Friday: Gone Fishing

Credit crunch and housing crisis be darned, I am taking a vacation day and going fishing. With any luck as you read this I will be de-stressed and standing at least knee deep in an icy Carolina trout stream.

In my absence be sure to check out today's additions to our exclusive 2007 Holiday Gift Guide. Today's lucky gear purveyors include Panoptx polarized fishing glasses, ExOfficio boxer shorts, and gear from the anglers at Reel Pure.

2007 Gift Guide Part III: Editor's Picks

It is still very much a work in progress but I have posted the third segment of FlyFishMagazine.com's 2007 Holiday Gift Guide. For my personal picks, I have tried to choose items that represent an excellent value for the fly angler regardless of price point. So far this includes luggage and gift items for the fly fisher from Filson and a very nice wading jacket from Patagoina.

Look for more "Editor's Choice" items tomorrow.

Wednesday Links

A splitting headache kept me from getting part three of our holiday gift guide out last night so I thought I would point you to some of our fellow bloggers recent postings:

Those troublemakers over at the new Buster Wants to Fish blog have published a list of 25 of the "The most pathetic things a fly fisherman can do." They get only a small argument from us as to number 23.

23. Edit, author or contribute to a fly fishing “blog”

However, we hope that the flaming skull warrior we are painting on our personal pontoon boat will help offset our lameness. (see #22).

Our Moldy pals at the Chum bring us a fishing guide that probably stays booked up during most of the warm months.

Tom Chandler over at the Trout Underground shows that he cares for the water safety of swimsuit clad fisher women with his recent inflatable bikini post.

Peacock bass fishing Pete from Fishing Jones lets us know that Donald Trump Jr. is going to be hosting a fly fishing show. Reports are that anglers who do not cast properly will be "fired."

Hopefully the BC powders will kick in soon and I can get back to work on the 2007 gift guide.

2007 Gift Guide Part II: Paisley's Picks

We continue our coverage of FlyFishMagazine.com's 2007 Holiday Gift Guide with today's picks from our tail water editor and Fly Fishing DIY Project guru, Jeff Paisley.

Jeff must be feeling the chill at his home in the Carolina mountains as two of his picks from this year have to do directly with staying warm while fishing his favorite tailraces. Like all good fly anglers he finishes his list big with a shiny new Tibor fly reel. Click here to see what gear caught Jeff's eye for this Christmas season.

Stay tuned through out the week for more gear guides from the staff of FlyFishMagazine.com.

In case you missed it here is a link to Jay Moore's picks.

Just for kicks here's what the gang picked in 2006.

A Successful Outfitter Must Have:

An article at BlueRidgeNow.com about Headwaters Outfitters in Rosman North Carolina, who has been in business for 15 years, offers a few suggestions:

The business plans to soon break ground on a new 3,200-square-foot paddle and fly shop."It's going to more than triple our retail space and it's going to have a lodge-like feel to it," said Nathaniel Axtell, director of fly fishing programs. "It's going to be keeping with the sort of ambiance we want to create, which is sort of a rustic mountain feel."Besides rods, reels, flies and gear, the fly shop will include a stone hearth fireplace, "an old hound dog lying around, and a fresh pot of coffee on the wood stove," he said."There's a lot of fly shops in this area, and we're not trying to necessarily replicate what they're doing," Axtell said.He said they're trying to differentiate by being a "one-stop shop, if you will, for the hiker, the paddler, the fly fisherman and the spin fisherman.

It looks like they might just be on to something.

Cyber Monday: FlyFishMagazine's 2007 Holiday Gift Guide

Around this time each year we ask the editorial team from FlyFishMagazine.com to stop fishing long enough to let us know what fly fishing products they would like to find under their Christmas tree. Not that we plan on buying any of it for them but it makes for good insight into what goes on in the twisted minds of the die hard anglers we run with.

The resulting list of gear has either become one of the most exclusive compendiums of holiday gift giving goodness in the fly fishing industry or a great tool for showing our wives and loved ones what we want for Christmas.

We start things off this year with gear picks from Jay "The Salomon Wrestler" Moore. Jay's picks run the gamut from limited edition Orvis trout knives to tropical shirts by Tommy Bahama. At the end of this email he dropped the real bombshell. It seems that our middle Tennessee piscatorial guru has himself been hooked and reeled in and is getting married in early 2008. Congratulations to Jay and Tammy!

View Jay's gear picks via FlyFishMagazine.com's 2007 Gift Guide.

Stay tuned for more picks from the other FlyFishMagazine.com editors later this week.

New Link Added: Flyfish Fanatic Blog

We have added a new sidebar link to the Flyfish Fanatic Blog written by Vancouver, BC author and angler Rick Passek. Rick is the owner of RP3 Fishing Adventures is sure to have some great insight on fly fishing in British Columbia. Rick has also penned a book titled "The Freshman Fly Fisher - A beginners guide for a new generation."

From the About Rick Passek portion of his website:

Of his passion for the sport, Rick says, “I am a die-hard fisherman who truly loves Fly Fishing.” This has led him to take numerous classes in both Fly casting and Entomology, or the scientific study of insects (key in helping fishermen understand the food sources of the fish they’d like to catch and sometimes release).

Sounds like good people to us.

Black Fly-Day

You know who you are, left at home doing yard work while your spouse spends the day after Thanksgiving draining the bank account shopping for Black Friday deals.

You don't have to just sit there and take it. While your significant other is standing in lines with the thousands of other shopping drones, you can be raiding the cookie jar and taking advantage of our Black Fly-Day deals on fly fishing and outdoor gear. Grab a turkey sandwich and a cold one and start clicking on banners!




Sierra Trading post is changing up their offer all this week so be sure and check back in from time to time. Remember we have links to Sierra's entire inventory of fishing gear at FlyFishMagazine.com. Be sure to come back here and use the coupon above to seal the deal.




The guys and gals at Joe's sports won't be left out either as they are offering big bucks off orders from their online store for two days only. The more you spend, the more you save!




Overstock.com has partnered with PayPal to offer you 20% cash back when you spend $100 or more for a limited time.



Finally, after all that hard work shopping in your underwear, nothing hits the spot like a high quality cigar. Take advantage of one of Thompson Cigar's excellent package deals.

Turkey

Sage, Redington, Rio unite to help save Bristol Bay

Big names in the world of fly fishing gear have announced their next step in the fight to save Bristol Bay, Alaska from the peril of open pit mining. Press release follows:

Bainbridge Island, Washington - The threat of a massive hard rock and open pit mining district in Bristol Bay has sparked three of the most recognizable names in fly fishing to come together for a fundraiser for Trout Unlimited Alaska.

Sage Manufacturing, Redington Tackle & Apparel, and RIO Products International are creating a special ready-to-fish outfit that will be released by April 2008. Only 300 limited edition outfits will be produced.

The outfit will come with a Sage Z-Axis 9-foot 8-weight rod and a Redington moss-colored CD 7/8 reel pre-spooled with RIO Gold fly line. A case will also be included, which will be embroidered with a unique graphical slogan, “More Precious Than Gold – Save Bristol Bay”. Purchased separately, this outfit would retail for more than $875. The companies plan to retail this special outfit for $600. It will be available to purchase directly from Sage, through Redington.com, and through their authorized dealer network.

From each outfit sold, Sage, Redington and RIO will donate $200 to Trout Unlimited Alaska. Through a special dealer program, any authorized dealer will have the opportunity to match the corporate donation. Total anticipated donation, which will be earmarked for campaign activities dealing with the Bristol Bay mining district as well as production, marketing and distribution of the film Red Gold, will be between $60,000 – $120,000.

The 9-foot 8-weight Z-Axis is one of the most popular and sought after rods Sage currently produces. Because of this, Sage will commit one entire production day to manufacture the 300 rods for the outfits. Redington reels will be spooled with RIO fly line in-house by distribution staff, and a special informational brochure will be developed and inserted by the marketing & sales staff.

“We’re dedicating one day for this cause so our entire company will feel involved in the campaign. Employees on the production floor don’t often get the opportunity to get involved on a public level, so this is an opportunity for them to do so. They will know that every rod, reel or case they touch that day will be for a great cause, and that sales will help Trout Unlimited Alaska fight mining development in this special region,” states Marc Bale, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, “The health and vitality of sport fishing in Bristol Bay, Alaska is important for our businesses. Keeping this ecosystem intact is important to our industry.”

Sage, Redington and RIO are appropriately calling this event “One Day For Bristol Bay”

To date, Sage, Redington and RIO have donated more than $10,000 for public and media awareness and the production of a new documentary about the region, entitled Red Gold, about the Bristol Bay fishery.

For More Information: www.savebristolbay.org

Catching the River God's Daughter

National Geographic is doing a feature on Megafishes and just recently got around to the world's largest trout, Hucho tiamen of Mongolia.

This fish is not like other trout and salmon species," said Zeb Hogan, a fisheries biologist with the University of Reno in Nevada.

Waist-deep in the clear, fast-moving waters of the Eg, Hogan prepared to release a newly tagged, 44-inch-long (112-centimeter-long) taimen back into the river.
The fish, which takes up to nine years to fully mature, can live for 50 years, said Hogan, who is a National Geographic Society Emerging Explorer. (National Geographic News is owned by the National Geographic Society.)

"We only see a few animals this size per mile in the river, so if you remove one of them, it's going to take a long time before it can be replaced," he said.

For additional information and a unique view on fly fishing for Tiamen check out the AEG Media blog, Trout Bum Diaries, which chronicles the making of their latest film.

Media Reference: Fly Fisher = Financier?

In Barron's: an article about financier Scott Amero and looking for bargains in a down credit market.

Bargain-hunting when credit conditions are uncertain and markets relatively illiquid isn't for the faint of heart. But Amero, born and raised in Maine, is the model of an unflappable New Englander. "He seems like a calm, patient, very analytical guy," says Morningstar's Jones. "That will probably serve him well in making his way through the current market environment."

Amero's favorite pastime suggests he's both patient and persistent. An avid fly-fisherman, his idea of a great vacation is a fishing trip with his family, including all four children, ages nine to 17. "You've got to be stubborn and lucky in fly-fishing," he says.

The same is true in today's credit markets, where investment banks are looking for opportunities to convert some $300 billion in bridge financing for leveraged buyouts into longer-term leveraged loans and junk bonds.

Perhaps our skills are being wasted....

Jeff Paisley on the good kind of teardrops.

Many of you have followed Jeff Paisley's teardrop camper project on this blog. Jeff sends us this article that he wrote about the process:

TEARDROPS – THE ULTIMATE OUTDOOR RETREAT

I started discussing building a teardrop camper a couple of years ago with my old friend from flyfishmagazine. He liked to make jokes about "those little campers", but I had a feeling, teardrops would be the perfect camping machine for us fish crazy people. After researching a number of designs I was set to start building my first Teardrop.

The design I longed to build was the vintage 1937, 4’ x 8’ Teardrop. First I had to find a set of plans. Next, I reviewed them and customized the plans to fit my needs. Then I started out on the scavenger hunt of a lifetime. Once completed, I had all the needed materials to build my Teardrop. After three and a half months of working on the weekends and missing a few fishing trips, the Teardrop was ready for it’s first voyage. My wife and I loaded the little camper and headed for the Blue Ridge Parkway where we spent a couple of wonderful nights.

We setup camp in about five minutes. We just backed the Teardrop in and popped the hatch. Wow! How easy is that? As we set around the campfire, we discussed how effortlessly camping had become with the Teardrop. By now it was time to turn in for the night. The next morning was met with great enthusiasm. My wife loved the camper. It was warm, comfortable and relaxing. Making our trip most enjoyable. The amount of room in the Teardrop was amazing to. There was enough room to move in the cabin without disturbing each other.

The next night the temperature dropped to 35 degrees and the wind was blowing about 20 mph. It was very chilly so we turned in early. Once we entered the Teardrop and closed the door, it was like sitting in your living room. The howling wind couldn't penetrate the walls, leaving the Teardrop warm and relaxing. In minutes we were fast asleep in the comfort of our new little camper. The next morning when I woke up I knew the Teardrop was the ultimate fishing retreat because of all the advantages it brings to the table.

Teardrops are great little campers with many purposes but I would suggest them for the avid fisherman like myself. It only took one trip for me to understand how great these little campers are. There is little set up time involved, allowing more time on the water. The comfort is unparalleled by any tent, air mattress and sleeping bag. You wake up refreshed and ready to go fight those big fish again. Another advantage of this style of camper is it can be towed by small cars with little effort. Because the camper only weighs 700 pounds, it also doesn't impact gas mileage very much, if any? Maybe one of the greatest advantages is you can park it almost anywhere. The numerous advantages of the Teardrop sure outweigh the small size of these units. I’ll be a Teardrop owner for many years to come. Hope to see you out on the Teardrop trail one day. If you have questions about Teardrops please let me know and I’ll try to help if possible.

Here is a link to all of our coverage of Jeff's build. Remember if you are a fly fisher who is into DIY let us know about your project.

When you only have one fly....

...you might have to do some pretty wild things to keep it. Dave Strege of the OCregister writes about strange behavior on the creek bank during the annual Jackson Hole One Fly Tournament.
One fly-fisher stripped his clothes off and swam naked into the river to retrieve his fly that got snagged.

Another stood on the shoulders of the guide and used pruning shears to cut down the branch where his fly was lodged.

A lucky one hooked a big fish that snapped his line, losing fish and fly, only to wait five minutes before the fly somehow dislodged from the trout's mouth and popped to the surface. He netted it — the fly, that is.

Here is a link to this year's results.

Friday Videos

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

Patent 1,815,568: The New Yokk Fly Box

NEW YOKK FLY BOX L. JACQMEIN


NEW YOKK FLY BOX L. JACQMEIN

Abel Reels Sold to New York Investor Group

FlyFish.com is reporting that Abe; Automatics, Inc.

A small group of private investors has acquired Abel Automatics, Inc. manufacturers of precision machined fly-fishing reels and fishing accessories, announced Don R. Swanson, president and chief operating officer. New York-based Abel Holdings LLC assumed control of the company Nov. 9.

Read the rest of the article here.

Visit AbleReels.com where they currently are selling discontinued product.

Shucks

NAISSANCE D_UNE EPHEMERE
envoyé par grand

Tip of the hat to Peddler from the SEFFF for pointing this one out.

Ross Worldwide announces 6 weight Essence Fly Rod

Here at FlyFishMagazine.com we are all about good quality, inexpensive fly fishing equipment. We feel that if our sport is to continue to grow, companies will have to come forth with products that offer exceptional value. After all, most novice fly anglers (and cheapskates like me) will rarely try a new sport that requires several hundred dollars worth of equipment from the start. Ross Worldwide was one of the first companies to realize this and do something about it with their Essence line of quality, affordable fly rods. Now we are pleased to see them introduce a 6 weight to the product line. Here is their press release:

Ross adds 6wt. to the Essence Series Fly Rods
Essence FS, Essence FC and Essence FW 690-4 Rods available January 2008

Ross Worldwide is pleased to announce that we are expanding the Essence rod series with the addition of a 9 foot 6 weight model in each of the three series -FS, FC and FW. The new 6 weight models will be available January 1, 2008.

Ross Worldwide worked with Mel Krieger on the development of the Essence series rods. All three series are manufactured with a "Ross Exclusive" proprietary graphite design, resulting in rods that are smooth casting, sensitive and precise. The Essence series fly rods carry line effortlessly when casting in close, or reaching out to far away targets. All three series are powerful and sturdy, yet light enough to minimize fatigue with long days on the water.

The Essence series fly rods have been assigned graphite designations of R-1, R-2 and R-3 to highlight design differences. While the fundamentals of each series remain true to the design, a higher numbered R-Value indicates a slightly more progressive action. All three series are 4-piece rods that ship complete with a rod sock and rod case. The three Essence rod series are priced at just $99.00, $149.00 and $199.00. These fly rods will set a new standard for what an angler should expect from an affordably priced fly rod. For your money, there is not a better value on the market today!

Additional sizes in each Essence series will be available in spring 2008.

For more information about these new rod series, please contact the Ross factory at 970-249-1212 or visit the company online at www.rossreelsworldwide.com.

Ross designed these rods and their tapers with input from Mel Krieger. In our opinion this along with a choice of materials gives them a feel that rivals a more expensive rod. Ross extends the value of these rods by selling them as four piece rods and including a rod case and sock.

Idaho's Silver Creek: Tainted Trout

MontanasNewsStation.com is reporting that a recent study has shown trout in Idaho's Silver Creek fly fishing destination to be contaminated with high levels of mercury.

The study by the U.S. Geological Survey on a sampling of 10 brown trout found the fish contained an average mercury level of .48 parts per million.

Jim Vannoy, program manager at the Idaho Division of Public Health, says that's above the safe level of 0.1.

Some of the fish were taken from The Nature Conservancy's Silver Creek Preserve, a fly fishing destination that draws anglers from around the nation.
The preserve is catch and release, but anglers can keep fish in other parts of the system.

Kurt Finlayson: Inside Competitive Fly Fishing

Kurt Finlayson has written an excellent article for FlyFishMagazine.com about the Western Regional Fly Fishing Teams experiences at the National Fly Fishing Championship in Colorado earlier this year. Kurt's team pulled off what many would call and upset and won the Bronze medal, in the process knocking off international teams from Europe and Canada. Bringing a group of competitive and highly motivated anglers together into a team has its challenges:

Two days before the competition, our entire team met for the first time at a lake for practice. We were stringing up rods and it started; the parking lot turned into a mouth-fight filled with mistrust, anger, and egos fueling the blaze. Other teams watched as we argued and yelled at each other like idiots. Finally, after a few tense moments, all the grievances were voiced and the air cleared. Now, we had a clean slate on which to build a real team. We fished the lake together and talked about how we caught fish. That night we had dinner and the team continued to bond. The next day we practiced on a river and more egos dropped while our attention turned to figuring out the river and its fickle fish.

Read the rest of Kurt's article at Fly FishMagazine.com

We finally found it...

A picture of the laptop that no self respecting fly fishing blogger would post without. Behold the Bamboo laptop via Gizmodo. Just think you can now wear a bamboo shirt andbamboo pants, fish with a bamboo rod, and then blog about it from your bamboo laptop.

Thanks Veterans!

It's posted a bit late in the day but we want to say thanks to all those who serve and have served their country. We appreciate all that you do and have done to protect our freedoms.

On this day of thanks to our veterans we ask that you remember worthy causes such as Project Healing Waters.

TU to Join Stream Access Fight.

Bill Schneider of NewWest.net is reporting that Trout Unlimited has decided to reaffirm its commitment to stream access issues. Or rather a policy that allows its local chapters to join the access fight where they see fit.

“We’ve largely resolved this access flap,” assures Farling in an interview with NewWest.Net, “and we’re back we started.”

At a September meeting in Boise, TU’s Board of Trustees and the National Leadership Council, composed of one member from each state chapter, strongly supported the 2006 policy. In fact, the leadership council voted 29-1 (with New York dissenting) on a resolution brought to the table by Montana Trout Unlimited that re-affirmed the 2006 policy allowing state chapters to intervene in access disputes such as the recent controversy over bridge access points to streams in Montana.

Cue the old light bulb over the head thing.

“Having TU involved in access disputes is actually wildly popular within our organization,” countered Farling. “Basically, we went through this, unnecessary, unproductive, gut-wrenching exercise that we didn’t need to do, and now we are back at square one.”

PANOPTX to Launch New Logo / Brand

From a recent press release from Flip Pallot and the folks at PANOPTX:

PLEASANTON, Calif. (October 31, 2007) -- Panoptx, a leader in high performance eyewear for outdoor, boating, fishing, general sports and snowsports enthusiasts announced today that, effective January 2008, it will launch a new logo, a stylized numeral 7 tied to a new brand 7EYE. Along with the new name comes an emphasis on targeting the next generation of consumers looking for performance combined with style that easily transitions from the rigors of outdoor activity to stylish everyday use. Products bearing the new logo will be available at retail beginning this January.








Explaining the rationale behind the new name, Panoptx President and CEO Bob Hall noted, “We wanted a name with instant recognition, a logo that would stand out, a domain name that people could spell, a name with youthful energy and attitude. We found that combination with the logo and brand.” To the question, “Why 7?,” Hall replied , “At 7EYE, we create eyewear that helps consumers see all seven colors in the spectrum of visible light. By helping people see the world in all its colors, we give them the freedom to do whatever they want to do better and in greater comfort. We loved the 7EYE logo the moment we saw it,” Hall added.

I am currently in the process of field testing a pair of their sunglasses and have so far been very impressed with their quality, comfort, and performance (a review is in the works).


PANOPTX first started making high quality sunglasses for motorcycle enthusiasts. Their glasses are designed with integrated eye cups and air dams that help prevent dry eyes and limit light leakage from the sides. This unique technology is something that easily translated into the world of the boater and fly fisher.


I can imagine that the spelling of their name without the assumed "i" in Optix has caused them substantial issues in the internet age in which we live.


Additional Info from the release:


The first Panoptx frames bearing the 7EYE logo are already being introduced as Seven Eye by Panoptx Limited Edition III series to the motorcycle market, where Panoptx is a leading brand. “The reception by dealers and consumers in this market has been exceptional, indicating that the future looks bright for 7EYE,” continued Hall.

“The introduction of 7EYE is the beginning of a new platform for product development,” notes Hall. “We have new eyecup technology and new frame designs due to roll out in 2008 that will clearly separate us in a very competitive market from the wanna-bes. We are creating a solid foundation for brand expansion and sales growth, and with new styles and new technology in the pipeline, 7EYE by Panoptx will fuel that growth.”


Link to the PANOPTX website.


Link to our previous coverage of this brand.

Blue water bacon on the fly?

Break out the 10 weights folks, the hogs are running off the coast of Hawaii:

As the small fishing boat headed for shore at Kahana Bay, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. However, on closer inspection, the catch of the day was not seafood. It was pork.
"We just hooked up with a fish. As soon as we got it off, I looked over and Aaron was, I thought he was yelling 'fish, fish!' When I looked to my right, it was 'pig, pig!' There was a pig just swimming straight out to sea," fisherman Tyson Pualoa said.

Of course this leads us to wonder what kind of fight one might expect from Porky on the fly? In our humble opinion, a hook up with Bacon would be a shoe in for slab of the month from our pals at Moldy Chum.

Send An Email - Save River Access

Our pal Tom Chandler over at the Trout Underground blog, urgently needs your help in his battle to protect access rights on his home water. He is fighting a county government body that wants to declare his home water non-navigable. This means that anglers would lose their right to wade the river between the high water marks.

The vote on this matter is set for next Tuesday and at present it appears that the measure will pass. Tom is asking that you take 90 seconds to copy and paste an email to the parties involved to let them know how you feel about the subject of taking away stream access.

Here is a link to Tom's post with the contact info. Don't think this sort of thing couldn't happen on rivers all across the country including your favorite fishing hole.

In the interest of getting the word out we are also posting a copy of Tom's request:

Here’s What’s Gotta Happen

I need as little as 90 seconds of your time. My only admonition? Be polite! You’ll see why below.
You’re simply going to email three of the supervisors and also “cc” the county clerk (and copy me).

Why the clerk? To make sure these emails become part of the official record, which may not have happened to your earlier emails. (How’s that make you feel?)

Michael Kobseff (mkobseff@co.siskiyou.ca.us)
Bill Overman (bandm@nctv.com)
LaVada Erickson (erickson5031@sbcglobal.net)
Colleen Setzer, County Clerk (csetzer@co.siskiyou.ca.us)
Trout Underground (tom.chandler@gmail.com)

Here’s What We Need to Say

We’re going to stick to the basics. No need to clutter your e-mail with anything beyond your name and the issues that matter. If you’ve only got 45 seconds, then simply cut and paste my bullet points, add your name and a closing line, and mail away.

If you’ve got a couple minutes, rewrite my stuff so the supervisors can’t devalue your effort by calling it a “form letter campaign.”

Still, what counts here is volume. If we can send the fisher-friendly supervisor into that meeting room with 100 emails — if we can jam the Supervisor’s packets with a triple-digit outpouring of “the public is watching you” — we might be able to turn this thing.

Maybe.

Here are the bullet points:

The Proposed Natural Resources Plan and Committee damages Siskiyou County’s sustainable, renewable tourist economy. Fishermen won’t come here, even if just the Scott and Shasta Rivers are declared non-navigable (though the plan clearly includes “all” rivers in the county). When half the County’s tourist-related businesses start suffering, what will the Board of Supervisors do?

The Proposed Natural Resources Plan and Committee Ordinance avoids public comment. Modoc County invested eight months writing their plan, and held a half-dozen public meetings. Siskiyou County’s draft policy document shuns public input, and was apparently written by one person — who somehow retains the “right” to accept or decline public comment. How is that good public process?

The Proposed Natural Resources Plan practically guarantees expensive, wasteful legal challenges. Despite one supervisor’s protestations to the contrary, a half hour of research makes it clear the Scott, Shasta, Upper Sacramento and McCloud Rivers qualify as “navigable” under Federal and State definitions. It’s also clear that all rivers not designated non-navigable are to be considered navigable (not vice versa). Why are we essentially asking for lawsuits — which the county will lose?

Any suggestions the navigability of rivers “was frozen at statehood” ignores the Fall River decision (and others), where attempts to impede public access to navigable rivers were thrown back by lawsuits.


Don’t use abusive or accusatory language (two of the names on the list above are our friends). One supervisor’s been whining about the small number of nasty emails (the same guy who cryptically accuses Trout Underground e-mail writers of being “misinformed” — and repeatedly characterized your public input as “bizarre and irrational”).

The only whining they get to do comes after they’ve lost their attempt to run you off “their” rivers.

Otherwise, Supervisor Marcia Armstrong — who’s already trying to pack the Natural Resources Committee with her hand-picked cronies; who is already deciding which public comments are acceptable; and who wrote this ridiculous, illegal natural resource policy — will win.

And we lose.

Also, if you know any business owners up here who depend on fishermen to make a living, then drop them an email. Let them know that their own Board of Supervisors are willing to sacrifice south county businesses so extractive industries can prosper.

That’s the action plan. From here on down is just more fuel for the fire.


FlyfishMagazine.com sent their emails today!. If you need more information about this subject please see Tom's previous postings.

Sierra Trading Post - Free Shipping Coupon

The Christmas shopping season is here and Sierra Trading Post has stepped up with free shipping on orders of $75 or more. Sierra always has some of the best prices on the net so free shipping is a bonus that will make your gift giving dollars go farther. Click the banner above to take advantage of this offer.

On the way...

To the Jacksonville airport I stopped to do some shopping for a wedding anniversary gift.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

You know I bet him

And won!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Wed night in Jax Fla

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Meth Heads Active on The Davidson?

As a warning to our fellow anglers, we have reports are that meth heads have been breaking into cars in the area around the Davidson River and the Pisgah National Forest.

As is their custom, they tend to target the SUV's of folks practicing hobbies requiring expensive equipment. Anglers are advised to leave the excess equipment at home and remove the Winston rod decals from their rear windows.

We are in no way recommending the use of poisonous guard snakes to protect your vehicle.

This is a test....This is only a test...

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

As if one were not enough...

Don't you just hate it when you are about to go out on a fly fishing excersion from your super yacht and you realize that that scamp of a teenager of yours has taken the Bell 407 Chopper without asking? Well never fear, the Nomad of the Seas Extreme Fly Fishing Program has added a 2nd Bell 407 so there will be plenty of remote stream access for the entire family. Just be sure you purchase plenty of carbon offsets.

Nomads of the Seas extreme fly fishing program is adding a few surprises for its second season. Among them are new air – water transportation equipments that will enhance the casting experience.Nomads is on the verge of acquiring a brand new helicopter that will second our existing Bell 407. The aircraft will add more flight hours to the fly fishing program and will allow adventurers to reach deep into Patagonian lands where they will be able to catch immaculate and vigorous trouts.

Afraid of flying? Maybe you should stick to drift boats. The just bought another one to bring their total to a paltry 36.

This sounds like the ideal place to host our annual Fly Fishing Blogger "On Water" Symposium.

South Florida Ditch Fishing

On my recent business trip to South Florida I finally got to make use of the 5 weight travel rod by spending a few minutes at a super secret South Florida urban fishing hole.



It took a few minutes and several missed fish before I got the retrieve just right, but finally I managed a hook up.


My first Peacock bass on the fly.


Me catching hell from some locals who couldn't understand why I was getting my picture made with a such a small fish in front of a drug store. Being dressed business casual while wearing my Reel Pure hat and field testing Panoptx polarized glasses only made matters worse.


Due to a tight schedule I was only able fish for about 20 minutes before it was off to the airport for the flight back to the Carolinas. During that time I caught my first three peacock bass on the fly. I was pretty amazed at how hard they hit the clouser I was fishing. If I wouldn't have had a hard time explaining missing my plane, I would have loved to try some top water poppers on these super aggressive little fish.

Photos: Mark Whitaker
Local Knowledge: The blogger who shall remain nameless.

Zombie Fishing Contest Winner Announced

You might recall that this past Halloween we asked our readers to complete the statement: "You might be fly fishing with a zombie if...."

We received many excellent entries which were judged by the only person at FlyFishMagazine.com who has more authority than the Editor: His beautiful wife.

The winner is Jason Fleming of Hickory, NC. Jason will receive a copy of the excellent Fish Eye Fly Fishing Video Magazine. The caption that caught the wife's lovely blue eyes?

"You might be fly fishing with a Zombie if all he ever wants to fish for are cutthroats."

There were far to many sick and twisted runner ups to mention.

Photo via the Worth1000.com photo shop contest.

We got as far as the lobby
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Excitement followed by disappointment

I stopped by the IGFA Hall of Fame only to find it has been taken over by an itinerant group of Senators and Congressmen for the evening. Only the department of homeland security kept us from talking our way inside.

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Temptation

To ditch work and hit this water hole behind my Ft. Lauderdale hotel. 30 MPH winds from a tropical storm are keeping me honest.
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