Showing posts with label rant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rant. Show all posts
04 January 2013
26 November 2012
More randomness
It's been a while since I wrote an essay of complete random bullshit, and, since I haven't posted here on ten or so days, now's as good as time as any.
1) Niger
Yes, Niger (not Nigeria. Two different places).
I'm going to Niger tomorrow for three weeks or so (and possibly again in January).
Hopefully I won't land what Bjorn called a grand slam of dysentery, malaria and getting kidnapped.
I will have internet access but have no idea of the workload as of yet, so posts may be sporadic. Well, more sporadic than usual...
There's no fishing there, which really doesn't help me write content for Traveling Angler Tuesdays.
Which brings us to...
2) Traveling Angler Tuesdays
Traveling Angler Tuesdays might be placed on hold for a little while.
I have no fishing trips planned or schemed (but some are dreamed). I am working on a few subjects for upcoming posts (doing liveaboard/mothership trips, using booking agents, etc.) and I was hoping for a few guest posts from other Traveling Anglers I was in touch with, but for now, this Traveling Angler isn't doing too much angling.
If anyone would like to contribute a guest post with how-to's or other fine points of being a Traveling Angler, by all means, get in touch, but I'm not chasing people down.
Trying to track down fishing addicts to write something is like herding cats, for f** all.
Not that I blame them. I'd rather be fishing, too. I'll always be a fisherman that writes, not a writer that fishes.
3) Pic of me with the best Key Lime pie ever
I'd shoot someone for a piece of that Key Lime pie right about now.
And that, folks, is why gun laws are tight in Canada. We'd shoot people over pie.
But not dog shit. Never dog shit. That's just irrational.
4) International Fly Tying Symposium
Last weekend I was in Somerset, New Jersey for the tying symposium; my first 'official duty' as Clear Cure Goo's writer-not-in-residence. I had a blast meeting a lot of folks that I had only spoke with via Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/Skype up until that point.
I understand turnout was a little down this year; a lot of that had to do with people dealing with the aftereffects of Hurricane Sandy.
Thanks to Brian of CCG for letting me tag along and to everyone for stopping by the CCG booth to say hi. It was great meeting y'all.
Note: I'll probably write a little more about the IFTS on the Clear Cure Blog soon, so keep your eyes peeled for it over there.
5) Being sick sucks hole.
Honestly, I've been having my ass kicked by a cold/flu since the tying symposium in NJ, so I haven't been posting too much here, there, or anywhere else for that matter.
I've been combining various elixirs and concoctions for the last few days. The congestion remains...but I seemed to have made a new friend that appears after certain medications have been mixed together:
As I'm 28 hours away from boarding multiple tin-pigeons (with their healthy recycled air) for the better part of a day and a half, I'm hoping adding some Buckley's flu medication into the mix finally knocks this bastard down the basement stairs for good.
I'd like to take the elephant with me to Niger, though...
6) Being sick isn't the only excuse, though...
As I wrote many weeks back, I've been using my side project, The Saltwater Fly Journal, to share a lot of content that previously would have been posted here. Stuff like this. And this. And this, too. So sign up for email/RSS updates (right hand sidebar, underneath the Redington banner) so you don't miss anything awesome on The Saltwater Fly Journal.
Because someday, there will be awesome stuff there. Trust me.
7) The following people/blogs need to keep doing what they're doing...
...because it's damn good:
"Kramer goes to a Fantasy camp? His whole life is a fantasy camp! People should plunk down $2,000 to live like him for a week." George Costanza
Someone recently referenced that quote while talking to me about my life. Some days I think it it's bang-on.
But that particular day I just purchased this to keep strapped to my body 24/7 in Niger.
Fantasy camp, my ass...
9) I love this website.
I like to mix it up once in a while here: fly fishing and lifestyle.
That lifestyle probably doesn't jive for the majority (go back to 1) and 8) on this list) but I'm sure two or three of you are interested in it a little bit.
Oh, that link might be classified as NSFW and/or the kids. There's a lot of swears in there.
My apartment is in a state of flux right now. I call it controlled chaos. The clutter and squalor quotients are kept to a minimum, at least. The kayak, fishing gear and all the fly tying materials in the living lend a certain loveable ambience to the place.
UFYH gives a much-needed dose of reality to the realm of cleaning & organizing: cleaning sucks, but it needs to be done (for advanced level reality, give this guy a read...if you can handle it)
It's a good site to read when things get out of control.
10) The new James Bond...
...was ok. It was no Avengers, by any stretch, but it was good.
11) Music for your playlist
A few tracks I've been listening to recently, give 'em a listen:
1) Niger
Yes, Niger (not Nigeria. Two different places).
I'm going to Niger tomorrow for three weeks or so (and possibly again in January).
Hopefully I won't land what Bjorn called a grand slam of dysentery, malaria and getting kidnapped.
I will have internet access but have no idea of the workload as of yet, so posts may be sporadic. Well, more sporadic than usual...
There's no fishing there, which really doesn't help me write content for Traveling Angler Tuesdays.
Which brings us to...
2) Traveling Angler Tuesdays
Traveling Angler Tuesdays might be placed on hold for a little while.
