Flyfisher

Simms Guide boot offers very good ankle support. So does the G3.

Good post BRB. "Studies show on average we KILL between 3 to 5%, are we then any better than someone taking 3 to 5 fish out of that same water?" No better in my view (if 3 or 5 is a legal limit). Though I largely practice C&R I see no moral high ground in it. It's blood sport. At best C&R is an effective management tool providing us with better opportunities to catch fish. "Shouldn't we be more responsible and limit the amount we try to catch?" Sure. Anyone with skill has great days when some restraint is in order in consideration for the next angler behind you. I don't feel good draining a pool of every fish in it. A 20-25 fish day is a great one. Unrestrained easy catching feels piggy. When a fish becomes a number instead of a beautiful living thing it's time to stop. regards, Paul

A good elbow brace probably will. This one saved my arm. http://www.serola.net/product_gel_arc_directions.php Been using it for years; casting and fishing pain free ever since I started using it. A few simple exercises now and again helps to. Small investment big payoff. Trick is to use the brace everytime you fish.

Probably your best bang for the buck, a short and concise on site handout.

This is very disturbing. I don't get the wanton waste of fish?

Try a Duncan or Uni-knot. 6 wraps for 5X or 4x. Not as easy to tie but stronger are the Kreh and Non-slip loop knots.

A quote from a post yesterday on another thread. http://flyfishcalgary.com/board/index.php?showtopic=9337 Weedcatcher: Stop dropping more $$$ at the fly shops. If there is anyway you can afford it, hire a guide for a day of walk and wading. After a day on the water with a good guide things will turn around for you profoundly.

Mono does have a shelf life (not sure exactly how long as it depends on storage), in my experience the good brands are fine for a couple of seasons anyway if kept in a dark place and out of sunlight. Store in a cool place during the off season. Since you are having problems with mono to mono connections and just not with fluoro to mono here are a few thoughts and questions to consider. 3X is pretty strong and in my experience more than strong enough for most trout fishing. Are you fishing for trout? I seldom ever need anything over 4X. How tight are you cinching down your knots when tying them? You need only to snug the knot down with a steady gentle pull working it tight by pulling on standing and tag ends. Do not snap a knot tight as that will greatly weaken it! To see if you are snugging your knots down properly look at one after you have tied it by viewing it through a pair of binoculars looking through the the binos in reverse. Any knot you tie should look fairly even and all wraps snugged down. Compare how the knot looks to a good diagram. I prefer a double surgeon's knot, 4 passes through. Try 4 passes through instead of 3. Could you be setting the hook to hard when you get a take? I have a friend who over reacts when he gets a take and sets the hook violently when he strikes back. He often experiences breaks offs, but usually when he strikes back. It could however weaken a knot causing failure later in the fight. Hope you get it figured out. Confidence in ones knots is paramount to good success especially if you target and want to land big fish consistently.

I'm in BC. It is available in quite a few fly shops here, should be so in AB to. The best deal is to buy it from Cabela's (US), they sell G Max in 100 yd spools at reasonable cost, otherwise it's a bit pricey here as you can only get 25 yd spools. Note: I don't use spit to lubricate knots tied on fluorocarbon. Better to wet the knot with water; spit is too slick for fluorocarbon and can result in knots cinching down too tightly when tying them.

I use a double surgeon's knot (4 wraps or turns). Use good flourocarbon. Seaguar G Max is quality material, it has a soft outer coating so when combined and joined to a mono leader it will not cut through the softer material. Rio, SA, Climax all make good leaders and match up well with G Max. I seldom experience knot failures.

Ice the stuck ferrule section before pulling apart. Ice it long enough so the male end stuck inside ferrule is cold to. Cold will cause the material to contract thus the ferrule hole becomes larger and the male end smaller making it easier to pull apart. Heat will to the opposite due to expansion. The male end expands to a larger diameter and the ferrule material expands making the hole smaller resulting in even a tighter fit. No heat! good luck!

There is no where I'd rather live than where I am now, Kootenay Lake, 30 min. N. of Nelson BC. Moved here 30 years ago from the wet coast where I grew up. Never looked back for even a second. Four near perfect seasons here in the West Kootenay and great fishing to boot!