Thinnin' the Herd

January is closet cleaning time. Rods, reels, miscellaneous crap layin' around the house...somethin's gotta give. We are rapidly running out of rod storage options, and the reel basket is overflowing.

So, the following items are for sale. Pics are available upon request. Prices are negotiable, and here's where you do the homework:
We ain't gonna give prices.
You have to make an offer on an item, then we dicker and haggle.
If you are a good dickerer and haggler, there are some deals to be had here...we want to divest ourselves of some of these items pretty badly, others not so much. Money Talks. Trades not only accepted, but widely encouraged, the more creative the better.
Old-School fleamarket swap-meet mojo. Let the buying begin...

Rods:
Orvis T³ 11wt 9' tip-flex 4 piece.
Sage TCR 8wt 9' 4 piece DEMO. SOLD
Sage RPl 6wt 9'6" 2 piece.
Sage SP+ 5wt 9' 2 piece.
G. Loomis GL3 7wt 9' 2 piece. SOLD
G. Loomis IMX 3wt 9' 2 piece.
Lamiglas G1000 9wt 9' 2 piece.
Echo Classic 6wt 10' 4 piece.
St Croix Avid 9/10wt 14' 3 piece.

Reels:
Ross Colorado 1 SOLD
Ross Colorado 2 SOLD
Teton Tioga 8
Teton Tioga 12LA
(2)Airflo Balance57
Ari 't Hart design ATH Gallatin 1

Misc:
Simms drycreek hip pack - SEE NOTE BELOW
Lines in 3-5-7-8-9-10-11 wt, various n sundry.
Wooden net, 8" handle, 15"x10" mouth.
Well-used waders...all MK. G3's, RiverTeks, and el cheapo Stearns. Lotta aquaseal in the g3s, none whatsoever in the RT's or the Stearns.

Gear Stuff:
Okuma Classic 450L
Penn 309
Quantum 1420MG
Shimano Calcutta 200
No-Name 7 1/2' Jig Stick
(2) 7' 1-piece telescoping Crankin' sticks, one has cork, the other hyphalon

NOTE: The hip pack has our name and addy inked in on the bottom. So far, this has disturbed a few people...If you own a sharpie and can cross our name out, there is still a good deal to be had here.


Post-holidaze bargain shoppers, here's your chance.

Make us an offer we can't refuse.

Holidaze Redux, post #100, Resolutions, and blathering.

We are just about over this whole respiratory infection thingy. Strong tea, nose hosing, a new humidifier, staying away from beer, and about 9 gallons of gatorade have helped things, so we are almost out of the woods on that front. We would like to think that we are well enough to do the friday night Usual with Surf n' Turf, but something tells us that a few beers after the Hockey Game could lead to a major setback.

Speaking of the devil, Beers were consumed with the Moldy B² and Chief-Angler ER over the holidaze, and as usual when Beer is present, plans are hatched. We're not sure if all of our scheming and plotting will come to fruition, but it sure is fun pondering the possibillities over beers.

B² on the left, Chief Angler on the right. Some foo' in the middle.


While we're on the topic of The Moldy Chum, voting has commenced for the "Slab Of The Year" contest. We ain't gonna stand on a soapbox, kiss babies, or hand out $20's, but we do have a horse in this particular race to tell y'all about. We got a feelin' that a gold medal is sorta out of the question, but it would be nice to see some love for a big honkin' AK Saltwater King done up flystyle. Just sayin'.



Post #100. A fine time to look back at the dust we have created and time we have wasted...
Coho - 23%
Dolly Varden - 18%
Beads, love thereof - 12%
Being a Geek - 7%
Tearful reminiscing about unfrozen waters - 5%
Flies - 5%
Music - 3%
Huge Mountain Goats, Moose in Wires (tie) - 1%
Miscellaneous Drivel - 25%

...Which might substitute for a segue into a few of our New Year's Resolutions, in no particular order:
-Take More Pics.
Lately, we forget the camera, or leave it in our pockets. No more. It's digital, it ain't like it's wasting film...

-Get With the 2-Hand Thingy.
We have been switchroddin' for a few years, but lately the bum shoulder has been making singlehandin' a bitch...gotta go all-in with the Old-Man stick, save what little cartilage is left in the vecchio braccio di destra.

-Fish the Surface.
Coho and dollies are fun n' all, but the real targets this year are the heavy hitters. Steelhead don't normally do the Skated Fly thing in AK, mostly because the water is right around 37°. We might be on to something that could change that. Kings on the surface...need we say more?

-Bring a Rod.
Gonna get one of those Beulah travel rods and just keep it in the carry-on. A fella never knows when the opportunity will arise, eh?

Maybe we'll get a chance to use a travel rod in about a month... the Fly Show is going down in Bellevue, WA, in about 4 weeks, so there is a distinct possibility that the travelling road-show and Beer Fountain will be seen somewhere near the Meydenbauer Center around that time. Anyone wanna take us fishin'?

