedmunds/5.jpg A couple more just for interest; http://www.ilp-online.com/html/ultraviewer.html http://www.modernseniors.com/Make_Life_Easier/AD-Hands_Free.htm http://www.lifewithease.com/magnifree.html http://www.e-sci.com/genSci/1/1002/1005/10361.html http://www.lifeplace.com/Catalog/products/H/hands_free_magnifier.asp TL MC

Response:

<SNIP  I  e-mailed a couple of angling colleagues, ( mainly because I could not remember which one uses the gear ) the first one sent me this; http://www.altrec.com/shop/detail/7823/14

Thanks for this and the other links.  I knew about the Wood River magnifier.  I was hoping not to have yet another thing hanging around my neck, but I’ll check it out at my local fly shop and see if there’s a way to attach it to my chest pack. Ah!  Sometimes I think growing old was a mistake. JR

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You might like to look at this; http://www.hatta.com/wecmag.htm Hmmmmmmm! TL MC

Response:

What about those watchmaker’s lenses that attach to the rim of the glasses-frame and rotate into position when needed?  Most I’ve seen have several rotating lenses, but I’d guess you could get or modify it for only one lens of the needed strength.  You might also talk to a surgeon’s supply house. See my reply to rw about not wanting to look any sillier than I absolutely have to.  

Um, and you’re going to wear a pince-nez on a gear-zip and periodically place them in front of sunglasses?  Yeah, no chance of looking er, "odd" there…<G.   Person would look like a damn fly fishing Borg.

I think we may be not on the same page, so to speak.  This would simply be a single small rotating lens that would pivot into place when needed – I doubt it be all that noticeable, hardly "borg-like" (it wouldn’t look like some Cobra helicopter sight), and might even be considered modest, even minimalist, amongst the eyeglass modification bunch.  Hell, RW has 2 grand Tommy Porchflopper frames with HUD-ready EvianTech2000 biolenses and MC is acting like Erkel and using CNC gear and sneaking into the labs at BASF to redesign Dwayne Wayne’s flip-ups (hey, these 80’s sitcoms just popped into my head, and no, I can’t explain _that_, either.) <G TC, R – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -JR

Response:

What’s the silliest thing you ever saw another fly fisherman wear?   JR

 A cell phone….

Response:

If you use a chest pack, then there is a magnifier available on a swan neck, which attaches to it. It simply folds away when not in use. Looks like the magnifiers sold for attaching to some tying vices. It may even attach to a vest. I have seen a guy using one of these, he also has a light on it, ( a very neat LED mini-lite),  I will ask him where he got it if you like?

Yes, if you would.  I wear a chest pack more often these days than I used to. Breathables will eventually be pass

Question:

I GOT IT!  The worst insult on ROFF: "Gink for brains"

I like that mucho.

Response:

Certainly explains a lot. Floatant instead of brains. No wonder some get light headed. TL MC — "If you have tried everything you know, and nothing works, then perhaps it is time to accept that you don

Question:

In conclusion, the project would be built on a phony premise, so it would take 4 – 5 years to fail the PhD, but it would still fail.  Sort of like the slow painful death of a played out fish.<g

Since when does the success of a PhD depend on real-world relevance? JonCook. PS: As was pointed out, any complete population dynamics model would have     to take multiple-C+R into account if in fact it is not a linear relation.

Response:

I’ve caught fish is locations like the San Juan that have clearly been caught many times and they tend to not fight very hard. Is it a learned behavior? Possibly we are inadvertently building a strain of fish the survive multiple catch and release because they don’t fight very hard, leaving more reserves for in-stream survival subsequent to release. I don’t think it would take too many generations for this to begin to be noticed, unless its already happening and we all don’t remember the hard fighting fish of yesteryears. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : I think it would definitely be a good phd topic — I didn’t see any : studies that directly looked at that. There are studies that say : things like, for example, on the Yellowstone (a C+R fishery), the : average fish is caught 4.5 times a season (I’m making up numbers that : I think are close to what I remember) and that the seasonal turnover : of the population is something like 30% (all deaths — not just C+R : mortality). So you might be able to infer something from that. But I : did not see a study along the direct lines you suggest. Care to go : back to school? I don’t see why it would matter to anyone but that particular fish. Unless of course, the fisherman is worried about that particular fish, then in fact, the fish does have a lowered chance of survival.  But again, so what?  Aren’t we worried about the population? In conclusion, the project would be built on a phony premise, so it would take 4 – 5 years to fail the PhD, but it would still fail.  Sort of like the slow painful death of a played out fish.<g — 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

Response:

Just curious if anyone is aware of a study that has looked at changes in C&R mortality rates as a function of the number of C&R cycles — if not, this might be an interesting PhD dissertation for someone in wildlife/fisheries biology or management.

