Many of you may know that our Middle Tennessee Editor, Jay Moore, is a Texican and thus not one to be long on words. He sends a fishing report in his usual fashion:
Jay-25
Phil-5
Phil-5
Monday, June 30, 2008
We call him the Sultan of Stripe...
Our pal and co-worker from Denver, CO, Ali Hassan, keeps promising to take us fishing for these things he calls "Wipers." After seeing this photo it was all we could do to stay at work and not board the next plane headed West. Ali caught this striper / white bass hybrid fishing an unnamed Nebraska lake. The first fish he hooked spooled him and the one pictured took 10 minutes to land.
Obviously, Ali is not spending enough time in the office.
Simms- Waders to the Stars
Those industry insiders over at PaleMorningMedia dropped us a line today to let us know that their client, and purveyor of fine waders, Simms Fishing, will be the ones keeping William Hurt dry during filming of the movie adaptation of David James Duncan's, "The River Why"
From the text of their release:
Simms part of the scene as "The River Why" begins filming
BOZEMAN, Mont. - Simms Fishing is going on location - in this case Oregon - as cameras start rolling later this week on "The River Why" - a screenplay adaptation of David James Duncan's celebrated novel.
Simms is providing waders, wading boots, technical fishing shirts and other props to the cast, which includes William Hurt and Amber Heard.
In addition to "The River Why" - being directed by Matt Leutwyler - Simms is part of a related project being shot on the set. A documentary by Miranda Bailey (executive producer of The Squid and the Whale) explores the environmental impacts of the movie industry. Bailey will chronicle how "The River Why" tries to remain true to Duncan's environmental ethic. To assist in this quest, Simms is providing wading boots with non-felt soles, which are designed help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.
Early indications out of Hollywood say "The River Why" will be in theaters early in 2009.
If we can talk the guys at PaleMorning Media into sending us some behind the set photo's from the filming, we just might achieve our goal of being the TMZ of Fly Fishing Websites.
Carp 2 - Murdock 0 & Quote of the week
From an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and speaking of the common carp:
"From a fly-fishing standpoint, of all the species I've caught -- and it's considerable -- they're by far the most challenging," said Loughner. "They're the only fish that, whether they're nine pounds or 20 pounds, I'm guaranteed to see my [line] backing."
Saturday morning I hit the road early and drove the five or so miles from my home to the carp hole / bar and grill. I arrived at the location just as the sun was rising and the parking lot was once again deserted. A brief encounter with some active lawn sprinklers was all that stood between me and water that normally holds a large pod of big carp.
The usual holding spots were empty so I began walking the boardwalk all the while scanning the water looking for shadows on the shallow mud flat. Just as I reached the no trespassing sign the limits my range, I saw what had to be a 30 inch fish cruising a break in the flat. He was moving fast and I didn't even get a cast out before he was gone. It was disappointing and promising at the same time.
My next encounter came as I was walking back along the dock. I saw a good sized sunfish scooting out from under the walkway in a big hurry. It was followed shortly by a good sized large mouth bass. I quickly got a lesson in how spooky these fish can be when I saw the big bass visibly flinch the momentI raised my arm to shoot a cast in his direction. A sidearm cast wouldn't have worked in this situation as I had to worry about my backcast clearing the volleyball net behind me. This was going to be harder than I thought.
I got two more shots at carp before I had to head back home. Both times I got the fly in close and the fish moved towards it only to touch the fly with its lips and turn tail and run before I could muster a hook set. I had thought that "deodorizing" my fly by rolling it around in the mud would solve this problem, but I am guessing I still have a lot to learn about this sort of fishing.
I still haven't resorted to the french fry fly but I am getting closer with every unsuccessful trip.
"From a fly-fishing standpoint, of all the species I've caught -- and it's considerable -- they're by far the most challenging," said Loughner. "They're the only fish that, whether they're nine pounds or 20 pounds, I'm guaranteed to see my [line] backing."
Saturday morning I hit the road early and drove the five or so miles from my home to the carp hole / bar and grill. I arrived at the location just as the sun was rising and the parking lot was once again deserted. A brief encounter with some active lawn sprinklers was all that stood between me and water that normally holds a large pod of big carp.
The usual holding spots were empty so I began walking the boardwalk all the while scanning the water looking for shadows on the shallow mud flat. Just as I reached the no trespassing sign the limits my range, I saw what had to be a 30 inch fish cruising a break in the flat. He was moving fast and I didn't even get a cast out before he was gone. It was disappointing and promising at the same time.
