Studly Boys

I guess this is what I'm reduced to, since I am a bankrupt fisherman with no fishing currency to spend, for at least a little while yet. So I'll continue to post pictures of dogs and birds..

and with that in mind here is the latest..a pair of studly boys keeping a close eye out on their girls..I had to take this shot thru my office window using a telephoto and without the aid of camo pj's! My stocking..er stalking technique..is superb...

I think there's more in his bowl

So it's 5:15 AM and it's breakfast time for Tessie (on the left) and Ray (on the right). It seems that Tessi likes the looks of Ray's breakfast better than hers..actually it is her bowl and she may not like it in front of Ray. Tessi will , hopefully , be a Guide Dog for the blind.. my wife Pat is a long time Puppy Raiser for an organization out of Yorktown Heights NY , Guiding Eyes For The Blind, and Tessi is our new loaner puppy. Big Ray is a program washout and now is our beloved home pooch.

Ray absolutely LOVES getting out in the boat with us to fish and explore and hopefully Tessi will share his enthusiasm . However with the ice still in the ponds and lakes and our continuing abnormal cold temps, it may be some time before our first launching.

Come and get it!

From my kitchen window...BREAKFAST IS SERVED!

Herring Starting To Run

One of my favoite fishing sites is:

Maine Fly Fish

www.maineflyfish.com

Within the parent site is a forum that has 10 topics, one of which pertains to salt water.

I was reading this topic yesterday and learned that the herring are starting to run in Massachusetts which is a good sign for things to come here in Maine because where little fish go, big fish follow.

One of my fishing goals this season is to hookup a striper on my fly gear. Anyone out there reading this and has personal experience with this..please..drop me an email or post with some tips on where, when and what flies to use..It would be greatly appreciated.

The Maine Outdoorsman Found

Rabid is back at

www.themaineoutdoorsman.com


All is as it should be..once again..

The Lure of Gear Gluttony

Saturday was, in my mind anyways, the first day (figuratively speaking), of the Maine open water fishing season. My Yellow Lab , Ray, and I traveled down to

Freeport to once again participate in the LL Bean Spring Fishing Weekend. To me Bean is still the quintesential (i.e. - representingthe most perfect or typical example of a quality or class) Maine sporting outfitter. I know it's gone Yuppie in it's fashions and not hardcore like Cabela's but for me, it's still the place to go.

Anyways..we arrived and Big Ray had to walk around a bit to do some serious sniffing and to check the Pee-mail that had been left in the parking lot by previous pups. We checked out the fly casting demonstration and did a quik recon of the perimeter. After Ray added his comments to the Pee-mail Inbox, he was enticed back into the car with a few bits of kibble.

From here on I'm going it solo. I checked out the fly tying demos and then saw part of a presentation by the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife regarding on the Roach River wild brook trout spawning project. Interesting and valuable work .

I picked up a box of free flies, some trolling lures (for those marvellous West Grand Landlocks), a fly line, a fly box and a new Daiwa spinning reel for those bass/brook trout - boating expeditions with my 5 year old grandson. And generally browsed continually fighting off the strong urges of gear gluttony, after all it is the season of Lent and one must make a minimal effort at abstinece. So... no new landing nets, waders, fly rods or flies, other than the freebies, for me on this trip. Just as well as I'm still in the process of taking inventory on the ones I bought last spring... but I do have a Wish List in place.

With my fishing needs not nearly satiated I forced myself to leave and headed over to the Home Decor Store (?) where I picked up a couple of all weather seat cushions for our Adirondacks and a large hammock which will serve as a base of operations this coming summer...at least until the mosquitoes drive me inside.

The Irish Pub by The High Kings

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all my sporting brothers and sisters!

Chives Arrive - With Apology To Tom

I was reading one of my favorite blogs, Wild Plants and Wooly Bears, written by local Maine author Tom Seymour, entitled "Chives Alive". And his post got me wondering what the status of my chives are on this 13th day of March. Since we've been the recepients of a good amount of rain , fog and warmer temperatures, I decided to check them out. With the poetic title of Tom's having already been used, I will simply call my post...

"Chives Arrive"

(Close to Tom's but not enough to expose myself to retribution by The Master..I hope!)

Very Cool Dog Cam Video of Duck Hunt

A Little Flavor of Maine With Recipe

Recipe For Mabel's
Mustard Pickles:

12 0z Mason Jar.. Pickling cukes.. 4 Tbls sugar..1 Tbl dry mustard.. 1 Tsp salt..cider vinegar and water. Cut cukes down the middle and then those spears in half, if they are too long, to fit into the jar..Pack jar with cukes.. Add 1/2 jar of cider vinegar and 1/2 jar water..Then add the dry ingredients..Shake to mix thourougly..And it's very important to shake the jar at least a couple times a day for the first 3 days while they are setting up in the frig. If you don't the dry ingredients will settle and you'll get more a vinegar flavor than mustard flavor. Of course you can adjust the amount of mustard and sugar if you want more or less..Keep the pickles chilled..Much snappier that way..




Once they are set, 3 to 4 days..accompany them with some extra sharp cheese and a brew of your choice..WICKED GOOD!

Unpleasant Discovery

Top photo taken first week of February 2011


Bottom photo taken this morning , Tuesday March 8, 2011
After having spent a good part of Saturday morning shoveling around my boat and as a results of the rain and warmer weather this past weekend, my boat is free of its winter cacoon.
I have an electrical issue that needs to be addressed and my thought was to get it clear of the snow and ice so I can tow it to my dealer and get it completely serviced so it will be ready for ice out.
Everything went well except for the unpleasant discovery of 7" of ice in the bow. Underneath the blue tarp, which will now NOT ever be used again to cover my boat, is the regular summer weather boat cover. Water leaked thru the tarp and collected on top of the inner cover forming a pool about 3 feet by 3 feet and roughly 7 inches deep which completely froze solid. Anways..got the ice cleared out..jacked up the bow some more and re-covered it.
Soon I will be hauling The Rebel Sport down Route 1 to get her ready for what I am hoping to be my best fishing and boating season yet!

Red Devils

Ok..do I declare war on the little, 4 legged, red devils that have been eating almost all the bird food I set out all winter long...PLUS... destroying whatever comes between them and the seeds?

Since it is March I'll grant them partial amnesty and leave my 22 in the closet ..maybe just sting 'em with a BB gun...

Photograph courtesy of Tina Shute