A gumbo of fly-fishing, conservation, politics and days afield, for what it is worth....
There is really no excuse for this stuff to wind up in our oceans. If you are going to use single use plastic items, at least take the time to dispose of them responsibly.
Source: Balloons and bottle caps wash up most on Virginia beaches – Daily Press
…the primary responsibility for managing striped bass and bluefish belong to two different fishery management bodies, that operate under different laws, take different approaches to fishery management, and have very different records of success.”
I am always on the look out for companies that do what they can to remove plastic from the waste stream and when a recent shipment from Umpqua Feather Merchants arrived I was delighted to see the were an innovative packing material.
My friend Brent Bauer director of product at Umpqua explained how it came to be:
“we have long had a policy against re-using boxes for shipping orders and would just recycle old boxes. A few years ago a supplier offered a machine that would turn our old boxes into packing material so now most of our used boxes end up inside a box.“
The scourge of plastic waste is daunting, but when companies like Umpqua look for, and implement alternatives to plastics they deserve applause and support.
Simon Sinek is one of my favorite people to learn from. He says this is one of his favorite stories; it is one of mine as well.
The lesson is powerful, easy to understand and a good reminder not to take ourselves too seriously.
When Simon Sinek offers advice quite often I take it to heart.
This was something I learned from good leaders in the Navy during planning and after actions. It made sense then but over the years I have lost the skill. Time to get it back.
In 2020 my goal is to be a whole lot better about this than I have been in the past.
Feel free to remind me.
Source > 5 Little Words That Will Make You a Much Better Leader
The weather report said 60 degrees and clear and I didn’t have any pressing obligations, so I grabbed my gear and headed to Skidmore Fork to see if I could scare up a brookie or two.
Side note, I actually left my rods at home and only realized it when I was three quarter of the way to the water. My patient and understanding wife was kind enough to meet me half way and bring me my rods…
I hit the water about 12:30 p.m., starting at a hole not too far from the parking area. And sure enough there were a couple of fish ready to pound a nymph.
I had a couple of places on the stream I wanted to fish so I moved on, hitting likely pools as I went along. In some spots I was a bit surprised that I didn’t move any fish but I didn’t switch flies or tactics, being content with the occasional take. If fact, I managed to fish the same two flies and rig all day.
The first place I wanted to see was upstream aways so I jumped out and went up the fire road to see how good my memory was. It had been a couple years since I been to that spot.
Surprisingly, my first shot landed me 20 yards above where I wanted. But it was quick work to get there.
I managed to miss a nice fish in a small back eddy, that took a whack at the dry just as it landed. I fished up from there, with little action for the effort.
My final destination was just above the second ford. Years ago I had been fishing with a good friend. As I recall, it had been a bit frustrating of an outing. Rising fish but spooky. Pre tenkara, which made it worse.
As we were scouting the run, a nice fish rose in a tricky spot under some overhanging limbs. My friend fired a picture perfect cast, got a good drift and landed a the fish. It was one of those experiences that keeps you coming back.
I was thinking of that day, as it was my friend’s birthday the next day and I wanted a fish to commemorate the memory and his birthday.
Sometimes you get lucky…
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