Posts Tagged ‘The Packer’
Friday, February 26th, 2010
In Nov 1969, I won the lottery! It changed the course of my life. I would have pursued a living in horticulture. The lottery changed all of that. Yes, I won that all expenses paid, thankfully, round trip airline ticket. Which one, you might ask? The one to Vietnam, I would answer. Thirteen months later, I got down from the bus at Fort Puke, Diseaseville, if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute, Louseyana. (Fort Polk, Leesville, Louisiana.) Basic training, interrogation school, a year of Vietnamese language class and it was on that plane to Vietnam. July 1972, touchdown at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Saigon, Vietnam.
In a sense, it was not all new. It was, after all, Asia! Hot! Humid! Dirty! Polluted! Busy! All that was typical with much of my life growing up in the Philippines. On the other hand, the people were smaller and thinner. The noise of war, a bit louder just outside the city limits but also constant in a muted way within the city, made a background soundtrack. Not obtrusive, not overwhelming, but, there. In town, the three wheeled cyclos both motorized and peddle driven vied for space with the taxis, the ugly duckling citroynes, the bicycles, the people, the overloaded motorcycles and push tricycle goods transporters. On top of it all the airhorns of a thousand duce and a half trucks blaring their right of way through the mass. This was offset by the strangeness of this new life. One of the earliest memories I had was my first shower at the Ton San Nhut airport repo depot where we were billeted until we received our assignment. The shower was a big half open building with an open shower bay. As I stood there washing off the grime and sweat of a long trip, I was shocked to see the laundry lady and her teen age daughter walk in, squat down two shower heads away and start to hand wash some clothes. Thankfully, I was highly lathered. I quickly finished my shower and got out of there. This was new and strange.
For what reason, I do not know, I was sitting in an administrative room a day or two later and in walks this tall thin man in civilian clothes. He asked the clerk if he had any 97 Deltas (An intelligence field clerk.) The clerk said, all he had was me. The civilian asked what my field was. “Interrogator, 96C,” I said. ”Can you type?” he asked. “Yes Sir, 65 words per minute.” “That’s close enough for me,” he said.
I worked for this unit for the next nine months. It was great! I shared a hotel room with two guys. Leon C. who worked with me and some other guy I never saw in the nine months we lived together. I guess he had a gal he actually lived with, but, he had to keep the room. I have to say, his part of the room was always neat!
Initially, we all worked in a large part of the ground floor of a hotel near our billet. But, shortly after I got there, we moved our office to General Westmoreland’s old quarters. It was a small house which was nice. We cooked many of our meals there and our small group of five or six men worked long and hard at our assigned duties.
Here are some snapshots of my 9 months there:
The hotel I lived in was just down the street from another hotel the Viet Cong had bombed. They had driven a vehicle packed with explosives up to the door and detonated it destroying the hotel and killing a number of people. Because of that, the front of our hotel was heavily sandbagged. I recall one 90 pound guard who would not let anyone stop including an American CIA operative who showed up on a motorcycle one night. The guard locked and loaded his shotgun, fired into the air and the guy parked down the road and walked back. He was pretty hot, identified himself and was able to move his motorcycle into the protected area. I felt he was pretty arrogant and thought the guard had done a great thing.
The guy who hired me was known for his wild driving. His nick name was Crash K—f. (I will protect the guilty). One day, Gary B. (God rest his soul.) who looked and comported himself somewhite like a French Painter described a harrowing ride with Crash from the office to Tan Son Nhut Airport. They left with about ten minutes to takeoff time. The drive was at least an 18 minute drive for most people. “Gary said, I couldn’t believe it! Sidewalks, ditches, the wrong side of the road, horn blaring all the way. Three chickens, two ducks and maybe a puppy dead. I had my eyes closed when I wasn’t screaming. I almost pooped my pants and am sure I peed them a bit. BUT we made it with two minutes to spare!” I bumped paths with Gary on and off for the next ten to twelve years and recall him fondly.
