Jimbo

This was all discussed when the regulations were reviewed about 10 years ago. I was on the review committee, which was led by Trevor Rhodes, and he had some very good scientific data that led to the regulations we have today. If Trevor is around, maybe he could weigh in and provide us with some of that scientific information. I think regulation changes must be based on science, rather than on a fisherman's opinion (as well intended as it might be) that the fish "probably need a break from anglers." If that's the case, maybe we should close the river during the summer, when the angling pressure is at its highest and the fish are most vulnerable to anglers. I'm being facetious here, of course, but it is wise to be careful what you wish for. Don't mean to self-promote, but there's an essay on this kind of stuff in my Water Marks book. Jim McLennan

I think Gord at West Winds might have them on - wait for it - VHS. Maybe a couple of the other Calgary shops might have some also. Thanks for the nice comments. Jim

I second the Thomas McGuane. Not all fishing, but another of his is An Outside Chance. Also, not all fly fishing, but all good, Coming West by Kevin Van Tighem. And, anything by Sid Marty. The Earth is Enough by Harry Middleton is wonderful.

How could I forget one of my favourite books? The Earth Is Enough by Harry Middleton

By novel, I presume you mean fiction, in which case I recommend Dave Ames' work - A Good Life Wasted, particularly (actually a little hard to tell how much is fiction and how much isn't, but it reads as a novel).

The grayling usually like dries and aren't that particular. Adams, Stimulator, Elk Hair Caddis etc, usually work. You might take some big streamers as there are bulls there too. Jim

On the Missouri River in Montana I once watched a bald eagle take a fish from an Osprey in mid-air. It happened a couple of hundred feet up and was really something to see.

If you're looking for a Jon boat, I have a friend who has one for sale. Contact me if you like and I'll put you in touch. Jim

The original large format Blue Ribbon Bow has been out of print for many years. What we have are hard cover versions of the revised, updated edition. The Iron Blue Fly Fishing TV shows have never been released on video or DVD, but some of the fly shops might have copies of them on VHS that they'll loan you (don't ask "What's VHS?"). Jim

If I'm breaking the board's rules by posting this, go ahead and remove this post, but I thought some folks might appreciate the information. Water Marks and Fly Fishing Western Trout Streams are still in print and should be available at most of Alberta's fly shops. Blue Ribbon Bow and Trout Streams of Alberta are basically out of print, but we stocked up before they disappeared and have both available from our website. Thanks. Jim

Neither of those streams are highly regarded as trout fisheries. But about a half hour south of Great Falls is the Missouri River, which is one of the best on the continent. There are fly shops in the little town of Craig (watch for the exit off I-15). They can help you with access, flies, etc. September is a good time to be there. Jim

Thanks to everyone on the board for the nice notes and encouraging words. I'm home and recovering (and trying to peel the sticky stuff off my body that the electrode contacts leave behind). Feeling pretty good and looking forward to getting back on the water and back teaching. I checked my rehab instructions and there it is in the "mild exertion" category - "fishing." Guess I'll have to follow orders won't I? Thanks again everybody from both of us. Jim

Maybe we can clear up another common point of confusion. The front 30 feet of a WF 6 and the front 30 feet of a DT6 have the same weight in grains - they have to weigh the same or they're not both 6-wts. A weight forward line does not have extra weight in the front end, it has less weight in the back end (and yes, that makes it a somewhat misleading name). So the front end of a DT line and the front end of a comparable WF line have both the same weight and the same (or very similar) taper. This means there is no performance difference until the part of the line that is different (the line 30 to 40 feet from the end you're fishing with) is out past the rod tip. DT lines do not give more delicate presentations in the "usual" dry fly range, which for most people is 25 to 45 feet. The diagrams Brent posted are helpful because they show the taper differences nicely. But notice that the third line from the top (weight forward) is thicker than the double taper above it. This means that this WF is a heavier line-weight than the DT. Hope this helps. Jim

Lots of misunderstanding about the difference between the lines. The front 30 to 40 feet of the lines are the same (except for minor differences in front taper). The difference is in the back end of the lines. The back end of WF lines are skinny (this part called the running line) and DT lines remain fat throughout except for the final taper at the end. We fish with the front part of the line, correct? So the part of the line that is different is the part that is almost always on the reel. For casts less than 40 feet there is no difference in the way the lines behave. For casts beyond that the DT will false cast and roll cast better and the WF will shoot better. Probably the most significant difference is that the WF takes up about half the space on the reel. This is the main reason most people use WF lines in 5-wt and up, because they don't need a giant reel for that extremely light weight rod.

This is a good discussion. I agree with Don, that the only thing that matters is how the rod casts with a line on it. You can tell almost nothing about the performance of a rod by waving it around without a line attached to it. A good analogy: judging a fly rod without a line is like judging a guitar without the strings - you're only looking at half of the tool. The only thing I would add is to be careful when somebody generalizes about "all graphite rods" or "all Sage/Orvis/Loomis etc. rods" and says "all graphite rods cast better when you overline them (or underline) them by one line size." Only the caster can make that decision and it will not be the same with all rods. Moral here? Cast the rod before deciding if you like it! When I was working in the fly shop, many years ago Orvis brought out a nine-foot - 4-weight, three-piece rod called the Zephyr. When you picked it up off the rack and waved it around in the shop, it felt long, slow, and noodly. When you put a line on it it became precise, elegant and beautiful. People hated this rod because of the way it felt in the shop, and nobody ever bought one. Jim

Thanks for mentioning this. I'm looking forward to seeing some fishin' folks Friday night. Jim