I've started a blog called The Biting Entrepreneurial Bug that I am opening up to people who are interested in discussing new product & business ideas. I have a major entrepreneurial streak in me, and I think this will be a good way to develop ideas. What I'm attempting to set up is a open, safe, and constructive forum to for people to bounce ideas and get honest, critical, and actionable feedback.
I'm going to limit the number of people who are involved in order to protect peoples' ideas. So, if you are interested send me a message, email, or reply to this post with your email address. I'll send you an invite, and if it sounds like something you want to continue, we'll keep you on. If not, we'll remove you from the author list. No big deal.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Tigers on the Prowl
I got a call from Jason on Friday about chasing some tiger muskie on Memorial Day. Having never fished for TM, I was up for the challenge. Immediately I pulled up a bunch of patterns online that were "tried and tested" TM patterns, and got to tying. Three hours later, my eyes a little blurry, and sick of hearing the same "Blame it on the Alcohol" hip-hop song on Movin100.7, I stared at my vise and couldn't figure out what to do next. Looking at a Marty Howard "Trailer Trash for Trout" sitting on the drying rack, I decided that I might as well use some elements of his design, and add a few TM fly technique twists. What I came up with was a gawdy and boorish fly that has yet to be named.
Monday morning, the lake was beautiful. There was a storm looming to the north, and the town set on the side of the mountain was picturesque. We set up, start paddling out, and immediately I default to some of the "tried and true" patterns. Nothing.
Thinking "why the heck not?" I tied on my massive, 7" long marabou and bucktail mess and figure that I couldn't do any worse than I currently was. I make my first cast, a laser-beam 20 feet parallel to the shore. As I slowly stripped in the fly, I saw a looming shadow following the flashy mess-of-a-fly like a meandering torpedo. Three feet from my pontoon, the water-prowler drops a few feet and swims right below my feet.
Second cast, same location, same technique. This time, four feet from my pontoon, my line explodes! Tiger Muskie on!
This fish was different than anything I had ever caught. It had power, stamina, and overall was just a badass. After 4 or 5 runs, I finally am able to get him into the net and get the fly out of the creature's toothy mouth.
Mission accomplished! I had my first Tiger Muskie under my belt, and what a fish it was!
After all was said and done, I think that my mistake of a fly did quite well!
Monday morning, the lake was beautiful. There was a storm looming to the north, and the town set on the side of the mountain was picturesque. We set up, start paddling out, and immediately I default to some of the "tried and true" patterns. Nothing.Thinking "why the heck not?" I tied on my massive, 7" long marabou and bucktail mess and figure that I couldn't do any worse than I currently was. I make my first cast, a laser-beam 20 feet parallel to the shore. As I slowly stripped in the fly, I saw a looming shadow following the flashy mess-of-a-fly like a meandering torpedo. Three feet from my pontoon, the water-prowler drops a few feet and swims right below my feet.
Second cast, same location, same technique. This time, four feet from my pontoon, my line explodes! Tiger Muskie on!
This fish was different than anything I had ever caught. It had power, stamina, and overall was just a badass. After 4 or 5 runs, I finally am able to get him into the net and get the fly out of the creature's toothy mouth.
Mission accomplished! I had my first Tiger Muskie under my belt, and what a fish it was!
After all was said and done, I think that my mistake of a fly did quite well!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Philly Here We Come!
That's right all! Ashley and I are moving to Philadelphia!I just recently got a job with a great consulting firm in Pennsylvania, and will be starting June 15th. We are both really excited about this move. Everything has just seemed to come together and work out for us on this, and career-wise it is a great opportunity.
We are also very excited about the fact that we will be close to so many different things: New York City, Washington D.C., Jersey Shore, Great Lakes brown trout and steelhead (okay, that's mostly me), Equestrian Culture (mostly Ashley), and all of the other exciting things I haven't mentioned.
So if you are ever in the Philly area and need a place to crash or want to go out to dinner, give us a call!
Monday, April 20, 2009
My First Steelhead Trip!
After months of tying flies and accumulating all the gear I would need, I finally made it up to Stanley, ID in the Sawtooth Mountains. I was taken by the rugged beauty of these amazing mountains. And the view from my cabin wasn't too bad either.
