Fisheries Come and Go

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Ed Mitchell

Fisheries Come and Go  For a time now I’ve been getting skunked, coming up “snake eyes”. Not seeing reds cruising the sandbar, not seeing them “tail”, not even spooking them in the sand holes as I pole the flat.  Oh well, fisheries come and go.

Fisheries Come and Go

Over the years I’ve seen it happen many time. A fishery can be red hot and then without warning wane and possibly disappear. When I used to fish in Long Island Sound, big bluefish were chewing the place up in the late 1980’s. Even a 15 pound blue wasn’t considered special. Then suddenly in 1993, bang they disappeared. Ouch. Weakfish started showing up in New Haven Harbor around 2000. Wow. We hadn’t seen them in decades. By 2004 they were gone. Out on Martha’s Vineyard, the spring striped bass fishery was fabulous in the 1990’s. I mean legendary. Crazy good. Man I’ll never forget it. But it shrunk like a picked balloon in 2003.

Exactly what causes these collapses is up for grabs. It might be population cycles. Successful reproduction requires certain conditions. Weather patterns can screw that up.  Or it might be the lack of proper forage. No food no growth. And it might be us! That’s right angling pressure, regulations and fisheries management play a big role too. I’m just hoping the reds return to my neighborhood soon.

 

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Denatured People

Posted on March 11, 2017 by Ed Mitchell

Denatured People: Have you noticed? Have you noticed that many people amongst us are out of touch with the natural world? Their numbers are growing too – day by day. They have no interest in our planet. They’re Denatured People.

Denatured People

They know the menu at Starbucks by heart, but they can’t name the animals or birds in their own backyard. They’re convinced that money creates happiness, but they don’t know that the moon creates the tides. They can name all their favorite celebrities, but can’t look up and name the constellations or the stars. They rave about the sunsets they have seen, but have never witnessed a sunrise. They can point to the highway, but have no idea which way is north. The sight of a store sale makes them smile, but the sight of a bug makes them leap from their chair. Its all very sad. Denatured people are married to their smart phones, and divorced from Mother Earth.

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Carrying a Trail Gun

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Ed Mitchell

Carrying a Trail Gun: Back in November of 2008, I did a brief post on selecting a trail gun. In the intervening years a number of people have come by to read it. So perhaps its time to expand a little on the subject.

Carrying a Trail Gun – S&W 44 Magnum Mountain Gun

Finding the right holster for your trail gun is key. The holster must permit the gun to ride comfortably, securely and yet be easy to access. Hip scabbards and chest packs come immediately to mind. But it may surprise you to learn that there is an inside-the-waist- band holster (IWB) to  consider as well. Its called the Thomas Perfectionist.

Why chose an IWB holster? Couple of reasons. Unlike a hip scabbard, with care an IWB holster allows you to climb in and out of truck without removing it. Great advantage. And unlike either the hip or chest carry method, an IWB is concealable. Yes, even with a large frame magnum revolver such as the one pictured above. Which means you needed not alarm other people on the trail to its presence. I like that.

Thomas Perfectionist IWB for a 4″ N Frame S&W

Thomas Perfectionist IWB Holster for a 4″ N Frame S&W

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Thomas Perfectionist positions the gun high, and tight against the rib cage. But it does so with a sharp forward rake that offers quick access to the revolver’s grip. Lets take a closer look. In the left photo below I am wearing the revolver under a t-shirt. Can you see it? In the right photo, I reveal its location.

Carrying a Trail Gun

Carrying a Trail Gun

 

 

 

 

 

 

In closing, please note that it is extremely important to have a sturdy belt that fits the holster. Typical store bought leather belts aren’t going to hack it! Forget them, amigo. They’re trouble, believe me. The belt I’m using is made by The Wilderness. I recommend and use it daily for all my activities.

Be a Safe and Responsible Gun Owner!