My next encounter came as I was walking back along the dock. I saw a good sized sunfish scooting out from under the walkway in a big hurry. It was followed shortly by a good sized large mouth bass. I quickly got a lesson in how spooky these fish can be when I saw the big bass visibly flinch the momentI raised my arm to shoot a cast in his direction. A sidearm cast wouldn't have worked in this situation as I had to worry about my backcast clearing the volleyball net behind me. This was going to be harder than I thought.
I got two more shots at carp before I had to head back home. Both times I got the fly in close and the fish moved towards it only to touch the fly with its lips and turn tail and run before I could muster a hook set. I had thought that "deodorizing" my fly by rolling it around in the mud would solve this problem, but I am guessing I still have a lot to learn about this sort of fishing.
I still haven't resorted to the french fry fly but I am getting closer with every unsuccessful trip.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Reading: Old School Style
As an enlightned angler, does a portion of your reading take place offline using more tradtional media such as books? Do you enjoy the tactile feel of the paper? Do you appreciate a good leather (book) binding? Sometimes, a book without hypertext links or embedded youtube videos can be a very relaxing thing.
When you read real paper books you can scoff at that tool sitting beside you on the beach lamenting the fact that the battery on his laptop just died mid-page.
To this end we provide you with savings from our recommended purveyor of pre-loved books Alibris.
Enter code SEVENTIES at check out for $7 off your order of $70 or more between now and July 20th.
Wanted
From the Northumberland Gazette: (quoted in its entirety to help get the word out)
Stolen fish reward
A REWARD is being offered for information leading to the return of expensive koi carp, and prosecution of the thieves who stole them.
The prize fish went missing from a pond at a house in Boulmer.They included three five-to-six inch silver yellow koi, three 15-16 inch gold and black specimens, a purple and silver variety and two 10-inch goldfish. Solar lights were also stolen in the raid.Anyone with information is asked to contact 03456 043 043, and a reward of £300 is being offered.
A REWARD is being offered for information leading to the return of expensive koi carp, and prosecution of the thieves who stole them.
The prize fish went missing from a pond at a house in Boulmer.They included three five-to-six inch silver yellow koi, three 15-16 inch gold and black specimens, a purple and silver variety and two 10-inch goldfish. Solar lights were also stolen in the raid.Anyone with information is asked to contact 03456 043 043, and a reward of £300 is being offered.
Ok, we admit our theory on who the thief was is sort of hurt by the fact that they also stole the solar lights but it could happen.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Three is the number thou shalt count...
Not exactly fishing related but they do mention carp, and sloths, and breakfast cereal
From the Old School File: BRFFA Photos
These photos were snapped by Zugbug back in the day on a Blue Ridge Fly Fishing Association trip. The water is the New River near Boone, NC and the caster is Chuck Swenderski. No digital photo monkey business here. This shot was taken on good old black and white film.
As I recall this trip my memories include taking some heat from these guys about the patches on my boot foot chest waders and the joy of making a point with by putting a 20+ inch brown trout into the net.
Those were the days...
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Go To Flies: Spaghetti & Meatballs
photo courtesy FishingFliesOnline.com
Today's Baxter Bulletin from Mountain Home, Arkansas and the White River talks about the effectiveness of fishing Spaghetti & Meatballs. I will give you a hint, they are easy to tie.
Even we draw the line somewhere...
Our inner nerd is more than a bit intrigued by the Panasonic Toughbook CF-U1 with its fancy "military grade resistance to the elements." The gear guys at Gizmodo think it just might be perfect for us fly fishing bloggers.
It runs Vista (with XP downgrade option) from a removable 16GB or 32GB SSD, packs tons of wireless options, weighs 2.3 lbs. with two batteries, and runs for 9 hours. If you can get over the teensy 5.6" screen, you got yourself the perfect PC for spelunking, fly fishing or whatever it is you call "extreme."
In our opinion the idea of using the integrated 3g mobile broadband capability to live blog while standing waist deep in a flowing mountain stream could cause the blogosphere to die from shear boredom. Here is how it might go:
6:05 AM Uploading GPS coordinates to fishing reports site ...hotspot verified. Standing here in the river - no real hatch going on tying on attractor pattern.
6:08 AM Darn its hard to tie these knots in low light.
6:09 AM Preparing for first cast
6:10 AM
6:11 AM Hey, I just got a refusal on that cast. Must be something wrong with my drift. I wonder how you do one of those pile casts?
6:11AM Initializing streaming video - connect to FFF certified casting instructor. ....
and you thought cell phones on the river were bad...
Trout for Cancer Research
Via the Associated Press - trout, which are cheaper than rats, are being used in cancer research. We will now post an excerpt using the Associated Press' guideline for bloggers who wish to excercise fair use and quote from the article.
"In some cases, such as.."
