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

How do you feel about frilly toothpicks? I try to eat with health, ecology and (personal) economics in mind. I do. I swear. I'm just not very good at it. Alright, I'm just flat out lazy. But I can appreciate articles like this one from Sustainablog . They're good peeps, even if some of them do run a little...well...green (even for me). I think one thing that many people miss when it comes to living a "greener" life, even if they do get the importance of it, is the simplicity of the thousands of everyday decisions you make, and their impact. That's where I think Sustainablog is strong, giving us simple (well, sometimes not so simple) measures that we have control over. So back to food. Listen, I agree with JVK here that the key is to eat simply. Of course, I'll still resort to occasional fast-food and other prepped items. And who can live without the aged prime ribeye splurge every once in a while. Some of the points he makes are right on. Some do strike me...

Sometimes there are fish to be caught, and that's all that matters. So this past weekend meant a trip out to Lake Ontario to hang some hardware in the Fair Haven Challenge salmon derby. Unfortunately for me, that meant I had to be at the Oswego launch for a 5:30 am departure Saturday. Thankfully I didn't have any trouble getting some sleep in before my 3 hour drive...that is to say, I did not attempt any sleep. Started Friday off with a nice, fully organic breakfast sandwich and coffee. Got out of work in time to head up the Hudson a-ways with Brian for some smallie action (lost a magnificent fly to the biggest bass I've had on a fly...barely had the hook set, turned to see if Brian was watching my skillful maneuvering...and it was suddenly over. now I don't have any olive bunny strips.). Headed home early (about 8 pm) for some food and a shower, a couple beers, one scotch, and some Always Sunny. A quick workout to get the blood flowing, re-upped the iPod with the Gnarl...

...but then I read Part II. Kamchatka...heard of it? Doesn't matter, you have to read this ...so far Page 38 is my favorite... Seriously...you have to.

That'll be the story (hopefully) this weekend. Generally C&R all the time (99% of the time, all the time), this trip the big boys stay in the cooler. When you feel a need for suspected carcinogens and bioaccumulated inesctisides, you head for the fish with "lethal poison through their system." Granted, Great Lakes salmon are relatively clean by modern, local standards ...I guess... So, now that John's boat is repaired, I'm playing 1st mate for the derbies this weekend. Hopefully we can sign up at least one other person...never been so hard to find people to go...not sure if it's because of Travers or...well...what happened last time (if I can find the pic, I'll show you). Yeah, I'd rather be standing in the river with a brand new spey package (anyone...anyone...? hey, I'll take used, not picky) but this will do for now...cant let a guy down. No one on the corner has swagger like us. (Why is this song stuck in my head for 3 straight weeks? Th...

I was always told this stuff isn't edible...I guess $30/lb for the more traditional counterpart is making it look much more appetizing. Hey, the pros are doing it, it must be worth a shot.

Note the left-most section of the graph...really...is that necessary?

It just occurred to me I haven't caught (or even targeted) a rainbow yet this year (at least not with the fly). What is wrong with me? Even this absolutely horrible picture of a 10-11" baby (my hands are big) from Vermont last fall shows her beauty. Gotta gets me sum dat.

"Over half of the world's native plants require animal pollinators, and most of those are bees," she says. "Native pollinators are serving as a backup plan for the honeybee." Now, I take issue with the article itself to a certain extent; the title alone is sensationalist (Saving Our Bees: Implications of Habitat Loss) considering the bee populations that are undergoing significant declines in recent years are generally "domesticated" honeybees. What have they found so far to correlate to these declines? During the course of the summer months, they found that the further a colony was from natural areas, the fewer worker bees it sustained. Ummmmmmm...no shit? Nature is better at providing for animals than man? Interesting. Their point is that "domesticated" honeybee populations that are isolated from wild(er) environs in favor of seasoned crops often fare poorly due to growing season issues and potentially lack of diversity. I get it...but what...

...fish barbless .

...if purple can be badass. I submit that it can. Especially in capable hands. Unforgiven by Shaq

Seriously? You've got to be kidding me. This is the most controversial thing you have to fight about? (via Ted Williams ) Here's a kind of an open-ended question...what percentage of high-public-use areas that sustain wild- (or pseudo-wild-) life that you have visited display signs about not feeding the wildlife? There's a reason they're everywhere, it isn't just to rain on your parade. In this case, the authority in question even accounted for the emotionally defended and entrenched practice of feeding garbage to garbage-fish by providing for a cleaner, and supposedly healthier alternative. OK, so they're going to be making the money off of it instead of the bakeries and local stores. OK, so you might only get a couple handfuls of pellets for the same price as a loaf of bread. OK, so you lose out on decades (decades? are we serious people? decades? fine, the 30's...that's almost 80 years, i can respect that) of tradition. I will completely agre...