One of the big problems I see is in measuring the process.  I recently fished a stream in Idaho where they had Jaw tagged fish.  I put most fish I caught through significantly more stress than I ususally do.  I played them longer and  handled them more.  Even the fish without bands were played longer since I wanted to check if there was a band on the jaw.   Normally I never have to recessetate a fish.  On this occasion I had to recessetate two out of two fish over 12".  Not statistically significant, but … Carl

Response:

Hmmm…had to take longer to revive???  The Missoulian (Missoula Montana) just ran an artical about the high water temps this summer (it’s very hot out here…94 degrees today) and the affects this has on fish recovery.  FW&P biologist would like you to not fish if the water temps. are above or close to 70 degrees. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Just curious if anyone is aware of a study that has looked at changes in C&R mortality rates as a function of the number of C&R cycles — if not, this might be an interesting PhD dissertation for someone in wildlife/fisheries biology or management. One of the big problems I see is in measuring the process.  I recently fished a stream in Idaho where they had Jaw tagged fish.  I put most fish I caught through significantly more stress than I ususally do.  I played them longer and  handled them more.  Even the fish without bands were played longer since I wanted to check if there was a band on the jaw. Normally I never have to recessetate a fish.  On this occasion I had to recessetate two out of two fish over 12".  Not statistically significant, but … Carl

Response:

I have the good fortune to live within a few miles of a small tailwater stream in New England.  The upper 1/2 mile is fly fishing only, catch & release year round. The next 3/4 mile downstream is catch & release, artificials only 7/1 to 12/31, and any method, 3 fish limit 1/1 to 6/30. These regs have been in place for more than 10 years.  Water temp seldom exceeds 60 deg. The stream is heavily stocked, and has a small poulation of native brook trout as well.  Studies by fisheries and wildlife indicate that 75% of the fish caught in the lower section are released.  Multiple catches are a way of life for both fish and fishermen.  This is a small, clear stream and dead fish are easily spotted. Very few dead fish are observed. The total seen amounts to way less than 1% of the 6500 or so trout stocked each year.  I understand that this is strictly anecdotal data, but this stream does offer a unique opportunity to observe the dynamics of a C&R area. This observation is offered only as general info on C&R mortality, and not intended to restart the "moral/ethical" debate over C&R. Tight lines!! George

Response:

Hmmmm!   This is an interesting bunch of statistics.  But I get the impression that they are not all that connected.  They are drawn from several sources (comparing apples and oranges?).   I don’t deny that a percentage of C&R’d fish perish, but the survival rates don’t come close to comparing.  Let’s say that only 70% of C&R’d fish survive — 0% of C&K’d fish survive!! So let’s leave this sort of thought process to the guys in the Ivory Towers.  It really doesn’t make that much difference to the man in the river except the accent the need for appropriate care in the releasing of fish.   There has been entirely too much ad hominem name-calling  between the the C&R and C&K factions.  I speak out in favor of killing those fish that will be eaten (I like trout) and releasing those that will not be eaten (I don’t like cleaning fish).  I do favor leaving the large, wild fish to breed, and eating only the small to medium size ones.  In stocked rivers with little or no breeding, I have much less qualms when I see a fisherman leaving with a stringer. I don’t like seeing, as I did on the coast where I grew up, are dozens and dozens of fish, many of which are inedible or unplatable. Neal G – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have read one of the recent threads citing a number of academic studies conducted on survival of C&R fish depending on a number of environmental conditions….some excellent literature searching….kudos to the person who took the time to bring some facts to our ongoing discussions on this and related issues…I only wish I could find that post. Nonetheless, I was wondering if any research has been done to look at the survival rates on fish which experience multiple catch and release cycles.  It would be interesting to know how a fish responds through multiple C&R cycles — does it become statistically more likely to die, less likely to die, or does the mortality rate remains the same. The reason I ask is that say a fish has a 5% mortality rate (95% survival) on the first C&R cycle, if the mortality rate stays the same then after the second cycle the fish has a 5% chance of dying and a 95% chance of living….and on and on.  Let’s say a fish experiences 5 C&R cycles in a season with the 5% mortality and 95% survival rate per cycle, then it would seem that that fish has a 77% chance of surviving (0.95^5) during the season under a C&R system and a 23% chance of dying (1-0.95^5).  It is easy to see under this situation the more cylces the less likely survival is even if the mortality rate is not effected. However, if the mortality rate decreases following the first or subsequent cycles (a selection toward fish more capable of surviving C&R conditions) then the impact on fish mortality would be lower.  Also, if the opposite is true (ie, the mortality rate increases due to increased cycles) then the impact on overall fish mortality would be worse. Just curious if anyone is aware of a study that has looked at changes in C&R mortality rates as a function of the number of C&R cycles — if not, this might be an interesting PhD dissertation for someone in wildlife/fisheries biology or management.             | /             |/   (         /|    –     / | C. Michael Bullard The Yellar Hammer

Seek personal peace at the end of a fly line.

Response:

: I think it would definitely be a good phd topic — I didn’t see any : studies that directly looked at that. There are studies that say : things like, for example, on the Yellowstone (a C+R fishery), the : average fish is caught 4.5 times a season (I’m making up numbers that : I think are close to what I remember) and that the seasonal turnover : of the population is something like 30% (all deaths — not just C+R : mortality). So you might be able to infer something from that. But I : did not see a study along the direct lines you suggest. Care to go : back to school? I don’t see why it would matter to anyone but that particular fish. Unless of course, the fisherman is worried about that particular fish, then in fact, the fish does have a lowered chance of survival.  But again, so what?  Aren’t we worried about the population?   In conclusion, the project would be built on a phony premise, so it would take 4 – 5 years to fail the PhD, but it would still fail.  Sort of like the slow painful death of a played out fish.<g — 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

Response:

I don’t see why it would matter to anyone but that particular fish. Unless of course, the fisherman is worried about that particular fish, then in fact, the fish does have a lowered chance of survival.  But again, so what?  Aren’t we worried about the population?