"In some cases, such as.."
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Save Patagonia
The younger, much cooler, Murdock (my son) dropped me an email postcard today from the BioGems website. He has been following our coverage of the Pebble Mine issue (and sports a No Pebble Mine pin on his school backpack) and wanted to remind us of another issue going on South of the Equator in Patagonia. He remembers those rivers he saw in the original Trout Bum Diaries I video and was rightly concerned by what he read.
Today, though, two energy companies, Endesa and Colbun, are pushing to build hydro-electric dams on at least half a dozen rivers in Patagonia. The scheme would lay waste to this thriving region, flooding thousands of acres of irreplaceable wildlife habitat. As part of the same plan, Brookfield Consortium, a Canadian company, would clearcut a 1,400-mile swath through five national parks and two wilderness reserves to make way for the world's largest transmission line.
I also pointed him to our friends at Patagonia (the company) who are also involved in this fight. Here is a link to their page about the issue.
In today's mail
From the folks at Sporting Fly Productions comes this weekend's reason to break out the popcorn. Review to follow.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Bamboo: Edward Salad Hands
We are posting these items in homage to our friend Tom Chandler over at the Trout Underground. Tom regularly posts about all things bamboo so we naturally thought about him when we came across the TotallyBamboo.com website. Judging from the following quote on their site, they leave little doubt that the business is be owned by anglers.
We have been bitten by the "bamboo bug". We don't know why but it seems everyone involved in bamboo is so passionate about it - it must be contagious. Bamboo is such a beautiful and useful plant, not to mention an ecologically friendly material.
The items pictured above were designed to toss veggies but we can picture our angling brothers using a set of these "Edward Salad Hands" to cradle a giant wild brown trout. We can only imagine that using bamboo mits to handle your trout will propel your fishing karma to even higher levels than thought possible in your graphite past. Just be sure to wet them first.
Don't Drink The Water
The next time you are fishing and decide to bite your fly off your tippet, instead of using those fingernail clippers (or nippers for you gadget folks) on your vest, you might want to think twice. It seems those rivers that flow through those cow pastures might be carrying something else along with fish and bugs. A recent article in South Carolina's The State.com advises that high levels of Fecal Coliform have been found in the Congaree River.
A site is considered risky when more than 10 percent of samples exceed 400 counts per 100 milliliters of water, officials said. It is one of 18 sites statewide that have warning notices to swimmers.
Levels at the Blossom Street bridge were at 560 and 940 counts, officials said.
Coliform mostly comes from leaky septic tanks, sewer spills and animal droppings, DHEC officials said.
No real surprises here, most country boys and girls realize that a river flowing through even the most scenic pasture land is bound to get a regular dose of cow flop.
A site is considered risky when more than 10 percent of samples exceed 400 counts per 100 milliliters of water, officials said. It is one of 18 sites statewide that have warning notices to swimmers.
Levels at the Blossom Street bridge were at 560 and 940 counts, officials said.
Coliform mostly comes from leaky septic tanks, sewer spills and animal droppings, DHEC officials said.
No real surprises here, most country boys and girls realize that a river flowing through even the most scenic pasture land is bound to get a regular dose of cow flop.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Wolves in Salmon's clothing?
We received an interesting heads up from the folks fighting against the Pebble Mine project at the Sportsman's Alliance for Alaska. It's a copy of an ad allegedly being shopped to outdoor publications. The ad is sharp looking with pretty fish and a conservation message. However, anyone giving it more than a glance will notice that it is not all that it appears to be. It seems the folks behind the project are taking a page from the SAA's media playbook and attempting to purchase pro-Pebble ad space in publications aimed directly at hunters and anglers.
The purported ad (see the leaked photo above) states that Alaska is home to healthy fish and wildlife populations and also to one of the world's most important mineral (be sure to get enough vitamins and gold in your cereal boys and girls) discoveries. It also goes on to say that any final decisions on the project are years away but their commitment to fish and wildlife is already firmly in place.
Scott Hed, Director of the Sportsman's Alliance for Alaksa, wasn't exactly surprised by this latest development. "They understand the clout that sportspersons have, and they are obviously concerned that we’ve been doing such a good job bringing this issue onto the radar screens of so many hunters and anglers." Mr. Hed continued to remind his fellow sportsmen and women that, "We must counter any attempts to cloud the fact that what is being proposed in Bristol Bay would forever change one of the most incredible places for fish and game on the planet – and not for the better."
In our opinion, the real story here will be which, if any, "outdoor" publication chooses to accept the ad.
Be sure to remember the Sportsman's Alliance for Alaska's Bristol Bay charity ebay auction. Lots of great gear, great prices, and a worthy cause.
