And over the course of time, I have come to the conclusion that everyone should have a friend just like him.

He is not a fishin’ buddy and “adopted son” like Sean. He’s not a twin brother from a different mother like Bill. Nor is he a ministry partner like John. He’s just Chuck and he’s the guy that is not afraid to tell it like it is, the guy who will straighten me out when I’m gettin’ too full of myself and the guy who keeps me on my toes.

Chuck rolls to the beat of a different drum for sure but, in a world that can be so shallow and plastic, he’s the Real Deal.

Besides that, he has a wicked sense of humor and the uncanny ability to make me laugh hard enough to shoot coffee from my nose – usually at the most inappropriate times. (As if there is an appropriate time to expel hot liquids from your nasal passages.)

Anyway, Chuck is the guy that can find anything. Mention that you’re looking for a copy of an old fishing book long out of print and sooner or later he will toss it on the table as you sit down to have lunch.

Tell him about your quest for a tool or gadget that hasn’t been seen in forty years and he’ll track it down like a bloodhound.

The amazing part of it is that Chuck doesn’t drive and has only been using a computer for the last two of his sixty-odd years.

He is definitely old school in his methods but he knows his “craft” and he knows it well. I often liken him to Fagin from the Dickens classic novel, Oliver Twist, which he has never read but is sure that he would like it if he ever did.  He has a network of cronies and dumpster divers and swap meet rats and garage sale cruisers that he manages like the CEO of a corporation – his Minions, he likes to call them in an ironic sense of the word.He is also supremely self-confident and talkative and regularly rubs elbows with city council members and business execs with the same casual familiarity that he has with the wino on the bus stop bench or the Jehovah’s Witness knocking on his door.

And he is my friend.

So last week between services at church, he came shuffling across the parking lot with his oversize shopping bag thumping heavily against his leg with every other step. It must have taken him a full half hour to walk the two hundred yards from the bus stop to the church parking lot, but there he was, unmistakable in his light pink Fedora – his Mac Daddy Hat – as he likes to call it. He flagged me down and told me that he had something for me.

Sure enough, he had an old copy of McClane’s Standard Fishing encyclopedia (1965 edition), a copy of the Complete Book of Flyfishing from Sweden and…a trout shaped telephone.

Not that I had asked him to find a trout shaped phone! In fact, we are seriously contemplating dropping our landlines completely and just using our cell phones at home. Nevertheless, he had taken it upon himself to gift me with these items solely on his knowledge and understanding that I love most things fishing and flyfishing in particular. So, he proudly pulled this full-size, plastic, rainbow trout-shaped phone out of his black bag and presented it to me with the same amount of fanfare and excitement that would be exhibited at the Oscar ceremonies later that same day.

Now, it is hard not to draw attention to yourself when someone presents you a trout shaped, vibrantly colored, plastic phone in the midst of three hundred or so jovial, chatting, upbeat people who all know you. It is even harder not to draw attention to yourself when you suddenly and forcefully eject hot coffee from you nostrils in the midst of those same three hundred or so people…

So, I have this friend named Chuck and he knows how to keep me humble and not take myself too seriously.

I think everyone should have a friend like Chuck.

“I love my buddy Chuck and I love this addiction called urban flyfishin”.

(Rainbow Trout)

I finally got a chance to test out my new Okuma Integrity 8/9 Weight Fly Reel. I bought it for my 8 weight Surf fishing set up to be my all around Saltwater reel. As always with Okuma I am extremely satisfied with all aspects of the reel. This large disk drag reel was extremely smooth and carried a ton of line, which is a lifesaver in the surf. The reel feels a little heavier in your hand than some of it’s competitors, but the solid design and superior drag system beat out the competition any day.  This reel is low maintenance as it does not require cork oiling and after a few times of  being dipped into sand infested water not even a grain made it into the internals of the reel.  For this kind of set up I would recommend buying  at least one backup spool as you will want one set up with a floating line and one with a sink tip or full sinking line. The solid design of this reel alot\ng with the affordable price make it great for Urban Fly Fishermen, as we are notorious for giving our fly equipment a beating. The reel come in 5/6, 7/8, 8/9. and 10/11 weight designs. Get yours today and get a fair priced reel that in my opinion blows the competition away!

So every couple of years my wife and I recognize that our veterinary practice needs a “shot in the arm”, so to speak, in order to revitalize and refresh our business plan and… to keep our heads from popping off our necks.

This “shot-in-the-arm” usually comes in the form of what we call an upper-level staff retreat. Now, since we are the only two upper level staff, that usually means we go somewhere where we can relax for a bit and have some long, uninterrupted discussions and planning sessions without the day to day pressures and busy-ness of our normal routine intruding.

Last week, we had the amazing blessing of holding our “retreat” on the island of Kauai.

