[sean]

Well now that we are in the New Year (hope yours went well) I figured it was time for me to unveil my plans for new initiatives in the coming year.

This year my main focus is to get better static content throughout the site. We have a ton of good info imbedded in the forum and the trick is going to be to pull out the most useful info and keep it in a format that makes it easy to get to and generally more useful. Not saying the forum is a bad thing but I feel as time goes on we just lose a lot of good info that deserves its own dedicated area of the site.

So here we go. These are ranked in order they will be done.

* Site Redesign

It has come time for a full revamp of the spey pages site. Nothing wrong with how it is now but it is time for a change. I am looking at implementing a new contact management system that is fully integrated with the forum software. This will enable us to get member photo galleries going, targeted content, upcoming events, spey casting encyclopedia, better calendar visibility, better sponsor visibility and a host of other things off the ground.

* Chat

Also in conjunction with the site redesign we will be launching new chat software. Look for general chat sessions and also spey pages subscriber chats to discuss with Dana his latest articles and video.

* Spey Q & A

In conjunction with the site redesign I want to start up a monthly feature of local and internationally known spey experts. This will be an interview style feature where we track down spey legends and get info from them as to influences, where they see spey casting headed, casting tips, etc. I am formulating a list now and if you have any ideas of interviews you would like to see please PM me. Will also be looking for some field agents to help with this feature, PM me if you are interested.

* Rod and Line Matching System

I have spoke on this in the past but it is time for it to become a reality. This will be where you can find rods and all the lines recommended for it by spey pages members and professionals in the field. Reviews will also be a part of this and I hope it to become the place you first look when you pick up that new rod and are wondering which of the hundreds of lines out there will work for you out of the box. Line specs will be called out as well as grain/gram (for Willie Gunn) windows will be shown for the varying line lengths for each rod based on what people are using. This will be a huge step in getting all that line and rod info out of the forum and into a place easy for members to find. Am currently writing up functional requirements for the tool and will be asking for your input over the next couple months on how you think this tool should take shape.

* Spey Pages Line Review Program

Another idea I have been kicking around for awhile. In conjunction with the rod/line matching system I want to launch a netflix of sort but with spey lines. We will work with line manufacturers to try and procure every line we can and in turn make them available to you for testing purposes. Members will be able to check out lines to be returned in a timely manner and be expected to do the following:

-Enter your review and what rods you used it on the line/rod matching tool

-If you plan to buy the line after testing it please use a sponsor That makes it a win-win all around.

Of course this will entail a small yearly fee to cover my shipping costs which I think is reasonable. Still a lot of details to work out on this one but I am very excited about bringing this opportunity to spey pages members. I hope you will as well.

In closing we got a lot of work to do and my plan is to have this all implemented within the next 6 months. Look for the site redesign in early February and the others will fall into place after that. The redesign is my top priority and I have already started work on it.

So that is what I have in the coffers and I know Dana has some stuff up his sleeve as well. 2005 looks to be a kick butt year to be involved with the Spey Pages! I know I am looking forward to it.

-sean

 

[wrx_canoe]

Great!

Sean,

All great ideas. Love the Line Review Program idea!

Preston

______________________________
SpeyClave Contributor

 

[Big K1]

Sean,

Sounds great! I like your avatar also.

 

[Cascade]

Sean,
Looking forward to your ambitious and comprehensive programme.
You`re going to be a busy man.
Best of luck, we`re all behind you here !

Cascade.

 

[Dana]

uh-oh

Sean,

can we really do all that AND drink beer at the same time?

this doesn't mean no more beer, does it?

 

[Gardener]

All sounds excellent, & I look forward to it.

May I suggest that, if you have any time left after all the stuff already outlined, a few more updated tackle reviews wouldn't be out of place. In particular, it seems something of an omission that Speypages doesn't contain a single review of any Sage rods, although they are perhaps the best known rod manufacturer worldwide and make a wide range of double handed rods.

