Fond Memories

New Pioneer Magazine

Sun, 19 May 2013 14:18:48 -0400

New Pioneer magazine is a “complete guide to Self-Reliant living.” This is the second issue I have purchased, which in a way says a lot about the contents of the magazine. The cost is $9.95, which, to me, is really expensive for a typical magazine. But, there are some significant differences from the “typical magazine”.
The New Pioneer doesn’t really have any “fluff” type articles or information. Sure, they have sponsors and ads, but they are not overwhelming the contents of the magazine. Personally I hate buying a magazine and having 30 pages of ads, 15 pages of articles, and only 2 or 3 that are well written and worth reading.
This magazine has some really interesting contents, if you are the outdoor type who likes to expand their knowledge and skills sets. This issue has a really good article on “meatsmithing”, crappie fishing, skinning and tanning pelts, knife reviews, product reviews and a whole lot more.
Enough of the flattery! There was an article called “The Ultimate Bug-Out Kit” that I couldn’t stand, because I didn’t think it was accurate. It was a review of the Food Insurance company’s “Emergency Plus Kit”. The reviewers gave it 2 thumbs up, which I presume if their endorsement. But, for $250, it has no shelter, no tarp, no emergency blankets, only 1 water purification system which is limited to a water bottle, and more areas of deficiency. But, I digress......
Overall, the magazine is a great source of information for many different topics. If you get a chance, check it out, I think it is worth the $9.95.

How to make a Kydex sheath

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 08:09:35 -0400

I have a few knives.....ok, more than a few. Since I am left handed, most sheaths do not work for me, and I’m not a big fan of belt only leather sheaths. My preference is a Kydex sheath with a J clip, which can go on pants of a belt and can be moved into any position.
Here is a really good video I found on making a custom Kydex sheath:
http://bit.ly/11M9JJt

How to take your kids fishing

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 07:22:27 -0400

Every year I meet someone who wants to go fishing, but isn’t really sure where to take their kids or even how to do it. I have a LOT of kids, as you can see from the picture above, so my advice comes from that perspective.
I was in a sporting goods store the other day and a dad came in looking for worms to take his kids fishing, but wasn’t sure what type of worms to use. My suggestion from the Peanut Gallery? Get a couple of different kinds, the kids love to play with them when they get bored of fishing!
Here is my short list of suggestions on taking your kids fishing:
1. Make it fun. In your plan to take them out, make sure it is a fun outing. Expect them to be silly, play with the worms, climb trees, look for animals and more. As serious as we get with fishing sometimes, they are kids who need to have fun. If you make it too serious now, they might not want to do it again.
2. Make it about them AND the fishing. When I take my kids out, I make a kind of “ceremony” of doing it. Not like praying over the fishing gear! We take down the thermos and fill it with hot chocolate. Then we pack up some snacks and treats to eat at the fishing site, and a couple of bottles of water. Then I let them carry their own backpack of snacks and drinks, it makes them really feel a part of the whole trip. Sometimes kids are more excited about the snacks than the fishing!
3. Make sure you have learned how to tie a fishing knot, like a clinch knot, and how to put on a hook, split shot, bobber etc. You want to be able to teach them how to set up a rod for fishing. If you aren’t sure, check out Youtube for the information. Even putting a worm on a hook can be ridiculously exciting for kids, so make sure you know how to do it.
4. Have the proper rod for each kid. Don’t take a deep sea rod (if you can afford to buy some kids rods for $20) but get a lightweight spincast rod. When they have their own rod they feel really important. If you have to sacrifice getting your own rod, get them one.
5. Pick out your spot in advance of your trip. Here are some considerations: Parking and distance to the fishing spot, bathroom, food and drinks, cell signal, safety and first aid accessibility.
6. Be safety conscious. I suggest knowing how to remove a hook from flesh when you are taking kids fishing. Also, cover the basics like sunscreen, hats, sunglasses if possible to protect their eyes from flying hooks, and keep a first aid kid. Even things like bug bites and poison ivy can make a trip really frustrating, so better to be prepared.
7. Have FUN!!!!!! It’s an adventure!!!!
Suggested gear list:
Fishing rod
Small hooks, size 12, 14
Split shot
Bobbers
Medium tackle box
Night crawlers
Wax worms or grub worms
Knife or Multitool
Bug spray
Sun screen/ Hat/Sunglasses
Kids back pack
thermos and bottled water
Hemostats if you don’t have a multi tool to put on and remove split shot and hooks.
Cell phone
First aid kit
Camera to save the memories!

Nothing like urban fishing!

