STUFF TRAVELING ANGLERS NEED By Ken Schultz On the phone is a friend who�s headed to Brazil in two days. His first trip. �Any last thoughts on something I might be missing?� he asks. We�ve talked several times in the past few days. I�m mentally reviewing the laundry list we�ve already been through. �Not that I can think of.� He mentions that one of the people that was supposed to be in his group, a man conversant in Spanish, has cancelled because he hurt his back. And then I think of something. �Do you have a cheat sheet of words and phrases in case you�re with people who don�t understand English?� �Nope.� �I�ll fax you one.� �Good idea,� he says with great sincerity. So I fax him a sheet that phonetically shows him how to tell the guide to get closer to shore, to go back to camp, to go faster or slower, and many other practical things � all in Portuguese, the language of Brazil. I have my travel checklist that I go through before departure to make sure that I�m not missing either personal items (medicine, toothpaste, etc.), business items (batteries for my cameras), or fishing items. It is quite comprehensive, and I keep it on a file on my computer, so that I can change or print it any time. After the aforementioned conversation, when I looked at the list, I saw that it I had never added the language helper sheet to it! Most of the items on my list are pretty obvious, but it�s good to run through a list both as you pack for your trip, and as you pack for the return (to make sure that your stuff is not left behind). Let�s run through some of the things are especially important, and also review a few practical related matters. Tickets, Documents, Money For international travel, a passport and a visa may be necessary and you should carry these on your person at all times. Make sure both are current and that neither will expire during your trip. Do not tuck these in baggage that will be stowed away, as it will be necessary to show them to customs officials and airline agents, and possibly to others depending on where you travel; if these are stowed in a bag that gets placed under a cart full of baggage, you�ll delay everybody by having to dig it out, and in any event, if something happens to the bag, there goes your important papers. If security is a concern when you�re at your final destination, do not leave your passport in your room. Take it with you or store it in a secure place. Multi-pocketed clothing is great for this stuff. It may be necessary, or at least a good idea, to register items of value (cameras, personal computer, etc.) when headed to some countries, or for return to the U.S. This is to make sure that valuables that would be subject to taxes and import duties are not purchased elsewhere and brought back without payment, or sold while enroute without payment of taxes. If so, make up a list of these items, with date of purchase, cost or value, and serial numbers, which can be kept with your passport or which can be used to fill out any necessary declaration forms. The list might be notarized beforehand, or it might be stamped by a customs official at a U.S. international airport. As for money, always keep money with you, and not in luggage, and make sure that you have enough cash of proper denominations to help with small things, especially tips and taxis, when you arrive in an international destination. Have a good supply of one- and five-dollar bills/coins. Luggage Make sure that your baggage, including carry-ons and rod case, are all tagged with personal identification. Place this both inside and outside the baggage. If your luggage is quite common or looks new, place some common item like a piece of colorful tape, red cloth, ribbon, decal, etc., that makes your luggage stand out and readily observed. Carry-on luggage should include things you cannot do without. This includes medicine, sunglasses, camera and batteries, film, and the like. A small vial of insect repellent in my carry-on has saved me several times. A crushable rain jacket or fleece vest is another good item if you have room. You may be glad to have these if you�re separated from your checked luggage for a while. If you travel with a cell phone, laptop, and accessories, put these in your carry-on luggage also. Consider using a small backpack as one of your carry-ons. Special Angling Items While you will probably give great thought to the rods, reels, lines, and lures that you need for a trip, as well as the box or storage system to pack it in, don�t overlook the other stuff. We anglers often need, and use, a lot of stuff. Like waders, wading shoes, fly vest, fishing hat, and a host of accessories. Among the accessories to consider placing on your list is a compass and/or a handheld GPS unit. The latter can be very useful in distant places and where you run a long way each day to fish, but make sure it has fresh batteries. Some type of knife is virtually a necessity, as well as a pair of fishing pliers. I carry a small pocket knife and a pair of sheathed fishing pliers. A multi-use utility tool is also a good idea, and either the pliers or knife on the tool may replace separate such items. If you�ll be fishing without a guide, or landing many toothy, tough species, I recommend bringing a fish-grabbing tool or a fish-grabbing glove. A reliable fish-weighing scale may be worth its weight and bulk if you have the space, and a measuring tape is also good for getting length and girth measurements for a trophy that will be released. Among other items that you might find useful: a battery-operated weather radio, a small flashlight, a small duffel (perhaps a waterproof bag) for the boat, a couple of plastic bags for storing wet items, small binoculars, a hook sharpener, and duct tape. A small repair or tinkering kit is also a good idea; this might contain a jeweler�s screwdriver, glue, and some items for fishing tackle repair or modification. No matter where you�re going or what conditions you expect, don�t leave home without insect repellent, sunscreen lotion, polarized sunglasses, and rain gear. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website mancing-l at http://www.MancingL.com --> Fishing information, online chat, forum discusion, clasifiedads, etc MancingL Archive at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] Fishing@Indonesia a MancingL sharing picture forum at http://communities.msn.com/FishingIndonesia Millis ini terselengara berkat dukungan PT. Metrocom Global Solus- The Prefered IT Solution Company http://www.metrocom.co.id ** Save Bandwidth... potong berita yang tidak perlu **
