Wednesday, May 31, 2006

What is the world's BIGGEST fish?


Answer: Whale Sharks: Harmless Heavyweights

As fearsome as this guy looks, he actually wouldn't harm a hair on your head. Whale sharks may have big mouths, but it isn't for swallowing people - they're plankton feeders. Plankton are microscopically tiny organisms that thrive in the oceans throughout the world. That's what the shark in the above picture is doing - feeding on plankton. You may not see them in the picture, but he knows they're there.

The huge, gaping mouth is the whale shark's adaptation to feeding on plankton; the wider his mouth opens the more plankton he can scoop up with each "bite". All the water that he takes in to scoop up his meal is simply passed out of his body through his gills, which have sieve-like membranes covering them to filter out the little critters and prevent them from escaping. If you were accidentally scooped up by the whale shark you would find yourself being spit back out through an interesting process called gastric eversion. The whale shark actually turns its stomach inside out and spits it out through its mouth, ejecting the entire contents.

Is it A Shark or a Whale?

You may wonder why this fish is called a whale shark. Scientists have determined that it is a species of shark, because of its skeleton (composed entirely of cartilage), and its tough, leathery, scaleless skin. People called it a whale shark because of its enormous size (like a whale), not because it's a type of whale. A whale is a mammal; a warm-blooded creature that has lungs and breathes air, gives birth to its young and nurses them with milk produced by mammary glands. A shark is a fish; it "breathes" its oxygen by passing water over its gills.

Whale sharks are rare, elusive creatures that scientists still know very little about. One interesting adaptation of the whale shark that scientists have discovered is that it has sensors that run the length of its body which are used for detecting pressure changes in the surrounding water. Whale sharks swim with their huge mouths wide open to chow down, making it hard for their proportionately small eyes to see where they're going. Being able to detect large objects with their pressure sensors gives the shark a "sixth sense" that acts like back-up vision.

MOST FEROCIOUS ANIMAL - Is a FISH!

Ruthless Killers

From the moment tiny baby piranhas hatch from their microscopic eggs, they come into the world armed and dangerous. Baby piranha will feast on tiny crustaceans, fruits, seeds, and aquatic plants. Once they reach about 1.5 inches in length they begin feeding on the fins and flesh of other fish that wander too closely. As they grow larger they begin to venture out in groups (schools) of about 20 fish where they use a variety of hunting strategies to kill and eat their prey. Heck, they don't kill their prey first, they just start eating the victim alive - that's what makes them so ferocious. Adult piranha have been known to eat their own babies. Talk about brutal!

When a school of piranha are in a feeding frenzy the water appears to boil and churn red with blood. They attack with such ferocity that they strip an animal of its flesh within a matter of minutes, even taking bites out of each other in the process.


Adult piranha will eat just about anything - other fish, sick and weakened cattle, even parts of people. Sickly cattle that have stooped their heads down to drink from the river have been grabbed by the mouth and nose and pulled into the water, completely devoured minutes later. As wicked as it all sounds, piranha have a useful function in the Amazonian jungles just like any other predators in the wild. They are part of the checks and balances Mother Nature employs to eliminate the weak and sick so only the strong survive.

Holy Fish Photo!



Here is a picture of the holy fish we've been talking about on this blog.

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GIANT FISHING LURES

Looking for giant fishing lures? We are talking huge fishing lures here! Not for actually fishing with mind you, no these giant fishing lures are conversation pieces designed as gag gifts or to hang in your den, office or living room. Check out the entire collection of giant spoon lures, giant plugs and giant antique lures in Fishboy's gift collection. As always Fishboy has great shipping prices for these items.

Lures Of The Past Card Deck


Now here is a cool little stocking stuffer or mini gift for that certain fisherman you know and love!

"Lures Of The Past" is a beautiful deck of 54 standard playing cards featuring some of America's most notable antique lures from the 1890's to around 1940. Learn about antique fishing lures while you play "Go Fish"!

Wholesale Fishing and Hunting T-shirts

Attention retailers: Want to carry the funniest, most successful line of fishing and hunting t-shirts in your store or catalog? Check out the Fishboy product line. 36 shirt minimum order per design, name drops available. Contact our wholesaler Lakeshirts for more information: (800) 627-2780 www.lakeshirts.com

Monday, May 29, 2006

Fish Bites Man

SAN DIEGO -- A fisherman got an unpleasant surprise Thursday when a fish caught in the San Diego Bay tried to bite him.

The unusual-looking fish had fangs and bulging eyes, said fisherman Michael Wilkins.

"I had a hard time getting the hook out of his mouth; he was trying to bite me," Wilkins said. "I thought I caught a catfish in salt water, and, as I pulled him up, I saw he had teeth. I kind of flipped out because I didn't know what type of fish it was."


The Department of Fish and Game said the fish is a speckle fin mid-shipman. It is usually found in the waters between Santa Barbara and southern Baja California.

The speckle fin mid-shipman are more active at night and have photo phores, which enable them to glow. They are also known for making humming or grunting noises.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Artwork for Sale


Fishboy Edward Mark Fielding is now offering prints of his beautiful scenic photography through Art.com

http://www.art.com/memberartist/Edward_Fielding

Hot Shot: Warning On Fish Sticks

Remember to always check your oven for loaded weapons before preheating. -- Ed

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - A Texas woman heating fish sticks was shot in the leg by a gun
that had been stashed in her oven, police said.

Roxanne Perez, 29, was taken to a local hospital where she was in good condition, police said Friday.

They said a friend of hers had hidden the .357 caliber handgun in the stove two weeks earlier
without telling her after she told him no guns were allowed in her house.

When Perez heated up the fish sticks she also heated up the gun, which caused several rounds to
be fired. One hit her in the leg.

No charges have been filed because the shooting was accidental, police said.

From St. Paul To Mrs. Paul - More on the Jesus Fish Stick

News of the Grilled Cheese Virgin Mary last week spurred Fred Whan of Ontario, Canada, to dig into his freezer for what some may believe to be a heavenly work of cod — a burned fish stick resembling Jesus.

The 40-year-old man says he was cooking dinner for his kids and other children he was baby-sitting when the blessed event occurred. "No one wanted them because they were burned," he said. "So I thought I'd better give them to the dogs."

But before he threw the charred cake to the dogs' dish, he took another look.

"I said, 'That looks like a rock singer,' and then my son goes, 'It looks like Jesus,' and I said 'Well, it does, yeah.' "

So he kept this burnt offering as a conversation piece. Now, he's promising to put it on eBay, perhaps as the perfect keepsake for those who admire both St. Paul and Mrs. Paul. Holy tartar sauce sold separately.

Holy Fish Stick! Jesus Appears On Frozen Processed Fish


Son of Cod!

When Fred Whan learned that a grilled cheese sandwich purportedly displaying the visage of the Virgin Mary in its grill marks sold for $28,000 on eBay, he wondered over the value of his special fish stick. The Ontario man claims that the TV dinner item he burned a year ago and has since kept frozen bears the image of Jesus Christ. Judge for yourself.

Cast & Pray T-shirts Available!

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Funny Fishing Gifts

If your looking for a funny fishing gift for Father's Day or that certain someone's birthday look no further than the funny fishing gift experts at FISHBOY! Fishboy's got original funny fishing t-shirts, funny fishing hats, funny fishing die cut stickers, funny fishing giant lures, funny fishing bottle openers and a whole lot more!

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Fisherman Dies Trying to Reel In "The Big One"

(AHN) -- A Hungarian fisherman died trying to reel in a 150-pound 4-foot catfish that got caught on his hook, says the United Press International.

Gabor Komlosy, 53, got the catfish on his line in the Szamos River and apparently wouldn’t let go of his fishing pole when the fish tried to swim away.

