Archive for March, 2010

Advancements in Fly Fishing Body Art

Posted on March 24th, 2010

In the trout and trout art sense, Utah is happening. First, Corey Kruitbosch knocked it out with the recent Drake cover and conceptual fly tying photo-essay. Then my friend and former colleague Cody (Chris) sends word about how he’s preparing for the upcoming streamer season. The artwork for his new ink comes courtesy of a barter deal with his friend Jason Merkley, a painter of trout. Next is the coloring phase. Cody writes, “It’s  supposed to be a Utah cutthroat, which will obviously become more apparent after the telltale slash of red is added.”

Tagged: , , ,

The Fallacy of the Predetermined Outcome

Posted on March 22nd, 2010

As far as I can gather the expression came first from the mouths of baseball analysts. It basically means there is no such thing as “if only,” there is only the way it is. It works, too, when the fly is presented and the fish is willing and able and the expectation is not met. If… …the knot held …the hook didn’t straighten …the fly didn’t foul …the loop didn’t tail …the wind didn’t gust …the fish didn’t miss There’s football wisdom at play here, too. Like Bill Parcells said, You are what your record says you are.

Tagged: , ,

Fierce Bad Rabbit

Posted on March 15th, 2010

Killing rabbits has become trendy in Brooklyn. Okay then, but what are they doing with the pelts? As Matt Stansberry reminded me in his blog post about his pike ties on the vise, rabbit strip agrees with the Esox family. We’ve got our own pike fishing trip coming up in May. While I’m more apt to fish a Puglisi pattern or an Eat-Me, I’ll always dedicate time working some dead rabbit. I’m haunted by the memories from Aught Two, when our man Crispin worked the vise one night, then used his white rabbit-strip creation to entice this 52″ muskie out from under a felled tree. Damn I’d be down with some of that.

Tagged: , ,

Ditch Fishing Hero Shots Gone Awry

Posted on March 11th, 2010

Here’s a pic from the archives. The dude in camera is one of my best buds, so I blotted out his face, altered his beard to make him look Amish, and will refer to him henceforth by the code name Trey Anastasio. We ran the ditches this one time in FLA, and he caught this small yet robust butterfly peacock in super terrific spot #13, south section. Besides documenting a catch not worth bragging about, here’s what’s wrong with this hero shot: 1. It is a hero shot. Been played more than Stairway during Get The Led Out at Zep Ten O’Clock during Rocktober. 2. His attempt to mock the hero shot concept by dangling small fish as an earring is a gross miscalculation.…

Tagged: , ,

Signs of Hope and Spring

Posted on March 9th, 2010

I did not catch a carp today. No matter. I saw several, an unexpected bonus of a muni park visit. The mercury spiked to 60 degrees today, and most of the remaining snow melted away. I took the baby daughter to the park to look at ducks and swans and whatnot. Last fall I met up with Creek Addict and we hit a park pond with many similar characteristics. Real shallow with the potential for sight fishing. I never noticed signs of life in this here pond before, but I was never really looking, either. The sun came out, I dropped down the polarized. I noticed movement. We walked up to a higher vantage point and I could see them. Three or four carp…

Tagged:

Travelin' Light

Posted on March 7th, 2010

My new gig takes me on the road with a Pelican case full of gear. Checked bag fees make it hard to swing packing extra and carrying on a rod tube is questionable some days. Still the rule is a rod always goes on the road, even if you don’t know if you can break it out, even when doing so calls for improvisation. That rod is now impervious to destruction.

Travelin’ Light

Posted on March 7th, 2010

My new gig takes me on the road with a Pelican case full of gear. Checked bag fees make it hard to swing packing extra and carrying on a rod tube is questionable some days. Still the rule is a rod always goes on the road, even if you don’t know if you can break it out, even when doing so calls for improvisation. That rod is now impervious to destruction.

Tagged: ,

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 30 other followers