Glenbow

Merry Christmas to the best bunch of fly fishers I know. I'm about to head home & it's Christmas day here in Melbourne - a day ahead of Calgary. I get home Christmas day, so it seems like I fly for 2 days on Christmas! All the best to all of you - see you soon. Glenbow

No Brent, I am in Yarrawonga which is somewhere between Sydney & Melbourne, a bit SW of Canberra. I am hoping to get to Canberra tomorrow for a few days & get up into the Snowy Mountains for a fly fish. I'm also looking good to get to Tasmania next week for a few days' fishing there & I am really looking forward to it. I am just visiting friends in Yarrawonga right now so I have internet access so I can keep an eye on you bozos & monitor the severity level of the shack nasties! I will return home on Dec 24, so I will see you guys soon.

SHARK SKIN RESEARCH COULD REDUCE AIRPLANE DRAG BY 30 PERCENT It may seem obvious that the surface of an airplane should be as smooth as possible to minimize aerodynamic drag, but that's not really the case. A bit of roughness can break up the boundary layer and improve efficiency. Sharks, with skin formed of rough scales called denticles, can slip through the water at speeds of up to 60 mph with minimal drag. This week, The Lindbergh Foundation awarded a grant to Dr. Amy Lang, at the University of Alabama, to study whether the surface texture on the skin of fast-swimming sharks, capable of bristling their scales when in pursuit of prey, could be mimicked and used to reduce the drag on aircraft. "If we can successfully show there is a significant effect, future applications to reduce drag of aircraft and underwater vehicles could be possible," said Lang. The technology has the potential to increase aerodynamic efficiency up to 30 percent, with savings of billions of dollars and substantial reductions in fuel burn and emissions. This is an article I found on an aviation news website - those guys at SA must be on to something.

I'm thinking about getting a big hook & with either a ball of cheese or a marshmallow on it on my arm. I was also thinking about getting "Fly Fishing Rules" tattooed on my wedding tackle, but I had to make the font too small to read. With regular font only "Fly F" would have fit. Damn.

Ya Weedy, You told me about him & I also got recommended to use him from the Fly Fishing New Zealand site (not the forum) - it's a site (can't remember the URL now, but it's at home on the Fav's list) that is packed with guides & such & I called the guy that runs the site & he recommended him. I also highly recommend him. I can hardly wait to go back. I'd hire him again & also spend more time out there on my own, now that i am more comfortable with sighting & conditions.

Thanks for all the great comments, guys n' gals - it's nice to hear all the cheering from home. And Weedy, keep your eyes on your own forum! (Just kiddin - I didn't know you were a lurker there!)

Let's keep it on track folks, remember, it's a family show. It's hard for me to steal time away from sun, sand & surf to remember to post more stuff. I hope you are all enjoying the nice weather at home, I am sweating my b@lls off right now. Even my beer gets hot before I can finish it. Just kiddin' folks, I hope to do a bit of fly fishing here now that I am down south somewhere between Sydney & Melbourne, I think a trip to the Snowy Mountains is in order. I will try to post some more stuff soon (it's not as easy to get internet as you might think). Be safe out there. I have poison snakes & spiders to worry about!

Hi all, Sorry to flood this section of the forum, I have the time today & an internet connection so I thought I'd make a few posts. I hope it helps pass the time away in the deep freeze! Cairns has been awesome. Scuba dived the Great Barrier Reef 2 days ago, did 3 dives & it was spectacular. 60ft of water is still bathwater warm, I managed to swim with some sea turtles close enough to touch them (I didn't though) and it is quite a life affirming experience. Saw a bunch of 4' long giant clams, some morays and a ton of other things. I went up today for a scenic flight over the Reef and took a bunch of pics - it was totally awesome. I went out for a charter fish yesterday & managed a smallish Trevally, it was bait fishing with spin gear but still fun nonetheless. There's not as much ffing here as one might think, but it would take some research and planning which I did not have the time or inclination to do. This part of the trip is a take-it-as-it-goes part, and it's the right kind of place to do things that way. It is an awesome place to see with lots of fun things to do. We are off to Melbourne tomorrow for a couple of days, we're going on a blues train (train ride with live blues music) and then some more screwing around before it's off to Sydney. Time's flying by - and my ears are peeling. Don't worry, I don't expect any sympathy - I'll take peeling ears over frostbite any day! I hope you like the pictures. Notice the wake in the background........(that one's for you BBB)

