24 December 05

     Merry Christmas from Baghdad!  I have started up with another group of students. After we got off to a shaky start by missing the first Friday, Monday we were on the water. This bunch is all fishermen and they are picking it up quickly. The fishing however, has not picked up to match, but the weather has cooperated for casting.
    Now that they have a couple lessons behind them, each class increases their chances of catching fish. I am still working with a couple of guys from the previous class, trying to get them hooked up. One of them did, as you can see below.
    I have found a room to use for fly tying lessons and will begin that after the first of the year.
    My one disappointment in this is that a few students have had to move on without catching fish. I know that is not a requirement, but it sure makes it more fun. The fishing has slowed WAY down, and everyone has enjoyed learning the basics, but I really wish I could have gotten them all into fish.
    I got quite the surprise the other day when I took the Wednesday group on an expedition to Camp Slayer. Lakeside, they all presented me with a brass plaque to thank me for teaching them to fly fish. I was quite taken back by the gesture. It is now hanging up in my trailer.

The plaque I was presented.

SGT D, with his first fish. Not a whopper, but the smile says it all.

SGT G, getting into it. (Gillk from the ODBF bulletin board.)

SGT W, is a big man, but has a natural finesse with a fly rod.

LT B is an even bigger man, trying to find his groove with the roll cast.
  
What was that knot he showed us?                             It was not this #@&* wind knot!