jack

Get in touch with Bloom, put it in your hand, then decide. j

Ohhhhhh yes! Aside from the personal sense of accomplishment, objectively speaking, it is a "home run". Keeping in mind it is a spey in design configuration, which makes the "weight designation" out to lunch as far as a single-hand AFTMA rating is concerned, it is a pretty impressive all round switch rod. A 260 grain 4/5 compact skagit line works best as a two-handed configuration and a 250-270 grain (7wt WF) single-hand overhead line is best for all-round single and two-hand casting. I used a 7wt SA Steelhead taper floating line and it is truly a beautiful loading/casting rod, which also "fished" the 4lb cutts in the Upper Elk River which put a great bend in the rod. I would say a moderate/fast action with backbone when required. "Bloom" has a prototype with him, if you get a chance to track him down. j

The Wind Warrior 7wts were not manufactured, basically because no retailer ever ordered any. I did a survey of retailers(not just Amundson dealers) in Western Canada and nobody wanted to stock 7wts as there was no customer demand for them. The WW 1007 prototype is a sweet stick, but is an unwanted child! When I was pro-staffing for St. Croix, I acquired a 9'6" 7wt Avid for coho in the Bella Coola, guess what? Nobody stocked lines for the damn thing !! There it sits, in the corner, brand new, never had a line on it, forgotten. j

Pass the tag end of the fluro through the eye twice, then tie the improved clinch. Lots of spit, never pull it dead tight. Never a problem. j

WOW! Sorry to confuse anyone with an alternative question. Maybe my point wasn't clear(or generic enough). Why would one have to consider two or three different boots, all with different types of soles, when there are boots with interchangeable soles out there" ? Does that help reduce the "advertisement factor" ? By the way, I found that after one sole came loose on me, I am more particular about cleaning any mud/gravel/sand out of the perimeter groove before I insert the sole. I don't think "brand loyalty" comes into anything as far as I'm concerned. "Names" are a pet issue with me. Name marketing is just so much BS, but as we know, a "name", with enough effective marketing can sell a tremendous amount of crap. Lots of people will buy "a name". But, that a different topic, huh? j

Simms sells some great stuff, their warranties(which the consumer also pays for) are excellent. However, for real versatility in soles for the different conditions one has to contend with as a "serious" wader, why wouldn't you consider Korkers? Why get stuck with just one sole? Their "Boa" lacing system makes all others a joke. And six different soles that are available? I just think their fit, flexibility and sole adaptation is far superior to anything I've had in 20+ years. Certainly haven't needed anything else in the past 3 years. j

I will be playing with it on the Kettle, Granby, Elk and possibly the Crow, around July 22nd to 30th. Will let you know. j

Is that for an 1106 Combo(including Trend 7/9 Reel), Wolfie? The Wind Warrior 1106 "Switch" Rod retails for $279. As I said, the Wind Warrior dealer in Alberta, so far, is Alberta Rose Angler. If Arne does not haven it in stock, he can get it in a couple off days out of the warehouse in Burnaby. j

Tyer: Can't help you with the 13 footer, but will be taking delivery of 11' 4pc in that weight range on July 17th, for testing. If the rod is "a winner", there will be blanks available post-production, by March 2010. j

There are several lakes here in BC that will mirror those conditions. One, crystal clear water, marl bottom, inundated with scuds and 16 lb rainbows. It is not a "one day lake". It requires extensive research(in the form of a multitude of flies and much relocation) in order to figure out just what the fish are feeding on and where. This is "the way it is", every time. Another "trophy lake" is filled with chaborous(by the gazillions), it is an incredible producer of very large trout. In Lake #1 the strategy is to locate the fish(usually around one of several underwater springs that provides cool, oxygenated and nutrient-rich water, where thick schools of scuds hang out) and dazzle them with "some steak to go with the seafood", like a dragon nymph or olive caddis larvae In Lake #2, the strategy is to fish chironomids about a foot off the bottom, using a different enough from the chaborous, that it attracts the attention of the trout who are just cruising through the clouds of glassworms with their mouths open. Many times, on lakes with over-abundant food sources, an oversized black wooly bugger with a red flash tail will distract a feeding trout from the natural feeding trough. j

