vicrider

My gosh gadabout, you are an oldtimer. I grew up on the Shakespeare Wonderods and still have several in the shed. I also have several Medalists laying around and they work as well as my Hardy Cascapedias. The big difference is the Medalists would sell for around $50 and the Cascapedia for $450. I have the Hardy's on the two Bamboo rods I still have left I fish with and they are such a great match I just had to have the right reel on the rod. Unlike a lot of you when I grew up with Wonderods in the 50s and 60s my Dad and those we fished with all used automatic reels. I still have Garcia, Perrine, and Shakespeare auto reels and they are all that ever was needed for the bass and panfish we fished for back then. As a matter of fact this inspires me to drag out my heavyweight Wonderod and Garcia auto reel with the 9 weight Bass Bug taper line and see if I'm strong enough to case a big bass popper anymore.

For some reasons things have been slow filling lately. You said you had me but don't see me on the list. If my hands are steady I have an unusual fly for the swap that will be a killer on the water. Nick

You're counted. You got the number 4 spot no one else wanted but it's the lucky spot.

You're in MZilliox. Never room out of room in this swap. I moved Stabgnid to 15 since it's his lucky number. Nick

Got that Norm. That's why you and Musky Fly Guy are Santa's Gift. You're sending a gift with nothing in return. Makes it a True Gift for you guys. I'm actually doing the same since I probably won't keep a box for myself either. If you check CFRF you'll see I tried to sell some bass fly boxes at give away prices and still have most of them. I'm going to list a bunch of fly boxes with flies for little more than cost of box and mailing since my water time is never going to be what I'd like. I do plan to get out when OK and TX start the winter trout stocking program in the ponds but none of them are very close to me so that too will be limited at best.

You bet you can, thank you.

Let's get a few more of the old reliables in again this year. A dozen people can swap but it's more fun with many involved. Nick

