Further North to Alaska
December 31, 2007
With the excitement of my first trip to Alaska still fresh and percolating in my mind, I can hardly keep from telling fishing friends and aquaintances of my ensuing trip.
As you would well expect, it draws different and varied responses from those that I tell. Tom, a softball teammate and avid fisherman, and I were celebrating a post game loss (we celebrate win or lose!) at a local pizza parlor, when I mentioned to him that I was headed to Alaska.
Tom is a veteran of several fishing trips to Alaska, and I was anxious to hear some of his accounts of past trips to the” land of many fish”.
“Where you headed to?” Tom asked politely.
“The upper Kenai.” I replied.
“Oh. Yeah it’s quite a zoo there.” He said matter of factly.
Suddenly, I felt like I had just told him that I was going fishing in the sporting goods department at our local Wal-Mart store.
“Yeah, we are headed up to the Kisaralik for an eight day wilderness float. Fly in, get dropped off and won’t see civalization for the next eight days.” It seemed like he was boasting now.
Your Virgin Bushwalk
December 31, 2007
Isn’t it time you stepped out of the concrete jungle and into a wilder world, the world of the African bushveld?
This may be a major step for most metro dwellers, as the city life offers a certain sense of security, a place to dwell, free from insects and the dangers spawned from mother nature’s indifference to man.
What happens when the Landrover finally stops and your feet meet with the Savannah floor? Do your preconceptions of an African Safari drop away? Find out what Sabi Sabi’s ultimate bush experience is all about!
Ambient Sounds of the Bushveld Come Alive
On foot the intricacies of the African bushveld become apparent, the soft textures of yellowed grasslands, the smell of the earth and the ambient sounds of the bushveld come alive. Things that would never be noticed above the slow, dull hum of a 4×4’s engine.
Guided by a tracker holding a gun, you feel a sense of nakedness as the primeval instincts your ancestors depended on for survival slowly seep back into your awareness.
Large Trees Suddenly Take on a Supreme Importance
Lake Trout On The Fly
December 30, 2007
The name Lake Trout lends a slight misnomer to the actual species of this incredible fish that is actually not a trout at all, but a char. The Lake Trout resides in some of the most spectacular places on earth and the trip that spurred this article is no exception.
The Newhalen River, near Iliamna Alaska, is where this trip took place and the intention was to land some nice early season Rainbows. Although Rainbows were indeed landed the Lake trout took center stage as they fed in frenzies on the tiny smolt that were venturing out into the currents for the first time.
The first feeding frenzy we spotted drew much attention as we expected huge Rainbows were cruising the shallows. Not one person expected what happened next. Wham! The Marabou Muddler was engulfed as it was stripped quickly through the rising pod of what turned out to be Lake Trout.
Ultralight Backpacking Skills - A Three Day Test
December 29, 2007
On Lake Michigan, at the end of the Stonington Peninsula, there’s a stretch of empty beach. Part of the Hiawatha National Forest, it’s framed on either side by private property, with no easy access. To walk on the beach, however, is legal. Past the last cabin, the public land starts, and goes for six or seven miles. This is where I would test my ultralight backpacking skills and gear.
I hiked a few miles the first day and explored the woods, where I ate wild blueberries for an hour. Then I set up camp behind a small ridge on the beach. I collected dry grass along the edge of the forest, which made a nice mattress. I pitched my backpacking tarp fairly high, so the breeze would keep out the mosquitos. When camp was set, I went for a swim.
This area has many crayfish, which look and taste just like miniature lobsters. After swimming I caught a dozen under the rocks in shallow water, and carried them back to camp in a whipped-cream container I found. You never know what will wash up on a beach.
Tastes Like Chicken!
December 28, 2007
For the most part, I am an advocate for catch and release fishing.
Sustaining the fish and habitat in the sport you love only makes sense.
However, sometimes a freshly caught trout, bass, or crappie is just to tempting to pass up. So even though I release most fish that I hook these days, I will occasionally thump one on the head and do my best Emiral Lagassi imatation,as I grill, cajunize, and accessorize my fish du jour.
I have heard many people say that they like to fish–but they don’t like to eat fish–and I just don’t understand this. To me there is nothing more satisfying then the feeling of being self-sufficient and providing food for ones family or ones self.
Granted, you can head 0n down to the Piggly- wiggly or ask the local fish monger for a nice slab of fresh Tuna, but that primal instinct that man has- to hunt and gather, just can’t be satisfied by hunting down your meal with a shopping cart. That’s why the caveman invented the spear first and not the wheel. That, and the fact that it is easier to throw a spear then it is to throw a shopping cart. I also never really feel compelled to pose in the seafood section, proudly displaying my handsomely and completely plastic wrapped 14oz keeper! Wouldn’t that look great on the mantle.
