Ridleyffo

Got three more sets in. Crackleback's came thursday, Cheri's came on Friday and Herman's came today. All look great. :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: Man do I love getting these packages in the mail. Crackleback certainly ties some tight flys, Cheri's are very unique and organic looking and our friend Herman from across the pond was very generous to everyone and ties some real fish catchers!! Waiting on three more set and we can get these out. Everyone has responded and has completed their sets. Bob

I will be finishing mine tonight as Im home alone :innocent: :drunk: :whistle: Please send addy

Shipped my mulberry flys today. Hopefully you dont end up getting mulberry jam. There is this little kid in my neighborhood all of about 4 years old who loves the mulberry bloom more than the carp. He walks around our ridge with his dad and his face is just about all purple. He really is cute, but dont ask him to share his harvest. :nono: :boxed:

Less than a week to deadline Boys and Girls. Lets get em in........ the BWOs are busting here in Southeastern PA and I want to try out some of these sweet patterns.... :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:

I "almost cut my hair". Ok I already did after high school. I didnt realize we had so many head bangers in the bunch. Pretty much grew up on classic rock and metal. My first guitar teacher however ingrained this dam bossa nova timing in my head and all of my riffs still sound like they could be in the Godfather movie or heard on beach in Brazil. Several years of classical guitar further expanded my horizons into classical and jazz Music I bought over the years have been pretty standard stuff, Zep, Doors, Floyd (I thought the Wall was my autobiography for while) AC/DC, Black Sabbath. My first concert was the Sabbath, Born Again tour with Ian Gillian belting the lyrics (83 I think) and Quiet Riot opening. Being a Philly boy I got to Live Aid, though it all still seems kind of foggy. Sarah Vaughn is probably one of my favorite singers and I still get off listening to Mel Torme. The only music I typically turn away from is Rap and C&W. Lately Ive been getting into Tool, Rage against the Machine and have been really impressed with the development of Green Day. I think Green day is interesting as on their first album they could barely play their instruments and their song structure was sophomoric. Their last few albums really seem to have come a long way however.

I received a nice set of olive nymphs from Bertgwen today. Keep em coming guys and I can get out and use some of these fine flys. Bob

Im going to pick up a pair today as well. I just have to go get the cc out of the truck. I have a 2500lb purse.

David Those are really great tys! They almost seem like a comedic duo from some cartoon. The pics really made them come alive in my head. Jan A good carp pattern with which I caught my first carp last summer was a buck tail hair inch worm. I tied almost like the body of an extended mayfly. I weighted some and some I kept unweighted with nice hollow bucktail. I put a bit of pink yarn on top to see it as it descended in this mild plunge pool where the carp hang out in low summer. I found that the weighted ones, but didnt get any carp on topwater. I tied up about 20 mulberry flys tonight and am ready for your addy. that was the first time I tied an entire swap in one sitting. They are fairly simple, but I tied them watching the tube and they just seemed to be done without any thinking.

Thanks Bob but that's not necessary. I'm happy to send ya the cost of envelopes. I'll throw a few bones in the mail for ya tomorrow. I didn't even think about the toe tags. First swap and all. Thanks for being patient with me. As for the nymphs the tail is actually Hungarian partridge. When I get around to it I'm going to submit the pattern which can be a great producer in these parts. Blake Really no need to send anything. And I really am an ass. I didnt mean to spank you, just sort of my upfront and ball bustin nature

Great ty vtflyhack. My church pane feathers I used in my gartside pheasant hopper for that swap didnt have the green flecks that yours do. Its crazy. I have a bag full of church panes and am envying yours for their green flecks. This really is becoming a sickness. You tied those sweet sparrow variants for the Gartside swap right? I would certainly like one of these. I hope they turn out to be your submission. Ive been kicking around some ideas for this swap as well, which may include some back end beads and blades........

I've used several materials in the past to connect the trailer hook to an articulated pattern, including Rod thread, bite guard tippet, mono and wire. I think that I will be using Power pro braid, as it has to be the sturdiest stuff in the world. Any thoughts?

