You might be fly fishing with a zombie if....

In honor of Don Barone's excellent article reviewed in the post below we have decided to list a few helpful Halloween hints that just might help keep you safe from the undead this holiday season:

You might be fly fishing with a zombie if:

1. His favorite flies are the Voodoo Popper, and the Flesh Fly.
2. He can always manage to "dig up" a few fishing buddies at the last minute.
3. His favorite shore lunch must include pork brains.
4. Every time he catches more fish than you he does that dance from Thriller.
5. He keeps looking at your dog all funny like and licking his lips.
6. He once got a citation for fishing with natural bait just for wet wading (maggots, you know).

We need a few more so feel free to add to our list via the comment section. I need to clear my desk so best entry gets an item from the FlyfishMagazine.com schwag pile (shipped inside the USA only). Contest ends 10-31-07

ESPN's Don Barone: The Haunted Fishing Lodge

ESPN feature producer Don Barone's latest story is a holiday tale complete with ghost hunters, professional bass anglers, bone collectors, a Montreal Whore, ghosts who like to spoon you, and a haunted fishing lodge with owners who have grown accustomed to dealing withe the supernatural on a daily basis.

Bernice," I say, "not to be unjournalistic, but WHAT ARE YOU GUYS, NUTS? Why do you stay?"

"Sometimes," she replies, "when I'm in the lodge, in the laundry room, I hear this voice telling me to get out, get out."

"And what do you do?"

"I leave. When it tells me to leave I get out, because I don't know what's going to happen.

I know we say this a lot about Barone's articles but you need to read this one to believe it... (editor's note: I laughed until Snapple came out my nose.)

Chum gives us our first cover

Our hectic travel schedule (Virginia, Tennesee, Florida, and Florida yet again) almost made us miss our first magazine cover, courtesy of our pal B2 over at Moldy Chum. Good for you -they passed on the speedo pic we submitted.

But can you fish off the back deck?

The folks from Bass Pro Shops sent us this press release about their new floating fish house in Branson, MO.

White River Fish House set to open on Branson Landing

BRANSON, Mo. – The White River Fish House restaurant – just a short cast away from Bass Pro Shops White River Outpost on Branson Landing – will have its grand opening Tuesday, Oct. 30.

The unique floating White River Fish House seats up to 307 people. Visitors can relax on the bank of Lake Taneycomo and enjoy the great taste of the Ozarks with a unique dining experience.

The restaurant pays tribute to the White River, which was one of the first “highways” used by early American settlers to reach what was once a vast, uncharted wilderness. The river has helped shape Ozarks history.

When entering the restaurant, diners will be awed by the stunning view of Lake Taneycomo and the surrounding countryside. With wall-to-wall sliding glass doors and windows on three sides of the restaurant, there’s a tremendous view of the lake from every seat. The doors slide open to create a wonderful fresh-air experience while being sheltered from the elements.

There’s also a fabulous stone fireplace to warm the body after a day on the lake or shopping at Branson Landing.

Diners will be surrounded by what helped make the river a staple part of the Ozarks: antique motors, fishing equipment, paddles, boats and trophy mouths of local fish species.

In addition to the large dining room and bar area, there are two private dining rooms for more intimate gatherings. The restaurant is trimmed with wood and beautiful wooden beams.

The menu is full of local fare, including trout, catfish, walleye, St. Louis-style barbecue ribs, Ozarks hickory-smoked prime rib, steaks, chicken, hamburgers and sandwiches. You’ll also be able to sample a taste of the ocean, including tilapia, mahi mahi, tuna and shrimp.

The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. It does not accept reservations.
Steve Todd is general manager of the restaurant; Tom Metzner is chef; and Kacie Cramer is the front manager.

Duke's Sulphur Nymph

SEFFF Member and East Tennessee fly tier Josh AKA "DukeOFurl" has posted a video demo of his version of the Sulphur Nymph. East Tennessee anglers know how important that this fly can be to success on some of the area tail waters. We aren't sure why he is giving away his secrets but we are too busy taking notes to worry about it.

Steve Buck: That Darn Cell Phone!

New FlyfishMagazine.com contributor and saltwater fly angler Steve Buck sent us this article that describes one fly fisher's dilemma and how he was rescued from the brink of the abyss by a combination of strong moral fiber and good cell phone reception.

