Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Thursday, November 22, 2012
7 Things to be Thankful For (Part VI)
For the Fifth consecutive year--2007's Missive is Here, 2008's Follow Up is Here, 2009's is here, 2010 is here and 2011 is Here.
7 Things to be Thankful For (Part VI)
1) Patient Wives: To start my list of things to be thankful for, I have to begin with my wife, who has put up with more than anyone should have to for over two decades. She has allowed our well-kept house to be invaded by more fishing tackle than most people can imagine, even in her living room. She's supported me the entire way, even when I am busy working, which seems to be all the time of late. She is the light of my life and I am deeply appreciative of all she does for me.
2) Democracy: Following a contentious election in which both sides claimed the end of the world was here if the other side won, I am happy to relay to you the information that no, the world is not coming to an end, and yes, we are still in the business of being America--the greatest country in the world. And nothing changes that; not the political affiliation of the president or congress, not the arbitrary attempts of our foes, and not the incessant political whining from all sides of the political spectrum. These pundits of all stripes spend their days blowing hot air while the vast majority of Americans get up in the morning and go about their day building a better future and a better America. And for that I'm thankful.
3) Glass Fly Rods: I do not try to hide my deep and abiding love for split cane fly rods, but over the past decade I have developed an interest and love for fiberglass fly rods and their history. In fact, it's the subject of my next book, and I've helped to organize the First International Glass Rod Expo held this coming May 2013 at the Catskill Fly Fishing Museum. I grew up with glass and find that they are very, very underrated rods.
4) Fathers: I am blessed that my octogenarian father is still with us, and still collecting tackle and fishing it as well. It's very hard to be a father, a fact I'm discovering on a daily basis, and I have a deep appreciation for what my father did for me, considering all the crap I put him through in my younger days. So to all the fathers out there, here and gone, I salute you.
5) Collector Friends: Nothing I could do -- the blog, the articles, the books -- could be possible without a large, helpful, intelligent, and loyal network of collecting friends. Some of these folks I've known for twenty years of more and never met, but have spent hundreds of hours on the phone and on the internet with. To all my collecting friends, some of whom have passed, I owe you more than you will ever know. I hope I've been a good friend in return.
6) Smallmouth Bass: Dr. Henshall once called it the fightingest fish, pound for pound, in the world. While that may have been hyperbolic, the fact is a five pound clearwater smallmouth on a fly rod or ultralight spinning rod gives an angler the very real sense of the power in these fish. They are tough, wary, and beautiful -- everything you look for in a finny prey.
7) Trout Streams: Recently I've come to know the Mad River near Urbana, Ohio -- a classic trout stream. It's reminded me of how much I love these meandering, shallow water trout streams that can be found across America. I am very appreciative of the individuals and groups who have worked so hard to keep them clean and thriving. If you get a chance, make sure to volunteer helping with your local Rivers or Trout Unlimited chapter.
Here on our sixth Thanksgiving on the Fishing for History Blog, we are thankful for everything, but especially for the many readers of our blog.
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving, and as always, be good to each other -- and most of all, be good to yourself.
-- Dr. Todd
Thursday, November 25, 2010
7 Things to Be Thankful For Today (Part IV)
7 Things to Be Thankful For Today (Part IV)
For the Fourth consecutive year--2007's Missive is Here, 2008's Follow Up is Here, and 2009's is here
--I present to you the 7 Things to be Thankful For Today.
1) Patience. It has been a trying time around the Larson household of late. Surgery on my mouth, three operations on my foot, a wife in the hospital with pneumonia, a family with the flu all at once...it's been as rough of a four month span as I can ever remember from a health standpoint. But I've rediscovered the lost art of patience. I am behind on virtually everything in my life, from grading term papers to books, but rather than stress out over this and produce less than adequate work, I've come to the realization that all things will come with time. I can't make up for eight lost weeks of work in one day, or one week, or one month. But it will be made up for, with patience.
