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Dear Gary GREAT EXCITEMENT HERE AT THE MOMENT. “ESSENTIAL FLY TYING TECHNIQUES eBOOK” is now available as a downloadable electronic format copy to anyone with an internet connection. Fly tying book for ipad,Kindle etc NOW AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD ON LINE You will have to forgive me if this is the second newsletter you have received in short order, and for any obvious excitement that may perhaps transfer to the writing, but I am excited and I suppose that there is no point in hiding that. You will no doubt we aware that I have been working hard at this electronic media stuff with electronic books available from Smashwords: The first one “100 Fly Fishing Tips Tricks and Techniques” has been receiving great feedback from as far afield as Scandinavia. I was very pleased with that and it was part of an on-going process of experimentation and learning in how this stuff all works. You need to remember that I never had a single computer lesson in my life. Some of this comes with a steep and frequently frustrating learning curve. More recently I was able to convert my previously published hard cover book “Learn to Fly-cast in a weekend” into a fully downloadable eBook and hopefully make that available to a far larger audience. It is difficult to get things noticed when you are sitting at the bottom of the African continent and finding publishers and distributors is a problem which is the main reason for going the electronic route. Although of course it also means that you the end user pay a lot less and that you can put these books on your Ipad or Kindle if you wish. However now I think that I have achieved the greatest success to date “Essential Fly Tying Skills” a book of critical fly tying information, full fly patterns and essential techniques supported by text, graphics and video has now been converted to a downloadable format. To achieve this, the videos have had to be provided as links instead of embedded in the book but other than that it is the same as the original CD based copy. What that means is that now this book is also available to a world-wide audience. Plus you can read it on a Kindle, an iPad, a PC, Sony reader or pretty much any other electronic reading device that you may wish to mention. It offers the reader greater flexibility and opens up a far wider market, you can even “gift” a copy to someone so long as you have their email address. Send eBooks as a gift: As a new innovation from Smashwords you can now “Gift” a copy of a book to anyone around the world via email. Just follow the same links and look for the “Gift” option on the upper right-hand side of the page. Not only do these books offer instant download but at a far lower price than traditional printed copy. Of course it would be unfair to just tell you about something that I would like you to consider purchasing no matter how excited I may be so here is some free stuff for you as well. FREE Video links: FREE E BOOKS: You can get yourself copies of Build your own fly fishing lanyard a fact sheet on building a most useful addition to your kit. At NO COST. Plus:
What people have had to say about Essential Fly Tying Techniques: Flyfishing Magazine South Africa: “WOW…Essential Fly Tying Techniques, was an absolute revelation…this platform is absolutely perfect for learning to tie flies. …anyone who has been deterred from trying their hand at tying flies because it seems too complicated should buy this ebook and start a whole new chapter in the fly fishing lives. Tom Sutcliffe: The Spirit of Fly Fishing Website: http://www.tomsutcliffe.co.za SwittersB & Flyfishing Blog: swittersbwordpress.com “I was struck by the comprehensiveness, quality and forethought…Very enjoyable and impressive” Trout Fisherman Magazine UK: “Hits perfectly the sweet spot between brevity and comprehensiveness…allows cross reference between written word, detailed colour diagrams and video Other eBooks from this author available for instant download onto any electronic reader: Click on the image to download a copy of send one to a friend as a present. Finally: Well done to Western Province who walked away with the gold medal in the recent SA Fly Fishing Championships, held in Natal. Brilliant work guys. |
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Archive for March, 2012
Emek’s Retro Brilliance
As I was sitting in a bank the other day, suffering through several hours of estate/death issues, I noticed the young, lazer sharp banker had a lot of art work contrasting against the mauve cubicle walls. One, in particular, caught my eye. I snapped a pic of it and the banker gave me his card with the notation ‘www.emek.net’ on the back. So, I checked it out and found Emek’s stuff reminiscent of the 60’s. I like it. He does a variety of posters for famous musical groups. The one that caught my eye…the skeleton in a boat, rowing with a spoon inside a bottle somehow conjured up all manner of associations.
