rusty

Yeah, it would be cool to watch some of the more experienced guys strut their stuff. I only spent a half hour trying it out and I already find myself walking around the office practicing in the air. Some people must think I'm nuts.

I've made the drive to Duck quite a few times...the fishing there is really reliable for largemouths. It would be great if the drive was half as long though.

The booth looked great, Glen - hope you cleaned house.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I've emailed Beulah and we'll see what they have to say. I bought the rig from Courtney and he may have a good idea as well when he gets back (let's hope he's not driving right now). The whole reverse spooling idea is not exactly fun, but it sounds like it might be the way to go. It's more than somewhat ironic that the worst weather of the year comes in not 48 hours after I picked her up, but once this lets go I've got about a half dozen spots picked out to work with the new puppy. Cliffs of Doom anyone?

That's my new Beulah 12'7" 7/8 and Islander LX4.0. I also picked up a Beulah Elixir to match - it's a 435gr. 35'. Question: what should I put behind the line? I am reluctant to rig up gelspun as I've seen too many sliced up hands. Worst case scenario, I suppose I could spool it on backwards and rig up enough 30# dacron to fill the reel. Is there a better way?

Yeah, that's not going to be fun. There's already over 30" of ice on some of the prairie reservoirs. You'll need an auger extension after that cold snap.

Spent a few hours and a few hundred bucks there this aft. Liked the new venue and seeing everyone. Picked up a new 12'7" 7/8 Beulah and an Elixir to match. Can't wait to get it out there! Great job by everyone who put it together.

No matter what anyone says, the hardwater is just as much fun as the wet stuff. Nice pike and good to see that you're back in the saddle again.

I have a Canon ZR60 MiniDV and I use Sony Vegas for editing and ripping. Very easy to use and allows for easy rendering too. A firewire card and cable should set you back no more than $30-40 depending on where you go.

That's an unreal fish for the Crow - hard to tell how big it is, but even at 22" I only know two or three people who've met or bested it. Your fish looks like it was in much better shape than a few of those other ones. It reminds me of that hawg that McLennan caught in his video. Nice work!

Yeah, it was a good show - but umbrellas? Come on man...Rooney's running out of material fast. Kept on waiting for it to become a segway into something half-relevant, but no dice.

I went a few years back...caught some small trout and whites on Kastmasters. Not really worth the effort unless you don't want to drive and don't mind walking. Probably pretty good fishing in the right place at the right time though.

Thanks - but if the difference is only a couple hundred bucks I'd rather just spend it once. As far as rod length goes, what does the extra length get you? Is there a marked difference between an 11'-6" and a 12'-6" or 13'?

Thanks for the input and PMs, folks. I'll poke around at the show and will probably pull the trigger there.

You just name the time and place buddy.

The best thing about that pattern is how nice and slim the head is. I see a lot of caddis larva patterns with big beefy heads and I think that they don't look as natural as that fly.

I'd like an all-around rod - something that I could use for steelies and fish the Bow with. For Bow fishing I think I'd like to toss streamers. I know some of the runs you guys are fishing and it's just not possible to fish them without the long casts. I also like the non-wading aspect that speying will give you. That Loop sounds pretty wicked. Will they be at the show?

Ok, so I've decided that I want to buy a spey rod. I'm thinking something in the 7/8 weight range. I'd like to buy a good rod - not necessarily the best you can get, but something that I won't be looking to replace in a year or two. What would you folks recommend and what are you looking at spending? I can't imagine that there's anything particularly special about spey reels, other than they'd have to hold a lot of line. I already own several really nice reels. Would a 10 weight reel suffice for a 7/8 spey rod? I have an Islander LX4.0 and am looking at a Loop Opti Megaloop. Would these be sufficient?

I like the abrasion resistance of fluoro and I find that the knots are no problem as long as you wet them well. Triple surgeon's for the mono-fluoro connection - or, my new favorite - just a swivel between the two. A 50m spool of Rio Fluoroflex is $13 at FT and is my favorite mono. If you want to save $$ you can go with P-Line or Vanish, but you get much thicker line for the same strength. One interesting aspect is that fluoro doesn't biodegrade as readily as mono, but for the amounts I use I don't think it makes much of a difference. I've done a lot of sightfishing in gin clear water in BC and have found that the fluoro makes a HUGE difference there. Many times I've watched fish turn away 3' from a mono leader and inhale a fly without hesitation if it's tied to fluoro.

Happy birthday Dave - try not to keep up the whole block with the incessant boozing and debauchery. Or at least invite me along.

Can't imagine that spey swinging is any different than with a single hander. I keep the rodtip right on the water and try to give a good hard pull with the line hand when I feel something. If there is still resistance, lift the rod. Lifting the rod on a hit or a hangup on the bottom will pull the fly out of the zone or away from a fish. Lots of times you'll get a tap, pull the fly, and then get a solid hookup a few seconds later. This is the same strategy I try to use fishing streamers off the banks from a boat and it consistently works for me. It takes some practice to not lift every time you get a bump.

I don't think it's just the boards that can blow the "cover" on a spot, but they certainly don't help. A few of my favorite access points on the lower Bow have become incredibly busy over the last year or two and I've never seen them posted on the board here. I think that these boards have really added to the pressure on the Highwood and Sheep systems though - and I'm not pointing fingers at anyone, just stating my opinion. Good fishing close to large cities doesn't stay under wraps for long, but I believe that the boards speed up the spread of that type of info. I don't like posting info about where I am, but I have no issues with PMs. I think that the people who contribute and take the time to post here should be helped out in kind.

Damn fine tie and good instructions. Thanks for taking the time.

Do a search on the board - there are some great posts. My recommendation would be Simms waders and Korker boots.

Wasn't aware you were in charge of the roads out there. You and your people do a hell of a job - we drove through there last week and I couldn't believe how good the roads were despite the weather conditions.