Ten Items For This Novel?

I’m doing a project on the novel A Salty Peice of Land by Jimmy Buffett, and I need ten items for a project that describe the novel, it’s kinda hard :/

Here’s a summary of the novel.

A Salty Piece of Land brings back the character of Tully Mars from Jimmy Buffett’s previous novel, Tales from Margaritaville. Tully is a Wyoming cowboy on the lam. The ranch where he lives and works has been converted to a poodle ranch run by a universally hated woman by the name of Thelma Barston. After Tully throws a massage table through her plate glass window, she uses her political connections to trump up charges and have a warrant issued for his arrest. Tully takes his faithful steed, Mr. Twain, and decides he wants to see the ocean. With bounty hunters on his trail, this begins a series of adventures for him that will take him to the Alabama coast, Key West, Mexico, Belize, Cuba, and the Bahamas.

Tully is a kind soul, hard worker, and a quick learner. He befriends a shrimp boat captain named Captain Kirk who teaches him his first lessons about the ways of the sea and transports him and Mr. Twain to a remote part of the Yucatan peninsula called Punta Margarita. He also meets and begins a budding friendship with a musician/treasure hunter/pilot named Willie Singer. Tully lands a job as a fly-fishing guide at the Lost Boys fishing camp in Punta Margarita. It’s run by a man named Bucky Norman who leases the land from the manager of a country western singer named Tex Sex. The other fly-fishing guide is a Mayan shaman, Ix-Nay. In the remote outpost of Punta Margarita, Tully feels like he can leave his past behind and try to figure out where his new life will lead him. On a trip to the Mayan ruins at Tulum, he’s stranded when he totals a Jeep. While waking a from a ganja-induced dream on the beach there, he sees a beautiful schooner coming into the bay. Its captain is 101-year old Cleopatra Highbourne, and she’s on a mission to find a fresnel lens for a lighthouse she wants to refurbish on the Bahamian island of Cayo Loco, the salty piece of land of the book’s title. It’s an endeavor that will eventually involve Tully and his friends, but first he must make a trip to Belize to find a Land Rover to replace the Jeep. A man on the run from the law with a fake passport and bounty hunters in pursuit must be careful. Which is how Tully ended up in the middle of a wild spring break party with a couple hot college girls.

That’s a quick outline to the plot, although the plot is not that important. It serves as the vehicle to further the adventures of Tully and his new-found friends. Some of the chapters in this novel are letters from Willie Singer as he searches for a fresnel lens while island hopping his way across the south Pacific in a seaplane. Each adventure is just plain fun as Tully finds out what’s important to his life, and that answer is invariably a sense of ethics, a lot of fun, and good friends you can count on anytime. It helps that a lot of these friends are very wealthy and can come to the rescue at the drop of a hat. Tully continues to find like-minded people, often making instant connections as if they share the same karma. Karma and mysticism play a recurring role in A Salty Piece of Land, from his father’s friend and Indian medicine man, Johnny Red Dust, to Ix-Nay the Mayan shaman, to an odd religion on a forgotten South Sea island.

A Salty Piece of Land is a fun ride through Jimmy Buffett’s idea of paradise, and you get the sense it’s a place he’s visited often. Many of his own loves, flying, sailing, and fishing, are featured prominently in the novel. It’s a world where drink, ganja, and fun are pleasant additions if not done to excess. It’s also a place where the dark forces of greed, corpocracy, and pollution threaten paradise. A disdain for tourists and resorts and an affection for indigenous people who’ve learned to live off the land runs strong through the novel. Even Cuban baseball, played for pride instead of greedy contracts, plays a role.

This is not a literary novel and A Salty Piece of Land has no pretensions that it is. There will undoubtedly be those readers put off by its lack of any real drama or suspense. At times it’s predictable, but it’s a comforting predictability at that. You know the good guys will win, the friends will be there in the time of need, and all surprises will eventually be pleasant ones. That doesn’t distract from the enjoyment of the novel, but adds to it instead. Jimmy Buffett’s prose easily transports the reader to the different settings in his paradise. I don’t fish, I’ve never sailed a schooner across the Caribbean, or flown a plane. By the end of this novel, I wanted to do all three. Therein lies the charm of this book: its easy access to warmth and beauty of many types

teehee…anyways, i already have a Jimmy Buffett shirt because he wrote the novel and a poodle because Tully gets transferred to a poodle ranch, I’d LOVE some help!

