Dreaming of the Take

The Biting Entrepreneurial Bug Discussion Blog

2009-08-21T20:45:00.000-06:00

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.

Tigers on the Prowl

2009-05-26T07:56:00.008-06:00

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!

Philly Here We Come!

2009-05-22T15:44:00.002-06:00

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!

My First Steelhead Trip!

2009-04-20T09:41:00.007-06:00

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 Painted Catherine

2009-04-01T08:00:00.004-06:00

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.

A Couple of Steelhead Bugs

2009-03-27T09:00:00.006-06:00

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

Chiropractors Scare Me

2009-03-12T11:22:00.004-06:00

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.

HB187 Goes Down for the Second Time!

2009-03-09T11:31:00.004-06:00

UPDATE: HB187 was brought to the floor this morning, and was once again defeated in the reconsideration vote by an even larger margin - 43 Nays to 31 Yes! Once again, the power of grassroots activism was effective. Because of the controversial nature of this bill, this issue will likely get recommended for study over this next year. We are now presented with an opportunity to draft a collaborative, mutually-beneficial bill to take to the Hill next year. Utah angling rights are protected!

HB187 Update - Ferry's "Slick-Willey" Move

2009-03-04T16:14:00.006-07:00

Literally, with 10 minutes to spare before HB187 officially died, Representative Ben Ferry motioned to have HB187 reconsidered, which passed. He then immediately "circled" the bill, which means that he can hold onto the bill indefinitely until he feels like he has collected enough votes. Because of Rep. Ferry's actions, we are basically back to square one. Contact your legislator and tell them to oppose, or uphold their opposing vote to HB187! If you are not a Utah resident, email and tell them that as a fishing tourist who brings dollars into the state of Utah, you want them to continue to oppose this bill!

This guy Ferry is a very slick, almost Bill Clinton-esque politician. He's giving the angling community a political working-over. Don't let this guy get away with abusing the system!

New Developments! HB187 - Politics at its Worst!

2009-03-04T15:01:00.006-07:00

Rep. Ben Ferry has marked HB187 for reconsideration on the Utah House floor today. This move means that Ferry, who is the chair of the powerful House Rules Committee, has used his position to influence some house members to change their vote in exchange for political favors, most likely for bills stuck in committee. This development may prove very bad for the Utah angling committee.

My New Addiction - Steelhead Flies

2009-03-04T08:16:00.003-07:00

I'm planning on doing chasing some steel this spring, and decided that I would take a stab at steelhead flies. So given my lack of tying skills, coupled with my lack of steelhead fly materials, here's what I was able to improvise.

HB187 Crashes and Burns

2009-03-03T22:56:00.005-07:00

The Utah House of Representatives voted on Rep. Ben Ferry's HB187 today, and the bill was defeated 41-34! This is a huge step forward in protecting Utah Rivers. Big props to the guys at Utah Water Guardians (Link) for all of their diligent work in mobilizing the Utah angling community and leading the charge against this senseless bill! Very well done folks!

Everything's Amazing, and Nobody's Happy

2009-03-02T08:30:00.002-07:00

Louis CK is a man of reason. When he says "everything's amazing, and nobody is happy" listen to the silence in the crowd. I had the exact same reaction. Stunned introspection. Check it out.

Anglers Rights Threatened!

2009-02-12T10:53:00.007-07:00

I'm not going to write out a long post because there are some guys who have done an amazing job fighting Representative Ben Ferry's HB187, which would limit anglers rights to use waterways in Utah. So here is the link to Bryan Gregson's blog, which will provide a lot of info for you. (Link)

Check out the Utah Water Guardians website and contact your legislators. Let them know how important it is to you that the citizens of this great state be able to actually use and enjoy all of its natural wonders. We NEED to preserve our recreation rights for future generations. The last thing we want is for much of wild Utah to be shut off to the majority of us!

“We hold that the scope of the easement provides the public the right to float, hunt, fish and participate in all lawful activities that utilize the water.”

The Best YouTube Video of All Time

2009-02-05T17:08:00.003-07:00

This was posted on YouTube about 5 days ago and already has 3 million hits. One of the funniest videos I've ever seen. It's of a little boy after going to the dentist. Enjoy!

Obama Era Thoughts

2009-01-25T18:41:00.004-07:00

This last week has been a very interesting one, filled with excitement, anticipation, uncertainty, and change. I'm talking about the inauguration of our newest president, Barack Obama. Before I get into my thoughts about Obama, let me explain my political evolution.

