Saturday, December 31, 2011

Last run

Today I ran 16.6 km, totaling 202.2 km during this month. I've kept running 200 km or more per month since October (three months in a row), and I'd like to keep this pace for a while more. Since I was not satisfied with my latest race, I decided to run another race (full marathon) in February. It will be my first race in 2012, and I'm looking forward to it.

Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Last fishing 2011

We (I mean we as some fishing friends and I) make it a rule to charter a fishing boat on 29 Dec to enjoy the last fishing for the year. We look forward the fishing trip every year, but it is in mid winter, so the weather doesn't permit every year. This year, we're very lucky to go out to be on the sea, though it was very windy and the wave was large. Fish (about 2lb yellowtail) were very active to chase our lures (3-6 oz metal jig), and we could catch as many as we could fill up our ice box. I caught more than 30 of them in the forenoon. Unfortunately, we could not catch a special large one, but we could enjoy a lot. After I went back, I started to clean the fish I caught, but I gave it up on the way...too many to finish. I have to get up early tomorrow and do it again.



Friday, December 23, 2011

Finished a full marathon, but...

I'm believing that the aim of long distance running is almost over when you stand at a start line of a race, because you must have kept doing everything what you can for months, or for years, in order to run the race. I finished a full marathon today, and my time was 3:46:04. The time was not too bad, but I totally could not race well. I did finish the race, but could not run all through it. After 35km, both of my legs sometimes cramped up, so I had to walk very often (even as I NEVER wanted to walk). I tried to stretch the muscles with my hands, but they did not say yes to me. Many runners passed me away, and I was just like a drowned mouse.
I can call many reasons for my failure to mind. I caught a cold just before the race, after the half-marathon I ran early this month. The air temperature was very low during the race, and I could not fully address it. The road surface was unexpectedly hard and deteriorated (the race was held along a big river and the road looked as paved long before). My pace was too fast during the first half. And more and more. Anyway, the most crucial thing is that I could know my exercise was not enough to finish sub-3.5 hours (I secretly tried to finish within 3:30:00). I'd like to get revenge someday, as soon as maybe.


Sunday, December 11, 2011

Finished a half marathon

I ran a local half marathon today. My goal is a full marathon held soon, so I just ran this race to condition myself. I tried to keep pace running until 18 km from the start, and then built up the speed and pressed on toward the finish line. My time was, 4'45"/km (0-5 km), 4'38"/km (5-10 km), 4'39"/km (10-15 km), 4'24"/km (15-20 km) and 4'03" (20- km), totaling 1:36:35 (net, my personal best). In the last 2-3 km, I still had some energy to go the distance, and I passed many runners (I was passed by only two, who both were women 10 km runners belonging to a different category from mine). In almost all the races I have so far run, I slowed down after hitting the three-quarters point, and I felt very sorry to hear 'Hang in there!' from the audience before the finish line. But not so this time. It was an exhilarating race for me.


I used Simms Windstopper Half-finger gloves today, and I find they're super good for not only fishing but also running during cold season.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Size doesn't matter

We still have warmer fall, and I've been busy both running and fishing during weekends. Yesterday, a school concert was held in our daughters' school, and I ran 18.5 km before I attended it. 
Today, I got up at 04:00 AM, left my house at 05:00 and start fishing at 06:00 in my float tube. As I mentioned before, I wanted to try Smithwick lures such as Wood Chug, King Snipe, and Devil's Horse for starters. When I reached a tip of a small cape, I cast my Wood Chug into a small spot between bushes. I gave a small action on it, and then the water surface broke up with splash. I caught a breath and then set a hook! This bass was not so big, but, as most topwater fishing freaks know, catching bass in this time of the year is a lot of fun. Yes, size doesn't matter. I took some pictures and thankfully released it. 


After I caught the fish, I could not get a hit for a while, and changed lures to Heddon ones. I could catch another bass with a Zara Spook in XRS color. 


I was also impressed with the actions of King Snipe (a fat double-prop bait), which are totally different from those of other lures. The props are very light and rotate smoothly, and their sounds are great, even though I could catch no fish with this bait.