Bob Hope and the Miss America crew came through along with Ann Margaret as I recall. After about six months of seeing the relatively thin, short Vietnamese women, I walked out of a hotel as the retinue of American Beauties was walking into the hotel. What Giants! I thought. I went to the Bob Hope show, but, it did not do much for me. There was a huge, packed crowd there though and I appreciate his groups willingness to put themselves in harms way to provide a taste of home to us.
There are many more recollections, some vague, some fuzzy, some sharp, some painful and many happy. As time permits, I will try to bring some of them to life for a few moments.
In the meantime, if you are a fisherman, woman or child or know a fisherman, woman or child, you can help support this blog by visiting the www.WhyBuyEmmrod.com, www.MyCompactFishing.comsite (Same site, just different roads.) Check out the Emmrod Packer, The Emmrod Mountaineer, The Emmrod Stream Master Fly Rod and the many other great products there. Thanks for stopping by. Dave Atherton
Tags: 8 coil fishing rod, canoe fishing, compact fishing, compact fishing pole, compact fishing rod, Emmrod, Emmrod Fishing System, Emmrod fishing systems, Fishing fun, Fly fishing pole, fun fishing, kayak fishing, mountainer, The Kayak King, The Packer
Posted in Fishing Equipment, Vietnam | 4 Comments »
Friday, February 19th, 2010
Greetings to all! This blog is going to be about 90 percent plagiarized! The information is just too cool to pass up. I was researching Eloika Lake, a Lake near my home and found a great data sheet on Spokane County, Washington Lakes. I am going to paste it below.
I like Eloika Lake a lot and am working at getting to know it better this year. The ice is mostly off the lake already–at least the south end and the east side of the lake. The west side and North gets a lot of protection from the sun so according to a gentleman I met there this week (Mid February) who had a boat and was out fishing there was still a lot of ice to the west and the north. It is going fast. He had tried many places and had not had a single hit.
The lake itself is still pretty frigid! I know, I slipped and got my feet soaked. I have fished there the past couple weeks for an hour or so as the afternoon slipped away. One tiny nibble. Watching the water, there is very little movement of fish surfacing so I guess they may still just be hanging out in their little fish beds with their little fish blankets pulled up to their chins and their little night caps pulled down over the gills waiting for it to warm up! So, without further silliness on my part, here is the great list I found listing Spokane County, Washington Lakes.
This is a great start document. Reading through it, much of the information appears to be older so I would strongly recommend checking online for current access and conditions. Some of the lakes had no information and I have sought that elsewhere. Where I could find it, that info is in Italics.
Lakes in Spokane County
Amber Lake (117 acres)
Selective gear rules are designed to create a quality fishery at this popular rainbow and cutthroat trout fry-planted lake 11 miles southwest of Cheney. Electric motors are allowed. The trout daily limit from the last Saturday in April through September 30 is two fish over 14 inches. Anglers must release all trout with a missing adipose fin — only unmarked trout may be retained as part of the legal limit. There is an additional catch-and-release only season from October 1 to November 30. Amber has a public access.
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Badger Lake (244 acres)
This lake 12 miles south of Cheney on the Cheney-Plaza Road was rehabilitated in the fall of 1995. It receives rainbow trout fry each spring. Fishing should be excellent this year. A Mayfly hatch later in the season usually provides great dry fly fishing. Badger has a public access. Open season is from the last Saturday in April through September 30. Disabled accessibility � level 1. WCT, Blk Tpa, level.
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Bailey Lake is totally surrounded by a private gated community (private lake) and is a no motor lake. This lake is 11 acres and is stocked with fish for its community members fishing pleasure. The lakes is 5-10′ deep and 15′ at its deepest; its a nice little sailing lake as well. No Motorized boats permitted. As a licensed realtor, I will be happy to help you purchase a property in this subdivision so you can fish here!
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Bear lake (34 acres)
Located in a county park off Highway 2 about half-way between Spokane and Newport, this lake offers largemouth bass, perch, and planted rainbow trout. Bear Lake changes from juveniles-only to family fishing rules on May 1, 2000: Only juveniles or licensed adults accompanied by a juvenile are allowed to fish. Check with the regional office in Spokane for details. Access depends on whether or not the county park is open. Open season is from the last Saturday in April through October.
