The recent, miserable, incessant winds have put a serious damper on my fish outings and as a result, I've had more time to do some day dreaming and idle thinking. Here are some of those rambling thoughts;
• Wouldn't it be nice if NDOW could raise the cost of their fishing licenses, a little bit each year, like California does? You don't hardly notice the annual increase with California, but when Nevada finally raises its license cost after a period of many years, everyone loudly screams to high heaven.
• Why do some fly fishermen call bait fishermen "Slobs" and some bait fishermen call fly fishermen "Snobs?" Geez, lighten up folks, we are all "Anglers." I don't like Brussel Sprouts, but you don't see me making snide remarks about those who eat them.
• Why do some folks follow the planter truck and then brag about the fish that they "catch?" If they need to boost their egos that bad, then why not just fish at the hatchery or in the tank of the planter truck? That would sure save a lot of work by the fisheries folks.
• When submitting a photo for the Outdoors page, please include the "Who, What, Why, Where, How and your phone number." I've got a whole file full of photos with absolutely no information. So, if your photo has never run on the Outdoors page, now you know the reason why. I can't read your mind and I can't get in touch with you.
• When submitting a photo of your fish, please make sure there is no blood running down its side, you are wearing a shirt, you are not barefoot, there is not a cigarette dangling out of the corner of your mouth and your fly is zipped. Does the word "YUK" ring a bell?
• When someone tells me they practice catch and release fishing while using nightcrawlers or Power Bait, I have to shake my head. You turn that fish loose after pulling the barbed hook out of its throat and it will go straight to the bottom to die. That's called "Catch and Release and Kill."
• Every year for the last three years, NDOW has published fishing regs for the dirt field at Fuji Park in Carson City. With that type of "pre-planning," NDOW should post regs for bone-dry Winnemucca Lake, just east of Pyramid Lake. Makes just as much sense to me.
• Why did some 600 hunters apply for Nevada big game tags, last year, both via the U.S. Mail and the Internet? Geez, pick one or the other but why both? That kind of seems like wearing both a belt and suspenders at the same time to hold up your pants. Weird.
• Speaking of applying via the Internet, last year, 90.2 percent of the applicants for Nevada big game tags were via the Internet. Here's a tip for the other 9.8 percent: Buy a computer and move into the 21st century. You're way behind the times.
• If you're one of those folks who always talk about going to Alaska, the Yukon, British Columbia, etc. and never go, do it. You're not getting any younger and you might not be here next year. Enjoy life. You only get one chance.
• I wonder why the ACLU hasn't yet sued all of the states (including my own beloved Nevada) who charge such a huge difference in prices for hunting and fishing licenses between residents and Non-Residents. If that ain't discrimination, I don't know what is.
• Did you ever notice how many people drive down the street with their window part way down to let cigarette smoke out of their car? Geez, they should be more worried about what is happening to the inside of their lungs than the interior of that vehicle. They'll gonna find out the hard way.
• Why do some Carson City bicycle riders blast through stop signs without even slowing down? If they want the same rights and privileges as motorists, then they should obey the rules. Maybe if they got a ticket for running a stop sign, they might become a little more road courteous. I doubt it.
• Check out all the super expensive trucks pulling huge trailers or extra-large fifth wheelers, parked in our state parks campgrounds. More often than not, they belong to senior citizens with an annual, low-cost, statewide, senior parking permit. Wanna guess who resists the most when State Parks tries to increase the cost of that permit?
• I've often wondered how many of those big, expensive, late-model SUV's roaring down the highway have ever been on a dirt road. My educated guess is: "Darn few." Perish the thought that someone might get their fancy, new vehicle a little bit dusty or muddy.
• Rather than pouring gazillions of dollars into Stonehenge (AKA the Galena Creek Bridge on I-580 in Pleasant Valley), wouldn't it be nice if NDOT would spend a few bucks to fill the potholes and cracks in U.S. 395, especially between Reno and Stead?
• Wouldn't it also be nice to see some knothead get a ticket for running a red light in Carson City. In case, the CCSO doesn't know where to look, they might start with the traffic light at S. Carson St. and Fairview. They are guaranteed to write lots of tickets, there.
• Did you ever notice that some of the folks who have just moved here are some of the loudest complainers about what is wrong with Carson City? Heck, I think that some folks just love to complain.
• When asked if I have a burglar alarm in my home, I replied that I have a .357 revolver and with its six shots, it is the best burglar alarm in the entire world. I may not be a good shot but with six shots, someone's groin is going to hurt, big time, sooner or later. I guarantee it.
• Sigh, now that I'm done goofing off, I better go do battle with the Dandelions in my yard. See ya.
• Bet Your Favorite Pigeon
Bet your favorite pigeon that he can't tell which Carson City female torments me the most.
If he grins and says," Don Hettrick's wife, Nancy, dearly loves to torment, tease and badger both Don (my favorite fishing partner) and I," he could be one of my other fishing partners.
• Don Quilici is the Outdoors editor for the Nevada Appeal