Link to our previous coverage of this issue
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Where to take a Pope on his day off?
photo via Vatican.va
According to this article from down under about a rumored Papal visit, he might enjoy a bit of fishing. Via Northernstar.com
"If he did come, we would do all we could to make his stay memorable."
Ballina Chamber of Commerce spokesman Brian Marriott said if the Pope was to visit, he could do a spot of fishing off the wharf at Lance Ferris Park.
Ballina Chamber of Commerce spokesman Brian Marriott said if the Pope was to visit, he could do a spot of fishing off the wharf at Lance Ferris Park.
"He could stay at the Ramada Hotel and Suites and we could give him a special area there in the penthouse - I'm sure management could arrange that," Mr Marriott said.
No word as of yet if the Holy Father prefers nymphing to throwing dries. Rumor has it that the fly fishing tabloid press would pay big bucks for a verified photo of the Pontiff using a strike indicator.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Team USA Helps CEO's Get Out of The Office
From the world of FIPS Mouche comes an announcement that Fly Fishing Team USA has partnered with CEO Challenges, the world leader in sport competition for CEO's, to develop a series of fly fishing challenges for CEO's.
The CEO Fly Fishing Challenge will span three days and include four fishing sessions of competition. Two sessions will be held on the lake and two in a drift boat on the river. Each session will be three hours. Following a scoring system established by the International Federation of Sport Fly Fishing, Buchner has outlined the technical aspect of this competition, including reels, leaders, lines, rods and flies. Angler catches are scored on number and size of fish caught and measured. A “Controller” waits nearby to measure the fish before it is released back into the water. For the drift boat rounds, competitors will be two to a boat, accompanied by a guide/controller who is not allowed to provide advice during the competition.
“This is a special competitive program designed for CEO anglers to test their skills, learn from some of the best anglers in the world, and give back to the sport,” said Ted Kennedy, owner of CEO Challenges. “In addition to competing, Challenge participants will hear from Team USA members who will be on hand to offer instructive tips.”
Not just any CEO will qualify, as they must have at least 2 million in revenue for admittance into the competition. Exceptions will be made for C-Suite executives of companies doing at least 4 million in business per year or other celebs.
The good news for the team is that 50% of the proceeds will be donated to team USA in their bid for a 2008 World Championship. Entry fees are $3,700 per CEO and $400 for guests.
In other news, in the much under reported absence of a national championship series this year, plans continue to go forward for the North Carolina Fly Fishing Team to host a series of challenges against members of team USA on Carolina waters. The team is currently seeking sponsors for what has been dubbed the "Rumble in the Rhododendron, 2008." If interested contact the Editor and we will pass the information along.
Counting the Cost - 22,710
A broken pipe, a valve turned in error and twenty-two thousand trout are dead. An update on the recent Davidson River fish kill via BlueRidgeNow.com reports:
State environmental officials also say the fish were killed not only by oxygen being depleted from the water, as federal officials originally said, but also from direct contact with acute concentrations of toxic chemicals.
Officials of the N.C. Department of Public Health initially identified the pollutant which spilled into the river from the shuttered Ecusta paper mill as sodium hydrosulfide, a caustic compound used during decades of paper making.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Gear: Icon A5 Float Plane
It flies, can land on water, and (with the wings folded) fits on a trailer to be easily towed behind the FlyFishMagazine.com corporate Tundra. At $139,000, if we hit the lottery, the Icon A5 might add a whole new dimension to our fly fishing day trips. Note fly fishing target marketing in the press photo above.
We await one for review purposes. Reserve yours now for a deposit of $5,000
Via Uncrate
Happy Father's Day
to my dad, Rev. Homer Murdock. In Dad's "spare" time he travels the world and has touched lives in numerous countries around the globe. His work often focuses on children, and always focuses on feeding, clothing, housing, and healing people. His latest ventures take him to Africa where Touch The World Ministries is actively working in villages where almost every household has been ravaged by AIDS. Obviously, I am very proud to call him my Pop.
Visit Touch The World Ministries to learn more.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Sierra Trading Post: Redington Fly Rod $29.50
Redington Crosswater Rod - 2-Piece
You are a nice guy. You always want to help out. You learned how to share in kindergarten. You would give someone the shirt off your back right? As nice as you are, you just have to draw the line when it comes to lending out your prized fishing gear. You hate yourself for being selfish and you realize the importance of taking kids fishing, but you'd sooner share your best girl than let that bumbling teenager down the street borrow Grandpa's cane fly rod with the agate stripping guide.
