Sean Juan

Nice fly. If you fish clear water try tying it with only 1/3 of the material you used for that fly. This year I've had by best success with extremely sparce flies that look almost clear in the water - kind of like baitfish.

Happy Birthday

I've tied them, but to be honest I hardly ever use them - Bob's Bangers get more use, and the occasional crease fly. I use the per-formed bodies on Mustad signature kinked hooks - nothing fancy.

The best way to teach depends on the student, so try a variety of means and see what clicks for her. Few examples... My wife couldn't learn to cast when it was a complete cast, so I taught her just the pieces - lifting the line off the water - accelerating to a stop - at no time in her learning did she actually cast until she was comfortable with each component. The way I learned was slow motion - perform all casts at half speed (don't worry about the line falling to the ground practice on grass) I'm a logical learner so once I understood what I was doing and why it was a simple matter to just add speed. Video tapes, books, video of yourself it all has a place and I'd present it all so you can see what works best.

Very nice fly - I've been finding that purple is definitely a key color for stripers - who knew? Are the feathers tied in flatwing style? If so do you find the bucktail to be enough support, or do you tweak it somehow to make it so? Perhaps I just don't use enough.

If I had a son I'd name him "Boy" since thats all I'd call him - unless it was pretty obvious that he took after me in which case I'd name him Shame-us - since that is most likely what he would do. If I had a daughter her name would be "My Dad would love any excuse to rip your Head Off" just try moaning that in the back seat of a Chevette.

Another style of hook you can try for a "bendback" style fly is a circle hook. In addition to being weed resistant and having a large gape it doesn't take much material to counterbalance the keeling effects of the hook bend. I use them a lot for stripers with a base of craft fur (to get them to swim perfect) then a mix of flash and synths to get the effect 8-9" herring mostly.

Congratulations. Looking forward to catching my next Bonito which would be my first Bonito. I have high hopes.

Of all the points mentioned I think the mono loop is the best way to prevent a bunny strip from fouling. But give that these flies are already tied I'd say don't glue, but in all honesty it probably doesn't matter either way. The mono will make the flies foul resistant but not foul proof the glue will just enhance this by sacrificing a bit of movement. Easiest way to decide just glue one and leave one plain and then make ten casts with each - if the glued fly is an improvement glue them all if it isn't then you are all set. Just let us know how it works out.

I'd also like to see some of the members here interviewed - some of the highly experienced guys and some of the guys who learned most of what they know through the site I'd find that very interesting.

Thanks for the advice guys - theres a whole lot more to it than I realized, especially the part about the delay that makes a lot of sense. I am getting a bit distressed that nearly everything I buy comes from Cabela's - it shouldn't be the first store you think of for camera's but yet it was...I'll head out to a real camera store and see what the camera dude has to say.

I'm just amazed that its three years...I feel like I've been coming here forever...

In a couple weeks I'm taking a week long trip to Pittsburg NH to fish the Upper CT River - this river section is a series of lakes and dams so even in August the water is very cold. The river holds rainbows, brookies, but the star attraction are the Landlocks and Monster Browns. Just figured I'd ask what you guys wouldn't want to forget to tie... Thanks Sean

I don't know much about European Sea Bass, but someone once said they are a lot like Stripped Bass only without the stripes... Pink is an awesome color - I generally assume it has to do with the fish's perference for squid, but it could be anything really. When its not working another great clouser color is black over blue - I have no idea why this works but it does.

So what would take better zoomed in pictures a Camera with 12x optical 4x Digital or a camera with a 10x optical 5x Digital?

I may have to look into that camera for myself. This one would be a gift for Wifey who likes taking pictures of birds, and other animals. Small size is always a benefit but in this case not so much. I have to get in a better habit of taking pictures of fish or at least keeping a camera on me - I've always considered a camera to be the single worst luck charm you can have. Whats the difference between an optical and digital zoom? I'm guessing the optical is the lens and the digital is from the computer...so if a camera is 3x optical and 10x digital does that mean I can take a picture at 3x go home and enlarge it to 10x or 30x or am I just missing the point?

I'm looking for a nice digital camera which would be used primarily to take pictures of wildlife - birds and Moose and that sort of stuff. Water resistance would be nice but being totally waterproof isn't necessary. Key feature would be the ability to zoom. I say a pair of binoculars in the Cabela's catalogue with a camera built in - that would be awesome but I don't know it just looked better than it ever could have been. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/template...&hasJS=true Any help would be welcome

Just say no to brain cancer.

Tie the head on a tube then tie the body on a very large circle hook. I use 8/0's a lot to tie super snake flies this way - I can cast them with lead core but I'm sure one day I'm going to wreck myself doing it.

I've never seen a hook with a shank that long...reason being is that the shank length aids the fish in a fight so if you gave a large fish that much of an advantage I doubt you could land it. If this is to be a decorative type fly I'd check around with the salmon fishermen. For a working fly I'd look into alternatives like tying on mono.

Got my flies yesterday - very nice. I just want to apologize for not toe tagging the flies - I don't do many swaps and I'm afraid I didn't follow proper procedure. Anyhow the flies were: Buffy the Salmon Slayers - or whatever Tail super hair Very small spreader just to create space so the wing has room to breathe Wing craft fur flash angel hair and krystal flash

I'd use elk hair instead of deer. It may just be my supplier but elk hair tends to be thinner - while this is a disadvantage for bass buggs and the like for very small work it is a benefit. I use elk for muddlers, irresistables, and hopper heads - hair varies quite a bit region to region so you may be able to get even better results with a different hair.

I like my job but it involves a lot of driving around...which on a weekend on Cape Cod makes me wonder if its time for a change...perferably something at either involves punching people in the face or using profanity towards elderly drivers or yard sale organizers. My wife says I suffer from Road Rage...I disagree I think I suffer from an over whelming sense of justice. Like when you pull to the side of the road to make room for the ambulance and three cars pass you...oh yeah there's some definite Road Justice that needs to be had. In fact if Superman didn't have the ability to fly, nigh-invulverability, and super strength he'd be just like me bringing justice to the roads of Metropolis with his caped middle finger and a vast vocabulary of Kryptonian curses.

Stability really isn't an issue with most kayaks...last weekend in a small ocean chop I was standing up and casting from mine, and I'm not exactly small or coordinated. In fact I once tried to tip my kayak just to practice before heading out into deep water and I couldn't do it unless I held one side and pulled it over. You really have just three choices: A canoe - probably the least stable given the fact that you sit above the water, also I find they lack performance when you only have one person. A SOT (sit on top) kayak - This is my favorite because it can't swamp (no real cockpit) you can get into and out of it easily which is a big plus when "bar hopping", and it has plenty of room for stuff and to cast, its really just a surf board with a seat. Worst thing about them is they have less glide than a SIK (see below) which means in a current or wind you will have to work harder its not a huge difference but even an average 1mph difference is sizable in a vessel that averages 4 and you are out for a long trip. A SIK Kayak (Sit inside kayak) - These are much faster, lighter, and easier to paddle than a SOT - but I find them less comfortable - in my kayak I can sit legs out, side saddle, or even cross-legged doesn't sound like much but after a few hours being able to change position is a huge bonus - a lot of guys use them so you may be the type that likes them, I just don't. As is the case with most things its really something you need to experience to know if its the right thing for you, luckily kayak rental places are fairly common and for a few bucks you should easily learn what type of yak you perfer. I love mine and recommend that everyone at least consider it.

Cruncher, Use Goop - its a thick gel-like glue - it will basically turn to a rubber binding several strands together.