2) Books. I love books. That goes without saying, considering I spend virtually all my non-teaching time editing, laying out, preflighting, stocking, shipping, and promoting books for the Whitefish Press. But I do this because of my deep and unabiding love of books themselves. Every week I seem to discover hidden gems, from the writings of Irish novelist Maurice Walsh to the wonderfully hand-written work of John Betts. So many books, so little time. But without an hour snatched here or there to read, I would go insane.
3) Kindness. I was overwhelmed with the number of people who wrote me after my little missive about my father was published. I was so happy that other people enjoyed it, and took time write me about their own experiences with their own fathers. Many of these people I did not know, but were kind enough to take time to tell me their stores. Kindness, the most underrated of all human actions.
4) ORCA. I've been a member of ORCA about a decade, but in that time it has grown to become a part of my life. I love the NFLCC (as those who've read my previous missives know) but I also love ORCA and fishing reels. I am not one who believes you have to have allegiance to one or the other. They both, in their own way, promote our hobby and heritage in the same way. But ORCA's primary focus is fishing reels, and there is no other place quite like it. So many intelligent, analytical minds, it is a great organization and one that I recommend highly to anyone who has even a passing interest in reels and fishing history.
5) Vintage Rods. I love old rods of all kinds. I started collecting 19th century non-bamboo wooden rods a long time ago, then naturally moved into the realm of the split cane rod, which has become a passion. I enjoy researching the history of metal rods, too. Lately I've taken a deep interest in something I fished my whole life, which is fiberglass fly rods. Maybe some day I'll be interested in graphite and composite rods, too. But regardless, I encourage everyone to take an old rod fishing. It was what it was built for...which brings me to my next point.
6) Fishing with Vintage Tackle. I've become more and more interested in fishing with vintage tackle, something I've done since my childhood. In fact, I rarely fish any other way any more. I encourage everyone in 2011 to rig up an inexpensive vintage rod and reel, tie on a beater plug, and give it a shot. You'd be surprised how gratifying your first fish on vintage gear can be!
7) Family. Although I cannot be with all my family this Thanksgiving, I give thanks for having a mother, father, and five brothers and sisters and their families in my life. Family is the rock upon which we build our lives, and I could not be more thankful for my own family, as I hope you are for yours, too.
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!
-- Dr. Todd
For the Fourth consecutive year--2007's Missive is Here, 2008's Follow Up is Here, and 2009's is here
--I present to you the 7 Things to be Thankful For Today.
1) Patience. It has been a trying time around the Larson household of late. Surgery on my mouth, three operations on my foot, a wife in the hospital with pneumonia, a family with the flu all at once...it's been as rough of a four month span as I can ever remember from a health standpoint. But I've rediscovered the lost art of patience. I am behind on virtually everything in my life, from grading term papers to books, but rather than stress out over this and produce less than adequate work, I've come to the realization that all things will come with time. I can't make up for eight lost weeks of work in one day, or one week, or one month. But it will be made up for, with patience.
2) Books. I love books. That goes without saying, considering I spend virtually all my non-teaching time editing, laying out, preflighting, stocking, shipping, and promoting books for the Whitefish Press. But I do this because of my deep and unabiding love of books themselves. Every week I seem to discover hidden gems, from the writings of Irish novelist Maurice Walsh to the wonderfully hand-written work of John Betts. So many books, so little time. But without an hour snatched here or there to read, I would go insane.
3) Kindness. I was overwhelmed with the number of people who wrote me after my little missive about my father was published. I was so happy that other people enjoyed it, and took time write me about their own experiences with their own fathers. Many of these people I did not know, but were kind enough to take time to tell me their stores. Kindness, the most underrated of all human actions.
4) ORCA. I've been a member of ORCA about a decade, but in that time it has grown to become a part of my life. I love the NFLCC (as those who've read my previous missives know) but I also love ORCA and fishing reels. I am not one who believes you have to have allegiance to one or the other. They both, in their own way, promote our hobby and heritage in the same way. But ORCA's primary focus is fishing reels, and there is no other place quite like it. So many intelligent, analytical minds, it is a great organization and one that I recommend highly to anyone who has even a passing interest in reels and fishing history.