Sat, 6 Apr 2013 10:13:17 -0400

Every year I profess that I will not fish on opening day. However, as my son gets older, what I profess doesn’t reflect what really happens.
My son is now 8, almost 9, and trout fishing is pretty exciting. The ceremony of fishing with Dad is important. Getting up early, coffee for Dad, hot chocolate and snacks for him. We take worms (yes, really) and that is just a container filled with fun.
Hopefully soon he will be ready for fly fishing, but right now, the fundamentals of fishing are important. Approaching the water, site selection, getting your rod ready, baiting the hook, where to cast etc.
Urban fishing just presents it’s own challenges as well. Of course while we were fishing there were dogs running in the water, kids running around, and of course more than a few fisherman almost shoulder to shoulder in the stream, and rude fisherman. There was a really nice guy who we were fishing near who offered us bait and hooks if we needed them. Nice to see supportive of kids fishing.
Really I don’t understand that idea of standing shoulder to shoulder. I am a big believer in personal space and fishing space. Give people room to fish! I try to teach my son that we should give other fisherman plenty of space, and not fish the same hole. But so many damn people will just try to come up and drop their line in the same hole, it’s hard to teach a lesson when the other people around aren’t doing it.
There was a girl in her 20’s fishing the stream on the far side of the bank with a guy. He caught a fish, and she started yelling about how jealous she was. Now I was about 50 feet away, and it was clear yelling. Then she decides to keep talking to him in this really loud voice as she tromps across the stream to the other side, gets out, and keeps yelling to him on the other side!
How do you teach your kids to be respectful fisherman when some girl is yelling her head off downstream of you? Aggghhh! And she is an adult!! I guess the answer is try to lead by example, and explain to do as you say, not as you see others do......which is pretty much the way I think we need to teach our kids about many things in life.

Redundancy required?

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 10:14:56 -0400

Redundancy is a concept popular in survival theory, as well as many outdoor pursuits. I use it all the time when getting ready for the fishing season, and for my travels in the woods.
Redundancy is a back up plan. If your first line of gear fails, what is the back up.
The back up plans are for knowing where you are, communication, food, water, fishing gear and foul weather preparation.
We all take numerous flies to the water, many of the same pattern and of the same size. Simple redundancy. This should also apply to your other gear as well. Back up lengths of tippet, numerous strike indicators, nippers and cutting implements.
My suggestion is also back ups of water, or water purification methods. If you carry a water bottle, as you should, then have some method of purification if you run out and MUST have water to drink. Dehydration is a serious concern, more so in the summer months, and proper hydration is required. Without it, confusion and weakness can set in, which can put you in a really serious predicament if you are in a remote area.
Also, in planning your packing strategy think about: Back up light source, medicine/first aid treatment, emergency blanket, fire starters, etc.
As you are gearing up for the opener NEXT WEEK, pay attention to back up gear that you may need that is essential for a comfortable safe fishing trip.

Early opening for the season!

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 17:00:49 -0400

Well, it looks like we get an early opening this year for Trout fishing! That is fantastic. Here is a link to the “official” information: http://fishandboat.com/fact_fast_trout.htm

Hopefully Mother Nature will be cooperative with us and give us some beautiful warm weather. I certainly need to thaw out a bit.
It seems like this winter has just been really long. Not a lot of snow, but consistently cold. Just my perception.

There are a few considerations for early season fishing. The water will definitely be cold, really cold. Worrying about hypothermia isn’t something fun, but it is really serious. I know with all of the excitement of getting out there on a local stream, most of my energy will be spent getting my fly gear ready, checking the fly inventory, tying a few just to make sure I have enough, then planning the strategy for the first time on the stream this year.

The safety concerns are really important if you are fishing anywhere, but more detailed planning if you are going somewhere remote. If you are in the Philadelphia area there aren’t too many places to fish that are really remote. If you are fishing Valley Creek, it won’t be opening day for you, and there can be some pretty lonely fishing days. If the spot is remote, make sure you have winter protection gear like waterproof insulated gloves, hand warmers, thermal underwear, warm beverages, change of clothes and a well stocked emergency kit. Even if you are fishing close to your car, you should have the proper gear to keep you warm and safe.

Don’t forget to let someone know where you are fishing and an approximate time you will be back, so if you aren’t back after dark or a pre-arranged time, they will know where to look. A strong LED headlamp is great to have in your bag for those long treks back to the car after dark. I have one that clips onto the visor of any baseball style hat.

Opening day just can’t get here soon enough.....

Check out the gear section for the review

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 13:47:28 -0500

Here is a review on the SOG Mini Trident.

