There were no omens. There were no portents. The sky did not darken, and the earth did not move. There was absolutely no indication that things would go as poorly as they did. Had I any inkling the day would play out in such a fashion, I would have chosen a better way to spend […]

What follows is the text of an email I received from friend and well known realistic tyer Bob Mead. He and David Martin, also a tyer of realistic flies, are starting a new auction site that may be of interest to the few folks who read my blog. Check it out and give ‘em […]

A little history lesson courtesy of my student loan company, the G.I. Bill, and the first five or six entries to come up on a Google search (good thing I spent all that money) …
In 280 B.C. and again in 279 (I refuse to use the politically correct “B.C.E.”) King Pyrrhus of Epirus devastated his […]

A little history lesson courtesy of the student loan company from which I borrowed the tuition for graduate school, the G.I. Bill that paid for my undergraduate degree, and the first five or six entries to come up on a Google search (good thing I spent all that money) …
In 280 B.C. and again in […]

One Dodge Grand Caravan. Two delusional, under medicated, overly enthusiastic parents. Three, two and a half year-old maniacs.
Zero fish.
Nada. Nothing. Zip.
Why?
Would you believe Big Daddy forgot to pack his gear? Yup. I left it all sitting on the porch, and there it remained until I returned. I had a free pass from the boss, and […]

One Dodge Grand Caravan. Two delusional, under medicated, overly enthusiastic parents. Three, two and a half year-old maniacs.
Zero fish.
Nada. Nothing. Zip.
Why?
Would you believe Big Daddy forgot to pack his gear? Yup. I left it all sitting on the porch, and there it remained until I returned. I had a free pass from the boss, and […]

I’ll be signing off for a week or so, as the triplets, the wife and I are making the drive to Florida. The kids are excited about the prospect of seeing Mickey’s Castle. My wife is excited that the kids are excited, and I am dreading the whole ordeal.
Why? For starters it’s freaking August. I […]

About two months ago I visited my doctor about some pain I’d been experiencing in my abdomen. After a short examination he declared that I had a hernia, and he scheduled an appointment for me to visit a surgeon. One week later I found myself in that surgeon’s office explaining that I needed to postpone […]

When one is having a bad day at what point should one simply call it quits, and try again the following day? I ask because no matter how bad my day may be I always seem to find a way to make it worse. This past Sunday was an average day that took a turn […]

I’ll get to the piscatorial point in a minute. For now, please just bear with me.
There are certain landmarks with which we are all familiar. Even if we haven’t visited a particular monument, we can sometimes see it in the mind’s eye. The Statue of Liberty, The Gateway Arch in Saint Louis, Mount Rushmore, […]