Fly fishing for dummies

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Author Message   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Tuesday, November 05, 2002 - 01:03 pm:    I've read a lot lately about people on Dweb that fly fish. I've tried it twice, and have not come close to catching anything. The only thing that I almost caught was a kio in the guys private pond I was fishing in. Actually I'm a pretty bad angler in all manners of fishing. A good day i might catch a few bluegils. We just bought an old boat, and I'm starting to fish a little lake near my house, and have been thinking of trying fly fishing some time. So, where do i begin? Anyone recomend any good reading material, etc? Good starter rods, flies, etc? Thanks a lot. Zak   Kai Dussling (Kai) Posted on Tuesday, November 05, 2002 - 01:29 pm:    OK lets think about this...... There is probably some website called Flyweb.org somewhere. You should go there and post some goofy questions before you search their archives. Then feel like an idiot when all the "regulars" give you shit about asking the same questions they have been answering since the inception of the website. Finally some nice person will answer all of your questions. You will then go out and buy all of the gear stated and practice all of "their" tactics. Soon you will learn a great deal about this sport and will frequent the board to answer other peoples questions. Sooner or later you will become an expert at this new-found hobby. You will frequent "your" website at all hours of the day and night. You will learn the personalities and character traits of these faceless friends. You will become an addict. It will consume your life! But it will be great! Zak, we are going to miss you here at the Dweb. P.S. Remember to post as a newbie!!!!!!!!!! (P.P.S. Try Bass pro shops)   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Tuesday, November 05, 2002 - 01:41 pm:    Well I taught myself essentially but had a little help from more experienced casters. If you are really dedicated go take some lessons, just about every good fly-shop offers casting lessons. If you do chose this route I would suggest one that uses the Lefty Kreh method, I just switched over to this style after years of the 10 o'clock - 2 o'clock bullshit and the difference is night and day. A good book to look at is "Troubleshooting the Cast" by Ed Jaworowski, it doesn't teach you how to cast but does an excellent job of teaching you how to cast better once you have the basics down.   muskyman Posted on Tuesday, November 05, 2002 - 03:33 pm:    dont do it man .....your 4wheeling ,golf game and sex life will really suffer. but if you are really game for it I would reccomend finding a local fly shop and talk to them. the tactics for each fish species is really very different and a local shop will know what is a good target and what is not worth the time. the blue gills you said you like to fish for is a good place to start...cortland sells a $69 dollar 3 weight rod that is a great bluegill rod. it is made by St croix for cortland and sells for over $100 under a number of brand names. it will also work for your first interludes into swmall trout down the road. flyfishing is very seldom the best way to catch fish,it is the most fun way IMHO so if you are not a very accomplished angler you may want to work on other methods first then as you know more about the charecteristics of different fish species and have mastered the locational factor then your fly fishing trips will be more fruitfull. to quote the famouse fishing guide Porter Dean "Fish are easier to catch if you can find them first"   John Kruger (Johnnyk) Posted on Tuesday, November 05, 2002 - 05:42 pm:    Don't spend much on your first rod, and practice casting it in your yard. Follow the other advice here, too. It is always good to find a local fly shop and ask questions. You can also check the web for fly fishing boards to post on. Then hire a local guide to show you where you can go to catch a few fish and teach you how to improve your casting technics. This will take care of the locational factor (as muskyman stated) and teach you something too. Then plan to spend hours perfecting your presentation to the dismay of your spouse. It is a fun, challenging way to fish, but not the only way. John   MTB Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 04:05 am:    Zak go to a fly shop like Muskyman says they can help you out. They usually have starter kits that comes with everything but flies. You will need to know what you plan to fish for so you can get the right weight rod. I like 5 or 6 weight rods, I can use them on the trout streams and in the river for smallmouth. as for spots to fish you in PA we have plenty of streams and rivers if you get into trout fishing let me know below Harrisburg 20-30miles is some great trout fishing. Letort Spring, Big Springs & Yellow Breeches all wonderful trout streams and some of the best smallmouth fishing in PA on the Susquahanna River. Once you get the hang of it you will be addicted. Damn now that makes me wish I would be up in John's state fishing the Brule River. Good Luck Zak   Mike (Gfy) Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 08:42 am:    Zak I have recently picked up flyfishing myself. I went to bass pro shops and picked up a rig for $70. rod, reel, backing, line, and leader were all included...then took it out to the yard and started messing around. read a few books, and now I am ready for the fish! I will give it 2 or 3 times of not catching a thing, then I will take a class! tu.org and flyfishamerica.com are 2 good places to start online...   