I wasn’t really concerned about ‘a particular’ fish in my original post — or even a small sampling of fish — except in how the possible change in mortality as exhibited in the small sample when spread across a larger number of fish could be used to possibly model population dynamics in C&R streams.  Certainly the C&R mortality and the number of C&R cycles would not represent the full population dynamics model, but might become a part of a larger model.  This larger model could then be a useful tool for developing effective management practices for some fisheries (selective harvest, restricted seasons, limited take, controlled fishing pressure, etc) — and that is what would be of interest to fishermen. In conclusion, the project would be built on a phony premise, so it would take 4 – 5 years to fail the PhD, but it would still fail.  Sort of like the slow painful death of a played out fish.<g

What about a title like — "Mortality of (pick a species that grows large – S. trutta, for example) in (pick several exotic geographic location — New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, etc.) when exposed to multiple C&R cycles".  Now, find somebody (read sucker) to fund the research — sell it as at least a 15-20 year project.  Recruit several of your favorite fishing buddies as long-term ‘graduate’ or ‘undergraduate’ assistants and disappear on the mother of all fishing trips. :^) PS: I thought all PhD’s were slow and painful deaths — even for the survivors! — 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

–             | /              |/    (         /|     —     / | C. Michael Bullard The Yellar Hammer

Response:

I have read one of the recent threads citing a number of academic studies conducted on survival of C&R fish depending on a number of environmental conditions….some excellent literature searching….kudos to the person who took the time to bring some facts to our ongoing discussions on this and related issues…I only wish I could find that post. Nonetheless, I was wondering if any research has been done to look at the survival rates on fish which experience multiple catch and release cycles.  It would be interesting to know how a fish responds through multiple C&R cycles — does it become statistically more likely to die, less likely to die, or does the mortality rate remains the same. The reason I ask is that say a fish has a 5% mortality rate (95% survival) on the first C&R cycle, if the mortality rate stays the same then after the second cycle the fish has a 5% chance of dying and a 95% chance of living….and on and on.  Let’s say a fish experiences 5 C&R cycles in a season with the 5% mortality and 95% survival rate per cycle, then it would seem that that fish has a 77% chance of surviving (0.95^5) during the season under a C&R system and a 23% chance of dying (1-0.95^5).  It is easy to see under this situation the more cylces the less likely survival is even if the mortality rate is not effected. However, if the mortality rate decreases following the first or subsequent cycles (a selection toward fish more capable of surviving C&R conditions) then the impact on fish mortality would be lower.  Also, if the opposite is true (ie, the mortality rate increases due to increased cycles) then the impact on overall fish mortality would be worse. Just curious if anyone is aware of a study that has looked at changes in C&R mortality rates as a function of the number of C&R cycles — if not, this might be an interesting PhD dissertation for someone in wildlife/fisheries biology or management.             | /              |/    (         /|     —     / | C. Michael Bullard The Yellar Hammer

Response:

Question:

t… i use a white zonker fished on an intermediate sink tip in the summer for cats on the fox river in wisconsin. i get by on a  8 wt. st. croix, and have a fine time doing so… i think it’s mainly a problem of identifying the forage fish (in my case, a white perch) and getting down to the cats. and when they strike…well, i’ll leave that for your first fish… hex

Response:

http://www.smallstreams.com/Cat.html The above article is one that resides on my little site. adam Small Stream Fly Fishing http://www.smallstreams.com

Response:

This past spring and summer I caught quite a few channel cats on flies. Any kind of streamer seems to work fine. Drifting the fly near blowdowns and into deeper holes and just letting it hang in the current, no retrieve, seemed to work best. Evan

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Any body out there fly fishing for catfish? Duane:  I can tell you that when the whitefly is on the Susquehanna River, I have had a blast taking rising catfish on a dry.  This would be late July-August in most years.  They fight like an old tire – just drag them in.

….don’t know what kind of catfish that would be (fights like an old tire). In Montana, we have channel catfish in the praire rivers, and they fight like buffalo soldiers.     Note that bacon rind will stay on a hook all day. So will fresh pork skin, which, when fished with a shooting head and a pea-sized split shot, works well for channel catfish. —  * Center For Computational Biology            * Montana State University                            */

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I visit a 50 acre lake about two hours north of Houston, TX a couple times each year and usually take a flyrod with me.  When I cannot get the Bass, Bluegill or Crappie to cooperate (rare) I’ll resort to Catfish.  For me, sizable Blues and Channel Cats will readily take a Woolly Bugger #2-4 Black on 0-1X leader about 7 ft or so.  They don’t seem to be leader shy. — KennyM "I fish because I love to…"

t… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Any body out there fly fishing for catfish? With 4-10 pounders farly normal in the rivers (at least around here) I was wondering if anyone had given this a try. I didn’t find out about this aspect of the sport until after the fishing slowed down for the winter.  Haven’t had much luck with the catfish so far, but I also haven’t had much luck in the last 4 weeks catching anything except a cold. I was wondering what gear was preferred by the more experienced folks to take these wee beasties and what patterns folks used other than Hellgramites and Joe’s Hopper.  With luch like this I’ll have plenty of time to tie the patterns before the water starts getting warm.  (Of course, I could always use the time to catch those funny looking rainbow colored fish that are stocked down here in the winter time.) Thanks in advance for any info.

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Any body out there fly fishing for catfish? With 4-10 pounders farly normal in the rivers (at least around here) I was wondering if anyone had given this a try. I didn’t find out about this aspect of the sport until after the fishing slowed down for the winter.  Haven’t had much luck with the catfish so far, but I also haven’t had much luck in the last 4 weeks catching anything except a cold. I was wondering what gear was preferred by the more experienced folks to take these wee beasties and what patterns folks used other than Hellgramites and Joe’s Hopper.  With luch like this I’ll have plenty of time to tie the patterns before the water starts getting warm.  (Of course, I could always use the time to catch those funny looking rainbow colored fish that are stocked down here in the winter time.) Thanks in advance for any info.

