Tuesday Morning Joe- January 10 "Wha Happened?" edition

Aaaaachchhhhhhhh.  That's the kind of sound you make on a Tuesday.  Yawn, streeeetch, scraaa- wait a minute- it's Tuesday.  What happened? I somehow managed to skip Coffee yesterday.  I can't imagine all the bleary eyes out there.  The shock, horror, utter disbelief at having to start the week without your Monday Morning Coffee.  Now it's Tuesday, the worst day of the week, you haven't had your coffee, and you're angry as hell.

Please accept my apologies.  Ok, so I see your bloodshot eyes, smell the foul stench of your.... ok, that's going too far.  By the way, I've hired Fred Willard as a consultant for this blog and he offers some excellent blogging advice in the video.

Speaking of blogging advice,  I posted a survey asking my readers what they would like to see here at Fontinalis Rising.  I'm not proposing any full-scale changes here, and this is just a personal blog, but I would like to perhaps come up with a format and schedule so you know what to expect, and while I'll always write about what interests me, it's good to hear from readers what they like and  dislike.  The results came back as follows.

• 38% of you would just rather go read Troutrageous!.  This is fine- I'd rather do that too.  I see this as a self-solving problem, but if you like I can post a permanent link in case you find yourself lost again.
• 34% said "better photography.  Let me refer you to Russ Schnitzer's blog.  All kidding aside, I have been underwhelmed by the photo's I've been posting lately.  I'm finding that you can either fish or shoot pictures, but it's very difficult to do both.  I'm getting tired of the "blogger" shot- you know the one, fish in hand.  I'll definitely try to pick it up a little.
• 36% of you specifically mentioned that you want me to keep doing my Monday Morning Coffee feature.  I promise that MMC will always be a regular feature of this blog.... um, starting next week.
• 24% said they want me to focus on the creative writing.  I'll do my best.  Unfortunately for this blog at the moment, all of my brainpower has gone into articles for other publications.  Once those issues are no longer current I'll post those articles here if they're relevant.  Look for a piece on winter fishing this week.
• 42% of you said don't change a thing.  Thank you.  Thank you very much.  I'm looking to streamline and weed out some chaff here, not reinvent the wheel.
• 3% of you said you'd like to see adult content- something about naked women fishing.  Maybe that would improve my photography.  There's also a good chance all the pictures would be out of focus and askew.  I'll be taking applications for models.
• 10% want to see some fly fishing news.  I intend to start a weekly news post, just because I want to.  Anything I come across in the world of fly fishing I think is relevant or interesting- a good blog post, news items, video etc.  I'm thinking this will be a Thursday/Friday thing.
• all percentages (187%) were completely made up, as I didn't feel like actually figuring them out.   I'm a writer, not a math whiz.

To the person who wrote that they want me to post on Upper Peninsula fishing, especially  the Fox River near Seney Wildlife refuge- let me explain something.  If you've read my blog for any length of time, you may notice that I rarely mention a stream name.  I catch plenty of flack from friends and locals if I post here or in social media on specific streams, runs, hatches and locations.  There's a good reason for this.  Unlike our more famous rivers such as the Au Sable and Pere Marquette, the streams where I live in the tip of the Lower Peninsula are tiny and can't handle the same kind of pressure that those bigger streams can.  Yoopers (as UP locals are called) are even more militant.  If I started posting about UP streams, provided they would even let me cross the Mackinaw Bridge, I'm sure I could expect to find my truck vandalized and tires slashed.  I'll tell you that in general, the Fox is a fine and even famous brook trout stream, which I haven't fished in several years.  There's miles of it to explore, and I'm sure if you go in June you'll catch some trout.  If you contact me privately I may be able to share some info.

Winter is still a no-show here, which has made for some pleasant fishing.  I've gotten out twice so far.  Friday I was actually too warm in my fleece and ball cap and didn't need gloves.  I caught several small fish and was pretty disappointed in the day, but at the last minute came up with  three nice fish in four casts- a 17 " rainbow, a 22" steelhead, and 13" brown.  Talk about turning a day around.  I haven't been tying much yet, but the local TU chapter is tying tonight at City Park Grill, so if you're in the area, stop in, have an appetizer and a beverage and hang out.

