Crippled Caddis

I'm here. Just been taking a sabbatical. How many people (perhaps even yourself) have you heard say something to the effect of "Man a 3 day weekend barely gives me time to start slowing down so I can fish"? We've all seen them. They roar into the parking area in a cloud of dust, jump out and start throwing on gear, grab their rod and charge into the water like a Carabou with a Grizzly behind him. After putting every fish within a quarter mile under a rock in abject terror the angler then churns the water to froth with fruitless casts. My preferred course is to slow down first. A half hour may not be enough and some may just need a few minutes to realign thought processes polluted by 6 months of city stresses. But however long it takes the fisherman will reap great rewards the remainder of his allotted time on the water if he makes the investment up front. By using the time necessary to re-tune his soul with natural rhythms to observe feeding activity and retrain the eyes to spot fish when that first great sigh of well-being and release wells up he is ready for the fray. It's something of a combination of what Al described but I just think of it as common sense. CC

The best thing you could do would be to book a half day with Mark Crawford. <http://marksflyshop.net/default.aspx> He's almost ridiculously inexpensive and knows the big fish by their first names. Tell him you want to get to know the water below Dam 3 and are willing to hike the RR track. Tom

Something of an afterthought but I must comment on the repair estimate. Dealers do NOT want to repair older motors for a variety of reasons. Not least of which is that they want to sell you a new motor. on which they will make a LOT more than helping keep your 'Old Faithful' serving you dutifully into a graceful old age. In addition they are more aware than most that the manufacturers do NOT support older motors with parts supply past @ 7 years in most cases. So they hit you with repair estimates intended to either steer you toward the purchase of a new motor (From them of course!) from which they will derive a quick and easy profit or an obscene profit margin should you be so attached to 'Old Faithful' as to go for it. For them it is a win/win deal. Either you will buy a new motor, you will go for the obscene profit of the estimate or you will take your old motor and get out of their life. The fly in the ointment from the dealers' perspective is that they are bound by dealer agreements to use only factory authorized parts in thier service department. So the real culprit in the case is the manufacturers who often refuse to support their products with parts past 7 years. Anyone contemplating the purchase of a new motor that they intend to use for many years should ask some very penetrating questions concerning long-term support before spending their hard-won dollars! All that said it should be recognized that the largest supplier of aftermarket marine parts and products in the world is Sierra Marine. While many auto supply stores can order from Sierra and you can get a Sierra parts catalog for yourself by logging onto their website and simply filling out the request form it should be widely recognize by outboard users that the NAPA dealerships ALL have Sierra parts available to them from their own warehouses. The part #s are listed in their NAPA parts books. You might well have to hold their feet to the fire to get them to admit it and co-operate but they DO have access! CC

<Just goes to show not many people know about those records... that's an easy feat... not to take away from Micheal's angling ability. Just like JD Dudley breaking 5 line class records, catch and release, last summer in AK on sockeye. They weren't that hard to break, esp since 3 of them were open.> Very true. Somewhere @ 30 year ago I discovered that the 1 Kg & 2 Kg tippet classes for white bass were open in the IGFA record books. So I filled them. With fish barely over the minimum. Mainly to see if I could endure the bureaucratic process but also to get the World Record Holder pins for my fishing hat. While the catching of a deserving world record is no small achievement it is the meeting of all bureaucratic standards and filling out all the paperwork that is difficult. <What is the url of the record site with all the records? Is there more than one official entity recording records?> The International Gamefish Association is the recognized standard bearer for maintaining world records. Google should find them handily. CC

Check your PMs.

They do have some value depending on what parts are still in good fettle AND if you can find anyone who needs THAT motor. For illustrative purposes only I recently bought one exactly like yours with a good powerhead on it for $10 to use as a parts donor for one I have. HTH, CC

As an observer of the Arkansas political spectrum I expect 'business as usual' will prevail. A token fine of far less than adequate proportions is my expectation. It is what I have expected ever since ADEQ, that had been dragging its' feet thru typical bureaucratic stonewalling, panicked and instituted an emergency suit in state court in order to get the ball in their (and their political bosses) court before TU could institute their own announced intent to sue in Federal District Court. Federal involvement was the very last thing that would be tolerable to the state political prostitutional hierarchy. IMO TU made a serious tactical error by announcing their intent prior to the fact. It should have been done in a stealth move to usurp the initiative . ADEQ is so politisized that it defies belief except for one accustomed to the institutionalized abuses of Arkansas politics that hark all the way back to the Reconstruction era following the War of Northern Aggression. CC

Here's one old cynic who will be surprised if that happens John. CC

I really like the new look, but the cotton-picking 'Reply Notification' feature still doesn't work.

Hmmmmm-----lesseee----. Try this: tie about 10' of chalkline onto the claw of your hammer and practice letting it straighten out on the 'backcast' before starting to drive the nail. When you are no longer getting frayed ends on the chalkline from 'popping the whip' you'll have the flycasting timing firmly fixed in mind and muscle memory.;o) (Hey! It might even work! )

Dang! You really know how to put a guy on the spot!;o) Rod lengths rise and fall at a rate that almost matches womens' hemlines. For decades the 'standard' was considered to be an 8' rod for a #6 line. With better rod designs, tapers and materials a #5 line will now do almost exactly the same job as a #6 would historically. 8' however is still the same length.;o) So if you held a gun to my head and demanded that I suggest a rod for a beginner that would match the greatest number of variables I would simply have to fudge just a bit and leave the choice of an 8'-9' rod for a #5 or #6 line up to you to be predicated on whether the majority of your fishing would be for Bass, panfish or Trout. Big waters where one has unlimited room overhead and to the rear for casting allow a 9' rod, an advantage under some fishing conditions whatever the species sought. A #6 line allows the caster to push out medium weight bassbugs or other heavy, bulky flies with advantage. The 5 wt. rod offers more feel and greater delicacy of presentation for smaller flies for both trout and panfish as well as being more convenient in tight quarters. As with life itself there are specific trade-offs involving preferences and what is best for the individual under his circumstances and personal choices. From the foregoing you may not be surprised to learn that I will soon be announcing that I will be running for political office.)

Anyone got any boatbuilding progress to report or has the cold weather halted your projects as it has my own? Also----I'm rereading Larry Dablemonts' book 'The Authentic American Johnboat' (C. 1978) and on pg. 13 he notes that there is an original Barnes built jon on display at the School of the Ozarks near Branson. Has anyone ever seen it? C

Tie 'em as Dano described. Fish 'em like Drew, Yakfly & River Runner said. The problem isn't with the fly. Stick with 'em 'til YOU 'get it'. You'll be glad you did! CC