I owe it ALL to WarrenP!!

[flybinder]

Yeppers, I owe this entire fishing trip, today, to my dear friend, Warren!
He'd emailed me, recently and casually mentioned, "I'm sending you a "little" something, I think you might get some use out of, I need your mailing address, please"!
So, I sent my address, (after making SURE, Warren doesn't work for the IRS of course) and 3 days later, comes "this tube"!?

Inside, this "tube" is the "little" something, that Warren "thought I might get some use out of"...................... one of the prettiest, most well crafted,beautifully made, 7' X 5/6wt. FLY RODS I'd ever seen!!
It's not merely "a rod, packed to ship, in a cardboard tube", it was also inside a cordura-nylon-"keep the reel on the rod", rod case.

I've "loaned new tiers, vices, to help them out. Given my extra tying scissors and tools, to someone that needed them more than I needed "extras". Others, on this site, as you know have given freely of their own tied flies, "To the first, 3-5 people that PM me, they're yours, free".
Mikey has sent me tying material, I've sent him this and that. True, he once tried to kill me, with his "non-American poisoned instant meals", but even Joe V. has sent me his works of art, from his own vise.
It just seems to "be the way" of this fantastic group of folks called "The Members of Fly Anglers Online" and the way we all treat one another!!

But, this fly rod, is very, very special to me and Warren "just knew", why it would be. BUT!! Also, inside this rod tube, along with the rod itself...........was a plastic box of WARREN'S tying bench art work as well!!
"The Purple Pizzaz", "The Reverse Spider", (tied MUCH smaller, than I tie them for Steelead and in a great olive color) and the "REAL" fish killer.........
"The Orange Warren Warrior". All, in perfect "Trout sizes".

So, I told Warren, "the first chance I get to use the rod and the flies, I'll let you know the results!"
The pictures, below, were taken today while I fished alone on a little nearby pond, about a 1/4 mile from my house.
The weather, "for the coast", was perfect.......... temp.58, water-49 no wind, bright sun.
After a 3 hour trip, final results were........ 9 trout, (all Bows), 11 Crappie, 5 Bluegill.

This is "The Pond"


My "new rod", bending under the weight of a nice, 18" 'Bow-hooked on an "Orange Warren Warrior"


In this picture, the fish in the lower right was packed in a small school,(seen in upper left of picture), but split off and turned towards my "Orange Warren Warrior" when I stripped it past the school. He hit it, was landed and released.


Warren, you made for one VERY, VERY, SPECIAL day of fishing for me. I cannot,THANK YOU, enough!!

[J Castwell]

You live that close to 'bows that size? You rat!

[flybinder]

You think I live at the beach, JC, for THE SAND in my shoes all the time and "dodging motor home driv'in maniacs", for the SCENERY??
Actually, it's because in part The Oregon F & G Dept.breeding/spawning projects, through the University of Oregon Extension Fisheries, is SO successful some years, they can't find enough water to throw their excess fish into!
"Cullaby Lake", a sand dune created lake, 1/2 mile from my house, is only a mile long X 1/2 mile wide and 31' deep at it's deepest part and yet, there are consistent catches of 5 to 7 pound Rainbows out of it, due to it being a "Breeding overstock lake", like this little lake/pond, I fished today.
There are, 5 others, within 7 miles of the house.
"FAOL guests are ALWAYS welcome!

[DShock]

Warren,
Your such a nice person! Sending Paul, of all people, a hand made rod, well that's amazing! It must be a magic rod too! It caught fish the first time out! Your flies must be pretty good also, since I heard Paul's flies are often snubbed by local fish. All those fish Paul caught, must have been dumbfounded by Tennessee flies! Maybe that is the trick! Just import some flies the fish have never seen!
Paul,
I have fished Cullaby only one time and I didn't catch nuttin' Thanks for the photos!
Doug

[J Castwell]

Actually, that's wonderful Paul, make some neat photo ops. too. Things are looking good for the CW fish-in this spring. Some really fine folks on the list. New rods, new reels, new lines,,, new friends; priceless.

[flybinder]

VERY MUCH looking forward to the CW Fish In, JC!! And, just MAYBE 'ol Doug is right on!!??
MAYBE, as Doug suggested, we "import" a bunch of say............ "Tennessee flies", that the "RF Snooty Trouts" have never seen before........................ who knows??
In all the years, that I've fished "The Ford", I swear that those Trout have seen every pattern ever tied.
I, once, dropped a cement laden hook into my wasetrol basket, took it out, let it dry, took it to The Ford and the first fish it landed in front of, told me............... "Sorry!! We've already seen, THAT, pattern many times!!"
So, perhaps them-thar Tennessee boys may have sum'pin we could use!?! SURE worked today!?!

[JohnScott]

Nice guy ( that would be Warren, Paul ), nice rod, nice day, nice fish, nice pics, nice write up.

Doesn't get a lot better than that. Thanks, Paul.

John

[nighthawk]

Wow! Nice rod and fish. Warren, you are the salt of the earth!

[WarrenP]

"Aw, gees, guys...." My main reason for doing it was that I would love to be able to fish with him and with work and life its self I felt that would never come about since we have all these miles between us, so, I thought to myself, well, if I cannot fish with him one of my rods and some of my flies will just have to do it for me! Paul, I am just happy that you were able to have a great day and I am proud to know that the little thing I done contributed something towards it. You deserved this day and many more! Just remember that now that the fish in that one pond have seen the flies, you will have to hide behind a tree the next time you go there to tie the fly on your line or you will be molested by the fish. Been several here that have been to the ER because they did not take my advise seriously!! I am very happy that you had a great day! Please let me know how some of the other flies work on your fish. This is great! I have always wondered how some of my flies would work on other streams and areas. I am bad for not using the same flies everyone else does. Must be something that comes from my bass tournament days. I am always looking outside the "box". I am thrilled to know that in some little way I was able to contribute to a good day of fishing for you. Do it again and let me know how it goes.

I think of you and your family often,

[AFISHN]

"Cullaby Lake", a sand dune created lake, 1/2 mile from my house, is only a mile long X 1/2 mile wide and 31' deep at it's deepest part and yet, there are consistent catches of 5 to 7 pound Rainbows out of it, due to it being a "Breeding overstock lake", like this little lake/pond, I fished today.
There are, 5 others, within 7 miles of the house.
"FAOL guests are ALWAYS welcome!

Be careful...you might have to build a motel in your area to handle the"just visiting" FAOL folk