LETS FISH

Oldies but Woodies

by Jody Argo Schroath

I walked past the covered slips of a certain marina on the Northern Neck of Virginia, and this is what I saw, not skipping anything. Minnow, a lapstrake Chris-Craft cruiser; an old wood Citation;Ole Chris, an old Chris of about 30 feet; Therapy IV, an old Chris cruiser; a wooden Carver; a Chris-Craft Cavalier; a big wood something; an old Egg Harbor; and a 1965 57-foot Chris Constellation named Good Spirits. This latter is the marina’s unofficial clubhouse, and, with its awning, soft chairs and wicker settees, its flybridge deck feels like the veranda of an old pillared plantation. Moving on, there was Encore, a 58-foot Elco that once was named Do-Ho and belonged to Howard Johnson; an empty space usually filled by a 55-foot Chris Constellation that is currently out for repairs (always a word with dangerous overtones when used in reference to an old wood boat); and a 1949 46-foot Chris-Craft Double Cabin Flying Bridge listing slightly to port. This one’s mine. With some work she could be a real beauty, I said to myself yet again. This has been my mantra for the past five years. And indeed the long soaring curve of her cabin is pure Art Deco, by way of the Jetsons. Inside she has a large mahogany saloon and aft cabin, a full kitchen and a nifty turquoise linoleum bathroom—not that it actually works, of course. The bilge pump clicked on and water began to gush out the starboard through-hull. I smiled ruefully, remembering that my husband Rick calls her our $2,000-a-year decorative fountain.

I looked back up the dock. Nobody. All these lovely old boats and nobody to talk to. I turned back to my own boat, leaning quietly and gathering dust, and I was overtaken by a wave of helplessness. Frustration. Loneliness. I needed to talk. I needed to talk Chris-Craft. What I needed was to find owners who actually come down to their old Chris cruisers, who take them out of the slip and out onto the Bay. I needed to sit in their saloons and feel like a glamorous Chris-Craft owner of the past—Katherine Hepburn or Eleanor Roosevelt, for example. I needed to see the brightwork at the end of the tunnel.

Over the spring and summer that followed I pursued my resolve. I attended every antique and classic boat show and rendezvous I could find on the Bay. I chatted up the owners. I oohed and aahed over restorations that left me avocado with envy and fairly popping my rivets with resolution. And I insinuated myself into boatyards where old cruisers were likely to be under the saw and fine china brush. Finally, I contacted the Mecca for old-Chris owners, the Mariner’s Museum in Newport News, Va., which houses the 200,000-piece Chris-Craft collection, and I talked with Jerry Conrad, who curates the collection and is himself the author of Chris-Craft, The Essential Guide.

What did I learn? For one thing, the word “people†in the phrase “people who own old Chris-Craft cruisers†almost always refers to couples—Mr. and Mrs. Owner. Guys may own and love old Chris-Craft speedboats and utilities, but couples own and love cruisers. Women are as enamored of them as the men are, and they are in on the process from the beginning, from helping to choose the style of cruiser, to renovating and decorating it. Yes, decorating: one of the most compelling advantages of an old cruiser over a modern boat. You can make the interior your own the same way that you would in a period house. And you can make it just as warm and welcoming. On top of that, there’s room for the children and friends and the children’s friends.

Why a Chris-Craft rather than an Elco, Trumpy, Trojan, Egg Harbor or one of dozens of other fine boat manufacturers of the past? Chris-Craft was the largest pleasure boat manufacturer in the world during the 1950s and 1960s, so there are a lot of them still around. And Chris-Craft made a lot of different styles and sizes—60 to 70 varieties in some years—so there was, and is, something for everyone. After World War II, the words “cabin cruiser†and “Chris-Craft†became synonymous. Every time you opened a magazine, from Motor Boating to the Saturday Evening Post, you’d be greeted by advertising that featured Chris-Craft “girls†waving merrily from the front deck of a new Express Cruiser or lounging about the saloon of a Commander or Cavalier. “Here is beauty beyond belief and comfort with a capital ‘C’,†enthused the advertising booklet Chris-Craft for 1950, referring to the 30-foot Express Cruiser. “See it and you’ll sell yourself.†Chris-Crafts were everywhere, and people tend to buy what they remember in the happy past.