E Snyder Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 10:33 am:    I've been flyfishing for a long time. It's funny, but I was thinking the other day about starting a flyfishing thread and see who out there is really into it. In fact, my dad has a flyfishing school in WV, in case anyone is interested. (Shameless plug for the old man.) He offers one or two day classes, for up to 4 students. He has been teaching it for 25 years or so. Fastwater Flyfishing School in Harman, WV. (Just over the mountain from Seneca Rocks, close to Canaan Valley). If anyone would like his number, email me! Enoch Snyder   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 10:58 am:    One of the things that interests me so much about fly fishing is that it's almost an art form. I really don't mind no catching fish for a while. I'm getting a lot better at finding the fish, I just really suck with a regular rod and real. Plus the lake that i go boating in all the time is supposed to be pretty hard to fish anyway. There are some pretty large large mouth, musky, pike etc. in there. Thanks for all hte info guys! There is a local boat/fishing shop near me that has a lot of nice stuff, and they are really friendly, so I'll ahve to stop in and start taking to them.   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 11:26 am:    I don't want to rag on the place since I have never been there but an a shop that is exclusively fly-fishing is probably going to be your best bet. They might be a little snootier but they will more than likely have a better idea of what is going on.   Greg P. (Gparrish) Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 01:08 pm:    Zak, Have you been down to French Creek Outfitters in Downingtown? They have a good selection of outdoors stuff. Not quite as large as the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World down in Baltimore would be, but good none the less. www.frenchcreekoutfitters.com   Paul D. Morgan (V22guy) Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 01:14 pm:    Man, I went to the Bass Pro Shop in Dallas and I must say that place is the HOLY GRAIL of outdoor stores. The place is so huge that there is an Embassy Suites attached to one end and a Brewery to the other. I didn't want to leave.   Greg P. (Gparrish) Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 01:18 pm:    Picture of Zak on a real fishing expedition:   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 02:36 pm:    Bass Pro is great for just about everything but fly fishing, they don't carry anywhere near a majority of the major brands in that department.   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 02:42 pm:    There is an Orvis store next to the local boat/fishing store near me. Man, they have some really nice fly rods, but a bit on the pricey side!!! I loved the LL Bean fishing department. Spend hours in there. And their selection of nice riffles were nice too!!!   muskyman Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 03:05 pm:    orvis makes great stuff and the 25year uncondition warrenty is awsome when you fold up a $700 rod walking into a overgrown fishing area or step on it in the boat. I have a Orvis PM10 4 piece 9 weight that is just awsome. cheap/ok rods have a range that they like to cast at. high end rods such as loomisGLX or sage rplx or orvis trident/pm series can rocket out long casts and still cast delicate close when a fish appears at boatside. if you really want a high end rod look at ebay they have some good deals on used rods on there   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 03:18 pm:    Thanks for hte info Musky. I always thought that Orvis was just expansive ok stuff. It's a bit out of my price range. I'll be buying the ok stuff for now. I'll have to check out ebay. Love ebay!!!   