Islamorada Journal 2012...27 JAN

---

Click on this photo to get a better look at the whiskers on this manatee. Deb and I were out in the boat, staying close to shore so the winds wouldn't get us, when we spotted this fellow. He was swimming underwater when we first saw him...looked like a scuba-diving bear from our point of view on the boat. We didn't try to get near him as we feel it's best to leave these animals alone. According to Wikipedia, "All three species of manatee are listed by the World Conservation Union as vulnerable to extinction." We watched him just long enough to see him snorkel up for this breath of air.

---

We went out on the Bay a ways to try fishing, but the waves from the wind were too much so we headed back toward Snake Creek with the idea of going to Hippie Harbor. Then we saw this squall coming in and...

---

...decided that discretion was the better part.

---

We thought this might have been a rainbow trying to get started, but it was just the sun's rays coming through a break in the squall line. The National Weather Service explains that for a rainbow to form, You need to be standing with the sun to your back and the rain in front of you, The sun needs to be less than 42° above the horizon, and The sun's rays must be hitting the raindrops.

---

For those who are looking for evidence of aliens observing earth, here it is! What other explanation could there possibly be for this mark in the sky? Had to be some amazing spacecraft to be able to make a right-hand turn like that! The aliens in this spacecraft were undoubtedly on their way to create more Nacza lines in Peru...or to erect more statues on Easter Island...or build another great pyramid in Egypt!

---

This fingernail moon is obvious, but do you also see Venus?

Islamorada Journal 2012...26 JAN

---

Tuesday' night's sunset.

---

Bougainvillea. According to Wikipedia, "The plant was classified by Europeans in Brazil in 1768, by Philibert Commerçon, a French botanist accompanying French Navy admiral and explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville during his voyage of circumnavigation." I had always assumed that the flower was found on Bougainville Island in the Pacific and named after the island; but no, both the flower and the Island were named for the French explorer. The flower is native to South America.

---

We haven't been able to get out on the water much thanks to the darned wind which has been blowing 15+ kts. for 4 straight days. We can, however, walk out on the basin and throw lures. Usually nothing much happens. Maybe a hit from a small barracuda or one of the nasty needlefish that hang out here...sometimes one of the resident mangrove snappers will take a whack at a lure...but they mostly require live bait to fool.

---

Wednesday night though, there was a school of these fish out there. Darned things weren't very large but they hit the lures like a ton of bricks and fought like the dickens. Fish is called a blue runner, about which Wikipedia says, "Blue runner is...of high importance to recreational fisheries, with anglers often taking the species both for food and to use as bait. The blue runner has a reputation as an excellent gamefish on light tackle, taking both fish baits, as well a variety of lures including hard bodied bibbed lures, spoons, metal jigs and soft plastic jigs.The species is also a target for light tackle saltwater fly fishermen, and can push 6-weight fly tackle to its limits. The blue runner is used extensively as live bait for larger fish including billfish, cobia and amberjack. It is considered to be a fairly low quality table fish, and larger specimens are known to carry the ciguatera toxin in their flesh, with several cases reported from the Virgin Islands." We put back each one we caught.

---

This pigeon hanged around in the yard for almost two days. This is not an ordinary, every day, run-of-the-mill bird...but a genuine homing pigeon.

---

Deb looked up his band information on the Internet and found he was a homer...probably taking a little rest on his way back to wherever he belongs. She put out fresh water for the bird which has now [the bird, not the water] flown the coop...or perhaps, flown back to the coop. He didn't leave a thank-you note.

---

Deb's pic of an aloe? plant.

---

Wednesday night's sunset...version 1.

---

Wednesday night's sunset...version 2. In tomorrow's blog: We see a manatee and get chased back to the dock by an approaching storm.

---

Islamorada Journal 2012...25 JAN

---

2011: 14 Major Climate-Related Disasters ” NOAA has identified two additional events in 2011 that caused an economic impact of $1 billion or greater, bringing the total number of major billion-dollar weather and climate disasters to 14 (not including the pre-Halloween snowstorm in the Northeast, which is still being analyzed).” NOAA News

---

Ask Lefty ”"What is the correct way to get rid of salt deposits on reels and rods, and how often do I need to do it?"” FlyFishInSalt.com

---

Mass. Fishing Boat Lost In 2008 Found Adrift In Spain ”More than three years after tossing its occupants overboard in stormy seas, a 26-foot long Nantucket fishing boat has been found off the coast of Spain. TheBostonChannel.com

---

Flies: Tying the “Straw Boss” ”…an effective freshwater pattern that can also prove deadly in the salt.” FlyFishInSalt.com

---

Sorry Mates: Between too much wind, too much work, and too many medical appointments to keep, we haven't been on the water for several days. Wind is forecast to drop, work is mostly done, and med visits are hopefully over with. We hope to be back fishing shortly.