I have no fishing trips planned or schemed (but some are dreamed). I am working on a few subjects for upcoming posts (doing liveaboard/mothership trips, using booking agents, etc.) and I was hoping for a few guest posts from other Traveling Anglers I was in touch with, but for now, this Traveling Angler isn't doing too much angling.
If anyone would like to contribute a guest post with how-to's or other fine points of being a Traveling Angler, by all means, get in touch, but I'm not chasing people down.
Trying to track down fishing addicts to write something is like herding cats, for f** all.
Not that I blame them. I'd rather be fishing, too. I'll always be a fisherman that writes, not a writer that fishes.
3) Pic of me with the best Key Lime pie ever
I'd shoot someone for a piece of that Key Lime pie right about now.
And that, folks, is why gun laws are tight in Canada. We'd shoot people over pie.
But not dog shit. Never dog shit. That's just irrational.
4) International Fly Tying Symposium
Last weekend I was in Somerset, New Jersey for the tying symposium; my first 'official duty' as Clear Cure Goo's writer-not-in-residence. I had a blast meeting a lot of folks that I had only spoke with via Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/Skype up until that point.
I understand turnout was a little down this year; a lot of that had to do with people dealing with the aftereffects of Hurricane Sandy.
Thanks to Brian of CCG for letting me tag along and to everyone for stopping by the CCG booth to say hi. It was great meeting y'all.
Note: I'll probably write a little more about the IFTS on the Clear Cure Blog soon, so keep your eyes peeled for it over there.
5) Being sick sucks hole.
Honestly, I've been having my ass kicked by a cold/flu since the tying symposium in NJ, so I haven't been posting too much here, there, or anywhere else for that matter.
I've been combining various elixirs and concoctions for the last few days. The congestion remains...but I seemed to have made a new friend that appears after certain medications have been mixed together:
I'd like to take the elephant with me to Niger, though...
6) Being sick isn't the only excuse, though...
As I wrote many weeks back, I've been using my side project, The Saltwater Fly Journal, to share a lot of content that previously would have been posted here. Stuff like this. And this. And this, too. So sign up for email/RSS updates (right hand sidebar, underneath the Redington banner) so you don't miss anything awesome on The Saltwater Fly Journal.
Because someday, there will be awesome stuff there. Trust me.
7) The following people/blogs need to keep doing what they're doing...
...because it's damn good:
- Warmwater Chronicles
- Smallmouth Fly Box
- Pine Island Angler
- Stream2Stream
- Chi Wulff
- Salt 396
- and many, many more...
"Kramer goes to a Fantasy camp? His whole life is a fantasy camp! People should plunk down $2,000 to live like him for a week." George Costanza
Someone recently referenced that quote while talking to me about my life. Some days I think it it's bang-on.
But that particular day I just purchased this to keep strapped to my body 24/7 in Niger.
Fantasy camp, my ass...
I like to mix it up once in a while here: fly fishing and lifestyle.
That lifestyle probably doesn't jive for the majority (go back to 1) and 8) on this list) but I'm sure two or three of you are interested in it a little bit.
Oh, that link might be classified as NSFW and/or the kids. There's a lot of swears in there.
My apartment is in a state of flux right now. I call it controlled chaos. The clutter and squalor quotients are kept to a minimum, at least. The kayak, fishing gear and all the fly tying materials in the living lend a certain loveable ambience to the place.
UFYH gives a much-needed dose of reality to the realm of cleaning & organizing: cleaning sucks, but it needs to be done (for advanced level reality, give this guy a read...if you can handle it)
It's a good site to read when things get out of control.
10) The new James Bond...
...was ok. It was no Avengers, by any stretch, but it was good.
11) Music for your playlist
A few tracks I've been listening to recently, give 'em a listen:
25 September 2012
Traveling Angler Tuesdays: Seven Sins of Air Travel
 |
| A more civilized form of air travel. |
I don't do these things. Neither should you.
1. Not waiting for row number or section to board.
The mad rush occurring at the gate when the gate agent calls for general boarding is an affront to civilized society.
There is a method to the airline's madness when they ask for rows 21-27 to board. When people in row 17 try to board during this time, it messes up the method.
Wait your turn. The plane will not leave without you.
2. Not waiting your turn to exit.
This comic from The Oatmeal sums it up perfectly.
 |
| Click the image or here to view The Oatmeal's original post. |
3. It's a touch screen, damn it!
That little entertainment system on the back of the seat in front of you? It's a touch screen.
It's not a "poke screen" or a "push with all your might screen" or a "two finger death jab screen."
Touch screen. As in, lightly place your finger on the selection you wish to make. Leave it there for a second, then remove your finger. That's it.
People are less likely to be beaten with a rolled-up issue of the complimentary in-flight magazine (or Financial Post) if they would adhere to this PSA.
4. Body odour or excessive perfume/cologne.
It should go without saying: people need to have some consideration for the other dozens of people cramped into an aluminum tube.
Don't be smelly.
5. Obnoxious overconsumption of alcohol.
I frequently travel to depressing and isolated places for work, leaving my lovely girlfriend and adorable dog behind for weeks at a time. Or I travel to fun places to fish or for vacation.