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any body out there fly fishing for catfish? With 4-10 pounders farly normal in the rivers (at least around here) I was wondering if anyone had given this a try. I didn’t find out about this aspect of the sport until after the fishing slowed down for the winter.  Haven’t had much luck with the catfish so far, but I also haven’t had much luck in the last 4 weeks catching anything except a cold. I was wondering what gear was preferred by the more experienced folks to take these wee beasties and what patterns folks used other than Hellgramites and Joe’s Hopper.  With luch like this I’ll have plenty of time to tie the patterns before the water starts getting warm.  (Of course, I could always use the time to catch those funny looking rainbow colored fish that are stocked down here in the winter time.) Thanks in advance for any info.

When I lived in Kansas I used to catch a few channel cat on wooly buggers, zonkers and decievers, mostly when I was fishing for white bass or crappie. — Charlie…

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any body out there fly fishing for catfish? With 4-10 pounders farly normal in the rivers (at least around here) I was wondering if anyone had given this a try. I didn’t find out about this aspect of the sport until after the fishing slowed down for the winter.  Haven’t had much luck with the catfish so far, but I also haven’t had much luck in the last 4 weeks catching anything except a cold. I was wondering what gear was preferred by the more experienced folks to take these wee beasties and what patterns folks used other than Hellgramites and Joe’s Hopper.  With luch like this I’ll have plenty of time to tie the patterns before the water starts getting warm.  (Of course, I could always use the time to catch those funny looking rainbow colored fish that are stocked down here in the winter time.) Thanks in advance for any info.

Hi Duaine, I’ve caught a few catfish while "crawling" a woolly bugger through still water. I’ve never been sure if catching them was a mistake or not but they were hooked in the mouth. I’ve never had any real consistant success though. On the other hand I’ve had a lot of fun fly fishing for carp. They tend to hold in slow or non-moving water and take buggers fairly well. Because they are often in shallow water they can be real spooky. Good luck & … — Tight Lines — Al Beatty Whiting Farms (Hoffman Hackle)

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Any body out there fly fishing for catfish? With 4-10 pounders farly normal in the rivers (at least around here) I was wondering if anyone had given this a try.

Duane:  I can tell you that when the whitefly is on the Susquehanna River, I have had a blast taking rising catfish on a dry.  This would be late July-August in most years.  They fight like an old tire – just drag them in. It gets to be an art to distinquish the catfish rises from the smallmouth rises. Mark Faulkner

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Ditto the whitefly post–channel cats belly up to the smorgasbord in late summer on the Potomac, too.  I’ve caught a number of catfish on dark strip-leeches or butch minnows while fishing for smallies.  They will take minnow imitations in our eastern rivers, and quickly too.  An element of luck or accident is involved, though. Dave Motes

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Duane:  I can tell you that when the whitefly is on the Susquehanna River, I have had a blast taking rising catfish on a dry.  This would be late July-August in most years.  They fight like an old tire – just drag them in. It gets to be an art to distinquish the catfish rises from the smallmouth rises. Mark Faulkner

  What kind of catfish were these? I’ve caught a few Channel Cats when fishing for bass & they fought like a freight train. Willi

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Duaine –         There are a couple of small streams and lakes that I know of in Arkansas where the catfish will readily take a fly.  This seems to be somewhat aberrant behavior for a catfish, but in these particular areas they are the primary predator species (for some reason the smallmouth bass haven’t done well there – overfishing?), and they don’t seem to show the normal reluctance that cats show.  The water in these areas is normally gin-clear, and I usually catch channel catfish on flies.  The other species of cats, while present, only occasionally will take a fly.         The cats will only rarely take a dry fly (usually a hopper pattern), but will aggressively charge an olive-green wooly bugger or zonker.  There is a lot of vegetation in these waters, and there is a large number of small (2") fry from bluegill, which the streamers do a pretty good job of imitating.   For some reason, the period during and immediately after a thunderstorm is vastly the most productive.  I’ve taken channel catfish up to 10 lbs. in these waters, sometimes catching 10 or 15 in a single afternoon of fishing.         The largest cat I ever took on a fly was actually on the Potomac river right at the Beltway around Washington D.C.   That particular fish hit a large white streamer I was casting for smallmouth bass, and then proceeded to drag me up and down the river (on foot, no less) for about an hour before I could get close enough to remove the hook.  I didn’t attempt to weigh him, but he was about the length of my leg to the hip (say 36"), and bigger in girth.  My best guesstimate for his weight would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 lbs. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any body out there fly fishing for catfish? With 4-10 pounders farly normal in the rivers (at least around here) I was wondering if anyone had given this a try. I didn’t find out about this aspect of the sport until after the fishing slowed down for the winter.  Haven’t had much luck with the catfish so far, but I also haven’t had much luck in the last 4 weeks catching anything except a cold. I was wondering what gear was preferred by the more experienced folks to take these wee beasties and what patterns folks used other than Hellgramites and Joe’s Hopper.  With luch like this I’ll have plenty of time to tie the patterns before the water starts getting warm.  (Of course, I could always use the time to catch those funny looking rainbow colored fish that are stocked down here in the winter time.) Thanks in advance for any info.