Fantastic Magazine

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 11:13:34 -0500

Sometimes there is so much to write about, but just not enough time to sit down and do it. This has been going on for months now! Sorry if the updates are just unbelievably irregular, that is just how life goes sometimes.

I found this magazine last week in a local CVS. Along with the “American Frontiersman” (Premier Issue), I bought “The New Pioneer”.
Both magazines are really fantastic.

Loving the outdoors, it is great to read new issues of your favorite magazines to pick up a few tips.
These magazines were beyond just picking up a few tips.

I learned a ton of new information from both magazines, all related to the outdoors.
American Frontiersman is a premier issue, and now the bar is set pretty high to keep this up. While the magazine is a bit expensive at $9.95, it is chock full of information. The table of contents covers topics like:
Dugout Canoe Build
Tin Cooking with reflector ovens
Unorthodox angling
How to build a debris hut
Fires starters
Longbows
Doomsday bug out kits
Field expedient first aid

This doesn’t even cover half of the stories in this magazine. It was completely worth the $9.95, even with my sticker shock.

American Frontiersman did a great story on Horace Kephart, one of the greatest true outdoorsmen of America. After reading the story I felt compelled to download one of his books on Camping and Outdoor living. After about 45 pages, despite the fact it was written about 100 years ago, there are many timeless principles.

The “New Pioneer”, also $9.95, covers an amazing array of information too. Topics in this issues included:
Off Grid Family living
Building a Solar Wood dryer
Emergency back up power
Fireside Feast making
Homestead Defense
Survival foods and ammo
Woodsman’s almanac
SAS Survival guide information

Again, this is less than half of the actual table of contents, and I learned a surprising amount of information. Not that I am an expert in these areas, but I try to do a solid amount of research for my adventures.

If you get a chance to check these magazines out, let me know what you think!

Prince Nymph Class

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 13:47:20 -0500

LL Bean in King of Prussia is once again offering free fly tying classes. This weeks class, on February 19th, is on the Prince Nymph. Next week is the Adams Dry Fly on February 26th. Both classes are at 7:30 pm.
My son and I attended one of the classes last year, and I attended another class alone. Both classes were well taught, and they included all materials for tying.
The LL Bean tying classes are great for a beginner, a refresher, or just a father and son night out. (Or daughter)
Here is the link: http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/509115

Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 17:45:24 -0500

What an amazing way to spend a Sunday morning.....sporting clays again. This time we went to Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays. The drive is about an hour from Philadelphia, right up 476.
The website shows they open at 9:30, so I arrived about 9. Apparently that wasn’t early enough, as there were about 40 people already there. Checking in was pretty painless, just a few minutes in line, a release form and pick of courses. They have 3 different courses, recommending the beginner/intermediate course if it is your first visit. The beginner course was the only one without a wait time. The other courses had a 1 hour wait. Golf carts are offered for $18 per squad, rental Beretta shotguns are $10.
Once we loaded up our gear onto the golf cart, we were met at the first station by friendly staff to instruct us on the course design, navigation and tracking of clays. When you sign in for the beginner/intermediate course you are given a card, like a credit card. (Threatened with a $700 fee if you don’t bring it back.) The card is inserted into a reader at each station:

At each station you get 1 set of clays to see, then each additional set comes out of your allotted 100. Basically you have 126 clays for an individual, or 226 for 2 people. The first few stations are 3 sets of pairs, then the remaining 10 stations are 4 sets. The beginner course has 13 holes, the other 2 have 14 or 15.
As a course, it is fantastic. Some of the holes are just amazing to look at, as they are built around an old quarry facility. There are shots over the quarry like this one:

Then shots around or even at the old quarry buildings:

Today the weather was cool, with mist and fog, which led to almost a surreal environment on some of the stations.
Each group moved pretty quickly, with only a short wait at each station. About halfway through the course they have a “comfort hut” to warm up and get some free coffee. Great idea.
Overall there were some great stations, with a couple of tough ones thrown in, like double rabbits that are really short.
The course circles around, totaling 3/4 of a mile, for a nice walk. We took a golf cart instead of the pull cart and it was perfect for the weather.
Once you arrive back, you check in and they take your score sheet, and add up your bill. If you go over on your clays, based on the card, you are charged for each one. Total cost per person today: $51.00, including a cheap pair of glasses and the cart rental. Brought my own shells.
Here is the club house and pro-shop:

If you have read my site before you might have noticed there are not a ton of pics. I thought they were important today to capture a little more than words for the details.
As we all search for new things to do when we aren’t fly fishing, or hunting, or tying flies, this is at the top of the list.....actually, it might bump a few of those to the bottom of the list.