I found it!!!!!!

Inspiration, that is.

Some of you may remember my post a while back about searching for the inspiration I once had for tying flies. I wanted to find it again after too long without tying. Some of you suggested I join a fly swap. Well, that worked.
Last week I joined ol' blue's "not quite entomology" swap. I wanted to tie a woven stonefly nymph that I used to be quite good at, if I do say so myself. A good job now proved too much of a challenge after the long lay-off, so I opted for tying the Montana. I always caught more fish on the Montana anyway. Well those flies are tied and after a trip to the post office on Saturday, they will be in the mail.
I went into "swap withdrawal" almost immediately. Back to the FAOL swap board and ckhanna was starting up a salmon/steelhead fly swap. Now, salmon are my favourite target species so I wasn't long in responding to that post.
Last night. I tied the first of the Monroe Killer hairwings that I am doing for the swap. Actually, I tied about a half dozen before the "feel" came back. Anyway, now I can't wait to get home tonight to tie up a dozen more.
This is great.

Thanks to all of you who stuck me with a pointed stick to get me going again. I hope it continues. So many flies; so little time.

This must be what folks mean when they tell me to tie one on.

Thanks again.[/b]

Swaps have been quite an inspiration for me and has forced me to expand my tying horizons. Hosting them is the most fun for you can really see the quality of fly people are sending in. The creativity is simply incredible. Swaps are one of the key reasons for my being here. JGW

Horray!! It's good to have "that" feeling again!

Only other thing, besides a swap, to get you going again would be a Fish-In! Can't believe how many flies I've tied for it .. and how much cleaning out of fly boxes I've done!! Al Campbell once took a picture of my "working" fly box. He had a hard time focusing, he was laughing so hard!

I started fly fishing in 1995, at the age of 46. Discovered FAOL, October of 1997, and my learning began (no local mentor to be found or trusted).
Went to my 1st FAOL Fish-In, in 1999. Spent the whole winter before hand tying every fly, that was mentioned for hatches in the Black Hills, for the period before...during ...and after, when the Fish-In was going to be held. I even printed out Al Campbell's Beginners Fly Tying Series, as each new lesson, initially ran on FAOL (and tied those pattern also). Printed it as two sided, and at the South Dakota Fish-In, Al signed my binder (Minnesotan for 3-hole document holder). I must have gone to the Fish-In with over 500 flies. Only one that seem to work, was Al's SWHAPF.

Took some fly casting lessons, from Shirley at the Fly Fishing Cabin. Practiced my casting every day on the the front lawn of work, during breaks & lunch (so I would not look like an idiot).

At the Fish-In, I caught my first trout, spent 3 days with Al Campbell, riding up and down the hillsides, going between streams. I learned so much from Al in those 3 days. Met so many new friends, had such a great time.

I have been to FAOL Fish-In's in South Dakota, Texas, New York/ Pennsylvania (Delaware River), and Idaho. Each Fish-In, has been different one has been great! Wish I could be at the Michigan Fish-In, but other thing prevent my attending.

~Parnelli