I see that a few guys have been out ice fishing.  Not me.  We've had hardly any weather cold enough to make ice.  As of today it hasn't gotten below freezing in 48 hours, and it rained a good portion of yesterday.  They say it's going to get cold this weekend, but if you're coming up to visit and want to hit a lake use extreme caution!  Definitely do not go out without consulting the locals.  There's still not enough snow for snowmobiling, and don't think that because the lakes are ice covered that you can take your machine on them.  People die up here every year under normal condition, and this year is not normal.  At least my heat bill should be reasonable.  By the way, the ski resorts are open.

Well, this is getting long and it's time to get some things done.  I'll leave you with a fish pic, you know, like the ones I said I'd try to get away from.

last week's rainbow.

Monday Morning Coffee

Ahhhhh.....good morning....yawn, stretch, scratch, repeat...coffee, definitely needs must coffee.  Wait-  mmmm... that's better.  You can smell it can't you?  It's french press- my morning tradition.  MMMaaannnn is that good.  I have an extra cup here- want some?  Ok.  There you go.  Let's talk.
Well, that was an exciting weekend- I survived the big catch and release post and I'm pleasantly surprised at the positive response.  I found out that it had been posted on the Michigan Sportsman forum with some interesting member comments here.
I think I could sum up that whole post by saying that while there is a lot of low moral ground on that issue, there is no high moral ground- we all catch and release whether we like it or not because the law says so, and we all kill fish whether we like it or not because of the inherent mortality.  When you remove the notion of taking the high ground from the mix, we're then left with being able to make a rational decision on whether to keep or release fish depending on the situation, the species, and the fishery, rather than being wedded to a specific philosophy.  What? You haven't finished that cup of coffee and I'm giving you a headache? Sorry.  Let me top that off.  Better?
Moving on.  I was very pleasantly surprised to go catch up on my Troutrageous! reading only to find I was the recipient of some blog love- that explains the huge spike in views on Wednesday.  And I thought it was my pretty face.  Thanks Mike- I'll take all the love I can get on this end, I just hope to be able to give back some day, somehow.
The drawing was a big success (for the winner) and I realized too late that I should have advertised that we would be posting to Facebook live as it progressed.  My thanks to those who just happened to be tuned in at the right time- you all helped make it fun.  Some guy named Shane won it, but I can't contact him through his comment- there has to be a better way to handle entries- any suggestions?  My thanks as well to Keith, Amy, Lorin, and Jayme for being such good sports and letting me take over their house for an evening.  Keith and I are plotting kayaking trips and trips to Colorado.

my best kayaking friend Keith

It looks like I have posts happening daily this week, with a possible response to the Unaccomplished Angler's post on stupid fly fishing cars and how mine might qualify, and a surprise announcement later in the week, but....

I just want to address one issue- this is not a "selling" blog, but, if you check my mission statement, I have said that I will be doing product reviews and covering the people and businesses I believe in.  (I think I said that... I meant that)  Our outdoor experiences enrich our lives, and I want to highlight here those things that enrich my outdoor experience.  So this week I'll be highlighting two people and businesses you should know about.  I'm doing a feature Wednesday on a good friend who has a great product for fly tyers and I'm coupling it with a give-away contest.  Whoever wins this one will definitely agree that it's the single best thing they've ever added to their bench besides their vise itself. I'll also be featuring my favorite fly shop this week, so look for it.  I have not been solicited by either one for coverage-  these are things that I believe in and love.  I will be adding links to my site and it will be a list that will be increasingly hard to get on.  I will probably add a page to give props to other blogs and businesses that I like or have been helpful, but I want to stay true to that original vision for this blog.

