Paul S

I say it's about time. I pay entrance fees to State & National parks whenever I travel, and I'm glad to do it. I just worry that the wonderful leadership in this state will use the funds for everything but their intended purpose.

For anyone interested. Starved Rock State Park is having their annual Eagle Day's this weekend. It has been a good winter for spotting eagles this year, so I would expect to see quite a few this year. In years past I have counted over 100 eagles. Also, there is an indoor viewing area on the north side of the river so you can watch in relative warmth.

Mike, I happen to be the President of the Rock River Fly Casters. Thanks for the good word. We appreciate all the good press we can get. Jim, check us out on facebook. You can find my contact info there. Our website leaves a bit to be desired, and is probably on its way out. Your timing is pretty good. Our beginning tying class is March 12 & 26 from 9am - 1pm at Severson Dells Environmental Center. For $25 you can attend both sessions and learn six to eight basic patterns. We supply all tools and materials so you can check it out before making too much of an investment. Hope to hear from you. Paul

Count on me being there. Paul

I bought an inexpensive Olympus (I forget the model) for about $140. It takes decent pictures, but the battery life stinks.

Hey Jude. I will be there Saturday PM. I will get there as soon as I can.

I can help out Saturday PM. I can probably get there about 12:30 or 1:00. Let me know if you need me.

Hi Rich, I'm definitely planning on making it down to Shabbona a time or two this summer. It makes a nice change of pace to wading the Kish all the time, especially if the water levels stay like they have been the last couple seasons. I'll let you know when I'm coming down. Paul

I would like to introduce myself and my club to all the BassBuggers out there. The Rock River Fly Casters is a group of anglers that pursue all species of fish with the fly rod. Our group has about 75 members and we meet the second Wednesday of every month at the Severson Dells Nature Center at 8786 Montague Rd in Rockford. All meetings start at 7pm. I would like to invite all of you to attend our meetings. You do not need to be a member to attend. Feel free to come see what we are about. If you like what you see, annual dues are 12.00. Our meeting on February 10th is one of our non fishing programs. A local bird enthusiast and taxidermist will give a presentation on mounting a bird for display. She usually does a hawk or owl of some kind, but I'm not sure what she has in store for us this time. If you are in to bird watching at all, you will find this enjoyable. I do have some speakers lined up throughout the year that will discuss tactics for smallmouth, musky, and trout. I will try to post on a monthly basis and keep everyone informed. I try to plan a little something for everyone. We are also offering a Beginning Fly Tying class the first three Saturdays in March. The classes will go from 8:30 - 11:30. This is a very basic class and designed with the novice in mind. The cost for all three sessions is 25.00 and we supply all the tools and materials. If you are interested in the class or club and have any questions, please feel free to PM me. I think I have things set up correctly for that. If you don't hear back from me, please reply to this post and I will figure out how to get in touch with you. Paul

For bass, in my opinion, two basic hooks will get you started. I like the Mustad 3366, which is a wide gapped bass hook. It is inexpensive and can be used for everything from Clouser minnows to deer hair poppers. The wide gap makes for an easy hook set. I also like the Mustad 9672. It is a 3X long streamer hook. Works great for Wooly buggers and other streamers. For the panfish I use standard dry fly hooks for surface flies and standard nymph hooks for subsurface. I will use a 2X long shank if I put a brass bead on the front. That helps keep the proportions of the fly in line. I like the Mustad hooks for these also, but I don't have the numbers handy. Hope this helps.

I have a good friend who will be spending some time in the Decatur / Taylorville area. Are there any streams in the area that offer public access and decent fishing? Any info would be aprreciated. Thanks Paul

Jude, I am interested in helping with the electric seining on Pine Creek, July 18th. Do I just need to show up at the appropriate time and place or do I need to get in contact with somebody?