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3. Calling All Fly Fishing Friends...

Howdy All

I am asking EVERYONE here to look into their outdoor arsenal for items that have been sitting around gathering dust...

I am asking for donations to help me complete a vision I have been working on for the past five seasons.

After talking with a couple of fellow guides and misc. others down at the Chicago Great Waters Expo I realized that most of us have WAY more gear than we need.

My plan is to collect donations from kindhearted sportsmen/sportsgals, business and companies, etc. - think gear, goods, services...

and then to have a kick-arse auction sale to raise funds - maybe it will be a live auction with a cookout, maybe it will be a on-line auction, maybe it will be a little of both...

Really depends upon the kind of response I get and the quality and quantity of the items.

I can say this - I have recieved some very TASTY donations that I will be offering up...a vintage collection of flies(some reported to be tied by Lee Wulff himself), a nice shotgun, a very old Orvis cane rod - pre1900 and some other very collectable stuff...

But I am looking for any usable item...old rods, reels, lures, tackle boxes, or newer stuff that just does not see the light of day...almost anything that is not pure JUNK...

Guides, fly tiers, rod builders, business owners, artists - goods and services are very desireable...and with the not-for-profit status of Big Brothers Big Sisters - Pass It On any donation is tax deductable.

I'll be putting in a guided trip or two myself...

I am still working on the idea but want to plant the seed now because I'll be down in Minneapoils for the next Great Waters in Mid-March, as well as back down in the Madison area and the Chicago Area yet this spring and can collect there too.

Those outside the Midwest Area are encouraged to join in too. I'll gladly accept anything you can ship out my way.

I did a similar thing for the Brule River Sportsmens Club awhile back and raised some good $$$ for that cause and had a good time too boot!

Heck at that deal we even had bikes and rollerblades, tents and sleeping bags and all manner of gear...

This time my mission is twofold:

I'll be raising funds for the Big Brothers Big Sisters outdoor mentorship program Pass It On...which some of you will remember I worked with back in 2004 during the Trout Bum Tour...

http://www.ksbbbs.org/passiton/troutbum1.htm

as well as raising funds for my new Afton Angler Foundation - which awards a scholarship to a special fly fishing youth - funds for continuing their post high school education...

My 'Habitat Improvement' idea is to grow good stewards!

Anyway, I hope you all can look deep down and see that this is a worthy reason to do a good turn. I would be interested to know if there is some interest in this out there so I can plan now.

I really appreciate your consideration in advance.

This board is a great place to be a part of...

Also, please pass the word to all of your non-board buddies on this.

Great way to stock up the karma bank prior to fishing season ;)

See you on the Water.

AA

OH - I am asking all interested to PM me here or go to www.BradBohen.com to sign up for my new email list...

thanks

Brad, this is a great idea. I'll look around and see if I can send you some stuff. --Louis

Thanks Louis

I really appreciate it.

My fly fishing brother Big Pike Mike and I have come up with this phrase this off-season called Think Globally...Fish Locally.

To us 'fishing' is life and the more we can do at a grass roots level to make the Global part work better then maybe it is the start of the difference needed in the collective Big Picture things.

There is SO much out there that seems out of our control in this modern world. I could get overwhelmed with wondering how to figure out all the issues...but I am a simpleton who is basically only really good at fishing so I find solace in doing what I can through that channel.

My hope is that I can use my fishing to Pass It On to the great talents of the next generation...those called the Indigo Children who some say will be called upon to turn the collective ship around.

I hope a few of those are fly anglers!

You honor me with your consideration Louis and I find a great deal of motivation in that friend.

bb

p.s. look at it as a way to reduce, reuse and recycle all at the same time...reduce your closet clutter so someone can reuse that overlooked item and all of the good energy will recycle back into your fishing cup this season!