Economy: Idle Idol

Economy: Idle Idol

For a very small fee
you may worship
beneath the
i-dollar-tree.

Previous takers
now own a frown-
there's no
trickledown.

Mayhem's headline
Mayhem's reporter notes widespread mayhem. "Mayhem's News" is, as usual, mayhem. Mayhem to distract us . . .
Mayhem to make sensing, feeling, and knowing painful. Mayhem to blow out our spark of confidence. Mayhem to shrink our sense of the world. Mayhem to wither our spirit. Mayhem to sow such discouragement, doubt, and fear that we think the deepest part of us, the mystery-center of ourselves, can be hurt, even end in horrible death. Wow- that's quite a distraction!
But, despite the "opposition", life has no opposite. Death is the opposite of birth. Birth and death are two hi-lights in our journey, both made precious by our compassion. Beyond all distraction, we carry an eternal seed in our hearts. You might say that we are children of God growing up. Life is living, ever-living oneHeart eternity.

Simon, again

This time with a video tutorial of his Replot Stinger, a marvelous Finn Raccoon and feathers fly. Simple construction, lots of action.

Simon's Baitfish

 Simon Graham's Baltic pike flies: Baitfish edition

‪Dave Skok's Mushmouth‬

First tied for skipjack tuna, the Mushmouth has been around for quite awhile. It will take just about any fish after smaller baits. (This video was shot by Dave Souza of Fall River Herald News)

Skok (sometimes working with Jaime Boyle) has developed some equally effective variations.

Shallow water backcountry fly

Here's the shallow water backcountry fly from Don's Bait & Tackle.

 And check out the sunglasses-over-the-Kodak-Playsport-lens videos in his other YouTube selections.

Home Invader

Doug McKnight's Home Invader at The Weekly Fly.

Eumer Spin Tubes

I don't mind spinning with flies - a bit of extra weight (floating, suspending, or sinking) works just fine. You lose a lot of the line handling skills when flyfishing, but it's still great fun and opens other possibilities. Eumer has introduced a series of Spin Tube flies and components that should be available in the US soon. These new products, components, and techniques are introduced on their YouTube Channel..

A full-color catalog of their Spin Tube products and components is featured on their website.

There are 2 tying tutorials so far. One is a larger construction aimed at pike, etc using Finn Raccoon.

The second is a smaller tie, the "Keel Minnow".

Sloggi's tube fly w/cone body

There are flies which not only catch your eye but appeal to something deeper... This little tube fly with a weighted cone body is one of my favorites. It's featured in 2 sets of forum discussions on the Salmon Fishing Forum. Sloggi's step-by-step is provided in the 2nd set.

• 1st forum discussion (6 pages)

• 2nd forum discussion (8 pages, including step-by-step)

Popovics' FLEX Fleye

Bob Popovics' FLEX Fleye uses Tuffleye FLEX over a synthetic wing like Steve Farrar's Blend (with a little angel hair topping) over a tuft of fleece. Many variations, way cool and effective.

Want to see more of Popovics and Farrar? Try the ASWF site.

Zaggin Zook

Check out Curtis Fry's "Zaggin Zook", a topwater fly that walks-the-dog with ease.

Or try Curtis's YouTube Channel - lots to choose from.

Simon's Musky Flies

Simon over at Pike Fly Fishing Articles has posted Baltic Pike Flies - The Bad Ass Musky Collection. Have fun!

Niklaus Bauer

Niklaus Bauer has posted a great tube fly tutorial - the Sheephead Master. If you enjoy this style, he has two other tutorials you might find worthwhile, the Magic Minnow and the Hoover Fly, parts 1 and 2. The videos are in Swedish, but the techniques are easy to follow.

Simon's Slideshow

What a great way to start the week. Simon over at Pike Fly Fishing Articles has posted a slideshow featuring an assortment of his ties. Great photography and inspirational tying. Well worth it!

