NUMENON |
PONDERING CORE ESSENCE
NUMENON |
This is borrowed from the "fishing side" of my blog, above and posted at the December 12, 2020 entry at www.numenonfunfishing.com/numenonfunfishing. I don't like to double-dip content, but it's as useful here as it is there, and it's as powerful a way to wrap up my 2020 Fishing Season Experience as any. See you in 2021! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways
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Back in January, I shared my Fishing Goals for 2020: 1. Catch a legal-sized striper (28 inches) from amybaby22 2. Share a fresh fish meal with Uncle M 3. Catch my biggest ever striper 4. Catch a false albacore! 5. Catch a 6-pound "bass" (green, brown or sea-) 6. Catch a 16-inch trout! How'd I do? 1. Catch a legal-sized striper (28 inches) from amybaby22 Success! While only about 2% of my stripers stretched beyond 28 inches this season, three of these were slung over amybaby22's gunwales, including two on the penultimate trip of the season. Birds, bait, bass, light tackle and clear, shallow water add up to fun! And if the bass can be more sizable as opposed to less, I think that's better! 2. Share a fresh fish meal with Uncle M I could claim that the whole COVID-thing interfered with this goal. Perhaps M's preference for bass over scup or sea bass made this less likely. Or, perhaps it was my unpreparedness on the day I encountered multiple keeper bass; I found myself with no cooler and no ice. In lieu of fresh fish, we had to settle for sharing a couple of socially-distanced, land-based meals. Oh well, I will simply carry this goal forward to 2021. I'm okay with the delay regardless, since I don't really care too much for fish as my entree of choice. 3. Catch my biggest ever striper Success! But with an asterisk! I was fortunate to catch one "big" bass this season. While I have caught a couple of longer stripers from Lake Lanier, they were skinny, and I doubt that they weighed as much as my 37-incher from Maine this season. This was certainly my biggest ever striper on a sand-worm, and tied for my longest, documented striper from the salt. This goal is perennial, though, and so will also be carried over to 2021 and beyond. 4. Catch a false albacore! What can I say? For the third straight year, I struck out. On three separate occasions, I was very briefly "in range" of these funny fish, and I am not convinced that any saw my lures. Wind was certainly a factor against me in their pursuit, and I was unexpectedly distracted by the quality of the bass fishing that coincided with most of my Albie Season efforts. This, too, will be carried forward to 2021, and I know this will just happen at some point. If I need to, I could always choose to target them on a trip to Florida or North Carolina, where they seem to be less finicky, if less appreciated. 5. Catch a 6-pound "bass" (green, brown or sea-) Another perennial goal in which I fell short; my move to Massachusetts and the State of Things in 2020 conspired against me. I never even made a cast at freshwater bass, and I spent little time targeting sea bass. I did find some really nice ones (not 6-pounders, though) on a rip-and-shoal in Vineyard Sound, and their known presence in such habitat makes them a viable target for me for a longer portion of the season. I'll just have to keep trying. 6. Catch a 16-inch trout! Surprising, Salty Success! This was the first goal I achieved in 2020, when I landed four lakers beyond this mark through the ice of Newfound Lake, New Hampshire. While I caught a few stunningly beautiful trout in local Massachusetts ponds in the spring, none reached this arbitrary mark. The surprise fish of the season, though, smashed this goal when a salty brown ate my Kastmaster spoon in Casco Bay. While I can't rely on that ever happening again, I did hear a half-dozen reports or so of similar mid-summer catches from the region. So, maybe? Regardless, on the hopeful assumption that perhaps there will be more opportunities to ice fish or troll in 2021, I expect to "up" my expectations to "20 inches" in the future. I also shared this in my January post: "I don't see how a season could not be viewed as a success if it includes the accomplishment of just about any subset of these goals!" What a prescient statement! Of course, I did not foresee the pandemic, but having scored a decently solid 0.500 for the season, I have to admit that it was full and satisfying; with the caveat that there will hopefully be better opportunities and fuller seasons ahead! Beyond These Goals I was able to experience and enjoy many new places, techniques and species this season, while continuing to hone some of what I think I "know". The season offered a nice balance of comfort, discovery and excitement. So, by category, let me at least acknowledge the following: New Places
New Techniques
New Species
