Posts Tagged ‘fishing’
Fly Fishing Rods – New And Improved
Fly fishing rods are the fishing poles used by the anglers in the old days to catch a few fish for dinner. Youngsters and their granddads would walk to the creek or the ‘old fishing hole’ with their rods in hopes of catching ‘the big one’ they could proudly show Mom or Grandma at home. Today fly fishing rods are still proudly brought to the creeks, rivers, lakes and ponds as well as to the ocean.
Fly fishing rods made today are flexible and often made of very bendable plastics and silicons. The poles are used in casting ‘flies’. ‘Flies’ are comprised of a hook that is affixed with string to fur, foam, feathers, wood or other materials that won’t weigh down the pole. Today’s ‘flies’ are affixed with imitation materials such as plastic fishing strings and metal twines. Fly fishing poles of olden days were made of woods like bamboo that had been split, yew and green hart.
Some called the bamboo poles Tonkin Cane. Modern day fly fishing rods are constructed of man made items which can be carbon graphite, fiberglass, polyethylene and other composite. Tonkin Cane or bamboo poles are seen as beautiful, classic but also very fragile. They need a lot of tender loving care and a lot of maintenance to last for the next generation of fly fishers in your family.
A fly fishing rod uses the heavy weight of the fly line when it’s cast. Rods that are made of the most lightweight materials are able to cast the tiniest and lightest flies. Usually a plastic fishing line (microfilament) segment is known as a ‘leader’. This segment is often tied to the fly line at one end and it is tied to the fly on the other end.
Depending on the size and type of fish intended as the catch of the day, the fly fishing rod needs to fit the specifications. You must also take into consideration weather and water conditions as well as line’s weight. These considerations will dictate how the fly fishing pole is made. Heavier sized lines will cast heavier and larger fish types. Fly fishing poles come in a variety of sizes.
The heaviest sized lines are used to cast the very large and heavy fish. Fly fishing rods come in sizes from #000 to #0 for freshwater bass and trout. #16 size fly fishing rod is used for marine, large game fish.
Stripping guides have several looped other guides. The smaller guides are spaced at an even interval along the fishing rod to keep the thicker lines from too much movement. Casting movements’ should be kept at a minimum. Therefore, most fly fishing rods have no handle section (or very little) below the fishing reel area.
Fly fishing rods are manufactured nowadays mainly of carbon or graphite. These graphite fibers are placed downwards in intricate patterns to facilitate the rod’s not flattening when a lot of stress is placed upon it. Fly fishing rods taper from the ends; the degree of the tapering will establish how much the rod will flex when stress is put upon it while catching the big fish of the day!
For those of you in the world today who love fly fishing, you should get the best fly fishing rods. The fly fishing rod we purchased came from the World Wide Web and it has caught many fish.
Sharpening Bowie Knives
Bowie knives are as intimidating to sharpen as they are in most other respects. The blade on these knives is at least 6 inches long and, oftentimes, around twice that length. The blade is also heavy and curved, which presents additional challenges. Sharpening a Bowie, however, is really no different than sharpening any other knife.
There are several characteristics of Bowie knives that make sharpening them a tough job. They have long blades, which makes them unwieldy on a stone. They also have curved blades, which requires that the proper sharpening angle be maintained, for all intents and purposes, while turning a corner. The knives are also thick-bladed, which means they won’t fit correctly in many all-in-one devices. Because these knives oftentimes are made of very fine steel, they deserve to be maintained with the correct tools and the correct technique.
Some devices allow users to hold their Bowie knife in a vertical position while they sharpen it. These devices usually have slots that hold the blade in the correct position. Some of the devices use a mechanical apparatus to grind away the metal instead of the user drawing the blade against a stone. These devices sometimes produce good results, sometimes not. There is enough variation in Bowie knife design that a device may work splendidly for one particular knife and not at all for another.
Bowie knives need to be honed to get the best possible edge. This is done on a finer grit stone. Simply repeat the process and, with very little pressure, hone the burr down on the edge of the blade. With the proper angle, one will be left with a razor edge. If the knife is of a high-quality steel, the edge can be incredibly sharp, sometimes sufficient for shaving!
