vicrider

Christmas Eve is for opening presents. Have at it. Take pics if you can. I've got most of them shot and will put them on later.

Bob, I read this last night and it's one of those kind of posts you don't really want to respond to. To have a brother to share and enjoy life with for that many years is a blessing but at the same time it hurts that much more to lose them. You had a lot of good years and the memories you've stored up will be a big part of the rest of your life. You have my sympathy for your loss but at the same time my happiness that you had so many good years with your brother. He'll always be with you in memory whenever you fish a stream or tie a fly. Nick

Okay Gene, let's look at a few things on the CFRF I'm a moderator of the Classified Forum on. ONE...I list and lock right at top of page to beware of scammers on WTB ads. I list need of 10 post minimum to post on Classified and unfortunately our server does not support building that into the Classified so I check ads a couple of times a day and delete those "join and sell" ads with pictures copied from somewhere else. I also ban the person from the site but that doesn't stop them coming back as someone new. TWO...In the Classified rules it is strictly against our rules and Paypal rules to use Friends and Family to try to save a few bucks either way. If the person selling insists on F & F Run, don't just walk away from the scammer.

I have repeatedly warned about using Friends and Family for purchases. It's a scammers delight. It's against the rules of most forums to use it. An exception would be postage for swaps of a way to help someone out.

Fantastic work as usual Steve. Maybe someday I'll have to get off my recliner and try some things besides TV. How old is the lucky receiver of these gifts? Regardless of age it will one of his treasure gifts for years.

I managed to send mine to the wrong address so when you get a set from Bryon Anderson mine will be in with his. He's being kind and fixing my screw up for me.

Just so you know, you can open the envelope. You will find at least two wrapped gifts and some open stocking stuffers to go right to the bench. The gifts are wrapped inside and put them under the tree. Santa

You suckers out there obviously don't have any bobbins like a couple I have that have ceramic buttons going in and going out. Straight shot of tube fine but put ceramic buttons on each end of tube means you're going to use dental floss or the good styled wire models like I do.

I have all the packages wrapped and assigned with To/From labels. I THINK I have everyone covered and I always run into sorting problems when I get to the final stretch. I have one more package that the first person to speak up will receive along with the one already assigned. One of our generous members sent two packages and one is a beautiful box of large streamers. These are not the small streamers one would use for brookies in the stream but big, beautiful streamers in great colors. I'm thinking stripers, steelhead, salmon, something that likes a big meal. The first person who speaks up is in for this beautiful bonus. In the meantime, here's shot of the gifts under the Charlie Brown tree. Spent yesterday having wife drive me 220 miles to OKC to get the super stones broken up and removed. One more trip needed but got all gifts packaged and labeled with Pirate Ship and they're going out today from PO. The stocking stuffers in the packages is a very random assortment of items sent in from swappers and distributed at random so if you get something you sent in back again it's not that it wasn't appreciated but just luck of the draw. On a special note the small wrapped package which every one should have gotten and the ugly bug yarn was a gift from Santa's generous helper, our own Flytire (Norm Frecchette).the closest to a tire known among tying circles countrywide. I'd also add, I will be setting up overflow boxes of goodies for next year already and donating a couple of boxes I have with extra flies for various social and military groups using fly fishing as a means back to the real world or to support breasts (one of my favorite supports) or alcohol recovery (something I'm very familiar with having been sober now for 47 years).

Sorry to be "that guy" but tracking says you should have them tomorrow..

thanks Silver Creek. I used to defrag my work computers regularly but somehow have never got around to doing it on my home computers. My kid got me some kind of backup plugin deal and luckily I did have the old computer backed up and saved a lot (not everything) of work on this new computer. Once upon a time years ago I got pretty good with DOS commands on the work computer but those days area long gone. Nick

I have been fascinated when top pros in Japan take a 300# tuna and skin and quarter it, then cut it down for Sushi or other dishes. One of the things the top pros all use is very large knives in the shape of a pot-bellied cleaver. I also watched the master craftsmen in Japan forge and hammer out these knives that can easily top $1000 and they become lifetime positions for the pro fish cleaners over there. I know I have little use for one except in the kitchen but I searched around the web and found the are all kinds of prices but did find one in 3 different sizes and the middle size was "reasonable" as far as top quality knives go. I bought the knife, a sheathe, and had it hand sharpened to the next level of sharpening. It is sharp and all I've used it for so far is cutting a ham and miscellaneous items. I would have loved to have this knife back in the old days when I was butchering big chinook salmon for the smoker.

