All right, you're right, I understand, I'll post, but in the words of my dear departed Mother "be careful what you ask for"

I'm prone to exagerate for the sake of a story, but always try to tell the truth when truth matters.

This is true: I traded minnows and crawdads seined in a local creek for my first flyrod (used) at the local baitshop when I was in junior high and used it in farm ponds for years for bass and bluegill. It was fiberglass, I think a 7 weight, 8 ft long. The ferrules stuck and I gave it away to a friend who still uses it as a long-reach crappie fishing pole, to dangle jigs into the spawning beds in heavy cover at a lake in southern Iowa. I want it back pretty bad but don't want to be an Indian giver.

I don't know nearly as much as I'm going to about bugs that live in the water. If they seem to be eating brown ones 3/8 of an inch long, with sideways wings, I look in my box until I find a brownish one about that size and bend the wings or cut them off and try to catch something with it. If I happened to make it myself, so much better. I don't know what to call that bug but I'm learning, and I find that process surprisingly interesting. Especially since I've always been terrified of spiders. Snakes are fine, but spiders tear me up. Too many legs. The more legs something has, the more it weirds me out.

I have three rods now but they're not fancy. I am proud to have functional but well-used, even tattered, gear. Orvis has not asked me to do any modeling.

Some days I'm ill-mannered. I can barely type without using bad slang and swear words. My head is bald as an egg. I am a hopeless loner, but I like people as long as I can approach them warily and have a clear escape route. Those folks I enjoy most roam in the overlaps between hillbilly, beatnik, philosopher, and contrarian. I smoke way too many cigars to buy the good ones, except for special occasions. I just ordered two bundles of "Reserva de Inexpensivo - No Pretensions, Just Good Flavor." I probably drink too much whiskey. I like cheap Jim Beam bourbon, or mid-priced Templeton rye, or Ardbeg scotch, or a whole bunch of other stuff, dammit. They're all good, just different.

I haven't taken the time to learn to post pictures. I disappoint me but just don't want to screw with it. My photos are all in Picasa. If there is a link to show me a quick easy way to do it, I will. But I don't want to make it a big project. The computer eats too much of my time now.

I'll try to post once in a while if you want me to. I have some knowledge but not nearly enough wisdom. Kind of familiar with the spring creeks of NE Iowa. Trout and smallies up there. Intimately familiar with every single drainage in SE IA where I live, warmwater fish only here. I look for Indian relics in these local streams. If we had trout AND smallmouth AND relics in my home water, I'd never have to go anywhere. No, that is not true. I would still need to explore.

This board has been a good read for me in the past. Maybe what I can give back is a bent perspective on life, and some helpful info on Iowa for members who might want to know.

That is, presuming you decide to keep me. You ought to think that over a bit before you say yes.

flintchips