Sacramento I.S.E. , 2009

[David Lee]

Where do I start ??

I got to hang w/ the BEST Flytiers on the planet -

I had the chance to talk shop/BS w/ fine , fine people -

I had a Masterclass w/ Gene Kaczmarek ..... intense stuff !

I had the great privlege of educating people -

I laughed myself stupid (short trip , BTW) -

I caught-up with old friends -

I made new friends -

I learned . I learned a LOT -

I smiled 'till it hurt -

I had several people that actually BROUGHT THEIR FAMILYS just to see me tie flies (How the f^$% do you top THAT???!!???) -

I was accepted by better people than myself -

There were just too many high points to relate here . My eternal THANKS to Bill Carnazzo for inviting me , to Jay Murakoshi for advice , to the world-class Tiers for being themselves , and to EVERYONE who bothered to stop and talk for a moment .

Most of all ..... Thanks to Ken Hanley for leading and teaching by example .

This was , perhaps .... the most draining , thrilling , screamin' FUN four days of my life !!!!

David

[k.hanley]

Well done David!
Cheers, Ken

[Hairstacker]

I never had any doubt you were going to have a blast, especially after hearing what a good time you had doing it last year. Good for you David, really glad to hear it! Did you tie a little bit of everything or did you focus on certain flies?

[Jet]

Joey and I enjoyed meeting you and we appreciate you taking us under your wings. I have to agree with everything you said. If I had to try and explain it its sorts like a Shark feeding frenzy except if was a fly-fishing/tying frenzy. I had trouble sleeping a couple nights because my mind was going 100 mph even though I was dead tired. My wife bought Joey a Nintendo Wii on Friday as a late birthday gift and he played with it after the show that night. On Saturday night we brought our tying equipment home and he was tying flies till bedtime and did not play the Wii. It was an awesome experience for the both of us and we did thank Bill Carnazzo for the opportunity. I learned something new from every tier I met and I appreciated their patience and willingness to teach anyone and everyone who was interested. Joey picked up about 25-30ft on his casts working with many of the expert vendor casters and he was able to win the best of the west in the kids division even though he was nervous. Thanks again David for teaching us how to tie one of Ken's versatile patterns.

Tight Lines,

Joe

[David Lee]

I never had any doubt you were going to have a blast, especially after hearing what a good time you had doing it last year. Good for you David, really glad to hear it! Did you tie a little bit of everything or did you focus on certain flies?

Thanks , Mike and Ken !

Mike -

I didn't do much 'cutting-edge' stuff , though it was popular last year . I tied a Sardina Deceiver (1/0 circle) , Dragonbugger #6 w/ minor mods (biot wingcase , rubberlegged) , and Kens Gold Buccaneer on a #1 EC-413 . Also did one lonesome Bucktail Deceiver .

The first three days were great , I was more than a little fried by Sunday and not feeling so social anymore . I wound-up doing the Fly Tieing Theater w/ no notice one morning , and managed to NOT choke ! Jay Murakoshi sat thru most of my camera time , and was kind enough to point-out what I did right , and my flubs (when Jay tells you that a part of your gig was wrong .... it's a REAL good idea to listen - He's been up there more times than most folks !) . I was glad to have Jay's input , big time !

I fret a bit over posting stuff like this , 'cause I don't want to bore anyone to sleep . Suffice to say that , for a non-industry guy like myself ..... it is a pretty big deal to be doing this in public ..... AND , in THAT kind of company !!

David

[David Lee]

Joe -

I had a swell time with both of you !

It should be noted .......

Joey Tax ties DISTURBINGLY GOOD !!!! For being just 13 years old , His skills are just amazing !! Dad Joe ain't too shabby , either !

David

[Garrett S]

he David,
It was nice to talk to you and thanks for showing me the dragonbugger