If anyone had an excuse to either drown their sorrows or celebrate with alcohol during air travel, it'd be me. But I don't. I drink ginger ale. And coffee. Lots of coffee.
If you need multiple drinks to deal with air travel, you probably feel you need multiple drinks to deal with other things in life. That means you are an alcoholic and require assistance. Visit AA.
Note: to my fellow Atlantic Canadians: YOU are the most frequent people I see being obnoxiously drunk in airports or on planes in my travels. Is Fort Mac not all it's cracked up to be? Straighten your shit out. It's embarrassing.
6. Carrying on way too much shit.
This is extremely inconsiderate to other passengers, and sadly airlines do little to enforce their rules on this.
People need to either pack less or get off their wallets and spend the extra $25 to check a bag.
Stop the madness.
7. Using other seats as pull-up bars or handrails.
This, too, should be fairly self-evident, but it's really not.
People are inconsiderate tools sometimes.
I'll share a story.
Note: Feel free to skip this story if you like. Especially if you don't wish to have your opinion of me changed.
Once upon a time, in a time long ago, I was flying from Montreal to Vancouver.
This flight is pretty much the longest non-stop flight we have in Canada, at about five hours or more.
Picture me sitting in a window seat in economy class, beside two middle-aged ladies from Quebec. Leopard-pattern pants, a zebra-print dress & leather jackets betrayed their cougarness. They scared me a little.
Shortly after the plane took off I put on my noise-cancelling headphones, lowered my hat, and dozed off.
Moments later, I awoke feeling as though a was in a deathly free-fall.
No, the plane wasn't crashing. It was a morbidly-obese man seated behind me, pulling himself up with my seat. Have you ever had a feeling of falling to your death while on the cusp of sleep? It sucks.
As Fatty moved toward the aisle, he grabbed Cougar #1's seat, and a handful of her hair, too. Same for Cougar #2's seat, but she did a preemptive duck to avoid having her hair pulled.
Note: insert your own 'cougars having their hair pulled' joke here, if you like.
The sad thing is, I allowed it to happen again more than once. Fatty was in violation of Pet Peeve #5: he was drinking a few beer but had the bladder of a small girl. Every time he stood up, he grabbed my seat to pull himself up.
Knowing sleep would be unattainable until this situation became remedied, I prepared myself for Fatty's return from his third trip to the lavatory. I requested a Globe and Mail from the flight attendant but received a National Post. I removed the Financial Post section and rolled it up tightly. I folded the tightly-rolled Financial Post in half. I waited.
I had an assumption and a quick glance over my shoulder proved that assumption correct: Fatty was grabbing everyone's seats along the aisle to steady himself as he waddled along. A flight attendant was several rows behind him, collecting empty cups. My timing would have to be perfect.
Clutching the rolled-up Financial Post, I faced forward in my seat but kept Fatty in my peripheral vision. The other passengers in the row behind us got up so he could enter. Fatty grabbed Cougar #2's seat and slid into the row. He pulled himself along the row using Cougar #1's seat. The cougars exchanged a look of displeasure.
Fatty was reaching for my seat when I turned. The flight attendant was four rows back and distracted with a passenger. Perfect.
The split-second Fatty's hand touched my seat to lower himself, I half-spun and rapped his knuckles with the rolled-up Financial Post. Fatty let go and fell backward into his seat with a look of surprise. The flight attendant was three rows back and approaching. She didn't see my clout in the name of justice and humanity.
I dropped the Financial Post in front of my seat to hide it and said firmly, "You have to stop grabbing my fucking seat."
Before he could respond, the flight attended was on the scene. "Is everything ok here?"
"It would be if this gentleman would stop grabbing my seat to pull himself up when he goes to the bathroom every twenty minutes," I calmly replied.
Poor Fatty looked confused as the flight attendant addressed him. "Sir," she said, "please refrain from grabbing the seats of other passengers."
He mumbled an acknowledgement, staring daggers at me. I smirked at him and turned back around. I replaced my noise-cancelling headphones and lowered my hat. The cougars giggled at what just transpired. I dozed until the plane landed in Vancouver.
As I stood to exit the plane, I glanced at Fatty. He had the look of death warmed over; he spent the remainder of the flight coming off of his beer buzz. Perfect.
* * *
Did I miss anything? What annoys the shit out of you during air travel? Was I too mean to Fatty?
Hit it up in the comments section.
* * *
Traveling Angler Tuesdays launched June 26th, 2012 on mattrevors.com. My mission is to prove the concept of fly fishing travel abroad is not just the realm of old rich dudes and magazine writers & photographers. Keep checking back regularly as I share tips & tricks to get you to fly fishing locales you dream of going to. To see past articles & tips, click here.
06 July 2011
The Gulag
Time/Date: 0635 PST, 06-Jul-11
Location: A Top-Secret Alpine Facility, British Columbia (near the Alaskan border)
I'd like to tell you where I am, but I'm not really sure. Things got confusing after leaving Smithers, BC.
