Expedition: Bigfoot!

Only The Best In Roadside Attractions...

In the last post about fishing up in North Georgia I noted that while fishing was quite therapeutic on Saturday, I didn't return to the stream on Sunday.

But why T!, why?

Well, I'm a sucker for a roadside attractions, (see Exhibit A), and I'm also mildly obsessed with Bigfoot... Sasquatch... or whatever you'd like to call the big furry fellow.

A short 20 minute drive from where I was fishing on Saturday happens to be Expedition: Bigfoot! a roadside museum and research center dedicated to all things Sasquatch.

Oh man, I was in absolute heaven. The museum consists of 3 large rooms, each with interactive exhibits and several short videos to watch, as well as a lot of interesting artifacts and replica items. There's also a small gift shop strategically placed at the exit. (Yes, they got me for a t-shirt and a button).

I would guess it would probably take a person with casual interest or curiosity an hour and a half to take in all the sights. I probably could have spent the whole day in there, but I didn't want to loiter.

I particularly enjoyed some of the exhibits centered around "close to home" sightings; especially those in Florida and Georgia.

There were a ton of footprint casts to gawk at too. Most of them were from North America, but there was a Yeti cast from the Himalayas.

Finally, headphone banks featuring both the tale of the "Attack in Ape Canyon" as well as the 1970s "Sierra Sounds" (with complete backstory) were must listens. If you've never heard the latter vocalizations, you can find them online if you know where to look.

Look, I get it, this isn't for everyone. But if you're like me... and happen to be in North Georgia, (like I said, the nearby fishing is pretty good), you gotta check this place out. And at only $8, it was a bargain!

Address & Map:

Expedition: Bigfoot
1934 Hwy. 515
Cherry Log, GA 30522

Keepin' It Squatchy

Cryptozoology is Cool

My affinity for "Bigfooting" and Sasquatch is not much of a secret. I've always been fascinated by cryptids, and in this day and age finding interesting content on the topic is not particularly difficult. Sure, a ton of the "evidence" is suspect at best, but every now and then you read or see something that really resonates and just makes you, or at least me, believe...

I'm pretty psyched that the crew from Finding Bigfoot reunited to stream a new special on Discovery+. It's the first new installment in a little over two years, and I couldn't help but smile watching it last night. It was good catching up with the gang - (from left) James "Bobo" Fay, Matt Moneymaker, Cliff Barackman, and of course, Ranae Holland. 

Did they find Bigfoot in this episode? Spoiler alert... no, but that's not really the point. It was just fun to watch, at least for me.

Recently, cryptozoololgy and my fishing intersected. Unfortunately, not on a stream, but online.

Japanese Cryptids

I'm fairly certain I've documented Tsuchinoko before, a sort of snake-like, (and alcoholic) wrongdoer that is a part of Japanese folklore. I first learned about the creature at the 2012 Tenkara Summit, when visiting Japanese anglers spoke about how their fishing club (the No-Tarin Club), inspired by famed author/angler Soseki Yamamoto, seek out the legendary creature. There was also a mention of a wolf in the presentation, one I never really paid much attention to... until now.

Well, fast forward to today, and the moderator of the Japanese fishing group I'm a part of on Facebook started posting liberally about the quest for proof of the Japanese wolf, which is a legitimate historical animal, but was believed to have gone extinct in the early 1900s.

Much like the also extinct Tasmanian Tiger (or Thylacine), there are evidently frequent sightings of what people believe to be the Japanese wolf, and there's even an organization formed whose primary objective is to find a living specimen of the animal.

That organization is seeking the aid of local outdoorsfolk, including anglers, to relay stories, report sightings, or provide evidence of the wolf. If only I lived in Japan, I'd be spending every weekend fly fishing and searching for Tsuchinoko and the Japanese wolf! I mean Lilly & I tried our own "Finding Bigfoot" while in central New York back in the day, but alas, we never found him.

There are just so many layers to this I find intriguing. Language barriers and joking aside, I'm finding myself looking more and more into cryptids each and every day. However I purposely stay away from the Michigan Dogman. That thing is just scary.

And yeah, I know I'm weird.

(Big)Footnote: 

If you're into Bigfoot as well, I highly recommend Cliff & Bobo's Bigfoot & Beyond podcast. The episodes aren't too long and it's really entertaining. Plus, you just learn a lot of new things about the natural world. Some day I'd like to visit Cliff's museum, the North American Bigfoot Center located in Oregon. I support it on Patreon and the perks they provide to members are amazing. 

I do plan on hitting up Expedition: Bigfoot! in North Georgia the next time I'm up there chasing trout. There have been many sightings in the area, not by me (yet), but you never know what the future holds...

Totally Squatchy - Jim Haggart Carvings

This has nothing to do with fishing, rather more to do with something else I dig... Bigfoot. You may better know him (or her) as Sasquatch, Yeti, or the Swamp Ape, but you better believe that it's big, real, and out there.

Anyway, found these chainsaw wood carvings from artist Jim Haggart while scrolling on Instagram a month or two ago, and I think you'll probably agree, they're pretty amazing.

He sells them through his eBay store, Chainsaw Carving Critters, and I think one will be making its way from New York down to Florida soon. I'm just not sure which one to choose!

For a lot more, check out Jim's Instagram feed HERE.

Tenkara Sasquatch Is Dead, Long Live Tenkara Sasquatch!

