What Will Your Angling Legacy Look Like?

Beyond our own goals of chasing a personal best or the fleeting satisfaction of social media validation, lies a fundamental question I hope every angler takes a little time to reflect on now and then. What are you doing to make the future of angling a little better? Maybe it's one or two things, maybe it's a hundred. I certainly like to get out, experience new waters, catch big fish, and go on fishing adventures as much as anyone.While sharing these experiences with friends is enjoyable, as an educator, I want to open up the world of fishing to newcomers, and to pass along what knowledge I have with the next generation of anglers. I reckon that will long outlast anything I post up on social media or BS about when I hang out with my fishing buddies. As a volunteer fishing instructor for the state, and the faculty advisor for our schools fishing club, every little bit I can pass along just makes me feel better. I get as much or more enjoyment out of this these days as I do catching fish. For someone else, it may be contributing to the health and maintenance of our waterways. I've taught Scouts who took it upon themselves to place line and hook receptacles around many of our popular spots. It might not be the Ike Foundation (though if you have the means...). Think about the question. It doesn't have to be you sole motivation for wetting a line, but if we all give it a little consideration, the future of the sport will undoubtedly be better.  

Students on our Earth Day trip to Wharton Brook S.P. We got to help stock 1000 trout and catch a few!

The Piscifun Alijoz 400 Saltwater/Freshwater Baitcasting Reel - Crushing it or Crap?

Twenty some years ago, people looked at me like I had two heads fishing inshore with Shimano Curado baitcasters in the North East. These were go to down south whether pulling big bass from pads or reds inshore. Shimano then introduced the Curado DC with it's microchipped cast control system, because what goes better with chips than salt? Great if you're pro-staff and not shelling out, but.... The Shimano Tranx upped the game with capacity and drag in a low-profile baitcaster, along with the price. Today I received a Piscifun Alijoz 400 Saltwater/Freshwater Baitcasting Reel at a holiday season price of $109. Is the Alijoz 400 remotely comparable to the Tranx, or any good at all for that matter? For a bit over a Benjamin, we'll find out in the New Year! 

Model               Gearing       Drag     Weight     Mono Capacity    Line per crank 

Alijoz 400         8.1:1           35lb.      411g        17-270/24-208     42" 

Tranx 401HG    7.6:1            8lbs.     340g        16-300/25-200     39"

Article Preview... Source to Sea - Fishing Rt. 33 from the blue lines of the West Virginia border to the Chesapeake Bay and beyond.

I’ve written a couple of times on why I would consider Virginia a bucket list fishing destination. This past week I fished a single highway, Route 33, (with the exception of a 15 mile detour on 208 to Lake Anna), for 300 miles from Skidmore Lake on the West Virginia border to Deltaville where the Rappahannock River empties into the Chesapeake Bay.

I covered every type of water from blue line streams containing wild brook trout; mountain rivers filled with large and smallmouth, musky, panfish and more; Lake Anna, a large man-made lake containing bass, stripers, wipers, and crappie; the lower Rappahannock with largemouth, blue cats, flatheads, snakeheads, gar and carp; to finally the delta and salt full of summer flounder, cobia, red fish, spot, croaker, blues, stripers and more. Venture a bit further offshore, and you’re into blue water pelagics. I'll be mapping the route, talking about what to fish for and where, discussing tackle and shops to stop in along the way, as well as some great guides to consider booking with to get the most out of your time spent on a week long adventure. I'll also throw in some great places to stop for good eats and other interests.

Fall Run was HOT!!!!

This year's fall run was hot! Whether slot sized stripers crashing beaches or big pigs feeding before the migration, the fishing and catching was outstanding. I don't think I made a single run out where I couldn't find fish 40"+. Whether 40" fish on the fly, or 40lb.+ crushing bunker and sucking down eels, we couldn't ask for much better fishing. While the young of the year report has certainly raised alarm bells, maybe these new regs have helped boost numbers of big breeders that will make up for shortfalls in the years to come. Time will tell.  

Fish like these on the fly.