---

Islamorada Journal 2012...24 JAN

---

Some hibiscus colors are just smashing.

---

"Don't you know that you are a shooting star...don't you know?" Egrets love an audience.

---

View out the front door.

---

Cormorant. Some days a fellow just can't get his wings dried out. Wikipedia says, "Alternate functions suggested for the spread-wing posture include that it aids thermoregulation, digestion, balances the bird or indicates presence of fish. A detailed study of the Great Cormorant concludes that it is without doubt to dry the plumage."

---

Lots of these little lizards around.

---

Monday night's sunset.

---

Heron caught sneaking away at dusk...we got his license number, however.

---

Same sunset less that a minute later...just that the camera was zoomed in from 52mm to 92mm in this second shot.

---

Islamorada Journal 2012...23 JAN

---

Click on any pic to enlarge.

---

Saturday night's sunset.

---

This is the famous comet Jasper-Ruhroh.

---

Believe this little guy is called a Brown Anole. WildFlorida.com says, "Florida has several lizard species that are easy to find and interesting to watch. Geckos are so common in buildings in South Florida that they are called ‘house lizards.’ Anoles and skinks are easy to watch in almost any park or garden."

---

The planet Jupiter has been obvious in the evening sky. Camera lens is not able to show any of the planet's 64 moons, some of which apparently can be seen with a decent pair of binoculars. One moon, Ganymede, is larger than the planet mercury.

---

Folk next door have a fish-feeding machine at the end of their dock. Every evening, shortly after 6 p.m., the thing goes off and sprays fish-food pellets off the end of the dock. The splashes you can see in the water are a combination of the pellets hitting the water and small fish feeding on them.

---

Deb managed to get this photo of the antennae of a spiny lobster who has made a home in the crevices in the boat basin. Spiny lobsters, unlike Maine lobsters, don't have the big, meaty claws...just the tail.

---

Kayaker taking fido for a paddle. Note that this dog is smart enough to wear a life jacket...clearly wiser than many humans that venture forth on the waters.

Islamorada Journal 2012...22 JAN [temp]

News from Up North:

Yes gentle reader, despite our current location we do watch the goings-on back in Connecticut. There've been some interesting news items: Lou Tabory opines on the best all-around SW fly outfit. A record striped bass caught in Woodbridge, CT? And, regretably, yet another boater lost...not wearing a life jacket:

---

---

---

Lou Tabory: Best All-Around Salt Water Fly Outfit ”A fly-rod/fly-line setup that will get you through just about any fly-fishing situation you’ll come across in salt water at home or abroad....” Fly Fishing in Salt Waters

---

---

Northeast Fishing and Hunting Show ”The 15th Annual Northeast Fishing & Hunting Show is coming Friday, February 17 through Sunday, February 19, 2012 to the Connecticut Convention Center at 100 Columbus Blvd. in Hartford, Conn. Hours: Friday, February 17 from 12 noon to 8 p.m.; Saturday, February 18 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, February 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.” Examiner.com

---

---

Coast Guard Suspends Search for Missing Boater ”Search and rescue controllers at Coast Guard Sector Charleston were notified by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources at 9:17 p.m., Thursday, of Moss’ disappearance. It was reported that Moss was aboard a 14-foot fishing boat with one other person when it reportedly capsized. The second person successfully swam to Ashe Island and was later picked up by another boater. “Moss was last seen attempting to swim ashore. He was not wearing a lifejacket.” CoastGuardNews.com

---

---

Winter Stripers in Norwich, CT ”Norwich is typically as good if not better than any place in the Northeast to catch stripers during the winter. The only problem is the population is once again being depleted by fishing pressure, so striper catches have been diminishing over the past five or six seasons.” Bob Sampson in NorwichBulletin.com

---

---

Winter Days Brightened by Outdoor Shows ”This year, the Hartford show will feature the first appearances and seminars by Greg Meyerson, the Connecticut angler who smashed the striped bass world record with his 81.88-pounder earlier this year. Also featured will be a 23.65 pound tautog (blackfish) caught by 83-year-old Ken Owens. It was just short of the 25-pound all-tackle world record for this species.” Bob Sampson in NorwichBulletin.com

---

---

He Must Have Had One Heckuva Long Rod ”By now every Connecticut angler knows who Greg Meyerson is. If not, you've been hiding under a rock. “Meyerson is the talented saltwater expert who shattered the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) record for a striped bass in 2011. Using his secret method, Meyerson landed an 81.88-pound linesider while fishing off Woodbridge, CT. “How did he do it?” Note: As the title says, he must have had one heckuva long rod; Woodbridge, CT is not on the water…in fact, it’s about seven miles from Long Island Sound. [Fish was actually caught in Westbrook, CT.] StamfordAdvocate.com

