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Ongoing therapy and toys-for-life...

2K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  Penguin 
#1 ·
Way back in the 1900's I vaguely remember spending way too much of my formative years scrambling around on slippery jetty rocks on the beaches of southern Long Island WHILE MY PALS WERE "GETTING SOME"...Stripers were plentiful, willing, and the passion of an unconventional childhood. I did Palomines, Mustangs, chunks, and rigged eels and was very successful...until the species got fished out and things came to a screeching hault (I can relate to Frank D's "20 Years On The Cape")... After college I taught at Islip HS, NY, for a year and, after a spledid accounting for myself at a pre-induction Army draft physical, I beat-feet to the nearest Air Force recruiter and entered the pilot program...I've hung under many wings and travelled the world...except for occassional line wettings in Thailand, Cambodia, and Panama, somehow the fishing got put on hold. Almost four years in the high mountain Yemen/Arabian desert made for a poor place to chase rainbows'...an AK-47 instead of a 9 wt...and I wondered if I would get out in one piece. I did, but suffered a little warpage and induced soul searching. The 90's came and so too did certain military adventures... Desert Storm, Somalia, Grenada, Panama, Chad, Ruwanda, Perversion-Diversion, Free Willie, Free Willie II, blahblahblah...OUGH!!! Late in '95 I revived an old fly fishing outfit and, after hours on the lawn trying to kill a tailing loop, the rediscovery was on it's now unstoppable way. PASSION REVIVED! I still have an array of spin/conventional/surf/boat gear in a closet (there will one day be a great yard sale!!!) but mostly the "flyfever" has got me BAAAD. I mostly fish the WatchHill reefs and Fishers Island area. I live near Westover AFB (South Hadley MA) and dance with Stripers on the CT River under the Holyoke dam...or put in my boat on the Thames River just below the 2A bridge...but SOON I hope cut and run and to have a place on the Cape and will forever alter my life and priorities to include fur n feathers n synthetics n waders n polarized sunglasses n friends from the Forum BigDogPack sleeping on the living room floor with alarm clocks set way too early for conventional endeavors...Duncan fatpills 'n coffee on the way to Chatham etc etc etc. No wife or kids to say..."You spent HOW MUCH for that fly rod???!!! JURO, PLEASE SHOW ME THE WAY to the beach AND YOU CAN HAVE THE COUCH! 8, 9, 10 wts...trips to AK, FL. Dinner with Jose. Let's go!
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!
 
#3 ·
...semi-Darwinian evolution...

I entered the Forum as "SOLO"...most of my activities seemed to be accomplished without the benefit of companionship...
As I evolved and the good Forum company became so addictive, "SOLO" seemed no longer applicable...but my frequent use of the Yak to gain access to less-than-accessible locations to dance with fish in sight of land-based observers brought on "Ishmael"..."social outcast"...
As Yak company grew, the "outcast" status no longer applied and when, thanks to injuries received in Alaska during an aircraft fire, I became a permanently grounded Air Force pilot, I decided on the tag "Penguin" which defines my current "flightless bird" status.
The Forum has been key to my evolution and the open door for unprecedented opportunities...New friends have forever altered my consciousness and I keenly look forward to broadening my FF horizons...soon "AreaSixtyOne" (my place on the Cape) will be my reality and I look forward to sharing it with the Forum family.
'Meet you at the Light House at 0500...
Let's go fishing!
 
#4 ·
Things to be avoided at all cost.

Super info on your background; had really wondered about the referrence to 'the flightless bird.' Solid rumor has it that 'sudden stops when you're flying an aircraft are to be avoided at all cost.'

Fleight status is obviously a history lesson but at least you're able to swing the rod. And that counts for 99 out of 100 points.
:D
 
#5 ·
Pete - it's been a lot of fun these past months chasing the big striped beasts of the surf with you. I'm glad some of the insider info brought you over the 40" mark on a repeat basis this season. Funny how each year changes, we thought it was going to be Big Girl bar all over again but she skipped town on us. Luckily there were plenty of other hotspots to take it's place.

All of it was a real kick... except maybe making that 8 mile hike with you that day on the ocean side of S/M. And even that, having survived it, is a memory worth having.

Looking forward to more great adventures with the Forum community in 2002!
 
#7 ·
A few points...

Funny how the passage of time alters perspective. I would really like to do that hike again, preferably at a "fishing" pace rather than death march pace. I think a mid outgoing arrival at the rip followed by a stroll to the north end would be a gas.

I never do much catching at these get togethers but they do provide some of the best day's of fishing.

Two highlights of the past season for me were following Morin around the light and vicinity and meeting Pete.
 
#9 ·
...Death March...

It was the best of times and it was the worst of times...
My Penguinesque 8 mile waddle in the company of the Beach Ninja was both painful and enlightening...the pinched nerve in my hip slowed me down to a crawl but he stuck with me, true gentleman that he is (thanks Juro!)...and every now and then he would stop, sniff the air, cast, and promptly stretch his line thanks to an eager striped accomplice. I'd make a cast and come up smelling of skunk...Go figure!?
What a day! WHAT A SUMMER!
Let's go fishing!

p.s.
When the Ninja walks the beach he leaves no tracks!
 
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