reevesr1

Congrats Canada. Great game, Great Olympics.

Holy Crap!

Wasn't meant to be personal. You hear the same sentiment from lots of people, you were just the last one to say it. I was debating your viewpoint, not making any sort of personal attack. There is a huge difference.

26 is fine with me. Hadn't had a chance to reply previously, I was out fishing. I caught a gorgeous golden brown. Not sure if that is a good omen because I'm American or a bad omen cuz it's in Canada.....

I've been thinking about elitism and what it means. But to explain my thoughts on it, a bit of history: I've tried to think of all the ways I've caught fish. I first picked up a fishing rod, or more accurately had one put in my hands, when I was probably 5 or 6 yrs old. A zebco and the first fish I caught was called a croaker, a small cousin of the redfish. But the time I was 8, I could cast an open face ambassedeur and was catching trout and redfish using live bait and artificial lures. I would also take a small spinning reel to nearby fresh water to catch sunfish that wouldn't fill your palm and catfish up to 10 lb or so using stinkbait. Around the time I was 12 I was going with my dad and little brother to set trotlines in flooded woodlands during spring run off on the Mississippi. We probably ran 1000 hooks and sold the catfish commercially. I also used a seine net to catch the small fish and crawfish we used for bait. I've also used a cast net, a gill net, a shrimp net, and a minnow net to catch fish, bait, or shrimp throughout my growing years and into young adulthood. I've handlined jack crevelle off the back of a shrimp boat, and caught 25 lb redfish using 100 lb test with no drag (a real workout!) On rod and reel, I've used pretty much everything you can think of, from deepwater gear, shark gear (offshore and onshore), inshore heavy gear, inshore light, ultra light, and now my newest passion, the fly rod. So I've fished in pretty much every method there is, short of noodling catfish. I'm afraid to try. The only method I never liked much was trolling. I'm not a big fan of sitting and doing nothing, its not really in my nature. But lots of people do it and love it. Most recently I've picked up a fly rod, and even if my experience level is still pretty fresh, I love it, and is currently my method of choice. It may always be, but I'm not completely sure of that. The point of all that was to establish the fact that I have an extensive and varied fishing experience. And that experience has led me to certain opinions. See, I don't really see all that much difference between fly fishing and any other recreational fishing method. I can easily say I'll never gill net again, or fish commercially, but I love catching fish on every rod and reel method. Always have and I pray always will. I also pray I don't get so jaded that I ever look down on any other method that is legal. To me, whatever method you are using, the goal is to drive a pointy object into an animal whose brain is about as advanced as the insects it eats. One method is exactly zero more honorable than any other. If you think so, in my maybe not so humble opinion, you are completely deluding yourself and have bought into elitist gibberish. I could rattle off a list of authors who have perpetuated this utter garbage of the honorable fly fisherman. If I did, I'd open a can of worms I'll save for later. Methods have no honor. Fishermen do. His method is irrelevant, either he has honor or he doesn't. The honor is usually learned over years. I've known honorable live bait fishermen and dishonorable fly fishermen. And vice versa, but in no greater proportion in one group over another. So back to elitism. An elitist fisherman is one who has advanced through the fishing ranks, and looks down on those below him (and he almost certainly did so at every step of his "development"). He needs to belittle others to make himself feel superior. I've known elitist gear fishermen and fly fishermen. They both make me sad. I find them worse that PETA members. PETA members don't fish and don't understand it. Elitist fishermen do fish, and don't understand it.

I'm game. What's the poison?

Oh, and I was getting all mad, prepping to spew more rhetoric. Most Winter Olympic medals all time is Norway. We actually sucked at the winter games until pretty recently. I guess maybe when we cut that crooked deal? If we have 10x the people, shouldn't we get 10x the money? And seriously, your country IS winter, and is in the big picture very, very wealthy. You guys should own these games, and this year are doing pretty well. You should thank all your women and French men. I could go on and on, but your recent surge in golds (most all time is 13---so if you win Hockey tomorrow you set the record-amazing what spending some money does) gives me a weak rhetorical position. However, look out if we win the hockey game!

Ahh, I'll just come back under another name. Not like my writing style would be recognized. About choking: Last year Tom Watson stood on the 18th fairway in Scotland and hit a perfect 8 iron. When it came off the face he thought it was a perfect shot and he had just won the US open at 60 yrs old. Unfortunately for him, it was a bit too good. Bounced over the green, he hit a very mediocre chip back up, and missed a what, 6 ft putt? A putt I could have made. At my home course, as long as there was no money on the line. Did he choke? Maybe. But the talent it took to get to that position should mean more than that last putt. If you look at Cheryl when she made the shot in the tenth--after it came off her hand a big smile crossed her face. She thought she had it. She had that moment of knowing she performed under the greatest pressure and thought she had succeeded. Like Watson. And like Watson, once the shot did not react the way she expected, she never recovered. Choke? Maybe. Wish I had the talent to find out if I could have pulled it off. The problem with the "I could have made that shot" is that the person who makes that statement is NEVER in the position to find out. They weren't good enough to get there in the first place. The people who are good enough would NEVER call out someone for missing because they know damn well it could happen to them. I cannot fathom the pressure on a shot like that. Not like its in the flow of a continuous action game. Standing at the top of a run to a big jump or in the hack, or on the 18th fairway with one shot, knowing if you make it you will have the biggest moment of your life and if you don't, you'll relive the failure for the rest of your life. They have my respect. People can call them chokers if they like. I think they miss the point. All that said-hope you guys choke Sunday!!

