Comments for 40 Rivers To Freedom

Comment on Brent’s Hellgrammite by Gary

Gary — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:45:52 +0000

Hellgrammites are poor swimmers. When they lose their grip on rocks and are swept into the current they ball up. The real ones I’ve seen in rivers don’t look like wooly buggers or anything resembling something long and thin. Are there any Hellgrammite patterns that look like large brown/tan egg patterns but with the impression of many short legs and pinchers or antenna?

Comment on Video: Tying a Damselfly Nymph by markmills

markmills — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:06:31 +0000

I like it! I’ve been experimenting with various damselfly nymphs this spring and what most of them lack is good motion. This is the first I’ve seen with rubber legs and damsel nymphs have prominent legs. I’m going to tie some up and give em a go. Thanks for the vid.

Comment on A Better Alternative To Epoxy by Alan Sodenkamp

Alan Sodenkamp — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:44:34 +0000

Just got my kit in- Im in trouble. Easy to use and zero waste so I just ordered 4 more syringes after making 30 spoons in about 1/3rd of the time epoxy was taking me.

Now I just need to fish them to check the durability, I read a post on blantons board that Nick Curcione (sp?) said the spoons worked for him without fail so I am confident.

Thanks for the heads up!

Comment on The Bulldozer by Zak

Zak — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 18:56:00 +0000

cool pattern…

What size hook do you recommend?

Comment on Gear Review: HMH’s Tube Fly Tool by FlyBuff

FlyBuff — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:24:47 +0000

Great looking flies!!! I dig the legs on that spey. I too have a Danvice and HMH. After opening the HMH gift at Christmas I turned into a different tyer…the sky was the limit. With a few days off I found myself tying every spare minute. The only thing that I have found is that when tying smaller flies (I fish the rocky river and V. in ohio) the pin/rod hits my vice (the part of the pin that is not in use). I guess if I use the whole tube then cut off the fly I wouldnt have this problem, but that is a lot of tube for a small #12 meth or nuke…I thought about angling the vice, but that wouldnt be the best if i wanted to use the rotary feature…not sure if this is clear. I have also been able to place large needles in the vice to get around this though.

Any thoughts…

Comment on GE Begins Dredging PCBs from Hudson by Debbie

Debbie — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:28:05 +0000

Talk about the damage General Electric has done in Brockport, New York!
The injustice is that more than 30 years lapsed between the time GE’s pollution was noted for the harm it has caused and the time the cleanup has begun.
One can’t help but imagine, though, how things might have been different if the PCB black eye was removed in 1979 or 1989 or 1999 instead of 2009.
What is Brockport, GE, Black and Decker,Owens Illinois, or Klean Brite doing these days to clean up? Or is it cleaned up?

Comment on Video: Tying a Damselfly Nymph by Royal Wulff

Royal Wulff — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:48:39 +0000

ha! funny I find myself in same Christmas boat RE: new vid cameras. Don’t forget the many advantages of the Heroic Score, my favorite: Last of the Mohicans, makes everything, well, more HEROIC lol: http://dryfliesfattires.blogspot.com/2010/01/field-testing-hero-1.html

Comment on Video: Tying a Damselfly Nymph by lykos33

lykos33 — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:28:33 +0000

nice easy d fly there, thanks for the tutorial…now get busy with the new cam and do MORE!!! LOL!

Comment on Rat Pack by mcfluffchucker

mcfluffchucker — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:10:06 +0000

loving those great ties

Comment on Rise: The Review by jeff

jeff — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:21:17 +0000

So what exactly is the problem here…do some of the reviewers know the film makers and carry with them some jealous envy perhaps? i just received “Rise” for Xmas…BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I found both, “Drift” and “Rise” to be refreshing and ENVIGORATING! not the same old crap you see on television. no whoring for sponsorship or blathering on as to why you have to use a Sage rod with Orvis waders and Simms vest…instead they show some of the most SPECTACULAR footage of places i may never see and to put icing on the cake…THEY FLYFISH IT!! They do it with a unique style and professionalism. Thanks for making both films and i for one cannot wait for the next installment!

Comment on Heroes by Shaq

Shaq — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 18:03:30 +0000

you’re my hero Alex…hahaha!

Comment on An Open Letter to Confluence Films by JAM

JAM — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:41:39 +0000

It’s about effing time.
Drift stunk, Rise stunk, and chances are good that if Confluence Films doesn’t heed your criticism, its work will always stink. Also notably malodorous is Raising the Ghost, for the same reasons; the format for these and most fly fishing DVDs these days – filmed interviews of anglers who uncreatively rehash what is shown in the footage – went stale almost immediately after The Hatch came out.
We can’t really fault the filmakers’ abilities or intentions; their work is visually beautiful and many of them raise, if almost in a forced way, conservation issues that we should be aware of. I think, however, that as fish porn these films resemble real porn in the worst possible ways. Basically, we get a lot of formula, flat and boring dialogue as a set up to what we really want to see, which is hot and sweaty action (soundtrack required). If taken to the extreme as it is in fishing DVDs, this model leaves the viewer saying, “I didn’t pay to watch you talk.”
A more egregious similarity to real porn is these films’ transparent celebration of the genitalia of their makers, who also happen to be their “stars”. The locations, fish, skill requirements (won’t talk about expense though; just notice the Simms waders I’m wearing while playing basketball with my fellow guides)are eons beyond what the normal nonstudly angler can even handle. These characters would be loath to admit it, but it’s clear that they’re dying to be the Leftys, the Whitlocks, and Kriegers of their generation, and I’m tickled to no end by this. Over the past few years, I’ve actually heard plenty of insults from these “totally major sticks” leveled against our aging legends, the gist of which is that they are nothing more than shameless self-promoters.
OK, so I’m ranting. I’m just sick of this stuff from these janitors who do nothing more than sweep up after the guys who did all the work. From these wannabes who take themselves so incredibly seriously while pretending for all they’re worth that they’re not. From these hypocrites decrying hoity toity, whoop dee doo, private water elitist fly fishing, while keeping addresses in Aspen, Jackson Hole, Sun Valley, Telluride. It’s Confluence Films, AEG, Team Flyboy (are you kidding me?), and it has ALWAYS been Drake.
Fly fishing media is in big trouble if these are the torchbearers of the future.

Comment on RIP Jack Gartside by AC

AC — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:17:59 +0000

Great story, Dave! Thanks for sharing.

Comment on RIP Jack Gartside by Dave

Dave — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:10:25 +0000

I agree he was incredibly innovative, but more than that a great guy with one of the quickest wits I know. When AK Best came up with a commercial version of “the third hand” Jack looked him in the eye and said “I already invented the third hand.” He proceeded to take AK over to his booth and there taped to his vise was a manikin’s hand. He then took the cigarette out of his mouth and stuck it between the fingers of the hand using it as a cigarette holder. He will be missed.