SKollmann

Now that most of the winter sport shows are over, here's an opportunity for fly fishing enthusiasts to enhance your fly casting skills. The Northbrook Park District is offering both an Intro to Fly Casting course as well as an Intermediate Fly Casting course in May. Each course is a 5-lesson series hosted by Lewis Ramsdell, a Certified Fly Casting Instructor sponsored by the Federation of Fly Fishers. During the Intro course, students will learn the basics of various casting approaches used in shooting and stripping in line when fishing a fly on still water. Students need to bring a clipboard to class to assist with roll casting. The Intro course is being held on Wednesday evenings, May 6th thru June 3rd, from 4:30 - 6:00 pm. Fee for the five 1-1/2 hour series is $109 for Northbrook residents and $135 for non-residents. During the Intermediate course (two us us have already registered for this course), students will learn specialty casts and coping with wind as well as single and double haul. Again students should bring along a clipboard. The Intermediate course is being held on Wednesday evenings, May 6th thru June 3rd, from 6:30 - 8:00 pm. Fee for the five 1-1/2 hour series is the same . . . $109 for Northbrook residents and $135 for non-residents. Limited equipment may be rented from the instructor if you already don't own fly casting equipment. Assume the classes will be held at Lake Shermerville in Northbrook, but this needs to be confirmed. Compared with fees charged by a few other private fly shops, the fee for these 5-lesson series is quite reasonable. If you're interested in either of these courses, please call the Northbrook Park District at 847-291-2995 and ask for Julie Hansen on Extension 125.

Sam . . . check the Bass Pro Shop website for several Humminbird portable units available.

My thanks to Tim and Ron for volunteering to partner with me on Saturday afternoon.

Tom . . . do you have photos of your boat/motor/trailer? Any additional info to share (date of equipment, condition, features, etc.)?

Based on the "benchmark" representation of 3 members at our ISA booth at all times, still need a couple more members to join me Saturday afternoon. Help would be most appreciated!!!

Jamie . . . you have several choices. 1) Do your best to paddle back upstream. Even a moderate flow will challenge the best of us. Just don't try paddling upstream on the 3K. 2) Avail your self of shuttle services. Typically, shuttle providers will only charge 1/2 the shuttle fee if you have your own watercraft. 3) Do as we do in Prairie State Canoeist (PSC) outings . . . find a couple other interested kayak or canoeists with elongated roof racks. Drop off all kayaks at the "put in" site along with one paddler to watch over the kayaks. Then all other paddlers drive all cars to the "take out" site, leave their cars and drive back up to the "put in" site in one car. All parties float fish down river to the "take out", load up their kayaks (including the kayak of the owner of the car left at the "put in" site), and one car with the elongated roof rack takes his/her kayak as well as the other owner and his/her kayak back up the "put in" site, and offloads the other kayak to the owner's car, thus ending the transfer. 4) Choice #3 prompted me to purchase a 30/30 trolling motor and side motor mount for my 17' canoe. Simply take a fishin' buddy to the "put-in" site, motor upstream 2-3 miles, and float fish back to my car. While this may not be an option for your kayak, if our schedules are open, perhaps on occasion I could tow you upriver and we could float fish back downriver to our respective cars. Of course, there's alway a final option . . . trade in your kayak for a canoe and equip it as I have done.

Update . . . need to leave at 4:00 pm on Sunday afternoon. Dinner guests arriving at 5:00 pm.

As a "newbie" fly tyer, this year I will be a consumer at the Blowout . . . next year I will be a contributor!

Tim . . . just received the Spring 2009 Fishing Classic schedule of seminars at Bass Pro Shops and focused on the topics to be presented by the professional walleye fishermen . . . yea, I'm also a walleye fishermen, but I retain my catch of walleyes for the dinner table while releasing my catch of smallies. Please schedule me to work the ISA booth on Saturday so that I can attend the BPS seminars on Sunday. Thanks.

SPECIAL REQUEST: In addition to setting up and working our ISA booth Friday afternoon and then again on Sunday afternoon, I plan to attend as a "Show Attendee" most of the day on Saturday so I can hear many of the seminar presentations being offered that day . . . not the least of which will be one presented by our own "ISA Gold Medal Fisherman", Jim Jozwiak, addressing "The Joys of the Smallmouth Bass!" That said, would appreciate an ISA pass being available on Saturday. As the temps being moderating, just can't get enough in anticipation of the Spring 2009 Season!!! Still need someone to pitch in as my partner on Sunday afternoon.

Tim . . . please be reminded that via a direct post to you or indirectly by way of Don, I offered to work Saturday as well as Sunday afternoon. Since I live in Northbrook (on suburb south of Deerfield), I'm readily available to pitch in as needed except during church services on Sunday morning.

Was on vacation last week, so cannot determine exactly what day my copy arrived. That said, it was included in the week's mail that the post office delivered upon our return on Saturday.

Hey, John and/or Don . . . made it back from Florida late last night and was pleased to see little snow + moderate temps. What's the latest on your need for help on Saturday and Sunday next weekend? Already scheduled to help on Friday afternoon.