Jeremy Hamilton Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 03:18 pm:    Zak, I am a fly fishing guide. If you want to become a flyfisherman hire a guide. One of the most important things to become addicted to fly fishing is to actually catch fish your first couple of times out. After that then you can learn the "art" of it and become a competent fly fisher. You are definitely on track with Orvis and LL Bean. I recommend Orvis, I'm an Orvis endorsed guide, because they have a great warranty on everything they sell. If you break a rod, no matter how it happened, they'll fix or replace it which pays for itself the first time you break a rod. You WILL break a rod. Any of the "Big" rod companies have the same type of warranty. I don't know about LL Bean but their equipment would be sufficient in order to learn the sport. Just DO NOT go to BASS pro shops for fly fishing. No offense to anybody but they don't know about fly fishing. As for musky's post about it not being the best way to catch fish, I disagree. I am far more successful fly fishing than any other method. You are imitating the fishes natural food rather than just trying to stimulate an aggressive, instinctive response that doesn't always work. Anyway, those are my thoughts. I just get excited when someone else gets into the great sport of flyfishing   muskyman Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 03:54 pm:    "I'm an Orvis endorsed guide" believe this guy! Orvis only endorses great guides Capn Frank Catino in florida is a Orvis endorsed guide that I have fished with many many times and you will never be let down by the dedication from this level of guide. "As for musky's post about it not being the best way to catch fish, I disagree." musky,tarpon,bonefish,bass,redfish,specs...ect ect are all catchable on fly rod but way more catchable using other methods. yes some trout species are more cathable on fly then other ways but for the most part it is and never will be the best way to catch fish. to quote Larry Dahlberg world renowned flyfisherman from the infisherman video pike on the fly "Flyfishing is rarely the best way to catch fish but it always is the most fun" jeremy...where do you guide?   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 04:06 pm:    There is just something about watching people fly fish. I was out in Montana and sat watching a guy fish for almost an hour. It's hypnotic. It's kind of like rovers, yeah, a j**p or a toy might get the job done as well, but a rover just has something about it you just can not put into words. It's more akin to a feeling. Musky, almost all the fish you stated above I've seen people catching, and would love to do it someday. For the start, I'll try my hand at bluegils. It's a lot like my other hobbies, I have an old 1958 Whirlwind wooden boat. I love it. Has the original 1958 Johnson 18hp outboard as well. Could I get a new fishing boat, that might be more practical for fishing, yes. But will I enjoy the time I'm in the boat more, no. For me, fly fishing is like painting, or writing. Thanks for all the info. Yeah, Jeremy, where are you a guide out of? I've been surfing Ebay for fly rods, and wow, great prices indeed!!!! Maybe if i sell a few items from other hobbies of mine i can afford to start this one!!!   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 07:47 pm:    Well, I guess I will step in here and give you another angle. I'm not a real big Orvis fan, I agree that they do make good stuff but more often than not I think you can find an equal or greater product somewhere else for the same price or less. Orvis relies heavily on their "heritage" and rightly so, they are the oldest and for a while really the only company out there but IMHO they have let it go to their head -maybe not SO much with their rods/reels but most definitely with waders and other such accessories. BUT I do agree with Muskyman on the fact that more often than not the Orvis endorsed guides are going to be the best on the water. Now if you want a good mid-range set up I would definitely go with a Ross Cimarron in the reel department and maybe a St. Croix Pro-Graphite for a rod. Both have unconditional life-time warranties, you will definitely out-grow the rod first as it but for $100 you will get A LOT of use out of it. That reel could probably last you forever if you want, Ross makes some incredible pieces of equipment that are quite possibly bullet proof. I don't know what kind of fishing you plan on doing but if you need waders do yourself a favor and don't screw around with the Cabelas boot-foot neoprene variety as they will make you so miserably hot the last thing you will feel like doing is fish. I think the best wader value out there now are the Simms Lightweights (around $200) -get the stocking-foot variety and some boots. I have these waders and my friend who shelled out more $$$$ for some Orvis guide series waders wishes he had mine. Incidentally if you want a chance to look at any of this stuff it won't be at a Orvis shop as they rarely have anything but a few nick-knacks made by other manufactures. One thing I hope you learn Zak is that most fisherman really love getting new people into the sport, and lord knows every day PETA continues to exist the more members we will need in the sporting community. *****Watch out, here comes Musky and Jeremy to call me an idiot -just joking guys, though I don't doubt you are typing furiously. Oh and: "As for musky's post about it not being the best way to catch