Mike G

Yep, your gettin da hang of it.

A good hungry smallmouth will eat both schools.

In the Nov-Dec bulletin article on non-slip loop knots, I promised to include some links to animated versions of the Perfection Loop and the Non-slip Mono Loop. I see that they were not included in the final edition. Here they are: Perfection Loop

I got mine via e_Mail on Wednesday. As always,"Its a keeper!" On Wednesday we also set a season high for gift catalogs received in a singal day, 32 on one day. The stack would have been bigger if I still was getting Bass Pro and Cabela's catalogs by mail. It seems that every place we ever got something from (whether we ordered it or someone else sent it) has to send us one or more catalogs at this time of year. Trees are dying. Consider going e-Mail for your bulletin.

Great work! The X Factor is catching fish on gear you built yourself.

The tradition that brought us the Jude Bug, the Georgia Bull Frawg, and the Shannon Minnow should not disappear without a sound.

Year by year fly tying is becoming more and more popular with ISA members. But I understand that the tying contest was eliminated from the Blowout this year. I guess I understand why also since the contest was getting lost in the frenzy of other activities at the Blowout. Yet I would like to see the tradition continue. Perhaps the contest could be held before the Blowout with the winner being recognized at the Blowout. Or it could be a stand alone Bugger's event. That could include regional tye offs and a state final. Out of state could be another division feeding in to a grand champion. Just some thoughts.

Unless we learn the lessons of the history of fishing, we are destined to repeat its mistakes. -George Santayana

Early Medieval Conundrum: If you place a Smallmouth absolutely equidistant between two absolutely equal schools of minnows (A and B ), from which school will it eat if any? Answer in poll.

Terry, The tip about trying a different material is a keeper. Some yarns especially synthetics are naturally bouyant. Test by cutting off an inch or two and dropping it in a sink of water. Squeeze it to get out trapped air and make it absorb water. Push it under and see if it stays sunk or bobs to the top. Flotants work, but they all wear off. BTW there are a lot of guys out there who swear by Albolene as a fly line dressing.

“That which does not kill us makes us better fishermen.” Friedrich Nietzsche Sorry I was late on this one.

Mike, Those are on target,too. Just a thought since the show season is coming. Did anyone ever use these at our booth at outdoor shows? A lot of exhibitors run things on laptops to promote their stuff. Any way these can be put on a CD along with some back issues of the bulletin as part of the new member package?

Those Two Hit the Spot.

Great looking material. Music wise, I liked the acoustic sounds of Drift and Rise. Connect gave me a headache. I was wondering if that's what Ringo has been doing lately. On the other hand, these reinforce the idea that flyfishing involves travel to exotic places which aint necessarily so. When will we see a feature on the Fox, Dup, Kankakee, Rock, and Kish? Or on other Rivers of Illinois or Wisconsin or Indiana?

A man cannot fish in the same stream twice. Heraclitus

Bruce, I was wondering how this one would be answered since Gary Yam's Hula Grub comes in close to 120 colors. Boiling it down to one is a good trick. If I could just one, I would use a color that is not even on the chart. Start with a 217 (avacodo); put it in with 186 (pumpkin orange) grubs for a while till it gets a slightly orangy tint. The color holds a special place in my heart since it got me my IL largest 22" Largemouoth Bass from a FP Lake in DuPage Co.

This is a tip for Santa, parents, and grandparents who tie flies and have children between 5 and 10 years old on their Christmas lists. The Bloco Co. makes a series of kits that allow children to assemble all kinds of creatures from EVA foam components. My 5 year old grandson loves making them. Being at the low end of the age range, he needs a little help with instructions. We made a dynasaur. The kit comtains 1/2 inch thick EVA sheets prepunched for body parts, details for eyes and teeth, and gadjets for forming joints. Instructions cover how to make several creatures and encourage kids to combine parts to create other creatures. Cost is $20-$30 depending on the kit. When you are done you have several hours of quality time with the child, 4 or more creatures the child can play with, and a lot of 1/2 inch EVA punchout scraps for Bass Bugs. Here is a handful that I brought home the last time we visited. I wish I had brought more. The cylinders are 1/2 inch diameter and will be made into EZ pops and Lefty's bugs. Since EVA is easily glued with crazy glue, I can assemble longer bodies for larger bugs. Since a 1.5 inch long foam cylinder costs me over 50 cents from a fly tying supplier I was glad to get these as a byproduct of a good time with my grandson. Terry, in a pinch, you could use the cylinders as ear plugs.

We gotta accept what we can't change. Now, getting back to the fly, send Tony out with class by sending him some of those Cardinal Flies to fish with during his retirement.

Is that a large fly or a small fish?

Thanks for the tip Rich.

Piscatorial Imperative: Fish in such a way that your mode of fishing can be considered a model for all fishermen. Immanuel Kant

Interesting. According to Facebook the Rockford Outdoor Show is February 17, 18, and 19, 2012. Does that mean the Blowout is 2/18 this year

Fish in the Chicago area will try to murder this fly. Don't fish it south of Springfield. Down there the fish will just bow in adoration not considering themselves worthy to touch it.

Terry, Don't believe it just yet. I am sceptical that all that muck came from truck tires. And if it did there should be some citations to look at. As for waiting till next year, that is for Cubs' fans. Keep an eye on it this year. The promise of a good spawn next spring is a "pig in a poke."

Thanks for sharing. Since I gather that you are new at tying, I should note that you come on the scene when the number of patterns out there is growing like a nuclear reaction. It is a trick to pick and choose among so many. It is interesting to note the number of your flies that include weight like beads, dumbels, and cones. My uncle who mentored me in tying 50 years ago would have labeled them creations of the devil. The only weighting he woulld permit was use of x heavy hooks. But then, around 1890, one of the Orvis elders declared that the Royal Coachman is not a fly because it does not look like an insect. That's progress. (PS I was not there for that declaration.)