Let Them Eat Carp

Asian carp are invading our rivers and lakes. They are attracted to the sound of boat motors and have even injured anglers by jumping into passing boats. Officials have spent millions of dollars trying to keep them out of the Great Lakes. One solution might be to make them into carp patties and feed them to convicted felons.

"a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Corrections said Tuesday that officials are open to serving Asian carp to inmates."

Stalking Carolina Redfish

As Carolina coastal waters start warming up its time to spot-and-stalk redfish in the marshes and tidal creeks.

Arkansas Fishing Report

The North Texas e-News has this week's Arkansas Fishing Report.

Contributing editor Jeff Paisley just returned from a fishing trip on the White and North Fork rivers and said that it was his best trip ever.

Opening Day of Trout Season

North Carolina's hatchery supported trout waters will open for fishing at 6:00 AM this Saturday, April 1st. Typically this means large crowds of anglers lining area put and take waters which are designated by the sign you see here. While bait fishing dominates the day with nightcrawlers and corn being two of the primary lures favored by anglers, a few fly fishermen might venture out just to prove a point. I do not plan to be one of them but I might just snap a few photos of the carnage for posterity sake.

I will never forget one opening day a few years ago near the posh little mountain town of Blowing Rock, North Carolina. We had fished all morning long with fairly good success and had stopped for lunch in the parking lot of a local hardware store. I had just opened up the season's first can of potted meat when a SUV loaded with a family of four pulled up beside me. The driver rolled down his window and motioned for me to come over. As soon as I got within earshot he asked if I knew where he could clean his fish. I answered that we usually took care of that sort of thing down by the creek as it made a lot less of a mess that way. He looked rather puzzled then indicated that he hadn't seen any designated fish cleaners when he and his kids were fishing down by the creek. The kids had caught some fish and they needed them cleaned. That is when I realized that this fellow was expecting someone to clean his fish for him. Immediately the country boy that my father raised found this to be funny as I would have never dreamed of anyone not cleaning their own fish. That would have been almost like paying someone to change your oil for you. We just hadn't heard of it.

Once I got over my shock, I told the obvious yuppie that I would be happy to help him out. The gentleman, his wife and kids piled out of the SUV and one of the kids produced a bulging brown paper grocery sack. I emptied the sack onto the tail gate of the truck and to my surprise out came four large rainbow trout. Each of them must have been at least 17 inches long. The family gathered around me and stared in amazement as I produced a pocket knife and began to scale and gut the fish. As I was in a parking lot and did not have a supply of water to wash up with, I am certain that I was making quite a bloody mess. The kids thought this was very cool but mom and dad seemed a bit squeamish. I took full advantage of this and to their horror, made sure to point out all the anatomical details that I could locate within the fish's innards. When I got to the stomach I cut it open thinking that I could give the kids a lesson on the diet of the noble trout. I was surprised to find several very large gold hooks still baited with a full loads of corn.

It was at that point, noticing that mom and dad were getting green around the gills, I gave up on my lesson and quickly finished the job at hand. The family thanked me and quickly took their fish and drove away. Leaving me waiving goodbye with my blood soaked hand.

Like I said before, I won't ever forget that opening day of trout season and I bet somewhere there is a family of young urban professionals who still talk about it over their glasses of pinot noir.

If you are looking to catch a mess of fish for release into the hot grease of a frying pan, opening day is the day you don't want to miss. The fish are eager and tasty too. If you want have some luck this weekend you might want to check out this recipe for pan fried trout.

A Fish Named Fred

Read a great story about a fish named Fred over at The Tattered Fly. I won't spoil it but lets just say that I know a few guys who would do the same sort of thing.

SportsmansBlog.com

I have added a link to Jim Bratten's SportmansBlog.com. Jim uses a background in outdoor communications marketing and his knowledge of the outdoors to provide some great insight into "everything outdoors." Jim also publishes outdoor-oriented calendars.

Comment Extended on Forest Service Land Sales

Agriculture Under Secretary Mark Rey today announced that the public will have another month to comment on a list of forest lands that would be available for sale in a proposal to provide funding to extend the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (SRS).

