ryan sabo
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Nick – I hear you man, and I’ve been there. As have many on this board. And I have a few thoughts on the subject. If I may…
First, you should know a bit about me: I’m 29 and live in central Pennsylvania. I started fly fishing when I was 14 and fell hard and fast for what it offered me: an identity at an age when so many of us are searching for self. I was involved in quite a few activities, but if asked what I was interested in, the answer was always ‘fishing’.
When I graduated high school I enrolled at Penn State University in engineering. Everything I had established about myself pointed to an engineering ‘career’. I excelled in math and science, my family came from the trade unions, and I had an interest in how things were built.
It took me quite a while, but I eventually discovered that engineering just wasn’t for me. This was about the time that my high school sweetheart left me. I had been struggling with clinical depression since I was 17, and when Tiffany left I went off the deep end. I started taking a look at my life.
I decided that I wanted to have some sort of meaning, and to live, as you put it, a ‘storied life.’ I was also looking for a way to cure my depression that would free me from the Prozac Nation. I made a knee-jerk decision to go West, where there were (and are) trout to be caught and discover the chance to find the story of my young life. I was convinced that the right situation would cure me, not the medication I was on.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I was also looking for a story that women would find ‘romantic.’ Thank the lord I’m not a Prosek….
I decided that the best way to end up in the new American West was to join the United States Forest Service as a member on a Hotshot crew. This notion had something to do with a story in a book by Norman Maclean.
Anyway- a very long, very humorous, very sad story short: The wildland fire job fell through and I decided to head West on my own. With no plans. I had enough money in my pocket to get there, but not enough to get home. Some form of income was necessary to get back to Penn State. I ended up getting a job at a campground on the Bighorn River in Montana. Fished in the morning, worked 14 hours a day, and fished at night. I lived in a tiny camper that the owners provided on the edge of the campground dump.
I was in heaven.
About three weeks into this gig I was taking down a barbed wire fence. It was 113 degrees. 113 degrees Fahrenheit. (You need to know that my thick Hungarian blood doesn’t deal with heat well. If it’s above 70, it’s hot.) Now, if you have never dealt with barbed wire before, know this: it has a tendency to want to go back on its spool. When you clip it from the post there’s a good chance you’ll end up wrapped in the stuff. You sorta have to sneak up on the bastard….
It should be said that between the oppressive heat (‘it’s a dry heat, you’ll never even notice.’ yeah?, so is an oven. Idiots.) and the G*DDA*N barbed wire, I was pretty miserable. And here comes the owner in his nice, air conditioned truck…
“Hot out, ain’t it?”
“Yeah Al. It’s hot.”
“I brought you a cold Gatorade. Here.”
I took the bottle. I was a bit delirious from the heat and the g*d f*cking d*mn barbed wire that had sliced me in a dozen different places. I never noticed that the bottle of god’s own elixir, ‘Gatorade’, was piss warm.
I took a long, thirsty drink.
I puked. I gasped. I threw the bottle hard enough and put a big dent in Al’s truck door. He laughed. “How would you like to go to Alaska?” he asks.
Alaska? Alaska is beautiful. It’s wilderness. It offers a sense of adventure, even more so than Montana. And It’s not 113 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
“Sign me up. I don’t care what the deal is, I want to go.”
Two days later I was on a plane with two guys I had never met before, on my way to Bristol Bay, Alaska, to be a commercial fisherman.
Since then I’ve bought my own boat, built my life around being a fisherman, and fly fish when I want to. I work in construction management in the winter to help pay off my life in Alaska. But eventually, my boat will make me self-sufficient and I’ll have the life I’ve always dreamt of:
Master of my own destiny and a way to live the storied life I’ve always dreamt for myself.
Now the story of that season, and the story of how I ended up owning my own commercial fishing boat in Bristol Bay is another tale. But take this from what I’ve written:
1. Every life is a ‘storied’ life. Even if you’re working for ‘the man’ and have a wife and family, this isn’t any less romantic than the cowboy living a life of adventure and romance. Everyday life holds a wealth of drama. I guarantee that the cowboy dreams of a ‘normal’ life.