  

The water surface was calm, mirroring the clouds in the sky.
After I got home, I changed into running clothes and ran 22 km on sloping roads around my place. I had worked my legs hard during my fishing in the float tube before I knew it, so I felt exhausted, almost knocked out in the last 2 km, maybe because of my lack of stamina.
BF=20/27
Today's tackle:
ABU Record 5000 (BLK), Phillipson Challenger (9055 rebuilt), Stren 14lb (clear blue), Smithwick Wood Chug, King Snipe, Devil's Horse, Heddon Chugger Spook, Wounded Spook, Zara Spook, Lucky 13, Zara II, etc.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Smashed my own record

When I can spare time, I make it a rule to run routine 7 km during lunchtime around my place of work. Today, I could break my own record for the first time in two years. I'm feeling very happy to renew myself, being in my mid-forties. I've applied to two races, one half marathon and one full marathon, held in Dec 2011, and I'm feeling I'm getting in good shape so far. 
In most years, I close my bass fishing season not later than late Oct, but it is still warm this year. I have to be very busy for both fishing and running during weekends. I've recently got more and more interested in these keen-eyed wood lures, and I'd like to go out with these next time, if it is still warm in this coming weekend.


Saturday, November 5, 2011

The end of the season?

It has been very warm this past weekdays. My bass fishing season is about to be over, but I tried again today. I went to a pond in a woodland area, where I had to walk almost 1 km after I parked my car to get. It was a big job to carry all my heavy tackle including float tube and fins to go there, and I got sweaty inside my waders. I started fishing at 06:00, just before the dawning time. When I lightly cast my nose-line-tie Zara Spook for starters and it reached the water, I lost visual contact with it. Then, I just -- set a hook, and the line became tight. I find a nice fat bass swim on the other end of my line, and enjoyed the good fight. I did not expect to catch a bass by the first cast, but of course I felt very happy with it.


In the next point, another bass chased my lure and dived into water biting it. It was also a very active bass (a little smaller than the first one) and I was satisfied with catching two bass in this time of the year using topwater lures.


The leaves were still greenish around this pond. I may be able to go bass fishing a couple of more times this year, as we now have warmer fall days this year than usual. Thinking of last year, the last fish I caught was with a nose-line-tie Heddon Zara Spook, which suggests...?

 

BF=19/26
Today's tackle:
ABU Record 5000 (BLK), Phillipson Challenger (9055 rebuilt), Stren 14lb (clear), 1st Zara Spook, Chugger Spook, Lucky 13, Zara II, Wounded Spook, Meadow Mouse, etc.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Active but small bass

It is a holiday and I went fishing for a couple of hours early in the morning. I caught five bass, but all were very small, just as large as my lure.

 
 
BF=18/25
Today's tackle:
ABU Record 5000 (BLK), Phillipson Challenger (9055 rebuilt), Stren 14lb (clear), Chugger Spook, Zara Spook, Wounded Spook, Meadow Mouse, etc.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Achieving my goal of this week

I finished running 75 km this week, totaling more than 200 km during this month. Good long distance. 

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Work out

It's getting cooler and cooler, and now is a good season for workout. Last week I ran a total of 60 km, and I'd like to run 70 km or longer this week. Speaking of running, I have recently started to read a book (essay) written by Haruki Murakami, titled as 'What I talk about when I talk about running'. I seldom read his novels, but did know he keeps running for years. What I'm reading now is written in Japanese, and it is so interesting that I would like to read an English edition as well next time (I've just ordered from Amazon). He ticks off what I'm feeling when I'm running. Just accurately...


Thursday, October 20, 2011

Slow fishing

Too slow! It was lucky for me to catch some (three) fish, but all were very small.


BF=17/24
Today's tackle:
ABU Record 5000 (BLK), Phillipson Challenger (9055 rebuilt), Stren 14lb (clear), Chugger Spook, Zara Spook, Smithwick Devil's Horse, etc.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Yellowtail fishing

Today, I went yellowtail fishing in the Seto Inland Sea for the first time this fishing season. It was so windy that we felt difficulties to let jigs fall down to the sea bottom. Even in 30-40 m depth area, we had to use 150-180 g (5-6 oz) jigs to touch the bottom. A huge fish bit my jig early in the morning (though I didn't notice it at first), and I could almost catch it, but it had gone to deep sea by bending my Gamakatsu hook at odd angle (nearly straight). My fight was a little too strong, after I reeled the leader line into the spool. I could kick myself for making a heedless mistake!



A couple of minutes later, my friend caught another big fish, 1 m long, maybe 11-12kg or heavier, yellowtail. Too huge fish! It was one of the biggest live yellowtail I've ever seen. As for my result, only fish I caught was a Japanese Spanish mackerel (65.5cm in fork length, just above the big one in the picture).

