PADave,
I know where you are coming from and agree with you 100%. We, at FAOL, also thank you for joining because it is people like you who make this the best site. I have looked at other forums and find that they are not like FAOL and have struggled with a way to explain why and I think your post gave me an answer. Most forums, when a question is asked, have the "chosen" few who feel they are the authority on everything and they will respond and debate each other's answer and all other members will not respond for fear that they are wrong or would "upset" the "chosen few". Most of their members go along with the forum and hope their particular question will eventually be answered through another person's question. Here on FAOL, we are more like "family" and I feel members are not afraid to post their questions or respond to other member's question. Our forum is more like an open forum for everyone to join in and not a question/answer forum. FAOL is where you come to discuss fly fishing questions and opinions. FAOL is where you come to "rant" and know that others will understand. FAOL is where you come if you need the power of a group's prayers. FAOL is where everyone is in the "front row" and no one person is the "leader". FAOL is where you come if you just "need someone" to turn to or talk to. Our Administrators have created a site that allows people to respond with questions and answers without feeling that their question or answer is not worthy of being posted. We are FAMILY here and everything and anything anyone wants to contribute or ask is considered important and we have a very large group of members that feel "SHARING" and "PAYING FORWARD" is very important to anything fly fishing related. All questions, answers and opinions here are considered important and worth hearing and discussed openly. There are not any "chosen few" here. WE ARE FAMILY....
Thank you for your post......
Warren
Fly fishing and fly tying are two things that I do, and when I am doing them, they are the only 2 things I think about. They clear my mind.