A Job Well Done

In the process of moving my man cave to make room for the nursery, i came across a little wooden box where i keep all my flies that have been present during a memorable time on the water for me over the years.

the rules to gain entrance to this box are simple. the fly, whether it caught a fish or not, just has to have left an impression worth remembering. why do i do this? initially, it was because im a bit of a packrat (anyone who has seen the old man cave will certainly attest to this) who has a hard time throwing things like flies away...but maybe one day, my grandkids will gather around and say "hey pops, tell us about THIS silly looking fly, or tell us about the time you had to have this fly ripped out of your ear again!"

ive often thought of how i can find a way to bottle up as many "good things" in one place, so they can be called upon when needed, and this is about as close as i can get for now...so whether its a wooden, shadow or old perrine box we use to hold our keepsakes, these little mementos can help connect a breadcrumb trail through our lifetime and fishing "careers"...and although they may not be hung from the rafters, its about as perfect of a retirement home for a fly as i could imagine.

Brian