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Question:

  You mean like shaking up a warm budweiser, squirting it all over your   fishing companion and slamming it John Belushi style all the while mumbling   something about "didja see da size dat summabitch ?"….   —   TimW   Halfordian Golfer

I’m sorry that I don’t quite get it.  Does the mumbling occur before or after smashing the can to your forehead? cheers,         -tgades — Tony Gades. Seattle, WA.  USA http://weber.u.washington.edu/~tgades http://weber.u.washington.edu/~tgades/Fishing/fish_page.html email: replace the "this_address_is_wrong" with "tgades"

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You mean like shaking up a warm budweiser, squirting it all over your fishing companion and slamming it John Belushi style all the while mumbling something about "didja see da size dat summabitch ?"….

No, that is not what I mean. Woods Hole, MA   USA

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 2. I fish many catch and release streams and NEVER see a dead fish. 3. Whenever I release a fish after allowing it to regain its composure by gently holding it upstream and allowing it to get a flow of water through it’s gills, they always seem to take off on their own with little difficulty.  Is this lactic acid thing just some myth that some guide somewhere started to sound cool or knowledgeable?  I suspect so.  Show me the evidence. This is not new and wasn’t made up by some guide. Billfisherman have been talking about it for decades. There are times when some fisherman spend 1 minute reviving for each minute fighting to improve survival rates. Not much for a 5 minute tussle with a trout. How about after a couple of hours on a marlin?

The trick to survival of catch and release fish is to release them before they get exhausted. You need to play a bit and then bring them in and let them go. If you lose them horsing them in, then they just saved you the work of removing the hook. I try not to break off, try to get the fish in before it’s exhausted. They don’t always cooperate! Time spent reviving is well worth the fish being saved! DON’T PULL THE FISH BACKWARDS THROUGH THE WATER. . . SUFFOCATES THEM!!! Annie Oakley’s Casting & Blasting Page, shooting and fly fishing links: http://members.tripod.com/~AnnieOakley/CastAndBlast.html SORRRY SPAMMERS!!! Annie’s address is blocked. It’s really simple. . . Or linked from her site!

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Question:

Hi I just planned a 5 day, 4 nite trip to Cancun.  I don’t have a lot of time there and I have heard about all the great things to do, but I’d like to hear from others about the top 3 or 4 excursions to take. E mail Thankx

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Hi I just planned a 5 day, 4 nite trip to Cancun.  I don’t have a lot of time there and I have heard about all the great things to do, but I’d like to hear from others about the top 3 or 4 excursions to take. E mail Thankx

Hello, I have been there quite a few times and really enjoy it. There is something for everyone. I would try to spend a day on Cozumel and/or Isla Mujeres, small island just off shore. Take an all day air conditioned bus tour south to the ruins at Tulum. There are lots of water sports, boating, snorkeling, scuba, fishing and yes, lots of shopping. We specialize in fly fishing trips all over the world and this is on of our favorite places. Bill Kiene Kiene’s Fly Shop Sacramento,CA,USA 800/4000FLY

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Hi I just planned a 5 day, 4 nite trip to Cancun.  I don’t have a lot of time there and I have heard about all the great things to do, but I’d like to hear from others about the top 3 or 4 excursions to take. E mail Thankx

Isla Mujeres and/or Cozumel are nice excursions.  Tulum and Xel Ha are usually packaged together as a single tour and are also interesting. Xel Ha is a place where you can snorkel in a big natural aquarium (a giant pool carved out of the rock by a river) with mixed fresh and salt water and lots of beautiful fish.  It would probably be a bit lame to experienced divers, but if you haven’t seen tropical fish close up before it’s an easy way to do it..  I would hesitate to go inland to the big ruins a Chichen Iza (spelling?).  This time of year can be murderously hot.  When I was in Cancun in May, the people who went inland to that trip felt like they would barely make it out alive – they were burnt through their shirts, probably just from the heat of the sun.  Stick to the coastal areas. I haven’t done it myself, but I know two friends who recently took an excursion where you travel through underground rivers.  They both enjoyed it tremendously.  I would put this at the top of the list. Sorry I don’t have more details. Christine

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Any favorite places to eat either in Cancun or Isla Mujeres? I’d appreciate any info.           Sue

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Question:

A Monday, Sept. 30, 1996 article from The New York Post                                     Harlem angler snags body    A homeless woman fishing in the Harlem River snagged a badly decomposed body last night.  The woman was fishing at the water’s edge at E. 135th St. near Metro-North railroad bridge in Manhattan at about 7:15 p.m.  Police said the body was so badly decomposed that its sex couldn’t be determined. It was taken to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy. Tight Lines Bob Hill

Since 1990, two bodies have been found on the Roaring Fork, foul play invovled in both incidents. So, when I’m fishing for whities in one of the Fork’s deeeper holes and smell something rotting near the heap of driftwood at the back of the pool, I just call it an unfortunate beaver and head for the next hole. Mitch

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A Monday, Sept. 30, 1996 article from The New York Post                                     Harlem angler snags body    A homeless woman fishing in the Harlem River snagged a badly decomposed body last night.  The woman was fishing at the water’s edge at E. 135th St. near Metro-North railroad bridge in Manhattan at about 7:15 p.m.  Police said the body was so badly decomposed that its sex couldn’t be determined. It was taken to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy. Tight Lines Bob Hill

damned, I wish you would stick to the important issues or point. George Gehrke/Mr. Gink

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Fereira) writes: attempted to gut and butcher her catch at streamside, a clear violation of urban fishing etiquette.  Let this be an example to all you potential poachers, jack-lighters and trespass fishermen in NYC.  There is zero tolerance for straying off the straight and narrow path here. It was yet another example of mutilation due to the result of C&R.

