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  • Visit: The Horse's Mouth
  • Visit: Chi Wulff
  • Visit: Parks' Fly Shop
  • Saturday, March 29, 2008

    Potpourri #9

    GET AIRBORNE
    The New Jersey Heritage Trout
    Simms Steps Up
    Annual Statistics Report

    fishin' in the snow

    .. The web and feed readers are a near fatal combination. Open one up and add some feeds: add a few more, another few for fun, and BINGO! it's a full time J.O.B. Our selection of feeds is not overwhelming quite yet, but it takes a bit too much of our fishing time, nonetheless
    .. The less interesting things we digest ourselves, the rest we pass on to our visitors. Here's some of the recent things that used up a few billion electrons.
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    .. Friday's breakfast meeting was so full of insight that truth had no chance. The main topic of conversation, as usual, revolved around the pictures in THE HORSE'S MOUTH. We like the sailing, the surfing, and the fish photos. We really like the wahines.
    .. This week is no exception and we've borrowed two of their pics. Flying carp, flying fish, and even fly fishing take on new meanings with the one image: spectacular becomes freshly defined with the other.
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    .. From HDW comes news of the genetic research that has discovered some of the east coast's finest of aquatic treasures -- native, indigenous, Brook Trout.
    .. The post is an excerpt from the New Jersey Star Ledger and details the research, importance, and location of these jewels of the east. The Brook Trout is the State Fish of New Jersey and nine other states. Most of the New Jersey "Heritage Trout" are in the headwaters of just a few creeks in that state.
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    .. The Simms Company, of Bozeman (Shameless Montana Plug,) sent out a recent news release that takes aim at three of the most damaging invasive species in our waters.
    .. They detail some steps that anglers can take to reduce the spread of these environmental pirates. Simms is a partner in the Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers project. One of the products developed by Simms is the material used in waders and wading boots that reduces absorbency. This, combined with careful design, helps fishers clean their 'wet gear' and aid in the campaign. The text of the news release and the tips for anglers can be found HERE. It's worth more than just a click.
    .. For those that don't know about it, Simms has a custom shop that will use your specifications and sizes for truly custom waders. They have added 'boot foot' waders to their custom shop line. Boot foot waders have fewer nooks and cranny's for the invasive species to hide in and are easier to clean. The Simms Custom Shop is well worth a visit.
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    .. Feed readers are funny things. Ours coughed up a post from October, 2005. The delay is unexplainable. It's from a source that we deleted a couple of years ago, and haven't heard from since -- until now.
    .. In the interest of full disclosure we will admit to previously seeking pictures of the distaff angler in action. Happily, this feed returned one of them. Just a bit late, though. Here's the picture and the SOURCE.
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    .. Despite the perfectly prepared Breakfast, and the invasion of near truth into fishing patter; and with the continuing snow and violent breezes, we managed to visit the legendary Hebgen Tailwater. Know locally as 'Between The Lakes' this bit of water is open to fishing all year long -- if you can get to it. During winter months it is heavily fished in the most accessible section that runs along the road from about the discharge pool to the mouth of Cabin Creek.
    .. Local fools and die-hard use sneaky and devious tools such as snowshoes and skis to penetrate the better water around and below Campfire Lodge. They are most frequently rewarded with good fishing, beautiful scenery, and eager fish.
    ..We have neither the legs nor youth for this sort of adventure anymore. But old age and guile do have their advantages. We followed some snowmobile tracks to the edge of a nice stretch of water below the lodge. Only a few times did the compacted snow give way and dump us on our fanny.
    .. We danced with a few eager fish and enjoyed the exhaustion more than we have in quite a while. The fish were responding to nymphs of all sorts but only in the sizes of 14 - 18. This is a truly devastating situation for old frozen fingers. The fish are willing, the fingers are not.
    .. Shop Vacs were the fish's favorite, followed by the usual assortment of Feather Dusters, Montana Dusters, Yellowstone Winter Grubs, Prince Nymphs, Hellifiknow's, and Yellow Woolly Worms. Streamers were offered, none were taken. There was some vigorous midge activity but it was confined to our nose and ears.
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    .. At the end of the first quarter of each year we've taken to reviewing our statistics and posting results for the year. It's that time. With no further ado here are the summary statistics.

    click on image for larger view