Meeting

[AgMD]

Ok boys and girls,
It is mid January, I haven't been fishing since October. The April opening days are still 2 1/2 months away. I am starting to feel an oncoming case of the shack nasties. My guess is that most of you are also so afflicted.
We need a meeting -- well not a meeting as such, we need to get together and do some rod and reel show and tell and swap some lies.
Option one: requires some planning -- have a casting night. get a gym ( the hard part) and we all just show up and cast us some rods.
Option B: Much easier -- we meet up at some gin mill and do some show and tell and maybe have a few cold ones ( the easy part)
I have new toys and new lies but I can be counted on telling some of the old ones again.
What do you think?
AgMD

[DRYFLYPHIL]

AgMD,

I think either one of those ideas sound great!!

Let me/us know................DRYFLYPHIL

[FishinCane]

Kim,

Sounds like a great idea. Lets meet up at one of the local watering holes for some fish talk.

Jim

Jim

[JoeOverlock]

How about Saturday Jan 23rd (2010)

6 or 7pm - Somewhere in the Williamstown area that sell beer (Cozy Corner or Waterstreet Grill?)

We'll hang out, tell stories, and have some drinks.

Btw, don't use the [e-mail] email address anymore. Use [e-mail]

[AgMD]

The Waterstreet Grill has the right decor.
Let's do it!
If someone has an e-mail address for Dan, maybe you could shoot him a heads up. He always has nice rods and reels .
I'll call the Grill and make reservations.
AgMD

[Mark Patenaude]

I going to ask this and don't mean the question to sound "smart-ass" like but who is running the group now? With Joe out of the loop with his TU involvement, do we have officers for the club?

I wish I lived in the Berkshires, I'd be more involved instead of living vicariously through the messages on this board.

I got a bad case of the shack nasties.

BTW, I'm on Facebook. If any of you guys are on it as well, let's hook up that way. Look for Mark Patenaude, my profile pic is me and my son Matt in front of the fountain at Disney's Epcot.

Mark

[AgMD]

Mark,
It is a perfectly reasonable question. Right now the group is in a suspended state. For fishing organizations and other such social groups, this is pretty common. For small, rural TU chapters it is a common cycle. A group will languish for a few years until some one or two individuals decide to make it happen. These sorts of organizations rely heavily on those one or two zealots who decide to champion the cause.
Until then we can take advantage of this forum and the occasional meet-up of friends, on stream and grill. It is a good way to stay in touch with good friends and if we are lucky, we will keep things going until a champion comes along.
Meanwhile-- if you can make it to Billsville this Sat, do so . If you can't, maybe this summer you can go fishing with some old friends from the group, if you can't, then stay in touch with us on the forum.
Along those lines, any chance you might recommend some streams in or around Ashfield?
AgMD

[AgMD]

Reservations have been made.
Jan 23
6:30 Waterstreet Grill
Bring your rods, reels, pix, and tall tails
AgMD

[hsweren]

Hi Everyone,

I couldn't make the last meeting, but I would like to offer Wahcoanah Country Club as a place to meet in the future. We have a large ballroom as well as a bar area where we could tie some flies.

If anyone is interested, let me know what day works out best.

Henry

[flyfishinchef]

You guys have to get out more!! I'm headed to meeker, CO to go fish the white for a couple of days. I'll be wishing i was on the westfield of course......

[JoeOverlock]

Jan 22, 2010 16:34:11 GMT -5 AgMD said:

Reservations have been made.
Jan 23
6:30 Waterstreet Grill
Bring your rods, reels, pix, and tall tails
AgMD

Crap Kim, I hope you didn't make the reservation and end up solo. I didn't see any one posting any interest in this and figured no one else cared. You tossed me a curve ball posting this on the night before.

Let's do this right, plan it several weeks out. Even if you and I are the only ones that show up, we'll still have fun.

My cell phone is 413-652-1638. Anyone reading this that wants to hang out, call or email. [e-mail] or [e-mail]

Hsweren, when (not if) we get the ball rolling on the BCFF again, that ballroom will be a perfect meeting spot.

