flyfisher

I have had owls swoop down to go after topwater baits at dusk and tons of times i have had bats hit my baits while in the air but luckily none have ever gotten hooked. Definitely a cool thing to see though.

True but i guess really the fish & game part is really a side not to the attempt at stealing prize money as was noted in other posts. And i would argue that the behavior of some of the athletes designate them as wild animals and not human

Open water in the evening into the night. They will snag on any vegetation so unless you have the weedless version stay away from the pads and weeds. I catch quite a few big ones every year on a black jitterbug at night. nothing beats the plunk, plunk, plunk.........then the flushing sound as a bass inhales it

Just tie on your most expensive bait and they will hit and then smile as they bite through your braid/mono/flouro and swim off

Sucks but seems pretty extreme for a penalty to me. I mean give him a fine and ban him from tournaments but revoking his license to hunt and fish for 2 years seems excessive. I mean look at all the athletes who cheat in all sports and they never go to jail they just get suspended for some games and start over. At least in a fishing tourney you can definitively say who won the tournament where in other sports it isn't cut and dry. Glad they caught the guy though

I don't like the lighter weight scott rods but i do like their heavier, 6+ weights. I know a guy who had a winston 3wt something or other $700+ rod and while fishing the one piece came off and he lost in the river. He contacted winston and told them the story so they said ok, send it back and they replaced the entire rod no questions asked. That is incredible service and not even to be expected.

You are right, in that casting style/stroke does play a big part of which rods you like to use. Flyfishing is very much a feel sport and i learned to fish on Sage & St. Croix so that is probably why i prefer them but i have cast a few Scott, winston and T&T rods that are just perfect....to me

I have done well with any of the pumpkin colors and blue moccasin in all levels of water clarity. The bait throws off a lot of vibration in it's erratic motion so it is more than likely enough to make a bass interested.

Get a beginners line too...they usually have a shorter heavier head which allows line turnover to be easier, the SA headstart series is a good one too.. They also work very well for bass flies. I would also agree that a lfoating line is all you wil lneed for 95% of your flyfishing. personally if i fish deeper than about 6-8 feet i go with onventional gear as it is a better suited tool for the job and besides, casting a sinking line for hours pretty much sucks, until you catch one An avid is a good rod for trout as it is a little slower action but for beginners i find that faster action rods are more forgiving and easier to learn how to cast as most of the people i taught have a tendency to cast to quickly and not allow the rod to load properly. Fast rods will be more forgiving in these instances. If i were building up rods for trout and bass (which i have already done by the way) i would go with a 3wt for mountain streams, 4wt for all other trout, 7wt for smallies and i have a sage bass II largemouth rod for LM which i think is about a 10-11wt based on the line weight.

Sorry no experience with Weber gas grills but their charcoal grills are awesome!!

The rage and Mojo series are made in mexico but the rest of what you said is true. I lhaven't found a rell that is quality and made in the USA. I look at it in a different way that while i may buy products made overseas there are a hwole lot of people that are employed for the overseas made products, from sales people to tech to delivey guys. I am all for supporting US made products but until i see somethign that is quality i am not spending my hard earned money on something just for the made in usa sticker. Now my fly rods and reels are all made in the USA as there are more options available as it is more of a niche market.

First question is what kind of trout, rainbows, browns or chasing brookies in the mountains? A 5wt is a good overall weight but i feel like it is to large for most trout myself unless you are targeting larger species or throwing streamers. I like a 4wt for most trout situations and have landed everything from 3" brookies to 25" brown trout on my 4wt. I find 5wt a little light for most bass flies myself. I am not a fan of orvis rods but can't say exactly why other than when i cast them they just didn't feel right, how's that for a scientific opinion I do like St. Croix rods and own a couple and i also like sage rods. The biggest thing is to establish some sort of budget and spend about 60-70% on a rod 20-25% on the line and whatever is left on the reel as it is nothing more than a rod counterweight and line storage device. I have also read good things about the TFO series of rods but have only cast one once and i did like it. The best piece of advice i can give is to either get a lesson from a guide for casting or find a friend who is good and can teach you the basics of casting as this will drastically shorten your learning curve. Good luck and feel free to ask more questions as tere are a few other fly fishermen on this board that ia msure will also chime in.

On rivers and creeks, especially smaller ones, i have found that bass are opportunistic feeders much like mountain stream trout. Pretty much anything that floats by can be a victim. I have had great days catching bass on the fly rod when using cricket flies and the bass decided they wanted them more than the sunnies.