And Finally Success! In that same January post, I voiced my intent to share some quality time with each of my girls. While our shared time was limited and our experiences were more modest than originally envisioned, I am thankful to know that this most important goal was fully achieved. The rest of all this; simply icing on the cake! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Most would admit; 2020 was quite the year! It was my first year "back" in New England, and things didn't go according to my plan, or anybody else's plan, either. However, I could socially distance from others while on the ice, in my waders, or on the deck of my skiff, the amybaby22. We'd all been given lemons. I tried to make as much lemonade as possible. My fishing year unfolded slowly, with iffy ice conditions (at best) and an uncertain and unproductive start to my pursuit of stocked trout. Having not fished at all in the last few months of 2019, I was getting truly antsy by the time I finally landed a few trout at late ice (February) and in local ponds in April. Striped bass occupied most of my thoughts and effort. From May through October I fished for little else. While "keepers" between 28 and 35 inches were pretty darn scarce for me, I caught a lot of really nice fish on light tackle. These included my biggest striper in seven years (37 inches), a surprising saltwater brown trout, and an array of other by-catch including bluefish, menhaden, hickory shad, scup, sea bass, sea robins, flounder and mackerel. With no real issues encountered for the season, the occasional company of a loved one, and a bunch of beautiful sunrises observed, I'd have to call it a successful season... despite the underlying circumstances. And, as of today, November 8, the amybaby22 still is available to serve; and an unseasonably nice stretch of weather lies ahead. I choose the right to amend and amend to this post should anything good happen in the remaining days of 2020. Enjoy! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Many would likely agree that 2020 has been, in the main, something of a bummer. Still, 2020 has offered some benefits, including a lot of bonus, unexpected time with loved ones, a freer work schedule and an allowance to focus on truly important matters. I am not going to claim that the capture of my 200th striper of the 2020 season was truly important. But the pursuit of each and every one of them has brought me peace and happiness. And, I've never landed so many in a single season. So, I might as well recognize this unique-to-me milestone as simply a Good Thing in 2020. All is not lost; there will be more good things to come. Of that, I am quite certain. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways It didn't turn out to be much of an albie chase, but my recent week on Cape Cod was a worthwhile fishing trip! After a brief encounter with some visible funny fish, including a few casts with an epoxy jig in their general vicinity on the first evening, I'm not sure I had another shot all week. The wind and the good striper fishing kept me inside the ponds, and when I did make it out to Vineyard Sound, I just never found the tunoids. Oh well, I'll run into them someday. Our temporary neighbors did, right outside Waquoit Bay outlet, on the evening of Saturday, September 26. I'd covered miles of ocean that day without knowingly crossing paths with a funny fish. Despite that, I still managed to learn some new spots and entertained myself with a variety of fish. All of the fishing details for the trip are chronicled at www.numenonfunfishing.com/numenonfunfishing/archives/09-2020 . While it was awesome to enjoy such quality, light tackle fishing for the week, it is still the prospect of catching an albie that will likely bring me back next fall. Enjoy some pictures of my Cape Cod "Albie Chase" for 2020; I enjoyed taking them! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways I recently gave my first "Ice Breaker" talk at my Toastmasters' International club. Here's a synopsis of what I hope I said! Good afternoon! Thank you (MC, members and guests.) I'd especially like to thank S, who introduced me to this club. This is my Ice Breaker talk, and so I'd like you to come away with a sense of what motivates me, but I also hope you find this to be somewhat engaging. And, I really hope to spark some thought. Now I know that I really am no more than a civil servant, my wife's life-long partner and the father of two adult daughters who are turning out to be delightfully bright, productive citizens. But today I m going to be a bit selfish and focus on what motivates me and perhaps makes me a bit unique. My youth was full of baseball, hockey, fishing and the outdoors. Age and injuries have made sports less alluring to me, but fishing has grown into a life-long endeavor and vehicle for personal growth. Here's a picture from a couple of years ago. It's a decent pic of a very nice bass, but why this snapshot resonates with me is this: it EXACTLY captures a dream of mine at the age of 9 or 10. From that dream, I vividly recall holding and admiring a fine bucket mouth bass, and the surging pride of accomplishment. The morning after that dream, I asked my Dad to take me fishing. He did, the very