Hungarian police say the fish probably pulled Komlosy down the riverbank and he hit his head on a rock and drowned.

The fish was still hooked to Komlosy’s fishing line when his body was pulled out of the river.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Fish Killing Swimming Pool

ASHEVILLE, N.C. More than 300 fish were killed when a swimming pool leaked into Haw Creek in Asheville.

Workers cleaning the pool at the Haw Creek Recreation Park yesterday thought the water was flowing toward the sewer system. Workers later learned the system was broken, which caused backwater from the pool to end up in Haw Creek.

Fish struggled to jump out of the water that was turned white by the chlorine and chemicals.

The leak was eventually stopped. A contractor is to examine the sewer lines today to figure out what went wrong.

Fickle Female Cichlids Force Male Fish to Be Flashy

Working with evolution, fussy female fish have caused desperate males to blush bright red or take on a victorious blue-ribbon shade of indigo.

Two species of cichlid fish swimming in East Africa's tropical Lake Victoria are brilliantly hued because females chose the brightest male partners, according to new research.

Although the females of both species resemble each other, with drab gray-brown coloring, the males look completely different.

The males of one species, Pundamilia pundamilia, are metallic blue. They eat insect larvae in the shallows.

The Pundamilia nyererei males are bright red and yellow. They feed on zooplankton and spend most of their time in deeper water.

Habitat depth and color have become linked. Blue light is absorbed by water, and only the red makes it effectively to deep water.

So the fish's eyes have adjusted by species. The blue variety in shallow water see blue better, while the red ones in deeper water are more sensitive to red.

"At the same time, females in this population developed a preference for brightly colored, conspicuous males," said evolutionary biologist Martine Maan from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. "Males of other colors are inconspicuous and unattractive, and therefore produce few offspring.

"We think that as a result of this, eventually only the bright red and bright blue fish remained, and two separate species would arise," Maan continued. "Now that the two species do not interbreed anymore, the differences between them may increase and new differences may accumulate."

Maan's research will be detailed in the June issue of the journal The American Naturalist.

Colors do more than boost a male's sex appeal.

It turns out vibrant males are the healthy choice. Maan discovered the brightest males of both species carry fewer parasites. Similar pickiness has been found at work in other species, and even people use beauty cues to pick healthy, promising partners.

Hues can also determine a territorial prizefighter. In a match between a blue and a red male, researchers at the University of Groningen, also in the Netherlands, found that red males dominate the competition.

However, colors lose all of their luster when the lake is murky.

The cloudier the water, the harder it is for the females to find the brilliant males. When light is dim, females stop picking the bright males and choose the biggest ones instead, because size is an easier feature to pinpoint than color.

Getting back together

In unclear water, females start being less picky and selection for male traits becomes less species-specific (blue or red, for example). The differences between species grow less obvious and breeding between species becomes more common.

"If a female makes 'the wrong choice,' her offspring will probably have characteristics that are intermediate between the two species," Maan told LiveScience. "We expect these hybrids will be less successful than the 'pure' species, because they are not adapted to either one of the two environments."

Colorful cichlid species are swimming in troubled waters.

To maintain the number of cichlid species in Lake Victoria, the fish must be able to choose the best mates with rich coloration, and to do that they must be able see. But the introduction of Nile perch, deforestation and population growth is muddying the lake.

"My work emphasizes that the maintenance of the Lake Victoria species diversity crucially depends on measures that counteract the ongoing eutrophication," Maan said.

Holy Fish RECOVERED!

Museums officials recover stolen rare fish By Maarufu Mohamed

National Museums of Kenya (NMK) officials have recovered the rare fish with Arabic inscriptions after it was stolen by people posing as officials from the department.

The fish, caught off the Vanga coast in Kwale District last week, was recovered from a house in Mombasa’s Old Town. The Tuna fish, which was awaiting casting by the NMK, disappeared from the custody of the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Department on Monday.

Fort Jesus Museums Education officer, Mr Hassan Mohamed Hassan, said it had been taken to the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries laboratories in Mombasa for preservation. However, suspected unscrupulous traders posing as officials from his department went to the laboratories and demanded the fish, which they were given and carried away.

"Our officials recovered the fish on Tuesday before it could be sold," he said.

Hassan said the suspects had gone into hiding but police were pursuing them.

"My department has reached an agreement with the person who caught the fish, that it be kept by the National Museums of Kenya," he said.

The official said the fish was kept at -20 degrees to prevent it from decaying and to preserve the writing.

"Casting of the fish, which will involve molding by using silicon rubber and sawdust, will be done on Monday at the Fort Jesus Museum," he said. Hassan said the writings would become visible after the casting.

The rare fish attracted huge crowds at Takaungu Fish Shop in Old Town last Friday, when it was brought from Vanga. Businessmen who thronged the shop wanted to buy it for as much as Sh10,000, but the shopkeeper declined the offers.

The fish bore a Koranic scripture "Wa Llahu Khairu Raazikin" which, when translated, means "The Almighty God is the giver of all blessings".

The fish has drawn controversy among Muslims, with some saying it is a "holy fish" which should be preserved, while others say it is a "good luck fish", which should be eaten.

The fish will be exhibited at the Fort Jesus Museum after casting.

Holy Fish STOLEN!

MOMBASA, Kenya, May 18 (UPI) -- A tuna with what appeared to be markings on its side of a verse from the Koran has been stolen from the Kenyan Fisheries Department in Mombasa.

Officials say people pretending to work for the National Museum are the culprits and a search is underway, the BBC says.

The fish made news in religious circles around Kenya after the words translated from Arabic to be "You are the best provider," were found on the 5-pound tuna that was caught in the Kenyan port of Vanga.

Some religious leaders called it a sign; skeptics say the result of someone who previously caught the fish, wrote on it and tossed it back, the BBC reports.

The National Museum planned to study and preserve the fish but thieves beat them to it.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International

Fish Falling From The Sky!

And the weather? It'll be raining fish
By Ian Herbert
Published: 23 May 2006
The fishermen of Great Yarmouth still talk about the day four years ago when, instead of having to venture out in search of whiting and herring, their catch came to them. Silvery sprats - dead but still fresh - carpeted the gardens of a row of houses after falling from the sky near the seafront.

The Norfolk town may find itself with more, if a report by a firm of commercial weather forecasters is anything to go by. British Weather Services (BWS) lists such improbable places as Great Yarmouth, east Manchester and Southampton among the places most likely to experience strange objects falling from the heavens as a result of a collision of atmospheric instability.

"You need converging air, warm land mass, instances of lightning and thunderstorms and chances of tornadoes," Jim Dale, at BWS, said. Global warming also increases the likelihood, and objects caught up in the weather system can be carried a few miles.

The main theory about their arrival is that the objects are drawn into a whirlwind, or waterspout - spiralling, rising air which builds up under thunderclouds before being deposited elsewhere. Falling fish are common when the waterspout has formed over the sea, sucking up its contents. Frogs, toads, tomatoes, periwinkles, straw and even lumps of coal have also been known to fall after the waterspouts form.

The fishermen of Great Yarmouth still talk about the day four years ago when, instead of having to venture out in search of whiting and herring, their catch came to them. Silvery sprats - dead but still fresh - carpeted the gardens of a row of houses after falling from the sky near the seafront.

The Norfolk town may find itself with more, if a report by a firm of commercial weather forecasters is anything to go by. British Weather Services (BWS) lists such improbable places as Great Yarmouth, east Manchester and Southampton among the places most likely to experience strange objects falling from the heavens as a result of a collision of atmospheric instability.
"You need converging air, warm land mass, instances of lightning and thunderstorms and chances of tornadoes," Jim Dale, at BWS, said. Global warming also increases the likelihood, and objects caught up in the weather system can be carried a few miles.