I’ve been told it’s bad form to gut and butcher prior to a release.             Jim

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Was she using a wet or a dry, and what pattern? Lolo Mt. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – A Monday, Sept. 30, 1996 article from The New York Post                                     Harlem angler snags body    A homeless woman fishing in the Harlem River snagged a badly decomposed body last night.  The woman was fishing at the water’s edge at E. 135th St. near Metro-North railroad bridge in Manhattan at about 7:15 p.m.  Police said the body was so badly decomposed that its sex couldn’t be determined. It was taken to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy. Tight Lines Bob Hill

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A Monday, Sept. 30, 1996 article from The New York Post                                     Harlem angler snags body    A homeless woman fishing in the Harlem River snagged a badly decomposed body last night.  The woman was fishing at the water’s edge at E. 135th St. near Metro-North railroad bridge in Manhattan at about 7:15 p.m.  Police said the body was so badly decomposed that its sex couldn’t be determined. It was taken to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy. Tight Lines Bob Hill

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A Monday, Sept. 30, 1996 article from The New York Post                                     Harlem angler snags body    A homeless woman fishing in the Harlem River snagged a badly decomposed body last night.  The woman was fishing at the water’s edge at E. 135th St. near Metro-North railroad bridge in Manhattan at about 7:15 p.m.  Police said the body was so badly decomposed that its sex couldn’t be determined. It was taken to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy. Tight Lines Bob Hill

The body was determined to be a female and so the angler was immediately arrested as she was not in possession of a valid doe permit and she attempted to gut and butcher her catch at streamside, a clear violation of urban fishing etiquette.  Let this be an example to all you potential poachers, jack-lighters and trespass fishermen in NYC.  There is zero tolerance for straying off the straight and narrow path here. Stan

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: A Monday, Sept. 30, 1996 article from The New York Post :                                     Harlem angler snags body :    A homeless woman fishing in the Harlem River snagged a badly decomposed : body last night.  The woman was fishing at the water’s edge at E. 135th St. : near Metro-North railroad bridge in Manhattan at about 7:15 p.m.  Police : said the body was so badly decomposed that its sex couldn’t be determined. : It was taken to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy. *(sigh)*  It has become an almost regular thing here in Ohio for a fisherman to discover a body. :-O Jon Porter

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What kind of fly was she using? mike – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – A Monday, Sept. 30, 1996 article from The New York Post                                     Harlem angler snags body    A homeless woman fishing in the Harlem River snagged a badly decomposed body last night.  The woman was fishing at the water’s edge at E. 135th St. near Metro-North railroad bridge in Manhattan at about 7:15 p.m.  Police said the body was so badly decomposed that its sex couldn’t be determined. It was taken to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy. Tight Lines Bob Hill

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – A Monday, Sept. 30, 1996 article from The New York Post                                     Harlem angler snags body    A homeless woman fishing in the Harlem River snagged a badly decomposed body last night.  The woman was fishing at the water’s edge at E. 135th St. near Metro-North railroad bridge in Manhattan at about 7:15 p.m.  Police said the body was so badly decomposed that its sex couldn’t be determined. It was taken to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy. Tight Lines Bob Hill The body was determined to be a female and so the angler was immediately arrested as she was not in possession of a valid doe permit and she attempted to gut and butcher her catch at streamside, a clear violation of urban fishing etiquette.  Let this be an example to all you potential poachers, jack-lighters and trespass fishermen in NYC.  There is zero tolerance for straying off the straight and narrow path here.

It was yet another example of mutilation due to the result of C&R. — John Fereira Isis Distributed Systems – Ithaca, NY

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   A homeless woman fishing in the Harlem River…

Pshew…and I complain about fishing with the crowds on the pan… Perspective, man. TimW

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   A homeless woman fishing in the Harlem River …

God this image is haunting me. This woman is an angler, my friends.  Better than the lot of us lashed together.  Let’s get together and buy her a bus ticket to Ennis or something, Jesus. TimW

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: This woman is an angler, my friends.  Better than the lot of us : lashed together.  Let’s get together and buy her a bus ticket to : Ennis or something, Jesus. Vail.  I hear she can catch big ones right in the middle of town. — Rick "still punchin’" Fletcher 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

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Question:

My fisrt fly rod was (and still is) a St. Croix Imperial 4-piece 8/9 weight.  I think that this rod is one of best kept secrets in the fly fishing community.  It casts very well and I have used it for steelhead, medium saltwater, and bass.  I have have a couple of very experienced fishermen spontaneously comment "nice rod" after casting it (one of them was a guide who next showed me how to cast the entire line  without double hauling).         I recommend the 4-piece because it is easier to transport and comes with an aluminum tube.  I have since "upgraded" to a very fast rod although I have not yet decided that my more expensive rod is more pleasant to fish with.

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My fisrt fly rod was (and still is) a St. Croix Imperial 4-piece 8/9 weight.  I think that this rod is one of best kept secrets in the fly fishing community.  It casts very well and I have used it for steelhead, medium saltwater, and bass.  I have have a couple of very experienced fishermen spontaneously comment "nice rod" after casting it (one of them was a guide who next showed me how to cast the entire line  without double hauling).         I recommend the 4-piece because it is easier to transport and comes with an aluminum tube.  I have since "upgraded" to a very fast rod although I have not yet decided that my more expensive rod is more pleasant to fish with.

