huh?

My neighbours don't get me.

I haven't done shit lately. Haven't felt like it. Cold. Sickly. Not right. Fucking holidays. I hate the fucking holidays. Man, do I hate the fucking holidays. They're over. It was like fitty degrees today. I felt I should go fishing.

And I did... I didn't want to. I wanted to stay home and blast Battlefield 3 nonsense on a reconstituted 5.1 system (scrounged an old receiver from a friend). But, like 55 degrees. No family. No holidays (fucking holidays!), and it turns out the water was flowing at a perfect 118cfs.

So, I gathered some crap and hit the water. It was nice to get out, enjoy it for the first time in what seems to have been years but had only been a couple months. Reminded me that nymphing is every bit as boring as I say it is, and also reminded me of why the modern fly fishing industry sucks ass, and we'll go into that next week.

What we did do is prove a theory I've heard before, and recently saw blogged at another site: Cheap screws work just fine for boot studs.

The rust spot is the old stud.
No, yes, it wore down that far.

I've heard sheet metal screws before, and thought about buying some. I'd also heard of using studs from snow tires, but where the fuck does one find those?

Oh, that's right.. its 20112 and there's this world wide information network now, and these things that... Oh, well, fuck me in the neck.

More specifically. Friend of mine bought a 1000 pack and started selling off excess. I bought a 50 count bag and decided I'd put 'em on my well-worn boots. Used a 1/4" nut driver and drove 12 into each boot, basically next to the old ones.

Three hours later.

Man, you don't realize what a difference it makes. I knew how worn down the old ones are, and I know I've managed to wear through the felt down to bare sole on the edges.. I've fallen the first few times I went out after surgery, but figured I was simply in rough shape....

Nope, a shiny new set of studs and you fucking know it. I had grip the likes of which I never had before.

So, yeah. If your shit's worn down, buy new ones. Those guys at Hatch Magazine provide some more helpful information on where to go in for less than a thousand screws at a time.

Oh, one last note.. when in a pinch, duct tape seals waders.