2. You live in America. There are a million ways to live your life. And no one, NO ONE, can tell you what your life should be. Some of us search for 70 years to figure things out. Some of us are fortunate enough to figure things out early. But you’re on a path of your own choosing. Figure out who you are and make choices accordingly. They don’t have to be the right choices. ‘Mistakes’ can be more important than you would ever believe.
3. You live in America. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. There may be consequences, but you can live your life according to you rules. Take a chance. You’re young. If the man takes everything you have away from you, he ain’t getting much.
4. Get your degree. It will come in handy if everything falls apart on you.
5. Krakauer has a tendency to do this to people. Not everyone is Alex Supertramp. If you want a list of books to look to as tome of how you live your life, PM or email me and we can start a discussion off line.
6. You already live in the American West. If you’re looking for somewhere to find yourself, look at Alaska. Again, if you want more info, PM or email me. (This goes for anyone that posts here.)
7. You live in America. There are literally thousands of ways to make a living. Hell, there are a thousand ways to become a millionaire. Don’t sweat it too much. Life is a struggle, but you’ll manage.
8. Again. Every life is a storied life. The secret is to find the amazing and remarkable in the ordinary and mundane. If you cannot make a leap of faith, find the romance, adventure, and love story in your everyday life. It’s there, you just need to live it.
The truth is all around you Nick. Just gotta figure out your own story and live it. You’ll find that adventure novel of a life if you stay true to yourself. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You have a long life ahead of you.
Very sincerely,
Ryan Sabo
Fisherman, adventurer, writer, fly fisherman, son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, friend, and philosopher. In no particular order.Hiya Eric,
I was under the impression that the Sportsman permit was only to bridge the gap between 18 and 21 for those that want to carry a handgun.
I used to work for a sheriff’s department here in PA. The way I understood the law, it is your right to own and carry a handgun in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as protected by the Second Amendment. You need a CC permit only if you intend to carry concealed. In the words of Sheriff Berkowski: “Slap it on like a gunfighter for all the world to see and you’re perfectly legal. Of course with the exception of that damn liberal city Philadelphia. Let your coat fall over your gun or carry it loaded under the truck seat and you better have a permit.” So if you want to hike or fish in PA with a six-shooter on your hip, you’re within your rights, though there are obvious pros and cons and a thousand exceptions to doing so.
I wonder if Simms has considered making a holster for their G4 waders?…
Gun laws vary WIDELY by state, and a permit issued where you live may not be valid if you travel across state lines. Make sure you know the laws where you are going. “Well it’s legal in Mississippi!” isn’t going to work if you’re stopped by a Massachusetts State Trooper.
I know National Parks are an absolute no. This comes up every year after someone gets mauled to death in Denali.
Do the research and know the laws cold. You’d be surprised how many law enforcement officers really don’t know the specifics of the gun laws in their state. Chances are that even if you’re right, you’ll end up defending yourself. Guns make cops nervous.
While I personally have a CC permit, I choose to not carry while I’m fishing. A firearm requires great responsibility, and responsibility is one thing I try to avoid when I’m on the river.
Take care, and be safe.
RyanAndrew, tell your ‘fellow fishers’ to pound sand. First things first, there are 5 different species of salmon in Alaska, ranging from 2lb humpies to 50 lb+ kings. Everything is relative. If a humpy breaks an 8wt rod, something is seriously wrong. And while a big king can be landed on light gear, it wouldn’t be unheard of for something to break during the fight. I’ve personally landed kings up to 40 lbs on a 5 wt.
That said, a lot of the fast action rods being produced today seem brittle to me. Just one of the draw-backs to packing a ton of modules into a blank. But I do believe that beyond op error or a manufacturing defect, something else in your terminal tackle should let go before your rod self-destructs.
Fish confidently with a 3 wt for humpies, grayling, small trout, char. 5-6 wt for most trout, char. 7 wt for trophy trout and most everything else. A 9 or 10 wt might be reasonable if you really expect to hang a pig king. Take a spare, just in case. Nothing more humbling than begging a rod off of your buddy or the outfitter. Or fish an UglyStik and leave your worries at home.
And Cameron has a great point in fiberglass. I’d second the recommendation for McFarland, being a fine Pennsylvania company.
