Men,

I had to change the date for our April gathering due to Maundy Thursday. We will meet on April 28, 2011, 7 PM, West Campus.

Bring your fly tying gear. We will be tying two Saltwater patterns for Salmon and/or Sea Run Cutthroat. I will provide all the materials except thread, so please bring some red, white, olive or black thread. For those who do not have tying equipment, I will bring two extra vises and provide the tools too.

A few of us will also be bringing some rods rigged to do some casting. So we will do that for about 20 minutes and move on to the fly tying so as to be able to get through the two flies.

We will be tying the Chum Baby and Snot Dart if you'd like to search for them and see what they look like beforehand.

See you April 28, 2011, 7 PM, West Campus.

--
Until we fish again.
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Spread the Word,

Brad Nickel
May your fly always be wet and the fish be in the net! 8^)
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www.oslcflyfishing.org

A New Year, a New Beginning

Men,

We are spooling up our reels and preparing for the first cast of 2011. Officially we will start meeting on March 24 at 7 PM, West Campus building again, but from April on we will be meeting once a month on the third Thursday of the month, so that means April 21 at 7 PM is next and so on. Our room is the one in the back, SE corner, down the hall.

We will only meet once a month this year, if there is a lot of want or need to meet twice a month, then we will look at doing so. There is a idea to do a trip to Rocky Ford in Ephrata in the next few months. We also will be doing a lot more small mountain stream trips into the Cascades this summer and I am sure we will convoy up to Leech Lake once. We have not set any dates for any of the trips yet, that is a work in progress.

The night at West Campus will just be fellowship, nothing more. If someone brings their fly tying gear to tie up something or rod and reel for casting lessons or has something they want help with, then we'll do what we can to help them learn what they would like. Other than that, we have no plans for education; it's just gonna be a laid back, masculine fellowship (which we all know means Christian for shooting the bull), man time night. Keep it simple.

As for the website, I lost the ability to edit it early last year. Everything on the website still works, links, etc, it's just not up to date informationwise. I have a plan to get that back in order now though, just need to do it. We will be using the Blog a lot more this year for updates and schedules, as it is a much easier way to do so and a few of us have access to edit it all the time rather than just myself being able to update the website, plus the Blog is free. The link to the Blog is the top link on the left side menu of our website - http://www.oslcflyfishing.org or http://oslcflyfishing.blogspot.com/

The address to West Campus is: 11107 44th Ave E, Tacoma, WA 98446

Hope to see you all there.

--
Until we fish again.
--------------------
Spread the Word,

Brad Nickel
May your fly always be wet and the fish be in the net! 8^)

Knots and Faith

While at Cady Lake, fighting the biggest fish I ever caught in my life on a fly rod, God taught me about faith - my 6 lb test leader snapped at the leader loop knot (Surgeon’s End Loop) attaching it to the fly line. The next day while reminiscing about the event, I thought about how it was I who tied the knot. Why did it fail? Why where it did? WHY ME?!!! Araaaarrrggg! I feel like I pulled the football away at the last minute like Lucy does to Charlie Brown, but to myself. The knot could have failed for numerous reasons: I nicked the line while trimming it or it got nicked by the hook during a crumby cast or it abraded on something or whatever, the point is it failed. It most likely failed due to the fact I was using a 12 foot long piece of tippet as a leader, instead of a tapered leader that would've been terminated in a good leader loop and also to 25 lb test. I can honestly say, it's worth the $2.50 - $5 bucks to buy a properly done tapered leader. Well, if you talk to Paul, I have had a lot of experience with knot failure - all knots I tied myself and all HUGE fish I lost do to it.

So what's this got to do with faith? Well, faith in ourselves, and only ourselves, is susceptible to failure every time. However, when you put your faith in Jesus our Lord and Savoir and God our Father, now that faith can never fail. Trust me, the only way it can fail is if you don't try it.

So in whatever you do and however you do it, put your faith in God and Jesus. So say a prayer before you "tie your next knot" and ask God to be with you and bless you during this event. Depending upon your faith, He will be there.