"There is a great deal of interest in this proposal and we want to ensure that the public has ample opportunity to provide its input," said Rey. "As we indicated from the beginning, this is a transparent process to encourage the public to provide specific information on the list of Forest Service parcels proposed for sale." The extension gives interested individuals and groups the opportunity to provide comments until May 1, extending the original comment period which was due to close March 30. Details on the notice on requests for comments can be found in the Federal Register notice to be published on March 30, 2006. Comments may be sent by e-mail to SRS_Land_Sales@fs.fed.us.

Written comments may be sent to: USDA Forest Service, SRS Comments, Lands 4S, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Mailstop 1124, Washington, DC, 20250-0003. Send faxed comments to (202) 205-1604.

The President's fiscal year 2007 budget includes a legislative proposal to extend the SRS, which expires on Sept. 30, 2006, for an additional five years through the sale of up to 300,000 acres of Forest Service-managed land. Many parcels are considered isolated or inefficient to manage due to their location or other characteristics. The proposal, which was sent to Congress on Mar. 22, includes the opportunity for local and state government agencies and nonprofit organizations the first right to buy these parcels at market value. Visit http://www.fs.fed.us/ for a list of the proposed land.

AAFF Promotes FFF

Ask About Fly Fishing Internet Radio has announced a new affiliation with the Federation of Fly Fishers.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ask About Fly Fishing - Internet Radio and the Federation of Fly Fishers Combine Efforts
The Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) has announced an affiliation with the Internet radio show Ask About Fly Fishing (AAFF), with a goal to increase membership and advance its educational and conservation programs.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) March 29, 2006 -- The American Fly Fishing Trade Association reports that over 18 million adults in America have an unfulfilled interest in fly fishing. Dr. Ron Cordes, FFF vice-chairman states, "Newcomers and youngsters are the future of our sport. Their use of the Internet makes Internet radio a natural medium for our drive to increase membership, and further enhance our educational and conservation programs".
In addition to promoting educational opportunities such as the annual Conclave (July 25-29 in Bozeman, MT), the Federation of Fly Fishers supports many conservation initiatives of importance to fly fishers. Currently, an International Fly Tying Competition is being held to support Federation programs.

Ask About Fly Fishing - Internet Radio offers interviews of industry experts, who answer questions from the audience. The live program offers a unique call-in Q&A session, and the show can be heard as a live or recorded webcast, or a podcast. The AAFF website provides a link to the national Federation of Fly Fishers' website, as well as fly fishing clubs, fly shops and guides. A comprehensive national events calendar for shows, meetings, demonstrations, and all fly fishing related events is also planned.

The next live broadcast will be April 5th at 7:00 PM (MT) and will feature Barry Reynolds expert fly fisherman, speaker and author. His recently published book "Mastering Pike on the Fly" teaches fly fishers how to catch monster pike. On the show Reynolds will answer questions about successfully fishing for these challenging explosive fish.

D. Roger Maves and Don Bishop, founders and co-hosts of AAFF, regard education and conservation as the cornerstones of a bright fishing future. They say, "Smarter fly fishers are more successful, bring more friends to it, and purchase more equipment, guide services, magazines, etc. They are best able to address issues which will continue to make quality fishing available to future generations."

Membership in the Federation of Fly Fishers offers newcomers a host of opportunities, and even includes some freebies! For more details on the organization and membership go to the Federation of Fly Fishers' web site, www.FedFlyFishers.org .
Visit www.AskAboutFlyFishing.com and sign in free to receive advance notification of Ask About Fly Fishing's upcoming Internet radio shows and to receive a free guide on improving your fly casting.

Contact Information:
D. Roger Maves or Don Bishop
303-430-4634
http://www.askaboutflyfishing.com/media

Rockfish at Mamma Zu's

When in Richmond, VA you really should check out Mamma Zu's. This Italian eatery looks like somewhere that I would have been hesitant to enter had I not been taken there on business. What looks like a hole in the wall turned out to be the home of simple yet excellent food. The kitchen is so small that they limit your table to two orders of fried oysters (that were probably the best I had every eaten) simply because they don't have the fryer space to keep up with demand. I am calling this a fishing related entry since one of the excellent dishes I tasted was the rockfish served with garlic pasta. If you plan on trying this unique place, keep in mind that they don't take plastic at Mamma Zu's.

Ann's Flies - Crab Creek Outfitters

I am day job road tripping tonight from Richmond, Virginia so it seems appropriate that I found this article about Ann Nichols. Ms. Nichols is a prolific fly tyer and owner of Crab Creek Outfitters, from the Virginia Beach area.