I grew up in a conservative, republican environment. Everything about Bountiful, UT screams blind, unwavering, vanilla conservatism. When I returned home from serving my LDS mission in Rome, I sort of fell into the Hannity trap. I listened to that stuff, digested it, and called that my political beliefs. It wasn't until college that I began to seriously examine my political views. It was then that I realized that the party system sucks. I hate the fact that, politically, there is an "absolute truth" that can only be owned by one party (the repubs are wrong, and all truth is owned by the dems, and vice versa). So I decided to do the sensible thing, vote my own beliefs. Sometimes this means I am more liberal, and sometimes I am more conservative. No parties, just beliefs.

That being said, I am excited to have Obama as my President! This President signifies a change of the old system. McCain to me, while he may have been a good President, embodies the same political thinking that has been plaguing the federal system for decades; old, rich white guys who have no idea what is really going on in the country, and their only concern is for gaining political power over the opposing party. Obama is a break from this mode of thinking, and I think the country is better for it. This is a guy who worked for years on the community level and understands what is affecting the common man and woman. Though highly educated, he has the perspective that so many in Washington lack.

We should all give Obama a chance, regardless of party affiliation. Eight years ago, a governor from Texas was voted in, and he was given a chance. To automatically discount a guy before he has been given an opportunity to succeed (read: that idiot Hannity) is un-American, and goes against everything that this country was founded upon. In addition, we should all hope that in 4 or 8 years, he will be considered one of the greatest American Presidents. Nationally and individually we will all be better off for it.

Steelhead Flybox - Week 1

2008-12-28T15:57:00.002-07:00

I decided that over the Christmas break I would spend some time at the vise. My goal was to get a good base of steelhead flies, and below is the result.

What you see here: Top row - Bunny Leeches. Second Row (L to R) - Silver Hilton, Purple Peril, Skykomish Sunrise. Bottom Row - Popsicles (I tied up a bunch more, but haven't updated the photo)

More Steelhead Flies

2008-12-23T18:45:00.007-07:00

This one is called the Purple Peril.

And this one is called the Skykomish Sunrise.

Steelhead - The Next Challenge

2008-12-22T11:16:00.003-07:00

I've been thinking for a while what my next big challenge in fly fishing is going to be. After reading a lot of input, and watching a lot of videos, I have decided that Steelhead are my next target. In order to prepare for upcoming steelhead trips, I have started working on some flies. This first one is called a Popsicle.

Steelhead flies a long departure from the type of flies I'm used to tying, but they are a lot of fun. As I learn more patterns, I'll post for your enjoyment.

Or, you don't care about fly fishing then you can just ignore these posts!

John & Kate Plus 8 - Truly Entertaining TV

2008-12-17T22:19:00.005-07:00

It's late Wednesday, I'm flipping channels, and I come across a show on TLC called "John & Kate Plus 8." They were doing some sort of retrospective episode, and I was just amazed at how Kate was unabashedly ripping John for being an inept father/husband. It's a trainwreck- painful to watch, but I love watching it!

Anyways, one of my favorite shows is The Soup on the E! channel, and I absolutely get a crack out of Joel McHale's bits about these guys. Enjoy!

What Music Are You Listening To?

2008-12-11T11:40:00.004-07:00

I like a lot of different types of music. However, when going through my iTunes library this morning, I realized that I haven't really found any new music in a couple of years. I listen to a lot of Dave Matthews Band, Eric Clapton, Better Than Ezra, Ben Harper, Pete Yorn, Jason Mraz (the early stuff), and G. Love & Special Sauce. But I haven't really gotten into any new musicians in the last several years.

This realization brought me to a conversation I had with a co-worker; it's hard to find band that you know will last. In the 80's & 90's, there were bands that you knew were going to be around for a long time; U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, DMB, Metallica are all bands that come to mind. The last band I can think of that fits this profile is Coldplay (even though I'm not really a fan). Coldplay has incredible staying power.

However, I have decided that I need to branch out and check out some new music. So what are you listening to these days? Easy on the country though. I went through that phase a while back.

I Want to Check Something Off the List

2008-11-19T08:38:00.003-07:00

A while back, I wrote down a list of things (about 60) that I want to do before I digress to wearing diapers and harassing the nurses at the Golden Years Assisted Living Center. Among them are the Redbull Flugtag, motorcycle across Europe, learn how to breakdance, and write something and get it published. Even though I have a lot on my plate right now, I want to check one of these items off. And no, it's not learning how to breakdance. I have a few lb's to loose before I tackle that item. I have decided that I am going to write something and try to get it published.

For those who have read my blog regularly, you have noticed that my writing style isn't the best, but it is a whole lot better than it used to be. My improved writing skills are entirely the result of my wife's tireless work in teaching me how to write like an adult. Writing is something that I used to hate doing, but now I find it to be cathartic and exciting. Thus, I want to write something and get it published in a magazine.

One problem. I have no idea what to write about!

