Willi wrote in message ...

The most effective trout angler I ever met was a bait fisherman. He
always carried a variety of baits such as wax worms, minnows he froze in
small packs, small garden worms he raised, etc. He also used Stonefly
nymphs, Cranefly larva (rockworms) and other things he gathered at
streamside.

When I lived in the mountains, I ran into him pretty frequently as we
both liked many of the same areas. Sometimes I would just watch him but
often he would fish behind me and generally caught twice the number of
fish I did even though he was fishing water I had just fished. I learned
alot from the guy.

And I expect that if he had chosen to, he could been an excellent
flyfisherman as well. Because he was a fisherman first, not a
bait-fisherman.

I see no need to apologize for the many years I fished with worms.
My basic outfit was an ultralight spinning rig with 4 lb. test, and
unless conditions dictated otherwise (usually due to wind), I rarely
used any weight. I used this rig on several different rivers/streams
in the Hill Country, and it was certainly not "chuck it out and sit"
fishing. Many times I was sight-fishing to specific fish, and other
times I fished blind into deeper holes, but was trying to get the worm
to drift with the current into a specific spot.

It was active fishing and a lot of fun. Fly fishing is simply a
different sort of challenge for me. To fool the fish with your own
creation is a kick. I also enjoy the rhythm of casting.


Chuck Vance (and you don't have to worry about keeping your
flies from dying in the heat of summer :-)