My pelican friend

Although many people practice catch & release these days, it is good to be able to go out to catch some fish and put a couple of them on the table.

I guess, the weight of one fish is different for me and for a hungry pelican, but we essentially need to eat or we will be gone. It is as simple as the sun comes up tomorrow. So, how can we compromise such a fundamental act of life with things like nuclear power stations, unsustainable economic model, and piles of rubbish being dumped in the river?

I went fishing to get some food on Friday. I got a few fish and I shared some with a pelican who was following me close while I was on the water. As I was watching him swimming away, I felt somewhat being connected with him. We both need fish and water to live. We are the brotherhood of the ocean, I thought.

Here is a famous Native American quote.

"Only after the last tree has been cut down. Only after the last river has been poisoned. Only after the last fish has been caught. Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten."

晩ご飯用のお魚を調達に行って来ました。テーブルに並ぶのは、こちらでは、Australian Herringと呼ばれているオーストラリアの固有の魚です。数が豊富にいますし、２、３年で成魚に成長するので、キープするのには適した魚だと思いま す。味の方は、ホッケとアジを足して割ったような感じです。

釣り場には、ペリカンがよく来るのですが、釣れているのが分かるとすぐ横まで泳いで来ます。針にかかった魚がジャンプすると、それを盗んで行こうとするやつもいますが、そもそも、あんな大きな鳥が浮いていたら、魚もビビって近寄ってきません。

正 直、どこかに行ってもらいたいと思う事もあるのですが、魚が欲しいのは、ペリカンも人間も一緒です。お互いに食べるものが無ければ、生きていけません。簡 単な事です。でもそんな簡単な事が簡単じゃない世の中になって来ているのかもしれません。便利な世の中のために原子力や持続性のないビジネスモデルを選ぶ のか、不便でも釣った魚や育てた野菜を安心して食べられる世の中を選ぶのか。「よーく考えなくてはいけないなあ」と、泳ぎ去って行くペリカンを見てふと思 いました。




This pelican was following me all the time.


Food for the day


"Where is my share?"


"Thanks for the fish"


"sayonara sucker!"








Canon D10

Clockwork precision

I went down to catch some dinner this afternoon.

I hit the last part of the out going tide, and I manged to secure a couple of fish. I lost a few between them though. Three fish threw my hook out as they jumped and turned. One fish chomped off my leader which suggest it could have been tailor.

When the tide slowed down around 6:00PM, the fish disappeared all together as if they all know what time to go home.

Saturday evening

A couple of photos from our Saturday evening session.




Canon EF24mm f/2.8

Treasure hunt

I went down to Sea to Summit's"Ultimate Garage Sale" this morning.

It started at 8:00 in the morning, but by the time I got there around 8:20, it was already packed with people (I was struggling to find a car park). There was a lot of goodies and they were going very fast. I saw many people walking with a big cardboard box full of interesting stuff.

At the end, I got 4 pairs of socks from Smart Wool (only $5 each), Smart Wool's merino top and bottom ($40 together) which I will take to Tasmania next month. I also picked up two dry bags ($2 for 8L bag and $5 for 35L bag which I can put all my clothes for a week long fishing trip. While I was waiting in a line to pay for what I scored, I was even given a free stainless drink bottle. What a nice morning I had. Thank you people of Sea to Summit.

LENSBABY with a double glass optic

One year since the disaster

It's been one year since the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.

May be the peace come to the heart of people who are still being affected by the disaster.

I hope that one day, children of Fukushima will look up to the sky with smile without fear of radiation.

People should be able to eat what the nature gives us. People should be able to enjoy what the ocean offers to us. The nuclear power is not a clean energy.

LENSBABY with a double glass optic

LENSBABY

I had a chance to play with LENSBABY today.

It was interesting to use, and I kind of liked some images it produced. For the lens not being expensive, I might buy one for myself.

LENSBABYというティルト・レンズをためしてみました。

ティルトさせると流れる様にボケるのですが、いったい何をどうしたいのかが自分でも分かりません。それでも、レンズは安いし、上手く使いこなせれば面白いのが撮れそうなので、お金が貯まったら買おうかと思います。

LENSBABY with a double glass optic

On my bike on Saturaday morning

For exercise and reducing my carbon footprint, I have been fishing on my bike on the weekend morning.

I pack my morning tea, rod, and fishing vest in the bag, and cycle along the river. It is actually much nicer to cycle on the bank than driving a car. I also find things like flower on the side of the road which I could miss other wise, if I was on my car.

I haven't been much further than being around our house yet, but I think I might do a day trip to fish other places once the weather gets cooler in Autumn.


エクササイズとエコの為に、週末の朝の釣りは、自転車で行く事にしています。ロッドとベストとコーヒー、紅茶の入った魔法瓶とおやつを自転車の前のバッグに入れて、キコキコと川沿いを自転車で行きます。正直、自転車は良いです。自転車だと朝の空気が気持ちいいですし、ベイトの群れなんかが泳いでいても、車なら素通りですが、自転車なら止まって動きを観察できます。

ちなみに、転けたら竹竿は一発でサヨナラでしょうね。ロッドケースに入れる事も出来るのですが、ポイントからポイントへ移動の度に、竿をケースから出し入れするのが面倒なんで、リールもフライも付けたまま半分にしてそのままバッグに刺しています。

今の所は、近所周りが行動範囲ですが、一ヶ月もして涼しくなれば、ランチなどを積んで他の釣り場へデイトリップもしたいと思います。

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

A lonely night down by the river

I fish alone at night from time to time especially when I want to think about something.

When I am wading in the dark, I start to feel as if I am the only person right now being awake and watching the tide turning. There is the lack of all humanness, and the world seems a lot simpler that way.

The moon, stars, fish, and the tide. They all fits nicely in the universe. We, humans, on the other hand, seem to make things so complicated that we all get lost.

Sometime I just want to go to the river and I just want to be. Like a pelican gliding on the water to follow a school of bait under the moon light, I just want be be one mere part of the whole universe. Nothing more and nothing less.

Canon EF 24 f/2.8