Filling a Gap - Egyptian Snider Enfield Smooth Bore

My little collection of British military surplus rifles grew by one today. I have Pattern 53 Enfield which was developed to fire the .577 Minnie style ball and saw use in conflicts from the Crimea to India and the US Civil War in both Union and Confederate armies. By 1867, the muzzle loading Pattern 53 was becoming obsolete, and the British initially addressed this by adopting American Jacob Snider's conversion breech for the Pattern 53s. These bridged the gap for only a handful of years until the introduction of the .577/450 Martini-Henrys, and left me with a gap as well. P1864 Snider-Enfields have jumped up quite a bit, but at the Ye Connecticut Gun Guild show today I came across an inexpensive Snider conversion gun, the Egyptian Snider-Enfield Shotgun, manufactured circa 1870s. These shotguns were made from obsolete Snider rifles from the 1870s. The operation is basically the same, except this gun fires either .577 round ball or shotgun pellets (24GA brass). The British did not want indigenous security forces armed with the latest weapons, and we also see later Lee-Enfields converted to single shot .303/.410 shotguns as well (on my want list!). The breech is commercial with the Snider Patent markings , and there are Egyptian markings in Farsi throughout. The stock is in good shape (faint 1902 stamp). The bore is smooth and clear, and the rest of the metal is free of any pitting. The action on this carbine is strong, hold half cock and full. If I load some black powder brass shells, I should be able to shoot this old gun. Imagine if I showed up and broke a few clays with this!  

Brutally Bubba’d Beyond Belief to the Point of Buggering the Imagination

I like oddball stuff, and while the C.S. Shattuck “American” hardly made its mark on American history, it does hold a place as representative of a booming firearms industry in the late 19th century North East. New small scale manufacturers came and went with regularity. Maj. Charles Shattuck designed and manufactured a number of inexpensive pistols and shotguns in and around Springfield Massachusetts from the late 1870s to around 1910. While Shattuck shotguns didn’t become a household name, his employee Oscar F. Mossberg did pretty well for himself.(1)  This particular shotgun, one of about 961, was manufactured in 1889 and has a pretty unique barrel break. The front trigger actually opens the breech, while the rear trigger fires the gun. Iver Johnson employed a similar trigger action at the turn of the century. I just thought it was cool, and so I bought it online from a local auction house.  

Unfortunately, this gun, while in otherwise very good shape for 133 years old, was fairly recently brutally Bubba’d beyond belief. The barrel band was visible in a photograph, but not any evidence or listing description of the hack job on the barrel itself. As you can see from the images, not only was this newer handguard “fitted” utilizing the barrel band and a modern hex bolt, for some inexplicable reason, the barrel was filed down during the process. 

I like bringing these old relics back to shootable condition. While a lot of things I can fix, this not so much. They took a lot of material out of an old Damascus steel barrel. I think my immediate plan is to re-Bubba in a manner more consistent with the early 20th century using old parts and relegating this to a conversation piece, while I also have a lead on another gun that I can maybe swap the barrel and foregrip over from. These things are pretty worthless, but I like the idea of keeping one of these oddball pieces of history in an original, shootable condition.  

 

(1) - (2013) Shattuck, C.S. American Firearms. Available at: http://www.american-firearms.com/american-firearms/z-html/company-S/Shattuck,%20C.S/Shattuck,%20C.S.html (Accessed: November 8, 2022).

RTI Italian Vetterli Model 1870/87/15 Part 3 - End Result

The Royal Tiger Imports Italian Vetterli Model 1870/87/15 is finished up and restored to a fully functional state. As this rifle was twice converted, and the barrel sleaved down to the current 6.5 Carcano, it's had a reputation of being a bit on the iffy side with regard to safety. This was the case when it was issued, much less 100+ years after its retirement. I will send a few low pressure rounds down range, probably with the safety of a bench rest and a lengthy trigger lanyard! The Italians make some of the finest shotguns, but there military rifles left a little to be desired.  

After the complete disassembly and some of the wood cleaning I described in Part 2, all of the metal parts went into an ultrasonic bath with a solution of water and Simple Green, followed by drying in the air fryer (don't tell Gemma, but this works great!!) For teh most part, the metal is in decent shape, with crisp stampings and some light surface pitting. The barrel cleaned up OK, though the rifling is worn with considerable corrosion near teh muzzle end. I made some of the minor stock repairs necessary to avoid further damage, and blended stain to match the stock as best as possible. The goal here was not to hide any repair, or restore the stock to a newer looking condition. Remaining light surface rust was removed with Break-Free MilSpec CLP and #0000 steel wool, which leaves any remaining bluing and existing patina intact. 