I landed on a gravel runway and this scary woman started going through our bags for drugs, alcohol, weapons...
...and apparently fly fishing gear, as well.
That's right. My stuff was confiscated.
I went along with it, but now, seeing I'm probably closer to the moon than I am fishable water...it's a little ridiculous.
I'm totally surrounded by snow-capped mountains & glaciers. It's actually quite scenic and I'd love to show you a picture, but we're not permitted to take photos of the project site to post on social media sites such as "Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Hi-5..." (when the hell did they write that policy? And what the f**k is Hi-5?)
So this black-ops fly fishing trip they assume I'd go on if I had retained possession of my 3 rods & reels is pretty much out of the question, unless I commandeered a helicopter as well.
But it's policy.
I will get my gear back, of course, when I leave. That is, if it doesn't go missing. If it does, that's my problem, as they're "not responsible for any and all lost or stolen property." How do you think that possible scenario would play out for them?
Potential CBC headline: "Numerous People Kicked in Groin By NB Geologist Over Fly Fishing Gear"
For those unawares, I took on this project pretty much just to get a flight to northern BC to fish once the project is over & to visit friends in Vancouver on the way back home. The irony of potentially losing my gear before I got to fish is not lost on me. Not one little bit.
I will someday soon declare war on these legal-beagle types that draft up all these ridiculous rules, regulations, bylaws, laws, policies and any other name they go by. Kidney punches for all!
By governing to the lowest common denominator, the people who draft these policies breed out common sense, independent thought & creativity.
Then again, maybe that's what 'they' want...
I'd rather embed some new music...but we're not allowed to stream music or video here, either.
The quality of this one, if I remember correctly, is pretty good:
Tweet
Location: A Top-Secret Alpine Facility, British Columbia (near the Alaskan border)
I'd like to tell you where I am, but I'm not really sure. Things got confusing after leaving Smithers, BC.
I landed on a gravel runway and this scary woman started going through our bags for drugs, alcohol, weapons...
...and apparently fly fishing gear, as well.
That's right. My stuff was confiscated.
I went along with it, but now, seeing I'm probably closer to the moon than I am fishable water...it's a little ridiculous.
I'm totally surrounded by snow-capped mountains & glaciers. It's actually quite scenic and I'd love to show you a picture, but we're not permitted to take photos of the project site to post on social media sites such as "Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Hi-5..." (when the hell did they write that policy? And what the f**k is Hi-5?)
So this black-ops fly fishing trip they assume I'd go on if I had retained possession of my 3 rods & reels is pretty much out of the question, unless I commandeered a helicopter as well.
But it's policy.
I will get my gear back, of course, when I leave. That is, if it doesn't go missing. If it does, that's my problem, as they're "not responsible for any and all lost or stolen property." How do you think that possible scenario would play out for them?
Potential CBC headline: "Numerous People Kicked in Groin By NB Geologist Over Fly Fishing Gear"
For those unawares, I took on this project pretty much just to get a flight to northern BC to fish once the project is over & to visit friends in Vancouver on the way back home. The irony of potentially losing my gear before I got to fish is not lost on me. Not one little bit.
I will someday soon declare war on these legal-beagle types that draft up all these ridiculous rules, regulations, bylaws, laws, policies and any other name they go by. Kidney punches for all!
By governing to the lowest common denominator, the people who draft these policies breed out common sense, independent thought & creativity.
Then again, maybe that's what 'they' want...
I'd rather embed some new music...but we're not allowed to stream music or video here, either.
The quality of this one, if I remember correctly, is pretty good:
Tweet
21 May 2011
Clouser Madness!!!
Location: An undisclosed top-secret saltwater fly-tying training facility above 57° North (Canada). Nowhere close to saltwater.
Alternate title: I have no friggin' clue. Apparently I have the rare case of writer's block known as Title Writer's Block. #Lame
Also, this is not a rant. Well, maybe a little bit...
I was swiping through an article in a back issue of Fly Fishing in Saltwaters magazine I downloaded through the Zinio app on my iPod last night.
The publication is great; they have a contributing editors list that has, by my calculations, roughly 3,457 years of fly fishing experience. The fact I can carry 9 or so issues of the mag on my iPod is pretty damn awesome, too.
I read an article about year-round angling opportunities in the Fort Myers area. It was a really good article and was simultaneously entertaining & informative.
Then I stumbled upon their little FFSW Tackle Bag sidebar for angling in Fort Myers and read this:
REELS: Any of the reputable brands, such as Tibor or Islander, that have smooth drags and large-arbour designs.
For fly rods, the author wrote "8- or 9-weight for redfish, snook, tripletail and Spanish mackerel; 11- or 12- weight for tarpon and cobia." No mention of brand names. Same for lines, leaders & polarized sunglasses.
Any old rod, line or sunglasses will do. But for reels, any of the reputable brands, such as Tibor or Islander. I mean, nothing against Tibor or Islander, but why the plug for them?
I know a smooth drag & large-arbour design is pretty much needed for those species. I also know Tibor & Islander, and others (Nautilus, Hatch, et al.) are among the best for providing those. But they're the top of the line.
