Florida Dreaming

Posted on May 14, 2012 by admin

Sanibel Island

Florida. It’s a complex crucible. Acres of anglers bob in boats; conservationists and nature lovers abound; born and bred Floridians rubbing up against the uber northern rich; outdoorsmen who can skin a rabbit with their teeth; bible thumpers and con men; glitz, glamor and abject poverty; southern hospitality at nearly every turn, while in the backcountry, pistol packing rednecks push personal liberties to the horizon; the artless and the artful; soaring high-rise towers standing by the sea as nearby trailer homes sear in the sun; endless dumb-ass strip malls and oodles of wildlife-much of it with razor sharp teeth; the weak,the strong, the old and the young.  Ahhh America.

Seen some pretty places, Sanibel for one. Its a twelve miles long barrier beach backed by an estuary; a fly rodder ‘s dream. Charlotte Harbor is very nice too. Hooked many species including Spotted seatrout, Redfish, Ladyfish, Snook, and Spanish mackerel.  Aboard Ron Whitely’s flats boat ( an old friend from Connecticut) we went into the harbor’s maze of mangroves; where I landed a 40 pound tarpon on an 8-weight.  What a blast, amigo.

A local lady turned me on to some nice places inland as well, including the small town of Arcadia, Myakka State Park, and the upper Peace River. And she also showed where the rednecks chow down. Man the food was good!  Loved it. Ice cold beer with fresh fish, shrimp, crabs, chowders served in a funky, down-home atmosphere, with geese, goats, and maybe a gator in the yard. So far it has been an amazing adventure!

 

 

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Charlestown, Rhode Island – A great place.

Posted on April 14, 2012 by admin

Charlestown is Great

Spent the winter in Charlestown, Rhode Island. Super little spot. Felt at peace here. Its the kind of place where you could step out of your car and decide to spent 10 years. Loved it. Enjoyed the fishing; the long sandy strands; the people I met; the wild critters; dawns on the beach; starry nights; Block Island riding the horizon; sipping a cold one at the local tavern; and just plain hanging out.  Tip of the hat to all concerned!

The house I rent goes”on-season” soon. Which means the rent is about to rise like a rocket. So  its time to pull up stakes, amigo. Where to next? Heading to Florida. Tarpon, redfish, snook, ladyfish, jacks, Spanish mackerel, cobia, and more. Did I mention sharks, gators, pythons, and rednecks? Yeah, Florida is a mixed bag.

Across the street from the Charlestown Library is a little store selling local artisan goods. I think its called “Mill Creek”. Bought a shirt there to remind me of my days on the Rhoddy coast.  You can see the shirt in the picture above. Believe me, I’ll wear it with pride. Who knows, someday I may get back here.

 

 

Posted in On the Road | 2 Comments

The Boating Season Begins – Have Fun & Take Care

Posted on April 9, 2012 by admin

Dawn Patrol Watch Hill

Hey the boating season is upon us! And boats can be a barrel of fun. Love them. Nothing like a picture perfect sunrise at sea, with fly rod in hand. It’s how memories are made.

Still boating isn’t risk free. Safe boating requires a vigilant and knowledgeable captain. And brother, be sure to regularly inspect and maintained all your boat’s equipment, including the trailer. A small mechanical failure can lead to a big diaster. No you’re not done yet! Always keep an eye on the conditions too. Fog, rain, wind, rogue waves, and storms can suddenly appear. Stay alert amigo.

Broken hull

This broken hull has a New York registration, but it lies on a Rhode Island beach near Point Judith. Quite a ride. I took the bottom picture years ago at Woods Hole on Cape Cod. Problem, problems. So have all the fun you can stand, but never, ever forget safety.

Woods Hole

 

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Mute Swans

Posted on April 5, 2012 by admin

Swan Song

Yesterday, on my way to the beach, I found a mute swan on the road. Most likely it flew into the electrical wires across the street. Perhaps she was momentarily blinded by the low angle of the sun.

These are big beautiful birds, but frankly they don’t belong here. Introduced around 1860 as an ornamental attraction for estates, the mute swan population has exploded. An adult can eat upwards of 8 pounds of aquatic vegetation a day. And you can imagine how much stuff must come out the other end. Bad news. Besides that aquatic vegetation is need by native fish, shellfish, and birds.

Besides damaging our aquatic ecosystem, mute swans pose a threat. Never be fooled by their serene demeanor, mute swans are highly aggressive. Do not hand feed them! It’s flat out dangerous, particularly for children. The average male swan tips the scales at 25 pounds and has roughly a 7 foot wing span. It will charge suddenly, especially during the breeding season. Bruises, and fracture bones can be the result. And there are two human fatalities on record. Mute swans are trouble. We should get rid of them.

 

 

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Let the Boogie Begin

Posted on March 29, 2012 by admin

Let the Boogie Begin

The horseshoe crab was the only thing new on the beach this morning. I saw the boogieman too.

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Horseshoe Crabs

Posted on March 29, 2012 by admin

8 weeks early???

Saw a horseshoe crab this morning. That’s about 8 weeks early. Crazy. Here in New England, I expect to see them beginning in late May, along sandy protected beaches during the new and full moons. At high tide they push in tight, and get down to business. Hell, if you stand still long enough, they will mount your wader boot and try to fornicate. Did
I mention that their eyesight wasn’t stellar?