Overall, this was a fun an inexpensive project. I brought back to life a rifle that likely saw a great deal of action in the late 19th century past the first World War, both in Europe and Africa. Would I have wanted to carry this into battle? Hell no!!! I'll stick to Swiss made version, or just about any other late 19th century military firearm. However, it will fill a nice little niche in my collection 

 

RTI Italian Vetterli Model 1870/87/15 Part 2 Update - Disassembled and Cleaning the Wood

So the Vetterli disassembled quite easily even after 100+ years of sitting in an Ethiopian shed! There is a really good video on Italian Vetterli disassembly at Vetterli 1870/87/15 Rifle Disassembly Part 1 by TheKoba49, so I won't reinvent the wheel. This gun will never be a beauty/safe queen, and teh goal is to restore it to a fully functional condition as opposed to a complete restoration. There won't be any rebluing, sanding down or replacing stocks, etc. Cleaning the accumulated grime was pretty easy with Murphy's Oil Soap and a nylon brush, followed by a little light scrubbing with extra fine #0000 steel wool with the Murphy's, following the grain. Once cleaned, I applied Renaissance Micro-Crystalline Wax Polish. The wear, nicks and compressions of a rifle originally manufactured in the 1870s and converted twice still show in the wood, but some of the grain and original color really show now as well. (Before and After) 

One interesting aspect of these guns as that they were converted twice. The first was from a single shot 10.4mm Vetterli black powder cartridge to a repeater by adding a magazine that would also be adopted by the Dutch Beaumont as well. This required some widening of the receiver well. Later, in the WWI era, it was again converted to a 6.5mm Carcano round by sleeving the barrel and also filling the previously widened stock well. As you can see on mine, one of these stock repaires has come out and will need to be worked on. 

Part 3 will be the complete disassembly of the bolt and receiver parts, followed by a bath in the ultrasonic cleaner and then some TLC on the surface rust. 

  

Royal Tiger Imports Italian Vetterli Model 1870/87/15 Part 1 - The Before

Today I received a Royal Tiger Imports Italian Vetterli Model 1870/87/15. This is one of thousands of antique and early 20th century military surplus rifles purchased by RTI in Ethiopia, where they have been sitting in storage for the past 100+ years. Unlike many Eastern European rifles, these were not packed in away cosmoline. These rifles have been sitting in quonset huts, stacked like cord wood, since before your grandpa or great grandpa was living in one during the WWII era. 

https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/emperor-selassie-s-treasure-the-guns-of-royal-tiger-imports/

The article linked above provides an interesting historical background to this large cache of weapons. The Vetterlis were left over from Italy's attempt to occupy and bring the Abyssinian empire under control. Needless to say, they aren't in NRA Very Fine condition, but many are in surprisingly good shape once restored. Ten years ago, I wouldn't have paid a Benjamin for an Italian Vetterli in fair to good condition. They're hardly Ferraris of the military surplus world, and even by the Italian military assessment of the time, this rifle was pretty dodgey to say the least. However, with the prices of surplus going through the roof, and these things to be had for cheap, I decided get one. It's about like picking up a lottery ticket, as it may turn out decent, end up a wall hanger, or blow up in your face. OK, lottery tickets don't blow up in your face. As my daughter would remind me, "You get what you get, and you don't get upset."  

This is definitely a Before/After project. The rifle is about as I'd expect it to be after sitting for a century. It does pass a basic function test. The next steps will be to completely disassemble everything and go to work cleaning and working on rust. Most of the rust appears to be surface, and the barrel looks to be in decent shape, though bluing is non-existent. The wood may clean up nice as well, but there is one major chunk that will need a repair under the receiver. The stock is solid. The fun part will be finding out what emerges as I really get this rifle broken down and get to work on it. After all, there isn't much I can do to screw it up, which is what makes these fun.    

Here are a few more pics of the "before," and I'll document the process and the finished product as well. 

A little high strung, and I'm not talking about the line lb. test.

