hydropsyche

I've used the same thing. The glean and slight darkening it provides really looks good. Plus, my flies don't stick together.

Bitter crowd. That would be me.

Depends. What goes around comes around. If they are the type of buds that would share with me in a second, I wouldn't hesitate. If he's the type that, when he sees you walking towards him, he leaves the water and races down the river so he can fish the next hole before you (yup. I have a "bud" that does that), then maybe. Depends on how much pity I have for him.

I've never tried handle down but getting it off my back while fighting a fish as never been a problem. Its getting it back on afterwards.

Why? I've always wondered that.

This might have been posted before but its worth repeating. When I received my Fly Swap flies, some where squashed. Break out your kettle and hold the fly over the steam (with tweezers). Its amazing how deer hair and hackle spring right back to their original shape right before your eyes. Try it. You'll like it.

Alright. Is he your first? They may cramp your fishing for a while but its worth it. Say Hi for me.

Amen to that, Red.

Excellent read. Wrong side of the door and orders not to reopen it. I'm sure you were thinking "Court martial ain't so bad.". Have you ever met our old friend The Russian Fish Killer from the Fly Fish Alberta board? He had a helicopter and a lot of friends in espionage places. I wonder who's poisoned pill found him.

I wish more people had your attitude!!

Dirt biking or fishing. Tough choice. I used to own a modified 2-stroke P.E. 175. I could keep up with the 250RM's but barely. Not having as much power forced you to have to be much more aggressive (on the hills, skeg, etc.) so I'm not ashamed I had a "whimpy" bike. I did pretty good. And sometimes, I even past them (when they weren't looking) ;-)

Twitching spent adults and the fish starting rising. I'm assuming they were taking them, but didn't actually see one being taken. I'll have to tie one or two adult patterns in case I ever see that again. Red bodies, not the blue damsels. Largest fish was about 20. I notice the majority of the catches are larger then last year (duh). I had two bustoffs that almost yanked the rod out of my hand. Surface temp was 61 in the morning, about 64 by 3pm. Premo temp.

It was a tough go. Only 7 to hand each. The fish seemed like they couldn't make up their mind. Leeches in the morning, chronie a bit after, waterboatmen after that and then something I've never seen. Dragons mating/egg laying and lying spent on the surface. Wish I had a pattern to match. The water is pretty clear. No algae bloom like this time last year.

Just a couple of pics that show why I love the crack of dawn.

Great post and good on ya for bringing the fam damily. Its something I wouldn't be able to get my wife and daughter to do. I love the pic of the big bow. Its all about scale, so how big is that fish? I also love the "fish on" pic. I've been to Geraldine Lakes once with a girlfriend. It certainly was a wicked hike and not something I'd purposely pick for her first outing. When we got back to the trailhead, we found her car was broken into and wallet stolen. Its all those dog gam rural crooks.

I usually nymph at the top and work my way down. A few reasons for that. I'm usually fishing seams where the choppy water hides me from the fish. The bow isn't a spring creek and the fish don't spook as easily. We've all caught fish drifting a nymph 4ft away from us. Or had a fish smack a nymph thats dangling 6 ft below us while we're not looking. If the fish were that spooky, that wouldn't happen. Another reason is waders dislodge nymphs. Its unintentional, but we're chumming. Also, look at it from a fishes point of view. While working down, as you get nearer to a fish, it sees a nymph approach it, only to take off on an unnatural drift. It may see it 5-6 times and conditions it (fake hatch). Then, one floats perfectly into its lie. If you fished upstream, chances are, that nymph splashes from above and sinks down over its head. The next cast gets closer to its head, etc. I guess thats also a form of conditioning, but as far as spooking, I think that would do it more then having a nymph rising in front of it. This is all speculation. Maybe the real reason I work downstream is because its easier to step with the current then against it.

Sorry to hear about your wife. I hope everything works out. Unfortunately, boycotts don't work unless a significant number of users participate. A lot of people are boycotting the SEK's, but it doesn't seem to be working. There are too many people who aren't willing to participate. I withdraw my $60 annual fee (already twice what a resident pays) and three people fish for one day and trump me. What can you do? I boycott wallmart and dollar stores (contributes to child labour) and 100 people shop there and trump me. Not everyone agrees with whats right and wrong and most times something other then principle comes into play.

Hey Chrisbird. Do you think you can get Denny Rickard's one year?

Just my opinion, but pontoons are pretty much all the same. The only thing I would recommend is get the larger ones. At least 9ft with large oars to match. You will have much more control when rowing. I would also go with aluminum frame and something that pumps up easily. I'm sure there are specific models that are way better buys then others, but those are the things I would be looking for.

Thats hilarious. Rickr, it reminds me of a story........ On second thought, I'll keep *that* one to myself.....

This might help. After passing the tag end through for the last time, pull on it just a bit, then let go and don't touch it again. Lick the whole knot right down to the hook and pull on the standing end until its clinched real tight. Coax it with your fingers if its not sliding down easily. You don't want to force this part as the friction created will weaken it. Only then do you pull hard on the tag end. Do that as your final step (of course, you then tug on the standing end to give it a bit of a test). I've found that when I tie it like that, I never break off at the knot.

I'm with Rusty. There is something about seeing the crack of dawn that turns me on. (okay. Keep yer minds otta the gutter, guys.)

It was before I took up flyfishing (about 9 yrs ago?) below Bassano Dam.

Not the biggest but this puppy was pulled out of the Bow River.

Thats how I learned. I went to the H&H club to sign up for the sessions, got my list of materials and then withdrew some books on tying. One of them was a real oldie (can't remember the name) that showed step by step how to tie. Not pattern based, more method based. Probably the best book for a beginner I've ever seen. Anyway, its two weeks between meetings and after purchasing the materials and reading the book, I couldn't wait. I gave it a shot on my own. Well, by the time the next meeting came by, I already tied up about 6 different drys and nymph's. I never did go to any of the sessions but I'm still a member of the H&H. You have to persevere before you get comfortable with the club and they get comfortable with you, but its worth the effort. Its great to get together with a bunch of like mined people and shoot the *hit for a couple hours, tie some flies and/or learn a few things.