El español y la traducción

¿Buscas una manera de presentar la información de tu blog o de tu negocio a una audiencia más amplia? ¿En algún momento has pensado en hacerlo por medio de un traductor?

It's true, people! If you are looking to get more of your passion out to more people, do it through a translator.

Even fish eat flies in English and Spanish!

Guess what? If your website or the information about your business is in two languages, you will reach twice as many people. Imagine that.

Not only that, but there are two dominant languages in the United States: English and Spanish.

English

Spanish

He traducido muchas cosas desde que creé mi negocio pequeño de Gardner Translations.

During the fall of 2009, my family hit some hard economic times. I have always had a passion for the Spanish language, so I decided to try my hand at translating. I'm anal retentive when it comes to definitions and spelling, and love the art, so it fit quite well.

To speak another language is to adapt to another culture. It requires an understanding of the way different people live their different lives, and communicate those lives through speaking and writing. For instance, I learned my Spanish in Peru.

¡Qué viva el Perú!

For some of my Spanish Composition work, check here. Fair warning, though. It's all in Spanish

Long story short, if you want to get your stuff out to more people (and share it with more cultures), consider doing it through a translator.


My feelings wouldn't be hurt if you asked me to do it, either! And besides, I'll probably do it for free.

Super Dynamite Fishing for Android/iOS

So, like many a person nowadays, I have had the opportunity to spend the last few years utilizing a little piece of technology called a Smart Phone.

Now, not all Smart Phones are created equal. My Motorola Q was good for about three weeks before I used it to the greatest extent possible.

My HTC Snap was a little better, but about the same.

My Blackberry Curve, now that was a treat! But it soon became less than useful as well.

Then, I was introduced to the Samsung Galaxy, and found a new favorite for telecommunications as I explored the applications available to Android and Apple.

In my fly and regular fishing adventures, I have found many applications that are helpful or informative, or just plan entertaining. Whether you fish or not, I recommend you give this one a try. This one falls in the "entertaining" category.

Also available through iTunes for Apple devices.

That's right, Super Dynamite Fishing! Start out cruising in a bathtub with your dynamite and a 12 gauge, working your way up to bigger and better firepower.

Now, real-life application of such ordinance in a fishing environment is something I wholly condemn. One should never, ever try what is in this video game in real life. Plus, fly fishing is way more fun.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars, because it is just a goofy good time for those days you want to hear some explosions and meet some goals.

I don't give it the 5th star because it is rather tasteless. Check it out for yourself!

5/26 Fishing Report, Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day, everybody. 

 

 A special thanks to all of the servicemen and women who were the lucky ones. And I hope you all can join me tomorrow in at least a few moments of silence in remembrance for those who have died for us and their country. God bless America, because Heaven knows many have sacrificed for it. Our prayers are with them and their families.

***

My wife and I set aside some time after a Church activity for me to hit the pond on Saturday. Last night was the night, as I wanted to try to hook into some feeding cats if at all possible.

Overwhelming count went to Green Sunfish. I caught about a dozen. Note the beautiful yellow in their fins.

 

I have never been a fan of these fish, until I started finding them in this size and coloration. They are beautiful, and aggressive. On more than one occasion, I have hooked into one and thought it was a bass.

Speaking of which:

You know, I don't even know how long this is...

First one on the Dirty Rat!

I fished a few flies: an Egg Sucking Leech, a Weighted Olive Woolly Bugger, a Bass Gurgler, and the Dirty Rat. I fished the Weighted Olive mostly because of top-water turbulence due to a high wind. It paid off!

The second bass on there was my first on the Dirty Rat.

The culprit.

There was a protected cove with calm surface waters. I actually screwed up my cast and deposited the fly at a 90 degree angle to the right of the tip of the fly line and was gradually pulling it back when I got what I was promised in Catch Magazine: an explosion. It was phenomenal!

I recently got some fly tying materials donated by Jim Smith. Can't wait to find out what to do with them. He wants to share what he typically does. 

Have a great holiday, and remember what it's for!

Almost home, and the Snake Charmer

My trip to Houston is winding to a most definite close. I am checking out of the hotel tomorrow morning for my last four hours of class, then its the waiting game. I get out of class at about 1, get picked up by the shuttle at 3:40, then head to the airport and take off pretty quick. I arrive after 8 pm.

I have missed my wife very dearly on this trip. I've thought a lot about all the wonderful things that I enjoy in life, one of them being fly fishing, and I am amazed at how sharing that and everything else with her amplifies the experience.

