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Remember those that made the ultimate sacrifice


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Gear Review: Greenerways Organic Bug Spray

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I know, I've been doing a lot of whining complaining about the mosquitoes in Florida.  They're big, they're bad, and they're mean.  But what should I expect for literally living in a swamp?

I was contacted by JD from Greenerways back in February about testing an Organic bug spray. Organic...really?  If a bug spray doesn't melt your fly line, how good can it be?  But I agreed anyway.

Unfortunately, being February and freezing in Philadelphia at the time, bug spray testing would have to wait.  Lucky for me, with the perfect combination of the summer and a recent move South, everything fell into place for the long awated testing opportunity...


First the details of the Greenerways Organic Bug Spray, directly from their marketing materials...

The first 100% certi fied organic insect repellent available in the United States.
Provides peace of mind for safe use with young children, adults, pets, and around the home.Made from a DEET-free, non-toxic blend of organic plant-ba…
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Discover Keiryu Rod Co.

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Hmmm, now this is something... as you know I have a fondness for obscure Japanese fishing methods.

Looks like somebody took the Tenkara USA model of "introducing a Japanese form of fishing to America" up a notch by launching the Keiryu Rod Co.


(Hope my friends in Idaho don't take offense by the name selection).

For those not in the know, "keiryu" means mountain stream in Japanese. The particular rods this company is selling is for a style of fixed-line fishing that also uses long, telescopic rods, but instead of being engineered to cast flies, they employ bait. As so much, it's not fly fishing, and certainly not tenkara, but to the casual observer, they may look very similar from afar.

Chris Stewart over at TenkaraBum has been selling keiryu "stuff" for a while now; his site has a breakdown of what I'm trying to describe if you're interested in learning more. Obviously, there's more to it, but his link will at least point you in the ri…
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Quick Pond Hop To Start A Long Weekend

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With this Memorial Day weekend's weather forecast not looking too good, figured last night was as good as any to try and steal an hour or two at dusk and go fishing at one of the neighborhood ponds...

The fishing was a little on the slow side, but passable. Caught a few bass like this...


And a few bluegill like this...


Those chunky "copperhead" bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus mystacalis) are damn good fighters on light tackle.

In any event, thought this picture summed up the evening rather accurately...


I made the mistake of not shooting my ankles, arms, and neck with bug spray... and damn if those yellow flies and mosquitoes weren't out tonight. I will say, if that ever happens to you, that Itch Eraser in the photo above works well, and the relief comes quickly. I got it in a Cairn box once upon a time, and this is the first time I've used it.

I dusted off the Tenkara USA Ayu II too... or should I say "as well"... I haven't fished that rod in forever…
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The 5 Best Tenkara Rods?

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There's a blog post out there that's been circulating for a little bit longer than a year with a very similar title to this one that I don't really care for. It's not so much the rods or companies that are recognized, it's the article's questionable evaluation of them, including calling them "American Made." Since that post seems to have good SEO qualities, it never quite fades into oblivion, resurfacing on social media every few months.

Rearing its head yet again on the Appalachian Tenkara Anglers Facebook pagelast week, I decided to turn the tables and ask the group members what they think the five best tenkara rods are. You know, real feedback from real tenkara anglers. A few models (not exactly five) were mentioned, which I'll highlight below.

I would like to note that it appeared as if many people replied with a lean towards value or "beginner" rods. Not that there's anything wrong with that, just thought that context may be he…
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Chums...

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No, not these...


Although those chums or "dog" salmon are pretty interesting to look at. Total sidenote, if you dig salmon, the Meateater podcast on the various Alaskan species back in April was a great listen...

Anyway, when I'm talking Chums, I really mean the accessories company. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you can find their website HERE.

See, almost a decade ago, I bought a nylon wallet they used to make during one of my long meanders through a Bass Pro Shops. I still use that wallet today... as it pretty much looks the same as when I bought it, with nary a fray or loose thread.


This is in stark contrast to all the brandless billfolds I used to pretty much destroy every year or two toting too much randomness in my back pocket just like George Constanza.


Okay, so let's bring this full circle. Looking at my wallet the other night, I randomly thought I'd pay the Chums website a visit... and I was rather surprised to find so much cool, fishy …
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