Sailing Hints & TipsWritten by Yannis Moraitis
I spend almost all my summers sailing around Greek islands. With this small article I would like to share some sailing hints with you that will help you enjoy most out of your sailing holidays. • When moored or anchored, use your sun tent and stay under it most of time. Our friend, Sun, sometimes can be dangerous, especially during summertime. • Be cautious on board and if possible, always wear a pair of soft boat shoes. This way you will protect your feet and deck surface. When sailing, avoid walking on deck without particular reason and in rough weather, remember to use your life belt. • If you have children on board, let them sit outside but always in cockpit wearing a life vest. • Before operating electric anchor winch, start motor and run it at aprox 1.200 to 1.500 rpm in neutral. This is necessary in order not to exhaust service battery, as consumption of winch is extremely high. Our recommendation is to low your anchor manually and collect it using remote control. Whenever using anchor winch (dropping or collecting your anchor) be very careful with your fingers. An electric anchor winch is a great facility but also extremely danger with careless use. • Remember to use electric refrigerator only with motor running. • Many yachts are equipped with a switch with which you may connect two batteries, to have more power to start your motor. You can keep them connected, as long as your motor is running. When you stop motor, remember to disconnect them. This will protect you, to be without electric power in case that you will forget, for example, electric refrigerator running. • When you moor in a port, always have a fender between your yacht and quay, so even if your anchor for any reason is unable to keep you in position, yacht will not touch quay. Take care of swell that big ferries cause and avoid mooring yacht close to place these boats anchor.
| | Fly Fishing For Largemouth BassWritten by Cameron Larsen
Like all bass fishing, bass fly fishing has exploded in popularity. The largemouth bass is considered by many greatest of all gamefish. Once limited to just Eastern United States, largemouth bass has been introduced all over continent. When most people think of bass fishing they think of, stiff fiberglass rods, heavy lines and large lures. But more and more fisherman are finding advantage of fly fishing for this game fish.Advantages of fly fishing: Fly fishing allows angler a wider variety of food imitations. While large lures only imitate a small number of food sources, flies can imitate virtually all sources of bass food, including small organisms like nymphs and even dry flies. Fly fisherman can also cast out mice, frog, and a variety of other food sources for these opportunistic feeders. Many times bass are found in shallow water, hiding under or near logs or snags or in weeds. Fly casters have advantage of more accurate placement, and being able to place their offering quietly without spooking skittish fish. Bassy Water: Largemouths usually emerge in early spring albeit a bit sluggish, but nevertheless with a speeding up metabolism, they are seeking food. Most largemouth’s will seek food in shallows, being territorial best hiding places will go to biggest fish. Recognizing a good bass hiding spot is first step in successful bass fishing. Fallen logs or weedy areas will provide cover for wary lunker. Often times bass can be spotted by careful observer, in clear water bass will appear green to pale olive across back and white to pale yellow in belly. In some areas a partner system will be beneficial with one angler standing above water to provide a bird’s eye view. Float tubes can also be helpful allowing an angler to cover a lot of water in shorter amount of time, although you give up some of advantages of sight angling. When to Fish: Largemouth Bass emerge in early spring from deeper water. The exact timing depends on region and severity of winter. But when ice begins to thaw and water warms up, largemouths metabolism begins to quicken albeit slowly at first. The strikes won’t be as hard, as reticent fish, slurp in minnow patterns. Much like a trout slurps up an emerger pattern. But once water begins to warm to 60 degrees. The largemouth’s thoughts turn to spawning. In many areas this is around April. And bass feed furiously, and seemingly without much thought to selection. It is during this time, that bass fly fisher can found in their true natural environs. Bass cruising shoreline in 1-3 feet of water, needing to bulk up for upcoming spawn. It is then that bass are easiest to catch. Being fiercely territorial and in a feeding frenzy, they will attack anything in their path with a ferocity that makes this fish legendary. After spawn bass seeks out deeper water, however, early morning and evening in particular can give one great action all summer long. And with cooler waters of fall, bass return to activity that makes a trip to your favorite bass whole a worthy endeavor.
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