Watusi Worms

Tom Nixon would have got the biggest grin on his face if he had seen some of
Sandy's creations. Then he would have tied one on his old fly rod and caught
the biggest bass caught in the lake that day with one of them.

Big Dale

ospam (Big Dale) wrote in
:

Tom Nixon would have got the biggest grin on his face if he had seen
some of Sandy's creations. Then he would have tied one on his old fly
rod and caught the biggest bass caught in the lake that day with one
of them.

Big Dale


Can catch some pretty big fish with garden hackle too, but that doesn't
make it a fly.

Scott

"Gene Cottrell" wrote in message ...
It's not a fly. We all know what a fly is and is not. It's kind of like
pornography - I can't give you a specific definition, but I know it when I
see it.


I don't necessarily disagree.
I have a vague sense of what a fly is, and a vague
sense that what I've made is a "fly rod lure,"
whatever that means.

Yellowstone Park has several waters that have been
designated "fly fishing only." I stopped in at the
ranger headquarters in Mammoth Hot springs (several
years ago) and asked "how do I know what fly fishing
is? How do I know whether I'm breaking the rules or not?"

The ranger said this question had come up numerous
times, and after much debate, they settled on
"not bait fishing" as their working definition
of fly fishing.

Other waters I've heard about mention diving lips
as off limits, but for some reason that prohibition
doesn't apply to Dahlberg Divers. I'm not really
taking a position here. In my home waters (Yellowstone
Park and southwest Montana) I can fish with any not-bait
thing I want. So it's a non issue for me.

But it is an interesting subject.

Salmo Bytes wrote:
...
And this is a *troll* question, of sorts.
But I am curious about the answers.
...
So what is it?
Should it be banned at "fly fishing only" sites.
If so, what's the definition of fly fishing,
so the authorities can enforce the rules?

If you want to call it a fly, that's fine with me. You could
call it a ice cream cone for all I care, but it's not a fly
in my book and flinging it isn't fly fishing.

Just Googling around I found the following definition from the
state of Pennsylvania:


Fishing may be done with artificial flies and streamers constructed of natural
or synthetic materials, so long as all flies are constructed in a normal fashion
on a single hook with components wound on or about the hook. Specifically
prohibited is the use of molded facsimiles or replicas of insects, earthworms,
fish eggs, fish or any invertebrate or vertebrate either singly or in
combination with the other materials. Also prohibited are other lures commonly
described as spinners, spoons, or plugs made of metals, plastic, wood, rubber or
like substances or a combination thereof.

So, if that "fly fishing only" regulation is still valid, using a
Watusi Worm in Pennsylvania "fly fishing only" water would be
illegal.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Stan Gula writes:

We were flyfishing on a 'flyfishing-only' lake, and some
local people thought fishing from a float tube was trolling (which is
outside the definition) because we weren't anchored. We *were* 'casting and
retrieving in the usual manner' which is how flyfishing is defined.

You can not troll in fly fishing only waters in Maine, but constantly casting
like you did, it NOT considered trolling, regardless your "vessel".

Dave

http://hometown.aol.com/davplac/myhomepage/index.html

"Dave LaCourse" wrote in message
...
Stan Gula writes:

We were flyfishing on a 'flyfishing-only' lake, and some
local people thought fishing from a float tube was trolling (which is
outside the definition) because we weren't anchored. We *were* 'casting
and
retrieving in the usual manner' which is how flyfishing is defined.

You can not troll in fly fishing only waters in Maine, but constantly
casting
like you did, it NOT considered trolling, regardless your "vessel".

I totally agree, but the angry group at the boat launch when we were leaving
did not.

Stan Gula wrote:

I've seen
some bizarre regulations (to me, obviously, and not the people who wrote
them) in Maine. We were flyfishing on a 'flyfishing-only' lake, and some
local people thought fishing from a float tube was trolling (which is
outside the definition) because we weren't anchored. We *were* 'casting and
retrieving in the usual manner' which is how flyfishing is defined.

That's a shame. "Wind drifting", watching the scenery and the the sky,
with the fly trailing, is one of the very most relaxing and pleasing
forms of fishing a fly. I figure if you cast once every half hour, it's
fly fishing.

JR

Scott wrote:Can catch some pretty big fish with garden hackle too, but that
doesn't
make it a fly.


You seem to have a pretty narrow idea of what a fly is. You need to be open to
ideas and flies that have been around and catching fish on fly rods for over
50 years.

Big Dale

hooked wrote
That's not a fly. That's a lure. And you could cast that with a
spinning rod if you had the right rod. It would need to have a
light tip section. Would also help if you use light line.

scott wrote
Agreed. That's worth a citation if you fish it in a fly fishing only
area in NY

stan wrote
How does NY define 'fly'? And how do they define 'fly fishing'?
Strangely, Massachusetts has two flyfishing-only areas, but the F&W
Abstracts (and all regs published on their web site) do not define
flyfishing or fly. Your question motivated me to ask the head of F&W
enforcement (I figure the guy who can bust you is the guy you should
listen to). I'll let you know what I find out.

I would call Sandy's plastic worm a 'fly' and have used similar lures
for bass and bluegill fishing (on open regulation ponds). My
definition of a fly, which I've stated before, is anything light
enough to cast effectively on fly gear (I'm not going to define
that...), not made out of living or recently living animals (like a
dead shiner). Of course, what I think doesn't matter - the
regulations matter, and thus my inquiry. I've seen some bizarre
regulations (to me, obviously, and not the people who wrote them) in
Maine. We were flyfishing on a 'flyfishing-only' lake, and some local
people thought fishing from a float tube was trolling (which is
outside the definition) because we weren't anchored. We *were*
'casting and retrieving in the usual manner' which is how flyfishing
is defined.

and scott wrote
NY is a little loose. The regs define artificial fly as "Artificial Fly
means a hook with no more than two points dressed with feathers, hair,
thread, tinsel or any similar material to which no hooks, spinners,
spoons or similar devices have been added."

Is a Mr Twister a "similar material"?? A fine question, and the answer
is probably "what does Mr. CO think?" and that's probably got more to do
with the attitude of the angler he's talking to at the moment than what's
on the end of the line. Of course, a disagreement with a CO can be
resolved in a court, but is it worth a day in court just to use a fly
that might not be a fly? I'm anxious to find out what your F&W guy says.

I just heard back from Major Roger Arduini, Mass. F&W Inland Enforcement
Bureau Chief, that we only define fly fishing, and not fly. Fly fishing is:
"use of a conventional fly rod and fly line". Both of the flyfishing-only
areas are also C&R, artificial lure only, so you can use anything on your
fly line except live or dead bait.

Sandy's worm (and my own Mr Twister experiments) can be legally used in
flyfishing-only water.

"Hooked" wrote in message ...
"Salmo Bytes" wrote in message
om...

http://montana-riverboats.com/static...usi_Worms.html


That's not a fly. That's a lure. And you could cast that with a spinning rod
if you had the right rod. It would need to have a light tip section. Would
also help if you use light line.

I agree on this being a lure, but what is your definition of a fly?

I believe most streamers in use today are more properly called lures, are they not?