The reality hit last week when my wife and I got our Sunoco and Mobil gas credit card bills, a shock to say the least.

I have since resolved to try a lot of my fishing closer to home, preferably within walking distance or three miles from my house. That would mean I am limited to brook trout, since the nearest rainbows, browns, lakers and other sport fish are five miles and more beyond that.

There are other locations within a 20-mile round-trip that would only cost about $4.50, but the challenge of doing it without fossil fuel made a foot trip, for me, a challenge.

Last Wednesday, our first day without rain in a long time, I packed my telescoping spin rod, ultra light reel and line, and some worms, along with a bag to bring back any trout I was lucky enough to catch, and took off.

I walked 1.3 miles, then canoed .4 miles, and finally walked a portage trail I had marked on my leased hunting club land .3 miles to a stream I knew had trout.

After settling in, I baited up a No. 6 barbless hook with a small garden worm and let it drift in the moderately weak current past a pool along the near bank. I then retrieved it and sent it out again. This was about as basic as fishing could be; the peace and quiet made up for the lack of immediate action.

Then I got a bite, not a rod-bending one by any means, and reeled in a whopping 6-inch brook trout!

In the hour I fished, I caught half dozen brookies, most that size, and I could have been kept them but I didn ¼t. Some people like these small native trout for eating, considering them tastier than bigger trout. For me, a larger fish that would produce a decent-size fillets is preferred, but I caught none that size that day.

In all, I did a four-mile round-trip, got some good exercise, caught a few fish and, most importantly, didn't spend any money on gas!

Senate passes youth hunting bill

The youth hunting mentoring bill has passed the state senate by a 61-1 vote and is now expected to be signed by Gov. David Paterson. The bill allows 14- and 15-year-olds to hunt big game with a rifle if they are accompanied by an adult licensed hunter. There are limitations, such as no tree-stand hunting and the youth must wear hunter orange. Overall, the bill has been supported by state sportsmen and sportswomen.