Featured BlogBuddy - Alan From Small Stream Reflections

Spending some time giving a new look to my blog with some different features.  One of the features I am going to kick off with is a Featured BlogBuddy series.

It is my intent to share the work of as many of my BlogBuddies as I can with this series.  They all work hard and spend considerable time on their own blogs in writing about, primarily, their takes on fishing and other matters in their area of life that they enjoy.  I know that whatever success I have had on my blog, and, the motivation to keep writing my blog, comes from the great support I have had from these BlogBuddies.  Their continuing visits and willingness to leave comments on my posts and share their insights with me are invaluable. I am all about making Pond Stalker Blog a place that feels like community and sharing the loves of my fellow BlogBuddies.   I hope that you take the time to visit all the blogs listed on my Blogroll as you have time, but especially, the featured BlogBuddy and their blogsite.  I wouldn't mind if you let them know that the ol' Pond Stalker said hello!

Alright, let's kick off this series by featuring a BlogBuddy that has one of the best blogs going in the blogging world today.  My thanks, to Alan at Small Stream Reflections, is long overdue! 

Alan's blog is one that many of you may have already visited and read many times.  I know I have and loved every minute of it.  If you haven't allow me to say "SHAME ON YOU"!  

Alan writes about the beautiful area and waters of our great Northeast.  Preferring to fish small streams is Alan's forteit.  Chasing the beautiful Brook Trout, and occasional, Brown Trout with Drys, Nymphs, Streamers, and Soft Hackle.  Alan does it all.  His readers are blessed with beautiful pictures of the area, beautiful colored fish, and, as much information as you would need to fish these waters.  You are only left feeling envious and wishing you go on stream with Alan to enjoy the experience.  His blog is also a model for any blogger to look at when it comes to the "community" concept.  His blog posts are often commented on by many others expressing themselves on his current post.  That is how comfortable it is to know and love this blog.

Alan, also, enjoys some preparing of food and tasty meals.  Here is an example:

Just kidding here, Alan, if you are hungry you had better eat before you see some of Alan's work or you are going to be hungry real quick.

Before I forget, and certainly a fine accomplishment, Alan, also is an author and offers his great book on fishing those "Thin Blue Lines"

'Nuff said, get on over to Alan's blog and say hello from the ol' Pondstalker.

 

Pond Stalker Blog Spring Clean Up

Is Spring ever going to get here? Someday's, I think so.  On other days, I think or say something different.  It is April 1st, and, I am more than ready to start my warm water fishing season.  It is, also, time for a new Colorado fishing license for the season which begins today and runs through March 31st, 2015.

All that aside, let me take a few moments to share what is going on around the Pond Stalker blog.  It is Spring Cleaning time.

I have been thinking about a re-modeling job of my blog for the new year.  So, after some thought, and feedback from my fellow blogging friends, I got too work.

I began with bringing back a Blog Header that I used previously and added text too it.  This pond in the picture is currently one of my favorite places to fish in my area.  The fish are numerous, but not big necessarily.  Lot's of fun and I thought it deserved the honor of being my Blog Header for the new look.

Next, I redesigned the layout.  I will be using the full page look to my blog, without the use of sidebars to clutter the place up.  I will be using one post per page.  Following the post are graphic links to some of the good folks and organizations that have supported my blogging fun for all these years.  They deserve a shout out!

I have also added a few new pages to my blog which will encompass some of the materials that used to be in my sidebars with a few changes.  Let's begin with my About Mel page.  I have written a brief update on what my current focus is on my blog efforts that should help my readers better understand where I am going forward here on the blog.  Take a minute to do a quick read.

Next is my BlogBuddy Community page.  After giving it a lot of thought, from all the feedback on a recent post on my blog, I have decided to use a page on my blog for the purpose of giving my BlogBuddies a shout out.  I am currently in the process of constructing this page.  So at this point, it reads like a general blog list.  However, I will be updating it in a day or two to something I really good that I have in mind.  Not different, but, different for me.

While you are browsing around on my new look format, please take a minute and check out my other pages which include my From My Vise page, and, my Blog Post Archive page. 