You hardly ruined anyone's day here but this forum is about comraderie and people generally get along and may rib people for exaggerating their catch but in a light hearted manner. You on the other hand have taken more at attacks in an effort to cover up your own inadequacies, which is fine, you live your life and i'll live mine. Your holier than though, know everything attitude is what i, and judging by other posters, have a problem with. The minute you know "everything" is the minute you stop learning and improving in anything. And you are wrong on both counts for your assessment of my avatar pic. I am nowhere near the potomac and the fish on a certified scale weighed 6lb 1oz.. If you fish long enough in an area that has large fish your chances of catching one is also increased even if it is just luck. The big girls gotta eat at some point and the more time on the water the more chances you have of making that happen. My PB is an estimate of weight but i figure she measured a shade under 26" long and was full of eggs so i am guessing i was probably in the vicinity of the correct weight but she flopped out of my kayak before i could get an offical weight.

Bottom line is it is hard to tell the size of a fish by a picture and this robdob guy enjoys getting people riled up for no reason. I am also guessing he is the one who knows everything about al ltypes of fishing and would probably not be fun to fish with but whatever. Reminds of the guys on the Jeep forums i frequent who know everythign about off roading but their jeep is still stock and never taken out of a parking lot... The OP caught a big fish, no doubt and i wouldn't be surprised if it was 7+lbs but we will never know. It just sucks that one guy had to derail what could have been a fun thread about the one that didn't get away but we don't know how large it was since it was caught a long time ago.

Do a search on the pa fish and game site as there are a bunch of islands with official campsites you can use if you are doing a multi-day float in the Harrisburg area. There is also a campground that you can use on the junction of the juniata that can serve as a basecamp for day trips on a power boat. I have fished from sunbury down to Harrisburg and also the juniata and its all good and fun but it is a big river from a width perspective so finding fish can be tricky at times.

Spinnerbaits up tight to the bank.....and the usual slack water areas mentioned but keep in mind that the current you see on the surface isn rarely the same as at the bottom in high water situations.

I am obviously biased but does anyone else think the nationals broadcasters are some of the worst homers ever? I mean support your team but man, I have to put the tv on mute for a few innings just because I can't take it and the MLB package considers Richmond va to be local so I can't get the philly broadcast.

Asolo and lowa make great boots too. You might want to look at the vasque sundowners too because I know they used to make boots in your size but aren't insulated if that is a deal breaker.

So do you want Gore-tex & insulated boots or does that even matter? There are a lot of good boots out there but be sure to get them fitted well and break them in over time before using them on a longer trip. I would also say that a good quality footbed like superfeet will make light years of difference in the fit and comfort and also warmth of the boot. I am not a fan of Gore-tex in a boot for a few reasons. -They don't breathe that well or at least not any better than a good leather boot. -If water does get in the boot it is there till you dump it out -In a long term investment like a pair of good boots, it will break down in your major flex points over time, long before the boot itself wears out They do offer good waterproof ability but to me a well made leather boot that is treated is just as good, breathes better and forms to your foot better. Danner does make nice boots as does Vasque, Asolo, Scarpa, Boreal among others. Really it is all about the fit and that is more mportant than anything as all bots in a given price point will be generally the same quality.

Told you, he is the real deal.

I have cracked a few pairs of glass lenses but only one from a fly hitting them and none of them broke into pieces. My understanding is that they have a film inside the glass that prevents pieces from breaking free if cracked.

Ummm isn't throwing a pretty big part of being a QB? I also cannot think of one other QB who was able to change their mechanics as much as Tebow is going to have to do and be successful. I ma be wrong on this one but to be signed at the league minimum on a team with an established QB does not make me think being an NFL QB is in his future.

I agree it will be interesting to see how they use him but i seriously doubt he would be effective at fullback. He is an ok runner for a QB but a lot of successful running QBs are more because of the surprise factor. Things break down, they are mobile and can take advantage. Vick is a way better runner than Tebow and you would never see him at running back. When defenses are able to see you as a running back everything changes. Also his footwork in the pocket leaves much to be desired so i am not to sure that he would be able to be successful as a FB but that may be his only shot because i don't see Brady coming out to run a few token plays. He was brought in to help the defense practice against mobile QBs.

The patriots are already pretty good in the red zone/ goal line situations so i doubt he will be there. My thinikng is they use him to play scout team QB for practice and that is about it. Nice kid but as an NFL QB he just isn't there. And him at fullback? He would get destroyed no matter how big he is. He has not been trained how to take and deliver hits, especially with NFL linebackers.