The main theory about their arrival is that the objects are drawn into a whirlwind, or waterspout - spiralling, rising air which builds up under thunderclouds before being deposited elsewhere. Falling fish are common when the waterspout has formed over the sea, sucking up its contents. Frogs, toads, tomatoes, periwinkles, straw and even lumps of coal have also been known to fall after the waterspouts form.

Monday, May 22, 2006

Eskimo Fishing Video

Funny video about the perils of ice fishing in the frozen tundra!

http://www.idleriot.com/media/videos/810/Eskimo_Fishing.html

GIANT FISHING LURES NOW AVAILABLE!


Giant fishing lures from Fishboy make the perfect gift for a fishing hubby, your boss, father, grandfather or even for yourself! This giant lures make quite the statement hanging in your living room, den or office! For more details see the collection of huge fishing lures at www.fishboy.com!

Instant storytelling erupts every time anglers get near these massive replicas of America's favorite lure. And like this lure, the stories can be pretty large!

Giant Carp Invade Chicago, Authorities Bring Out the Zappers!

May 19 (Bloomberg) -- Richard White, a charter-boat captain in Waukegan, Illinois, makes a living hooking 10-pound (4.5- kilogram) salmon and trout from Lake Michigan. There's a fish 10 times that size he hopes never to catch.

Asian carp, an invasive species as big as 100 pounds, has migrated up the Mississippi River to within 50 miles (80 kilometers) of Lake Michigan, leading the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to try to stop the carp with an electric barrier in a Chicago shipping canal. ``Those fish get into the Great Lakes, we'll be out of business in a few years because they eat everything,'' says White, 59.

For the $4 billion fishing industry in the Great Lakes, the world's largest fresh-water ecosystem, Chicago is the final line of defense from an Asian carp invasion. The start-up of the $9.1 million barrier, the largest ever built, has been delayed until later this month after electric current strayed too far and threatened to ignite ships in the channel connecting Chicago with the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico.

The carp, native to rivers in China, are squeezing out other fish because of prolific appetites and breeding, says Marc Tuchman, a scientist in Chicago with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A 40-pound female produces as many as 2.2 million eggs in a spawning season, more than the 46,000 eggs for bluegills, a common U.S. river fish.

Some types of carp eat as much as 20 percent of their body weight daily, making them more disruptive than other aquatic invaders such as the zebra mussel or the round goby bottom- dweller from Asia that has become established in Great Lakes waters in recent years, Tuchman says.

Discouraging Fish

Asian carp were imported by catfish farmers in the U.S. South to eat algae from ponds, according to the EPA. Catfish ponds overflowed during floods in the early 1990s, releasing fish into local waterways. The carp worked their way into the Mississippi River, crowding out native fish in some stretches.

The EPA and the fishing industry are counting on Chuck Shea of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who leads the project to build the electric barrier on a section of the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal, about 30 miles southwest of Lake Michigan in Romeoville, Illinois.

The 28-mile canal, dug in the late 1890s to reverse the flow of the Chicago River to protect the city's drinking water by carrying sewage away from Lake Michigan, links the Mississippi River and Great Lakes for barge traffic.

``We're confident it's going to work,'' Shea, 36, says of the barrier. ``We're plugging the biggest hole by stopping the direct pathway for these fish.''

The barrier, comprised of two electrified zones about 220 feet (67 meters) apart, will generate as much as 1 volt of electricity per linear inch (2.54 centimeters) of water to discourage fish from swimming further and turn them around unharmed, Shea says.

`Some Challenges'

To build the barrier, crews threaded bundled cables through holes bored in bedrock lining the canal and connected them to steel bars along the channel bottom to create the electrical field. A second stage will be completed next year, and the system will cost the state of Illinois about $20,000 a month to run, Shea says.

A temporary barrier 800 feet closer to the lake is running until the new system is working.

Similar barriers have been used in other parts of the U.S., typically in small streams and fish farms, Shea says. The Chicago project, at a combined 260 feet long, will be the largest of its kind in the world, he says.

``It is a one-of-a-kind project, and that does lead to some challenges,'' Shea says.

White, the Waukegan charter boat captain, says his industry is pulling for Shea. Unimpeded Asian carp would wipe out demand for his Dell V Charters because they can't typically be lured to bait on a rod and reel, and their bodies are bonier and have less flavor than salmon or trout, he says.

``They're no good to eat,'' says White, a former Golden Gloves boxer who takes ``Punch'' as his nickname. ``They're garbage fish. It would be like chewing on an old tire.''

Sunny D Deadly To Fish


Not so great for kids either... - Ed

It has become a big no-no in school lunchboxes because of its unhealthy reputation.

But it seems that Sunny D, formerly known as Sunny Delight, is not half as bad for children as it is for fish.

Around 8,000 litres of concentrate used to make the drink leaked into a watercourse on Wednesday morning, turning the river bright yellow.

Dozens of fish were found floating on the surface, poisoned by the lurid mixture.

The spill of 'sub-standard' juice was a category one pollution incident, the most serious kind, according to the Environment Agency.

It was caused by a split in an underground fibreglass tank at the Gerber Foods Soft Drink factory in Bridgwater, Somerset. Approximately six tons of juice and concentrate, due for disposal, seeped into a tributary of the River Parrett.

Gerber employees began a major mopping-up operation to stop the juice reaching the river and causing more environmental havoc.

Workers created a sandbag wall and dug trenches to stop it seeping any further.

As they toiled, three tankers were called in to pump as much of the spillage out of the watercourse as possible.

The damaged tank was emptied and pits around it were excavated to prevent juice that had already spilled travelling further.

The emergency action successfully stopped the concentrate reaching the river, according to Gerber personnel director Paul Hurst.

"!We took swift action in preventing further seepage," he said.

"As far as I am aware, this is the first such incident."

More than 10million litres of juice and soft drinks are produced every week at the plant.

Mr Hurst explained: "We take extreme care with the quality of our juice and if the concentrate or the finished product is not to our required quality standard, it is contained until being removed by tanker for sustainable disposal.

"Although orange juice is a natural substance, we obviously needed to deal quickly with its concentration in the watercourse.

"Gerber personnel were deployed and we worked closely with the Environment and Drainage Board to successfully bring the situation under control within a very short timescale."

Catherine Lockwood of the Environment Agency said: "The visual impact of this incident was immediately apparent.

"We will be carrying out a detailed investigation to assess the impact it has had on the surrounding waterways."

Asda supermarkets recently withdrew Sunny D from the shelves, citing a slump in sales.

The juice drink's name was changed and a marketing campaign launched after criticism from nutritionists, who claim it contains unhealthy levels of sugar and additives.

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Giant Catfish Kills Fisherman

BUDAPEST, Hungary, May 21 (UPI) -- A Hungarian fisherman got a 150-pound catfish on his line and died trying to reel it in, Sky News reported.

Gabor Komlosy, 53, reportedly caught a 4-foot catfish in the Szamos River, but apparently would not let go of the line when the big fish took off.

Hungarian police said Komlosy had probably been pulled down the riverbank by the fish, then hit his head on a rock and drowned.

When the man's body was pulled out of the water, the fish was still hooked to the fishing line.

Gordon The 300 Pound Grouper On The Move

Nearly 60,000 people each year visit Sea Center Texas in Lake Jackson. It's a fish hatchery, annually stocking 13 million redfish into Texas bays. But it's also an educational visitor's center complete with giant aquariums full of giant fish.

Whatever you're reason for visiting, you probably won't leave without seeing Gordon, the 300-pound Queensland grouper who's lived there for 10 years.

The time came recently for Gordon's home to get a makeover, but first, he had to move out.