David. Glad you're ok. My doc scared the Heck out of me this year and I quit smoking. Now all I have to do is lose this weight Ive gained since I got married. Chasing girls was the only exercise I used to get and now that I stopped doing that........ Anyway, I just got a letter from my insurance company three days ago and after twenty five years as a type 1 juvenile diabetic, the insurance company is telling me that they will no longer pay for my brand of insulin and that I have to switch to a different brand. I know most of you have heard and despised my liberal views in the past, but does it really make sense to have the wolf guarding the henhouse? How can a "for profit" insurance company deliver the best care when they are trying to deliver it at the least possible cost? Obviously the amount of "fat" in the system is absurd and needs significant reformation.... Certainly the government can not provide the most efficient system due to cost, beauracracy etc ad nauseum? Maybe the President's plan is total crap....... but we have to do something. Taking my well fed and insured butt out the mix, I think that it is totally despicable that in the richest nation on earth, we have people that are not able to get basic health care. We have to realize that corporate profits do not necessarily represent the best for the common good. Please dont start screaming socialist as I am certainly not, but believe that capitalism is best served when monitored and controlled for the common good. Somewhere in the middle is the golden mean..."In medias res" again. Many of our forebears came "off the boat" and had no insurance or healthcare and had to work their way to the American dream. They also worked 18 hour days with horrible working conditions. Again government regulation remedied these wrongs. I certainly have difficulty in giving every new person "off the boat" carte blance to our healthcare system on my tax dollar, but at the same time I would rather give up some of my "comfort" to aid my brother than have people dying of simple infections and labor. The greater the stratification of man, the greater the danger. Rome fell and should remain in the dust. Take a BIT of the profit out of insurance, pharmaceutical and healthcare and we would all be healthier, both physically and spiritually.

Lucian That Xpert Tool clip seems much better than the Pettijan CDC tool. I have been resistant to buying the pettijan due to price and the fact that it looks cheap (plastic) and has limited use being only for CDC (I think?) Can you give us some of your thoughts on this tool? I may open up the wallet and buy one of these. Thanks Bob

Sorry I havent posted all week. Ive been busy with work and the BWOs and are already busting here let alone all of the midges. It almost looked like summer last weekend. Anyway I received three sets this week. All nice ties and definite fish catchers!!!!!! :headbang: :headbang: Rockworm MIke15851 Blakejd Rockworm, thanks for the gift of those classic wets. I showed them to my mom who was over for my wife's birthday and she wants a pin fashioned like that. I dont tie many classic wets and they certainly caught her eye. Good thing I attended Bruce's married wing class. Sweet back country soft hackle you tied. and I love the individual packaging. Certainly took some time and showed some real love for your tys!!! They look like a real producers. Blakejd - since you're a newbie I'll buy you the return envelope you forgot to include. I may also toe tag your flies if I get motivated. Nice thin profile on those PT nymphs. great for the BWOs Mike - Nice ties and great color. Sure to produce. i really like the worm you included as a gift. looks like a little grub rather than an aquatic worm and I cant wait to try it out. What kind of dubbing did you use on that worm? By the way I was good and didnt even take any of the swap flys to Valley Creek last week (although I was tempted) I got two wilds on Sunday but both on midge nymphs. The BWOs as always, were sporadic with the clouds and they really seemed to be focusing only on midges. I didnt see a rise all day. Bob

And did you all know we have a celebrity in our swappin midst. Let me congratulate Rockworm for his win in FTOY. Great tys Rock! :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:

We got plenty of time. Herman. We may even have yours back to you before your spring thaw! Im sure that has to be a bit away still?

Got some bugs in my box today from FLYGIRL. She is so Fly and so are these bugs!!! Thanks for the extras too! I finished up mine tonight as well and have sent out my addy to several people. If I missed anyone please pm me again! It looks like we might get this swap wrapped up quickly.

Steve Any word for the last two tyers?

