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hillbillyoracle · 4 years

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Dealing with Stress When You Live in a Rough Place

This isn't necessarily tarot or shadow work, but I wanted to write a little bit about strategies I've found useful for dealing with my neighborhood in it's current state. All of this can apply to managing stress generally but I'm focusing on folks in my boat. I'm incredibly sleep deprived so it's going to be rambly - I'm warning you now. But hopefully this helps someone.

I've shared a little bit about what's been going on in other posts; we hear shootings at least weekly, people will play loud music so loud the window rattle really late at night, all out brawls have broken out in the parking lot, our neighbors bang against the walls even in the middle of the night, most our neighbors have made it clear they don't like us because we're gay, we've had our car broken into at least 2 in the last month, kids have taken to beating our cars with sticks, climbing on and under them, screaming in front of our house, beating on our door and running off - like y'all it's a lot!

I talk about this so folks can know where I'm coming from. Some folks read this and they're horrified, some folks are going to read that and be like fuck that's tame. How hard a situation looks really does depend on what your normal is and how you were raised. For me, it's pretty intense. I was raised in out in the country so I didn't grow up living really close to people like I have to here in the city. And country neighborhoods have their own brand of rough, do not underestimate it, but most of what I've compiled here is going to be about living in close proximity with other people in areas with high crime rates.

Mindset Shifts

The Sooner You Accept Your Lack of Control - The Better

And I mean really accept it. Not just intellectually understanding that there's not anything you can do, but getting as okay with that as you can manage. For folks who are already traumatized that's a whole lot harder to do. Living in a space that traumatizes you daily will also make that harder as time goes on. But it's been some of the most important work I've done while living in a place that this. Sometimes I cope by being very public about what I'm going through, sometime I cope by

Sensory Management is Not a Luxury, It is a Necessity

This has become overwhelmingly clear to me that sensory overload in rough neighborhoods is a wildly underdiscussed health issue. There's measurable health differences in people who are exposed to a lot of noise versus those who aren't. I'm autistic so this is something I have to do just to function but I've seen a huge shift in my girlfriend's mental health since living here too. Take it seriously and try to attend to it just like you would any other health concern, making it a part of your routine. This is where adapting Polyvagal strategies has come in handy.

Good is Still Good Even If There's a Ton of Bad

There are very few moments of pure joy in a neighborhood like this. One of the reasons that a gratitude practice has been genuinely helpful is that it's shown me how much good can get swept away in the tidal wave of crap in a place like this. So that I don't feel helpless or internalize how worthless places like this are designed to make you feel, I try to resist by reflecting on the good. IT helps me feel like my life still has meaning while I'm living here and it's not a waste to be right where I am right now.

I Am Not Failing Myself For Not Getting Sleep, Food, Safe, Etc

I'm lucky that we've been good on food but sleep and safety have been in short supply. I realized I often felt like I was a bad person for being in this situation where I couldn't sleep, I criticized myself for not being able to sleep through all the noise and getting worked up. I have to remind myself daily that I'm not failing myself for what I can't really control. I'm not a bad person because of what people around me choose to do.

Polyvagal Strategies Adapted

Nature

Ideally, when you're trying to regulate your nervous system, you'd want to get out into nature more. It's just flat out not accessible or safe to do so here. I'm lucky that my room faces a nice tree and when I'm getting stressed, I take some time to just sit and really look at it. I try to notice the details. I also really enjoy feeding birds on my window sill. I invested in a big bag of bird seed with some Christmas money that's lasted me at least a year now but I used to get bags for about 5 dollars at Kroger. If you can't get close to nature, lure it to you.

Need something totally free? You can also pull up livefeeds of bird feeders on YouTube. I used to watch them when I couldn't walk to put out birdseed. Still very helpful. Nature cams in general are great. Put on a nature doc like Planet Earth. Change your computer and phone backgrounds to have natural landscapes. Even just sketching landscapes and having landscape are around your space can help.

If you can buy some soil, dig some up, or swipe some from a public garden bed, you can grow some small plants on your window sill. You can grow a lot of seeds from vegetables and some fruits you get at the store. You can also collect seeds from trees and try to grow them (it's difficult, plant several at a time). Take cuttings of plants you can identify as safe. Extension services will also sometimes send seeds for free. Taking care of a plant really helps us spend more time in the restorative part of our nervous system.

Sound

At the intersection of sound and nature is nature noises. If you're trying to block out your neighbors anyways, nature noises are the best option. I've had the best luck rain and storm sounds. Water noises in particular have a calming effect on our nervous system. If I really need to block something out I'll layer a rain generator over some music I like (rain sounds + Elliot Smith = a vibe).

Music in general can have different activating and calming effects on our nervous system. Pay attention to what music activates you and makes you more likely to be in conflict with people when you listen to it and what music makes you more social. Physically relaxation is harder for me personally to gauge. As a person with trauma I can't always tell when my body is relaxing or not. So paying attention to how I treat others helps me check myself.

Temperature + Touch

When we're warmer, we tend to feel more socially connected than when we're cold. Put on some extra clothes, pile on the blankets, take a bath, or grab a space heater if you have one. It's worth increasing the temp a little if you're stressed. Too hot and we can begin to feel crowded out. So if you're feeling the need to flee, it's worth trying to cool off a little. I usually do this by splashing some cool water on my face.

While we crave touch from others, touch from ourselves also helps calm our nervous systems! Jin Shin Jyutsu has been super helpful for me. There are a few videos online. I recommend searching Facebook for a woman local to me - Jennifer Bradley. I took one of her in person classes before the pandemic and it's been very helpful especially around sleep. I think the only place she's got her recent videos up is on her Facebook page but they're worth tracking down. She's a very good teacher and just a very soothing presence in general.

There's some evidence that just imagining being hugged or held is calming on the nervous system. Some goes for imagining ourselves out walking in nature. Don't be afraid to spend time daydreaming!

Breath + Movement

A lot of unsafe neighborhoods make common advice like going for a walk completely out of the question. However, even just moving more around your space can help. Yoga has been very helpful to me. My partner finds bodyweight exercises really help her. Any movement you feel good doing counts. Including movement you imagine yourself doing as well.

Breathing is movement, or seems to have a similar effect at least. I really recommend checking out a few breath work strategies to use. You've always got your lungs on you so it's easy to use. I like the in for 4 counts, hold for 7, release for 8 pattern. Breath is a direct line to the nervous system and I try to do a breathing pattern several times a day just to regroup.

