New England, New Zealand, and Salters

While taking a drive the other day, scouting a new stream I came across a few of these. Maple trees tapped and collecting sap the way they did it years ago. Most syrup producers use newer methods of plastic lines and larger collecting sites. Looking around I noticed there were 4 trees with buckets. As I got closer I could the sap dripping at what appeared to be a good pace. Perhaps the owner does not do this for a living, but just for his own use. This is a sweet time in New England.

This is a wonderful DVD. It's about two anglers who stumble upon a cabin in New Zealand. They find a journal that belonged to an angler from years past. Great brown trout footage, as well as a look at wild New Zealand.

The Sea Run Brook Trout Coalition, I have posted a link below to its home page. They are doing great work with this marvelous char. From Maine, to Long Island, with Connecticut, and the Massachusetts Islands. Check out their latest newsletter.

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Venison Chili

Chili.....this one is made with venison but you can also use turkey, chicken, beef, or pork. Pictured are the ingredients, and the amounts of each that I use. These can be adjusted to your taste.

Two pounds of venison....1 medium onion chopped.... 2 cloves of garlic chopped fine...1 small can of tomato paste....1 small can of beef broth....1 can pinto beans. Use 1/2 teaspoon of each of these spices, black pepper, cayenne, and crushed red pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of oregano, and cumin. 1 tablespoon of paprika, and 2 tablespoons of chili powder.

Trim as much fat from venison, cut into strips and grind.

The venison should be ground coarse.

In a deep pot heat some olive oil and place meat, spreading it evenly. Leave meat cooking long enough to create a good brown crust before stirring to fully cook meat. Add onion, and tomato paste. Allow to cook and keep stirring, approx. 2 to 4 minutes. Now add beef broth, and paprika, stir well and add the rest of ingredients except beans.

Allow chili to cook on low heat for about an hour, stirring from time to time. If the chili looks dry add some water a little at a time to slightly thin. Your chili should look like this. Now is where I add some roasted red and green peppers, and the beans. Allow to cook another 15 minutes.

Grill some corn bread and enjoy.

Venison chili.

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Mussels, Brown Trout

In the course of ones time angling we are bound to cross paths with some strange happenings. These encounters will usually go unrecorded and remain memories in our mind coming forward at times when they are brought up in conversation while angling or over coffee and such. Here are two that I've encountered and was fortunate to have a camera handy to photograph them.

I was nymphing a small stream one day. In a section of slow moving water as the drift came to a stop. The fly set there for a few seconds and as I lifted the rod I could feel weight. Proceeding to retrieve I could tell it was not a fish, but perhaps a piece of sunken wood. As I placed the object on the bank I noticed a fresh water mussel had tried to eat my pheasant tail nymph. Being a strict catch and release guy I tried to remove the fly, only the mussel would not give it up. After wrangling for some time I finally got it out. I put the mussel back in the water and put the bent and tattered nymph in my box. I still have that fly somewhere.

Another time while fishing streamers one early morning I hooked a small brown. As the fish moved to the surface as I retrieved a second brown, somewhat larger than the one hooked on the streamer, hit the smaller one. The brown held the smaller one for some time. As I brought the two to shore, I attempted to shake the larger one free from the little one. He would have no part in letting go, and hung onto that fish. After picking him up, he let go. I looked at the smaller brown, he did not look to be harmed. I set him back into the water where he laid for a few moments and swam off.

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Days Not So Far Away

We fished yesterday, and to say the day was bleak was an understatement for sure. The air temp was in the thirties with a good breeze, the skies were cloudy and snow was blowing around. I probably should have stayed home and watched "The Waltons". But the one thing I got from yesterdays outing was the realization that better days are on the horizon.

Those wonderful days of Spring. When the color  green is paramount. Those days when wild brook trout are looking up for their meals. Those days when a "Bomber" drifted brings repeated strikes. Those days when eating a sandwich streamside becomes so enjoyable. These days are not so far away friends.

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