What you need is a good back up / loaner rod. One that casts like a dream but costs so little that you don't mind if it ends up under Junior's felt clad feet. Sierra Trading Post has just the ticket. A Redington Crosswater Two Piece fly rod for only $29.50. Think of it as an investment in unselfishness and an insurance policy for your favorite gear.
Be sure to check the coupon link in the side bar for extra savings.
A Platinum Card Runs Through it...
I have the DVD but I bet its not worth as much as the book. Found while trolling Google Shopping, It comes in as the highest priced item under the search term "Fly Tying."
Maclean, Norman A River Runs Through It. Deluxe SIGNED/LTD
Imprint: West Hatfield: Pennyroyal Press (1989). 1st ed., 1989Edition: 1st Edition Binding: Hardback Inscription: Signed by Author(s)
1-6 DELUXE COPIES letterpress printed, SIGNED by Moser and Maclean, with fourteeen wood engravings by Barry Moser. Handbound in full golden-tan leather and presented in a magnificent linen clamshell case which is quarter bound in the same leather. Enclosed is an additional suite of the engravings, each SIGNED by Moser, and one of the original flys hand-tied by George Croonenbergs (who taught Maclean the art of fly tying) which were used for the engravings. One of the most beautiful and rarest Pennyroyal Press editions. Digital pictures on request.. Book Condition: As New. Binding: Hardcover
Stock number: 2674.
$US 6,000.00
Those less well heeled anglers might prefer to stock up on the least expensive item under the same search term. The J. Stockard Generic Mini Glue Stick. $US .45
Maclean, Norman A River Runs Through It. Deluxe SIGNED/LTD
Imprint: West Hatfield: Pennyroyal Press (1989). 1st ed., 1989Edition: 1st Edition Binding: Hardback Inscription: Signed by Author(s)
1-6 DELUXE COPIES letterpress printed, SIGNED by Moser and Maclean, with fourteeen wood engravings by Barry Moser. Handbound in full golden-tan leather and presented in a magnificent linen clamshell case which is quarter bound in the same leather. Enclosed is an additional suite of the engravings, each SIGNED by Moser, and one of the original flys hand-tied by George Croonenbergs (who taught Maclean the art of fly tying) which were used for the engravings. One of the most beautiful and rarest Pennyroyal Press editions. Digital pictures on request.. Book Condition: As New. Binding: Hardcover
Stock number: 2674.
$US 6,000.00
Those less well heeled anglers might prefer to stock up on the least expensive item under the same search term. The J. Stockard Generic Mini Glue Stick. $US .45
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Cletus Fishes with the Amish
(editor's note: Since it appears to be "old home week" here at FlyFishMagazine.com, we bring you a blast from the past in the form of a fish story.)
“If the Sun is on my left I know I am heading South!”
Back in the year 1999, before the internet bubble burst, and while we were all still sure that civilization as we knew it was doomed to end at midnight on December 31st, I had the pleasure of taking a trip to the Amish country of Pennsylvania to fish Neshannock Creek in the small town of Volant. Volant is located a couple of hours north of Pittsburgh and has a thriving Amish community. A fact which intrigued my fishing buddy Cletus to no end. Cletus, a coworker and former Eagle Scout, had been thinking quite a bit about how to best prepare for the coming of “Y2K.” Since very few Amish families had to worry about a computer glitch keeping the family horse from plowing or the oil in the kerosene lamps from burning, Cletus became rather impressed with their lifestyle.
After driving through the night we arrived at creek side before daybreak. We were so early that all of the businesses were still closed, including the fly shop where we had intended to purchasing our Pennsylvania fishing licenses. The water looked very inviting and we were hard pressed not to take our chances and start fishing without them. However, both being law-abiding citizens we decided to do the right thing and wait until the fly shop opened to make our fishing legal. The town was pretty much deserted so we wandered the main street checking out the windows of the many shops that were located there. As we stood dead center of the highway, we both heard an unfamiliar sound off in the distance. The sound was almost upon us before we realized that it was the clip clop of horses hooves. We both came to this realization just moments before we were almost trampled by an Amish horse and carriage that in my opinion had to be exceeding the posted speed limit. This close encounter with the Amish only served to bolster Cletus’ thoughts that this might just be the lifestyle that would survive the coming apocalypse.
The creek was good to us and as we fished the rest of that day and all of the next we both were able to land many nice trout. Throughout the trip whenever we saw an Amish family Cletus made a point to speak to them. As we were about to go back home we decided to stop at a road side stand that was selling home made pies and get some treats for the folks back home. A very proper looking Amish lady was selling the pies and as we were looking at them I heard Cletus inquire “Did you make these pies?” The lady nodded in the affirmative. After she answered him, I was almost certain that I heard Cletus tender this follow up question. “Did’est thou pick the berries?” At this point in time I looked up to see the Amish matron looking at me and rolling her eyes as she answered him, “Yes, I did.” Thinking that we should most likely head back to North Carolina before we caused the Amish to renounce their pacifism, we got in our car and made a hasty retreat.