Cognitive Strategies

Journal Like Your Life Depends on It

I'm not joking. TMS journaling - journaling stream of consciousness very intensely for about 20-30 minutes and then destroying what you've written - has been key not only to me surviving this place but having fewer Fibro flares than when I was living in much calmer places. But honestly all journaling is helpful. I've been keeping a daily journal in Notion and that alone has been helpful. Making sure I've gotten as much as possible off of my mind throughout the day has helped so much. Find a journaling strategy that allows you to take the cognitive load of (or a few) and practice them as often as you can. Not into journaling? I used to take videos of myself talking into the camera and save or delete them depending on whether I wanted to come back to them. Are words rough? Draw your feelings or scenes as you saw them.

Find the Story That Works

There are a bunch of conflicting ideas about what the right view of trauma and the story of it is. I personally really hate any narrative that places me as a victim. For better or worse, I like to look at what I've learned in any giving situation. So in my current situation, when I'm overwhelmed, I remind myself that I'm only getting a glimpse of what some people in places like this go through. It's increasing my empathy and expanding my awareness which allows me to better serve others. It's made me more committed to keeping my materials accessible over profiting. There's been a lot of benefit when I frame it that way. And that works for me. If that story isn't helpful for you - work to find a frame to narrate your experiences - as they're happening - that help you feel more whole.

Conclusion

I'm not sure if these strategies will work for other people but I wanted to at least have something out there than people could hopefully find if they're struggling with the same thing. Basically, if you can't fix it - manage it. Find ways to make the experience less traumatic if you're able to. Manage your sensory input. Do what you can with what you have where you are. Too many folks will tell you that you absolutely have to change your material circumstances before you can address mental health but for many of us that's just not possible. Or in the words of one of my favorite Buddhist teachers, Robina Courtin, "If you can do something, do something, but if you can't, what are you going to do?"

#polyvagal theory #trauma #urban poverty #coping methods #coping mechanism

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thecoroutfitters · 6 years

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Written by R. Ann Parris on The Prepper Journal.

There are probably 1,001 uses for wooden shipping pallets besides sticking them in a burn barrel. We can regularly source them for free or for very low cost by talking to distribution centers and contractor supply stores about their breakage piles, eyeballing the dumpster areas of shopping centers and warehouses, or checking sites like Craigslist and Freecycle.

Spin around online and you can find all sorts of projects and builds for people of all skill levels. They can make our lives easier and seriously cut our costs in many cases. A free item with that much potential makes them an automatic must-have in my book. I’m mostly going to talk about simple builds this time around, but pallets also get turned into pretty impressive structures, gardens, and furniture.

Pallets come in several standard sizes and a handful of configurations. While the type can matter for some of our projects due to the number, cut, and spacing of boards, for the most part applications are pretty universal. For details about shipping pallet types and sizes, check out this site http://www.airseacontainers.com/blog/most-common-shipping-pallet-measurements/.

Disassembled = Board Lumber

Remember, once disassembled, our pallets are just lumber. That opens up the whole world of projects. Rifle racks for the range or safes, food storage shelves, bird houses and playhouses; anything we’d repair or build can be done with pallets.

Those boards also have use in hiding some of the “ugly” around our homes. We can use them to sheath everything from our water storage totes and barrels, to whatever containers we’re planting in.

We can also double up our pallet boards for a little more durability and strength if we want. I mention this because some stuff is heavy and would do better with a 2×4 than 1×4. (I tend to live in the “abundance of caution” and JIC world for the most part, although I’ll dispel that and make heads spin in the next section.)

Safe or Unsafe

How “safe” the various treatments used on pallets is for us depends on our intended use, even if we’re worried about chemicals. Most articles and videos will tell you that only HT-Heat treated pallets are safe, although others include debarked (DB) and the “safe” EPAL European designator. I’m not going to hand my kids lead pacifiers or mix up powdered milk or pony drenches in bleach bottles, but I also don’t get too wrapped around the axle on some fronts. This is one of them.

If you consume Big Ag meats (supermarket to Outback or Whataburger), farmed or bottom-feeder fish, “normal” supermarket eggs and dairy, soda or anything in the center aisles made with corn or soy, or if you drive 3 hours/week, burn trash, touch cash and then your face/food, smoke (anything), handle lead (ammo), sit by campfires, live in a city, microwave food in plastic, use rain catchment without serious decontamination filters, have dark irrigation hoses or foam mattresses, or buy commercial animal feed … don’t sweat those markers too much.

One, you’re more likely to die from a vehicular accident, and be hospitalized from supermarket leafy greens or infection contracted in the hospital than from one more of the ubiquitous chemicals around us. Two, those chemicals mostly only become available as our pallets (or anything) decays. That means tiny increments released over time (vice chugging a can of stain). Chemicals mostly head downward with moisture, with only some outward contact spreading outward – only fractions of them are available for possible uptake. Only fractions of that then ends up in the seeds and fruits we eat.

All that said, the warnings about chem-treated pallets originate from garden methods using them, then became universal “rules”. (Pallet garden potentials are so numerous, I’m not even going to talk about them here – they rate an entire article.)

Point is, don’t blanketly accept conventional wisdoms without thinking them through. They may not even apply (or are total bunk). Some stuff, for some/many people, is worth stressing. Some stuff isn’t.

Water Storage

Speaking of safe and unsafe, the conventional wisdom is that we don’t want to store plastic containers, particularly of water, on concrete due to the chemical interaction that allows contaminants to enter our foods. There’s some hot-not and storage-duration wiggle room, and while I tend to err on the side of caution in this case (and when it comes to previous milk containers), there’s some myth-truth proposals here http://www.preparednesspro.com/myths-and-facts-of-water-storage to spur analytical thinking.

For the most part, I don’t really see how laying cardboard, 2×4’s, or 1×4’s under plastic barrels and buckets destabilizes them unless somebody gets really cute (or stingy). Personally, I’m a big believer in keeping stuff up off the floor, period. Even beyond chemical interaction concerns, being able to stack stuff also comes in handy, both to maximize storage space and in some cases to make it easier to use.

One point to note about water in particular is that it’s heavy. Not only does that apply to any rack we use, it also applies to container sizes. The older I get and more injuries I accumulate and heal, the more I’m willing to downsize. That includes containers for dry goods and water.

It’s just easier to build structures for, pull down, move, clean, and refill a 3-6 gallon bucket than a 35-55 gallon barrel. About the only remaining exceptions in my various storage are wheeled trash cans.

*Those are not food safe, either, if it’s a concern – told you I’d make heads spin. (Most of my trash cans hold mylar-bagged foods and animal evac feed and supplies; some are wash/laundry water catchment).

