TerryH

While we're at it, how about tenkara? http://www.tenkarausa.com/about.php Terry

Right on!! Factor in cost of materials, a minimum wage salary for tiers, some staff salaries in the shop, a few bucks for overhead like buildings, utilities, insurance, etc., and it's not too difficult to get to $2.00 to $3.00 a fly -- not to mention issues like exchange rates, seasonal business etc. I tie my own, but I shudder to think what it costs me per fly when I consider the mountain of materials I've accumulated -- that's a bit of math I don't want to get into . Terry

I can tell you where not to go --- Hitch Shop, 2512-26 St NE. They installed a hitch and did the wiring on my son's Nissan Frontier. They sent it out the door knowing that the wiring for the running lights wasn't working. Either that or they didn't bother to check. Unknown to them was the fact that on certain Nissan vehicles like the Frontier, Xterra etc., a relay has to be installed or the running lights won't work. I had the same issue with a shop in Lethbridge who did the wiring on my Xterra. Anyway, when my son went back to complain, they basically told him to FO. Lesson learned -- don't leave the shop unless they can demonstrate the wiring is operational. Terry

Hey Dennis, glad to hear it works up north too. Hope you charged Rick the going rate for flies purchased on the water . Terry

Loop to loop rules -- especially now that some lines (i.e. SA) come with a welded loop. Terry

I have to agree, Islander reels are great. But, better still, the backup service is top notch. I plumb wore out the drag on one of my IR2's -- gotta love that, brag brag! Anyway, I got in touch with Islander, sent it back and they replaced just about all the inner workings at no charge. The reel came back looking like brand new. Terry

Taco, you can get them at the Crowsnest Angler. That's sort of local -- for you at least. Terry

As noted a WIN number must be purchased first ($8, good for 5 years). It he/she is from elsewhere in Canada, then the only option is an annual licence ($25.66 + GST). Otherwise, if not a Canadian citizen, then there are the options of one-day and five-day licences. All the above are available online at https://www.albertarelm.com/. Terry

You swine.

And cake, right?? Terry

Congrats Darren. Terry

Greg, it's good to see this thing gaining momentum -- thanks for all your work. Now you've got me motivated to get involved, so here goes........... I will donate a custom made-to-order wood landing net. The purchaser will have the option of either a catch & release style or a pontoon net. The C&R style has an 8"x16" opening and a total length of 24". The pontoon net has a 10.5"x16.5" opening and a total length of 36". Both accept readily available replacement bags. The pictures that follow show samples of each style and some of the wood options available. The net frame is laminated with three wood strips that are normally chosen to contrast in colour. The purchaser may select from any of the following wood options for the frame: walnut, ash, purple heart, white oak, or red oak. For the handle, the same wood options are available, plus the choice of birdseye maple. Other wood options will be considered subject to availablity, suitability for bending, and cost. Qualifications: I have been woodworking since I was a young teenager (that makes it over 50 years). I got started working in my dad's millwork shop and have had my own well-stocked woodworking shop ever since. I took on net-making as a personal challenge five years ago (just for fun -- these quality nets aren't available in stores folks ). Since then, I've built at least 16 nets which I have given to friends and family as well as for personal use. Suggested starting bid: $100 In addition, I will make a cash donation to Streamwatch, calculated as follows: (donation amount) = (amount of winning bid) - (suggested starting bid) + $50. Terry

From the hand position, it's clear that he's going to cast right, crank left -- i.e. the right way. Congrats to you and your wife. Terry

Hey Blair, have a good one -- my god, 46, guess that means 19 more years of buying licenses. Oh well, Terry.

Agreed -- give me a shout next time you're headed this way. Terry

Paul, unfortunately no. I did the trip up to Edmonton last weekend for the Dave & Emily Whitlock seminar, and that's enough road tripping for a while. If the weather cooperates, I'll be fishing this weekend. Terry

That would definitely be worth a try. One could also split the stretch floss strands, and then combine two colours -- e.g. black and grey, red and grey, etc. etc. The Whitlock seminar was fun -- thanks to all you guys for organizing it. Oh and the draw prizes were pretty nice too . Terry

GRAMMAR/SPELLING POLICE ALARM to garnish: add parsley to plate to garnishee: attach someone's property/wages to someone else via a court order :) Terry

Good tip Din. I just gave your suggestion a try, and it does make things easier, and you waste less material. Thanks. Terry

Cut a piece of stretch floss about 2" to 3" (you need it that long for ease of handling). I hold one end in my left hand and grip the other with hackle pliers in my right hand. Spin the hackle pliers until the floss is tightly wound (experiment a bit to get it right). At that point, just move the two ends together, and you'll get a portion that starts to twist on itself, like a piece of rope. Then it gets tricky. You have to grip the "ropey" segement to keep it from untwisting. Then tie it on top of the hook shank at about the halfway point. You want the furled segment to be about one hook shank long. Have fun. Terry

Chris, with you, Gary, and Don at the table, along with the folks I know from Edmonton, things are in good hands. Thanks to all of you for taking the time. I second Tallihoe's motion -- anyone care to comment on what was discussed and what the outcome might be. Terry

Just to stir the pot a bit, here's a link to an interesting article that the Gore/Suzukiites have conveniently ignored. Oh, I forgot, the science has been settled. http://my.telegraph.co.uk/discpad/blog/200..._in_co2_famine_ Here's a brief excerpt: "Many people don't realize that over geological time, we're really in a CO2 famine now. Almost never has CO2 levels been as low as it has been in the Holocene (geologic epoch) - 280 (parts per million - ppm) - that's unheard of. Most of the time [CO2 levels] have been at least 1000 (ppm) and it's been quite higher than that,"

This story reminds me of someone I know who piled a bunch of bricks in the back of his SUV, for added weight during winter driving. Of course, the inevitable happened. His wife get's in an accident and ends up under a pile of bricks. Fortunately her injuries were not serious, but the outcome could have been deadly. It's a good lesson for everyone -- think about the projectiles you're piling in the back of your vehicle. Terry

It's just a fullback nymph pattern, usually tied on a 2x or 3x long hook. The reason they call it a double shrimp, is that the pheasant tail full back is tied down in the middle to give it a "double hump" look. I might have one some where, and if I come across it, I'll post a picture. My "go to" pattern for Maligne Lake is a Spratley Nymph. Again, it's a big long fullback nymph (classical style -- i.e. not tied in the middle) with a Spratley type body. That is, dubbed black body, palmered black hackle, and silver tinsel rib. Have fun if you're headed to Maligne this summer, it's a gorgeous place to fish. Terry

Dennis, I haven't yet. I have been toying with the idea of doing similar patterns for PMD, BWO, and Greendrake emergers. I'll be experimenting as the season develops. Terry