Question:

I am most definitely interested; but be advised it can approach "combat fishing" during the height of the run, especially at the well-known holes. E-mail me your address & I’ll snail mail you a couple simple shad flies that produce well.   You can tie these things in your sleep.   Late April, early May is the time to go.   I’d definitely recommend a sink tip line over full sink or split shot.   4 wt to 6 wt. is fine.   It’d be a great time to hook up w/ you again.   The guys at the Edge are usually up on the latest status of the run when the time comes. Joe F.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any one up for a mini-clave (excuse for a single day out) for the shad run?  I’ve never tackled these slimey buggers and would like some local assistance in my first attempt.  Should start tying now as I don’t think these things will be eating the same munchies that we’re planning for the Penn clave. I have no idea on where to go or what tackle to bring.  I’ll host if some one can give me some particulars and guide.           Frank Reid

Response:

Any one up for a mini-clave (excuse for a single day out) for the shad run?  I’ve never tackled these slimey buggers and would like some local           Frank Reid

Frank, Frank, Frank…..I hate to sound like a broken record, especially since my fish of preference is trout, but I can spot a bus load of fishermen on the Rappahannock, at the right spot, on the right day (actually night), and let you catch Hickory and American shad until you tire and beg for mercy.  Fly of choice will be #8 Clouser in pink/white. Plan on being there at the end of April and we can fill up on chili and beer before we slide over the couple hundred yards to the river. The occasional big striper keeps the small rod (6 wt.) users on their toes. — Wayne To fish is human….To release Divine!

Response:

Which reminds me, if anyone is on their way from the South on the way to the Penn. Clave and wants to stop off in Fredericksburg on the way, the shad run is slowing down, 2nd striper run getting underway, smallmouth fishing heating up BIG TIME, and you will have to drive less than 5 miles off I-95. Frank has some great waters for shad in Maryland and a late April shad Clave for the day would be a hoot. — Wayne (Penn. Clave still up in the air for me) To fish is human….To release Divine!

Response:

Frank, Frank, Frank…..I hate to sound like a broken record, especially since my fish of preference is trout, but I can spot a bus load of fishermen on the Rappahannock, at the right spot, on the right day (actually night), and let you catch Hickory and American shad until you tire and beg for mercy.

Wayne, Wayne, Wayne…   As great as the Rapp may be, the Susquehanna and Deer Creek are but 20 minutes from my door (and probably Lou T. as well), and less than an hour for Frank.   Plus, it doesn’t require another license purchase.   I’ll definitely be down for the smallies in August, but I’ll most likely support my local shad.  :-) Joe F. Then again, Easter weekend falls near the beginning of the run, and a family camping trip might be arranged.  "Hey hon, how about we try someplace to the south, say along the Rappahannock in Virginia?   What, the shad run is on? I had no idea!"  :-)   Give me a town name for reference.

Response:

Then again, Easter weekend falls near the beginning of the run, and a family camping trip might be arranged.  "Hey hon, how about we try someplace to the south, say along the Rappahannock in Virginia?   What, the shad run is on? I had no idea!"  :-)   Give me a town name for reference.

I would try to slip up there and fish for Md. shad if you do a shad- calve.  They are smaller and not as pretty as Va. shad but it would be fun anyway! The Va. shad festival begins about Easter weekend this year with the nearest town being Fredericksburg.  Campgrounds nearby both ways, upriver at the begining of smallmouth season or close to I-95.  When the (*&%&^#$% mail server comes back up at my home e-mail account I’ll tell you EXACTLY which town and which hole to fish in. — Wayne To fish is human….To release Divine!

Response:

Any one up for a mini-clave (excuse for a single day out) for the shad run?

Okay, now you have me thinking about it, so I have to ask.   If we do a one-day thing, a week day would be better crowd-wise.   Among those who migh make it, would a Friday be good?   I’ll start some prelim looks into campgrounds (Susquehanna SP is close, but alcohol is probably a no-no) and/or other arrangements.   Might even talk SWMBO into hosting you reprobates for an afternoon cookout or something. Joe F.

Response:

The top fly for shad in the MD area is a red over yellow streamer tied with marabou, attributed by some to Joe Bruce.  Use a long shank streamer and you can grab the hook by the eye; give it a quick turn; and release the fish without lifting it from the water or touching it.  Other two color marabou streamers are also used but IMHO, if they’re not biting on the red and yellow, they’re not likely to hit on anything.  Six weight rods are the most popular.  I use up to 4s when fishing Yellowstone NP, but always use a 6 for shad.  Two other important things are: 1. use enough weight to get the fly down and 2. The water temp has to be above (?).  I forget the temp so one of you others can fill in the blank.  I use a length of lead core line as weight. Lou

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any one up for a mini-clave (excuse for a single day out) for the shad run?  I’ve never tackled these slimey buggers and would like some local assistance in my first attempt.  Should start tying now as I don’t think these things will be eating the same munchies that we’re planning for the Penn clave. I have no idea on where to go or what tackle to bring.  I’ll host if some one can give me some particulars and guide.           Frank Reid

Response:

If you’re looking to set a date, The best days for shad fishing that I’ve had in previous years locally (Deer Creek and an unmentioned stream) have been around 1 May.  However some years the runs vary a bit.  If the shad aren’t hitting, it’s also the time for stocked trout in nearby streams. Lou

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any one up for a mini-clave (excuse for a single day out) for the shad run?  I’ve never tackled these slimey buggers and would like some local assistance in my first attempt.  Should start tying now as I don’t think these things will be eating the same munchies that we’re planning for the Penn clave. I have no idea on where to go or what tackle to bring.  I’ll host if some one can give me some particulars and guide.           Frank Reid

Response:

If you’re looking to set a date, The best days for shad fishing that I’ve had in previous years locally (Deer Creek and an unmentioned stream) have been around 1 May.  However some years the runs vary a bit.  If the shad aren’t hitting, it’s also the time for stocked trout in nearby streams. Lou

I vote May 4, Frank R. Clavemeister, Joe Beermeister, Lou Flymeister. — Wayne ( attendee-in-training) To Fish is Human….To Release Divine!

Response:

The top fly for shad in the MD area is a red over yellow streamer tied with marabou, attributed by some to Joe Bruce.

Absolutely.   And a gold or silver tinsel body.   (I got mine from Joe’s shop, but didn’t know he invented them.  FWIW, Joe B. adds a single short strand of red thread as a tail, but it probably makes no difference.) I use a length of lead core line as weight

Give me a few details on that.   I always use the sink tip, and I have ST lines for both my 6 wt. and son’s 4 wt., but if I take the whole fam damily this year, I dont want to be buying a couple more ST lines for a one-time excursion. Joe F. p.s.   You ever going to let me know about those meetings? <g

Response:

I vote May 4, Frank R. Clavemeister, Joe Beermeister, Lou Flymeister.