That Darn Cell Phone!

Before I tell this story, you need to know that Grouper is one of the best tasting fish is the sea. So much so, that Florida has gradually increased the legal size limit to ensure the long term survival of the species. Also, juvenile Grouper begin life inshore, then move offshore as adults. I don't keep up with the size limits of Grouper because I seldom fish offshore.

The day was overcast and the breeze was blowing out of the east in anticipation of a cold front. Such conditions are ripe for a productive day fishing. After paddling my kayak out of the bayou, past the mangrove shore line and boat docks, I started fishing at one of my "spots". If I were to tell you the location, I'd have to kill you (insert winking smiley face). On my fist cast an 18" Spotted Sea Trout slammed the jig just as I was pulling it from the water. She gave a good fight and put a big bend in my ultra light spinning rod, but I got her to the boat. But, some fish are just too pretty to keep. Even though the size limit on a Sea Trout is 14", I let go the 18"-er. Later on, I threw back a 15"-er.

Knowing that there were fish in the area, I pulled out the fly rod. For the next couple of hours I caught numerous juvenile Grouper in the 6" to 9" range. This was very unusual, but a very good sign for the species. As I drifted across the grass flats I switched back and forth from fly fishing to spinning rod, both methods were productive in bring fish to the boat; Sea Trout, Grouper, and Mangrove Snapper.

Around 11 AM with fly rod in hand, the line went tight, very tight! Whatever was on the other end pulled harder than anything else that day. I thought it might be a grouper because of the way it fought. When a Grouper is hooked, it heads for the bottom looking for some sort of structure to rub against and break the line. The fish pulled and pulled, and my adrenaline rushed and rushed. Finally, the fish was getting closer to the boat and I could see it through the clear water. Sure enough it was a Grouper, and much bigger than any I've seen before on the inshore grass flats. Still fearing that the line would snap, I gingerly raised it out of the water and into the bilge of my kayak. As it laid between my feet I measured it to be 16".

Remember those cartoons where the two guys stranded on an island would look at each other and see a roasted chicken leg? Well that's what happened to me and that Grouper. All I could see were two wonderful fillets, I could even taste that flaky white meat. But,,, I was sure that a 16" Grouper was too short to keep. The angel on one shoulder said "You know it's too short, better throw it back." The devil on the other shoulder said "Consider all those other fish you threw back. You even threw back two legal size Sea Trout. No one will ever know you kept this undersized Grouper." So, I called my conscience (my wife).

Gotta love cell phones!Of course Leah wouldn't know the legal size of a Grouper, so I asked her to look it up on the Internet. The ensuing minutes were a battle of right and wrong, good and evil, and the integrity of my environmental conservatism. But more than that, the integrity of my spiritual convictions, and realizing of how closely I (perhaps, we) flirt with sin. My desire for my own way, verses obedience to the governing authorities that God has placed me under, Romans 13:1.

The story ends well for the Grouper. After a short period of resuscitation, holding the fish next to the boat until enough water flowed across its gills, it swam away none the worse for wear.

If only I had one of those dropped calls like we see on TV, I might have had a Grouper dinner that night. Darn that cell phone!


Editor's note: When Steve isn't paddling Florida's inshore waters and saving large grouper he runs Steve Buck Consulting. We look forward more articles from him in the future.

Reader Looking for Mills River Info

We got the following email from one of our readers who is looking for a photo of their grandfather and his big fish.


Hi

I am trying to find a pic of our grandfather J B Stewart who caught the largest fish ever caught in Mills River NC several years ago. There was a pic and write up in newspapers at that tine but we do not have the date or even the year.

Would like to locate copy of pic and purchase copies for the grandchildren at Christmas. They have heard the stories for years and it would be great for them to see

Thanks

Blanche Surrette

If any Carolina anglers have information about this photo, drop us a line at FlyfishMagazine.com and we will pass it along to Blanche.

Sierra Trading Post Deals

Anyone else hear that roaring noise?

Anglers fishing near Roaring "no pun intended" Creek in Greenbrier County, West Virginia might do well to watch their back and cut down on applications of zebra scented cologne:

While bow hunting last Wednesday on his 40-acre plot of land at Big Roaring Creek at the foot of Cold Knob, Jim Shortridge of Frankford says he watched a full-grown male African lion, complete with a four-foot-long tail, pace around his hunting shanty for about 40 minutes before running off into the woods.