Gordon's from Australia, but he's the same as native grouper off the Texas coast. When he first came to Sea Center in 1996, he weighed 241 pounds.

Sea Center Texas recently had to move their main attraction so its tank could be renovated.

Ten years has taken its toll on the 50,000-gallon tank where Gordon and his roommates make their home. A $73,000 makeover was planned for three large aquariums but first, Gordon had to move out.

"Gordon is our mascot and you know like all mascots and like all favorites, he requires a lot of attention," Sea Center director David Abrego said.

First, the water level was lowered so the fish are easier to catch. Harnesses, pulleys, nets and people were all carefully positioned. The nurse sharks were a little tricky.

But it all worked out. Gordon allowed himself to be transported but he had to have the last word and gave all his handlers quite a splash.

Sea Center closed in December to begin repairs and just recently reopened with Gordon's return to the big aquarium in time for his 21st birthday.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Jap Spa Offers Skin Eating Fish


Spas Offering Skin-Eating Fish Therapy

Crowds in Tokyo, Japan, are flocking to spas for a new treatment in which fish are allowed to feed on customer's body parts, according to a report.

The spa therapy includes tiny doctor fish that lick or suck the dead human skin from customers.

Supporters of the treatment said the fish can clear up skin conditions, like psoriasis by removing the diseased skin and exposing the body to water and ultraviolet light.

"We had a customer who was treated with doctor fish for about a month and his dermatitis cleared right up," a spa representative said.

"They are going right for the dried out parts of my feet," a customer said.

Several other spa customers said the fish tickle when they are removing their skin.

The report said when there are no humans in the pools and plankton runs low, the fish eat each other.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Fishing For Carp In The Streets Of Lowell, MA

Its been raining like crazy in New England this week...

"There's a car lot here where we have 40 cars with water up to the hood. It's crazy," said Robert Dombroski, who runs an automobile repair shop in Lowell, a suburb north of Boston where some residents were fishing for carp in flooded streets.

Cat Fight Over Flushed Fish!

A woman was given a community order by a court yesterday following a fight triggered by flushing her friend's fish down the loo.

According to reports from The Sun and The Mirror, Anna Sharples flushed her friend Ann-Marie Smith's pet goldfish down the toilet after claiming it was unwell.

Smith "stormed" round to her neighbour's house yelling "fish murderer".

Although Sharples asked Smith to forgive her for flushing the fish, Smith pulled her hair and punch her in the face.

Sharples admitted assault and was given a one-year community order must pay compensation of £125 and £42 court costs.

The Mirror reported her as saying: "She was hitting me and behaving like something out of a horror movie. It was scary.

"I was covered in bruises, all over a stupid fish. It's unbelievable."

"It was in the corner with lots of fungi round it. I thought it was half dead. Mum and I decided to put it down the toilet as the thing was diseased."

Holy Fish!

'Wonder fish' caught in Kenya...

MOMBASA: A tuna fish caught in the Indian Ocean has excited Kenyan Muslims who are flocking here by the hundreds to see a Quranic verse apparently embedded in its scales.

Dubbed the "wonder fish" by locals in this port city, the 2.5kg tuna has attracted so much attention it has been placed in the custody of the National Fisheries Department for safekeeping.

The otherwise ordinary fish caught the attention of fishmonger Omar Mohammed Awadh who pulled it out of a catch when he noticed what seemed to be Arabic writing among the scales near its tail.

Arabic scholars determined the writing was a verse meaning "God is the greatest of all providers", said Hassan Mohamed Hassan, with the National Museums of Kenya.

"This has been confirmed as a verse from the Quran," said Sheikh Mombasa Dor, the secretary-general of the Council of Imams and Preachers.

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Product Review: CyberPower CPS425SL UPS System

We live in a rather isolated section of Maine, an island in fact, connected to the mainland by a bridge. This bridge is not only the only way to drive on and off the island but its the only place all of the powerlines for the whole island converge.

Between our house and the power station are miles and miles of forest, a lot of which was damaged by the major ice store of about 10 years ago. Needless to say, any bit of wind brings us power interruptions, surges and power failures.

Last year I installed a back up generator (runs on propane) to handle any major electrical outages. It will keep the water pump running, heat and the fridge so we can flush the toliet and keep the food from spoiling. We can also run a few "luxury" appliances if we are careful like the T.V.

Now the only problem is when the power fails the automatic standby system waits a full 30 seconds or so before it starts up the generator so minor power interruptions can knock out clocks, shut down computers and my most recent annoyance power down and erase my DVD recorder's settings.

We don't watch a lot of TV around here but the shows we do follow we like to catch every episode (Lost, 24, The Shield, Thief, West Wing etc). Nothing is worst than waking up the next morning expecting to have successfully taped your favorite show and finding out that a 10 second power interruption has made your whole entertainment system shut down.

So this product from CyberPower fit the bill as a way to ensure my recording operation would succeed dispite a our frequent power interruptions.

It has an up to 30 minute battery back up system which I really only need a few minutes (in case of a major failure my generator will come on) but its crucial so that my electronics don't shut down and reset.

It has three plugs that are surge protected and battery back up protected - perfect for my DVR, Direct TV box and Stereo - the three items that need to be on for recording a show in my setup. Plus three always on full-time surge protection outlets. The outlets are well designed with plenty of room for those bulk AC adapters which always want to use up multiple plugs in a regular power strip.

Other features include a power switch, power on indicator, electrical wiring fault indicator which checks for problems such as bad ground, missing ground or reversed wiring, a circuit breaker, and communications ports so you can hook in phone lines.

Also since UPS are typically used for computer systems this UPS comes with a serial port to PC connection. This port allows connection and cumminication from the DB-9 serial port on the computer to the UPS unit. The UPS communicates its status to the included PowerPanel software. This software automatically saves any open files so if you reach the end of the 30 minutes of backup power and are not around to save the files yourself, this software will do it for you.

All in all this is a nice compact affordable backup system for short power interruptions. For my purposes its fine. If you don't have a generator for longer outages you may want to look at a unit with more battery life.

Joke

A rich man threw a party and invited all of his buddies and neighbors, including Leroy the local redneck in the neighborhood. He held the party around the pool in the backyard of his mansion. Everyone was having a good time drinking, dancing, eating BBQ and flirting with the women.

At the height of the party, the host said, "I came home from a business trip and I found a 10 foot alligator got in my pool and I can't find anybody who will come and take him away. I'd give a million dollars to anyone who would do the job!"

The words were barely out of his mouth when there was a loud splash and everyone turned around and saw Leroy in the pool! Leroy was fighting the gator and kicking its ass! He was jabbing it in the eyes with his thumbs, throwing punches, head butts and chokeholds, biting the gator on the tail and flipping it through the air like some kind of Kung-Fu master. The water was churning and splashing in the struggle. Finally Leroy strangled the gator and let it float to the surface.

He slowly climbed out of the pool. Everybody was staring in disbelief.

Finally the host says, "Leroy, I reckon I owe you a million dollars."

"I don't want it," said Leroy, panting.

The rich man said, "Leroy, I have to give you something! You won the bet."

Leroy said, "I would be satisfied if you gave me the name of whichever one of these white motherf**kers it was that pushed me in the pool."

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Girl Authority - Gag me with this crap!

Parents of America - I know you are busy working and all
but can't you stop a moment to see what today's marketers are trying to jam down the throats of today's pre-teens?

"Do you like to hang out with your best friends? Sing? Dance? Giggle? Whisper secrets? Have fun all day long? Then come on in, because we're girls just like you!

If you don't pay attention to what your latch key tween girls are watching on let me warn you that they are watching the commericial for "Girl Authority" over and over again.

"Girl Authority" is the latest in a series of "bands" created in the labs of greedy corporations designed to separate American family's from their hard earned money and replace it with the empty calories of sugar coated, reissued fake kid pop.

