TerryH

It's ok Birchy -- you got what the score would have been if T. Hall and A. Hemsky had been playing. Terry

That's great news Don -- thanks for posting. Despite the good outcome, it's a travesty that the continuation as a special regs lake was ever in doubt. Terry

Very nice job -- only one thing left, and that is to land a nice fish using it. Terry

Nice job Canadianfish, and nice choice of woods. Make sure to post some pics once it's finished and all strung up. Terry

I have to agree with the list Mitchell0724 has presented. The only thing I'd add, is that if you want to do various mayfly dries (i.e. pmd's, bwo's, green drakes etc.), don't worry about getting dryfly hackle -- which isn't available anyway. Go to comparadun and sparkle dun patterns, which require only two simple ingredients -- dryfly dubbing and coastal deer hair. They are easy and quick to tie, and IMHO are more effective than a lot of classical dry fly patterns. Terry

Sorry I'm late with this, but since it's a long weekend, you can celebrate for 3 days. Belated Happy Birthday Chris. Terry

Happy B'day Allan. Free fishing is getting closer. Terry

Hackle mania = Tulip mania --> read more here

I sized my nets so they will take off-the-shelf replacement bags from Streamside. A lot of shops sell or can order them, and you can also order them from their website (http://www.streamsidenets.com/canada/) Terry

I rigged up a system using rare earth magnets (you can get them at Lee Valley Tools), so that I can easily mount and remove the transducer. These magnets are very strong, and hold the transducer assembly in place without any difficulty This photo shows the two main components. The wood piece on the left holds one of the magnets and it is bolted on under the seat of the pontoon. The aluminum square tube on the right has a matching magnet on one end, and the tranducer on the other. The groove in the wood keeps the tube lined up vertically. This photo shows the wood block bolted in place on the (uspside down) pontoon. I have a drop down wheel on the pontoon, so the block is actually bolted to part of that assembly, but one could work out an attachment scheme using the bolts that hold the seat in place. This photo shows the transducer in place (again, an upside down view).

You don't need to spend a lot of $'s -- I think I paid $130 for mine. Also, don't discount the fish spotting capability of a sonar, especially in depths over 15' or so. Often times, the sonar can help you deside what depth to hang your chironomid. Terry These are fish!

If you're going to do a lot of stillwater fishing -- chironomids etc. -- I'd highly recommend a sonar/fishfinder. I know others on this board have poo-pooed sonars, but I think they're a must, especially on new water. If I recall correctly, there was an earlier thread on pontoon accessories. You might want to do a search. Congrats on the new pontoon. You'll love it. I just upgraded to a Outcast Discovery 9-IR. They're a great boat. Terry

There's more loop knot discussion here for you knot nuts. Terry

I found the same problem, and have adopted a different approach. Once I've passed the tag end through the eye of the hook and back through the open overhand knot, I tighten it up completely and then form the size of loop I want (i.e. small). It's very easy to get exactly the size you're looking for. Then, using the tag end, I tie two half hitches, and it's done. I've been using it for a couple of years, and have never had one come undone. Don't know if the resulting knot has a name -- if not, then let's call it Terry's Knot . Terry

Just glue -- I've been using a one part waterproof glue like Titebond III. It's good stuff, and the wood will fail before the glue. There are basically three steps in the net building process -- at least the way I do it. The first is to steam the strips and clamp them to the jig. The next is to glue up the strips and clamp them back in the jig. This photo shows that step. If you want tight glue lines -- critical for a high quality job -- you need lots of clamps and properly shaped clamping cauls to distribute the clamping pressure. I designed the nets on a drafting program (AutoSketch) so I can print full size drawing templates which I use to make the clamping jig and clamping cauls. The part of the jig where the frame meets the handle is removable for the last step. The handle is shaped to conform with the curve of the frame, and the frame is then glued to the handle. The first photo in my previous post was taken during this last glue up. The extended part of the frame is trimmed off, and then it's off to the router table. The edges are knocked off with a round over bit, and a groove is made with a slot-cutting bit (to protect the string used for attaching the net bag). Then the holes are drilled for the attachment string. Finally, it's a ton of sanding and putting on the final finish.

More details here.

I've built at least two dozen nets and it's a lot of fun. I've used a wide range of woods. For the frames, woods like purple heart, white oak, ash, and walnut are good choices. The critical thing is you need to have very straight grain. For the handles, since you are not bending the wood, anything goes. I've used cherry, walnut, birds eye maple, and even roasted curly maple. The nets shown below have purple heart and ash for the frames, and roasted curly maple for the handle. Anyway, feel free to PM me if you want to discuss details. Terry

All I'm hoping for is that Bob Cole won't be calling the games. If he is, I'll be reaching for the mute button again. Oh yeh, Go Canucks Go.

I had total replacements done (5 months apart) back in 2006. Based on my experience, all I can say is you will not regret it. The way things were headed before my operations, it was going to be the end of walk and wade fishing for me. I had no complications and the recovery and rehab went really well. The second operation was done in October, and I was on the water for the winter solstice fishin in December. Since then, I haven't looked back. The resurfacing procedure is less invasive than a total replacement, so it could be even quicker for you. Anyway, all the best for a speedy recovery, and many more years of fishing on the new hip. Terry

There are commercial products (e.g. "Ant-be-gone") available at any hardware store that I believe are borax based. They are very effective, but you have to be patient. I've found it takes at least a week or so before the deed is done. The idea is you put a few drops on any impervious surface (on a lawn, you might just put some duct tape on a scrap of wood) in their travel path. The workers take it back to the nest and feed it to the queen. When she dies, they abandon the nest. We live on an acreage, and it's war every spring as the ants search out new nest sites, like in our house. We've won the battle every year using this stuff. Terry

I fish BC lakes a fair bit, but I've never found the two rod thing to work for me. The fish have an uncanny ability to know which rod I'm holding, and they automatically head for the other one. For me, fishing is about relaxation first, and catching fish second. Trying to manage two rods is not very relaxing, for me at least. Similarly, when fishing in Alberta, I stick to two flies maximum. Casting three flies doesn't help with the relaxation. Terry

I agree with you 100%. I think everyone should be required to have a license and a WIN card, for the reasons you state. If the government feels they should give us old farts a financial break (not arguing that it is necessary or desirable), then reduce the price if you're over 65. That's what BC does. An annual geezer fishing license is $5.00. Terry

What I meant was that if you're 65 or older, and don't have a license, you need some ID that will prove who you are and that you're 65 or older. If you're under 65 and have a license, I would guess that's all you need. A WIN card doesn't count for much, since on the river, there's no way to tell if it has expired or not.

As others have stated, no WIN card is required. For that matter, even if you are under 65, you only need a current WIN card when you are buying your license. The WIN card could expire the next day, but you're good until the next year, when you buy another license. For the 65 and older crowd, if you are checked by a CO, you will need picture ID that shows your age -- e.g. a drivers license. I know that from experience. Terry

Check out the FlyBC forum. There are several threads there dealing with prams and jons. http://forum.flybc.ca/index.php?