As we headed back to North Carolina with Cletus behind the wheel, I decided that it was a good time to catch up on some much needed sleep. I awoke about an hour later and almost at once saw a billboard that was encouraging us to visit Niagara Falls. I thought that odd and began looking at our surroundings which seemed somehow different from the trip up. I asked Cletus in a round about way if he thought that we might be going in the wrong direction. Cletus, the Eagle Scout and my good friend, took umbrage at my remark and proceeded to tell me with a bit of a snap in his voice that I was mistaken and that, and I quote, “as long as the Sun is on my left, I know I am heading South. I decided to make no further remarks while I pondered this statement in my head. About twenty minutes further into our trip Cletus asked me what the sign up ahead could be indicating. It said that I-79 would end in one mile and that we were welcomed to the town of Erie, PA. Upon seeing this he then asked me what was beyond the town of Erie. I humbly informed him that it would be Lake Erie and then Canada should we choose to get wet.. Cletus kept pretty quiet as we turned and headed South. I also was quiet. However, I could not resist pointing out the sun now setting slowly to our right.
Cletus is an excellent angler and a good friend with an even better sense of humor. We have had many laughs about this over the past few years and our fishing club even gave him an award inducting him into “The Sacred Order of the Busted Compass.” Cletus is also a part time law enforcement officer so I hope that his sense of humor is still good or that he has adopted Amish ways and does not have a computer on which to read this story.
“If the Sun is on my left I know I am heading South!”
Back in the year 1999, before the internet bubble burst, and while we were all still sure that civilization as we knew it was doomed to end at midnight on December 31st, I had the pleasure of taking a trip to the Amish country of Pennsylvania to fish Neshannock Creek in the small town of Volant. Volant is located a couple of hours north of Pittsburgh and has a thriving Amish community. A fact which intrigued my fishing buddy Cletus to no end. Cletus, a coworker and former Eagle Scout, had been thinking quite a bit about how to best prepare for the coming of “Y2K.” Since very few Amish families had to worry about a computer glitch keeping the family horse from plowing or the oil in the kerosene lamps from burning, Cletus became rather impressed with their lifestyle.
After driving through the night we arrived at creek side before daybreak. We were so early that all of the businesses were still closed, including the fly shop where we had intended to purchasing our Pennsylvania fishing licenses. The water looked very inviting and we were hard pressed not to take our chances and start fishing without them. However, both being law-abiding citizens we decided to do the right thing and wait until the fly shop opened to make our fishing legal. The town was pretty much deserted so we wandered the main street checking out the windows of the many shops that were located there. As we stood dead center of the highway, we both heard an unfamiliar sound off in the distance. The sound was almost upon us before we realized that it was the clip clop of horses hooves. We both came to this realization just moments before we were almost trampled by an Amish horse and carriage that in my opinion had to be exceeding the posted speed limit. This close encounter with the Amish only served to bolster Cletus’ thoughts that this might just be the lifestyle that would survive the coming apocalypse.
The creek was good to us and as we fished the rest of that day and all of the next we both were able to land many nice trout. Throughout the trip whenever we saw an Amish family Cletus made a point to speak to them. As we were about to go back home we decided to stop at a road side stand that was selling home made pies and get some treats for the folks back home. A very proper looking Amish lady was selling the pies and as we were looking at them I heard Cletus inquire “Did you make these pies?” The lady nodded in the affirmative. After she answered him, I was almost certain that I heard Cletus tender this follow up question. “Did’est thou pick the berries?” At this point in time I looked up to see the Amish matron looking at me and rolling her eyes as she answered him, “Yes, I did.” Thinking that we should most likely head back to North Carolina before we caused the Amish to renounce their pacifism, we got in our car and made a hasty retreat.
As we headed back to North Carolina with Cletus behind the wheel, I decided that it was a good time to catch up on some much needed sleep. I awoke about an hour later and almost at once saw a billboard that was encouraging us to visit Niagara Falls. I thought that odd and began looking at our surroundings which seemed somehow different from the trip up. I asked Cletus in a round about way if he thought that we might be going in the wrong direction. Cletus, the Eagle Scout and my good friend, took umbrage at my remark and proceeded to tell me with a bit of a snap in his voice that I was mistaken and that, and I quote, “as long as the Sun is on my left, I know I am heading South. I decided to make no further remarks while I pondered this statement in my head. About twenty minutes further into our trip Cletus asked me what the sign up ahead could be indicating. It said that I-79 would end in one mile and that we were welcomed to the town of Erie, PA. Upon seeing this he then asked me what was beyond the town of Erie. I humbly informed him that it would be Lake Erie and then Canada should we choose to get wet.. Cletus kept pretty quiet as we turned and headed South. I also was quiet. However, I could not resist pointing out the sun now setting slowly to our right.