Right on Bert, St Croix makes a helluva rod for the money. I purchased last year the Imperial 4 pc 5/6 rod for my official travel rod. Spent all that money on top o’ the line rods only to discover I could have spent a fraction and had just as much fun! BTW, I have a Sage 4 piece, 6 wt RPL rod for sale if anyone is interested. $250, you pay the shipping. Excellent condition, aluminum tube. (too fast for me) — Frank Church Elkhart, IN

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Anyone have any feedback regarding this rod in 9"0", 6/7 wt?

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I think the Imperial rods are a great deal. The rod you are asking about is medium action and very smooth casting. —                    "One Fish is Worth a Thousand Lies"                             http://Flyfish.Com

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The first rod I ever bought.  I think St Croix has been making rods as long as anyone,many for sold under other brands like Orvis.  I will still us it on windy days over my Scott or Loomis.

Response:

Yeah, I had one.   It broke in half on me landing a medium sized trout, and my fathers broke the same weekend.  Sunland sports in La Cananda, CA (point of purchase) sent them back and St. Croix replaced them.  Haven’t used them since.  Bought a Sage and am very happy.

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Question:

done some diving from a kayak, and have found the following to be true: 1. You must make sure that your fins are secured in the boat. Most sink and will be of no use to you at the bottom of the sea. 2. You often need two hands to put fins on. If you don’t attach yourself to the boat and are still in a situation where it seems advantageous to be with your boat, this can be a problem. Additionally, if you don’t wear the booties you use with your fins, they are probably of little or no use. Fins that fit improperly are painful, at best, and frequently of little use.

A company call Caddis makes fins for float-tube fisherman.  They float and fit any size shoes, booties, etc.  You can probably find them at your local fly fishing store. — -Wayne Trzyna

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1. You must make sure that your fins are secured in the boat. Most sink and will be of no use to you at the bottom of the sea.

A company called Caddis makes fins for float tube fisherman.  The fins float and fit any shoes. booties, etc.  You can probably find them at your local fly fishing store. — -Wayne Trzyna

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I can’t help but think that a pair of fins stowed in your sea kayak would be a tremendous safety feature. Anyone who has used fins can testify that they are a HUGE advantage when swimming. Do any of you sea kayakers carry them?

Doug, I’ve considered this myself at times. I scuba as well as kayak, and have even done some diving from a kayak, and have found the following to be true: 1. You must make sure that your fins are secured in the boat. Most sink and will be of no use to you at the bottom of the sea. 2. You often need two hands to put fins on. If you don’t attach yourself to the boat and are still in a situation where it seems advantageous to be with your boat, this can be a problem. Additionally, if you don’t wear the booties you use with your fins, they are probably of little or no use. Fins that fit improperly are painful, at best, and frequently of little use. 3. Fins are still of little use in a strong current. What they provide in power, they cost in energy. I have seen many divers grow fatigued and give up after kicking under 100 yards against a slow current. They seemed to think the fins gave them enough power to overcome anything and never took the time to learn about currents and how to avoid same. If the distance is great, it is certainly wiser to find the way to cross the current than it is to don fins and swim directly into its teeth. 4. Preparing for cold water immersion is worth more than all the additional equipment you can carry. If you have your warmth, you don’t need to swim great distances or fight currents because you can wait for rescue. This means that you should make someone aware of your activities and location, that you should set a "drop dead" time, after which this person contacts the coast guard or relevant rescue agency, and that you should do your best to stay visible (more on these issues when I post the next article – I’ve just got to remember to bring in the magazine – there is also a discussion on fins in there too, but I don’t remember their conclusions – these comments are wholly my own). Anyway, it seems to me that if you are forced to swim, recognizing currents and avoiding them will be of more benefit. Fins can be a useful backup, but as always, if you are going to use them, practice. If you lose the fins when the boat capsizes or when you are trying to put them on in heavy conditions, you may find yourself in a nasty situation, especially if you are counting on them to get you to shore. Rick

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 Hello, everyone,  although somewhat edited for brevity, the following is a description of an  accident (in Coos bay) and two incidents that (in Kalaloch Beach – part of Olympic National Park in Wash.) we should all take note of. Everything  in quotes is taken directly from the article.

Thanks for posting this.  I think we all need a reminder from time to time. Nature is way bigger than we are…..

Response:

I can’t help but think that a pair of fins stowed in your sea kayak would be a tremendous safety feature. Anyone who has used fins can testify that they are a HUGE advantage when swimming. Do any of you sea kayakers carry them?

Response:

