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Eric-WD

Memories,Movies and Musings

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Eric-WD
, 01-21-2008 at 03:14 AM (5597 Views)
I have the shack nasties bad, I should take up Steel-heading, but the thought of standing up to my chest in icy water just isn't appealing.

To Kill time I was looking through the book, you know the book, the one that "The Movie" was based on. I used to have a quote from the book as my signature line on the B-Board, when the board changed, my signature disappeared. So today I was paging through the book looking for the quote, and decided to watch the move. (if you haven't done so, read the book and use the movie as a coaster)

I had some chores to do that I figured I could do them while the movie provided background noise.

First I made dubbing out of some rabbit fur I dyed yesterday. We had been having a discussion in the chat room about a red white and blue fly, I figured I would use blue Koolaid to dye Rabbit. The Dubbing I ended up with is a color unknown in nature. It is the color of blue freeze-pops and my hope is some 5 year old dropped his freeze-pop into the lochsa and the fish got addicted to the stuff. Along with the Hare Hair, I dyed some gray wool yarn and like very much the color of that.

After the dubbing, I went to the basement and brought up a wicker Creel Just like the ones in "The Movie" this one is at least 40 years old, My parents gave it to my Grandfather when he retired from the mill. My Grandmother gave me his fishing gear when he died, He hadn't been much of a fly fisher preferring spinning gear but he had fly fished a little. I used a boot waterproofing ( the old fashioned kind beeswax and oil) on the creel to soften the leather. and try to keep it looking good for another 40 years. I had thought about using it this summer but the stitching is a little rotten and I would rather not take a chance on it holding together.

In the creel is a SA wet cell 2 six weight fast sinking level line. Granddad paid $4.60 for it. I doubt if it has ever been used. Also in the creel is a bead eyed deer hair and peacock hurl fly and a "Tanglefree" pocket leader pack. Its funny but the most important thing in the creel is the grass stems and leaves. These tell me that Granddad actually used the creel for it intended purpose and didn't just stick it on a shelf.

thanks for reading this far, good fishing, and I have go read "the book."

Eric
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  1. modocdan's Avatar
    Hang on to that creel, Bro. It'll be more precious as time goes on. And keep up on the boot oil, once a year at least.
    Me, well my Ol' man wasn't much of a teacher, and he wasn't the one who taught me to fish, or to love fishin'.
    I did see the love of fishin' in him though, when he finally did take me fishin'. I was long ago hooked by then, though.
    I was about 14 then, and He was fishin drys usin a Monkey Wards Spin rod and reel, and a teardrop castin' bubble. It was the North Umpqua, and I watched him fish three days hard before he caught this wonderful summer Steelie on a Black Gnat..... Me, I was usin worms, and gettin nowhere.
    Well, I got me a bubble, and bummed a couple a them Gnats.
    After lots of work, and quite a bit of time, I got me one a them Steelies, too. On a Zebco rod and Closed face reel, the rod was about 6' long and stiff as a broom handle. Not much later, I was given an old split cane flyrod from Japan. It was no prize, but it was way cool in my book. It was in a wooden box and the whole show. Well I learned how to get my line out there, and a flyfisherman was born. I guess I caught most of my fish back then on drys that were so beat up, frazzled and wet that they sunk. That was '69, and I've got where I can get my line out a little better, and I fish wets and nymphs on purpose now, but, every time that fish comes up to dance, even just a little, no matter big or small...............I feel just the same as the first time.
    ........................ModocDan