For the last 5 years or so I have wanted to learn to fly fish. It looks like a lot of fun, and trout are a fun fish to catch. I (impulsively) ordered some fly fishing gear from Cabela’s the other day. It should get here at some point next week. I wisely had it shipped to the office since I wont be home to sign for it. One thing that I have already learned about fly fishing…. It is expensive! I spent about $500 on a package i put together including a rod,reel, line, leaders, 18 flies, waders, wading boots and a hat. I still have to get a vest and some tippet. That will have to be my next order. I need a new fresh water rod anyway, since the rod is no longer straight and the reel is showing wear. It was a cheap Sports Authority model anyway, so I’ll keep it for friends to use. I also need to get some new bass lures. The spinners have been working well but are getting snagged in the weeds and Lillys too often. I think I might look for a few good weedless Jigs.

I went to Walmart and looked at some lures last night because my housemate’s girlfriend needed some spray paint and they were the only place we could think of that would sell spray paint at 10pm. They didn’t have anything that looked too impressive, just the usual junk they carry. The problem with shopping at places like Walmart is they stock inventory because it is easy to restock, not necessarily because it works in the region or season. They also have no local advice, nobody in the fishing department knew anything about fishing, so a local tackle shop would have been a much better choice. I luckily know a little about bass fishing, so I picked up a few cheap jigs and will get more later from a Bass Pro Shop or a Cabella’s since I don’t know where any good bait and tackle shops are. (Like Master Bait and Tackle of East Haven, CT … I love that place)

Tags: Fishing
Categories: Sports
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Tomorrow morning I will be leaving for Chicago, IL. For the last 3 years I have gone to the National, and have been pretty successful in selling and hustling for consignments. Every trip to the show is a blast. Two years ago it was in Anaheim, CA, and last year it was in Cleveland, OH. The Anaheim show was my company’s first. One of the owners had been there many times before, but for the rest of us it was a new experience. I had never been to a trade show before, and even if I had, i don’t think it would have prepared me for this.

The show is the biggest sports card show in the world. At any moment there are millions of dollars floating around the room all looking for something new. All the major auction houses are there showcasing collections coming up in ther next big auction. This year we have 2 booths and are bringing out a ton of inventory. I will be driving out there with a coworker in a rented van. I looked it up on Google Maps, and it looks like its going to be a 13 hour trip. Luckily I will have an inverter with me and my Palm Treo 700wx is able to be tethered for a broadband Internet connection (I don’t like when people use the term broadband to refer to any high speed Internet connection, I come from an engineering background [well really Computer Science, but close enough], so I like things to be factually correct). Perhaps I will put up a few more blog posts tomorrow, but with my luck, I will be stuck doing work the whole way because something in the office will break the moment I leave.

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Tags: Cleveland,Collectibles,Ohio
Categories: Sports, Work
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Yesterday I took out the boat at about 8am and was on the water by 8:30. I caught a few small bass early, using a silver spinner and a white skirt. These were all caught along the Lillys on the edge of the lake. As it got a little later I drifted in the wind down the lake and found some submerged trees with Lillys around them. I figured if I were a big Bass, that it would make a great spot to hide out. A few casts later I had a fish on the line. I played this fish well and landed him after about 2 minutes. He was a 3.5 lb Large Mouth Bass. Not the monster from yesterday, but still a respectable fish. I threw him back and fished the same spot for a while. I only got one other hit so I took off and went further down the lake. It was getting a little hotter, and I still hadn’t gotten any sunscreen, so it was time to head back North to the car. The wind had picked up to about 7mph heading South-West. This was not going to be a fun paddle. It took about 30 minutes but I got back to the boat launch and packed up. It was another successful outing. (I had a great time, was relaxed, and got a little tan, the fish count didn’t really matter) I really need to get some sunscreen…

Tags: Bass,Fishing
Categories: Sports
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All week I’d hoped to get out on the water and do a little bass fishing to unwind after work. The weather didn’t agree with me at all. We had rain and thunderstorms all week. At least the water level was back up to normal when I finally got back on the water on Friday. As soon as I got out of the office I went out to the lake. I landed a nice bass (about 3 lbs), and a few pan fish. There was almost no wind, so the canoe didn’t drift much, and I paddled from the center of the boat sitting on a PFD. This worked great. I was able to get the boat to track well by putting my feet forward, and with the bow in the water it is a little faster too. I will have to look into getting a kayak paddle if I am going to be paddling from that low in the boat though, because it is a little uncomfortable.

As I was paddling in I fished along some Lilly Pads with a yellow spinner. I got a strong hit and set the hook. I played the fish for a little while and it seemed like it was pretty tired. As I got him towards the boat, he bolted and jumped. He was a huge bass, I think it was about 5 lbs. Since I fish using 8 lb line, he made quick work of snapping my line and taking off with my lure. I made the mistake of not giving him enough line to play with when he jumped. Hopefully I’ll catch him someday and get my lure back. I’ll probably throw him back though; I have been catching and releasing lately. (read: I’m too lazy to cook)

Tags: Bass,Fishing
Categories: Sports
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I took out the canoe on the next morning and it was worth the $400. I did a little fishing, but mostly just paddled it around the lake. I did manage catch a fish, it was a perch or sunfish I don’t really remember what it was, just that it wasn’t impressive. The lake was really beautiful. There was a lot of wildlife especially turtles. I saw some birds I was unable to recognize so I think I should probably get a birding book. I had a teacher in high school, Stephen Broker who was an avid birder and would take our class out birding, and I’ve liked birds ever since.

The only problem with the canoe was the seats. They are tearing and will have to be replaced somehow. My father wants to try to fix them over the winter when I take the boat back to Connecticut, but until then, I will have to just cut some plywood and put it down to sit on. It should be comfortable enough with the seat cushions. I’m pretty lazy so we will see if that ever gets done, or if I just continue to keep using the tearing seats and try to put my butt on the wood.

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Tags: Canoe,Fishing
Categories: Sports
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