I did not get to share this trip with her, and it stinks.

Before we left, we watched Kung Fu Panda 2. Yeah, definitely need to chalk that one up on the list as "favorite movie #2". And what is favorite movie #1? You might have already guessed it. If not, you're going to need a little more than dew... and universe juice.

What made the movie the most enjoyable? Sharing it with Meredith.

I can't wait to get home and see my sweetheart.

In regards to fishing, a post from Brookies and Browns regarding a fly called the Snake Charmer has haunted me since the day I read it. Kershaw hasn't posted jack since September 2011 (hey, give him a break, he's a brand new pharmacist, can you blame him?), but this post has stuck with me.

And check out the video. Pretty good stuff.

As I revisited his blog to find the post and the pattern, I was amazed to see that the body of this fly is basically a Gurgler! This fly on the 3/0 looks absolutely massive, and Kershaw's pictures on his post of his rendition really piqued my interest.

Could this be tied on a Gammy #2 or #3 hook? Probably. Would it be more effective in those sizes than in the 3/0 for Pike and LMB? Probably not. 80 lb. mono for the weedguard? Seems excessive, but what are some thoughts out there?

Trying to fool a bass is pretty easy to do, I've discovered, but the better the surface action, the better. I wonder how that tail looks in the water.

Texas, and a fishing report.

Went out to the Pond on Friday morning, and had a great time! Wind semi-constant at about 15 mph with gusts up to 30. I learned real well how many times I can false cast with my rod arm downwind. The fish would still hit on my chugger close to shore, though. Caught a bunch of greenies and a bluegill, then a nice 14"-16" largemouth.

Had some more good times with it, but then switched to an olive weighted Woolly because of the chop on the water. Immediately hooked into another largemouth, slightly bigger, then moved down and hooked into one bigger yet. 16"+.

Olive Woolly fish #1

Olive Woolly fish #2

Now, I'm in Houston for ASPIRE, a training program for Terminix. "Bug School" my manager called it. Can't wait for tomorrow! It's a week long, so no fishing reports for a few days. But I'll try to forward cool stuff from the blogosphere and/or do reviews of my gear.

Dave 'n' Fishn...Dave

Today's feature: FishnDave's recent post regarding the Bass Gurgler.

Three of Dave's creations, #4 on the left two, #2 on the right.

Everything and its fishy mother chases this fly. At least in warm water they do. Go to Dave's blog and read the last few posts that feature the use of this fly and you shall see things beyond awesome. 

As he states in his post, the original credit goes to a fellow poster, Jim Smith, on FAOL. Rather than hang on walls, buildings, and billboards, this poster gives out great fly recipes. (Cue the seal laugh. It was punny! *Ar Ar Ar*)

When I bought my first fly tying kit and materials, I found that I had enough to try this fly as well as the Dirty Rat, with one exception: I didn't have eyelash yarn, only chenille. But, I gave it a whirl, and man o manny wammy, Sammy, do these flies produce. Here's my third attempt at the fly, chenille body only.

 

And here is the second and third and fourth and... well, several more real-life testimonials to the effectiveness of this fly.

 

Tie it. Toss it. Love it. Thanks Dave for the great post, and thanks Jim for the great recipe.

 

Is it Wednesday or Thursday?

I couldn't help but ask myself this question when I started writing this post. It has been a crazy week. I'm starting to do house calls for folks, with the majority being bed bug inspections. If anyone has never seen a bed bug, here it is:

The common bedbug, Cimex lectularius

They are about the size of an apple seed, and are blood-sucking vampire spawn from hades. Really. I honestly see no point for this insect, because they only feed on human blood, and they have no known natural predator besides spiders, which can't come anywhere near to being effective at controlling population because of their breed rate. Did 3 different inspections for them today, and they all came out positive.

But on to the fishing.

Went out Monday hecka early and threw my first personally tied flies, the Dirty Rat and the Gurgle Bug.

I got an amazing strike on the Dirty Rat, but from what I can tell, I put too much maribou on both of them. Seems like there was too much fly, not enough hook. If anyone has any other input as to why my hookset failed, let me know.

The Gurgle Bug took the First Fly Trophy, though. The action was great, with lots of twitching and, well, gurgling. I tied on my third version - seen here - and caught a bass four feet from shore as I was pulling up for a close backcast. Instant hookset.

Dark picture, but the fly is grasped between my birdy and ring finger closest to camera.

