Roast

The screen can be a little hard to read in the really bright sun, however I could always make out the map. I don't believe that the screen protectors help with visibility however I still think that they are worth it:)

I would check out the Garmin Oregon Series. I had an Oregon 450 for a while until it was stolen from my car around Christmas. I did quite a bit of research before buying and originally was sold on the 60csx however they are no longer come with SiRF chipset which used to make them much better than most other units. They have a quad helix antenna which makes them a little more accurate than the oregon series, however the touch interface of the oregon trumps the slightly better accuracy of the 60csx in my opinion. You can also make your own custom maps using google earth that are compatible with the Oregon series. ( I had a 60csx but returned for an Oregon) I used my Oregon in the car and when hiking and fishing. My advice is to avoid getting a unit with maps pre-installed and instead trying out some of the free maps that are available from a site such as http://www.ibycus.com/ibycustopo/ I looked high and low and GPS city here in Calgary by far had the best price I found (better than amazon.com and every other tradional/online/ebay store I checked out). They also create great videos on the different units and post them on youtube. I would check them out. Good luck with your search:)

I got an email today indicating that beadworks has a groupon deal in which you get $50 worth of beads for $25. I was wondering if anyone has been to this store (I haven't). If they have brass or tungsten beads this could be a good deal. Just wondering if anyone has been to the store....

CDC Caddis: CDC Caddis Mr Strolis has some of the best videos I have found on the net:)

Norm Norlander is going to be at the fly fishing expo this weekend. I have been eyeing one of these for a long time and am hoping there may be a deal or two at the show (fingers crossed).

I love how he casually mentions he is in his backyard... complete with casting pond. Although given his job, it makes sense;)

Hey Bhurt, I really did appreciate your help:) I will head down to fish tales to try one of their kits and see how a few different heads feel. I am so inexperienced that I don't know if I will be able to tell the difference. I think that those Amundson reels are a great buy for the price. I have never had an expensive reel, however the ability to buy a couple reels for the same price, I don't think you can go wrong. Thanks everyone for your help, and sorry for the thread hijack.

I guess I should clarify and state that the gentleman who sold me the rod suggested the 420 compact scandi not the salesperson at fishtales. I will look at picking up the lighter weight head for smaller flies. Would you suggest the airflo compact scandi or the beulah elixir scandi designed for the rod? Can I use the head I have now for the larger flies instead of the compact skagit? If so what length of tip should I be using? Thanks for all your help, this is all completely new to me. It has been really fun learning, but I still have a long way to go:)

Sorry to hijack, however my questions are related to the original posters. I recently bought a used 6/7 beulah classic and have just started getting into spey. I went to fish tales and they suggested an airflow compact scandi head (420 at 32'). I am a little confused about what tips I should be using for what types of applications on the Bow. Greg/Headscan/ Others could you recommend some tips and lengths that would be good to start out with? The books and videos I have looked at so far haven't really went into much detail on the types of tips you should be using. Thanks

Thanks, I will go check them out:)

Looking to find some loctite 242 (removable strength) in Calgary. I have checked Canadian Tire and Rona. They have the super glues but not the thread lock. Any idea who carries it? Thanks

This is the only video I have seen, and I LOVED the humor found throughout. Jim's comments are priceless. I would love to see the entire series on DVD:)

When I lived in Edmonton, "Boat Craft" was just down the street from me. I don't know if they have any plans for drift boats, however my friend made a lake kayak that turned out really really nice. Boat Craft Its a pretty horrible website, however it has the contact info:)

I bought mine from mec. They work great and are cheap:) mec socks

Thanks everyone for your help. I was talking with my dad and he had an extra 8'6" 5wt TFO signature that he doesn't use and gave it to me:) Not the 4wt that everyone was recommending, however I took it out last night and it felt great:) Plus who can turn down a free rod? Thanks everyone for your help:)

Here you go:) Humble Stick

I have had Simms G3 wader (not convertible) for 3 years. No holes, and I have went through some pretty heavy bush and fallen a couple times in them. I have heard that Simms really stands behind their products. Hopefully they will address your problems quickly.