Suppose some newbie (aka, me, 8 months ago), just trying to figure this whole fly fishing in saltwaters (ha! got that in there!) thing out, reads that, hops online and sees a $700 price tag for a reel.
Do you think that's going to bring more people into the sport (and lifestyle) of fly fishing?
This goes back to an earlier post (rant?) about $800 fly rods vs. $250 fly rods, and something Dylan over at Skate the Fly has written about as well.
Too many people semi-interested in trying out fly fishing are intimidated by the (supposed) money & skills required. And some companies & publications & people in and around the industry perpetuate this, whether purposely or not.
Simple math:
More people fly fishing
= more money for shops/manufacturers/publishers
+ (hopefully) more people involved in conservation
+ a happier society in general (& less focus on shit like reality TV and the like)
Getting into fly fishing ranks in my top 5 things I have done with my life. Yeah, there are still lots of skills I need to learn. But they're not that hard (except whip-finishers...bastard tool of the devil, those things are).
It hasn't left me in the poorhouse, either. In fact, for the price of one of those reels, I could outfit a person with TWO of my rigs. Possibly three, if you tossed in my 3-weight set-up.
So here is my edited version of that section of FFSW's Tackle Box for Fort Myers, Florida:
REELS: smooth drags are highly recommended. Reels with large-arbour designs are an asset, as they retrieve line quickly. 200 yards of 20lb backing for 8- or 9-weights or 250-300 yards of 30lb backing for 10- or 12-weights.
See? Not being a corporate shill, and not scaring potential anglers away with $700 price tags for reels.
By the way, I caught redfish last fall on a reel that retails for $125 and did just fine, thank you very much. Even got my saltwater fly line off of ebay for $36.
********
This is what I tied up tonight. I find my very limited materials here are keeping my options for tying, well, limited. But I like how this one came out.
 |
| I have a fever, and the only cure is more Clouser! |
Just because I was humming this song all day:
31 March 2011
Choices (An opinion piece about fly fishing gear)
Time/Date: 1320, 31-Mar-11
Location: F'ton, NB
Imagine this scenario:
Two friends are fly fishing the fall salmon run on the Miramichi River in early October.
The weather is absolutely shitty: windy, rain & sleet, temperature is about 7° above freezing.
Fishing isn't great, but it's ok; there are fish rolling over the flies & are taking often enough to keep things interesting.
Fisherman A has a rod worth $800 paired with a $350 reel and the best fly line available. He's wearing a $30 PVC rain coat, and underneath his $60 PVC/rubber waders he bought at some nameless large global box-store he has a pair of jeans on.
Fisherman B has a $250 rod, a $150 reel and a decent mid-range fly line. He decided to spend some extra money on waterproof-breathable waders and a gore-tex wading coat. He also wears good-quality synthetic and Smart-Wool base & mid-layers.
Who is going to want to fish longer?
Yesterday at the shop, I was showing a client some of the good-quality mid-range rods from Temple Forks, St. Croix and Redington. He claimed he didn't fish all that much, maybe 5-10 times a year.
I mentioned that though I fish a fair amount, I personally wouldn't purchase one of the high-end rods because it would be similar to me owning a Ferrari to go to the corner store.
The client's friend came over, said something about showing him "the rod he really wants" and led him over to the $800 rods.
That's when I had to open my big mouth and mention the online post about Dorks, Doctors & Dudes. Take a minute to click over and read it. You might hate it. You might agree with it. Either way, it's entertaining.
OK, you're back? Good.
I don't mind selling someone an $800 fly rod. Trust me. In fact, I like it. A lot. So does Chris, who owns the shop.
But...
Unless your name is Kreh, Curcione or Fernandez, I'm pretty sure you will not notice a major difference in casting a $300 rod vs. casting an $800 rod.
I would rather people drop good money on quality waders & clothing and buy a good-quality mid-range fly rod and be able to enjoy fishing, no matter what the weather is.
Good weather doesn't always mean good fishing. And spending time on the water increases your chances exponentially.
You can't catch a fish while sitting in your vehicle with the heater running.
HOWEVER...There is a difference in casting between a rod found at the nameless large global box store and a good quality fly rod. If anything, the people working at your local fly shop fish. Usually a lot. I'll be surprised if your typical nameless global box store employee has ever touched a fly rod before. So support your local fly shop.
Here's some music:
(Viewing this via RSS or email & can't see the video above? Click here to go to the post)
Tweet
Location: F'ton, NB
Imagine this scenario:
Two friends are fly fishing the fall salmon run on the Miramichi River in early October.
The weather is absolutely shitty: windy, rain & sleet, temperature is about 7° above freezing.
Fishing isn't great, but it's ok; there are fish rolling over the flies & are taking often enough to keep things interesting.
Fisherman A has a rod worth $800 paired with a $350 reel and the best fly line available. He's wearing a $30 PVC rain coat, and underneath his $60 PVC/rubber waders he bought at some nameless large global box-store he has a pair of jeans on.
Fisherman B has a $250 rod, a $150 reel and a decent mid-range fly line. He decided to spend some extra money on waterproof-breathable waders and a gore-tex wading coat. He also wears good-quality synthetic and Smart-Wool base & mid-layers.
