Steelhead bum commune.....the new "hog farm"

[black lab]

I can now see how lucky I am ! We have a 3month old baby girl, my wife has a good job. So she went back to work already, I stay with baby all day.

BUT!!! she made her days off mid week so I can fish with less crowds and I get mornings as well when she works nights. Well that = 3 full days min. I can get 4 full days some weeks. But she knew she was hooking up with a fly fishing freak. There is no question of if, she just asks what river I'm going to.
Well the baby is happy, the wife is happy, Just need to find a fresh push of happy fish.

steel head bum with out knowing it!

[fishin jimmy]

Years ago - what 35, or so - I found myself at Dan Baily's speaking to the late gent about flytying, Dan took me to a back room & pointed to the tyers - 39 women & 1 man. Said he got a better & faster product with the women, thought it was something to do with sewing, etc. Convince your wife you have a cash job in the makings for her retirement & indicate how easy it is to tie intruders & dee's.

[lsteinb]

Here's Dr. Phil's advice on this subject -


http://www.thecryptmag.com/Online/56/DrPhil.htm


Larry S

[Aldo]

This reminds me of a discussion I had with one of my college philosophy professors about an omnipotent, omnibenevolent God and pain. I wondered if an omnipotent, omnibenevolent God should do more to eliminate pain in this world. My professor asked me how much pain God should eliminate. I told him all of it. He then made the point through a somewhat drawn out discussion that if we felt no pain, we would in fact not be fully conscious as human beings.

You feel pain when you are not fishing. But I would submit that if all you had was fishing, it would sooner or later lose its power to make you euphoric. Life would become monotonous to the point where you would lose part of your consciousness, and thus your ability to fully enjoy fishing (and anything else, for that matter).

For a far more entertaining look at this, read the first few chapters of David James Duncan's "The River Why". You might be glad you did.

[SpeySpaz]

Originally Posted by sinktip

I have to echo everything Ted said. Of course, if she was truly a good wife, she would want you to fish as much as possible!

My wife is awesome...AND she likes to have a sane husband...so she wants me to fish. A lot.

but I have to go back to the Freudian slip in the first post... "where my obsession with steelhead adventures have conflicted with my wifes hope that I am always #1 in her life."

If she knows SHE'S #1 in YOUR life, she wants you to have it all. Her hope is that she be #1. She's A WOMAN for crissakes! That's what's important to women.
You're failing her, man. Sorry if that comes across hard, but think about it long and deep.
Bob

[flytyer]

Ted,

I, like my friend Sinktip, wholeheartedly agree with what you said. And like 'tip, I have a wife who is known to tell me to get out of the house and go fishing already. But I'd never put fishing above her, she is worth far more than that.

[flatheadmatt]

Originally Posted by black lab

I can now see how lucky I am ! We have a 3month old baby girl, my wife has a good job. So she went back to work already, I stay with baby all day.

BUT!!! she made her days off mid week so I can fish with less crowds and I get mornings as well when she works nights. Well that = 3 full days min. I can get 4 full days some weeks. But she knew she was hooking up with a fly fishing freak. There is no question of if, she just asks what river I'm going to.
Well the baby is happy, the wife is happy, Just need to find a fresh push of happy fish.

steel head bum with out knowing it!

often heard of.....but very seldom seen....you are a truly unique case!

[Borg]

That would be me. I've got it bad. Oh! that river.

[danimal]

After 34-almost 35 yrs of marriage, I tell everyone that I have invested sooo much time-effort--and money in to training the MRS. That I am tooo old to start training another one.

She pretty much lets me do what I want-within reason
And with our somewhat limited funds..

All I can say is If I had finished college-got a degree and a killer income(yrs ago!) I would be jetting to the PNW for steel--and the rockies for elk.
Probably w/ out a peep from her as long as the bills were paid-food in the fridge when I left- and a return date .. Probably so she wouldnt worry about me.

As stated earlier-A passion-a driving force--If ya lived it 24/7 might not take long to burn out. At which point you would realize all that you lost.

Take her on a getaway--couple wks later--take a twohander on a getaway

[theonefish]

Ted's words are ones I follow. I have the 'tug bug' as bad as anyone but I also have my wife and new daughter who come first. I have bachelor buds who fish as often as they want pretty much wherever they want. Some with careers centered around flyfishing. I admit I am envious of them for a bit, but then I think about what they do not have to come home to. I'm hoping as I get older to reach a nice balance. In the meantime, I enjoy living vicariously through their adventures.

For now, there is nothing I'd rather be doing than spending time with the new family. When I do get out, I soak it in all the more. I know there will always be fish available where I live (I hope). The fish will and can wait for now. IMHO the beauty of a tailed steelie, trout or salmon does not compare to your own laughing, drooling baby.

[fltrash06]

Originally Posted by speyday

I forsee a day in the not too distant future where I may be looking to take up residence near some epicenter of steelheading, (smithers?) and try and find a couple roomies or two to make it happen.

Likewise....Look me up....I will happily join you. I'm handy with electrical, plumping, what have you....

