By Bob Born
    The web pages (www.floatfishermen.org) have been up and running since June.  The counter has registered over 2700 hits in 1999 and is over 4200 by March.  I am sure there are still some members who do not use the page.  There are some features I wanted to let the members know about.
      First, there is a box labeled "Travel in Style" on the task bar on the left.  You can get free Internet service from Worldspy.com here and FFV gets paid for referrals.  We also are paid 4% of any sales of products on this page when you register from this link.  Hopefully, if we all use these services it will pay for the cost of the page.
      Second there is a weather search box which will get a localized weather report for any location.  Just enter a Zip Code or City, State in the box and click the go button.
      Third, there are boxes labeled Freewwweb and NetZero on the bottom of the "Webrings" page.  These links takes you to the sign up page for free Internet service.
      Along the task bar on the left you will find links to additional pages, FFV documents, pictures and Chapter pages.  We have started a project to include newsletter (Fishin’ Pole, Pack & Paddle) back issues on the web.  This is a big project and we can use all the help we can get.  C. W. Wiley has given us the archives that were passed along to him.  Jerry Lunde has offered his collection to be added to this.  Unfortunately, I don’t think we have a complete set.  If anyone has old issues to add to this set please get them to Bill Chambers, president of the Steve Keller Chapter
(skc@floatfishermen.org).  Once we have a complete set on the web everyone will have access to the articles in them.
      There is also a message board where messages can be posted for all to see.  The first time you use the message you will be asked to create an ID. Choose a name and password of your liking.  Remember this ID and password and use it any time you wish to post a message or respond to some else’s message.
      The club’s official E-mail address is floatfishemen@yahoo.com.  I check this E-mail daily and either respond to them personally or forward them to the appropriate person. or sometimes both. We also have E-mail forwarding available, which allows E-mail addressed to (name)@floatfishermen .org to be forwarded to the proper address  (webmaster@floatfishermen.org to Bob Born,  skc@floatfishermen.org to the Steve Keller Chapter, etc).  Please let me know where to forward other chapter E-mail.  Please let Don Leeger (don.leeger@at.siemens.com) know your E-mail address so he can include it on the roster. There are very few people who have an E-mail address registered.
     Also if anyone wishes to create pages for a picture album please let me (Bob Born) know and I will help get you started.  We also would like to get people going on the individual chapter pages.  One of our goals is to get pages up for each chapter where the chapters can post there own news, articles and pictures (see the Steve Keller and Roanoke Chapter pages).
      Another goal is to someday get a secure page installed where we can keep the current roster.  We would issue passwords to members with which they could access the roster.
      If you have any comments, suggestions or critiques please send them to me.  All help is greatly appreciated, this is your web page.

From Friends of…newsletter
    The option to buy Whitt- Riverbend has been signed. Let the fundraising begin!
    Thanks to donors (FFV - $2,660) $10,000 was raised for this option. Applied against the total purchase price of $125,000, we now have a goal of $115,000 to raise by June 30, 2001.
    The park will occupy 27 acres and a mile of New River frontage at the mouth of Walker Creek near Pearisburg. Early plans favor a primitive park with canoe and fishing access, picnic facilities, and limited camping.

Kellys Ford Boat Ramp Closed,    Moved to Route     651 in Fauquier County

From DGIF Outdoor Report
    While building the new Kellys Ford bridge, the river access boat ramp on the Culpeper County side of the river has been closed. However, VDOT has built a temporary parking area off Route 651 on the Fauquier County side of the river that provides canoeists access to the river by way of Marsh Run.
    Canoeists and others using the river should be alert to the fact that the area around the bridge will be a construction work zone until November 10, 2000.
    The new two-lane bridge will have a five-foot-wide upstream sidewalk with overlook deck for watching Float Fishermen swim canoe the rapids.
    Rock from the old bridge piers will be used for landscaping the Kellys Ford area.