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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

Yesterday, Ron and I and a friend of ours went to the lake to paddle and
fish.  Ron and Eric paddled.  I fished.  I caught 4 or 5 good sized
bream, but wanted crappie. I was using crickets and minnows, and the
fish were biting, but my fishing skills have weakened from lack of
practice, I suppose.  I only landed about 50%, so I am obviously not
setting the hook well enough.  I think my reaction time is slowed, too.
I changed to a smaller hook, and that helped, but mostly it is a hook
setting problem.  Bank fishing is fun, though, and it gives you time to
just think about things, soak up some sunshine, and relax.
Ron and Eric explored the lake and scoped out a few coves.  No one went
swimming.  We had so much fun yesterday, that Ron and I decided to go
out again today so that I could paddle, too.  So we headed for the lake
again, and today I just got a half a tube of crickets.  I wanted to test
the canoe's stability for casting and catching.  Unfortunately, I didn't
catch anything from the boat, only from the bank when we took paddling
breaks, but I was able to determine that the canoe was stable enough to
fiddle around with tackle and baits, cast, and reel successfully.  Ron
practiced paddling me into position.  It was so unseasonably warm (87
today, normal highs are like low to mid 70's-if that this time of year)
that I think the fish just weren't biting as well as yesterday.  There
was also more boats on the lake, more noise pollution, etc.  But we
still had a blast, didn't turn turtle, and we both got more comfortable
in the canoe.  Maybe next time we will practice getting back into a
swamped canoe, but today, I just didn't feel like swimming.  Of course,
the canoe draws a lot of attention.  People just can't believe that Ron
built it, and today, he had a new paddle to show off as well.  His
paddle looks great and works great. He'll start on a new paddle for me
in a week or so-mine will be a bent shaft design.
Anyway, today was great...the only thing that could have made it better
was if we had been dragging a stringer full of fish.  Oh well, there's
always next time, the next cove, the next lake...now that we have the
canoe trailer, we just hitch up and go..
Tomorrow, I'll be tilling up a large area in the garden, in preparation
for planting corn-3 sisters and my melons and such.

Bev
--
Bevanron of EarthNSky Farm   Sleep well tonight, for somewhere in the
ocean's depths, MY son is protecting YOUR freedom.