Been baskin' in 80+ degree sunny weather in Central Florida this past week; regret that I must return to Chicago's cold. snowy weather tomorrow!!! That said, will check my calendar once again when I return home and let you know if my calendar in open to other times to man our ISA booth in addition to Friday afternoon. Stay tuned.

Having missed today's event (darn it), I noted on the Fly Fish Ohio website that Joe Cornwall includes a "Tap's Bug" deer hair jig with step-by-step visual + narrative instructions as well as a video presentation during which he illustrates tying the jig. Does this somewhat replicate either the stacked or spun hair jig you tied today?

If you're still accepting last minute registrants, please add me to the roster, John. Well, John . . . forgot to check my wife's calendar, only to find she had us committed with another outing today. If, by chance, you shared any printed material during this session, would appreciate your bringing copies along for me with we set up the ISA display at the forthcoming Great Waters Fly Show. Thanks . . . and trust you guys had a great time at this special event.

Hey, Jim . . . how do you add a bluegill flavor to a swim jig? Surely you don't catch a bluegill first and the rub its side on swim jigs!?! That said, I trust there is a bluegill flavor spray, correct?

John . . . just sent you a PM regarding my offer to help set up our ISA display Friday afternoon before the show begins and then man our booth from 2:30 - 5:00 pm in order to give me time to also attend the show events. Please confirm. Thanks.

Too bad the monthly meetings aren't held at Dick's in Schaumburg to make the venue more inclusive (in terms of distance) for those of us in the northern suburbs. Another fishing association of which I'm a member (Arlington Anglers) meets at Dick's and draws attendees from southern, western and northern suburbs. Just a thought.

Rich . . . having fallen thru the ice while fishing during my earlier years, only to be rescued by a group of boy scouts, you'll never see me ice fishing again. Will wait until the ice clears and then bring my canoe, trolling motor and fish locater to track them down. Will let you know in advance . . . perhaps you'd be interested in joining me and "show me" where the crappie are.

Good flytying website, Rich . . . always looking for new patters. On somewhat related note, let me know when the crappie decide to start biting at Shabbona this Spring . . . always enjoy the crappie season + smallies along the dike.

Hey, Norm . . . since Don revived the old thread, let me update you. Last March when I offered to float fish KKK with you, I was gainfully employed. Now I'm gainfully unemployed. So Tuesdays and Wednesday on warm days should now be open . . . unless I land another job before it warms up. Having forgotten my offer . . . so let's connect at the Bronzeback Blowout. BRONZEBACK BLOWOUT, DID I SAY!?! All you new members should definitely make a point of attending our special event on Saturday, March 7th. Great opportunity to meet a lot of great ISA members, dine 'til it hurts, learn more about smallmouth bass fishin' from a couple speakers, and partake in the innumerable raffles and auctions. An absolute blast with most of our related fundraising proceeds devoted to our many ISA conservation initiatives.

Nice website for us fly tiers. Thanks, Rich . . . looking forward to seeing you at the Blowout.

37 new ISA members!!! What an achievement! Go ISA!!! Now to watercraft. I own a kevlar 17' Wenonah Spirit II shallow arch ultra-lite canoe which adapts very nicely for my two outdoor activities when I'm not playing tennis. (1) Paddling with members of the Prairie State Canoeists (PSC) along with my wife or friend for the sheer joy of peace and serenity on local waterways. (2) Floatfishing with ISA members or other friends since my wife does not enjoy the sport of fishing, but does strongly support catch and release! When fishing, I add 4' sponses to create a tri-hull watercraft with added stability; an electric trolling motor mounted on a side motor mount to allow my fishing partner and me to motor upriver a couple miles from our put-in point and float fish back downriver to my car, thereby precluding two cars (partner usually pays for the gas tho); and a portable fish locater with depth and temperature gauges that mounts on the side of my canoe. Had hoped to be positioned to buying a runabout fishing boat + motor for my retirement years, but stock market losses changed my plans . . . but I'm quite satisfied with my outfit for reasons cited above. So . . . as Don notes, your purchase really depends on your personal interests, but do be a wise consumer before making a purchase. Suggest your check "Wenonah" on the website and order one my their annual buyer's guide . . . it's free and will provide you with a wealth of criteria to consider when purchasing a canoe or kayak. All that being said, if you enjoy the sports of paddling and/or motoring a canoe for fun and fishing, you may want to replicate my outfit. If your intent is to exclusively float fish solo, I would suggest you consider a fishing kayak. Yes, Jason . . . such watercraft do exist . . . and they are quite nice.

Well . . . to say the Rosemont Show left a lot to be desired would be a compliment. Compared with the show of 5-15 years go, it was pathetic! With the absence of many vendors, they actually combined the boat vendors + resort vendors into one hall whereas in the past, they each had their own hall. May be evolving into the same demise position as the Arlington Show. I worked on Wednesday and Friday and am pleased to report that our new membership registrants are higher than at the same time last year. Go ISA!!! For many folks who approached our display and received the "ISA Marketing Pitch", but remained on the fence, I heavily promoted attendance at the forthcoming Bronzeback Blowout and assured them that after attending this event, they will undoubtedly seize the moment in becoming ISA members.