Post Sandy

Hurricane Sandy Oct 28th 2012

First and foremost I would like to say thank you to a number of fellow anglers and bloggers who sent me e-mails wanting to know how my family and I made out following the mess that Sandy left behind.  In a nutshell we were not as fortunate as some but better off than most.  We were with out power for almost nine days and had to put up with some cold nights and long gas lines but things are slowly coming back to normal.  Without power it took a few days to learn how bad it was for many people across the tri-state area and beyond.  After seeing some of that I didn't feel so bad about our situation because we still had a roof over our heads.  No electricity also has some benefits.  I learned my six year old is a ruthless UNO player and talks a great deal of smack while playing.  I also managed to get time to make some horsehair fly lines that I have been trying to find time to make. In the end, just like Irene last year, for a time we lost power and our modern comforts. However, like any other bump in the road of our lives we clean up the mess, move on, and try to return to the routine of or hectic lives. I only ask that we keep, in our thoughts and prayers, those who we're not so fortunate and continue to struggle getting back to some sense of normalcy.

Going Back To My Roots

I really like tenkara fishing (either method or with the equipment).  In fact, I would say that 99% of my fresh water fishing is exclusively tenkara related.  However, today I decided to go "old school", at least for me.  I first learned to fish when I was about 5 or 6 when my Dad taught me. Back then fishing meant going to a local lake for pickerel, perch, bass, catfish or panfish.  It also meant using a worm or a good 'ole Mepps spinner.

I have fond memories when I look back on those days.  I can distinctly remember after my Dad coming home from work quickly finishing dinner and heading down to this one old guys house to pick up a big Styrofoam cup full of night crawlers and then heading off to Chadwick Lake. Today....I just felt like using some worms, catching some trout and spending some time outdoors (before Sandy gets here).  By the end of the trip I had my trout and felt like I was a kid again.

Filling A Need

Shawangunk Ridge  

Humans have many needs.  First and foremost we need to fill our basic needs such as water, food, clothing and shelter. Once the essential needs are met I believe the next most important things that most of us feel we need to fulfill are that of making sure that our children and loved ones are safe and healthy.  The list of needs that must be met can go on and on.

A woods road on an autumn day

I strongly believe that each and everyone of us live in two worlds.  In order for us to function in either world we must address the needs that are specific to each.  The first world is that of the human world or civilization...what ever you may wish to call it.  This is the world of deadlines, tax collectors, mortgages, bad relationships etc. (although this is not always as bad as I just made it sound). I firmly believe this is the greatest source of stress in our lives.  Sometimes trying to meet the ever demanding needs of this world can seriously run an individual down. The second world is what I like to call "the real world".  This is everything else from which we draw resources to survive and gain inspiration....or Nature for short.  The second world is neither for us or against us.....it simply....just is.  The other creatures who share this place with us generally don't give a hoot whether we are there or not.  Their lives will continue one way or another.

The Peterskill above Awosting Falls

Lately, I have found myself needing to fulfill a very specific need.  This need being a stronger connection with the second world.  It seems that the first world has been taking precedence lately.  I love fishing, hiking, camping, kayaking, hunting and generally anything that has to do with being outdoors or learning about Nature.  These activities are not just fun little past times.  The connections to the real world that I begin to feel when doing any of these things serves to help me slow down and to forget the stresses of the first world. Most importantly they remind me of my significance and place in the world....the important things.

A golden crowned kinglet 

I find that a simple hike in the woods once in a while is just what I need to reset my mental clock and pull me out of any funk. A recent trip to the Shawangunks (in the Hudson Valley of NY) was just what the Dr. ordered.  The smells of the woods, the sights and the sounds of places I'm so familiar with is all that was needed to feel better.

"Chatter marks" left by a glacier from 10,000 years ago can definitely give someone a deep sense of time. 

I guess the main message of this post is the matter how overwhelming the obligations and needs may seem from the first world there are very few needs (other than the a fore mentioned basic needs for survival) that would supersede that of establishing a deeper connection with Nature and sharing that experience with others.  It's making this connection which can keep you sane in this modern world and inform you as to your place within it.

Awosting Falls, Minnewaska State Park Preserve

Last Call For.....

At this time of year, the completion to the title of this post could be any one of a number of things.  For instance, anyone with a botanical background will not want to miss the last of any flowers that might be in bloom or the brevity of the autumn colors.  Or the anyone with a particular interest in our feathered friends will want to catch the final glimpses of any birds on their way to warmer climates.  For those of in New York....it means last call for trout fishing across most of the state.  I haven't had a whole lot of opportunities to fish in the last few weeks and this past weekend I decided that the season wouldn't slip by with out one more quick trip to a favorite place.

My first catch of the day

This past weekend the family and I went home (...the Hudson Valley where I grew up) to visit my parents and do a few fall-like things like hayrides and a visit to the orchard for cider donuts and apples.  I also wanted to do some hiking and fishing.  Based on the picture above you might think I intended to do some microfishing.....that was not the intent but this little guy definitely qualifies.   Fortunately,  he was not the only brookie of the day.