5) Vintage Rods. I love old rods of all kinds. I started collecting 19th century non-bamboo wooden rods a long time ago, then naturally moved into the realm of the split cane rod, which has become a passion. I enjoy researching the history of metal rods, too. Lately I've taken a deep interest in something I fished my whole life, which is fiberglass fly rods. Maybe some day I'll be interested in graphite and composite rods, too. But regardless, I encourage everyone to take an old rod fishing. It was what it was built for...which brings me to my next point.
6) Fishing with Vintage Tackle. I've become more and more interested in fishing with vintage tackle, something I've done since my childhood. In fact, I rarely fish any other way any more. I encourage everyone in 2011 to rig up an inexpensive vintage rod and reel, tie on a beater plug, and give it a shot. You'd be surprised how gratifying your first fish on vintage gear can be!
7) Family. Although I cannot be with all my family this Thanksgiving, I give thanks for having a mother, father, and five brothers and sisters and their families in my life. Family is the rock upon which we build our lives, and I could not be more thankful for my own family, as I hope you are for yours, too.
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!
-- Dr. Todd
Thursday, November 26, 2009
7 Things to be Thankful For Today (Once Again)
7 Things to be Thankful For Today (Once Again)
For the third consecutive year--2007's Missive is Here and 2008's Follow Up is Here--I present to you the 7 Things to be Thankful For Today.
1) Health. It's been a really terrible couple of months around here, which reinforces a salient fact about life: nothing else matters if you do not have your health. Seriously. I was once told by a theologian that the one thing in the world we cannot truly comprehend is our own mortality. In our minds, we are all going to live forever. Well, no one lives forever, but while you're here on earth, you better start taking care of yourself or you'll be checking out sooner rather than later. As men, we are accustomed to living through aches and pains, but there are some things (lumps, for examples), that need to be checked out immediately by a qualified physician. Putting this off may very well mean the difference between living and dying. Without your health, you have nothing...
2) Vintage Magazines. I've developed an unhealthy obsession with old sporting magazines. I just can't get enough of them. The layout, the writing, the ads, the photos--all of it is fuel for my addiction. Problem is, they take up a ton of room. But every time I've been stressed out this year, I was able to lose myself (and my cares) inside the pages of great magazines. So I continue buying them, and I continue to get lost in their pages.
3) Wild Bill Sonnett.. There have been many people who've helped out with the blog over the years, but no one has contributed as much or as high a quality of stuff as our own Wild Bill Sonnett. My God folks. I hope you realize every one of the "Deconstructing Old Ads" that Bill does is like sitting in on a graduate lecture on old tackle. Bill didn't learn this stuff staring at eBay photos. He built up his knowledge over decades of research and writing -- he was writing articles about Heddon before anyone knew what the internet was. So when you see Bill, give him a big thank you for taking the time to educate the rest of us from his seemingly limitless font of information (and ads).
4) Fishing With Daughters. I can't speak to having sons, but I do know about having daughters. And very little on earth beats fishing with your daughter. In fact, almost nothing at all. It is one of the joys of my year when I can get out on the lake with my nine-year old daughter and share with her my love of the outdoors.
5) Dogs. This year we welcomed a dog into our humble abode for the first time--a rescue dog at that. He's half long-haired dachsund and half Australian cattle dog, which basically makes him a cartoon character come to life. He's ridiculous, in a good way. He was basically bred to be abused in a pit bull fighting ring, and when we got him, he was emaciated and incredibly skeptical of humans in general. He has slowly come to trust us, and now I can't believe I lived so long without a dog. We named him "Gandhi" because he simply would not hurt a fly. He has enriched all of our lives.
