FLYLIFE FORUM WEEKEND #2 – 2005   The synoptic charts looked ominous, and this time they weren’t kidding! Millbrook 2 experienced cold, windy and sometimes wet weather that seemed a lifetime away from Millbrook 1’s sunny skies. This may have led to the more orderly arrival of the attendees than the previous week, and a little less of a rush for the lake. Nevertheless, several anglers eventually sauntered out on Friday evening to brave the chill, and Scottie’s opening 6.5 pound brown ( pictured below)showed that M2 were going to be a force to be reckoned with. To emphasise the point, Tudor won the meat tray at the Gordon Pub on Friday night – the first time an outsider has done this since 1963. And so the trend was set, as these sturdy stalwarts stomached the sleet and managed a credible 47 trout for the weekend. If adjusted to allow for an average water temperature disadvantage of 8.5 C versus 12.5 C for M1, this actually gives M2 a seasonally-adjusted figure of 74.64! Further, Willow’s last minute withdrawal left M2 a man down. Perhaps fittingly for such a team-orientated group, 3 anglers¾Scottie, Peter and Darryl¾shared the title of heaviest fish with a 6.5 pounder each. Pat was the clear winner with 8 trout landed     The Cast: Peter ‘ewingii’ Watsons Obscure nickname disguises an angler with a taste for fish of a large size. Performs best in front of an audience.  ( pictured below)                                Ross ‘Rossco’ Garwood Holds the new world record for quantity of fly fishing gear fitted into a single family station wagon. Displayed considerate side by breaking off a couple of monsters to avoid upstaging Scottie, Ewingii and Dazzla. Darryl ‘Dazzla’ Wallis The quiet achiever. Put previous Millbrook experience to good use, and now bashfully basks in the title of ‘Smelter King’.  ( pictured below).                          Tudor  Bostock The standard bearer for good cheer in fly fishing. Dug deep into the luck reserves by winning the meat tray at the pub raffle on Friday night. Building up to something very big. Ted ‘Teddy’ Smith Occasionally uses soft Scottish brogue to confuse opponents, but generally plays fair. Very fond of the Mardi Gras (the fly that is). Glen ‘Grumpy’ Thornton Nickname is a misnomer, as he only displays ill humour when there isn’t a fish on the end of his line. Came home hard after quiet second and third quarters. Scott ‘Scottie’ Mcpherson Extremely fair player who, having taken an early lead, stood aside for a whole session on Saturday. Penchant for the spotlight emphasised by capture of the only Australian bass ever seen at Millbrook. Barbeque efforts suggest he may have a future in cooking.                                    Paul ‘Crabby’ Crabtree The lone Western Whisperer at M2. Performed admirably in the absence of his colleagues. Rated by the guides as THE player to watch at Millbrook 2006. Eric Smith M2’s unofficial ‘king of Bunninyong’. May have placed higher if he hadn’t selflessly refused a place at Yuulong on the last afternoon.   Pat ‘Sleepy’ Sheridan While the nickname suggests a relaxed persona, it in fact disguises an icy calm under pressure. Still fishless at lunchtime Saturday, ‘Sleepy’ went on to catch the most trout, equalling Ning’s tally of 8 from the previous weekend. Proud proponent of the Mardi Gras (the fly that is).     Andrew ‘Wet’ Connell Without the distraction of an early trophy fish, this weekend ‘Wet’ showed himself to be anything but, coming to within a single fish of Sleepy’s total.