Had an interesting fishing experience up at Lake George. It was my first time up there, and a family trip where I couldn't disappear fishing every day, so I left my boat and yak at home, and booked a short morning trip for Danny, my brother Doug and I. It was definitely one of the more "interesting" trips I've booked (and I've fished with tons of captains and guides). A week and a half before the trip, at the height of the tourist season, you kinda get who you can get, and most everyone seems to run the same trips anyway. I'd had a recommendation from a friend, but of course he was booked through September. I spoke with our guide whom I found on Google, letting him know that we didn't mind trolling downriggers for a while early, but if it was slow, would much rather just switch over to targeting smallmouth. The day arrives and my son Dan and I meet my brother Doug around 6:30ish at the dock. The 7:00am departure times arrives, and our guy is not there. That's pretty damned annoying to say the least. I could see at his 7:05 arrival that the "plan" was a non-starter, as the only rods he had were trolling setups, and a look at his chart plotter on the way out confirmed he hadn't altered his routine in God knows how long. Run to one spot, troll, run back. A little chatter on the way out was not in his wheelhouse, but we were fishing soon enough, and he did know what he was doing. Pretty soon a rod went off, and so did the captain. Not sure if he was over caffeinated or just naturally high strung, but I about jumped out of my skin as he let out a high pitched, "fish on!" From the reaction, one might think that a school of yellowfin had hit every rod in our spread. He coached Danny who landed the first lake trout of the day, and the process repeated itself often enough to keep us busy. I let Danny and Doug take most of the fish, as frankly I was more entertained by the manic scenes than catching 20" lake trout. I even watched a few rod tips go and just sat, waiting to see how long it would take for the others to notice and the hilarity to ensue. In the end, I couldn't really complain as we all caught some fish, had a decent time, and a really good laugh about the entire experience over a late breakfast when we returned.

My Choice for the Trenches? .303 Lee-Enfield

What would you carry into the trenches of WWI? A look at my choice, the British .303 Lee-Enfield. Think you'd go with something else? Springfield M1903, Mosin-Nagant 91/30, or the Gewehr M98? Make your case!

Reflections on a surreal few weeks and a look ahead.

What a surreal few weeks! Today we began on-line classes for all of my high school students, and my guess is that this will be the new norm for quite some time. There's still no sign of any toilet paper arriving in stores around here. Ironically, the were no runs on bullets and booze until just this past weekend. I'm OK with the social distancing, and perhaps it will keep back those annoying guys who want to fish right next to you as soon as they see you hook something. The Gemma Rose II just returned from Suburban Marine, so I plan on doing a lot more social distancing over the next couple of weeks. The lure of $50 round trip flights to Florida is pretty tempting as well, but do I want to be that selfish guy? I feel a bit like Pinto in Animal House. (My wife pointed out that a week at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach is only $300!) These are pretty uncertain and terrifying times for many people, fearing the Covid-19 virus and/or the impact it's having on our economy and so many peoples' livelihoods. While I certainly plan to do a lot of fishing, maybe a few trips to the range and some hiking while riding this thing out, I am also very much aware that to pull through this, we're going to have to reach out a hand (at least metaphorically) to our friends and neighbors in the community. It's time to pull together while keeping our 6' safe distance. If that means ordering some takeouts from local restaurants, or booking a charter to make sure a buddy has an income, great. There are also a hundred others ways that just about anyone who is healthy can help someone out at this time. If each of us find just a few of these around our communities, we'll pull this this Corona Spring OK. Stay healthy and positive!

-Redneckangler

   

Cold, Windy and Snowing - Perfect for shooting a Mosin-Nagant

Recruiting a New Generation

I posted this on another site, but thought I'd throw it up here as well. The environment in CT is a LOT different than back down south. I spent yesterday evening at my monthly rod and gun club meeting with Tom Donlon from the CT DEEP discussing hunter recruitment. The overall numbers lost each year are more than sobering. At the rate of decline, there will be nobody left to fight for rights in another decade. Despite comments I read about cuts to programs, the CT DEEP DOES have federal funding and NRA support for hunter recruitment programs, BUT they need every hunter to get out there and recruit at least one new person this coming year, and not someone who has family or other connections to hunting already. Clubs and hunters need to recruit outside of their traditional membership base. CONVINCE YOUR HIPPY NEIGHBOR WHO BUYS $25 FREE RANGE CHICKENS THAT HUNTING IS REALLY THE MOST ETHICAL AND HUMANE WAY TO HARVEST MEAT, AND GET HIM OR HER OUT IN THE WOODS. DON'T START HUMMING DUELING BANJOS EITHER!!!! WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE THEM, NOT SEND THEM SCREAMING BACK TO STARBUCKS. Letters to reps are great and need to keep coming, but either recruitment happens, or you can count on more and more legislation to eventually cut hunters out of all public lands here in CT.

https://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2700&q=429892
https://www.nrahlf.org/articles/2019/1/18/connecticut-hosts-popular-venison-processing-workshops/

Bucket list fishing destination - Virginia? You bet!