North!
RyanWow John. Really amazing photos. And I don’t doubt that your gear had a ton to do with it. That doesn’t diminish from your talent though.
My comments about image quality being essentially equal among brands still rings true to me when you consider Rusty’s original post:
The W30 is worthless in a low light at distance shooting, not enough flash, but great for the active outdoors type. I have played with the Pentax K100D and I think I like it, mainly because of the price. I want to keep it simple, but have the ability to build off this camera if I need to at a later date. I am not looking to go pro, just looking for a more broad spectrum if and when I need it. Keep in mind price, please.
I think that at the price point we’re talking, for the purpose stated, and his vision for the future, Rusty would have a few choices in DSLRs, all with similar pros and cons. If we’re talking a K100D as the camera of choice upon first blush, then I don’t think a Canon 1 series with L-glass or a Nikon D3 is a viable option.
The way I see it the choices break down to something like this:
Canon XT, XTi, maybe a used 30D
Nikon D40, D40x
Pentax K100D, K100D Super, K10D
Oly 415? (not sure on the model here…)
Sony A?? (ditto with Sony)I’d argue that all have similar IQ for Rusty’s needs with each model exhibiting strengths in one area and weaknesses in others. All would allow reasonable upgrades short of the Pro level bodies, but I don’t think that’s really in Rusty’s future. (If it is, Rusty, go Canon or Nikon) All have good choices in quality lenses, with Canon, Nikon, and Pentax offering a great selection.
I honestly don’t think that for a consumer level DSLR one needs to sweat things out too much. If you’re looking at this as a hobby, you’ll do well with whatever you choose. If you foresee this getting serious, or if you have a lot more money to throw at your equipment, choices can become greatly more complicated and/or confusing.
Again John, great photos. Shows what a talented photographer with great gear can do. I’m hugely impressed and aspire to your level of skill one day. But I stand by the statement that Rusty can relax in his decision for his entry level kit. No need to get an ulcer over what should be a fun hobby.
Ryan
Hey Rusty. You’re getting some good advice here. Take your time making a decision, but also take all the advice you get on the net with a grain of salt. Nothing like getting a camera in your hands and playing with one. ‘Feel’ cannot be overstated.
That said, most other things can be overstated. For your purposes, any dSLR from any reputable company will suit your needs with varying levels of features and investment. Relax. You’re not investing in a tool that you need to make a living. You’re not buying a car. Find a camera that interests you now, today, and learn to use it. Any camera can take good pictures if you know how to use it to its advantages. You can reassess things later if you’re really going to get serious.
It’s like buying a fly rod. Have you ever caught a fish and given all the credit to rod? It’s not the technology that catches fish or takes grate pictures. It’s the man, they myth, the legend that is, or will become, Rusty.
I had a very long, very detailed thread going at dpreview.com. It helped tremendously, mostly because I had a very specific set of requirements and took the time to detail them carefully. Take a look. It’s long, but there are some really important details hiding in there: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1002&thread=25605035
I went Pentax after a long research period. To tell the truth, after playing with a K10D at a local shop, it was an eloquent email from Seafood that sealed the deal. Turns out we like the same sorts of things. Scott fly rods, Pennsylvania, and, now, Pentax cameras. (Dude, Seafood, two trips to the ER in the last few days. I PROMISE I’ll email you back soon…)
Good luck Rusty. Just remember, it’s just a tool. Go cast a bunch of cameras and see which one sings the sweetest. They all catch fish.
Ryan
Hey, Clint, buddy…
Please go here and have a look. I’d hate to see anyone on this board get scammed.
http://www.resellerratings.com/store/86th_Street_Photo_Video
There are a ton of places like this out there on the internet.
“‘How does a guy who drives a beat up truck and dresses in rags afford such snazzy tackle?’
‘It should be obvious.'”– John Gierach
Just to make a quick point about where some of the cost of our hardware comes from:
In any niche market a manufacturer has to look at what the expected life of his product is.
Hey Zach,
(sorta off topic… but not by much)
Just wondering if you would consider doing a podcast with some of the names in fly line design/manufacturing?