Thanks everyone for your replies, I appreciate your feedback. I haven't made it into a shop yet, however I have been snooping around on the net. I was wondering if anyone has tried a pieroway e-series rod. Looking on their site I see that they make a 4wt 8'6". I think it would be great to support a local guy, however I am a little weary about buying from a company that is so new. I think that I will make an arrangement to try one out, however I am interested to hear other experiences. peiroway rods Thanks:)

Hey Everyone, I am looking at getting a dry fly rod. I currently use a sage flight 9' 6wt and want a lighter rod for dry fly fishing. I live in Calgary and would like to use the rod on the bow, but I also want to use it on smaller waters like the highwood, ram and raven. I am not sure what weight and length I should be looking for given what I currently have. I would like to keep the cost of the rod under $250 if possible and would love to hear some recommendations. I will head over to the local shop to test drive the rods, however I would like to hear some opinions. Any help is greatly appreciated:)

I bought a Madison River directly from Dave as well. He was great to deal with, and if I remember correctly it took less than 2 weeks to get here. When it arrived, the box looked like it had been through the war, but there was no damage:) I don't know if he still makes the madison river pontoon, but that is what I have. I have been out a few times on a few lakes and having the casting platform is great. The pontoons are quite rockered, and it takes a while to get use to. However once you are use to it, it feels very stable. I only have a car now, and in hindsight I kind of wish they would have had the "outlaw renegade". You loose the casting platform, however it is suppose to weigh less than 40lbs. It folds down, and you don't have to worry about storing or transporting a frame. I think that he makes some pretty innovative products, however he is about 15 years behind on website design...

Looks like this thread was dug up from the past. I ended up going with the flight and I really like it. I used it a lot (for me at least) this summer and fall and have fished with it easily 40+ days. I use it for streamers, nymphs and dries. A really nice rod, and thanks to everyone for your help.

I placed an order after a hearing countless great reviews. You can add my name to the list of satisfied customers. Prompt shipping, extra flies, he even gave me the discount when the ffc banner wasn't working. Great service and I will buy more flies in the future from icky:)

Second:)

Last year I bought a Madison River (non welded) direct from NFO. I had a great experience and talked directly to Dave. I looked high and low when I was buying my pontoon, and nothing compared as far as features and materials for the price (though I bough when our dollar was in much better shape). The pontoons are hand made, but don't have the finish of an outcast pontoon. However I liked the fact the pontoon had urethane bladders (more durable, and less affected by temp and altitude), an aluminum frame, and a casting platform. The pontoons have quite a bit of rocker which makes it great for rough water, but less stable on lakes. The casting platform takes some getting use to because of the pontoons rocker. You may feel like you are going to fall in, but its actually really stable once your use to it. The only knocks I have on the boat is that one of the pin holes did not line up perfectly when assembling (but I fixed it pretty quickly) and I expected the rear deck to be a bit thicker gauge aluminum (however it does keep the weight down, and doesn't flex). You can buy the pontoons directly from NFO, and you can also buy them from Cabelas. I bought mine from NFO because they included a powder coated rear deck (there were some complaints that the bare aluminum could discolor), as well as a stripping basket. I would also check out a pac 800, as I believe that it was a pretty close is price once shipping, duty and all the other charges are applied. The pac doesn't have a casting platform, but the finish (welds ect) are a bit nicer. I would love to see one of NFO outlaw pontoons. They look awesome. Hope that helps

Well I got out for a few hours this morning. I'm loving the rod. The gpx line loads the rod nicely.. The rod is smooth, and I didn't find it too fast. Fishing was slow, but I couldn't have cared less, I was having too much fun:) I also saw a gentleman fall out of a drift boat. He looked to be okay, just a little embarrased . Not to sure what happened but they may have struck a gravel bar.