Thanks:)
~Miss

How about a schooner, lighthouse, seaplane, fly-fishing rod (all miniatures like from a craft store), a miniature island (just cut out a small roundish shape from a piece of cardboard and glue sand on it with maybe a palm tree), a stick with feathers for the Indian Medicine Man, a passport (just make a small cardboard replica), and maybe cowboy boots and/or hat?

How Many In Here Like Fly Fishing?

I love to fly fish and would like to know where i can buy flies,in Canada?

Yes i like fly fishing, Ive spent most of my life doing it. As for flies, your best chance is ordering on-line, i mainly tie my own but, i know that cabelas and bass pro has allot.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/subcategory/subcategory.jsp?id=cat20441&navCount=0&parentId=cat20431&navAction=jump

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Subclass_10151_-1_10001_175002001_175000000_175002000_image_0_1?CMID=FLLN_OS_FLIESKITS_TROUTFLIES

Online fly fishing community
http://www.virtualflybox.com/
Orvis
http://www.orvis.com/store/shop.aspx?dir_id=1236&shop_id=1447

What Are The Best Fish To Fly Fish For During This Time Of Year And During Mid Winter?

I live near many rivers that have rainbow trout (my favorite) and all kinds of salmon. Are rainbows a good thing to fly fish for this time of year and mid winter.

Depends where you are. The resident rainbows will be there all year. If that’s your favorite, target them. If you get steelhead runs then there’s your answer. The steelhead will be found in the same sections as the rainbows, riffles and tailouts. If salmon are the you’re going to have to step up to a larger size outfit. 8 weight is probably your best bet not knowing what river you’re fishing and if you are going to tangle with a ‘nook. If you’re on the west coast, sea run cutthroat are a blast to catch.

How Much Should I Spend On Beginning Fly Fishing Equipment?

I’m a 17 year old girl and I want to learn how to fly fish. How much should I spend on equipment (a pole, string, leads, flies, etc.) Would it be better to buy one of those inexpensive, complete kits that come with everything needed to start?

The best answer I know of, and one you’re probably already gotten, is to buy the best you can afford, and buy it from someone who knows what they are selling and can provide you with a properly matched rod and line and a decent reel. If you try to go cheap you may get an outfit that makes learning to cast a royal pain which will quickly destroy your desire to learn this wonderful sport. You will also need to think a bit about what types of fish you plan to pursue. A good quality 5 wt rod with a floating, weight forward line is a good start.

Fly fishing is like any hobby – you can spend a fortune on gadgets. Here again, you should think about forming a relationship of trust with someone who knows the equipment. I became a lifelong fan of one company because they talked me out of buying things I really didn’t need. OK, now to answer your question: for the rod, reel and line you’ll spend somewhere around $150. Cabelas (I’m a real fan because everything I bought is excellent and Michael, the fly shop manager, seems very knowledgable.) or Bass Pro both have decent oufits within that range. Try to avoid getting sucked into buying the orange line that comes with some of the rigs. Most decent rods come with a rod sock and you should get a rod tube as soon as possible. I make mine out of PVC pipe with foam captured in the bottom and top. That case is heavy but it floats and is darn near indestructable. Fly rods are fragile, so never travel without having it in the rod sock and in a case. A scratch can weaken the rod enough that it will break someday – no doubt when you least want it to.

OK, so now you have the rod, reel and line, now what. Get a hemostat-like device such as the ones made by Dr. Slick with oversize finger holes. Next you need to think about leaders and tippets. Since you’re just starting out you can buy a few tapered leaders ranging between 2X and 5X and some monofilament tippet spools in the same sizes. Finally, buy an assortment of popping bugs and a plastic box with divided compartments. These things will add about $50 to your investment. Unless someone’s going to take you on a trip to fish for something exotic, stop here and learn to use this stuff before buying a vest and the rest of the stuff. Also, invest in a good book such as Fly Fishing for Dummies, it’s excellent so don’t be put off by the title. At this point you need to learn about tippets and hook sizes and how all this stuff relates. If you can find a good casting instructor take a couple of lessons – it will save a lot of frustration. If you can find a Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) casting instructor, they’re worth every penny. It’s kind of like learning to drive, don’t let a friend teach you. There is a club here in St. Louis called the Ozark Fly Fishers (do a Google search and you’ll find their website) and they can help you a lot, but you’ll need to ask for help. They’re not arrogant or whatever, they just assume folks know how to cast unless you speak up. Several of their instructors are FFF certified and I’ve taken lessons from them on a number of occassions. It’s amazing what the placement of your hand or how you turn your wrist can affect the cast and that’s exactly what makes lessons so valuable.