Needless to say, I settled with tossing the Gurgle until I left for home.

Green sunfish, non-photogenic.

Beautiful spawning bull.

Another big, gorgeous spawner.

One of the biggest greenies yet. 

 I was apprehensive at first with this fly because the original recipe calls for Eyelash Yarn - which until this writing I thought was fly fishing specific, but is really a yarn that people use in crafting - to give it body and simulate legs. I'm sure this gurgler would be gorgeous with the yarn, but the brown chenille did great.

I wonder if I could tie a "bed bug" fly. I think I would call it the "BiSViSH Fly". Remember? Blood Sucking Vampire Spawn from Hades?

Maybe not. But keep your eyes peeled on my blog. You never know.

My First Flies

With the new job and everything, being on the water in the early morning has been hard to get to because I would rather get every ounce of sleep that I can.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I got my first vise. Of course, I started tying some flies.

 I opened up my Ultimate Guide to Fly Fishing and followed the instructions to tying on for the first time. The bobbin is stiff and nonadjustable, but who cares? I know I didn't. I started wrapping away.

First on the list was the Dirty Rat. I followed the instructions, got down to tying the nose, then was pleasantly surprised by my wife snapping pictures. 

 

 

And....

Voila! A Dirty Rat.

It's so cute! The face ended up thin and the tail a tad short, but not bad for a first go round. Had to tie two, of course.

Dirty Rat #2. Wider face and a more prominent nose, plus a longer tail.

I set aside an hour this morning to hit the water before my wife wanted me to be home to let her go running. We both slept in instead.

Tonight, the wife - after dealing with her less than pleasant job and a boss that sent her home because of a business casual t-shirt, the reason why being beyond me - is out with her ex-roommate Lanae watching television and eating junk food, so I decided to jump on something I had gotten in my email: Dave's test of a Bass Gurgler. 

 

After following his link to FAOL, I clarified as to whether I could use chenille, pulled out my razor foam and:

Attempt #1: foam not long enough (it tore on the back) and funky maribou, but fishable.

Attempt #2: Better maribou, foam definitely long enough, deeper body.

Attempt #3: Best maribou yet, chunky little chugger!

Probably the coolest thing so far after trying just two flies is seeing how the different steps in the process come together to form something that looks segmented and alive. Such a cool feeling. Do you remember what it was like when you felt that the first time?

Store-bought plus five hand-tied

I can't wait to get these out on the water. The water I fish is primarily bream, hybrid and Green Sunfish laden, so the aquatic fare for the bass is pretty limited. I'm pretty sure we're looking at noisemakers or frog wannabe. We'll see how they do. Hopefully I can have a day like Dave's!

(By the way, Dave, I think your coloration on that chugger contributed to your awesome day fishing because the breast on those greenies gets pretty yellow, and their fin gets extremely dark during the spawn. Maybe the flash of yellow against the black was just too much for them.)

Justin, my new vise, and the experience at Bass Pro

Ok, so I'm super stoked.

Yesterday after work, I went and picked up the munchkins and went to Bass Pro. My sister gave me a $50 gift card for my graduation and said to buy something "big, that you normally wouldn't be able to buy."

I went straight to the fly fishing section, with visions of poppers, rattle frogs, nippers and a whole lot of little stuff I otherwise wouldn't be able to buy dancing through my mind.

Then I stopped.

In the display case was a bunch of fly tying vises. Had my eyes deceived me? $14.97 for a vise? No way!

A little ways up and to the right from that vise was the same vise, but sitting in a box with a bunch of tools I recognized. Ok, seriously, $19.97.

I quickly switched gears and went around the corner, baby on my back and 4 yr. old in tow. I needed help finding materials, and an opinion on the $20 kit.

I found Justin:

Justin with Bass Pro Shops, Fly Fishing Department, Council Bluffs

More on Justin later. What I found, though, was that he looked very familiar.

He began to explain his experience with the kit, which he owns and uses as a travel kit. I must have started foaming at the mouth or something. Not that he said anything, I just... felt like doing so.

I whipped out my smartphone and showed him the pattern for the Dirty Rat . We both kind of mumbled about how we didn't know what 'chickabou' was before deciding to go with good old maribou. He helped me compile the ingredients, with pointers about different adhesive and eyes.




The goods.

As we were discussing thread or something, I realized where I recognized Justin from.

"Did you teach the fly casting classes at some point?"

"Yes I did."