No doubt a group of the good old boys are preparing their pith helmets for safari as we type these words.

Link via Loren Coleman' s Cryptomundo

Friday Wake Up: "It ain't about no trout!"

This should get your Friday off to a good start.

Coming to a Drive-In near you...

They failed to heed the warning of the "two mouthed trout."

They scoffed at the notion of a "two mouthed seabass."

Now the piscatorial horror of the "Siamese Pike" is going to make them pay!

May God have mercy on their souls!

Tip of the link hat to "Moldy Chum"

Trout in the Theater

The Old Trout Puppet Workshop. You have to give props to a theater company that performs something with the title, "Famous Puppet Death Scenes."

NCWRC To Host Pisgah Fly Masters on Davidson

BREVARD, N.C. (Oct. 24, 2007) – Fly-fishermen with a competitive edge will want to take notice of this event: The 2008 Pisgah Fly Masters on the Davidson River, March 29-30.
This inaugural fly-fishing tournament is limited to 125 competitors. Deadline for entries is Feb. 15, with a $50 application fee. Proceeds will go toward classroom construction at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission learning facility located south of Asheville.

“This is an ideal opportunity for fly-fishing competitors who would enjoy spending springtime in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains,” said Emilie Johnson, an event coordinator. “Not to mention that Trout Unlimited lists the Davidson River as one of America’s 100 best trout rivers!”

The Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education is located alongside the Davidson River, near Brevard, and is adjacent to the Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery. Aquatic ecosystems and cold water conservation are a large part of the exhibits and displays. The planned classroom will be used for educational programs including fly-fishing and fly-tying.

For the competition format, rules, prize list and entry forms, contact the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education at (828) 877-4423 or e-mail emilie.johnson@ncwildlife.org.


The event being limited to 125 anglers should make the fishing pressure similar to a normal weekend day on the "Big D."

Saks of money...

Saks Fifth Avenue announces an upscale gift for the angler who has everything:

"Sun, Sea, and Spices. Travel to Bora Bora and go on a deep sea fishing adventure with world-renowned chef Jean Georges Vongerichten, who will then prepare a VIP dinner at his Lagoon Restaurant. You will also get a private tour of Robert Wan's Black Pearl Museum. First class airfare for two people, a night in Tahiti and deluxe accommodations at the luxurious St. Regis Resort, Bora Bora all included. Cost: $115,000, of which $5,000 will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital."

Just in case this is a bit out of your economic reach I will again extend my offer to take wealthy anglers fly fishing, give you a private tour of the FlyFishMagazine Ancient and Inexpensive Tackle Museum / Garage, while providing a shore lunch complete with your choice of tinned lunch meats. For the deluxe packages we replace the Vienna's with slawdog's from the convenience store of your choosing.

This Weekend

Me doing my best Napoleon Dynamite impersonation at a secret fishing spot near the FlyFishMagazine.com Compound.

Mom found a spot in the shade.

Did I mention that this spot was secret?

Fishing Quote of the Week

"There's nothing like catching a big striper" George W. Bush after signing an Executive Order encouraging states to delcare rockfish and red drum "game fish" and preventing commercial fishing.

Second best quote from the fishing trip with Vice President, Dick Chaney following the signing:

Bush joked that it was "good news" that there was decent fishing nearby, because "the Secret Service won't let me go hunting" with Cheney, who accidentally shot a friend during a 2006 hunting trip.

Link via The Baltimore Sun

Revenge of the Shark

Artificial?

Via our fishing buddies at the Southeast Fly Fishing Fourm comes news that the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is considering a change in the rules that currently allow anglers to use scented baits on streams restricted to "artificial lures having a single hook only."

Here is an excerpt from a post by a SEFFF member who did much of the work to get this change in regulations considered:

The NC Wildlife Resources Commission met yesterday and unanimously voted to send the following to Public Hearing in Jan/Feb 2008:

"For the purposes of this rule, artificial lure is defined as a fishing lure that neither contains, nor has received application of, any substance that attracts fish by the sense of taste or smell. Natural bait is defined as any living or dead organism (plant or animal), or parts there of, or prepared substances designed to attract fish by the sense of taste or smell."