Things that make us go Hmmm, Installment #8

Makes a fella wonder if Sen. Larry Craig didn't pass through the Phoenix Airport on his way to Minneapolis...

Hmmm.

Post-Holiday Roundup, I

If you or someone in your family didn't receive one of these this christmas cycle, well, we are sorry. Hours of entertainment. Just think of the fun you could have at the Hofbräu München tent during Oktoberfest...

Borrowed Time

The 12 days of Christmas is such a nice song, it almost makes a fella forget that travelling around the holidays can be a hassle of Brobdingnagian proportions.

Day 12 of the Christmas travels wears heavy upon us. AK, to WA, to TX, back to WA...one more borrowed day until we get back home.

We probably would have had more Christmas spirit this year had we not been sick as a flophouse dog, coughing and sneezing our way through the presents on Cristmas day. What started out as an inconsequential sniffle at 58°19'59"N 134°29'49"W turned into a raging respiratory infection by the time we got to 30°29'12"N 97°39'18"W.

Merreh Gchristmu. At least that's what we said.

Hooked up with the Southern D (as opposed to the Northern D) for a laid-back session at the old home water. No matter how hard you try, you can't go home again. Signs looked good for a few stretches, with decent vis and good flow, but this ain't the 80's and the runs certainly aren't the same anymore. We lost a little gear, cursed at the flow some, then retired to the old eatin' place for a burger.

No fish, but a fun time anyway, and We got to see some of the old country and it's new inhabitants. Southern D is as bad as we are, shutterbuggin' his way though the day like a tourist at Disneyland. One of a few pics at the old stompin' grounds...

Borrowed computer, Borrowed photos, Borrowed gear...the last of 2007.

See you in the New Year.

Happy Christmahaunakwanzaakah Day, Dammit

Haunakah was a little quick this year.

Over by the 12th of December is no way to celebrate a season...Holy smokes, that wasn't even Winter.The whole Yiddish Calendar thingy kinda needs an update.

Kwanzaa is a ways off. We have to wait 'til the other holiday comes and goes, then we gonna get some seasonal lovin' in on the 26th. Gonna be halfway through the Boxing Day shopping when Kwanzaa starts, though. Well, maybe we'll just get all Festivus on the 23rd and avoid all that other crap.

Dammit. We'll still be hungover from Yule on the 21st. Nothin' like a little Yule goat, y'know?

As with most traditions, We here at Neil Creek tend to get a little Bah-Humbuggy around the holiday season. Many things contribute to this condition, but mostly it just fits our general demeanor when it comes to "pre-boxed" thinking and ritual.

So, Happy Holidays and all that crap. We are gonna be on the road from Dec 18th to the 31st, but we will try to post a few updates as we go along.

Fishing for a little NiCr love in WA is in the works, as is a Wassailing Session with the dynamic duo over at the Moldy Chum. We're sure that there will be at least one other unscheduled Yule session, and something tells us that the Fanz and the Right Rev will be bellied up beside us at some point too.

Stocker fishing in TX is probably a no-go, which is sorta lame seein' as how those stunted little pondmonkeys probably best exemplify the warping of intent so prevalent during Xmas season. We were actually lookin' forward to redneckin' around behind a hatchery truck with a snoopy outfit in one hand and a can of corn in the other.

Grinch or no, we still loves us a good gift. Merely warming up with her strong birthday performance, the Wife bears down around the holidays and gets her Elf on. This year, She got us one of those Patagucci Zip-front Down Sweaters, and it rules. Damn thing is so warm n comfy it's like wearing a sleeping bag around.

If you think you got a big enough toy sack to out-Santa the Wife, send all your offerings and tidings of joy to 58°19'59"N 134°29'49"W...Ho ho ho, dammit.

Bling Fishin'

Just got an e-missive from Killer K with a dandy set of photos from one of our trips last spring. If memory serves correctly, this is the trip he threatened to throw his "weenie stick" into the depths. For those that don't know, the Winston BIIx 10 wt. is more suited for small stockers than angry 30+ lb Kings. It may cast like a dream, but it has a backbone limper than Bobby Petrino's. Why Winston discontinued the Ibis will remain a mystery, but at least they got it right with the new BIImx...

But we Digress.

K K with 40 inches of love


Nothin' like a little saltwater flyrod bling to make a grown man weep uncontrollably onto his keyboard.

If there ever was an appropriate time for such behavior, now is probably as good a time as any. The Winter Doldrums have set in, and we spend much time gazing at photos of years past, fiddlin' with gear, and generally moping around waiting for Spring and the return of our beloved friends.

Gonna be down Sea-town way in a few days, and we'll be packin' heat. Got a message on the telex that there are fresh fish to be had in the old home creek, so we're planning to meet up with the Fanz and D, see if we can't get a result.