In June, when I attended the Antique and Classic Boat Society’s boat show in St. Michaels, Md., that’s just what Russ Gray of Oxford, Md., told me. “Growing up, I knew Chris-Craft, so that’s what I wanted.†Russ and his wife Pat decided two years ago to buy themselves an old boat. “We didn’t have any other hobbies,†Pat shrugged. The couple—he’s an executive recruiter and she’s an antiques dealer with a shop in Florida—had spied Mary and Ned Crabbe’s 1955 33-foot Commander Express Cruiser Sweet at the cardboard boat races in Oxford and fallen in love with it. They resolved then and there to get one of their own, and soon afterward they did—a 1950 36-foot Double Stateroom. This is their first boat, and they consider the choice practically preordained. They first saw the boat at a show in South Carolina on July 21, 2005. They made an offer, and, when the purchase had been concluded, the owners gave the Grays the boat’s original sales letter. That’s when they figured it was all preordained. “It was dated July 21, 1950!†Pat says happily.

She said they are thrilled to be owners of an old Chris cruiser and to be at the boat show. But it didn’t come easy. As so often happens with old boats, their new purchase turned out to have a few problems; notably the transom needed to be replaced. “At first you think it just needs a little paint . . .†Pat’s voice trailed off, and I nodded with complete understanding. She’s so right, I mused. First, it’s “let’s replace a few boards,†and then it’s “let’s refasten the entire hull,†and pretty soon it’s five years later. In the Grays’ case, they had the boat pulled right away and put Campbell’s Boatyard at Jack’s Point in Oxford to work on it. “We were still working on it up to the moment of last year’s show.†And to good effect. Their boat, One & Only, won Best Cruiser in Show its first year out. Well, I thought to myself, this is just the kind of happy ending I am after.

Ned and Mary Crabbe’s story is a felicitous one, as well. They bought Sweet as a wedding present to themselves. “Instead of having a big wedding, we thought, why not buy a big boat?†Mary told me as we sat in the stern deck seats enjoying the early summer sun at the St. Michaels show. (Their boat was two slips from the Grays’.) As the purchase of their chosen boat was proceeding—it was slowed by the fact that it was not actually for sale—they lost their house and workshop to Hurricane Isabel. But they went ahead and closed the deal. “Little did we know we’d spend five years working out the bugs.†(Are you beginning to see a theme here?) Sweet has its original refrigerator, decking, interior and engine, but the hull has now been completely refastened. (Yep, I hear you.) The first year, Mary changed the bottom color and boot stripe. After that, the Crabbes realized that as small business owners (they have a renovation, design and building company in Oxford), they were just too busy to do the boat work themselves. “We’re wood fanatics and Ned loves to restore, but he’s so busy. We trust the boatyard.†Like the Grays, the Crabbes had Daryl Frey at Campbells do the work.

Why did the Crabbes choose an old Chris-Craft? Searching the internet, they fell in love with the look of 1950s Chris-Crafts. And while Ned is the woodworker, Mary has experience with wood boats. As a teenager she worked at Thompson Boatyard in Chester, Md., where she learned how to varnish and paint and do other wood boat maintenance. “So I wasn’t afraid of them.†(Hmm, perhaps that is my problem: epifobia, the fear of Epifanes.)

Many buyers of old cruisers decide to eschew restoration—whether the do-it-yourself or the leave-it-to-the-experts variety—and instead find a boat already in tip-top condition. John and June Beschenbossel, for example, purchased their 1966 38-foot Tri-Cabin Constellation in 2005 from the boat’s third owner, a nuclear scientist who had maintained Blue Moon in excellent condition during his 30 years of ownership, winning prizes and helping to found the Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club. Now the Beschenbossels pretty much sit back and enjoy the fruits of the former owner’s labors, including Blue Moon’s wine cellar and flat-panel television (well hidden from view, of course). They have also coated Blue Moon’s deck with the same rubberized paint that is used on tug boats, so that takes care of that maintenance problem. Still, John has plenty to tinker with. In addition toBlue Moon, he owns 14 classic cars, including Rolls Royce, Bentley, Jaguar and MG. The Beschenbossels had cruised over to St. Michaels from Mayo, Md., for the boat show, but also managed to bring a Rolls for the Rolls Royce show being held simultaneously. I forgot to ask how.