P.S., before I forget to do it, I want to add a link to my Other Brother's blog over at Windknots and Tangled Lines.  Yes, I finally met up with Howard! No, we didn't fish together, but made plans to do so.  See what we were up too this past weekend!

A Big Thank You And Something New For The Blog

Just wanted to give all of you who took the time to read my last blog post a bunch of thank you's, and, then followed up with your great comments and insights to my dilemma with what to do with my Blogroll.  Each and every one of them were much appreciated.  That is why you guys and gals are my BlogBuddies.  It is a good sense of community in blogging when a Blogger can reach out and ask for some help and the support comes pouring in!  That particular post is by far the most read post and most commented post since I began my blogging career a number of years ago.  Still get steady reads everyday so that makes me smile and appreciate all who helped even more.

I am also going to try something new on my blog.  I have been tying flies for about (35) years now. I have taught many fly tying classes and have appeared as a guest tyer at past FFF conclaves and Regional Expos.  

Now, I am not trying to offend anyone or toot my own horn.  I am simply attempting to imply that I have had many trials and tribulations at the vise and lots of experience with various tying materials.  That being said, I will assure you that my concept in fly tying is different than a lot of folks.  I don't tie Dry Flies for Trout, but, Foam Spiders and the like for Bluegill and an occasional Largemouth Bass.  I do tie Nymphs and Streamers and Leeches for Warm Water species and also for Trout.  I don't tie "cute" flies, although, my wife disagrees with me.  What I do tie, primarily, are buggy, effective, easy to tie patterns that don't take much time or talent.  They do catch fish!  If I lose one that is no big deal.  I just grab another and get after those fishies!  I don't buy expensive hackle for Dry Flies, and really, not even for the popular Wooly Bugger type flies much anymore.  The price of good hackle just scares me when I look at it now.  I am a senior citizen living on a fixed budget, so maintaining my costs are critical.  Anyway, all of this blabbering to let you know that I have decided to post some of my current work at the vise on my blog.  You will note at the top of the left hand sidebar a picture of a current fly under the title of "FROM MY VISE".

This will be where I will select a certain pattern and have as good a picture as I could get of the pattern when completed.  If you happen to see one that you like leave a comment for me over on my "From My Vise" page.    You can go to the link for the page just under the blog header and see which patterns I have posted there.  If anyone needs further information or is interested in tying instructions let me know and I will see what I can do for you.  I am not a person who shoots video,  but, I can send along a materials list and tying instructions if that would be handy for you.

Thanks for letting me share some fly tying with you all!

Thanks "Giving" Time

Giving thanks is something that has tried to become a lost art in this old world we live in.  It is up to us, one and all, to spread the word of thanks and support to all whom we come in contact with on this holiday.  

It's important to remember that not everyone is surrounded by large wonderful families. Some of us have problems during the holidays and sometimes are overcome with great sadness when we remember the loved ones who are not with us. And, many people have no one to spend these times with and are besieged by loneliness. We all need caring thoughts and loving prayer right now. Please do not hesitate to give a moment of support to all those who have family problems, health struggles, job issues, worries of any kind and just need to know that someone cares. Do it for all of us, for nobody is immune.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my BlogBuddies.  Thanks for making this Blog an enjoyable place for me to spend my time!

Blogging & Fly Fishing: A Sense Of Community

Psst, Pond Stalker, wake up! This is supposed to be a blog about fly fishing for Bluegilll, Bass, the occasional Crappie, or a big bad Carp!  What is that you say, Pond Stalker?  You thought we were closed!

No, Pond Stalker, you big dummy! That's our Federal Government that is closed.  You know they can't figure out how to get out of the way of a disaster, so, they shut the door and are waiting for the Big Bad Wolf to come a knockin'.  

You, Pond Stalker, can go fishing! Forget about the flood.  That is the past.  Presently, the effort being applied by all those who have gave time and money into helping assist with the clean up mess and the do-overs in Northern Colorado is well on its way.  We as Coloradans will rise again! Let there be time and we will see sparkling waters, beautiful trout, ponds filled with Bluegill and Bass.   Those, big ol' Carp, ain't going nowhere we can't find one with a little effort.