Bearing in mind that the membership also seems to include a fair (and steadily increasing) number of us from Europe, it'd also be good to see one or two of Bruce & Walker's rods reviewed. I suspect they're the most widely sold brand of double handed rods in Britain and Ireland, and their popularity seems to extend to mainland Europe too. Their use by so many competitors in the Musto competition should make them worthy of attention, too.

 

[fishingd0]

Super Man

Sounds like very exciting changes. Look forward to seeing it being implimented.

Along with drinking beer, will you have any time to wet a line? :Eyecrazy:

Good Luck

Gordon

 

[sean]

Hey nobody said you cannot drinnk beer and write code at the same time.

Yes this a lot of work up front but if I do it right it should maintian itself for a long time to come. That is why I said 6 months. Cause come June it is summer steelhead time and the yearly trip to cape cod for stripers. No time to code then :smokin:

As far as new rod and reel reviews Dana has some in the pipeline and I know he has a bunched planned this year. I would just PM him with reviews you would like to see and knowing Dana he will do his best to get them out there.

As far as the B&W reviews I thought you have to own a kilt to buy one. That is why you do not see them here in North America

-sean

 

[Moose]

Bad visual!

There's a scary sight. A bunch of overweight middle aged guys in skirts, errr, kilts, drinking beer and spitting copenhagen, pasty skinny white legs all blue from the cold stompin around to keep the blood flowing before an infarction settles in.

Nice :whoa:

Keep the skirts, send the rods.

Peter, You must really be socked in from the cold somethin fierce if you've taken to google searches for kilts, unless of course you found them on the Fredericks of Hollywood site :devil:

 

[prairiespey]

I have to say- whilst sipping a beer I might add sounds inspiring Sean and Dana et al- its a great time to have discovered Spey fishing i,d suggest now if only those catfish would loose the whiskers I could pretend they are salmon more easily- or hmmms maybe more beer!!!!!!!

Will

 

[Moose]

Bite me Moosey, it was one of my bad beer buddies who wangled a kilt for Christmas and who has since showed up in it for all his social events.

As long as he isn't trying to do his impersonation of Mel Gibsons rebellious tail wag it couldn't be too terrible I guess. Just don't let anyone start dropping quarters at his feet. :whoa:

Used to work pretty well on a certain blossoming teacher I had in junior high. The idea is quite soured though with the thought of your drinking buddy.

 

[Muckle Salmon]

Just found out this very morning (don't ask me why, OK) that there's a company in California turning out kilts at a much cheaper price than the authentic versions from Scotland (only in Cereal Land, eh).

So now there's no excuse . . . .

A California kilt :saeek: Gie yer heid a shake lad !!!!

 

[Willie Gunn]

Worse, they're made of heavy cotton and have an elastic waistband!!!

Only from Cereal Land, eh?

Are so they are not kilts but tarten skirts, for men!!!!!! You did say California. probably explains a lot then.

 

[Dana]

getting back to the ques about reviews...

one of the challenges about reviews is getting the test rods to play with for enough time to really have a feel for them. My reviews happen when I purchase a piece of tackle, or a manufacturer sends me one for a while, or I can get some time at a show or clave to really give one a workout. The Bruce and Walker rods would be fun to test but very difficult to get hold of where I am (Vancouver Canada); Sage stuff shouldn't be a problem though especially since they are sponsors. I'll be speaking with the folks at Sage about 2005 sponsorship and I'll see if I can get a few test rods as well. Which would you like me to test?

Right now I am just finishing up my review of the Old Florida Nautilus reels and along with Sean and the moderators am working on the development of our first "Spey Q&A" article.

 

[kush]

Moose,

Here a couple of authentics - last spotted at Spey-o-Rama 2004

 

[Moose]

interesting athletic supporters....

...but shouldn't they be worn underneath?

 

[Moose]

Laddie, look up the definition of "Regimental".

Can't, got a porn blocker on the computer :chuckle: