Another Cool Fishing Gal...

Meet Caro Houle...

I just discovered this interesting young lady this morning while going through some tweets from friends on Twitter. They were speaking rather highly of her, so I did a little touring and lo and behold, I came up with this great picture for starters. How Cute is this Outdoorsy Woman's hat, I ask you? I just Love it! :-) You see boys, women always bring a little light and freshness to the outdoors with their uncanny sense of style and fashion. :-)

Go check her out on Twitter at CaroHoule and send her a Tweet while your at it. :-)

Oh ya, some of her friends call her C-Bass and now I can see why. ;-)

Houle is Cool!

One of my very best friends...

My Friend Bob Jones...

Looking towards the stern of Bob's old "Tin Goose" way back in the day, you can see the Fat Rap in Bob's hand. This was a year or three before Rapala, brought out their amazingly deadly Shad Rap. :-) We put a ton of nautical miles on that cool fishing platform of his. I loved that canoe! As a matter of fact, I ended up buying a Sportspal of my own, just after Bob headed out west to Courtenay B.C. to become the full time Outdoor Writer and retire there to boot.
Bob on the Rideau River...

A few decades ago, Robert H. Jones was as close to an older brother to me, as a man can get. He nick named me Larry Rideau-romper back then and we fished many places many times, for many fish. As I recall, we NEVER got skunked either. :-) Being a Master Jig Tier he got a kick out of caochin' me in the fur and feather dressin' biz and we tied many jigs together in his basement workshop and laughed over his wonderful home made wine and Sangria so many times. Even without the help of the the wine, this man was a great conversationalist. Just say anything to do with fishing and before you knew it a 60 or 80 mile drive would be done before the conversation had ended. ;-)

Bob was the kind of guy that never asked anything for what he gave out either. He wouldn't even let me chip in for gas after the first and only time I had offered. "I'm going out there anyway buddy, and yer not bad company either" he'd say. Then he'd just smile, and I knew that, that was that.

Thank You Bob Jones, for your kind generosity and for taking such good care of this young budding writer back then, so long ago now, it seems. :-)

Some sad news...
Our mutual friend, Grant Hopkins had fished with Big Bob Jones many times over the years too and he had kept up a communication line with him. It was through a chance meeting with Grant along the Rideau Canal the other day, that I learned of the passing of my good old fishing/writing friend. Grant filled me in on a few of the details of when and where and we both stood a moment in silence to remember our fine friend. Because my head was turned slightly towards the water, I don't think that Grant saw the tear roll down my cheek. But I felt it rolling. I hadn't felt that sad or lost or hurt or whatever it is called, for a long time. :-(

After we talked a little more about the lack of bites we were both getting, we parted and went our own ways again, left in our own thoughts. However, just after he left and while riding home on the bus, I was in a kind of fog. Flashes of pictures and mini movies skipped across my mind, of some of my times together with this scholarly man. Memories jarred awake by the reality of my close friend's passing.

There are just so many things I could tell you about how good a man Bob Jones was but his track record speaks for itself. So, to get you into a little bit of Robert H. Jones, one of Canada's finest Fishing Writers, here's a link to a post on my other blog, to do with this amazing and well respected Outdoorsman. There's some Bob related links there to explore for a few minutes too.

We will remember you...

My thoughts go out to Vera, Karen and Bobby Jr. Bob's immediate family. My heart is heavy for you my friends. I totally feel your loss and will miss your husband and dad, SO much. I thank God, that I was fortunate enough to have ever met Bob in the first place. I've been very enriched by his teachings while taking me under his wing, so many years ago now.
Robert H. Jones

Thank You Robert H. Jones! Thank You! You have helped and encouraged an awful pile of people out there in your time my friend. Your wisdom still lives on through your many books and hundreds of magazine articles. You made it Mr. Jones! You did exactly what you wanted to do, and in fine style I might add. I'm so glad I shared even a little part of that amazing life with you...

Love Always,

Lar

Why do you Blog...

Blogging...

After being asked by more than a few folks, what in the heck is a blog, and why do you do it, I came up with this little blurb to keep it simple for starters. :-) Go see if you think the same way as I do about blogs and blogging or to encourage yourself to blog. ;-)

Why do you Blog?

My Two Essentials...

Are you like a lot of folks out there these days that take their cell phone with them, everywhere, all the time? These things seem to be the top choice of things a person always has with them now days. I don't own or use a cell even but I do carry certain things with me daily, everywhere, anywhere, always. ;-)

Two cool tools...
There are many fine things to carry with you when you step into the woods these days, to be sure. I also have my share of pretty neat gadgets and some fairly cool gizmo's too but when it's all said and done, there are two things I am NEVER without. Doesn't matter if I'm hittin' the boonies or just fishin' Shirley's Bay or Dow's Lake for that matter, these two indispensable items are my constant companions...A knife and fire...
In this case it's an old S.A.K. and a mini-Bic that I'm carryin' but I have used many other knives and tons of lighters over the decades. As a matter of fact, years ago, back in the day, I wouldn't be caught dead without my trusty Zippo! :-)

I'm not trying to sell you anything here, it's just that these two little things are pretty easy for anyone to get and they won't set you back too many bucks either. The Swiss Army Knife (S.A.K.) has come in so handy, so many times that it's paid for itself tenfold at least. I've used every single tool on there and more than once too. Cutting chores abound off the beaten path so any decent knife can make your visit there, better. Even if you only used it to cut and sharpen a few willow sticks for wieners or marsh-mellows with your children, over a little camp fire.

If perhaps you are not someone who has some kind of jack-knife or whatever in your pockets, you just might want to consider packin' both of these cool little tools around with you too. They take up no room and both could easily save your life or even someone else, depending on the circumstances you find yourself in, during the coming times. ;-)

Oh ya, and remember, even though they are all wonderful, you can't light a fire with a cell phone or an ipod or a GPS unit, for that matter. :-)

Cheers!

Rockin' with College Bassin'...

College Bass Fishing!

Here's a link to a Cool piece written By David Boraks, over on DavidsonNews dot net that gives the world a fine insight as to what's happening lately in many colleges across the land....

Virginia Tech leads Bass tourney | DavidsonNews.net

Man, I wish this kind of Super Sic Stuff was available back a few decades ago, when I was wanting to be a Bassin' Pro! How much does this Fishin' stuff Rock, I ask you? :-) Just shows us again, how good the young folks have it to-day, eh! :-)

If Your child Loves fishing, have you considered starting him or her on this particular course in life? With Universities jumpin' on the Bassin' band wagon lately, your kids could fit right in there. I'll tell ya, National fame and fortune can most certainly be had through Pro Bass Fishing these days, no doubt about it. Just ask Kevin Van Dam with his more than 3 Million smackers bankrolled from those cool Bassin' Tourneys. :-) So you see, the younger you start and encourage your offspring, the better chance they'll have at turning their Love for Fishing, into an actual, for real, career.

Remember also, that You are the absolute Best Promoter slash Coach slash Bud that they have, in whatever they do anyways. So, why not let yourself think then, that they could be rubbing shoulders one day perhaps, with the likes of G-Man, or Ike, KVD, Clunn, Jimmy Houston, Skeet Reece and all those other Awesome Bassin' hero's of ours, if they really wanted to? :-)

Go read up on some of these fine young American College boys who'd rather play with Bass, than foot balls, golf balls, basket balls etc etc. and be televised with their buds and Bass. :-) My hat is off to ALL of the participants in these excellent Bass Tournaments.

Go get 'em boys! :-)

Lar

Coolest Card Ever...

From My Best Friends...
This card came in the mail the other day to celebrate my birthday and put a Very large smile on my face. I have to say it is the Coolest Birthday Card I've ever received. It's so nice when folks you know, think enough of you to send a lovely hand picked card to share Birth-Day wishes over the miles... Thank you Bruce & Elaine for keeping me in your thoughts and sharing your kindness with me, again.

The sunny weather this morning prompted me to get out for a little bike ride again. It's just amazing what a bit of touring around on a bicycle can do for you. It makes you more aware of how "healthy" you may or may not be and gets you better than you were before you started, always. :-)

I thought the sheer starkness of the empty and vacant canal with it's old, time worn gears, looked pretty cool beside my trusty two wheeled adventure machine... ;'}

Neat wheels

Coasting down the hill at Hartwell's and along the canal, brought me to the very lowered shores of Dow's famous lake. This is a little of what this shallow, fragile lake, looks like with millions of gallons of water, pulled out of it in the fall. It sure exposes a lot of hidden hidey holes, that you don't see in the summer, eh?

Fall Draw Down on Dow's Lake

Although I couldn't get anything to hit this tempting morsel to-day, I was indeed struck by it's beauty, just a settin' there, on my hand-grip, all comfy like, like that. :-)
Cool Color Combo...
Next time maybe...

later...

Four Twittery things...

For all you Twitter lovers out there, I wrote this little blurb back in June but I think it's due for another run. Here's four powerful T's that can change the way you work. Check them out.

LarryB's Blog...: Four Twittery things...

Fly Fishing Attire: By The Outdooress...

More beauty in the Outdoors...

Looks like this is kind of a part of a series on Outdoor Ladies that I've been digging out of the web. All together on my four different blogs, a nice number of Outdoor gals have already graced my posts. You see, I've always had a very high regard for Women who really enjoy doing Outdoorsy things. This then, seems to be a good platform to extend that Respect for those girls out there who touch fish and smell campfire smoke and such.

Best Friends...

Is it just me, or is there something Very attractive about a woman sportin' a fishin' rod and hangin' around in her Comfy's with a beautiful dog? :-)

I just recently discovered Rebecca or as shes known on Twitter as @Outdooress, by following a few of my friends on Twitter. I can't say enough about Twitter by the way, it's Awesome!

This lovely young woman loves to Fly Fish and is really no stranger to a gun either. OoooRa! Shoot 'em up! :-) This lady's skills on a key board or a notepad and pen I'm sure, are right up there as well, as you'll see for yourself. This girl knows how to get all of us Outdoorsy types, feeling just exactly what it is she's writing about, and liking it. :-)

Rebecca is also pretty good at tossin' some fine fishin' humor, in her posts to boot. :-) Just ask her about the treble hook in the baby's forehead story. LOL!

Anywho, go give her excellent outdoor page a look see. You'll love it, I'm sure.

Runways On The River By The Outdooress...

Oh ya, and don't forget to check her out on Twitter too!@Outdooress Which of course, she most certainly is... :-)

Tell her I sent ya and if you have a blog or website, You just may possibly earn a blurb in here too. ;-) After all, I have been known for wanting to spread the many facets of the Outdoor World to others, All of my life. ;-)

Sharing is good. This Internet thingy has suddenly, with all of it's marvelous apps, enabled all of us like-mined, true blooded folks who Dig the Woods & Waters, to Unite! Man, my dreams are all coming true... :-)

Pass it on.

Sincerely,

LarryB