Passed 70-316

Today I passed my 70-316 exam: Developing and Implementing Windows-based Applications with Microsoft Visual C# .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET.

I definitely studied my tail off but it paid off in the end.

I read MCAD/MCSD Self-Paced Training Kit: Developing WIndows-Based Applications with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, and Microsoft Visual C# .NET/ Matthew A. Stoecker with Microsoft Corporation. --2nd ed.

I used the Measure Up Practice Exam.

Thank God that is over. It might be a while before I try another certification exam.

Missed the Caddis

Dave and I got a pretty early start today. We stopped to get Dick's advice again and this time it didn't quit work in our favor. It wasn't anyone's fault, but more,weather screwed us. We gambled and decided to fish Brown's Canyon. It was partly cloudy and cool, then the wind whipped up, then the sun would show for a while, then cold again... Dave picked a few up on Puteraugh's foam bodied caddis, and I picked up a nice brown on a beadhead caddis pupa, but the caddis hatch really wasn't happening in Brown's Canyon.

We ended up catching more on baetis thanks caddis. Once again the Barr's Emerger was the ticket. And the funny thing was that we couldn't buy a fish on our favorite foam-winged flashback RSII today.

It got really slow in the late afternoon and we both considered, even if it wasn't verbal, that we were beating a dead horse. But the persistence payed off. We stayed later then any other fishermen and it made a decent day GREAT. Dave was the man of the hour.

Dave tied on a hi-vis parachute BWO with a Barr's Emerger trailer. We saw some regular risers in the slick water just in front of the car park (which is ridiculous because we walked miles up the canyon in our pursuit and caught the best fish right in front of the car). Anyway, Dave was max'ing out his 3 weight with long casts, putting in a small mend when necessary, and he managed to land four great fish. All but on took his Barr's Emerger. It was a hell of a site to see. He really worked it and that worked for him.

We were hungry as bear and decided to try to hit the Mr. K's or the Dinky Diner on the way home. We struck out, both were closed. We proceeded through heavy snow to Kenosha Pass where it cleared up. We stopped at one of John Woz' old hang-outs: Cactus Jacks. We scarfed some awesome burgers and headed home.

Great day, but not the Caddis Hatch we were expecting.

Headed to the Ark

DiamonD and I are headed to fish the Arkansas River tomorrow. The weather looks a bit iffy but we should have a nice time anyway. The Caddis are coming off according to the reports and the Baetis should still be getting some action from those browns. I'll post a followup to this to report on our success (or failure ;-)

xp_pcre - Regular Expressions in T-SQL

I just came across an article on CodeProject: xp_pcre - Regular Expressions in T-SQL By Dan Farino. It provides 6 different extended stored procedures to provide a range of regex functionality.

It uses the "Perl Compatible Regular Expressions" library which is available at http://www.pcre.org/

I haven't tried it but it really looks like a useful thing. I'll report on it soon.

Too Sexy For My Waders

I created a new blog: Too Sexy For My Waders. It is going to be a team blog for my fishing buddies: John Woz and DiamondD, and myself. We are going to catalog our annual fly fishing trips and all the wacky adventures along the way. Should be a crack.

Tying for the Ark

Dave an I had a tying session tonight for the Arkansas River. We tied up some foam-winged caddis, peacock caddis, and some mercury bead flashback pheasant tails. It was a good night of tying and Emma baked some Salmon. It was tasty.

Mercury Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph
Pat Dorsey designed this variation of the already highly effective and popular pheasant tail. With its glass beadhead, it gives fish a slightly different look they go crazy for. Works great on hard-fished waters where trout have seen it all.

Puterbaugh's Black Foam Caddis
The pattern is available here

Peacock Caddis
The pattern is available here