Planning Your Own Gorilla Safari Will Save You Money - Heres How
December 27, 2007
Going on a gorilla safari must rank as one of the best wildlife experiences left in the natural world. Many people describe it as an overwhelming and awe-inspiring experience and worth every penny they spent on making it happen.
But it doesn’t necessarily have to cost the earth.
You can organise and plan your own trek far cheaper than it would cost if you used a safari company as they need to work through the applicable wildlife authorities in each country to obtain gorilla permits anyway and you can do the same if you know how.
The trade-off is that it will be more inconvenient for you because you will need to organise all the logistics yourself whereas with a gorilla safari company you just turn up and go along for the ride.
If you are a do-it-yourself traveller, here is what you need to know to make it possible and save yourself some money…
Where to Find the Gorillas
Mountain gorillas are highly endangered and there are isolated pockets of them left in Uganda, Rwanda and the Congo. It’s estimated that there are less than 650 mountain gorilla left in the world.
Colorado Fly Fishing ? Bait Huckin vs. Fly Fishin
December 26, 2007
It was one of those fishing trips. You know, everyone catches fish but you, you loose six or eight of your most expensive streamers, it rains buckets, and you sink the boat. That’s right; I got skunked at Steamboat Lake over Memorial weekend.
I was determined to show those meat huckers (worms and power bait) that a well chosen and strategically placed fly was as effective as anything a conventional fisherman could load on a hook and hang under a bobber. Well, no such luck, I got stomped.
The fish were rising like mad on a midge hatch, and I threw everything in the box at them. I could swear I saw a hefty rainbow nudge my fly to the side to eat the natural laying only centimeters from my damn near perfect replica. As we watched the group of 12 year olds add another 18" fish to their stringer (full loaded, I might add) I decided it must be a lake thing. I don’t fish lakes often.
Malaria Prevention - Five Ways to Avoid Catching It on Safari
December 26, 2007
Malaria is endemic to most of the areas in Africa where safari trips are still possible which means you will need to take malaria prevention precautions to protect yourself against catching the disease when you travel there.
There are five things you can do to avoid catching malaria on a safari holiday.
1. Malaria Tablets
It’s important to consult your GP when deciding on the brand of malaria tablets for your trip because they affect everyone differently and your medical history might play a role in the choice.
There are three types of tablets that are still considered to provide adequate malaria prevention (up to 98%) even though there is no drug that is 100% effective and some of them may have mild side effects - Malarone, Larium and Doxycycline.
Paludrine and Chloroquine are less than 60% effective because the disease has built up a resistance to these drugs over the years.
2. Safari Clothing
Mosquito’s become much more active at dusk and during the night and early morning so you need to make sure that you cover up any exposed skin with the right clothing when you are outside.
Discount Lift Tickets - Learn what Colorado Ski Resorts Do Not Want You to Know!
December 25, 2007
How to get discount lift tickets for popular ski resorts in Colorado including Keystone, Breckenridge, Vail, and Beaver Creek.
The ski resorts make it difficult for anyone coming from out of state to get a great deal on lift tickets. Don’t expect to get a smoking deal anywhere. The most expensive way to ski is to buy your lift tickets at the ticket window without any coupons. The following 8 tips will ensure that you will get the most for your money. Tip #1 will save you the most and Tip #8 will save you the least amount of money, still it’s better than paying full price.
1. If you are in Colorado in April, September or October, you can look into buying a season pass. Passes are sold along the front range at places like Gart Sports, REI, and Christy Sports. Check http://www.snow.com for details. Season passes usually cost around $300 depending on where you want to go. If you plan on skiing 5 or more days, this will more than pay for it self and is the cheapest way to go. Best of all, once you get a pass, you can renew it over the web year after year. The catch is that you have to use it at least once before the holiday season, or it will become invalid for the rest of the year. If you’re planning an early season trip (Before December 20th) AND a later prime ski season trip (January - April), this is by far the least expensive way to go.
Tarpon Fishing and Catching The Elusive Silver King - Megalops Atlanticus
December 24, 2007
If you have ever had the priviledge of hooking up on a big tarpon then you know the exhilaration and thrill of testing yourself in battle against one of the most sought after gamefish in the world. This distinction is easy to see at first glance as the tarpon starts a series of spectacular acrobatic leaps in the air that will have your heart pounding, your rod bending and your drag screaming. You better hold on!
Since the tarpon’s habitat is so close to the shoreline, fishermen of all types and skill levels can catch them. They can be caught from jetties, passes, docks, bridges, beaches, piers and rivers. Tarpon can be caught while using many types of tackle, rods, baits, lures and rigs either while fishing from a boat, canoe, kayak or walking and wading from the shoreline as the tarpon work up and down the beaches.
