Sprotsmen Alliance for Marcellus Conservation, 6/22/11

SPORTSMEN ALLIANCE FOR MARCELLUS CONSERVATION

Straight from the super secret desk to Trout Unlimited leadership, to your eyes only...Well, your eyes and anyone who reads this crap, or was on the mailing list, or...well, whatever. Shut up and read:

Please join the Sportsmen Alliance for Marcellus Conservation for a day of meetings (gfen: woo, fun, meetings!) in Harrisburg to tell your legislators about the importance of preserving the Commonwealth's sporting heritage - and fish, wildlife and water - as Marcellus Shale gas is developed. The Sportsmen Alliance is an affiliation of sportsmen and women and conservation organizations working together across northern Appalachia to identify and mitigate the impacts of Marcellus Shale gas drilling on hunting, fishing,trapping and other outdoor sporting activities.

As a Pennsylvanian, you know that Marcellus Shale gas is being developed at a rapid scale and pace across the Commonwealth. It is imperative that our decision-makers understand what is at stke and take action to protect important sporting traditions and fish, wildlife and water resources as Marcellus Shale development occurs.

The day will kick off at 9:00am with a brief update of current legislative items and Marcelus Shale related issues of concern to sportsmen and women. THen join your fellow hunters, anglers, trappers ad outdoorsmen and women to voice your support to legislators for protection of your sporting interests and the natural resources you enjoy.

Please RSVP to (gfen removed this part, just show up, k?)  by June 17th, go join the Sportsmen Alliance in a day of action and make sure that you have an opportunity to tell legilsators to protect your interests.

Dear Cheeky Fly Fishing Company:

Piss off.

Look, I know, I'm basing my entire hateful opinion of you on one small throwaway fluffer article in a local (to you) rag and your website, but work with me here. Its all you've given me.

At best, you appear to be four guys with too much free money and time who decided you could cash in on the current hipster revolution in fly fishing by creating overpriced reels in the line of Abel or Willow, but seemed to miss that one of them offered 25 years of high quality workmanship and the other one...shit, I'm not sure what Willow's got going other than pure, unadulterated beauty.

Evidently, you think that fly fishing should become a young, trendy urban sport, like skiiing (I didn't realize skiing was in fact young, trendy, or urban, but still).

So, this article, it says you're bringing some style to the sport?

A vomiting forth of random ideas.

Its bad when even the desk girl who encodes
this remarks on just how much shit they're
gonna take out of you.

"Fever of unknown origins." That's doctor speak for throat swabs, piss tests, and twenty plus vials of blood, plus x-rays. Its what happens when you carry a fever for 4 days with no sign of it breaking. I'm convinced this shit isn't no unknown origin, though. Its a known known, not an unknown known or an unknown unknown. Its what happens when you leave home and go fishing elsewhere.

I am never leaving the Lehigh Valley again, goddamnit. This is how I get repaid. Sulphurs were coming along nicely, I had ths sweet wet fly swing down for caddis during said sulphurs, and this, this is what I get. I haven't seen water in a week, and I don't think I'm going to for another week or two at most. I'm convinced I have Lyme Disesease. Or Anthrax. More likely the former, but Anthrax was a pretty rad '80s thrash band and its more fun to say... I'm only basing it on the fact that the Cipro they proscribed me was issued for said malady.

OK, so I'm overreacting, but then again, doctor says its possibly lyme. I guess the gallon of blood will tell them answers for that.

So, my words of advise for you: Watch out for ticks, and open wounds if you wet wade. Whatever its origin, this shit blows. I'm worried it might be lyme diesease, but even if its not, its pretty intense knowing you can get fully shut down not actually doing  a damned thing wrong.

Well, fuck it. Now I've done my public service announcement, I'm feverish and I'm tired but I can't sleep, so I'm gonna just talk about loud about stuff. Wanna come along for the ride?

The Eagle Claw Featherlight Fly Rod: Double sawbuck awesomeisity.

Budget does not always mean cheap.

Man, I love cheap shit. I think I've said that before here, God knows its a personal credo. Maybe I should get CHEP BSTD across the old knuckles, eh?

No?

Fine, I'll just publically celebrate my thriftitude by proudly using my Eagle Claw Featherlight fly rod, all of $19.59 at Amazon.com. Or, you know, your local Sprawlmart, but buy it through that link. C'mon, let me profit off this blog, dude.

Don't Let Pigeon Drive the Bus. He can fish though. 

The FL-300-7, this thing has been around for years, and has gone through many generations going way back. Some are well loved, and some are well loathed. We'll talk about the 2010 model, when it was revamped (but not repriced) to become the most awesome $20 you can spend on fly fishing equipment. No shit.  It also comes in a 6'6" 5/6 and 8' 5/6 versions, but generally you'll see the 7' 5/6 all over the place. I'm convinced this rod could drive the fiberglass revolution to new heights, and help peck away at the notion that rods must be faster and stiffer for every day use, instead of just specific needs.

If anything, the 7' model might just be a bit too short for ultimate use, so imagine my excitement when I found the 8' in a local store. I bought it and immediately proceded to go try it out.