7 replies to this topic

[BEAVER]

Hi everyone.

I just found this place and what a great bunch of people you are. Finally there is a place to talk about maps. I do mechanical engineering for living, but do maps at home as a hobby. Most of my maps are for Fly Fishing industry where I post them on the Internet forums for other to see and get into Fly Fishing. I live in NY about 70 miles north from the NYC and most of my maps are about the north eastern mountains (Catskills, Adirondacks, White Mtns, etc.)

My name is Chris.

[Martin Gamache]

Welcome Chris,

I dont know much about fishing except for all the people I see doing it when I go to the places you seem to make maps of...I'm in Boston and spend alot of time climbing all over the N.E.

This is a good place to learn and to share your knowledge and impressions of other folks' work as well.

mg

[Derek Tonn]

Chris,

Welcome! So....fly fishing maps, huh?! I've never seen such a thing, although that has lots of light bulbs going off in my head! I actually am in the process of finalizing a licensing agreement with a product called SeeBuddee...which takes large maps and reduced them on to 70mm IMAX film. Those film slides are then encased in a waterproof self-collapsing unit with a 5X magnifying lens...a very unique, pocket-sized way to carry various forms of maps.

Our firm is negotiating with a firm that develops lake maps for fishermen/women, as they LOVE the fact that the units are waterproof and float! Maps for fly fishing would work the very same way....if you think the idea would have merit.

If interested, feel free to email me at datonn@tonnhaus.com off-list and we can talk more. If not, then that's okay! I'm still very glad to see yet another map enthusiast join our group!

Thanks!

Derek Tonn

[BEAVER]

The fly fishing maps are nothing special. They are just standard maps that show more information about the rivers. Unlike normal fishing maps which only show one lake with contours showing the depth of the lake, fly fishing maps can cover hundreds of miles of rivers, roads, hiking trails that are located in the mountains. Most fly fishing maps out there are hand drawn or just plain river maps that show only the main roads and town. Most fly fisherman enjoy their surrounding more the actual fishing jet none of the maps show the terrain around the rivers. That's my goal. I want to show the beauty of the mountains while giving the needed information on the rivers. There some beautiful maps for hikers with hill shading, color coded elevation, sometimes 3D side views, but none are available for fly fishing and those who fly fish will hike for hours to get to that secret spot with nice views.

Chris,

Welcome!  So....fly fishing maps, huh?!  I've never seen such a thing, although that has lots of light bulbs going off in my head!  I actually am in the process of finalizing a licensing agreement with a product called SeeBuddee...which takes large maps and reduced them on to 70mm IMAX film.  Those film slides are then encased in a waterproof self-collapsing unit with a 5X magnifying lens...a very unique, pocket-sized way to carry various forms of maps. 

Our firm is negotiating with a firm that develops lake maps for fishermen/women, as they LOVE the fact that the units are waterproof and float!  Maps for fly fishing would work the very same way....if you think the idea would have merit.

If interested, feel free to email me at datonn@tonnhaus.com off-list and we can talk more.  If not, then that's okay!  I'm still very glad to see yet another map enthusiast join our group!

Thanks!

Derek Tonn

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Mike H]

I'm curious how you handle possible detractors of revealing hidden fishing spots? I pursued a series of flyfishing maps for Central Pennsylvania about 10 years ago, a partnership with the local fly fishing retailers and B&Bs that cater to that clientelle. It got nixed due to an uprising of protests specific to documenting 'secret' spots. Since I wasn't a fly fisherman, I needed that stakeholder group to provide content. Perhaps it was a vocal minority, but the retailers got cold feet and the idea got shelved.

m.

[LenHoffman]

Chris,

Welcome to the group, as a fellow fisherman (Fly, and spinning) whom primarily loves fishing for trout. I created a few maps of areas here in SW/Central Virginia that I have frequented. Although at the moment all my maps are in just rough hand drawn format; I plan on reproducing them with the carto products I have available to me now (most of these maps where made before I joined the military in ’98). I also have created a few of the area’s in Colorado that I was able to fish while stationed there ( Primarily 11 mile canyon and some parts of the North Plat. Maybe we could get a group of individuals together and create a format for displaying such data and still protect “Honey Holes”. Fill free to contact me lenhoffman2876@yahoo.com if you have any ideas or would like to join forces. (Currently I have been planning on making a regional map depicting the creeks and rivers along and near the Blue Ridge Parkway and the George Washington and Thomas Jefferson National Forest for local and tourism awareness.

Len

[BEAVER]

Herm. 10 years ago thinks were little different. In the last five years fly fishing books started to pop out everywhere. In this day and age there are no secret spots. Most rivers in North East are well known and there are hundreds of books written about all local fly fishing spots. I own about 40 books about NY and PA. With the aid of satellite imaging and computer topo maps you can find every little water hole. The problem is that there are no good fly fishing maps showing all this information on the single sheet of paper. If you want to to find out where you can fish on given river, you have to read a book about it and take notes from it or hire $300 per day guide. There are two people making Fly fishinh maps of Western rivers and are doing quite well. There are currently no maps for Northeast. I don't know about the demand for such map, but there are over 150,000 people visiting Catskill Mountains each year to try some luck in rivers where Fly fishing was born and over a million come here to hike. Adirondacks gets 2.3 million visitors and has no maps on fly fishing. The problem is that a fly fishing map requires a lot of research. Most of the work is driving around and hiking with GPS, talking to local fisherman and State officials, reading books and most important, the actual fishing on the water. The maps that I'm working on will have this information. You can see some of it at the Map Gallery section.

Towns and Villages
Major & Minor Roads
Major Landmarks
Topographic Terrain
Parking
River Access Points for Boats
Trails and dirt roads to the River
Trout Stocking Locations
Location and names of Rapids, Riffles & Pools and Falls
Location of Put-And-Take Zones
Location of Year Round Fishing
Location of NO KILL zones
Location of NO Summer Fishing
Creek Locations and names
Weirs & Dams
Underground water springs and tunnels
Local & Regional Fly Shops
Campgrounds
Hotels/Motels/Inns
Restaurants
Hatch charts for different section of the rivers
Fish Species and their location in the rivers

I was planning on making this map really big but after few quotes from Printers, I'm considering shrinking the map to 40” x 60”

[dsalbany1]

Hey Chirs,
I would be very interested in obtaining one of your maps. I am located in Albany, NY and any fly fishing maps of this NY area would be great. Please email me at amber.jesic@yahoo.com to further discuss, thanks.
-Amber