duanec

had some exp rowing both hyde & clacka glass some yrs ago, and preferred clacka for sure. seemed to track a little better and were more responsive, and i liked the setup more. when i went shopping for a used clacka i found a good deal on a newer used 16' ro. i've had it for 6 yrs and love the way it handles. it's pretty bullet proof and as we've [co owned with some buddies] had all kinds of people at the oars we've definitely had times when the hull & chines have been given maximum stress testing running over rocks, running into culverts, running aground etc. apart from some cosmetics, no issues whatsoever. well, maybe a few scratches... i have a high profile so it can defintely be more of an issue in wind, but it's a little better able to handle bigger waters [not so much an issue on the bow], like a very dicey trip down the elk river during a blowout a few yrs back, we'da died in a low profile ship. i also plan to get it out on some steel waters some day. mine's missing some things like rod holders - the newer models def. have more bells & whistles. i also have a good dry storage and can hold a pile of crap for camping & stuff. like markd says think about what you plan to use it for: look at the storage, where does that massive soda cooler go, rod holders, knee braces, seats, etc. another thing to check is how pointy edges are, think about where/how your line is going to be lying about when you strip...is it going to get caught on something [besides yourself] when that big fish starts screaming line. another reason that i like my boat & clackas over hyde [older ones anyways] is they seemed to have thought that through.

my dog goes nuts when the gear starts getting prepped, but the default pose once he's in the boat

not a zane ti...for a mere $7300.00? yowza, i had no idea you can spend that much on a reel...

spent 4 hrs there today, nice to see some familiar faces, kick tires on a few rods, try out things...see what's new, etc. overall some of the tweaks from last year's show were welcomed. and of course i got tricked into spending more than i should have. again. oh well got to keep the local economic engines rolling...

same here

tnx, cool! 90% sure i'll be there, just gotta check the kids sports schedules.

tnx dat's helpful. look fwd to the chance to try the big sticks agin.

do they hafta be dead first?

the extensively marketed/mass production/pre-packaged meat also tastes pretty sterile as well: fish, chicken, cow, whatever. what you but at safeway or coop that looks all nice & clean usually does not taste all that real. i'm a big fan of eating real food, and a big proponent of ensuring that i know and remember my place in the chain.

ok you spey peeps...i've been watching from a distance for a while now, and want to hear your opinion. so...i'm shopping around for an 8 wt, primarily for wet coast fun i get to do very seldomly right now...but possibly more often in the future. and a few members on the board have suggested i should consider a spey rod. ok, maybe... but i've had limited exposure, none of my current circle have the long rods [i'd be the laffingstock/guineapig] [wouldn't be the first time], and i'm primarily needing this new rod for a trip in october, where the water is not going to be any larger than the bow and probably even smaller. basically, i'm not convinced that it's a good idea to commit to a long rod when i may not need the long bombs on my oct. trip. but i can sure see the advantages when you've got limited backcasting room. and yes i know you can learn to throw a spey cast with the singlehander. so then i started reading up a bit and i find switch rods...which in an 8wt would land somewhere around 10-11' correct? and i'm considering that as an option: if i understand it correctly they can be used for both overhand & spey casting styles...of course they are probably not ideal for both styles but maybe if i had one i could ease into speyness where and when i can, and/but i've also got a usable 8 wt. for all those larger requirement situations i get into maybe 1-2 times/season... right? wrong? thoughts? comments? suggestions?

awesome, i can't wait to get there! so i inherited a whole bunch of old tying kit and about $600 worth of materials...timely as i now have something new to keep me occupied. and i guess therefore another obvious resolution would be to catch on my own flies.

i went one further and quit...cold turkey this time. day 8 and counting. finally got the f'ing things beat. looking forward to enjoying my time on the water this season without them.

ha ha. see this will & testament from the founder? http://www.peta.org/feat/newkirk/will.html i really hope i outlive her as i want to be first in line for a burger at the bbq [2a], as well i want a nice hat [2b] to wear as i harvest sea kittens, and i'll be the first to give her a postmort wet willy [2g] on parliment hill.

nice feesh! that's a true beast!

awesome...good start!

was on a camping trip and we 'cold smoked' some brook trout with some alder over an open fire, so it was sorta the consistency of lox. highly recommended. mmmmmmmmmmmmmbrookies.

highlights of my angling year included finally applying all the homework and figuring out the chironomid drill on the annual trip to a bc lake and outfishing the boys by a huge margin [thanks chan & rowley]...the lads no longer consider that to be equivalent to 'watching paint dry'. realized what a brilliant resource this site can be...both educational & entertaining. met some new peeps here, also took a few 'newbies' down the river and got them all on some firsts: first fish on a fly, first brown, etc. love watching people 'get' what it's all about. got in some tremendous night fishing including an after dark float. had a few really spectacular days on both the bow & elk. didn't get to the crow again this year...need to fix that in 09. got given a full tying set-up for xmas and looking forward to finally taking the tying your own plunge, and have a fall steelhead trip to look forward to. hope your 2009 is a safe, healthy & happy one. cheers all!

tnx bhurt. but they also have a sign posted at the gates that says 'no ice fishing due to unsafe ice conditions' [sign was still there sat.], so i've been hesitating to try to show up there with my gear only to get turned away by the 'rules is rules' help who typically works the gates. the office staff are a little more resonable, but they are not always avaliable to 'clarify' things. i went thru a similar ordeal one day last summer when it was raining - the dude at the gate was not going to give me a boat as it was 'unsafe' to boat in the rain. fortunately i convinced him to call someone else and eventually i got permission to get out and had a 30 fish day. might give'r a go this weekend anyways. i need some meat for the smoker and expect that the fishing will be stellar right now.

i believe christians did...it dates back to the 15th or 16th century and the dawn of the printing press. the greek symbol for christ is some kind of p with an x in it. x became the shortcut that was used: x-mas, x-ian...saved space on the press. that's what i was told many years ago by a theologian anyways. but he was a flyfisherman and so probably a liar too. but it's more likely it's some ancient ancestor of maxwell's

very cool shots and some nice feesh!

lac bonavista has similar 'err on the side of caution' rules. remember the 'soccer moms' are carrying considerable public liability here...i recall talking to someone a few yrs ago who told me it had to be min. 16" before they would consider driving the zamboni out, which is by default when they 'allow' residents out onto the open ice. they have no control over lake-front residents creating thier own rinks on the ice in front of thier own houses, but for pleebs like me i get to wait until someone gets the ok that the zamboni isn't going to end up at the bottom of the lake. and so...i wait... but i expect that it will be happening any day as it's got to be thick now, it's going to warm up a bit and all the xmas crowds will be pressuring to get out for a skate.

that's rich! sums it up perfectly.

in 25 years fishing in our province, i have been checked 3 times in total. in 15 years of fishing here & there in bc, once. that does not mean the one day i forget to pinch them down or forget to renew before heading out in april or checking the regs on new waters i won't get my ass nailed to the truck door, because i've seen it happen to others first hand. just don't need that grief mucking up a perfectly good day, ever.

nice kit man, i really like those rods