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Hey Quillback -- read that a few years back. It is a good one! This is a pretty good read too, and sorta similar: The Last Season Currently reading "An Irish Country Doctor" on a whim. It's about, you guessed it, an Irish country doctor.

Yeah, it all depends on the company. We reported the first quarterly loss in 20 years last quarter. It was pretty small, and probably the only one we'll have. In the meantime, our insurance company actually reduced our premiums (based on loss experience) and the company passed that savings on to us despite our issues. I looked real hard at a high-deductible / health savings account option this year too. It just didn't make sense right now, but I'm keeping my eyes open. One of the problems with HSAs is that, sadly, having assets can be a negative late in life. I have two aunts that recently had to be moved into a nursing home due to dementia. The home is licking their chops because they've both got large savings accounts. So we pay an astronomical amount per month to the home until their money is gone, then they flip the switch and Medicaid pays a discounted rate from then on. The good news is they're taken care of for life. The bad news is look where the money's going.

It is what it is, Cricket. Nobody represented it as anything other than an option with which they have had good experiences. It was your post that introduced religion and politics into the forum. You may think getting a good insurance agent is obvious, (and I do too), but I think it's important enough to point that out here since the guy's looking for advice. Sorry if you think that's not worth a post. It's awfully easy to get screwed, or end up with coverage that leaves you hanging out. Best to go to 2 or 3 agents, or as many as it takes, until you get one that knows his stuff, takes the time to understand your situation and steers you the right way. And, thanks for the promotion to Captain!

So, Cricket -- who are you asking, and what's your point anyway? Do I need to step in and state more of the obvious? I'd have to agree with JD's logic. stlfisher: sure, it's tough to swallow an increase but without knowing all the details it's hard to say whether you ought to be upset or whether you can replace the insurance for less. Chances are you can't. A friend of mine was laid off last year and immediately rehired as a contractor. His company shed the cost of his benefits, and he had to go find insurance to cover his family -- which costs him $700+ a month. He's still got a job, but he nets less.

I'd qualify that a little -- a GOOD insurance agent.

Your increase could be due to the insurance company or your employer or both. Health insurance is one the most difficult thing to analyze and also one of the most important. I would shop it around quite a bit, and try to find someone in the know that will help you understand all the ins-and-outs of your work policy and other options. There are a lot of variables to consider. As others have said, group policies typically offer more bang for the buck than an individual policy. The problem with policies through work is you get what they offer and that's that. It may or may not be a good policy at a good price.

Kinda sorry to hear Travis is gone. I thought he was a great kid, and I'm not surprised he worked out well for you.

I haven't found anything I like better than a horsehair, preferably Percheron, Spring harvested center tail. Seriously, I've got a variety on my spool and in the bag. Can't say I pay too much attention to it. Definitely won't pay up for it. Won't buy the cheapest either. Orvis, Umpqua, Frog Hair, RIO.

Nope. If you're doing what you're doing within the rules, which I assume you are, you're fine in my book. And you're fine in anybody's book whose opinion should matter to you. Tackle doesn't mean squat. It's really a pretty darn good deal we've got here. Pretty much everybody has easy and inexpensive access to the outdoors to fish for a variety of species in a bunch of different ways. If you want to fish dries upstream or sling Powerbait, in a crowd or all by yourself, there's a place for you. There's room for all of us out there.

I'm usually just rigged up with two fly rods. I drip the reel between the two slats on the canoe seat and tuck the tips up under the bow plate. That's enough to keep me from knocking them out, and they're pretty easy to get to. Seeing Eric's setup makes me think a couple little tarp bungees (a loop with a ball on the end) might be handy. Or, not -- if they're not secured somehow.

I've done that too. I've also traded bonds while standing in a stream, but that's been a while back. Why not turn your phone off jd?

I'm not in St. Louis, and I don't know either shop though I've met guys from both of them. I've been in my share of 'snobby' fly shops, and it always just blows my mind when I encounter that feeling in a place of business. Greeting your customers with a smile, and giving them the same attention whether they're spending $2 or $2,000 costs nothing. But it pays dividends in repeat customers and word of mouth. There's a fly shop I used to frequent that had three guys working in it. One was a really nice older guy who'd take as much time as you needed to help you and never made you feel like you were anything but a valued customer, even a friend. The second guy was pretty good too. The third guy acted like he knew it all, and the customer knew nothing. He just had this air of superiority about him. He wouldn't say hi when I came it, often didn't even look up from what he was doing, never remembered my name, nothing. If I got stuck with him, he always acted impatient, but sure seemed to have interest when some newb came in and wanted get geared up fer fly fishing or book a trip. I sorta dreaded having to deal with him. With the web stores out there -- big and small -- and the ability to shop them all for price from your chair, the only way the traditional fly shop can differentiate and survive is with service. And a big part of that is the feel of the shop and the way people treat you when you're there.

Yeah -- Tom went was beyond the call with us. Lisa's great too, and the guy that worked with us on clays and targets was Travis -- I kept all their names because I was impressed with them. That bank won't hold it forever. I'm actually surprised they've had it this long, but it's not like selling a house or even a commercial property. There's only a handful of potential buyers out there for something like that.

I took my boys out there last year, and they had a blast. The folks were great, and Tom worked with them on the fishing as much as a paid guide would have. We shot targets and clays later that day and the guy that did that was great too. Beautiful cabins and lodge. I hope they hang on out there. I haven't heard an update on their situation for some time.

Yeah -- buying sized-stuff in the Cabela's store is hit-and-miss. I've made the mistake of waiting to the last minute on several occasions and end up blowing into Cabela's only to find they don't have it in my (or my boys) size. Once I was forced to buy something online and pay $$$ shipping to have it on time. I'm cheap, and that really stung. My fault for waiting, but I've sure been disappointed in their stock enough times that I just don't count on it.

