Happy Holidays All! I hope the members of our community & their families are enjoying some safe & joyful moments this season! Anybody score any cool new gear? I have all the fishing gear I'll need for a long time but today my sister gave me a neat gadget - a LifeStraw - a personal water purifying device that purifies stream water as you drink it - aside from being ultra portable & convenient to use, it eliminates the necessity to carry water with you - you just dip some water out of the stream and use the straw to drink it!
This will really come in handy on my next trip up to Hudson Bay - even on the islands there is no shortage of fresh water but there are also MILLIONS of geese up there which makes me a little nervous about drinking the water...back in 2010, up in Labrador, when Ron Rothenberger & I cut a trail out of the Churchill River Valley into the Elizabeth River Valley, we thought it would take us 3 days tops -the work was tough and it ended up taking 5 days and there was precious little water up on that height of land - we were drinking rain water out of moose tracks in the mud - one of these little gems would have been mighty handy...Be Safe & Tight Lines!
I was gifted a framed batch of Atlantic salmon flies tied by A.I. Ballou. A similar set of framed flies can be found in the Maine State Museum collection here:
http://collections.mainestatemuseum.com/collection/results.do;jsessionid=7607A32F04013506401AC003239DEF4B?view=detail&db=object&id=14170
I also was gifted an LL Bean Shearwater reel and spare spool setup for offshore fishing. They originally were owned by Bill Townsend. I guess that means I’m going to have to take the boat offshore looking for tuna this summer.
Otherwise, it was an upland bird hunting themed Christmas Around here (not surprising, given our affinity for English Springer Spaniels).
For me the biggest gift was being home coming into the holiday and not worrying about leaving after. Time well spent. A GoPro to thoroughly test my tech abilities. Another gift that will hopefully keep me giving was fly fishing gear and tying kits for my nephews. I’ll be able to share my love of the sport as I help them hopefully reach their own potential enjoyment.
Yes! first, I got a refresh of outdoor gear, but more suited to skiing than fishing, but gear is always welcomed. Also, got a very thoughtful gift from my Bro and Sis to mark my 40th B Day.
It is an Allagash Cruiser, camp ax, made by Brant Cochran. It’s been in the works for month, and really is a work of art. Like pretty knives, I have been assured that it is meant to be used, and it feels great in the hand. They had it customized to include the coordinates of my happy place on the island!
Yes! first, I got a refresh of outdoor gear, but more suited to skiing than fishing, but gear is always welcomed. Also, got a very thoughtful gift from my Bro and Sis to mark my 40th B Day.
It is an Allagash Cruiser, camp ax, made by Brant Cochran. It’s been in the works for month, and really is a work of art. Like pretty knives, I have been assured that it is meant to be used, and it feels great in the hand. They had it customized to include the coordinates of my happy place on the island!
Thule Rodvault (combo birthday and Xmas). Don't actually have it yet, but I think I want the 4 rod version vs the 2 rod version (2 rods for me and 2 for my friends or my kids). Every time I drive the pig anywhere, I have to cross a trout stream, so I'm hopeful that having a rigged rod on top all the time will increase the number of times I snag 30 minutes to fish, since 2 or 3 hour chunks don't come around often. Anybody know anything about putting cane rods in one? OK temporarily?
Oh and I have one of those portable straw things, Brian. It's a sawyer mini, Xmas gift last year -- they are great for traveling light and fast and far. I did a 12 mile trail run/hike for my 40th a couple of weeks ago and it was great for that. My preferred way to use it so far is to fill the bladder part with dirty water, then squeeze through the filter into my mouth or into a water bottle. Bladder plus straw fits in a sandwich bag in a pocket. Having gotten really sick 100 miles into the woods fishing in Quebec before, I think you'll be glad to have it! Happy New Year!
Got one new piece of gear: a Garmin (formerly DeLorme) InReach Mini. Peace of mind for remote solo trips; small enough that I'll actually take it with me.
I guess my family *does* want me to come home safely :)