“Lefty” Kreh advocates the wearing of a cap or hat with black under the brim to cut glare and allow better vision for sight fishing.  Having tried an A/B comparison as Lefty suggested in his excellent “Fly Fishing in Salt Water” I agree that a dark color underneath the bill does allow one to see further beneath the surface of the water in bright sunlight.  Unfortunately, not all of my favorite fishing caps come with this feature from the manufacturer.  It’s probably cheaper for them to make the whole thing out of the same cloth.  With some assistance from the Sporting Wife, I’ve turned my beloved Tennessee Titans cap into a much better choice for fishing than it was with off-white cloth under the bill.

In order to complete this project, you’ll need a favorite cap, some paper, a pencil, a marker, scissors, and a sheet of black felt.

First, take some paper and trace the shape of the bill to make a pattern.  You will note those graceful hands in the picture are not mine.  If you can, get your own sporting wife to do this for you pharmacieviagra.com.  If you cannot find a sporting wife, this is not the right website to help with that issue.

Now use the pattern you made to trace a rough outline onto the back of the felt.  We used sticky-backed felt, but you can use plain felt and fabric glue if you like.  Note that I am still doing nothing but taking pictures.  They don’t call me Armchair for nothing.

Cut around the outline.

Peel the adhesive backing if you’re using sticky-backed felt or spray your adhesive if not.

Then just stick the felt onto the underside of the bill.

You may have to do some trimming to get the felt square with the edge of the bill, but don’t worry about getting it perfectly even.  If it cuts the glare coming off the water, that’s all you need.  Lefty talks about using shoe polish in a pinch, but there is another simple method that probably smells better.

I have an el cheapo mesh-backed cap that I like primarily because it weighs nothing.  I didn’t want to add a layer of felt to it, and the adhesive probably wouldn’t stick to the slick material anyway.  I’ve started on it with a marker, and although I’m probably most of the way through the marker already, it’s coming along tolerably well.  I just hope I don’t look like Alice Cooper when the sweat and salt water hits it.  At any rate, it beats shoe polish.

Using a Baitcasting Reel

I am big fan of baitcasting reels, both for the distance and control they allow in casting as well as the raw cranking power they offer when you hang a good fish. Baitcasters can, however, be a little intimidating for those transitioning from spincasting or spinning gear because of the possibility of the dreaded backlash. Backlash occurs when the spool is spinning faster than line is coming off the reel, usually when casting into the wind or when the bait has stopped at the end of a cast. You must manually slow or stop the spool with your thumb to prevent the dreaded “bird’s nest.”

Because using a baitcaster is not a point and shoot proposition, a little practice is in order before heading to the water. “Educate” your thumb by practicing with a weight. Hold the rod at about waist level and press the release with your thumb firmly on the spool. Slowly ease off on the pressure until the weight begins to drop. Practice stopping and starting several times, and then try to let the weight drop almost to the ground before stopping it. This is the same timing you will need to stop a cast before it hits the water (or a tree.) As you get better, you will be able to feather the end of the cast to decelerate the lure just above the water’s surface and produce a nice soft landing. Once you get the knack, you’ll have far more control of the cast than you could ever achieve with spinning or spincasting gear.

For accuracy, there’s no substitute for backyard practice. Try to hit a 5 gallon bucket. Any bucket contact is good at first, but ultimately, you should be able to stop the cast over the mouth of the bucket and drop the weight inside. Scoring a few “buckets” will pay off in more fish on your next trip, and you can always decrease the size of the bucket for more challenge. Be sure to try overhand and sidearm casts, as the different grip angle changes the feel. You are creating muscle memory that will eventually allow you to take all conscious thought out of the cast for a moment of pure fishing Zen.

Storing a Tent

This is the method I’ve always used for storing tents. It is time tested, and it is not found in the literature of any tent manufacturer. I have intentionally excluded any instructions regarding “pitching a tent.” Most of the manufacturers provide adequate instructions for this, and anyone who types those particular terms into an internet search engine is probably looking for something completely different from this site. At any rate . . .

1. Before you use the tent, take a picture of the tent in the factory storage bag. You might be tempted to omit this step. Do not. You will need to refer to this photograph later in the process, and after the tent has been removed from the storage bag, it will be too late.

2. Fold the tent carefully exactly the way it was folded when you removed it from the bag. Try to eliminate any air pockets from the tent. It helps to have a partner to help you with this step. If you have no partner, there are websites for that as well.

3. Try as best you can to stuff the tent, along with any poles and stakes that came with it, back into the bag. This may take several minutes. If you have not worked up a sweat, you are not performing this step correctly. After several attempts, you will either break the zipper on the bag or collapse in a heap on the ground. Do not be alarmed; this is normal. Take a few deep breaths, and consult a physician if you feel any inordinate physical or mental distress.

4. If you have already broken the zipper, skip this step and proceed immediately to Step 5. Remove the tent from the bag and unroll it completely. Repeat Step 3 up to the “collapse in a heap” part.

5. Cuss. Some persons with delicate sensibilities may question the necessity of this step, but in my experience it is invaluable.

6. Refer to the photograph from Step 1 of the tent in the bag as it came from the manufacturer. This is the last time you will ever see the tent and all its components in that bag. If you skipped Step 1, shame on you.

7. Remove the tent poles and stakes from the bag. This will provide more room for the tent, and will make these other items easier to lose before you need to use the tent again. If you do in fact lose these items, when you purchase a replacement tent, they will be in the bag provided by the manufacturer.

Well, there you have it. There are other methods, no doubt, but this has always been how I have stored my various tents, and I hold with tradition where possible.