Hello, Blog Readers!
As always, it's been quite a while, isn't it?
I usually fish quite a bit during the Winter time; however, the weather hasn't been helping a lot recently. Last week we had our coldest day in decades and most watersheds were frozen solid! Even the Schuylkill River -- a tidal body of water -- was entirely frozen for a couple days. The weather was so intense that some of my friends went ice-fishing for a day or two at Marsh Creek, meaning that the ice depth was safe enough for that (4 inches+). Then, after a couple days, we had a day up to 60F. Weird...huh? Regardless, the weather is a little bit better now and all the ice and the snow are gone! Let's hope it stays that way.
I also finished my petition for my new visa recently, which is another reason why I haven't been fishing a lot. After 6 months of extensive evidence gathering, I finally mailed it to the immigration office yesterday. For those who contributed for it with letters of recommendation (for more details, click here), please be aware that I couldn't have done it without all of you, and each piece of individual evidence added a lot to my petition! Thus, I want to thank you once again for your kind heart towards my work and I!
Basically, if I do get accepted, my chances of remaining in this country in the future will increase dramatically. If that happens, one of my biggest burdens as an immigrant will go away and I will be able to better focus on my college work and my fishing stuff! I don't know yet if I will get accepted or not, but I'll definitely keep everyone updated for it. After all, the whole future of "Extreme Philly Fishing" lies on this process alone.
Despite future results for this process, I was already very happy while gathering all the evidence that I needed for it. For instance, I found out that a couple of my articles/posts are in the first links of the google website! My "fishing hibernation" post, for example, is one of the first writings on the net to scientifically explain the different between hibernation and torpor. I thought that that was very neat! Also, my photos of Satinfin Shiner, Fully Scaled Mirror Carp and Swallowtail Shiner are within the three first rows of google images.
As you -- readers -- are aware of, one of the main objectives upon the creation of this fishing Blog was to share "free of charge" information about different topics concerning fishing to the open public. After all, before the creation of my fishing Blog, just as other anglers and friends, it didn't take me long to realize that information regarding fishing was extremely scarce on the Internet. Sure: I found a lot of fishing forums with people sharing the photos of their catches, plenty of bragging rights, but minimal pieces of important information (where to go for the weekend angler, how to fish properly, how to handle fish properly, etc). Generalizing, soon I realized that the fishing community was all divided into small groups of "trusted people," and newcomers were often ignored or put aside (as a matter of fact, that's one of the cons in any fishing forum, and perhaps society itself). That's when the whole "secrecy" thing within local fishing communities came to me. So, at that point, I had decided to create a source of information that would be available for everyone to see! And now, I'm very happy that little pieces of information from my Blog are running here and there, helping others to learn more about this wonderful sport! It's free, and it's here for anyone that wishes to learn. I truly believe that this is how it should be!
Apart from that, I also confirmed recently that my fishing Blog is within the three first links on Google when "Fishing Philadelphia" is typed in! I'm certainly very proud of myself for my Blog being on top of the list on a local level, and I know that this Blog is "living proof" that efforts do pay off in the end! As I like to emphasize to friends and family, there's no "quick fix" when it comes to many aspects of life. Nowadays, somehow, a lot of people look for an "easier way" to change or fix things up; however, most of the times progress comes from hard labor and a lot of sweat. In other words, it takes a long time to improve oneself or something. In my case, during these past 3 years, I've been pouring a lot of time into my writings (Blog) and field trips (Fishing). I ain't complaining, of course. I love all of that and I would be pleased to continue doing so. Heh. But this ranking example is certainly to show that anyone can "do it" with proper amounts of time, dedication and determination.
Now, let's talk about upcoming events (Note: if you are willing to participate in ANY of them, please send an e-mail to sheng12182527@gmail.com with the name of the event in the subject line):
1. 2nd Anglers Get Together Dinner of 2014, on February 16th.
The first Anglers Get Together Dinner was a big success! It was held on January 12th at Franklin Mills Mall (Grand China Buffet). The party was small -- 7 people total; however, we talked until we couldn't do it anymore. I came to know 4 of those people during the event, who all turned out to be wonderful local anglers. We shared plenty of fishing photos, knowledge about local spots and fishing techniques; and we even planned a couple Flathead and Carp fishing sessions for March. So, everything was good!
I believe that everyone who was there with me will agree that one of the funniest topics of the night was Uncle Steve (his Youtube Channel can be found here). In summary, he's a humorous angler that fishes different small streams for bream (Sunfish) and other smaller Species of fish (his catches rarely pass 6 inches). His videos are very entertaining and I definitely recommend them! He offers his spots, his techniques, etc. As an example, a video of his is below:
Since the first Anglers Get Together Dinner was held in Northeast Philadelphia, the second one will be held in South Philadelphia. This time is Mexican food! The second event is scheduled for 6:00 p.m., February 16th, at:
My Thai
Address: 2200 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146.
