Reeling in the Zombie Apocalypse 6

To be continued...

I turned to see her look of horror and then I followed her eyes to the creature coming towards us. Her left arm was bone and an eye was missing but the creature had indeed been my mother in law. My mother pulled the trigger of the gun and my former mother in law’s head exploded and then Jenny fainted which was probably for the best since a moment later I was forced to drive over her father. I felt bad about it. My father in law and I got along fairly well except for the fact that I was a Piscifun fan and he preferred Rapala. We didn't fish or shop together so as long as the topic didn't come up it wasn't too much of an issue. Certainly some concessions have to be made for ones father in law. Even when he is clearly wrong. I felt terrible as I heard his bones crack under the tires.

The zombies were too slow to follow the Yukon as we raced up the street.

I heard Jenny stir and saw my mother in the rearview window as she clamped a hand over my wife's mouth. I hope Jenny would forgive her later but we really didn't need the attention of any more zombies.

I turned my face back to the road but a moment later my mother tapped me on the shoulder.

"The baby is coming," she whispered. I turned around to see that my wife's pants were wet. Had she peed herself in shock?

"My water broke," she said.

"Shit," I growled slamming down on the gas. We had to make it to the sailboat, fast.

 I felt renewed determination and there was not a zombie that stood a chance as I gunned the engine pushing the Yukon as hard as I could. Part of me worried a cop might come and ticket me as my speedometer reached 100 MPH but no one came and the fence to the dock was opened. The bad news was that meant that zombies might be on boats. The good news was that I didn't have to drive through a chain link fence.

Her parent's boat was in its spot. My dad and I jumped out of the Yukon. I have to admit that at that moment I was pretty pissed and would have welcomed a zombie to beat to death but none were on the boat. My dad and I loaded the supplies onto the sailboat before I opened the door to pick up my wife. Her face looked panicked and pale. I couldn't say I blamed her. I hoped my mom knew what to do.

I let her settle my wife in the bed in the cabin while my dad helped me to get the boat out onto the water.

"I need something to tie the cord!" My mother yelled.

I grabbed Piscifun braided line and brought it into the room where my mother was pulling a baby from my wife's body.

I didn't watch as she tied the cord and then cut it. All I could see in that moment was my wife and my son.

I knelt down beside my wife and gave her a kiss.

"He is beautiful," I said because there was nothing else I could say.

"Do you think it really matters? He won't get to grow up. We are all just going to be zombies," she said. The tears falling down her cheeks upset me. The birth of a baby was supposed to be joyous and it was apparent that even though my son was a bit small he was perfect in every way.

"We can't give up hope," I said. "We have to believe that the outbreak hasn't crossed the water. We have to hope that once we cross the water we will be safe and our son will be able to live a normal life just like we intended for him to."

"What if the outbreak is everywhere? What will we do?" Jenny asked. I gulped. I didn't want that to be the truth. It would be a hard life for us if it was. It certainly wasn't the way I wanted to raise my son, but I couldn't lie to my wife, and I wanted her to know that I was going to keep her and my boy safe no matter what.

"If the absolute worst happens, I suppose we will just live on this boat. We have enough fishing gear here to assure that we will have food at least until Junior is a teenager. Water might be an issue but my dad and I can make water runs. There have to be lots of stores with bottled water ripe for the taking. We have plenty on here now but it is a concern."

"But what about other children to play with," she said. "I want him to have a normal life. A good life. He can't live on this little boat forever fishing with his dad and grandpa," she said.

It didn't sound like such a bad life to me but I was smart enough not to say so.

"There have to be other survivors. We will find them. When we do, we will figure out how to fix this," I said. It might have been a dream, but it was the only hope we had.

The end.

Fishing At Casterly Rock Episode 7

The word “sacrifice” sounds like a snake slithering in tall grass. It makes me shiver. To be a protector of life is compensation in itself, but to sacrifice oneself to do so, is an entirely different situation.

“How exactly am I supposed to sacrifice myself in order to become a guardian like you?” I asked the guardian. Suddenly I am not so sure that I want to know the answer to the question I had just asked.

