New England Fly Fishing, Red Sox and Podcasts

The occasional blogger wants to share some current thoughts about the subject topics. I listen to a lot of podcasts, I love fly fishing in New England (both fresh and salt) and I'm a huge Red Sox fan. When these topics converge, I have to share...

Rick Porcello, a Red Sox starter since 2015 and 2016 Cy Young Award winner, is an avid fly angler. Orvis posted a video featuring Rick recently, but I also just discovered a new podcast titled "Fly Fishing Journeys" where Rick provides some insights to his fly fishing passion and time with the Red Sox.

ORVIS Presents: Off Season

Rob Giannino hosts the "Fly Fishing Journeys" podcast and has many excellent interviews with New England centric guests. His interview style brings the best out of his guests. Rick's podcast was done during the 2018 season and we all know the results from that record setting year for the Sox. 

Unfortunately, Rick's future with the Red Sox is in question as his contract ended in 2019 and, to date, he has not been offered an extension by the team

Wherever he lands in 2020, I will still be a big fan and hope to meet him fishing for brookies in New England.

Every Picture Tells a Story

 -- Every Picture Tells a Story-- 

Of all the social networks, I waste most of my time with Instagram. I keep two accounts -- @ginclear for fly fishing & tying and @deanwo for family, work & other random stuff. My affection for the Red Sox, Patriots and Bruins bleeds into both feeds from time to time.

If you are on Instagram, you've noticed everyone posting "Year in Review" videos that flash by the most memorable or liked posts. Both Statigram and Flipagram are two of the more popular sites/apps that provide this service for free.

I thought it would be fun to tell a little story for some of the most memorable pics this year from the @ginclear Instagram account. The year was full of fly fishing firsts in many ways. First fish, first hatches and first time fishing with new friends.

Winter Solstice 2013

-- Winter Solstice 2013 --

It's been awhile since the last post and I thought it would be nice to share some of the simple winter beauty found today in the New England woods, next to the stream, while out fly fishing with my son, Matt (aka Troutdoors), on the shortest day of the year.

The winter solstice is my favorite day. It's the turn of the season and as the days get longer, spring is on the doorstep.

It's been about a month since I've wet a line, and with Matt back from school for the Christmas break, I dragged him kicking and screaming out to our local river.

Happy Easter and Anniversary

-- Summer Vacation in RMNP --

It's been one year and one day since the birth of the Gin Clear blog - an Experiment in Creativity. A lot has changed in my life over the last year - two jobs, a son heading to collage, a daughter celebrating her 21st birthday and a loving wife, always putting up with my BS who lets me go fishing, was elected to her third term as town selectman.

The highlight of the year was our wonderful vacation in Colorado - our first fly fishing family vacation.

During the year, I've been virtually immersed into a passionate and welcoming social fly fishing community - blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Vimeo, YouTube, Goggle+ - every interaction is positive and supportive. If only the rest of the world was this way.

 I truly enjoy being here. I appreciate that you are actually reading this and occasionally have a nice comment to add. I appreciate the great content everyone in this community shares and contributes. Through your words, images, art, videos and deeds, I see people who care about their families, the environment and the future. It's refreshing.

Happy Easter! Enjoy this special time with your family and friends.

Oh yeah, just like a year ago, the Red Sox are off to a stellar start, 0-2.

Thanks for visting.

Epic #Fail

I could not have imagined a more excruciating end to the to the Red Sox season this year. As fate was dealt by destiny's hand last Wednesday night, the only solace that I felt was, "Finally, this historic collapse of epic proportions of a MLB team was over".

For the next two days, it felt like I was recovering from a hard hit between the legs -- a semi-queazy stomach ache that is dull and hurts every time you move.

As I painfully watched Papelbon lose his first game this season, giving up two doubles with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, I knew that the equally epic comeback by the Rays would be complete. Johnson for the Rays had just tied the Yanks in the bottom of the ninth with a line shot over the right field wall -- in a ballsy move by Ray's Manager Maddon, Johnson was brought in to pinch hit having only a season .108 average and had not been at the plate in over a month. It was a true "Kurt Gibson" moment for baseball.

Three minutes after the rain delayed Sox and O's finished their game, Longoria for the Rays hit a line shot, walk-off homer, over the left field fence in the bottom of the twelfth to beat the Yanks and put the final nail in the Red Sox coffin for 2011.

The first thought that came into mind that dark evening was Red Sox Nation had just experienced the "Billy Buckner ball between his legs" drawn out over the entire month of September.

In the aftermath of this epic collapse, Terry Franconia resigned as Red Sox manager saying he was frustrated that he could not get the team to play as a team and that a different voice is needed in the clubhouse. There are reports that some players not scheduled to play during regular season games would be drinking beers in the clubhouse before the game and the general conditioning of the players was poor in some cases. The injuries that plagued the Red Sox this season are a testament to this observation.

Francona, bringing the Red Sox their first World Series Title in 86 years (2004) with the epic 8 game win streak (last 4 against the Yanks and final 4 against the Cardinals) and then staying undefeated in World Series play with another title in 2007, will go down as the best manager in Red Sox history.  He will be missed by most of Red Sox Nation.