Okay, swap is on for now. I'll keep it open and as long as we get at least 15 or more involved I'll consider it a go. I always look forward to this to and want to know your fly preferences and what you'll send. Thanks to those contributors for swap who don't want a return. Santa will see someone gets a bonus again this year. Cut off for sign up is Nov. 12th to have flies here by Nov. 25th. Note later date from original post!!! This year has some of the nicest offerings we've ever had already. Still time to get in. Welcome to the Secret Santa Swap 2023! The object of this swap is that you send me your flies in a nice fly box (amount stated below) and I photograph them and randomly send them to your secret swapper, trying to match fishing preferences. The secret swapper does not know until they open them, who they are from. There may be Secret Santa stocking stuffers that are randomly given away to the swappers that have their flies to me on time! I will need either a PM or email from each participant including your name, address, AND I would like each participant to give their preference of category or type they would prefer their flies in and I will try to match these as much as possible. The deadline for this swap will be November 25th. Flies to be here by that time. Foreign shores anticipate your mailing time to make deadline. When I receive your information I will add you to the swapper’s list. If you would like to join in and you are sure you can make the deadline that the flies have to make it to me by the due date, reply with I'M IN and pm or email me your information! Late flies due to PO problems will be swapped and shared but may not fit your requested category. THERE IS NO POST REQUIREMENT TO JOIN THIS SWAP. I am going to going to ask for changes from last year that will help me keep things organized. I want all boxes sent in able to fit in 6" x 9" or 9" x 11" envelopes. I will provide the 6" x 9" or 9" x11" bubble mailers on my end. Santa can't afford 30 or hopefully more postages from the North Pole so please include return postage to your addy , stamps, cash or paypal to my account but DO NOT send a return envelope. NO RETURN ENVELOPES. Flies will be due by 11-25-2022 so they can be photographed, gift wrapped and be on their way to their secret swapper's before Christmas. These are the categories to send in. Pick one! The Guidelines are Minimum gift packages. Your fly box should be appropriate to the flies you've chosen. Nice fly boxes should be considered part of the gift and a Altoid's box with foam is fine for your use but not for this swap. 1) 15 minimum of your favorite freshwater panfish/trout flies...These can be 15 different flies or 5 sets of 3. The crossover between panfish, trout, shad, skipjack etc. is such these flies should pretty much fit into one group. You can send as many as you wish but 15 is the minimum. Most pad that a little. 2) 6 large freshwater flies. i.e. intruders, streamers, articulated. These can be bass flies, stripers, pike, etc. but generally more intense in size and effort than category 1. Cork, foam and balsa poppers would fit this category. 3) 6 large saltwater flies. i.e. crabs, shrimp, streamers, etc. tied on saltwater hooks. 4) 3 stacked and packed deer hair flies. These are more effort than most other flies and can be things of beauty. I have a few from members too nice to fish so they hang on my tying bench for inspiration. You are NOT limited to listed amount of flies. I CANNOT always balance the amounts of flies and box when cross matching the swappers and secret santas so sending in several extra is great but cannot guarantee getting back anything except minimums. This has been a fun swap and I hope to make it fun, equitable, and get each person flies geared toward their preference as much as possible. Let's have fun and the sooner I get all the flies the sooner they'll be packaged and returned. Once back to receivers I expect them to sit UNMOLESTED under tree until Christmas Eve. I promise to keep better track of where your flies go and be able to give that info if no one responds to your flies. There is no limit to how many can participate in this swap. Considering it's Christmas, the more the merrier. You may send in boxes in more than one category or more than one box in a category. You will get a return gift for each box sent. I personally gift wrap each package. Poorly wrapped maybe but the thought is there. You decide what you think someone would like to receive, tie them up and send them in. No limit to the amount of participants for this swap. I pledge on my part to keep better track of flies and boxes, where they go, and get photos this year. Nick Szabo PO Box 361 Cheyenne OK 73628 [email protected] Notes based on FAQs... 1. Yes, my email is paypal connected for postage 2. To clarify a point, I'm going to try again on this since I've had a couple of questions on it. Let's say you're in for a panfish swap. Now, let's say you don't know 15 panfish flies you can tie comfortably and send in. Okay, no one (most anyway), wants a dozen identical Bluegill Bullies. If you're only comfortable with a few different patterns fine. Just mix them up so you have no more than 3 of any single pattern so the person will have some variety in his box. This could be as simple as 5 sets of 3 different patterns, 5 sets of 3 similar but different color or weight or size patterns, or 2 sets of 3 patterns and 9 different patterns. Not trying to confuse anyone here, just trying to make it clear that this is not the swap where we try to tie 12 identical patterns. 3. Since it was brought up by someone, I will include the Santa's surprise for at least one lucky member drawn at random. This will consist of some flies sent as extras by generous souls and maybe a few tying materials I have in surplus. At least one special surprise, maybe more. 4. If you have nice extra tying supplies you just don't use send them and I'll scatter extra gifts in packages I send out. 1. Woodenlgs ...In da house 2. Chasng_Tails ...In da house with bonus 3. DarrellP ...In da house 4. GMflyfish1950 5. fishingbobnelson 6. cphubert ...In da house...and another fantastic package 7. Trouttramp ...In da house with bonus 8. MuskyFlyGuy...Santa Gift...Gift box arrived 9. Rick Zieger...In da house 10. flytire...Santa Gift...and something for everyone 11. Dubs ...In da house 12. Sandan ...In da house 13. cencafly ...In da house 14. agn54..In da house 15. Stabgniid 16. MZilliox (CFRF)...In da house 17. Alberta Al (CFRF) 18. physchoprince ...In da house 19. bear-kodiak (CFRF) ...In da house 20. Squeezy ...In da house...and a fantastic box and flies 21. bamboo rodley (CFRF) ...In da house 22. jvmills ...In da house 23. DDOlsen ...In da house 24. 25.