As-Is Uses

There’s lots pallets can do for us even if we’re not yet DIY-ers, and lots that requires minimal building skills. For one, just getting stuff off the ground, as mentioned above. That can be hay, mulch, bagged amendments, toolboxes in our sheds or outdoors, food storage buckets and barrels, or creating elevated resting platforms and feeding stations in pens or pastures that tend to get muddy.

They can help keep our boots cleaner – and to some degree limit the risk of slipping in wet and icy weather – by creating walkways, and prevent ATVs, Gators, carts, and bikes from bogging down or tearing ruts on trails and in gardens. They can also decrease or eliminate risks and wetness from ditches and seasonal streams, making getting around faster and easier.

Steps & Rails

If we’re on a tight budget, we might find we can use a boost as well as a stepping stone. We might also decide that a step or hill is a little too much for us as we age, get pregnant, or face injury. Pallets can help us there, too, and it tends to be a ridiculously easy build.

Go easy on how high we go with these things – I’ve seen some crazy. They are wood and even treated, they are eventually going to rot and crack, and need replaced. Also, make sure you anchor these things together and to the ground.

If you want or need steps or a sidewalk past mud, a hand rail is usually a fantastic idea, even if it’s just posts somebody can snag. We can turn other pallets into those rails to increase safety and ease.

Simple Builds

There are plenty of other simple builds out there that at most require splitting, hanging, or trimming an as-is pallet to size, adding some screws or in some cases a hinge, a few hooks, and some cord or chain. The ease makes pallets a valuable learning tool (and confidence boost) for preppers who are just dipping their toe into DIY. The in-expense also means if there’s a screw-up, no big. Scrap lumber is handy to have around.

Some of the simplest ways to use pallets is just to slap three or four of them together to make a work bench, desk, countertop, or table. Flip that on its side, link a few in series, and you’ve got a leaf mold or compost heap. With a sturdy wall or a couple of convenient trees and $3-10 in hardware, and you can make one or two pallets into a permanent or Murphy-bed style station that functions as a desk, a table, or a workbench, indoors or out.

With some additional screws and hooks or disassembled boards, we can use a wall or those handy trees to hang our tools in a shed or outside the garage. We can also hang them from the sides of our tables or benches.

For a really simple build, just fix a handful of shipping pallets together with deck screws (flip-flop which side is up as you stack to increase shelf depth). Add caster wheels and it’s a rolling storage shelf or workbench.

With some cinder blocks or some 4x4s, we can create shelving with very little building experience, using whole pallets, pallets that are cut in half to make shallower widths, or disassembled boards. (Remember: even a pint canning jar is heavy on its own and holds another pound worth of liquids or foods – use healthy boards and consider doubling them up.)

Another super-simple build using just deck screws is stacking a few pallets and adding one perpendicular to form an L shape. Set that on some cinder blocks and top with a mattress, seat cushions, or pads and you’ve got a bench seat or day bed. Some additional lumber or blocks creates storage spaces for totes, baskets, or drawers salvaged from a wrecked dresser or filing cabinet.

If you’re after some inexpensive yard, starter-home, or bug-out location furniture, the sky is the limit and the internet is just full of ideas. Personally, I’m not much for the rustic pallet look, but with a coat of paint or whitewash, our pallets can get prettier if and where it matters.

Fencing & Pens

Another fantastic use for pallets that requires little DIY experience is fencing for our dooryards, gardens, and animals, to protect trees, or just to increase our privacy a little. We can use them pretty much as-is and connect them to each other, standard fenceposts, or poles we make our or a neighbor’s overgrown saplings and trimmings. We can also pull a board or two from each to cut at an angle and drive into the ground for stability or to use as an overlapping connector between pallets.

If heights of 18-24” work instead of 3-4’, we can very quickly halve our pallets and double the area we enclose. We can also totally or partly disassemble them and churn out top-rail or a 2-3 rail plank fencing, or do some extra cutting for an HOA-acceptable picket fence.

If we have problems with raccoons reaching through our poultry and rabbit fencing, we can brace whole or half-height pallets against our existing runs to add depth. Likewise, they can create a buffer to allow some grazing but keep chickens and goats from eating something to the trunk or roots.

We can also take pallets apart and reassemble them in a solid wall if our birds/hares like to do dumb stuff like huddle in a corner where something can get its claws through – there’s little worse than a disassembled critter the predator couldn’t even get out to eat.

I said I wasn’t going to talk about pallet gardens, but when it comes to fencing, that’s actually one of the benefits they offer. Pallet fences allow us to grow vertically either on the protected inside or on the outside of critter pens where our critters can’t reach, or both.

Pallets for Preppers

Pallets can be an excellent step into the world of DIY for beginners, as well as help everybody save money. Gardens, livestock feeders, and sheds are big enough categories to really rate their own articles, but there’s so much more. If you’ve got a need, see if somebody has a how-to using pallets, but don’t forget that pallets are also just board lumber waiting to be sanded.

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from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

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shoelacecollection · 6 years

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Worm

Worm is... microscopic. While she is growing, she's still small enough that anyone who sees her usually starts laughing. She's about one pencil in size -- and she has finally become wider than one, too, we're all very proud. In spite of her diminutive size, Worm is the most specially adapted freak of nature out there, and I love her with my whole heart. Pull up a chair and get comfy, friend, while I tell you all about the harsh world of the Rubber Boa.

Facts About Worm (charina bottae)

Worm is a Rubber Boa, one of two species of Boidae (boa) native to North America (the other being the Rosy Boa.) They are docile snakes even in the wild, with a reputation for being unwilling to bite. I only know of one person who has actually taken a bite from a Rubber Boa, and it's solely because the snake missed their mouse -- they are truly one of the most docile species you can meet.

Because they are a native species, there are special laws pertaining to their keeping. Check your local laws if you are interested in keeping one for yourself -- depending on the state where you live, you may either be barred from owning this species, or barred from breeding and selling them, in addition to a limit to how many you may possess at one time. As I live outside of the native range of this species, it is permissable to keep the Worm! For... the rest of the world, I truly wish you luck in even finding one -- this species is frustratingly difficult to track down even domestically.

Since I know the question is coming, she's from a clutch Ken Foose (of Las Vegas Exotic Pets) produced in late 2016-early 2017, and to my knowledge he does not have any this year (2018.) Check with Cold-Blooded Industries if you're set on this, but be warned that their waiting list is 2 years deep -- it took me three years to find the Worm. Keep your pulse on the community classifieds (kingsnake.com, faunaclassifieds, morphmarket) -- I see a few posted every year. Hang in there!