Hi guys, Here's a few more pics of my last days fishing on the S Island. After a day of all kinds of weather, I finally landed the fish I came for - and 8lb Brown on a caddis larva on 5x tippet! It was a spectacular fight, I watched the take and set the hook and the fight was on! He immediately bolted all the way across the river into the current & deep water on the far bank. I had to run with him downstream to keep him under some control, but with 5x it is a risky game at best. These big boys are STRONG! I had to maintain a lot of side pressure & keep changing his head direction to keep him from bolting & snapping off. I was positively shaking when I landed him & got him into the net. After breaking off so many big rainbows on the N Island, I tried everything to keep that from happening to this big boy. It was a big day for me. It rained most of the day & was howling wind & I often had to wait for a lull in the wind for a cast - an errant cast often results in a departed fish so every cast counted. I find that tremendously different to the bulk of fishing we do at home. I think that if you spent any amount of time in NZ you would end up a far more technically developed angler. At least that is true for me. Also, casting 15-18 feet of leader with a dry & a dropper into the wind is much harder than I thought it would be, being used to 9-11 feet. I strongly recommend anyone coming over to practice with those long leaders for accurate casts. I often put the cast exactly where I wanted it only to find the fly 6 feet ahead of where I planned it! That is just where my brain is still used to expecting the fly to land because of not being used to the extended leader length. It is the trip of a lifetime, and I will definitely come back again as soon as I can. Enjoy the photos! Hook-up! The One I came For - 8lb Brown

Thanks a lot guys, BTW that brown was by far the smallest fish I caught or even saw on the S island. (of course). My buddy that's with me from Aus doesn't fish & I had the guide give him some lessons on the water - 1/2 hour later he caught and landed a 4lb brown! It's the one in the underwater pic. When we released him he went & hid right behind my boot in the current & we got some pics of him in the water. It was really cool to just watch him for a bit before I stood-up & he split. It's absolutely amazing over there, I wish I had more time there. Talk to you all soon!

Hello from Down Under! I am in Cairns, Australia at the moment and it's only 36 C today. A bit warm to say the least. It's been a while since I had access to the internet for any length of time so I have waited until now to post some more. New Zealand was absolutely gorgeous, with average fish sizes that would astound anyone. The North Island is a fair bit different than the South Island, but both are equally beautiful. I was in the Queenstown area of the S Island in brown trout country. The fish are very wary, and I cannot emphasize enough the importance of stealth. I got a look at an 11 lb brown that took-off as we aproached - my guide had caught him & weighed him 2 weeks before. Talk about a jaw-dropper. They use these cool landing nets here that have a scale in the handle, so you just lift the fish in the net & presto - you know the weight. Very cool, except I didn't feel like dropping another $100 on a net. I have more pics to post but will do it later. Esleech, the clothes have been awesome, that rain gear really turned out to be a life-saver. Thanks, man. I can't wait to fish NZ again, I think all of you would love it. BTW, sounds like I'm not missing anything weather wise, try to stay warm!

Twin anal fins. And crazy cross-breed paint-job. But I still want it.

Colin, that's not the Waitahanui, I am about 1 hour away from Taupo to the south on that river. Brent, I was with the guide, check out the New Zealand Update post below this post for a bit more info. You can see everything in the river (except the dang fish) - you can't imagine how well those fish blend in even in 2 feet of clear water. Without the guide, I would have missed 80% of the fish as I would have spooked them before even seeing them, and I would have fished way too long in 'fishy' water that had no trout. I have to say that I never quite believed how much you would need a guide for fishing here (not everywhere of course), but having seen it first hand, I consider it a must (at least to get started). Like I said in my Update post below this post, with the browns we spooked them (and my guide is a pro guide) before we even got in visual range. It feels weird to see a big brown go whipping by you right near your feet and know he came from the pool you are coming up to. It is a far more exciting way to fish than 99% of the fishing I have done at home. I would take this type of fishing (read fish, water, scenery, stalking) over blind fishing any day. But you can't go guided every day, can you? The rivers are really clear and low, and it's amazing to stare into the water following the guide's finger and he's telling you 'he's right there' and still not see the trout until it makes an obvious move. These are big fish in low water and their camouflage is unreal.

I wanna face-book somebody's mom. And stay in New Zealand.

Huge mayfly nymph - about an inch long almost Hook-up! A Happy Man! Stellar scenery.

