In Episode #114, Steve and I catch up after a short hiatus. We give everyone an update on why the break was required, Steve’s wife’s health and a thank you for all the support the Angell’s have received. Then we spend some time chatting about the 3D target season and shoots across the country and then about fly fishing, fly tying, and more.
It had been some time since Steve and I sat down to record a podcast. My microphone was dusty but the batteries still had a bit of life left in them. I could think of no better metaphor for the show. These last few months of winter had been uncertain at best. Steve and I had hardly spoken save for a few messages back-and-forth and I tried to keep that correspondence as light-hearted as possible. I find that when times are difficult, one chuckle is worth a thousand “how are you doings?”.
I wasn’t sure what we would talk about when Steve started recording. The show had been a machine up until that point, posting 111 episodes with a long break after 112. We had guests on the regular and always had a plan until the pandemic arrived and life intervened. As Mike Tyson elegantly put it, “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”.
This past year left us both with swollen lips and bleeding gums.
We were rough at first but our longstanding rapport and years of friendship removed the rust to reveal the honed edge beneath. Suddenly, the episode mattered very little. The context of Episode 113 became two friends catching up, which was fine by me.
The conversation took several turns, but we eventually landed on fly tying, which is something we both had been doing a lot of since upgrading our vises. Steve purchased a new Regal and gifted his well-loved and maintained Danvise to me. It was a substantial upgrade that leveled my fly-tying prowess from “serviceable” to “half-way presentable”. The improvements fueled my desire for materials, which had a noticeable effect on my bank account. It didn’t take me long to accumulate an assortment of hooks, feathers, beads, and thread.
I regret nothing.
Thank you for reading and please give Episode 113 a listen when you have a chance!
Visit Traditional Outdoors for more episodes. We have a tremendous back-catalog I am sure you will enjoy. Also, my second book Clumsy Predators is progressing nicely. I have eleven chapters penned and am hoping to end at around 16. I am hoping to publish in time for the 2022 Traditional Bowhunter’s Expo and would love to have everything wrapped up by this Fall. Stay tuned for updates.
Life and Longbows 