Ode to the Beatdown

I am sure all of you that have found your way here have also found your way there, but just in case you haven't, go now for it is closing time at the Beatdown. It's too bad that it must shutdown, but it's quite fitting really as it echoes reality and only makes sense. I mean, seriously, how much can one voluntarily beat oneself down before one must stop? Likewise, with all things, you gotta change it up sometimes. As much as I love to swing flies for winter steelhead, there has got to be something dynamic about it from my end (I know the river and the fish are constantly changing), I need to be changing too. Whether I change technique, location or my gear all together, somethings got to give. I would go fucking crazy if all I did was swing the same flies on the same stretch of river, with the same rod, line and tips, week in and week out, year in and year out. I can think of a lot of flies and a lot of rivers, so I am sure I can stay busy for awhile, but like I said somethings gotta give. For example, this year I am not nymphing, not because I think its not fly fishing or some other bullshit reason like that, but because the sight of the yarndicator makes my arm hurt and gives me immediate stress, remembering all those times I looked at a greasy seam on the farside knowing damned well that the monstrous fucking yarn gob on my leader would only allow me to get halway there at best and halfway only if I rollcasted my shoulder out of socket, on my tiptoes no less. So, fuck the nymphing. Instead, I fish gear or swing when fishing for hatchery rats and swing when targeting natives and its turned out very well so far, my best of three winters by leaps and bounds already and its just underway. I guess the point is, the beatdown is calling it quits and its sad and happy all at once. It couldn't go on forever and it was damned good while it lasted, with no shortage of insight, humor and stupidiforia...along with some words about the damned greasy fishing we have out here in the PNW. Props and thanks to you bacon, it was most thoroughly enjoyed!

The Beatdown will remain linked on this page, I will also add a link to Buster, where we will hopefully be able to find the continued ramblings of the bacon_to_fry.

will hoist a few tonight in rememberance