Fishing Knots...Part 2 of 6, Improved Clinch Knot

Fishing Knots All Kids Need To Know... If you had to pick one, and only one knot to learn or teach to a rookie, this is the one. It is much more reliable than its little brother, the Clinch Knot.  The Improved Clinch knot is used for fastening a hook, swivel, or clip to a fishing string or the leader to the fly. If you are using over 12 Lb. test line, this is not a recommended knot.

Step 1. Thread your leader tippet through the eye of the hook. Wrap the end of the leader around the standing line 5 times for lines up to 8lb test and 4 times for lines from 8-12lb test. (You can also turn the hook 5 or 4 times)

Step 2. Take the tag end of the leader and pass it through the gap between the eye of the hook and the first wrap. Continue the tag end back up through the main loop just formed.

Step 3. Moisten the knot with your mouth, and while holding the hook in your left-hand pull on the standing leader allowing the knot to seat tightly against the hook. Clip the excess line.

Going again.

Mr. Gus Outdoors is going again thanks to two people, a deceased British writer and a Montana Trapper.

Cyril V. Connolly (1903-1974) wrote, "Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self."

Lately I have been obsessed with trapping, yes - the capture of fur bearing mammals.  During my studies I ran across a fellow from Montana who has done an excellent job with his blog, Trapping Today.  To call Jeremiah just a trapper does him an injustice.  He is a wildlife ecologist and biologist, fellow outdoorsman and a brother alumnus of Utah State University.  Please visit his site and read some of his fine stories.

I'm looking forward to continuing this endeavor.  I hope you'll follow along. - gus

Fishing Knots All Kids Need To Know - Part 1 of 6

Knot tying is one of the great skills every person, not just every kid should know!  In 4-H, knot tying would not be considered a life skill, because we learn that true life skills, are skills that carry over in to multiple areas of our life.  But tying  represents a greater ability to utilize raw materials (such as rope or twine) to fashion it together to perform a useful service (hold something together).  So instead of knot tying being the life skill, it is actually a sub-skill of being self-sufficient or self-relient.  Got it?

I think my first knot was learning to tie my shoes when I was just a wee lad.  Later on in life I realized it was a skill that set me apart from my buddies when it came to making neat things such as slingshots, tree swings and bridges to cross the creek without getting my shoes wet.  Two of the best books out there on knot tying include The Ashley Book of Knots, by Clifford W. Ashley, 1944, ISBN-10: 0385040253, and the Little Red Knot Book, by Harry Nilsson, 1995, ISBN-10: 0969873409.  As far as I'm concerned a person needs no other knot books than these two, to get 99 percent of all things accomplished with rope string or twine.  With the permission of Mr. Nilsson, I have obtained the right to reprint some of his images for this non-profit use of educating the public.  I won't be featuring all of his knots in this series, but just a few to get the average angler started.  Go get your self some 1/8 inch densely woven cord and try your hand at some of them.

My Muzzle Blasts Editorial, Jan. 2010

Muzzle Blasts is the official publication of the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association. In this month's issue, Letters to the Editor I wrote a column promoting the use of GPS receivers by all hunters and outdoors men, even the most traditional ones.


Here is an excerpt...Dear Editor, (Mr. Eric), I call this Old Tech Meets New Tech... As a group of dedicated gun enthusiasts, typically appreciating more the low-tech nature of the sport than the high-tech, we may often disregard or even scoff carrying and using a GPS receiver, and (God forbid) perhaps even putting it in our possibles bag next to our powder flask and nipple pick. The reasons that we should seriously consider using a GPS receiver is two-fold, safety and convenience. Gary’s reasoning, to find the remote rendezvous location from another city is a good one, but we should also consider other positive implications of knowing precisely where you are (or are going). I have to also mention before I go on, that the old fashioned way of map and compass will never be lost by the wayside of navigation, and will always be more reliable than any electronic device...

At the end of the article, I issued this challenge: PS. The first reader to email me my office street name, I’ll send them an official replica of an 1837 Bank Token cast of solid pewter I bought from Track of the Wolf. I am at GPS Coords. (DMM): 28° 21.579'N, 80° 46.884'W. 

