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

From your local hometown paper, Construction permits granted for proposed biofuel plant in Hampton . I knew this was in the works (even got a friend who plans (planned?) on capitalizing on a new farming opportunity), but still, my first thought was, " oh great, more focus on replacing food and feed cropland with fuel cropland...when will people catch on ?" (via Ted Williams ) Fine, I realize that Washington County is not what it once was when it comes to agriculture...sure it's still prevalent, but it has been in significant decline over the past decades. That's about when I got to this part; "The crops would be grown in the spring and fall seasons so vegetables for human and animal consumption wouldn’t have to compete for space, he said." Alright...I'm no farmer, granted, but I'm pretty sure that's not how it works. Since when do we have 3 growing seasons in Upstate New York and Vermont? If somebody can set me straight on this, please do. O

But THIS brightened up my day, that's for sure! Big fish matched to one of the best songs by one of the best bands ever...even on 3 hours sleep Knights of Diversity has me pumped for whatever comes my way. Although, I gotta admit, I was kinda hoping for some lazer-wielding ninja-cowboys .

...repeating the same behavior and expecting different results. That fairly well sums up where I'm at right now. Although, despite everything, I still feel I have my sanity (wait, that's another sign...), so I guess maybe it's just stupidity. How many times can you take something (say, someones words and actions) on face value, only to have it later turned upside down, before you yourself become a lost cause? My apologies. Then again, what would this be without struggles? Like the struggle to find time to actually complete a report on the trip from 2 weekends ago? Phuk it, it's 1:00 and raining...I'm going for a fishing break. At least you can always tell how the fish feel about what you have to offer.

Weather is amazing, and I just dont know what to do about it. There is one obvious answer...go fishing. The question is what for and where? I need a trout fix. Water conditions seem to be excellent around here, but I'm just not seeing them in their usual spot. So far I've been catching lots of bass and sunfish...can't complain, but I've been dying for trout for months now. Maybe tonight I hit the lake with everything I got and hope trout are in the mix...or maybe I head to a different stream and risk another skunk. A fishless day and a half in the wilderness was not what I was hoping for this past weekend (and has simply increased the thirst), but as you can see, we had our fun. More to come on that, but for now it's work and play...no time for internet.

First, get your head out of the gutter. Now that we got that out of the way, first fish-on-the-fly of '08 came today. The skunk is off...kinda.... OK, so I cheated. The trout aren't where I want them to be, and I haven't had time to go exploring. OK, so I had time to go exploring last weekend but was far too lazy. By no means have I given up on them, but it was time to find some easy fish. And man were they easy. This week I've been scoping out potential lunch-time trip locations. Not fishing, just looking. Of 4 options within 5 miles of the office, 2 were a bust, 2 showed potential. One is a very hidden, very nice looking pond not 100' from a busy road, completely screened by trees and with 2 residential properties on the "far side" of the easiest "public" access (in this case, public means private but not posted; I promise not to make a mess...might even pick up some beer cans for you). The other is a (well, actually 2) very busy, very

So a few too many Genny's last night put the kabash on my plans to scout a couple mountain ponds for a weekender later this month...blessing in disguise perhaps. I made the best of the situation and headed to the lake. Got my first fish of the year...then a few more. All rainbows between 11 and 15 inches. The fish were definitely chowin' down on what appeared to be midges on the surface, but I had no luck with flies (kind of tough chasing random rises across the 50 acres they were feeding under)...they all came on a 2" floating minnow, (ironically?) rainbow-parr colored. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have time to hit the stream for a little bit, late afternoon style. Water's still quite high, especially after this week's rain, but the winds seem to be quieting down at least.

It boggles my mind. People describe things in different ways. I understand that. We pull from different experiences, see our own versions of things. We prefer different foods for different reasons. But when someone says their piscine meal tastes "fishy," I tend to think pretty much everyone is on the same page as to what that means. Anyone who has eaten a decent amount of fish likely understands how distinct that "fishy" taste is (anyone who has only ever eaten fish once probably does as well...though they may have incorrectly attributed it to all fish). That's why I don't understand how my experiences and description of what tastes "fishy" can differ so significantly and basically from what I hear and read from others. This certainly is not the first time I've noticed someone mention the "fishy" taste associated with trout and salmon, and (not to pick on Mr. Streeter , but) I just don't get it. Don't get me wrong, I do think