Originally posted by: gardenhackle on 1/1/2006 7:08:28 PM

Hi all,

I guess I should introduce myself and say a bit about me. I've been around the pond a few times and am looking to be able to spend many more hours by the water with retirement in a few years. I've been a member of NAFC for a few years but only recently have been veiwing the BB.

I have been fishing for as long as I can remember, and wet a line as often as time allows. Luckily for me, I live a mere 3 miles from the Connecticut river which has excellent walleye, pike, smallmouth, largemouth, brown trout, rainbow trout, shad, perch, crappie and the occasional behemouth that just spools you.

Also some great trout streams and beaverponds for native brookies in walking distance from my house. Even though I was almost exclusively a trout fisherman in my early years, having tied flies for Orvis and many local shops, I now have a passion to catch LARGE fish with any legal means...hence the name gardenhackle.

I run heavy equipment for a living, both of our kids grown and gone yet still close being in Vermont still(my daughter loves a meal of walleye which I oblige). My wife puts up with my obsession, wondering sometimes when I'm still not home at 10 p.m. whether or not some derelict thumped me for my wallet.

I have turned two neighborhood kids into fishing addicts with some impressive catches for these 2nd and 4th graders (4# smalley for the 2nd grader, 30 in. pike for the 4th grader, both caught and released by themselves...well a little help with the release part). They don't ask for video games at Christmas...fishing stuff is what they want now and when spring rolls around all they can think of is the next derby.

I'm just a fishing nut who enjoys time by the water whether the line is tight or not. Always experimenting and questioning so I thought this would be a good place to stop by and chat once in a while. Seems to be a vast amount of knowledge around here.

Once I figure out how to post pictures, I have a few which might be of interest.