Baghdad School of Fly Fishing Periodic Update

     Wow, so much has happened since the last update, I hardly know where to begin. I'll start with the students, since that is what this endeavor is all about.
    The last class has finished up. Not all got into fish as I would have liked, but some did. I was really pressed for time at the end and the weather was not cooperating very well either. None the less, the group pressed on and finished strong. One Soldier, SSG G, has really been bitten by the bug and now has a fly rod of his own that he is plying the waters of Camp Victory with. He also was able to take SFC W out and get him hooked up before the big man headed home. It was a nice fish too! SSG G may be just beginning as a fly caster, but he's a heck of a fisherman!
   Now that I am done with my stint as "Dean" of the BSFF, I tallied 35 students in my time. I think that all of them had a good time and most will go at it on their own. I know of one who already has, her husband took her out shopping for rods almost as soon as she got home. Even if they don't stay with it, I know that it made their time in Iraq a bit more bearable and got their mind off where they were and what they were doing, even if only for an hour a week.
    So where does the BSFF go from here, since I am headed home? Onward and upward! I've turned over the helm to LTC Bill and Chaplain Matthew. Both are excellent fly fishermen and really excited about the school. LTC Bill has been deployed to Iraq before and came prepared (he is a fellow Montanan, go figure) with his gear. CH Matthew too came with his rod and we actually met on the lake one day. I have passed all the gear to them and they will be starting up classes soon. I will continue to host this website and keep all posted on the latest news. Bill has already begun re-working the logo (I am by no means an artist nor a graphic designer so the only way to go from what I created is up!) and has lots of plans. They will teach fly tying in the room I found, thanks to another fly fisherman, LTC B.

What is it with LT S and knots? Not just any old knot will do, gotta concentrate.

SSG G, getting into it, playing his first fish on a fly rod. It was too cold to smile, much.

That is it for this update, check in again and see how we are doing.

Fish on! Joel