Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Connecticut Hunting & Fishing Day 2017

     Last year, I had the honor of being part of something special for the state of Connecticut. Here's how it happened:

     My friend lives across the street from someone that works for the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT DEEP). We had gone over there to deliver them some eggs (she has 11 chickens), and we were discussing something about fishing, which led to her mentioning that I have a blog page where I mention "DIY/How-to" stuff, and local fishing spots for kayak fishing. I also handed him a few "reminder" cards - which look like business cards but saves me time from cramping my hands writing out the web address and mailing address.

     Anyway, a few weeks go by, and she gets a letter from the state of CT's DEEP about an upcoming outdoor show. I also checked my Google email account, and find an email from the the state of CT's DEEP asking me if I'd like to take part in CT's 6th annual Hunting & Fishing Days. The CT DEEP had two days they were having the events. One on the eastern side of the state at the Franklin Wildlife Refuge (Franklin,CT), and the other on the western side of the state in the Burlington Wildlife Refuge (Burlington,CT).
     The eastern event was the first time it was being held in Franklin,CT, so even though it was a success, not too many people showed up for the event. There wasn't too much going on for the kids to get involved.
     The western side of state was way more successful because this had been their 6th year, and there was a lot of interactive activities for the children to get involved in.
     I was given the first spot on the right heading down the trail. It was the first "booth" the people saw walking down the trail. My Hobie Outback kayak was set up the same way I would be set up as if I was launching in the surf - gear basket, white light with safety mast/flag, red/green navigation light, anchor trolley, foot well lamp, GPS/Chart Plotter/Fish Finder, Beach Wheels, etc.. A lot of people took photos of the way my kayak was set up, noting to each other the "upgrades" I've done to my kayak, and asked how each upgrade is used in conjunction with the ways I fish.

     Now, I'm just an average guy, that "writes" in his spare time about some "how-to" stuff you can do at home, and maybe give up some of my favorite fishing spots, so you can add these hot spots to your arsenal of areas to fish. Any advertising I do comes out of my pocket. I don't have any "paid" sponsors because I fish mostly on a part time basis. Also, I'm NOT endorsed by Hobie, (my kayak of choice at the moment). I'm currently planning to get a longer kayak, but it won't be a pedal driven model. I'm looking at a used 2013 Feelfree Moken 14 - it's 14 ft., 7 in. long, 80 lbs., 450 lbs. weight rating,  and 30 in. wide. A member of our fishing club hurt his shoulder and is now selling this kayak. I had seen it at a "meet & greet" earlier this year and had noticed the structure cracks on the right side of the hull. I knew I could fix this kayak and have a decent spare kayak for offshore fun. Once I get the kayak home, I will begin the task of rigging it to the extreme.

     Anyway, this year's "CT Hunting & Fishing Day 2017" will be for one day only on Saturday, September 23, 2017 at:
 Cabela's
 476 East Hartford Boulevard North
 East Hartford,CT
 from 10 am. to 4 pm..

     Included in this year's show: Hunting & Trapping Tips, Fishing & Boating Displays, Archery Shooting, Fly-Tying & Casting, Hunting & Fishing Clubs, Conservation Organizations, Birds of Prey, Kids Activities, Fish & Wildlife Exhibits, Equipment Vendors, Laser Shot/Dart Gun/Blow pipe, BB Gun Shooting Range, Hunting Dog Demonstrations - ADMISSION & ALL OF THESE ACTIVITIES ARE FREE!

     * Author's Note: I'd like to give Cabela's a huge "Thank You" for stepping up to the plate and sponsoring this show - without Cabela's support, there would not have been a show this year. It's sad how the state's careless spending habits nearly cancelled this year's show, but I feel that with this "new" location being that it's more centralized, I think we will see an increase in visibility to what CT's got in store for it's residents. The parking area here is huge and will allow for more people to attend being that it's located in the "center" of the state.

     I will be in a 10' x 20' covered space, shielded from the sun on the sides, . And, besides my reminder cards, I will also have some cards from Dave Morton of "Beavertail Rod & Reel Service", a member of our fishing club that services our reels, does custom rod repairs, and makes custom equipment from scratch for people who are disabled.
     Additionally, I'll also have a special soap for you to try out that I use after my saltwater outings. It's the only soap that lathers in saltwater. The high calcium content in saltwater won't let standard household soap lather properly.
     It's made locally in the USA by a friend of ours, and their product is called, "Tackle Buddy". You can contact them here on Facebook:
 
     www.facebook.com/TackleBuddySoap/

     So, this is one of the shows that I enjoy chatting with other people about saltwater fishing from a kayak. If you have any questions about the items on my kayak, or where I go for launch spots, just ask. Hope to see you there!

- J