Decided to pull the plug on the Tenkara Sasquatch blog and Facebook page. Haven't used either in quite some time. It was long overdue. While he's still out there, fixed-line fishing and eating beef jerky, I simply will no longer be chronicling his whereabouts in those places.

As such, let's reminisce with some of his more popular sightings...

The original encounter...

The spinoff t-shirt... (there's one XXL still available in the store...)
EDIT: The last one has sold out!

A sighting, when what appears to be a stick in his hand ends up being something else...

Squatches don't mind the grip, but hate the grin...

Proof of purchase, provided by a Tenkara USA customer service informant...

A sighting on the surface of Mars...?

While fishing, look off in the distance...

I don't even remember what this is a photo of or from...

That time the Squatch & Chupacabra teamed up to take on Nessie...

These "Outta Compton" memes were all the craze a few years ago...

Last, but not least, the time we thought we were just looking at April Vokey...

Going forward, keep an eye out for any Tenkara Sasquatch or other fishing cryptid notes here on Troutrageous! (And all the old ones have been ported over, you can see them using the "Sasquatch" tag). Because they're still likely catching those trout in the shadows and simply can't be ignored.

The truth is out there... you just need to know where to look...

How Can This Movie Possibly Be Bad?

Looking forward to wasting an hour and a half this weekend...


If you're not familiar, please, please, please press play.

EDIT: It's Saturday night, just finished watching it. 
A nice mix of Sharknado & The Notebook. Two thumbs up.

Tenkara Sasquatch Now A Dolphins Fan?

Tenkara Sasquatch sighting last night during the NFL Draft.
His presence at Charles Harris' draft party indicates TS may now be a Dolphins fan.

Harris looks confused by the situation...

Indy Car Racer Believes!

Even though he's fond of spinning reels, Ryan Hunter-Reay also considers a Tenkara Sasquatch a fishing buddy. How could you not?

Full article HERE

Woman On Mars? Ummm...Look To The Left!!!

Over the past few days there has been a lot of buzz about a photo from Mars that appears to show a ghostly woman, just kinda standing in the middle of nowhere...

Now if you're into outer space and extraterrestrials (like I am), it's kind of a no brainer. Of course it's a woman on Mars. Are we as Earthlings ignorant enough to think we are the only lifeforms in the galaxy?

The thing that is REALLY notable about this picture is if you actually find the raw image file from the NASA website and zoom out a bit...(the woman is still about center)

What, don't see it yet?

Let me zoom in for you...

BOOM! A Tenkara Sasquatch, unmistakably fishing a run on a crystal clear Martian stream.

The truth is out there people...you just need to know where to look...

Straight Outta Tenkara

Tenkara Magic Dragon?

Beats me... but it has a nice cast... definitely not a 'Squatch though...

Plus, who doesn't like an animated GIF?

Sasquatch and the Steelhead

The shorter, less evolved version of the Tenkara Sasquatch utilizes a reel and waders in its pursuit of fish. It has far better dance moves than we do though...



(h/t Waist Deep Media)

A Tenkara Sasquatch Sighting in Denver...

BELIEVE!

Tenkara Sasquatch is for real! @troutrageous1 wasn't lying. #tenkara #tenkarasasquatch #bigfoot

A photo posted by Tenkara USA (@tenkarausa) on Jan 18, 2015 at 4:46pm PST

New T! Shirts for 2015

The T! Shirt has been redesigned for 2015!
(with some help from my friends at H&H Outfitters)

It's Tenkara...

It's a Sasquatch...

It's a Big Ass Trout...

It's Green...

It's all of the above!

After a very limited initial print run, there are some sizes L-3XL in stock now.

$20 + Free Shipping

If you like...for more info, or to buy, check HERE.

Squatchin' Hits Home...

Oh my...there's evidently a Jacksonville, FL area Bigfoot hunter (that isn't me)...

Courtesy Jacksonville.com

"A Mandarin [FL] man appears on a Bigfoot hunting reality show that premieres Friday evening.  David Lauer appears on “10 Million Dollar Bigfoot Bounty,” which is on the Spike network at 10 p.m.  The show pits two-man teams against one another in a search for irrefutable proof that Bigfoot or some similar creature exists."

So should I tell him about the Tenkara Sasquatch in St. John's County?

Original Sighting Photo

Enhanced

Nah...

Tenkara Sasquatch Sighting on Tenkara Talk

Was fortunate to be given the opportunity to spread the word of the Tenkara Sasquatch today on TenkaraTalk. Looking forward to 2014 being a big year for Tenkara Sasquatch research.

Mythbusters? Tenkara Sasquatch Edition...

Yesterday, the stupid little brother site of Troutrageous! (aka Tenkara Sasquatch), posted an exposé of an overlooked tenkara sasquatch sighting in an April Vokey photo.  (Original post HERE).

I love the resulting comments & speculation this received over on Google+ (far more than on Facebook BTW)...so I embedded the post below with comments just for entertainment.  You can click on the little comic-book looking comment bubble to see them.  Evidently everyone's an amateur squatcher.  Heck, if you have thoughts, feel free to add to the growing list...

Tenkara Sasquatch Sighting with April Vokey?

This picture of April Vokey fishing is not new.  But people have clearly been too distracted by her deadly combination of good looks and fishing acumen to take notice of what is going on right behind her...umm...behind...

Don't see it?  Let me zoom in...

Yup, clear as day.
Yet another Tenkara Sasquatch sighting...