Hey guys, it's been a while. I've complained before about work taking up too much of my personal time, so I'll skip most of that. Lately, when I have had free time, I've been packing up my two youngest kids and hauling them to the closest body of water to partake in our newest family hobby-fishing. I'm a complete novice when it comes to fishing but with some internet research we've had overwhelming success with the minuscule panfish at a nearby pond and the slightly larger bluegills in Trinity River. Bluegills are about the only fish I can identify at this point. I have integrated my newest hobby, fishing, with my bike rides along the Trinity River.
Some little pond fish my son caught recently. I have no idea what it is.
We've caught about a million of these little guys. I've been crushing the barbs down on our hooks and releasing everything we catch.
I picked up this telescoping rod and reel combo at Bass Pro in Grapevine.
This easily fits in my pannier.
I had the day off yesterday and headed off down the Trinity Trails looking for a decent spot to fish.
My Trek 930 do-everything bike laying on the riverbank. All of my fishing gear was packed into the right side pannier.
The water level was really low in certain areas due to ongoing construction along the river. I fished a couple of areas today but didn't have much luck. No big deal.
I've made some changes to the Trek. I replaced the knobbie tires with a cheap pair of commuter tires from Performance and I swapped the flat bars for a set of back and neck friendly North Road bars.
I ditched the Grip Shift stuff for a set of inexpensive but highly effective thumb shifters. As of this evening I've replaced the cork grips for a more utilitarian set of black rubber lock-on grips. I plan to add one of those Wald Giant Delivery Baskets sometime in the near future.
The ride home. It looks like the leaves are finally changing color.
Brilliant! I've been thinking about picking up a rod like that for my S24Os to the lake...or micro-tours to the lake, like today. Oh, and nice job on the Trek. It's got that much-loved, custom look. I'll bet it works very well.
ReplyDeleteNoooo! Don't get rid of those cork grips in their shellacked glory! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI love the giant Wald baskets, though they definitely can make steering wonky.
Monica and I have also been doing a lot of fishing lately. We have been talking about integrating our bikes into our trips but have not had a chance yet.Looks like fun.
ReplyDeleteThe first fish is a white crappie. They are fun to catch, and I like catching them, and their cousins, black crappies, through the ice.
ReplyDeleteOunce for ounce, bluegills must be one of the scrappiest fish on the planet. They are fun to catch!
Something about fishing, kind of like interacting with beings from another dimension. If something bites the hook, until you see it, you just don't know what it is.
Sounds like you have the right attitude. Just being out there is reward enough. Catching a fish is a bonus.
New from RonCo! The Popeil Pocket Fisherman!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you have a slightly newer, much nicer version.
I don't like fishing, myself, but I love the equipment.
Myles,
ReplyDeleteThe photos of the trees look very nice! Congrats on your new hobby!!
Paz :)
Pretty awesome! Before leaving Virginia, my wife and I would wake up early and pack the fishing poles onto our bikes. We'd ride out 5 miles to Ragged Mountain and hike a few miles to a fishing spot. We never did catch a thing there, but what a blast. Collapsible poles are perfect for riding to a fishing spot. Great photos, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI never got on with thumb shifters but I've wondered about swept bars on the basis I could always twist them in the headset and make a very retro-styled racing handlebar, or have them the normal way as a relaxed trundlebike
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