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The Trout Madness Report

April 30, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

The Trout Madness Report

Thanks for reading this Trout Madness report. Before John Gierach, there was Robert Traver.

I wasn’t going to post this week. Then, trout madness struck. I feel compelled to share some of it.

Monday

was eye surgery day, which meant the rest of the week I had to “take it easy,” something I find hard to do. There was some fly tying (a new Squirmles bass fly), and some Red Sox watching (I must be a fan- they certainly aren’t playing well), and some puttering. I loathe puttering. I did go to the local pond and test the flies- they looked awesome and went right through the weeds. Now to try them on some fish…

The flies in question…

Thursday

Trout Madness arrived, purchased from Amazon. As a youngster I’d read this book several times, got it from the Medford Public Library, really liked it. Close to 60 years later, I’m reading it again. It’s aged way better than I have!

From the Preface-

“The true trout fisherman… dwells in a tight little dream world all his own, and the men about him, who he observes obliviously spending their days pursuing money and power, genuinely puzzle him, as he doubtless does them. He fishes not because he regards fishing as being so terribly important but because he suspects that so many of the other concerns of men are equally unimportant. To him his fishing is an island of reality in a world of dream and shadow…

“In my view the best time to go trout fishing is when you can get away. That is virtually the only dogma you will be exposed to in this book. To this fisherman the fish in fishing happens to be what the onion is to onion soup: one of the main ingredients, yes, but far from everything. I fish mainly because I love the environs where trout are found: the woods; and further because I happen to dislike the environs where crowds of men are found: large cities; but if, heaven forbid, there were no trout and men were everywhere few, I would still doubtless prowl the woods and streams because it is there and only there that I really feel at home.”

There was a reason I recalled this book so fondly, and those two paragraphs are a big part of it. Amen!

Trout Madness by Robert Traver, awesome!

That’s the Trout Madness report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Read a book!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2022. All rights are reserved.

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Fly Fishing Austin and Central Texas- A Review

March 8, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

Fly Fishing Austin and Central Texas- A Review

Fly Fishing Austin and Central Texas, by Aaron Reed. Imbrefex Books, Las Vegas, NV, 2020, paperback, 384 pages including index, $24.95.

My first impression upon handling Fly Fishing Austin was, “Wow, this book is stout.” The entire production oozes quality, from the paper stock, to the four-color reproduction, to the quality of the maps and images. The author and the publisher both did a great job producing a good-looking book.

That quality carries over into the text.

As you could expect in any fly-fishing guidebook, the first chapters tell you what to expect when you get there, what gear to bring, and what flies you need, including directions on how to tie them, or where to buy them if you choose not to tie. Unusual for a fishing guidebook, there are also playlists so you can get in that central Texas mood while you’re getting ready or travelling to the fishing spot.

A long chapter explains what you might find dangling from, or breaking, your leader. Did you know four species (or subspecies) of black bass call central Texas home? Or that North America’s only native cichlid is found here?

Three sections of the book divide central Texas into three fish-filled regions, with detailed instructions on how to find, access, and fish the waters found there. For example-

“This stretch of water can be fished before you get wet. The knee-to-thigh-deep pool between the bridges is littered with boulders, and the fish- sunfish and small bass, mostly- act like they’ve never been disturbed.

“About 1,000 feet upstream from this pool, above the old broken bridge, is the first really big pool. Formed behind a natural limestone ledge, the pool is 300 yards long and chest-deep at the tail. The ledges along the south bank hold fish, as does the vegetated shoreline on your right (river left). There are some big bass in here, as well as catfish. A wade in thigh-to-waist-deep water, right up the middle, beginning just above the bottom of the pool, will allow you to fish both banks.”

I found the details in the river descriptions borderline astonishing. A lot of on-the-water research went into the making of this book. At the end of each fishing spot description a page or two describes a local watering hole (or two!) where you might find some microbrew and barbeque. It’s a nice touch!

A chapter describes the joy you receive from taking children fly fishing.

Another chapter describes, in surprising detail, the flora and fauna you’ll encounter while tramping around central Texas waters. Pages describing colorful local history are sprinkled throughout the work.

Appendices include local fly shops, fly clubs, guides, and liveries, as well as stream access points by latitude and longitude. And the book is indexed, a feature I find very helpful. And there’s a few pages “For Further Reading,” although unless you’re a scholar I don’t know why you’d need that!