“By sacrificing yourself, you ensure the promise you make to Casterly Rock is forever kept. You have to spill your blood onto the tree of life. You blood must flow through the earth and mix with the water that runs through the roots of the tree of life. Once you give your blood, sacrifice it to the tree of life, it will return the favor by giving you life in the form of being a guardian of Casterly Rock.”

His words hit me like a thousand knives. “In order to be a guardian of Casterly Rock, I have to sacrifice my own life?” I could hardly get the words out of my parched mouth.

“Correct. You will then become one of us. Your body will change, but you will still be Brad. Only much wiser as the gift of life will run through your veins.”

“Will I still fish at Casterly Rock?”

“No, you will choose someone, whoever it might be, and they will follow the same path as you have. They will fish here and you will make the offer to them to become guardians, just like I have done with you. You will rein gifts on them from the trusted Piscifun range of fishing tackle and they will decide for themselves which path they will follow.”

I suddenly wish I had never met Mr. Stanley. If it was not for him, I would never have to make this decision. As the guardian can read my mind, I can see the frown starting to form on his fish-like face.

“You are not having doubts are you?”

“I…”

I cannot finish the sentence. I can only feel a slimy hand over my throat. As I look down onto the ground, I can see the blood flowing from me, straight to the tree of life. I do not even try to struggle against the darkness that wants to overcome me. All I see is the fish-like face in front of me and I know, I am now a guardian of Casterly Rock.

Customer review on our Piscifun Thunder Baitcaster

Long story short: Comparing with Abu Garcia Pro Max II (shortened as Abu) which is in the same price range, Piscifun Thunder baitcasting reel (shortened as Piscifun) is made with better material. 

As a fisherman with engineering PhD, a couple of smooth castings cannot satisfy me completely. I need to understand the reel inside and out: how it is designed mechanically, what material is used, whether the reel is going to be durable... When I get this Piscifun reel, I compared it with my Abu which I bought three years ago. Both are ranged in $60~$70 interval, the market section targeting the amateur fishermen using baitcaster. Like a research report, all photos attached are numbered. 

Both reels are about 8Ozs, while the Piscifun is a quarter ounce heavier (Fig 1). Lighter is better, but this tiny bit additional weight does both bother me. The metal frame is well worth the additional weight.

Piscifun's spool is wider (Fig2), the width is very close to Daiwa Tatula and Shimano Curado. One theory about the spool width is that wider spool helps longer casting: pulling line from spool near outer surface takes less effort. Actually, the new Abu Garcia Pro max III, just announced in ICast 2015, also features a wider spool. Seems this is the trend for reel design. To my surprise, the weight of the Piscifun spool is a gram less than Abu's, even with a larger size. Lighter spool helps casting control of lighter lures, since less kinetic energy is stolen by spool during casting, at the moment you release your thumb.  

Other than the metallic frame, you can find a lot more metal on Piscifun (Fig 4): worm gear sheath, worm gear paw nut, star drag, thumb screw and end plug on knobs. 

A larger spool increases the overall width of the reel (Fig 5). When mounted on a rod, I can definitely feel Piscifun is bulkier than Abu. The feeling of Piscifun in palm is similar to Daiwa Tatula: fingers need to reach further to grab the rod, but still manageable.

Cranking takes less effort on Piscifun: gear ratio is lower than Abu, and the handle is longer (Fig 3), giving you more toque on the handle shaft.