fish, I disagree. I am far more successful fly fishing than any other method. You are imitating the fishes natural food rather than just trying to stimulate an aggressive, instinctive response that doesn't always work." -Two words: "Live Bait" nothing imitates a fishes forage better than the real thing, might not be the most sportsman-like tactic but it is out there. Also, many casting lures imitate natural forage rather than trying to stimulate an instinctive response and the amount of water one can cover in a period of time with casting gear is much greater than with a fly-rod. I love fly-fishing but it is rarely the most effective method for catching a bunch of fish (not to say it isn't the best method for having FUN though )   muskyman Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 08:03 pm:    Carter you hit it all on the head there. I love my simms breathables, except during spring steelheading...then the 5mm neoprene is a god send no doubt on live bait to, I heard once that in florida there are 1000 tarpon caught on bait for every 1 hooked on a fly   E Snyder Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 08:14 pm:    I think the best entry level reel is still the Pflueger Medalist, by far. Unbreakable, decent drag. I don't have anything against Orvis, but their Battenkill reels suck. Ross reels are great, particularly their mid-level reel. The St. Croix or Redington option for a good, entry level rod is fine, too. The clearwater series by Orvis are also good rods for the money. But always get a GOOD flyline. Cortland lines are probably the best, with the 444 series hard to beat. More money than other lines, but a good line makes a huge difference in learning to cast. And it's one of those things a beginner can't figure out when they can't determine why the rod won't cooperate. Of course, certain rods prefer certain lines, but I think double tapers are hard to beat for beginners, because they load the rod faster, and turn over better than a weight-forward. A 5wt. is a great size for a beginner outfit. Anyway, my .02. As someone else said above, I'm always glad to hear about someone getting interested in the sport!   John Kruger (Johnnyk) Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 01:10 pm:    I am a 2nd generation guide, to be an Orvis Endorsed guide is a great thing, but not the only thing... For a good beginners set-up start here: Pflueger Medalist w/Corland 5wt 444 wf5f St. Croix Pro-Graphite 5wt Rod and a set of Hip Waders. I have used plenty of chest waders, but 90% of the time hip boots work better. I should also say that I am sponsored by St. Croix, but I was a customer for a number of years before that. I have a ton of rods, and beside the St. Croixs I use all the time, I love this old Fenwick glass rod I have (it has a great history, too) Most of all, get something - hire someone - and get to it. Let the frustration begin.. John   E Snyder Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 01:51 pm:    "Pflueger Medalist w/Corland 5wt 444 wf5f" Hear, hear! "I love this old Fenwick glass rod I have" Hear, hear! I would have to disagree with the hip wader thing, though. It may be the streams I like to fish, or my particular style which is fairly aggressive, but I use hip waders only on the small brook trout streams. Every where else I'm up to my waist about as soon as I get into the water, and have filled up way too many hip boots with icy water. As soon as I can stand the water temp. I just wade wet anyway, and don't sweat the waders!   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 02:36 pm:    Where do you guide John???   Eric N (Grnrvr) Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 02:59 pm:    Damn, now you all have me wanting to learn how to fly fish.   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 03:08 pm:    Do it Eric, its fun.   Eric N (Grnrvr) Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 03:16 pm:    I got waders.   Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 03:57 pm:    -L   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 04:01 pm:    THANKS LESLIE!!!!!!! I have actually been scouring the internet looking for that ad for some time now. You wouldn't happen to have a larger version of it you could email me would you???? if you do: simcoecm@hendrix.edu   Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 04:05 pm:    I reduced it a bit for posting.... but, even the original I have was off of the internet.... I'll email it to ya in a minute..... -L   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 04:08 pm:    Thanks, were did you find it on the net??? did they have many more rover ads??   Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 04:15 pm:    I don't recall where, I've had it for over a year... I have a few other ones, but they're mostly Series ads..... such as -L   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 04:18 pm:    ROTFLMAO -I have a bunch of ads to but I am always trying to expand my collection, that fishing one made my day.   Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 04:18 pm:    Let me resize another.... -L   Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 04:21 pm:    -L   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 04:22 pm:    Hang on, Im gonna start a seperate thread for them.   John Kruger (Johnnyk) Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 05:04 pm:    Carter, I guide in the Midwestern US, I know Wisconsin and a large part of Iowa like the palm of my hand . This is not limited to fly fishing either, my heritage goes back to guiding baitcaster and jigging rigs for Walleye and Bass on the Mississippi River, not to mention bow hunting for whitetails. I get a lot of 'guff' from the dry fly afficianatoes (sp), because I will also cast a spinner or two, but hell, to each his own. It is amazing what the Coulee Region holds, I met a gentleman from Pennsylvania on my favorite stream this summer. He used to drive all the way out to Montana for a month, until he found out about the gems we have around here. There is a bunch of info on my site if you are interested in learning more.   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 05:17 pm:    Cool, I'll look you up if I'm ever in the area and in need of a guide.   KJ Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 11:19 pm:    The prettiest fly-fishing I ever saw was Brad Pitt and the other hottie who played his brother in "A River Runs Through It". I won't make the obvious, tasteless and tasty jokes I could My brother, the gay boy scout, has been an accomplished fly fisherman (no puns!) for years. Did most of his serious fishing in Montana. He's told me a couple of scary stories about rescuing people who have had their waders fill with water. Another fascinating sport, that's for sure. I'm most in favor of fishing off the roof of the Rover though. Karen   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 11:49 pm:    Yeah, that is a great movie -BTW the name of "the other hottie" is Craig Sheffer. Having your wadders fill up is mighty dangerous, lots of people wade deeper than they should then panic and try to swim back up-stream after they fall in, the result is a set of cement boots. You should get into the sport, it sounds like you need another expensive hobby   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Friday, November 08, 2002 - 08:35 am:    I was all upset the first time I visited my folk in Montana. I was expeciting the whole state to look like htat movie. Little did I know that the mid to eastern part of the state is basically tundra. My folks live 50 miles north of Billings, and the only river near them is muddy almost all the time, and does not have any trout. the only fish worth catching in it were catfish, and there are plenty of those out here. What a let down!!! Now i have to get back out there and visit the western part of the state.   KJ Posted on Friday, November 08, 2002 - 11:10 pm:    Yeah Carter, exactly what I need, another way to burn cash, LOL! Pesky hundred dollar bills, they just keep pilin' up around here! Karen ;)   Jeremy Hamilton Posted on Thursday, November 14, 2002 - 04:09 pm:    Karen, in that movie that the "shadow" cast he does is the most useless cast ever. I agree it's absolutely beautiful but when they show him making a long straight cast that is absolute art. BTW, both of those casts are done by pro casters not Brad Pitt. I agreee with everyone that Orvis is not necessarily the best stuff out there and I don't like the waders very much but I get them cheap and I refuse to wear their boots. However I think everything else is pretty damn good. For 03 they are making a new version of the battenkill reel and it's sweet. Anything with a good warranty though is all you need. Honestly, you can't beat simms boots and waders and I actually own 5 Ross reels(one of the best warranties around. They fix it for as long as you own it, no matter what, even regular maintenance). Carter and musky, I guess I'm just thinking trout. For them flies are the best because it's hard to use live insects on a hook. I guess for all other species whose primary forage is not insects, live bait is "the best". I just don't bait fish, don't believe in it for myself. I don't think there's anything wrong with it, I just don't think it's a challenge to stick something on a hook, throw it in the water, and wait for something to come along and eat it. For kids I think it's great though because they can catch lots of fish very easily. Anyway, those are just my thoughts.   Jeremy hamilton Posted on Thursday, November 14, 2002 - 04:10 pm:    Oh yeah, I guide on the South Platte, Colorado, Blue, and Williams Fork Rivers in Colorado.   