I have never considered central Texas as a fishing destination. After reading Fly Fishing Austin and Central Texas I want to go there. This is a great book, and a must-read for any fly-fisher considering making a trip to central Texas.

-John Kumiski

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Free and Fearless: The Amazing Impact of One Precious Life- A Review

February 3, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

Free and Fearless: The Amazing Impact of One Precious Life- A Review

Powerful True Story Inspires Others to Seek Adventure, Turn Each Day into a Gift

I found Free and Fearless inspiring, and not a bad read. The story, although not without tragedy, is fantastic.

Philip Moser is not a writer. That shows, particularly in the first half or so of the book. He’s a proud dad who shares a connection with his daughter, and he says that several times. It gets a little redundant.

But his daughter dies young (the tragedy), and they have unfinished business.

“This book is not about the grief of losing a child, but about making the most out of what we are given and living our lives positively and not out of fear,” Moser writes. “Brittany inspired me, an ordinary farm boy, to explore life, to climb mountains and to write a book.”

Free and Fearless is an honest, poignant account of Brittany’s legacy and the ripple effect that her outlook on life had on everyone who knew her. Philip hopes that by hearing her story, readers will be inspired by Brittany’s contagious spirit and unwavering desire for new adventures and experiences — even in the shadow of an incurable illness.

Among Brittany’s valuable life lessons that Philip shares with readers are:

1. How precious life is and how we can affect the people around us;
2. How an open mind and a positive attitude can inspire us to do things we never thought possible;
3. How to move out of our comfort zones and into a challenging existence that can turn each day into an exciting gift to be explored;
4. How to not let fear control us, and to use our abilities to seek unique, positive and inspiring adventures;
5. To embrace change as a natural part of life;
6. And finally, that we won’t be remembered by our things or our savings accounts, but by how we made other people feel.

“I want to share the same inspiration that I received for 32 years,” Philip added. “In the end, love truly does conquer all, and Brittany wanted us to know that.”

Once I got into the second half of the book, I did not want to put it down. It’s powerful!

Mr. Moser did a great job. I’m glad I read Free and Fearless, and if you read it you will be too.

-John Kumiski

For more information, please visit www.freeandfearlessbook.com or connect with the author on social media at https://www.facebook.com/philip.moser.73?ref=bookmarks.  A portion from the sale of each book will be donated to the National Adrenal Disease Foundation.

Free and Fearless: The Amazing Impact of One Precious Life
ISBN-10: 1733086404
ISBN-13: 978-1733086400

Available from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, BooksaMillion.com and other online retailers

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Baggage- Confessions of a Globe-Trotting Hypochondriac – A Review

December 24, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

Baggage- Confessions of a Globe-Trotting Hypochondriac, by Jeremy Leon Hance – A Review

Baggage- Confessions of a Globe-Trotting Hypochondriac, by Jeremy Leon Hance. Health Communications, Inc., Boca Raton, Florida. 300 pages, paperback, $22.95

Jeremy Hance writes brilliantly about his adventures around the world, which he travels in his role as an environmental journalist. By his own admission, he’s crazy. The medical profession has names for his specific types of craziness- obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression. Jeremy has his own names for these two voices in his head- Steve and Malachi.

When I commenced reading Baggage, I thought it would be primarily about Jeremy’s travels. It’s just as much about his battles with his demons, especially while travelling. Travel can be stressful enough when you don’t have a voice in your head telling you over and over, “You’re gonna die!” That Jeremy has been able to travel to 20-odd countries carrying this, well, baggage, is fairly astonishing.

Jeremy loves nature, which got him into journalism. He writes, “I love nature. That’s putting it lightly. When I’m in the woods, my breath feels like a prayer. A grove of old trees is a church. Animals are sanctified beings.
“I believe… that every human born is implanted with the seed to love nature. It’s an evolutionary, existential, almost metaphysical reality.”

He realizes that, “Sometimes life requires risk. …we all live in an ecotone, a transition state connecting two worlds. We live in the transition between our past and our present. A transition between who we are and who we wish to be. A transition between our private and public selves. Humans don’t so much inhabit places as we inhabit the tension, the transition between our various selves.”