On the handle shaft, a proper design should use three bearings: an instant-anti-reverse bearing (IAR) and two ball bearings (BB) on each side of IAR. IAR allows the handle rotating in only one direction, but it is weak: the plastic parts in IAR cannot tolerate too much load in radial direction. And this is the reason we need two other BB to support IAR. In the mechanical schematic diagram of both Abu and Piscifun, I can see the 3 bearing; however in real product, Abu skipped one BB which pissed me off (if not designed in due to cost, it's OK I can understand. But fooling customer using schematic is dishonest. IAR of my Abu failed and was replaced after 2 years use, and I believe it's related with the missing bearing). All the 3 bearings can be found in Piscifun (Fig6 & Fig 10)  

Other than Shimano reels, the thumb bar designs of many mainstream brands like Daiwa and Abu are pretty much the same: the thumb bar is rubbing against the frame whenever pressed down or coming back. In Abu's Max reels, the friction between thumb bar and the frame is mitigated using grease, a lot of grease, even on new reels (you can check the new Abu reels in Walmart). Each time after use, I need to apply grease on to my Abu, between the thumb bar and the frame to extend the life span of the reel. On Piscifun, there are plastic pads made of slicker material between the thumb bar and frame, and this is the common practice of reels over $100 (Fig 7). The result is longer life span, easier maintenance and smoother button action than Abu. 

The drag in Abu is paperbased material, works OK and I have no complaints. In Piscifun, the drag is using multidisk cross carbon fiber, a lot better construction and material (Fig 8). I really need to land some big fish to tell how much better Piscifun's drag is. Another observation is the drive gear (the big gear in Fig 8, rotating around handle shaft): When turning the handle of Abu, I can hear gear grinding sound, only occurs around a certain angle of the handle. This is cause by the offset error between the center of the gear and the rotation axis. On Piscifun, the grinding sound is much less, which means the concentricity accuracy is better. 

Abu's spool tension knob is better than Piscifun (Fig 9): it has the clicking sound for more accurate and "quantitative feeling" of the adjustment. Piscifun's spool tension is similar to Shimano Curado and Daiwa Lexa/Tatula, no clicking, but it is OK. BTW, in so many Youtube videos, even some professional anglers call it "centripetal something". This is just spool tension, applying pressure on spool axis to generate a constant braking torque, has nothing to do with centripetal force. A centripetal brake is the one used in Abu Revo S or Shimano Curado.

Bearings, bearings, bearings... engineers' favorite topic. I cannot comment on the "two Japanese high speed NMB bearings", since NMB has plants all over the world, and I cannot see any marking on spool bearing saying they are NMB. However I can confidently say that Piscifun used the number of bearings they promised in the right places (Fig 10): two on worm gear; two on spool axis, two on pinion gear (a great feature I like, see the difference in the attached video; other companies give such design fancier names, e.g. "Shimano Super Free Spool"); three bearings on handle shaft. Abu's design has one less bearing comparing with Piscifun, Abu's product cheated by using one less bearing comparing with their own design; Abu puts two BB in handle knobs, which make the gear box (where bearings are most desired) have much less bearings than Piscifun.

Another nice feature on Piscifun, especially for geeks like me, is the little cover on the handle-side. Without the need to pull the reel apart completely, I can lubricate the drive gear and pinion gear through this little cover (Fig 11 left).

Nothing is perfect, and I do have three comments on the reel which may have the room for improvement, just my personal opinions

1. Logo: When I open the box, it says "Haibo Overlord", not Piscifun Thunder. Although the reel is exactly the same as described other than logo, it surprised me a little bit.

2. Magnetic brake: to cast properly I need to use about 90% of the brake. This may be caused by the way I cast or the techniques I use, so maybe you do not need such amount of braking. When casting against the wind, the mag brake will be maxed out and still not enough. A stronger brake (i.e. more magnetic bits in side plate) will be beneficial.

3. Reel seat: Unlike metal frame reels from mainstream brands, such as Abu, Shimano or Daiwa, the Piscifun's seat is a separate piece of metal, riveted onto the reel frame (Fig 11, right). Between the two is a piece of plastic sheet, like a washer to provide compression stress in the rivet (Fig 7 right). The reel seat is good and firm so far, but it may be questionable for long term durability, when the plastic washer dries out and flakes apart. If the frame is one piece, I will feel much more confident in the rigidity and durability.