The menu is available here. The prices are outdated, though. Anyways...we are talking about authentic Thai food, cooked by authentic Thai people. That includes original Phad Thai, Drunken Noodles, different types of Curries, etc. The price range for Entrees is less than $20. Myself, I would probably spend $25-$30 per meal, tips included. They also have a "happy-hour" 3-courses special for $10.99, featuring Thai dishes (including a Thai BBQ chicken for those who are shy to the Asian cuisine). Parking on the street.
If you are interested in participating, please e-mail me at "sheng12182527@gmail.com." Note that I need to make a reservation at least 3 days in advance; therefore, do not wait until the last minute. Otherwise, there may be no accommodations.
Keep in mind that the Anglers Get Together Dinner is a good event to share your fishing stories with other local angler fanatics, learn a little bit more about the sport, make friends, etc. Therefore, be encouraged to bring photos and other small fishing things (last time someone brought and shared some knowledge on Senkos). Basically, it's a really good event to socialize. The crew and location for each event is different; therefore, you will be constantly meeting new people.
I hope you see you there! I'm sure that it's going to be a blast.
2. 5th Catfish Tourney on the Banks, on March 23rd.
Soon I'll be creating a full post for the 5th Catfish Tourney on the Banks. For now, I'm just announcing the date for it. Just like the previous Catfish Tourneys, it will be held on the Schuylkill Banks, between Locust and Chestnut bridges, from 9-3 p.m.
The entry fee for individuals is $20; teams is $30.
20% of all proceedings are going to a local non-profit organization that emphasizes aquatic sustainability. The rest of the cash amount will be divided among 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Big Fish places (40%, 30%, 20%, and 10% respectively). Also, notice that trophies are available for those positions as well.
Since the rules for each competition are almost identical, here's a set of rules from a previous Catfish Tourney (so you can have an idea of it).
For those who are willing to participate, please send an e-mail to "sheng12182527@gmail.com" with the event's name in the subject line. You will be receiving the application form for it in return.
3. 1st Carp Tourney on Kelly Drive, on April 13th.
This year I'll be holding Carp competitions for the local fishing community, apart from the "Catfish Tourney on the Banks" series. The 1st Carp Tourney is scheduled for April 13th, 2014. The event will take place on Kelly Drive, right after the Girard Ave. Bridge, from 9-3 p.m.. There's a small parking lot around the area, as well as a big parking lot around the Boathouse Row area.
A full post on it will be coming shortly! The rules for this competition will be slightly different:
-- 3 Rods per team (individual players are allowed, but teams are HIGHLY recommended)
-- Long nets are a must have item and one net will be available for rent at a rate of 1lb per use.
-- Individuals/Teams MUST BE at least 25 feet apart from each other (or from chummed area)
-- There will be a penalty of 5lbs per bag for mishandling fish in any ways (i.e. fish death).
-- Prizes will be awarded only for 1st, 2nd, and Big Fish. There will be no 3rd place award.
-- Prizes will be distributed as it follows: 40% for 1st, 35% for 2nd, 25% for Big Fish.
-- Final bag will consist of only the 3 biggest fish for each individual/team.
Also, please note: PA fish and Boat Commission's Angler Award forms will be available during the Tourney. Apart from the competition prizes, anyone who catches a Carp exceeding 28 inches in length and 14lbs in weight will also receive a certificate of excellence from the PA Fish and Boat Commission for his/her Trophy Catch! =)
And, as always:
-- Everyone must follow the PA Fish and Boat Commission laws while fishing. That includes having a valid PA fishing license for the year of 2014 (for each individual)!
-- The competition is strictly CPR -- Catch, Photo, and Release.
-- Entry fee for individuals/teams are $20.
-- Anglers must weight in any caught Carp during the length of the competition.
-- Trophies will be available for 1st, 2nd, and Biggest fish positions.
-- 20% of all proceeds will go to the National Recycled Fish non-profit organization.
As mentioned above, a full post on it will be coming shortly! If you are interested in participating, please send an e-mail to "sheng12182527@gmail.com" with the event's name in the subject line. You will be receiving the application form for it in return.
A lot of fun coming up, right? Heh.
For now, that's pretty much it! I hope to see you guys around.
Best of luck for all of us,
Long Days and Pleasant Nights,
Sincerely,
Leo S.