Wolfe Tone

We get these things for about 3 weeks at the end of Summer, and then they go back to the warm places they came from. False Albacore are the fastest things I've ever hooked, which includes a lot of different things, including Bluefin Tuna. I know they are old hat to a lot of people who live in more tropical places than I do, but up here they provide a special opportunity for light tackle insanity. The one in the pic, which weighed 10 lbs. took off with 175 yards of backing on his first run. (I only have 200) It was windy as hell today, which is why I had dug the fly out of my arm just moments before I got him. That is a tough situation, to have a huge school of fish, thrashing all around the boat, but have your fly stuck in your own flesh, up to the bend. I had my buddy just do a quick pliers rip. Over the side and I was on before the blood even started to clot.

» Bill, it was a treat to get to see you up here in the great white North. Meeting Ross was another pleasure. I hope you will continue to get together with us in the future. Catching up with Tampa on the phone is always nice, too. I hope you make it in person one of these days, Chuck. Anyway, I'll see you fellas down there when I flee the snow in a few months.

» Hi Guy, nice pics! Good to see some places outside fo Havana... » » Where it says "No Fumar", are you really not allowed to smoke there? I believe that is the door to a bathroom.

I bought a box of 05 and had many tight sticks. I bought a box of 07's and got mostly tight sticks. I want so badly to like these, but am not, thus far, impressed. FWIW, the few that have drawn for me were pretty good, and maybe a few years will fix them.

Please send me all the cigars that expired by 1996.

» » Giant Bluefin are caught with regularity within 10 miles of shore in » these » » waters. » » I'm assuming you fish for BTs off Stellwagen? Do you troll or chunk? Also, » I've read that at times, » you can get to the gulf stream about thirty miles off Nantucket - have you » ever made the trip? » Good luck with the giants next season! Yes, there are a lot of tuna on Stellwagen, but also, within sight of land at Race Point, and within Cape Cod Bay itself. I know a guy who caught school tuna from shore, in Marshfield. I sight fish for school tuna. I have a huge spinning rod with which I cast to them. Sometimes I'll try live lining Bluefish. When conditions are right, eddies from the Gulf Stream drift into the canyons at the edge of the Continental Shelf. It's a lot further than thirty miles however, it's closer to 80 or 90. People get all kinds of stuff at the canyons, Bigey, Yellowfin, Blue and White Marlin, Swordfish, Mahi Mahi, and even an occasional Wahoo. I wouldneed about another forty gallons of fuel capacity to make that trip.

» Well done Jack:ok: » » Let me know your fly rod and reel setup? Looks like an 8/9 weight? Nothing fancy, Rob, I use a Temple Fork 9' 10 weight, with a fast sink tip. The reel is some thing I picked up for 100 bucks, used. I find that there is nothing more stressful than worrying about an expensive fly rod getting bounced around in a boat. I broke my Loomis last year and said never again. Hence, the Temple Fork. It's not a Loomis, but it works. The reason for the 10 weight is that in the Spring, I tie very large herring patterns for Striped Bass, and need that little extra inertia. I got that thing on a blue and white needlefish. It's hard to tell what tha Albies want to eat. They do want it moving at about 100 miles an hour. It's a workout, lots of stripping for every strike. I don't know how many times I've seen one coming for my fly, stopped stripping, and had the thing veer off at the last second. It's crazy, exciting stuff, and it's kind of difficult. If you want I can post some pictures of some of the patterns I make.

» Great pics - albies and bonito on the fly are great » » Where on the cape - islands, chatham? I keep my boat about a mile from my house, at Monument Beach Marina, in Bourne. It's upper Buzzard's bay, right around the corner from the West end of the Cape Cod canal. It's a great location, because when it's blowing hard from the Southwest, I can cruise through the canal and fish Cape Cod bay, which is in the lee. CC bay has been smoking hot for school (60-120 lb) Bluefin this year. I just bought a standup 80 and am getting a couple 130 rigs and I plan on fishing for giants next year. If I can catch 3 or four fish, I'll make more money than I will working all Summer. Giant Bluefin are caught with regularity within 10 miles of shore in these waters.

» Great picture, Jack. I can just imagine you out there. » » What were you smoking? I hope something good enough to kill the pain. The cigar is a Fonseca cosacos. It's too windy out there to smoke anything expensive, and these fish get thrown back or ground up for shark chum. Sometimes we catch Bonito. They are not as ubiquitous as the "Albies" but are delicious, better than yellowfin, IMHO, but that could just be a function of the extreme freshness, too. I can imagine YOU out there with me, Bill. You'll love my on board humidor.

great post, about a day well worth sharing. Boy did some horrible songs make the top twenty back then. There was a lot of good music made during the eighties. It just didn't sell.

Absolutely gorgeous. I have to catch a tarpon before I die. And a Cubera snapper, and a Tigerfish, and , and a Wahoo, and a Mako, and a Striped Marlin and a .....oh man. I can never die.

This is a stupid article with a stupid thesis that he didn't come close to proving. I have plenty of time for cigars. Big fat smokes appeal to us Americans, raise on 52 rg CAO's and other giant cigars. We don't know any better, so when looking for Cubans want them fat. I know my first Cuban purchase was a box of robustos. Most American cigar smokers don't have an Aristocrat, they buy one or two boxes a year and never learn the joys of a Connoisseur series or even a corona, and it's largely dictating production. It sucks, too many great cigars are being discontinued because of this trend. As Tampa say's: "Buy more thin RG cigars." That is what I think. I may be wrong.

» » » Current Quintero Brevas and Jose Piedra cazadores are excellent. What do you mean by current? For some reason I bought four boxes of the Brevas last year, abr 06, and they are utterly unsmokeable. I think the wrapper is an experimental asbestos corojo You need acetylene to correct the burn on the things. I'll just try another in about 2015.

Australian Salmon? I've never heard of such an animal. Are these a true anadromous salmonid, or a salt water fish, like a seatrout? If someone has a picture, I'd love to see one.

No offense intended, but I can't believe I'm reading a thread about this movie on a cigar board. What's next? The Oprah forum?

I, rather, try to keep only the most pleasing nonsmokers around my cigars.

Wasn't it Mark Twain who said "Rumors of my ripped pecs and abs have been greatly exaggerated."?

» » » » » PS: The cigar is not the only thing funky looking. What's up with the » bird » » ashtray?:-D » » Whenever I get into a hobby I get into it hook, line, and sinker. I have » been looking for antique cigar related stuff and found this bird ashtray » on Ebay. It is silver plated, Victorian era. I have some bigger ashtrays » but this one is just the right size for a petit corona or other relatively » small cigars. » » Makes me feel like a Victorian Gentleman. Professor, The Culebras was an ideal cigar with which to kick off an evening. I had more fun just unwrapping the things than I've had smoking some, others. It was areal treat. If I had known about your Victorian Gentleman fetish I'd have been happy to wear a lace collar and recite lines from "Martin Chuzzllewit." Oh well, there's always next time. Jacko

». I want first dibs on the cooler when you get your Aristocrat.

Super review, Bill. I look forward to even laying eyes on one of these oddities.

» Who wants to lay odds that this guy is back up and operational within the » time period of his "house arrest"? Was he not part of a large operation, of which some higher ups have not been tried yet? He may have been given that sentence in exchange for his testimony.

Good day all. I've been smoking cigars for a few years, and love them more all the time. A good man on another forum was nice enough to send me over to this one and I look forward to learning and contributing what I can.