We call them crabs, but actually they’re more closely akin to arachnids. Spiders? Yup. Flip a horseshoe crab over and take a close look. Its really a harmless, underwater spider with a prehistoric looking shell.

Horseshoe crabs look weird, but they are a contributing member of the marine community. A single female may release 60,000 eggs over the season, and those eggs are an essential source of fat for many migratory, coastal birds. Horseshoe crabs are also commercially harvested for bait in eel and whelk pots. In recent times the biomedical industry has been drawing blood from them too. Yes, they release them back to the water and the vast majority survive. What’s the blood used for? It contains a substance called Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate, which can be used to test for pathogen impurities in medical supplies.

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Venus and the Moon

Posted on March 28, 2012 by admin

Monday night I stepped outside into a winter wind. Low in the WSW, I saw Venus accompanying a crescent moon. With her fiery light, she has long fascinated mankind. The Egyptians, the Arabs, the Greeks, and the Romans all knew her well.

Venus and a Crescent Moon

Down through the ages Venus’ brilliance has spawned many myths, but she is most revered as the goddess-of-love. One of the best descriptions of her temperament comes from 17th century astrologer Lilly. “She is a Feminine Planet, temperately Cold and Moist, Nocturnal, the less Fortune, author of Mirth and Joy; of the elements, the Air and Water are Venereal; In the Humors, Phlegm with Blood, with Spirit and Genital seed.”

Even today her mythological status is alive and well, but let us not forget that Venus also help us crack the universe. Through a primitive telescope, in 1610 Galileo saw that the phases of Venus were inconsistent with a geocentric solar system. It was a discovery that shone a light on Copernicus, while dooming the Ptolemaic system to the dustbins of history.

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Our Mild Winter: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

Posted on March 25, 2012 by admin

Strange Weather

Man, what a mild/dry winter. Right now, here in Rhode Island, March is 10 degrees above normal. Astounding! What’s good about that? Well unless you’re a skier, the extraordinary mild winter brought with it beaucoup benefits. You saved a bundle on heating. You didn’t shovel your driveway. And your toes never turned blue. The list goes on and on. Nice.

So what’s bad about it? Without the snow melt, our rivers and reservoirs will suffer, especially if the summer turns hot and dry. Not a good time to be a trout. And remember too that some places, such as Block Island, depend entirely on snow and rain to fill their drinking water aquifers. Unless it rains hard this year, they’re in trouble.

Where’s the ugly? This winter was a killer. Hidden from sight, things died and are dying, even as we speak. Some marine life depends on a cold winter for reproduction success. When the temperature is even a few degrees above normal their young-of-the-year simply don’t survive. Winter flounder are a prime example. Decades in decline,this once abundant stock is only a tiny fraction of its historic size. Yes, fisheries mismanagement, and coastal nuclear plant entrainment played a role. But mild winters -which we now see more often - are a huge factor.

Back in December, I was standing on the bridge at Green Hill Pond, peering down into the clear currents, when a lone winter flounder swam by. She was on a spawning run, and probably carrying a million eggs. I gave her a quick salute, and wished her Godspeed, but I doubt her offspring are alive.

Posted in Looking Upward, On the Road, Outdoor Writing, Wild Things | 2 Comments

S&W Model 29 – 44 Magnum

Posted on March 15, 2012 by admin

Dirty Harry' s Choice

Big bore revolvers? I love them. Man, the flame, the roar – the recoil. Squeeze the trigger and you’re Zeus throwing lightning bolts.  Back in August I told you about the S&W Model 629 Mountain Gun. It is wonderful trail gun, but not easy to shoot. In fact it is a handful. If asked which 44 magnum I liked the best, however, I’d pull out my 6.5″ S&W Model 29. Amigo, this thing rules!

Developed in the mid fifties, the model 29 gained legendary status in the hands of Clint Eastwood, who wielded it in the 1971 film classic Dirty Harry. “Do you feel lucky, punk?” Like the Mountain Gun, this is not a novice’s firearm; experienced shooter only should apply. And once again  the 44-magnum shines best for the handloader. Why? Store ammo is typically full power, delivering a half-a-ton of muzzle energy. So hang tight my friend. Handloaders can create milder mid-range loads, making it much easier to master this fire-breathing hunk of iron.

For mid range loads, I like Universal Clays under a 240 grain bullet. For a touch more heat, I get excellent results from Longshot.  Maximum loads? I don’t launch that many, but when needed I leave those to either H110 or Lil’Gun. Be a safe and responsible gun owner!!

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Vernal Pools

Posted on March 15, 2012 by admin

Vernal Pool

Vernal pools supply a fascinating and transitory habitat, that signals the arrival of spring in the forest. Essential small wetlands, these pools hold water often from rain or snow melt. Typically they disappear by summer. So why “Vernal”? Vernal refers to the Vernal Equinox, which this year arrives about 11am EST on March 20th. At this point the sun’s path is halfway between the lowest point of the winter and the highest of summer. In other words – it is officially spring. So Vernal pools are Spring pools.

With the arrival of that season these pools become a mad house of amphibian love. Who hasn’t heard a chorus of ”peepers” singing through the springtime woods? These are wood frogs calling their mates to spawn in these hidden little wetlands. And, amigo, the sex is wild; some fail to make it out alive! This year the ”peepers” are well ahead of schedule, due to the weird winter we are having. But the lack of snow here in New England means the vernal pools are smaller, making it a difficult spring for frogs and spotted salamanders.

 

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