ness

Terry -- what's the best way (for you and me both) to buy your book? I've had Proper's book in my Amazon wish list forever. They fetch a pretty penny, compared to other used stuff. Anyhoo, I popped for a copy. It'd better be good!

Just ordered a used copy of "To Hell ..." off Amazon

Oh yeah -- Curtis Creek is my favorite too. Forgot about that, and I can't picture mine on the book shelf....... Travers good too, just not much of it. Haven't read Zern; have you got a book name?

I don't have any instructional recommendations, but for enjoyable, humorous, light, fly-fishing related reading the John Gierach books are great. I don't have any one that's my favorite, but I have favorite stories from several of his books. The best instruction I've ever gotten came from guides, FWIW.

Cewl. I learnt me something today.

Man, I love it -- Albright website says Bugati MSRP $250, on sale for $35. Whoops.

Eric -- good choice on the rod. That should tide you over nicely until you get into bamboo. Albright Bugatti? Coldwater, where do you find this stuff? Never heard of it. Don't go tooo cheap on the reel. It's not all about the drag either. You want something well-made, that'll last a while and looks at least good enough that you're not embarrassed to be seen with it. I won't do plastic, and I won't do painted metal. Plastic's gonna break, painted metal's gonna look like crap soon. I've got several Orvis Battenkills. It's a decent, serviceable reel that's been around forever. I didn't check today, but I think they're around $75. You can buy extra spools, so you can kinda look at that as more reel for the money (spool it with different line weights). They've also got a low-end metal reel called, I think, the Madison line. They're worth a look. Nobody ever brings them up in these conversations but me, and I don't really know why that is. They're decent reels for the money and carry the Orvis no-questions-asked guarantee.

Wow -- that Ozark bass is wild looking. I've never seen one either.

I remember sitting in my dentist's chair and having him spout off about how much he was making in stocks. He wasn't alone -- everybody was making a killing and talking about it. I already thought things were inflated, and his confidence is what pushed me to move a large percentage of my retirement out of stocks. That was 1999, and I remember that because of the tech bubble that popped right after that. I'm not bragging, it's just when the whole world thinks the market is a sure thing, it's time to exit. It feels the same way with gold. When you're pounded with commercials saying it's time to buy gold, and others are begging you to sell them your jewelry, it just feels like a bubble in the making. I've gotta think it's gonna pop relatively soon.

OK -- if you're talking about 'day trading' then Backcountry's info is spot on. You always hear stories about people doubling, tripling, whatever, their money. Nobody ever talks about it when they lose. It's just about like going to the casino -- the odds are heavily stacked against you and you'll lose more often than you win. I recently got satellite radio, and I hear the commercials on Fox radio. Pennystockchaser.com, buy gold now, etc. I'd ignore that BS. I'm not saying gold won't go to 2,000, but geez -- do you really want to jump in on something that's already moved up 50% (or whatever)? Penny stocks are, as Backcountry said, about as risky as it gets. Buying Conoco for a long-term investment is probably not a bad bet. They sell oil, and we seem to be using quite a lot of it. Ford is the only US car company not to require a massive bailout, and are building good quality vehicles. They're kinda my sentimental favorite for just getting it right. They're certainly not out of the woods yet, but we're always gonna need cars, and I'd bet a lot of them will be Fords. If you look at the industries that have been battered by all this, and pick out the guys that have done the best you're able to see who knows how to run a business. And, a lot of the stocks are still tamped down, just because. A couple that come to mind are GE, Ford or Wells Fargo.

My point was, that after the rout of 2008 - early 2009, virtually all stock funds are up. The worst one I own personally is up about 29% year-to-date, and skimming over a list of stock funds, the lowest YTD return I see is 14%. So saying your portfolio has performed well over six months doesn't exactly set you apart. Phil asked about the market and a few particular stocks saying he wanted to step out of funds, and I suggested an approach. I think it's tempting to get a little too into things -- like watching the financial shows, checking the market, counting your sheckles at the end of the day's trading, etc. For a guy just sticking his toe in the water, I'd suggest looking at it long-term. All that stuff is just a distraction. That's why I say just make your picks and forget about them for a while -- like, say, five years. The investment world is full of old sayings, but here's one that speaks more to my approach: "Lethargy, bordering on sloth, should be the cornerstone of an investment strategy."

It's been relatively hard to find stocks or stock funds that haven't performed well over the last six months or so. Same with bond funds, if they weren't governments. When you said 'active trader', did you mean you were looking to buy and sell frequently? Are you wanting to take advantage of frequent, small price moves? If so, you've got a lot of competition -- very good competition. I'd suggest you look at those stocks (or others) independently, make your decision and stick with it. Don't be influenced by short-term moves, the pundits, the day's economic indicators, etc. Turn off CNBC, ignore Jim Cramer, and don't check the stock price for, say, 6 months. If you don't have the temperament to do this, it may be you're better off in funds.

Man, that filled up so quick I feel like we're probably excluding some folks. Any chance you'd bump it to 18?

Man, you're killing me. We did a three-day stopover in Townsend on our way to SC this summer. That was not nearly enough time for me there. I had one day blocked out for fishing, and it rained bad the night before. The water was way, way up. Caught a nice brown though. Got skunked early the last morning -- way up in the Park trying to snag a brookie. That was a disappointment, but I know I'll get back. Gorgeous place, and Townsend is the way to go. Where'd you stay?

Great idea! Put me down for some kinda popper. I'm feeling creative.

I know the feeling. I used to lose sunglasses all the time. Bought a pair of expensive ones, and they've lasted 5 years. Gotta run -- I'm not sure I put them back in the case.

We're on the same team, man. Have a happy birthday!

I know your not one of them -- I saw the 'Baldwin' over there. I've got JO on my plate, and it comes with it's own set of baggage.

Goodun Ronnie

I got your gift right here, Chief. Your pal, DW

Can't help you on the handle, but I got a lotta ways to shorten the other end.

How do I know it's not a trap?

I saw on another internet bulletin chat forum this thing where people tie flies and then a whole bunch show up in the mail. Not sure exactly how it works, but it sounds a little like an illegal chain letter, but with tackle. Anybody got any knowledge about these things?

I wanna see a strike indicator that'll float a heavy nymph and a pair of BBs, won't come off, easy for me to see, invisible to the trout and helps with casting. Also, it needs to be about $0.25 and last forever. You know -- something with German engineering and Chinese labor.

Seems like we've all come to agreement on religion, politics, guide-shadowing and catch and release. So, what can we get in a tizzy about now?