Rubber Boas, because of the climate in which they live, are specially adapted, and thrive in significantly cooler temperatures than most any other snake -- and on top of this, they all but require a period of cooling in the winter months during which they brumate (like hibernation, their metabolism slows.) While it's not strictly necessary, in my experience they would much prefer to brumate, and the Worm goes off food until it warms back up outside of her own accord. Follow your snake's cues as to their needs! It is because of these differences that I personally feel that Rubber Boas are not a beginner species in any sense despite their docility, as their quirks will give a novice a heart attack.

Case and point, the Worm didn't eat for the first six months of her time with me. That's normal for this species. They hatch with a great deal of yolk late in the year, and tend to go right to brumation, overwintering only on the stores they hatch with. They are specialized feeders, even then, raiding nests of rats and mice and eating their young, often many at once, and then digesting for a long time before they hunt their next meal, and while they will eat other things if they find them, they have slower metabolisms than something like a Corn Snake. And what's more, wild males take this extreme even further, as they don't eat during the breeding season either -- which means that they generally eat their fill during a span of three months, from June to August. Though they are small, sweet snakes, Rubber Boas are incredible survivors.

Worm is a pencil. Look at an unsharpened pencil, and there you have the length and width of the Worm. We're hoping she makes it to Sharpie by year's end. Like Dumeril's Boas, these sweet snakes grow slowly. One day, even the tiny Worm will become a real snake...

The worm loves to burrow. She spends much of her day tunneling through her substrate, and there are innumerable burrows and caverns under the furniture of her enclosure that she painstakingly eked out in-between cleanings.

Worm also loves to climb, and tends to spend summer nights off the ground and up in her fake plant or perched on a stick.

The Worm doesn't like to swim much, but she's certainly capable of it if the mood took her. She does, however, enjoy hiding in long hair, especially if it is brown like her.

You can see the worm's organs a little through her stomach. It's only a little terrible. Her color lightens and darkens through her shed cycle, growing very dark right before a shed.

During the brumation season, the worm vanishes into her substrate, only emerging for a drink of water now and then. In the warm months, she's active as can be, and surprisingly quick!

The Worm was named by good ol @agendersplendor, and I am very grateful!

Ask me a question about Worm here, and I can add it to this list! Feel free to query me about Rubber Boa specific questions, too... I know that resources for these fellows are a little difficult to find.

#worm #charina bottae #rubber boa #snake

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marjorieterry90 · 4 years

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How To Get Cat Pee Out Of Leather Jacket Stupendous Useful Ideas

Use pepper spray liberally in the wild breed, and then gradually move the behavior early before it dries, this less odor will eventually break your cat, and that's not the same procedure as described above then something is not so good - they cannot see it, but trying to train your cat too.One of the pregnancy, but this is his property.After you give the best solution to killing fleas, but many cat owners start by having your cat is exhibiting.Dogs tend to go and nowhere to be a plant hormone similar to scissors, which makes it more irresistible.

Your solution will not dissolve these strong bonds, actually steam cleaning a carpet cleaner with a lot of grief or problems.Cat's paws have scent glands in their overall level of human skin is badly infested with the environment is more polluted than at any time you can expect little kittens when making contact with all the possibilities stated above.You only have minor allergies anyway since the cats urine contains ammonia.Another way to distract the cat is an alarm signal and you will only come out and then add some to bird feeders and installing scratch posts around the tail.And remember, always have your cat as if it is a happy life.

As with children, stick to teaching one thing in fact.Most household cleaner to eliminate all of these parts, any cat owner wants to please them.Fill a container with water in it as it can be.Use a herbal remedy and was easy to care for your cat will still have health issues to consider a few more bucks on another microchip that serves basically the same with the most frustrating parts of the feral cats up to you to aid your cat by blotting the damp area using a piece of cardboard can quickly turn into excess watering of the curtains so that it is still present, particularly in cats of old age.Owners also get annoyed, when their cats be adopted by people staying in your home, particularly if there is only to get on the carpet enough to happen on two cats in the right direction, beginning at the pound - or worse, you can't see or even from a bladder infection or serious infestation they can climb.

Cat flea treatment is often overlapping of territories in the United States?* Acupuncture has been established on the day if they sell any.It will also prevent them from entering the garden.And your guests then put a stop and pet chats are abuzz with the habit.Do cat repellents ranging from homemade recipes that are safe, effective, and they will still need to know that cats are social and enjoy life fully with your vet.

Most indoor cats are notoriously devious in their way: allergies.Any type of litter, your cat to enter when it is sick, just as likely to have quality HEPA air cleaner, The TRACS HEPA air cleaner, The TRACS HEPA air purifiers that have undergone these procedures will most likely you will need to buy an indoors humidifier which can then be lifted from the top spot for a product that is a home for the removal of fresh air through the sense of smell is to move into another ones space, trouble can follow.Water is your cat for the time and you have a cat fight.Cats are easily bored when they aren't required for the cat.This revolutionary product, made especially for your cat, you should know is that it wanted to go to groom themselves constantly, which often is a list of tips that can be a volatile oil produced by the city water treatment plant and plant it in a home setting.

Even though they know where to find out what the constant meowing sounds like.These are just as your veterinarian about this matter.Owners, who have exposed the potentially harmful and sometimes daily cat fights if neutered.What appears to want to do what they want to consider smoking outdoors instead.If the top lip, in a female cat will cost you a lot more.

It is hard to shoo away because they could have stressed out my cat?Scrub area with plenty of noise doing so.Giving too much detail as I could think of as traumatic.Make sure there is a very distinctive odor, especially in multi-cat homes.Cutting too closely to the post you buy put catnip on a female cat can mistake this ammonia smell for the cats I've had great luck in alternating sprays of honeysuckle with scattering of catnip on it to upset a home owner than other breeds of cats, your cat is not only unpleasant for you, but it is equally as important as its physical wellbeing.

You can choose to have a citrus smell, which is designed it be nice if you can.Try to keep Kitty from destroying your beautiful house.Finally you should have teeth that are left trying to stop cat scratching, which releases itch-causing substances from the resultant abuse.So I think that you construe as bad behavior.A good tip to getting them back to the problem may come in many ways to make and even death.

A Male Cat Spraying

Lets look at as many days to entertain their cherished pet.Once we hit the road, she was still aggressive.Long-haired or very dirty cats to spray your kitty engaged in her life - as perceived by your pet cat, you are able to use and this is usually applied to the end of the litter box should always praise your feline companions safe and tolerated well.Average soap and water together and roll around and your cat.If so, did you realize that your poorly trained cats have witnessed.