I gotta tell you, if you want to get away from it all, and if you want to remove yourself from the busy-ness of urban life, Kauai is definitely the place to go. It ain’t called the Garden Isle for nothin’ – sure the end of our trip had a little drama in the form of a tsunami warning and evacuation to higher ground and all but…we were still in Kauai.

Needless to say we were able to squeeze in some serious relaxation time between planning, reviewing schedules and goal setting for our business. However, as I have mentioned frequently in previous articles, I am hardly the personality type to “relax” by sitting next to some pool sipping pretty looking drinks with miniature paper umbrellas in them.

Rather, we relaxed by hiking and kayaking and swimming in flowing rivers and snorkeling over reefs and standing on the edge of immense canyons and crawling over ancient lava fields and going into caves and walking along mostly deserted, endless sandy beaches and whale watching and eating mounds of white rice covered with spam and fried eggs followed by shave ice and fresh papaya and…well, you get the picture.

The one thing we did not do was fish.

Now, I debated long and hard with myself about bringing one of my fly rods with me because I knew that of all the Hawaiian Islands, Kauai is THE island for both freshwater and saltwater flyfishing.

I also knew that there is a guide service on Kauai (www.bonefishkauai.com) that will take you out onto the flats for some bonefish flyfishing, which is supposed to rival that of the Florida Keys.

I was also acutely aware that Kauai is jam packed with Bass holding waters. Not just largemouth Bass but Smallmouths and ferocious Peacock Bass which are found in the more than 160 ponds, reservoirs, and holding basins as well as in portions of the nine rivers of the island. I also knew that Tom Christy is the guy to guide you if you want to go Bass fishing on the island (www.sportfishhawaii.com) though he does not guide specifically for fly-fishing and does not provide fly gear.

Yeah, I knew all that and more.

What I did not know was that we would kayak up rivers where massive, fly-ignorant Tilapia were lined up like salmon getting ready to return to their home waters.

Nor did I expect to see schools of two-foot long mullet hovering beneath bridges attacking every leaf that fell into the brackish waters.

Likewise, I did not anticipate snorkeling with barracuda and nervous schools of Jacks mere yards from the hotel beach.

Neither did I guess how my jaw would drop in amazement and how tears would well up in the corner of my eyes when I turned the corner and discovered the quantity and variety of fishing gear filling the sporting goods aisle of the local Wal-mart where my wife was busy clearing out the souvenir section.

Yeah, I left the fly rod at home but I still had a fishin’ adventure. And you can bet that when we return to Kauai (and we will) I will have the fly rod and I will have the right assortment of flies and I will know where to go and how to fish that area and I will have made the proper contacts and…I will have a large wild Hawaiian double shave ice with ice cream and red beans to celebrate the peacock bass that I will catch and…well you get the picture.

I love this addiction called island flyfishin’.

“The Trout Spot has been generous enough to give our readers a 10% discount on any purchases made on their site. Just reference the promotion code UFV at checkout”

(Rainbow Trout)

“Richard over at The Trout Spot has been generous enough to give our readers a 10% discount on any purchases made on his site. Just reference the promotion code UFV at checkout”

FREE ADMISSION (Held at Bob Marriott’s Flyfishing Store)

Solve some of the mysteries
held by the Lower Owens!

Saturday, February 27, 2010
11:00am to 3:00pm

The Lower Owens River, just outside of Bishop, California, offers world-class fly fishing for wild trout during the winter and spring! Join us at Bob Marriott’s Flyfishing Store for an educational experience with Joe Libeu to improve your success in nymph, dry fly, steamer and wet fly fishing at the Lower Owens. You will be introduced to entomology, stream structure, casting applications, short and long line presentation, reading the water, fly selection and basic knots.

Presentation at 1:00 pm at
Bob Marriott’s Flyfishing Store

Joe began fly-fishing in 1973 and because of his love of the sport became involved in guiding, teaching, instructing and consulting within the industry. He is currently a FFF Master Fly casting instructor and on the FFF BOG for casting. Joe has taught at CSULB “Mastering the Art of Fly Fishing”, and at El Camino College. To his credits, Joe has worked with Ronnie Kovacks Fishing Expeditions on the filming of 3 TV shows and is often on Ronnies Saturday morning radio show; in addition he recently has been on a Zorcor ad. Joe is currently assisting at Bob Marriott’s Fly shop several times a week. Joe is owner of Sierra Pacific Fishing Adventures where leads excursions with clients throughout the US and other countries. Joe is a past President of the Long Beach Casting Club where he remains active in teaching and instructing in fly fishing and casting.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
(714) 525-1827
info@bobmarriotts.com
www.bobmarriotts.com

(Rainbow Trout)

The Cove is a film about a handful of activists included the infamous Flipper trainer Ric O’Barry, trying to open the world’s eyes to a massive Dolphin killing fest that goes on every year in Taiji, Japan.

As Fishermen I believe hat we have an obligation to protect and fight for the waters that we fish, and what body of water is more important than the ocean. This ecosystem is the livelihood of our planet, and we must make sure that it is not taken for granted.

