Michael Phillippe
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Thanks for the input, guys! Interestingly no one mentioned Tamrac. They appear to be a serious brand and compete with Lowepro.
John, Great photos. My son guides in Missoula so I get to spend a number of days there each year. One of the reasons I lurk on this site so I can learn to take pictures like yours! I’ve even considered spending a week at the Rocky Mtn. School of Photography in Missoula next summer.
Ted Leeson’s new book “Inventing Montana” is one of the best fly fishing books I’ve read in the past decade. I think you need to have a familiarity with the Madison River valley to really appreciate it. But, it’s beautifully written with humor and thoughtfulness.
Fuel?! They even banned bear spray in checked luggage a few years ago.
Unless you want to risk eating cold food for several days, take the extra time and go into Jackson. Teton Mountaineering is on the edge of two so yyou don’t have to get caught up in the rush. Alternately, Jack Dennis’ Fly Shop is downtown and probably has fuel as well.
And before you head north to Jellystone, stop a fish Flat Creek in the Hole for a while. Think BIG fine spotted cutthroats on hoppers…
If you want to get something higher-end, and you fish bigger rivers with wind (aka out West) go for the 9 ft 6wt Winston BIIX. If you are an Eastern fisherman, go with a 4 wt. Winstons are great rods. Or, try a T&T or a higher end Scott. Higher end in these cases means prettier fittings, not better fishing but heck, I have a collection of these things….
I have the Garmin eTrex for hiking and a (cheap) Magellan for the car. As Steve notes, you can get the map software for both road navigation and topo maps. But, I find trying to use the eTrex in the car is difficult. The small, inexpensive auto units are much better for that.
The primary advantages of going with a commercial book publisher are that you get (hopefully) a good editor, and most importantly, you get marketing and distribution. If you just want a bunch of people of people to read what our write, then publish on the Internet. But if you want to really publish a book, get a publisher.
Unless you have something really unique, Lyons is probably not a good place to start. They are arguably the best in our field, and as such receive hundreds and hundreds of manuscripts per year. There are many other really good imprints in the fly fishing world, Stackpole for example, that have a lot fewer submissions. On the other hand, if you are a great writer, then Lyons is the way to go.
Here are a couple of my favorites. I’d love to go back to Yellowstone and the Tetons since I’ve gotten a bit better at this photography thing…always end up in Missoula fishing….
Henry,
I will add my welcome as well. I think you’ll find this forum a great place to share information and get advice. Speaking of which…
I live in Pennsylvania, which is great for fly fishing, but just happen to have an office in London as well. I’ve been starting to research places where I can get a day fishing when I’m in the UK over the weekend. Any guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Michael
Shane,
Where to start?! The advice about casting practice and lessons is right on. Do you think Tiger Woods went to Augusta this week with the attitude “I know how to hit a golf ball.”?
John,
Thanks for the advice and the examples. I’ll spend the next week or so learning to duplicate what you did. I didn’t notice that the sky was overcast in this shot until now. The day was alternating sunshine and snow squalls coming off the Bitterroots.
Mike
He bought the Winston Rod Company a few years ago, made the move to the Asia built Winstons (you know, the ones that aren’t green!) and ran off the “Boo Boys” aka, Glenn Brackett, Jerry Kustich and company (now Sweetgrass rods in Twin Bridges).
I am fortunate my self in that my company’s performance is strong, and while our business may get a bit “soft” I don’t expect to see anything like what some of you are going through.
On the other hand, I talked to my son today. He is a guide in Missoula, MT. Generally he needs about 70 days to survive and get through another school year. If he gets 100-120 its a good year and he is quite comfortable. So far, he has about 20 days on the books. He has nothing for the Skawala hatch the end of March, when he was expecting to make a few bucks for the end of school and until the season really get going in June.
I believe that there will be some major shake outs in the industry. Prices have be escalating for equipment and guiding. A day with a guide in Montana now costs nearly $500. Even though my son is in the business, I think that is outrageous. I’m predicting that prices will drop dramatically in the next 12-18 months for gear and services.
I’ve been working for 40 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this.
If you want to be traditional, put a Hardy LHR Lightweight (my preference), a Ballan or if money is no object and you on being around 5 years for the delivery, a Bogdan.
I have Abels that are fantastic tools for fishing out West on Boron rods. On my bamboo they look completely out of place.
The key to success with Comparaduns is the hair. Very little of the elk or deer hair in fly shops is worth anything. Try ordering it from Whitetail Supplies (Toledo, OH) or directly from Al Caucci (http://www.delawareriverclub.com) who is now selling hair and dubbing. I’ve been using some of the deer hair and it spins well. I’m not a big fan of his blended fur dubbing.
There are many, many ways to tie these flies. The one tip I would pass along is to make sure you get a good thread base on the hook so the hair flares and not spins.
Try the Yale Angler’s Journal.(http://www.yaleanglersjournal.com/)
Abe, Glad you like the cane rod. It IS a different experience. But, don’t necessarily get another rod from the same builder (not to take business away from the guy), because the rods all have personalities and you will come to appreciate them as individuals.
