I have been on the water for the last 32 billion days and just have not had the motivation to keep up with these. However, our most popular blog subject is back… Q & A. We had a ton of questions following the last one and I just thought I would bring it back, it is fun to do and we had the questions in our inbox still!
Q.) What is the worst hook incident you have ever seen?
A.) Look, I have had a few on my boat. I saw a picture of someone in the eye once, it looked gross. But in person I was probably the victim of the worst one I have seen. I’ve yanked them out of peoples heads, arms, back, neck… But I had one go through my finger and out my fingernail while tying one on. The barb was not pinched yet and the barb stayed under the nail… It makes me think of a Game Of Thrones style toucher to look back on. It was awful… I had to just grab some pliers and rip it out, because I could not get help from the customer and I could not leave it in there digging at my nail bed. It was that or end the day… I believe it was Jesus that said “The show must go on.”
Q.) Do you hate running conventional tackle trips?
A.) No, not at all. Look, light tackle/spin fishing trip are fun. The way we fish with spinning rods is almost exactly the same as fly fishing. We fish gulp minnows on jigs or spoons, and we cast and retrieve very similar to fly fishing. Not to mention, if we are getting people interested in the fishery and showing them how much we care about it. We are effecting people the same way and hopefully tipping the narrative towards being sustainable fishermen/women.
Q.) How do you feel about politics or religion on your boat?
A.) I feel the same way about politics on my boat as I do on land. If you don’t feel the same way as I do, you are an idiot. haha
I love learning about people and politics. I firmly feel that we have tabooed the conversation for so long that we have created a false narrative that the two parties are massively opposed to each other. When really we all want mostly the same thing. We want our kids to be safer, healthier, and happier than we ever were. We want our air clean, our fish plentiful, and our economy thriving. How we get their, I don’t know. But I know that not listening to the other side is probably not going to help. So whether you are a Trump fan, a Bernie fan, or anyone else. I think it’s super cool that people would trust me enough to want to share their thoughts with me.
As far as religion goes… Pretty much the same thing. If your god tells you to hate anything… Probably keep it to yourself. Other than that I am fascinated.
Q.) I only fish a popper for cutthroat.
A.) That is not a question sir. Also… You are missing out on a lot of cool flies and sweet fish. Believe me when I say I love fishing topwater too. So… cool… I guess.
Q.) I don’t like fishing sinking/shooting heads. Do you have advice?
A.) Shooting head styles of fly lines can be frustrating. Particularly when you are not used to the way they cast or sinking lines. First, and foremost I would recommend getting used to it… Go practice casting the damn thing.
Look I get it. A type 6 sink streamer tip line feels clunky if you are not used to casting it. But if you slow down and get the timing right, it is not much different than your full length line. All floating lines are going to be smoother to pick out of the water. But a sinking line does not need to be difficult. I will tell you what. If you contact me, I will meet you somewhere and show you how to cast them. (justin@all-waters.com) I will also show you HOW to practice casting.
Alright, our ball is rolling and we are going to get back into updating the blog a few times a week starting now. So, we will bring the Q & A section back as soon as we have a handful of questions again!