A little bit lighter in the wallet, Christopher and I were another step closer to expanding out fishing horizons.

Finally understanding why fly fisherfolks collect numerous rods, my son and I attended, bid and doled out cash at the Diablo Valley Fly Fishermen’s annual auction. Parting with the green stuff was facilitated by our knowing that it would eventually end up helping any of the various conservation groups supported by the club.

Initially prompted by Christopher’s living and working on California’s north coast, Humboldt County to be exact; we hatched a plan earlier this year to find ourselves fly rods suitable for steelhead. We needed something on the order of 7 wt. rods with matching reels. And that’s exactly what turned up on the auction list.

The bidding was a bit infectious for Christopher but in the end he and I walked out with new Redington 9½-foot, 4-piece 7 wt. rods and CD 7/8 wt. reels. At a heck of a price. I also picked up a Redington 9-foot, 4-piece 5 wt. rod to replace the stick I learned on, an entry-level L.L. Bean 5 wt. rod I hope to hand down to some soul who might want to try a bit of fly fishing. Sean’s first on the list.

Once we get line on the 7 wt. rods it’ll be time to consider steelheading; despite all warnings…adverse weather, high flowing and cold water, and sometimes fickle fish that are constantly on the move.

Yeah, it’s a little bit crazy.

Got some pre-trout season fishing in with the club last Saturday. We headed to Kistler Ranch, which is just off Highway 108 and offers three large ponds (or small lakes if you’d like) containing bass, crappie and bluegill. The sky was clear but the wind played with us all day. Unfortunately, the water temperature was on the low end for bass and sunfish spawning or feeding.

This was my first time float tubing and I think I did well. The wind required constant adjustment, and a day later I felt sore muscles in my legs that I previously didn’t know existed. But it was fun to float around and target the weed beds from an off-shore position.

It’s said that “A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work,” and that adage applies to much of this day. I was able to encourage one strike during the morning, smack dap in the middle of some weeds. Ironically, I was fishing from the shore when this happened.

But I got the stink off in the afternoon with a solid strike and hook up with a decent largemouth bass. This time it was from the float tube, giving me the unique experience of playing a fish while floating in the water. Hope this is a good sign that I won’t see too much skunking during the coming trout season!

P.S. For the non-fishers, one refers to not catching a single fish as being “skunked,” hence the stink reference.

Want to feel more connected to the world? (In this sense, “world” means earth and her environs.) I would suggest riding a motorcycle.

After a few months of riding locally when the weather allowed, I put on my gear and left for work Monday morning. My only trepidation was the possibility of having to resort to lane splitting (not lane sharing).

Thankfully, the weather and traffic were great. It was fun taking the side roads out of Benicia and behind Vallejo. It still seems a bit odd to spool up to 5,000 RPM to keep up with traffic, but my little CB650SC easily keeps pace.

The connectedness one can feel with the outside world is pretty amazing; and it seems that motorcycling might just offer the last everyday adventure for the average Joe. Traversing Hwy 37 one can feel the temperature drop as you cross the marshes and rivers. You can smell the results of low tide as well as the recent plowing of the fields. Yes, it’s very cool.

Portland’s Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) denied a request from Salmon for Savings, a branch of the Bring the Salmon Home Campaign, to place an ad on TriMet buses. The ad below is aimed at prompting consumers to taking a look at the controversial Klamath River dams.

Sure, the salmon seem to be a bit sad-eyed, but it sure don’t seem that controversial to me. Maybe TriMet is somehow in cahoots with Pacific Power?

A recent visit to Eureka and chance landed me on a little slice of Mexico in the form of the excellent Rita’s Café & Taqueria. There are two Rita’s and I can vouch for the Harris Street location as well worth veering from Hwy 101 and into one of Eureka’s older neighborhoods.

During my meal I imagined the diners around me include a girlfriend and boyfriend from one of the local colleges, a mother and father and their children joined by grandma and grandpa, older couples enjoying dinner out and a mother treating her college-aged daughter and her friends. A handful of customers must be regulars as customers greet them by name; always a good sign. Another good sign: smiles a every table.

This smallish restaurant greets diners with happy colors while the friendly staff swiftly brings chips and salsa to the table and take drink orders. Music reminiscent of the streets of Mexico reinforces the feeling without bring obtrusive. Margaritas in nearly gallon-size glasses, apparently a big draw for Rita’s, grace many of the tables. Others call to mind Corona commercials, with galvanized buckets filled with ice and half a dozen Coronitas. Tortilla more delicate than expected arrive with a novel treatment: mild and warmer salsa in small dispensers with bowls that allow you to sample, choose, then use only the salsa you want.

Without calling myself a connoisseur, I have an idea of what makes good Mexican food. And Rita’s makes good Mexican food. The huge menu will satisfy the cravings of nearly anyone, with the only blatant American influence being the inclusion of the omnipresent chimichanga. I chose Burrito Especial, encouraged to find a place offering two smaller all-meat burritos — one chili colorado and the second chili verdé — instead of one giant version of tortilla-wrapped goodness. By virtue of these burritos being home to only meat, they are accompanied by beans and rice.

I finished it all. It was that good. The burrito chili verdé is the spicier of the two, but just enough to wake the taste buds. The burrito chili colorado presents a more mellow flavor that sneaks up with a bit of heat. However, this dish is one probably better — an easily — shared.

Around my office a few of us recently agreed that the better Mexican restaurants are in Southern California and that it’s hard to find a solid Mexican meal in or around San Francisco. Rita’s offers the irony that I found one of the better Mexican places almost at the northern edge of the state.

Mexican food lovers…there’s hope! Unfortunately it’s roughly 275 north of my house.