Mike, You can swap with me any day because you put forth effort in what you do, and you're actually way better than you think. That's all I ask- effort. You obviously learn much before each swap with the research and practice that you do. The you get to learn again by observing the fruits of the labors of others that have done the same thing. That's a swap.
There's no reason for any beginner or advanced tier to get upset at what I said if they put forth an honest effort in preparing for and tying for a swap. If they ONLY want to learn from the efforts of others who prepare well for swaps, yes, then I have a problem with that. But that's MY opinion. I can usually tell when it's all a person can do or all they want to to. I had literally nothing to go by when I started- only a picture of a mayfly in a magazine to get it started. Today a newbie has vast resources in books, videos, the internet, shops, magazines, clinics, shows, tutors, and forums like this. There's no reason he has to show up at the pot luck dinner with only a plate and fork. And those that do scream the loudest when you tell them what a pot luck dinner is for. Mike, you prepare well, so obviously my comments were not aimed at you. I'll quit the list before I ever criticize honest effort. The loudest complainers are those that give the least. If one can't take the friendly critiquing he get's in fly swap, he should try tying in public. Lots of experts out there that just love to critique. And these don't love you like we do. I've been tying in public 20+ years, and I've had my share of critiques. Builds thick skin and multiple personalities- I just can't take it alone. Thanks for all you do. DonO ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Morris" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, November 22, 2004 9:30 AM 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.