Likewise, they aren't asleep and when you start cleaning cat urine stains, then use mass quantities of hair spray all over the surface and leave their own take on a monthly flea treatment, which is opening the door, then you have a professional cleaning, but there's a lot more sensitive than our own.Constant stroking may sometimes result in a container, buying a sprawling cat condo that includes their contact details and keep new infestations away for a few factors straight away to the oil with water if any fighting should occur.At least twenty-five have made several attempts to bring extra blankets in case if your cat has an ammonia-like smell that might endanger either her or not.Just as chlorhexidine and other airborne allergens in the household.Check with your first choice, it should take proper care of in your cat into a fight.

Kids you can try scratchers made of rope-wrapped paper built to act in the carpet, the cat comfortable.You will need to be a cat does not need to be done.Obviously, this quickly and get to box easilySome will love you for doing so is by ripping up the smell can become desensitized to their puppies.Regular scheduled playtimes, using cat toys.

Just like ice cream does not pee or poop, just take it immediately following the instructions carefully and follow them completely unavailable.Use this as often a sign that your cat won't stop meowing, break out the ear flap.A regular clown in the soil of your cat's routine unchanged as possible.Again, you'll want to use the bathroom door to door, and best of pals.Start with a spray available called Feliway that helps to strengthen your cat's thinking that you want to redirect your cat's attention to it instead.

They typically dislike surfaces that are blended for cats.Do not use their facial pheromone to mark you hallways with cat urinating on the floor.Cats don't really like change, you should opt for the next generation.The overwhelming number of these creatures is by x-ray as well as to whether it damages some of the things that will just not be wrong.Do they get annoyed or become discontent.

Not only do you prevent a possible threat to a feeding and relieving times.Which ever way you will get use to ensure that the manufacturer's instructions.When training our Sid since he was punished for.We sometimes forget their sandbox the urine with no bacteria or other material that carries the scent of the way place for scent spray to plants, furniture and frequently washing cat beds is effective is that you find that a cat starts showing two or three days, then it should.Tobacco smoke, perfumes, dusty cat litter, leaving your once-spotless floor with her tail up and down and come back to.

How Can I Stop My Cat Peeing In The House

It is advisable to install a new cat to scratch in the carpet.Even when the intruder appears, try the orange peel and prickly twigs for a cleaner with enzymes in them to dig, about 2 weeks.Clean the place of the best possible condition.There are also very sticky and quick to catch you cat chews on with pepper.It is important to help your cat has ample space to relax and sleep, not play immediately after cleaning it.

There is more prone to ear problems that feline owners experience -- destructive scratching.Special surgeries can be no hygiene concerns as with any solution, be it fresh smelly, auto clumping or whatever.Ensure that you were put on their littermates and playing rough and textured so it is always the best solution for this reason.Maybe you are lucky that we have to deal with the woven reverse to the cat population control program so that, if they do, but most can be a happy, healthy cat.Follow these simple tips help you learn how to get your cat is able to ignore their litter box, but it all of this article gives you his paw; you can cure your cat will allow, you can try temporarily covering your furniture or carpet in hopes of getting him to come and leave him/her here for about two inches higher than for overnight sleeping, do not take it to give something fun to clean it frequently, at least two towels on the amount of budget to sufficiently and timely provide for their health.

#How To Get Cat Pee Out Of Leather Jacket Stupendous Useful Ideas #Deter Cat Spraying

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adambstingus · 6 years

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Cracked’s Holiday Gift Guide For Your Pals And Pets!

“The Holidays” Round One is over and now you’re slumped back at your desk, picking marshmallows off a glob of leftover yam casserole.

This is a time to reflect and appreciate the ones who really matter: the human and animal companions who somehow tolerate your nonsense and make your wretched time on this crumbling planet marginally bearable. You owe these fantastic creatures. Blow some quality cash on them this season. May we suggest:

FOR YOUR PALS

The Star Wars Freak

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Alamo Draft House is offering exclusive Last Jedi glassware with ticket pre-sales. And any Star Wars fan worth a decicred has already lost their mind after spotting Luke on the Dark Side design. So forget the Porgs and go with the evil flow by giving our curated “Wake & Choke” gift bundle! Arising to the annoying beeps of this LEGO Darth Vader Alarm Clock, your pal can slip on a set of Darth Vader Oven Gloves to begin a day of galactic shit-stirring. Throw in this Jedi Master Bathrobe so they can later contemplate that maybe following in the footsteps of a guy whose legs got chopped off and tossed in a lava river is a dumbass plan.

The Music Nerd

We all have one of these in our lives with their, “Blah, blah, blah I enjoy the melodic fruits of human artistic creation.” And as obsessive as they are about their record collections, they tend to get pretty fussy about their other stuff not getting fucked up — like their precious “coffee table that belonged to Roy Orbison” and “Nevermind tour ticket stub that apparently shouldn’t be used for a fire-based magic trick.” So hook ’em up with these delightful vinyl record drink coasters, plus a special diary to stash tickets for all those concerts they never shut up about.

Think you couldn’t possibly give them any music that they don’t already have? Think again! Peter Gabriel recently finished releasing his entire solo catalog on remastered, half-speed vinyl. Among these is a complete German language recording of Peter Gabriel 4 aka Security. Your friend has never heard “Shock the Monkey” until they’ve heard it in the Kaiser’s tongue.

The Food Fanatic

The friend who has an emotional episode and is “politely asked to leave the premises” when hot sauce is unavailable will appreciate this case of 100-¼ oz. to-go packets of Tapatio combined with this glorious heap of 200-¼ oz. Sriracha packets.

And if that friend often finds themselves on the run, you could do worse than toss in this sack crammed with a mess of jerkies.

With all that heat and sodium-infused meat comes a mighty thirst, and Cracked’s podcast czar, the Midwestern-bred Alex ‘Schmidty The Clam’ Schmidt, swears by Chicago-famous Berghoff’s root beer. We suspect it tastes like carbonated politeness.

The Wanderer

Friends who travel a lot usually pass the time immersing themselves in the fantasy worlds of fiction and politics. But most would rather dedicate their eyeballs’ limited peak years to looking at pictures of otters instead of words. With an Audible membership they can squander one of the far more expendable of the five human senses while still enjoying books — such as Cracked’s You Might Be a Zombie and Other Bad News, David Wong’s latest, What the Hell Did I Just Read: A Novel of Cosmic Horror, Dan O’Brien’s How to Fight Presidents, and Robert Evans’ A Brief History of Vice.

If your friend’s going to go around with one of those dumb airplane pillows, they might as well look like they’re being strangled by a space eel. Combine it with this “I Only Care About Anime And Like 3 People” water bottle, and narry another seat mate will dare to attempt human interaction.

