Just a little setback.

I can hear my name being called over the intercom system in Tampa airport right now.

"Final call for Mr. Asher, Mr.Asher please report to check in immediately."

Sorry Tampa. I am still in Denver. Not going to make the flight.

I just wanted to catch you up on what has been happening with Operation Fla. Keys. We have been a little delayed in getting the show on the road. I took my truck in for a check up and an alignment a few days before I was scheduled to leave. I new the truck was old and could use some love but I was not prepared for the news I got from TWO separate garages.I will spare you the details but it was pretty much thousands of dollars needed to get the old truck up to speed again. I decided to invest my time and money into a new truck. The last week and a half have been full days of driving all over Denver looking/driving/and researching used trucks.

Just when I thought I had found the truck for me I came across a late night listing on C-list. I called first thing in the morning and put down a deposit that afternoon. I am the proud new owner of a Toyota Tundra. Very pleased so far and am looking forward to pulling a flats boat with it later this month.

I am picking it up today and with a little luck can pack tonight and be on the road in the a.m..

I AM BACK!!!

O.K. it has been awhile since any activity on this little experiment of mine. I apologize to the handful of visitors. Thanks for stopping by I do appreciate the interest. So just a quick recap of the previous months. Spent 6 months working down south again in Antarctica. Great season. Lots of very interesting projects to work on. Finally finished a project that has taken 3 years to pull off. Nice to put that one to bed. My girlfriend and I just made it back to the states a couple of days ago. We spent 4 weeks cycling around Tasmania. The trip was a great experience. We definetly had some hard days along the way. I did not really do any sort of "training" for the trip and would have to suggest to anyone considering a bike trip,you get yourself on some sort of workout routine prior to day one. Like I said we had some hard days and I cant help but think that if I were in better cycling shape those days would have been easier. In my defense it is very hard to get into cycling shape while in Antarctica. In the end though I felt stronger and had even broken in my new saddle.Well broke in my back side along with the saddle is probably a better explanation of what happened. Now to the fishing that is coming my way. For months I have been looking at flats boats and places to rent in Key West. For so long it all seemed so far away that it did not even seem real. Well now I am about 4 days from leaving Colorado headed for Florida. I am going to make a go of it down there for a few months this year.My goal is to find the right boat and then fish every day until I leave in July. I can not get my fingers to describe how excited I am. I will keep you posted on the adventure as things develop. Currently I am packing,getting the truck sorted out,and planning my route. Pretty much go east and take a right somewhere around St Louis. I am meeting a friend in a couple of weeks who will be joining me on the first part of the trip.I am looking forward to hanging out with him as well as having him around when looking at boats. I hope that once I find the boat we will be able to get it in the water before he has to head home. Adios.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I hope that all of you are enjoying 2011 so far. I am sure that all are busy at the bench cranking out new patterns and stockpiling old proven patterns for the coming months. The time that we all yearn for is creeping towards us.
As I right this I am at the South Pole. Pretty much as far from any sort of fishable H2O as one could be. I have a little over a month left in Antarctica until I leave. I will not be fishing until April? and that will be in the Keys. Oh the Keys!!! I cant wait.
I am currently in the process of deciding if I should buy a boat and head to the Keys for a couple of months this year. I am at a spot in my life where chasing this dream is an actual possiblity. I still have heaps of logistics to work out prior to driving south. I will admit that this endeavor seems a bit daunting and at some moments a bit too big. With no struggle there is no progress. I think that is a Frederick Douglas quote.
So for now I ponder and try to keep my hands warm. If any of you have any input about the idea of taking a chance with a flats boat I would love to hear it.
Tightlines (hopefully soon) and Happy New Year.
Adios.

The jobsite.

A far cry from a day on the H2O. I dont have anything fishy to talk about these days. Not a bad day. Actually a pretty good day to be on a tower. A little sunlight,not too much wind and no major damage over the winter to the tower and antennas. Things here are going fine. Been working in the shop welding up some antenna mounts this week. Nice to have something to do that is out of the wind.

I am regretting not bringing a rod with me this year. Not to fish with. To simply cast would be nice. Only a few months more down here until I can get back on the H2O.

Nothing but frozen H2O around here.

Well we made it back to the bottom of the world. I wish that I could tell you I was able to fish while I was in transit to Antarctica. Not the case. Late winter early spring in the land of the Kiwi. I am back at work as of two days ago. My time off the ice went quickly once I left the Bahamas and the Keys. I fished a few days out west before heading back to help out with some family issues. All is good on that front now. Felt fortunate to be able to help out and spend some time with the family.

Now back to work. Going to spend the next 6 months hanging from towers cussing the cold and wondering how I ended up down here. Not sure when I will get in the warm salt H2O again. I will devise a plan in the coming months. Ah the coming months. Sweet relief aint so close right now. I will no doubt end up on a tower thinking back to my time in shorts on a flat looking for bones. I will use the memories in an attempt to warm up my numb fingers and stave off the impulse to quit my job and go somewhere warm.

Make a cast for me.

Cheers.

Look into the eye!!!

Nice to meet you!!!

Not the biggest fish of all time but still spectacular. The last day in the Keys we went out for a few hours. Took a guy out for his first time and this is how he did. Not too bad at all. Got pretty lucky in my opinion. Late in the day and not the best conditions. 3 to 4 foot seas and not all that many fish rolling on the surface. They are such cool fish arent they? After you have watched a fish like this try to get back to his normal life with all of his might you are become overjoyed when you get him to the boat and then even more overjoyed when you watch him swim away.

I have more pics that I will post later. Now it is time for dinner.

Cheers.