Once again we have songs written by adults for adults repacked as kids music but the twist with Girl Authority is that the kids in the band are not real kids but cardboard cutouts of stereotypes dreamed up in some boardroom. Somewhere a group of marketers came up with a list of "cool types" of girls and then hired a bunch of kid actors to embody these stereotypes.

"Blessed with strong voices and engaging personalities, the girls' love for music, fun and friendship shines through on their debut album. "

An energetic and tightly knit unit, the girls perform group songs on the record with verve and the occasional collective giggle. Each member of Girl Authority also has her own distinct personality and sings a solo track in her unique style.

"Country Girl loves country music" Duh! She is "twangy".

"Party Girl is always up for a good time" not unlike

"Rock-n-Roll Girl has a fun-loving wild side" Oh that rock and roll girl is just so rebellous!

"Urban Girl adores city life" Maybe because she lives in the city? Urban Girl is described as "soulful".

"Preppy Girl is a cute schoolgirl" The one the Japanese business men like the best I suppose, didn't "preppy" come and go in the 80s? This one is "sassy"!

"Boho Girl has all-natural flair" Boho that's a new one. I suppose its a take on Bohemian, updated earthy-crunchy.

"Glamour Girl is a young sophisticate" - oh yes make up certainly is the key to sophistication.

"Fashion Girl is crazy for clothes" - I guess Math Wiz Girl and Science Girl didn't make the cut.

"All-Star Girl loves sports" - another Duh!

Ohh where will you pigeon-hole your daughter? Ohhh I always dreamed that she would grow up to be a young sophisticate with an all-natural flair

By the way if you order the CD you can get an autographed poster, most likely signed by the robots that created this CD.

See my reviews of Kid Bopz and Devo 2.0 if you don't believe me that this crap is a runaway train aim directly at our kids.

Are These The Lyrics You Want Your Tween Girls Listening To?

Hollaback Girl

"Oooh, this my *** , this my *** [4x]
I heard that you were talking ****
And you didn't think that I would hear it
People hear you talking like that, getting everybody fired up
So I'm ready to attack, gonna lead the pack
Gonna get a touchdown, gonna take you out
That's right, put your pom-poms down, getting everybody fired up "

The People Agree With Bush - On Something!

The question put to readers came from an interview George Bush gave to Bild am Sonntag, a German Sunday newspaper. Asked what he considered the best moment of his presidency, Mr Bush replied that the "best moment of all was when I caught a 7.5lb perch in my lake".

Whether he was speaking the absolute truth (or making a joke at his expense) is something only the US president knows. But it turns out that 47% of the MSNBC poll respondents agree with him - they really do think catching a big fish is the best thing Mr Bush has done since January 2001. The figure rises to 69% if you include those who agree with Mr Bush, but still think Dick Cheney's hunting accident was the administration's crowning achievement.

Catfish Burns Down House

London - A pet fish has been blamed for a fire in a house that almost cost a woman and her two daughters their lives.

Kipper, an 20cm catfish, is believed to have sparked the blaze when it fought with an opponent in their tank.

The Sun reports that water splashed out of the aquarium and fell on an electric plug below.

This in turn sent a power surge up the tank's light cable which burnt the plastic lid. The lid then melted and dripped onto a leather sofa which burst into flames.

Within minutes the blaze engulfed the lounge as Sharron Killahena, 25, and her children Nicole, six, and Kerry, two, slept upstairs in the house in Poole, Dorset.

Thankfully for them, a smoke alarm woke landlord Simon Justice, 25, in a different room, who woke the family in time for them to escape.

Their home was completely destroyed and their six fish died. Killahena was nevertheless grateful to have survived the ordeal: "At least we are here to tell the tale." - Ananova.com

Monday, May 08, 2006

Another one from the Rich A-Hole File

"This land is your land, this land is my land..." -- Ed


Fishing guide says Seattle man disrupting river access

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DILLON, Mont. -- A fishing guide says long-standing access to a favorite spot on the Beaverhead River is being cut off by a landowner from Seattle. The landowner says he wants an end to trespassing on his property in southwestern Montana.

Guide Brent Taylor said that for years he has walked the railroad tracks near the Poindexter Slough fishing access to reach fishing holes on the Beaverhead. But this spring, he has been harassed. Barbed wire has been strung, and "no trespassing" signs are plastered on railroad bridges.

"It's a little ... tougher to get down to the river," Taylor said. "You pretty much have to rip your waders to get through here."

Seattle businessman Mike Philpott, who recently bought 86 acres in the area, said trespassers have been on his property each time he has visited.

"There were hunting guides from Dillon taking people on guided hunts on my property," Philpott told The Montana Standard in a telephone interview Friday. "Somebody had built a deer stand in one of the trees."

Added Philpott, "Just because you've broken the law for 20 years doesn't make it right."


Railroad tracks bisect Philpott's property, a river-bottom wetland that he says he bought for hunting and fishing. Montana regulations say that tracks are private property and may not be used for stream access.

Philpott acknowledges the public has a right to use the Beaverhead River, but he objects to trespassing on railroad property to reach it.

Warden Kerry Wahl of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks agreed that railroad tracks and bridges cannot legally be used to reach streams.

Philpott clearly has a right to keep people off of his land, Wahl said, but keeping people off the tracks is the responsibility of Union Pacific, the railroad.

Philpott said that if he sees people slipping down to the river from the tracks, he will continue to inform them that they are violating the law. He has contacted Union Pacific to request better marking of the area and stronger enforcement.

Union Pacific spokesman James Barnes said people don't have a right to walk on railroad property just because the tracks are not marked with signs. Human safety is a concern, he noted.

"The risk involved with trespassing on the railroad outweighs activities that people have taken for years," Barnes said. "If people are illegally using the rail line, then we're obligated to go out and investigate."

Bush: I'd Rather Be Fishing


No wonder every thing is so messed up, Bush admitts he'd rather be fishing... --ed

Big fish gave Bush biggest thrill

Sporting leader... hockey, cricket and golf. But fishing is best

President George W Bush has revealed to a German newspaper his best moment since he took office in 2001.
"I would say the best moment of all was when I caught a 7.5lb (3.4kg) perch in my lake," he told Bild am Sonntag.

The worst moment was the 11 September 2001 hijacked plane attacks on New York and Washington that killed about 3,000.

Mr Bush also said ahead of the summer's football World Cup that "old guys" like him were starting to understand the competition's importance to the world.

President Bush said he had had "experienced many great moments" in his five years in power and it was "hard to name the best".

But he plumped for the perch, although he did not specify what type it was.

Soccer generation

Of the 9/11 attacks, he said: "In such a situation it takes a while before one understands what is happening.

"I would say that this was the hardest moment, once I had the real picture before my eyes."

Mr Bush was asked about the World Cup being hosted by Germany and admitted that when he was young, soccer "simply did not exist" where he was brought up.

But he added: "There is a new generation of Americans who have grown up with soccer.

"For them, the World Cup is of great interest and it's the most important sporting event in the world. And some of us, the old guys, are beginning to understand how important the World Cup is for the entire world."

In a more serious moment, he said he understood German opposition to the war in Iraq.

"The Germans today simply don't like war... And I can understand that.

"There is a generation of people whose lives were thrown into complete disarray by a horrible war."

How About A Nice Carp Burger?

Ugly fish producing pretty profits
CHICAGO, May 7 (UPI) -- Midwestern fishermen are making lemonade out of lemons when it comes to those pesky fish known as the Asian carp.

While efforts mount to keep the carp from eating their way to the Great Lakes, commercial fishermen who ply the waters of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers are profiting by catching and selling them.

