john michael white
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Zach,
I just got a SA Streamer Express Clear Tip line for my 7 weight for throwing big streamers on shallow rivers since ours is low and clear right now.
How about a lanyard?
Here in Central Texas in the summer, the heat is brutal, and you don’t want to wear any sort of vest, pack, etc. This past summer, I experimented with my lanyard and it worked well, and was the most minimal way to carry the things I needed. Just stuff a fly box or two in the shirt pockets as Tim said.
For the rest of the year, I got a new vest by Pacific Fly Group http://www.pacificfly.com/product_detail.aspx?PID=V34&cat=Garments&subcat=Vests which is lightweight and mesh and looks to be really cool and breathable. I wore it on it’s first outing this last weekend and really like the layout and comfort. My Simms G3 Guide Vest was just too hot/heavy and has been relegated to the closet.
Nice Job Aaron and Corey!! My Drake finaly arrived yesterday and I got to see your handiwork. It’s really cool to see fellow IA member’s photography in the national magazines. It’s nice that you each got a lot of exposure. Keep up the good work.
My wife really liked the picture of the kids in the Emergers section.
Jim, that’s a good point and I agree with you 100%. I’ve been fishing barbless on all my hooks for years, …..including these big streamers. I’m still having this problem even though they have the barb mashed down. Although, I haven’t really noticed this problem on other flies with large hooks. It has been especialy apparent with the SD, which is the first articulated pattern I have used.
The only other thing I can think of is to touch up sharpening on the hook points.
I have seen several news reports in the last two months, even here along the Texas Border, as well as Tijuana. Here in South Texas, the sheriff’s Depts. are arming up with AR-15/M-16 to have the firepower to return fire across the Rio Grand with the drug runners on the Mexican side (there have already been shootouts across the river).
I have been into Mexico twice. Once in 1994, to interior Mexico well away from the border, several hours southwest of Monterrey. Back then, it was safe there and the folks were nice. We were actually on a church mission trip. I do remember going down this dirt road in the middle of nowhere and getting stoped by a checkpoint of Federales in black with automatic weapons. They let us proceed, and it was not a big deal, but we had a Pastor from the Mexican Church’s we were going down to help who was a dual citizen and did all the talking. Another interesting situation on that trip was up in one of the mountain villages, all of us college men and our Pastor from my home church (he used to play football for Texas A&M and St. Louis Cardinals and was a BIG dude) got a pickup soccer game together with the young boys and teenagers. At one point in the game, during a little onfield huddle, we all commented about the the oldest teenage kid that was playing soccer with us and had a pistol butt sticking out of his pants. I think we let them win…
My second trip was to go rock climbing at El Portrero Chico, a little north of Monterrey. It was fine and rode down with some climbing friends. That was December 2001. But lots has changed since then.
Personaly, I never care to go back to Mex.
P.S. I should say, however, that the local folks we stayed with on both occasions were extremely generous and gracious.
I have 4 spare regular batteries… I’ve been pretty impressed at their battery life. $30 including shipping for (2) BP-511’s.
I’ve never wanted to add any weight to my camera. Also the cost factor. I’ve never seen it as an advantage for me.
But, I could see how it might be a big advantage as opposed to using AA’s.
I’m really glad you mentioned the -2/3 metering John B. Excellent point.
I read early on when I got my Canon 10D, at Ken rockwell’s site, that many Canon cameras need to have Exposure Compensation set to -2/3 when shooting in daylight. I made that setting on my camera, and it really improved the images.
Mark,
There are many photographers here on IA that can give you better advice than me, but here are my thoughts for what they’re worth:
#1 – I like the composition a lot. The water blur looks nice. The foreground looks good on the exposure, but I think the background looks a tad overexposed. You might want to try using a neutral density filter with the polarizer, or in this situation maybe a graduated neutral density filter, to help get proper exposure for both foreground and background.
#4 – I like this one as well. I really like the more extensive water blur of the longer exposure on this image. There is not as much contrast between background and foreground in this image, but possibly ND filter might help to allow slower shutter speed for more light and richer colors in the exposure. Nice composition here too. I like this one the best as far as what you have achieved with the water blur.
#3 – To me, this image is too warm (but you may not have been concerned with that, only the water blur :)), maybe check your white ballance setting. I think a hair longer exposure like in #4 would make the water look even better.
#2 – Similar situation to #1 with background. I personaly think the water blur looks better in #1 where your exposure was a little longer.
P.S. As noted by others, composition is in the eye of the beholder to a large extent.
One thing you can do when using a circular polarizer, without a lens hood, is to hold your hand above the lense and out of frame so as to create a shadow to cut the glare from hitting the lens.