I do like the tackle craft catalog from Cabela's. But I'm like you Eric -- I wish they'd save the paper. Last year (I think) they sent this hard-bound 'master' catalog. Man, what a waste! Too big to lug into the loo. I pitched it in the recycle bin largely on principal. I mostly flyfish, and prefer Cabela's gear over BPS in that category. But now that I think of it, next time I've got a need I'm gonna check in with Tim's Fly Shop at Roaring River first. I've ordered a couple things from him over the phone or via e-mail in the past. It worked out great -- no sales tax and drop-shipped to my house. Good guy to deal with, and I'm a sucker for the underdog.

Yeah, it really does matter. Some sites just get it right, and others don't. I think some of the mail order companies really had it right back in the day, but they have struggled with the web. Funny thing is, it's not all that difficult, at least according to people I've spoken with. Could be they just don't notice the sales they don't get. I'll give a couple of the other sites mentioned a look too. Thanks for the ideas.

I've been a Cabela's customer for a loooong time. From back when they sent one crummy, skinny catalog a year. And the only way to shop there was by thumbing through the catalog or driving to Sidney. Their products were good quality, customer service was great, and their return policy was as good as they come. I gave Bass Pro several tries too. Since they're right in the Ozarks I stopped by their Springfield store many times, and even bought a few things there. Try as I might though, they would just never send me a catalog. I remember feeling like maybe I'd fallen through the cracks; like my old-style postage-paid catalog request card must have been lost in the mail. Over time, I bet I asked for a catalog a half dozen times, and I'd bet I've gotten two in the last 15 years. I figured they didn't like me for some unknown demographic reason. On the other hand, I'd bet Cabela's has sent me 15 in the last two years. Recently, I was in the market for a new bass rig, and headed to cabelas.com to see what they had. I clicked on the fishing/spinning link and was brought to a page with four "specials" prominently displayed at the top. Well, they were 0 fer 4 on that stuff, either being butt-ugly or far too expensive, so I scrolled down to see what else they had. To my dismay the dozens of options were sorted alphabetically by company with no way to narrow the field. The little thumbnail pictures were darn near useless since all spinning rods look pretty much the same from 100 feet away. I was reduced to hunting and pecking based on company and price, and quickly gave up. This is, after all, the world-wide web and you've only got me for 30 seconds. So, I surfed over to Bass Pro's website, and I'll be darned if they didn't have a nice little setup just tailored for me. Filter by brand, price, species, customer rating and a couple others. I narrowed it down quickly and made my purchases. Now, that's the way a web site ought to be! Today I was back in the market for a cooler, to replace one I had lost in a freak accident on the Current River. Habit took me to cabelas.com, but I was again put off by their clunky web site. They may have had what I was looking for, but there were gonna be too many clicks to find it. So the sale went to Bass Pro again. I like Cabela's. They've still got great products, and their service and return policies are tops. They've even got a store 15 minutes from my house, which is a little more convenient than the local Bass Pro. But, I'm changing my allegiances. I'm a Bass Pro man now. (OK, I do Walmart too, but you get the point). If they'd just send me a catalog, I'd be totally content. Cabela's: overhaul that website and maybe send me a few LESS catalogs a year, and I'll give you another shot.

I see your points, and believe me, if I were king it would be a lot tighter out there. Sure, I'd let you fish, but not too many more. But I try to look at the situation within the overall context. There is a long tradition of fishing for food, trout stocking and creel limits. If you try to go in and take that away, there's gonna be an uproar, and license sales will go down. I just don't think it's practical to shut them down, or reduce them significantly. I think the trout plan improves the overall situation by tightening things up at the Blue Ribbon sections and it also appeases the catch/keep crowd. It's a compromise, trying to keep as many people happy as possible. We got the good stuff though, so I'm pretty content. I think the Blue Ribbon section of the LP is far superior to the Roubidoux in habitat, and it's less accessible. That's good stuff.

Word on the street is there will be a large contingent of drunkards on the 11 Point this weekend. If anybody's got a score to settle with fishing legend/forum provocateur Paul Dallas, this would be your chance. Lots of places to hide a body down there.

Gotta agree with Eric, as much as it pains me , this survey debate is mostly semantics. Bottom line is most of the stocked trout either get caught, meet some other fate (or learn to avoid the surveyors somehow). A few survive, and they grow bigger over time. Just like I woulda thought. The White Ribbon areas serve a need, and while it may not be an ideal management strategy, there are some positives. As mentioned before, they give the bait fisherman/trout eater a place to go. And that increases the base of outdoorsmen buying licenses, keeps our outdoor traditions alive, and makes for a more conservation-minded population. If you don't like them, there are lotsa other places to go.

hmmm. I've never flipped anything that quickly, so I've never run into it. I generally take a longer-term approach, and I hate the thought of ST capital gains as it chews up a lot more of the profits.

I'd definitely file a report. Not sure who's got jurisdiction there, but that'd be easy to figure out. It may not help you, but it may help somebody else. Thieves suck.

I think the White Ribbon areas are fine. They do serve a purpose -- providing a trout opportunity for those that want to catch and keep with any kind of tackle. I think they do help redirect people away from Blue and Red Ribbon sections to a degree, and I'm all for that. They also give the giggers a place to go without interfering with self-sustaining populations of trout. I'd be curious if they generate enough license sales to be pay the costs, but even if they didn't it wouldn't mean it's a bad idea. That said, I wouldn't mind seeing Capps split up into White/Red. Don't know much about Hickory.

Great advice there, stock-man either.