Tom S

LoL. You've got like a 3" draft on that thing. You need to find some shoals & reefs that they can't follow you through.

Glad I wasn’t the only one having a tough morning. I blame the cold front that is giving us beautiful weather for being outside. Probably pushed the fish deep. I landed one 12”er and hooked into something larger but lost it with a nymph. Saw a couple take a pass at a streamer, but no takers. Sulky fish.

Excellent read. Really enjoyed it.

Looking forward to seeing the video coming out of this trip. Thinking of heading out myself in the morning.

I like a version of this: http://www.skip-morris-fly-tying.com/hackled-skip-nymph.html. I think I was fishing a size 6 this morning, a bit bigger to keep the bluegill from becoming a hassle. I feel that with nymphs its worth a bit of extra effort to get some realism into them. The goal is a fly that's going to stand up to observation by a fish, as they will often eyeball it before taking it, at least in still water. That bit of hackle wrapped around the abdomen gives the appearance of some legs wiggling around, and the pheasant tail makes a great back.

Don’t forget to tie up some nymphs for smallies. Only picked up on this morning on my brief outing, but lots of fun on the 5wt rod. There were another 4 bass chasing the hooked one as well.

Only 260k and the transmission needs a rebuild? That seems low to me - did you do a lot of towing or hauling?

Heh heh. You better call up every deer hunter you know and start collecting bucktail this fall.

I’ve got an 11wt that could use a workout if you are interested for next year. You’ll be a bit outgunned with your 6wt.

They're big, but not bulky or heavy. Bucktail and saddle hackle, lots of movement but they suspend and still have movement between strips, and shed water quickly for the cast. This is the version that I tie: https://www.saltwaterflies.com/maximumdeceiver.html. Just reduce the hook size to what you need, keep the proportions the same. 1/0 is a nice size for bass.

To dave524's point I like the Mustad Stinger Deer Hair hooks for poppers. They've got a nice wide gap to clear popper bodies. You may also want to look at reducing the bulk of your flies. When they get overly bulky they become hard to cast and loose their movement in the water. I know the tendency is to try to fill out a specific profile, but remember that in the water all that hair and marabou are going to spread out to fill a larger area. If they are packed together to densely they clump together and loose the constant subtle movements that make the fly seem alive. You should tie up some Deceivers in perch and bluegill colours, they're a great basic streamer pattern. And some big black buggers as a leech pattern.

If (and that’s a big if) I’m able to slip out for a hour or two on Saturday morning I’ve got my eye on a local pond that looks to be full of smallies. Most likely fishing poppers, divers, and streamers with a fly rod. Might even break out the bamboo rod for some real fun.

Bit of a long shot, but I'm looking for someone to help get a house ready for sale in Cayuga in the next two weeks. Need some flooring installed and trim work finished up. Please PM if interested.

LOL. I had the diaper viper full of kids, there would have been more work when we left than when we arrived.

Passed by your place on the way to Dover yesterday. Couple spots hit hard, but other areas looked untouched. Strange how that goes.

I redid my entire back year a couple years ago. Killed everything, added in 10 yards of top soil, then seeded and watered. Used the Scotts coated seeds, worked fine. I followed the bag directions, but I feel I could have gone much heavier and had things fill in faster. My mistake was booking the first loads of the year (literally - the first loads) of topsoil from the supplier. It had sat all fall and early spring, and had plenty of weed seeds mixed in, which is now the new fight. Would have been better to wait a week or so until the top layer of soil from the pile had been sold to someone else, but I was anxious to get the job done.

To be very blunt, I don't think you're going to find a bank willing to lend someone in your situation money. And if someone is willing to lend you that kind of money run away from them because you're in for trouble. I'd recommend you look for an apartment to rent for yourself and your mother based on your income, somewhere with access to public transportation and maybe a better job market for yourself? Buying a house can't be a snap decision, you need a stable income and good credit at the least. Nothing wrong with renting until you can make the right purchase.

Right on the mark OI. Tough to hear, but they've cranked right down on lending rules, so that even if you could find a place for $340K, with no down payment and a rough credit history you'll be denied. Problem is the bank becomes your new landlord, and they don't put up with anything. My heart goes out to you, but your best bet is to find another rental with a landlord you can work with and begin saving up that down payment for the future. Easier said than done, I know.

Are these factory rebates or energy saving rebates? To meet the Save On Energy requirements I believe the unit would need to be Energy Star and at least 18 SEER. A good HVAC company will often process the rebates and warranty for you, it might be worth asking if that's included. Personally I'd probably be going with the Carrier myself, but that can vary from unit to unit. I believe both those companies use aluminum coils, I'd be checking what the warranty is on that.

Yeah, I'm not sure how serviceable those stoves are. Do you have a multimeter? If so, disconnect and check the resistance of the coils. From what I can read you should be seeing 20-40 ohms, infinite resistance would indicate a burned-out coil.

Sure, it will start no problem in your driveway. At the launch however, it's a different story. I know how you operate.

You used liquid smoke. You're a heretic. Proper ribs need 3 things: -Cook technique - low and slow on a smoker for the entire time. None of this boiling/par baking/roasting shenanigans. -Texture - should pull away from the bones easily, but still have some bite. None of this sloppy fall of the bone mush. -Coating - develop a nice bark to give a flavour boost and some texture. Sauce sparingly and only right before eating.

If you boil your ribs the terrorists win. Just say no to boiled ribs.

I don't believe so. I think these are meant for a cold smoke (~165F), which is great for fish, jerky, sausage, and cheese. For ribs, brisket, pulled pork, and such you need a hot smoke, at 225F. For poultry you want to be even higher, 325F. Using too low of a temperature can open yourself up to food safety issues.

Overpriced soul-less graphite fairy wand.. gumble grumble. Marketing and sales hype on fly fishing equipment is ridiculous, and it become such a 'look at me with my latest rod' game. Benefits the guy who likes used equipment though, as we get the 1-year old cast-offs for a great price.