ÿþ<HTML> <HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <META NAME="Generator" CONTENT="Microsoft Word 97"> <TITLE>The Brunsell Articles - Preface</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <P ALIGN="CENTER">&nbsp;</P> <P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT SIZE=5>PREFACE</P></FONT> <BLOCKQUOTE> <P><FONT SIZE=4>In the fall of 1987, 1 attended my first Federation of Fly Fisher's Conclave in Mountain Home, Arkansas. It was the first such event I had ever attendedd and was anxious to see everything there. I looked at the various fly tyers in the center of the exhibit hall and was making my way around the commercial exhibitors booths when I noticed a small table with a gentleman sitting by himself with one lone fly rod on the table. As I was walking by, I looked at the rod and asked if he was selling that rod. His reply was, "no". I thought to myself, "What was he doing there if he wasn't trying to sell fly rods"? He proceeded to explain that he had a theory about casting a fly rod that was different than most. "Sag makes drag", he commented. At this point, I had no idea what he was talking about. He asked me to go to the fly casting area outside to see what he meant. I replied that I had just gotten there and wanted to see the rest of the exhibit. I made my way around the remainder of the exhibit over the next hour but ended back at the gentleman's table. After some discussion, I went out to the fly casting area and tried his rod. I was impressed! It was the furthest I had ever shot line with a fly rod. The rod was eight feet long with more eyes on it than I had ever seen on a fly rod and a larger stripping> guide than any other I had seen. His theory was exactly as he had stated. Any sag in a fly line causes it to drag across the eyes and therefore, slow down the casting of the line.</P> <P>The gentleman I met that day was Bob Brunsell. Bob lives in Bull Shoals, Arkansas and on several trips there to fish the White River, I would visit with Bob. He showed me his workshop where he built these rods and showed me his technique for tying flies. On one of my visits there, he showed me one of the articles he had written and after further discussion, indicated he had written a number of articles. He said that he had thought about compiling these articles into a book so he would have them all in one place. I told him I would love to be involved in a project like that and this book is a result of our joint effort.</P> <P>Bob was born in 1917 in Rock County, Wisconsin. Growing up in the depression, hunting and fishing was a way of life for him. He became interested in fly fishing as a young adult after learning it was a way of taking fish without seriously injuring them. It didn't take long for Bob to realize fly fishing was more fun, too. He persuaded other fishers to try it and soon he had a sizable group of fly fishers in his town. Bob noticed that as he became interested in fly fishing, he also became interested in its environs; water quality, stream and lake ecology, etc. He figured the best thing he could do was to get more people interested in fly fishing. That is what he set out to do. He taught a fly tying and fly fishing class for 23 winters in Wisconsin and continued it after moving to Arkansas. He has written for publication, mostly about fly fishing, since the early 1970's. He was a fly tying panelist at the Federation of Fly Fisher's Conclave at West Yellowstone in 1981 and the Great Lakes Council Conclaves until moving to Arkansas.</P> <P>He received Wisconsin Trout Unlimited's Golden Net Award in 1984 for his outstanding contribution to the state's cold water fishery and the Federation of Fly Fisher's Lew Jewett Memorial Award also in 1984 for his contribution to and innovations in fly fishing. He is a long time member of Trout Unlimited and a charter and life member of the Federation of Fly Fishers. He makes fly rods of his own design that have sold all over the country.</P> <P>The articles that comprise this book were written over a span of several years and therefore, there is some repetition, especially in those pertaining to fly construction. Hopefully, with the exception of one or two jokes, it's repetition will serve to emphasize procedures that Bob considers extremely important.</P> <P>Also, please keep in mind that graphite rods were either non-existent or far from perfection so where certain lengths of fiber glass rods are recommended, feel free to substitute graphite and correspondingly lighter line weights. </BLOCKQOUTE> <P ALIGN="RIGHT">Darrell W. Loftin</P> </FONT><P><IMG SRC="preface.jpg" WIDTH=453 HEIGHT=330 BORDER=0></P> </BODY>