Tom S

Lol. That's true, I remember addressing the box to 'Loony Tuber' or something like that. Gives me great pleasure to have seen them used up and where you have gone since then. It's interesting you mention these being used on tribs. Do you tie them differently than the bugs you use while ice fishing? I would think that in the faster running water you would want to use some materials that would hold their shape a bit better, be a bit stiffer, so that the bug doesn't loose it's profile in the flow. But while ice fishing you usually aren't dealing with any or very minimal current, so using softer and more flexible materials could be used to give an appearance of the bug moving without it actually moving (if that make sense).

Are you using Silly Legs for those? Have you ever thought about trying it with something like Lady Amhurst pheasant tail? I bet that with the silly legs you would get some extra bounce if actively jigging, but with the pheasant tail you would get more subtle movement if the jig is just sitting there. Might be a cool comparison to do.

I like to break down any used reels and give them a good clean and lubrication. For grease I use Cal's Universal Reel and Drag Grease. It's available in 2 formulas, tan and purple. Tan is the general purpose one I use, purple is for small reels and cold weather use. It's fantastically smooth and not overly viscous, yet very sticky. It stays where it's put and keeps things running smoothly. Plus one of it's recommended uses is the greasing of certain drag washers in order to keep drags running smooth and to retain drag force ratings. For oil I use Super Lube oil with a needle applicator. I use it sparingly on high speed parts.

$100 free shipping is hard to beat, but it is nice to be able to browse the the packages to find what works best for your needs. Here's a couple I also like. flymart.ca -> $350 free shipping, has some good sales, really good selection of materials canadiantubeflies.net -> $50 free shipping, less selection but they have some products that are hard to find elsewhere

There used to be a flylines.ca website that sold over-run and unbranded lines for great prices. Website looks to have shut down, but I think I still have the owner's email address. Lines were around $20-$25. I can PM it over if you want to try to chase that down.

Less is more with dubbing. If you apply it to thickly it won't twist properly on the thread and won't sit nice on the fly. Try using half of what you're using right now.

I like Skip Morris' version, adds a bit of hackle to give the illusion of legs and movement. http://www.skip-morris-fly-tying.com/hackled-skip-nymph.html Those look real nice Gil. Did you use lacquered turkey feathers for the wing cases?

Not exactly a product that's going to apply to a lot of people here, but if anyone is looking to build themselves a fly rod I have started to produce acrylic inserts for fly rod reel seats. They're available through Proof Fly Fishing (https://www.proofflyfishing.com/collections/acrylic-inserts-reel-seats), and at time of ordering can be paired up with a couple options on the reel seat hardware. Each insert is turned and polished by myself, then sent to Matt who takes a photo and puts it up on the website. This allows you to see exactly what you're purchasing. Matt also has a great selection of blanks, guides, cork, thread, and any other supplies you may need to build your own fly rod. Some examples: Also, if you would like something custom turned for a different reel seat feel (fly, spin, or casting) free to reach out to me and I'll see what is possible.

Trust me, I most definitely don't have communist leanings and would put forward that communism is a terrible system that also removes purpose and motivation from people's lives. If the government is going to take care of you just the same whether you're a productive person or a lazy person, what's the point in putting in the extra effort? Might as well do the bare minimum. There's a reason you don't see innovations coming out of communist countries - it's better not to stick your neck out. Equality of outcome is not the solution - it holds back people who could do so much more. Also one of the reasons I oppose UBI. Capitalist systems (despite their flaws) are the system that allows the greatest number of people the ability to have a good life and to further themselves and their children. When asked why he chose to move to America one immigrant stated 'I want to live where the poor people are fat'.

While I would give you the point that there are likely some people predisposed to being susceptible to substance addition, that argument cannot be used to account for the massive increases in substance abuse and deaths that have been seen in middle america and are making their way into Canada. Predisposition would account for a stable or slowly increasing problem, not the explosion that is happening. I believe that purpose, or more correctly a lack of purpose, has more to do it than anything else. Since the great depression the standard of living for middle america has steadily increased with each generation. Thanks to an economy put into high gear by a war America pulled itself out of the depression and became a manufacturing powerhouse. Steel mills, the automotive industry, and white goods were strong - you could come out of high school, get a good paying job, buy a house, start a family, and do well. Later generations received more and better education and could become professionals, making their blue-collar parents proud. But then that manufacturing faded out, moved out, and died. You need a university diploma to get a job with a decent salary. A house now costs 8-10 years worth of salary, instead of 2-4. You have massive student debt to pay off before you can even think about that house. This generation in middle america is facing the reality that they may very well end up being worse off than their parents. So they're in the situation where they have no job, crippling debt, no future, and thus feel like life has no purpose. Move to the city? Heck, housing becomes ever more expensive and you will still be fighting for a job. When you feel like you have no purpose and no future it becomes very easy to turn to substances for escape, and it leads down a dark path. You're right - those who really want work will always be busy, but there's also a lot of people who will turn to substances in the meantime. I believe this also to be a big reason you're seeing the suicide rates among native communities. It's tragic what's happening, but these kids are growing up and don't see a way out. And they feel like they have two options - live their whole life like that or escape from it now. And the government can throw money at the problem all they want, but until they realize that they need to give these kids a reason to live and a future to look ahead to the tragedy will continue. But I digress. Enforcement is only one part of the solution. You can (and should) crack down on smuggling but as long as the demand and the money are there drugs will be imported. Opiates may be more deadly, but people who want to escape can and will turn to whatever means available, whether that be huffing paint or gas or aerosols or turning to meth. You need to eliminate the demand.

