Fly Fish Chick

I am the least politically-minded person you will ever know. In spite of the fact I actually worked for a public affairs consulting firm for three years, I make it a point to stay out of the political fray. It’s highly likely I will be the least informed American to vote in this year’s presidential election.

That said…

Every once in awhile, even a lazy, cynical, self-absorbed, former-spin-doctor like myself has to come down off the fence and get into the mix.

I’ll do it when fishing is involved.

Today, April 14th, every county in Wisconsin will hold unique Conservation Congress spring hearings. Show up at one of these hearing and cast your vote YES on Question 36 in order to protect the future of native trout in the Prairie River Valley.

So here’s the word, if you are in Wisconsin or surrounding areas, Vote YES on Question 36 TODAY April 14th.

• YES on Question 36 protects quality fishing.
• YES on Question 36 is good for the environment.
• YES on Question 36 is the right thing to do.
• YES on Question 36 will help you sleep at night better than Ambien.

YES on Question 36 makes up for some of the bad things you’ve done in this big bad world. I mean we’ve all got something in our past right? The people of Wisconsin have the chance to wipe it clean. Like a Carbon Credit, voting YES on Question 36 is like a Karma Credit for your Soul. Cast your vote before you cast your line.

For more information on this issue:

Vote Yes on Question 36

Conservation Congress Spring Hearings

Am working my way home from the Bahamas. More scoop to come on the fishing in Exuma…

I find April Fool’s Day to be such a bore. It really exhausts me. Every year I instinctively ignore it, which of course makes me the perfect target for getting duped. I fell for pranks not once, not twice, but three times yesterday.

Bastards, all of them bastards.

(Actually they were all pretty funny.)

But the one gag I didn’t fall for actually made me laugh the hardest. The Trout Shop in Craig Montana posted this picture and announcement on their website yesterday:

Floating Gazebo - Call 800-337-8528 to reserve a spot on board.

We were going to build a Gazebo on the edge of the river at the Craig Boat Ramp so we had a place to hang out while we waited for our rental boats at night. We decided that we might just as well build the deck with floats on it  and then we can fish the Craig riffle as well. The Gazebo has a 15,000# capacity so we have room for all of our friends and a few kegs of beer.  The deck is 18ft x 18ft with 12 plastic  foam filled dock floats  that are 4ft x 4ft by 18 inch. high and the Gazebo  is a 10 ft. hexagon with a table and chairs  inside. We can even use it for ice fishing on Holter Lake!
Under the table is a trolling motor so we can take it out to  any of our favorite fishing holes. The trolling motor is remote controlled wireless so we can be fishing outside and operate the motor.  On the top of the table we have a Lowrance Fish-Finder with depth sounding sonars and temp gauge.
We have 2 electric winches with 40# anchors. We have also built in a  water pump so we can clean the fish right on the spot. Now we can relax and fish while we get paid to wait for our rental boats.

April Fools!

I love this. Of course nothing is more fun than the thought of super-serious anglers up-in-arms about how things are all going to hell.

Okay, kids, on that note I have to fly away again, so things might be quiet here for just a little while longer. I am off to the Bahamas to try and pretend I can see the same “bonefish puuffs” that our faithful guide Steve does…

Go Heels.

Catch you on the flip side.

My eyes are just now coming into focus and my motor skills starting to click back into action. I’ve just returned from a trippy little trip to Florida for ‘Springfest’ – a three day music festival held at The Spirit of the Suwannee campgrounds.

I suppose the best way to describe the music at Springfest is folksy, jammin’ bluegrass. But like a newly branded and re-launched Oldsmobile, this is not your father’s bluegrass. These musicians rocked the sap from the trees and rattled the fillings in your teeth.

Hot Buttered Rum earned their title leaving me feeling giddy and full like I’d had a big country breakfast and too many hot toddies. They were adorable and had the crowd hoppin’. The Infamous Stringdusters were a great afternoon toe-tapping show. And you could feel the energy shift when David Grisman came out. The fun got serious with this living legend. He took his mandolin to war (friendly fire of course) with a teenage mandolin prodigy and together they made some magic.

We saw Donna The Buffalo the first afternoon, but we were wilting in the sun a bit, and truth be told we were more consumed with rating the dancing hippie girls and their hula hoops. I am so getting a hula hoop. I don’t care how long it takes I am going to learn to dance with a hula hoop. Check back with me, I may have to set up a unique website just to chart my progress.

But we saw Donna The Buffalo the next night and loved them. The crowd was lit-up and the musicians really delivered. It’s always a good time when the accordions and the washboards come out to play.

Of course I came to the festival with my natural draw toward Texas and Tennesee tunes, and my bands represented well. I’ve been listening to Guy Clark since I was about five years old but have never seen him play. So it was damn cool to hear him croon Texas 1947 and LA Freeway right before my very own eyes.

Jim Lauderdale wins my Hillbilly Sex Symbol award for the festival. He had this kind of 70s-style pompadour hair, royal blue tuxedo pants, and the cuffs on his shirt were open – not rolled up mind you – just the pearl snaps were undone and the sleeves hanging loose at his wrists. Ooh la la.

Oh yeah, and his music was great.

I saw him by the merchandise table that night, and he totally busted me ogling him. He came my way and I probably could have shared a little repartee, but I got shy, panicked like a schoolgirl, and turned the other way.

Amy LaVere was out of sight. She’s a pocket sized little beauty who plays the standup bass and bounces between a super-sweet baby voice and belting out southern-fried ballads with the power of Ethel Merman. Boys’ hearts fluttered her way, while I was dreamy for her guitar player.

Now Seth Walker plays his fresh style of electric blues in my Austin neighborhood on a weekly basis. But after two airplane rides and five-hours in the car, I felt so incredibly lucky to see him in this setting. A rustic, woodsy amphitheater surrounded by tall live oaks that were covered in Spanish moss.

There was so much Spanish moss dripping from the trees that everything began to look like a Salvador Dali painting. (Admittedly, the exorbitant volumes of Sweetwater beer may have played a hand in this.) I love Spanish moss, and it was a badass backdrop for all this delicious music. I’ve always said I could never be a spy because if caught, all they’d have to do is dangle some Spanish moss in front of me and I’d sing like a drunk dizzy bird.

Speaking of being a drunk dizzy bird…I know we loved loved loved Railroad Earth, but I can’t tell you why. They played late on Friday and that show is a bit hazy.

Of course the music was sublime, but it was the people that made the trip so special for me. Lounging around our campfire, we laughed at our own recycled stories until our cheeks hurt. And out among the crowds, tie-dyed hospitality was everywhere. It was all peace love & brotherhood. Everyone was warm and open and just so grateful to be there.

As we followed the breadcrumbs back to our tents each night, we made a point of walking up to visit random campsites – you know just to introduce ourselves, check out their fire, see what bands they’d enjoyed. In the real world our drunken pop-ins might not have been well received, but in this hippie utopia we were greeted with genuine enthusiasm — and quite often a beer.

It was a magical weekend and I can honestly say that the Spirit of the Suwannee is highly contagious. I just hope they never find a cure.

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