This book is packed with similarly profound observations.

Since Jeremy is an environmental journalist, he has acquired a healthy dose of skepticism about promises made by governments and corporations. “Most of the time when one hears the word sustainable, it’s complete and total bullshit. It’s a corporation or a government trying to sell a lie. It has come to a point where, alas, the word is mostly meaningless.
“…it becomes quickly clear about who holds the real power, and it’s not the… …government democratically elected by the people. It’s the industry. Welcome to neoliberal economics, where corporations, like vampires, slowly suck out the power that had once been entrusted by the people to their elected governments.”

“I have always viewed the loss of nature as a wound, something that feels physically painful to my being. I see more and more that the world could be different. That this wasn’t the course we had to take. And that makes me sad. History need not be a spiral of repeating mistakes.” I feel this way myself.

There is hope in Baggage, too. “I experienced firsthand that with time, support, and love, I could heal and have good days again. And I knew that Nature, with its inborn resilience, a kind of love, could also heal again. Maybe I won’t be here to see it, but the possibility is always there…”

I was somewhat surprised to find that Jeremy and I had quite a bit in common. Our attitudes about Nature and the threats to it were very similar. We both love our wives and our children. We both know we didn’t make the rules but are doing our best to live meaningful lives within them.

A major difference is that Steve and Malachi don’t spend any time talking to me. I learned a lot about mental illness by reading Baggage. It’s something everyone should know about. There are lots of people out there who need love and support, who are hiding their true selves.

Baggage is a courageous book by an exceptionally courageous individual who has faced his demons and, for at least some of the time, has put them in their places. I think you’ll find the time spent reading Baggage will be time spent well. It’s an important, well-written book, with my highest recommendation.

Baggage- Confessions of a Globe-Trotting Hypochondriac

-John Kumiski

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No Fishing Fishing Report

September 26, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

No Fishing Fishing Report

Thank you for looking at this no fishing Fishing Report. I did not get out once this week. Instead of fishing I’ve been working on my van. And tying some flies- see below.

The weather has been terrible, small craft advisory much of the week.

Why I did not fish Mosquito Lagoon this week-

I prefer the gauge to read at 0.5 or below.

Why I did not fish the Econ this week-

I prefer this gauge to read at 2.0 or below.

Had the yard sale last Saturday. Did OK, got rid of lots of “stuff.” Even had a “free” table. All of that stuff went!

I have a book, Art Scheck’s Tying Better Flies. When there were still magazines, Art, who worked for Abenaki Publishing, was my favorite editor. He got submissions from the best fly fishermen and tyers in the country and learned a ton from them, which he incorporated into this book. It is so good, it makes you want to stop reading and get on the vise. I recommend it highly.

Many of us would probably be better fishermen if we did not spend so much time watching and waiting for the world to become perfect.
– Norman Maclean

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go Fishing! or work on a van!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide
Purchase Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

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Leave It As It Is- A Review

July 28, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

Review- Leave It As It Is

Since the first mass-produced Bible came off Gutenberg’s printing press, books have been important to human beings. During this pandemic they are as important as they ever were. David Gessner has just published one that is more important than the average book.

Leave It As It Is- A Journey Through Theodore Roosevelt’s American Wilderness (Simon and Schuster, hardcover, 340 pages) isn’t always easy to read. I found myself sometimes thinking “Alright, just get to the point,” as I read. When Gessner makes the point though (and he always does), I had many “Ah ha!” moments. Things that I always felt but had never articulated were given voice. Information I probably should have known but didn’t was presented. New concepts were introduced. And lots of the information centered around Teddy Roosevelt, his passion for wild lands, and his vigorous protection of them.

Sadly, lots of the information presented centers around Donald Trump and his un-protecting of protected wild lands. Gessner is not a fan of Mr. Trump.

Leave it as it is. Roosevelt uttered these words during a speech at the Grand Canyon. He was talking about landscapes that had been manipulated and manicured by fire and farming for hundreds of generations, which were thought of by the white settlers as wilderness. A sad point in our history, national parks and monuments were created at the same time as Indian reservations. Indigenous peoples were moved from one to the other, often forcefully. Gessner loves Roosevelt, but he makes no attempt to gloss over the injustices done to the original Americans.