Turns out, Justin was our instructor when my wife and I first took casting lessons about 18 months ago! She was pregnant with our youngest at the time, and needless to say I was impressed then with his helpfulness and courtesy then. He hit another home run last night.

I will be forwarding a link to this post to his manager with top marks for his helpfulness. If anyone needs help in the Omaha/CB area, head to Bass Pro on Tuesdays and ask for Justin. (He mentioned that he ties a LOT of flies, and was using them in Colorado just last week.)

After awkwardly informing him that I had a blog, and asking to snap the above picture to give him credit, I took the babies to see the fish tanks.


Ruth diggin' the fish tank.

 Ruth (eldest) was such a good girl. She listened very well and held my hand and/or stayed close the entire time.

And, ladies and gentlemen, I now own a vise and all ingredients and tools I need to tie the Dirty Rat. Expect fly reviews, pictures and product reviews on the kit in the future.

Hopefully, I can get a picture of my flies in the mouth of something this size.

In Weight Watchers, they would call this the "before" picture.

On my "must tie" list: The Dirty Rat

Poor, recently-graduated-from-college, enthusiastic fly fishermen dream of the day when they can begin to tie their own flies.

I am no exception.

So, I have herein decided to begin a "must tie" list, which I will refer to personally when I forget all about the amazing patterns I see online. I figure it may also be useful to those of you who read this.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you:

The Dirty Rat

 

Many thanks to Jackie Treehorn of Hatches magazine for turning the morbid observation of rodent immersion into an amazing looking pattern.   

Fly fishing for bass with a mouse pattern is definitely a lot of fun! I plan on trying it with Northerns this year sometime, too.

Tie away, my good friends. Tight lines!

P.S. The only other fly I've seen fish take as or more aggressively on top of the water is the Chugger. Check that one out while you're here!

What fishing means to me.

My mom took our daughters for the evening to go hang out with her and my nieces up in Pisgah, so my wife and I took the time to spend at a new lake that opened up about 45 minutes away, and also to walk around the Elkhorn river.

She commented that people are a lot like machines, and that they need to do different things to keep themselves healthy and sane. When I reflect on that comment, I think of an engine, and how the work they produce is directly related to the wear, tear and care you give each part of it.

In this Fly Anglers Online post, the author gives a very good description of what fly fishing means to them. I am back-linking to it because I think everyone should sit back and think about what their passion means to them as part of their machine.

One of my passions is obvious. And it's not just fly fishing, because I will spin cast with the rest of them any day. It's just wonderful, positive, memorable fishing with great people in beautiful places.

Fishing, to me, is riding in a rusted old, catalytic-converter-less Blazer up to bear lake with a 10 lb. bag of Maceys cheddar popcorn at my feet to play on the beach while my then alcoholic father - now sober for more than a decade - long-lined with his buddy for Lakeys while drinking their beers and making silly noises when their bobbers danced on the line. I was five. Being a thousand miles away from my dad almost constantly during my life was easier to deal with as I think about memories like that.

Fishing is waking up at five in the morning in the tiny, one bedroom apartment my brother rented in Nevada to go after Browns in Salmon Creek with a good old French Spinner. It was there I tied on, baited - with bright orange power bait, I remember - and cast my first hook all by myself. The fish I landed was two inches long. Might as well have been 18, I was so excited. The elation overpowered me as I gasped for breath. I did it, all by myself! I unhooked the fish and took off up the river to celebrate with my brother and stepdad. I was somewhere near ten years old then.

Fishing is the memory of sitting in my brothers green canoe on Pony Creek - with a .22 calibre bullet hole I deposited in it instead of my leg while floating the white river in Indiana sometime previously - and canoeing my heart out with him because we didn't have a trolling motor and wanted to give our spoon some action. We caught a perch, I think. I was about fourteen.

Fishing has always represented a bond with the most important men in my life - top four being my biological father, my half brother, my Savior and my Heavenly Father. There are many reasons why, and all are pretty private. I'll share them with those four guys, my wife and maybe some other family that can relate. Fishing is definitely a key part to my emotional, spiritual and mental engine, and I don't think I'll have any problem keeping it well oiled.

I graduated with a bass thumb!

That's right folks. Chew marks.

Bass thumb!

Got up early this morning as promised and hit the pond with my brother. I threw a deer hair mouse and hooked into the first bass of the morning with a quick release right at shore. My brother kept having green sunfish smack onto his.