I have had a few people (very few) inquire about where I'm at these days. After the ER visits (3), hospital stays (2), and all the shots and pills they put me through my body decided it had enough of that and straightened out for me. Those familiar with Predisone know it's something you can't take long term but dang it sure helped and after taking it for 3 weeks with slowly decreasing dosages I hate to give it up. It helped with my knee pain and thumb with arthritis but more importantly I really helped my lungs to function much better and even off them weeks now I'm able to hold safe blood oxy levels in most situations including walking around house and going things like dishes and tying flies again. I've also brought my weight down and for some reason even though it's not a huge amount (from 360 to 305) my blood pressure is staying in safe ranges without the meds I was taking. This is big for me since I've been treated by Home Health for leg swelling and breakouts of fluids. The Blood Med I was on is Amolodopine which is a contributory to leg swelling so it is much better for me to be off them. Anyway, being able to walk around the house and to car and things without dragging a tether hooked to the Oxygen Concentrator is a real blessing. There's nothing quite l ike being on a walker and having an oxygen hose trying it's best to tangle you up and trip you every chance it gets. Overall the treatments in the hospital and ER did a lot to pull me through a bad stretch with lungs barely functioning except on oxygen, heart going crazy high, then dropping down until it tripped the buzzer, and shakes so bad tying was out of the question for awhile. Now I've cut down on meds and with cooler and less humid weather I am actually planning a fishing trip but it has to be float trip. Wading is something that is done for me now. So, things are MUCH better than the month of hell I went through and hope to be around the board for awhile longer. Nick

Okay, since I think I'm done with the revolving door I was on for awhile between ER and a night or two in hospital things are looking up and I'll give this a go. I have to order some supplies to do the fly I want but I'll get those ordered and should have plenty of time. Have one fly that is considered a classic but was the fly that was taking 1-2# bluegills in a farm pond in IL and will always be a classic to me. Nick

Okay, after really looking over my Sooner flies and the fact that I tied them during a rough stretch with poor feathers for wing material I set those aside and tied up a twin to the Cowboy flies but with the different colors. They should go out tomorrow hopefully.

I should have dropped from this swap with all the problems I've been having but stuck because of how far out the deadline was. Okay, I am good on the Cowboys but my red/white Sooner flies are kind of a mixed bag of flies that just didn't turn out great. One of the new meds I take has my hands shake so bad I'm afraid to eat with a fork after I take it but it settles down enough after awhile I got some done anyway. How many do we actually need for the swap? That will determine which ones I send for the Sooners.

Move to OK. They don't care about things like vision or health. I went worried about the eye test and got my license for 8 years with nothing except a picture and my sigature. Hope things work well for you in future. Wife does 90% of our driving anyway. Nick

It has been a nasty month for me. Two more trips to ER and another couple nights in hospital. Got shots in my belly for clots and blood thinner and scans and ultrasound and think I had a clot in my lungs. After a lot of various things going one I ended home again but it now looks like I'm hooked to the hose just about all the time. Can't keep my Blood Oxygen count up in the magic 90s your body needs for best function. That and fatigue is with me almost all the time if I do anything besides watching TV. I'm going to go back to trying to take short walks since they were really making me feel better before all this started and also helped keep swelling in lower legs down. Right now I'm sort of a hermit since about the time I leave the house is to go to doctor or ER and need to get out more. Did do a couple of family dinners last week and happy to see the great family of my wife's that live in town with us. It is is the number of relatives, two sisters and multiple offshoots from them that brought us to OK and when I came down here I fished at least a couple of times a week, rode motorcycles with several family and friends, and really enjoyed life here in retirement. Now I'm just kind of hanging on and it's better than the alternative. I have decided to sell or give away years of excess accumulation of fishing gear and hunting gear of all kinds since realistically I don't want to stick the wife and kids with this if one of my trips to ER doesn't involve a return home, and no I'm not a fatalist but am a realist.

Congratulations Mark. Like mentioned, the real work starts now. Lots of hauling meat for the winter and beyond now. A moose story from the past. Myself and two friends of mine were walleye fishing a small lake in northern MN in an overcrowded 12' boat with my very unreliable old Elko 3hp motor. A bull moose decided to cross the lake not too far from us. One of the guys said fire up that motor if it'll run and let's get a closer look. Well we got up behind that bull as he was closing in on the far shore and he kept glancing back with an unhappy look. We were almost to shore when he quit swimming and stood up turned on us. Fortunately we had given him enough room to charge us but not reach us and luckily that old motor kept going and we did too. Funny in retrospect but gave us all a good scare.

