got your attention didn’t I. There is just one thing I hate about this place but lets start at the beginning.
I first came to this site by way of al cambell’s fly tying lessons. figured I would join so I could pick up a few tips and tricks on fly fishing and tying. Made a few posts blew off a little steam and then it happened. Bought some things from one of the members here I think it was ducksterman and made a friend, sent some products to another member and made another friend. Joined a few swaps and made a few more friends. starting picking up some good technics and made more friends. Starting posting a few things that actually helped someone out and made even more friends. Started getting PM’s. started wrapping fly rods, made more friends. Shared in the pain, suffering, and pure joy of members here and made even more friends. Now about this time you are going ok BOB what is the problem?
I have made all these friends on line and the chances of meeting them in person is slim to none. That is what I hate about FAOL - we are scattered all over the world not just the U.S. I will never get the opertunity to share a river, lake, pond, tying bench, or a meal or even a cup of coffee with 99% of the people I have come to know and admire here. Many of you when I have had a very bad day will post something that will make me laugh my you know what off. You have all been great and I guess I will just have to settle for words on the monitor. Thanks everyone for your friendship and kindness.
Funny you bring this up, because today at the Northern Ohio Fly Tying Expo there was a bunch of us talking about coming to the Idaho Fish In this year. Not sure if it will work out for all of us, but looks like you might get to meet a few of us after all. BTW, I agree that online relationships limit face to face contact, but there are still ways in which we can enrich each others lives.
my family calls y’all my “invisible friends.” may not be much “substance” on line, but there is a whole lot of sharing and caring that has the same effect.
Yep your entirely right.
I get to meet quite a few of us at the fish-ins but not hardly enough. It is a bit frustrating but never fear I expect to win the lottery almost any day now so I will be able to travel extensivly and meet everybody on this wonderful site.
Someday I’d like to meet Dshock and let the air out of his tires, put tacks on duckstermans seat, crazy glue Jack Hise shoes to the floor. Alas I may never get the chance.
I’m hoping Betty’s hats will help some of us identify a fellow faoler out on stream or at the lake so we can meet that way. Wouldn’t that be ever so cool?
Still and all I really do feel that in a way I have met you all thru your posts and in the Chat room. I too smile inside and feel good when I recognise a familiar name show up in the forums.
Still its not all bad , I did get to meet Superman.
“Someday I’d like to meet Dshock and let the air out of his tires, put tacks on duckstermans seat, crazy glue Jack Hise shoes to the floor. Alas I may never get the chance.”
Gnu Bee Flyer,
If you will let me move in with you this spring, I will allow you to let the air out of my tires! Then I can have free rent and get to fish in Canada. You can even supply ALL the flies!
It’s a Win Win situation!
You dream of Crazy Gluing Jack’s shoes to the floor too???
THANKFULLY… I, “escaped” GnuBee’s LIST!! Which, of course, only PROVES what I’ve known all along… "I’m cuter, nicer, sweeter, more sedate, quieter, coyer and far shyer, than Jack H., Ducksterman and DShock put together!
However, if the ONLY thing you two can think of, that’s Jack’s you’d like to “super glue to the floor”, is his SHOES… gads…even I CAN BE more “imaginative” than that!?!
Mr. harleybob I feel the exact same way as you do about this great place we know as FAOL. I have my few friends here around home and my family. But I feel I have a second bunch of friends and family here at FAOL. And I hope you all do not mind me calling you my friends even thought we have never met. I have been involved with a few things here on this site that I have to say changed my life in the way I think about the troubles we face in life. And if I should go to my grave tomorrow I will take a little piece of each and everyone of you with me in my heart.
Well now I can say for sure, this site has been a God send many times, I know it has a great deal to do with the 2 individuals who happen to own and operate this site. Without there morals and values it would not be like it is here, of coures that would be JC and LF. Not only do they watch and monitor here, they also include there lives here with us. They are not running this like a impersonnel machine where as we know nothing about them, but they include there lives in here with us. So in effect, this is there house, there online home (if I may) that we share in with them, that makes a huge difference.