Who is going to want to fish longer?
Yesterday at the shop, I was showing a client some of the good-quality mid-range rods from Temple Forks, St. Croix and Redington. He claimed he didn't fish all that much, maybe 5-10 times a year.
I mentioned that though I fish a fair amount, I personally wouldn't purchase one of the high-end rods because it would be similar to me owning a Ferrari to go to the corner store.
The client's friend came over, said something about showing him "the rod he really wants" and led him over to the $800 rods.
That's when I had to open my big mouth and mention the online post about Dorks, Doctors & Dudes. Take a minute to click over and read it. You might hate it. You might agree with it. Either way, it's entertaining.
OK, you're back? Good.
I don't mind selling someone an $800 fly rod. Trust me. In fact, I like it. A lot. So does Chris, who owns the shop.
But...
Unless your name is Kreh, Curcione or Fernandez, I'm pretty sure you will not notice a major difference in casting a $300 rod vs. casting an $800 rod.
I would rather people drop good money on quality waders & clothing and buy a good-quality mid-range fly rod and be able to enjoy fishing, no matter what the weather is.
Good weather doesn't always mean good fishing. And spending time on the water increases your chances exponentially.
You can't catch a fish while sitting in your vehicle with the heater running.
HOWEVER...There is a difference in casting between a rod found at the nameless large global box store and a good quality fly rod. If anything, the people working at your local fly shop fish. Usually a lot. I'll be surprised if your typical nameless global box store employee has ever touched a fly rod before. So support your local fly shop.
Here's some music:
(Viewing this via RSS or email & can't see the video above? Click here to go to the post)
Tweet
23 October 2010
Now back to our regularly scheduled programming
Time/Date: 2335, 23-Oct-10
Location: F'ton (Lava Vodka Lounge, to be precise)
A wrap-up to a fairly busy week:
I saw Gord Downie & the Country of Miracles on Monday night and followed that up with an awesome performance by Sloan on Wednesday night. Thanks to Nick & Mike at BabZees Entertainment for the all-access pass on Wednesday's show. I didn't do anything special in terms of hospitality & logistics work to earn that pass, but I'll make up for it with the shows coming up. Details of upcoming shows here, here and here.
Both shows were extremely good. I found the vocals a little too high in comparison to the instruments for Gord's show, but Sloan sounded very good. They've been around for 20 years so I almost forgot some the awesome tracks they have out.
The plan to serve Gord a drink fell through. If it had, it would complete my silly goal of serving my four favourite Canadian musicians an alcoholic beverage (Matthew Good, Gordie Johnson & Ian Thornley are the other members on the list). Was definitely kind of dorky-cool to have him twitter me though!
I took a few pics of both shows but was only rolling with my ipod & my blackberry so resolution isn't the greatest. I brain-farted & left my D-SLR on my desk. They say the best camera to have is the one you have with you, so I made do with the tools at hand. Pics from both shows are below.
Oh...I also booked a spur of the moment plane ticket this week. I'll tell you where and what for in my next post.
Here's some Sloan and some pics, enjoy!
Location: F'ton (Lava Vodka Lounge, to be precise)
A wrap-up to a fairly busy week:
I saw Gord Downie & the Country of Miracles on Monday night and followed that up with an awesome performance by Sloan on Wednesday night. Thanks to Nick & Mike at BabZees Entertainment for the all-access pass on Wednesday's show. I didn't do anything special in terms of hospitality & logistics work to earn that pass, but I'll make up for it with the shows coming up. Details of upcoming shows here, here and here.
Both shows were extremely good. I found the vocals a little too high in comparison to the instruments for Gord's show, but Sloan sounded very good. They've been around for 20 years so I almost forgot some the awesome tracks they have out.
The plan to serve Gord a drink fell through. If it had, it would complete my silly goal of serving my four favourite Canadian musicians an alcoholic beverage (Matthew Good, Gordie Johnson & Ian Thornley are the other members on the list). Was definitely kind of dorky-cool to have him twitter me though!
I took a few pics of both shows but was only rolling with my ipod & my blackberry so resolution isn't the greatest. I brain-farted & left my D-SLR on my desk. They say the best camera to have is the one you have with you, so I made do with the tools at hand. Pics from both shows are below.
Oh...I also booked a spur of the moment plane ticket this week. I'll tell you where and what for in my next post.
Here's some Sloan and some pics, enjoy!
 |
| Gord Downie & the Country of Miracles |
 |
| Gord again... |
 |
| Sloan |
 |
| Sloan |
19 October 2010
A lowly bartender fixes New Brunswick
Time/Date: 1245, 19-Oct-10
Location: F'ton
I don't really consider myself a lowly bartender. I'm actually a great bartender. And a pretty good geologist, too. But I don't often advertise the latter.
Anyway, this post is directed to the new premier, Mr. Alward, his new cabinet, and the residents of New Brunswick (and it's definitely breaking my guideline of keeping posts to ~250 words). There's a lot to take in here, so grab a coffee or tea, and get at it.