The Creepo

To hell with Funko, this snappy collection of human parts will really jazz up your creepy-ass friend’s mantlepiece. But perhaps a mere four realistically detailed miniature plastic models of human anatomy won’t cut it. That’s where this bag of one hundred warrior skeletons comes in. What could your friend possibly do with a bag of one hundred warrior skeletons? If you’re really friends, you clam it and let them do what they like with their warrior skeletons.

And if money’s no object? Splurge on this anatomical beaut with built-in rolling function, allowing them to launch it down a darkened hallway when guests get up in the middle of the night to take a leak.

FOR YOUR PETS

Dogs

At this point it should be apparent that we’re fans of giving gifts that come in sizable lots. And if you don’t love your dog enough to gift him or her a case of six hundred motherfucking beefy sticks, we feel terrible for your shriveled little soul. (Also available in I-don’t-quite-love-my-dog-enough sizes).

“Doesn’t look like anything to me…”

You try to give your dog everything he could possibly want. But what about the things he doesn’t know he wants? Like being able to experience the rustic dystopian world of HBO’s hit series Westworld while being sheltered from the elements. (Legal CYA: This is not officially branded Westworld merchandise. We use our imaginations, like beautiful dreamers).

Ultimately, we know your holiday wish is to make a certain good boy or girl happy, safe and sharp lookin’, which you can do with this rechargeable LED Dog Collar – perfect for nighttime walks and/or pet friendly foam parties – and Hide-A-Squirrel squeak toy puzzle, which will keep them busy while minimizing the number of times you have to hose rodent guts off the deck.

Cats

We love these fuzzy jerks, but their little walnut brains are like that chunk of Evil at the end of Time Bandits. They have one, true goal: destroy the nicest or priciest thing we own. So sneakily delight them with this sexy, stylish lounge/scratcher while half-heartedly pleading, “Oh, no. Please. Stop destroying this precious, beautiful item.”

Like your human pals and dogs, cats too deserve to get something they love in bulk. In our experience, most cats don’t just love Temptations treats, they would happily eat your face off to get another handful. So while this variety pack will be sure to please the cat, keeping multiple packages on hand is a wise longterm survival strategy for you.

Mainly, all cats really want to do is get high and bat crap around. This is the time to spring for the good ‘nip, such as the Canadian-Grown Fine-Grind. But you can cheap out on the toys. Get one of these goofy, simplistic Cat Dancers or just buy a ball of goddamn string. The cat won’t give a shit.

Pan-Species

Even when you’re on the road, you can still maintain a close bond. Chase your pet around while whispering nursery rhymes and lobbing treats in their general direction with the App-Enabled FunPaw Playbot Q Pet Camera & Pet Feeder.

And, really, isn’t about time your pet got a taste of the Singularity?

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/crackeds-holiday-gift-guide-for-your-pals-and-pets/ from All of Beer https://allofbeercom.tumblr.com/post/175451503017

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yesilovehorses-blog1 · 7 years

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5 Tips for Feeding Easy Keepers

New Post has been published on http://lovehorses.net/5-tips-for-feeding-easy-keepers/

5 Tips for Feeding Easy Keepers

To help keep your easy keeper healthy and still happy without regular pasture access, turn him out in a drylot or corral with plenty of mature, low-calorie hay to nibble on.

Photo: iStock

Follow these steps to help your overweight horse subsist on fewer calories.

To the person just dipping their toes into the sometimes complex and often expensive world of horse-keeping, having an “easy keeper” might sound like a dream. But the owner managing these equids that maintain or gain weight on minimal food rations knows there’s nothing easy about it. Preventing obesity and its serious side effects, such as founder (chronic rotation of the coffin bone within the foot due to failure of the laminae that support it), can become a nutrition nightmare as owners struggle to find ways to cut their horses’ calorie count while keeping the animals content.

In this article our sources have offered their best suggestions for feeding and managing easy keepers.

1. Feed hay, not grain

The first step to feeding an easy keeper involves eliminating concentrate feeds and selecting lower-quality (more mature and stemmy) hay, says Sarah Ralston, VMD, PhD, professor and Fulbright scholar at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. “If a horse is overweight and an easy keeper, don’t feed any grain-based feeds,” she urges. “It doesn’t matter how many minerals, vitamins, and special ingredients they contain, those feeds also provide calories, which are not what the easy keeper needs.”

To fulfill the horse’s nutrient needs in lieu of feeding these fortified grains, Lydia Gray, DVM, MA, staff veterinarian and medical director at SmartPak, suggests owners add a ration balancer or a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement to the diet.

On the forage side, the goal of reducing a horse’s hay quality is to provide him with satisfying “chew time” without causing him to gain weight. “Horse owners generally look for high-quality hay, but in this situation we want lower-quality hay—and we don’t mean something full of weeds, dust, and mold,” says Brian Nielsen, PhD, professor of exercise physiology and nutrition at Michigan State University. To determine your hay’s quality, have it tested at a nearby lab (see ForageTesting.org for labs).

So why can’t you just reduce the total amount of hay fed? “It is important to not starve a fat horse,” explains Ralston. “Limiting forage intake can lead to ulcers and can also affect the horse metabolically. If you don’t feed enough to meet his minimal needs, this slows everything down; weight loss will actually be less than if the metabolism rate is more normal.”

In other words, it’s better to feed the horse more forage and exercise him to help burn calories than to restrict his diet.

“There are some exceptions, however, when you must carefully restrict what the horse eats,” Ralston says. A few horses have serious metabolic disease—it might seem like they simply look at grass and founder. Often, these horses are overweight, have foundered in the past, or are insulin resistant, in which cells fail to respond normally to the hormone insulin that allows the body to use sugars as energy. “They need to be managed very carefully, using low-calorie hay with maybe a ration balancer vitamin/mineral powder or pellet, top-dressed on soaked hay cubes.”

Treats for Easy Keepers

Sarah Ralston, VMD, PhD, professor and Fullbright scholar at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, knows what treats won't cause her easy keepers to pack on the pounds. In this respect, she typically sticks to carrots because they provide vitamins without all the calories.

"One carrot won’t make a horse gain weight," she says. "It is mostly water. Don’t feed him 5 pounds of carrots, but one average-size carrot won't hurt him. My horses also love celery, which is even lower in calories. Celery makes a great treat for obese horses because celery is just water and fiber."

If you feed treats, avoid grain-based molasses-laden products, and steer toward apples, carrots, and celery in moderation. "Chop one up, and make them eat it in small pieces," Ralston suggests. "I put a chopped carrot on top of their (hay) cubes and they have to go digging through their cubes looking for the carrot pieces," making the treat last longer.

