Let the kids help with the fish cleaning after fish are caught. Above, Emma Howle shows off her catch. |
A Few Tips to Enhance
Your Outdoor Pleasure
By
John Howle
August
slips in silent as a Sunday benediction and moves slow as molasses.
Finding a shady spot on a creek or riverbank offering an occasional breeze
lifts the spirits as much as a fish tugging on the line. A cane pole,
length of fishing line and hook with a worm are all that is needed to fill
a frying pan and soothe the soul. A cool, fragrant place like this is
solid therapy for overcoming the stifling work that has to be completed
outdoors and around the farm this time of year. |
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Make
a backwoods fish
stringer
If
you start catching fish and realize you’ve forgotten your stringer,
one can be made from a green, sapling limb. Cut a slender, green limb
with one forked branch. Cut the branch off in front of the fork leaving
the end of the branch long. Cut the other side of the forked limb so it
is three or four inches long. The stringer will look like a sharp,
angled "L." The |
An L-shaped sapling limb makes an ideal fish stringer. |
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long,
thinner end of the stick will slide through the fish gill and can be
pushed into the creek or pond bank securing the fish and keeping them
fresh until time to go. The fork in the branch prevents the fish from
sliding off the stick.
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Welding gloves and channel lock pliers are handy on campouts.
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Gloves in
the Summer?
Two
items probably found in your truck toolbox work well on camping trips. A
pair of welding or other thick, leather gloves is handy when cooking
over open flames with hot pots, pans and kettles. In addition, channel
lock pliers make great pot holders and allow safer moving of the cooking
grill top because of the angled handles.
Don’t
capsize the canoe
Landing
a canoe against the shore in fast-moving currents is easier when
approaching tail first. Decide on the downstream spot you intend to land
on well in advance. |
| Turn
the back or stern of the canoe in the direction of the bank you want to
reach. Back paddle until the stern of the canoe touches the shore. Next,
allow the current to push the front or bow of the canoe parallel to the
shore. Stabilize the craft with a paddle while one person at a time gets
out onto the bank. Attempting to land nose first can capsize the vessel
in swift waters when the side of the canoe swings around in the strong
current. |
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Set up
your shooting range
August
is a great time to pick and set up a site for a shooting range. Select a
site far enough away from base camp so the noise won’t disturb anyone.
Avoid an east-west orientation to keep the sun out of the shooters’
eyes during morning or evening. Fairly level ground with a steep hill
for an impact area will prevent stray bullets. If no backdrop is
available, a bulldozer can push up dirt for a backstop. A range of 100
yards is sufficient.
Beware of
the "blowout" |
Place your 100-yard shooting range so the sun won’t be in your eyes. |
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Today’s
tires are more reliable than they were in the past. However,
"blowouts" still occur. To make matters worse, if you are
hauling a heavy load like an ATV or cattle, the problem can be
magnified.
"Blowouts"
occur when there is not enough air pressure in the tire to maintain the
natural flex of the rubber bonded to the fabric and steel cord
reinforcement. The cause can be a large gash or tiny puncture in the
tire. The extra load weight combined with the loss of air and heated
rubber can result in the characteristic boom, whoosh and flap, flap,
flap of the tire. The first response to a "blowout" is to hit
the brakes and head for the shoulder. This is a mistake. |
A 12-volt mechanic light can be hooked to a small battery. |
Research
shows that upon having a "blowout" the driver should maintain
the accelerator level, counter balance the pulling of the blown tire by
gently adjusting with the steering wheel to keep the vehicle in its lane
and once the vehicle is stabilized, you can gently slow down and
carefully pull off the side of the road. Being prepared for a
"blowout" is best. Keeping both hands on the steering wheel
instead of eating, drinking coffee or talking on the cell phone will
prevent a wreck in the event of a blown tire.
Let your
light shine
A
12-volt mecha-nic’s light, available at most auto parts stores, makes a
versatile tool when going afield. Clamped onto a 12-volt battery, the 40-watt
bulb gives plenty of light for night fishing, illumination around the campsite
or changing a boat trailer tire on a dark night. A small, lawn tractor battery
(12-volt) can be packed and requires little space but sheds much light. |
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From duct
tape to
duckling tape
Duct
tape has been used for temporary fixes on everything from wrapping a
leaking radiator hose, covering a hole in the tent or repairing a
leaking canoe hull midway down the river. The tape can be a bulky thing
to pack since the center core is so large. To remedy this, wrap long
sections of duct tape around a pencil for your next emergency. The tape
will unroll off the pencil easily, it packs small and you’ll have a
pencil handy to jot notes or write a will if things get really bad.
Clean
and store what you catch
To
prevent freezer burn on stored fish, fill the freezer bag with the fish
and submerge the
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Wrap your duct tape around a pencil to avoid bulk. |
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open
bag into a sink filled with water. Keep the bag open until all air bubbles
escape, and zip the bag before removing from the sink water. The pressure of
the water around the outside of the bag pushes out excess air.
Be
sure to include the youngsters on fishing trips whenever possible. Each of you
will be sure to learn the art of patience. In addition, they just have a good
time. Be sure to have them help clean the fish so they will have a greater
appreciation for their supper.
John
Howle is a freelance writer from Heflin.
Editor’s
Note: All
sketches shown in this article are by Jesse Limbaugh, produced from photos by
John Howle. |
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