This is going to hurt for some people. I will be called bad names. I don't care. It's time to fix things 'round these parts.
How to fix New Brunswick:
Tax consumption, not income. Why should people be punished for working & earning money? For instance, in my past life, I had built up 11 weeks of lieu & vacation days that I couldn't take off due to being busy as hell. I only saw ~53% of that. The rest was taxed. On the other hand, if people want to own 3000 sq ft homes, drive large SUV's, have every consumer electronic device in their homes and boats & snowmobiles & jet-skis in their garage...TAX THOSE ITEMS!
The cure: lower income tax rates & raise the HST. Make groceries (i.e., fresh produce, bread, milk, basic ingredients, meat, cheese), clothing, books tax-exempt. Give tax breaks to those owning modest homes that are under a certain square-footage (or condo & apartment dwellers). Give tax breaks to those owning fuel-efficient vehicles. Tax the hell out of gas, electricity, booze, cigarettes, unhealthy foods. Reward good behaviour, tax bad behaviour.
Bring back user fees. Why the hell should every person in this province pay for the highway from Fredericton to Moncton? If I use a kayak from the small craft aquatic centre, I pay a fee. If I drive the New Jersey Turnpike, I pay a fee. Where is it in the New Brunswick Declaration of Human Entitlements that says we can't have toll highways? Same with ferry service; why should every taxpayer pay for that service? YOU, Mr. & Mrs Resident of NB, made the CHOICE to live where you do. We are very privileged to be provided Health Care & Education. It doesn't say anything about roads, highways, ferries or anything else.
The cure: user fees. Bring 'em in. Use the service, pay the fee.
Reduce power usage & freezing power rates. Mr. Premier, you promised a power rate freeze for three years. I don't like the idea of politicizing NB Power as it has a job to do as a business, and businesses, for morally better or for worse, seem to profit better without government interference. BUT. You promised it, and the myopic people of this province will scream bloody murder if you don't do it. Let them eat cake. Here goes...
The cure: Remember the declining block rate? Well, I have one better: Behold!! I give you the INCREASING BLOCK RATE!! Households have a block of power of 1100 kWh frozen at today's rates ($0.0985/kWh) for 3 years. Households that go over that pay a higher rate. A much higher rate. Something like $0.14/kWh). There. Rates are frozen for three years, as promised. And incentives are made for people to consume less. Truth hurts, huh?
Find a niche industry and make NB the best for it. Something like the aerospace industry for PEI. Or pharmaceuticals for Boston. Finance for Toronto. Mining & exploration for Vancouver. SOMETHING. And not call-centres. You can't draw talent & creative types to move here (or back here) with fucking call-centres.
The cure: Read Richard Florida's books: The Rise of the Creative Class, Who's Your City? and The Great Reset. Read David Campbell's blog, It's the Economy, Stupid. Realize that the old industries of forestry and fishing are behind us. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing & expecting a different result. Learn something new.
Cut costs to the civil service. Our civil service is foolishly large. I've heard something like 1 in 8 jobs in NB is a civil service job. Really? If that's true, that's probably along the same ratio Soviet Russia. Anyway, because everybody except me has a civil service job, I'm gonna get a lot of flack for this one. F**k it. So after we offer everybody we can early retirement, and put a hiring freeze on, and all that other typical "this is how we always do it" bullshit, what next? Well....
The cure: the civil service works a four-day work week. 36.5 hours per week works out to 9.125 hours per day. Office hours are now 8AM to 6PM, Monday to Thursday. Think of the electricity saved in those buildings. Think of the gas saved by not having to commute on Fridays. They joke that nothing ever gets done in a government office on Friday afternoons, now it's true! Employees don't like it? They can be given an appropriate severance package and the positions filled by people who WANT to work a four-day work week. There's an old-timey expression that should be written in the legislation for four-day work weeks: Go F**k Yourself. You're either part of the solution or part of the problem, which is it?
To my fellow residents: WE are to blame for this. You and I. Through a combination of narrow-mindedness, greed, fear, apathy and ignorance, WE let our province get like this. WE lined up with our hands out for the status quo. WE caused governments to fall over bullshit issues like toll highways and car insurance rates, while companies walked away with millions of dollars in forgivable loans and schools deteriorated. WE sat by and idly watched complete idiots get jobs & positions that they have absolutely no skills or RIGHT to do. WE spent all our money on snowmobiles & big trucks & big houses and 50" TV's and went into debt and didn't save any of our earnings.
The truth of the matter is:
You're stressed out over your shitty job? You choose to work there.
You're stressed out over home renovations? YOU made the choice to buy a house.
Kids stressing you out? That was YOUR choice to have children.
There's no jobs here in _____? YOU chose your career and YOU choose where to live.
You don't have enough money? YOU chose what to spend it on. YOU chose your employment.
The government has and always sucked? YOU CHOSE IT!!
So. As I wrote above:
YOU'RE EITHER PART OF THE SOLUTION OR PART OF THE PROBLEM.
That's all I can say for now.
Location: F'ton
Anyway, this post is directed to the new premier, Mr. Alward, his new cabinet, and the residents of New Brunswick (and it's definitely breaking my guideline of keeping posts to ~250 words). There's a lot to take in here, so grab a coffee or tea, and get at it.