JayVee: The only shop(so far) that is handling them is Alberta Rose Anglers in Lundbreck. However, Brunsie has one and he can make it available to try(but only if he isn't on the water somewhere(every weekend!) The blank that Rick got is the WW Stillwater blank. Comes in 5 and 6wt, 4pc. j

"Correspondents say despite the hoo-ha caused online, newspapers in Nigeria have not picked up on the story yet." Maybe there are not that many people in Nigeria who have time to walk around ready and waiting to be "instantly offended" ? j

Kind of depends on what is on the end of the line, doesn't it? Technically, flyfishing is not only using a fly, but using a line that "carries" the fly out on a cast. The use of such "flies" as wooly buggers and other streamers(which are properly called "lures") is not really "flyfishing", in the purist and purest sense of the term. Like that tenkara method, Terry. My late father-in-law(Nisei) had one(12' 3pc noodle bamboo) that he acquired as a young man. I didn't have much interest in it when he first showed it to me (when my wife and I were first married, 34 years ago) but now that I'm old and curious about "kewl/old stuff", I must try and find out what ever happened to it. Thanks for the reminder, it might just make a "next winter" project. j

Even MORE amazing, Drew. Caddis. j

Columbia River, Castlegar to Genelle. j

From the headline of the petition: "For 37 years the coastal waters of northern British Columbia have been protected from oil tanker traffic. This ban is now under threat." Well, I live in BC and have spent some time in most of the major ports of BC, in particular the ones with oil refineries. If the above is true, then the tankers I've seen off-loading must have been a mirage. In addition, BC has experienced more pipeline spills than the entire West Coast of North America has accounted for tanker spills. I'm sorry, I like my truck, I like our standard of living, I like our way of life. I'm willing to participate and contribute in life. j

You skipped some zeros, I'm sure you will mean "Top 15... hundred, by next week!! j

Chan's Redbutt Chironomid Chromie Chironomid Bloodworms Tom Thumb Lady McConnel Baetis Dun '52 Buick Werner Shrimp Kamloops Pupae Carey Special Sixpack brown micro leech blood leech j

The biggest problem with attaching fluoro to mono leaders is that the fluoro is harder than mono and will cut through it under strain. That's the reason Seaguar has gone away from standard fluoro line and tippet and is producing only double extruded material with a hard fluoro core and a softer(same consistency as mono) outer layer. Depending on what breaking strength I require, I use Grand Max for the lighter applications, but also use Seaguar InvisX fishing line(4-25 lb test) as tippet/leaders also. Comes in 200 yd spools, so in most cases one purchase gives you a lifetime supply. http://www.seaguar.com/Products_IX.html I am looking at "Carbon Pro" for 2lb test leaders, just haven't found a source, yet. j

Parts of the channel are subjected to some incredible bikini hatches, especially on weekends. j

I got the "new" Sharkskin "Magnum" 5wt this spring, just spent a month and a half using it exclusively for chironomid/long leader/indicator techniques. Yesterday, I used my 2007 original Sharkskin Trout Taper in order to compare. I found that the "zing noise level" is less with the new line, the '07 does sink at the tip, more than the Magnum, and the Magnum is by far, a superior chironomid line. The Magnum taper is, I think, designed to compete with Rio Gold and other enhanced weight forward lines. I still find that the very best value for a chironomid line is SA Headstart. Cheap like borscht and very effective. j

IF the prototype works out and we take it into production, I will make absolutely sure that you get a blank, Colin. j

Get Don Andersen in your corner on this one. j

Islander Reels? Yup, they're OK. Every one of them!! j

Is the criteria for the definition of "Pro" so narrow that it excludes anyone except a "guide"(which as I understand, requires very little other than declaring oneself "a guide") ?? My assumption(as unsafe as it might be) is that "Pro" is short for "professional" or one whose profession is within the overall fly fishing industry. Wouldn't professionals, other than guides, be able to make a significant contribution? j