Confessions of a Stream AnglerWritten by Mike Clifford/HeartlandOutdoorsman.Com
A HeartlandOutdoorsman.Com Production..... (Leave this intact as it is considered permission to reproduce) The routine hadn't changed much in last 30 years or so. A typical Saturday morning would find Frank Malone rising well before sunrise. Today would be no different. As he sat on edge of his bed wiping sleep from his eyes, Frank pondered his fishing opportunities, wondering where this day might lead him. The smell of freshly brewed coffee now filled lonely house, and Frank wondered how he would go about packing everything up and preserving memories of a lifetime that echoed inside walls of this old place. The wind rattling branches of old oak tree outside his office window had Frank thinking that fly rod would probably stay home today in favor of his trusty old spinning gear and recent rains would probably make wading more difficult than it was worth. For first time in his adult life, Frank was having second thoughts about going fishing at all, but workload facing him here seemed daunting, to say least. Mary always seemed to have a place for everything, and looking around at this point, Frank suddenly realized that he really had no clue where anything was. He couldn't help but chuckle at thought, and went about his usual routine of gathering up some essentials for day. With his thermos of coffee in hand, he headed out to barn to check on goats to make sure they hadn't busted out of their pens, as they had recently found a liking to doing. Actually, neighbors would have called if there had been another episode during night such as occurred twice this week already. Animals just seem to have that sixth sense in knowing that something has changed drastically in their surroundings, and these creatures definitely sense that something is not same. As darkness still held its grip on morning, lights from Frank's truck glanced briefly off barn and startled chickens out of their stupor, bringing a smile to his face as he realized that some things never change. Fumbling to find his cigars and dial up a weather forecast on radio, Frank came to realization that he didn't even know where he was going to end up fishing today. He'd done this so many times, for so many years, yet on this day he seemed to have a hard time getting his thoughts together. With a slight chance of rain in forecast and a low pressure system, it would more than likely be a good bite anywhere he ended up, Frank figured. The light of a fresh morning was just beginning to peek over horizon as Frank navigated thick fog and back roads to take his customary place among tall pines and crisp mountain air. Taking advantage of seemingly perfect conditions on this day, he wasted no time in getting set up and was at stream's edge just in time to witness a bald eagle take flight from it's roost, a marvel he had probably taken for granted too many times. Everything seemed just a little more magical today, and Frank disrupted his usual routine at this point to slowly set his gear down and take it all in with a deep breath.
| | What to Know When Buying a GPSWritten by Chuck Fitzgerald
Why are GPS units showing up everywhere? You might find one in your rental car, on your wristwatch or even built into your wireless phone. Anti-theft systems use one, heavy construction equipment might use one and having one on your boat now seems to be a requirement. Anytime we want to know our exact location on face of Earth, GPS becomes indispensable. Like many other technologies, feature rich GPS units are now affordable for average person. So how do you know which one to purchase? Let’s look at few things to consider prior to buying your next GPS unit, but first, what is a GPS unit? A GPS (Global Positioning System) unit has primary function of calculating its own location on land or water by using satellite signals. Once GPS unit knows its own location, it can help user determine direction and distance to other known locations. For instance, a GPS on a boat can tell captain how far it is to shoreline or how far it is to a favorite fishing spot. For outdoor sportsman a GPS can help with finding your campsite, your vehicle or your next geocache. Popular outdoor activities such as hiking, hunting, fishing, trail running, backpacking, rock climbing, canyoneering and canoeing are all made more enjoyable and safer when you take along your GPS. When buying a GPS system first thing to consider is how you intend to use it. If you plan on using it while on foot, you’ll want a GPS that is lightweight, compact, weather resistant and that is equipped with features important to foot travel. WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) is one such feature. WAAS greatly increases accuracy of your GPS, in most cases to within 10 feet. Accuracy within a few meters is important for outdoor enthusiast but not nearly as important for navigating through town in your rental car. Next, be sure your GPS has at least 12 channels of reception too. Since your GPS will only work when it receives signals from satellites orbiting Earth, less than 12 receiving channels will not get job done in wooded areas or in steep terrain. If you plan on using your GPS to navigate while driving in your car, its weight is not nearly as important as its ability to display street maps. The GPS mounted to dash of your truck probably doesn’t need to be weatherproof, but one on your boat better be.
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