By Joe Cermele

This week in our vintage tackle contest we've got an old combo with nostalgic story to match. This photo was sent in by Cale Canter, who writes: This was my grandfather's. He left it to me in his will a few years back. He was a big trout guy out in New Mexico during the 50's, and said this was his "Old Reliable." Just looking for some info and value concerning the pieces.

By Joe Cermele

Last week, writer Faith Salie penned an article on the website of CBS News titled "A Baited Question: Why Do Men Love Fishing?" She starts by noting that she has only fished once, and the trip was unsuccessful. Then she proceeds to explain that she went "trawling" for answers. I suggest you read the article in its entirety, but I've decided to give the list of reasons she discovered through what I'm sure was tiresome, draining, lengthy investigative reporting with sources who were very serious, dedicated anglers. 

Per Ms. Salie's article, men love fishing because:

Many guys tell me that fishing satisfies a primal hunting urge. It's man vs. nature, armed with only a pole, beer and sunscreen. They think, "I just caught my own dinner (if my wife will de-bone it for me)." - If you're armed with only a pole, beer, and sunscreen, you're likely going to a frat party, not fishing. If you need/expect your wife to clean your fish, you should be on the receiving end of whatever they're doing with the pole and sunscreen at the frat party. 

By Joe Cermele

We haven't done a Field & Stream fish art lesson in a while. I think we're due. The work below is part of the collection of 28-year-old Japanese fisherman turned artist Iori Tomita, and how he creates these glowing skeletons is pretty wild. It takes three to six months to complete even a tiny fish, which he first soaks in a witch's brew of chemicals that break down muscle proteins, making the fish transparent. Then he applies red and blue dyes, which cling to the hard and soft cartilages and bones. He calls them "New World Transparent Specimens." His tool of choice for holding the fish while he works? Chop sticks.

By Joe Cermele

Anglers know that sometimes it's the subtlest details that produce fish. Last month I was fishing a bass pond close to home and throwing Zoom Flukes. White got hit a lot. White with a clear back and silver flakes got hit more. In the water they looked almost identical to my eye, but obviously there was something in that clear back pattern that got the bass a bit more tweaked. I was thinking of this outing while looking over the new wares from Bullet Weights at ICAST last week. This January they'll be releasing a line of painted weights with eyes (below). As simplistic as the idea may be, I've never seen it before, and I think it has some merit.