This is going to hurt for some people. I will be called bad names. I don't care. It's time to fix things 'round these parts.
How to fix New Brunswick:
Tax consumption, not income. Why should people be punished for working & earning money? For instance, in my past life, I had built up 11 weeks of lieu & vacation days that I couldn't take off due to being busy as hell. I only saw ~53% of that. The rest was taxed. On the other hand, if people want to own 3000 sq ft homes, drive large SUV's, have every consumer electronic device in their homes and boats & snowmobiles & jet-skis in their garage...TAX THOSE ITEMS!
The cure: lower income tax rates & raise the HST. Make groceries (i.e., fresh produce, bread, milk, basic ingredients, meat, cheese), clothing, books tax-exempt. Give tax breaks to those owning modest homes that are under a certain square-footage (or condo & apartment dwellers). Give tax breaks to those owning fuel-efficient vehicles. Tax the hell out of gas, electricity, booze, cigarettes, unhealthy foods. Reward good behaviour, tax bad behaviour.
Bring back user fees. Why the hell should every person in this province pay for the highway from Fredericton to Moncton? If I use a kayak from the small craft aquatic centre, I pay a fee. If I drive the New Jersey Turnpike, I pay a fee. Where is it in the New Brunswick Declaration of Human Entitlements that says we can't have toll highways? Same with ferry service; why should every taxpayer pay for that service? YOU, Mr. & Mrs Resident of NB, made the CHOICE to live where you do. We are very privileged to be provided Health Care & Education. It doesn't say anything about roads, highways, ferries or anything else.
The cure: user fees. Bring 'em in. Use the service, pay the fee.
Reduce power usage & freezing power rates. Mr. Premier, you promised a power rate freeze for three years. I don't like the idea of politicizing NB Power as it has a job to do as a business, and businesses, for morally better or for worse, seem to profit better without government interference. BUT. You promised it, and the myopic people of this province will scream bloody murder if you don't do it. Let them eat cake. Here goes...
The cure: Remember the declining block rate? Well, I have one better: Behold!! I give you the INCREASING BLOCK RATE!! Households have a block of power of 1100 kWh frozen at today's rates ($0.0985/kWh) for 3 years. Households that go over that pay a higher rate. A much higher rate. Something like $0.14/kWh). There. Rates are frozen for three years, as promised. And incentives are made for people to consume less. Truth hurts, huh?
Find a niche industry and make NB the best for it. Something like the aerospace industry for PEI. Or pharmaceuticals for Boston. Finance for Toronto. Mining & exploration for Vancouver. SOMETHING. And not call-centres. You can't draw talent & creative types to move here (or back here) with fucking call-centres.
The cure: Read Richard Florida's books: The Rise of the Creative Class, Who's Your City? and The Great Reset. Read David Campbell's blog, It's the Economy, Stupid. Realize that the old industries of forestry and fishing are behind us. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing & expecting a different result. Learn something new.
Cut costs to the civil service. Our civil service is foolishly large. I've heard something like 1 in 8 jobs in NB is a civil service job. Really? If that's true, that's probably along the same ratio Soviet Russia. Anyway, because everybody except me has a civil service job, I'm gonna get a lot of flack for this one. F**k it. So after we offer everybody we can early retirement, and put a hiring freeze on, and all that other typical "this is how we always do it" bullshit, what next? Well....
The cure: the civil service works a four-day work week. 36.5 hours per week works out to 9.125 hours per day. Office hours are now 8AM to 6PM, Monday to Thursday. Think of the electricity saved in those buildings. Think of the gas saved by not having to commute on Fridays. They joke that nothing ever gets done in a government office on Friday afternoons, now it's true! Employees don't like it? They can be given an appropriate severance package and the positions filled by people who WANT to work a four-day work week. There's an old-timey expression that should be written in the legislation for four-day work weeks: Go F**k Yourself. You're either part of the solution or part of the problem, which is it?
To my fellow residents: WE are to blame for this. You and I. Through a combination of narrow-mindedness, greed, fear, apathy and ignorance, WE let our province get like this. WE lined up with our hands out for the status quo. WE caused governments to fall over bullshit issues like toll highways and car insurance rates, while companies walked away with millions of dollars in forgivable loans and schools deteriorated. WE sat by and idly watched complete idiots get jobs & positions that they have absolutely no skills or RIGHT to do. WE spent all our money on snowmobiles & big trucks & big houses and 50" TV's and went into debt and didn't save any of our earnings.
The truth of the matter is:
You're stressed out over your shitty job? You choose to work there.
You're stressed out over home renovations? YOU made the choice to buy a house.
Kids stressing you out? That was YOUR choice to have children.
There's no jobs here in _____? YOU chose your career and YOU choose where to live.
You don't have enough money? YOU chose what to spend it on. YOU chose your employment.
The government has and always sucked? YOU CHOSE IT!!
So. As I wrote above:
YOU'RE EITHER PART OF THE SOLUTION OR PART OF THE PROBLEM.
That's all I can say for now.
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