Bath Salts: No Wonder I Have Been Craving a Tubby

“Some say the effects of the powders are as powerful as abusing methamphetamine. Increasingly, law enforcement agents and poison control centers say the bath salts with complex chemical names are an emerging menace in several U.S. states where authorities talk of banning their sale.” (more info in case the missus seems more amped than usual)

As usual, I consider how in the hell did someone determine this? Some tired nude dancer lounging about in the tub after a tough day on the pole? Amazing Obviously, some chemist~cook is researching the hell out of precursors for zip and determining where they are legally utilized (bath salts and gardening, thus far).

Waterproof Cameras (Didn’t Get One for Christmas?)

WATERPROOF CAMERAS

I was at Best Buy the other night and noticed the Kodak Play Sport water proof video camera. A small little device the size of a crackberry. In researching the Kodak camera, I noticed these additional waterproof cameras at the Surfing Camera site. I have been amazed at the quality of work my little Pentax Optio 60 has provided the last few years. The newer cameras probably deliver even better quality now since I posted about them last year. Really a must have accessory to your outdoor pursuits. Prices are down and quality is up.

Fly Fishing Stillwater Tips

Stillwater flyfishing can be challenging at times but when the fishing is good, it can be most rewarding! Here’s three tips to improve your chances from Grizzly Hackle.Tip #1 – Try Different Retrieves

Many fly fishers simply cast their fly out and then strip it back in using the same old retrieve, at the same speed. While the law of averages says this might work a lot of the time, it’s a good idea to try different retrieve speeds. Sometimes, the fish aren’t that energetic, and want something that is moving quite slow. Other times, they are more interested in food that seems full of energy.

Tip #2 – Vary Your Depth

I’ve watched anglers fly fishing lakes with only a floating line. Often, a floating line is enough if the fish are near the surface, but on those days when they are hugging the bottom of the lake, you’ll need to get your fly down deeper and faster.

Tip #3 – Take Note Of The Wind Direction

If there’s a stiff breeze blowing, note the direction it is headed. The wind can stir up the surface of the lake, and move the fish’s food supply in the same direction. If the wind is blowing from the east, often fish can be found on the east side of the lake or pond, feeding on the food that has accumulated in that area.

Fly Tying: Pupalicious Flavors & A.D.D.

Nothing more shows my lack of tying self-discipline than a pupa pattern. On the one hand, my creative side is free to wander in reckless abandon and reap rewards of angling success for it. On the other, I hide behind that creativity with an impressionistic mantel that does not hold me to pain staking sameness of one pattern’s look. Am I that ADD? I don’t think so, but perhaps. I just love the vast possibilities of a pupa pattern and the amazing success one has with the patterns. Regardless of whether you swing, tumble, dredge, troll or suspend them, they produce. With rare exceptions, I have total confidence in these patterns and the vast array of possibilities. They produce; from the top to the bottom of the water column. Punto!

Enjoyable, simple, creative to tie. The possibilities are endless. The hook style is my choice and by no means the only one to use. Also, the bead is not required, other than I like them for getting down on streams. Go ahead, lose yourself to some reckless, unbridled tying with pupa’s. Now, these patterns are not necessarily a pupa, per se, in entomological terms, but more in fly tying terms. They could be an emerging phase or nymphal or whatever, depending upon where and how you are presenting them. They are not confined to the Caddis realm.