[speydog40]

Kids grown up left the nest and one day there I was watching a taxi drive off to the airport with wife absconding....I was left with 2 rods, B&W 15' and 13' Norways, a suitcase full of clothes, flytying gear and a Black Labrador....No way was he leaving..

Guys Im having the time of my life....if I have a bad day Ive only myself to blame...dont get many bad days on the river...Never fished for Steelhead, my passion is Atlantic salmon...having said that scared to go to west coast incase I dont come back...

Hope this doesnt seem to callous but nobody hurt in the process...Lifes good..LG..

[speyday]

Everyones comments are taken to heart. The "good times" may very well be over, and though it might be quite painful, it could be an opporotunity for a new chapter. Maybe she will be happier, too?

My obsession hit the 'last straw' the other day. I came to hear the snap of a smashed sage, a smashed meiser, a smashed hardy, and a smashed Tibor. I've been loading everything else in a van late at night and driving it to a safe house.

"All in a dream, all in a dream.......The loading had begun"

The hog-farm project is officially *underway* in its conceptual form, for those who even care:


Vision:
A group of 4-6 anglers living simply and respectfully, in a location that will allow us room to park boats and vehicles safely.
It WONT be allowed to mutate into a heavy-partying, loud, smoky environment. There will be order similar to the order you find in a family household, so things don't spiral down into a sophmoric level. We're grownups, after all.


Requirements:
Must have a southerly positioned yard that allows gardening.
Must have room for a couple deep freezers to hold stockpile of hatchery fish and flash-frozen vegetables.
Must have big table that allows bevy of fly tying materials to lay around without complaints.

Qualifications:
Residents will need to show stable economics with a few recent w-2's.
Residents will need to demonstrate a clean criminal record.
Residents will need to be respondible for several of the dozen or so tasks needed to run a household (chores, laundry, etc.)
Residents will deposit estimated monthly living expenditures into a paypal account, and a printout of monthly expenses/payments will be tracked/distributed monthly for audit control purposes.

Residents must posses 3 or more visibly worn albums from the following artists: Grateful Dead, Neil Young, Allman Brothers, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Dire Straits.
Residents should have a headphone/ear bud option available at request from other hog farm members.
Based on preliminary surveys of expense, a location that could support this looks like it would be $1600 per month with all utilities. Plus $400 in food to be shared=$2,000 per month. The options get more or less depending on if people are willing to live 2-per room or not.

Location: Short-Term: Southern Burbs of Chicago.
If we wind up divorcing in the next year, It will be just south of midway airport in Chicago, in towns like Palos Heights Indian head Park, LaGrange Highlands, Willow Springs, Chicago Heights. I can keep the job I currently have, and remain close to kids while they are getting thru teen-hood, and I'll be close to an airport, another requirement of work.

Now, if youre a true wandering angling frreak?...... There's an unseen advantage to this specific location, believe it or not!
Pull out a map of the midwest and you'll see that Wisconsin, IN, and Michigan fisheries are all accessible from a nearby hwy called I-294/94.
Its the main hwy that connects WI, IL, IN, and MI. If you are near this hwy, it opens up options from this location so you can fish 3 different states with direct access to the big hwy that gets you there.
This location and 3- state option allows 12 months of fishing regardless of weather. Piers. surf. Creeks. Big Lake. Big Rivers. For example, there are 3 power plant discharges that are open all winter--and attract fish on the lake MI shore during the most hostile of winters. There are summer runs accessible, there is both big lake and river fishing accessible. So steelhead bums will enjoy being as close to these options as possible, as it facilitates commutting to various locations without a lot of local traffic tie-ups.

Long-term location?
Somewhere between Portland and Seattle. Once I ensure Im not violating any visitiation laws by leaving the state. (I'll be the non-custody parent, for sure)
This spot will allow me some time and planning. When the right situation has been assembled, This location must have safe room for boats, and a yard for a garden. A house-for-rent with option to buy? Ideally, I'd like to find a location that would allow ample access to the columbia tribs east range spots, and also a drive west to hit the larger streams (cowliz, quinalt). But also, if inclined, invest a 5-6 hour dirve over to the OP.

Even longer-term location?: Alaska.


Boys, Ive got a lot to think about, boys, so I think it best that I move my status, my thoughts, and my plans to another venue. I will read up and learn about and start a blog. Never done that before! The hog farm blog will be both a 5-year plan, some random thoughts on a marriage that is fading away, and an obsession with fishing that was there before the marriage, and will burn brightly after the marriage if it ends.

Frankly, I don't care if 75% of my income goes out of my wallet to a wife and kids. They deserve it. But dammit, I deserve to fish.
Can I do what I want with my 25% once everyones been paid? Good.
How do I get the most economy from this pittance, ensuring I can still fish and garden and cook without grief? Thats where you (might) come in if I've stirred a little flame inside you.

The hog farm would help ensure a decent quality of life for a responsible fraternity without breaking the bank, or offending anyone when fly lines are all over the floor, and I've been gone for 3 straight days and smell like moss, camp smoke, and red bull.

More to follow.

Felix Unger and Oscar Madison, beware.

[Jamey McLeod]

She smashed your stuff?

[Attack]

jeese...that takes some effort to smash a tibor