Boat show will be way to beat cabin fever
Phil Taunton
Friday, January 30, 2009
Saturday marks the end of the fall turkey and upland game bird season. Just where did it get away from me?
It seems like only yesterday I was buying ammunition, sharpening my wing shooting skills, cleaning my gun, conditioning the dogs and breaking in a new pair of hunting boots.
What’s a person to do until ice on the lakes melt and it warms up enough to wet a line or get out and work in the yard? Each morning, often before the sun comes up, I turn on the coffee pot and commence frying bacon. I need to do what I can to help maintain family unity around here and to get a healthy, hearty breakfast to boot.
I then go to the computer and read the morning newspaper which was once delivered to my door, but not anymore. Wifeus and I used to share the morning news at the breakfast table. At the computer, I make a copy of the crossword puzzle for Wifeus to ponder and keep her mind active. I’m also sure to print out any story for her that makes mention of golf or her beloved Kansas Jayhawks — stories both good and bad! The things I do for her.
Hopefully, one of these days I will learn to load the dishwasher and run the vacuum— simple tasks that have eluded me through the years for one reason or another.
We both like to watch our feathered friends come to the many bird feeders spread around the yard. One thing I saw just the other day, when I went to get another cup of coffee and check the status of the bacon before I smelled smoke, was a sharp-shinned hawk sitting motionless almost at arm’s length in the Snow Cloud crabapple tree outside our kitchen window. The Sharpie was biding its time and patiently waiting for an unwary songbird to come for a morning tidbit of seed at the nearby birdfeeders. Putting your old Christmas tree near your bird feeders or having them close to escape routes will foil his plans.
Like the hawk, late winter has me biding my time and waiting for the chance to get outside. Such nourishment for the soul will be welcomed once the opportunity presents itself, whether it is fishing or accompanying Wifeus to the dreaded golf course. The things we do.
Boat show
If cabin fever has you down and you want to get away, you don’t need to go very far. Make plans to attend the Topeka Boat & Outdoor Show coming to the Kansas Expocentre in Topeka on Feb. 6 through 8. This year’s show will have more than 250 booths and exhibits pertaining to all the needs of any outdoor enthusiast.
There’s something for the entire family at the Topeka Boat and Outdoor Show. There will be a Kickback Jr. Kids Casting event running all weekend in the entryway of the Expocentre. Fishing seminars will be held all three days and will start at 4 p.m. Friday when Chatt Martin of Ozawakie Boat Co. presents monster crappie techniques followed by Roy Roper covering bass fishing tactics.
Saturday’s seminars starting at noon include Free State Fly Fishers’ Introduction to Fly Fishing; J.R. Oldham of Anglers Midwest Guides and Gear presenting Tips Tricks Tactics for a multi-species fishing trip; Clyde “The Guide” Holscher of Guide Lines Guide Service talking about Deadly Details for catching fish and Chad Richardson, Beacon Marine, will give a presentation you just don’t want to miss called Midwest Walleye Tactics.
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks will have the laser shot on hand and a new training system — new to me anyway — called a Jet Ski Simulator aimed at teaching how to use personal watercraft on public waters in a safe, courteous and responsible manner. They will also have on display their amazing mobile aquarium that’s 40 feet long and holds more than 3,200 gallons of water. Typically, all sportfish native to Kansas will be included in this display.
For you racing fans, Heartland Park Topeka will have a large display including a top-fuel dragster, an SCCA race car, a top-fuel funny car, a drag bike and a modified dirt track car.
Great prizes will also be given away, including $1,695 worth of Kitchen Craft cookware.
Want to learn more from the pros about fishing? Be sure and stop for a chat with Holscher, a former Emporian. Jon Backencamp related a story to me about fishing with Holscher on Coffey County Lake last May and what a memorable trip he, his father, James, and young son Nicholas had:
“The day was totally awesome. We fished on a weekday and literally had the entire lake to ourselves. Clyde chose to take us to Coffey County Lake because the size, variety of fish and the quality of fishing is better than any lake around.
“The thing I remember most is how easy and enjoyable he made the day for the three of us, including my 7-year-old son. Nick was able to learn a ton about fishing and just talks all the time about this trip and about the special friend he found in Clyde ‘The Guide’ Holscher.”
If you can’t make the boat show, you can check Holscher out at www.clydetheguide.com
For more information concerning this year’s Topeka Boat and Outdoor Show, call 1-800-756-4788 or go to www.TopekaBoat.com.