Gessner says modern man shoulders plenty of blame for our current state of affairs. “At this very moment, every second of every day, we are guilty of our own brand of biocide, destroying not hundreds or thousands but millions of creatures that we share this planet with. We are the Borg on Star Trek assimilating all. …it is very likely species suicide for us.”

So how do we protect our wild heritage? Gessner says, “…what for some is a hiker’s paradise and for others a vast reservoir of cultural and religious significance, remains for others, first and foremost, a resource colony.” Don’t take wild lands for granted. We’re never finished protecting them. He says, “We need thoughtful, well-read, articulate human beings, of all classes, ages, genders, and races, who care enough about other human beings to throw themselves out into the world and do battle with the waves of ignorance created by those who live without empathy.”

He continues, “…our public lands are a gift from the past,,, a gift that just might be able to save us. Are we really going to look at that gift and think, Hey, no thanks, let’s just cash them in?” Gessner’s book will motivate you to get out there and help protect wild lands, to help slow down global warming. In the last analysis, our species survival is up to us.

Leave It As It Is is an important book. You should read it.

John Kumiski

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The Angler’s Book of Favorite Fishing Quotations- A Review

March 4, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

The Angler’s Book of Favorite Fishing Quotations- A Review

If you want a book that tells you how to fish, look somewhere else. If you want a book that shares the intellectual pulse of the angler, though, The Angler’s Book of Favorite Fishing Quotations is a fantastic little book- for the desk, for the coffee table, or even for the john.

“The fishermen knows the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.” -Vincent Van Gogh

Many well-known anglers have been quoted in this book- Izaak Walton, Thomas McGuane, Arnold Gingrich, John Gierach, Lee Wulff, Al McClane- the list goes on. For those who write or give talks about fishing, The Angler’s Book is a must-have reference. For the rest of us it’s merely an extremely enjoyable way to connect with other anglers who may have gone on to the great fishing grounds in the sky.

“Most of the world is covered by water. A fisherman’s job is simple- pick out the best parts.” -Charles Waterman

The quotes are not inserted willy-nilly. There’s an order. The Table of Contents reads-

-Soul of an Angler
-Connecting with Nature
-Building Character and Skill
-Humor on the Hook
-A Meditative Sport

It’s nicely sequenced and beautifully done. This reviewer highly recommends this book for anyone whose interest in fishing lies somewhere past the worm-dunking phase.

“If you don’t go fishing because you thought it might rain you will never go fishing. This applies to more than fishing.” -Gary Sow

The Angler’s Book of Favorite Fishing Quotations. Happy reading.

John Kumiski

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An Angler’s Journal- A Review

March 6, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

An Angler’s Journal- A Review

My friend Rodney can tell you what he caught on this date 10 years ago, where he caught it, how he caught it, what the weather was like, where the barometer and moon phase were, and more. I’ve never had the self-discipline to record all that information- until now.

An Angler’s Journal (Quiet Fox Designs, 160 pages, paperback, $12.95) provides me with a space for everything a fisherman needs to remember in one organized place, including locations, companions, weather, equipment and lures used, and size, number, and species caught. The illustrations are beautiful.

The main feature of the journal is the expedition log. Every new entry in the log has two pages. On the first you record key facts about your trip- date, time, weather, air and water temperature, where you fished, who you fished with, fish caught and how you caught them, and any other information you care to add. The second page has space where you can draw or place a picture of your fishing spot. You can annotate this picture with important information like water depth, current flow, water temperature, shoals, hot spots, etc. When you’re finished you have a comprehensive record of your fishing trip.

The journal also contains a life list, and has plenty of space for photos of your catch and your friend’s.

When the journal is full, you’ll have a wealth of data to refer to on future trips, and a scrapbook of your favorite angling memories. Keeping a log book is an essential part of successful fishing. An Angler’s Journal is a great piece of equipment– you won’t find a better log book.

-John Kumiski

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 Bad Weather No Fishing Report

October 7, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

 Bad Weather No Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this bad weather no fishing report.

The wind blew hard all week. It rained a lot. I had one trip scheduled- we postponed it.

