Thanks, Mike... I was trying to figure out a way to say what you did!
I'm in the exact same position as you are, except I haven't had the guts to step into a swap yet :) I'll wait and see how my brother fares in the Bass Bug one just getting started -Dave On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 11:30:25 -0600, Mike Morris wrote: >�All; > >�This whole perp thread has upset me more than a little. �I have >�participated >�in three swaps and in each I have been severly challenged and I >�worried >�cnstantly thatI would not "measure up" I struggle on anyway. �Swaps >�give me >�an added incentive to improve my work as well as try new kinds of >�things I >�would otherwise not attempt. �I catch 90% of my trout on caddis >�nymphs-they >�always work and I can tie a hundred different kinds no sweat. I >�joined the >�Tom Nixon swap even though I Haven't fished for Bass for 20 years- >�I worked >�hard on those flies and worried until the flies arrived that my >�flies would >�"make the grade". �In the stonefly swap I tried to recreate a >�pattern I tied >�as a kid and when I tied the first few they were horrible. �I had to >�discover all new materials and spend a lot of time online just to >�get a fly >�I thought was passable and compared to some of the beautiful flies I >�received I felt somewhat small, I couldn't even get six legs on >�mine and >�some of the ones I got looked like they could crawl off the table. >�I >�continue to persist despite this. > >�I am currently in the life cycle swap, this was the biggest leap >�for me yet- >�I have never been able to tie the beautifully proportioned dry >�flies I see >�in the pictures and My first efforts are pretty poor, I worry >�constantly >�that I will not be able to conquer this in time, but the positive >�feedback I >�have received from some of the VFB'ers (including DonO!!) has kept >�me going. > > >�My point is that I join swaps for the challenge and the pressure >�they put on >�me to do the best I can, I hoped that I wasn't being judged and >�analyzed as >�to whether I was worthy to join future swaps, it is difficult >�enough for new >�tiers (which I am, I stopped tying flies in the late seventies and >�just >�picked it up again last year) to go out on a limb and put their >�efforts out >�in a group such as this, believe me folks this is a pretty >�intimidating >�crowd, skill wise. > >�Please don't add any more pressure to the learning process than >�there >�already is or you will end up with an ever shrinking core group >�constantly >�swapping flies with each other and no new blood ever entering for >�fear of >�not measuring up!! �Where's the fun in that? > >�Mike M.