Back on the Northern Neck, I asked Jim Hillier, owner of Good Spirits, about his approach to old boat ownership. “I’ve restored more than a dozen pre-Civil War homes in Petersburg, Va., so I don’t feel daunted by wooden boats,†he told me as I settled comfortably into the wicker settee on the “veranda†of Good Spirits one Sunday morning. This is his third Chris cruiser. But all three were in pretty good to excellent shape when he bought them, he said, which has allowed him to spend more time enjoying them than working on them. No arguing with that, I thought, as two other marina denizens came onboard for Hillier’s scrambled eggs and coffee.

Both the Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club and the Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society are great resources for getting to know old boats in general and Chris-Crafts in particular, but how about a yacht club devoted entirely to antique and classic boats, you ask. That would be the Classic Yacht Club, based on the Chesapeake Bay. Its members’ classic boats must be at least 25 years old and at least 50 percent restored. Each year they hold several social events, a judging event and several rendezvous at various locations on the Bay.

It was at the Classic Yacht Club’s July rendezvous at North East Yacht Club that I met David and Clara Ochipinti and first saw their 1966 57-foot aluminum Chris Roamer Bella Navé. Immediately, I decided to apply for membership in their family so they would invite me back on a regular basis. I was enchanted with the Ochipintis because they represent both the do-it-yourself school of Chris-Craft ownership and the forget-that-buy-it-Bristol graduate school, and because they use their boat all the time—every weekend during the boating season, which for them runs into November. “We use the heck out of it,†Clara told me. I loved that.

Their first boat, a 1955 37-foot Commander, was a baptism by fire, as in the first time they took it out the engines failed and they had to figure out how to get back without them. (A tow.) Their second boat was a 1967 45-foot Constellation, which they purchased near its birthplace in Michigan and brought back through the Erie Canal, tossing out things like old bedding at stops along the way. “We worked on the Constellation all four years we owned her,†Clara said. “We did all the work ourselves. Finally, we said, ‘What are we doing?’ “ This time they decided to find a boat in really good shape—and one that was even bigger since their two daughters kept inviting more and more friends onboard for family weekends. This time too they found their boat in Michigan, within a few miles of the factory where it had been built. But, instead of having to tie new bedding on top of the car (giving a good impression of the Clampetts on their way to Beverly Hills), this time they enjoyed a maintenance-free cruise down the waterways. “It was like night and day.â€

A fresh-water environment and ongoing maintenance have been kind to Bella Navé. All of the stainless and chrome are original. The aluminum hull has had an anticorrosion coating applied to protect it. “I hadn’t intended to move away from wood until I saw this,†David told me as we toured the boat. From the hull up everything is mahogany—except for the decks, which are teak. A previous owner had installed a wet bar and restored the instruments. The Ochipinitis have replaced the galley floor, which was linoleum. The guest cabins are remarkably spacious, with a hallway and closets opposite the door and three closets inside. There is a Jack and Jill shower (two entrances). The master stateroom has its own bathroom and about half-a-dozen closets. Because this boat is aluminum, it has more storage than a wood boat because the frames are thinner and storage space can go right up against the hull, David explained. Bella Navé also has new Cummins turbo diesels and zoned heat and air conditioning. She cruises 16 to 18 knots and is easy to handle, Clara said. At 63,000 pounds, the hardest thing to do is stop.

Several weeks later, although my application for membership in the Ochipinti family was still pending, they agreed to take me out on the Sassafras River for a quick spin. Although they live in West Chester, Pa., they keep their boat at Skipjack Cove in Georgetown, Md. In fact, their second boat, the 45-foot Constellation, is just a couple of slips down; its new owners are now members of the Classic Yacht Club as well.

They made it look so easy. As David started the engines, Clara began the casting-off process. She stood at the bow and gave hand gestures as David put Bella Navé into reverse. Slowly, the boat eased out of the covered slip, which seemed to have room for no more than a saltine cracker or two between hull and posts. No rush, no panic, no bumps. They’ve done this a few times before. “We need 60 feet. The fairway is 90,†David said as he pivoted the boat to port. There are three 90-degree turns just to get out of the marina. “Lots of people don’t take their big boats out because they think it’s more trouble. But it’s not true.†Out on the Sassafras, David kept the speed down until we passed the end-of-speed-limit sign downriver. We might as well have been aboard theQueen Mary the ride was so solid. David opened the throttle, and we picked up speed. The big aluminum hull went up onto a semi-plane. Onboard, it was quiet and still steady enough to play pick-up sticks. Wow! So this is what it’s like, I thought to myself. I took a deep breath as if I could store all this enthusiasm in my bloodstream.