May 4 is coincidentally the first weekend the nearby SP is open for camping. Still haven’t checked on the alcohol regs there.   There’s plenty of hotels/motels nearby also, should the need arise.   We’ll be very close to Edgewood Arsenal (military base), & there’s a healthy hospitality biz surrounding that.   No, not *that* kind of hospitality (though I wouldn’t be surprised.) Joe F.

Response:

May 4 is coincidentally the first weekend the nearby SP is open for camping. Still haven’t checked on the alcohol regs there.

The good news is – alcohol is allowed in the park.   Drinking at campsites, picnic tables, etc. is allowed.   Not on trails or parking lots, and loud and obnoxious behavior will result in expulsion (could be a problem there). Based on that, it’s proximity to the river, and the success of the RRR arrangement, I’ll recommend Susquehanna SP as Clave Central for the day. Further, I’ll volunteer for the Clavemeister duties (hell, I might even do hats).   Also, for those who do not have or do not wish to bring camping gear, there are several small cabins (keyword: small) that will get a comfortable roof over your head for a night or two. I will do this:   I’ll reserve a "cabin" and several adjacent sites (as insulation).   If you *think* you might attend and want to arrive Thursday night or stay over Friday, let me know asap.   For anyone coming from a distance, I’d recommend Thursday night; pre-dawn is the best time on the river. As the date approaches, I’ll offer more details e.g. driving directions, lodging, etc. as needed. Joe F.

Response:

Based on that, it’s proximity to the river, and the success of the RRR arrangement, I’ll recommend Susquehanna SP as Clave Central for the day. Further, I’ll volunteer for the Clavemeister duties (hell, I might even do hats).   Also, for those who do not have or do not wish to bring camping gear, there are several small cabins (keyword: small) that will get a comfortable roof over your head for a night or two.

For details on the park & a pic of the cabins: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/central/susquehanna.html Joe F.

Response:

For details on the park & a pic of the cabins: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/central/susquehanna.html Joe F.

Things are looking real promising for me to attend.  I’ll possibly come up after the beltway mania dies out. — Wayne To Fish is Human….To Release Divine!

Response:

Harford County Fly Anglers mets first Tuesday of the month at the Churchville Center.  I’ll post a reminder for the Feb meeting. Lou

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The top fly for shad in the MD area is a red over yellow streamer tied with marabou, attributed by some to Joe Bruce. Absolutely.   And a gold or silver tinsel body.   (I got mine from Joe’s shop, but didn’t know he invented them.  FWIW, Joe B. adds a single short strand of red thread as a tail, but it probably makes no difference.) I use a length of lead core line as weight Give me a few details on that.   I always use the sink tip, and I have ST lines for both my 6 wt. and son’s 4 wt., but if I take the whole fam damily this year, I dont want to be buying a couple more ST lines for a one-time excursion. Joe F. p.s.   You ever going to let me know about those meetings? <g

Response:

Ok.  Joe, seems like you got things handled (your neck of the woods shall we say) and that weekend sounds great.  If some one would like to get our hats from the Susquehanna Hat Company, then we’ll be set. I can get a pot of chili for lunch and rig a sign.      Frank – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – May 4 is coincidentally the first weekend the nearby SP is open for camping. Still haven’t checked on the alcohol regs there. The good news is – alcohol is allowed in the park.   Drinking at campsites, picnic tables, etc. is allowed.   Not on trails or parking lots, and loud and obnoxious behavior will result in expulsion (could be a problem there). Based on that, it’s proximity to the river, and the success of the RRR arrangement, I’ll recommend Susquehanna SP as Clave Central for the day. Further, I’ll volunteer for the Clavemeister duties (hell, I might even do hats).   Also, for those who do not have or do not wish to bring camping gear, there are several small cabins (keyword: small) that will get a comfortable roof over your head for a night or two. I will do this:   I’ll reserve a "cabin" and several adjacent sites (as insulation).   If you *think* you might attend and want to arrive Thursday night or stay over Friday, let me know asap.   For anyone coming from a distance, I’d recommend Thursday night; pre-dawn is the best time on the river. As the date approaches, I’ll offer more details e.g. driving directions, lodging, etc. as needed. Joe F.

Response:

Any one up for a mini-clave (excuse for a single day out) for the shad run?  I’ve never tackled these slimey buggers and would like some local assistance in my first attempt.  Should start tying now as I don’t think these things will be eating the same munchies that we’re planning for the Penn clave. I have no idea on where to go or what tackle to bring.  I’ll host if some one can give me some particulars and guide.           Frank Reid

Response:

Question:

Fucking nymph fishing requires advanced techniques. Takes time to learn, to enjoy the experience and in the meantime have a fuckin’ idea where your fuckin’ nymph is. Start by using the right patterns – fucking nymph fishing requires tandem patterns, Soixante-neuf Montana’s and Doggiestyle Bitchcreeks seem to work well. Herman When I’m fishing nymphs I usually have no fucking idea where my fly is. I know it’s in the water, either upstream or downstream from my flyline or indicator, but that’s it. That’s why I hate fucking nymph fishing. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

– Cheers, Herman Herman Nijland Daytime webmaster Lifetime flyfisher

Response:

well hellsbells…i’ve been flirting with nymph fishing, but this fucking nymph fishing sounds like some real fun…where can i get me some of those flies.  since rudy closed up times square, sources ain’t what they used to be and my local masseuse/fly untier at the Misty Blue Massage Parlor charged me an extra twenty when i asked if she had any doggiestyle bitchcreeks.  Herman…you got a supplier in Amsterdam? jeff – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Fucking nymph fishing requires advanced techniques. Takes time to learn, to enjoy the experience and in the meantime have a fuckin’ idea where your fuckin’ nymph is. Start by using the right patterns – fucking nymph fishing requires tandem patterns, Soixante-neuf Montana’s and Doggiestyle Bitchcreeks seem to work well. Herman When I’m fishing nymphs I usually have no fucking idea where my fly is. I know it’s in the water, either upstream or downstream from my flyline or indicator, but that’s it. That’s why I hate fucking nymph fishing. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam) — Cheers, Herman Herman Nijland Daytime webmaster Lifetime flyfisher

Response:

Untying these flies is no laughing matter. I get them from the RedLight Overdressed Flies Factory. Real window dressers! Check out their Fornicating Fly collection, pricy but worth it. You can also rent them by the hour. Herman – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – well hellsbells…i’ve been flirting with nymph fishing, but this fucking nymph fishing sounds like some real fun…where can i get me some of those flies.  since rudy closed up times square, sources ain’t what they used to be and my local masseuse/fly untier at the Misty Blue Massage Parlor charged me an extra twenty when i asked if she had any doggiestyle bitchcreeks.  Herman…you got a supplier in Amsterdam? jeff Fucking nymph fishing requires advanced techniques. Takes time to learn, to enjoy the experience and in the meantime have a fuckin’ idea where your fuckin’ nymph is. Start by using the right patterns – fucking nymph fishing requires tandem patterns, Soixante-neuf Montana’s and Doggiestyle Bitchcreeks seem to work well. Herman When I’m fishing nymphs I usually have no fucking idea where my fly is. I know it’s in the water, either upstream or downstream from my flyline or indicator, but that’s it. That’s why I hate fucking nymph fishing. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam) — Cheers, Herman Herman Nijland Daytime webmaster Lifetime flyfisher

– Cheers, Herman Herman Nijland Daytime webmaster Lifetime flyfisher

Response:

Fucking nymph fishing requires advanced techniques. Takes time to learn,

I’ve been doing it for fucking 30 years and it’s still a mystery. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

Fuckin’ long time for something you fuckin’ dislike.. Herman Fucking nymph fishing requires advanced techniques. Takes time to learn, I’ve been doing it for fucking 30 years and it’s still a mystery. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

– Cheers, Herman Herman Nijland Daytime webmaster Lifetime flyfisher

Response:

Like all endeavors, there are some people that have some special gift or talent that allows them to excel. Practice will make you good, very good if you practice "correctly" and enough, but to be exceptional in anything, you need the right tools. Willi – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Mostly experience. TL MC — "In order to achieve what is possible, one must constantly attempt the impossible" http://www.mikeconnor.de

Response:

Fuckin’ long time for something you fuckin’ dislike.. Herman

It’s kind of a love/hate relationship, like those golfers who wrap their clubs around trees and toss them in water hazards but keep on playing. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

Start by using the right patterns – fucking nymph fishing requires tandem

patterns, Soixante-neuf Montana’s and Doggiestyle Bitchcreeks seem to work well. Herman

I’ve read that some of our early American ancestors used a pattern they called *Two-Flies-Fucking* but so far I have been unable to locate these in my local fly shop. Ever run across these when window shopping in Amsterdam, Herman? Pat K

Response:

I’ve read that some of our early American ancestors used a pattern they called *Two-Flies-Fucking* but so far I have been unable to locate these in my local fly shop. Ever run across these when window shopping in Amsterdam, Herman?

Peter Charles tied some ‘fucking midges’ at one of the claves, looked like an effective way to fish midges with essentially two tied on the same hook. FWIW. — Charlie…

Response:

My best answer was that I instinctively know where my fly is and what it’s doing out there in the unknown.  I know this to be true, but I found it very hard to describe "why" or "how" I knew.  In all subsurface flyfishing I don’t think there is anything more important, but this is something that cannot be taught.  How would you explain it?

Joe Humphreys talks all about being in close contact with your nymph (I don’t go too much for that kind of touchy-feely psychotherapy myself.)  He certainly feels like it can be taught, or at least money can be made trying. Regards, Jeff

Response:

Mostly experience. TL MC — "In order to achieve what is possible, one must constantly attempt the impossible" http://www.mikeconnor.de

Response:

hell jon, don’t listen to those "experienced" guys. all it took for me was to read a book

There’s a book that tells you your fly is in a tree<g? — Charlie…

Response:

I was asked recently to explain why I tend to catch fish on a relatively consistent basis when others sometimes struggle.  My best answer was that I instinctively know where my fly is and what it’s doing out there in the unknown.  I know this to be true, but I found it very hard to describe "why" or "how" I knew.  In all subsurface flyfishing I don’t think there is anything more important, but this is something that cannot be taught.  How would you explain it? JE

hell jon, don’t listen to those "experienced" guys. all it took for me was to read a book waldo walt

Response:

hell jon, don’t listen to those "experienced" guys. all it took for me was to read a book There’s a book that tells you your fly is in a tree<g? — Charlie…

Shoot yeah Charlie. ARBOREEL  FLY FISHING: Pithiness in the Pisgah : by J. Miller. Waldo

Response:

Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit <!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en" <html

Hey Walt, don’t look now, but you’re posting in html. Better turn it off quick before #2 gets ya. ,      - Ken

Response:

Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit <!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en" <html Hey Walt, don’t look now, but you’re posting in html. Better turn it off quick before #2 gets ya. ,      - Ken

well et1, et2 is just gonna hafta get in his car and drive down here and do sumthin’ ’bout it. waldo ps: bring rods

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit <!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en" <html Hey Walt, don’t look now, but you’re posting in html. Better turn it off quick before #2 gets ya. ,     – Ken

Response:

#2 is mean to newbies and the clueless, #1 is nice to newbies, mean to the clueless.  #2 drinks Bud, #1 has taste.  :-)       – Ken

Response:

When I’m fishing nymphs I usually have no fucking idea where my fly is. I know it’s in the water, either upstream or downstream from my flyline or indicator, but that’s it. That’s why I hate fucking nymph fishing. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

When I’m fishing nymphs I usually have no fucking idea where my fly is. I know it’s in the water, either upstream or downstream from my flyline or indicator, but that’s it. That’s why I hate fucking nymph fishing.

That’s also why I use an indicator – at least you know the nymph is no deeper than you set the indicator! — Regards, Jeff Before you buy.

Response:

Wally, proper attribution would note i simply edited the volume. the Chapter "Sons of Beeches, the Bamboo Bastards, and Woodies Astream – Fishing with Waldo" by Thomas Brown is especially enlightening…, but Chapter 2, "Midnight Dance with Poplar Nyads of the Nangahalla" by Lou LaPlac is certainly the master work….   jeff (pithing on you) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – hell jon, don’t listen to those "experienced" guys. all it took for me was to read a book There’s a book that tells you your fly is in a tree<g? — Charlie… Shoot yeah Charlie. ARBOREEL  FLY FISHING: Pithiness in the Pisgah : by J. Miller. Waldo

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – #2 is mean to newbies and the clueless, #1 is nice to newbies, mean to the clueless.  #2 drinks Bud, #1 has taste.  :-)      - Ken

Response:

I was asked recently to explain why I tend to catch fish on a relatively consistent basis when others sometimes struggle.  My best answer was that I instinctively know where my fly is and what it’s doing out there in the unknown.  I know this to be true, but I found it very hard to describe "why" or "how" I knew.  In all subsurface flyfishing I don’t think there is anything more important, but this is something that cannot be taught.  How would you explain it? JE * Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping.  Smart is Beautiful

Response:

I was asked recently to explain why I tend to catch fish on a relatively consistent basis when others sometimes struggle.  My best answer was that I instinctively know where my fly is and what it’s doing out there in the unknown.  I know this to be true, but I found it very hard to describe "why" or "how" I knew.  In all subsurface flyfishing I don’t think there is anything more important, but this is something that cannot be taught.  How would you explain it?

