The gulls in San Francisco

Big. Loud. Fearless.

As you can see, I'm not in Minnesota anymore

But that doesn't mean the Man of Constant Leisure can't find his way to the water.

Yesterday, I spent four hours at the San Francisco Municipal Pier, where I demonstrated my rank incompetence as a saltwater fisherman.

It was beautiful, though--pelicans and cormorants everywhere, spectacular vistas of Golden Gate and Alcatraz. I saw a seal as it devoured a stingray. My type of spectacle.

The guy in the picture--Ny--gave me some useful tips on local angling and crabbing techniques. He caught this red crab in a trap baited with part of a chicken carcass.

A heavy fog

Cass Lake was shrouded in fog all day long on September 18. That didn't keep Keg from making his rounds in the Sailstar's work pontoon.

Perch

I spent the better part of the other day at Cass Lake stalking muskies. Eventually, I gave up and contented myself by pursuing more willing quarry.

The kitties have been cooperating

Look at this one, for instance. Swam right into the shallows at the River Ranch.

Of course, he did have a circle hook with sucker minnow stuck in the side of his mouth.

A cat in the hand

is worth two in the river.

Or something like that.

How do you do?

I introduce Keith and Melissa to a modest sized channel cat that was feeding in the waters just off the River Ranch. As you might guess from Keith's expression, the fish was squawking.

Thalo and the Patrick Ganaway

Since the 35 W bridge collapse, our stretch of the river has been quiet. In the last week, though, the Army Corps of Engineers opened up the locks at St. Anthony to commercial traffic. Here, Thalo takes in the familiar sight of the sand and gravel barge workhouse, the Patrick Ganaway.

Meanwhile, down at the Helmer Monson 3rd Place West Suburban Steak Fry Bar

Brittany F., a fellow tenant at the River Ranch, examines a four pound channel cat that made the mistake of trying to eat a small sucker minnow attached to a circle hook.

The fish embarked on a whirlwind tour of the warehouse, with appearances at the studios of Spot Art, Thalo and Randall C. Page, before returning to the murky waters of the Mississippi.

Everyone agreed it was a handsome fish.

September kitty

I caught her about 20 minutes ago, on a small sucker minnow while fishing from the beach at the River Ranch.

Yeah, that felt good.

While I failed to catch a muskie at Cass Lake

I did manage to take a close up photograph of this fine looking creature at the Horgan dock. After posing for a few shots, the frog--toad?--climbed down the pipe.

Don't you think his markings resemble the desert camo pattern that the U.S. Army uses in our mideast adventures?

Comes a time

in every person's life--but especially in the life of an unemployed angler--where you come to an important realization: you just don't know what the fuck you're doing.

This particular lesson was imparted on me, yet again, as I spent the better part of last week trying to catch a muskie on Cass Lake.

I snared a couple of snaky northerns--photo evidence T.K.--but didn't raise or spot my intended quarry.

Eventually, my efforts became lackluster and I just goofed around taking pictures. I shot these colorful plants on the hill by the Sailstar Marina
as I was walking to the city of Cass Lake to buy a newspaper.

A matter of perspective: Demko and the little big fish

What to do when you can't catch a decent sized fish to photograph?

As Demko demonstrates here, the solution is simple: get the subject as close to the camera as possible.

Why is the Man of Constant Leisure lonely?

Because the bride of the Man of Constant Leisure has fled the 612.

This variety of loneliness sucks.

There's only one choice for the Man of Constant Leisure to do: get off his arse, say goodbye to Minnesota, and follow the wife across the continent.

What will this mean for readers of Gone Fishing?

Mainly, that come late October, the hot fishing reports won't come from the Mississippi River and various points north. They'll come from the San Francisco Municipal Pier.