I’m going to need it. I don’t have digits sufficient to count the major systems that need to be overhauled on my boat before the thrill is mine. But now I had a support group as big as the Bay, and that was a great start. And for the work I can’t do myself, I know that there are a surprising number of boatyards on the Bay that still work on wood boats. Krentz Marine in Callao, Va., Campbell’s Boatyard in Oxford, Md., Sarles and Petrini boatyards in Annapolis, and Hartge Yacht Yard in Galesville, Md., to name just a few. And there are classic boat restorers like Michael Haines in West Chester, Pa., Howard P. Johnson of Old Time World in southern Maryland and George Hazzard’s Wooden Boat Restoration in Millington, Md. This is the lesson I have learned about dealing with boatyard craftsmen: When you bring your boat to them and they look at you as if you probably need help to turn the faucet on in the morning, don’t let it bother you. The people who work on wood boats for a living are a militant lot. They love wood and wood boats and they hate to see them deteriorate. I am told that Doug Daiss, owner of Krentz Marine (that certain marina on the Northern Neck) turns purple when an owner tells him that he doesn’t plan to keep his old Chris cruiser under cover. It’s a source of deep frustration for all those who work on wood boats that neglect dooms hundreds of them every year.

Finally, I turned my attention to the southern Bay and the Mariner’s Museum’s amazing Chris-Craft collection. This was just great! I sent them my boat’s hull number, and they sent me a fat packet of nifty stuff like the hull card for my very boat, which gives all the options it came with and even the color of the Simmons Hide-a-Bed sofa (green and white). They also sent me sales literature for my model, photographs and technical drawings suitable for framing. Believe me, this is the cheapest stuff I am ever going to buy for my boat. According to Jerry Conrad, since the museum took possession of the Chris-Craft archives in the mid-1980s, they have been contacted almost 40,000 times by phone, e-mail, fax and walk-ins. Since 1988, they have put together about 7,500 research packages. And they are still working their way through the 200,000-piece collection.

So that’s how I spent my summer. Now it’s fall, and once again I am walking out the dock to my boat. I have just come from the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum’s Antique and Classic Boat Show, and I am thinking, heck, with all those resources, why was I ever worried? Then it suddenly dawns on me that with all this research, I haven’t done a lick of work on my boat all season!

About the Author

By Jody Schroath, Senior Editor for Chesapeake Bay Magazine. For more great articles and photos on boating, sailing, fishing, and cruising, visit http://www.ChesapeakeBoating.net

Tying and Fishing Tailwater Flies $26.05 Tying and Fishing Tailwater Flies

Fishing with Floating Flies (1913) $22.95 Fishing with Floating Flies (1913)

Fishing Flies of Africa $34.48 A comprehensive, detailed photographic guide to fishing flies for use in Africa

Flies and Fly Fishing for White and Brown Trout $24.88 Flies and Fly Fishing for White and Brown Trout

Condor S Ball $34.95 The ball that flies too far; could obsolete some golf courses. Out-distances 15 major brands by up to 22 yards.

A Ball $34.95 Outhits six of best golf balls,long distance balls,extra spin,control, cut strokes on the Tour. Name on ball a secret only buyers know.

Fishing Flies $24.32 A complete guide that describes every conceivable type of freshwater and saltwater fly.

Fishing Small Flies $17.58 In this fishing companion to Tying Small Flies, Ed Engle covers the difficulty of detecting strikes and how to best play trout caught on small flies. He also gives information on the aquatic insect orders and how to fish the hatches, depending on the water and the stage of the hatch. Included are how to fish specific waters, including tailwaters, freestone rivers, and spring creeks.

Fishing Tandem Flies $11.05 Angling legend Charles Meck covers tandems top to bottom with his favorite flies for matching hatches, as well as tried-and-true patterns for drumming up fish during summer doldrums and other tough conditions. In the first book devoted entirely to fishing more than one fly at once, Meck discusses 7 of the most effective rigs and the best times to use them, including detailed steps showing how to tie his new looped-leader series of flies. Artist Dave Hall provides clear illustrations of the connections and fishing techniques.

Fishing with Floating Flies $35.59 This early work on Fishing with Floating Flies contains detailed information on equipment required and methods used and contains much information that is still useful and practical today. It will prove of much interest to the angler. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original artwork and text.

NGC GOLF Stand Bag $79 Weighs Under 5 Pounds, Holds Everything You Need! Used by seven of the top ten instructors at renowned golf schools around the world.