The existing regulations state that on wild trout water you must use artificial lures having 1 hook. The delayed harvest regs also require an artificial lure and that no natural bait may be possessed; ergo, no powerbait.There is one last hurdle and that is that the commissioners will vote at their March 2008 meeting to either approve or reject this regulation change based on what they hear at the hearings.

Fly fishers feel that the use of "power" type scented baits lead to higher trout mortality on streams designated as catch and release. The general feeling has been that there was some confusion as to weather these baits were legal or illegal on delayed harvest streams. This regulation should do a good job of settling the question.

Comments can be sent to the NCWRC at wrccomments@ncwildlife.org.

The IGFA Inducts Five

The International Game Fish Association will induct five anglers into its Hall of Fame this Saturday. The list is a veritable who's who of fishing.

In the spotlight will be the five member class of 2007 which includes lady fly angler and instructor Joan Salvato Wulff, the dean of outdoor writers Homer Circle, along with Gary Loomis, a gentleman who revolutionized rod making and a duo of extraordinary billfishermen which include Dr. Ruben Jaén and Capt. Peter B. Wright.

Sierra Trading Post

Salmon Brings Own Wine to Dinner

This story reported on SonomaNews.com would be pretty unbelievable had I not already been witness to an angler catching a full bottle of Killian's Irish Red beer on a cat fishing trip.

This fish isn't fighting much," he was heard to say.Eventually he brought in a king salmon that weighed more than 18 pounds - no doubt a record for Lake Shasta. Adding to the weight of the monster fish were two small bottles (tenths) of wine in its stomach.

Ok, so it was all just an inventive prank. However, you have to admire the creativity.

The Killian's story is true.

Sockeye Wine (also true) is distributed by Precept Brands.

Now we all have an excuse...

This article and photo from the Daily Mail explains the reason you see so many fly anglers hung up in the trees:

It's one of the golden rules of the natural world – birds live in trees, fish live in water.
The trouble is, no one bothered to tell the mangrove killifish.
Scientists have discovered that it spends several months of every year out of the water and living inside trees.

Trout Drought Strikes Virginia

My recent business trip to Virginia indicated that the Commonwealth is just as parched as our home state. Bill Cochran's latest article in the Roanoke Times tells us that the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries is limiting the trout stocking until the rains come.

Over 90 percent of the trout streams we have would be unstockable,” said Gary Martel, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries fish chief.
Many trout that should have been stocked this month remain in hatcheries, and that creates a double whammy. When streams are low, hatcheries water sources also are in short supply, Martel said. The result is a need to move trout out of hatcheries with few places available to accommodate them.

North Carolina has also taken similar steps.

New Texas Largemouth Bass Record

If only they had weighed it and not filleted it.....

Recently that's what happened to a largemouth bass from a private lake in Fannin County, which died despite the angler's efforts to keep it alive. The angler guesstimated the fish's weight at 21 pounds-which would have been a new state record-before filleting it.

The article in the Beaumont Enterprise also tells us about a unique Texas program:

Each year from Oct. 1 until April 30, TPWD accepts largemouth bass weighing 13 pounds or more into the ShareLunker program to be used in a selective breeding program aimed at producing bigger bass in Texas.

Think stud farm for largemouth bass. What a life for a lunker.

Fringe benefits

Of traveling to Roanoke on business.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

How to SELL sunglasses...

Lance Miller of Panoptx demonstrates his product's durability. He is a master of the hard sale.

Ed Dentry on the FFR Show

Ed Dentry of the Rocky Mountain News prints his views of this year's Fly Fishing Retailer Show. He points out the one thing that might actually help our sport grow:

The wisest also have figured out that price tags for the basics need to come down if the ancient sport is to continue recruiting newcomers - especially children.
It is gratifying to see that happen. An obvious trend at the show was the appearance of more quality fly rods, reels and combination sets priced for modest budgets.

He also makes points out some of his favorite items from the show.

I always feel like somebody's watching me...

The next time you are standing waist deep in your favorite fishing hole and you get the feeling that you are being watched you might want to take a close look at those damselflies hovering overhead.

PopSci.com reports about a Washington Post story saying that some folks think the government has already developed tiny robo-insectoid-spies that are watching our every move.

"I heard someone say, 'Oh my god, look at those,' " the college senior from New York recalled. "I look up and I'm like, 'What the hell is that?' They looked kind of like dragonflies or little helicopters. But I mean, those are not insects." Out in the crowd, Bernard Crane saw them, too.

"I'd never seen anything like it in my life," the Washington lawyer said. "They were large for dragonflies. I thought, 'Is that mechanical, or is that alive?"

NFFC Coverage

We found a few additional items in the press about the recent National Fly Fishing Championship in Denver, Colorado.

The Denver Post mentions North Carolina Angler and US Fly Fishing Team member, Josh Stevens.

Josh Stephens, a slow-talking, fast-catching Fly Fishing Team USA member who won the silver medal in the event, offered this example of the sort of results that come from practiced angling intensity.

"You hear a local guy say nobody can catch more than five fish on a certain beat," the Robbinsville, N.C., resident said. "You leave with 23 and he says, 'No way."'

Even if a recreational angler never intends to poke a cleated toe into a fishing tournament, he would do well to pay attention to the lessons that shine through the competition.

Josh's fellow southern anglers will take the "slow-talking" part as some sort of strange compliment.

Via Midcurrent and GJSentinel.com we learn that US Fly Fishing Team Coach Jack Dennis and Polish angler Vladi Trzebunia were involved in a SUV accident:

Reports say their SUV was demolished after rolling twice. Inside the vehicle, Dennis and Trzebunia had to dodge flying computers, cameras and fly-fishing equipment, but both escaped relatively unscathed.

“Well, I’m a little sore still and I took three days off to recover, but I’m alive and kicking so it’s all good,” said Dennis this week from his store in Jackson. “I’m having an MRI just to make sure, but I think I’ll be OK.”

They are both well on the road to recovery.

He said Trzebunia went fishing for a couple of days to recuperate, mentally and physically, and both expect to be around for the next U.S. Fly Fishing Team get-together set for November in Pagosa Springs.

People actually buy this stuff?

In an effort that can only be described as shameless self promotion we ask the question, "Who would by this stuff?" about our very own, "I Tell Lies About Fishing" tee shirt, available via cafe' press. We like to refer to the design as minimal in nature.

We can only assume the previous purchasers have had slightly more good taste than the ones who bought our FlyFishMagazine "NYMPH" ladies thong panties. Let's just say that due to this item's minimal design there are some very happy anglers in the world.

FlyfishMagazine.com: doing our part to keep the angler of the world happy.

We are perplexed ...

by what comes up when we type www.FlyFishingclub.com into our browser. It appears to lead to some sort of digital version of the service station punch board. It is also the very last entry under the search term Fly Fishing on Google, making it the end of the fly fishing Internet as we know it.

Fly Fishing People: Pete - Going ugly early

Pete McDonald of the Fishing Jones Blog is giving us lots of ideas for our next business trip to Florida (hopefully later this month). He keeps hooking up with Snakehead and Peacock Bass.

The fishporn above makes for a great picture, but it is another photo that gets Pete our award for the best photo on a fishing blog thus far in 2007. Click to view this great shot in his post about fishing his home water. We hope he has this one framed over his desk at Boating Magazine.

Stream Access Issues: Read'em and Weep

Our Dad told us that when your friends are in the middle of a fight there is only one course of action. You take off your rings and jump in the middle of it with them. Our comrade and fellow fly fishing blogger, Tom Chandler of Trout Underground fame, is currently involved in just such a fight over stream access on his home water, the upper Sacramento River.

It seems that a resolution happy county board of supervisors went off the deep end and has crafted a so called "Natural Resource Policy" that declares all of the rivers in the county non-navigable. This would effectively prevent public access to the stream bed between the high water marks and give ownership of the river to land owners on either side. In addition to the stream access issue the resolution all but endorses suction dredge mining in the stream bed and says that they feel it has no impact on fisheries.

Read Tom's excellent post about the subject and be sure to make use of the email addresses that he provides to express your opinion to the appropriate parties. This is just the sort of thing that can make an impact on the question of stream access

Drought worse on big trout in the Smokies

This article on Knoxville, TN television station WVLT's website says that big fish are taking the brunt of the drought in the Great Smoky Mountians National Park.

"What we found actually is the numbers of fish per mile were actually a little better than average this year. What we didn't see is bigger fish," said Bob Miller, spokesman for the National Park."