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Review: Fish Pond’s Rio Grande Wader Belt – Part 2

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Ed Mitchell

Fish Pond’s Rio Grande Wader Belt – Part 2

Review: Fish Pond’s Rio Grande Wader Belt – Part 2

Ready for a closer look at the Rio Grande which I got from Bears Den? Lets do it. Note, the “D” rings and the Jacquard accent webbing running down the center of the belt. Yes, many Fish Pond products have this webbing. In this case, however, there is something special going on. The webbing is removable via a clip. (See red arrow in photo below). This in turn allows  you disconnect the webbing and thread objects onto it thereby securing them to the belt. Very, very useful.

Review: Fish Pond’s Rio Grande Wader Belt – Part 2

Once I found this clip, the wheels started turning. I dug out a small Fish Pond pack my son gave me for Christmas. Bingo, I ran the webbing through it and mounted it to the belt. (See photo below) Nice. Obviously, in this same manner, one could add a sheath either for a plier, a knife,  or a folding wade staff. Or who knows what? It’s up to you.

Fish Pond’s Rio Grande Wader Belt

Of course I wanted to put the “D” rings to work too. As you’ll see in the next photo, using para-cord I secured my Boga Grip. (right red arrow) The stainless steel clip (left red arrow) I bought to connect a rope to my “Adios”. As I mentioned in the first post I’m going to tow it along behind me.  ( I may end up reversing the position of the clip and the Boga)

Fish Pond’s Rio Grand Wader Belt

All told the Rio Grande is proving to be a modular wading belt, one that is going to allow me to customize it to fit my fishing. Gotta love that. Naturally I’ll report back as time goes by and give you some updates. But so far I’m very impressed.

Fish Pond’s Rio Grand Wader Belt with Wading Staff Attached

Lastly let me point out one important thing. My time is mainly spent in shallow water. So the belt will ride high and dry. If on the other hand you frequently wade waist deep, the Rio Grande is likely to be less useful. Everything aboard will get regularly soaked.

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Review: Fish Pond’s Rio Grande Wader Belt

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Ed Mitchell

Review: Fish Pond’s Rio Grande Wader Belt  

Fish Pond’s Rio Grande Wader Belt

Part One: Recently I was in the market for a wader belt. While searching cyber, I noticed that Fish Pond had a new product called their “Rio Grande Wader Belt”. Seemed nicely made, but the $49.95 price tag had me moving on. Ouch. After all, I knew I could get a wader belt for 1/2 that cost.

A day or two later, however, I went back and looked at the “Rio Grande Wader Belt” again.  That’s when it dawned on me this thing was both a wader belt and a utility belt. For example you might also use it to hike or canoe. Ummmm. Got me thinking, it did. Could I put all those “D” rings to good use? Maybe?

Certainly my Boga Grip could occupy one. A water bottle could hang off another. My pliers might too. Then something else came to mind. Most days I pole my “Adios” SUP-SOT down the flats, stake it and then wade off, sometimes 150 yards or more. Which means sooner or later I have to wade back. What if I attached a rope to the bow of the “Adios ” and clipped the other end to one of those “D” rings? Cool! The “Adios” would follow me silently along carrying my camera gear, food, water, and spare tackle. Digging it.

In my experience, Fish Pond products are excellent. I’ve owned some for over ten years – including a carry-on and a lumbar pack that I’m very fond off. Their gear is useful, rugged, well-designed, and shows attention to detail. With all that in mind I bought the belt.

Lets start this review with a basic description. And in the next post we’ll examine more about how to put this puppy to use. The belt is well padded, and comfortable. It weights 9.25 ounces, and is adjustable from 32″ to 55″  (That should cover most everyone.) At it’s widest point, it is 4.25″. Breathable fabric lines the interior side. I see no metal whatsoever, which means its “salt” safe. There are a total of 6 “D” rings. ( 3 per side, see red arrows in the photo) Fish Pond’s Jacquard accent webbing ( Found on many of their products) runs the length down the belt’s middle. The plastic buckle is large, easy to operate, and snaps closed with a loud audible click. And over-all construction seems very solid. Okay, time for the next post.

 

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