A Practical Guide to Fishing Flies $12.16 This practical book is divided into two main sections. The first, Fly Tying Materials and Techniques, offers secrets to successful fly-tying, with comprehensive step-by-step sequences showing how to tie some of the best-known flies. The second section, The Fly Selector, features 100 flies beautifully photographed in their finished form with detailed and expert information for every fly, including measurements and the materials needed to make each one.

Fishing with the Fly: Sketches by Lovers of the Art, with Illustrations of Standard Flies (1886) $32.63 Fishing with the Fly: Sketches by Lovers of the Art, with Illustrations of Standard Flies (1886)

Flies and Fly Fishing for White and Brown Trout, Grayling and Coarse Fish (1873) $24.63 Flies and Fly Fishing for White and Brown Trout, Grayling and Coarse Fish (1873)

Flies and Fly Fishing for White and Brown Trout, Grayling a Coarse Fish $13.88 Flies and Fly Fishing for White and Brown Trout, Grayling a Coarse Fish

Flies and Fly Fishing for White and Brown Trout, Grayling and Coarse Fish $13.88 Flies and Fly Fishing for White and Brown Trout, Grayling and Coarse Fish

Fly Fishing $11.53 Welcome to the world of fly fishing. The tools are elegantly simple, the techniques require finesse yet can be quickly mastered, the quarry are almost limitless, the settings are among the wildest and most pristine on the planet. Here, from one of the country’s foremost anglers, is the first fly-fishing guide that gives you all you need to know – but not more than you need to know. John Merwin tells you exactly what tackle is essential for success, then presents his step-by-step fly-casting course. With full-color illustrations, he teaches you the five knots no angler can be without. Next, he puts you on the water – whether a trout stream, a bass pond, or a bonefish flat off the Florida Keys – and gives you surefire ways to hook fish your first time out. Fly Fishing: A Trailside Guide includes priceless tips and tactics for catching freshwater and saltwater fish, including trout, bass, striped bass, bonefish, redfish, and more. Brief profiles explain each fish’s behavior so you’ll know where to find them and how to hook them. Finally, Merwin lists his 27 all-time favorite flies, from classic dry flies to big, flashy saltwater patterns.

Fly-Fishing the North Country $48 If you enjoy the challenge of deceiving wary trout with wisps of fur and feather tied to a tiny hook, fly-fishing is for you.Fly-Fishing the North Country offers experienced anglers and novices the information they need to catch north country fish including feisty Bluegills, beautiful Brook Trout, and even monstrous Muskies. Shawn Perich has gathered the secrets of fly-fishing including tips for purchasing tackle, learning to cast, selecting the right flies, and finding fish. The book concludes with patterns for tying more than sixty flies specially designed for fishing success in northern lakes and streams.

70 Things First Time Home Buyers Need to Know $6.62 70 Things First Time Home Buyers Need to Know

Guide Flies $26.52 The ultimate fly book from the editor of Fly Tyer magazine showcases the favorite flies of the nation’s best fly fishing guides and shops.

Flies $11.23 Flies

Flies for Steelhead $19.52 Flies for Steelhead is the most comprehensive guide to steelhead trout flies currently being used on North American waters. Many experienced fly fishermen and guides from the United States and Canada have contributed to this large, contemporary reference.Large, bright photographs depict each fly individually, and they are accompanied by a complete and accurate description of the fly’s components, making this an indispensable guide for fly tiers interested in constructing their own flies.Additional history and comments about the origins and use of each fly serve as a selection guide for the steelhead trout fly fisherman.Included are traditional wet flies; dry, damp and waking flies; shrimp flies; egg flies and nymphs that are used from California to Alaska, as well as flies used in the Great Lakes area of the United States and Canada.Anyone interested in steelhead fishing will find Flies for Steelhead a useful and interesting addition to their library. (8 1/2 X 11, 96 pages, color photos, illustrations)

Summer Steelhead Fishing Techniques $10.4 Scott Haugen is quickly becoming known for his fact-filled, full-color fishing books. This time Haugen explores summer steelhead, including: understanding summer steelhead; reading water; bank, drift, and sight fishing; jigs, plugs, lures, dragging flies, and bait; fishing high, turbid waters; tying your own leaders; egg cures; gathering bait; do-it-yourself sinkers; hatchery and recycling programs; mounting your catch; cleaning and preparation; smoking your catch; and more. With concise text and clear photography, Haugen manages to pack this small book with everything you need to know to enjoy successful summer steelhead fishing.