So please go to The Cove website and rent, buy, watch clips of the movie, and then sign up to help this cause. Not only will you be saving the live of countless Dolphins and Whales, but also of the many people that suffer from Mercury poisoning from consuming these creatures.

“The Trout Spot has been generous enough to give our readers a 10% discount on any purchases made on their site. Just reference the promotion code UFV at checkout”

Saturday started out as a beautiful day. I woke up early in the morning to head up to the San Gabriel River, the birds were singing and the coffee was calling my name.

The Reservoir was filling up the OHV area and will be fishable soon, and the water levels were running fast and high. I hit the corner to the entrance of West Fork and utter shock came over me, I knew since we had all of the recent rain the fork would be a little blow out but this was insane.

The water was running Dark Brown with sediment and all of the stream lining shrubbery was wiped out. I made my way back to were Bear creek dumps in and the difference in water color was shocking, it was like photos from National Geographic of the Amazon River trying to force it’s way into the ocean. I am extremely worried about how many fish will survive, and how many if any fish spawning will produce this year.

I had to get my mind of this, so I strolled over to the East Fork to fish one of my favorite holes and breathed a sign of relief when I seen the water running high and clear. What a load off my mind, a large amount of sediment run off on both major forks would be devastating to the Wild Rainbow Population.

East Fork yielded a few tiny fish and a couple of half hearted looks from some larger ones. Water Flows were high and the fish tend not to bite as well when you can’t get your fly to stay in the strike zone very long.

“I want to urge anyone that goes fishing on the San Gabriel River to practice catch and Release Only. The river is already not being stocked, so the fish you are catching are all wild and a decrease in the number of fish this year seem to be inevitable. So please do not take any of the fish on any of the forks, or in a few years there might not be any fish left!”

(Rainbow Trout)

“Richard over at The Trout Spot has been generous enough to give our readers a 10% discount on any purchases made on his site. Just reference the promotion code UFV at checkout”

This revelation came about because I injured my back pretty seriously the other day and the chiropractor who worked miracles on it in the past insisted that I give it three days of near total rest interspersed with grueling stretch routines in order to get things back in alignment. So, all day Friday, I lay there with the heating pad on high, grimacing and staring at the ceiling until a little timer would go off indicating that it was time for me to roll carefully off the bed and force myself into these awkward positions that eventually got everything back into the proper alignment and proved to the neighbors that I have an almost unlimited repertoire of “colorful metaphors” at my disposal.

Now lying in bed all day might be a dream come true to some, but it is torture to me. It is even more torturous if the sun is out. Despite the current popularity of vampires and werewolves and other so-called night people, daytime always has and always will be the right time for me. 

Nevertheless, I followed the docs orders and heeded my wife’s threats and stayed put.

However, by day two, I figured out a way to position my computer so that I could check e-mail, work on some articles and even surf the net while maintaining the ever important flat back position.

It was one of my little “surfin’ safaris” that led me to discover a highly entertaining series of fishing videos on YouTube. I had typed in some different phrases centering on the word “fishing” and eventually stumbled upon Matt Hayes, Mick Brown and the Great Rod Race.

The clips appeared to be segments from a British series in which these two affable English blokes raced along the length and breadth of the UK, in a van reminiscent of the Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo, in an effort to catch (and release) some thirty-five different species of fish in under thirty days. The target species ranged from the diminutive Stickleback to massive Salmon to Eels to Carp. They employed cane poles, baitcasting rigs, spinning rods, sling shots, pounds of dog food, tons of tackle, some funky things called bivies and, of course, fly rods.

Along the way, we were introduced to the oddly charming, somewhat eccentric but thoroughly British way of angling.

All in all, I could think of a thousand different, less educational ways I could have squandered my down time. So, aside from distracting me from the annoying throb in the small of my back, these sort videos taught me a ton of technique and tricks to use on those difficult days and… helped my stay still.

Perhaps the biggest lesson though was the fact that the Brits are total “gearheads” when it comes to angling. I thought I had too much stuff! My equipment inventory looks like the bargain bin at a second-hand store compared to the plethora of gear employed by our angling brethren across the pond. Wow!

It’s been twenty years since I last went to England. At that time I was more interested in wandering the halls of the Natural History Museum, climbing the steps of St Pauls Cathedral and sampling Guinness from the tap than perusing the aisles of the local Bait and Tackle but priorities change and it now appears that some lengthy conversations with the Secretary of the District Angling Society while leaning on the counter of a village Tackle Shoppe might be a great way to really connect with the heart and soul of the Island.

The Great Rod Race

Next time you are down for the count…or just snowed in and wishin’ you were fishin’, check out Matt & Mick and then be sure to bookmark a segment so that when the Visa statement arrives and the Sweetie complains about the amount of hard-earned spent on “silly fishin’ stuff” you’ll have something to use in your defense.

 I love this addiction called urban fly fishin’.