That is not anything I’m concerned about fishing lakes or rivers. But I sometimes kayak fish on salt water sounds on the N.C. coast. And have some concern, would pulling a struggling fish to the kayak or blood from the fish attract something bigger than my boat that I’d rather not encounter?
[I have folding kayaks, skin on frame boats. Several years ago the news had reported several shark attacks all summer along the east coast. That fall I was out paddling in my Pouch (Poucher Boote) E 68 kayak on Bogue Sound. I saw something larger and silver flash just below the water surface. Followed by hard thumbs on the bottom of my boat. Easily felt because it is just fabric over a wood frame. Pretty scary for a moment or two. I decided it was probably just a school of Bluefish chasing a meal. But I’ve never seen any sharks while kayaking, though I’m sure they are there. Only a few up close encounters with dolphins. That I don’t fully trust, they are not Flipper. ]
Several years ago while there I saw kite fishing rigs for sale at West Marine. Researching them after coming home I discovered two things. Kite fishing was apparently being done by some Pacific islanders pre-contact with the early explorers. And I would never want to have a day on the water as experienced by Paul Morris in New Zealand several years ago. (caution some gross pictures)
Luckily most of the time there are no worries about encounters with large predators while fresh water fishing. The occasional attack by large catfish is about the only thing I’ve heard a few times. There was an medium sized alligator found several years ago at the lake I fished yesterday. Probably someone’s pet that got to big and aggressive for the owner to keep any longer.
Anyway, perhaps enough chat of being the prey and not the predator and off the topic of today on the water catching fresh water fish.
So I fished for 45 min-1 hour after work today, warm weather and high run off makes for chocolate water, ( at least that’s my excuse) but no takes. So practiced casting, I had a moderate stiff wind so I did some cross wind and up wind practice.
I got out this morning for about 90 minutes. It was my first time of really getting to try out my Daiwa Sagiri 45. Now I understand why people like these rods so much. They cast beautifully.
Similar to @sparrow, we have runoff and have been having lots of rain. Today is no different. Very high fast water that gradually turned to chocolate milk again.
The first 30 minutes were very overcast, but no rain. Air and water temperature were both around 48F (9C). Unfortunately, the sky opened up and it was a complete downpour, I couldn’t see any further than about 10 feet (3m) in front of me, it was raining that hard. I was soaked, well at least from the waist down. Here are a few photos before the rain started.
There are survey markers everywhere. Over a million in the USA. Some placed by USGS and also by many other organizations. I walk a lot of trails on the property of the Green Bank radio astronomy observatory, and am frequently surprised by the survey makers I find on the property. USAF, US Army, US Navy, USGS, and others. The navy ones I understand as the 40m antenna is contracted to them for time keeping or navigation data. The others a mystery why they are there.
Some people make a sport of hunting them. Similar to geocaching. Called bench marking , survey marker hunting, mark recovery, probably other names too.
Seeing if you can find your way to them is an excuse to get out in the woods, add an additional activity to just walking and hone your land navigation skills. Either by GPS coordinates or by map and compass alone. I do a bit of it myself, but not in any formal way where I photo the marker found and log it into a website that logs that sort of thing. At the radio observatory only map and compass can be used, electronic gadgets are not permitted near the radio telescopes, as they interfere with the signals received on the radio telescopes. [they have a bit of trouble now days due to people walking / running on the property with Fitbits or cell phones - though they are quit useless there, nearest cell tower is 20 miles away)
Many are marked on topographic maps. You can see if you can find your way to them just for fun. Some markers are fairly new placements, others were placed decades ago.
One of dark sides I’ve read about is a recent problem with people digging them up and selling them on ebay. Probably a bit of hard work but doable at isolated, unseen locations in the woods. However sometimes they are located in towns, on the corner of some building. One is on the old post office building in the small town near where I live.
This one was in a very rural area of northwestern Massachusetts. I saw it about 30 yards (~30m) from the road in a rather open area before I went into the woods to find a brook that someone told me about. It was partially covered by a pile of brush that had been cut. The color caught my eye in the middle of the drab early spring colors.
Drove to the family vacation house (‘camp’) Saturday afternoon. rain continued Sun and most of Monday. However, the 2019 fishing in Pocahontas County got off to a good start landing ~ 13in and later an ~ 11in brook trout from the Greenbrier River near Cass. Oh, and even after all the rain the river was level was still good. Not like last year when I was often sent packing back to the house.
Tenkara tools: TB 40 rod, Stephens’s green spider wire line (that I am liking a lot), and self ties kebari, #14 dark brown body. lighter brown hackle, (futsū kebari style).
I’ve been worried I’ve possibly been posting too much. I was hoping members would post pictures of their weekend, monthly adventures. Please let me know if we should let this thread die or continue.
