Happy Thanksgiving.

I hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving Holiday!  The list of things to be thankful for is amazingly long, and I'm just super glad our family gets to spend the holiday together.

I'm excited to be about a week and a half out from my winter break from school.  The fall term's have been good, but man... put grad school, work, and family on a plate... and things are busy.  I'm looking forward to going to bed before 10 a few times :)

That said, I have managed to get out to bowhunt a few times before work.  I filled my doe tag, and the family is going to have awesome, free range and truly "organic" meat for the year ahead.  Very happy about that.

Prior to getting down to track the doe, another group came through and I snapped a pic of the "leader".  I've never snapped a pic of a deer while on stand before, so this was really fun.  Nice to see these amazing creatures just doing their thing.  They are really, really, awesome animals.

Last Friday (I think) I shot out to a local wild brookie and brown trout stream near home.  I never changed flies, and just drifted a sort of modified picket pin.  I forget the name, but it's similar to a fly Don Bastian ties - rust hackle tail, silver tinsel body, squirrel tail wing and peacock herl wrapped for the head.  Simple, and that's what I was after.  Simplicity.

I managed to catch a couple little chubs.  While some folks poo poo species like these, they are really amazing.  They are also really pretty.  Look at that chrome and steel!

I managed one lone little brookie.  Several hook ups, but only one came all the way to hand.  Amazingly, I'd fished a number of good holes with good takes and misses in many... And in this one little spot, that is about the size of a laundry basket, often cut off from the stream by a gravel bar and at most 12" deep that I caught this little guy.  I was absolutely amazed he was there - I've never had a take or caught a fish in that hole despite dropping a fly in it almost every time I'm on this stream.

Keep enjoying the outdoors - it's an amazing time of year to be out!

And, keep enjoying life - it's a gift to be thankful for, for certain!

Will

Regal History Video

Growing up in Petersham MA, I was only 10-12 miles from the early home of the Regal Vice Company.   After getting into tying as a kid, with a basic starting kit, I remember my parents bringing me to the Regal factory when I was in grade school, around Christmas.  We looked at the cork drag reel's they were also making at that time (mid-late 80's), and then at the vices.  My dad let me pick out a medallion with the brass base as my Christmas gift.  My parents were not fishermen, but always felt that you could do more with good tools, and thus, were not against what, looking back, seems like an extravagant purchase for a kid!

Any way, I tied on that regal for years, and only a few years ago was given another, newer regal with stainless jaws and a pocket base as a gift.  Lucky guy!

So, you can probably tell I'm Regal Vice focused :)

When I bumped into this video, I thought it was great, and figured it was worth a share - it's a bit of history on Regal vices.  I had no idea for example the first ones had an Oak head!  enjoy:

It's been a good few weeks overall since my last post.  No more salmon fishing due to falling water, work, school and family - as well as hitting the deer woods.  Managed a nice little buck with the bow and now will be more focused on when I get into the woods - looking for a big mature buck and letting everything else pass.

Good times!

I hope all of you are well - Enjoy the midst of fall!
Will