Record price paid for Meltzhoff Bluefin Tuna painting

I'm a little late on this one but when I found the press release in my email I had to share it with you. This is amazing!

Four paintings of game fish by Stanley Meltzoff set unexpected records for the artist's work at the recent Jackson Hole Art Auction, an annual event that specializes in high-end Western art.

Most noteworthy was "Bluefin at Ballyhoo," an oil-and-acrylic painted by Meltzoff in 1979 that sold for nearly $32,000 -- almost 10 times the pre-sale estimate. Another Meltzoff painting, titled "White Marlin," from 1986, sold for more than $21,000, four times the pre-sale estimate.

The results were especially noteworthy in that the Jackson Hole auction is primarily a vehicle for Western art and rarely deals in other genres.

I'd better keep on working at my fish art! The full report is here.

Octopus attacks and eats shark!

This video has been around for a while, but it's still an amazing capture. This octopus has been hunting in a public aquarium...hunting sharks!!

Cletus take the Reel!

Admit it: you identify with this song don't you? :)

Hereford Manor lakes fishing restrictions lifted

I remember the very first time my big brother and I slept under the stars to welcome the opening day of trout season in Pennsylvania. I also remember that the temperature dropped rapidly and we decided it would be best to sleep in his car. Another irreplaceable memory of that next morning was waking to find that our minnow bucket had frozen into the water where it was sitting because the temps had dropped so low the night before!

My brother, one of only two fishing partners I've ever had, died 2 years ago, but I know that if he were still here he would have a strong reaction to the news I got today. That spot at which we shared not only that opening day memory but many other fishing memories, Hereford Manor lakes in Beaver County PA, will soon be completely drained because the dam that creates it (actually 2 lakes) has deteriorated beyond safety.

The fish and game commission will be lifting all regulatory limits on the fish in there in order to make as much use as possible of the bioload, and keep from wasting all that life.

Still, it's a sad notice for me, because my memories of that place are so good. We went there often for the trout season's opening day, and invariably I caught loads of...bass! Yup, opening day of trout season is always my best day of bass fishing, haha!

It was a good spot, and hopefully the money to make repairs and eventually refill the lakes will come through. If not, well...we have our memories.

Murphy's Laws of fishing

I was able to sneak away for a couple hours of fishing this weekend and was reminded that Murphy's Laws are still in full effect. Which laws did I review you ask?

1) When you find the fly/lure that the fish really want, you'll only have one and will soon lose it.

2) Rediscovered subsection one of that law, its Inverse Proportion: the longer it takes you to find said fly/lure, the SOONER you will lose it.

It took me about 3 hours to find the right fly that gave me consistent catches. When I did, I caught nice 'gills and perch and even a foot long Wiper in 6 consecutive casts. Then I snagged and lost it.

Meh.

Highland Park Lock and Dam 2 closed for 2 weeks

The discussion about needed repairs reached a boiling point when pieces of a lock wall actually fell off, and now the work begins and Channel 4 news reports that it's expected to stop all traffic through Lock and Dam 2 Highland Park for about 15 days. Boaters beware!

Here's the most updated report.

Check out the "At Sea Diary"

We've watched them on television, now you can follow a fisherman at sea via his blog!

Be prepared and take a deep breath

(a partial excerpt from my upcoming book. Try not to laugh too much at the picture. I'm learning what media suits me best)

A friend of mine took me to the Western Pennsylvania town of Latrobe one beautiful morning during the summer of, I believe, 1989. Although better known as the home of golfing legend Arnold Palmer, Latrobe also plays home to a beautiful stream named the “Loyalhanna”. That day I had one of the best and worst fishing moments of my whole life, and received a life lesson which would later be reinforced by Scripture.

It took us just under an hour to get to this stream from Pittsburgh, and as we cruised down the road paralleling the stream my excitement caused me to emphatically push my friend to stop the car at a spot which was far upstream of the section to which he intended to introduce me. This area was just off the two lane road we were riding (another 2 lane borders the stream on the other side) and required a short climb down a hill. We were literally only yards off the road and less than a mile from a crowded business district yet the steep drop to the water and the thick lining of trees guarding this stretch of water made it feel like we were in some mountain miles away from anything.

As we took up our spots I looked across the water and recognized an area that looked quite promising as a spot where the best fish in the immediate run would hold, waiting for food to swim by its lair. My imagination betrayed me as I couldn’t even fix in my mind an image of the type of fish that would be tough enough to claim such an ideal spot in such a marvelous section of stream. I quickly baited my hook (I had to move quickly: this friend was a great fisherman and I could tell he had noted the spot also) and sought secure footing for what would literally be a cast all the way across the stream into a crease in some rocks the size of a pile of basketballs, 3 or four of them. Regarding the size of this stream, it would probably only be considered a stream in Western Pennsylvania and a few other North American areas because we have several large rivers. In many places the Loyalhanna would be considered a river itself especially with its Whitewater sections.

As I got my footing I reared back and with a grunt cast forward and slightly upstream as hard as I could, sending my live leech sailing on 4 pound line high into the air and rocketing right towards the spot! My heart was pounding even before the line settled because of what I expected to happen and the sheer delight of an accurate cast for a change! At this point my guess is that you’re thinking that I cast, nothing happened and I got a life lesson from complete disappointment.

WRONG!!

I noted the perfect holding spot, made a great cast, and when my live leech traveled across the stream despite my awkward stance in the rocks, landing less than 2 feet from the rocks, a huge shadow emerged from the rocks and headed directly toward it! This is the kind of moment fishermen live for and it was happening! To me!! In a moment all my training and practice had come together to initiate what was going to be the most exciting catch of my young life- and in an instant, this was when I blew it all. I was so excited that upon seeing that huge shadow after my bait that instead of waiting to feel the weight of the fish on my hook, I reared back on the rod when it seemed the fish was so close that there was no way it couldn’t have taken the hook. Well there was a way, because it hadn’t.

You don’t get two shots at a fish like that and I never saw it again. This was when I learned that preparation isn’t just leading up to the moment of execution. Preparation carries through the moment of execution and beyond.

Fishing in the rain

Fishing in the rain simply must be experienced to be appreciated. Standing in the middle of a tree lined valley stream while a light shower falls around you, distorting the surface of the water and hiding predator from prey, prey from predator... combined with the smell of ozone wafting across your olfactory receptors... not being able to feel the difference between having your hand out of the water or under the water because you're so wet...looking up once in a while just long enough to feel the drops of water that have traveled for thousands of feet from the clouds splash against your skin...is a really pleasant load to the senses.

Gulf fishermen reach out to president Obama for help

(Jun. 04, 2010 - Alexandria, VA)... Today, representatives from every sector of the sportfishing industry sent a letter to President Obama urging the administration to make federal financial assistance immediately available to recreational fishing-dependent businesses impacted by the Gulf of Mexico oil catastrophe. The industry also recommended that the administration develop a long-term compensation plan for these businesses to cover losses for the duration of the economic impact resulting from the current crisis.

The Gulf has been hard hit by hurricane Katrina and now the oil spill. It doesn't seem that the president is a fan of fishing, but hopefully this will make him aware of the need of the people.

Giant jellyfish warning

Several hundred of the huge creatures were spotted by divers searching for basking sharks near Land’s End and are thought to be Lion's mane jellyfish, (Cyanea capillata) which with a bell size of up to 2.3m and tentacles potentially 36m long are the largest species in the world.

They are capable of giving a nasty sting even when dead, so beach users have been advised to stay clear of any found washed ashore.

The story

I wanna fish Thailand!

Wow, check out this gallery of catches from this guiding Thailand site. I think that in addition to the Amazon River, I need to add Bung Sam Ran lake to my wish list of places to fish!

Pymatuning fishkill resolved

Harrisburg – The departments of Environmental Protection and Health, and the Fish and Boat Commission have lifted the “Do Not Eat” consumption advisory for all species of fish taken from Pymatuning Reservoir and Tamarack Lake in Crawford County.