You know having lived through the Flood of 2013 in Colorado, and, seeing the relief efforts that are in place brings forth with pride the great Sense of Community that we have here where I live.  It is truly remarkable!  

With that being said, I would like to direct this post to the Sense of Community that we all share in the blogging world with our blogs, and, with our individual fly fishing interests whatever they may be.

I have been a Blog writer for many years now, and while I in no way consider myself to be an expert at anything, I do have lots of experience and thoughts about the concept of Sense of Community via blogging.   Good blogs have to have regular content.  Good blogs must be able to capture the reader with information that they can use and apply in their own life experience.  Good blogs must draw the reader back in the future wanting to read more about what you have to share with them.  

The Sense of Community on a blog begins with the post, acquiring some readers, readers being willing to post a comment in regards to the post, and finally, the blog author taking the time to respond to those comments given by his or her readers.  Pictures, videos, Blogrolls of your favorite blogs etc, all bring about a sense of community to a blog.

As an example, on the Pond Stalker Blog, down the right sidebar you will see Picture Links that take you to just a few of the many blogs I enjoy from other fly fishing or outdoor oriented blogs.  In this case, I have linked up to the most reliable group of folks who have been long term supporters of my blog writing.  They visit often, they comment often, offer wit and advice, and give me the feeling that they enjoy being a part of this community.  This particular group of bloggers have followed me all over the road map of blogging for at least (5) years that I know of, probably more.  I am willing to add others there also as the Pond Stalker blog grows, since this is a newer blog, as supporters come forward to share in the Sense of Community.

Note also that I have decided to go forth with a Facebook page for the Pond Stalker.  Lots of stuff over there that you won't see here,  So make sure you hit the the Facebook "Like" button and see what is going on on the Pond Stalker Facebook page!

I realize I am getting a little long winded here, but, the Sense of Community is just that.  I read dozens and dozens of well written blogs every week and leave comments on those blogs on a majority of the posts I read.  Let me wrap this up by saying how frustrating it is too me to leave a comment on another fishing blog, wanting to be a part of that community, only to "never" have the blog author respond to not only mine, but, any of the comments left by other readers.  It happens way more than you think! There are those that respond to comments on their blog and always make you feel  welcome,  Those are not the ones I am talking about here.  I am just asking that you do a little self evaluation of your blog.  Do you respond to your readers? Do you provide them a Sense of Community?  If not, you might find that the Sense of Community is the very reason your blog is getting less views or maybe just less comments being provided.

Hope you all stayed with me through this ramble!  I like the Sense of Community!

So What Was In The Box?

My last post alluded to a package being sent to me in the mail from a blogging friend.  I asked the question, "I wonder what it could be?"  If you read through the comments on the post you will see that several of my blogging friends had suggestions on what it could be.

Everything from  a new fly tying vise with a built in light, left over cookies from Howard, carved or stuffed fish, a "Leg" lamp, fresh trout caught last week for dinner the day they arrive, something Italian that may or may not be ticking, a glass plaque to commemorate the sense of the outdoor blogging community, and, I am sure a few ideas that never got posted on the blog.

Well, yesterday the package came.  I was excited to see what was in the box.

 Certainly "fragile", all right.  Lots of bubble pack air package to keep things from moving around much.

Ok, buried in the box somewhere it says "RD's Special Cookies".  Yes, I am the Cookie Monster, and, I am going to dig them out, now!

Oh, how I like Cookies! Neatly wrapped in colorful paper with ribbon that could be used for Flashback Nymphs, were Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, and Snickerdoodles.  Emily, graciously, had sent enough for me and my wife, plus, all my grandchildren.  I was more than happy to give them the taste test and deliver a package to each pod of grandchildren I have.

 RD's Special Cookies get the "Thumbs Up" Award from the folks here at Pond Stalker Headquarters.

 RD, thank you so much for your time and effort and demonstrating to us all the sense of community amongst us Outdoor Bloggers.  Be sure and take care of you for me.