12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Ephesians 3:12

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:19-25

Cady Lake

We had a great time at the Cady lake OSLCFFM outing on Saturday. Don, Paul, Brad, Jerry and I made the short hop on over to the lake. The weather when we left Tacoma was good; Cloudy and about 50 degrees, no wind. Jerry said to bring rain gear and be prepared for wind. I was a little skeptical, it was perfect fishing weather as we started out. Once we got there the wind was whipping on the lake. We got there about 930 am and got all of the pontoons and float tubes unloaded. Paul was unloaded, rods together, waders on and pontoon loaded all in about 6.7 seconds. He was itching to get on the water. Brad on the other hand put together 4 or 5 rods loaded his pontoon put on his waders and it took about an hour. Jerry, Don and I were somewhere in between.

We had a short devotional and prayer and we hit the water.

I paddled my brand spankin' new pontoon out on the water, it was awesome! I was about half way across the lake and I decided to troll a nymph. I cast the fly and it got caught in my net on the back of my boat. As I was trying to get untangled the wind blew me back to the shore where I started. I started out again and finally made it to the other side of the lake. Fish were rolling and jumping. It seemed like when they started to roll on the surface the rain wasn't far behind. It rained pretty good on and off for the whole day. Paul caught the first fish on a dry fly. I was back at the vehicle getting some of the stuff that I forgot to pack in the boat. I needed my dry line. I fished all around the area and only had one bite on a dry fly, my speed stimulator. It looked awesome in the water. Very buggy. Brad caught the second fish on a dry nymph. After fighting the fish and Paul getting into position for a great picture, Brad decided to do a LDR (Long Distance Release). Oh well. Jerry had a great take and unfortunately missed it. Don, finally got one at the launch on a wooley bugger.

When we were loading the sky's opened up and the rain poured down. We had a great dinner with lots of laughes on the way home.

Fly fishing in my pontoon with 4 other guys in their boats on a small lake has to be one of the funnest times that I have had. You are fishing with 4 guys, but you are also fishing all by yourself. It is a great time to reflect and think about life. You can fish where you want to, but you are still with friends. I got some great casting practice yesterday and don't have any regrets about not catching fish.

Thank you God for giving me the privilege of being with such great friends and brothers fishing, laughing, learning and experiencing Your Great Outdoors.

'till we fish again.

Ramblings of a new Fly Fisher

It has been a little over a year since I started my trek as a Fly Fisherman. Actually it really started about 11 years ago. I bought a 9 wt Lamiglas rod one evening with Fred, a guy that I worked with at Sears. We were going to start Steelhead fishing. It was a great thought at the time, but I never went any farther with it. I had a rod, no real or line and I parted ways with Sears and moved away from Fred.

Fast Forward 11 years. My mom asked what I wanted for Christmas. I told her it would be nice to get a fly rod for Trout. So, now I had two rods and no reels, waders, fly's, etc. Is history going to repeat itself? So my wife and I are going to church one morning. I was talking with her about how it would be nice if we could do the fun things we do, with people from church. Like, ATVing, Fishing, Hunting, etc. We get to church and are in the 3rd pew from the front, where we normally sit and are getting ready to worship and my wife points to an 'add' in the bulletin. It was for the 'OSLC Men's Fly Fishing Ministry'. WoW my prayers had been answered and I didn't even have a chance to pray yet. I communicated with Brad and Paul via email and went to some casting classes with Brad. History didn't repeat itself! I started picking up the gear that I needed with Brad's good advise. Over the course of a few months I learned to cast. It wasn't pretty , but it would get the bug to the water. I went on the 1st annual Yakima trip with OSLC Mens Fly Fishing Ministry and had a blast. I didn't catch a fish, but lost a lot of fly's and bonded with a great group of guys who are now close friends and Brothers in Christ.

On the Yakima, during the evening, I tied my first fly. The Wooley Bugger. I have been hooked on this ever since. Don, the guy who got me hooked, apologized to my wife at church last weekend for starting me out on this very addictive, new passion in my life. We all laughed. Well at least Don and I laughed. My wife looks at the piles of tying materials and my vise always on my desk and shakes her head. She is fine with all of this. She knows that I am hanging around a great group of guys and am doing something I love.