I got out with the guide today, a really good guy named Craig Farrar. He took me to a little stream for a crack at some big boys. He told me that there's not a ton of fish in there but they are all a really good size - both browns & rainbows. We drove for about an hour & had a good chat about fishing & finally got there & suited up. After about a 20 minute bush-whack we snuck up the the river & promptly see a rainbow & a brown about 24" each take off because they spotted us. A good sign I thought! We crossed the stream & waded our way up a ways & then bushwhacked for a bit more until we got to a really amazing pool & spotted 2 rainbows milling about, feeding leisurely. We were peeking out behind some giant plants that look like huge yucca ( I forget the name ). We watched for about 15 minutes, waiting for an opportune moment to move me into position for a roll-cast - the only cast that there was room for. I finally got into position, & had to wait another 5 minutes for a chance to cast with less fear of spooking just by moving the rod. The tension was incredible! There 2 fish were both over 26", and he estimated them at 6.5-7 lbs. I got my cast away with almost perfect placement (a dry & a dropper) and before I knew it he yelled "strike!" - and I did. I hooked the bigger of the 2 fish, and the fight was on! I played him for a good 5 minutes on my 5wt, and he was tearing all around the pool trying like hell to get under a rock ledge. With one fail tail-flick, he was gone! I was crushed! At least he was filming with my vid, so I have a bunch of it on video, but I wanted to land that fish so bad! When you see the pics below, you can see how amazing that size of fish is in a river that size. In all, I hooked 6, landed one and the rest busted-off the 4x tippet. Some of the fish I played for almost 7 minutes before they busted off. The pics of the one I landed are of the smallest fish I saw all day. The browns were so spooky I cannot believe it. Even my guide said he didn't quite know what was up with the browns, they were ridiculous. We would see a big brown come ripping downstream from a pool that we were not even at yet - they knew we were coming. They would blow by right near our feet & rocket on by. Amazing. It is hard to impart how very cool this experience is, the huge trout in tiny, skinny water & the amazing scenery. We walked a fair way between fish, but every foot-step was a great experience & a lasting memory. I caught one big rainbow on the dry that went completely out of the water 5 times before he broke off, and kept going aerial 6 more times after that! I have a bit of that one on vid too. You only got 1 cast to each fish, and my hook-up rate was apparently very good for that river. It breaks your heart to make a cast to a nice, big rainbow & see him rocket away as soon as the fly hits the water. Saw about 20 fish in all, and like I said before, the one I landed was the smallest. Not the way I wanted it to turn out, but an awesome day all the way. All of you would love to do this - there really is nothing like it. Enjoy the pics - too bad there aren't more of fish! Here's the river (which shall remain un-named at the guide's request) Bushwhackin' Spot the Guide The BIG Rainbow I hooked - I took this while waiting for the right time to get into position from in the trees. This is zoomed way in. Hunting. He spotted fish that 60% of the time I never did see until he yelled 'Strike!' See part 2

Colin, You're right - it's the Waitahanui river. I haven't seen any BIG ones yet, mostly similar to the one I got & tons of the wee guys (didn't actually see them, but they were rising a lot near dark - caddis started coming off as I left) I did get that bigger one near the mouth though. Hawg, I left the big stik at home so's I wouldn't catch any Burbot or Lake whites on purpose. I'd hate to make my guide look bad. Thanks for the posts guys & I'll keep it comin' as I can.

I know the true identity of the Lone Fisher. And I have been to San Juan Worm's house.

Howdy from NZ! I arrived yesterday in Auckland, and spent a bit of the day getting sorted out & trying not to run into other cars that are driving on the wrong side of the road! I drove down to Taupo today (About 4 hrs S of Auckland) and it is about 30 degrees and gorgeous. The first thing I spot wheeling into town is a fly shop, so I went there before even checking into my hotel! I got some advice & had a good chat & set off to check-in to the hotel. BTW, my Simms vest that was $150 is $300 here, and a Sage Z-axis is about $1100!!! Not too cheap here for gear. I go out tomorrow with my guide, so hopefully tomorrow bears fruit. I managed to get out for about 2 hours tonight at a local river and got a few fish - my first in NZ! Here's the best one I got today: This river ( I forget the name, the map's in the car) empties into Lake Taupo & you could see the trout in nice clear water - very cool. Here's some pics of the lake The river is the bit of water this side of the row of bushes before the lake Here's the only other fisher with me on the river today - he handily out-fished me (but I got the biggest one!) As it was getting dark, the rising started all over the place, and I got a number of these little guys. Aren't they the cutest little guys you ever did see? They would hammer the P-Adams, it was a hoot! There's also a few strange signs here: Apparently when it's frosty, your rear wheels trade places with each other - thank God I came in Summer! That's it for now, tomorrow's a big day so I'll report in again when I can. That Rainbow was for you, Brownstone - I told you I'd remember! By for now, Glenbow

Hook: Partridge K3A # 16 Thread: 10/0 gudebrod tan Rib: Fine Silver Wire Body - fine tan dubbing Post - white calf tail Wing - Cock ring-necked pheasant rump feathers All right now.......on to Pacres

Look at LL Bean in the States. Very good products & they stand behind what they sell. Spey Rod for $170US ( I have it and really like it) Reels can be cheapo, no real need to even as high as $150. Lines are a bit more, but keep looking around.