---

---

Beating the Winter Doldrums ”Some fishermen continue to fish by fishing through the ice or by finding a body of water in the area that will still accommodate fishing, either from shore or in their boat. ”The Housatonic River is a body of water that allows anglers to continue to fish through the winter months. Many fishermen head to the Housy to spend a day catching striped bass in large numbers. ”Some fishermen use the winter months to prepare themselves for the upcoming season by repairing, replacing or building things that they will need….” NewsTimes.com

---

Islamorada Journal 2012...21 JAN

---

Deb decided not to go on the boat today. You can see where she spent some time.

---

Hibiscus.

---

Here's Wayne on the bow of Shoo-Fly on the lookout for fish. The blueish area to the left is extremely shallow...you can see the mangrove plants that have rooted in the sand as well as a drifted sandbank farther along. The greenish water to the right is deeper, but it's only about 2.5 feet deep. This is what's called "sight-fishing." We try to spot the fish in the skinny water and then cast a lure so as to attract their attention and make them eat it.

---

Yes, that's a bluefish. We catch these rascals in the summer in Long Island Sound, but they do inhabit Florida Bay as well. Didn't sight-fish this one...he was caught while blind-casting [throw the lure out where you think there should be fish...and hope for the best].

---

It was a spectacular day on the water...at times there was no wind at all. We saw many sharks, including a few "ruh-roh"-sized ones. We caught a barracuda and saw several more...including some in the ruh-roh category. We got into some willing and combative jacks and ladyfish. I broke out the fly rod and caught several of each.

---

We headed back to the dock so Wayne could get home in time to walk the doggies...Turbo and Ushi.

---

Friday night's sunset.

---

Islamorada Journal 2012...20 JAN

---

We regret to report the death today of our dear Aunt Ruth. She was born in 1910 in Winterport, ME and has been the doyenne of our family for many years. That's right, she was 101 years old. We last saw Ruth on December 31st; she was still bright and chipper...never lost a beat on the mental side. Our best wishes go to Bob, Bob, Brian, and Ted and families. May the Lord bless you and keep you; May the Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace, this day and always.

---

This little cuda has been hanging out in the boat basin hoping for some five-or-ten-year-old boy or girl to dangle toes in the water. Note that he appears to have been injured on his back just behind the gills. Probably some larger fish took a whack at him. Click on any photo to enlarge.

---

Dunno what kind of plant this is ["don't know much about botany...."] [That's a link to the Sam Cooke song, Wonderful World.]

---

Deb got this shot of a great blue heron in full flight.

---

And dunno what kind of flower this is...but the thing's almost a foot across.

---

Egrets just love the limelight.

Islamorada Journal 2012...19 JAN

---

Deb, Wayne, and I took off in hopes of finding some fish today despite winds 15 kts. from the north, very cloudy water, and still low water temperatures. This Spanish Mackerel was the best catch of the day. We liked him so much that we brought him home to have dinner with us. Rice and beans, grilled mackerel, and green string beans. Nice.

---

Wednesday's sunset. We caught some smaller fish for shark bait and headed for the bay of sharks. But unlike yesterday, when Deb and I saw dozens of mini-jaws-types there...today there were none. What're ya gonna do?

---

This is an ibis.

---

Irving: "I dunno, Iris, what do you do for a runny nose?"

---

Ibis also enjoy sunsets. Back at the house Deb spotted a dolphin going by...right in front of the house. That doesn't happen very often. We saw other dolphins today, but they were all business dolphins...weren't interested in playing around.

Islamorada Journal 2012...18 JAN

---

There are more than egrets and herons and osprey and pelicans and roseate spoonbills in the Keys. This little woodpecker [see the tiny bit of red on the back of his head?] likes to knock his brains out each morning on the old, gnarly tree off the back deck.

---

Deb and I went shark fishing today.

---

The wind finally gave us a day off...as you can see it was like a mirror out there. That made it easy to see the sharks in the shallows as their fins often stick up out of the water...or you can see the water being pushed aside as the sharks work their way through the skinny water.

---

We got shots at [casts to] several of them, but they weren't having any of our offerings. Some of the sharks were quite large; for example, this one: both of those fins are his. These we labeled "ruh-roh"* sharks as we'd probably be better off not hooking up with them...sort of like a dog chasing an 18-wheeler. What do you do with it once you catch it? *Important note: "ruh-roh" is from Astro, not from Scooby-Doo

---

Blog wouldn't be complete with out a couple of sunset photos...these from Tuesday.

---

A bird. Don't know what kind, but he's a cute little rascal.

---

Second Tuesday sunset shot.