Wanna talk to other anglers in your geographical area or perhaps for an upcoming trip somewhere else? Get info, share stories, pictures, meet fishing buddies or get the low-down on guides? Check out GoFISHn...

GoFISHn is "where anglers connect,". It's a place where anglers can easily share stories and information, and small businesses who serve anglers can discover new customers and stay in touch with existing ones.

GoFISHn is distinctive in this realm (at least I think so) by bringing in a very clean and open design that's easy to use, and it makes the creation of new content -- whether it's a quick status update or a photo gallery or a custom map -- easy to create and publish.

They've created a way to review gear and ask/answer questions, both of which are integrated...

 ...in the "feed" of the member who participates. GoFISHn will also be linked to Facebook and Twitter so members can push anything they create on GoFISHn into their feeds at those social sites.

A beta test of the site continues until Dec. 1, and any small business that signs up between now and then will get the service free for six months, with no obligation after that. Individuals are invited to give the site a whirl as well.

To get a beta invitation, enter your name and email address in the fields in the lower left of the www.gofishn.com home page, and they'll send an invite along.

TR

I'm not the world's greatest angler, by any stretch... but I'm not used to failure.

In this case, we had the camera rolling (for Cermele's new Hook Shots episode, check it out) as a giant rainbow was sipping bugs off the surface in a part of the Colorado River where I reliably catch fish.  I figured that was a done deal.  I was prepared to hook that fish, turn and mug for the camera, and say something smug like, "and THAT'S why I only do one show a day, babe, I won't do two..."

But, alas... I got schooled.  Skunked.  Whiffed.  For the entire Field & Stream nation to see...

Being a man willing to admit that I am still mired in the learning curve (who isn't?), I'm now asking for advice. What would you have done differently?

This fish is following a semi-systematic pattern... chowing down... but there's a thick layer of scum in the target zone. I'd make an almost-perfect cast, and the dry fly would get gobbled up by a bubble of goo (hint: I don't think I had the wrong pattern on)...

If I ripped the fly away and recast... the fish disappeared for 10 minutes. (Oh... we spent a good 30 minutes on this single fish, mixing flies, angles, and approaches). I'm not asking what I did wrong... apparently I did everything wrong. I'm asking what would be the right way to hook and land this fish. Watch the video... think hard.

For the person who gives me the best well-reasoned advice that I believe might actually have worked in this situation... I'll give you a 9-foot 5-weight, Temple Fork Outfitters, Lefty Kreh Professional Series rod. Think carefully... I'll admit I already have theories as to how I might win a rematch with this trout... to the extent you reaffirm them or convince me otherwise, you might just win. How's that for "virtual" fly fishing?

Deeter

One of the great things about fishing in the Internet age is being able to access information like stream reports quickly.  That's also one of the bad things about fishing in the Internet age... some of that quick information you get is garbage.

On the one hand, if I want to know what the flow is, and what flies are working on the Yellowstone River right now, it takes all of five minutes to Google up some results and get a gaggle of info.  On the other hand, I'm not always sure how honest and insightful the info is... sometimes it's hard to check those sources.

Here's a website that's worth checking out:  The Orvis River Report website. From what I can tell, the site does a very respectable job of providing current and reliable information on over 130 major trout rivers throughout the country. (An oft-attempted, seldom accomplished holy grail of fly fishing reporting that Orvis' dealer network has the bandwidth to pull off...)  

Check your home water, and tell us if they're on the money or not.

There's nothing worse than the souped-up river fantasy report from a shop trying to hook some quick business... "man the hatch is ON, the fishing is going OFF"... and you get there to find the river blown out by rain, no bugs...  Got me once, lyin' fly shop guy, but your credibility is shot, and you'll never see me buy so much as a spool of tippet from you again.  

That ever happen to you?

Deeter  

You cast a hopper fly at a rising trout tucked against the cutbank... the fish follows your fly, and rejects it at the very last instant... what do you do?

The answer to this pop quiz question is D, switch flies.

Let's break down why that's the best answer...

Option A.  Sit on the bank and cry.  Nah, haven't cried since my Snoopy rod broke.

Option B. Cast again, this time tighter to the bank.  Nah, there's no reason to believe the fish will like the fly any more in a different line, if it clearly saw it, followed it, and refused it the last time around.  The number one instinct is to re-cast right away (oh, I need a better cast), and that's probably the worst thing you can do.

Option C.  Wait five minutes and cast again.  Well, yeah, but during those five minutes if you switch flies to another terrestrial... all the better.

Option D.  Yes.  Switch flies.  Guide Bob Lamm proved this lesson to me many years ago on the Railroad Ranch section of the Henry's Fork.  The switching of flies is particularly important when you are fishing hoppers.  If you get refused on a mayfly hatch, size down on the same pattern (or go to a cripple).  On the hopper bite... purely opportunistic feeding... assume it's a one-shot deal.  Three casts with the wrong bug at the right fish will put that fish down and shut off your opportunity.

Option E. Size down on your tippet.  Puh-leeze.  You're throwing a #10 Club Sandwich and you think the difference was 5X vs 6X?  No way.

Option F.  Move upstream, make downstream presentation.  A solid option number 2.

Option G.  Move on and find another fish.  What, are you nuts?  After one cast?  After a few casts with a few flies, then move.

Two more updates:  I went elkless for 2009 archery season; and TOMORROW Tim and I float the Colorado River with Joe Cermele from the Honest Angler blog.  Do you think there's any way he'll HONESTLY not get bounced out of the raft?

Deeter