Reel Ladies

Earlier this week when I was speaking with author Harry Slone he indicated that his wife had founded a fly fishing club for women named the Reel Ladies. There has been phenomenal growth in the number of ladies taking up fly fishing in recent years. I think quite a few manufacturers and retailers have yet to catch on about his growing market. Drop me an email if you know of fly fishing products marketed towards fisher-ladies.

Smoky Mt Knife Works - Possibly The Best Pocket Knife Ever!

One last post for tonight. Who could resist a Smith & Wesson, S.W.A.T. knife with a Trout on the handle. Three of my favorite things all rolled up into one!

Cabela's Bargain Cave Watch

Cabela's has added some deals to their Bargain Cave. Particularly of interest is the Creek Company ODC Sport Boat (personal pontoon boat) for $174.99. One of the lowest prices we have seen. I think the yellow color is why they have trouble selling these. Get one but get a can of spray paint to go with it.

Peach State Trout

Here is an article on trout fishing in Georgia. I need to find out more information about this as I have heard that North Georgia has some very nice trout streams. If you have info on Georgia fly fishing drop me a line at Editor@flyfishmagazine.com

Fishing the North Fork of the French Broad River

The Shelby Star's staff writer Hugh Koontz writes about a cold day fishing the French Broad's North Fork.

Upper Deep Creek

Here is an article I located on the NC Game and Fish web site about fishing Upper Deep Creek.

Meeting with Author Harry Slone

Tonight I was able to spend an hour talking with Harry Slone, author of "Trout Streams of Virginia" in the bar of the Hotel Roanoke. It was very enlightening to talk to a person who has probably forgotten more about fly fishing for trout than I could learn in a lifetime. Harry is working on the 4th edition of his book and hopes to have it on the shelves in the near future. Once complete you can bet you will see a review on our web site. Flyfishmagazine.com .

Maybe I can talk Harry into sharing some of his info about fly fishing in Virginia with us. On a side note I asked him why most of the pictures in his book showed him fishing with a fiberglass rod. He told me the Or**s people asked him the same thing and he told them he was trying to show that you could get started in fly fishing without a lot of fancy equipment. You have to respect that!

Asheville Fishing Report

Bob Satterwhite of the Asheville Citizen Times has posted his latest fishing report on their web site.

Bad Hemingway

I found this article in the Los Angeles Times about one persons experiences fly fishing in the San Gabriel Mountains. It is not the South East but I couldn't resist sharing it with you when I read the following lines:
"Now I know the world doesn't need yet another practitioner of bad Hemingway, one more fly-hatted, Orvis-bedecked laureate finding nirvana in the perfect cast and prattling on about it in print."

You have got to respect that!

Visiting Roanoke Virginia

My day job requires that I visit Roanoke, VA tomorrow evening for a business meeting. I took the opportunity to contact Harry Slone, author of Trout Streams of Virginia and will be meeting with him to discuss his upcoming re-release of his book and fishing in the Commonwealth in general. It should be a most enlightening conversation.

Harry Slone - Definitive Source of Info about Fly Fishing Virginia

Raonoke.com has an article about teaching others to fly fish by Harry Slone. Harry is the author of the book "Trout Streams of Virginia" which I have read and enjoyed. Harry's book provides a very exhaustive guide to Virginia's trout streams. If you plan to fish these waters you should check out his book.

Weird Tips...Fly Fishing Hint Involving Facial Oils

In case you need another use for the oil that builds up on the sides of your nose, here is one that will keep your fly rod from coming apart during casting. Lube your ferrules with nose oil.

Now Listed in the Blogwise Directory.

Flyfishmagazine Blog now listed in the Blogwise blog directory. Hopefully this will help spread the word about our little corner on the net. Click here to visit our listing and say something nice about us.

Next Week

Next week your humble editor will be busy preparing the new edition of Flyfishmagazine.com for the virtual presses. I think we have some good information in the works for the May edition. Jeff Paisley will be presenting some information about the exciting fly fishing in area tailwaters. We will feature another fishing destination and discuss another featured fishing fly. Looks like between the web site and the lawn mowing etc, I will be a busy man for the next few days. Be sure and subscribe to Flyfishmagazine.com to keep up with all the new articles and information.