muskyman Posted on Thursday, November 14, 2002 - 05:36 pm:    well bubba Carter I think we better take our can a worms and hoppers and stay clear of the south Platte... jeremy sounds like a nice living   Jeremy Hamilton Posted on Thursday, November 14, 2002 - 06:09 pm:    It is a nice living. And actually bait fishing isn't allowed on most of the south platte in order to protect the fish from being over caught and harvested because you can catch a lot of fish that way.   muskyman Posted on Thursday, November 14, 2002 - 06:15 pm:    just pulling your leg jeremy...i have been fly fishing for 30 years and I know "bait bubba's" are a pet peeve of carters. just wait till you catch your first musky on a fly ...you'll be ruined for trout for ever. ever do any bonefish? I got hooked on them and found out you need to be rich or willing to live in a 3rd world nation. but they are a flyfishermens dream none the less   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Thursday, November 14, 2002 - 09:20 pm:    LOL Muskyman.... Anyway, I think you took me the wrong way. I wasn't defending bait fisherman, artificials (particularly flies) are by far the more challenging/fulfilling way to fish. I was just pointing out that, like it or not, bait is on average the most productive method if you consider a "productive" day to be nothing more than a bunch of fish (even trout) and that is one of the reasons it is banned from use in most catch and release areas (along with the fact that they generally take bait deeper when they strike it). I am fairly new to trout fishing having spend most of my life in Louisiana and find the rivalry between fly-fisherman and "bait-bubbas" fascinating personally I think it all has to do with the high regard for which we hold trout up to and then the fact that we have to see pictures of all these drunk, mullet adorned rednecks holding up pictures of monstrous trout we could only dream of catching and then reading that they caught the damn thing on a marshmallow Now as for the Battenkill, It's a good thing they are redesigning it because the current one is crap, a Ross Cimarron beats that thing like a red headed step-child and has a better warranty to.   KJ Posted on Friday, November 15, 2002 - 12:38 am:    Muskyman, I'm headed for prime bone fishing grounds next week. Never tried it, and probably won't this trip, either, but I know it's a big deal to fisherpersons. As for Brad Pitt and his hottie movie brother (Carter, you scare me knowing the weird stuff you seem to know,), I'd let them teach me lousy casting anyday. Karen   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Friday, November 15, 2002 - 01:00 am:    Karen, don't let my knowlege of stupid facts impress you to much this time, the DVD was sitting right on my desk other wise I wouldn't have had a clue.   KJ Posted on Friday, November 15, 2002 - 01:04 am:    Oh, I thought you were just keeping track of hot Hollywood boys. Karen ;)   muskyman Posted on Friday, November 15, 2002 - 09:25 am:    karen , if you are going to bonefish country you should take the chance to fish them. they are really just freaks of nature. the first one I caught a dozen years ago took out 250yards of line so fast i couldent believe it.the biggest one I ever caught 9lbs we had to chase with the boat to keep it from stealing my $60 flyline, it just turned and headed for deep water. that deep water was a couple miles away! women are vert often awsome flycasters because they are very patiant,most guys try to overpower the cast and end up casting a tailing loop. you think rovers are an addiction wait till you catch a bonefish. catching 2lb bones one after the other will create a smile that wont go away for weeks. I used to come back from a trip and everbody would be like "thom got lucky" i'd smile to myself and say "you have know idea"   KJ Posted on Friday, November 15, 2002 - 09:49 am:    LOL, Muskyman! A whole different way of looking at gettin' lucky. Naw, I think I'll just keep letting them startle me while I'm snorkeling. You never see them coming, and suddenly they are in your face! About the time you realize what they are, POOF!, they're gone! Karen   muskyman Posted on Friday, November 15, 2002 - 09:55 am:    karen, I was on a trip once in the Bahama's had not seen a bone in 2 days of wading. I went to change flies because I saw a few Baracuda and thought something is better then nothing,as I was tying on the fly a school of bones swims right up around me then explodes away. they were the only bones I saw that murky eastwind weekend. where are you heading? warm water and a snorkle sounds awsome we have 36degrees and rain today thom   KJ Posted on Friday, November 15, 2002 - 10:07 am:    Thom, we're heading down to the Turks and Caicos. We see bone fish all the time there, and not even near the flats. We accidentally fed one to a shark one time The bone had beached himself and was gasping away on the sand. We picked him up and tossed him back in, and WHOMP! What we'd thought was a smallish log just offshore was actually the shark that had probably sent the bone to land in the first place. We hooked a HUGE barracuda one day without even trying. He was the better part of five feet, have it on tape. We were