perchjerker

You shoot them? REAL men run them down and catch them by their tails! If it gets ahead of you, and starts to dig a hole, it will bury it's toe nails into the sidewalls so you can't pull it out if you grab it's tail. Ha! Just take a small twig, or a Johnson Grass stem, and tickle it's belly! It will let go. (Oh, the days of my misspent youth!) Frank

If hook shape and eye orientation don't make any difference, why are 'circle' hooks the 'hot ticket' among saltwater fishermen? (PS: They came into existence long after Gary wrote his book.)

It's the belly hair on the armadillo (known as Hoover Hog in these parts)! Pretty good roasted 'in the shell'(so I am told). Taste's like chicken!

Check the archives here as this question gets asked about every six months, and has been thoroughly answered previously. Also, there are numerous books on the subject. Even one written specifically for the fly fisher. Numerous fly tying book authors, Eric Leiser immediately comes to mind, have sections in their books on the subject.

AMEN!!! I find my bamboo rods to be even a tad bit better; simply because of their "Slow" action relative to glass and graphite; especially graphite. One does not come by all of this "overnight". I bought my first fly rod in 1952, and am still learning!! Cheers! Frank

The most enjoyable way is to :"fish'em" to death!

Not being absolutely certain what you mean by "what line do you use...", I am first going to assume you mean line weight. I use the line weight the rod was designed for, as a starter. If it does not cast to my expectations, I go one line weight higher and give it a try; or, I might drop one line weight just for confirmation of my observations. In your case, this translates to first trying a 9wt line, and possibly even a 7wt. In your case, I would start with an 8wt line; REGARDLESS of rod "Action". The reason for this is that rod "Action" designates that portion of the rod that does the "work", which has no bearing on the weight line that the rod was designed for. In a "Slow" rod, the "action" extends all the way from the tip to the portion inside the handle, in which case the entire rod needs to be 'flexed' to be "loaded". You can actually feel the shaft flex inside the cork handle! For a "Medium" action rod, it will flex to a point just past the half-way point along the shaft. In a "Fast" action rod, it is the upper portion of the tip section that does the work. The "Action" of the rod is one design parameter, which includes wall thickness and taper of the blank from butt to tip, and the variations that can be built in along the length of the blank. The line weight rating is an entirely different design parameter; but does include taper and overall blank diameter, and it can be used to design a blank to handle any and all 'standard' line weights currently being manufactured. Hence,our terminology of a "balanced outfit"; line to rod, and reel and line to balance the rod. "not enough toys (NET)" and Mike both touch on the "fly-in-the-ointment". Under AFTMA 'guidelines', there is a 'standard' weight range, measured in GRAINS, for each designated line weight rating. Unfortunately, many line makers are apparently not holding strictly to the once agreed upon weight range, and are now making them heavier than marked. Some have openly admitted to doing so. This is why NET and Mike have to do what they do with new gear. If you are asking about line BRANDS, I cannot be of much help, as, with the exception of a silk line and a line from Cabela's, all of mine are either SA or Courtland, and consist of DT, WF, and, yes, even a couple of L's; both floating and sinking. Now, I have a question of you! How old is the line you are using, and when was it last cleaned and dressed? A "dirty" line can mean all the difference in the world in it's castability. Also, you might be surprised at how fast 'dirt' will accumulate on the outer surface of a line; especially if being 'lawncast'. Back to my earlier suggestion about starting with just a few feet of line out, I suggest no more than 6-8 feet until you get the "feel" for making a nice level 'cast', and THEN begin to slowly pay out line until you reach your desired casting distance. I hope this is of some help. Frank PS: Ditz posted while I was typing my response, and he makes a good point. However, I have not heard as much about rods being "under rated", which is what he experienced with the rod at issue, as I have lines. The matter of "overlining", as he mentions, and "underlining" a rod is a separate discussion; and, at least to me, an interesting one.

I can't provide a definitive answer to your question. However, Fast Action rods require a different casting stroke and 'speed', just like a bamboo rod typically requires it's own speed and stroke. Start your casting with just a few feet of line out and watch the tip and the line, and change the casting speed until you can get a nice even flow of the line forwards and backwards. Gradually pay out line until you are comfortable with your casting speed and stroke. This is how I adapted to a very fast rod years ago, after years of fishing medium and slow action rods. Good luck!

The definition is to be found in any English Dictionary. A good one for starters is "Webster's XXX New Collegiate Dictionary" (where the XXX's stand for the numeric edition).

The direct answer to a direct question: NO! It does NOT make any difference!

I have never actually seen one. I saw an excellent photo of one few years back; along with one made from a corn cob. (I don't recall what site I saw them on.) These materials have to be impregnated with Lucite,or something similar, before they can be satisfactorily turned, making them somewhat 'pricey' if you have to have the impregnation done; and it apparently isn't cheap to get set up to do it your self, either; what with having to buy, or make, the molds, vacuum/pressure chambers,etc. It could require quite a bit of Lucite to fill the hollow core, and the side openings, in a cholla cactus skeleton!

