FoulHooked...(how'd that get there?)

As far as I'm concerned, you don't need the tornados either. Click on the image to follow the link and make sure you mouse over it once you get there. (xkcd.com)

Somebody hasn't been paying attention (hint: me). Fred LeBrun is " retiring " from the Times Union. Among his varied and extensive interests and insights, Fred has reported on and been an advocate for outdoors issues over the years, in particular New York's freshwater fisheries. Today was his "official" last day.

Got a decent size order in the mail from J. Stockard , and still haven't organized or quarantined/disinfected anything yet. Thankfully everything was shipped USPS so it shouldn't be here until Monday. Still, it might be a good idea to pick up some mothballs and cedar strips tonight and get things soaking over the weekend. Did manage about an hour of practice yesterday after work, dusting off the 6-wt. If it ever warms up again...and the wind stays down...I might be able to break out the 3.

Really, what exactly does "Opening Day" mean anyway? For the Sox and A's, it was a couple days ago in Tokyo. If you're talking fishing in New York, typically that means the first day of open trout season, which is currently April 1st. But what exactly does that mean? The single question I hear most from people I know (many of whom are the rare-angler at best) is "You can fish now?" Even that question can be based on a number of deeper questions regarding current weather, time of year, time of day, designated legal "seasons", etc. I'll let you all in on a little secret...there is no "opening day" any more. Just like professional sports, over the years fishing regulations have moved towards providing alternatives and extended seasons for anglers. Here's how it works: Seasons are species-specific, with some species being fair game year-round (I know, you can't catch them in winter...read on below); species-specific and general r...

Quite "off topic" but...did you know that according to a 1992 court ruling, women cannot be prosecuted for baring their breasts in public under New York State lewdness laws unless it is for commercial gain? I'll let you Google this one yourself, but be careful what you click on (you know, depending on your environment). Kinda makes you wish more people knew about this...I sure didn't. Thank you interweb. With all the wind the past couple days, a few acres of the lake have broken open despite the cool temps. Looks like I might have to at least get some casting practice in tomorrow before heading out to meet up with the family. Winter's been too long...gotta shake off the dust and clear the mind.

After a pretty much wasted winter...IT'S ALMOST TIME TO GO FISHING AGAIN! That is all. Oh yeah...Happy St. Pats...

(from Ted Williams' blog) It's amazing country. My favorite place that I am lucky enough to spend time for work once in a great while. No matter what your interest (or what season you prefer), there's something to do in the Winooski valley. Make the trip if only to sample the freshest-possible Ben & Jerry's . Or visit a granite or marble mine, museum, or just tour the sculptures . Take a hike or go skiing . Of course, you could go fishing too... Seriously, if you have the chance, take the family up there. Tell them I sent you. Sorry for sounding like a tourism ad...it's just a place I wanted to share. Oh yeah, the people are quite friendly too. Like the (very local ) couple that stopped their "vehicle" on a dirt road alongside which I was fishing last August/September. He had never seen anyone wave a fly rod...and she apparently had never been the one to end a conversation. We talked and they watched for more than a ( fishless ) half hour be...

Now that's just not fair to trout.

John Madden, a man after my own heart. Yet again I fail at following my own advice to maintain a sequential order of sorts. Found myself in LLBean this weekend to pick up some neoprene socks and Aquaseal...and found myself walking out with several packs of tying materials. Obviously there's nothing wrong with this...especially since it was all cheap stuff (marabou, calf-tail pieces, wire)...but I have yet to take on decontaminating all of the materials I recently sorted through (trimming the fat, so to speak) and creating some storage solutions. At this point, I'm just adding feed for my little housemates. So this week's do or die project is solving these problems. With the help of some potentially dangerous chemicals , good old-fashioned cedar, and good advice from others, I hope to get my materials, and flies, up to snuff. I've always (always being the past 18 months or so) agonized over mashed hackles...Singlebarbed's steam method should solve that problem. So s...