It’s easy enough to explain, but a bit harder to do.  After a few tens of thousands of casts one has had enough experience in watching a fly, losing it, and regaining sight of it to have a very good idea of where it is even though it may not be visible at the moment.  One also becomes accustomed to acting on subtle clues, such as barely perceptible changes in line movement.  The same applies to all aspects of what we do in a stream or on a lake.  I’m sure that all of us who have been doing this for a long time have seen and pointed out fish to beginners to whom they remain invisible.  It really isn’t instinct; it’s years of practice and knowing what to look for.

Response:

Question:

Good story Mike, I often wondered how you got your expertise. Ernie Harrison

<snipped an good fish tail – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Apparently as soon as I had left the table the gentleman who had been standing there watching all the time had asked him who I was, and whether I was one of the more well known dressers there.  My friend had told him that this was indeed the case, and that I would be back later to continue the demo. "Oh, I don’t need the demo", the gent replied, " I don’t know who the bloke is, but he must be a genius, I only showed him how to tie some of these patterns at my stall in the flea-market shortly before the show started, and he sat and tied them here even better and faster than I can, I was just amazed that someone can learn so fast", and he then left the scene. Mike Connor

Response:

says… <Snipped for berevity Very heartening story… I spent the better half of the evening trying to tie a variant of the yellow stimulator pattern that looks a lot like the one a friend from work showed me. I now have a new foe to vanquish and elk hair is thy name!!! http://www.troutflies.com/flies/yellowstimulator.htm I also need to work on gauging how much to cut and put on. Also keeping it from sliding around is a real challenge! Needless to say I got tow four tied. Two abortive and two looking like frankenstiens brides… I need to start building up a good collection of good quality hackles. Trying to tie dry hackles with saddle feathers is making me mental. I am also deathly afraid of going into fly shops as I am spending altogether too much on gather supplies! Tonight I managed to improvise a dubbing twister from a garbage bag tie. It works but it aint pretty! I think I shall prevail upon Tom at work to show me that pattern again at lunch! I’d love to visit one of those shows. I’ll have to keep my eyes open when one comes around my area. — Michael Era

Question:

I went to a small creek nearby my home in central PA a couple of nights ago to continue my on the water "education" of fly fishing.  I had been to this same creek a couple of times recently and had success catching a few 10-12 inch brook trout (when I actually got my fly to go where I wanted it to!). I found a nice deep pool in this very small stream where a tree had fallen across the creek and caused a natural dam.  I could see several trout feeding there and hitting something on top so I started casting with a dry fly (Elk Hair Caddis, I think it’s called) and hooked a nice brook trout on my second or third cast. Being that the weather has been warm and the water level pretty low, I tried to bring the fish to hand as quickly as possible and don’t think I over played the trout at all.  I kept it mostly in the water to unhook it but it was a barbed hook and the trout was bleeding slightly from its lower jaw.  I got the hook out fairly quickly and made sure the trout was revived before letting it swim away…or so I thought. I kept fishing the hole for another ten or fifteen minutes and caught one more much smaller trout and released it.  Then I started to walk upstream to find another pool and I saw a shining gleam from the edge of the deep pool and realized that the first fish I caught was turned upside down in the hole and caught up on some debris and was in fact dying.  I didn’t have a net with me so I tried to get it with a stick to take it home but could not get it and stirred up so much muck that I lost sight of it. I move on but kept trying to figure out what must have gone wrong or what "rookie" mistake did I do to cause it to die. Is there a point where the water conditions just will not allow a trout to live if caught?  I don’t know what the water temp. was but I’m sure it was fairly warm (I am going to buy a stream thermometer but have not gotten one yet). Also, do most fly fisherman carry a creel just in case one dies during C&R? Please let me know if there is anything more I could have done to revive the trout.  BTW I am going to debarb my hooks from now on also. Tim

Response:

I went to a small creek nearby my home in central PA a couple of nights ago

Tom – central PA has been hot and dry this spring.  Streams are low and warm. My educated guess would be water temperature – which lowers the oxygen content and on a stressed fish could well be fatal.    by the way, 10-12 inch brookies are good size for around here, so there are some nice fish in that stream. Mark Faulkner

Response:

Hi Tim, There are several possibilities here. The first one is that it was just too warm, and the fish died because of combined stress and heat. It is best not to fish above certain temperatures, if you wish to release the fish, as the fish suffers  too much stress and often dies. Overplaying a fish will kill it as well. The other possibility is that it bled to death. Even a small hole in a fish which bleeds for a while will kill the fish fairly quickly. Fish do not have coagulating agents in their blood like mammals, and can not afford to lose much blood anyway. I have seen quite a few large Seatrout bleed to death quite quickly ( much less than half an hour in several cases ), after being released apparently unharmed. The probable cause of death was given as "blood depletion resulting in oxygen transfer  failure" by a laboratory which examined a couple of the dead fish.  In all the cases mentioned ( only two of the fish mentioned were actually examined by a professional lab), the hole left by the hook was fairly small, but obviously of a position and size sufficient to cause fatal blood loss. Several fish showed signs of distress fairly quickly, and only slight water staining ( blood ) was apparent from the mouth region when they were released. The fish mentioned were found fairly quickly at the pool outlets, and their gills were already looking a very unhealthy whitish pink colour, instead of the normal bright red. If a fish bleeds very much at all then you can write it off usually, it will not survive long. Surprisingly enough fish will often survive fairly major bodily injuries, like gashes from nets, or seals etc, especially in salt water, as long as they do not bleed too much. If they bleed however they are usually doomed. We catch quite a few fish which have been "stabbed" by herons, and they often survive this as long as they do not bleed from the gash, or are attacked by fungal or other parasites. Every year where I used to live in England we also had quite a few fish damaged by fungus etc, after being hooked and released. UDN was prevalent at the time, but this seemed to be a different sort of fungus, often originating at a hole caused by a hook, especially in the sides of the lower jaw, and also in many cases obviously by anglers handling fish with hot dry hands, the imprints left from this could be clearly seen on occasion. Has nothing to do with your problem of course, but I thought I would mention it anyway.  If you are going to handle fish, do so only with cool wet hands, and if possible avoid touching them at all, even slight damage to the protective slime will leave the fish open to disease etc. Rough dry nets are just as bad, knotted nylon being among the worst. If you fish catch and release it is easier to release fish if you use barbless hooks. Hope this helps. Tight lines ! Mike Connor

