It's December 24, 2003, 11:24 pm, and I'm sitting on the sofa, smoking a Stanwell. The pipe is a gift from my father, the last Christmas present I'll ever receive from him. He's dying of cancer.
This past year has been yet another difficult one; the CW has surely suffered as a result. Very few new articles have been posted online, primarily since I've had so little time to write anything. Days, weeks, even whole months were practically consumed by parental health issues.
My mother broke her hip late in 2002. Because of postoperative complications she took the reminder of that year plus a large portion of 2003 to mend properly. Furthermore, within the same period my father endured a heart attack, bypass surgery and a lengthy recovery himself. Now the man has problems no medical doctor can fix. Three months ago he was given two to six months to live.
Ironically, though The Churchwarden has gotten less updated content than ever, I've seen an unprecedented number of subscription requests. Unfortunately I cannot honor them. The CW no longer comes in snail mail form and the web site itself makes an e-mail version rather pointless.
It's hard to say what 2004 may bring, but The Churchwarden will continue, albeit a bit sporadically for awhile. If you're desirous of contributing a fishing story, a tobacco review or something doctrinal, I certainly wouldn't object. Just remember to keep your submission solidly Reformed in all respects.
Pray urgently for my father's salvation. I truly want to meet him in heaven when it's my turn to die.
Today's church is in danger of losing the gains of yesterday's Reformation. Such loss is beginning to show up in the capitulation to Dunn and Wright's New Perspective on justification and the consumption of cheap beer. Martin Luther would certainly rail against our latest theological effort to undo his doctrine of imputed righteousness, and he wouldn't care for Budweiser either. Christians ought to avoid both; neither pleases the Lord. So, as a service to you, dear readers, a brew review column will be added to The Churchwarden. Forget the toilette water of those big name breweries. I don't know why believers buy their booze. Perhaps they think they're being spiritual by saving a buck. Micro-brews and foreign beers cost more, but as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. Trust me, I won't be reviewing rot gut. If a Christian drinks, for the glory of God let him at least down the good stuff. To that end I hope to help.
When it comes to contemporary fly rods, most of them are ridiculously expensive and not worth the cost. There are, however, exceptions on both accounts. By an exception I mean a rod for under 300 dollars which casts well.
Back in October of 2003 I accidentally acquired such a stick. I'll not discuss the details, but the money I saved on a discounted St. Croix wound up being spent on clothes for my wife instead of trout flies. Anyway, the rod is an a 4-weight, 4 piece, 8-1/2' Avid I purchased for 60 bucks less than the original list of 220 dollars. Although bamboo and glass are preferable, the Avid is nice for graphite. Let's just say I'm not sorry I bought it.
The Orvis Clearwater series has been revamped somewhat and still provides an angler with the finest rod available in its price range. Orvis' 25 year unconditional guarantee is unbeatable. I personally own two Clearwaters and don't hesitate to recommend them to others.
For those who like a faster action, the Winston Ibis is a beautiful choice.
Diamondback sells several quality glass rods. The eight foot 4-weight seems perfect for most trouting situations. If you haven't fished glass, you should. Fiberglass provides a slower, more relaxing means of tossing a fly.
Friends, there's really no need for trout fishermen to waste a bundle of hard-earned cash on overpriced equipment. Hunt for a decent deal and you'll definitely find one. Then you could afford better beer.
These certainly will not end, but I can hardly compete with TobaccoReviews.com for completeness. If I tried to cover all the blends evaluated on that web site I'd soon be dead-or broke.
Do you tie a non-standard fish producing fly? How about sharing the pattern with the world? Send me the recipe and I'll put it on the CW site.
Try this. It'll be good for your soul. Pipe collectors are pipe lovers, and pipe lovers may easily become pipe idolators. If you can't bear to part with a single pipe from your horde, you're already in deep doo-doo. But if you can, both God and the recipient will appreciate your sacrifice. I pawned off several pipes in 2003. Some were junk; they were no problem to unload. Some were well worth retaining. Those were harder to willingly place in another person's hands. Believe me, the real spiritual test lies in giving away what you want to keep. Crap is easy to dump.
Now, should you decide to go ahead with the aforementioned recommendation, please don't send your discarded briar to me. I've got plenty and, to be honest, I have a Peterson for which God is demanding a new owner.
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