Tripudio En Lacus

Knoxnews.com out of Knoxville, Tenn. has an article about what is considered to be sporting in the context of turkey hunting and goes on to say that sarcastically that other sports should try to be as sporting. About fly fishing the author says: "Fly fishermen will have to speak Latin. Since every story I read about fly-fishing is full of Latin names, why not just make fly fishermen learn the whole language? If that's too tough, make anyone carrying a fly rod have to speak pig Latin." If I did not think better of the author I would say they were taking a swipe at our gentle sport. I have a good mind to tell them to "Tripudio en lacus!" or in English "go jump in the lake!" (registration required to view the article but it is free)

Charlotte Observer List of Local Fishing Guides

The website for the Charlotte Observer in Charlotte NC ran an article today listing area fishing guides and fly shops. The article makes note that we have over 100 different rivers and streams available to us here in North Carolina. Registration is required to view the article but it is free.

Alabama Newspaper Features NC Waters

The Huntsville Times in Alabama of all places, ran an article today about how good Tar Heel trout waters where for teaching new fishermen. (read this to mean that the reporter took vacation in NC and had to work part of the time so he could write the trip off.) They talk a lot about the Nantahala River and mention the delayed harvest program. The article is worth a reading.

Used Fishing Gear

I am always looking for a good deal on fly fishing equipment. The folks at www.Tradenstuff.com have a large assortment of used gear for sale. They get to the point and sell the equipment without a lot of flash and glitter letting the equipment and prices speak for themselves.

Oh the email I get...

Obviously if you put an email address out there on a web site you are going to get junk mail. This nice guy wants me to give him my bank account number so he can put some money in it. If I do what he asks I will get Five million dollars just for helping him out. Wow I will be rich and then I can fish all the time. Except for the week when I have to go to Washington state to pick up my money from Bill Gates for forwarding his email to my friends.

Text of the nice Man's letter will be in the comments to this post if you are are interested. Obviously these things are not what they appear to be but anyone smart enough to fool a trout with some wire and fur and feathers would know that already.

A Fish less cast to...

The Greenville Sun's Website has an article on fishing for some often overlooked species that are abundant in the Tennessee watershed. Namely the White Bass and the Skipjack.

Fly Fishing - The Universal Language?

I was thinking about what I could post tonight that might really be helpful to my readers and I decided on posting some info on things you might want to say if you were on a fishing trip to a foreign country.

For instance, if you happen to be fishing in Portugal you might say; "Pode você dizer-me onde a truta está?" or translated to my native tounge; "Can you tell me where the trout are?"

You might find yourself in need of assistance while fishing in Russia and say; "Вы пожалуйста поможете мне извлечь этот крюк от моего глаза?" or as we would say it in English; "Will you please help me remove this hook from my eye?"

Suppose you are fishing in Rome with a newly appointed cleric. You might want to inquire; "Posso portare il vostro cappello realmente freddo mentre lanciate a quella trota?" or in layman's terms "May I wear your really cool hat while you cast to that trout?"

Finally if you choose to cast a line in Germany don't forget how to ask; "Konnten Sie Ihren panzer Behälter vom Fluß freundlich entfernen? Sie scheinen, die Fische zu erschrecken." or "Could you kindly remove your panzer tank from the river? You seem to be scaring the fish."

Check out Alta-Vista's Babel Fish Translator page. It could actually be helpful for things other than allowing me an outlet for my strange humor.

Fishing Quotes

I am a sucker for quotations. Here are a few nice ones about fishing. "I am not against golf, since I cannot but suspect it keeps armies of the unworthy from discovering trout." -Paul O'Neil

Did you make this list?

A marketing company, Thomas, Townsend and Kent is offer for rent a mailing list of over 160,000 affluent fly fishermen. They will rent the list to you for $100 per month if you are interested. The names come from people who take online surveys at websites like www.statetourismboard.com. They say that 30% of the people on this list take at least three trips a year for fishing. I don't suppose I would mind very much being on that list if I were affluent. The article makes some good points about the growth of our sport and the cash cow that we are.

Fly Fishing in the deep south ....Africa that is...