Response:

Tim,   It’s possible you caught a fish that had be caught and released earlier that day or previous night. Lot’s of really good flyfishers are working those streams in the Central PA area.   If you’re new to the sport, check out Flyfishers’ Paradise in State College. They provided me with alot of great advice, and I bought alot of first rate equipment and supplies from them. Good Luck

Response:

Tim, If you saw any blood at all, the fish probably died from blood loss. I’m sure the high water temp didn’t help either. You need to get a stream thermometer. Personally, I won’t fish water above 70 deg if I don’t intend to keep what I catch, and if I notice any bleeding from a fish, I will kill it unless the reg’s prohibit it. George Adams

Response:

Just like anyone else in this group that practices Catch and Release it is really bad to see something like that that.  That fish will not just float and rot away.  That fish will make an excellent meal for others in its food chain.  Wether it be another fish, a fox, Racoon, Bear, otter, ect.  That fish will not go to waste.  I am not saying when you fish not to use extreme care when practicing Catch and Release but sometimes a problem like such can and does happen. Tight Lines and Warm Barrels. Jeremiah Weed

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Tim, There are several possibilities here. The first one is that it was just too warm, and the fish died because of combined stress and heat. It is best not to fish above certain temperatures, if you wish to release the fish, as the fish suffers  too much stress and often dies. Overplaying a fish will kill it as well. The other possibility is that it bled to death. Even a small hole in a fish which bleeds for a while will kill the fish fairly quickly. Fish do not have coagulating agents in their blood like mammals, and can not afford to lose much blood anyway. I have seen quite a few large Seatrout bleed to death quite quickly ( much less than half an hour in several cases ), after being released apparently unharmed. The probable cause of death was given as "blood depletion resulting in oxygen transfer  failure" by a laboratory which examined a couple of the dead fish.  In all the cases mentioned ( only two of the fish mentioned were actually examined by a professional lab), the hole left by the hook was fairly small, but obviously of a position and size sufficient to cause fatal blood loss. Several fish showed signs of distress fairly quickly, and only slight water staining ( blood ) was apparent from the mouth region when they were released. The fish mentioned were found fairly quickly at the pool outlets, and their gills were already looking a very unhealthy whitish pink colour, instead of the normal bright red. If a fish bleeds very much at all then you can write it off usually, it will not survive long. Surprisingly enough fish will often survive fairly major bodily injuries, like gashes from nets, or seals etc, especially in salt water, as long as they do not bleed too much. If they bleed however they are usually doomed. We catch quite a few fish which have been "stabbed" by herons, and they often survive this as long as they do not bleed from the gash, or are attacked by fungal or other parasites. Every year where I used to live in England we also had quite a few fish damaged by fungus etc, after being hooked and released. UDN was prevalent at the time, but this seemed to be a different sort of fungus, often originating at a hole caused by a hook, especially in the sides of the lower jaw, and also in many cases obviously by anglers handling fish with hot dry hands, the imprints left from this could be clearly seen on occasion. Has nothing to do with your problem of course, but I thought I would mention it anyway.  If you are going to handle fish, do so only with cool wet hands, and if possible avoid touching them at all, even slight damage to the protective slime will leave the fish open to disease etc. Rough dry nets are just as bad, knotted nylon being among the worst. If you fish catch and release it is easier to release fish if you use barbless hooks. Hope this helps. Tight lines ! Mike Connor

Response:

One thing I have learned over the years is that if you hook a trout in the gills it will bleed to death so you might as well have it for dinner. Ernie Harrison Like to make fly-fishing stuff?  See: http://users.ccnet.com/~emh/

Response:

The other possibility is that it bled to death. Even a small hole in a fish which bleeds for a while will kill the fish fairly quickly. Fish do not have coagulating agents in their blood like mammals, and can not afford to lose much blood anyway.

I agree with Mike on this one. In my experience, a bleeding fish ends up a dead fish. Nowadays, if a fish I catch bleeds, I don’t mess around: it gets whacked straight away. Tight Lines, Tony Deacon

Response:

Question:

I would like to try fly fishing next summer.   I don’t have any equipment now but I will be buying in the spring.  I could use some adive on what to buy.  I will be fishing mainly rivers and streams for trout.  Also some adive on a good book for beginners would be helpful. Thank You Ronald Johnson — SAVE MONEY!  7.5 cent/minute long distance.  Calling cards .10 cent/minute.  Click here to save money! http://www.myfreeoffice.com/starcom A FREE business opportunity you can run from the comfort of home http://telcom-mlm.com/bizop.cgi?rjcomp1998 Free Classifieds, Free Autoresponders!  Post your ad to one of the largest classifieds and get a Free autoresponder! http://www.websitings.com/classads/sites/starcom.htm

Response:

Ron,     Just to share my own newbie experience.  I bought a Cortland Fairplay kit.  It included graphite rod, graphite reel, line, backing, leader and "How To" video.  The rig was under $80.  The 6 wt. outfit was an excellent trout/smallmouth all-a-round rig.  I found it an excellent introduction. Talking with a Cortland rep. at a recent show, he said they do not promote the Fairplay outfit because it is a "price leader" (low profit margin). They do, however, get excellent feedback on the rod.  My casting instructor was extremely impressed with the outfit. Wayne To fish is human…to release divine.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I would like to try fly fishing next summer.   I don’t have any equipment now but I will be buying in the spring.  I could use some adive on what to buy.  I will be fishing mainly rivers and streams for trout.  Also some adive on a good book for beginners would be helpful. Thank You Ronald Johnson — SAVE MONEY!  7.5 cent/minute long distance.  Calling cards .10 cent/minute.  Click here to save money! http://www.myfreeoffice.com/starcom A FREE business opportunity you can run from the comfort of home http://telcom-mlm.com/bizop.cgi?rjcomp1998 Free Classifieds, Free Autoresponders!  Post your ad to one of the largest classifieds and get a Free autoresponder! http://www.websitings.com/classads/sites/starcom.htm

Response:

Wayne hart: <<ust to share my own newbie experience.  I bought a Cortland Fairplay kit.  It included graphite rod, graphite reel, line, backing, leader and "How To" video.  The rig was under $80.  The 6 wt. outfit was an excellent trout/smallmouth all-a-round rig.  I found it an excellent introduction. Talking with a Cortland rep. at a recent show, he said they do not promote the Fairplay outfit because it is a "price leader" (low profit margin). They do, however, get excellent feedback on the rod.  My casting instructor was extremely impressed with the outfit. Hi, Ron.   I think Wayne’s advise is good.  I bought the same outfit for my youngest grandson (gave his older brother an Orvis that I didn’t care for).  He did extremely well with it, right out of the shute.  He’s talking Sage now, however.  I let him use my 5 weight — love at first cast…….  Go with what Wayne has advised.  Hell, can’t make many mistakes in life that will cost you less than $100. Dave LaCourse

Response:

 Hell, can’t make many mistakes in life that will cost you less than $100. Dave LaCourse

        truer words have not been spoken on this, or any other, newsgroup. wayno

Response:

Question:

Any recommendations on lightweight float tubes? I have a conventional one but am looking for one to backpack into the MT backcountry lakes that I am  fortunate to live near. I’ve rigged this one on a aluminum frame but anything 3 miles it gets a bit heavy. Caddis makes an ultralight – basic tube w/ no pockets or back. Is this worth the weight savings. Or should I get the Caddis U-Boat? Any thoughts on quality or cost? Thanks.

