Happy new year beer!

De-lish!

Wish list for 2011

The crew at OBN has a point. With the new year approaching, it is worth while thinking about what I would like to accomplish this year with regard to my fishing pursuits. As such, I have come up with a list of ten things I am looking forward to …. tackling… *ah-thankyou*… during 2011.

So here is THE OUTDOOR LIST:

1. Truly understand the spey verses one-handed debate.

2. Fly fish Minnesota’s Driftless area.

3. Fly fish during an explosive hatch.

4. Be more like Phil Dunfee: “I’m a cool dad, that’s my thang. I’m hip, I surf the web, I text. LOL: laugh out loud, OMG: oh my god, WTF: why the face.”

5. Tie flies to match a hatch.

6. Blog 2 poems per month (minimum).

7. Organize/create my tying bench.

8. Take better pictures of my fishing outings.

9. During intern year, when I have a chance to fish, spend that time with my wife instead. Not every time, but at least once 🙂 Sorry, Sara.

10. No matter where I match for residency, find some local fishing.

Here’s to a good year, Phil.

Heart of Gold

He doesn’t start playing until about 1:40 in, so be patient.

I’m heading out to buy some new gear. Harvesting the fruits of Christmas. Don’t worry, my waders will always be leaking.

Luckier than ever. 12/27/10

Good evening, little one.

Thank you for being all that you are.

Your long hair

And creative contributions

Inspire me in all aspects of my life.

Just to sit here

As you, in adult-sized footsies,

Organize jewelry,

I feel luckier than ever.

– dln

Holy Perch!

My brother caught the biggest perch I’ve ever seen while ice fishing
in Minnesota. I think we can thank catch and release for this hog. Super awesome.

one more post :)

Great video I found on Bottomhand.com. The best way to find happiness and satisfaction is to turn what you love into your job.

Here you go! Click and watch the video called “preOccupations.”

Last post before Christmas! Caddis Pupa!

As I continue to learn about fly tying, I realize how the process parallels other things I have learned in the past. I grew up playing ice hockey (goalie) in Minnesota, and as you develop your style, you tend to emulate your play after players you look up to. For me it was a teammate one year ahead of me who is playing professional hockey still and Patrick Roy. By copying their style, I developed a platform of skills and techniques that would eventually allow me to grow into my own style. The same pattern of events occurred when I learned to play guitar. I had some artist I liked and I tried to learn their songs. After a while, I began to write my own using the strumming patterns and chords I had picked up.

With regard to fly tying, I’ve been watching Youtube videos and searching other fly fishing blogs. One blog I really like is http://www.winonaflyfactory.com/. I really enjoy WFF’s tying, photography, insights, and presentation of his posts. For instance, a great thought he had in a previous post was that, in order to get a better understanding of how your fly will look in the water after you tie it, throw it on some tippet in a glass of water. He astutely stated how easy it is to overlook that part. We are so focused on how it looks as we tie it, but dubbing looks quite different when wet.

Anyway, today I used WFF as my tying guide. He has been working on his caddis pupa presentation and tying. So much so that it inspired me to tie a few. I made three attempts. Two with bead heads, one without. One was using a skinnier (0.5mm diameter) clear tubing/thread for wrapping. This gave it more of a grub appearance.

Well, enjoy the snapshot. I used a cork from a wine bottle to hold the flies and this worked nicely. Have a happy holiday weekend!

Why Fish?

Why Fish? 12-22-10

A bond forms when walking a stream.

Whether you study its fluid dynamics,

The aquatic fauna and flora,

Or simply enjoy the company,

The line connects the rod holder

To a ballet of scales and invertebrates.

_________

Rhythmically paddling back and forth,

Stationary at the seams of faster currents,

Patiently waiting for the optimal meal

Until a passing morsel

Drifts closer.

_________

Sitting on the trunk of my little black car

Emptying my sieve-like waders

And breaking down my gear,

I feel complete after a day of fishing.

I am the rod, the line, the fly, the water,

And the fish.

– david

Look who’s organized!

A fellow Cornhusker Fly Fisher tipped me off to these boxes for
keeping your tying hooks organized. It is a bead or craft box made by Craftmates with a
locking mechanism for each hatch and rounded bottoms so it is easier
to grab the hooks. I taped labels to the lids and threw away all the
crappy bags I kept my hooks in. Score!

Total cost of box? $3.99 at Hobby Lobby

Oh, we’ve come sooo far…

Ladies and Gentlemen (mom and dad), I am proud to tell you I am now listed among the many superb blogs on the Outdoor Blogger Network. It is a great collaboration of those of us who are striving to shore our outdoor passions. I’m excited to continue looking through the pages on the website and encourage you to do the same! They have more than just fly fishing blogs. They have hunting, fishing, outdoor sports, photography, boating, ecology, etc. Enjoy!