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[whinging pom]

I m amazed at how productive you are and how you manage to fit it all in? It's great having a job which is also your passion, and I know from experience this concept of work/life balance is a fuzzy line if it exists at all, if your passionate about your work. I love my job and am happy to do it all day long and everyday if I can, so i get people like that . With me its lack of delegating that pulls my productivity back, i just want to do all aspects and it doesn't make my output very prolific.
Cripes this forum must be enough work for you ,and its not even your main job>Well done you and thanks for the inspiring out-put , Im learning heaps!

Now I have an issue with you and i dont know how to go about posting it !!
( Good gawd third posting in and the pip squeak is picking on the guvn already!!)

In your video you slag off the Wiggle cast as something that has better alternative's, I feel I need to defend its honour from such a scurrilous attack sir!
But have no idea where to mount such a challenge in the vast kingdom that is the sexyloops forum/ board

[Paul Arden]

you could stick it under flycasting or the vid Masterclass section!

I actually manage to completely escape the Internet regularly. Prior to Covid I could be offline most of the week. One big half day at the beginning of the week and one quick online session in-between to pickup email and check the Board. More than 5 days becomes difficult but not impossible.

It was only last year how important I realised it was to escape and get offline when I was locked down and unable to. Information overload in my brain and not enough campfires

Fortunately most of the lake has no internet coverage. For a while I was considering installing Satellite Internet in the boat. That’s not going to happen now!

Cheers, Paul

[whinging pom]

while you have the perfect excuse not to be available 24 /7 . Embrace that freedom its so liberating. We need respite from it.

Its managing other peoples expectations and crazy assumptions that if your not responding immediately your either ignoring them or somehow dysfunctional and unreliable is one of those crazy pressures of modern life.
I used to make clear to people that i did consultancy to clients in the mountains in Nth Wales where i'd stay for a few days each month, and there was no reception and dodgy internet so don't expect replies. Everyone was warned you may get ignored its nothing personal and its monthly.

The reception at the property was actually pretty good , but it was my monthly sanctuary and they had a sea trout river running through the forest deep in a steep valley on the property where there was no reception, where i could grab three blissful hours wind down at the end of the day So what's a man to do?!

[Paul Arden]

It’s funny it’s probably the only job in the world where you can say “sorry for the slow reply, I was fishing!” and actually get away with it! I fact if anything it shows I’m more serious

There is always two sides to everything. On the one hand the Internet has allowed me to do what I want to do in a way that was never possible 30 years ago. On the other hand it’s always there. And it’s gone from life with a little bit of Internet at home to I’m holding a handphone now. First thing I do when I get up, check the Internet, often it’s the last thing I do before falling asleep.

I’m 50 and like a lot of people on this Board knew life before the Internet was in your pocket everywhere you go. So I do at least know that it’s not the real world; it’s the Internet. I don’t know how it would be to grow up with it in my face all the time.

Funny story, I had a couple of young guests on the lake for a few days taking them fishing. Now I live in a beautiful place. It’s a Rainforest, stunning backdrop, labyrinth of islands and coves, we see Hornbills, eagles, elephants, rising fish(!), otters, incredible skies - you know it’s just one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I’ve lived here for eight years and it still blows me away every day. And this couple are on their phones! I’m driving the boat thinking there is not even reception here! So I have a look… and they’re playing computer games!!

Don’t get me wrong. Super nice people. And I’m sure the games are very exciting You’re just not really here when you are somewhere else. And that’s why I escape the Internet

Cheers, Paul

[Paul Arden]

Eg…

[whinging pom]

It reminds me of news photo doing the rounds a few years back of the queen visiting the BBC news room offices ( which wouldnt thrill me particularly) It was a shot of this cavernous space with this little old lady in blue being shown round and about 100+ employees surrounding at a respectful distance.
Every last one of them had a phone up filming it. Everyone of them experienced it through a screen and may as well have been 100's of miles remote.

There was an old dippy hippy saying that i had thrown at me a few times "Here and Now!" Chris "Here and NOW!"
Really if you boating across a lake in paradise "Here and now" is the only place to be. But then I have to engross myself in it , thats me, maybe they take in as much of the experience while looking distracted.
My partners daughter in her twenties Can converse and be wickedly sharp and funny , while watching a film and, reading and pinging off messages on her phone. I cant comprehend that mental dexterity! Maybe she'd pick up double hauling in an instant?!
best chris A

photo just came through! Good grief i could just sit there and just watch the light change during the day for a thrill. What a place to explore with camera.
Bet your not fondling missing grid lock on the M25 to get to concrete reservoir bank.

[Paul Arden]

Every last one of them had a phone up filming it.

How rude!! I’m not a royalist myself either. Of course my avatar on this forum could be taken either way. People don’t shake hands with you any more they take a selfie.

Getting out the airport and going around the M25 feels like I have been teleported into another dimension. I once drove from Colchester to some lakes near Heathrow for a children’s flyfishing day with the STA. I was late. It was 100 miles on the dot and I got there in one hour. Bang on. You can’t do that today

Cheers, Paul

[Marco389]

Hi,

I'm Marco from the middle of Germany.
I fish with the fly since 1987, not exclusively, but I enjoy it the most. Tie my own flies since about 1995 I think.
Love to visit and fish Slovenia, Austria and Bavaria.
My home river in Germany is called "Bode" and has plenty of brown trout, small but beautiful. I love lighter rods with dry flies and have way too many rods from #1 to #5.

Greetings,
Marco

[George C]

Hi, Marco
Welcome.
Lots and lots to learn here and people are very helpful.

[Lasse Karlsson]

Eg…
34C18E59-73DA-4B05-86B2-78B174AD2B69.jpeg

You just need a couple of boats there at the empty dock, and everything would be perfect

Cheers
Lasse