Fall

Earth
stretches to
recall summer's
expanding skies -
a return to
panoramic detail
within our
sun-filled eyes

Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Videos: Len Geiger

Opposites

Nothing in this reflection about America is meant as commentary on any other country. A lot of folks on the forums I visit finish their entries with "my 2 cents"- a good idea. Since there are about 6 and 1/2 billion of us so far, here's my "one six-and-a-half billionth" of a cent:

I'm one of those who believes that America originated within a divine impulse, a momentum built for individual effort, creativity, ingenuity, expansive spirit, and understanding of the interrelatedness of our shared resources and the effects of our efforts. But according to the news, we are strongly polarized in many areas of our lives: political, cultural, religious, financial, etc. We are acting like two sides of a coin - some of us are on one side and some the other. The division is especially strong right now and there doesn't seem to be any way around it. How can we truly live beyond constant opposition as we cycle back & forth between one side and the other? How can we keep from getting caught up in one side or another of America's story and live so that everyone is reasonably satisfied? How can we truly live beyond opposites?

While it's true that revelations can enter one's life unexpectedly, the only formal answer I know lies in the world’s religions and, more specifically, their spiritual aspects. Every religious and spiritual tradition that I know of has accounts of the experience of "Unity", of Unity beyond all opposites, the Divine Ground of All Being. Usually limited to "saints" and such, in reality it's everyone's birthright and closer than you might have been led to believe. There is an individual experience "waiting" for each of us that will forever change our limited perspective.

The "coin of opposites" is within ourselves and expressed in the tangents we initiate when we live as if we were "exclusive" individuals. Once having experienced Unity, we are no longer only individuals. A new understanding, universal in nature, is born, and opposites lose their extreme significance.

Aspartame

I first heard about the Aspartame (NutraSweet®) controversy on "Fresh Air" from radio station WHYY. During her interview with host Terry Gross, guest Devra Davis, the Director of the Center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, described Aspartame testing done by Italian researchers who extended the usual 3-year testing protocol to 5 years. This exposure to Aspartame resulted in a large number of brain tumors in the subject mice. Davis added details of possible political influence in the final FDA approval of Aspartame. Her biggest concern, however, was in the possible effects long-term exposure to Aspartame might have on our kids.
As one of the many "alphas" waiting for a cure for Alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency, I know that promising lab mice studies often prove misleading. As for the political shenanigans, I wouldn't be surprised but have no proof. Still, I've encouraged family and friends with kids to check ingredient labels and consider avoiding Aspartame. Better safe than sorry? Search "Aspartame" in Google and make an informed choice for your children's future.

Water moleciules

Water molecules

in a passing wave

move in a circular

sort of dance

as the wave passes

they swim in place
but remain -
they do not travel

off in the wave -
the wave does not
carry them away

Eyes wide open, but . . .

After a year working with a great acupuncturist, it's clear to me from the regular presence of side-effects that the pharmaceutical industry does not understand the whole-body-system. Still, I need and use plenty of meds. As it happens, one of my inhalers has strongly accelerated the growth of cataracts in both eyes. One lens replacement surgery is done and the other is in a couple of weeks. No tying for weeks, until this morning.

Here's my copy of one of Richard Strolis' rabbit flies (Feb blog 26 entry). He used part of Fox Statler's Alewife Minnow design (tail, body, and ventral flash) and added a rabbit strip across the top. A real fine combination.


My second fly uses Eumer tubing, xx-large conehead, large monster disc, short strip of Finn Raccoon, a shorter piece of rabbit, some pearl angel hair, and 3d eyes.

I mounted a large fl. pink tube over a small clear tube, then tied a little angel hair 360 degrees on the large tube and added the xx-large conehead. Glued a short piece of raccoon zonker to the top of the conehead and a shorter piece of rabbit zonker to the bottom. Glued eyes on the conehead and finished off with a reversed monster disc. This combo was reported to really shake in the water but - surprise - I can't see well enough to tell! If it doesn't, I'll skip the conehead next time to lighten it up.