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This September will mark five years since we plugged our server
in the wall and hit the Internet; we have seen a lot of progress
during that time, and a lot of changes too. One thing that has
not changed, at least for us, is the idea that we try to bring
you information; new stuff, old ideas as well as new ones, neat
products, as complete a range of fly-fishing information as
possible. That is our only reason to be here. We try to grow
fly fishers and give them a place to call home. We do it by
giving them the tools they need to get the job done no matter
at what level they may be.
When we started an advisor suggested we try to have the biggest
and most complete site offering links to fly fishing related
web sites. I guess we were supposed to be some sort of an index
or such. That idea did not make sense to me as there were not
many sites I would have recommended one should go to. Instead,
we started out to be the information web site for fly-fishing
and it looks like we have a pretty good start. Yes, start, we sure
are not done, not by a long way. The Internet is constantly improving
and we try to stay up with it.
Our format was an ambitious one, but it was predicated on the
help and involvement of the fly fishing community and you certainly
have joined in to make the project a success. As most of you know,
this is basically a two person site, my wife and me. Each week we
write a lead column, manage the Bulletin Board and the hosted Chat Room,
and all the rest is mostly provided by our readers. Nothing fancy,
nothing on fire, spinning, no auctions, no place to insert a credit
card and nothing to sell.
It has worked for five years now and our sponsors seem to
think it will keep working for them for a long time into
the future. We have tried to bring you the 'warm and fuzzy'
side of them when possible; they like it, we like it, and
it seems, so do you. Remember, without them, we could not
keep doing this, they pay the bills. We try to support
fly-fishing and they in turn support us, keep that in mind
when you need to buy stuff in the future.
I am glad to see so many individual fly-fishers now with their
own web pages and some even with small sites. They usually
offer local information specific to the area and that is very
valuable to all of us. We in no way feel we have any competition,
only collaboration and cooperation. Anyone offering fly-fishing
information is simply trying to do the same as we and that helps
our goal, to have reliable information on the web for fly fishers.
Our thanks to all of you who have helped us, sponsored us, written
for us, supported us and been there when we needed something done.
Our first Fish-In was nothing more than a fishing trip, this year
we will have four of them, next year, who knows. Perhaps you will
be able to join us at one of them and get acquainted, they're all
fun, see ya there. And by the way... thanks again.
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~ James Castwell
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