Tube Flies: A Tying, Fishing & Historical Guide $19.86 In the history of fly tying very few books have changed the course of the art. Tube Flies will make a very large impact. This all-color, large format book will amaze you with the beauty of tube flies, their ease of tying and very effective fishing traits. Tube flies can be used for everything from stream trout and surface steelhead to bill-fish. The rich vein of tube-fly history, innovation, and tying/angling personalities will amaze you and open up a new dimension to our sport!

Fly Fishing Journal $8.99 Every fly fisherman wants to hear the scream of a reel and the hiss of a fly line cutting through the water as a trophy fish bolts for freedom. In Fly Fishing Journal, there is plenty of space to record the details of your catches, plus a wealth of information on all the tackle you need, flies, best fly fishing rivers worldwide, and essential tips. Tabbed sections for ease of use, with wire-o-binding and elastic closure band.

A List of Natural Flies That Are Taken by Trout, Grayling, $20 Publisher: W. Harrison Publication date: 1853 Subjects: Trout fishing Fishing Flies, Artificial Fishing lures Flies Fly casting Fly fishing Sports

Flies in the Water, Fish in the Air $9.25 An anecdotal account of the pleasures of fly fishing, discussing the choice and use of tackle, kinds of flies, walking in water, and watching for fish.

The Orvis Encyclopedia of Fly Fishing $21.29 For all those newcomers looking to get their feet wet, as well as for seasoned fishermen who need a reliable reference source, The Orvis Encyclopedia of Fly Fishing is the perfect companion. Complete with step-by-step drawings and illustrations of essential techniques, and beautifully illustrated with full-color photography, The Orvis Encyclopedia of Fly Fishing serves as a comprehensive course in the fundamentals of the sport. Readers will find this practical guide presents information any angler can use, from choosing the right gear to tying flies, from casting to reading streams, from identifying game fish to ethics, and much more.

Fly Fishing for Dummies $13.38 " Well-written and superbly organized, this book is a great primer." — Joe Healy, Saltwater Fly Fishing magazine 150+ illustrations will have you casting and catching in no time! The fun and easy way® to get hooked on fly fishing If you think fly fishing is only for tweedy uppercrust types, think again! With some basic gear and the help of this friendly guide, you too can experience the fun of casting a fly and reeling in a big rainbow trout. From buying a rod to finding the best fly fishing destinations, it delivers just what you need to get hooked. Praise for Fly Fishing For Dummies " It’ s all here . . . from choosing gear, to learning how to cast, to reading water, to catching fish." – Jay Cassell, Sports Afield magazine " With relentless wit, Peter Kaminsky has peeled away all the mysticism, social tone, and other impediments to learning about this sport." – Paul Schullery, author of American Fly Fishing Discover how to: Choose the right gear Buy or tie basic flies Perfect your casting " Read" water and locate fish Fish the top U.S. trout rivers Cast for bass, saltwater fish, and more

Tying Terrestrials for Super Fishing $21.16 A fully illustrated, step-by-step guide to tying and fishing terrestrial imitations, from widely-known fly tying expert C. Boyd Pfeiffer. Never before has fly tying been made to look so simple. With full-color photos and plain-English instructions, this guide covers both basic and unusual designs and patterns for flies imitating everything from grasshoppers and cicadas to ants and inch worms. Armed with the proper tying tools and a vise, you can learn to tie with deer hair, foam, cork, balsa, natural materials, and synthetics to make realistic and imitative terrestrial patterns for taking trout, panfish, bass, and many other species. Pfeiffer provides special chapters listing the tools and materials you”ll need, time-saving tricks and tips for tying terrestrials, and his methods and techniques for using terrestrial flies for all fish species. Full-color throughout, including more than 250 color photographs.

Flies of the Northwest $16.27 A fully revised, all-color edition of the most popular fly pattern book for the Northwest, including Western Canada, by the Inland Empire Fly Fishing Club of Spokane, Washington. The best 200 flies for trout, steelhead, and salmon. Each fly, individually photographed by Jim Schollmeyer, includes dressing, originator, and how to fish and tie it. Color paintings throughout.