For the skeptics about flies being patented, the Waterwisp flies are patented, as are the "official" hooks they are tied on. All this means is that if you tie them, you cannot "legally" sell them. You can tie them for yourself, and others, all you want; just give them away!

I would add FISH FLIES The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art by Terry Hellekson. This is a compilation of his two volume FISH FLIES into one book.

Ditz... In your post, you infer that you do not put rubber legs on your #12's. Why not? I put them on mine with 'smashing' success. Regards! Frank

Hmmmmm! Interesting; but, he never did write his name in the air with the line as Lew Chandler could do; and, Chandler could cast an entire fly line with just his hand---no rod involved. It is fascinating to see what all Gary Borger can do with just the tip section of a fly rod in a classroom with 8ft ceilings; and, he claims that his son Jason is a far superior caster to him! Cheers!

I typically fish #12 foam popping bugs for bream; but, as noted by Kirk, I have caught my fair share of 2-3lb bass on these same bugs. If you don't want to be pestered with having to release the smaller guys, stick with #8,or larger. FWIW, I have caught copper nose bluegills on #1 deer hair bass bugs! Quite exciting!!! With respect to bass on a #12, it has been my experience that they are hooked either in the tongue, or the roof of the mouth; never in the jaw. Cheers!

Nick... The scenario you present clearly infers that the caddis you saw on the water were alive. Otherwise, how would they have been able to "climb" onto your float tube? The numerous photos I have seen of this hatch that have shown the dead ones caught in eddy areas,where they were so thick they could be scooped up by the handful, clearly show a very high percentage with the wings out flat. Unfortunately, my efforts to find copies of these photos have all been in vain. Cheers! Frank

I would think so. It is definitely worth a try. Cheers!

I have only seen photos of the abundant 'spinners' of this hatch, and their wings are splayed out just like on a mayfly spinner. Remember; they are dead and no longer have any muscle control to hold the wings up.

Having been raised in Central Texas and having fished the Brazos from the Hearne area all the way up to Possum Kingdom Dam, I personally would not try to fish it with flies very far below the "Falls" at Marlin, with the old 'Black Bridge' area being the down-river limit. From there down is where it gets muddy, and stays that way all the way to the Gulf. Access to the river is your biggest problem as the only "Public" access below The Falls in the Park in Marlin are to be found at the various highway crossings. The rest of the river passes through Private land. Below Waco, except for a couple of places, the river is generally not readily wadeable; a soft mucky bottom in many reaches. Not to despair, if you live anywhere near Waco, or Temple, you have ample flyfishable water within an hours drive, or less: Salado Creek in the town of Salado; Nolan Creek in the city park in Belton; the Lampasas River below Stillhouse Hollow dam; Stillhouse Hollow Lake; Lake Belton; Lake Waco; the three Bosque Rivers (N., S., and Middle---all tributaries to Lake Waco). If you live close to Waco, there is a very nice fly club there, and they are a great bunch. If interested in them, PM me and I can provide all the 'nasty' details (I was 'founding' President back in the mid '90's). Regards, Frank

I am surprised to see that some of you apparently are not familiar with the curl of hair on a calf tail. I have handled hundreds over the years and have seen very few that did not have hair at the very tip that has a pronounced curl to it. Of the thirty (30) that I currently have, only three (3) do not have the typical curly hair. For those who have responded that don't seem to recognize what Bigwater is referring to, here is a photo of a few of mine, randomly selected, to show the curly hair. Relative to how to eliminate it, I do not know, as I have never tried. One of thehair straightener products for humans would be where I would start. Regards, Frank

If you store two together in the same bag, I would put skin side to skin side. That way, any oil left in one will only contaminate the flesh side of the other; not the feathers. I have done this over the years with the capes I have personally prepared with no problems. I would not anticipate oil problems associated with any of the Whiting products. They are 'professionals' at removing fat and flesh from the skins; as are all of the major growers. Thus, I would also see no need to do any further 'trimming'. This would be an entirely different story if a hunting friend gave you a game bird skin. I live in an area noted for it's high humidity, and I do not use any kind of drying agent with my animal hides and bird skins, and have no problems related to humidity. Been doing this for 40 years now. Ziploc bags can provide a false sense of security. True, the adults of the bugs that eat our fur and feathers cannot eat their way either in or out of such bags; BUT, the larvae can, and do. Trust me! Cheers!

Sorry that I could not be of help. Sounds like you have turned about every stone possible. GOOD LUCK!!

If it 'true down', it will have rather limited applications. It should work to simulate gills, etc., as it is very 'filmy', much like CDC. True down feathers are found under the contour feathers on most all birds. They are typically very abundant on the breast of ducks and geese in the spring of the year, at which time the female plucks them to line her nest with. Some common 'down feathers' routinely used in fly tying are: marabou; pheasant 'aftershaft' feathers; and, CDC.

Over the years, I have had great success with it letting it drift down as a dry, and pulling it under at the end of the swing, and retrieving as a wet. Most of my fish have been taken when fishing it as a wet.