One of the easiest ways to practice, and one that’s a lot of fun, is to go out to Busch Wildlife and rent a rowboat which costs about $5.30 for the day. Go in the afternoon, at least during the summer, and plan to get on the water about 5:00 or so. Until the sun starts to go down, most fish are too deep to reach easily with a fly rod. Find a shady spot with some deep water nearby and play with the popping bugs. You’ll catch lots of panfish and learn both casting and accuracy while having fun. Resist the temptation to go fish for trout right off the bat. They’re a pain in the tail and you can flail the water for the entire day and catch nothing. One last thing, crush the barbs on your hooks. That way you can release the fish without damaging it and, when you catch yourself, the hook comes out easier. The absence of the barb makes very little difference in landing the fish. Wear a broadbrimmed hat to deflect the flies that seem to want to nest in your head and some sort of glasses that cover your eyes very well, for the same reason.

Long-winded answer to your simple question. One of the wonderful things about this sport is that, generally speaking, folks are delighted to help others become as fascinated by the sport as they are. That’s my goal for you. Have fun, and stop fishing for a while when you get frustrated. Casting takes time to learn, but it’s very much worth while to learn correctly in the beginning.

Good luck.

I Am A Woman Who Is Very Interested In Learning How To Fly Fish.?

Can you tell me what equipment I’ll need to get started, and make some recommendations? Ladies, I would really love to hear what works best for you.

Here is a compilation of ladies flyfishing forums.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=ladies+flyfishing+forum&fr=ush-ans

I provided this because there aren’t very many female flyfishers using Yahoo Q&A.

This will help you in learning how to roll cast a flyline.
Out of all the important skills associated with becoming a successful fly fisherman, one of the most significant to having a great day out in the water would have to be fly casting. While there are many different techniques and styles to fly casting, basically all casts fall into two categories: overhead, and under-head types of casts. Under-head casting techniques or more specifically, the roll cast, is a key technique to presenting flies to fish when cover is tight. To beginners, the roll cast can be a daunting task to perform. A good knowledge of casting principles, patience, and lots and lots of practice is needed by fly anglers to achieve a cast that rolls on the water’s surface and lies out softly.

Basic Roll Cast Procedure:

1. Start the roll cast by letting out some line in front of yourself (15 to 20 feet is best for beginners). Imagine yourself as a "clock" and the rod is a clock hand. With your rod in hand, slowly sweep the rod tip up behind your shoulder until the tip of the rod is approximately at 10 or 11 o’ clock. (To take this one step further, the stiffer the rod you are using, the less angle you will need in order to get your line rolling. Likewise, softer rods will need slightly more angle to roll the fly line out smoothly).

2. For this cast it does not matter if you are right or left handed, all that is important here is that your casting hand be level to your ear and slightly tipped outside the elbow.

3. At this point in the cast you should have the beginning of the fly line hanging to the side of your body you will be casting from. The fly line will hang down and curve off towards the water surface resembling a capital "D," and is known as the "D-loop."

4. With a smooth movement, flip the rod tip forwards to get the cast started. Remember you do not have to power the line out in front of you with the muscles in your arm and shoulder, but rather with a small flick of your wrist and your forearm moving forward.

5. The fly line should roll forward along the waters surface in a loop. As it moves forward out towards the target, the remaining line should lift off the water and lay out above the water. After the fly line has finished straightening out it will then drop lightly to the water surface. When this is happening follow the fly line down to the 3 o’ clock position with the tip of the fly rod to complete the cast.

Tips to making the roll casting easier:

Use the rod spine to its full potential — As with over-head casting one of the main problems seems to come from individuals trying to over power the cast. You do not want to just lob the line out in front of yourself but rather to allow the rod stiffness to throw the line out for you. Forget about all other parts to the cast when beginning, just concentrate on the rod and how it flexes and releases as you move it forward.

Make sure to check behind your casting arm — Although you are not performing an over-head cast, the fly line will at some point during the cast swing slowly behind you (only a few feet). As the line passes behind you it has a chance of snagging up on vegetation or clothing causing the cast to drop to the waters surface in a bundled mess.

Use the waters surface to anchor the line — In all roll casting cases, the surface tension of the water will help to hold the fly line in place. If the line is not anchored then a large circular loop will form and the end of the fly line will not straighten completely.

Practice, practice, and more practice — No one masters the roll cast in one day. You will need to figure out how much line in the D-loop or out on the water is comfortable for you, along with what good casting motions feels like. Each time you pick up your fly rod, try to concentrate on these points until you find a casting stroke that feels smooth and gets the line out to where you need it to be.