Here is an article about fly fishing in the south... Africa that is. The article seems to bemoan what it calls a catch and exploit venture on the Kilp River where anglers catch the sharp toothed catfish and small mouth yellowfish. It even talks about the nutritional value of each. Catch and release is a luxury here in the United States - O - Plenty. My father just happens to be in Africa right now building an orphanage so here is a plug to Dad - www.touchtheworldministries.com.

Cabela's Fly Fishing Gear Sale

Cabela's just emailed and they are having a "Last Minute Mark Down Sale" that is worth a look.

Book of Note - Crimes of Passion and Fly Fishing

Here is a promising book about fly fishing. In "The Fly Fisher's Guide to Crimes of Passion" the author talks about fly fishing a koi pond and refers to the story of Icarus as being about a rather poorly tied fishing fly.

Arkansas Top 10 Fishing Holes

Here are the top 10 Arkansas fishing spots per About.com. The White River is listed as number one. Flyfishmagazine.com is taking a trip there this September to check it out first hand.

Are you a Fish-aholic?

Here is a test to determine if you are a "fish-aholic". I really knew I fit the bill when it asked if I had ever picked up road kill for fly tying materials...

ebay Stuff - Flies Are A Girls Best Friend?

This is too easy tonight so this will be my last ebay post for the evening. We can never forget the ladies in our lives so here is a suggestion for your next birthday / anniversary gift. Royal Coachman Ear-rings! If you do choose to get these as an anniversary gift, go ahead and have internet access installed in the dog house so you can keep up with Flyfishmagazine.com

ebay Stuff - Macaw Feathers

I thought it might be fun to do searches for fly fishing in different ebay categories. Here is one I found in the collectible section. 18 Macaw parrot feathers. Never fear bird lovers the Macaw gave them up willingly just to help some fly fisherman catch a trout!

ebay Stuff - Fly Fishing Seat Covers

Want to feel like you are in the middle of your favorite river while you are stuck in rush hour traffic? How about some Fly fishing seat covers for your SUV?

ebay Stuff - Mahogany Drift Boat

Here is another big boy / girl toy. A custom made mahogany fly fishing drift boat. This sure would look nice beside the raft in my garage.

ebay Stuff - Foot Long Royal Coachman

I ran across this interesting item on ebay today. It is a very large, hand tied Royal Coachman wet fly. It appears to be almost a foot long. Let me know if you buy it.

Undercover Fly Shop Visit - Dick's Sporting Goods - Mooresville, NC

Recently I went undercover and visited Dick's Sporting Goods in Mooresville, NC (a suburb of Charlotte). As I entered the store I noted a large mural of a gentleman holding a fly rod. I thought this could be promising. However, the selection of fly fishing items was sparse. They carry a line of Columbia clothing which includes fishing shirts and vests. The fly fishing section is a small corner of what they call "The Lodge". It contained a few fly boxes, cortland line, leaders (the lightest weight was 5x), wader repair kits, one fly tying kit and some fairly acceptable flies (mostly nymphs)sold in blister packs of two. The also had one starter fly rod combo in stock. I didn't notice any other fly rods but didn't really look very hard. They did carry some fly rod cases though. I can remember visiting Dick's a few years back and them having a much larger selection. However, it appears that now they are not a big player in the fly fishing business. In contrast their online store has more items so I can hold out hope that other locations might have a larger selection. From my visit the only conclusion I can draw is that they are mostly looking to sell to the casual fisherman new to the sport. Comments accepted at editor@flyfishmagazine.com

Virginia's opening day ...Well sort of...

Virginia has an interesting program called Heritage Trout Waters. Virginia now has a year round trout season but many anglers missed the thrill of a traditional opening day. In an effort to keep everyone happy they have designated 16 streams as Heritage Trout Waters and close them for five days prior too April 3rd each year. They are fully stocked during this time and then opened to the masses on the 3rd. The only complaint they have had was that the rivers were too crowded

Dollars or Dinner and Dubbing. You Decide.

If you have not already seen it you should check out savetoby.com. Toby is a rabbit that a nice gentleman on the internet is going to eat unless he gets $50,000 in donations. I am appalled. However, I couldn't help but notice the delightful color of Toby's fur. I am certain I could tie some really nice Zonkers out of Toby not to mention the hare's ears. If you had rather not get your flies from Toby click here to visit our valued sponsor: Fishing Flies Online for a much better deal ($1.00 each and free shipping).