Little chubby. The fish, not the fisherman.

We moved down the shore, fishing weed lines on the way. I dropped the mouse about 6 inches outside the surface weeds. Had a bass explode on it. (No picture, but wow, what a feeling!) 

Good landscape, and Mike landed another bunch of green sunfish. I hooked into two more largemouth at the favorite spot before we went home. No pictures. I was more focused on my bro, and getting the fly on the water.

Can't see it... nice greeny, though.

The pond.

Then it was time to eat, shower, and graduate from college. My family was very supportive and it was a whole lot of fun. Here is my lovely wife who carried me all through college. She graduated too, just as much as I did.

She's also really buff.

Love you, honey.

Just so everyone knows, the Cabela's deer hair poppers are a new fave of mine. Also, caught a bass on a pencil popper for the first time. Good fun and good memories.

 

Dead week ends with a little warmup.

My family is in town for my graduation. My dad, his wife, Diane, and my brother, Michael, all drove in from near Provo, UT to spend the weekend.

My bro and I have already planned some time on my favorite pond.

Turns out we had a chance to hit the water a little early. We took my daughters up to scout the fishing.

There was a big Asian family harvesting massive amounts of Green Sunfish. One other mother and son shared in the awesomeness of this pond, and we mutually swore secrecy against telling anyone about it.

My bro introduced me to the Muddler Minnow and a couple new little bass and bluegill bugs, which we promptly lost. We didn't manage the hook-sets and the fights right, since he had his trout leader on. Got some pictures of the fun ones, though!

Mike hooked into some big green sunfish first. I had to explain the difference between those and the common bream, or bluegill. 

Then, my 4 year old explained that she needed to go potty. I held her just right off in some privacy, only to feel my right leg getting warm. No sweat, though! I'll take one, as a Dad.

After that, we got down into my favorite bass waters. (Yes, pee on pants and all.)

They are definitely much more active as the water hits just the right temperature and the fare explodes for them.  Mike and I traded off on the pole after I hit the first one. Dropping those chuggers in the water amongst some weeds and watching the bass smash them made that adrenaline kick in for the both of us. It was wonderful to share that with him again.

We had a blast! That's my 1.5 year old on my back.

Last bass of the day took the last bright green foam chugger of the day. Darn that blasted trout leader.

On the way back up to the car, we walked past a gentleman with a tripod headed to take pictures. He is from Colorado, and we chatted for a little bit about hitting 6 lb. rainbows at midnight in some of those lakes out there.

All in all, a great time, and we're just warming up.

White River Fly Shop® Hobbs Creek® Fly Line

About a year ago, a fly-fishing enthusiast passed me in the hall at church. 

Having noticed my  Facebook posts about recent investment into the hobby of fly fishing, he stopped, smiled and commented on my recent purchases. I had bought 10 lb. monofilament, some flies, and a nail knot tool.

We chatted, but I was dying to find out his preferences on something specific. Fly line, of course!

So, I asked him:

"Hey, what kind of fly line do you buy?"

"Oh," he said, "I throw the cheap, $20 stuff. I figure if I can cast with that, I can cast awesome with the good stuff."

Amen, brutha. Amen.

White River Fly Shop® Hobbs Creek® Fly Line 

 

I LOVE THIS LINE. 

It's yellow, it's cheap, and it has more memory than your iPad. It stretches, it catches, and, with love, it shoots like an arrow.

Pros: 

1. Cost: 
• It's only twenty dollars.
2. Castability: 
• See my friend's comment above. It is smooth!
3.  Durability: 
• Given the cost, I bought it two years ago, and it's still going great! Great return on not a lot of investment.

Cons:

1. Opportunity cost:
• I don't have any idea what I'm missing in a more expensive fly line.
2. Memory:
• No, seriously. More than your iPad.
3. Memory: 
• Can't stress it enough. A massive coil at your feet is hard to deal with, and I have it every time during my 40 ft. casts.

Anyone else have similar experiences with it?

Let me conclude by saying, again, I LOVE THIS FLY LINE. I really do. As a beginner doing my best to get by on a limited budget, I could not have wished for a better line.


*NOTE: I am blogging about this because of how I really feel about it. However, if you do decide to try this line out, try ordering using the link attached to the above picture. I admit without any shame that doing so would contribute to my love of the sport monetarily, as I am an Amazon affiliate for this stuff.

By the way, when I say the line needs a good stretch, I mean go catch a ton of fish on it.

Cheers.