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Bonnie Lake
This lake is located SE from Cheney about 15 miles on Cheny-Plaza Road, then go south 1 1/2 miles on a private road.Bonnie Lake has Bass, Crappie, Perch,Sunfish and Catfish.
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Chapman Lake (146 acres)
This lake has a late closure so you can take advantage of good action on its large mouth and small mouth bass then. Chapman also provides good catches of rainbow trout and kokanee, with a generous kokanee limit; check the regulations pamphlet for details. Open season runs from the last Saturday in April through October 31.
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Clear Lake (375 acres)
This spring’s plants of yearling rainbow and brown trout, along with fall fry plants of both, should provide good action. This lake has also been selected to receive a bonus plant of large triploid rainbow trout (averaging 1-1/2 pounds apiece). These sterile fish can grow to trophy size if not harvested. A good largemouth bass fishery is available here as well. Located two miles south of the town of Medical Lake, Clear Lake has resorts and a public access on the south end. Low water conditions can make launching trailered boats very difficult. Small car-top boats, rafts and canoes are recommended. Open season is from the last Saturday in April through October 31.
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Cooks Lake Maybe in Pend Orielle County. Could not find any information.
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Downs Lake (225 acres)
With a mild late winter, anglers can count on large mouth bass, perch, and other warm water fish here, along with stocked rainbow and brown trout. Downs warms up earlier than other area lakes because it’s located in the southwest corner of the county (partially in Lincoln County). There is a resort with a small boat launch. Open season runs from the last Saturday in April through September 30.
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Eloika Lake (660 acres)
Perch, large mouth bass and crappie in the spring and fall are the best bets at this year-round fishery, located 7 miles north of Chattaroy off the Newport Highway. A few 4- to 6-pound large mouth bass will be caught, but because it takes 8 to 11 years for them to reach that size, many anglers voluntarily practice catch-and-release. Some brown trout yearling plants are made, and a few eastern brook trout are also available. Eloika has several resorts with launches, and a public access south of Gray’s Landing. Open year-round. Jerry’s Landing and the public landing is nice and new.
July 28, 2010 update. Eloika Lake has been a bit slow but looked like the water was turning. Crappie and bass both doing ok. Check out Jerry’s Landing 41114 North Lake Shore Road Elk, WA 99009-8743 (509) 292-2337 for the current status. They carry all the bait and emergency supplies including fat pills that you might need. Boats, cabins for rent as well. Brought to you by: http://www.mycompactfishing.com/compact-fishing-products.html
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Fish Lake (47 acres)
Rehabilitated in fall of 1998, Fish Lake will be planted with 15,000 catchable-size brook trout, 2,000 brood brook trout, plus fry brook trout in April and May of 1999. The lake will provide excellent fishing. Located 2-1/2 miles northeast of Cheney on the Cheney-Spokane Hwy, access is via county park property. Gasoline-powered boats are not allowed. Open season runs from the last Saturday in April through September 30.
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Hog Canyon Lake (53 acres)
Also known as Hog Lake, the winter-only season here should produce nice catches of rainbow trout to 10 or 11 inches. Rehabilitated in fall of 1998, Hog Canyon was restocked with catchable and fry rainbows during spring of 1999 and 2000. Dam construction has been completed, and this water levels should be at a maximum for the winter 2000 season. To find this lake 10 miles northeast of Sprague, take the Fishtrap Lake exit from I-90. Check the regulations pamphlet for winter season and catch limits.
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Horseshoe Lake (68 acres)
A shallow lake 10 miles west of Nine Mile Falls, Horseshoe gets annual plants of rainbow trout to provide some fair fishing early in the season. Open all year.
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Liberty Lake (711 acres)
Although large mouth bass, perch and other warm water species dominate here, yearling and brood stock rainbow trout and yearling brown trout are planted. This lake has also been selected to receive a bonus plant of large triploid rainbow trout (averaging 1-1/2 pounds apiece). These sterile fish can grow to trophy size if not harvested. Walleyes have been planted and may be of legal size by now. Liberty is just 15 miles east of Spokane at the town of Liberty Lake. Public access is available. Disabled accessibility � level surfaces, can fish from bank at access. Open season runs from the last Saturday in April through September 30.