The first day was slow. A couple of hits, but nothing solid. Larry and I did fish a spot called *Hotspot Edit* towards the end of the day, where we saw several fish, including a massive buck fighting off other males who were interested in his lady. We got home at about 9:00 PM after fishing for 12 straight hours. We had some great steaks prepared by Yeti, and hit the sack.
The second day we got up early, and headed back to the best spot on the river, the Hole (aptly named for the risk you often take in trying to reach the other side of the river in order to fish)
On our arrival, we saw the same massive buck from the night before, as well as a paired up buck and hen on the opposite side of the river. Larry took the heavy current, and I took the newcomers. I tied on my first fly of the day, a tasty looking Winter Orange, added some weight, and threw my first cast. BAM! The newly paired up buck swiped his head over and nailed my fly. I do a bass-like hook set, the beast jumps and thrashes, but after about 30 seconds he's gone, along with the hen.
We continued to fish throughout morning, but with little results. Around 2:00 PM, I tie on a Winter Orange variation, and set my sights on the faster, deeper current. I made cast after cast, with nothing so much as a look from the steelies in the current. Finally, on about my 30th cast, my fly stops dead in it's tracks. Thinking I had snagged on a rock, I yank at my fly. Suddenly, my reel starts screaming and my line bolts downstream. After a good 10 minutes, I finally pulled in my first-ever steelhead. A beautiful hen.
I went into this trip only hoping to catch a fish, so after my first, everything else was gravy. We fished the rest of the second day, and had several hookups, but were not able to bring anything in. We capped the day off with spaghetti and Aidell's sausage and hit the sack. 14 hours of fishing takes it out of you.
I woke up to a beautiful sunrise shining on the Sawtooths, and got ready to hit the water for my last day of steelhead fishing.
After getting a late start, Larry and I made our way down the canyon and sight fished to steelhead at various spots, Finally, we stopped at *Hotspot Edit* where Brett and Tim had claimed the hole. Hours of fishing, and nothing going. Finally, in my frustration I threw on the largest, most annoying fly in my box, a fire orange and bright yellow Double Marabou. I positioned myself about 30 feet upstream of a nesting hen and buck, cast out, and began to swing my fly across the nest. BAM! Fish on! My reel begins to scream, and line starts flying out. After 15 minutes, I get the beautiful 34 inch hen at my feet. As I reach the net down to get her in, she makes one last-ditch jump, throws the hook, and is gone.
Dejected, I begin to walk to the banks, but notice a shadow moving just below me. HUGE BUCK! I immediately pull out line, make my first cast, and that sucker hammers that fly like a fat kid on a Twinkie. The beast jumps, thrashes, and takes out a bunch of line. Just as I'm ready to start reeling him in, he makes a horizontal run and SNAP! Broke off. This fish was going to be my fish of a lifetime (to this point), and he was gone. Larry, Brett and I decide that it is time to head off and make our way back to Salt Lake.
I had romanticized what steelhead fishing would be all about. Looking back, I have to say that it was better than what I had imagined. No, I didn't catch a dozen fish. No, they weren't the biggest steelhead in the river. But the taste I got has changed me as a fisherman forever. Instead of thinking about the wild trout that I normally seek, I will be thinking about where I want to chase steelhead straight from the salt. I will be thinking about my next trip to the Salmon. Sure, I will still enjoy fishing the rivers, lakes, and streams of the Wasatch Front, but there will be nothing like my first steelhead.
The first day was slow. A couple of hits, but nothing solid. Larry and I did fish a spot called *Hotspot Edit* towards the end of the day, where we saw several fish, including a massive buck fighting off other males who were interested in his lady. We got home at about 9:00 PM after fishing for 12 straight hours. We had some great steaks prepared by Yeti, and hit the sack.
The second day we got up early, and headed back to the best spot on the river, the Hole (aptly named for the risk you often take in trying to reach the other side of the river in order to fish)
On our arrival, we saw the same massive buck from the night before, as well as a paired up buck and hen on the opposite side of the river. Larry took the heavy current, and I took the newcomers. I tied on my first fly of the day, a tasty looking Winter Orange, added some weight, and threw my first cast. BAM! The newly paired up buck swiped his head over and nailed my fly. I do a bass-like hook set, the beast jumps and thrashes, but after about 30 seconds he's gone, along with the hen.