Fly Fishing Vanderbilt Style.....

I think this is somewhat cool! The Asheville Citizen - Times reports that The Biltmore Estate is offering a fly fishing school. For a paltry $90 professional instructors will give you a two hour custom fishing class that even the poorest Vanderbilt could afford. It would almost be worth it to cast a fly in the shadow of that great castle. By the way, In case you are interested, I know some guys that would give you a two hour casting lesson for a six pack and a sandwich. It might not be in a castle but it would be in a pretty spectacular setting and you would probably have much more fun.

Events - Trout Unlimited Regional Rally April 29th - May 1st

Trout Unlimited will be having their 4th annual Regional Rally April 29th - May 1st in Abingdon, VA. $60 includes Breakfast and a place to sleep.

Your Deal For Today - Hip Waders Only $19.99

The Sportsman's Guide has an excellent deal on felt soled hip waders. At only $19.99 everyone should have a pair. They are great for those times when you are going to be fishing small streams or times when you just don't feel like putting on chest waders for that quick trip to the river. Get yours by visiting the link below: (hint: they are located in the fly fishing section)

Viva Las Vegas!

First, I know this news item is not about anything in the south east but everyone laughed at me (even the concierge at Harrah's) when I suggested fly fishing in Las Vegas. Well here it is, proof positive that it exists. I think that Zug, Paisley and I should investigate this as soon as possible. I wonder if they allow fly fishing at Area-51 as well?

North Carolina salt water fishing licenses in the works.

The Raleigh News and Observer has an informative article about the salt water fishing licenses that are almost a done deal for North Carolina anglers. The senate voted Tuesday to approve its version of the bill that will create the licenses. A sticking point yet to be worked out is a repeal of the law that allows fishing with natural bait in your home county. Instead, lawmakers are proposing subsistence fishing vouchers for persons on public assistance. The latest incarnation of the bill also includes a provision for a comprehensive license that allows you to fish in both fresh and salt water.

Even kids who live in resorts need fishing equipment!

I enjoy seeing kids take up the sport of fly fishing. The sense of rhythm that learning to cast a fly rod gives you teaches a young person a lot about how things work in our world. Couple that with a healthy appreciation for nature and you can have a pretty good kid. That said, I ran across this plea from a 4th Grade school teacher in The Aspen Times, looking for excess fly fishing gear that they can use to start a club. Oh to be a kid in Aspen!

You had me at crushable...

Flyfishmagazine.com held a staff meeting tonight in Concord, NC. After the meeting we visited the local Bass Pro Shop and each of us purchased one of the things that no fly fisherman should ever have to be without. A crushable leather hat. I think it was the word "crushable" that really sold us on the hat. I can't wait to try crushing mine at one of my favorite fishing holes. My wife has already asked me to quit wearing it around the house. Be good to your noggin, visit Bass Pro and get yourself a hat.

Fly Fisherman Sells Nut

I couldn't keep myself from blogging this when I found it on eBay. Some nut (forgive the pun) is selling a cashew that is supposed to look like the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus. He is going to donate 1/2 the proceeds to a fly fishing event that is being held by the Make a Wish Foundation. Now if I could only find that fish hook of mine. It looks just like the ones the twelve Apostles used on the Jordan River....

Poor Anglers Rejoice!

Speaking of being part of the poor people. I ran across this book by a Police Officer about fly fishing on a budget. It is only $8.95 at Amazon.com so it might just be worth a read. Click the link to buy it and help at least two poor authors.
Fly Fishing for Trout on a Budget: An Angler's Guide to Fishing More and Spending Less!

Shad invade the Commonwealth

The Daily Progress of Charlottesville, VA has an good article about the Hickory Shad run. They refer to Shad fishing as the poor man's Tarpon. Since I am both poor and would enjoy catching a Tarpon I think I must learn more about this. If you have info on fishing for Hickory Shad please feel free to email it to editor@flyfishmagazine.com.

Tiger on the fly!

