Welcome to Week CXXXIII of 'Fishing Parkland Shorelines'. Like most of us I am a novice fisherman, loving to fish, but far from an expert. In the following weeks I'll attempt to give those anglers who love to fish but just don't have access to a boat, a look at some of the options in the Yorkton area where you can fish from shore, and hopefully catch some fish.
It is time to think about what would make a good gift for the fisherfolk in the family.
In the past I have mentioned various gear options, Len Thompson lures are never a bad idea, but in most cases buying gear is a risk.
A lure, if it's any good, is likely already in the tackle box.
That nice new rod and reel, well it was either a gift on Father's Day, when he started drooling over it, or the fisherman gifted himself with it months ago.
So this time, I'm assuming the tackle box is well-stocked, and I'm offering up some ideas that relate to fishing in less direct ways, but nevertheless should be appreciated under any tree.
The first idea relates to how we fisherfolk tend to love our coffee. I suppose that's a natural given early mornings to get to the water, and often sitting in the chill of rain, or even in a shack in the midst of winter.
In my mind the enameled tin cup just reminds of shoreline coffees, and breakfasts outside the tent at the lake.
The cups are rugged enough to bounce around in the boat or truck and easily washed for re-use.
Take a bit of time on the Internet and you can find enamel tin cups with fish motifs, which make them a great gift.
If the person on your list has a cabin at a lake, or a man-cave office at home, there are a number of options in terms of 'fishing art'.
One of the cooler options I came across was on eBay recently. It is a framed piece showing a set of Canadian stamps with a fly fishing theme. Each stamp shows a specific fly, an example of each also incorporated into the framed offering.
It was not overly large, or overly expensive, but certainly looked sharp.
Check it out at http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Framed-CANADA-FLY-FISHING-STAMPS-FIRST-DAY-COVER-LURES-mint-nib-/251730504735?pt=US_Taxidermy&hash=item3a9c4eac1fTaxidermy&hash=item3a9c4eac1f
Next up for an idea is really rather obvious. Most people who catch fish like to eat them, and many fisherfolk enjoy cooking up shore lunches, or even fancier fish fare at home.
Now in my personal case I prefer some alone time in the kitchen with a well-stocked spice cabinet and a full fridge of things to incorporate into dishes I create on the fly, but that is not the way for everyone.
So help them out a bit with a good fish cookbook. There are hundreds, and since I don't use them, I won't recommend a specific one.
I would only offer that you thumb through them and make sure the recipes are locally appropriate. It's no use if it's a book highlighting recipes for fish species not caught in Saskatchewan.
That is particularly true of saltwater varieties.
Also, fish cookbooks often have clams and lobster and shrimp recipes included. If you are focusing on a local fisherman, those don't fit particularly well either.
The next idea is a bit like the coffee cup. If most fisherfolk drink coffee, it has been my experience most also play cribbage.
I'm not sure I have ever entered a cabin of an avid fisherman, and you can add hunters in here too, and not found a cribbage board.
I know as a youngster the truck camper had a board and deck of cards in a drawer at all times.
The day it rains too much to fish, the wind is too high to get the boat on the water, or for those late fall nights when the sun is down before you are tired out from the day, it is then time for cribbage.
The card game is easily my favourite card game of all time. I probably play 15-plus games a week, and thousands in my lifetime. As an aside in all those games I have never had, nor personally seen a perfect-29 hand yet.
Now there are hundreds of designs for cribbage boards, including several with a fish motif.
In some cases the boards are simply cut in a fish design, which are great in a rustic cabin. Several can be seen at http://www.cribbagesupply.com/fish-and-wildlife-cribbage-boards.html
There are also fancier options that are just plain classy, as in http://www.westbranchtraders.com/gallery-cribbage-boards/gallery-cribbage-boards-round.html and http://www.bestofnewengland.com/oval-cribbage-board-color-trout-logo.html
Then there is an item which probably should be part of any outdoorsman's attire, a paracord bracelet.
Paracord is just one of those super handy things to have handy should you have any problems in the wild, such as your boat drifting away as you enjoy a shore lunch.
Now you can carry a shank of paracord in your gear, but if that rucksack happens to be in that drifting boat, the cord is gone too.
So a handy way to make sure you have some paracord handy is to wear it as a bracelet. They look sharp in terms of wearing them, and they are a great bit of safety gear for the fisherfolk on the holiday gift list.
You can learn more at; http://www.paracordguild.com/conquistador-paracord-bracelet/
Along the same lines is a lock blade, folding knife.
I grew up with my grandfather and dad never leaving the house without a jackknife in their pockets. Being on a farm there was always a garden peg to sharpen, or bale twine to cut.
Now I know most of the time we have a filleting knife in the tackle box, but a lock blade is more utilitarian in nature.
Having one on in a scabbard on the belt is never amiss when fishing, and if you are buying one as a gift, you can find them engraved with scenes appropriate to our shared passion.
And there you have it folks a few gift ideas to help you create a few smiles this holiday season.