Capt. Bob, I'm going to apologize for this and say I'm sorry you've lost a brother who you loved and loved the outdoors...But "My only brother lived in the MatSu area for more than forty years -- and every year, about this time... would be in the field looking for a moose... He's been gone now for over a year." I can't help but laugh at that particular phrasing. Did you consider sending out a search party? Again, I apologize for my crudeness. Nick

For awhile up northern MN they were all over the place. Fishing one morning I looked down the RR tracks for one of the mines and saw a half dozen grazing. Where I lived I could send visitors up the county road a couple of miles and there was a pond on the Baptism River with pads and cabbage and there almost a few in there feeding. Got to be enough to have a hunting draw for them but now they've thinned down thanks to some disease from deer. Was really nice to have them up there except for me losing a fishing buddy when he took one on with his small truck and didn't survive. There were a few other incidents where moose were the bad guys.

Since you're talking about hero shots, I know it's silly but I hate seeing the guys holding their fish or their game with a cigarette hanging out of their mouth. I honestly don't care if you smoke. It's legal and it's your lungs but damn it just ruins a lot of fine pictures.

Okay, I'm going to stay in if it gets off the ground for us. Got 3 flies tied and things went to hell for me. Last couple weeks in and out of ER, hospital beds a night or two, and bunch of needles and drugs. Somethings I've grown familiar with is, "They don't know what's wrong but we fixed it". They gave me clot busters and blood thinners when they thought it was a blood clot. My heart slowed to abnormal, then speeded like cross country racer, then blood oxygen wouldn't stay up even with oxygen, then a few other things mixed in. All in all it was a bad couple of weeks but somehow my body has found it's way back for awhile but right now my hands are twitchy and fingers jumpy so don't know if my flies are going to drop in quality from my usual mediocre to downright ugly and amateurish but I'll do my best to comply with swap if it gets some steam and at least fills half or more.

Kim, I hate to throw cold water on this swap but I'm going to have to drop and sorry it didn't build up for you. I've had so many health problems of late and now we have a guest in our spare room (fly tying room) for awhile. I am on a bunch of junk to keep me going and hopefully get me back to some shade of normal again they have my fingers twitching and hands shaky like I'm not used to. Takes me longer to type since I hit wrong keys and have to back up and I'm normally a fast typer. Again, sorry. Nick

I have spoken out many times in the past on different and am in the minority on all of them. 99% of animals that have ever existed are extinct. It would please me if all of those higher up the food chain joined them. Gators, Crocs, Grizzlies, Brown Bears, Lions and tigers Oh My. If you can't stand the thought of them being lost think of the friend of yours who just got ripped apart by one of these creatures. "Course I'm sure the world could do well without venomous snakes, mosquitoes and Covid Virus so it ain't just big things we could do fine without. Gator and croc hunters are my heroes. I had seriously thought about a trip to Mike Chell country to fish the exotics in channels that would be easy access on a walker for me but when I read that it has become necessary to land your fish quickly because the splashing around creates a sound crocs have learned to associate with an easy meal right in front of you I decided to go fish for bass and kill any water moccassin I see.

This is what he was after.

There were signs all over MN Hwy 61 up north about falling rocks on Silver Cliff curve and one day with my wife hauling our 24' cruiser down to Duluth and I was half asleep she swerved to miss a big rock in road but trailer tire got it and was really glad the tires came through okay from that major jarring episode. Not her fault of course but had to holler, then apologize.

Oklahoma Sooners & Cowboys. One for each like last time this swap was done. Sooners kick off Saturday and unless someone takes the field by surprise it will be one of the first years they have no standout player or early Heisman candidate. The old coach left and took last year's Heisman winner with him. No Mayfield passing or Billy Sims or Adrian Peterson's running backs this year, YET.