Mark, guys, I want to apologize to everyone for not keeping the BCFF going. If anyone is interested in taking the lead on this please call, I'll can point you in the right direction to get this ship back on track.

I don't want you guys to think I've burnt out, faded away, or have a chip on my shoulder, it's just that a lot of great opportunity have fallen in my lap from Trout Unlimited and there is a lot of great work that we can appomplish that will impact our fisheries for generations to come.

These last few years have been busy. I've been involved in two dam removals in our Hoosic watershed, member of the steering committee for the Hoosic River Revival, Board of Directors for HooRWA, Hoosuck TU, and I was just appointed as state chairman for the MA/RI Trout Unlimited Council. On top of all this the publisher I work for has grown 400% and my wife and I are expecting our second child this fall. I'm having the time of my life right now but that doesn't benefit the BCFF right now. We will get this going again.

But let's set a date in stone for a gathering.

Saturday, February 20th, 2010. Waterstreet Grill in Williamstown
4pm.

I'm calling them at noon tomorrow to reserve a table. I'll be there even if no one else is, I'm not ashamed to drink alone, but I do have your home address Kim... and will show up unannounced.

-Joe

[6wt]

I've been known to help put down a few.....Dryflyphil?

[DRYFLYPHIL]

OOH! I've been known to have a few myself.

Let us know when.

Best regards, DRYFLYPHIL

[jskowron]

Now that I know that you've skipped the whole pretense of a formal meeting and are starting out at the bar, I may show up! As Kim pointed out, the group is in a state of suspended animation. I still have the room available in Pittsfield, with access to A-V equipment for presentation, though my schedule is a little tight on the weeknights (second job for a few extra bucks, and a "just turned 40 and need to get off I disagree" return to the ice for a little bit of hockey), but with enough planning, It could happen. I think hsweren's offer of Wahconah CC is a great idea (and a nice offer). I always liked the informal tieing nights.

I haven't around this board for awhile. Good to see some of the old names (Hey Joe- hope all is well). Look forward to getting together.

Jeff

[AgMD]

Is anybody going to be there this Sat.?
AgMD

[JoeOverlock]

I'll be there.

[hsweren]

I have to work until 5pm, so I should be there around 5:20pm.

I look forward to meeting some of you.

Henry

[Uplander]

I'm bummed I can't be there.

But, sooner or later, one of these days, a meeting is going to coincide with one of my trips to The Old Homestead....

[ctroy36]

Glad you guys have brought the group back from the dead. I'm in Florida, as usual this time of year, so can't make the meeting. Hopefully in the spring.

[hsweren]

I showed up at the Water st. grill at 5:15 last night and looked around, then asked the bartender if he knew where if any of the Berkshire Fly fishing group was there. He did not. Had a beer and left. I will try to make the next meeting if there is one.

Henry

[JoeOverlock]

Feb 21, 2010 12:12:50 GMT -5 hsweren said:

I showed up at the Water st. grill at 5:15 last night and looked around, then asked the bartender if he knew where if any of the Berkshire Fly fishing group was there. He did not. Had a beer and left. I will try to make the next meeting if there is one.

Henry

It was just Kim and me, we left around 5:45pm. He probably didn't know were even there. We had the long table by the bar, you must of been within 10 feet of us. =)

[AgMD]

Well folks -- you all missed out. Joe and I had a good time.
Joe brought the slickest portable fly tying desk you never saw. Unfortunately in showing it to me Joe was casting pearls before swine. I don't much enjoy tying and get by on an old Thompson A that is probably older than I am. I will say -- It was seriously pretty.
I brought a few reels and some pix of my LL Salmon and the bamboo midge rod I caught it on.
( a shameless brag).
hsweren-- BUMMER, BUMMER, BUMMER. A little closer and we could have brought you to net. Next time.
Speaking of ----
Somebody pick a time and place.
AgMD

[6wt]

......soon, Old Forge Lanesboro???

[AgMD]

Sounds good to me
AgMD

[dragonma15]

Hey guys,

In the same boat as Dan. Kinda lost touch with the board and just found it again. Wouldn't mind meeting up somewhere. And spring is here, time to hit the rivers. If anyone wants to whip the water to a froth, let me know!


-Gregg