Wow. A little national panic happening toward the end there?

You guys are having another good day. Good thing there are Canadian Women and a bunch of French guys to get your medal count up. And in defence of your female curlers: Bernard kept them in it the whole game, and through the tournament. Playing a multi world and olympic champion. No shame in losing. And I couldn't have made either shots.

That's a valid point. But for team sports, somehow it is different. For GS (using the same example), I can watch the top 15 and be relatively certain I will watch the winner. I can skip the "slovakian" version of the skier. Not so true in team sports. If it is a total mismatch, I have to watch the domination (and in reality I change the station) for a couple of hours. On another note, WTF is up with Finland. Holy crap. The US will be felling pretty good about themselves on Sunday. Hope they play Canada! It will be a blast!

Ohh, that one stung a little.

It sounded to me like the tone was in the vein of giving it one more chance. I did read an article about the other countries improving, and they are. The problem is the programs in the US and Canada are improving at a faster rate. The fear is, in the short term, the gap may even increase. I hope that is not true. I find the games fun to watch. I thought last nights game was great, and the future for the North American game look even better. But I do fear that the game is on a very short leash, and next Olympics looks like more of the same. And no Olympics, no real interest in women's hockey. Unfortunately.

No problem with friendly banter. I fully participate. And you should not be sad in the least she got to hear your anthem as I would not have been sad had you got to hear mine. But I'm pretty sure we can refrain from slamming the players. Much more fun to slam each other.

Exactly. By the way, does the gold taste like cigar? Normally I wouldn't care (and I actually still don't care), but after the "taste like ass" comment and reading this, the term "glass houses" comes to mind. Something about throwing stones. Tremendous amounts of hard work entitles them to act like fools a bit win they win. Or lose.

Watched it at a bowling alley, with a bunch of other guys (maybe the first time in history that statement has been made). Just fantastic to see.

Yeah, imagine the nerve of Angela to act like a Canadian hockey player and be devastated by not getting the gold medal. Especially since she's had to watch that steady stream of US Olympians heading toward the medal stand the last couple of weeks. Nobody on the Canadian women's team would have cried if they lost. I imagine Angela will be ok. Her Cum Laude degree in Gov't from Harvard will probably tend to smooth things out. That ass taste will be out of her mouth soon enough. Looks like she may be destined for the Topofthefoodchain clan. Edit: I just went to her homepage. Seems like a real bitch, wonder how she lives with herself. Harvard, charities, one of the best US women's players ever........ Angela's homepage charities

I have the Nuvi 255, which is one unit below (I think) in features. Paid essentially the same price as you. I love mine by the way.

Your women are hot. That's why I married one.

Awwww.

When my father was dying, I got a chance to spend a week with him a couple of months before he died. One of the things we talked about was how unfair I thought it was that now that he was finally ready to retire he was not going to get to enjoy it. He told me he never really planned on retiring. He just told everyone he was going to "next year" so they would leave him alone and quit asking. He said "what am I going to do, fish every day? I want fishing to remain something I do for recreation, not something I do because there is nothing else to do." That struck me, because I always assumed he would want to fish every day, he loved it so much. But the more I think about it, the more I like it. I really have no desire to fish every day. I like the ability to go whenever I feel like it, and there are times when I do go everyday. But I haven't been much over the last few months unlike some winters. And while I miss it, I have no burning desire to get out there. I know I will again. I guess I really don't envy trout bums at the end of the day. While it must work for them, it would never work for me. Or maybe I'm just addicted to a steady income. All that said, Pipes, I'll fish with ya anytime!

It's got a funny mouth. I'm thinking duck bileed brownasaurasrex. Whatever, I'm sneaking into Auburn Bay come ice out.

Here's the glaring flaw in the NHL logic. Let's see, if you are not in the olympics, then what sporting event could be competing with the NHL when they are playing during the olympics, let me think.......oh yeah THE OLYMPICS!!! More interest is generated in Hockey during the Olympics down south than any other time. It doesn't last, but at least it's interest. There will be exactly 0 interest in hockey down south if the NHL is playing during the olympics, and less of it than normal here. Morons.

Just speculating here, but if the fish are taking high in the water column on a dead drift with indi, you will have a significant amount of slack making seeing the take that much harder. So the fact you are not seeing takes in the beginning (assuming an upstream presentation here) does not mean you are not getting them. Cdock above was visually seeing the fish take the nymph, and without an indi my bet is he could have also seen the take watching how his leader reacted on the surface. With an indi, this would be tougher to see, I think.

I thought the American team totally outskated the Canadian team, but were jobbed by the judges making up for Pairs a couple of years ago. We are talking about Ice Dancing here aren't we? You know, something you guys won??