Country Pleasures in Calgary. Mailing Address Country Pleasures #100, 10816 Macleod Tr. S. Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2J 5N8 Phone Numbers Phone: (403) 271-1016 Fax: (403) 271-5516 Email info@countrypleasures.com

I'm just impressed that I could use 'stagnates' and 'propensity' in the same sentence. I think I need a vacation. I think I'll go to New Zealand for a while & try to unwind. Monday sounds good!

I don't think that guiding & oil & gas are even remotely the same - the royalties on O&G are different as O&G are permanently removed from the land, whereas trout are not. I don't personally agree with the increased royalties on the O&G sector, but that is not the issue here either. Remember, the more we box ourselves in as a society with more rules/regs/taxes/fees/laws, the more restrained our lives will be and our freedoms to enjoy things will become constricted and/or more expensive. I think it should be up to the guides themselves to choose and the public as the consumer to see which guide has insurance, first aid etc. The public always shows what will win & what won't by choice. I think that as long as a guide pays a license fee to fish, good. I don't agree that he (she) must pay a fee to guide and not fish himself. He already pays a business license fee (if he does in fact) and pays taxes on the money he makes (if in fact he does). It is no different than if I were to charge a fee to go show a bunch of tourists Bull trout spawning in the fall & take pictures. Or take them on a nature hike to show them interesting sights. Why the heck would I have to pay a fee & be licensed to do that? If I were a 'fishing consultant' would that change the rules? If a consultant can charge a fee for knowledge in his own head (good or bad) then why can a guide not? The fish do not know the difference, nor are they being harvested. More government = bad idea to me. More fees and licenses = bad idea to me. I do not care if a guy charges a fee to somebody to show him where to fish, and the guy doesn't have a license. It is a guy charging for what he knows (like a consultant) and offers it for sale. If somebody hires a crappy consultant and doesn't get what he thinks he paid for, it's no good for the crappy consultant. Mr. Consultant then has 1 less referral or repeat customer. He may not continue being a consultant. It is no different. And I agree that our fish are our resource, so maybe non-Albertans should have to pay a guide license fee or whatever. But, let us preserve the opportunity for an enterprising Albertan fishing enthusiast to grow himself into a guide business without a bunch of governmental obligations and interference and cost. He is after all not a nuclear reactor technician. He is showing somebody how and where to fish. Nothing more. There are the same amount of fish there after guiding (within reason of course) as there are after. Let us not go down the road to becoming BC - we have a good thing here and it deserves to not be impaired. I strongly support the ideal of individuals being motivated and creative enough to build themselves into a business with as little governmental interference as possible. Remember, this can set a precedent and be used to support arguments to charge fees or impose licenses in any number of areas. What about the guy that mows lawns? The guy that collects garbage (as an independent business)? The guy that shovels snow for you? The guy that hangs Christmas lights? Please do not read that I am naive in making these comparisons, these are merely examples of folks that have used their own initiative to make something of and for themselves. More regulatory cost and interference constricts this healthy motivation and stagnates the propensity for growth. I do not want to see things like river access or 'rod days' ever implemented on the waters of the province that I call home. And I have just as much to lose as anyone else on this forum. I have a healthy respect for the folks that have chosen to contribute to this thread, and it is thanks to them that we can all participate & share in this turbulent discussion. I am also deeply appreciative that we can so far be as passionate about our points of view and still this thread remains a distinguished example of discussion. My hat is off to the participants. Anyone wanna talk about jet boats? (kidding, of course)

Clive, I understand your point and agree with a lot of it. I feel that we already sacrifice many freedoms and I am reluctant to see any more freedoms removed or restricted. I completely disagree with many of the licensed that are already in place (many of which you listed above) and I fail to see how more licenses and restrictions will improve the situation. I personally do not feel that guides and random campers are freeloaders. Many random campers may be irresponsible and/or destructive, but I feel that is a different issue. I think that if a guide has spent enough time learning water to know it well enough to offer guide services if somebody is interested in that, then good for him (read her also). He gets paid for some of the effort that he put in to learn that knowledge. This is not a question of if guides pay taxes after all. If it is a question of setting a professional standard, that is something that guides should collectively do if they want to see that. As I said, I agree with a lot of the points you list but with regard to guides I do not think that licensing them and some of the other points of discussion in the opening post will improve anything. I feel that the more we restrict ourselves the more we remove our freedoms and that is not a life I wish to see. I am very pleased that we have the opportunity to discuss this and have some input into the decision making process.