Fish tissue samples tested by the Fish and Boat Commission and Cornell University determined the large fish kills in both lakes were the result of a Columnaris outbreak. Columnaris is a naturally occurring bacterium that was triggered by several stressors, including rapidly warming waters during the spawning season.

Source

High water, no problem

A lot of guys find that high water blows them right out of their game. Some won't even fish in high water. Listen, it's not like the fish can go check into the nearest Howard Johnson's for a vacation. They are there, it's your job to find them.

Check the current seams. You will find slack water and that's where the fish will stack in order to avoid swimming hard against the current all day. I remember fishing Neshannock Creek once years ago when the water was so high the dam in Volant was not noticeable. I'd driven a long way so I had to try something. You know that abutment on the side of the dam that people climb on? the water was that high, so I found a little eddy that had formed in it, tied on a heavy bead-head Pheasant tail nymph, and caught 3 fish in it!

Don't give up, just fish smarter. :)

Guide to Discus by Heiko Bleher

In reviving this place for the Spring/Summer (dare I dream even more?) I wanna remember that the name is "Adventures with Fish", not just fishing, and with that in mind here's a great start to a new series on Discus keeping by a man who knows them better than most of us ever will.

With Practical Fishkeeping, Heiko Bleher is presenting a series on Discus that judging by part one, will be a superb in-depth look at one of my favorite fish! Here's a sample:

All three species of Discus can easily be distinguished by their own chemical water parameters and that’s why I recommend never keeping them together.

The habitat of Heckel Discus (S. discus) is always water of a dark tea colour, with visibility up to 1m/3.3’ and rarely more; pH never above 5.0 but averaging 4.5; conductivity from 6-12 µS/cm — but the average is always below 10. They live only in extreme acid water and oxygen concentration is often only 2.8 mg/l.

Heckels are active in daytime in groups of 30-200 or even more, standing in deep water, along rivers, or lake edges at a drop-off, normally at a depth of 1.5-4m/5-13’ among mostly acará-açú bushes (Licania spp.), a plant widespread in the Amazon basin and living partly under water.

In between are fallen trees and logs — and there’s always fine white sand present too.

Check it out, it's a great introduction that has me already looking forward to the rest of the series!

First bass of 2010

Slowly climbing out of the deep freeze...maybe I can revive this blog! :)

Practicing L.N.E. Leave No Evidence

Spring must be getting a little closer because I'm getting that itch. No, not that itch. I showered this week. I mean that itch to fish!

The first week of March usually is a great time at my favorite hybrid Striped Bass spot too and that's getting near. In addition, I picked up one of these neat Tackle Trolleys and in sorting my gear I remembered just how long it has been since I've been on the water. I also remembered something else. I remembered that my favorite hybrid Striper spot has an ongoing major problem: litter.

You've seen it, experienced the disappointment of heading to the water for that precious time of wrestling with nature and found nature adorned with trinkets nature didn't design. Soda and beer cans, candy bar wrappers, balls of fishing line, empty cigarette packs, bait containers and just about anything else you can imagine.

Here's what I've been practicing and something that I hope you'll adopt as well. I like to call it "Leave No Evidence". The idea is that when we hit a spot to fish or to hunt or whatever reason, we leave it without evidence that we or anyone else has been there. What I mean is that we carry a bag with us for trash and not only use it for our own garbage, but pick up something that someone else left behind. It doesn't even need to be a full sized trash bag that you bring. It can be one of those small grocery bags that you're using to carry your soda and sandwich. What you use is up to you.

Don't throw your trash on the ground or in the water. Put it in the bag and keep it 'til you reach the nearest trash can, or take it home if you don't see one. Don't stop there! Pick up something someone else left behind. Make the place you use better for your having been there. It just takes a little effort and helps everyone, including the animals you are there to find.

A little addressed fishing issue that I include under "L.N.E." is proper treatment of fish. Don't do like some folks do and handle fish abusively. If you aren't going to keep them, throwing them 20 feet so that they make a big splash upon hitting the water is a good way to kill them, and that leaves evidence. Release them gently so they can grow bigger and be caught again someday.

