If you are here for the video, that's fine... just scroll down and check out: Fishing With Kirk. If, however, you want some background on what you're about to watch, read below.
Nothing but blue skies and herring!
Several Points I'd Like To Make:
1. I am done fishing in drains (for the time being).
Been there, done that.
2. Though Ken Jones (the captain of the mightiest fishing website on earth) points out that my use of the Ocean City 1600 may be a gimmick, I have become completely addicted to it. What a great reel! And so aesthetically appealing! (I should also point out that we here at the MFN whole heartedly embrace the idea of gimmickry).
3. There is no bag limit on Pacific herring. I know it seems like I depleted the ocean, but I have Danes to feed in April, crabs, sturgeon and halibut to catch (whenever the surf dies down) and The Boer Kayak Mafia (BKM) is making kippers in Sharky's smoker... in addition, the MFN will waste no part of the herring: from its skins we will fashion our canoes and kayaks, from it's scales we will hone our hand made wampum, from the guts we will make the twangy strings for our mouth bows and monochords. In short: I will find ample use for all of it. In fact, most of it is already gone.
"The Champion"
4. Despite the Spanish moniker, "Champion de la Banana," hails from the sunny Aegean. That's what a Greek man gets for having a lot of latino friends. Who is this loud, boisterous lunatic, yelling at me while he films? He's what my grandmother would have called: "a real character." This was high praise in my family of Broadway performers and ex-vaudeville stars. And I mean it as such. Despite his gruff exterior "the Champion" is what we New Yorkers refer to as a mensch.
Always the joker, journeyman pitcher Bobo Newsome pictured here with Bobby Shantz in his lap.
Like "Bobo" Newsome, the former pitcher for the Washington Senators, and a "real character" if ever there was one, "the Champion" is one of those guys who got named for the thing he calls everybody else. In Bobo's case: "Bobo." In the Champion's case: "Champion" or "Champion de la Banana."
It would be remiss of me to fail to mention Bobo's most famous quote... after making a career of being traded back and forth across the major leagues (I think he has the record for this), he said: "I've done more terms in Washington than FDR."
The Great Henry Thomas
5. The Great Henry Thomas
If you haven't heard it before, Fishing Blues, (the song playing throughout the movie) is brought to you by Henry Thomas. Thomas was born in Texas in the 1870s. In addition to producing some of the loveliest music I've ever encountered, take note of the fact that he is playing pan pipes or "quills" (to use the American folk parlance), while also strumming the guitar (kind of like the Andean guys do now). The sound is definitely of a different era. There are not a whole lot of other recordings of this style of 19th century pre-blues music. I include it here not because of its novelty, but because the tone is, quite simply, perfect. And no matter how many times I've heard Taj Mahal or Lovin Spoonful do it, nothing, in my book, matches this version.
So Without Further Adieu:
In my never ending effort to become the Jean Luc Godard of fishing, I offer the following documentary of another gloriously misspent day... hopefully you'll all dig it. Oh yeah, BTW... don't miss the last half.
OMG, I love it. Your videos are AWESOME.
Posted by: Rachael | 01/26/2010 at 05:38 PM
Jean Luc Godard never made me laugh like you do - and trust me, it is not a laugh of derision; it is more pure joie de vivre!
But now a bittersweet thought occurs: how the heck are ya gonna top this?!?! Oh, I'm sure you'll have days fishing to surpass this, but as for cinematic expression? You have quite a challenge ahead of you now, sucker ...
Posted by: Finesmell | 01/27/2010 at 05:20 AM
Yeah I know. I'm screwed. I got mondo hits on the last three posts. People like watching movies... but I simply can't do it every three days... takes a lot of time. So tomorrow it'll be back to the written word again. I actually can't believe I did two and a half movies in 3 days... having never touched that i-movie program before... just hope the readership doesn't come to expect it.
Posted by: monkeyface | 01/27/2010 at 07:18 AM
Waaha Kirk! Those herring are yummy....
Posted by: sharky | 01/27/2010 at 07:44 AM
Very nice again, man. Gotta love yer posts.. they fill my young mind with tons of ideas to take up all my spare time!
Posted by: Crass | 01/27/2010 at 10:23 PM
Hey Kirk! Thanks to facebook I found your blog. Totally amazing footage. I don't fish, and you make me want to go look for oil slicked worms and stick a line in a random hole in the cement. Very cool! I'll keep coming back for more visits. - Emily
Posted by: Emily Stucky | 02/10/2010 at 01:31 PM
Well done, K of the I.
Posted by: Tircus | 02/13/2010 at 03:17 AM
You're videos are really great. Lots of fun but very educational as well.
Catfish Ed
Posted by: Ed Nassarre | 02/14/2010 at 06:31 AM
Good stuff Kirk!! It was nice meeting you at the Oyster Point pier....or was it the launch ramp ;)
Posted by: Joel Lotilla | 02/14/2010 at 05:44 PM
awesome site, love reading your posts. Thanks for the great ideas and tips!
Posted by: Joe Thornton | 07/20/2010 at 10:45 PM
Hilarious videos with some good fishing tips thrown in, thats my idea of entertainment!
Posted by: Steve Nicholes | 07/20/2010 at 10:47 PM
Thanks for the great ideas. You're making me want to start my own site, although I'm not sure I could do videos as good as these, hahhaha!
Posted by: Fish Doc | 07/20/2010 at 10:49 PM
Bookmarked.. thank you. You know your topic very well. I also found interesting info on http://www.rapidmediafire.com
Posted by: Collin | 07/21/2010 at 12:45 PM
Is it safe to fish in drains? What's the catch like, anyway, coming from a drain? Oh, by the way, great photos!
Posted by: Stan | 07/27/2010 at 08:41 AM
Hey Kirk - thanks for the interesting post... your knowledge of SF fishing is matched only by your tuba playing abilities ha ha...
Nice post
Posted by: Trout Fishing Flies Guy | 08/04/2010 at 12:39 PM
Hilarious Vid! I'm gonna have to try putting oil on my worms haha! It might be the new fishing bait ...only kidding!
Posted by: fishingbivvy | 08/04/2010 at 03:22 PM
Kirk...you are very nice guy. I also love fishing if there is spare time. Anytime I wanted fishing with you, definitely fun. Your video was also very funny, I liked it.
Posted by: Frederic | 08/11/2010 at 08:34 PM
LOL!! What was all that. funny as all hell!
Posted by: Tim The Trout | 08/22/2010 at 11:49 PM
Have a great vacation Kirk!
Really enjoy your website. It was also great meeting you in person at pier 32 a few weeks back.
Sardines still biting?
Posted by: Otto | 10/08/2010 at 10:29 AM
Kirk, when do you expect the smelt to return at the beaches?
Posted by: George | 10/26/2010 at 09:53 AM
Great video, really nicely put together and I love the herring netting at the end. That's good fishing. Well done.
Posted by: Telescoping Fishing Rod | 12/03/2010 at 11:41 PM
Outstanding vid!! That will keep me going for awhile.
Posted by: Catch BIG Catfish | 06/02/2011 at 07:49 PM
Hmm fishing in drains...
Im a fly fisherman by trade, might be a but tricky lol nice video btw
Posted by: Fly fish Steve | 07/10/2011 at 10:18 AM