Hi everyone,
I’ve got a few interviews coming up this week, Dan Blanton being one of them. I’m going to be interviewing him this coming Thursday and would love for you guys and gals to post any questions you would like to ask him.
I’ll be closing the post for questions on Wednesday, so don’t wait, please get them in asap.
TT.
I have always wanted to fish the Delta with Dan. What are some of the skills that he would suggest a fly fisher have before considering a Delta trip with him? What setup would he recommend for going after stripers in the Delta (rod wt, line, shooting heads, tips)? How long did it take him to develop the Flashtail Whistler and the Sar Mul Mac? I heard a rumor that Dan will be presenting at the Fly Fishing Show in Pleasanton in 2011. Is it true (please please say yes. I have enjoyed his tying and slide presentations for years at the Sportsmans Expo in San Mateo)?
What is the history of the development of the Whistler, Sar-Mul-Mac, and Punch series of flies.
How did you come up with flashtail flies?
What are the advantages/disadvantages of having a flashtail on a fly?
What are the advantages/disadvantages of an interchangeable shooting head system?
How should you match a shooting head to a fly rod?
How do you select a shooting line?
How do you match a custom cut length of Cortland LC-13, Rio T8, Rio T11, Rio T14 or other similar lines to a rod.
What are the advantages/disadvantages of an integrated line (shooting head and shooting line mated at factory like Teeny lines, S.A. Streamer Express, Rio Outbound, Rio Striper DC, Airflo Depthfinder etc.?
Why would and angler choose an integrated line over a interchangeable shooting head or vice versa?
How do you manage all the loose line at the feet when casting and retrieving shooting heads or integrated fly lines, or other lines when making long casts?
Whats a good way to attach a leader to a fly line for saltwater or heavy freshwater fishing? And line to backing?
Which knots to you favor for connecting the fly to the leader?
How do you connect wire bite traces to leaders and flies?
What are your favorite California Fly Fishing destinations?
When did you start fishing Stripers in California?
What is your favorite fish to catch?
What kind of tips to you have for photographing that special catch?
Flies:
As a fly designer, you’re probably most often thought of as the originator of the Whistler and Punch / Sar-Mul-Mac series of patterns.
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[li]Where would you place the Fatal Attraction series in your personal line up of go to patterns, in comparison to those better known patterns?[/li][/ul]
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[li]In what situations would the Fatal Attraction’s be the first boxes of flies loaded into your gear bag in preparation for a trip?[/li][/ul]
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[li]Are there any dressings, color combinations or sizes that stand out in your experience above the rest?[/li][/ul]
Lines:
With the proliferation of integrated lines and head variations in the market today, that seemingly fill most any niche.
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[li]Do you still use Mix & Match Head Systems and if so, in what situations?[/li][/ul]Writing:
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[li]How’s that much anticipated book on shooting heads coming along?[/li][/ul]Guest Appearances:
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[li]What year was it when you and Jerry McKinnis filmed that show from the south bay?[/li][/ul]Personal & Professional:
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[li]I’ve heard through the grapevine that you may be retiring from actively guiding. Besides spending more time with family, friends, fishing and guest appearances, are there any projects that you’ve been mulling around, that will now get moved to a front burner?[/li][/ul]
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[li]What should we be keeping an eye out for?[/li][/ul] Old Times:
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[li]Been out past the Bird Cage lately?[/li][/ul]
This is what I’m talking about! Keep them coming!
TT.