They've dipped into savings to purchase nets strong enough to hold the carp and machines able to grind them up into patties like hamburgers, according to the Sunday Chicago Tribune.

The ugly looking carp were originally introduced in the 1960s to eat algae in ponds on catfish farms. Unfortunately, they escaped and now there are probably some 65 million pounds of Asian carp in the Illinois River alone, the newspaper said.

Mike Shafer of Schafer Fisheries in Thomson, Ill., sold 2 million pounds of carp last year to Asian communities in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles. He ships another 3,000 pounds a week to restaurants and shops in Chicago's Chinatown.

Friday, May 05, 2006

Margarita Recipe

We'll be making some of these tonight also!

* 4oz Jose Cuervo Tequila
* 4oz Triple Sec
* 1/2 of a large can of either lemonade or limeade
* Fill the blender with ice and blend

I'm Making This For Cinco de Mayo

Many Americans believe that Cinco de Mayo (“May 5th” in Spanish) commemorates Mexico’s independence from Spain. In fact, it began as a local holiday that celebrated Mexico’s defeat of the French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. America’s fondness for ethnic traditions of all stripes, the overwhelming popularity of Mexican cuisine and the recent rebirth of Mexican pride on both sides of the Rio Grande, make Cinco de Mayo a larger and more widely celebrated festival each year.


Mexican Style Shredded Pork
Submitted by: Tora. V
Rated: 4 out of 5 by 42 members Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 7 Hours Ready In: 7 Hours 30 Minutes
Yields: 6 servings

"This is an amazing shredded pork recipe similar to what you would eat in a rice bowl (or in an enchilada) at a Mexican restaurant. It is easy to prepare and simmers in a slow cooker all day, ready to enjoy when you arrive home. I serve it over rice (laced with lime juice and fresh cilantro), Cheddar cheese, salsa, guacamole, and a dollop of sour cream. Amazing!"
INGREDIENTS:
1 (3 pound) boneless pork loin
roast, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (4 ounce) cans diced green
chile peppers
3 cloves garlic, crushed 1/4 cup chipotle sauce
3 1/4 cups water, divided
1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain
white rice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place the roast in a slow cooker, and season with salt. Place chile peppers and garlic on top of roast. Pour in the chipotle sauce and 1/2 cup water.
2. Cover, and cook 7 hours on Low.
3. In a pot, bring remaining 2 3/4 cups water and rice to a boil. Mix in the lime juice and cilantro. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
4. Remove roast from the slow cooker, and use two forks to shred. Return pork to the slow cooker, and allow to sit 15 minutes to absorb some of the liquid. Serve over the cooked rice.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Making Tunnels and Caves For Cichlids

I recently made some caves and passageways for my African cichlids using PVC pipes, some aquarium silicon and cichlid substrate. I picked up a variety of elbows and t's for less then $1 each at Home Depot. I picked out some one and a half to two inch pipes so that my smaller female cichlids can hide from the big meanie in the tank my male Melanochromis Chipokae.

I put a few inches of Eco-Complete African Cichlid Substrate* at the bottom of my tank and I wanted the PVC caves to blend in, so I took out some of the substrate, dried it and then "glued" it on to my PVC elbows with the aquarium silicon. Next I plan to put the PVC "caves" on the bottom of the tank with some thin flat rocks covering them.

*From the manufacturer:
Eco-Complete™ African Cichlid Substrate -The complete African cichlid substrate!Minereralogically complete! Contains Aragonite!Maintains the high pH African Cichlids needwithout the constant addition of chemicals.Buffers automatically for the life of the aquarium!Adds calcium, magnesium, carbonate and more!Dark color encourages the richest coloration infishes. Unique composition re-creates theAfrican Rift Lake environment. High internalporosity for maximum biological capacity - keepmore fish healthier... longer!Biologically complete! Contains live water-purifying bacteria that makes cycling a newaquarium faster and safer! 4 equals 1! You wouldhave to buy 4 bags of ordinary gravel to equal thesurface area available for water purifying bacteriain this one bag of Eco-Complete™ AfricanCichlid Substrate! Creates a natural biologicalbalance to discourage nuisance algae. No rinsing! Packed in water conditioning solution forimmediate results!

What A Crappie Record

Need some help identifying crappie? Check out Fishboy's Crappie ID t-shirt!


State's record crappie is a fish tale hard to prove
DOUG SMITH
Star Tribune of Minneapolis
RED WING, Minn. - For nearly seven decades, the huge 5-pound state record crappie has been a fishing rarity: A lunker without a tale. Until now.

Since 1940, Minnesota's record black crappie has been listed as the eye-popping 5-pound slab caught in the Vermillion River backwaters near Red Wing by a guy named Tom Christensen.

That the record has stood for 66 years is testament to the enormity of the fish. A 5-pound crappie is almost unimaginable today, when crappies average 6 or 8 inches and a 3-pounder would be a catch of a lifetime.

Because it's one of the oldest fish records in the state, it also is one of the least scrutinized. Little is known about it, and less has been written about it.

The Department of Natural Resources, which keeps the official records, has almost no information about Christensen's mammoth crappie other than the weight, length (21 inches) and year it was caught.

Other details that would confirm the catch - including witnesses, faded newspaper clippings, photographs or a mount of the actual fish - appear to have been lost to time. Christensen, a die-hard angler and cement finisher, died at age 65 in 1963.

Over the decades, doubt has crept in as some anglers and even DNR fisheries biologists, wondered whether Minnesota could ever have produced a 5-pound crappie.

But the record-buster appears to be no tall fish tale.

Alan Novek has absolutely no doubt that his grandfather caught the 5-pound record-setter in the Vermillion's backwaters near where the river spills into the Mississippi River just north of Red Wing.

"There's no question whatsoever; it was the real deal," said Novek, 58, who lives in Frontenac.

The famous catch was well-known in the family, and Novek has a replica of the crappie made by a man who got the measurements from a Cannon Falls taxidermist who Novek believes once possessed the actual fish.

Mildred Huddleston, 79, of Red Wing, is one of Christensen's daughters. She, too, has no doubt that her dad caught the 5-pound crappie.

"I was just 13 when he caught the fish," she recalled this week.

"Back then, a fish was a fish. He knew it was a big one. But Dad never talked much about it. Back in those days, there were lots of big fish. It was nothing to catch an 8- or 8.5-pound walleye. No one thought anything of it."

And there was little fame or fortune linked to a record fish, as there is today.

"He was going to put it in the frying pan," Novek said. "People said no, no, no, you can't do that."

The family had no camera and no freezer, just an ice box, Huddleston said. They sold bait out of their home for extra cash.

The story is that Christensen or a friend gave the giant crappie to a taxidermist to have it mounted, "and he never got it back," Novek said.

Efforts to retrieve the fish over the years failed, the family said.

There is other evidence that supports the catch: A DNR conservation officer - Paul Nordeen, now also deceased - was a friend of Christensen's and apparently weighed and measured the fish.

Also, Jenifer Matthees, who keeps track of fish records for the DNR, said she recently received a call from an old-timer who said he was there fishing that day in 1940 when Christensen caught his fish.

"He had a vivid memory of it and said they were fishing through the ice when he caught it," Matthees said.

Novek also possesses a real mounted crappie that, according to the handwriting on the back of the mount, weighed 4.5 pounds and also was caught in those same Vermillion River backwaters in June 1940, less than six months before Christensen caught his 5-pounder.

"It used to be a hotbed for crappies," Novek said.

Huddleston pulled out a yellowed newspaper clipping from the March 22, 1970, edition of the weekly Outdoor News showing a 5-year-old youngster holding her dad's 5-pound crappie.

The caption said the fish was 18 3/4 inches long (not 21 inches, as the DNR records indicate) and had a girth of 19 inches. It said Cannon Falls taxidermist Russ Awsumb "restored" the fish, which was displayed that year at the Northwest Sportshow.

