Mike That is exactly how I have looked at swaps. I join them to challenge myself and learn something new. I fortunately have a huge network to turn to if I get stuck on a pattern. So I think you just don't see when I get stuck on something. For those of you who don't have local fly shops or clubs that is what the VFB is for. Ask questions. Just put forth your best effort and the rewards will come. Deb
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mike Morris Sent: Monday, November 22, 2004 12:30 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [VFB] Newbie weighs in 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.