“In Emek’s posters, psychedelic ’60s imagery collides with ’90s post-industrial iconography. To this collision of the organic vs. the mechanical worlds he adds humor, social commentary and fantasy. Even in the smallest details there are messages. All of Emek’s artwork is originally hand-drawn and then hand- silkscreened for each actual concert or event, usually in limited editions of around 300.
You can order one of these before he becomes really famous, or really homeless. So far, his unique visual style has graced music posters on a diverse musical spectrum, from Blues legend B.B. King to the Beastie Boys. He has painted album covers for Neil Young and Pearl Jam as well as for many punk and alternative bands. He was invited to exhibit at the opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame “History of Rock Posters” exhibition and has been featured in national and international magazines. As you read this, his work is permanently displayed in Hard Rock Cafes all over.” (more)
A gallimaufry, an aggregate, the odds and ends, alphabet soup, a smörgåsbord, the olla podrida, a selection:
Mousing Time @ Winona Fly Factory A Winter’s Anticipation in the Box @ Planet Trout
The Messy Task of Dying Quills & Using Them @ Will Fish For Work
The Haddis Catch and Late Winter Steelhead Limp Cobra is Ready! to Escape
Fly Tying: Bakslengen’s
Visit the Bakslengen site for some very crisp, beautiful tying efforts.
I like this Damsel dry pattern with the braid tail and split braid wing. Simple and inviting....gluuump! Damsel Pattern
I mentioned several months ago that the streets were torn up and a sizable project had commenced in the neighborhood. Eventually, it was obvious the various corners and intersections were being altered and it became obvious that catch basins were being built on a grand scale. I made some enquiries of the City of Portland and soon some information flowed my way re the project’s purpose and costs.
Kate Goudschaal (C of P, Bureau of Environmental Services) wrote to me: “You are correct that the major construction on the 16 stormwater facilities is nearly complete. There are a few small final restoration items that still need to take place to close-out the project but the facilities themselves are ready for planting this coming spring.”
The 16 Green Basins stretched down the street, on both sides. The heavy equipment and traffic disruption were evident, but not too intrusive. Of course, this activity was not directly in front of my house. Some homes lost parking directly in front of their home. In the quiet back neighborhood streets this is personally felt. In the inner city, one often can't park in front of your home.
“This project was designed in response to the retrofitting of 26 Underground Injection Control (UIC) sites in the area. UIC sites, also known as sumps, are large, vertical, perforated pipes that are installed underground to collect stormwater and allow it to infiltrate into the ground while pollutants and other sediments are slowly filtered out. Retrofitting the sumps reduced the amount of stormwater they could collect which resulted in the need to create additional stormwater management options in the area.”
“The solution was to build a certain number of above ground stormwater facilities to adequately manage the stormwater runoff in the area. Green streets function in the same way as sumps but on the surface of the street – horizontally as apposed to vertical and underground. The substrate and plants selected for the facilities are specifically chosen for their ability to filter pollutants and clean the stormwater before it infiltrates the groundwater system and/or is discharged to local waterways.”
Right now, as I write, it is pouring out. The green basins are without any plantings. The run off, in our neighborhood, comes off a steep residential hillside toward the basins. They have been filling up with water at a fast pace. When the plantings come in the next month or so, the run off/drainage into the below ground sump basins should slow down.
“The facilities along (your street) are a little different however. Structurally, they are similar to other facilities around town, but they all have a lining installed in the bottom to prevent the water from immediately filtering into the ground water. Instead, the water filters through the plants and substrate, is cleaned and then collected in a perforated pipe in the bottom of the facility that conveys the water to the local stormwater pipe system in the area. The stormwater pipes then carry the cleaned stormwater to discharge in the Columbia Slough.”
An almost finished green basin. The structural part is done, and the plantings are coming this Spring.
“This project lies within the City Council’s adopted Columbia South Shore Wet Field Wellhead Protection Area which is the designated ground water source for Portland if/when the reservoir drinking water system fails. So, protecting the ground water and managing stormwater in this area is particularly crucial. Stormwater management in this area helps maintain the integrity of the aquifer as well as cleans street runoff before it reaches the sensitive Columbia Slough waterway.”
Ms. Goudschaal offered the following information when I enquired about the cost of the project to build 16 Green Basins: “The project was awarded to Brant Construction out of Vancouver, Washington for a winning bid value of $605,628.00. The 16 stormwater facilities made up roughly 40% of the overall project budget and came in at about $242,000.00. So, with 16 facilities included in the portion of the project, the total construction cost (start to finish) per facility came to approximately $15,125.00. This project is funded….through water and sewer utility rates.”
The following links from Ms.Goudschaal provide a wealth of information about this project and the greater picture involved in the handling of storm water:
There is a wealth of knowledge on this topic (and much more) on our website. I encourage you to do more research here: Columbia South Shore Well Field Ground Water Aquifer: http://www.portlandonline.com/water/index.cfm?c=29785
Sustainable Stormwater Management: http://www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?c=34598
Green Street Program overview: http://www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?c=44407&
Watershed Management: http://www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?c=32184
If you have an interest in such a project for your area, check out the information to become informed.
This product has been out for a year or so, but I hadn’t seen it until I came upon a video demonstrating The Soft Hackle Midge Emerger by Craig Mathews at Blue Ribbon Flies. I have been using the tying thread for the body lately and then ribbing with a single strand of contrasting tying thread or fine wire. This Combo Thread, if offered in enough variety might be perfect. I am not sure, by the look of the spools, if a normal bobbin can be used? Appears to only come in 6/0? Worth a look see at Blue Ribbon Flies. Also, for the beginning tier…look at how Mathews ties in and wraps the feather. In the process of thread torque around the hook, the feather fans out nicely, as if wrapped in the conventional manner.
Ok, a bit of a teaser...sorry.
For the beginner: I’ve posted my Top 10 list of fly patterns on this blog, as most bloggers eventually do. There are plenty of other’s Top 10’s posted on line as well. Check them all out. See the commonality regarding the top patterns and keep it simple. That will get you by while you decide if you like fly fishing and/or fly tying. Keep it simple for quite some time, before your start breaking the sport down into the ever finer details, that can obscure sound, simple basics after awhile. Oh, and part of the fun is those Top 10 lists change over time…season to season. You will arrive at your own list, but start with the tried and true for awhile.
Now is the time for trout/grayling fly fishers to move from tying and imagining to getting the gear ready too. Some are lucky to have year ’round fisheries. Others have the season openers looming. Here at Viata Si Pescuit the gear has been checked and prepared (pregatiri) and the basic flies are ready. Anticipation and planning.
Fly Fishing: Keepsakes & Quirks
Fly fishers do tend to give the impression of being gear driven. Perhaps it is the marketing assault of the new and improved and flashy that adds to this image. Some probably are still using their Eagle Claw rod and Medalist reel. But, I bet not many. But, I think there is another object or two that fly fishers carry that the marketing obsessives can’t touch…that certain little something that only matters to you in some sentimental, quirky, superstitious way.
There is another part of fly fishing that I find more fun, even child like. How many fly fishers carry some token of faith, superstition, love, nostalgia, charms, some remembrance of others, better times? Keepsakes, baubles, or some object that perpetuates the Good JuJu of mind, soul and good fishing & good times…..
Some could be that favorite object that is more functional (forceps, nippers, bandana, pack, lighter, pocket knife, cigar cutter) or earthy (a good luck pebble or small stone) or a gift that may or may not be too special to suffer the wear and tear of the elements and you.
As the Ad says..’what’s in your wallet?’ What’s in your pack, wader’s pocket, or box that provides the mental, spiritual or nostalgic lift of good times past that you want to carry forward?
Theoretically we know somewhere life follows death…somewhere. Here, in the cemetery, the contrast is beautifully simple. Hardships besiege us at times. Maybe we are fortunate to seek comfort on the water, or even with a simple, elegant photograph.
