My good friend JC took his son Ben to his first show the other day, age three. The boy’s growing up on a steady diet of Austin City Limits. I was 13 the first year I went to a concert: U2 at the old Hollywood Sportatorium. I think after that it was Jimmy Cliff at the Carefree in West Palm. Good to get them started early, so they don’t get sucked into the vast ominous void of bubblegum pop.
Just a guess that everything usable has been taken and sold. Once maybe part of a suburban soccer convoy until somebody rolled it into the salt marsh where it stands rusty sentry over early season striper water.
Tagged: nyc, spring fishing, striped bass, urban fishing
There are times to live vicariously. Third Coast Fly is hosting a freshwater FIB Fest of sorts, called Operation Michigan Tropical. Matt Dunn is the host. Matt writes existentially about fish and beer in one of the best written blogs, Fishbeer. Matt is also a guide in Michigan. Lots of good things come from Michigan: Hemingway, Harrison, McGuane, Kid Rock. The Jeep Willys. Magnum PI. Fly Talk named it the best fly fishing state. We’re not just pimping this because we have relatives in Michigan and in our bias declare it the third best state behind New York and Florida, or because Matt sent us free stickers, we’re pimping it because we expect a lot of good stuff to flow forth from Beaver Island.…
The book is off to the printer. Official release by Departure in August.
Downloaded the underwater shots from my recent pike fishing expedition. Some people see ugliness in her face, but I see cold calculating elegance. Even here, subdued, her eye has a look like she’s sizing up the possibility of biting off my fingers.
Tagged: northern pike
I had a small window of time to get it done today, my only alloted fishing time this week. The carp were getting it done, too. Full on spawn. Funny how pheramones and the need to proliferate trump all. On a normal day these fish spook at the sound of a footstep on the bank at 80 feet. Today, I could have lobbed grenades in the water and they would have doubled back and reconvened with purpose. All I could do was break down the rod, pull out the camera, and get some grainy voyeur shots for posterity.
Tagged: carp, photos of fish, spawning
The northern fishing was strong to very strong.
I don’t know how this package made it past the dog checkpoint, but it’s here and Keith Barton just ruined my summer. Questions: Are there any side effects from Free Range Dubbing? Is it like the “bath salts” the kids are smoking? Either way my season of leisure has been interrupted by an obligation to go down to the basement and think up some off label uses. Meanwhile, data is already being collected in the field, complete with sweet photographic evidence from Alex C.
On one side of the spectrum, I have black that I almost always fish. And if you don’t see me throwing it, it’s not because the fish aren’t eating it. It’s because I’m sick of looking at it.” –Tim Borski, on his fly preferences, in the latest issue of Fly Life Magazine. I am reconsidering my affection for shades of olive and chartreuse.
