beer trout: Beer, Bluegrass and Bamboo

Part I: Beer

    When a can, cup or bottle of beer is around I’m the guy that will indulges. This case of 21st Brewery has really been getting hit up for the past few evenings. The after work beer, dinner beer, shower beer, before the event beers, (cheap beers at the event), and the post-event celebratory beers, all add to a stinger headache. The Black IPA accompanies the winter weather nicely with a warming sensation. The IPA feels like it’s a proper balance for the richer Black. Yet both these beers are over 6.5%. I’m glad to have the cheap event beers at Banjo Night. Yuengling will always be Pottsville’s finest and a staple for western Pennsylvania’s.

Part II: Bluegrass

    I don’t always listen to music, but when I do it’s probably bluegrass. I can listen to four different versions of the same song without blinking an eye. The only thing better than listening is being there and watching it.
    Tuesday night has filled with the Bluegrass Jam at the Starlight Lounge in Blawnox at 364 Freeport Rd. The mood was mellow and the pens won. The jamming was genius with several groups forming throughout the establishment. The beers were Magic Hat 9 and Sierra Nevada IPA. Good company and great musicians made for an incredible evening at the lounge. It might turn into my regular Tuesday hangout.
    Wednesday was the much-anticipated second consecutive experience of Banjo Night. Great times with the same great company. Hula Hoppers twisted their hips up on stage while the tunes filled the air. The place feels like an Appalachian version of a German Beer Hall. Our beers came in plastic pitchers and contained Yuengling.

Part III: Bamboo

My fly fishing addiction kicked in after Banjo Night. I dropped a few words on local forums and watched youtube videos. I wanted to tie flies but the beers were still flowing. I watched this video: Octhopper The opening line of “I love fishing hoppers on bamboo rods” punched my soul. I had do fish grasshoppers on my bamboo fly rod.
The major issue is that it is the dead of winter and there are no grasshoppers. The other issue was that my beauty of a rod was in need of a snake guide repair. I finally took the time tonight to bust out the rod and examine the damage more closely. Thankfully Golden Witch has all the necessary materials to repair the old rod.

This rod is a testament to my stubbornness. I purchased it as I was writing my senior thesis on the history of bamboo fly rods in America. It would not have been proper for me to research and write about bamboo without actually owning one. It’s just a Wright@McGill Granger Victory.