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Long Lake (5020 acres)
This is actually a reservoir on the Spokane River, created by a hydroelectric dam 23 miles northwest of town. It provides good large mouth bass, perch, crappie, and bullhead fishing, plus an occasional northern pike. Planted catchable-size brown trout are also taken, and small mouth bass have been stocked. Long Lake is open year-round and has several resorts, plus a DNR camp and boat launch off the Nine Mile Falls road.
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Mason Lake is a Lake in the state of Washington (county of Spokane), located at latitude – longitude coordinates (also known as lat-long or GPS coordinates) of N 47.35183 and W -117.76632. Mason Lake is shown in the center of the topographic (topo) map, which is sourced from the United States Geographical Survey map USGS Fishtrap Lake quad. The nearest major town is Edwall, WA. No real information available on conditions.
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Medical Lake (149 acres)
This selective gear rules lake is open during a limited season in compliance with local ordinances of the town of Medical Lake. Brown trout are the target here, with regular plants providing catches in the 15-inch range. Check the pamphlet for any special regulations.
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Newman Lake (1200 acres)
This lake 14 miles east of Spokane on Highway 290 has something for everybody: largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, perch, catfish, plus some rainbow, brown and eastern brook trout. The lake has also been selected to receive a bonus plant of large triploid rainbow trout (averaging 1-1/2 pounds apiece). These sterile fish can grow to trophy size if not harvested. In addition, Newman has been stocked with tiger muskies, with a one-fish, 36-inch minimum size limit; please check your regulations pamphlet for details. There is public access on the east shore, and resorts. Year-round open season. Disabled accessibility � Level 1. 3 WCTs, Blk Tpa, level, good WC accessibility.
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North Silver I believe this is part of the Silver Lake system at Medical Lake. This is a good spiny ray lake. I have heard late summer fish do not taste that great.
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Queen Lucas Lake No significant information available. Small Lake between the rail roads.
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Ring Lake Another small lake south of Medical Lake. No Data on access or fishing available.
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Silver Lake (486 acres)
This lake receives a small plant of catchable-size rainbow trout. Because of a large tench population, fishing is expected to be poor for trout. Silver has several resorts and public access on the north shore. Open year-round.
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Spokane Lake Nice information at this web site: http://www.riversidestatepark.org/lake_spokane.htm.
Aka Long Lake, Lake Spokane.
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West Medical Lake (235 acres)
Rainbow trout fry plants, plus catchable-size plants in the spring will provide good fishing for the April opener. This lake has also been selected to receive a bonus plant of large triploid rainbow trout (averaging 1-1/2 pounds apiece). Winter aeration and lots of moisture have greatly improved the outlook for this popular water located about a mile west of the town of Medical Lake. Minimal irrigation withdrawals are critical to annual fish survival and related recreation. Because of expanding goldfish and pumpkinseed sunfish populations, West Medical is scheduled to be rehabilitated in the fall of 2000. The lake has a resort and west shore public access. Open season runs from the last Saturday in April through September 30. Disabled accessibility � Level 1.DP, 2 WCTs, Blk Tpa, level, Blk Tpa paths to bankside fishing area. Excellent WC fishing site highly recommended for HC/WC persons.
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Williams Lake (319 acres)
Williams Lake was rehabilitated in the fall of 1995. It is planted with rainbow trout fry annually. Good fishing is expected this year. The Mayfly hatch in mid-May is usually the peak fishing time. Located 12 miles southwest of Cheney via Mullinex Road, it has public access on the northwest shore and several resorts. Shallow water some seasons may limit access for larger boats at the public access site. The lake also has two full-service resorts. Open season is from the last Saturday in April through September.