We continued to fish throughout morning, but with little results. Around 2:00 PM, I tie on a Winter Orange variation, and set my sights on the faster, deeper current. I made cast after cast, with nothing so much as a look from the steelies in the current. Finally, on about my 30th cast, my fly stops dead in it's tracks. Thinking I had snagged on a rock, I yank at my fly. Suddenly, my reel starts screaming and my line bolts downstream. After a good 10 minutes, I finally pulled in my first-ever steelhead. A beautiful hen.
I went into this trip only hoping to catch a fish, so after my first, everything else was gravy. We fished the rest of the second day, and had several hookups, but were not able to bring anything in. We capped the day off with spaghetti and Aidell's sausage and hit the sack. 14 hours of fishing takes it out of you.I woke up to a beautiful sunrise shining on the Sawtooths, and got ready to hit the water for my last day of steelhead fishing.
After getting a late start, Larry and I made our way down the canyon and sight fished to steelhead at various spots, Finally, we stopped at *Hotspot Edit* where Brett and Tim had claimed the hole. Hours of fishing, and nothing going. Finally, in my frustration I threw on the largest, most annoying fly in my box, a fire orange and bright yellow Double Marabou. I positioned myself about 30 feet upstream of a nesting hen and buck, cast out, and began to swing my fly across the nest. BAM! Fish on! My reel begins to scream, and line starts flying out. After 15 minutes, I get the beautiful 34 inch hen at my feet. As I reach the net down to get her in, she makes one last-ditch jump, throws the hook, and is gone.Dejected, I begin to walk to the banks, but notice a shadow moving just below me. HUGE BUCK! I immediately pull out line, make my first cast, and that sucker hammers that fly like a fat kid on a Twinkie. The beast jumps, thrashes, and takes out a bunch of line. Just as I'm ready to start reeling him in, he makes a horizontal run and SNAP! Broke off. This fish was going to be my fish of a lifetime (to this point), and he was gone. Larry, Brett and I decide that it is time to head off and make our way back to Salt Lake.
I had romanticized what steelhead fishing would be all about. Looking back, I have to say that it was better than what I had imagined. No, I didn't catch a dozen fish. No, they weren't the biggest steelhead in the river. But the taste I got has changed me as a fisherman forever. Instead of thinking about the wild trout that I normally seek, I will be thinking about where I want to chase steelhead straight from the salt. I will be thinking about my next trip to the Salmon. Sure, I will still enjoy fishing the rivers, lakes, and streams of the Wasatch Front, but there will be nothing like my first steelhead.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
The Painted Catherine
I tied this up the other day. It's not the tightest or highest quality tie in the world, but it was a first run. After finishing the fly, I realized that it reminded me of my little niece after she gets into her play makeup kit. So I named it after her.
Friday, March 27, 2009
A Couple of Steelhead Bugs
In preparation for my April steelhead trip, I've been tying up a bunch of bugs. Here are a few more taken with my sweet new Olympus.
Brindle Bug
Freight Train
Orange Charm
Brindle Bug
Freight Train
Orange CharmThursday, March 12, 2009
Chiropractors Scare Me
I am in the middle of a pretty intense workout program. I'm seeing results and the middle cage is starting to tighten up a little. Yesterday afternoon I worked out by arms, shoulders, and abs, and just CRUSHED it during the workout. I mean, I felt really good about it.However, I woke up this morning with the worst sore neck I have EVER experienced in my life! I would normally just take some Tylenol and call it good, but this feels like nothing I have ever experienced. So I'm thinking about going to a chiropractor. Only problem is, they scare the crap out of me. I am just not comfortable with the idea that another human being, who may be prone to error, is messing around with something as important as my spine. I also don't trust them. I hear too many stories about people going to chiropractors, and then having to go back over and over again, only to spend hundreds of dollars. In my mind, they are the human body equivalent of an auto mechanic.
If any of you have good stories to get my confidence up, please share.
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