Bloggers take note- I'm adding a book to my Fontinalis Reader page that is for you, and may seem a little strange.  It's called "For Entrepreneurs Only" by Wilson Harrell.  What does this have to do with you?  In my view, if you are a blogger, you are an entrepreneur period, whether you benefit fiscally from your blog or not.  I don't know about you, but I experience an overwhelming wave of stark raving terror (his words, my feelings) every time I hit the "Publish" button.  Mr. Harrell addresses that issue, how to deal with it, and how not to drive your family and friends crazy with it in the opening chapters.  The rest of the book may or may not apply to you, but give it a read.  I'm also giving a shout out to Mr. Steven Rinella as the best outdoor author to come along in a decade- I love everything he writes.  I still have yet to see his show.  It's called.... something.... on that...channel.  I better do some homework.

All right- coffee is done.  Let's get after it.....

Blogs I have known (Briefly)

I am woefully, embarrassingly new to the blogging world, and my pokings and proddings in that area have been fun and refreshing.  I'm doing this post in part to show off some new graphics, and in part to put some page distance between the male odor jokes and my next big post.

I've added a list of my favorite blogs on the sidebar.  I'm not sure how blogspot goes about listing them in the design features- it's not alphabetical, and not in the order I follow them, so I'll tell you about some of them.  Some you are familiar with, some you've never heard of.  All are worth a look.

The blog I have followed the most and longest is Steve Fraley and John Karakashian at Baldwin Bait and Tackle.  Technically not a blog, but a fishing report, they've been doing for years what I wish all the shops and guides would do- well-written, frequent, informative posting on actual conditions with lots of fish pictures and great scenery.  Karakashian's tying video's were basically my tutorial.  A couple of years back Steve started adding fishing videos, and I have to tell you- they made me quit watching outdoor Television.  They are exactly what I want to see.  His videos from Alaska last year were riveting and even alarming.  My words can't express how much I like watching these, so you'll have to check them out yourself.

To show you how little I've poked around the blogosphere, the blog I've followed second most is April Vokey's over at Flygal, and that for only about a year.  A lot of her posts are trip updates, but every now and then she comes out with a real gem, and what's not to love?  Lovely gal and awesome pictures of wild steelhead in their native waters set against that BC backdrop? Yeah, you're following it too.

After that come my recent discoveries.  Kirk Werner at  Unaccomplished Angler- probably my favorite. Unaccomplished Angler? Maybe, but definitely an accomplished blogger. Great writing, cool graphics, and his understated sense of humor keep me coming back.  His "Fly Fishing Needs Dirty Harry" post is perhaps the funniest thing I've ever read.

Most Things Custom is done by an old friend of mine, and it's worth a look.  Coyote Luke is a die-hard do-it-yourselfer who has recently discovered fly fishing and tying for steelhead and is killing me with all the fish he's catching this winter.  He makes beautiful custom musical instruments and writes about his various innovations.

Jay over at The Naturalist's Angle seems like the kind of normal person you could just go fishing with and have a great time- no drama, no pretenses, just a couple of guys fishing.

I think Owl Jones gets the nod for funniest and craziest; if you're not following his stuff you should be, but then again, you probably already are.

Everyone knows or follows Troutrageous, and for good reason- he gets the nod in the All-Around Entertainment department.  Skillfully done, and always interesting.

I really like the writing over at Fishing for Words.  A lot of his posts are about rod building, but when he waxes on it's always enjoyable.

Someone had to be mentioned last, and I've been enjoying Cofisher over at Wind Knots and Tangled Lines.  I think it's the attitude.  He's like that old guy who was grumpy with you but took you fishing and showed you a lot of stuff.  I've had a couple of those in my life, gone now, and reading his work and comments brings that back to mind.

There's a lot of great blogs out there I'm not mentioning- Eat More Brook Trout comes to mind, or how about this one- TFM?  If I have to spell that one out you've been hiding under the same rock as me.  There's plenty of others that I've checked out and love (The River Damsel etc.), you'll all eventually make it on the list, but I had to start somewhere, and now I have to go to work.

Tight lines!

FR