Here is the web site from which I obtained this information: http://www.angelfire.com/wa/nwfishing/
There you go. A lot of great places to take your Emmrod Compact Fishing System and have a great day! Check out the different products available to you at www.WhyBuyEmmrod.com or www.MyCompactFishing.com
Tags: Bass, Brook Trout, compact fishing, Compact fishing equipment, Eloika Lake, Emmrod, Emmrod fishing pole, Emmrod Fishing System, Emmrod fishing systems, Fishing fun, Fishing In Spokane County, Rainbow Trout, Spokane County, Spokane County lakes, Sting Ray Fishing, Sun Fish, Sunfish, The Packer
Posted in Emmrod, Fishing, Fishing Equipment, Spokane County Fishing, Why Buy Emmrod Fishing System? | 28 Comments »
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
The Emmrod Packer is the fishing pole that got Emmrod up and running. A short ten years ago, Duane Markley adapted and upgraded a 1930’s product idea with current technology. He wanted to have a fishing pole that maintained the casting ability and benefits of a six to ten foot pole while picking up the benefits of a much shorter pole. He did it too! Ten years later, the Emmrod Packer is still selling across the country and bringing joy to fishermen and fisher women and fisher boys and fisher girls across the world!
 The Fishing Pole that got Emmrod Started What you see here, is the handle and the rod together. The rod, which is the metal end with the spring coil, fits into the handle with a quick set 1/4 turn, spring load that holds the rod firmly into place, yet lets you switch rods in just seconds.
 Emmrod 8 coil casting Rod. Perfect for pan sized fishing. Ultralight Fishing at its best! There are four basic Rods. 8, 7, 6 and 4 coil. These graduate from pan sized fish, to up to two pound fish, ten pound fish and twenty-five pound fish. If you are fishing for larger fish, you can use the double tip rods shown next.
 2 tip Emmrod Rod. Use for those lunkers up to 50 pounds! Check out the blog about Mel. He uses this tip on the Emmrod Packer along with a huge bait casting reel with a harness to catch large fish off Florida Docks. He recently brought in a 7 1/2 foot shark on they type of rig.
This is a good time to talk about reels. The Emmrod Packer uses two types of reels. The closed Face Spinning reel and the bait caster reel. Any standard reel of these varieties fit.
What sort of fish might one catch? The world is your oyster! Sharks and tarpon seem to fall to Mel’s Emmrod Packer. Bass, sunfish, trout and steelhead all end up in the frying pan.
What makes the Emmrod so great? a man asked me at a recent show. First of all, the compact nature of the rod when you prepare it for travel. It is only 12 inches long. Second, you can cast it as well as any standard fishing pole. You can also “shoot” it, hence its nickname “Dock Shooter.” It is unbreakable. It is flexible in that you use the rod designed for the weight of the fish you are hoping to catch, pan sized to shark sized! Simply put, it meets almost all capabilities of a regular pole and keeps on giving with the characteristics mentioned above. So, if you are looking for a cane pole, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a fishing pole you can cast, carry, troll with and keep in your glove compartment, you are looking at the right place.
Enjoy meandering through www.WhyBuyEmmrod.com where you can buy the Emmrod Packer, the Emmrod Kayak King, The Emmrod Mountaineer and many other fine fishing poles. Check out the WhyBuyEmmrod video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ukf-GcVeKY
Tags: 8 coil fishing rod, compact fishing, dock fishing, Emmrod, Emmrod fishing pole, Emmrod Fishing System, Emmrod fishing systems, Fishing fun, florida fishing, Fly fishing pole, kayak king, mountainer, ocean fishing, Rainbow Trout, red snapper, The Packer
Posted in Emmrod | 19 Comments »
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
I’m not telling you to throw away your other fishing poles but, you just might!
How many kinds of hammers are there? Carpenter, Jeweler, at least 3 kinds of ball pien, rubber, Claw, club, sledge, joiner’s mallet, and so on. Is any one better than the other or more or less of a hammer than the other? No, each is a tool designed for its special functions. We can say the same for pliers, irons, golf clubs, cars, trucks and fishing poles. That leads us to Emmrod!
There are as many fishing poles as you can imagine, in fact there are about half a dozen different basic Emmrod fishing poles! With mixing and matching parts, you can create an even larger pool of choices! So, what makes Emmrod Special?