Old Flies in New Dresses $12.02 Publisher: Lawrence and Bullen Publication date: 1898 Subjects: Flies, Artificial Fly tying Fly casting Fishing lures History / General Sports

Flies and Lies: Life Through Fly-Fishing $10.82 After spending twenty-three years in the high-pressure world of real estate sales, Don Oliver was a prime candidate for a midlife crisis. However, instead of buying a fancy motorcycle and getting a trophy girlfriend, Oliver chose to take the high road and pursue a new career. So Oliver moved his family to the mountains of Colorado and became a fly-fishing guide. Witty and wise, Flies and Ties takes you on one man”s unforgettable journey from the corporate rat race to a challenging new career — and a new outlook on life.

Fishing with the Fly $24.58 Publisher: C. F. Orvis Publication date: 1883 Subjects: Fishing Flies, Artificial Sports

Fishing ”Changing Flies” Rear Window Decal $89.95 The Fishing ”Changing Flies” rear window decal is made of perforated vinyl, allowing the driver to have a virtually unobstructed view to the outside world. Micro-perforations create a 50% open area in the vinyl surface, which helps reduce damaging UV exposure. All images are printed using outdoor quality UV resistant inks, which provide long term durability. Images can be removed easily in minutes. Glass cleanup normally requires little more than a strong window cleaner.     Size’s Available: Avalanche – 53" X 14" Compact Pick-Up – 58" X 18" Full-Size Pick-Up – 66" X 20" SUV/Van – 66" X 29"

Essential Saltwater Flies $14.55 Now available in one handy volume, here are the best flies–including the Deceiver, Surf Candy, and Gotcha–for catching the most sought-after saltwater species. From the abundance of saltwater flies available today, Jaworowski picks the essential, innovative flies that are the foundation of the sport. Included are tying techniques and tips as well as knot-tying instructions and notes for fishing the flies.

Striper Moon: Fly Fishing Techniques and Flies for Striped Bass in Estuary, River, Bay & Surf $13.01 Striper Moon: Fly Fishing Techniques and Flies for Striped Bass in Estuary, River, Bay & Surf

Flies and Fly Fishing for White and Brown Trout, Grayling and Coarse Fish – With Hints on Using the Minnow and Grasshopper Bait $29.2 Flies and Fly Fishing for White and Brown Trout, Grayling and Coarse Fish – With Hints on Using the Minnow and Grasshopper Bait

The Trout Fly Dresser’s Cabinet of Devices: Or How to Tie Flies for Trout and Grayling Fishing (1899) $23.59 The Trout Fly Dresser’s Cabinet of Devices: Or How to Tie Flies for Trout and Grayling Fishing (1899)

Lyra Piscatoria: Original Lyrics on Fish, Flies, Fishing and Fishermen, Including Poems on All the $24.88 Lyra Piscatoria: Original Lyrics on Fish, Flies, Fishing and Fishermen, Including Poems on All the

Buyers Are Liars & Sellers Are Too! $10.99 Uncover the most common lies in real estate — what you really need to know before you buy or sell a home Buying or selling your home is a daunting task. Let’s face it: you’re making the largest purchase or largest sale of your life. Along with all that emotion and risk — and dealing with agents, banks, movers, and wrapping up your current living situation — you have to sort through all the industry lingo and half-truths that go along with any major investment. Buyers Are Liars & Sellers Are Too! translates the most common lies in real estate so readers know what is really being said as they negotiate buying or selling a home. Courtney provides proven money-saving and stress-reducing information, teaching readers how to hurdle all the obstacles that can arise. His tips, tools, and techniques instruct buyers and sellers on how to get the most out of their agents, make educated choices, and realize richer gains on both sides of the transaction.

Tying Small Flies $22.79 Taking trout on lightweight rods with flies as small as size 20 and 30 is a challenge. Learn to imitate midges’ trailing shucks and drowned adults, tie tiny parachutes and white-winged Tricos, and create patterns that mimic microcaddis and micro scuds. Engle covers small-fly history, tying tools, and the materials. Tips on fishing techniques come from Ed Engle’s 30 years of experience fishing small flies on the South Platte River.

Fishing Colorado $11.27 Updated and revised, this second edition of the popular Fishing Colorado pinpoints over 125 of the best fisheries in the state along with information on fishing techniques, best times of year, favorite flies and lures, and camping facilities.

Thunder Creek Flies $33.2 Based on Fulsher’s original Tying and Fishing the Thunder Creek Series published in 1973, the new Thunder Creek Flies is a completely revised and updated version of the fly-tying classic, with an expanded number of patterns and new step-by-stpe color photos to demonstrate the famous Thunder Creek style of tying baitfish imitations.