The next time you are standing creekside and a young man in a green jacket walks up to you and asks you what fly you are using, take a close look at him. It could be four time Master's golf champion Tiger Woods. I ran across this article on golfweb.com that talks abou how busy Tiger has been these days and how he had taken time to find out the inside info about where the good fly fishing was from Jack Nicklaus. I wonder if Jack would give flyfishmagazine.com a fishing report?

Undercover Fly Shop Review - Madison River Anglers & Outfitters

Recently, I went undercover as a non-editorial fly fisherman and visited Madison River Anglers & Outfitters located in Cornelius, North Carolina in an upscale shopping area. Cornelius is an area off of I-77 just north of Charlotte and Huntersville and near Davidson college. I went in to pick up a couple of flies that I had not taken time to tie the night before and ended up buying about a dozen as well as a fly box that I had been looking for. Dry flies were $2 each and streamers were 2.50. An older gentlemen in the store was nice enough to talk to me and show me some of the newer flies. He even made a suggestion or two about what they had been biting on the delayed harvest streams recently.

The selection was typical of a full line Or**s dealer with the usual decorator items, clothing, rods, reels accessories, and a nice assortment of flies. There was even the requisite friendly dog roaming the store. The owner of the shop rang up my purchases and was very friendly and helpful and took the time to ask me if I needed any leaders or tippet to go with my purchase. He also asked me where I was going to be fishing and etc. I was able to eavesdrop and hear the older gentleman talking to a person who was just getting interested in fly fishing. He suggested that he try North Carolina's delayed harvest fishery and suggested a guided trip as a first experience. All pretty good advice in my book. They were having a Spring sale that day and even had a cooler of free drinks set up outside for the customers.

Based on my brief experience during that visit I would have to say that it was one of the nicer Or**s shops I have visited in some time. While the shop is small, the people were friendly and helpful. I am sure I would stop in again when I am up that way.

Cortland 444 Lazerline Deal

The Cortland Line Factory Store has 444 Lazerline Floating Double Taper line for 34.95 instead of the regular $52.00 price. It looks like it is available in 2-8 weights. Click the picture to check it out. I know they are not a sponsor but I can't keep myself from passing along a great deal like this.

Events - North Carolina

A couple of groups will be hosting fly fishing related events in the comming months.

Casting for Recovery, a group that asists women who have or have had breast cancer with both physical and mental healing through fly fishing, will be having a retreat in August 19th - 21st at the Green River Preserve.

North Carolina Trout Unlimited is sponsoring the Rivercourse Coldwater Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp for boys and girls ages 13-16 June 12 through 17th.

Western North Carolina Info

Asheville Citizen Time's writer Bob Satterwhite has a regular "Fishing forecast" column that has some good info about the state of the fishing in Western, North Carolina. Scroll down the page to see the trout fishing part of the report.

North Mills River Article

Louisville, Kentucky's The Courier Journal Newspaper just ran an nice article on the North Mills River near Brevard, NC. The North Mills is one of North Carolina's delayed harvest streams. The article reads like an ad for Hunter Banks Fly Shop in Asheville but it has some good info none the less. You can bet your editor and a few of Flyfishmagazine.com' s regular writers will be visiting the North Mills soon for a day of fishing and a feature article.

Go North....And West Young Man!

Well it looks like tonight is big ticket night here at the Flyfishmagazine.com Blog. If you really want get away from the other anglers then you might find this 11.5 acres of lake view property in Kindamina Lake, Alaska to your liking. Buy it now for only $9,950 at the bid4assets.com website. All of the pictures of the land are taken from planes so you need to befriend a pilot or purchase a team of sled dogs.

"The difference in men and boys is only the price of their toys!"

Maybe you want a used Hyde 16' Drift Boat? Note how the retail price is listed $4,300 with a strike out through it to indicate that they have marked it down to ....What? A dirt cheap $4,300. If you decide to buy this ultimate addition to your fishing vest, please don't forget your humble editor when it is time to hit the water.

Upcoming Events: VA Fly Fishing Festival 4-16/4-17

April 16th and 17th, 2005 Virginia's largest fly fishing event will be held on the South River in Waynesboro, VA. The keynote speaker will be Bob Clouser (of Clouser Minnow fame). It looks like this is a very large event that might be worth checking out. As always click the picture above to visit their web site.