GENTLEMEN!

I don't intend to blow smoke, if you know what I mean, but the posters on
ROFF seem to be a good lot. Humor and helpfulness prevail.

BTW, having completed my first season of fly fishing, I would like to state
that I met a lot of gentlemen on the stream. No one was nasty, except as a
joke.

I asked one person which fly he was using, and he replied, "None of your
f-in' business!" I said, "That's what it's called?" He said "Yep!"

Another guy was stomping what looked like a large olive leech in a mud
puddle to get it wet. I went over to take a look. He said "Some people might
take offence to you even watching what I'm doing." It was said with a smile.

-- Lionel

Lionel F. Stevenson typed:
I don't intend to blow smoke, if you know what I mean, but the
posters on ROFF seem to be a good lot. Humor and helpfulness prevail.

Okay. . . if you say so,

BTW, having completed my first season of fly fishing, I would like to
state that I met a lot of gentlemen on the stream. No one was nasty,
except as a joke.

I asked one person which fly he was using, and he replied, "None of
your f-in' business!" I said, "That's what it's called?" He said
"Yep!"

Another guy was stomping what looked like a large olive leech in a mud
puddle to get it wet. I went over to take a look. He said "Some
people might take offence to you even watching what I'm doing." It
was said with a smile.

Um, those folks may not have been joking. I'll always tell someone what I'm
using if they ask, but some folks are very secretive about that stuff. The
way I see it, telling them what I'm using is only part of the equation
anyway.

Generally, you are correct. ROFF is a helpful, friendly bunch. Once you
strip away the bull****, anger, resentment, penis envy, little-man syndrome,
big-man syndrome, testosterone spikes, mean-spirited belittlement,
newbie-whacking, and opinionated crap, we're just warm, cuddly little teddy
bears.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj/

"Tim J." wrote in message
...

Lionel F. Stevenson typed:
I asked one person which fly he was using, and he replied, "None of
your f-in' business!" I said, "That's what it's called?" He said
"Yep!"

Another guy was stomping what looked like a large olive leech in a mud
puddle to get it wet. I went over to take a look. He said "Some
people might take offence to you even watching what I'm doing." It
was said with a smile.

Um, those folks may not have been joking. I'll always tell someone what
I'm using if they ask, but some folks are very secretive about that stuff.
The way I see it, telling them what I'm using is only part of the equation
anyway.

Interesting, I always share the info on the fly I'm using, even give them a
few or trade if they ask, especially when building a good rapport with the
local town folks. Most of the fly-fisherman I have come across have been
pretty friendly in sharing information and techniques. I remember one recent
trip I gave a fly to a stranger, about 15 min. later he hooked up as I had
not a single strike. Later he came by and offered me the fish. I just
smiled and told him to keep it and commented on his great presentation
skills.
-tom

On Fri, 28 Oct 2005 06:51:03 -0700, "Tom Nakashima"
wrote:


"Tim J." wrote in message
...

Lionel F. Stevenson typed:
I asked one person which fly he was using, and he replied, "None of
your f-in' business!" I said, "That's what it's called?" He said
"Yep!"

Another guy was stomping what looked like a large olive leech in a mud
puddle to get it wet. I went over to take a look. He said "Some
people might take offence to you even watching what I'm doing." It
was said with a smile.

Um, those folks may not have been joking. I'll always tell someone what
I'm using if they ask, but some folks are very secretive about that stuff.
The way I see it, telling them what I'm using is only part of the equation
anyway.

Interesting, I always share the info on the fly I'm using, even give them a
few or trade if they ask, especially when building a good rapport with the
local town folks. Most of the fly-fisherman I have come across have been
pretty friendly in sharing information and techniques.

I have to say that for the most part, this has en my experience too.
Why not share patterns, tips, knowledge, etc? I just don't understand
the guarded fisher. After all, I'm sure they didn't learn purely by
experience, and that they owe many of their skills to the helpfulness
of others.

Besides, nobody knows everything.

I remember one recent
trip I gave a fly to a stranger, about 15 min. later he hooked up as I had
not a single strike. Later he came by and offered me the fish. I just
smiled and told him to keep it and commented on his great presentation
skills.

Just proves the point... what goes around comes around.

John

http://groups.msn.com/scottishflyfisher

"Tom Nakashima" wrote

I remember one recent
trip I gave a fly to a stranger, about 15 min. later he hooked up as I had
not a single strike. Later he came by and offered me the fish. I just
smiled and told him to keep it and commented on his great presentation
skills.

One of last season's greatest highlights for me occurred on the Henry's Fork
just above the log jam.