Congratulations to Jerry Boyle, Dave Schreck, Rick Buxton and Jim and Annetta Holmes for being the first to reply! Dave Schreck was the winner, but they will all receive a token (if I have enough!).  Other winners of either finding the location or giving it their best shot were: Steve Pressman, Brad Bennett, Pete Garrett.  Sorry, I'm out of tokens now.

Outdoor Living, Recreation for Some, Necessity for Others

From Mitch Albom’s site on Have A Little Faith… In the book Albom becomes involved with a Detroit pastor – a reformed drug dealer and convict – who preaches to the poor and homeless in a decaying church with a hole in its roof.

I teach outdoor education and recreation. I teach parents and teachers to take the children outdoors for enrichment and appreciation of nature and all it offers us. I am also a huge proponent of outdoor education for the skills it can teach us about doing without modern day appliances, which in turn may someday give us an edge if we are forced to cope with a natural or manmade disaster. People forced from their homes have a better chance of survival if they have developed a sense of well being and confidence in the absence of electricity, running water and a warm cozy bed.

Mitch’s book gives a detailed description of what it’s like to live on the street, and the way Pastor Henry had compassion upon these people to make their live not just more comfortable, but bearable. One of the characters loses his toes from frostbite. Can we even imagine? A wise person once told me, “The key to happiness is gratitude”. This principle is demonstrated and affirmed in the book when some of the homeless rejoice in being granted just a few comforts, like some used clothing or shoes without holes.

I challenge us all to consider this as the new year approaches and we think about all we have to do in 2010 and goals we wish to accomplish. Take some time to consider those not just less fortunate, but those who have nothing, and do something to make a difference in your community.

Spotlight: Mitch Albom’s Book, Have a Little Faith

Well Christmas is over, and the New Year is approaching. Santa Claus was good to our family, although it was a little leaner under the tree than some years. One of the gifts I received this year was a book from my Sweetie of one of my favorite authors, Mitch Albom. (I need to list Mitch as one of my Favorites in my profile.) Mitch is a columnist for the Detroit Free Press and authors many fine books such as Tuesdays with Morrie, 5 People You Meet in Heaven, and now his latest book, Have a Little Faith.

I’m not a book worm, so in order to read with good comprehension and most importantly captivation; I need a quiet place with good light and a little white noise. Have a Little Faith, kept me wanting more from the very first page to the very end with only a few short breaks in between. The reasons it hooked me are his style and layout mostly. I love a book that has new chapters every two or three pages. Similar to a blogging style, the book left me finishing one thought, then lead me on to the next which was sometimes completely different, making me think – but not too hard.  Beyond this technical aspect is Mitch's humanness that he portrays.  His thoughts and feelings are those like I might have in similar circumstances, and his people are real - ordinary folks with extraordinary stories.  There is greatness in the ordinary - that point comes across crystal clear.

From Mitch’s site… Albom’s first nonfiction book since Tuesdays with Morrie, Have A Little Faith begins with an unusual request: an 82-year-old rabbi from Albom’s old hometown asks him to deliver his eulogy. - Feeling unworthy, Albom insists on understanding the man better, which throws him back into a world of faith he’d left years ago. Meanwhile, closer to his current home, Albom becomes involved with a Detroit pastor – a reformed drug dealer and convict – who preaches to the poor and homeless in a decaying church with a hole in its roof.

So Mr. Gus, you may ask, What does this have to do with the outdoors? Are you rambling? - The answer is no. As I read about the Detroit pastor and his work with the homeless, I reflected upon those who live at the mercy of the outdoor elements by necessity, rather than by choice. The reason for this book review at all is because of the impression it made upon me in this way.

Here is a great follow-up article to the book in USA Today: 'Tuesdays With Morrie' author Mitch Albom keeps the 'Faith', Updated 9/29/2009 10:39 PM.

Please read my upcoming follow up: Outdoor Living, Recreation for Some, Necessity for Others, to post Dec. 30, 2009.