Response:

Any recommendations on lightweight float tubes?

Even my big ol’ Caddis is backpackable, at least for short distances. Aside from that, spend a little more than you can afford, you’ll be glad you did. Anglerboy

Response:

(John Kelley) writes: Caddis makes an ultralight – basic tube w/ no pockets or back. Is this worth the weight savings. Or should I get the Caddis U-Boat?

My first tube was a caddis ultralight.  It had no backrest and thus only one inflatable compartment.  Two compartments is minimum required by law to use on many lakes in both CA and OR. Dan Gracia                                                               Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools If you kill that big fish you can’t catch ‘em again.  So what if they eat other fish?  If you kill the big ones there will only be little ones left (funny how that works!).

Response:

Question:

To all, I am brand new to the sport and know I’ll be doing this with friends and family the rest of my life. Earlier this weekend, I caughtmy first trout, a little 5-inch ranbow stocked in Jackson Creek below the Yellowood Dam in Brown County just west of Nashville. I’ve been out to the Brookville Dam tailwater once, but didn’t do well there; probably my inexperience and poor fishing technique. The IDNR stocks trout in several other locations, especially up north closer to Lake Michigan. Anyone out there have experience fly fishing for trout in Indiana? I could use some suggestions on the best locations and what wet and dry patterns are most successful around here. Thanks in advance for sharing the info with a newbie! I promise I’ll return the favor someday. Dave McCarty

Response:

There is a good flyshop in Indianapolis (called Flymasters I believe), that helped put me on fish when I was visiting my wife’s parents near Terra Haute! They can help you a lot with a list of place to fish!

Response:

Question:

I am looking at buying (or building) a 7 foot 3wt rod and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions about rods they particularly enjoy.

Winston 7′6" 2 wt…Killer rod for small stream/small pond use, casts just beautifully…I caught a 20" rainbow on this last year and thought I was gonna die – the most fun I’ve had trout’n! /dave <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< < Digital Equipment Corp.    Alpha Server Engineering  < <           "Read this and nobody gets hurt"           < <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Response:

I am looking at buying (or building) a 7 foot 3wt rod and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions about rods they particularly enjoy. Thanks

Response:

: I am looking at buying (or building) a 7 foot 3wt : rod and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions : about rods they particularly enjoy. : Thanks It’s a little off, but I just built a Sage 7′9" 3wt LL and it’s a real sweetheart.  Moderately slow action, deep flex.  It makes working with only 6 to 10 feet of line out a pleasure.  Much better on small creeks like the St. Vrain than my 9′ Sage RPL.  Have fun, I’m sure you’ll get LOTS of good suggestions.

Response:

My favorite brookie rod is a 6 1/2 foot 3/4 wt., built on a Loomis IM-6 blank by a local rod builder (Dave Lewis – Performance Fly Rods). IMO exquisite rods don’t have to be hideously expensive or built from this year’s latest & trendiest graphite permutation. Short rods in general can be a real joy in the tight quarters of Appalachian brook trout streams.

Response:

I am looking at buying (or building) a 7 foot 3wt rod and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions about rods they particularly enjoy.

I have a Loomis 78" 3wt GL3 rod that has a much softer action than the 9′ Loomis IMX rods that I also own and love. The GL3, a relatively low-tech composite, is delightful for small streams and gentle presentations, yet packs sufficient punch for 50 foot casts.

Response:

 I am interested in a backpackingflyfishing trip to the Warner Mountains in north east California this summer.  I would greatly appreciate hearing from anyone who has had a successful trip there who could suggest a route and lakesstreams to fish. Thanks in advance for your help Stu    

Response:

I am looking at buying (or building) a 7 foot 3wt rod and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions about rods they particularly enjoy. I have a Loomis 78" 3wt GL3 rod that has a much softer action than the 9′ Loomis IMX rods that I also own and love. The GL3, a relatively low-tech composite, is delightful for small streams and gentle presentations, yet packs sufficient punch for 50 foot casts.

I would add: give consideration to used or bargain glass rods eg. Phillipson, or Scott in the 7 to 7 1/2 foot range in three to five weight. Especially with the softer lighter rods in close quarters, try using a line weight heavier than called for by the rod. With short casts under 30 feet as a rule, that combination works very well. I also think the Orvis 7 1/2 foot Brook Trout model is very good for our small, Eastern Mid-Atlantic jewels. Tight Lines, — Regards, Christian — PGP fingerprint:  BC 66 2A 6C 82 8E 1C 50    18 87 67 A0 DB 7B F2 84

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –   I am looking at buying (or building) a 7 foot 3wt   rod and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions   about rods they particularly enjoy.   I have a Loomis 78" 3wt GL3 rod that has a much softer action than the   9′ glass rods eg. Phillipson, or Scott in the 7 to 7 1/2 foot range in three to five weight. Especially with the softer lighter rods in close quarters, try using a line weight heavier than called for by the rod. With short casts under 30 feet as a rule, that combination works very well. I also think the Orvis 7 1/2 foot Brook Trout model is very good for our small, Eastemore but I

attach an ultralight spinning reel to the cork handle with electricians tape and use it for casting ultralight (1/64 -1/16 oz.) jigs and lures. I still like the action. — + – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - + | Disclaimer: Contents under pressure, do not | + – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - +

Response:

o.k. here’s a cheapy but one that everyone always wants to borrow.  grf 1000 by courtland    comes in  6.5  ft.   and mine  7 ft.   3 / 4  wt.  a real sweetheart for about  $70.  very rugged with a smooth , sanded finish.  medium – slow  action  drops a # 20 midge right on the nose of a rainbow  or a # 10  damslefly nymph into the jaws of a largemouth and then hauls ‘em in. lexington, ma. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My favorite brookie rod is a 6 1/2 foot 3/4 wt., built on a Loomis IM-6 blank by a local rod builder (Dave Lewis – Performance Fly Rods). IMO exquisite rods don’t have to be hideously expensive or built from this year’s latest & trendiest graphite permutation. Short rods in general can be a real joy in the tight quarters of Appalachian brook trout streams.

