And the party never ends.  At least the fishing doesn't.

Having just finished the 19-hour drive from Michigan to Colorado with the Mrs., my 8-year-old son, two dogs, and a car full of fishing gear, I've had time to collect my thoughts a bit. 

Those long drives are ultimately healthy experiences.  A pain when you do them.  But it doesn't matter where I go--driving through the Arizona desert, down the Pacific Coast Highway, along I-95, or through the heartland-- I inevitably gain a deeper appreciation for how beautiful this country is.

I also learn things along the way.  Here are some examples of what I learned this time:

When in southwestern Iowa and the emergency broadcast network breaks over the radio with a tornado warning... and you pull off the highway to hide under an overpass... it's not a cool parenting move to suggest to the 8-year old in the back seat that he look out the window and see if he can spot a funnel cloud.  Other lessons... [ Read Full Post ]

I’m going to stick my neck out a little here and say the world’s best knot for general freshwater fishing is the Palomar knot. This is contrary to some things I’ve written previously, but after a lot of thought I’ve changed my mind.

Other knots such as the San Diego Jam are slightly stronger. And still other widely used knots such as the improved clinch are somewhat weaker. But the Palomar is more important because it’s simpler and easier to tie. And because it typically averages at about 90 percent of unknotted line strength, it’s adequately strong.

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I’m fond of dumb crap because there’s so much of it spewing forth every day, and particularly of old dumb crap because it has a nice comfortable feel to it. This past week I encountered some authentic mid-1950s vintage ordure, courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

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Two weeks ago I wrote a story for the main page titled, "The Beginner's Guide to Better Fishing Photography". This week, thanks to my boys over at moldychum.com, I have stumbled upon what possibly might be the worlds best point and shoot camera for fishing related activities. The camera in question is the...

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Don't tell New Yorkers, but  snakes are once again in the news. This time, however, it's not rampaging  rat snakes we must worry about, but a southeast Asian water snake with the fish-catching ability of a tournament  pro.
 
It's called, appropriately enough, the tentacled snake,  and a Vanderbilt University researcher recently documented how this snake  uses its body to - in essence - make fish swim right into its  mouth.

From scientificblogging.com
"I  haven't been able to find reports of any other predators that exhibit a  similar ability to influence and predict the future behavior of their prey,"  says Kenneth Catania, associate professor of biological sciences at  Vanderbilt University, who has used high-speed video to deconstruct the  snake's unusual hunting technique.... "The snake forms an unusual "J" shape  with its head at the bottom of the "J" when it is fishing. Then it remains  completely motionless until a fish swims into the area near the hook of the  "J." That is when the snake strikes.

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From CleanTechnica:

One solution to the world’s water pollution problems could be something you can’t taste, touch, see, smell, or hear.  Especially hear.  Ultrasound, the range of frequencies beyond the limits of human hearing, is starting to emerge as an effective water treatment that is more sustainable than chemical dosing.  Researchers are discovering that ultrasound performs well on algae, and that’s only the beginning.  Ultrasound can remove a variety of pollutants in water, including those that affect the taste of America’s favorite fish, the catfish.
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Times change, and with them so do trends, attitudes, and even cultural stereotypes.

But the principles of fishing are as solid as the rock of Gibraltar.  Steady like magnetic north.  Sure, we find new tricks and techniques, and we use new materials.  But, by and large, what was good advice in Field & Stream 50 or more years ago is still good advice.

Which cannot be said for all magazine advice.  To wit, I bring you these excerpts sent to us from the Fly Talk Cutlural Institute in Grawn, Michigan, from Housekeeping Monthly from May 13, 1955.  The story is called "The Good Wife's Guide," and I swear I am not making this stuff up (I'm not that brave)... [ Read Full Post ]

I've previously stated my dislike for North America's ugliest, ungainliest, and generally unappealing big-game animal. But after seeing this picture and the accompanying story perhaps I'm underestimating their qualities.

 
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When I got home Monday evening, the sun was shining for the first time in what felt like months around here. So, with no great expectations and just an itch to get out, I grabbed one rod, two lures and took a drive a local park with a lake therein. The fishing was awful, but I was treated to a show, though not nearly the best I've ever seen.

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With the exception of Woody Allen, New Yorkers have always had a tough-guy reputation. A college buddy of mine once dated a Long Island girl whom I'm quite sure - despite her Lilliputian size - could whip my a** handily.
 
But if you want to see a New Yorker cower in abject terror, just inform them that your pet African Hissing Death Adder just slipped out of his cage and would they mind calling if they happened to see him? All hell will break loose, because New Yorkers are terrified of snakes.
 
Little snakes, harmless snakes, children's pet snakes, it doesn't seem to matter. If it's legless and on the loose in the Big Apple then mass hysteria and breathless headlines are sure to follow, and the city will mobilize every available law enforcement resource to neutralize the threat to public safety. But don't take my word for it.

From the story via Gawker:

As of this morning there are 171 news articles about the totally harmless rat snake—a popular type of pet—that was found in a Bronx apartment. It did not eat anyone,... [ Read Full Post ]

From the Kansas City infoZine:

Deer hunters do it. So do turkey hunters. Even trout anglers spend time scouting the locations of their quarry. So why not frog hunters?

Missouri’s frogging season opens at sunset June 30. The limit is eight bullfrogs or green frogs in the aggregate daily and 16 in possession. [ Read Full Post ]