rps

I won’t say I know what you are going through. I don’t. However in my young lawyer days I did divorce work. Nasty stuff. This is free advice, and probably worth what you pay for it. From here on out, NEVER speak ill about her in front of the children. If they believe you they will feel bad and be defensive. However, children are not stupid. The time will come when they realize what you have done and respect you. They may even tell you how and why you are wrong. And if the miracle happens, and you reconcile, there will be no bad blood about the children between you. Now about the reels. Do you want a Lewis Mach whatever, lightly used and garishly chartreuse? If so give me an address. rps

Chicken Divan

Time to install motion sensor claymore mines.

Dutch, from Eagle Rock to past Viney, QB knows every bump and hollow.

Chili cheese tots.

Good for you. I think I recognize the general area you fished.

Sounds great!

Once upon a time, I did diamond wraps as well. Of course, that was back when all the blanks were fiberglass. Now days I do minimalist. My preference is spiral wrapped split grip with no foregrip, and micro guides.

Baking may be just chemistry, butno two loaves ever look the same here.

We use a razor blade (single edge!) to slit the raw loaf crust before we bake. It helps control the split. I can't tell. Did you?

This is brilliant! I can't wait for the results from the first OA member that orders. It could change the whole fly fishing game!

Ouch! When I wrap for myself I do an Acid or Roberts wrap.

I plan to vent here. If you want rational or sweetness and light, move on. Over the last two days, dozens of people have lost their lives and hundreds have seen their homes, their businesses, or both, destroyed. This fact is tragic, and I do not intend to belittle the seriousness of their grief and pain. My wife and I have been fortunate all our lives to not be victims of such. My rant is much smaller. @Dutch asked me to build a rod. Despite a spot of illness, Mudhole's woefully slow delivery, and life hiccups, I have done so. Last weekend I epoxied the thread. If you have never built a rod, let me assure you, epoxy application never goes to plan. Sometimes it is a breeze. Other times nothing goes right. Try pulling a dog hair out of a set epoxied wrap. The first coat of epoxy for Dutch was marginally okay. I thought I needed to touch it up. Right after lunch today, I did a little touch up and put the rod back on the rolling dryer for the self leveling epoxy to even out. The wife and I went to Verizon for a free upgrade to a Iphone 14 for her. With this, that, and the other, we were gone two hours. When we came back, we discovered the power went out shortly after we left. The computers were shut down, the clocks were way off time, and various appliances needed to be restarted. One was the rod roller. The thread wraps now have the oddest bulges, some areas not covered, and the kinds of defects I am ashamed to show. So I won't. These do not affect the function of the rod or its longevity. They are merely ugly. I will ship @Dutch his rod when it cures. I will continue to hold hold fate and weather responsible for the ugliest rod I have made in the last twenty years. If I were doing this for money, I would not even send it. Why is it that when you are doing something for someone else, the weather gods make sure to spoil it?

Beautiful fish!

While the second example clearly is a MM, I think the first is as well.

When I moved from Oklahoma to Tablerock lake, I had the same experience. Even the clearer lakes in Oklahoma, Tenkiller, Grand, and Broken Bow, do not compare. The hard way, I learned to downsize to 10#, max, and learn to fish 6# and 8# as well.

His 1/8 ounce bare crappie jig was the best deep Ned jig ever. I always wished he would pour a 1/16.. No offense dtrs5kprs.

Some of you may remember when I had a dozen Top Dollars painted by Hughes about 10 years ago. I have given two as gifts. One I sailed high into a sycamore and I could not retrieve. I have three left. The others disappeared into trees and bushes when I couldn't turn the fish fast enough. Surge shads will disappear the same way. Cherish what you have.

Chicken cacciatore.

Once every year or two I get a yen for battered fish. Then I think about the clean up.

I fiddled with a magazine recipe for Hoagie salad.

Welcome to all! I wish I could move back to Table Rock.

Simple dinner.

For years I fished a green frog on a black twin spin spinner. I cut the pork side in a cross hatch to make it flexible and wave more. And for years I had to clean up the box every Spring.