Response:

Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – <epoxy probs In my dealings with rod wrap and normal epoxy, I have always made several  times the amount necessary.  The reason for this is to reduce the uncertainty  of error in the measurement.  If you’re off .1 ml on .5 ml, that’s 20%, which the manufacturer will tell you is outside the bounds of tolerance for the mixture.  Epoxy is cheap, blanks aren’t.  Increase the amount you make by a factor of three, and the same measurement error won’t hurt. No matter how slowly you stir the epoxy, you’ll still get bubbles. Moreover, you’ll get bubbles merely from air trapped under the threads. What needs to be done is to thin out the epoxy, making your first coat more of a "sealant" rather than a covering. I use 25% resin, 25% hardener (of course) and 50% acetone.  This makes the epoxy water thin.  I make certain the guides are on the bottom of the blank (it’s suspended on each end) — this allows the *slight* excess epoxy to collect in the gap that the thread forms as it passes over the guide foot, essentially locking the guide to the blank. As I drip the epoxy on, I can see the bubbles that come to the surface of the wraps!  It almost foams.  One or two more drips after the foaming stops and all is well. The above information comes from _Advanced Custom Rod Building_, by Dale Clemens. Your humble flyfishing rod-builder, Matt Meola

You know, I never thin my epoxy, and I never have problems with bubbles.  When I mix the epoxy, I get bubbles in the mix, but I apply the epoxy with a decent quality brush, while the rod is turning in the drying motor.  This seems to  brush out the bubbles. I use one of the color preservers as a sealant, so air bubbles from the threads have not been a problem. What one of my woodworking books suggests is that have all the material at a stable temperature is a good idea; that having material that is cold come up to a warmer temperature will cause it to extrude air bubbles as the material comes up in temperature and the air expands. Regards ATB

Response:

For some reason that I don’t profess to understand a hair dryer will remove those bubbles while the epoxy is still fluid. Good luck !

Response:

<epoxy probs In my dealings with rod wrap and normal epoxy, I have always made several  times the amount necessary.  The reason for this is to reduce the uncertainty  of error in the measurement.  If you’re off .1 ml on .5 ml, that’s 20%, which the manufacturer will tell you is outside the bounds of tolerance for the mixture.  Epoxy is cheap, blanks aren’t.  Increase the amount you make by a factor of three, and the same measurement error won’t hurt.

Response:

<epoxy probs In my dealings with rod wrap and normal epoxy, I have always made several  times the amount necessary.  The reason for this is to reduce the uncertainty  of error in the measurement.  If you’re off .1 ml on .5 ml, that’s 20%, which the manufacturer will tell you is outside the bounds of tolerance for the mixture.  Epoxy is cheap, blanks aren’t.  Increase the amount you make by a factor of three, and the same measurement error won’t hurt.

No matter how slowly you stir the epoxy, you’ll still get bubbles. Moreover, you’ll get bubbles merely from air trapped under the threads. What needs to be done is to thin out the epoxy, making your first coat more of a "sealant" rather than a covering. I use 25% resin, 25% hardener (of course) and 50% acetone.  This makes the epoxy water thin.  I make certain the guides are on the bottom of the blank (it’s suspended on each end) — this allows the *slight* excess epoxy to collect in the gap that the thread forms as it passes over the guide foot, essentially locking the guide to the blank. As I drip the epoxy on, I can see the bubbles that come to the surface of the wraps!  It almost foams.  One or two more drips after the foaming stops and all is well. The above information comes from _Advanced Custom Rod Building_, by Dale Clemens. Your humble flyfishing rod-builder, Matt Meola

Response:

I know of no greater disaster in rod building than to apply a poorly- mixed or mis-proportioned batch of epoxy to the finished wraps. (snip) So, I highly recommend using syringes or some other accurate measuring device to ensure good proportions.

(snip) Excellent advice.  I would also add that a *lot* of headaches can be avoided by first testing a batch of epoxy on a section of scrap rod or dowel.  Once you confirm that this batch hardens properly, then mix a batch for application to your rod, making sure you mix in exactly the same proportions as in your test.  The reason is simply that some epoxies have a limited shelf life and will never harden properly when that shelf life is exceeded.  If you’re using an epoxy that you’ve had for a long time, or that (unbeknownst to you) sat on the retailer’s shelf for ages, you could be in for some trouble.  The day or two invested in making the initial test for proper hardening may save you countless hours of grief and cursing later.  An ounce of prevention……     BTW, here are a few tricks I’ve found useful to assure that the epoxy applied to wraps is trouble- and bubble-free.  Do your mixing in a shot glass which has a round bottom inside; the lack of "corners" in the container helps assure *complete* mixing.  Use a long dubbing needle to do the mixing; stir slowly and carefully to avoid carrying bubbles down into the epoxy.  Apply to the rotating rod with a small, flat camel-hair brush, again slowly and carefully, to avoid trapping bubbles.  Finally, to get rid of the inevitable few bubbles that will still sneak into your application, breath a moist film of condensation onto the epoxy; as this (quickly) dries, the bubbles will pop (apparently an effect of differential surface tension between the fluids).  Pricking the bubbles with a needle is less effective and takes longer; I use it only as a last resort, or to move a bubble to a location where I can breathe the life out of it . Brian Tucholke

Response:

I know of no greater disaster in rod building than to apply a poorly- mixed or mis-proportioned batch of epoxy to the finished wraps. Perhaps the only thing that could be worse would be to slip and fall on the blank; thus  snapping it in half. At least in that case, the pain and suffering would subside relatively quickly. (You would simply accept the consequences and shell out a couple hundred $$ or so for a new blank.) Whereas, in the case of putting a bad mix of epoxy on the wraps, the poor results will torment and gnaw at you for hours, days, or even longer. The stuff will never dry; it’s impossible to clean completely off the blank and/or wraps; and it will stick to whatever it touches as if it were the devil’s own snot! I was compelled to stand on the above soapbox by my second such run-in with a bad mix of epoxy which happened to me a few days ago. (Please don’t ask me about the first – I’m *still* agonizing over that one!) This was a case in which I had already laid down a good coat of epoxy on the wraps which had dried beautifully, and I just needed to dot the base of each guide foot with a drop of epoxy to seal them from water penetration. I didn’t have much time, so I thought I’d be cool and just pour the resin and hardener into the mixing cup from their respective bottles and eyeball the amounts to ensure the proper proportions…         WRONGO!!! After two solid days of spinning on the rod drier, the drops were the consistency of honey on a very cold day and every bit as difficult to work with. So, I slaved for hours using an X-acto knife as a spatula to spoon the useless stuff off the guide feet, ruined everything I came into contact with with the sticky glop on my fingers, and generally ended up hating life. The good news is that I was able to get most of the bad stuff off the guide feet and apply a good batch of epoxy in it’s place. But the bad news is the many hours of lost time and the numerous demerits I got from my wife for swearing in the house. What’s even worse is how totally avoidable this situation was. Without wishing to pontificate, please let me offer that it is incredibly easy to get a good mix of epoxy if you simply follow the manufacturers instructions to the letter. (I’ve done so on many occasions.) On the other hand, it’s also incredibly easy to screw it up if you try to cut corners and rush things. In the case I mention above, my error was in thinking I could get the proportions right by just pouring straight from the bottles and eyeballing the amounts. This turned out to be a huge mistake; I took my time and mixed the stuff thoroughly, but was dead from the start because of the mis-proportions I got from pouring from the bottles. So, I highly recommend using syringes or some other accurate measuring device to ensure good proportions. In conclusion, I refer to this article as "revisited" because I know there have been many others who have struggled with this very problem many times in the past, and there will be many others who struggle with it again in the future. I simply hope my rod building disaster story is both entertaining and informative to anyone who is involved in rod building now or who might be interested in getting into rod building at some point in the future. To those of you; may you always mix your epoxy with confidence – but *carefully*! Regards, Fred Templin  

Response:

Quoting roccus609 from a message in rec.outdoors.fishing.fly     For some reason that I don’t profess to understand a hair dryer will     remove those bubbles while the epoxy is still fluid. Good luck ! The heat causes the bubbles to rise to the surface and pop.  There are several small alcohol lamps available that are more precise than using a hair drier. Jim in Southern California `[1;31;43mRainbow V 1.06 for Delphi – Registered

Response:

A suggestion was made to use a small alcohol lamp t provide the heat to get the bubbles out of the flex coat.  Be careful!  That stuff is flammable. I simply exhale into the container with the epoxy and the bubbles largely dissapear.  All that is left are a few tiny bubbles that disappear if the epoxy is applied smoothly to a rotating rod.                                               Dallas, TX                                               Ennis, MT

Response:

   Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.fishing.fly    Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)    A suggestion was made to use a small alcohol lamp t provide the heat to    get the bubbles out of the flex coat.  Be careful!  That stuff is    flammable. Indeed — moreover, I believe that adding heat to epoxy will accelerate the curing reaction.  Those who heat their epoxy may find the working time diminished, somewhat.  (This information actually comes from some experience in the world of RC modeling…) — Matt Meola NRA Life, Militiaman Don’t tread on me. http://usa.net/~gaulj/Home.html

Response:

Regarding getting rid of the bubbles, a heat gun works better than a hair dryer and and alcohol lamp.  Take short, close swipes and as the epoxy thins brush t e drips away.  Contact me with any other questions re: rod building!

Response:

Hi: I find it is much easier to use a very soft lintless cloth dampened with warm denatures alcohol works even better than a alcohol flame in removing bubbles from a finish. It is very important that the alcohol be at 90 deg to 110 deg and that the cloth is only damp and not wet. Wipe in line with the grain, and only wipe lightly. I also find that finish will not create bubbles if the cane is cold and the finish is warm. I find that dipping at a rate of 1 inch in 30 seconds on dipping and 1 inch in 2 minutes on withdraw will create an almost perfect finish. I use a #110 spar that is heated to 80 deg +/- 5 deg is probably the best finish I have found for proper rod  protection. Catch you later Mike Taylor  (Detruncus1) on AOL

Response:

Question:

Hello all, I just wanted to let you know about a fine source of literature that covers the trout of the Sierra mountain range.  The book is:   _Sierra Trout Guide_   by Ralph Cutter   1991   Frank Amato Publications   Box 82112   Portland, Oregon   97282   (503) 653-8108   ISBN:  1-878175-02-5  (Softbound–$19.95)   ISBN:  1-878175-03-3  (Hardbound–???) For those that may have an earlier edition of this book, Mr. Cutter claims that this (revised) edition contains over 1200 changes in the trout distribution charts, more scientific genealogy, and more detailed insect information. This book comprises ten years of research over which Ralph Cutter has accumulated probably the most extensive collection of Sierra trout-related information to be found anywhere!  (When I read this book, I was seriously impressed.)  For each species of trout found in the Sierra mountain range, Mr. Cutter describes the history (including introduction and evolution), physique, location, and decline or possible extinction of its populations. Accompanying all descriptions are exceptional illustrations by Joe Tomelleri. Mr. Cutter also includes short chapters covering tackle and hiking in the Sierra environment. The most useful information for fishing persons is the incredible collection of trout location and feeding information.  Mr. Cutter has charts that list the trout that inhabit 550 rivers and 1700 lakes.  However, I was most impressed by the section on trout food which describes the reproduction cycle, physique, and habits of many insects and other life.  Some descriptions even include the time of day which some insects usually appear in the open!  There is also a time table for insect hatchings on the Truckee river. Mr. Cutter’s writing reflects a high sensitivity and appreciation for our (and the trouts’) environment.  This book would make a great gift, but more importantly, I think it’s a must for every Sierra trout angler! Good fishing, Randal

Response:

Nice report – Thanks, –Alan

Response:

Hello all, I just wanted to let you know about a fine source of literature that covers the trout of the Sierra mountain range.  The book is:  _Sierra Trout Guide_  by Ralph Cutter

I’d like to second the recommendation.   For those that may have an earlier edition of this book, Mr. Cutter claims that this (revised) edition contains over 1200 changes in the trout distribution charts, more scientific genealogy, and more detailed insect information.

I have both editions.  They bear little resemblance to each other.  The first edition had an interesting chapter on the history of trout Native to the Sierra.  It turned into a fairly diatribe that was more an expressing of opinions about C&R, river management, etc. than factual information.  Fortunately, his new edition focuses on facts rather than opinions.   One claim that Ralph Cutter makes is that Sierra trout do not feed on adult mosquitoes.  I don’t know if they do or not but they’ll hit an imitation. For each species of trout found in the Sierra mountain range, Mr. Cutter describes the history (including introduction and evolution), physique, location, and decline or possible extinction of its populations. Accompanying all descriptions are exceptional illustrations by Joe Tomelleri. the time of day which some insects usually appear in the open!  There is also a time table for insect hatchings on the Truckee river.

Ralph and Lisa Cutter live in Truckee.  I know a couple of people that have taken their flyfishing and flytying classes.  The general flyfishing/casting class got lots of kudos.  The flytying class didn’t. — John Fereira Viacom Cable Pleasanton, CA

Response: