Paddle Faster I Hear Banjo's...

The USFS has finally released a decision regarding boating on the upper Chattooga. In short paddlers will be able to use the river from December until April as long as flows reach or exceed 350cfs. Read the entire decision notice here.
On a side note, as you might have guessed American Whitewater feels they got the shaft again. Read their response here.

Happy 4th of JuFLY

And since I'm sure some of you will be using explosives on our nations independence day, here are a few examples of civilians (and animals) using fireworks in irresponsible ways... please take note and be safe out there!

How Long Is Your Rod?

Man PETA gots' me figured out. They know I'm fishing that 9ft Sage to compensate for my "small rod"...

KPV Sighting 34° N / 84° W

KPV has been mysteriously absent lately, so much so I was actually growing quite worried. Well never fear folks... I was sent this photo by an anonymous FLY follower.

Seems KPV is alive and well, and apparently auditioning for his dream job. All I gots' to say is keep the dream alive my brotha'. After all you've got to be the first guy to ever want to fish and get paid for it!

¡Feliz Cumpleaños!

I would like to take a moment to personally wish Señor Wejebe a happy belated birthday (1/19). Let's hope Jose did not relive the events of Oct. 14 2005 and try once again to out run the boys in blue with a blown tire and a blood alcohol level of .107... next time Jose call a cab amigo!

Even Ken Cook Was Speechless...

At approximately 9:13 pm on Saturday May, 29th, a Mayfly hatch of biblical proportions hit the upper Mississippi. Trout were unavailable for comment. Source Minnesota Public Radio

A Salute To Guides Everywhere!

10 Top Ways To Make Your Guide Consider A Career Change
By Grant Summerlin

1. When booking the trip, inform your guide that you are prone to epileptic seizures, get kidney dialysis twice a week, and are recover­ing from surgery on both your knees. You can't walk very far or stay confined in small spaces for more than a couple of hours, but would like to get on uncrowded waters where the big fish don't get any pressure.
2. Any time you see another fisherman or pass another boat yell over, "Are you catchin' any? We ain't catchin' shit!"
3. Ask your guide how big the biggest fish he ever caught was and what fly he caught it on. Then ask him why you aren't using that fly.
4. Whenever your guide gives you any advice say, "Yeah, I know."
5. Lose five or six flies in about nine casts, then say, "I think I'd do better with a dropper."
6. When casting small dries to a steadily rising fish, wait until your fly is mere inches from the trout, then make three quick strips "to make the fly look alive:"
7. If you cast your fly into a tailing loop, immediately cast the line twice as hard and fast in order to fix it.
8. Always cast in a manner that allows you guide to see your fly at close range as it whizzes past his face.
9. Ask your guide what his real job is.
10. At the end of a long day on the water, compliment your guide by telling him he has the patience of a saint. So much so, in fact, that he'd be the perfect guide to teach fly fishing to your five-year old triplets.

SERIOUSLY DISTURBING!

In the wake of the recent BP oil spill I can't stop thinking about how our (BP) carelessness effects the world and how sadly most of it goes unnoticed by the majority of the human race. I wont insult your intelligence as I'm sure you are already aware of the cards that have been dealt to the Bluefin Tuna. In light of this PREVENTABLE case of the brain squirts I think it's time someone stands up for animals such as the Bluefin... Hell they can't do it by themselves.

How Will the BP Oil Spill Affect Critically Endangered Bluefin Tuna?

Potentially Serious Long-Term Impacts
The Gulf of Mexico, where a massive oil spill is taking place right now, is also the spawning ground for the critically endangered (according to the IUCN Red List) bluefin tuna. Stocks have already fallen about 90% since the 1970s, and they could fall even closer to extinction because of this catastrophe. Indeed, the location of the spill and the timing are particularly bad for the bluefin tuna...

Many fish are going down to the Gulf to spawn," said Jackie Savitz, a marine biologist with Oceana, an international conservation group based in Washington. "The larvae of the fish is actually the most sensitive life stage to the toxic effects of oil. And one fish that's spawning right now down there is the bluefin tuna."

The spill is right on top of one of the preferred breeding areas. And tuna isn't the only species that is at risk. This is a good reminder that while we must protect the shores from the spill, water ecosystems are also facing very serious damage that could take a long time to be repaired (if ever, in the case of species that are moving toward extinction).

(courtesy Michael Graham Richard)

Welcome To The Twilight Zone!