Oh, and it all isn't only about fly fishing. We get together and study the Bible, talk, support and are a good accountability group for each other. Yes, things do seem to focus on fly fishing a lot, but we all want to use this group to bring more people to Christ. Finally as it was stated in an earlier post on this Blog. We are MEN. We like to have fun and I hope that shows thru. What you see is what you get. Within our group we can discuss and talk about anything, church, personal, whatever. It stays in the group and that's that.

Even if you don't want to join the OSLC Men's Fly Fishing Ministry, I encourage you to join some sort of small group at church. God will bless you with a Band of Brothers, or Sisters, just like he has me. I know that I would be fly fishing, but I don't think that I would have such a passion for it without my Band of Brothers.

I did finally catch a trout last summer. It was awesome!

Role Models

I just watched a review of the now (in)famous American Idol and heard something Very disturbing. An author and expert on bullying, Rachel Simmons, stated as part of her review of the "hit" show, “We live in a society where role models, good role models, are being replaced by celebrities." She also stated as part of the review that, "Social cruelty is being woven into the American Idol experience." There are two things we can learn from these statements.

First, we need to strive to make Jesus our role model - celebrities most often know very little and are pompous fools, why anyone would idolize and make them role models I can't understand. On the other hand, there are good Christian celebrities out there that are indeed living for and showing Jesus in their lives and are not afraid to do so. These are great earthly role models. Quite a few of our Seattle Seahawks are great, Christian role models, be inspired by them if you need an earthly role model. Or find a Christian in the sport you love to show your friends or children how to live for God and Jesus AND who to give the credit and glory to.

Second thing we can learn is that history hasn't changed much. All that lead up to the betrayal of Jesus, and even after Adam and Eve committed the original sin; social cruelty has been being woven into our society in general. We do not need to encourage this and continue to give it momentum. So realize that even the littlest dig on someone you don't know is just as harsh as what the American Idol "judges" and "celebrities" do to the contestants.

Here's some Biblical reference to this to help you know what you need to do to be a good role model.

John 13:34-35 (New International Version)
34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Romans 12:10 (New International Version)
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Hebrews 10:24 (New International Version)
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

And more for you to look up: Romans 13:8, Galatians 5:13, Ephesians 4:2,

So be on guard brothers, make Jesus your role model and do not spur on social cruelty.

What it's all about.

"So what is our ministry all about?” you say. It's all about MEN! About being a MAN! Being a man who is RIGHT with God or is striving to be right with God. Inevitably it's about becoming a man of God, giving your life to God fully, and striving to do His will by accepting His free offer of eternal life through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior - freely and in faith – if you have not done so. It's about being a man who will have ONE wife and be FAITHFUL to her. Being a man who will LEAD their family in a Godly manner. Being a man who will lead their children, be a part of their children's life, lead by God pleasing example, TEACH them and RAISE THEM UP in God, and guide them to be responsible, respectful adults who need to understand there are repercussions for their actions, they must be responsible for their actions, and there is no such thing as free lunch. It's about being a man who does man things - belching, farting, shooting guns, fishing, playing football or baseball or whatever their passion, killing animals (hunting and fishing, legally for food), standing up for and defending their family, driving fast, experiencing the thrill of pursuit, BBQing, a good steak, a great beer, the outdoors, being MEN of GOD. Yes, God allows these things, if done in a manner that is pleasing to Him. It's time to reverse the effects of feminism and political correctness and allow men to be the men God wants them to be, take back their families, and start being the leaders God has called them to be. Men who have morals and know right from wrong, choose life, and “know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:23-25 God designed men to be a certain way and we want to teach them what He wants them to be and allow them to be a man. We also want the men to know that it is not all about you, it’s about God. If you are interested in joining us, whether or not you fly fish, every Wednesday we meet for either Bible study, fly tying, or fellowship at 7 pm. See our website’s calendar of events for more details of where and what. I hope you will take the challenge and joins us. See you later; I can’t wait to meet you.

May God bless you indeed!