Wilderness Blues- Ramblings from the Great Land

                   I know it has been quite awhile since I've written anything. I would like to take the blame, but honestly, I can't. The blame rests solely with my daughter Autumn. Let me explain. Some time in the not so distant past, I had mentioned to her that I would love to have a Hoochy Cake. Never having seen one before, I thought it would be a novel idea. My birthday came and went, and I believe I had a cake, which, though appreciated, wasn't all that memorable. I believe she baked me an apple pie though, that was pretty tasty. I prefer pie over cake. I think birthday pies should be offered at bakeries and supermarkets around the country. Perhaps I can work on selling the idea to various outlets.   In any event, I was a little disappointed that I didn't get a Hoochy Cake for my birthday. Low and behold, Father's Day arrived and Jan and I went out to Autumn's in-law's lake cabin to celebrate the day. We h...

 A few weeks ago, out of the blue, I got a call from my friend Doug Courtney. I've known Doug since he was just about eight years old down in sunny Charleston South Carolina. I moved next door to his family in 1974. I took him out fishing with me a time or two at the Naval Weapons Station ponds back then. When his family moved to Hoonah a year or two later, I followed suit. We fished in my fourteen foot Highlaker and hunted for ducks out on the flats at Game Creek. I caught a thirty nine pound red king salmon one afternoon off the blinker at the cannery when Doug was with me in the boat. It was one of the most thrilling times I've ever  had in my life. Anyway, as I mentioned, Doug gave me a call and mentioned he was sending me a package. For the life of me I couldn't figure out what it could be. When the airline called and said it had arrived I went out and picked up what turned out to be the picture at the top. I was blown away. For those who don't know thei...

 If you've lived long enough you might remember an old TV western called Have Gun, Will Travel. It starred Richard Boone as a hired gun or bounty hunter. It's been so long ago since it's been on, that I can't really remember much about it, which doesn't really matter, because this post isn't about a western, it's about hoochies, one of my favorite subjects. The young lady pictured here is a Forest Service employee named Erin, who I am going to assume has been put in a position of authority for this year's Annual Kid's Fishing Derby. This year will mark thirty years. That's pretty incredible. Every year there is a saying that is printed on T-shirts that are passed out to the participants. I'm not sure what the saying and logo will be this year, but last year's slogan was Keep Calm and Fish On. I can actually relate to that. I've found myself on more occasions than I care to mention coming totally unglued, either because it see...

 For a number of years now, I can't really say how many because they tend to all run together, my daughter Jennifer has been hosting family and friends at her house on Christmas Eve for shoe box dinners. Jen is an elementary teacher and all elementary teachers worth their weight in salt have all manner of fun projects up their sleeves to make learning interesting to their students. I'm not sure where she learned about the shoe box dinners, but it's one of my favorite traditions during the holidays. She wraps shoe boxes with colorful Christmas paper, including the lids, and fills each one with some chips, a soda, a couple of mandarin oranges, some candy and a small gift for each person who is attending. While the gifts may be small, they aren't inexpensive, especially when she is getting something for a number of different people. This year I had several packs of hoochies in my shoe box. Our friend Mark received a flashlight, complete with a laser pointer. I...

 I received a package yesterday from my son Brian. He had ordered some fishing gear for me for Christmas but he was in Spain at the time and postal freight being what it is and whatever other factors were involved, I just got it yesterday, which I think is kind of nice. In fact, I think it would be a great idea if everyone went shopping when they could get the best sales on things, and then sent part of the stuff after Christmas, so that you're not so overwhelmed at one time. It's kind of neat to not know when a gift is coming and it arrives out of the blue. All of this gear was packaged in a shirt box, so I figured he had bought me a shirt, which of course I'm always in need of because I have a tendency to be hard on my clothes. I don't know how one person can get a shirt and still have it five years later and it looks good enough to wear to church, and I get a shirt, and six months later my wife is telling me I need to get rid of it because it mak...

Flasher and Hoochies Flashers and hoochies on the job   For my birthday or perhaps Fathers Day, or perhaps both, I don't know, my daughter Jen and her family blessed me with a flasher and some hoochies from Cabelas, the giant outdoors outfitters. You would think that being in the fishing business as they are, they would be well familiar with all of the jargon that fishermen have for assorted fishing gear. However, that isn't the case. Jen went in and asked the salesman where she could find the hoochies. I guess he must have thought she should have been shopping in a sex shop or something from the look he gave her. She had to explain what they were used for and that they mimicked an octopus. I think they call them skirts or some such thing. Anyway, I'm the proud owner of a glow in the dark flasher and two new packs of hoochies that I love. I tried out the flasher on one line, but even though that line was catching fish when I used the conventional gear, when ...

 I looked outside today and saw that the bay looks like a millpond, just as flat and beautiful as a mountain lake. Of course, just because it looks nice doesn't mean that the fish are biting. At least that's been my experience. I always get all spastic this time of year with the weather getting better. I'd really like to get out there and run the gear up and down, but I think  my best bet right now is to try and prepare,so that when the fish are biting I'll be ready- or at least as ready as I can be. It seems like there is always something unexpected that crops up that has to be dealt with. I don't know what I'd do if I actually went out and something didn't break down or I didn't leave the dock without some important piece of equipment that I need. I think I would contact the folks at Guinness Books. I'm sure it would be some kind of a record.  For several days I set up shop at my dining room table so I could tie some hoochies for the up and coming...

My favorite place to shop in Hoonah is here at the Tideland Tackle and Marine store. If they would expand their inventory a little to include perhaps milk and bread and of course cheese and Pace chunky salsa, there might be little reason for me to shop anywhere else. No doubt I'd probably get in trouble if Jan sent me down for a loaf of bread and some lunch meat and I came back with a box of 8/0 stainless steel hooks and a pack of OG55R glow in the dark hoochies, but it would still be nice to have a little larger inventory. Unfortunately, I don't know where they would put anymore stuff. The store is painfully small as it is. As you can see, they carry a pretty good supply of guns and ammo, reels, trout lures, spoons, hooks, flashers and my favorite, hoochies. For anyone who doesn't know, hoochies are little vinyl octopus lures that come in a variety of colors that you tow behind a flasher to catch salmon. Those wicked employees at Tideland intentionally order all manner of ...