Dad's Marlin

In 1976 my father replaced his .22 bolt action with a Glenfield (Marlin) Model 60. The rifle came from K-Mart and was less than $40. It probably didn't have 200 rounds fired through it, when I got it and immediately put it into a closet in about 1980. About 1996, I took it out to show my son how to clean it. Disassembly went too far and I ended up with a tub of parts I couldn't reassemble. My son had a buddy who knew about guns and had it reassembled. He said that it was missing pieces and probably wouldn't eject. It wasn't missing any parts (this one didn't have the bolt release lever) but some springs were bent somewhere somehow. When I got into my gun-nut phase, I took it out. My son was correct and it didn't eject. So, apart it came again. This time, I found parts lists and shcematics. I ordered replacement springs and while waiting turned the computer desk into a workbench and figured out how to put it back together. It fired without any serious problems. When the new springs came, it came apart and went back together. Once back together and with a $16 scope added, it took it to the range. The thing shot like a dream. I can see why Marlin managed to sell 11 million of the things. Fun toy. More accurate than the shooter.

It's always the toys

After getting embarrassed by lousy shooting with the kids, I decided to relearn how to shoot. At a gun show in March, I picked up a $180 Smith & Wesson 22A and started blasting away at targets with 22lr. The 22A did a fine job, but my eyes (and lousy technique) made it hard to focus on the front sight. I added a cheap BSA red-dot scope. Between practice with open sights and the red dot, I was getting much better. The 22A is a fine plinker and does ok for target shooting, as long as it is not competitive.

At Black Creek Shooting Club, I tried a Ruger Government Target Model and just had to have one. Within a couple of days, I had a Ruger Mark III Hunter. I'm learning to shoot the Ruger. However, the 22A does about as well as the Ruger at 15 yards.

The one with the most toys

Wins?

My rod collection has grown over the past decade. I started out with a few spinning rods, K-mart variety. When I lost my favorite, I started buying rods to match it. Ended up with 4 spinners (two are gathering dust). A med-light Fenwick with a Abu Garcia cardinal reel became my favorite. I do use a St. Croix medium with a Spirex 4000, which works well most of the time.

In 1999 or so, I decided to try casting rods and reels. Bought a cheap Jimmy Huston/Shamino Crestfire and hated it. Bought a $200+ Shimano rod and real and, after a while didn't like it. The Curado has a magnetic reel brake that never sets right. The rod is a medium and works well only with weights. I've finally learned to use it and get buy passibly. Last summer I broke the tip of the Shimano and bought a med-light rod to replace it. Added a $30 Shakespear reel and it works like a charm. This spring I added a Grand med light rod with a Quantum reel, it throws with like the med-light spinner.

The tackle box has grown in weight. The fish catch hasn't grown with the gear weight. Guess they caught the what they intended to catch.

One Good Day

Fishing has been slow this year. For some reason, the fish haven't liked anything I've used, the weather has cooperated and I've had more things to do than fish. This morning I dithered for an hour about going to Chickahominy Lake and gave in to my baser instincts. The weather was calm, cloudy with intermittant rain. I putted up-lake (river) and threw a 6" shad worm (black and silver), black Senko, white spinner and several other lures. I started just after the first no-wake zone fishing the banks. Nothing happened on wither the senko or the shad worm. After about an hour, I moved upstream past the second no-wake zone. Found one ~2 lb bass around stumps and had a couple of bites. Moved upstream more and found another 11/2 to 2-lb bass, again around stumps and an channel outlet. Did manage to bring a snapping turtle (12-14" diameter) to the boat on a black w/blue flake senko. Hit one little pocket by a dock floating a black senko that resulted in several bites and two small bass. Coming back down, just on a whim, I through into some lilly pads, there was a small swirl at the senko and then I had the fun of pulling in a 5-lb bass. (at least the scale said 5 pounds). Discovered that the switch to the live well failed, so I couldn't take it back for a real weight.

What worked: Bites on silver shad worm w/weight, black senko w/o weight. Some bights on worms, lizards with weights, but on fish.

What didn't work: white spinner with copper blades, horny toad, going back into the channels.