In my experience, it's not very common," Kenney said. "Right now I can only think of two female shop operators, one in Florida and one in New Mexico ."

Did I mention that she can tie up 100 clouser minnows an hour?

Girl Gone Fly Fishing

Today I read about this group of guys who don't want to share their fishing cabin with women. Maybe if they see this interesting video they will rethink that position. I present a "Girl Gone Fly Fishing" [**Warning Bikini Detected**]

This Little Piggy Went To Market

Scientist have genetically modified pigs in order to produce pork that is high in Omega 3 fatty acids. These are the same good fats that are found in certain fish. The pigs, three of which were named

The pigs, three of which were named Salmon, Tuna and Trout after fish high in omega 3 fats, are the first cloned livestock that can make the beneficial compounds, after fish high in omega 3 fats, are the first cloned livestock that can make the beneficial compounds.

I can't wait until my next physical, "Mr. Murdock, I am afraid your cholesterol is too high. I am prescribing a strict diet of chopped BBQ sandwiches and ribs. " I also wonder if this sort of genetic fiddling could create a whole new sport that is sort of a cross between boar hunting and fly fishing. I will begin working on tying up a slop fly right away.

Gary Loomis

Gary Loomis or G. as we know him from his fly rod company has a surprising answer when asked about how he got into the fishing rod business:

What's the most you've every spent on a tie?
I've never bought a tie.
And the most I've ever spent on a fly rod is $35. That's the one I modified with an extended handle and a lighter line so I could catch more fish. I was catching eight, 10 fish a night. A fishing buddy offered to buy the rod for $50. I said no. When he got up to $250, I said yes. The next thing I knew, my wife and I were in the fishing-rod business.

Cherokee Trout Season Opens March 27th

Speaking of trout season here in North Carolina, The official opening of fishing season on the enterprise waters managed by the Eastern Band of The Cherokee Indian Tribe opens this Saturday, March 27th. They always open season the weekend before the regular North Carolina hatchery supported waters open. Expect a few thousand anglers to be creekside at sunrise just waiting for the first cast of the season. It can be a wild and woolly time. Be on the lookout for tree stumps and speckled trout.

Blowing Rock Trout Derby

The Annual Blowing Rock Trout Derby will be held in the town of Blowing Rock, North Carolina, April 1st & 2nd. The derby requires no entry fee and cash and prizes are paid out to anglers who catch specially tagged trout as well as those catching the largest fish. Anglers under the age of 12 will be able to fish in Broyhill Park's Lake Mayview which has been specially stocked for the event.

Several years ago our fishing club decided to fish the derby using flies (bait is the lure of choice during the derby). We didn't make any cash but we had a great day fishing in the snow and we caught several trout. Oh and yes, it actually does snow in Carolina in April. I have the pictures to prove it.

Bank Fishing In the Roanoke Valley

Bill Cochran of Roanoke.com answers one angler's letter about places to fish from the bank in the Roanoke Valley.

"I suggest you try the two delayed harvest sections of the Roanoke River. You can find information on their location from the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Web site: dgif.virginia.gov."

And Two Shall Be The Number Of Your Flies

Is your fishing vest feeling a bit too full lately? Does your chest pack seem too packed? Perhaps you need to enter the 2006 Ausable River Two Fly Contest. The contest which has both amateur and pro divisions, will be held on the West Branch of the Ausable May 13th, 2006.

Angler Will Not Seek IFGA World Record

According to SignonSanDiego angler Mac Weakley has decided not to submit his 25 pound bass for an IFGA world record. The fish caused a controversy due to it being foul hooked rather than hooked in the mouth.

“To tell you the truth, the three of us have been talking to friends and family the last day and Mike (Winn) has been checking the Internet, and we're seeing that it's 50-50 in terms of support for the catch standing as a world record,” Weakley said.

Great Smoky Mts. Nat'l Park Opens Speckled Trout Fishing

For the first time in over 30 years anglers will be able to legally catch and keep native brook trout (or speckled trout as we always called them) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The policy will go into effect most of the park's streams starting April 15th. Park officials have found the native brookies to be holding their own in park streams even with stiff competition from stocked rainbow and brown trout. It is great to see this fishery getting back to some of its forward glory. I can remember catching a few of these brightly colored gem like fish when I was younger. (read more about this over at the Daily Bag Limit Blog)

Foul Hooked World Record?