If you're using minnows, remember that it's bad for the body of water you're fishing to release baitfish there which weren't caught there. Those foreign minnows could be carrying diseases or parasites for which the natives have no defense. This is an illegal action in many areas too, and you could end up with serious fines.

So, leave no evidence that you've fished a spot, except, to leave it better than when you arrived! Feel free to leave your ideas in the comment section. :)

in PA news

Increased poaching penalties...a youth dies while hunting raccoon...a Steelhead seminar tomorrow...and a meeting of Trout Unlimited....check it all out here!

Hunting with Eagles, see eagles catch deer and wolves

Absolutely amazing. Ok, I know this is off-topic, but it was too stunning not to share and I aian't startin' a hunting blog. ;)

On this guy's Flickr page, a video clip of hunting deer using an eagle!

This Youtube video is of ancient hunting techniques using eagles to hunt wolves. Wow, this so dwarfs my memory of being 9 years old and watching an eagle grab a kitten just about 3o yards from me. Warning: the Youtube video is not for the faint of heart, some scenes will be disturbing for some people!

Online fishing liscenses

I'm not a big fan of buying things online (internet paranoia y'know?), but for those of you who are careful and are fine with it, Pennsylvania offers you the opportunity to buy your fishing license online. Here's the link. Get it before the fee rises again! ;)

International Angler has moved

Consolidated really. If you're a fan/customer of theirs (I am!) you need to know that they've closed the Aspinwall store due to an inability to reach an agreement with the lease-holder, and have moved everything to their Robinson township branch. Great news for any of you who've ever tried to find parking at the Aspinwall store on a busy day!

I always thought that store had more variety of tying materials so it's good for me that they're putting it all in one place! :)

World record Largemouth from Japan!

Technically, Manabu Kurita's Largemouth tied the world record, and it's a monster!

DANIA BEACH, Fla. — The most sought after record in all of fishing has been broken ... almost. Technically, Manabu Kurita's 22-pound, 4.97-ounce largemouth bass from Japan's Lake Biwa is now tied with a bass nearly 1 ounce lighter caught more than 77 years ago in rural Georgia.

The International Game Fish Association has officially certified and approved Kurita's application for record status a little more than six months after the catch. IGFA's regulations require that a record fish weighing less than 25 pounds be surpassed by two ounces or more.

On July 2, 2009, the angling world was stunned to learn of Kurita's catch. Few realized that Japan could produce such large bass, and experts universally considered California to be the most likely location for a new record.

Congratulations Manabu, now make a little room in the boat and meet me at the airport! :)

Hey Mark, where you been?

Wow, I can't believe I let things lapse this long here, but here's an explanation that I posted at my other site.
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Hey y'all.

Just when I try to do a lighthearted post everything crashes in.

My best friend died Wednesday.

He and I have known each other since we were 13, about 1983, and been fast friends since almost day one. He's a Christian who loves God, and was devoted to God long before I was, although I thought I was back then and told people the same.

We loved the same music and he is an amazing singer and very good guitarist. His family, particularly his mom and dad, were like a second family to me. One of the bonds of friendship we shared was that we knew we could ask each other anything under the sun, and get not the happy answer, but the loving and honest answer, no matter what. He loved to cook as much as I do, but was a better cook than me. We even shared a love of aquariums.

He was a guy who people could be around and just sense something beautiful about him. I know that because they told me so on many occasions. Have you ever met one of those Christians who just exudes that loving spirit? That was him. He was also one of my two fishing partners. A fishing partner isn't easy to come by, because a fisherman only meets a few people he really wants with him when he's trying to catch fish. Maybe somebody who really pushes him, maybe somebody who just appreciates the air...whatever.

Both of my fishing partners, one of my brothers and now my best friend, are gone.

I know I'll see him again though, because he is saved. Would you please pray for the widow he leaves behind, and their 5 year old son who is now without his father?

Thanks.