Piscifun Thunder Baitcaster link: http://goo.gl/vtjNSO

Fishing At Casterly Rock Episode 3

That night I have a dream. I dream that I am crowned ruler of Casterly Rock. The guardians all bow down to me and give me a crown made of golden fish scales. They name me god of the guardians. I am their master and they are my servants to make with as I please. Upon waking up the next morning, I feel a sense of guilt washing over me for having such a dream. Is that not what the guardian at Casterly Rock warned me against? Pushing the troubling thoughts to the back of my mind, I begin the usual route to my fishing spot. For some reason, my Piscifun Crossbody bag feels unusually heavy…

I settle down next to the bank covered with soft moss, making it my home for the day. I have much fish to catch and even more people to feed. My Piscifun Carbon casting rod glistens in the morning sun, making it look as if the sun only shines its rays on my rod; giving it a god-like look. God like…

“Brad, your mind is an open book to me. What you think goes straight through my veins. What you feel makes my bones shudder with pain as well. I am however wary of what goes on inside your mind as it is not what the guardians of Casterly Rock want your mind to be filled with. I warned you of the power that comes with guardian status.”

Feeling like a kid caught in the act of being naughty, I spin around to see the guardian standing at the edge of the bank, his scaly skin like diamonds in the sun. “It was just a dream, just a subconscious meddle of the mind,” I try to come up with a valid explanation.

“They all say that, and yet they all follow the same path. Make sure you are not one of them, Brad. You are special and our last hope.”

“Yes, I understand. I will rid myself of these ludicrous thoughts and notions and concentrate on the task at hand. Making Casterly Rock the salvation for those in need and guarding it from any harm that might come lurking.”

“Good. I would like to inform you that you will be summoned to a council meeting tomorrow as you arrive here for your fishing venture. Do not be late and do not bring your negative thoughts with you. Leave them be where they do not bother you or any of us.”

Just as he appeared, he disappeared again into the water, making the trout in the lake surface for just one moment, making it much easier to catch them. Not long after my encounter with the guardian, the sun sets its rays on the mountain, ready for another night of darkness. As I pack up my fishing tackle, satisfied with the days catch, I open my crossbody bag and reach out to get my Piscifun fishing pliers. My hand glides across something cold and wet inside the bag. I glance down into the bag and am appalled at what I see. What stares back at me makes my breath catch in my throat. Eyes, or what used to be eyes, drawn back in their sockets, glassy with no life at all. My head lies in the bag, the look of fear still visible. As if the wind could feel my fear, a whisper sings softly in my ear.

“This will be you if you dare disobey.”

Now I know. Do not let the status cloud your mind. You will regret it. Shaking, I glance back at the bag to see my lifeless eyes. Nothing; the bag is empty. I gather up my trout and head back to the village. Tomorrow at the council meeting I will talk to the guardians about this. They had to have something to do with what I had just seen.

How to choose a baitcasting reel

             

Many bass anglers have a low-profile baitcasting reel. Baitcasting reels can also be used for larger fish like redfish and pike, or small panfish like crappie and bluegill. They are lighter and allow for easier wrist action, letting you place lures precisely where they need to be. They have ergonomic design, giving you a comfortable feel, which can pay off after hours of fishing. However, not every experienced fisherman knows how a baitcasting reel is built and how the mechanics works. Here I will show you how to choose a baitcaster based on the design, quality and construction of the reel. 
This is Piscifun Thunder series low-profile baitcasting reel.

In the following image, the reel is disassembled to show all the parts in the reel.

You might be surprised by all these little pieces in the picture. Well, there are many other small parts I have not disassembled; in totally the reel consists of more than 100 parts.                                                                                                           Ok, here we go!                                                                                                         

Frames                                                                                                                     
Made of either aluminum or graphite. Graphite generally less expensive and lighter in weight but won't withstand much abuse as aluminum.

Braking System                                                                                                          Most of the basitcasting reels in the market today are using either centrifugal braking or magnetic braking.  Both techniques are proven to be effective in controlling birdnest during casting, and this Piscifun Thunder baitcasting reel uses magnetic braking.