Virginia is a beautiful state to which tourist flock year round for it's history, scenery, beaches and mountain resorts, but would you put it on your bucket list as a top fishing destination? I may be a little biased, but for my money, Virginia has one of the most diversified and exceptional fisheries anywhere in the nation, and I've fished just about everything from east coast to west, north and south. You can fish pristine mountain headwaters for wild brook trout, a world class largemouth bass fishery at Smith Mountain Lake or the Chickahominy River, trophy catfish on the James and Potomac, 50+lb. rockfish/stripers in the Chesapeake Bay, or venture out into the blue water for sails, marlin, wahoo and more. My only dilemma is choosing what to fish whenever I head back down to visit family. I just haven't found any other place that offers such a broad range of exceptional fisheries. I often write about blue lining up in Jefferson National Forest or chasing big blue cats on the James, but these just scratch the surface.

One could easily plan a week long, source to sea fishing trip on a very modest budget. Nonresident licensing fees are pretty reasonable, and permits to fish the federal lands are free. There's ample camping throughout the state in the numerous state and national parks.

You'll find headwaters of the James River and Shenandoah Rivers in the western mountains, with cool spring fed streams and tributaries that fish well year round for trout, while the main rivers also hold smallies, largemouth, muskies and more. I take my 2wt glass rod and run the fire roads up into locations where you can fish all day and never see another human being, or drop my yak into the South Fork of the Shenandoah to chase smallmouth and the elusive muskies. My favorite shop in the Valley is Mossy Creek FlyFishing, and their site provides a wealth of information.

If trophy largemouth is your thing, plan a day on either Smith Mountain Lake (frequent stop on the pro tours) or Lake Anna. Both have the added bonus of landlocked stripers as well. To the far south, you have the Roanoke River/Kerr Reservoir and Lake Gaston. All of these are large bodies of water for which a boat or kayak would be needed, and there are plenty of rentals available if you don't bring your own, as well a fishing guides who will provide everything you need, most importantly their knowledge of the local waters, for your outing.

As you head down into the tidal regions, particularly the lower James below Richmond, trophy blue cats await pretty much year round. Did I mention that there are bass in the high single to double digits on the Chickahominy River? Though I grew up on the Rappahannock River, I've still got to give the nod to the mighty James. While you're in the area, spend some time in Richmond itself. The Civil War history, brew pubs, and restaurants in the old tobacco warehouse district shouldn't be missed.

Finish your trip off in the salt, either in the Chesapeake Bay or booking a trip out of the VA Beach area for some screaming drags on big pelagic beasts. The early spring and late fall to winter provide shore and kayak anglers shots at rockfish/stripers into the 50+lb. range, and summertime brings flounder, croaker, spot, specs and increasingly reds and cobia. There's a little bit of everything. Again, you can shorten the learning curve by booking a guide.   

The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries is a great place to go for both ideas and all the information on licensing, etc. I'm more than happy to point people in the direction of some of my favorite shops, guides and locations.   

Again, I've only just put a dent in what's available to fish in Virginia. I always look forward to getting back down and packing as much as I can into every free minute, and never have close to enough time. What are you waiting for? Load up the truck, the camper or whatever, throw the yaks on top, and head to Virginia for a week of fishing!

FlipRocks - A new option when wet wading, chillin' on the boat, or just around town.

I recently came across a post on The Fly Fishing Community about wet wading in neoprenes, socks or some combination there of. Well, this season I've been wearing FlipRocks much of the time, so dilemna solved. The guys behind FlipRocks have taken our favorite summer footwear, flip flops or sandals, and added a removable base with rubber, felt, micro-studded and cleated options. You can even do a Rock Treads bottom! I was surprised at how grippy the changeable soles are. You really have to tug to get them off, so there is no worry about an inadvertent loss of a sole. The FlipRock model shown are super comfortable, have a toe protector and a back heal strap which I love. I've been wading, kayaking boating and just running around town in them all summer. My wading boots have largely sat in the back of my truck. They make a sandal model as well. If you looking for a do-it-all summer footwear, give FlipRocks a go!
 

