Tourist Tales

Here is another article about a writer who took a vacation in the Smoky Mountains then used his experience to fill a few column inches. This guy mistook a stump for a bear.

Other Catfish In The News...

And in other Catfish news...An 11 year old girl was attacked by a dead catfish when a possibly drunken Florida beach-goer flung it through the air and it struck her. One of the catfish's spines lodged between the girls shoulder blades and had to be removed by a doctor.

646 Pound Thai Catfish

Well I will admit that I am a bit late reporting on the 600+ pound Thai catfish but here it is. Better late than never.

Possible Fly Fishing Tourney

Paisley, Zug, and myself were talking recently about the lack of a quality fly fishing contest like the ones they have out west, here in the South East. We are kicking the idea around about partnering with some area fly shops and fishing clubs to put something together. If you have any suggestions about a format or a location for such an event email me at editor@flyfishmagazine.com and let me know your thoughts. Also if you are a member of the fly fishing industry and are interested in co-branding such an event with Flyfishmagazine.com be sure to speak right up.

Purple Beach Warning Flags

Here is a photo that shows what some of those beach warning flags mean. In light of recent shark events one should take note of the purple flag which flies when "Dangerous Marine Life" may be present in the water.

Columbia Hell's Canyon Water Shoes $29.95

Summer is here and that means you can ditch the waders and get wet. Don't forget that good foot protection is still important. Trade in those old Chuck Taylors for a pair of Columbia Water Shoes only $29.95 PS. Who wouldn't love anything with the name Hell's Canyon!

ALERT! - Free Shipping at Sierra Trading Post

Now is the time to save a few bucks. Sierra Trading Post is offering free shipping on purchases over $75 today and tomorrow.

Rowing Frame - Monster Garage Style

The Brothers Paisley and I spent the better part of last Saturday designing and building the center section of the rowing frame for our fly fishing raft project. The frame itself is made 3/4" EMT conduit. The elder of the Paisley Brothers (Greg) is rather handy with a torch so he brazed the joints together for us. I think it turned out rather well for something we built on the fly. The next part of the project will involve building the fore and aft fishing stations and adding oar locks,an anchor system, floors and a nice coat of paint. Once we finish building it, the entire process will be documented on the site (www.flyfishmagazine.com). Let me know what you think by leaving comments.

Deal of the Evening - Sage 2pc 4wt Fly Rod $99.99

Here is this evenings deal. A sage LE Rod available and 4 or 5 weight for only $99 at Western Sportshop.

Tetons - Good Therapy for Cranky Teens

Ok - From the Travel Desk, I could not help myself when I read the headline on this article. "Tetons can please any age - even those cranky teenagers".... Yep I know very few teenage boys that wouldn't perk right up at the very mention of Tetons. I need to send this one to Jay Leno.

Golf Course Chemicals and Brown Trout Don't Mix

State College, PA's CentreDaily.com reports on a fish kill that destroyed over 250 brown trout on the Slab Cabin Run. The probable cause is heavy rain causing run off from a golf course. State College is not far from Neshannock Creek where Cletus and I had some fly fishing adventures.

Florida Shark Attacks

Something to think about when surf fishing. This teen lost a leg to a shark while fishing in waist deep water in Florida. Can this happen here? The waters off the Carolina Coast rank 5th nationwide in shark attacks. With more and more people in the water with the sharks they are bound to run into each other from time to time.

Chesapeake Bay Striper Pics

We had a pretty good day catching both Croaker and Striper. I wish I had taken my salt water fly rod but the fish were running very deep so I am sure my floating line would not have got the job done. Note to self: Get salt water rod that breaks down into more than two pieces and buy sinking line.

Comments Enabled

FYI - I have enabled comments on things I post so let me know what you think.

-Editor

July 4th - NC Free Fishing Day

Free Fishing Day is coming to North Carolina this July 4th. I suppose it doesn't do me much good since I buy licenses each year, but it is a great time to introduce someone to fly fishing on very crowded streams without them having to buy a license.

Visit www.ncwildlife.org for details.