next day; and my lifelong pursuit was launched. I cannot see this picture without thinking fondly about my Dad or any of the fine experiences that were spawned by our first trip together. Now, the thing about fishing is that it leaves you alone with your thoughts for extended periods of time. That's fine with me, because I consider myself to be thoughtful and introspective. In 2003, I purchased a new fishing boat, and I wanted to name her both suitably and meaningfully. I vaguely recalled an intriguing concept from one of my first reading assignments in College. So, more than 20 years later, I found myself re-reading Aldo Leopold's "A Sand County Almanac". Mr. Leopold was an early conservationist, resource manager, philosopher and founder of The Wilderness Society. His "Almanac" is an unassuming diary of his thoughts regarding his onligatory stewardship of his Wisconsin farmland. The concept in question is that of Numenon; I'll self-define it here as "the core essence of a balanced and harmonious system; if something cannot be removed or changed without affecting or compromising the system within which that entity resides... that is the system's unique, distilled essence, its Numenon." So, the Brook Trout in a cold Appalachian Stream; a Ruffed Grouse gracing a Wisconsin Pine Barrens farm with its mating drumming and dance; and my particular, multi-species boat; these are all defining entities. Surely there are plenty of other streams, farms and fishermen; but as surely, these are more complete, interesting and valuable with their respective Numena present. And so my boat was named; but what I didn't expect was this: Re-reading the "Almanac" had re-kindled my interest in philosophy and deeper thought. Numenon (the boat) provided lots of solitary time to help me develop these. I've adopted an eye for recognizing "core essence" and extracting beneficial meaning from everyday occurences. My concept of Numenon has provided a lense and focus for self-reflection, often while aboard Numenon herself. I am fortunate to say that I am convinced that I am happier, more buoyant, calm and productive because of these synergistic activities. Plus, I've generated some good fishing tales along the way, too! And so there I am; I like to fish, and I like to ponder. I've discovered a beneficial synergy between these activities, and I am fully invested in both. Finally, I am a better and more complete person for it. Thank you; I simply encourage you to enjoy a day on the water! But, I also encourage all to find their appropriate vehicle for personal growth, peace of mind and sense of individual meaning. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways When I picked up the amybaby22 last year, I knew I would be in position to expand my striped bass horizons. To appease my daydreams, I picked up a variety of reliable Hogy lures. I've used the Hogy Epoxy Jigs successfully for stripers, blues, jacks and little tuna, but to date had not even tried many of the other lures I'd purchased. A recent day-trip to Buzzards Bay changed that, and I enjoyed success on a few new baits and techniques. Fishing new water, I need a bait that provided quick coverage! Plus, I love top-waters, so it was natural to choose a Hogy Popper. I usually use poppers in a slow, deliberate and hopefully vulnerable manner, but on this day, I fished it rather frantically in areas of moving water. Sure enough, a pair of stripers found it in short order. The first, a 21-incher, provided a crushing hit near the boat, and the second, although only about 14 inches big, totally choked the lure head-first. They both wanted it! When I relocated to some heavier water and could not maintain functional contact with the popper, I switched to a subsurface presentation; the Hogy Original, 10-inches long, on a 3/4-ounce jig head. Although I had a couple of touches at first on a slow, darting retrieve, this lure got crushed by a fat 24-incher when I fished it faster, perhaps imitating a herring. When the fog burned off, I lost touch with the stripers, so I switched to sea bass. Jigging with a large Epoxy Jig in green and then switching to a Hogy Heavy Jig in pink kept my rod bent for the next hour-and-a-half. Just these few baits kept me well-equipped and in the game for a very pleasant day of fishing. I've got plenty of other Hogy lures in my bag, too, and I look forward to getting them out when the proper conditions present themselves. There's nothing secret or fancy about this selection of baits; and I certainly don't mean for this to be a commercial; I just like recognizing that it finally all came together to be a good Hogy Day on the water. Specific details of this particular session can be found at www.numenonfunfishing.com/numenonfunfishing/buzzards-bay-on-a-weekday , while Hogy lures can be inspected at hogylures.com . Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways |
Steve LachanceVia Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Michigan and now, back to New England! Archives
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