Spool 

Aluminum spool with drilled holes dominates the market. The key is making it lighter. This Piscifun Thunder baitcasting reel spool features a wider and sealed spool, which is precisely machined from a whole piece of forged aluminum and weighs only 0.7oz/20g (even lighter than narrower spools in other brands). The sealed spool can prevent dust, sand, and saltwater getting into the bearing and make this reel  more durable when used in saltwater fishing.

Ball Bearing                                                                                                                       Well, quality over quantity, as many professional guys agreed. Piscifun Thunder baitcasting reel uses Japanese sealed stainless steel NMB ball bearings. The corrosion resistant bearing also contribute to the long life span of the reel , even if used for saltwater fishing.      

Line Guide                                                                                                                  
The easiest part to get corrosion, they are made from either titanium or ceramic,with the latter being less expensive but can crack or break from alleviated abuse.This reel definitely uses titanium line guide, the more expensive and more durable option,  to accommodate saltwater fishing. 

Gearing                                                                                                                       
The main gear, gear shaft and pinion gear of this reel are made of brass which is light and corrosion resist. Under the pinion gear there is a clutch ring made of metal in order to support the spool. Together with the two ball bearings that support the spool, they make the spool sit and spin precisely, during casting and retrieving. Most of the others baitcasting reels don’t have this metal clutch ring.   

Drag washer                                                                                                            
The material of the drag washer is often the bottleneck of the reel’s life span. Common drag washer are made of asbestos, plastic and carbon. The most costly option, carbon drag washer, is way better than other two. It could provide High corrosion resistance (acid and salt), High temperature prevention, Strong friction, Excellent drag performance and Water-proof. To achieve long service life span, this Piscifun Thunder baitcasting reel generously uses 3 carbon drag washers. 

One more thing you need to pay attention to is maintenance. Unlike many baitcasting reels which require disassembling  at least the handle and the side-plates, this reel Has a small opening for easy access and lubrication of the gears by just removing one screw.  

To get a better understanding and deeper insight of how a reel works, I would strongly recommend you dissembling a reel by yourself. Remember to keep the schematic for reference and take as many photos during the dissembling process as possible, so that you can put it back together. I am sure you will appreciate the high quality material and well-thought-out design, A well-built reel with a low price tag, why not give it a try?  

Please click the link to see more details on Amazon: http://goo.gl/vKlUlJ

Fishing At Casterly Rock Episode 2

It had been an utterly exhausting day, giving trout from Casterly Rock to those who needed it most at the marketplace. As I saw it, I was their hero! It quickly became known to me that I will have to catch twice as much trout the next day if I was to stay their hero.

Early the next morning, before the sun bragged its luring rays of light, I went round the bend and over the next hill; back to Casterly Rock, back to what I wish I would forget. Upon getting there, I was met with a delightful splash; trout in the reeds, ready for the breakfast I was about to serve. I assembled my Piscifun Shadowcat Casting Rod and added some bait; Fly Fishing Flies with a Floating Fishing Lure. Fantastic for the amount of fish I wanted to catch today.

As the day wore on, I began getting an unsettling feeling that I was being watched from beneath the trees in the distance. As Mr. Stanley was no longer alive to watch my every move at Casterly Rock, the watcher was unknown to me. With a jolt, I heard a voice behind me.

“Brad, you are a good fisherman, Piscifun products agree with you. I have a proposition for you, if you are interested.”

I turned my head, already knowing I was about to speak to one of the Guardians of Casterly Rock. “A proposition, I would love that!”

“Brad, you are so enthusiastic, but I warn you, it is not an easy task. You must become a guardian of Casterly Rock. You must guard this wonder we live in with your life. Guard it from fishermen that want to exploit its riches and use it only for their own benefit. Mr. Stanley was asked to become a guardian, and the status went to his mind; see where that got him. Will you be able to become one of us, Brad?”

Gob smacked, I uttered the few words I could, “Yes, I will become a guardian of Casterly Rock.”