This is a bit old but I forgot to finish it last week...ooops... BWTF picks up on a NYT editorial on the need for mining law reform. On some level (the main level), it's a no-brainer. When it comes to mining, and the bill mentioned in the editorial, there are three major issues of concern: 1) Environmental and safety risks associated with mine development and operation. 2) Environmental and safety risks associated with abandoned mines. 3) Royalty payments as a method of "insurance" and/or revenue. I work extensively with the mining industry in New York State (hopefully this post doesn't come back to bite me...it shouldn't, but I do feel a little uncomfortable), and I find it incredible that other states have not taken the initiative to address these issues directly. I realize I'm a little close to the issue, but in my opinion, New York State's Mined Land Reclamation Law, and it's application by NYSDEC, does an excellent job of addressing envi...

One of my all-time favorite t-shit logos...even if it is immature (so is Dave...and it's his shirt). Anyway, life is good, this weekend was awesome, and I'm just gonna ride that wave. Disclaimer: I don't really get people who blog about their personal life, and at times that's where I've been lately, and this is no exception, so just bear with me people. Reminds me of another favorite shirt..."Awkward mornings always beat a boring night." Work was pretty stressful this week, so to relieve some of that Thursday, met up with Brian to hit Alive@5 in Albany...music wasn't great but met some cool people and had a really good time...someone (not naming names) had a "better" time... Friday, hung out at home, met some more cool people, had an amazing night. Saturday, did some more hanging out with said cool people, hit a new (to me) spot on the Hudson with Brian, caught a bunch of smallish and one decent smallmouth, had an all-around great day. Toda...

Where, when and how did your passion start? Recently I've been so focused on fishing that I feel like I've almost lost sight of my true passion, the outdoors. In reality, fishing, and particularly, fly-fishing, is just a small sub-passion. And while I have always been "interested" in the outdoors, I can remember exactly where, when and how that interest turned into a full-fledged passion...no, obsession. It was the summer of 1997. I was lucky enough to have been sent to NYSDEC's Environmental Education camp at Lake Colby for a week. I had no idea what to expect, but it was a turning point in my life. Too many "cool" things went on during that week for me to recall, or even count. Outdoor rec, natural resources and bio-ecology education, general fun and games, it was a great time. But there was one event that really stood out in my mind. Pitchoff Mountain. My first mountain. Not a mountain so much as a series of tall, rocky hills. But the experience, the ...

Maybe it's the weather. Maybe it's boredom. Maybe I need something exciting to do. Maybe it's just nothing, but I just don't feel like typing this week. Maybe it's the high prices of tying materials. Quite honestly, I have more than I need , but who doesn't want it all...and you could spend a grand and not even scratch the surface. Not to mention my need for a new vise (or perhaps a new vice...nah, they never lead anywhere good). But then again, I don't even feel like tying at all this week. Maybe it's because the trout have snubbed me. Water has been perfect, and they have been there (even had some takes and noisy refusals), but nothing to hand. Of course, bent hookpoints are never good for hooking fish (watch out for that metal guardrail). Maybe it's because last weekends trip north never happened ...rain and other obligations and such. Maybe it's just because I'd rather be fishing...always...well, virtually. Last night's trip...

...

"Or perhaps fly fishermen are simply society’s low-level malcontents; we’re not quite strong enough to simply be content, but we know better than to grab a carbine and climb a tower."

What a week, what a week, what a week boys and girls. A breakup, food poisoning and a minor hit-and-run sideswipe of the old horseless carriage. Add to that 2 skunkings at the creek. Hey, at least I confirmed the trout were there. I saw them. Even got some takes/last second refusals. And I'm convinced that if I had looked at my fly a few casts earlier, I would have had at least 1 trout landed (a second bend at the point resulted in a total 360 degree bend to the hook...not too useful as far as penetration goes...damn that steel guardrail). Headed north Sunday to try a real trout stream for the first time in a long time...hopefully this string of "luck" does not continue...should I head to the creek again tomorrow to get #3 out of the way...what if something actually takes? Does that doom Sunday's trip? Is it worth driving 2+ hours knowing nothing will be caught? HAZAAH! I almost forgot! I already got my 3rd skunking this week...at the Mohawk. Still, I am at a...