All of these brookies were caught on a #10 Killer Bug (including the little guy...which was pretty ambitious if you ask me). This was not the most memorable or productive trip I have ever had but I got my last "fishing fix" on a wild trout stream for the season.  Bottom line, it was good to get out and leave the stress of the week behind and spend time with my family.  In the end that's what matters most.

The girls enjoying a cider donut

A Very Long Distance Fly Swap

Sakasa Kebari tied by Mr. Katsutoshi Amano

I love to go fishing anytime and anywhere I can.  However, when I'm not fishing I always enjoy tying flies for other anglers and myself.  In the last year or two I seem to have developed a liking for yet another aspect of the sport of fly fishing and that is the collection of flies tied by notable fly tiers, such as Fran Betters and Don Bastian, as well as lesser known but very talented tiers such as fellow bloggers Alan and Karel.  There are many tiers out there whose flies appeal to me in one way or another.  I find some flies fascinating due to materials used or method of construction.  Some are simply like miniature works of art.

Ishigaki Kebari tied by Dr. Hisao Ishigaki

Many people find items that have been previously owned by someone noteworthy or an autograph to be extremely valuable for one reason or another.  I find that the same can be said for flies used for fly fishing.  In fact some flies can be sold for hundreds, even thousands of dollars depending on who tied it and how rare it is.  Why would collectors spend that kind of money to obtain an old dusty fly that generally can be tied today with the same or similar materials?  I can't speak for everyone but I can tell you why I would want to collect them.

Kebari tied by Shintaro Kumazaki

No two fly tiers tie the same flies exactly alike. A great example of this can be found in the new "Tying Tenkara Flies, Volume I" from learntenkara.com. In this video three different tiers tied the same pattern three different ways.  My point is that each tier of a particular fly will make slight modifications to either make the tie easier, more effective, or even for aesthetic reasons.  A little bit of their personality and their fly tying wisdom go into this process. Possessing flies from the a notable or very skilled tier allows anyone to hold and examine up close the genius  of another angler.  Such flies are also a piece of history.  How can today's tiers know where they are going if they don't know the paths that have been taken by others to arrive at the present day?  This is why I find such flies valuable and worthy of collecting.

Kebari tied by Hiroto Sasaki

With the help of Daniel Galhardo, founder of Tenkara USA, I was able to swap some of my favorite sakasa kebari with several tenkara masters in Japan.  The flies pictured throughout this post are the flies I received in return.  To me, each is as valuable as having a Fran Better's Ausable Wulff or a Carrie Stevens streamer. Each has something to offer or teach me.  I hope everyone who reads this will come to appreciate these and other flies as I have.  I also again just wanted to thank Daniel and my fellow tenkara anglers/tiers from Japan for these little treasures as they will now be added to my collection.

Lacka-fisho-saurus

Tyrannosaurus rex 

I have not had a chance to do a lot of fishing in the last few weeks (this would explain the lack of posts lately) but the family and I have still had time to do a few fun things here and there.  For instance, today we took a day trip to the city (NYC, for those outside of the tri-state area) to visit The American Museum of Natural History.  It was the first trip for the girls and they enjoyed every minute of it.

Triceratops

It was a very busy day and the highlight of it was walking through dinosaur and extinct mammal halls on the fourth floor.  I could spend the entire day by myself and still be fascinated but it was very cool to see the amazement in the eyes and jaw dropping expressions on their faces.  It was a beautiful day outside and I would always love to be outdoors and maybe even fishing but it's virtually impossible to beat a day like today.

Mastodon found near my hometown in 1845

"Get a load of this guy!"

Wooly Mammoth

It's Just About That Time

Orange Jewel weed in bloom

As many of my fellow bloggers have noted in the last few weeks, the signs of change are all around for those willing to pay attention.  My oldest daughter's first day of first grade is tomorrow but I don't that reminder to tell me what part of the year we are all passing through.

Enjoying the last few warm days of summer

I spent an hour this morning fishing for a few bluegills and taking in the beautiful morning.  It was a lazy morning and more than two dozen bluegills were willing to take a fly.  Fishing at the millpond provides one with a great sense of time and a progression of the seasons.

A small obliging bluegill with a lip full of a Kiwi's Killer

Some examples of  the change evident in the last few weeks are the blooming of golden rod and orange jewel weed and white wood aster.  The ends of some tree branches are showing some color.

A few leaves starting to turn

Even as some of the responsibilities of my wife and I will begin again tomorrow certain parental duties are nearing their end for the year.

Kids grow up so fast these days.... especially when you hatched from an egg a few months before.

The signs are there for those willing to observe and listen.  There is only a few pages left in this chapter...the next chapter....Autumn is right around the corner.