Just Like Heaven

Dear Avid Readers,
I understand its been a long time.  No valid excuse really, I've just neglected you in favor of the water and the vise.  That's why today we've got a little something special just for you, our devoted followers.  I guess the rest of you can take a peek too.
Do you ever think about Heaven?  What it's like?  It's a fascinating subject, full of endless possibilities.  There are so many things we don't know about it, but some we do.  Like the fact that there will be family and good friends to laugh with. It's definitely summer there.  And there are sparkling trout streams where the fish love to hammer dry flies.  It might look something like this:

A little motivation for Chad...

I know most of you watched the remake of the classic "Chad Throws a Fit". I was thinking today how different that video could have been if he had been a good fisherman and actually caught the fish, instead of letting it abuse him all summer. In anticipation of the the hostilities that will inevitably be renewed this season, I wanted to provide my good buddy with a little motivation. Sometimes you have to visualize your dreams. Here you go - print it out and tape it to the bathroom mirror.

Another classic remake...

So, I thought this video of a cutthroat caught on a hopper would look pretty cool in slow motion. Seeing how the fish moves when he's fighting against the rod is fairly awesome. This season we are going to be bringing some much higher quality vids, so be ready. Also, most of you probably want to know where you can get the sweet background music. You'll have to ask Chad, I pulled it straight from his iPod. It was under "All-time Favorites."

Old Classic, New Awesomeness

So most of our avid readers will remember the culmination of Chad's feud with The Big Bad Brown last summer.  It still makes me laugh every time, but I realized it could be enhanced to tell more of the story.  So, here for your viewing pleasure, is the digitally remastered classic:

Trivia

So here's the question - if Chad has a baker's dozen of some of the best midge patterns ever tied, and if an insane midge hatch comes off while he's carrying said flies, can he catch fish?  Or will we get the usual excuses?  Tune in on Monday night for the conclusion to this riveting drama...

Still love the new vice!

Sculpins!  Yummy!

New vice, old passion...

So, The Hotness, with the expert assistance of Chad, got me a new vice for Christmas. It's a cam design Danvise and I love it. I really didn't know how much my old vice was limiting me until I broke out the new awesomeness today (I realize it took me two months, and I'd like to apologize to everyone for letting them down).

All early indicators point to the fish being in big trouble this year. Big bugs are on the menu, here's a hopper and a cicada for appetizers.

Dear Followers...

We realize that it's been a long, long time and you've probably missed us terribly. While we will accept some blame for the lack of posting, we cannot accept all of it, due to natural disaters - such as careers, kids, and winter. Today's post is an olive branch of sorts, and it's extended to you, faithful followers (both of you.) We don't care about the fair weather readers, it's our core fans that we're dedicated to. Today's post has a little bit of everything - eye-candy, a story, and useful tips.
The temperature was 48 degrees at 3:30 yesterday, pretty much a heat wave. Besides that there was some nice cloud cover hanging over the canyon. All of a sudden I found myself in the garage grabbing the 3 weight, waders, boots, etc. Even without catching fish, how can you beat scenery like this?
So, there I was, happy as a clam, catching fish - not big, but scrappy, and it was 48 degrees in February. I'm wading up the tiny stream, thinking about how much I've missed flyfishing, when I stepped on a long, flat rock that sloped down slightly and was slicker than snail snot. I skied forward about 3 feet, arms flailing, almost fell backwards trying to regain my balance, and finally did an awesome, head -first plunge into some very refreshing mountain stream water. I got extra points because of the difficulty of pulling such an amazing manuever in the only spot deep enough to get wet. As I scrambled to get out of the numbing insanity, I fell again, this time on my back, but once again managed the bonus points by completely submerging myself. When I finally dragged myself onto dry land, I immediately pulled my soaking cell phone and camera out and removed the batteries. (This isn't my first water-rodeo, folks.) Now here come the tips: 1) If you're going to swim in February, do it in your bathtub, not in a current of melted snow. 2) If you do go in w/ expensive electronic equipment, immediately pull out the batteries, and dry as much water as you can. When you get home, remove covers to expose the internals, and use a hair dryer to dry the insides. Do not attempt to turn on the device until you are certain it is completely dry! I like to leave them in front of a fan overnight. Do this, and everything should be fine. (Trust me, I'm better at falling in and dealing w/ the aftermath then I am at fishing.)

And that, dear followers, will have to tide you over for a bit. But do not fear, winter is on her deathbed, spring will be here before you know it, and we'll have other worries. Like how to keep a job while staying true to the really important things in life. (Hoppers, cicadas, etc.)