Should a 25 pound, 1 ounce bass count as a new world record even if it was foul hooked? That is the question that the IFGA will be trying to answer after Mac Weakly caught the lunker while fishing in Dixon Lake in Escondido, California. The IFGA regulations state that a fish cannot be considered a record if it was intentionally foul hooked. Weakly has three witnesses that say he was not trying to snag the fish when he foul hooked it. A world record bass in this day and time is worth a major load of cash in endorsements and ad money. No matter how you feel abou the way it was caught, that is one big bass. Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts. (story from SignonSanDiego.com)

Paisley & Garwood After The Big Ones in AR

Fellow Flyfishmagazine contributing editors, Jeff Paisley and Chuck Garwood will be heading down to Arkansas to fish the White and Norfork Rivers later this week. Paisley has engaged the services of guide John Wilson. John's forte is putting anglers on big brown trout. His guiding credits include taking Joe Humphreys on a hunt for big fish. Paisley has told him he wants a shot a twenty pounder. I am sure that if he lands one we will be able to hear the whoops from Mountain Home here in North Carolina.

Bill's Private Paradise

Do you remember that geeky guy from high school? You really should have loaned him that five spot he asked you about. Now he is Bill Gates and he can spend his bucks on stuff we could only dream about:

Gates lives outside Seattle on the banks of Lake Washington in a vast mansion that has its own private beach, cinema, library, boathouse and an estuary stocked with salmon and trout. It is a short drive from the sprawling 295-acre Microsoft campus at Redmond, where Gates's office is in Building 8 and new gadgetry is tested in a futuristic house called Building 33.

A Basketball Court Runs Through It?

Since my UNC Tarheels fell by the wayside, I have been looking for a team to pull for in the NCAA tournament (I can't bring myself to pull for Duke). I may have found two candidates in UCLA coach Ben Howland and Gonzaga coach Mark Few. Both are the sons of Presbyterian ministers and both are fly fishermen. "Howland acknowledges that Few is much better at it."
I wonder if there is any truth to the rumor that Coach Few makes his player shoot foul shots to the beat of a metronome?

Let He Who Is Without Sin....

The Daily Times of Farmington New Mexico has the story of a fly fishing guide who was tempted by bait fishing on a Mexico vacation, succumbed, and had the guts to admit that he liked it.

Clouser on Tennessee Tailwater

What does Bob Clouser think about fishing on Tennessee's Watauga and South Holston tailwaters?
"I've come back again and again to fish these rivers," Clouser said.
"I've had some of the finest trout fishing in the South than any place I've ever been. But for some reason, if you talk about trout fishing in the South, a lot of people don't want to listen."

Tying and Fishing the Tennis Ball Fly

Thanks to Alistair over at Urban Fly Fishing on the Kelvin for pointing this out.

PA Considers Youth Fishing License

Pennsylvania, must be pretty strapped for cash, as they are considering requiring kids age 12-15 to purchase a fishing license.

"Youth licenses is a volatile issue," said state Rep. Bruce Smith (R-York), the chair of the House Game and Fisheries Committee. "We wouldn't even consider it until after the election. It would be political fodder in a campaign year."

Perhaps something that wouldn't be considered in a year where the voters have a direct say so is a bad idea? Who will buy fishing licenses when all the future anglers prefer video games to being outdoors? I don't live in PA so I probably shouldn't have an opinion, but I have to feel that instead of charging kids to fish they should be encouraging kids to get outdoors and wet a line.

Women Only Fly Fishing Weekend

A women's only fly fishing weekend will be held at the Cartwright House Bed & Breakfast in Oriental March 31st - April 2nd. Instructors will include Wanda Taylor who is the first woman certified as a master caster by the Federation of Fly Fishers. Cost is $675 per person.

March Madness Brings Out Leeches

According to the Daily Times of Farmington New Mexico, "March Madness" is the time for leeches. No, we do not mean that redneck relative who comes over to watch the game and drinks all your beer. We do mean that it's a good time to fish a Wooly Bugger on the San Juan.

NC Record Rainbow Trout

North Carolina has a new record rainbow trout. The 34.5 inch, 20 pound 3 oz trout was caught by Leah Johnson on the Horsepasture River using a Rapala lure.

