troutchaser

I have an old Wright & McGill 8wt. I received from a friend who passed away. He introduced me to fly fishing, now that I think of it. It's called a "Trimtackle" or "Trimpact" or something. It's a three piece glass rod with a matched up W&M Signature reel. I don't use the reel, though, the drag seems to be messed up. I wear my crushable wool safari hat when I fish it.(I only use it at night, so nobody sees me. He also gave me a Heddon Bamboo rod, 3-peice with two different tips. I haven't fished it because it needs new guides/wrapping. I've got another one he gave me, but I don't recall the details of it. The tip is warped, so it hangs on the wall with the (working) auto retrieve reel on it. They aren't worth a lot to most folks, but I sure do love 'em.

Don and I are on a team together.

I'd hate to see HER shuffle.

"...it's just a forum" Yeah. And I suppose the Taneycomo squid is "just a myth?"

I work for a software company. I can assure you that "It's a software issue" is the code phrase for "we don't know what the heck happened."

I've never fished Montauk, but I'd consider it. Bennett seems to be more centrally located. Either way, I'd enjoy a get together with y'uns!

It was probably Little Sugar Creek.

When I saw that the forum was down, I thought the worst. I hauled a bunch of wood inside, I got the generator back out and full of gas, I set the faucets to slow drip, I filled up the SUV with gas, and I went to the grocery store and stocked up on necessities (toilet paper, Pop Tarts, Bugles, orange soda, donuts). I guess I'm still a little gun shy from January.

Hankies, eh? All I got was half a pound of bacon. The other half went to the other son-in-law. I don't even eat bacon.

I'll tie the #16 Brambridge Caddis. Or an emerger. Or both.

It's a preference thing. I've tied both ways and they both have their drawbacks. Tying in at the butt requires some real manipulation of the hackle to get it to wrap correctly. It is, though, more sturdy than tying in by the tip. My personal preference is to tie in at the tip, wrap 1 1/2 turns and tie off. By the way, be prepared for your significant other to really question your sanity when you spend $20 on a partridge half cape and then proceed to strip large sections of it off to throw away.

I admit to taking pride in what I tie. The last swap I participated in required 16 flies from each participant. I probably tied two dozen and sent only the best ones. I'll use the ones I didn't send. I believe asking for the best from each swap participant isn't going too far. We should all try to do our best. On the other hand, expecting an amateur to tie a fly that rivals a professional's is not fair. If I read Motroutbum's post correctly, he's just asking for your best work.

My brother called me from his home in Idaho last night. He did some contract work for a guy who just got back from AK. He said he and his son took turns fishing while the other kept the bears away. They caught 40-50 fish each. I don't know if they kept any, though. He didn't say what they were catching, I'll know more about that tonight, but he told my brother "just go. I don't care how you have to do it, just do it." So he called me and we're going to plan a trip. Combined with these photos, I've really got the fever, now.

Ummm...maybe from bees? Man, I crack myself up!

Yup. The different types of dubbing are specific to what animal or combination of animal furs it comes from. For instance, beaver floats really well. Possum is ok. Synthetic, I'm not sure about. They even make a synthetic with metal in it to sink the fly. I use it on Mackie bugs for Crappie. On the other hand, I don't use enough dubbing to notice a big difference.

MMMMMmmmmm . . .Bratwurst

I just love the Bass Pro Outlet store, don't you? I live exactly one mile due West of the Cherokee parking lot, so I can go there any time I want. My wife usually makes me walk, though. She thinks if I don't drive I can't buy anything expensive cuz it'll be too big to carry home. She's never seen the price of tungsten beads.

I talked to Leah at the Hatchery, she said she could reserve the pavilion for us. She didn't think it would be a problem, but she wanted to run it by her supervisor first. She has my cell #, so if I hear anything, I'll letcha know.

Amen, Mr. Mallard. Paying the surgeon for extracting said rod would probably be costly, as well. Especially if he could keep it intact.

Hi. My name must be No One. I use dubbing wax a lot. Use it if you've got it. If you don't, you could try this method: Wet your index finger and thumb with your tongue and moisten the thread so your dubbing will stick. (This is also handy for removing those pesky little hairs and hackle barbs stuck to your fingers by leaving them on your tongue.) If your dubbing still falls off, you're probably using too much. Another suggestion to keep your dubbing loose and "buggy" is to make sure you twist it onto the thread in one direction only - not back and forth.

I looked at Frog Toggs, but I wasn't sure how long that would last. They seem sort of delicate. Am I wrong?

I really think it depends on what fits your style best. For Taneycomo, you really don't need to be able to throw a fly that far. I prefer a medium action rod on calm days and a medium-fast rod on windy ones. a couple of years ago, I was introduced to Charlie Reading who owns Reading's Fly Shop just outside Bennett Spring State Park. He spent some time with me at his casting pond, and we narrowed the selection down to two rods. I wound up buying a Scott A2 or V2 (I forget which one) and a Ross reel that balanced it perfectly. The total outfit, with Wulff triangle taper line, backing, rod tube and reel bag cost around $400. I've never been more pleased with a setup in my life. Are big money rods worth it? Only if they fit your casting style and fishing areas. I'd try out those rods and maybe a few others before buying.

Only a thimble full, Terry? Just how big is this thimble? Does it say "Bubba Keg" on the side?

I've been shopping for a rain jacket. I need something I can wear camping, fishing and casually. I really put my jackets through a lot. No matter what I spend on them, I will ruin it within 2 years, if they last even that long. For that reason, spending $200-$300 for one seems ridiculous. I have considered the William Joseph Ultralight Rain Jacket or the Columbia Pacific Ridge. Both jackets are under $100, so they're very affordable. A big plus is they are packable. What do you recommend? What do you use personally?

Sounds like way too much trouble.