Cletus is an excellent angler and a good friend with an even better sense of humor. We have had many laughs about this over the past few years and our fishing club even gave him an award inducting him into “The Sacred Order of the Busted Compass.” Cletus is also a part time law enforcement officer so I hope that his sense of humor is still good or that he has adopted Amish ways and does not have a computer on which to read this story.
We had no idea they were watching...
Now, researchers say they have discovered groups of the silver-haired monkeys in Indonesia that fish.
Photo and story via MyWay.com
Monday, June 09, 2008
Time for a camping trip
Paisley sends word that its time for a camping trip and points out his inspiration in Kid Rock's latest video.
"Sitting by the camp fire, It's the simple things in life. Sipping whisky out of the bottle not worrying about tomorrow."
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Fly Tying: Josh Almond Ties Galloup's Streamers
Josh Almond is a talented fly tier who is also a member of the North Carolina Fly Fishing team. Josh shows us how he ties Kelly Galloup's articulated streamers in this tutorial. It is as much art as it is information.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
BRFFA: Original Gangsta Fly Fishers
From the early days of the net, some of the old school fly anglers of the Blue Ridge Fly Fishing Association.
Right to left - Jeff Paisley, Brad Hincher, Me -sans goatee and rocking the trucker hat, Russel Ashburn, Dad, and Mitch who's last name escapes me but who I recall is a heck of a guy.
More photos reside here. The pictures were small and the scanner was expensive.
Get Some...
The North Carolina Delayed Harvest season ends this Saturday. With "harvest" no longer being delayed, trout anglers are free to open up a can of niblets and jerk a limit of the tasty little creatures from our once pristine, yet heavily poached, waters.
Lest you fret, fisheries folk tell us that most of the pellet munchers stocked in waters that fall under these regulations would never be able to survive the heat of a Carolina summer. Thus catch and release becomes corn meal and hot grease and the circle of life continues. The good news is that next year North Carolina will have added additional streams to the program and the catch and keep on the first half of the first day will be limited to anglers age 16 and under.
Me? I'll be fine. I plan to focus on warm water close to home with the occasional foray to our area tail waters. I even have a trip planned to check out this Bristol Bay / Pebble Mine thing first hand during late August. Don't forget to support their charity auction. My goals for that trip include not being eaten by a grizzly and to catch something on a mouse fly.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Four Replacements for Tight Lines
Today I was writing an email to a fellow fly fisher and just before hitting the send button I found myself typing the familiar words, "Tight Lines." This got me to thinking that perhaps this over used closing of e-mails and forum postings could use a bit of revamping. It is for this reason that I offer, direct from the home office located in a chamber deep below the streets of Uptown Charlotte, four replacement phrases for "Tight Lines."
4. Empty Spools - Not to be used if your fly fishing friends are struggling to meet their financial obligations and thus lack backing.
3. Ragged Flies - chewed up flies being the result of a successful day on the water. Careful with this one if your angling pals frequent gentlemen's establishments as it could have an entirely different meaning.
2. Smelly hands - the scent of fish indicating many trout brought to hand. Warnings associated with number three above also apply here.
1. Dirty Cork - Meaning that your fly rods have all seen many days of action thus causing their cork handles to be dirtied. Not to be used if you regularly email Irish anglers as they will probably take it the wrong way. Warnings associated with number three above also apply.
Feel free to add your own submissions to the list via the comments.
Soggy Base Layers,
The Editor
***Update: The one guy who could get us to take a trans-Atlantic flight to fish with, Alistair from The Urban Fly Fisher, weighs in on this one with some replacements of his own.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Fish Kill On The Davidson River
The Ashville Citizen Times is reporting that a spill resulting from the clean up of a former paper mill has killed thousands of fish in the Davidson River. Reports are that the fish kill occurred in the lower parts of the river and and included a section of private water operated by Davidson River Outfitters.
From the Citizen Times Report:
The Asheville Citizen-Times reported Friday the liquid came from the Ecusta Mill, where engineers tried to discharge waste into a treatment basin. Thousands of minnows, suckers and trout died when the sewer breach sent the waste into the river instead. An official with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the spill doesn't pose any danger to public water supplies.
The latest word is that officials have cleared the river for recreational use and that the owners of the mill are working with the land owners to remediate the river and its trout population.