Hello, everyone, although somewhat edited for brevity, the following is a description of an accident (in Coos bay) and two incidents that (in Kalaloch Beach – part of Olympic National Park in Wash.) we should all take note of. Everything in quotes is taken directly from the article. "Eric Konheim, 27, died on June 12, 1991, while kayak surfing alone…. Eric was a skilled kayaker, proud of his ability to roll and to read moving water… In 1987, Eric bought a folding sea kayak and began taking trips, including a 450-mile expedition along the Gulf Coast from Belize to Cancun, Mexico. He also paddled in the Sea of Cortez, the Bahamas, and along the coast of Venezuela. In 1988, he took a river kayaking class in Colorado and bought a white-water kayak. He kayaked many white-water rivers and was a commercial raft guide." … Eric’s companion was feeling ill and decided not to go out with him to do some kayak surfing in his Prijon T-Slalom kayak. Although this was a surfing accident, going in and out of surf is something we sea kayakers MUST do every time we go out, so don’t think ‘this can’t happen to me.’ It CAN. Enough commentary. "After telling Dave he would surf only for a short while, Eric went out alone at about 4 p.m. Dave took a nap and woake about a half hour later. He began looking for Eric and around 5 p.m. found his friend’s kayak floating in the surf. Unable to find Eric, he called for help." Eric was found at 6 p.m. by a Coast Guard Chopper (these guys don’t get enough credit – it’s too bad that they can only pick up the pieces afterward). He was 150 yards off short (an easy swim for someone who swam competitively, you may say, but I swam in college and done some open water swimming in strong currents. Believe me,150 yards can be a very LONG swim!). He was wearing: "a helmet, a PFD with a whistle and knife attached, a neoprene spray skirt, a pull-over pile jacket, and a long sleeve paddle jacket. Eric’s kayak and paddle were found in good condition. He had not worn either his wet suit or his dry suit, though he had both with him in his van. Eric knew about hypothermia: he had had EMT training and river guide training." … "The official cause of death listed on the medical examiner’s report is "asphyxia by drowning, immersion hyperthermia." This is reasonable considering the water temperature was 50-53 degrees Fahrenheit, and Eric was tall and thin and was not wearing much thermal protection. HIs core temper- ature was 73 degrees." The author points out that Eric (though wearing a helmet) may have been knocked out by his paddle. "I once broke the aluminum shaft of a sturdy white-water paddle while getting pitch poled…The water was deep, the  paddle hit nothing but water. The smooth curve left in the broken shaft proved there were no defects in the paddle. An engineering analysis later showed it took more than 200 pounts of force to break that paddle. If it had hit my head with that force… who knows?" In any case, this article brings out some interesting and notable points. If you do go out alone, please take all the cold water immersion protection you can. It’s really easy to cool off by doing a roll, but it just ain’t so easy to get warm. The other two stories are about currents. Both kayakers found themselves in the water 75 or more yards from shore. The first was wearing "a 1/8 inch farmer john-style wet suit, a PFD, neoprene spray skirt, helmet, and watersport sandals….I began swimming for the beach with both hands on the stern of my boat. After a while, it appeared my effort had been wasted; I was no closer to the beach." He lost a float bag from the kayak and it did a Cleopatra’s Needle when it filled, so he finally abandoned the boat. He found the surf conditions too rough for reentry. He tried to use his paddle to propel himself, but gave up after some fruitless effort. By this time, 40 minutes has passed and he is still no closer to shore. He believes that he didn’t realize he was caught in a rip current because his thinking was impaired by cold water shock. Finally, he began swimming cross-current and made his way back to shore once he exited the current. The good news is that he had been seen by a "couple on the beach," who called for help. The coast guard had responded, but he managed to get out before they arrived. Same story, same place, different person. Bill "had once played in a rip current…and he had been out in ocean swells…but this was his first time kayaking in ocean surf. Bill didn’t have a roll, but the though he could perform a self rescue or swim to shore if he capsized. Bill is a strong, formerly competitive, swimmer with SCUBA diving experience. He is very com- fortable in and around the water. His kayak had front and rear bulkheads…He wore a 1/4-inch-thick, full wet suit" (his scuba suit) "polypropylene long underwear, neoprene tooties, a neoprene diver’s hood, a paddling jacket, and a PFD." He also had a bilge pump, paddle float, and some flares. Bill was separated from his kayak by the heavy surf (8 foot breakers). "He tried in vain to re-enter the kayak using a paddle-float outrigger…He could only get half way in before another wave would hit and knock him over. After 10 minutes of unsuccessful self-rescue attempts, he realized he and his kayak were drifing dangerously close to the rocks." He fired a flare and watched a beachcombers pointed at the pretty color and resumed their activities. I guess flares only work if people understand what they are for. Bill finally decided it was time to part ways with his kayak. "He retrieved his paddle and the paddle float and began swimming toward shore with the paddle float under his chest. After about a half hour of swimming, he realized he was losing ground." See, not even we good swimmers can out swim a current. "He was about 300 yards from shore and quickly became exhausted…He had one thing in his favor: his 1/4-inch-thick wetsuit was keeping him warm." He "began body surfing toward shore for all he was worth. While swimming a crawl stroke with the paddle was unproductive, by holding it against his chest, he discovered the waves would push it and carry him toward shore. (An experienced paddler told me that he has used his paddle to advantage while swimming in surf, but unlike others I’ve talked to, he uses the paddle while swimming backstroke. His technique is similar to back paddling a kayak). Bill found he could steer across the waves by shifting the paddle in his hands. Using the paddle this way let him angle away from the rocks." "Lessons Learned: While the first paddler became chilled and possibly hypo- thermic in his 1/8 inch farmer john wet suit, Bill’s 1/4 inch thick full suit, booties, and hood actually kept him too warm! Soon after reaching shore, Bill removed some of his wet-suit clothing to cool off. In the water, Bill worried only about exhaustion and the rocks… In my experience, 1/8 inch thick Farmer John wet suits are not adequate protection for prolonged immersion in 50- degree water." This was all printed without permission, however, I feel safety is more important than copywrites. Everyone who goes kayaking should learn to roll. These two stories should let you know just how helpless a kayaker is in 50 degree water when currents are strong. The very gear you must wear to protect you from becoming hypothermic will make you a very weak (but bouyant) swimmer. You must use other methods of getting in and out of heavy conditions. If you must, leave the boat. It does provide a lot of bouyancy, but if you don’t have more than an hour of cold water protection, you’ve got to get going quickly. Don’t waste time waiting for help, you are your own best defense against accident. Well enough diatribe. If you wish, I will post other safety articles from Sea Kayaker when it comes out. Rick

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