Remember to always use oil when sharpening Bowie knives on a whetstone. Without this lubrication, the blade can be completely ruined. If one has no experience sharpening knives, it’s best to practice on an expendable blade before setting to work on a high-quality knife. On some Bowie knives, there’s a notch at the hilt of the blade. This is called a “Spanish notch”. Many knife owners use this as the indicator of where to begin sharpening the blade. The easiest way to keep the bevel of the blade even is to draw the knife along the stone on one side and then repeat the process on the opposite side. Alternating in exact proportion ensures an even edge on the blade.
Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knives store featuring SOG bowie knives as well as humidors for storage.
A Little Outline To Give You An Idea Of What Bass Fishing Games Are Available On The Internet
When you can’t get yourself and your fishing gear to the lake, or the river, or the ocean; what’s the next best thing to do? Nothing better to relieve your bass fishing cravings than playing an online game where you can fish to your hearts content without leaving the house. Some of the following games are loads of fun and will provide hours of entertainment when you thought all was lost when you found out you couldn’t get the boat out and go after the fish for real.
Let’s start with one that has become one of the most fun of the bass fishing games available online, because it is so doggone realistic; Bass Fishing Pro. You will find it a real challenge to chase the fish, hook them, reel them in faster and faster, because the faster you get and the more you catch, the higher up in the levels you move. But, keep in mind that as you get revved up and go charging after those bass, your boat does not have an unending supply of gas, and if you run out——nanner nanner——you are now rowing the boat. And what does that action do for your fishing skills and speed—-not much now that you are pulling oars. So, in between steering the boat, chasing fish, hooking them, reeling them in and running around stuff; you have to watch the gas too. Remember, you can upgrade your boat as you become more agile, and you can compete in tournaments, which will help move you up the ladder.
Next up in bass fishing games is Fishing Champion. This game is cartoon based and packs a lot of fun hours in for most people with its casting action being so realistic, and the same for when you actually hook the fish and then reel it in. The bigger the fish you hook, the more money you rack up; and to get even more or extra cash—-you have the opportunity of hooking bonus fish. There are lots of tournaments to play in and win, and you move from location to location up the levels as you win your tournaments. Makes for a good time for all players.
Our next candidate in bass fishing games found on the internet is one called Fishing Frenzy, and it is true to its name. This one is for those folks who want a real challenge in trying to beat the clock, and as the game gets harder, it gets more frenzied, and you start to sweat as you watch the clock ticking and ticking away without missing a beat. The fish grab the line and pull the bobber under the water’s surface and the fun is on—-you set your hook and go after him in the shortest time possible. The action increases as does the difficulty of each level and that old clock never stops. You will have the “time” of your life with this game. Lots of action and fun.
As far as bass fishing games go, this one is a real (or should I say “reel” winner). It’s called Reel Fishing and it tends to lean on the simple side of action, but nevertheless is a winner when it comes to fun for the whole family. The idea is to catch as many fish as you can, while you sit in a stationary boat on the water with the fish swimming as shadows below you. You cast at the shadows as they move constantly around your boat in circular patterns and you aim your line at the moving shadows. But, there is a catch here—-watch out for the level of drag pressure you put on your line, because if it becomes too great, SNAP—-and you are done. Good family game and will keep you entertained for hours.
And another fun game from the arsenal of bass fishing games on the internet, is one call Survivor Fishing. As the name would state, it is up to you to survive this game by living off the land and finding something to eat to keep yourself alive. Near you is a river and it is a plentiful source of fish, so in order to have something for supper, you must employ what fishing skills you have and catch something. But, keep a close watch on how tight your line is getting, because if you pull too hard, your pole will break and your chances both of getting something to eat and winning the game have gone by the by. You can play as a character if you want, or not: some people find that more fun—but it is up to you. Either way, the game is an exciting one.
Just remember, that even though your plans for a day of fishing in the great outdoors have fallen through; that doesn’t mean you have to give up any hope of fishing at all. Just browse up bass fishing games on the internet, and you will find tons of them that will keep you and your family entertained for literally hours.
