JohnF

Besides, you probably didn't have enuf tackle already. I heard a rumour there was some guy in Alabama had more lures than you. JF

If yer kids are half as good as you make them out to be they'll be happy for you. After all, aren't a few years of poopy diapers worth a couple of lousy fishing lures? JF

Well, strictly speaking it's the threat of unions that works for the non-union shops, not the unions per se. JF

What's in there now? I could see either a roller bearing bar or a simple metal to metal deal with some kind of lubricant impregnation. We actually didn't have a problem with the nylon glides wearing down but with the higher power today perhaps somenthing else was called for. JF

No way he can defend hisself. He doesn't have the chronic liar gene. JF

Our bass time down here expires on the 30th. I gotta work tomorrow unless I can talk the boss into the day off - oh wait, I'm the boss. Hmmmm. Nah. It was a nice way to wind up the year. I'll settle for that. JF

Garry. You know me. Would I lie about one tiny pike, even if it was the only damned pike (let alone only fish) caught for the entire day? How's my big wet front seat buddy Buck doin' down in Tamale World? Does he fart as bad on a Mexican food diet, or is he still blaming those on Vu? JF

OK. Good, no, great answer. JF

The way I see it, if there was no Walmart in town there'd be others stepping up and offering employment for those who'd lost jobs. So why not have the benefits of Walmart prices and the jobs as well. I'm afraid that all a union adds to the equation is short term employment at slightly better wages. Ultimately the jobs are ruined by the union and I no longer have the good prices. How many folks are willing to settle for short term employment hyphenated by fruitless strikes culminating in loss of jobs? Dunno what the pay scale averages are under the unions any more but I'll bet it's getting to be better in the long run without union involvement. Of course the union serves a purpose for those who aren't saddled with union dues etc but wouldn't all purposes be served by having a union shop in a town nearby where the press will make a mountain out of any threat strikes. That threat carries over to the non-union sector and helps keep the employers fair. Non-union workers must love the union guys. Long live the unions. JF

I wuz gonna say something about santa's eyes looking somewhat effeminate but I thought folks would accuse me of being a homophobe. JF

So, desperate to catch one last bass before the deadline I leapt at Splashhopper's invitation to join him for one last kick at the can. I drug an old bass fishin' buddy along so he could buy the coffees. We met up at one of the ubiquitous Timmies, stocked up, and headed for the water. Ron (Splashhopper) called on the old Mod Chris as moral support (or protection) but fortunately Chris and I had already met over beers so we were cool. I explained my buddy's peculiar propensities (he steals yer women and scotch) in a quiet aside moment but they were both cool cuz they hadn't brought wimmen or scotch. When we got to the water after a hike that felt like an hour or more and a lot of stairs we took a breather pretending we cared while Ron gave us an overview of the water. Once the three of us had collected our collective breath we had a shared "I'm okay now, and you?" moment and we told Ron to shut up and walk. Rob (my artist buddy) and I headed north with a kind of vague warning from Ron not to wade "beyond 2 short steps or you'll be ass-deep in muck". Rob naturally grabbed the first spot that looked good (I always give him the best spots cuz he is the one who brung me back to fishing after about 40 years and with the advantage of great coaching from OFNers like Garry 2rs I've learned so much about fishing that I feel like giving him a break but he always takes the first cast at every promising looking pool anyway) and I walked on the the next spot. I slipped and slid down to the water;s edge and, heeding Ron's admonitions not to got too far out, I gingerly stepped out to the safe limit and started working the deadfalls nearby. Nothing. But I got my casting arm loosened up so I grabbed my bag (the fishing one) and started back to the path where I immediately ran into Rob. We made an executive decision that this end sucked and started back to the start spot. We ran into Chris who'd given up on Ron's counsel and was looking for us. We had a cigarillo moment and then moved off in search of Ron. After finding Ron we deliberated on who knew best where the fishies were. Ron suckered Rob into believing that there was success to be had by walking the long long very long path while Chris and I being older and wiser (okay, I'll admit I'm a lot older but perhaps a tad smarter) decided to get in the car and drive to an easier access spot. Chris and I found a nice easy comfortable picnic table (did I say easy?) and geared up. In no time he stuck his hook into a nice little pike. I say he was lucky but he says he found it by utilising what he has gleaned from his role as an OFC mod and the hours of modding us philistines, especially GCD, but I have no idea what he meant by that Glen being the soul of equanimity and non-combativeness. I mean how can he be considered argumentative? He has the soul of an artist and I have the hand painted jigs to prove it. These things are just too pretty (sorry. Purty in redneck) to have been created by other than a beautiful soul. Anyway, if Chris hadn't cast where I told him to he'd have been lucky to catch a weed but hey, what do I know? Anyway, my pike (that I let Chris hook into) was the only fish we caught. I'm sure he'll post one of the 40 or so pictures he forced me to take. He was having having elbow problems trying to emulate the TJ fish pose, you know, the one that makes the fish look like Moby Dick (not the socially transmitted disease) The poor pike was gasping for water by the time he spiked him head first into the mud along the shore line. I gotta say he did finally reach down and drag it outa the mud by it's tail and aim him toward the deep water with a quiet apology for his screwup. Finally Chris gave up on my fish finding skills and said he heard his hottub calling. I said a fond farewell and fished by myself for the next hour to no avail. Later, after doing all my winter housekeeping on my assorted lures chucked into one box for ease of carrying, I started to work my way down the shore looking for the errant twosome. It wasn't long before I came across them straggling along the path. I knew as soon as I saw them they'd caught nothing. I told them Chris apologized but his arm was sore from hauling in pike and he'd left to soak his elbow in the hottub. They bought it. So, all Bull aside, it was a nice day. My thanks to Ron for setting it up and Chris to showing me a fish for the day. Both of them are great guys. I'd go fishing with either of them any time, any place. Hopefully we'll get to make some runs after finny critters again. I'm waiting to see if my friend Rob joins OFC. He babbled all the way home about what great guys they were, so we'll see. He's kind of a luddite. Computers are to him something like sex to a 15 year old - mystifying. I may have to fill two glasses with scotch and lead him to my computer to introduce him properly to the mysteries of OFC. He'll fit in well. Just don't let him near yer wimmen. He's dangerous. And he can catch more bigger fish than anyone I've ever met with a cheap whippy rod and a $10 reel. Okay, that's my report. I suspect Ron & Chris will post their own versions - but trust me, this one is the truth. JF

