I joined this board four years ago to be a part of this online fishing comunity, and participate I have. I've posted pictures of fish friends and I have caught, I've posted trip reports, I've offered up my opinion and knowledge on topics when questions have been ask, and I've shared my sense of humor. Over-the-top, hammer down, all the way. Like it or not, that's me.

I've met a handful of really cool people as a result, and for that I have no regrets. I'd do it all over again for that reason alone. I always figured I'd participate until it wasn't fun anymore. Today when I post pictures of fish I get the "self-promotion flag" waved in my face, so I quite doing that. More and more my input "on-topic" is met with the assumption that I have a big ego. Beyond showing a sense of syle and being humorous, I've never been serious in portaying myself as better than anyone else on the board.

Self-promotion and ego: The SolFly Tournament was not even my idea, it was Superflys. When he first mentioned the idea to me I was leary. In fact it was several days to a week later before I even committed to the idea. The name was Joe's idea, not mine. All I've done is use whatever popularity I might have to promote my half of the event and it has been NOTHING but a pain in my ass. From conservation groups to permitting to thirty-five pages of hatred on gamefishin and continuous personal PM's and emails: IT HAS NOT BEEN FUN. If the event itself and the good people that acctually show up do not deem it a great time I'll divorce myself from the event in the future.

Humor, highjacks and hyjinks: Sol this, Sol that. You guys throw peanuts at me like an ape in the zoo to get me to say something funny or outragous, and then someone gets bent when I start jumping up and down on the bars. My most ardent opposition calls me a "great man" one weak and "offensive" the next. Moderation goes from Big-Daddy deleting multiple entire threads to Parker, Garcia, D-3 and Bob leaving comments I've made alone until the thread goes sideways and implodes in discontent. Where's the middle ground? I'm clearly lost, I'm tired of being the one stuck holding the bag when shi% goes south. And before someone starts in with the "feeling sorry for myself" bullshi%, let it be known I really don't care anymore. I'm venting because I'm tired. I'm tired of being "Sol," I'm tired of the noteriety, I'm tired of everything.

P.S. Please don't run this thread out to multiple pages of "Sol, your great," or "See ya later, asshole." My motivation for the post is simply to let everyone know where I stand.