6) Collector Friends. I've made friends in many areas of life -- school, church, work, etc. But the best people I know are anglers, and the best anglers I know study and appreciate old tackle. Through my 25+ years of collecting tackle and writing about fishing, I've been blessed to meet some of the greatest people on earth. I've also met a few jackasses, but that goes without saying. They are, after all, just about everywhere. The vast majority of anglers and collectors are salt of the earth.
7) A REALLY, REALLY Patient Wife. It is not easy to be married to an angler (there's a reason why the term "Weekend Widow" became popular), but when an angler becomes a collector...well, I probably don't have to tell you about that. Try explaining a $500 (or more) antique fishing tackle purchase to someone who isn't married to a collector and they will look at you like you sprouted horns. It isn't reasonable, or even sane, to the rest of the world. But my wife is patient beyond words with me, and for that, I am now and forever grateful. You see, like all angler's (and collector's) wives, she gets me. She understands why I can get so excited just by seeing something on the internet I have to call 10 people. She doesn't blink an eye when the mailman has to make special stops to drop off all the packages. She doesn't even get that angry when I leave empty boxes and packaging material lying on the floor. Strike that. She does get angry when I do that. But you get the point. Patient, forgiving partners--I wish one for all of you.
This is what I'm thankful for. How about you?
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!
-- Dr. Todd
For the third consecutive year--2007's Missive is Here and 2008's Follow Up is Here--I present to you the 7 Things to be Thankful For Today.
1) Health. It's been a really terrible couple of months around here, which reinforces a salient fact about life: nothing else matters if you do not have your health. Seriously. I was once told by a theologian that the one thing in the world we cannot truly comprehend is our own mortality. In our minds, we are all going to live forever. Well, no one lives forever, but while you're here on earth, you better start taking care of yourself or you'll be checking out sooner rather than later. As men, we are accustomed to living through aches and pains, but there are some things (lumps, for examples), that need to be checked out immediately by a qualified physician. Putting this off may very well mean the difference between living and dying. Without your health, you have nothing...
2) Vintage Magazines. I've developed an unhealthy obsession with old sporting magazines. I just can't get enough of them. The layout, the writing, the ads, the photos--all of it is fuel for my addiction. Problem is, they take up a ton of room. But every time I've been stressed out this year, I was able to lose myself (and my cares) inside the pages of great magazines. So I continue buying them, and I continue to get lost in their pages.
3) Wild Bill Sonnett.. There have been many people who've helped out with the blog over the years, but no one has contributed as much or as high a quality of stuff as our own Wild Bill Sonnett. My God folks. I hope you realize every one of the "Deconstructing Old Ads" that Bill does is like sitting in on a graduate lecture on old tackle. Bill didn't learn this stuff staring at eBay photos. He built up his knowledge over decades of research and writing -- he was writing articles about Heddon before anyone knew what the internet was. So when you see Bill, give him a big thank you for taking the time to educate the rest of us from his seemingly limitless font of information (and ads).
4) Fishing With Daughters. I can't speak to having sons, but I do know about having daughters. And very little on earth beats fishing with your daughter. In fact, almost nothing at all. It is one of the joys of my year when I can get out on the lake with my nine-year old daughter and share with her my love of the outdoors.
5) Dogs. This year we welcomed a dog into our humble abode for the first time--a rescue dog at that. He's half long-haired dachsund and half Australian cattle dog, which basically makes him a cartoon character come to life. He's ridiculous, in a good way. He was basically bred to be abused in a pit bull fighting ring, and when we got him, he was emaciated and incredibly skeptical of humans in general. He has slowly come to trust us, and now I can't believe I lived so long without a dog. We named him "Gandhi" because he simply would not hurt a fly. He has enriched all of our lives.
6) Collector Friends. I've made friends in many areas of life -- school, church, work, etc. But the best people I know are anglers, and the best anglers I know study and appreciate old tackle. Through my 25+ years of collecting tackle and writing about fishing, I've been blessed to meet some of the greatest people on earth. I've also met a few jackasses, but that goes without saying. They are, after all, just about everywhere. The vast majority of anglers and collectors are salt of the earth.