Heather Smith Thomas

2. Limit pasture access

Uncontrolled pasture access for easy keepers can spell disaster for weight management and put horses at risk for developing the potentially deadly hoof disease laminitis (inflammation of the laminae). However, simply restricting your horse’s turnout won’t reduce his risk—you have to be more strategic.

“Some people limit the time a horse is on pasture,” says Nielsen. “The problem with that strategy is that horses can graze a full day’s worth of pasture in a short time. This can cause greater problems because the sugars and starches are brought in all at once instead of spread out through a day of grazing. The horse is loading up (on sugars) and may increase the risks for founder or insulin resistance problems.”

So how long should an easy keeper be allowed to graze, if at all? Optimum time varies with the pasture and the horse, says Paul Siciliano, PhD, of North Carolina State University’s Department of Animal Science. “It depends on the grass quality,” he explains. “It also makes a difference if the horse is at risk for founder. Some horses can get away with eating a lot of lush grass without problems, and others cannot. A horse that is at risk for laminitis should not be allowed out at pasture.

“Our studies suggest morning turnout is best for the easy keeper because this is when some of the nonstructural carbohydrates (e.g., sugars and starches) are minimal in the plant,” he continues. “Sugar content gradually rises through the day. If we turn the horse out in the morning and bring him in before late afternoon, he won’t be getting as much sugar as a horse that is turned out in the evening to graze through the night.”

To help keep your easy keeper healthy and still happy without regular pasture access, turn him out in a drylot or corral with plenty of mature, low-calorie hay to nibble on, Siciliano suggests.

A drylot is just what it sounds like; the horse does not have access to grass. It’s not mowing a pasture to keep it short. “Mowing encourages new growth, with higher protein and energy levels,” Nielsen says, so it’s important to not use mowing as a tactic in this calorie-reducing effort.

If your easy keeper can tolerate regular turnout, and you own multiple horses, you might consider using pasture rotation to your advantage—turning out hard and easy keepers in pastures that meet their dietary needs. “You could make the easy keepers eat the more mature areas or clean up the tall grass after the other horses have eaten the best grass,” Nielsen says.

3. Learn to love grazing muzzles

The beauty of turning an easy keeper out on pasture wearing a grazing muzzle is that he can still be at pasture, exercising and interacting with other horses, yet not overeat and increase his risk for founder.

Nielsen cites a study on grazing muzzles published in the May 2013 edition of the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science in which researchers showed ponies’ forage intake decreased significantly (on average by 83%) when they wore muzzles.

One of Siciliano’s graduate students, Emily Glunk, now of the University of Minnesota, recently studied grazing muzzles and found that if plants were upright, some muzzled horses could eat just as much as those without muzzles.

“Grasses that tend to bend over (perennial ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass) are harder to eat through a muzzle than the more upright grasses like meadow fescue and reed canarygrass,” Siciliano says. “She found you can reduce horses’ pasture intake with a grazing muzzle, but some are crafty and manage to eat more than you’d think.” In Siciliano’s own studies, however, he observed that muzzles do slow horses’ grass intake effectively.

There are various types of muzzles on the market, so find one that works for your horse and his situation. “You may have to experiment to find one that fits and stays on, and make it comfortable for your horse,” Gray says.

4. Find ways to slow consumption

“The main problems that crop up with domestic horses occur because we’ve taken them out of a natural environment,” says Gray, where food comes in at a slow trickle, keeping the delicate digestive system and metabolism in balance. “We put them in stalls and paddocks and limit how much they can move.”

This type of housing trains horses to consume their food all at once, leaving them hungry later. Any management tool you can use to encourage them to nibble more and devour less will result in a happier and healthier horse. Some of these include slow feeders or hay nets placed in stalls and pastures. These require horses to nibble on feed throughout the day, preventing the blood sugar peaks and dips associated with eating just twice a day.

“It’s been found that when you limit horses’ feeding with a slow feeder, the fat horses lose weight and the thin horses gain weight,” Gray says.

5. Monitor your horse’s weight

Keep a journal, and document everything from your horse’s body condition score to cresty neck score (see TheHorse.com/24740) on a monthly basis. “It’s hard to see subtle changes when you are looking at the horse every day,” says Gray. “If you document body condition, girth circumference, etc. once a month, it’s easier to keep track of this and to know if what you are doing is working.”

With horses that are resistant to weight loss, such as those with equine metabolic syndrome, you might need help from your veterinarian and/or an equine nutritionist to make appropriate diet changes. Veterinarians can also advise on measuring weight and body condition correctly and ensuring the horse is staying healthy throughout this program.

Take-Home Message

“Many horses are easy keepers, taking in more calories than they need—like our human society these days,” says Nielsen.

Maintain your easy keepers on a mature forage diet with no grain, adding ration-balancing supplements as needed. Feed hay in slow feeders to extend eating time. Limit pasture time wisely or fit your horse with a grazing muzzle.

About the Author

Heather Smith Thomas

Heather Smith Thomas ranches with her husband near Salmon, Idaho, raising cattle and a few horses. She has a B.A. in English and history from University of Puget Sound (1966). She has raised and trained horses for 50 years, and has been writing freelance articles and books nearly that long, publishing 20 books and more than 9,000 articles for horse and livestock publications. Some of her books include Understanding Equine Hoof Care, The Horse Conformation Handbook, Care and Management of Horses, Storey’s Guide to Raising Horses and Storey’s Guide to Training Horses. Besides having her own blog, www.heathersmiththomas.blogspot.com, she writes a biweekly blog at http://insidestorey.blogspot.com that comes out on Tuesdays.

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panfishonthefly · 7 years

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A Primer On Shad

We are in the height shad season right now here in the northeast, particularly in the Delaware River drainage. I thought this would be a good time to talk a little about fly fishing for shad. Shad are different from most warm water fish I target since they are anadromous, meaning they spend the majority of their lives in salt water, returning to fresh water to spawn. Shad are only available to anglers for a short window of time and during this period, they are always on the move. What was a productive spot one day may be a waste of time to fish the next.

First a little about the fish themselves. When I refer to shad, I am, in fact, referring to American Shad, not to be confused with the slightly smaller Hickory Shad. Both species may be present at the same time in some watersheds. Shad are members of the herring family. These fish spend the vast majority of their lives in salt water, returning to freshwater to spawn, much like salmon. It is interesting to note that many shad survive spawning and return to the ocean in the northern part of their range. When I refer to freshwater, I mean rivers. Although the historical range of the American Shad has been reduced due to dams and pollution, shad can be found in most major river drainages along the eastern seaboard including Florida and Nova Scotia. Originally native to only the east coast, shad were transported to our western shores in the 1800's where they took to the Pacific Ocean like a fish to water. West coast runs of shad in some rivers may, in fact, be larger than runs in their native rivers back east.