That's just obscene. JF

Too much tv. The kids all think department store Santas are drunken pervs now. The fact is only about 10% are drunken pervs but how can a little kid tell. Mebbe if Granny went up and planted a big juicy one on Santa the little guy would be okay with sitting on his lap. Tell Granny to just suck it up and ignore the scotch breath and the apparent gun in his pocket, for the kid's sake. It's only a passing moment, and she can gargle as soon as she escapes. JF

Mebbe it's just me but somehow there's nothing Marleyesque about ice water. But yer right. It's a nice tune. Is it Bob? JF

The wear will be consistent but over time it will change the angle on one side because of the uneven pressure due to misalignment. I repaired and raced sleds for a few years back in the early 70's but I doubt the clutching system is a whole lot different today. They're still variable speed just like they were back in the day. JF

Here's a thought. Instead of blowing $200 on the top of the line felt soled boots why not back off a few and get a second pair with lugs for those times when you find yourself in ice or muck. Or if you do the bulk of your wading in muck and slime or ice then blow the bigger share on lugs and get a cheap pair of felts. My felts cost me something like 40 bux and have done yeoman service for over 2 years now. Even if they didn't stand up I can attest to their comfort. I've spent as much as 4 to 5 hours stumbling around in a very rocky creek and had no discomfort issues at all. Mebbe if I was spending 5 days a week in the water (I wish) I would spend more but as much of a fan of quality stuff as I am, I just can't see spending the whole bank account on wading boots. And my breathable waders cost $40 and over two years later are still going strong and no leaks at all. JF

I've got both kinds and the lug soles stay in the back of the car for most of the season. I spend a lot of time wading rocky slimey creeks and felt is the only way to go. Granted I have to pick my spots to exit the water and they're awful for climbing grassy or muddy banks but for the 3 or 4 hours I'm rockin' & rollin' in the creek the felt rox. They'd have been worse than useless where we were today though. Today the lugs ruled. JF

Alignment has always been key on those things. JF

And if there are any of the '70 - '73 Blizzards. I had a few of them as well. I think my fave was the little round nosed 292 that I made into a mint trail machine. I wish I'd kept it and the '70 399 Olympic that I put a blizzard seat on, a set of sliders under, and promoted the engine to a port-timed 399 TNT. It was a nice road runner for the day. JF

The problem with this whole us 'n them thang between the pro-union and anti-union sectors is that in the end it's just like the politicians we love to hate - it smacks too much of what's best for the party and too little about what's best for everyone. Okay, I'll admit up front I'm not a union sympathizer. I believe that back in the day the unions did a good thing for the downtrodden wage labourer but today it's come full circle to the point that unions have become the bullies and the only way to fight them is to keep them out of the shop. That's what Walmart is doing and I can't say I blame them. It's not out of the question that Walmart is a hardnosed employer but if the unions had used a little restraint and good judgment in the past in how they worked their end of the deal they might have kept the door open to being in all the shops that needed them. They've been guilty of overkill and it's costing the labourers of the world now. Dunno what the answer is but the unions have screwed themselves. They're a dying breed, and that's a fact. Look around at how little sympathy they have outside of self pity. Kinda like politicians today. Anyone here really feel a whole lotta love and trust for them any more? JF

Didn't see any of the skidoos from my time (69-73) except for what looked like a Valmont from around then. And no Rupps? What kind of people do you let on yer property? I'd forgotten about BoaSkis. I seem to recall that at the peak of their popularity there were something like 72 different brands on the market. A few of them were the same sleds with different colour and decals being marketed by different distributors. It was a fun time. JF

Oops, sorry. JF

Tell me where and when. JF

Make an occasion of it and stay at the Chateau. It's probably more than $99 but it's kinda neat. JF

Shore fishing is better than no fishing, and I'd sure like one last shot before the snow flies. Are you bassin' or what? JF