It might be a while before things get back to normal.

"If we saw natural or normal water conditions again this fall, we'd be back at a normal size distribution in about two years," said Miller

On another note, the same article has a quote from a visitor to the GSMNP that caught our eye:

"We got bites and I caught two trout that size, honest to God. And one that was eating the worm. I didn't even get him on my hook," said Busick.

We can only hope that if he was fishing in the park he was using an artificial worm.

DVD Review: Roll Cast Productions - "Fishizzle"

Fly fishing video often tells the story of a person who forsakes the work-a-day world of the corporate stiff and heads off into the wilderness in search of fishing adventure. These movies make us poor corporate lackeys wonder what life might be like were we to ditch the world of 9 to 5 to seek our living as a fishing guide in the Alaskan bush. "Fishizzle" from Rollcast Productions might be described as the "flip side" of the typical fly fishing film.

Fishizzle tells the story of Steve, an angler who has worked as a fishing guide in Alaska for several years. His days are filled with tall tales, giant rainbow trout, and his fellow guides and fishing buddies. In short he is living his dream. As in all great tragedies, our hero awakens from this dream after a "brutal boat crash" and is forced to make a decision to either stay with his dream job or head back to civilization and start the makings of a proper career. Steve does the responsible thing and finds himself clad in a plaid and smack dab in the middle of city life with a job at Wooligans, "Your winter outfitter."

Steve's days at Wooligans just can't live up to the excitement and freedom of his "previous life" so he spends much of his time away from work reviewing his collection of fly fishing video footage and wishing he could find a way to make a a career of fishing. Along the way to his goal our hero must contend with a boss who thinks that his "head isn't in the wool," a bizarre lure salesman's infomercials, rivers filled with rafters and rowdy kids, and his responsibilities as a boyfriend. All of these things seeming to conflict with his love of fishing.

In Fishizzle! Steve Apple does something new in the world of fly fishing video. He manages to provide the compulsory fish porn (with some great pictures of big fish being caught) along with an great soundtrack, while at the same time telling an excellent story in a hilarious fashion. It is a proverbial breath of fresh air for your DVD player.

Fishizzle is available from Rollcast Productions via their online store for $19.95. We at FlyfishMagazine.com think that you won't be disappointed.

ESPN's Don Barone: TunaMaster Skeet

ESPN's Don Barone has been fishing again. This time he takes his "butt replacement doctor" and 2007 BASS Angler of the year (AOY) Skeet Reese on a tuna fishing trip.

Picture this: I'm sitting on the rail/facing/whatever the front of the boat is called, and in my hand (running parallel to the back of the boat), is this fully-loaded tackle thing with a fairly peeved 30-pound fish swimming away as fast as it can from the exact spot where I'm sitting, feet dangling, just minding my own non-fishing-at-the-moment business.
And Skeet then lets GO of the rod.

Mac, too far away to save what he calls "his hips" (implanted in me, mind you) can only stare.
Santini and the Captain are frozen in space — I, unfortunately, am not.

Somehow, in a momentary alignment of the fish planets, the striper seems to sense the AOY isn't holding the stick anymore. And that in some stroke of luck the MOY (Moron of the Year) is now controlling his bass fate, and so it pops into fish fifth gear, which completely swings me around, stands me straight up, and frankly almost over the damned Skip-A-Dory side.

Behind me, Skeet is laughing, running around looking for a camera. I manage to get my other hand around and onto the rod at about the same time the fish realizes the stupid one is actually at the other end of the line. And so he dives. Straight down.

My left leg and $23,413.37 hip comes off the ground. Out loud I curse Steve Bowman, knowing that somehow this must be his pet fish about to drown me.

Then Skeet says "Here, put it in your groin."

Read the rest of the story at ESPN.com Photo Credit Don Barone.

Outside my office window...

And not helping at all.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Pesticide spill near Helton Creek

A pesticide spill from a farm on a tributary of North Carolina delayed harvest stream, Helton Creek could have spelled disaster for some freshly stocked trout. However quick action by the farmer and local emergency services may have saved the day.

Lansing Volunteer Fire Department Safety Officer Richard Kirrstetter said eight members of the department, including himself, Chief Everett Adams and Incident Commander Jackie Reedy and five other volunteer members, responded to a call from a Christmas tree farmer when a 250-gallon tank of pesticide fell off a trailer and spilled into Fees Branch.

