Sportsman's Quest

A fisherman contemplates the beauty of not only the scenery, but a moment of tranquility.

I'm often asked by newcomers to Southern Nevada, "Where's a good place to go fishing?" My inclination is to say Alaska, Canada or Argentina, but my routine answer is San Diego's H&M Landing for salt water and Lake Mead, Walker Lake and Southern Utah for trout. All make excellent weekend fishing venues. Bass fishing I leave for others.

Here's my favorite Utah itinerary, one I've just returned from: First I swing by Bass Pro Shop for a couple of, always needed, new lures and fresh line.

Then it's on to Mesquite, and the newly renovated Oasis Gun Club for a round of shooting clays. This gets me on the road, and starts the trip out right. A meal and a good night's sleep follow.

Next, it's on to Cedar City, Utah, and its unique redeveloped main street. Here you'll find excellent fly-fishing shops, with local information on where the fish are, and what they are eating. Oh yeah, there are also lots of ladies clothing stores, cosmetic boutiques and craft stores, for those so inclined to frequent such places. There is something here for the whole family.

My base for fishing the lower elevations in and around this area is the Holiday Inn Lodge at the south end of Cedar City, but if I'm heading up to the higher elevation lakes and streams I stay at one of the cozy cabins at Navajo Lake or Duck Creek.

This time, I stayed near Duck Creek, where while fishing I ran into several current or former Pahrump and Nye County folks. It's a small world. Many of you will remember Jeff Ribold, who formerly taught at CCSN, and managed the lumber department at Ace Hardware; he now has his own well-stocked hardware store at Duck Creek.

I made a donation to his Duck Creek Hardware and Rental for some needed incidentals. There always seem to be some of these, even on a short trip. The people of the community tell stories of Ace Hardware's Carl Moore, too, and some of his winter snowmobile expeditions. Ask him.

The Duck Creek area is centered on Navajo Lake, and the fishing was great, but there are other reasons to enjoy one of these mini-vacations. One is just to escape the desert heat or just get away for a while. We even experienced a refreshing thunder and hail storm.

My favorite reason though, is the possibility for chance encounters with interesting and like-minded folks. This trip was no exception. I met a gentlemen who was introduced as Ol' Rick, and through him I met his father, who shared this story:

"It was 1932 in Buckeye, Arizona. I was 12 years old and sitting on the stoop of the post office, playin' hooky from school.

"This great big black car came up the dirt main street and made a quick stop, causing a great cloud of dust. A man rolled down the window and said, 'Hey boy, do you know where I can find the white wings?' Knowing he was referring to the white winged doves around the alfalfa fields, I replied, 'yep.'

"I took him to one of my favorite spots where he and his friend began shooting more doves than I could count. These were the days before daily limits, and heck, we had thousands of birds on the place eating up the hay. They shot until the barrels got hot, and they both shot well.

"Now, I had a nice single shot 20-gauge my dad had given me, but these were the fanciest guns I had ever seen. They were shiny, engraved with gold and must of cost a lot of money.

"When they finished shootin', we went back to town where I 'breasted' the birds, got some ice from the old ice shack, and put them in a cotton pickin' sack. When I finished the guy gave me 10 dollars, a lot of money in those days.

"As they were leaving I asked, 'Hey mister, what kind of a car is that?' He replied, 'It's a Stutz Bearcat, and my name is Clark Gable."

This is what traveling is all about. The fishing was good, but the people you meet along the way make it better.

Thanks, Rick; you made my trip and I look forward to the next one. Where will it be? Who knows, but it will be soon, that's for sure.

What's New

Throw out the old battery operated lanterns and flashlights. I've found something better, and it's not that thing you shake a hundred times to activate.

eGear has perfected a light powered by a small wind up generator. It can also be powered by a 12-volt car lighter socket, or a 12-volt AC/DC adapter.

It's illuminated by 15 light emitting diodes, which I found sufficient on this trip to use for reading at our high mountain cabin. It even comes with adapters that can be used to recharge your cell phone.

The only problem I had was keeping the other guys from snagging it before I could pack it for the trip home. I loved to see them beg and drool. However, it does seem that I have misplaced the accompanying flashlight. You just can't trust friends these days.

This is a great product for camping, at the cabin and especially in the car. It will always work. For more information go to www.essentialgear.com or call 413-772-8984.