DURABILITY! This pole just does not break! The Rod part of the pole is Made in USA Stainless Steel. Other parts are made in around the world and assembled in Spokane Washington by a Family owned and operated business. Great care is given to make sure each pole meets the highest standards. The company has been in business building these poles almost a decade and has actively listened to their customers and made changes to continually improve the Emmrod Fishing System. We back up Emmrod with a great guarantee!
COMPACTABILITY! One of the biggest problems with fishing is the hassle of getting from your house to your boat or river bank to fish. With each additional person that problem increases. How many times have you broken your rod slamming it in the door, driving over it, or stepping on it? How many times has your wife had an additional ear piercing from your favorite hook on a pole squeezed between you as you drive? With Emmrod, you can literally put an entire family’s fishing gear in a small backpack! No hassle in dis-assembly or reassembly. Ladies, if your husband does not support you in your fishing hobby, keep in mind, the Packer easily fits in a midsized purse. You can tell him “Honey, I am off to the mall” and he will never know you went fishing!
PACKABILITY! We talk about less clutter and space. That is so important for the hunter, backpacker, Extreme Fisher, survivalist or airplane pilot or crew member who wants a surival pack or anyone who wants to be able to have a lot of capability but does not have room or weight allowances to permit taking a lot of equipment. The Packer breaks down to about 12 inches of space and just a few ounces of weight! Other models breakdown into different sizes but all are very compact.
ADAPTABILITY! How many times have you cursed the fact you have to drag three or four different poles to your favorite fishing area to accommodate the different types of fishing you are going to do? With Emmrod, you may still want to take some different poles, fly fishing pole, bait casting reel pole and spinning pole for example, but, they all fit into a much smaller bag and you can buy several different rod tips to vary your fishing pleasure.
CASTABILITY! The Packer is a 2 foot pole with the action of a 6 to ten foot rod. The spring assist in the stainless steel rod and the minimal number of eyes, usually just one, so reduces friction on the line that you can match or exceed the casting capability of much longer rods. You can cast over head or from the side and in places where there just is no room to handle a long pole.
SHOOTABILITY! What? We are not hunting! True! But, when we fish, often we find ourselves in a place where standard casting is just not going to work. Even underhand casting may be difficult. In these cases, you can grab the end of your pole, bend it back, aim and let her fly. This will work easily up to and sometimes farther than 50-60 feet! Obviously, how heavy the weight is and how much you practice are factors.
HOOKABILITY! I know, just like most of my “Bility” words, this is not a word either, but you understood it! In virtually any use, the spring in the rod helps set the hook, but, in trolling, ice fishing or any use where the pole is not held in your hand, we see this magnified. The fish bites and pulls the rod, the spring pulls back and Mr. Fin is on the line!
DECLUTTERABILITY! I mentioned this in the compatibility paragraph, but, just think how much happier the non-fishing spouse is going to be when all of the gear shrinks down to a drawer or bucket or two instead of taking up the entire garage ceiling or wall space. Be it the garage, the car or the boat, being able to pack a family’s worth of fishing gear in a small spaceis going to make everyone happier. No tripping, no breaking, no huge packinging or unpacking hassles. Less time getting ready, more time fishing!
FUNABILITY! Everything about the Emmrod is designed to give you more time fishing and better luck fishing. The less time in take down or set up or packing, the more time fishing. The more accurately you place your bait, the more you catch. The more durable your fishing system, the less you spend. Add it all together, more time fishing at less expensereally equals a lot more fun. After-all, fun is what fishing is all about!
My Web Sites: www.MYCOMPACTFISHING.COM www.Emmrodfun.com www.Emmrodfunstore.com www.EmmrodIdaho.comet.al.
Tags: 8 coil fishing rod, backpack fishing, compact fishing, Emmrod, Emmrod fishing pole, Emmrod Fishing System, Fishing fun, florida fishing, Fly fishing pole, kayak king, mountainer, ocean fishing, Pacific Ocean Fishing, Panama Fishing, Philippines. Emmrod, small fishing poles, survival fishing, The Packer
Posted in Emmrod, Fishing Equipment, Uncategorized, Why Buy Emmrod Fishing System? | 46 Comments »
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