7) A REALLY, REALLY Patient Wife. It is not easy to be married to an angler (there's a reason why the term "Weekend Widow" became popular), but when an angler becomes a collector...well, I probably don't have to tell you about that. Try explaining a $500 (or more) antique fishing tackle purchase to someone who isn't married to a collector and they will look at you like you sprouted horns. It isn't reasonable, or even sane, to the rest of the world. But my wife is patient beyond words with me, and for that, I am now and forever grateful. You see, like all angler's (and collector's) wives, she gets me. She understands why I can get so excited just by seeing something on the internet I have to call 10 people. She doesn't blink an eye when the mailman has to make special stops to drop off all the packages. She doesn't even get that angry when I leave empty boxes and packaging material lying on the floor. Strike that. She does get angry when I do that. But you get the point. Patient, forgiving partners--I wish one for all of you.
This is what I'm thankful for. How about you?
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!
-- Dr. Todd
Thursday, November 27, 2008
7 Things to be Thankful For Today (Again)
7 Things to be Thankful For Today (Again)
Last year I wrote a little piece called "7 Things to be Thankful For Today" and was gratified by the response. Today, I list the 7 things I am thankful for this year (I didn't include Steve Vernon's Turkey Fishing Reel but I certainly could have).
1) Fishing With Family. How often do we take fishing for granted? After all, if you're here reading this blog you either collect fishing tackle or are interested in the history of the sport. But I am sometimes surprised at how few people take the time to put down the trials and tribulations of life and just pick up a fishing rod. This year, I am thankful for the opportunities I had to fish with family and friends.
2) The Internet. When I first ran across the internet back in the late 1980s at the University of Minnesota (remember Gopher?) I could never have envisioned that it would change the world. But a veritable information revolution has occurred, and it has altered the very way we live. It made Angler's On-Line, Clark's, Joe Yates' Board, eBay and my Fishing for History Blog a possibility. What does the future hold? I don't know, but if the past is any indicator, it will be a blast.
3) The NFLCC Nationals. Is there any place more fun than Nationals? It's like having access to the world's greatest private museum of fishing tackle, much of it you can actually purchase or trade for if you so desire. It was such a gratifying experience talking to so many at my table this past nationals in Peoria. I was also proud to help launch Jeff Kieny and Don Wheeler's new books, it was just such a palpably happy place. I can't imagine my collecting year without it.
4) Health. My wife has recently undergone a rather serious health issue, and it only underscores the fact that no matter what happens in any other aspect of your life, if you don't have your health the rest will suffer accordingly. So I am thankful for my health, and wish good health to everyone out there--and if you happen to be facing a trying time, I wish you strength to see yourself or loved ones through the storm.
5) ORCA. The Old Reel Collector's Association is truly one of the greatest clubs of its type in the world. Of course many ORCA members are also belong to the NFLCC, FATC, etc., but as a reel collector I absolutely think ORCA is the Bee's Knees. Its publication The Reel News edited by my friend Richard Lodge is a world-class magazine that prints reams of information about fishing reels and other tackle that has never before seen print. I can't imagine any serious collector, even if you don't collect reels, not being a member just to get The Reel News.
6) Dudley Murphy. Not only is Dudley the founder of the NFLCC, but for almost TWO DECADES he has edited (ably assisted by Gary Smith) the premier publication in the world on fishing and fishing history: The NFLCC Magazine. Knowing a little bit about publishing, and having contributed often to The Magazine, I have an idea of the kind of work that goes into it. It's staggering. I think most people would be shocked to realize just how much of a labor of love this is for Dudley--and almost everyone takes it for granted we'll receive twice per year a magazine that looks, feels, and reads like the best glossy publications available. Take some time in the coming year to call, write, or stop Dudley and tell him how much you appreciate all the hard work he does. A few unexpected kind words can go a long ways.