I think it has to do more with market forces than anything. Muskie-sized baits are a niche thing already, much smaller market than bass-sized baits. There may be a niche within the niche for super-realistic muskie baits, but it's not something a larger-scale manufacturer will pick up. More likely out of someone's garage. Also, the bass angling market is geared towards people looking for fast action, large numbers of fish. They're told they need the edge with the latest and greatest of boats, electronics, baits, and tactics. Muskie anglers tend to be the opposite - they realize they'll have a lot less fish but will patiently wait for the ones that are worth it. They could spend the whole day without a follow. That mentality is going to lend itself to throwing proven baits in situations where you know it's going to work.

Can I ask the reasoning behind the 10 coats of clear? Wouldn't it be faster and more reliable to glass and vacuum bag it? Or is it a matter of keeping things simple?

I believe you can order right off their website these days.

You come prepared. Like Mr Numbers and Mr Wrench from Fargo.

Looks like they get a bit bigger than your typical sunfish. Probably lots of fun on light tackle. https://www.bigcatchflorida.com/eligible-species/mayan-cichlid.aspx

So, based on this section can I assume that you would be ok with allowing people to die from curable ailments and diseases because they would otherwise weaken the gene pool? That's some shaky ground to be standing on, heading towards eugenics territory. Very shaky when your chief complaint is that a government/corporation is forcing something upon you that you don't agree with....

I actually prefer using Kingsford original briquettes for a few reasons: - With a bit of research you can get a list of the fillers they use, Kingsford doesn't use anything that should worry you. Lump charcoal (particularly from cheaper brands) has been found with pieces of treated wood, metal, plastic, combined with it) -Briquettes give of a more consistent heat and can be counted out, lump burns inconsistently and you can only make an educated guess at the amount you need -I've bought bags of lump that were obviously roughly handled at some point, the whole bags were just little pieces. No way to know until you open up the bag and start digging. Never had that issue with briquettes -Briquettes start up so easy with a chimney lighter. Never use lighter fluid or Matchlite briquettes, that's where your chemical taste comes from Factoid - Kingsford Charcoal was started by Henry Ford ,Thomas Edison, and EB Kingsford as a way to use up wood scraps from Ford's Automotive Plants at the time.

What you need is Russian 4x4 -> The Greatest Soviet Car I had a discussion once with a fellow who owned a pair of Ladas. He said it was the best snow plow vehicle he had ever driven - lock the center diff, put it in low, and drive through anything. Nothing would stop it. He even towed another car on a trailer through the mountains with one - start off in low, shift through the gears, pop it out of low, rev match and put in high, work through the gears. Once you're up to speed pray that nothing forces you to stop so you have to go through the whole process again. Downshift to slow down, don't trust the brakes. I guess the only downside is it scored a 0 out of 4 in Russian Safety Standard testing. Make what you will of that.

Looking forward to it. Usually find a thing or two to spend some money on, and whichever child I take with me ends up with a good sized back of handouts!

Buffalo is nice if you're travelling to somewhere in the US, as you go through customs at a land crossing rather than standing in line in the airport. However, it is a smaller airport and doesn't have many direct flights so expect to have a connection in there. Those commuter connections from a hub to Buffalo can be nice though, small planes and quick flights.

I took a quick look, and leasing hunting land down that way runs $10-$12/acre. Based on the lot sizes you're looking at anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 to hunt the land. I'd be pretty upset as well if I payed that much to have sole hunting rights and some yahoo rolls up and decides to hunt for free. I know out Iowa way guides will lease massive tracts of land that they then bring clients in to hunt. Hunters trespassing on that land directly impacts their ability to run a business. I think I know the pond you're talking about, driven past it thinking it might be good to take a look at. Long and skinny indicates that there isn't enough food to support the largemouth population. Either he's not doing a good job managing the stocking (overstocking), or the sunfish population is vastly oversized.

It's a problem right here in Haldimand OI. Maybe not to the same scale as in PA, but I know a few people who have become very discouraged because many landowners refuse to give permission anymore but the land ends up getting hunted anyhow. Closes doors for those who try to go about things the right way, those who don't follow the law get away with it.

Or do it right and install in-floor hydronic heating system, using the furnace blower for circulation and a hot water coil for supplemental heating. But then again, we're talking about McMansions, the name of the game is big, 'impressive', and cheap.

Lol. Good to see it working for you Brian.