This is an unusual week as I am on vacation in Sarasota Florida. But just to keep everyone up to speed as to what is happening on the kayak scene I am going to do the newsletter. Around the the first of January I hooked up with a Colorado college friend from some 27 years ago and we have been doing the electronic catch up ever since. After a couple of months of catching up we decided it's time for a visit to Sarasota. We are having a great time as I am doing my tour guide thing on the Myakka to different high points of Sarasota County. 

   This Saturday I will not be doing the "Basic Paddling Class" for obvious reasons. They will continue on May 1st, so stay tuned on next week's "Happenings" as the classes should be back in full stroke on the 1st.

   Economy Tackle/Dolphin Dive will be presenting "Shoreline & Kayak Fishing for Snook" by Steve Gibson of Southern Drawl Kayak Charters. As a lot of you know Steve has been fishing and writing about Sarasota waters  for a number of years. Writing for the Herald Tribune and a number of other publications, Steve had to back up what he wrote and did this by gathering information from charter captains and fishing these waters himself. That constant research made Steve a real authority on the fishing scene. Check out Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing Charters. Steve will be doing his presentation Wednesday April 28th at 6pm. No reservations needed.

   The "Friends of Myakka" are geared up again for a "Full Moon Paddle" Tuesday night April 27th with a launch time of 6:30 at the first bridge inside the park. We just got off the Myakka this afternoon and it was awesome, as it has been all winter long. I also saw my first Florida Softshell Turtle. This turtle was about 16" long, which makes it a female as the males are about 8" long. We also did get to observe a number of various birds including the Roseatte Spoonbills. If you had checked the photos on "Friends of Myakka " facebook you would have gotten an idea how beautiful that full moon paddle was. For more info give volunteer guide Dick Pfaff a call at 941-955-8278 for information and reservations.

   Economy Tackle was all set to participate this last Sunday in Manatee County's Ecology fun day on Bridge Street. We were going to put eleven kayaks on the water for the public to try out. Instead we got rained out. Well, we were all disappointed, but I am sure it will happen again.

  Safe journeys,

   Dick