Chris Douglas writes on topics such as Bass Tracking Boats. For more information on Bassmaster visit our site.
Can I Pack a Bowie Knife in My Suitcase When Flying?
Being able to carry your personal belongings with you when you travel is of the utmost importance. Why wouldn’t you be able to carry your bowie knife with you on an airplane? Well, after the backlash of 9/11, it seemed that you couldn’t carry anything aboard a plane, without being suspected of terrorism. However, the TSA has eased some travel requirements. So, can you carry that bowie knife with you on a plane?
First, you will need to make sure that your bowie knife is not packed in your carryon luggage. While you can take bowie knives aboard planes, your carryon bag is most certainly not the right place for them. Where can you put them? The only place that the TSA allows bowie knives is in your checked baggage – your suitcase, for example. This type of baggage is checked at the ticket counter, and then sent down a conveyor belt to be loaded in the belly of the plane. While this will certainly keep you apart from your knife for the duration of the flight, it does allow you to travel with your weapon.
However, the news is not all bad. The TSA does allow you to carry a bowie knife with you if it is packed in your suitcase, so long as that suitcase is checked at the ticket counter and is not a carryon item. Of course, there are a couple of further caveats to this, as well. Your knife must be securely packed, sheathed and safe. It cannot be left loose inside your suitcase, nor can you pack it without its sheath. Interestingly, the same rules apply to swords, razors and other knives. If this seems a bit inconvenient, remember, you shouldn’t have any need for your knife during the flight, so packing it away before hand should be no issue.
What if you are not taking any checked luggage? If you’re only going for a short trip, or just like to travel light, it’s pretty common to only take carryon baggage with you. If this scenario sounds familiar, you should consider shipping your knife ahead, through UPS or FedEx. However, you should check the freight carrier’s weapons policy before attempting to ship that bowie knife ahead.
As you can see, taking that bowie knife with you is not as difficult as you might have thought. Of course, these rules might pose a problem if you were only going to take a carryon bag and didn’t intend to have any checked baggage. In this case, consider shipping your knife ahead to your destination if possible.
Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie hunting knives store featuring the Cold Steel training knife. Additionally, Dylan is also the President of an online humidors store.
How Do I Sharpen a Bowie Knife?
Sharpening a Bowie knife is much the same as sharpening any other knife. However, you will need to know how to go about the process in order to achieve optimal results. What process should you follow? Actually, you will have some choices to make before you even get started with the sharpening process. What is your first decision? First, you will need to determine what sort of sharpening system you want to use. Do you want to use a system that offers you edge guides? On the other hand, you might prefer to use a simple whetstone and control the angle of the edge yourself. This is an important consideration and should not be rushed.
Generally, novice knife owners opt for the all-in-one type of system, as this allows them to control the angle of the blade, without having to do so by hand. However, those more familiar with the sharpening process often choose to use a series of whetstones or a whetstone and a strop. This results in a much better edge, though it takes considerable practice before you can call yourself an expert. As a note, if you choose to go it alone, practice with some inexpensive blades before you attempt to sharpen your Bowie knife, or any other knife that might represent a considerable investment.
The process of sharpening a knife is all about removing metal from the blade, but doing so in a controlled pattern. The angle at which you hold your knife will determine some of how much metal is removed, as will the duration of the sharpening process. If you choose to use a sharpening system, make sure that it offers several different angles in the guide, so that you can achieve the sharpness and blade shape that’s right for your knife.
Holding one side of the blade against the stone, draw the knife either heel to tip, or you can grind it in circles over the stone (some knife owners prefer to use two stones, a coarse one and a fine one). Once you have raised a burr on the blade’s edge, you should flip the blade over and repeat the process until there is a burr along the entire edge of the knife blade.
Once you have ground down one side of the blade and raised a burr, you will need to flip the knife over and grind the other side. This will raise a burr all the way down the blade (including the tip of the blade). Once the burr has been raised, you should use a fine whetstone or a strop to remove the burr and reveal the true edge of the blade. Further stropping or honing will polish the edges, as well.
Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knife store featuring sog bowie knives. Additionally, Dylan is also the President of a specialty butane lighters store.