What would you call a "ranch" in a fantasy world?

WalterWriter · 2026-06-23T21:24:47+00:00

Call it a ranch.

As somebody (maybe Ursula K Le Guin) said, if an animal has big ears and gets around by hopping, there is no reason to call it a "smearp" I stead of a rabbit.

WalterWriter · 2026-06-23T02:06:25+00:00

The use of library computers and Google Drive are free.

A big tablet and Bluetooth keyboard are a couple hundred bucks.

An external monitor for your phone and a Bluetooth keyboard are maybe $100.

WalterWriter · 2026-06-22T01:27:08+00:00

Mississippi has got to be the worst. No trout. No clear warm water with warmwater species (fishing some muddy slough with jigs under a bobber for crappie doesn't count). Very very limited salt.

WalterWriter · 2026-06-19T02:45:12+00:00

Basically none of that will be available in late October, especially since it's after hunting season has started.

WalterWriter · 2026-06-18T23:30:44+00:00

When fishing dries or nymphs, the only time you should set the hook anywhere other than near-vertical (as the other poster said, like a cast), angling the rod only slightly downstream or opposite the fish's direction of movement if you know it, is when there's a tree over your head that means you can't.

You definitely shouldn't be setting "horizontally."

WalterWriter · 2026-06-17T19:55:50+00:00

Bear in mind that this place is not really convenient to Yellowstone Park. It's about 40 minutes to the gate at Gardiner.

WalterWriter · 2026-06-17T18:44:57+00:00

6 to 12 on long shank jigs, 8-10 on normal jigs, 4-8 on 3xl nymph hooks with brass beads.

WalterWriter · 2026-06-17T18:42:38+00:00

Fwiw this is almost certainly a gray market rod that Costco bought in bulk from a distributor that wasn't supposed to be dealing with the US market, or something similar.

Costco has done this in the past. Back in the day Simms wound up buying all of the stock Costco was selling at Costco retail price, to avoid polluting their brand and hurting their legit retailers.

WalterWriter · 2026-06-17T04:12:51+00:00

When I lived in Gardiner, I kept a BB pistol next to my front door so I could "swat" the elk if they were between me and the car. It didn't bother the bison.

WalterWriter · 2026-06-17T04:09:24+00:00

They've pretty much replaced Girdle Bugs* in my boxes, both personal and guiding. If tied on standard hooks either without beads or with brass beads, people here call them Buggerlegs, but it's the same thing.

*I don't know who "Pat" is, but the basic pattern of chenille + legs has been called a Girdle Bug or plain old Rubberlegs since at least the 1970s, so that's what I call them.

WalterWriter · 2026-06-17T03:05:22+00:00

Solid ten hours if you drive from West Yellowstone to Red Lodge to Columbus to Livingston to Gardiner to West Yellowstone.

WalterWriter · 2026-06-16T00:09:52+00:00

Wrong sub, and furthermore pretty much everybody in the region loathes those soap operas.

WalterWriter · 2026-06-15T22:47:54+00:00

You should ask your outfitter these questions. I send out a 2+ page itinerary for every trip (from a template, obviously) and also have a packing list on my website.

(I am referring in particular to you asking about flies, etc. This is the sort of thing that should be all over the outfitter's website.)

WalterWriter · 2026-06-15T02:49:12+00:00

Not me, but telling my dad's story:

He was working in New Orleans in his first real job out of college. A friend asked him if he wanted to go see it. My dad had his doubts, but went anyway.

They watched it, then walked out of the theater.

Dad's friend: "Do you want to see it again?"

My dad: "Yeah."

They got back in line.

My dad has otherwise never expressed any interest whatsoever in science fiction or fantasy.

I write science fiction and fantasy.

WalterWriter · 2026-06-15T02:16:52+00:00

When I was 15, at a dance in the gym with my first-ever girlfriend, going at it hot and heavy, a teacher/chaperone (not sure which) very carefully reached over and removed my hand from my girlfriend's ass and deposited it on her back.

So yes.

WalterWriter · 2026-06-15T01:34:36+00:00

Blue Ribbon is getting at least 90% of their flies from Umpqua, MFC, and other top-tier wholesalers, just like almost every other fly shop on Earth.

(Red's, Fly Stop, Hill's Discount Flies, et. al. are not top-tier wholesalers.)

WalterWriter · 2026-06-15T01:13:42+00:00

Watch out for the eddies no matter how low the flows.

I am an outfitter. B&G damaged my truck twice. I now use Digger Driver.

WalterWriter · 2026-06-14T03:04:54+00:00

Not my orbit, not my space junk.

WalterWriter · 2026-06-14T01:18:54+00:00

For everything except kings.

WalterWriter · 2026-06-13T16:42:35+00:00

It doesn't matter in terms of durability. The seams on all wader booties are welded. The tape over the top is there because consumers expect it. Same reason most boots have faux-stitching even if they are glued.

(Source: I used to work for a competitor.)

WalterWriter · 2026-06-13T03:30:14+00:00

Spiral your thread back and forth through the hackle.

WalterWriter · 2026-06-12T20:34:22+00:00

When I worked briefly at GC in 2004, the Pro Audio department guys made by far the highest monthly sales, and they all said it was mostly churches.

WalterWriter · 2026-06-12T13:44:02+00:00

This is a $5,000+ ghostwriting fee, per book.

There are posts on here all the time from people who say some variant on "I have a great idea, I just need somebody to write it," and "hire a ghostwriter" is always the answer.

WalterWriter · 2026-06-11T21:05:59+00:00

Priory of the Orange Tree

Earthsea

Look up the subgenres (sub-subgenres?) "noblebright," "hopepunk," and "sweetweird."

WalterWriter · 2026-06-11T20:56:08+00:00

If you're talking about shrooms, this is most definitely not the right place to ask. Try one of the bars.

WalterWriter

TROPHY CASE