The best quote I heard from a player on Wednesday night was Papelbon stating that "This game will not define my career".

Having a couple of days to let this sink in, I must admit that I take being a "fan" of the Red Sox a bit too seriously at times. It is only a game and, other than riding the ups and downs of the team, we have no effect at all on the success or failures of a team. Like most fans, there is an emotional investment that pays off with the camaraderie of other fans through both the highs and lows of a season.

-- Westford over 30 Men's Softball 2011 Champs - Floral Arts --

On a positive note for ball play this September, my men's over 30 slow pitch softball team won the league championship this year for the first time in league history. I've played on the team for 7 years and the first 4 years we were the worst team in the league. We turned it around and went to the finals against the same team for the last 3 years. This year we finally beat them in a back and forth battle -- taking the final game of a best of 5 series in a 22 to 16 high scoring shootout.

Go Pats!

Change

The last couple weeks have been a bit hectic, but in a good way. I started a new job in a new industry and much of my focus is there. We completed the first phase of a home improvement project laying a new floor in downstairs bathroom and laundry area. The Red Sox went from the basement of the American League East to 2 games in front of the Yanks. They just won their last 9 games sweeping the A's, Yankees and Blue Jays by outscoring them to 83 to 35. And the Bruins are in the Stanley Cup for the first time in 21 years.

-- White Perch on Fresh Pimp --

Needless to say, the time on the water has been few and far between.  We have been hitting the local rivers and ponds with some success. My son and I have been chasing pike and carp on the Concord River, but have not had much luck. Roughfisher's Fresh Pimps didn't get the carp, but did land my first white perch.

Bluegill, Bass and some weekly ramblings...

Native Fallfish on Parachute Adams

I know, this is not a bass or a bluegill. The week started out with high hopes of landing some trout on a local river. The mid-week conditions where good -- normal flows, warming stream temps and a decent mayfly hatch. Nymphs, streamers and dries where all used and the only fish to hand were these native fallfish. These are aggressive little guys that go after your dry with reckless abandon.  Only saw a couple of trout rising and one 14" bow on a spin caster's stringer. Sometimes the trout gods "just say no".

Fat Bluegill on Woven Nymph

 On the other hand, the local ponds are heating up. No shortage of action with just about any fly tied on. This becomes a great way to fish all those flies you have tied and to work on different presentation techniques.  Granted, bluegills are not trout, are not very selective and really don't get spooked, but they do spit a fly so a good cast and tight retrieve can be practiced when fishing for these guys.

Colorful Bluegill on Parachute Adams

Small Bass on Micky Finn

Also had good luck with landing bass on both nymphs and streamers.  Even had a double hook-up with a bluegill on a Klinkhammer and a small bass on a Copper John dropper.


I started tying flies about 3 years ago and one of the first was a Micky Finn.  I rarely fish this, probably because it has never produced for me, but it did come through with this small bass on the first cast.

Ian's Streamer and a Simple Pheasant Tail

Ian's beadhead black and gold streamer (exchanged in a fly swap earlier this year) continues to produce. Ian sent me two of these in the swap and, since one was lost, I tied up a couple more. While at the vise, I also tied a very simple Pheasant Tail by Ben Turpin shown on the Fly & Fin blog. I used orange thread to add in a hotspot.

I posted some more pics on the Gin Clear Facebook page as well. Do me a favor and "Like" this page, if you haven't already. Once I reach 20 "Likes" it becomes official in eyes of Facebook.

Ian's Black & Gold Streamer lands this Bass

I've yet to land a trout in 2011, but am glad there are plenty of options for warm water alternatives in my backyard. Also discovered a native brook trout stream about 5 minutes from my house.  Hooked into a small brookie about a week ago but he was camera shy and got off before a picture could be taken.

And the Red Sox.... Vowed not to post again about them until they reached .500, but here is something to get excited about.  They just took two from the Yankees in the Bronx with Josh Beckett throwing a 6 inning, 4 hit shutout last night and bullpen only giving up three more hits with no runs to close out the game.

19-20, one game shy of .500 -- will this series with the Yanks be the Red Sox turning point this season?

Embarrassing and Pitiful

It's the bottom of the 9th inning and the Red Sox are loosing to the Tampa Bay Rays 16 to 5.

WTF!

Daisuke gave up 6 runs in the 2nd and his first pitch to former Red Sox hero, Johnny Damon was a homer in the 1st.

WTF!

Tampa Bay was 1 and 8. Just one dismal game behind the Red Sox 2 and 7 record coming into this game.

WTF!

The second third highest payroll in MLB (second in the American League) and the Red Sox will be 2 and 8. Looks like Manny's early retirement has no effect at all on the Rays. Tampa Bay did win the AL East last year.

It sucks being a Red Sox fan.  At least the season is still young.

0 and 6

Hope springs eternal.  This is the mantra of a Red Sox fan today.  Second highest payroll in MLB and they couldn't even beat Cleveland, let alone draw anyone in that town to the games.

We all love an underdog, but they really don't have the feel of an underdog. The "faithful" will be happy that hard alcohol will be served at Fenway this year--I'm afraid they will need it.

Dustin Pedroia Postgame Presser