Kevin Mine is the Turtle Grass Taker. It was embedded in my garrulousness

Very nice! But I am more worried about what I will end up sending overseas to you. You know, it occurs to me that the ideal job for a fly tyer would be exhibit maintenence at a natural history museum. They seem to have a lot of old shaggy looking taxidermy stuff that could use a judicious trim here or there to retain it's beautiful display appearance. BTW... is it okay to export genius? You'd better not mention it in the manifest, just in case. David <>< David I know you jest but there was a story a few months back about some birds on display in a Natural History museum in London. some rare birds from Darwin's adventures to galapogos(sp?) were stolen. Guess who they suspected of the crime????????? fly tyer feather merchants.

That is a hot little fly. Im gonna have to get me one of those.

If you'll have me, Im in with a mulberry fly

You're a good man, Jan. Keep that open mind and keep searching. after a good 30 of 40 years of doubting, I doubt if I could stop doubting. If you want some specious arguments to debunk check out the zeitgeist movie online. Like a said a bit specious in their arguments but certainly interesting, especially to a pagan like me.

Jan I apoligize to you. As I said before, I would not try to dissuade you from your views until you were of contract age. That is neither my right nor appropriate. You are obviously a smart and well-read young man and even have a curious mind. I just ask as I did before that you start studying physics, natural history, logic and philosophy when you get to college. Or possibly try to open your mind enough to allow for the acceptance of science and logic into your religion. It really is not a threat to Jesus or your creed. a less cynical man than me would even say that he created all of the vast complexity of life and science so that man could find god in all of his complexity. I think I was once so sure of things too when I was a fervant young man. I will make one correction to you however. I never once mentioned the Nicene Creed; as that was the minor occurence of the council. The real headline story of the event was that these men actually culled together all of the first, 2nd and 3rd century christian texts and essentially abridged them into the bible that you read daily today. The obvious argument would be that those texts which were abridged, were not those which were inspired by god. Problem with that logic however is who says that the council was "as-inspired" as the canonical authors. The bible doesnt describe any early texts as being chaff so how did these men so determine them? And what about the myriad of translations, did some god inspire these men's translations. Is the King James better than mine which contains the Imprimatur? The problem with fundmentalist is you get hung up on semantics and miss the grander and glorious vision.

Jan and Rev Legg Having sensed a bit of the fundamentalist in you, I guess I was specifically referring to the word of god; as was "accepted" and "authorized" by a bunch of semi-literate men who were all attempting to promote "their" interpretation of the written text and consolidate their own power at the Council of Nicea. Needless to say I have significant reservations regarding the "not so apt" translations used as well. But in the end "accepted, authorized" seem only to matter to a fundamentalists who attempt to encapsulate all that god is based on 4th Century knowledge. I say this because every branch of Christianity seems to maintain its own dogma based on theses of learned men within that sect. I find it amazing that all of the surety that many far right christians believe (from the rapture to preordination) is based on the interpretation of a 19th century minister named Ridley. certainly no pun intended with my avatar name. Finally I find it extremely arrogant and off putting how christians and the far right christians in particular seem to think that they have a lock on what god is, can be, will be for all time and here ever after. Seems to me that if a god did reveal himself to man he would have been more inclusive. Or maybe he was, and spoke to the buddists, hindus, rosucrucians, copts, druidt et al. Please dont use the concept of preordination to justify why all other religious texts are wrong and only a select few are preordanined to see god. (Another Ridley catastrophe if Im not wrong) It is probably not best continuing this discussion online, as it is far off topic and surely not appropriate for the site. I apologize for my dissension, but nothing puts me off god more than religion and what I have seen as an "ostrich" mentality of many fundamentalists and evangelicals. Do you think that anyone at Nicea could grasp the concept that the breath of god that started this whole cosmos spinning is actually gravity? Or maybe god understood when he so divinely inspired the authors of the sacred text, that once man was wise enough to recognize gravity, he would be beyond pedanty and wise enough to consolidate science and the written word. One last question?????? How old does the fundamentalist view allow the earth and universe to be?