Show and Tell Seminar

Hurricane Irma badly damaged the dike roads in Merritt Island NWR. The standard show and tell seminar can’t be held. We’re offering the On-the-Water Show and Tell Seminar on October 21. For more information or to register, visit this link: http://www.spottedtail.com/mosquito-lagoon-on-the-water-show-and-tell-fishing-seminar/

Save the Menhaden!

Menhaden (pogies, bunker, and many other local names) convert plant matter into animal matter by filtering the water (cleaning that water in the process). They are a vitally important baitfish for many species of fish that anglers like to catch.

Hurricane Irma caused the ASMFC to reschedule the menhaden hearing in Melbourne to October 10 6pm. The deadline for written comments was also extended to October 24 5pm EST.

The hearing October 10 will be the only one in the South. We need everyone we can to turn out and speak in support of Issue 2.6 Option E. If we don’t, Omega Protein, who had 150-200 allies at the hearing in VA this week, could take the day when it comes to final action Nov 13-14. Please come out and support your fishing future!

On Fly Fishing the Northern Rockies- A Review

On Fly Fishing the Northern Rockies- Essays and Dubious Advice, by Chadd VanZanten and Russ Beck. The History Press, 2015, paperback, 126 pages, $19.99

Brilliant. Witty. Insightful. Could more superlatives make you want to read this beautifully written little gem? It doesn’t matter where you live or what you fish for, if you have the soul of a fly fisher you will enjoy this book immensely.

The authors alternate essays, liberally sprinkling angling philosophy through their prose. On an angler’s honesty- “Always tell the truth sometimes.” On your fishing vehicle- “It’s essential to cultivate the sweet, pungent smell of mildew.” On why fishing can be difficult- “The hardest thing about fishing is that all the people live on land.”

A random paragraph- Those cutthroats were reckless. They came from deep holes, crossed from one side of the channel to the other to take a fly. They came up two at a time. Those fish were irrational. I was extra careful when returning each to the stream that day. Clearly, they could not be trusted with their own safety. 

The book has dashes of Gierach, touches of Cardenas, but the flavor is clearly that of the authors. VanZanten is an editor when he’s not fishing. Beck teaches writing. I’d like to take his class. Their considerable talent is on full display here.

On Fly Fishing the Northern Rockies is the best fishing book I’ve read in a long time. It’s not a candidate for catch and release.

So we did not wet a line for this bad weather no fishing report! But we got some other things done, and thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2017. All rights are reserved.

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Food on Foot Review

June 28, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

Food on Foot Review

food on foot

Food on Foot- A History of Eating on Trails and in the Wild, by Demet Guzey, Rowman and Littlefield, 2017, hardcover, 199 pages.

The foreword and introduction to Food on Foot started off slowly. My thoughts were I wouldn’t be able to get through the book. Wrong! The second chapter, which covers what the DeSoto expedition through the American southeast ate, the cannibalism of the Donner party, how the first attempt at crossing Australia ended in disaster, began a book-full of fascinating reading. I did not want to put this book down.

I’ve always found histories of the Arctic and Antarctic explorations fascinating. Scott’s Last Voyage has a place in my bookshelf. After reading Food on Foot I understand more than ever the difficulties and hardships these explorers faced every day as they struggled to reach the poles and return to civilization. In many cases they did not return, and Food on Foot explains why. Any expedition reduced to boiling and eating their shoes suffered from poor planning, poor luck, or both. Apparently eating pemmican is similar to chewing on a candle. Pemmican has more nutritional value, though.

Guzey discusses the foods taken on ocean voyages, mountain expeditions, desert crossings, holy pilgrimages, and Army campaigns, going back to the earliest summits of the Alps, Marco Polo’s adventures, the Crusades, and the Roman Army. During the German Blitzkrieg of World War 2, German soldiers were fed methamphetamine to decrease their hunger and increase their endurance. Who knew?

This book was full of fascinating facts and was exceptionally well-researched.

Quirks of syntax within the book makes me suspect the book was written in another language and translated, or, if written in English, English is not Guzey’s first language. These quirks do nothing to harm the book’s readability though. If anything, they add to the interestingness of it, to make up a word.

Every human who has ever walked this planet has interacted with food constantly. Most of us are intensely interested in food. Food on Foot is a fun and engrossing read about a subject that’s close to all of our hearts (and stomachs). It has this reviewer’s highest recommendation.

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2017. All rights are reserved

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