reevesr1

Another option is to upload the photo to imageshack, photobucket, whatever. I use imageshack. When you upload, it lets you select whatever size you want to resize to. You can then copy the photo back to your computer and use as your avatar. I do this because I'm not smart enough to figure out my photo editor.

Dryfly, Heading south mabye twice this week. I am scouring my garage for white packing cells- for both little dries (which I can't see for crap) and little nymphs. I'll let everyone know how it goes. I also have some little white thingamabobs. I'll try them too.

Weedy, I've started using them as well, replacing Rowley's. They seem more sensitive to strikes and they certainly can float more weight. The disadvantage is they take a bit more time to move (not much) and do kink the heck out of your line. But other than that, i love 'em.

Ladystrange, You forgot shipping. I'll cover it for ya if I get a sip. A small one. FOMCLMFAO = Falling off my couch laughing my efffin ass off?

I found many items on eBay cheaper than retail here back when the dollar was at .80, much less parity. I've bought and sold on eBay for years. The big difference in Canada is the shipping amount. I used to sell periodically from Houston to Canadian customers. The shipping is more expensive, but not strikingly so. If you search for sellers who are not marking up their shipping, you can do very well. I bought a Olympus camera on eBay. Cost me $6.00 to ship it. Many people have mentioned shopping local to support your local retailers. I believe that is very important as well. But it does get hard when you can save $50.00 on a $200.00 reel. What I do is tell the local retailer "here is the deal I can get" and give them a chance to match, or at least get close. If they can't then the money goes south. If that happens enough, the market will certainly adjust. I bought a tent trailer in Montana this year, used, for about $3000 less (at least) than what I could have gotten it for here. When I was talking to the customs guy at the border, he said that trailers were cheaper in the US when the dollar was .65, much less now. I plan to go down there next summer and buy both a travel trailer and a truck, unless prices here change significantly. Yaaaayyy free trade!

So a literal instead of figurative redneck! No offense taken, trust me. We do a pretty good job of making fun of ourselves, much like you Scotts! See the Jeff Foxworthy video below. Or Ladystrange's signature. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuiCnQc17jg

OK there a16. (a followed by 16 letters. Too hard to type otherwise). You win the best hook in a body part contest! Funny, horrifying, and well told. Also, so you know, I'm pretty much a redneck. Born and raised in South Redneckland. So don't talk bad about us.

I just got your name, finally! It would be very appropriate for me. Roll casted one into my finger yesterday. I'm a walkin' effin pin cushion.

My guess would be Arkansas, or maybe Oklahoma! There was a story several years ago of some guys in Kentucky re-enacting William Tell. Billy Bob puts a beer can (big surprise beer was involved) on Jethro's head and takes a shot. Unfortunately for Jethro, a little low. Jethro goes to the emergency room with the arrow in the melon. If I remember correctly, target boy survived and the guys were both on Letterman. Maybe that part is just wishful thinking.

Steelhead, Are you just trying to be provocative, or do you actually believe that? I always love it when someone decides something is bad, with no scientific evidence, and then decides it should be banned. The "I don't like it so no one can do it" method of regulation favored by governments and too many fishermen! If you read a couple of the replies, there are certainly those who agree with you on the issue of droppers. But their response is to stop doing it themselves. It does not fit with their belief system, so they stop. A perfectly reasonable and respectful response. Your response is to call the majority of the fly fishers in Alberta butchers. Again, I would assume you are just trying to be provocative. However, I struggle with what you are trying to accomplish, unless your goal is to just irritate. If so, congratulations! Just so my motives are clear, my goal is to get this thread to 2000. If a change in subject is what it takes, I'm more than happy to take up the challenge.

Brian, I'd love a hero cookie! Got any?? Make up for that Lava cake I didn't get the other night.

I have a question about multiple fly rigs and fish damage: I hooked a couple today with one of the back hooks, both times in the skin of the belly. I can tell you there was no way there was any damage to the fish. Can someone tell me why that is more damaging than in their mouth?? I'm not trying to be sarcastic here, I am truly wondering.

Hey FH, Does that cost 24K?

And if Brent sees a fish from above, he will stay there and direct your casts until you catch it! But he'll forget his net...

A friend sent me this one. Not exactly on theme, but funny nonetheless. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqAuctx0JDk

I echo everything above, and will add a couple of comments of my own: 1. Try to get out on one of the smaller creeks or rivers nearby. The fish can be more cooperative, the water easier to read, and nothing substitutes for actually hooking and catching something. I started fly fishing on the Bow as well, but it isn't always an easy river to fish. 2. While you should not hesitate to change methods if conditions dictate (and for us newbies, that can be hard to determine), I would highly recommend spending most of your time nymphing. I have caught several on various dries, but struggle with streamers (don't know why). For me, nymphing has been far more productive. I do realize it is difficult to figure out what to use. But if you read the bow river reports, many of the guys will tell you what they are catching on. Pay attention to size! If you don't have that exact fly, nor have time to go to a fly shop to get some, at least match the size. You can also do an internet search on the fly and try to get as close to it as possible with what you have. All else fails, put a prince, pheasant tail, hairs ear, or evil weevil below the worm (always have on a worm!!). Anyway, don't think that you have to use exactly what you hear is working. You don't. Also, to repeat what was said above, set the hook LOTS! 3. Fishing with friends who know what they are doing is great, but at the end of the day, most of them will spend some time teaching and then they will start fishing. (I've been fortunate enough to meet a few that will really teach, they are not the norm). Most of us have limited time to fish and while we may like to teach, we LOVE to fish. Hard to get the rod out of our hands. So if you really want someone to teach you in a concentrated fashion, you are best served paying for it. Forget getting new line, leader, whatever. If you can swing it (he'll teach you what that means by the way), hire someone to give you a walk and wade lesson. I took mine from Maxwell, and you will find others here that did as well. I cannot recommend this enough. Your learning curve will shorten dramatically. And you will absolutely catch fish. I took mine just over a year ago. I am an expert in no ones book, but I catch fish pretty much every time I go. 4. Keep a good attitude. You will take out many tangles, catch many trees, miss many fish, loose many flies, hook yourself, hook a friend, fall in the river (no wait, thats me)....but just wait until you hook your first big fish 10 ft from you, he jumps right in your face, takes off and he hits the middle of the river so fast he takes your breath away. Nothing compares, at least for me. Good luck dude. Enjoy the ride. We only get to learn once!

Chris, You are a funny man! Can you make me some for Thursday? Bobloblaw, Here is the report: Get to dock. Drop big leech into water while I strip out line. Watch monster rainbow come out from under dock to investigate then swim off. Make a few casts, switch to big green streamer thing (some sort of damsel fly?Not sure) and put it in my head. So 5 minutes of fishing, no fish, bloody head. Sorry for the whining.

And that, my friends, is as good as it gets. Kritofr, congrats on many levels, sounds like a year to relish, to say the least.

Only if I can get a cool FFC logo on it.

Don't know, she didn't make me any. They were individual cakes, and I wasn't supposed to be home. So, in short, no sympathy, no easing of my not insignificant pain, no cake. Coming up on 20 yrs of wedded bliss. She did ask me if I'd go get her some coffee though. OK, I made that last part up.

So I came home from a quick trip to a buddies house with a lake in his back yard. I had a bit of a headache and I asked my wife if we had any tylenol. She said it might help, but it may help more if YOU TAKE THE BIG STREAMER OUT OF YOUR HEAD. It was about a #4. It hurt a bit. So I guess one should wear a hat when casting big streamers in the wind. After I impaled in my head, I tried to pull it out, but it seemed a bit sticky. Oh please, I think, let the barb be all the way down. I pull a bit harder, no go. So I cut off the line, drive home and ask my wife to pull it out. She looks, shrugs, and says "I'm going to finish my lava cake". Now that's love baby! She said if you can drive home, it can't be very bad. By the way, she used to be an ICU nurse. Says she knows a real emergency when she sees one. So I call down to my son who comes upstairs and says "don't make me pull the hook out of your head." We have a history as he tried, and failed, to pull one out of my lip earlier this year. So I make him. I give him my hemo's, say give it a yank. If I scream, stop. So he pulls, out comes the hook sans barb. So in 40 years of fishing before fly fishing, no hooks in me ever. 1 yr of fly fishing, I've hooked myself twice. Sweet. And ouch.

I haven't read the entire article yet, but saw this on ESPN. Makes you realize how resilient we can really be... http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/news/st...mp;lid=tab6pos1

Sorta like a birdie on the 18th after a POS day golfing. Keeps ya coming back for more!

Sweet rocknbugs. Wish I could have made it!!

I cannot vouch for the validity of the following statement, but I did read it in a nymphing book.... The process of a trout taking in food from bottom and spitting it out is about 2 seconds. It is a physiological limit. That is the amount of time it takes for the fish to complete the process of bringing it in, and then pushing the water back out. The trout knows it's not food instantly, but cannot reject it until the water cycle completes. But a lot has to happen in that two seconds. The fish is moving very little in most cases, and not a strike in the traditional sense. That "strike" has to travel up your leader to whatever method you are using to indicate, you have to see or feel that movement, which can be very, very small, and then set the hook. So regardless of how long the spit out actually takes, Brookie is absolutely correct- slack control is extremely important.