The fire department members drained Fees Branch and blocked it with hay and straw bales to prevent the pesticide from traveling downstream into Helton Creek.

The Warrensville Haz-Mat team was on standby but did not have to be called in.“Lansing did a great job and Incident Commander Jackie Reedy called in the right people,” said Kirrstetter. “It turned out to be picture perfect for a Haz-Mat situation.”

Thank goodness for haz-mat teams.

New Income for Fishing Villages

What's the latest cottage industry in small island fishing villages? They call it hunting the "white lobster."

Monday Morning Deals

It's Monday morning so while you recuperate at your desk check out our weekend coverage of the National Fly Fishing Championship, and also be sure to look at a few of the Monday morning deals that we've managed to net for the month of October.



Sierra Trading post brings 10% off your order of $79 or more while offering an additional 20% off winter sport items. Remember we do the sorting for you and put all of "the Post's" fishing gear in one place on FlyFishMagazine.com's deals on gear page. (hint: check out their selection of deeply discounted fly rods from Albright.) Just come back here and use the coupon above to make your purchase.

Here is a deal from Thompson Cigars that will keep you in quality smokes for quite a while. At only a buck a cigar we couldn't resist this deal. Get them now before the fat cats in D.C. tax them further.

As is our custom, we thank you for supporting our affiliate partners.

NFFC: Final Results

The 2007 National Fly Fishing Championship is in the books. George Daniel of Pennsylvania took the top spot with Carolina anglers Josh Stevens and Eddie Pinkston taking the silver and bronze medals respectively.


George Daniel - Gold Medal Winner (Mark lance Photo)


Josh Stevens - Silver Medal Winner (John Crane photo)


Eddie Pinkston - Bronze Medal Winner (John Crane photo)

Competitor Name
1. Daniel, George
2. Stephens, Josh
3. Pinkston, Edward S.
4. Erickson, Pete ©
5. Naranja, Anthony ©
6. Robertson, Scott ©
7. Sexton, Mike
8. Lumsdon, Graham
9. Courtoreille, Terence
10. Egan, Lance
11. Williams, Loren
12. Kimmel, Brian
13. Walter Ungerman
14. Bishop, Brett
15. Roberts, John
16. Maktima, Norman
17. Kolanda, Rob
18. Olsen, Devin
19. Croucher, Andy (Captain/Mgr)
20. Ricks, Jake

Photo's used with permission Colorado Trout Unlimited.

The National Championship is sponsored by Colorado Trout Unlimited and the associated Trout Unlimited Chapters in the State of Colorado. It is also supported by many commercial fly fishing companies locally and nationally, including the American Fly Fishing Tackle Association.

NFFC Standings: Day 2

**UPDATE** final standings will be released Saturday (10-6-2007) at 12 noon Mountain Time.

Here are the individual standings through Thursday for the National Fly Fishing Championship near Boulder, Colorado.

1. Stephens, Josh
2. Erickson, Pete
3. Lumsdon, Graham
4. Daniel, George
5. Pinkston, Edward S.
6. Williams, Loren
7. Sexton, Mike
8. Robertson, Scott ©
9. Naranja, Anthony ©
10. Walter Ungerman
11. Courtoreille, Terence
12. Maktima, Norman
13. Galvin, Chris
14. Kimmel, Brian
15. Egan, Lance

We aren't too biased, (OK maybe we are) but it sure is nice to see a North Carolina angler atop the list! Check back often as we continue coverage throughout the weekend.

NFFC Update: Josh Stevens

Making the Catch

Running to get it scored

Now back to work!

North Carolina's own Josh Stevens is shown here getting the job done during day 2 of the competition. Josh helped put on the Southeast Regional and also helped conduct the North Carolina Fly Fishing Team's "Big fish Boot Camp."

Let's just say Josh is a local favorite around here. We have it on good authority that during this session Josh caught five score able fish on five casts in succession.

Our next post will have the Standings after day two. Lets just say that Josh is doing very well.

Photo Credit: John B. Crane

http://www.johncranephotography.com/

jbcrane.zenfolio.com

Used with permission of Mr. Crane and Colorado Trout Unlimited.