Virginia Joins North Carolina in taking Unilateral Action

Virginia has joined North Carolina in taking unilateral action to partially close down rockfish/striper fishing. Several other North East states are exploring additional options. all of the data indicates we are approaching a critical point near the edge of that same cliff we went over in the 1980s. Have we learned anything since then? I certainly hope so.

• Press Statement
 
• | CBF in Virginia, Hampton Roads Office, Maryland Office, Annapolis, Virginia Office, Richmond

(ARLINGTON, VA)—The Virginia Marine Resources Commission voted today to close the trophy striped bass fishing season this spring following concerns about the striped bass population. Virginia's fall striped bass season remains unchanged. Next week the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will consider a striped bass stock assessment that is expected to show that strong action is needed to conserve the fishery.

Maryland Says', "F*ck Everyone Else."

Maryland has a terrible record when it comes to protecting resources such as the rockfish/striper fishery, and while other states are beginning to take unilateral action, Maryland is foot dragging as usual.

The following link is to a recent op-ed in the Baltimore Sun by Mark Eustis who has for years been advocating for better policies to ensure the sustainability of our fisheries.

Maryland overfishing imperils rockfish population

American Saltwater Guides Association - Check It Out

For some of the most important and insightful, up to date information on the state of our striper fishery, I follow American Saltwater Guides Association. We're at another really pivotal point in the future sustainability of these fish, and I'd like to leave a thriving, healthy population for future anglers.

Parts One and Two of a 3 part series:
Part 1 - How Did We End Up Here?
Part 2 - Moving Forward...

Tight Lines,
RNA

No Wasted Trips

No fishing trip is wasted. Of course I want to catch fish, but on those outings when I don't, there's always something of value. Whether it's a new environment, striking up a conversation with fellow anglers during a slow bite, or just soaking in the surrounding scenery on one of the first truly spring evenings, I always leave with something that makes the effort worthwhile. Saturday evening provided all of the above on an outing that didn't produce any of the big, Lake Ontario brown that I was hoping for.

My brother, son and I had already faced a tough day steelhead fishing with high, muddy waters on the Salmon River, and looking for an alternative to the jam packed tribs like Orwell, I decided to take a drive over to Selkirk Shores State Park, as word was there was a decent brown bite from shore that morning. Doug wanted to stay in and watch the Richmond NASCAR race, and Danny just wanted to catch up on sleep, so I headed over on my own to catch what I hoped would be a last light bite.

I arrived to find a few guys set up and fishing, along with the dog walkers and families out taking advantage of the first warm weekend of the year. I was rigged up with a 3/4oz. blue and silver Cleo, with an assortment of other colors and sizes in my bag. The only crowded spot was the end of the concrete jetty, but there was more than enough beech for the half dozen of the rest of us.

I'm perfectly happy to find my space and fish in solitude, and I'll rarely approach anyone else that looks to be doing the same. I appreciate the fellow anglers who give a nod and a greeting but then finds their space and doesn't continually invade the peace and quiet. At the same time, on a slow night such as this, when I step back from casting and take a pause, I'm more than happy to jaw with other guys out looking to do the same. I've met some of the most interesting folks from all walks of life hanging out on beaches at times like this. I can talk fishing with guys I've just met like we've been friends for a lifetime. Some I'll see out again, a few I'll actually end up fishing with quite a bit, and many I'll never see again.

This particular night it was a young guy from Utica with his Dad from out of town, both looking for any advice I'd share, and a local guy Dale who works at Pineville Sporting Supply right down from where I was staying. Contrary to what many on the internet might have us believe today, fishing advice is not like Cold War espionage. It's OK to give as well as receive. That's how we've all gotten to wherever we are today. Hopefully, the father/son team left with a few ideas for the rest of their trip, and I certainly soaked up what Dale had to say about fishing the area. The fact that I didn't land a brown did not diminish the evening one bit.

So my advice is this. Don't measure every trip by how many or how big the fish were that you landed. If that is your sole yardstick, you will find disappointed when you need not be. Look forward to and enjoy the entire experience. Landing that monster fish or hitting the blitz just makes it that much better. And you know what they say. "If you don't catch fish, take sunset pictures." Enjoy the sunset photos :)