While the site was down for the upgrade, I learned that I have more “friends” on FAOL than I do here around me. You can ask my wife, I do not socialize very well so that means I do not have very many close friends here plus I have a tendency to not trust human beings. I enjoy being by myself and that is why I enjoy fly fishing and fly tying. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy having Jack here and I enjoy fishing with him. I just do not make a lot of real close friends. My job requires that I deal with a lot of people everyday and I love customer service and the feeling I get when I have helped someone, but, when I leave work, I really do not want to deal with anymore people. I also teach a fly tying class that I really enjoy. While FAOL was down, I felt like I had lost all contact with the world!! There are so many people on this site, that I look at several times each day, that all I am looking for is a post from them so that I can see how they are doing. I feel so “close” to a lot of people that I have never met and would not know if they walked into my office! It is such a strange and hard feeling to explain. We owe so much to JC and LF for providing this site for us and for maintaining this site so that it is something your children can view without worrying about what they may read or see. There are so many members that I would love to meet and spend some fishing time with, but, with work and the miles between us, I fear that may never happen and that makes me sad. FAOL is my daily “fix” that I need and must have each day to survive. Jim and Deanna, I love you both plus I love each and every member on FAOL.
You are all just plain great…thanks for being here…
I can totally relate to being a solitary type being…Mostly It is a job related deal for me to, That I’ve not been able to attend a fish-in or three…I’d dearly like to attend the MI atleast once…Who knows, Someday my luck may swing 180 degree’s and make it possible.
I’m pretty much on my own at work also…Don’t even see my boss all that often! Which is fine by me…Just wish they paid more. :roll:
I hear ya, harleybob. It would be great to meet up with some of the folks I meet on this forum. My experience has been only good. I think I’ve had to opportunity to fish with three different people I’ve met through FAOL. All class acts, by the way. Wouldn’t it be cool to have and FAOL convention someday. You know, find a place that’s centrally located and send out an invite for all to come. Anyway, chatting with folks online is better than nothing. I’ve gotten to know a few better than others and would welcome a day of fishing with them.
Warren, you’ve invited me on several occasions to fish with you. I’m going to do all I can to make it happen. Thanks for the invite.
I, for one, do believe that someday we will meet on that beautiful shore in paradise. I think that Grubb is right, this site is a Godsend. Because of the Internet we probably know more about each other than people that meet face to face everyday. Why? There are things that we will put down as type on a screen that we are reluctant about putting into speech.
The folks of this board have gotten me through the worst times of my life. I am forever in their debt and the debt of this wonderful man that I have yet to “meet face to face”:
Tomorrow RonS81 is coming down from Nashville to fish the Duck river with me. This will be the first time we’ve fished togather
Then Thursday (weather allowing) EdD is coming down to fling some flies.
Kaboom1 is entertaining thoughts of visiting soon too!
I’m lucky to live in a place where you can fish year round.:mrgreen:
Hi Jack! If Kaboom1 makes it down, are you going to make him do all of the cooking?
I can see it now, the First Annual (Leader) Furlin’ and (Fly) Flingin’. You saw it here, first. History in the planning. I wonder who’s gonna win the first Chairman of the (Furling) Board prize.
Hey HarleyBob------do you ride a bike to go fishing? My XL1200 Sportster is my main fly fishin’ machine. I also have VTX 1800 for long distance campingfishing trips with my young son. The Harley beats him up on a long haul.
Hey Jack.
You just awakened me to another reason to (hate?) FAOL. Jealousy! All you people outside the snow zone braggin’ about year-round fishin’ and cook-outs and stuff.:rolleyes: You just wait til’ spring gets here, and I’ll start floodin’ these pages with pictures of high mountain lakes and streams, nestled between snow-capped peaks. All of them filled with eager trouts and such. Pictures of ten pound rainbows and browns. That’ll larn ya’!
Any fishin’ in that pond just east of ya Jack? I’m just 20 minutes away from the South Fork of the Snake, and if it ever warms up again, I’m goin’ over there and huck a streamer in there and see if anythings at home. So there!
Yellowstone still beckons Jack. Idaho Fish-in’s not far from there.