Cliff Awsumb, now 41 and living in Ramsey, was the tyke in the photo. His grandfather died in 1973. Awsumb still has the giant crappie hanging on his wall, but says it's a replica of the original.

"The way my grandfather made fish was he took the actual fish and put it in plaster to make a mold, then he used fiberglass."

He doesn't know if his grandfather had the original fish, or what happened to it. But Awsumb, too, has no doubts that the 5-pound crappie was real.

The actual fish, which Christensen's family would love to recover, might be long gone.

Cliff Awsumb's mother, Carol Blaisdell, said she believes Russ Awsumb might have cut the fins off fish when he made molds, meaning the original fish could have been destroyed in the process.

Which means Alan Novek might have to be satisfied with the replica he possesses.

Regardless, he thinks his grandfather's record will be tough to break. What are the odds of someone catching a 5-pound crappie today?

"Slim to none," said Novek with a smile.

Fish Control My Brain


This float tube says it all with one of Fishboy's popular bumperstickers! Tip 'o the hat to Judi Kloskowski of Bozeman, MT for spotting it.

They Shoot Fish, Don't They

Fish Shooting, Vermont's Quirky Rite of Spring, Is Endangered

May 3 (Bloomberg) -- For Mike Vanslette, the arrival of spring is heralded by the crack of his rifle firing into Vermont's Lake Champlain. If his aim is true, he'll stun a couple of amorous fish, then jump into the water and grab them.

Vermont is the only state where the shooting of game fish is legal. Now, the sport is an endangered species. Years of pitched battles in the Legislature have worn down all but the diehards, and there has been an influx of new Vermonters opposed to what they say is a savagely dangerous practice.

Vanslette, 59, a retired contractor, is one of an estimated 200 people who troll the banks of the lake once the ice melts, looking for fish to knock out with a concussive blast. All he needs are ``just my hip boots, rifle and shells in my pocket.''

``These people come from other places, and they want to make all these changes, they can't comprehend why we do this,'' said Dave Gardner, 49, a union pipefitter in South Hero, a town of 1,653 just below the Canadian border. ``My grandfather, my father and my uncles -- they all taught me to shoot fish. It's our history.''

The fish shooters prowl the lakeshore, toting rifles, shotguns and pistols, studying the shallows for the telltale flip and splash of fins as the fish mate. Others plant themselves above the seasonal breeding grounds in trees or tree stands, wooden platforms that in some cases have stood against developers and environmentalists for generations.

Shoot to Stun

On shore or in tree, the trick is to fire off a round close -- but not too close -- to the fish, knocking them out. As the fish float to the top, their white bellies often emerging first, the shooter scurries into the water and retrieves his catch before it comes to. A good shot can stun the female and up to five or six of her male suitors at once. A bad shot can leave supper pulverized.

To bag her personal best, a 9-pound northern pike, Tina Capsey used an SKS, the semiautomatic Soviet military rifle and precursor to the AK-47.

``If you want big fish,'' said Capsey, 45, the owner of Fish Tales, a restaurant in Swanton, ``you need a big gun.''

Fish-shooting season lasts from March 25 to May 25, permitted only along the 435-square-mile Champlain, in the northwest corner of Vermont's skinny rectangle. Pike, pickerel and eight other species of fish may be taken.

Virginia allows fish-shooting in remote parts of the Clinch River for six weeks in spring, but only for bottom-feeders such as carp and suckers.

Declining Numbers

No one knows how many Vermonters shoot fish, although several state biologists and local officials estimate the number to be 200 and declining. They are covered under the 80,000 hunting licenses distributed each year, at $16 for residents and $90 for non-residents.

Hunting brings in $71 million a year for Vermont, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, while regular sport fishing brings in more than $110 million.

Paley Anderson, who moved from Los Angeles five years ago and runs a tile store in Middlebury, 10 miles from the lake, thinks the sport of fish-shooting is ``like, well, shooting fish in a barrel.''

``Just because you've done something for decades doesn't make it right,'' said Anderson, 36. ``Centuries of slavery? Doesn't make it right.''

The debate, said James Ehlers, 37, publisher emeritus of the Colchester-based Outdoors Magazine, is ``symbolic of a culture clash between the urban mentality of those who are coming here and longstanding rural traditions.''

Fervent Opposition

``You've got all these gentrified do-gooders coming into the state,'' he said, and because of their passionate opposition, the practice ``will probably just come to an end someday.''

U.S. Census Bureau statistics show the Green Mountain State moving toward a higher population with a higher median household income. The population in 2004 was 621,394, up 2.1 percent from 2000. In that same four-year period, median income rose to $46,543 per household from $40,856.

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, while it permits fish shooting, doesn't condone it ``mainly due to public safety issues and the ethics involved,'' said Brian Chipman, a state fisheries biologist whose territory includes Lake Champlain.

The biggest concern, Chipman said, is that a stray shot ricocheting off the water could injure or kill someone. There have been no reports of death, although there are anecdotal reports of injuries, mostly hunters falling out of trees.

Bothering Birds

There is evidence, too, that the shooting disturbs habitat for nesting birds and other wildlife, and that the practice is depleting the supply of prized game fish.

The law allowing fish-shooting has been on the books since 1898. In 1969, both New York State on its side of Lake Champlain and Vermont on its side banned the practice. The outcry was so intense that Vermont reversed itself the next year, and each attempt thereafter to ban fish shooting has been thwarted.

The battle in 1987 created the most publicity and thrust into the spotlight the man who would become Vermont's best-known advocate for fish shooting: John Roy, 66, a dairy farmer and part-time town official in South Hero. The pipe-smoking Roy organized a 700-signature petition to preserve the quirky rite of spring, and has since been profiled by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Sports Illustrated.

Like other natives, Roy, a regional representative on the state's wildlife board, has a hearty disdain for those who would move to Vermont and try to remake it into an idyllic fantasyland.

``They want to see the cows,'' he quipped. ``But they don't want us to spread the manure.''

Still, Roy has come to believe fish-shooting's seasons are numbered. ``I'd give it 10 more years,'' he said as he sat at his kitchen table, tamping a fresh pinch of tobacco into his pipe. ``Unfortunately, I think it's probably lived its life.''

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Antique Lure Sets Record At Auction

A 10 inches hollow minnow made of copper, known as the "giant Haskell," set a new high-water mark in antique lure collecting by more than doubling its high estimate. It sold for $101,200 (including buyer's premium) at a Lang's auction in Boxborough, Massachusetts, on November 8, 2003.



The buyer was Tracey Shirey, 33, a construction company owner from Pomaria, South Carolina. With his wife and two children in tow, he drove to the auction determined to come home with the prize. While there, he also picked another jewel in the crown, a 3 1/2 inches "baby Haskell," for $19,250.

"After the auction he paid his bill and then drove the family back to South Carolina," John Ganung said. "By then it was about eleven p.m., but he said he needed to be at work the next morning. He's a very hard worker and an extremely nice guy with a great family. We've known him for six years."

For John and Debbie Ganung of Waterville, New York, who purchased Lang's Sporting Collectables, Inc. just 12 months earlier, the $380,000 auction marked the end of a whirlwind year. In their October 17, 2003, auction in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a "baby Haskell" sold for $16,500.

"We were thrilled we had the opportunity to sell three of these rare lures in one month," said Debbie Ganung. She said that the media jumped on the "giant Haskell" story, resulting in coverage on CNN, Sports Illustrated, and large and small newspapers around the country. John Ganung said Haskell lures are the most coveted because very few were made and because they are the first lures known to use an actual fish shape. Each was made with a rotating tail, and they are the first lures patented.