Stripers Forever Auction: Buy Wine - Help Striper
Be sure you read that title carefully. It says Buy Wine - Help Striper. While we know that many of our fellow anglers have bought strong drink in an effort to help strippers, this is a much more noble cause.
A communique from the right minded folks at Striper's Forever indicates that they are auctioning off a case of Fish Hook Vineyard's Pinot Blanc. The opening bid is $200 and proceeds, of course, go to the aid of Stripers Forever Game Fish Initiatives.
Oregon is rapidly becoming known as one the great Pinot Blanc producing areas in the world and Stephen Cary is rapidly becoming known as one the great practitioners of the art of turning this relatively little known grape variety into great wine. When we founded Fish Hook Vineyards we had three basic goals. First, we wanted to make really good wine that shows the true fruit character of the grapes and the subtle mineral qualities of the vineyard. Second, we wanted to make a little bit of money to support our bad habits (fishing) in retirement and have some fun doing it. Third, we wanted to do some good with some of the profits and tie it all in with our passion for fishing and the sea. Hence Fish Hook Vineyards, the Striper on the label and our involvement with Stripers Forever and The Ocean Conservancy.
Follow this link for instructions on how to place your bid.
Gear: Sonik Sports Fly Rods
Take two guys from the legendary angling company Hardy and Greys and a former Coca Cola marketer, wait six months for what has to be the shortest non-compete clause in the world to run out, then add a line of fly rods and you have Sonik Sports..
Performance to help you cast better, fish more effectively and maximise your whole experience of being on the water. Great rods should feel like a natural extension of your arm and allow you to pick up your line from the water effortlessly and present to a rising fish with precision and delicacy. Utilising a careful blend of the very finest Japanese ‘Toray’ carbon fibre materials, the rods feature smooth progressive tapers and easy load, responsive actions. Each component of the rods has been carefully selected to work well and look good. A no nonsense approach to fly rod design that pays dividends throughout long hours of use. Representing truly exceptional value for money, we are confident these rods will outperform other makes costing three or four times the price!
Price points for their SK3 & 4 fly rods, made from Toray Carbon Fibers, range from $129 to $239 (launch specials). Rods come with a 5 year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.
If any of our readers "across the pond" have gotten hold of one of these we would enjoy hearing what you think about them. We are making inquiries and will let you know what we find out.
Link to the Sonik Sports website and an article about them via NeBusiness.co.uk.
Worn!
So I am at dinner the other night with my Dad and notice that he is wearing a ragged old Blue Ridge Fly Fishing Association (our old FFF Chapter from the Lowe's days) hat. It has to be at least 12 years old and as you can see it's pretty beat up. Dad said he was in a big outdoor outfitter's store and saw a new hat, ever bit as ragged, that was selling for $25. He decided to wear his and is entertaining all offers.
All of this got me to thinking and wondering if I should consider a side venture dealing in vintage (and somewhat smelly) angler's apparel. It might be the next big thing in the world of folks who want to look like they spend 200+ days on the water but can only really muster much less.
Since only 12 of the BRFFA hats were ever printed I would say they qualify collector's items and have to be worth a load of cash. They were originally sold to quite a motley lot who have since dispersed around the country. If you happen to see one coming towards you on a river bank, you will probably want to give the angler under it a wide berth.
Email me a photo of your favorite item of threadbare angler wear and I'll post them for all to admire.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Blobs...Steroids for Fly Anglers?
Photo Via SportFish.co.uk
When our NC Fly Fishing Team goes up against some of the UK's finest anglers they might want to check their fly boxes for "Blobs." According to an article in the Telegraph the blob shaped flies, which look nothing like natural insect life are so effective that traditional nymph fishers are crying foul.
Traditionalists claim that the brightly coloured "blob" trout lure is unsporting and should be banned. They accuse its users of adopting aggressive tactics, with the new breed of fishermen described as "yobs with blobs".
The highly effective, ball-shaped blobs, made from various fibres, promote an aggressive, chasing reaction from trout when pulled quickly through the water. Unlike traditional flies, such as "nymphs" or "daddy-longlegs", they do not resemble a living insect.
Purists argue that blobs, which are permitted in major contests, give an unfair advantage over conventional methods and make trout fishing too easy. England fly-fishing champion Chris Ogborne was so opposed to them that he left the England team, and says he has received hundreds of letters of support.
Here is a link to a video where a still water nymph fisher takes a thrashing from the blobber lobber.
We are a few hours late posting this one so check out posts from Tom at the Trout Underground and New Zealand's Tony Bishop of Bish on Fish about blobber fishing.
How is this any different than drifting a Y2k bug on Arkansas' White River?
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