Damn the guys on this forum must be getting old. I've got two stents, one in each kidney, and they come out next week when they go in again and blast the stones out of there. We're a tough old bunch and mine should be there soon Bob.

Relax Andy. Sorry for the worry and trouble for you. I explained the last month and especially last week has been a nightmare for me. I have just stayed up half the night going over the mess I've tossed on the bed and YES, your flies are in there. Thank you.

Andy, I have things in kind of a mess in the sorting room but I do not believe yours have shown up yet. We had one lost and tracking # didn't help and suddenly it shows up. Nick

Fishin' Bob, things have not been going well for me lately. I am trying to catch up on several things right now and your swap flies will hit mail tomorrow. As I often try to do and get away from the same old, same old so came up with an idea for the caddis pics I see with wings always tented. I gave it a try and for every fly I sent I razored off 2 more and they're still not that good but I'm betting they could catch a fish.

Thanks for hosting and sharing the stories. Cool thinking for swap. Edit after taking time to read all the great stories. Some questions though. Darrell P ...Let's have a good shot of the tattoo. Trouttramp... Does it sink or float? Psychoprince...How old was Gracie when you got her started on the excitement of fish on a dry fly? FishingBob... Surprised me. I figured sure you were a Caddis man almost from birth. Rick Zieger... What is the body of Dr. Mike tied with. Guessing chenille but looks coated. Vinyl would look like that. Bryon Anderson ..."new wife"? Was there "old wife"? Maybe you just recycle them. Tried that and it only works once. All joking aside, what a great bunch of flies and stories. Hope Woodenlegs gets his in there. Should be interesting.

Got mine. Now I'm looking for you or the owner to post his story like I did. If it's a special fly than there's a story behind it.

Sorry Tim, got the front page updated now. There may be a few more in for now but won't get to PO until Friday.

Well, my computer crapped out on me. Lost the connection between the keyboard and the screen. I got a new one with a 17" screen and it's nice for the most part but my old had a little button one the side of computer and when you hit a nice coffee holder popped out and you could also play videos on it. When I asked my kid where the coffee holder was he said it's so outdated they don't even put them on anymore. Then as I took a bunch of pictures for the Christmas swap I found out it doesn't have the little slot to plug the card from my camera in. Kid had to get an adapter I now have to plug that into the computer and then plug the card into a separate little box. PITA. Well, kid has old computer working again but had to take it back to start up original settings to get it working. Well at least we (he) plugged in a deal to back up that computer before it crashed and we were able to put most of the stuff from there onto this computer and he can reload all the old stuff onto the old computer again. If your computer is full of saved passwords you'll never remember and pictures you'd hate to lose. BACK IT UP. It saved a lot of aggravation and work that we had backed up the old desktop before it went out on me.

My nieces and nephews are putting the hurt on the deer this season. I've got a few tails and some belly hair and with any kind of luck might get some meat from one of them. Nicest so far is a niece with a very symmetrical 10 pointer. Not big deer here but dressed they run 110-130#s. Lots of parts of the country run heavier but here it is pretty much if you want one get up early and go sit somewhere, either farm land or public Black Kettle public Grasslands. Or too often it's your car or truck that gets one out of season. Every one dropped is one less to dodge on the roads.

Squeezy, you're in. It's on the front page. Did we discuss any member specifically for the gift? If we did let me know by PM. Otherwise it will go to someone who will really be pleased. Nick

Things are really looking good this year. Lots of generous elves out there for sure.

I have a cheap set of floss in package just like that use it all the time. I also have a few rolls of silk floss I bought for a Classic Streamer swap and it is definitely the nicer of the two. I also have some Pearsall's floss but don't like the way it is rolled together. Need to separate it to make it decent to use.

DD, I hope you know that the flies may not be specific for Saltwater. If you do Salties there is a salt fisherman in the crowd but he's actually planning bass flies. Glad to have you and I'll try to orient you box as saltwater if possible. Thanks for joining up with us. Nick