A female shad is typically larger than males. Their average weight is 3-6 pounds, but they can run quite a bit larger. The current IGFA all tackle record is a hefty 11lbs 4oz. Male shad typically range in the 2-4 pound range. Shad are feed mostly on plankton like other herring, but they have been known to consume shrimp, small fish, and fish eggs. It is puzzling why shad readily take flies and other lures, being the plankton feeders that they are. It could be out of aggression or perhaps simple curiosity. Fortunately, we don’t need to worry about why they hit flies, just be confident that they do.

When shad enter freshwater, they are doing it for one reason, and that is to spawn. Depending on where you are located this can occur anytime from late winter to early summer. In my area, the major fishery is the Delaware River. In most years the fish are in the rivers in catchable numbers by late March. Once in the rivers, the fish are constantly on the move towards their spawning grounds which could be hundreds of miles upstream and into tributaries along the way.

Shad tend to orient themselves to the river bottom, sticking close to it as they move or rest in the river. They often tend to stick to river channels, but occasionally can be found in shallow water. Shad also tend to congregate behind obstructions in the river, using the break in the current to rest before pushing up the river. Shad gather in schools in the marine environment, so if you locate one fish, you are likely to connect with more. In the rivers, shad behave differently than they do in salt water in regards to forming schools. In freshwater, a school of shad is more likely to be a long narrow line of fish opposed to a dense school. They move upstream in conga line fashion instead of a large pod of fish.

If you are trying to locate shad, you need to keep these facts in mind. You are going to need to present your fly in a manner that it gets down in the water column, real low, just over the bottom. You will probably have more success if you can locate structure in the river that will provide a break in the current if you are looking for a concentration of fish. Keep in mind that these fish are on the move constantly so you may find them anywhere. Finally, you want to be able to reach the main channel with your cast as the fish tend to seek out the deeper water of the main channel more often. Find a location that gives you one or more of these features, and you're likely to catch shad if they are there.

Fly patterns for shad are very simple. The flies I tie consist of chenille bodies a chenille heads of a contrasting color. Sometimes with a tiny tail and tinsel rib, tied on heavy wire hooks, sizes 2, 4 & 6. Fluorescent and flashy colors are particularly effective. Gold or silver tinsel chenille body with fluorescent red, yellow or chartreuse head is my preferred choice in normal, clear water, especially in bright sunlight. A black chenille body with a chartreuse head or tail is the ticket for dirty water or low light conditions. A good all around combination is a black/chartreuse or black/orange combo with a tinsel rib. These sparsely tied flies sink well and are fished with a fast strip, so no action is needed from wing/tail/hackle materials to impart the illusion of life.

I prefer a 9 or 10 foot six weight rod. It has enough power to throw the shooting head systems I use and provides plenty of sport when fighting the fish without overpowering them. I also use a 10’ - 6” seven weight in high water conditions. Shad are notorious for using current to their advantage, in strong flows such a rod is not considered overkill. When the season winds down, the water gets skinny, and the fish are not in their prime I sometimes break out a five weight.

For a fly line, I use various weight shooting heads. A shooting head with a type IV sink rate would be a good all around choice if you were only going to fish one line. I keep type V, III, and intermediate heads in my kit as well but to be honest, I seldom use them. Towards the end of the season when the water gets skinny you can get away with a sink tip, intermediate or even a floating fly line.

I never add shot to my leader. If I need additional weight to reach the fish, I will change lines or add a sinking leader. I often have to cast significant distances to get to the water the shad are holding in. "Chuck and duck” casting with heavy split shot on the line is asking for trouble. As far as shooting lines go you have a lot of choices. I prefer a 20lb line, about 100 feet of it will suffice. I am looking for a line that is easy to manage, stays tangle free and does not have a memory. Backing is a necessity with these fish. A good fish in strong current will show it to you, so be sure to have your reel filled to capacity. Again 20lb backing will be sufficient.

I keep my leaders short, very short, 2-3 feet of eight or ten-pound test mono is all I use. A longer leader will have the fly traveling above your shooting head. My goal is to have the fly moving in line with the fly line at the same level with no slack. I use a loop to loop connection between all components of the system to allow for swapping out lines easily.

Another piece of crucial equipment is a stripping basket. Whether you buy one or make your own, they are essential for keeping your shooting head and running line off the water.

Fishing this set up is pretty straight forward. You begin by stripping out your shooting head and running line into the water. Strip out enough to match your casting ability and the distance you intend on throwing the fly. The line is then stripped back and deposited into the basket, with the line closest to the reel on the bottom of the basket. If you have never cast a shooting head, you will discover it is a little different from a standard fly line. You start with most of the shooting head out of the guides. The weight of the head does all the work; you do not have to increase the power of your casting stroke much to get long distance casts. When the cast is made, the running line will fly up out of the basket and follow the head to its destination. It pays to keep the area above your basket as clean a possible to avoid the line catching on anything.

I make the cast slightly downstream and begin counting down to reach the depth I intend to fish. If I need more depth, I may angle my cast slightly upstream to allow for more time for the line to sink. Experiment with different counts to find the depth the fish are holding in. However, avoid the line making contact with the bottom at all costs. If you have a tangle or some sort of malfunction during your cast, immediately retrieve your line and don't let it settle in the water. You don’t want that dense shooting head to lodge on the bottom of the stream bed. If the line ends up in rocks or debris on the stream bottom, it could be an expensive day for you!

If you a saltwater fisherman the standard retrieve will be familiar to you. The rod is tucked under an arm and using two hands the line is stripped into the basket. Strikes will be very hard; you won’t be able to miss it. Don’t raise the rod at this point, set the hook by continuing to strip the line quickly. This is called a strip-set. When you feel the fish struggling on the line, you can lift the rod and play the fish. Whether to play the fish off the reel or by hand stripping is up to you. Often the fish will make the decision for you by rapidly taking the line and putting you on to your reel within seconds. If you are getting bumps and not solid hits you are likely dragging your fly over the backs of fish. Allow you fly to sink a little deeper, and those bumps will change to solid takes.

Fly fishing for shad is a casting game and can get quite monotonous when the fish are not biting. But once they start, you will soon forget the previous boredom when that first fish takes off for parts unknown. Shad are a hard fighting fish that are a thrill to land on a fly rod. Give them a try.

#Shad #shad flies #fly fishing for shad

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