“Good. Remember, you are to protect this place from newcomers that wants to reap the benefits of what we have here. You are to catch fish from this pond and give it to the poor at the marketplace, not sell it for your own benefit. You will be poor yourself yes, but as a guardian, you will be compensated for good behavior in way you would never imagine! “

“Yes, yes I will do that,” is all I could muster.

As if talking to the wind, there was a slight splash into the pond and then nothing. I was alone again, only me and the trout. I could not believe what had just happened! I was asked to protect Casterly Rock from harm and in return I would be compensated, by money hopefully. As I picked up my rod to call it a day, I saw a Piscifun Portable Fish Lip Gripper next to my fishing box; a present from the guardians. I made a mental note to thank the guardian when I came to fish tomorrow; if I was to see him again.

I walked up the road and past Mr. Stanley’s post. So, that is why he was such a bitter man. The guardian status went to his mind. Poor soul was my only thought. As I walked into the marketplace, an idea became to form in my head…

“Trout, trout for those who are hungry! Come get some trout, those who need it most!”

As if drawn to my voice, a huge crowd of hungry men, woman and children began to gather, eager to get a taste of the trout of Casterly Rock.

Fishing At Casterly Rock Episode 1

Around the bend and over the next hill, that is where the spot is; lush with its content I need, hidden below the vast reeds. I hope I will catch something today; otherwise Mr. Stanley will beat me and make me regret that I came home empty-handed. I ready my Piscifun Shadowcat Casting Rod. If there is one thing Mr. Stanley and I agree upon, it is the Piscifun brand; trusted for many years.

As I begin the morning ritual of assembling my fishing rod and choosing the right bait, I began to ponder. I make a good noose for the Casting Spinner Bait with Treble Hook; great for Freshwater Trout. If only there was a way I could get out of Mr. Stanley’s grip. He pays such a small wage for all the work I have to do. I get up before dawn each morning, cross the rigged bridge and walk across the valley of fog. I try not to listen to the fog ghosts, sending their death defying whimpers across the valley, carried by the morning breeze. Then it is around the bend and over the next hill; to the place of any fisherman’s dream. Casterly Rock, is what Mr. Stanley calls it. He has kept it secret all these years. He pays me to go there every day and catch the most beautiful trout imaginable! The reason he doesn’t go himself is that he was banned by the guardians of Casterly Rock. He had an agreement with them; he would catch trout from their pond and give it to the poor in the village. Instead, Mr. Stanley sold it at the market for triple the price it was worth. Now, he sends me to the rock, and beats me when I come home empty-handed. I do not really have a choice; I need the money to stay alive.

I use my Daiwa fishing pliers to cut the excess line from my rod. I have chosen a Rapala fishing line for today’s catch. As I ready myself to cast for the first time, I can feel someone watching me. Slowly turning around, my breath catches in my throat. Right there next to the Willow tree, stands two Casterly Rock guardians. Their fish-like gills glisten in the early-morning rays. With webbed feet and scaly bodies, they make their way towards me.

“We have watched you for a long time now, Brad. We know who you work for. We have banned Mr. Stanley from this place, so we will do with his servants.”

“I beg you, please, if I do not go home today with at least five trout in my bag, he will beat me half to death!” I stutter.

“Do not fear, Brad, for Mr. Stanley will beat you no more.” The guardians slowly make their way to the water’s edge and disappear beneath the depths.

“Wait, what do you mean?” It’s too late; they are nowhere to be seen.

As quickly as I can, I gather all my fishing tackle and put it into my Piscifun Outdoor Sports Shoulder Bag. Running as fast as my legs would carry me, I make my way to where Mr. Stanley usually waits to pick up his fish. There, right under the rigged bridge, I find him in a puddle of blood. Someone had shot a gigantic fishing hook right through his heart. Without blinking twice, I gather my thoughts together and head to the market.

As I enter the pungent marketplace, I began shouting, “Trout, trout anyone who does not have a morsel to eat, free trout for the poor!”

Instantly, there are at least five people, skinny, crawling out of the dark alleys to feast on the trout of Casterly Rock.