Ed Mitchell Outdoors

Knives – Our ancient friends

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Ed Mitchell

Knives – Our Ancient Friends : Knives are ancient tools – ancient friends. Likely they are our first technology; dating back well over a million years into the dark days of the Stone Age. Along with our quest to control fire, knives were born out of necessity, out of the endless struggle to live another day. We needed them desperately.

Knives – Our Ancient Friends

Knives began with the “knapping” of stones. These were small, disposable blades chipped away by hand – often from flint or obsidian. Then we found copper, then bronze, then iron, then steel. Today knives are everywhere. Fixed blades, folding blades, steak knives, fillet knives, carving knives, wood whittlers, camp knives, hunting knives, in our kitchens , in our toolboxes, in our tackle boxes, in our pockets, in our boats, in our canoes and kayaks, on our key chains. We need them still.

If you’re like me, you have a favorite knife, one that seems a perfect extension of your hand. Mine is a 5″ Randall Made model 5 Camp & Trail.

Posted in Gear, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Fly-fishing for Jacks on the Flats

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Ed Mitchell

Some fish are special, tougher than the rest. And near the top of the list are jacks of all kinds. Power and edurance? Believe me my friend, jacks have it in spades.

When hooked in deeper water, they bulldog, digging down to fight you to the bitter end. Its an all out war. On the flats, however, its a different story. With no place to dive, in the shallows a jack runs. And runs, and runs, and runs. Its an incredible display of raw energy.

Fly fishing for Jacks on the Flats

Today I drifted the flats under a light northwest wind. Near a large sand hole, I got a terrific strike, followed by a run that made the fly line hiss through the water. That initial run was followed by several more in different directions of the compass. All in 2 foot of water. Soon this culprit was pulling the kayak in circles. It took me 4 minutes to land this crazy puppy on a 6 -weight fly rod. And this jack weighted a shade under 5 pounds! Now that’s tough!

Posted in Fly Fishing in Salt Water, Wild Things | Leave a comment

How to Free Up a Stuck Fly Rod Ferrule

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Ed Mitchell

Sooner or later you’ll have a fly rod ferrule that refuses to come apart. Here’s a neat little trick that usually saves the day. I say usually because it isn’t 100 percent effective. More on that later. You’ll need a piece of aluminum foil; I used discarded scrap. And you’ll need a handful of ice cubes.

Freeing up a Stuck Ferrule with Ice

Place the ferrule on a table. Slide the foil underneath the rod. Load up the foil with ice cubes. Be sure to place some ice under the ferrule as well on top. Roll the foil up like a football, so the ice is tight to the rod. Wait at least four minutes. Open the foil. Now try pulling the ferrule apart. It should come. If not, try the ice again for a longer period. No foil? A towel might work just as well.

Freeing up a Stuck Ferrule with Ice

Now early on I said this trick works most of the time, but not always. Often this is the case with a rod left assembled for an entire season. Worst yet, an assembled rod that was left in a boat rod rack for an extended period or outside in a garage. At this point the ferrule can seem welded. Damn harder to take apart.

To undo this baby you’ll need a second person. The procedure can be seen on the web. The two of you stand facing each other on a 45 degree angle. With the ferrule between you, each of you will place a hand on both sides of the ferrule. Your arms will appear crossed at this juncture. Together both of you then slow apply pressure pulling the ferrule apart using all four hands. There is a decent chance this will save the day. There is also a chance the rod you may damage the rod. Do not bend the rod during this process! Pull straight apart. Good luck.

Posted in Fly Fishing in Freshwater, Fly Fishing in Salt Water, Gear | Leave a comment

Book Review: Stillwater Fly-Fishing Secrets by Hal Janssen

Posted on February 1, 2014 by Ed Mitchell

Got another book review for you. This time we’ll look at Stillwater Fly-Fishing Secrets by Hal Janssen. Stillwater fly-fishing for trout has never really taken off in this country. That’s a shame. Lakes and ponds provide a fun and rewarding trout challenge. But to successfully cross the bridge from stream to stillwater, you have to rethink your approach, your tackle, and your flies. And that’s what this book is all about.

Stillwater Fly-Fishing Secrets, by Hal W. Janssen, Hal Janssen Company, Forest Ranch, California, 2011, 278 pages, foreword by Russell Chatham, illustrations by the author, hardbound, ISBN 978-0-98871660-0-5

Posted in Flies and Fly Tying, Fly Fishing in Freshwater, Fly Fishing on a Boat | Leave a comment

I got stung by a stingray

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Ed Mitchell

Well it happened; I got stung by a stingray. Damn. Yes, I should have been more careful. Circumstances got the best of me. Yesterday I was out at false dawn. And as soon as I arrived on the flats, I saw the wings of rays tipping the surface. They were everywhere. Mainly cownose rays I believe. Apparently they had migrated into my area with the change of the season.

Cownose Ray at Dawn

As the tide turned, I saw something else – tailing reds. Man, I was psyched. This was the first time I had seen them in a month. I grabbed my fly rod, climbed out of the kayak, and began inching toward them. But the flooding tide had brought dense fog too. So I was wading blind. Big mistake given the number of rays on the flats.

While moving into casting range, I must have brushed by a ray in the grass. It felt like a bee sting. After getting back in the yak, I saw the hole in my boot and realized what had happened. Hot water is the best remedy. So I called my friend Pete, who lives nearby, and asked him to meet me at the boat ramp with a pail of hot water.

Hole in wading boot caused by Stingray

The hot water really worked. (Should be as hot as you can stand it) It quickly reduced the pain and caused the wound to push out the toxin. I soaked for 2 hours, with several changes of water. After that I was fine. Fortunately I didn’t have any allergic reaction. That would require a trip to the ER. And I had no signs of infection either. Quite a morning! Quite a lesson! Thanks for the help Pete!