Pennsylvania Trout Forecast

Pennsylvania Game & Fish has the 2006 Pennsylvania trout forecast. If you want to catch bigger fish this might be the year.

"Our stocking numbers are going to be similar to 2005, about 4.2 million catchable trout," said Tom Green, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's Coldwater Unit leader. "That's a ballpark number. Species composition will be about the same. Our big change is going to be in 2007. That's when we're going to see fewer but larger trout."

Read about our adventures on a trip to fish in the keystone state a few years ago.

Fredericksburg Virginia Fly Show

The Falmouth Flats Fly Fishers will be holding their third annual fly fishing show March 25th, 2006 at the Fredericksburg,VA National Guard Armory. Featured guests will be Joe Humphreys and Ed Jaworowski.

Mutant Fly Fisherman

British soccer star Vinnie Jones plays super strong bad boy mutant, Juggernaut in the third installment of the X-Men movie series. What does a soccer player who is known for low blows on the field do for fun while filming? He fly fishes for Canadian salmon.

I was in my element up in Canada with the salmon, you know," he says. "I thought I was doing 'A River Runs Through It' and 'She's the Man' and 'X-Men.' You know what I mean? On me day off I was out there fishing."

Robo-Carp Thanks You For Your Cooperation

Japanese engineers have developed a robotic swimming carp. The robo-carp is equipped with a CCD camera and sensors for measuring water quality. Hopefully, future plans will include equipping it with "lasers".

Creepy Casting

Alistair, the kilted angler, from Urban Fly Fishing on the Kelvin has a great tip about keeping "the creep" out of your casting. "The creep" is not some weird fishing pal that nobody wants to hang around with, but rather a problem that can hurt your casting. I never thought of my casting as being "creepy". However, epileptic might be a better way to describe it.

Make Your Own Poppers

If you fancy thoughts of throwing a popper to a lunker bass this summer, you might want to visit The Fly Shop of Tennessee for Popping Bug guru Walt Cary's seminar on March 18th.

Cary eschews synthetic body materials. He still makes his hand-lacquered popping bugs out of natural cork, supplies of which can be tough to obtain.
"It's hard to get good quality cork. And even the cork that you get, now you still have to fill the pores in a little bit to smooth them up some,"

Georgia Trout Season Opens March 25th

Tom Remington from the Daily Bag Limit Blog reminds us that Saturday, March 25th, 2006 marks the opening of Georgia's trout season. I am still looking for someone to give me the regular scoop on fly fishing for trout in North Georgia. Email me.

Packing It In

The folks up north at Michigan Outdoors have put together a look at gear available to anglers. The last two paragraphs talk about the new trend in chest packs for anglers. They run from $19.99 for a Montana Day Pack to Fishpond's top of the line pack for $179.

New Fishing Report - Caney Fork River, TN

Contributing angler Jay Moore has been fishing again and has posted a new fishing report at Flyfishmagazine.com. This time he plied his pescatorial talents on the Caney Fork Tailwater in Tennessee. Jay tells us that on this trip he was able to resist the temptation to use a trout magnet and managed to catch some nice trout. He also took the time to give us his opinion of his new Hexigraph fly rod. Remember you too can submit fishing reports for publication on our site. Simply click here and let us know how well you did.

Ross Reels Announces Special Edition Fly Reels

Today I got an email announcing two new limited edition fly reels from Ross Reels.

The Green Evolution reel will feature custom engraving and a snazzy green color. With only about 550 of these being made you can be assured you will be one of a select few on the river with a green Ross Reel.

The Komen Pink "Reel In A Cure" limited edition fly reel is produced each year as a way to raise breast cancer awareness and in honor of Susie Hauck. Susie, who was the wife of Ross Reels founder Ross Hauck, lost her battle with breast cancer in 2002. Ross Reels is donating $5,000 to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Tennessee Tailwater Fishing Report

The Kinsport Times-News reports that fishing is looking good on the Tennessee tail water. Anglers are seeing good hatches of blue winged olives.

Ben Walters at Fly Shop of Tennessee reports encountering nice Blue Winged Olive hatches in the morning and the afternoon on the South Holston tailwater. Size 18 dry patterns are the ticket. "Generating schedules have been good for wading. I also caught them underneath on tan scuds and light olive midge pupae," Walters said.

