Natural Areas, Buffer Zones, And A Friend

I take a daily walk of approximately three miles. I'm usually out there about 7-8 am except when I'm fishing. My walk takes me through lovely small town streets with those cute little houses. The town does have it's "biggies" but where I live it's "old school" and much more modest. About the last mile or so I walk along two sections of undeveloped land which is on both sides of the street. This section is not big in the sense of large preserves but the main thing it's protected.

In the years I have walked this route I have observed hawks to sparrows and almost every other bird, most of which I can't identify. Many times I have observed deer, coyotes and foxes, those red fox in late autumn and early winter are so beautiful. And my favorite friends along this stretch are the wood-chucks. They enjoy the grass of which there are many types.

Now this area does not come cloes to large tracts of land about such as Maine's 100 mile woods or the Adirondack Park in New York, but in it's small way it is a sanctuary that's doing a vital job.

The Red Sox, my favorite baseball team. This hat has been with me for some time, and recently I have been wearing it when I fish. My usual cap "Cakskill Flies" is in sad shape and in need of replacement, so I use the Sox cap. Well it has brought me luck and I may just keep it in the capacity....more later.

My Friend

Let me reintroduce you to one of the, "take that back" the best fly rod ever produced. The Orvis Superfine Small Stream Special. I bought this rod back in 1990, brand new from the Orvis factory. I have fished this rod on big rivers, Salmon River NY, Androscoggin River NH, The Magalloway in Maine, The Delaware River in Pennsylvania and The Farmington River in Connecticut. The rod has seen countless hours on the small intimate streams of the northeast. It has accounted for Great Lakes salmon and brown trout, landlocked salmon, and brook trout and most every other type of fresh water fish, and not to be forgotten it's also taken it's share of sea-run brook trout.

I wish Orvis would come back with this rod.

I hope to put the Small Stream Special to work soon.