Friday, October 14, 2011

Toby or

not Toby: that is the question.

ABU Toby is one of my favorite spoons. I've just made a list of my stock and counted how many I have. Now, I find I have almost one hundred. Some are new on old ABU board, and some are in fishing condition. I'm feeling it is too bad that the smallest one (4g) is already discontinued, though more than half of my stock are in that size.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Sea bream fishing

Sea bream fishing has been kind of difficult for me, but today, how lucky I was, I could catch 5 of them. It was just too good for me. I also caught a horse mackerel and some other breams. While we're fishing, the captain of the fishing boat caught many swordtip squid (Loligo edulis) using artificial jigs, and he gave them to us. The species is very delicious and one of my favorite squid to eat.


Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Go east, get wet


I went east, and got almost wet to the skin in the rain. As always, I expected a bonanza, but the weather did not take my part. I caught a nice bass with a Zara Spook (VRB) early in the morning, and another small one with a Timber Rattler (NBL), but could not catch any more. I hope to go out for bass fishing several more times before this season is over.

This old Original Zara Spook (VRB) is in a swayback shape, and always works very fine. I picked it up from my old tackle box to cast for the first time in these years. I have five or six of them in the same color, but this well-used one is my favorite.

Vegetation community was still very good in the water, and I could imagine many fish among it when I closed my eyes......Hopefully.
  
 
Today's tackle:
ABU Ambassadeur black 5500C(1981) & Fenwick Boron-X 953 (rebuilt), Stren 14lb., Zara Spook, Timber Rattler Minnow (w/ a tail prop), Chugger Spook, Wounded Spook, Gilmore Jumper, etc..
BF=16/23

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Two too-small bass


They were very active and lusty, but TOO SMALL.





Today's tackle:
ABU Ambassadeur black 5500C(1981) & Fenwick 2053, Stren 14lb., Chugger Spook, Wounded Spook, Dalton Twist, etc..
BF=15/22

Friday, September 30, 2011

Dynamic Views

If you would like to see Blogger's weblogs in a Dynamic View, here's an example.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Drop Flex

I could finally collect these ABU spinners. I was thinking the name of these lures was 'Droppen', but after I checked my old ABU (EBISU) catalog, I found the correct name 'Drop Flex'. I've wised up a little about ABU lures!


Saturday, September 24, 2011

Got skunked in a muddy pond

I started fishing before it was light, and I could see countless numbers of stars in the sky. Because of radiative cooling, it was the coolest morning in this fall season, and I put on a light fleece jacket. Anyway, it was a mistake to start early. When I knew it, I was in very muddy water, maybe because of the typhoon last week. I cast and cast to good spots, but got skunked.


Today's tackle:
ABU Ambassadeur black 5500C(1982) & Fenwick HFC-555, Ambassadeur 5500ST & Fenwick HFC-555, Stren 12lb., Heddon 210, Chugger Spook, Wounded Spook, Dalton Twist, Meadow Mouse, Mepps Aglia #5, etc. 
 I used Fenwick 5-power rods for the first time in these years, and rediscovered they're not bad when I take only one rod with me.
BF=14/21

Friday, September 23, 2011

Fur (flocked mouse) lures

I like fur finished mouse lures very much and collect Heddon Meadow Mouse and similar lures. I recently know that a German fishing tackle company, D.A.M., also made mouse lures long before, and at last I got one in my collection. It's a very cute lure and I'm very happy with it.




Sunday, September 18, 2011

Dog Walk







Saturday, September 17, 2011

Heavy rain

Now, two typhoons are approaching here and an autumn rain front is staying over the Japanese archipelago. I never forgot to put my gore-tex rain jacket and waders in the car, and went fishing from early in the morning. As forecast, it rained, sometimes very heavily, but fish were not as active as I expected. I caught only one small bass (about 25-30cm) with a Heddon Zara Spook (CHT). I was believing that small bass would never hit this lure because of its size, and when the water surface was exploded, I hoped a big one. However, the bass was small enough to be easily retrieved to me. I released it without taking a picture, because I felt it was a pain to take my camera from the bag. 


Today's tackle:
ABU Ambassadeur black 5500C (1981), Fenwick Boron-X 953 (rebuilt), Daiwa line, Zara Spook, Chugger Spook, Wounded Spook, Dalton Twist, etc.
BF=14/20