My better half told me that she though she heard the water calling my name. I thought that voice was only in my head. In any case I headed for a pond. I grabbed two bamboo rods a couple of hook boxes of flies and off to the pond.

One day in September at lower meadow of Slough Creek, I was hit by the buzzards of flying ants mating swarm. Bugs were all over in the air and on the water and trout kept gulping while it lasted. I was not ready for this sudden event and I did very poorly. Lower Slough is probably the toughest water in Yellowstone Park but also I didn't have right ant patterns. Sizes of these ants were not in general as queens were size 10 or 12 while males were size 20 to 24. I had to develop true imitations and head back to the creek while swarm would last. I came up with great patterns for both queens and males.

Back in January of 1974 I realized a life-long dream when I moved to Montana. "Back in the day" living in Montana was an outdoorsman's idea of heaven. My wife was willing to move there, and I had a job which assured that I could actually stay. Soon I was living the dream.

One of my favorite items pertaining to fly fishing that I own is my float tube. So much so that I have refused over the years to upgrade to a kick-boat or U-boat even as my venerable "donut" passed into obscurity. So many of the attributes of the old donuts that folks used as reasons to upgrade were lost on me, so why change? I like the fact that you sit lower in the water, as well as the "lounge chair affect" you get when you let your feet float out to the front. I like the quiet finning you can do since you sit so low, and how you can actually use the bottom easier with your fins when fishing obstructed water. All reasons to get away from the donuts for most, but for me they are all endearing qualities, and never more than when I am stalking a flat of lily pads.

I don't normally visit garage sales. I already have more stuff than I need so I don't visit garage sales, rummage sales, yard sales or auctions. However, one day I found myself at loose ends in a strange town while my wife was receiving medical treatments and as I was out for a walk I chanced upon a garage sale. As I was passing by I noticed a table that had some books piled on one end and what appeared to be some fishing gear on the other end. Certainly more out of curiosity than need I wandered over and glanced at the book titles and the fishing gear. The books were fiction titles and the fishing gear consisted of a few inexpensive spinning rods, a tackle box with some rusting lures and jigs, and some other miscellaneous bait fishing items. As I turned to go an older woman approached me.

Well, best I know, trout's don't drink tea. But for the fly angler the three teas are fundamental to good results on the water. Since I fish moving water here in the Intermountain West, my references are to that experience. But I think the teas have universal application.

Here I am, sitting at my computer with the fly boxes from the January Soft Hackle Fly Swap of Beginner's. I have 7 of the 8 boxes from this swap, and all of the dressed flies are beautifully dressed.

I have only one problem that has bother me for many years during these swaps. Some of the tyers in these fly swaps use hooks that do not have barbs, or the barbs have been smashed. This causes the Toe Tag to slide off of the hook.