Saturday, April 26, 2014

Reeling and Healing...Midwest

Two dozen flies, a weekend of my time, and a few bucks in gas... seeing the look in someones eyes who had just caught her first trout on a flyrod and at the same time was able to forget for one weekend that she was struggling with cancer. PRICELESS!!!! 

 


 

Just look at that smile. Tanya's first trout with a flyrod

If you can, please support Reeling and Healing Midwest or any other organization that helps women or men struggling to overcome cancer or any other life's problems...in the case of veterans it is Project Healing Waters...PLEASE do so. What seems like a few hours of your time means the world to someone else.

Friday, April 4, 2014

2014 SOWBUG ROUNDUP



Ok it is almost official. I am the world’s worst blogger. Actually, I don’t think the content of my blogs is that bad, but I seem to forget the write the dang things. Just today I was looking at a friend of mines blog and realized that I needed to get off my rear and write. 


By the way, my friend Michael Lack’s blog is www.BugCrafters.net and he has some pretty cool stuff. Check it out.



So Now for the 2014 Sowbug Roundup Report



I have been tying at the Sowbug for the last 5 years and this year was the largest by far. I am not sure if it had to do with the fact that it was one of the first really nice weekend of the spring or that the Army Corp of Engineers ran water from both Bull Shoals and Norfork dams all weekend and nobody had anything else to do like FISH. The great thing about the Sowbug is that you get to see so many of your friends and fellow tiers.



I got to hang out and tie with master fly tier, movie buff, tailgate gourmet, and all around crazy guy, Don Lawler from the bayou county of Louisiana. I found it incredibly hard to concentrate on tying because I was laughing so hard. Don is single handedly bringing the art of tailgating to the Sowbug. There is nothing like a bunch of fly fishers sitting in the parking lot drinking beer and Apple Pie at noon.

Boot Pierce and Don Lawler tying at the 2014 Sowbug Roundup


Lou showed me around the town and all the really good places to eat. Especially, the Pizza place called Nima’s in Gassville, AR. Wow, that was some really good pizza and according to the wall the best in the country. 

Lou tying at Sowbug


 
Nima's Supreme. YUM! YUM!
I even tried to fish one afternoon, but the water was so high it was more like just skirting along the edge. Did however see evidence of the fisheries managerss nemesis DIDYMO. It was the first time I had ever seen it. Nasty stuff and I can now see why it can ruin a fishery. 
DIDYMO! YUK!
And finally a photo of me tying. Michael seems to be amazed that I used my little finger rather than a thread holder. I don't know. It just seems natural.



Enjoy,
Boot

P.S. Thanks Micheal for motivating me to write something.