Another year ends. Another year begins. It’s time to plan for coming seasons and enjoying the outdoors.
Although Jan. 1 is the date we take down the old calendar and put up the new (some people like me still use paper calendars), it hasn’t always been that way. And today, there are some regional parts of the world that calculate years differently.
The Roman calendar using January to December dates back to about 700 years before the birth of Christ, however in England and Wales, March 25 was considered the start of the new year until sometime in the mid 1700’s.
In this part of the country, Jan. 1 is the start of a new year, a time for making and breaking resolutions, and a time to look forward to another year, and a time to try to keep warm.
While I’ve given up on resolutions, I found some interesting ones made by outdoor folks on the internet.
One read, “I resolve to sit on the bank of a pond with an earthworm suspended under a cork and thrill to the sight of the bobber trembling and then going under. I will also have a chicken liver on the bottom on another rod while it is propped up by a forked stick, and I will watch the tight line for movement indicating a cat is nibbling.”
What a great resolution. It’s simple and conjures up wonderful thoughts of why most of us enjoy fishing. We don’t need expensive equipment and far away places to gain pleasure from angling.
Another resolution was “to go to a lake I have never fished and learn about it. On that trip or others I will take someone with me that does not get to go as often as I do. I resolve to take a kid fishing - and not use them for bait”
Despite a few difficult moments (for me and not the youngster) I’ve encountered fishing with children, I never considered using them for bait.
However, the resolution to take someone fishing whether young or old is a great one. Much better than resolving to lose weight.
Other than thinking about resolutions, what does one do in early January. There are tackle boxes to be cleaned, books to be read, tackle to be repaired, and shotguns to be cleaned.
And then there are sports shows to visit. First up in this area is the Cincinnati show, followed by Louisville and then Indianapolis. These shows offer outdoor people the opportunity to learn about new fishing, hunting and camping destinations. They also provide an opportunity to view and experience some of the latest gear and outdoor equipment as well as boats and recreational vehicles.
The Cincinnati Travel, Sports and Boat show is open the weekend of Jan. 17-19, closed Monday and Tuesday, and then opens for a run Jan. 22-26 at the Duke Energy Convention Center.
During the final five days is the time the Cincinnati show has an emphasis on fishing, hunting and camping.
Also, running Jan. 22-26 at the Louisville Boat, RV and Sports Show at the Kentucky Expo Center.
Feb. 14-23 is the big Indianapolis Boat, Sport and Travel Show at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The show utilizes a number of buildings, and may be the largest of its type in the country.
Tackle Town at Indy has as much fishing gear as one will find assembled anywhere at a retail sports show.
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