on a day trip to East Caicos, a large uninhabited island, and were just trolling for nothing in particular. Big fight ensued and we had to beach him to safely unhook him. He was a tad bit pissed. Great trip! I'd just gotten back into the boat from snorkeling some enormous brain corals, and a handsomely sized Mako shark swam right past us. He was big, our boat was small, I was glad I was IN the boat...... Karen   muskyman Posted on Friday, November 15, 2002 - 11:37 am:    Karen, lol...i love the island life, your making me wish I was getting on a plan with my flyfishing backpack and a taste for sand in my shorts. need a stowaway?...i dont take up much room, well yes i do but I'll sleep on the beach and catch breakfast lunch and dinner the whole time a friend of mine once told me of a study that showed almost every released bonefish gets eaten within a few min of release due to the fact they cant swim at 100%, that guy was on borrowed time i'd guess Barracuda are cool most the guides are freaked by them and have horror stories to tell, but me being a die hard musky chaser I just look at them as salty musky. I have had a number of guides freak on me when I scoop them up with the leach lake lip lock (a method of holding toothy fish) but by the time I get them in on fly gear all the lactic acid build up they have the are pretty tame.   Kim S (Roverine) Posted on Friday, November 15, 2002 - 05:12 pm:    Hi all, hehe, I'm supposed to be doing other stuff right now, but couldn't resist a quick peek ... Naturally, I couldn't resist .. This thread caught my eye, and then KJ started talking Caribbean Islands We're due to head down to the tropic on the Pacific side week after next. LOL, Not as nice as Caribbean, but I'll take it! Long time ago I invested in a silly venture on the pacific side of Mexico ... I haven't been in a long time ... So anyway, it got hit by a class five hurricane 3 weeks ago. First time it's been hit in 53 years. Been trying to ascess damage to the place ... turned out to be not that bad (relatively speaking, all things consisdered). Two other properties on each side of it kind of acted as seawalls (so I'll probably be waking up to the sweet tinkle of jackhammmers every morning, LOL). We're treking on down there anyway. I just bring plenty of antibiotics and mosquito repellant (little Dengue Fever outbreak). Dang, I was dreaming so much about the warm water and jungle, I forgot what I was going to say. Oh yeah, ... Barracuda. For some reason, almost every time I've been out sea fishing, I catch a Barracuda. I am the queen of Barracuda, LOL ... Barracudas and Scalpin are my specialty. First few times, I would get so excited reeling in a fish, and then swing it around the boat. I thought it was a normal and customary thing for people to scatter and "give you space" while it was dangling on the line (while I was swinging it onto boat asking what I caught). Well, I know better now. Kim there are boat drinks with our name on them awaiting ...   muskyman Posted on Friday, November 15, 2002 - 05:35 pm:    the boys in the band ordered boat drinks . wow walking through the ruble and seeing it that soon first hand should be a really cool attraction in its own right. take some hi-res pics and post them when you get back ,mother natures hand is always one of my favorite things to see have fun   Kim S (Roverine) Posted on Friday, November 15, 2002 - 05:46 pm:    yup, will do (uh, if I don't post after 1st week in December, will someone call the American consulate down there? hehe, wait, I already KNOW the answer ...) Kim   muskyman Posted on Friday, November 15, 2002 - 05:56 pm:    lol...1st week in dec it is and if they dont respond discoweb video "mexican rescue"   Kim S (Roverine) Posted on Friday, November 15, 2002 - 06:08 pm:    Viva Discoweb!!! Thanks! Kim   KJ Posted on Sunday, November 17, 2002 - 12:04 am:    BOAT DRINKS! I'll put that on the list.....LOL! See y'all in a week, and Kim, I'll kiss a 'cuda for you! Karen P.S. Even the most rabid Buffett fans have never been able to tell me what a boat drink is.....anyone? Love that song....   Steve Andrews (Sillybus) Posted on Tuesday, November 19, 2002 - 08:37 am:    Sorry to come in late to the party. Zak, the second startup I worked for was WorldWideAngler.com which is now bankrupt. The principles went on to create another site, TidalFish.com. The creators are based out of my area around the Chesapeake Bay and there are tons of people there that fly fish. I'm sure you could find someone there that could take you out and help you hone your skills. One of the perks of working for WWA was that on our employment anniversary, we could each pick out a new rod and reel on the company's dime. I got a nice St. Croix 8 wt. with a Reddington 7/8 aluminum reel. The intention was to do a bit of saltwater flyfishing for stripers which I have yet to do. I have caught plenty of bluegill on my 5 wt. and even a good size largemouth on the 5 but alas, nothing yet on the 8.