It was late in what had been a slow day, and there was only one fish to be
found rising. I found him first and was sneaking into casting position
when a group of four or five anglers from Japan arrived. One of them had
seen the fish from afar and was visibly disappointed to see me slip into the
water near it. Their group split up, looking forlorn and discouraged, and
searched the area for rising heads, the angler that had seen "my" fish sat
on the bank near me and eyed each rise with clear envy.

I put a few casts over the fish and got him to rise, a take I missed. I
figured he would be put down, but, no, he continued to feed.

My Japanese friend was still watching and it occurred to me that I had been
given my chance and didn't deserve to land that fish, so I said pointing
with my rod at the rise, "Here, you try him, he's too smart for me." The
language barrier made this difficult and one of his friends with better
English joined in to help. Soon I was backing out carefully and the
Japanese angler was approaching the prey. About 1/2 hour later he hooked
that fish, a nice one about 18 inches. As he netted it I gave him a
"thumbs up" sign hoping it was universal and didn't mean something nasty in
Japang. What little English he knew came out then, over and over,
"Thank You, thank you, thank you."

The next day I ran into one of the group who recognized me ( it's easy I'm
whale sized and ugly ) and went out of his way to come thank me again, for
his friend. That fish was the only one caught by their group that slow
day ( they did better the next day :-) and it had made the whole group much
more enthusiast as their 'dream trip" looked like a nightmare until then.
I was given a few very lovely flies tied with artificial winging material
available only in Japan.

In reality, if we're honest, the major reason for generosity is because it
makes US feel better ... this case certainly worked that way ... it was hard
to "give up" that fish and get skunked that evening, but those "thank yous"
were far worth more than yet another landed fish.

Oh, and I always give flies to anyone that asks me what to use, if I have
any left to give ...... again, really for myself ..... my 6 decades have
made me a firm believer in 'Karma' .... what goes around comes around, not
always immediately or from the same person, but often enough to justify the
$0.30 a homebuilt fly costs, as investment.

"Larry L" wrote

this hangs on the Nature Conservancy cabin at Silver Creek, changes in the
'type' of people waving fly rods over the last 20 years have made these
messages far more necessary, ime ....

http://tinyurl.com/aqbek

"Larry L" wrote


One of last season's greatest highlights for me occurred on the Henry's
Fork just above the log jam.


I'm bored this morning, it's still sprinkling outside and I'm a little cabin
bound, so here is another story I just remembered from my distant FFing
past.

Scene: Manzanita Lake in Lassen National Park

Time: Years and years ago, just about the time I started to really get
interested in real "fly" ( as in bug) fishing as opposed to the Royal Wulff
and Wooly Bugger version G


I fished the first morning of a three day trip and did poorly before
the calibaetis started. There was an early midge hatch that had good fish
working but I couldn't touch them. I seined the bug and it was a bright
insect green midge about an 18 or so. In the trailer that afternoon I
tied up a few Lasher patterns in the correct color.

The next morning, during the midge action, I could take fish at
will, they loved my tie. Two anglers were tubing near me, tossing buggers
and fishless. Finally one kicked over near my pram and asked what I was
using. I looked and had two flies left, three counting the one on my leader
and it was getting badly torn up. I pulled out one and offered it, "I only
have one I can give you, sorry. JUST grease the deer hair part, the rest
should sink below the film. If you can tell which way the fish is cruising
put it out in front of him and just let it sit, no movement."

He took the fly and paddled back near his friend. I could hear
their conversation as he changed tippet and tied on the fly, "He said it is
a 'midge emerger' and to grease only the one part and let the rest sink."
The buddy, "Oh that 'emerger' **** is all crap, just stick with a wooly
bugger."

Almost exactly as that last sentence reached me the first cast was
made ... fish ON !! And then the moment I remember as worth more than
any fly as the angler with my pattern said, "Well, it may be crap, but it
sure works!!! " G

Larry L wrote:

Oh, and I always give flies to anyone that asks me what to use, if I have
any left to give ...... again, really for myself ..... my 6 decades have
made me a firm believer in 'Karma' .... what goes around comes around, not
always immediately or from the same person, but often enough to justify the
$0.30 a homebuilt fly costs, as investment.

The last time I fished Silver Creek I met a very nice guy from Oregon
who gave me several examples of his favorite dry fly, which he called a
Hatch Master. It's a cool fly and I'd never heard of it. It's a
extended-body mayfly tied only with mallard flank and hackle.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

"Larry L" wrote in message
...

"Tom Nakashima" wrote

I remember one recent
trip I gave a fly to a stranger, about 15 min. later he hooked up as I
had not a single strike. Later he came by and offered me the fish. I
just smiled and told him to keep it and commented on his great
presentation skills.