I've heard from many of the authors on Doug Fabrizio's "RadioWest" program say that you have to write something you are passionate about. Well, there are a lot of things I am passionate about; my wife, fly fishing, traveling, the outdoors, environmentalism, cars I can't afford, high-end watches (it's a fetish really), to name a few. However, I am finding it difficult to find a subject that I truly want to immerse myself in. Also, I have NO idea how to write a magazine article. So, if any of you have suggestions about what I should write on, and how to write a magazine article, please let me know.

I am off to go check out "Writing Magazine Articles for Dummies" at my local library.

Long time.......No blog.........

2008-11-19T08:14:00.005-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. For some reason, I find myself without something to say (truly a strange occurrence). So instead of burning on something, I thought I would post a pic from Halloween. This was the first time in YEARS that I actually dressed up. I always thought it was dumb for a grown man to dress up, but I actually had a fun time doing it. I like to think it was the coolest costume ever.

I've got a few things on my mind right now, so stay tuned......

To bailout, or not to bailout?

2008-09-29T09:45:00.014-06:00

UPDATE: 09/29/08, 1:05 PM- The genius Republicans stuck down the bailout plan just a few minutes ago (of course, Nancy Pelosi's couldn't resist taking a shot at the administration and Republican party on the House floor). The DJI is tumbling, somewhere a small-town local banker just had a heart attack because he just realized that he can no longer provide a loan, and the Republican House Reps are driving their Lincolns to their private country club. Why is it that a bunch of lawyers think they are economic experts? Apparently Republicans REALLY want to loose this election.

It seems like the topic de jour these days is the anticipated economic bailout package that is moving through the Washington D.C. works. I've been asked a lot about what my thoughts are on the issue, and it took me a while to actually have an answer, but here it is.

This is a necessary evil. I have not been pleased with the way Wall Street firms have been reckless with their investment strategies over the last several years. Their recklessness is a direct result of the common performance-based bonuses that many top executives have in their contracts. These incentives have enabled the high-risk, high return investment strategies that have come to bring those institutions down. Most of these investment strategies have revolved around real estate (mortgage-backed securities and ownership of mortgage debt). The bottom fell out, and many firms who were highly leveraged in these investments got caught up. So the question I asked myself was "why should taxpayers pay to bailout the top 1% of wage earners in the country?"

Because we have to. With the collapse of Bear Sterns, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Bros, WaMu, Wachovia, and almost AIG (quite the list, right?), our economy is in really bad shape. The bailout is necessary to keep us normal people, floating until the economy stabilizes. Without the bailout plan, the dollar would plummet, causing massive inflation (you were unhappy about $4 gas, just imagine $6.50), bottoming out of real estate values (the majority of americans list their house as their portfolio's largest asset), all of which would perpetuate the economic down-spiral. And that's not even open up the credit market can of worms. It's kind of like an economic black hole that is self-perpetuating in its' economic damage. We need this bailout to keep any of this from happening.

Just listen to Jim Cramer, one of the most brilliant (but crazy) financial and economic minds of our generation. This guy has the economic power to move markets, and he has his finger on the pulse of Wall Street and the Market Economy. He is the person that, I think, may be the most qualified to speak to the current situation.

So I guess my answer when people ask me what I think about the bailout plan is (gritting my teeth) "I think it's a good idea."

The Big Fizzle at Firehouse Pizza

2008-09-20T17:47:00.003-06:00

Because Ashley and I are easily influenced by advertising and coupons, we decided to try out the Firehouse Pizzeria in Centerville. Excited to try out a new pizza place, I was hoping for a grand pizza experience. We arrived at the restaurant, and that's where things started to go wrong.

First, our "16 yr old" (really, she looked 14) waitress was having some struggles. You could tell she had not been waiting tables for very long. She was slow, inattentive, and would focus on only one table in her area (the one with a family of adults....bigger tips), leaving the rest of us to sit around on our thumbs. We saw our pizza cooked and put up on the counter, and finally fifteen minutes later, she brought us our cold, congealed pizza's (which I made them throw back into the oven).

Second, the menu sucks. They have same item names for their salads, pizza's, and pastas. Everything is the "Rustic Italian" this and the "Roasted Chicken" that. Very limited selection, and frankly not very appetizing Just plain bad.

Third, the pizza sucked. For $9, I got what is essentially the Garlic Chicken pizza from Papa Murphy's, but in a munchkin size. Nothing special. Next time, I'll go to PM's and get a large Garlic Chicken pizza for $6. Ashley's quattro formaggi pizza was just plain out disgusting. The pizza sauce was really gross. The cheese pizza at Papa John's is better, and it's cheaper for a large PJ's cheese pizza than it is for the mini-pizza at Firehouse.

Bottom line, stay away. We'll never go back. You can get better food, better service, for much cheaper somewhere else.