February 8, 2004 Newsletter

 

Greetings to you all, especially those new to my email newsletters from the Alamo Fly Fishers of San Antonio, a group of dedicated fly fishers that meet the third Tuesday of every month at Alamo Heights Presbyterian Church at 7 p.m.  For fly fishers new to the area, or new to our passion of fly fishing, I highly recommend belonging to the Alamo group to gain assistance and information about fishing our waters and for the general camaraderie of others who enjoy fly fishing, fly tying, organizing trips, providing new and interesting programs at the meetings, and who in general support and promote our sport and the habitat.  Information and their newsletter can be viewed at their Website http://www.alamoflyfishers.org or email at Info@alsmoflyfishers.org. 

 

And, speaking of habitat, Capt. Billy Sandifer is again ram-rodding the Big Shell Beach Clean-up to take place on March 6^th with volunteers to meet at the Malaquite Pavilion on Padre Island National Seashore no later than 7 a.m.  They can especially use 4 wheel drive vehicles and trailers as they are the backbone of this event.  Capt. Billy tells me that since 1995 over 1,322 volunteers have collected and disposed of 552,000 pounds of trash taken from our beaches from mile marker 17 on down to Big Shell.  In a way, that is disgusting!  When we dish out our appreciations for efforts made for conservation and our environment, don’t forget to thank all the volunteers and conservation groups such as the SFCCI,Team Breakaway, Coastal Shark, and Brush Country, and in particular, Capt. Billy Sandifer (billysandifer@stx.rr.com).  It’s a lot of fun and very satisfying to visually see the positive effects your efforts can make on pristine beaches.

 

Next Monday, February 16^th from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., non other than my old friend and fly fishing guide for these past 29 years, Harry Lane (www.sanjuantroutfitters.com) will drag himself off the Guad after a day of guiding, and will hold court here in the shop discussing the ‘technical’ aspects of trout fishing including rigging for and fishing the midge, and he will allow considerable time for questions and general discussion.  As most of you know, Monday evenings in my shop from 5 to 8 p.m., is always dedicated to the fly tyer and led by Herb Mossman, but this Monday night will be special.  Harry is a wonderful storyteller as well as (in my opinion), the most knowledgeable guide in the country on entomology – what the Trout eat, when they eat, why they eat the various insects.  Guides as Harry and another good friend Capt. Chuck Naiser (www.chucknaiser.com) have dedicated their lives solely for the enjoyment they receive out of making our day to day lives more bearable (believe me, guides as these two men, don’t get rich guiding) deserve our respect, support, and admiration.  I personally get much the same satisfaction these past 15 years, each and every time I help someone build a rod or bring someone new into fly fishing and he/she goes on to become more accomplished.  Those rewards are why I am here and not chasing the ‘big bucks’ in banking and real estate developments as in my early life.   I repeatedly remind myself as Thoreau said: “many men (and women) go fishing all their lives without knowing it is not the fish they are after”.

 

I am getting ‘stocked up’ with rod blanks, reels, flies, and tying materials, in anticipation of the spring season which is about to get into full swing.  Sage is slowly releasing the new Xi 2 (saltwater) fly blanks and I have 8’s, 9’s, and 10’s in stock expecting my 6’s and 7’s to be re-supplied shortly.  I have a good selection of Ross and Tibor reels and some wonderful ‘premium’ fly lines should you want to re-rig.  I am also receiving Sage spinning and casting blanks in various lengths, configurations and powers, for the spin and bait casters that desire a premium quality rod that cannot be found elsewhere.  Come by and test cast my Sage custom built Xi 2’s and TCR’s in my casting area out back all at prices substantially less than factory prices and with superior hardware.  I hear a lot of Wow’s and eyebrows raised after the initial casts. . . . . .You can build one yourself here in the shop and save even more bucks!

 

Thanks, and don’t forget if you get a chance to come by and listen to Harry, please do so next Monday evening.

 

Dennis O. Freeman

RODMAKERS

13457 Blanco Road (in the Churchill Place Shopping Center)

San Antonio, TX 78216

210-479-3477

www.rod-makers.com

email:  rodmaker@rod-makers.com