hydropsyche

I agree that you are one of the most entertaining and toughtful posters on this site. I've often wonder why you take so much time composing these excellent posts for a bunch of (sometimes) undeserving bums. You're proving that fishing is not just about the fish. And you're making me think about my dad, John. I miss him too.

Wow. Very impressive. Is there a website that shows the general process? Is it still done "freehand"? My "passions" come and go. I try a lot of things but fishing seems to be the only thing thats stuck longer then just a couple of years. Outdoor pursuits too (hiking, canoe, just plain old camping but they always include fishing). I'm trying to learn guitar, so that is my most recent other "passion".

Damn. I would have ignored the fact you hate me if I would have known there was a chance at such a sweet rod. If you don't include me, I'm telling your boss. bwt, that looks like a really, really sweet rod. Giving that baby up is very generous of you. Your dad would be proud.

He might think you put me up to it. I challenge everyone who Rickr won't go fishing with to donate to his team mates.

Rickr. I just made a small donation to your team mate Agus Kusuma. Mainly because you won't go fishing with me.

I forget.

Wow. There's 2.5 minutes I'll never get back.

Agreed. Excellent use of Zonker.

Doctork, this font is for you. I want to stand out too. I'd like to hear arguments why they shouldn't. The fact they've been paying taxes all their life doesn't cut it for me. They've also been consuming public services all their life too (and leaving the next generation with huge debts). Maybe someone can argue they are usually on fixed incomes and can't afford it, and I buy that argument. However, there are people of all ages that "can't afford it". Someone's gotta give me a more valid reason. Edit: Vets should get free licenses.

I beg to differ.

The healthcare system is like a clock. If one cog does down, the system is affected. Even isolated office staff contribute to frontline support. If there was a 30-40% absenteeism in "support staff", there would be a negative impact. Sometimes, the right decisions are made for the right reasons, even if they may not be obvious to everyone.

I guess if I was a cop and someone had 21 guns registered, I'd be a bit more careful knocking on his door (gun collector?) but I'd be a stupid cop if I didn't take the same precautions knocking on someone's door that had none (criminal?).

I wonder where I heard this before.....oh ya....the SEK. But too many people, on this board, agree with the SEK with their myopic view of it being for the fishing experience. No harm. Everyone can afford it. I doesn't affect me. The money is going to a good cause? etc. Now BC special interest groups have learned from the experience. Some people will bitch and moan. Write letters. Threaten legal action. Boycott. Be ridiculed. But give it a year or two and they will be opening their wallets. The lucky few anyway. As long as they can afford to pay as much as all the rich people from other parts of the world. Whatever the market will bear (I wonder how many of you enraged steelheaders have forked over to fish the SEK.) You wonder why there isn't more indignation. Where are the crowds of people carrying torches and pitchforks? I'll tell you why I'm not carrying one. I feel beaten. It causes tension between me and some of my fellow Albertan anglers if I voice my principled stand. But I'm not dead. I will continue to boycott because the only damage we can inflict is economic damage. The fact my drop of damage is immediately replaced by gallons of $ support from fellow Albertans is discouraging but I have to continue to fight the good fight. I will send my emails and butt heads with those who think this AMP is just. I do it for my childrens' children. A couple of closing thoughts: I told you so. Believe me, the Skeena is not the end of it. and If you have *ever* paid to fish the SEK, then you are partly to blame for what you are seeing unfold before you. As Dr. Phil says "they do it because it works".

All I see is a bunch of feathers.......I'll have to get into tying tubes soon cause I want to give steels a try before we're shutdown.

The others are good but that Turtle is stunning.

Stay off it for quite a while but when its healed, change your casting style. When casting, keep your elbow closer to your body. More like throwing a bag over your shoulder then throwing a baseball at a 100mph. Like Max said, more torso and shoulder.

I occasionally get abdomen pain. I had an ultrasound and hida scan done to find the cause and medical science couldn't tell me what was wrong. Years later I described it during a routine visit to my chiropractor, he told me what my problem was, gave me some pills, and now when I feel it coming on, I take a couple and voila. I think he nailed it. My respect for chiro's went way up. ps. Got my shot the first day it was available.

Keep those PFD's on people. At all times while on the water. *All* times. You hit the water at these temps and you can go into cardiac arrest right away. No chance to put one on then. What a waste. Add another prayer to the list.

I was listening to qr77 and a representative said that fund is for producing canadian content (ie: Corner Gas, etc.) and it doesn't go to local stations. Stations are told, by the CRTC, to air Canadian Content (which is why they exist). He said local stations don't get any money from the CRTC. All I know if that I want local stations and I don't want to pay extra for something I'm already watching.

Rickr. No problem bud. I knew it wasn't directed at me. On yahoos. They're in both camps. Sometimes I'm too lazy to type out the obvious. Couple comments. I still have and sometimes use my spin gear. Heck. I'll even use bait if the regs allow it. I do not consider myself an elitest. I'm with headscan. If the weight of the lure pulls your line out, you're spin casting. If the weight of the line pulls your lure out, your fly fishing. I'll even go so far as to say that if you can reel in while a fish is pulling your line out, you're not flyfishing.

Lack of knowledge is what I was alluding to. Evolution from a Yahoo to someone who respects the fish more. Since the evolution is usually from spin to fly, the knowledge gained during that evolution results in less flyfishers free falling fish. That has been my observation (and most CO's from what I understand). I'm not slamming spin casters. Spin casters and flyfishers have members that respect and disrespect the fish (obviously) but one group has more yahoos then the other. Spin casters, as a whole, are probably getting a bad rap because its easier then fly fishing and is the choice of the majority of yahoos.

Lets put it this way....I've never seen a flyfisher throw away all of his gear and take up hardware chucking exclusely. The evolution is usually the other way around. Maybe one day, I'll be like Orvisonly.

Put a cowboy on that baby like he's riding a bull (with a fly rod in his free hand with line to trouts mouth) and it would say Calgary. Great job, btw.

I've fished both (like most of you, I assume) and I believe that it might not kill them more but it sure does damage them more. Maybe fish are more resilent then we give them credit for. I've often wondered how they do those studies. Do the same people remove both types of hooks and then put the fish in a controlled environment or do they follow the yahoo's around to see how delicate they are removing that treble with their needle nose before the fish free falls back into the water? I'm probably going to get flamed for profiling but I'm not slamming yahoos. I used to be one. I'm just questioning the accuracy of these studies because of what I've seen (and done).

I'm still waiting for some cat casserole with some pitbull as a side dish.