7) Being an American. Regardless of your political affiliation, we have just witnessed a remarkable event in American history in the past election. While I respect other cultures--I am a first-generation American after all--I simply can't imagine wanting to be anything but an American. Ever. And yet we so often take for granted the liberties that our best and brightest are out fighting to protect every single day. But as one of my former student officers, who is just now being sent over to Iraq, declared in a class I taught on World War I: "I will fight, and if necessary die, for your right to disagree with me." God bless this nation, the people who protect it, and all of its citizens everywhere.
-- Dr. Todd
Last year I wrote a little piece called "7 Things to be Thankful For Today" and was gratified by the response. Today, I list the 7 things I am thankful for this year (I didn't include Steve Vernon's Turkey Fishing Reel but I certainly could have).
1) Fishing With Family. How often do we take fishing for granted? After all, if you're here reading this blog you either collect fishing tackle or are interested in the history of the sport. But I am sometimes surprised at how few people take the time to put down the trials and tribulations of life and just pick up a fishing rod. This year, I am thankful for the opportunities I had to fish with family and friends.
2) The Internet. When I first ran across the internet back in the late 1980s at the University of Minnesota (remember Gopher?) I could never have envisioned that it would change the world. But a veritable information revolution has occurred, and it has altered the very way we live. It made Angler's On-Line, Clark's, Joe Yates' Board, eBay and my Fishing for History Blog a possibility. What does the future hold? I don't know, but if the past is any indicator, it will be a blast.
3) The NFLCC Nationals. Is there any place more fun than Nationals? It's like having access to the world's greatest private museum of fishing tackle, much of it you can actually purchase or trade for if you so desire. It was such a gratifying experience talking to so many at my table this past nationals in Peoria. I was also proud to help launch Jeff Kieny and Don Wheeler's new books, it was just such a palpably happy place. I can't imagine my collecting year without it.
4) Health. My wife has recently undergone a rather serious health issue, and it only underscores the fact that no matter what happens in any other aspect of your life, if you don't have your health the rest will suffer accordingly. So I am thankful for my health, and wish good health to everyone out there--and if you happen to be facing a trying time, I wish you strength to see yourself or loved ones through the storm.
5) ORCA. The Old Reel Collector's Association is truly one of the greatest clubs of its type in the world. Of course many ORCA members are also belong to the NFLCC, FATC, etc., but as a reel collector I absolutely think ORCA is the Bee's Knees. Its publication The Reel News edited by my friend Richard Lodge is a world-class magazine that prints reams of information about fishing reels and other tackle that has never before seen print. I can't imagine any serious collector, even if you don't collect reels, not being a member just to get The Reel News.
6) Dudley Murphy. Not only is Dudley the founder of the NFLCC, but for almost TWO DECADES he has edited (ably assisted by Gary Smith) the premier publication in the world on fishing and fishing history: The NFLCC Magazine. Knowing a little bit about publishing, and having contributed often to The Magazine, I have an idea of the kind of work that goes into it. It's staggering. I think most people would be shocked to realize just how much of a labor of love this is for Dudley--and almost everyone takes it for granted we'll receive twice per year a magazine that looks, feels, and reads like the best glossy publications available. Take some time in the coming year to call, write, or stop Dudley and tell him how much you appreciate all the hard work he does. A few unexpected kind words can go a long ways.
7) Being an American. Regardless of your political affiliation, we have just witnessed a remarkable event in American history in the past election. While I respect other cultures--I am a first-generation American after all--I simply can't imagine wanting to be anything but an American. Ever. And yet we so often take for granted the liberties that our best and brightest are out fighting to protect every single day. But as one of my former student officers, who is just now being sent over to Iraq, declared in a class I taught on World War I: "I will fight, and if necessary die, for your right to disagree with me." God bless this nation, the people who protect it, and all of its citizens everywhere.
-- Dr. Todd
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