Riley Haskell of Painesville, Ohio, was a gunsmith by trade but dabbled in creating a new form of lure. The "giant Haskell," only one of which is known, is believed to be his first, crafted in 1859. He also made a wooden box for it, which the Ganungs said contributed to the high price. Both the "giant Haskell" and its box are marked "R. Haskell."

Because the giant lure is considered too large and heavy for simple casting in a typical Ohio stream or lake, it is theorized that it was made as a model for lures of a more practical size. The Ganungs referred to it as a "work of art" and "sculpture" because of its fine workmanship in the scales, fins, eyes, and overall appearance.

Succeeding Haskell models bore the same design but became progressively smaller. There is the 7 1/2 inches "musky," the 5 1/2 inches "common size," and the 3 1/2 inches "baby." John Ganung said that only a few examples are known of each of these smaller sizes. "The `giant Haskell' is the rarest and best-known lure in the world," he said.

The Ganungs said that despite the $101,200 price paid, the lure is nevertheless "undervalued" because American fishing tackle still lags behind other sporting collectibles in worth and significance. "If this had been a duck decoy or a gun of the same rarity, it would have sold for ten times the price," John Ganung said. "Tracey bought a heck of an investment that's not going anywhere but up."

Shirey, who has been collecting for only seven years, told the Ganungs that his goal is to own one of each of the four types of Haskell lures. Currently he has the largest and the smallest. Shirey comes from a family of fishermen. His grandfather, Glenmore Shirey, had been the superintendent of the state's fish hatchery.

The "giant Haskell" had been given a presale estimate of $35,000/45,000 based on how the "baby Haskell" had performed at their October 2003 auction. Bidding opened at $35,000. Shirey told the Boston Herald that he was prepared to pay $150,000.

The Ganungs said the lure had been consigned to them by a private collector who had owned it for a mere two weeks. Check those old tackle boxes.

Man To Make Like A Fish

Inspired by magician Harry Houdini, performance artist David Blaine has entered a huge 8 feet tall plastic bowl filled with water at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts in New York. Blaine will remain in the sphere for a week, after which he will try the death-defying stunt of breaking his 150-pound metal shackles and coming out, all without air supply for nine minutes.

The 33-year-old said he was inspired by Houdini and wanted to do a stunt like him. “As a kid I was always obsessed with Houdini, who always did underwater stunts. He would get shackled up and put into swimming pools and he would escape before he drowned.

And those images always sparked an interest,” Blaine said. As for the risks, which include hypothermia, loss of consciousness and in extreme conditions even brain damage, he doesn't seem too worried. “As well as holding my breath for nine minutes, hopefully, I will have to escape from all these chains. And if not, I will drown and we'll see something pretty insane,” he joked.

For now, the record for the longest duration for which a human had held his breath is 8 minutes, 58 seconds. Blaine will try to top that to set a new world record. The escape drama will be aired lived in the United States.


To prepare for the stunt, Blaine trained with US Navy Seals for learning to stay underwater without oxygen and even lost considerable amount of weight so his body consumes less oxygen. Pipes will be attached so he can breathe for the week that he is underwater and also for excretion and urination. “My system is completely empty and I did that so there's no waste that has to ever come out, so that in the sphere I don't have to use the bathroom. I have a catheter in case I have to do a number one but I don't intend on doing anything else,” he said.

To prevent hypothermia, the temperature of the water in which Blaine is suspended would be kept at around 37 degrees Celsius to maintain his body temperature. Earlier, the master of weird stunts has performed feats like being in an ice block for 61 hours, being buried in a transparent coffin for a week and going without food for 11 weeks while suspended in an acrylic box atop the River Thames in London. His London feat did not go down too well with the locals, but Blaine is positive his home town New York will offer better support.

“I love New York. This is my hometown. So the idea of creating an aquarium that was a sphere and putting it in the middle of New York was more than anything I could ever have dreamed for in my entire life. I feel very lucky,” he said.

Isn't there anything that scares the illusionist? “My only fear is the unknown,” Blaine finished.

Monday, May 01, 2006

How To Move With 2,400 Fish

YORBA LINDA – Gwen Running Bear doesn't mind being out of her house.

It's 2,400 fish out of water that has her concerned.

Running Bear, 46, owner of Koi-A-Bunga, has run her business on a 4,000-square- foot property on Rose Drive for the last four years. She's been unable to come to a lease agreement with the current landowner, so she and her colorful fish are looking for a new pond to call home.

"I don't know what I am going to do. I've got to keep my family together," she said. "I just can't put them all in a swimming pool."

For the last few weeks, Running Bear has been packing up and shipping her fish to friends while she looks for a new place to restart her business. By today, she and her fish will move out.

Door-to-door

Koi-A-Bunga has been a part of Orange County since 1999 when Running Bear started the company in Fullerton as a door-to-door business. She made house calls for koi owners who needed health advice for their fish or guidance in building and maintaining a koi pond.

Once her business started she discovered there was a whole world of "koi addicts" out there who appreciated the jewel-colored ornamental designs of the fish.

"They have the same soothing power as dolphins," Running Bear said. "They relax people, and it takes them down a notch. Makes people feel like they can handle life."

Sherrie Cummiskey, President of the Nishiki Koi Club of Orange County, met Running Bear when she and her husband were thinking about putting a pond in the back yard of their Yorba Linda home three years ago.

Has personality

"If someone would've told me three years ago that fish had personality I would've asked them, 'What planet are you from?'" she said.

"But they are just like cats and dogs. It's really an addicting hobby and once you get started, you're all guns out and it's everything and anything for your fish."

Running Bear refers to her 2,400 fish as her "girls or boys" and she speaks of them as family.

There's "Button," a smaller koi fish who lost an eye and may not survive the move, and then there's "Bonnie," a silver-showcase fish who has a penchant for kissing people on their hands. The fish always take care of one another, never fight, love Cheerios and go nuts when she dishes up krill.

It's because of them that she'll keep trying to get her business back up and running.

She's got fish to think about: "I am not quitting. I'll be back."

Fish For Moquito Control

NEW ORLEANS - Steve Sackett knelt beside the concrete fountain and peered into its algae-stained depths.

"Yep, we've got pupae," Sackett said. "Hundreds of 'em. In another 24 hours, they'll hatch and be ready for a bloodbath."

Mosquito larvae are the bane of Sackett's existence, as research entomologist for the New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board.

The stagnant water he was checking out, in a weed-infested yard along Bayou St. John, was one of thousands of abandoned pools and ponds in the New Orleans area, each of them transformed by post-Katrina neglect into a mosquito-breeding tank.

The pools and ponds are the most daunting challenge Sackett has faced in his 26 years with the mosquito board.

Fortunately, he has found allies in his battle against mosquitoes. Volunteers with Operation Blessing, a faith-based nonprofit agency that has established a headquarters in Slidell, accompanied him on his rounds. Allies of another sort swam in a water-filled plastic bag hanging from his right hand: the mosquitofish.

The slender guppylike fish are the most effective biological mosquito control agents on Earth. Each minnow can gobble as many 100 mosquito larvae a day.

Gambusia affinis has been used to control mosquito populations since the late 1930s. The fish are native to Louisiana waters and generally require no feeding and little care. As surface-breathing fish, they are able to survive in polluted waters with low levels of dissolved oxygen and wide ranges of temperatures. Their primary food source is mosquito larvae, and they are voracious predators. If no mosquito larvae are present, they can live off algae. What's more, they are prolific breeders, bearing 50 to 100 young per brood.

"They have been one of the most effective, noninsecticidal and nonchemical methods of controlling mosquitoes," said Dan Suttle, the owner-operator of Suttle Fish Farm in Laurel, Miss., which supplies the fish for transplantation. "Normally, we think of fish as food. But these fish save lives."