Members' Bio: Where'd you come from?

[flybob]

My goal for 2009 is to treat myself to a hunt for the California Golden Trout. I'm in the early planning phases of doing a day hike and/or overnight hike to fish for this little beast. Hopefully, there are a few Californians on this board who can assist?

Great Bio Thom, and welcome aboard!

Repeat after me "Golden Trout Wilderness Opener, July 1 2009" coming soon to a mountain near you!
See "DrCreek for details"

bob

[buggravy]

It's great to see a new board pop up. Flybob turned me on to the site yesterday, and it looks like a great community. Consider my hat thrown into the ring.

I grew up in the Great Smoky Mountains of western NC. We lived walking distance from a lake (about a 1/2 mile through the woods) that was full of bluegill, carp, and large mouth bass. Little bro (who is now a redfish guide/shop manager in new Orleans) and I made the trek to the lake a few times week starting when I was about 8. We started with Zebco rods/reels and a sack of white bread targeting bluegill off the ends of Mr. Warren's and Dr. Smith's docks, and eventually progressed to bait casting gear, shad raps, and large mouth bass. I can't remember fishing anywhere besides that one lake for the better part of a decade. Once my mid/late teens hit, drums, cars, and girls took priority, and I didn't fish again for a while. My brother got into flyfishing in college, and in turn got my dad into it. I followed suit in my early twenties, but mainly just so we'd all have something we could do together. I'd moved to LA at that point, and only fished a couple times a year, when I was home visiting my family, always using borrowed gear. I never fished out in California, as it never occurred to me that there'd be any trout fishing out here ( ). Then for my 30th birthday, my dad got me my first set up (an Orvis 4wt & BBS reel) This lit a fire under me (as I'm sure was his intent) to find places to fish. So I started trolling the internet, and visiting the local shop, and shortly thereafter found myself on a blue ribbon stream know as the WFSG. Now realizing that there was indeed local trout fishing I found myself up in the San Gabes and San Berdos a couple times a month for a while, finding the streams to be not at all dissimilar to the small streams in the mountains of NC that I cut my teeth on. I soon expanded my hunts to the Southern and Eastern Sierras, and later to the Western Sierras. I started tying my own flies a couple years ago, and I stand before you now as a professed addict, of intermediate skill and knowledge.

[darrin terry]

Welcome guys. Looks like there's some good new blood round here. Glad to see that. Looking forward to your posts.

[flybob]

Hey buggravy, glad you decided to join the fray!
Great bio, welcome aboard!

[Sasha]

Welcome everybody this is a great site!

[1mocast]

Paul, Thom, and Matt, Welcome to our Motley Crew of addicts...

[stanbery]

Welcome aboard.

Jon

[Eric]

Welcome aboard guys. looks like r little family is growing
Eric

[tymyown]

Howdy all! Born in Waltham Mass. and raised in an inner city housing project in Boston with one brother and a single working Mom. Needless to say there weren't too many fishing opportunities for us there until I met my Mom's friend John. John was a very interesting guy who worked in construction and was an avid fisherman. I was later to find out that John, whose name ended in a vowel (subtle hint here), had several aliases and a colorful past including something about a bank and some missing money. We would jump at any opportunity to go fishing with John especially since he drove a big black Buick at high speed and had a great goofy sense of humor. We would always go for opening day to the same trout pond down on Cape Cod where Mom would turn out some awesome meals on a small hibachi grill. The rest of the summer we would fish at various places he knew for bass, sunfish, trout and pickerel.

One year on opening day John produced a cane fly rod from the trunk of his car and asked if we wanted to try it out. I was the only adventurous one to accept and soon found myself casting my first fly rod. I don't remember the make of rod, just that it said "Genuine Tonkin Cane" on it and that I found it very exotic.

Fast forward a couple of years and John has a massive heart attack and dies suddenly. Obviously our fishing adventures dropped off significantly but I had already been bitten by the bug and had inherited the cane rod along with a couple of reels and a Perrine fly box and flies.

Fast forward many years to when I relocated to California at age 25 and yes I still have the rod when I move. Landed a job with Pacific Telephone (now AT&T), got married and had two sons. As the boys got older we would go camping at the Kern River and I introduced them to fishing. They both caught their first fish on the Kern. During this time I was still fishing ultra-light spinning gear but the memory of casting that cane rod still lingered.

In 1994 the boys and I experienced the Northridge Earthquake. I had gotten divorced several years earlier and was raising them myself at this point. To make a long story short, we lost almost everything we owned in the aftermath of the quake including my beloved cane rod and the two reels. I still have the fly box today. It was later that year that I moved full time to fly fishing and have never looked back. I literally think of John every time I fish and am so grateful and lucky to have had him as my mentor, even for such a short time.

Over the past couple of years I have become friends with one Mr. "Flyjunkie", who some of you may have crossed paths with. The aptly named Mr. Flyjunkie is the guy who has completely ruined my life by getting me into saltwater fly fishing. I was a happy small stream trout guy who now has an * of big saltwater sticks and reels and has fished on both coasts and in Mexico. You can pick me out in the crowd as I'm the one with the faraway look and the glazed over eyes dreaming about the next trip to Baja or Montauk or even someplace as pedestrian as Zuma Beach. I've got it bad and it's all his fault. Beware this innocent looking chap. He looks harmless enough but he's pure evil........everybody should have such a good friend!

[Benny]

What great stories from all you guys....welcome aboard

[Flyjunkie]

Over the past couple of years I have become friends with one Mr. "Flyjunkie", who some of you may have crossed paths with. The aptly named Mr. Flyjunkie is the guy who has completely ruined my life by getting me into saltwater fly fishing. I was a happy small stream trout guy who now has an * of big saltwater sticks and reels and has fished on both coasts and in Mexico. You can pick me out in the crowd as I'm the one with the faraway look and the glazed over eyes dreaming about the next trip to Baja or Montauk or even someplace as pedestrian as Zuma Beach. I've got it bad and it's all his fault. Beware this innocent looking chap. He looks harmless enough but he's pure evil........everybody should have such a good friend!

That's ME... I'm just a Dope Peddler...
Stay away from me, I'll ruins Ya....
Glad to have you for such a Great Friend....

[flybob]

Great Bio tymyown!

Glad to have you with us!

Dean, you are evil! and I hope to meet you one day!

[Flyjunkie]

Dean, you are evil! and I hope to meet you one day!

You might wanna reconsider that statement.... I am Nasty Bad....

[Jim Lowe]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the forum. I figured I'd introduce myself and this seemed to be the thread to do it.

My name is Jim Lowe, some folks call me "James", my grandmother calls me "Jimmer", my wife calls me "grumpy".

I'll probably post mostly on the Sierra forums. I grew up fishing for Bass, Bluegill and Pickerel in Connecticut.. I picked up fly fishing in college. I'm a self taught fly fisher and caster but have been fortunate enough to have picked up a few pointers from some great sources. I consider myself both a small water fly fisher and pocket water nympher in the style of Joe Humphreys. I also used fish yarn in the right angle style of Hickson and Schubert but don't do that much anymore. I sight fish mostly with dries or nymphs.

Early season I fish the central valley, during the summer the Sierra and in fall you'll find me in the Shasta area. Hot Creek and the Upper Sac are my favorite waters.

I've got Heritage Trout cert # 17. I do a bit of backpacking and hiking and I like to make fly rods when I can.

I look forward to spending some time here and when appropriate will try to contribute something constructive.

Thanks.

Jim.

[1mocast]

Welcome Jimmer,
Glad you made it here...Your contributions will be a great addition. Especially your Boo Blogs and presentations.