Trout Unlimited Youth Camp

Trout Unlimited of North Carolina will be holding a week long youth conservation and fly fishing camp on lake Logan near Canton, North Carolina. The camp will run June 18th - 23rd. For more information call 828-654-8725.

Friday Blogging Non-existent this Week

There will be a definite lack of blog posting on my part this Friday. I won't be fishing but I will be doing the next best thing. A good friend managed to snag me a Friday ticket to the Atlantic Coast Conference Basketball tournament. I plan on sneaking out of work a bit early and spending my evening tailgating and then cheering the UNC Tarheels on to a victory over the Virginia Cavaliers. Look for me on Television. I will be the guy who's bald head is painted Carolina blue and white. Since you will have to do without my witty banter for a whole day, I have decided to give you something to try to make it up to you.

I have managed to procure for you a Sierra Trading Post Coupon good for 10% off web orders over $75. (cannot be combined with any other offers)

Wet Flies Make a Comeback

Is the wet fly making a come back? Have anglers figured out that fish eat 90% of their meals under water? This article says you might be seeing more anglers fishing the likes of a "yellow sally" on your local trout stream.

Virginia Fish Consumption Advisory Site

Tom Remington at the Daily Bag Limit Blog has some good info on mercury levels in Virginia's South River. He also has a link to the Virginia Department of Health's web site where you can find a complete listing of fish consumption advisories for the state of Virginia. Visit his blog and be an informed angler.

Jerking Hooks Out of Your Friends

One of our favorite fly fishing Kiwis, Bish from Fish With Bish , has a great article about the correct way to remove a hook from an angler. This method looks pretty rough but it actually works like a charm and is pain free. I can personally vouch for this as I have used the same method to remove a size 10 woolly bugger hook from my fishing buddy, Paisley's arm.

Casting Hurts

Warning: Fly fishing can be hazardous to your health. A team doctor for the Montana Grizzlies has conducted a study that found that out of 150 fly casting instructors, 140 suffered from some sort of pain in a wrist or an elbow. The culprit? Anglers using bad mechanical form to throw the line. The doctor has teamed up with Jason Borger (who's name is always followed by the statement that he was the shadow casting double for Brad Pitt in that movie we all enjoy), and started The Fly Casting Institute as a way to help people cast "healthier and better."

"Patients with small lightbulbs attached to their bodies have the motion of their casts captured by six infrared cameras. McCue can then look at recording of the casts from different angles and find ways to fix problems. A common fix is to teach the patient to use more of the stronger shoulder muscles and less wrist and elbow."

It all sounds pretty high tech to me. I submit that Rev. Maclean only needed a stern look and a metronome and probably didn't really care to hear that your shoulder hurt from too much fishing.

Jubilee Not Caused by Toxins

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington has ruled out exposure to toxic substances as the reason for a recent incident where hundreds of flounder and other fish, beached themselves on the Carolina coast. Both water and dead fish were tested and no toxins were found. Authorities feel like this was a classic "flounder walk" situation.

"A jubilee, also called a flounder walk, occurs when environmental factors such as calm winds and a salt wedge (high salinity waters pushing themselves up the river) combine to cause the oxygen levels to drop on the water bottom. The fish, seeking water with more oxygen, will move to the shallows, said Chris Batsavage, flounder biologist with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries."

I Wonder Why I Swallowed That Fly...

Why do trout prefer one insect over another? According to one UK paper it could simply be a matter of taste.

"...Of course, I said, part of the reason had to be the huge feeding opportunity that the big fly presents. The sheer size of the fly, when coupled with its profusion, gave the trout the biggest and easiest meal of the year at a time when it was still regaining condition.
"Ah, yes," OGrady said. "But there's another reason. They have to like it, you know. It tastes so good."

Yep, you guessed it. He had given them a taste test. Now that's what I call a hard core angler.

Hard to Find Fly Fishing Art

Don't expect to find this site easily while searching the internet. The URL isn't very easy to remember either at: http://mysite.verizon.net/rsallebach/index.htm. West Seven Star Enterprises deals in fly fishing art which they buy direct from the artists and frame for resale. They will frame their prints with your choice of wood and can even include your favorite fishing flies in the mat. The site's owner, Richard Allebach told me that they don't sell through the web site, but rather used it as an online catalog. If you want to order you will have to pick up the phone and give him a call or visit with him at one of the many fly shows he attends.