One of last season's greatest highlights for me occurred on the Henry's
Fork just above the log jam.

It was late in what had been a slow day, and there was only one fish to be
found rising. I found him first and was sneaking into casting position
when a group of four or five anglers from Japan arrived. One of them had
seen the fish from afar and was visibly disappointed to see me slip into
the water near it. Their group split up, looking forlorn and
discouraged, and searched the area for rising heads, the angler that had
seen "my" fish sat on the bank near me and eyed each rise with clear envy.

I put a few casts over the fish and got him to rise, a take I missed. I
figured he would be put down, but, no, he continued to feed.

My Japanese friend was still watching and it occurred to me that I had
been given my chance and didn't deserve to land that fish, so I said
pointing with my rod at the rise, "Here, you try him, he's too smart for
me." The language barrier made this difficult and one of his friends
with better English joined in to help. Soon I was backing out carefully
and the Japanese angler was approaching the prey. About 1/2 hour later
he hooked that fish, a nice one about 18 inches. As he netted it I gave
him a "thumbs up" sign hoping it was universal and didn't mean something
nasty in Japang. What little English he knew came out then, over and
over, "Thank You, thank you, thank you."

The next day I ran into one of the group who recognized me ( it's easy I'm
whale sized and ugly ) and went out of his way to come thank me again, for
his friend. That fish was the only one caught by their group that slow
day ( they did better the next day :-) and it had made the whole group
much more enthusiast as their 'dream trip" looked like a nightmare until
then. I was given a few very lovely flies tied with artificial winging
material available only in Japan.

In reality, if we're honest, the major reason for generosity is because it
makes US feel better ... this case certainly worked that way ... it was
hard to "give up" that fish and get skunked that evening, but those "thank
yous" were far worth more than yet another landed fish.

Oh, and I always give flies to anyone that asks me what to use, if I have
any left to give ...... again, really for myself ..... my 6 decades have
made me a firm believer in 'Karma' .... what goes around comes around, not
always immediately or from the same person, but often enough to justify
the $0.30 a homebuilt fly costs, as investment.


It's amazing how life always seems to balances out. Great story btw.
My parents were put in the Japanese-American Internment camps when they grew
up here in the states. Unfortunately for us, the last thing they wanted
their kids to be was Japanese. So we lost a lot of our culture in not
speaking the language, and not eating the foods. Growing up in Naval town
San Diego, CA didn't help much either as my Dad was in the Navy and worked
for Convair. We were kids, so we didn't know better.

I got a lot of the culture back when I had to room with two Japanese boys
who's family from Japan sent them down for college. All I had to do was be
a good host, not teach them any bad American words, and make sure they
didn't get into any trouble. For all that, I paid $50.oo for room in a very
nice house. I learned a lot about the Japanese culture and found out how
round-eyes I really was as their Aunt used to call me.

So my first job was to take my new roomates from Japan sight-seeing. I asked
them if they wanted to see the Golden Gate Bridge, or Alcatraz Island,
perhaps an American baseball game. Blushing the two said in their broken
English, they wanted to see Carol Doda and all of her 44d's at the Condor
Strip Club. I dare not tell Auntie May.
-tom

"Tom Nakashima" wrote


It's amazing how life always seems to balances out. Great story btw.
My parents were put in the Japanese-American Internment camps when they
grew up here in the states. Unfortunately for us, the last thing they
wanted their kids to be was Japanese. So we lost a lot of our culture in
not speaking the language, and not eating the foods.

I hadn't really noticed your name when I posted my HF story. But the Fork
seems to be a type of fishing Mecca for Japanese. I run into parties from
there every year, I hear that Rene Harrop is much published and admired
there, and one of my 'buddies' in the area is recently married to a woman
who came to fish the Fork from Japan and stayed.

I read somewhere in a book claiming to be science about fish that Japanese
have a chemical in their skin oils that is attractive to fish .... genetic
advantage g ... makes sense to me, island people evolving where fishing is
so very important .... have you ever heard this? I'll try and find the
book, it's probably in my library.


One last Japanese fishing thingy. Apparently there are some things that
can't be said in Japanese as each year I overhear a conversation or two that
( to me ) sounds like, "yamanashi fugiwama leader shy makidori" g and I
get a chuckle from it. I've seen a couple Japanese fishing magazines and
they are a mixture of those cool characters with some English words throw in
too ... kinda weird, really

My experience with the foreign anglers in the Yellowstone area would place
the Japanese at the very top of the list in manners, ethics, and politeness
to others ...... German speakers near the bottom ... and those English
speakers with a Texas drawl dead last ... fwiw