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About Appeal tribune. (Silverton, Or.) 1999-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 25, 2021)
Appeal Tribune | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2021 | 1B OUTDOORS Ocean odyssey Newport aquarium and Yaquina Head a perfect pairing Zach Urness Salem Statesman Journal | USA TODAY NETWORK There are plenty of reasons Newport has become my family’s favorite place to visit on the Coast, but the one that stands out is the way you can ex- perience the ocean’s environment in two very different ways: the Oregon Coast Aquarium and Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. h Ore- gon’s best place to observe ocean life in a zoo or museum setting dovetails perfectly with a trip to the rugged headland where you can see that life in its natural environment, and it’s a particularly great way to inspire kids to appreciate all sides of the ocean’s life. h Both are popular at peak sum- mer tourism season, so we tend to arrive early — around 8 to 10 a.m. — and typically go on week- days for the best experience. h For Yaquina Head, it’s critical to watch tide tables and visit as close to low tide as possible. See PAIRING, Page 2B Top: Cobble Beach at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area features tide pools, a unique beach and views of seals. Bottom: Salal Hill is an uphill hike that leads to outstanding views of the Oregon Coast and Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. PHOTOS BY ZACH URNESS/STATESMAN JOURNAL I’d rather have ‘Pocket Tacklebox’ than ‘Pocket Fisherman’ Fishing Henry Miller Guest columnist I actually blame myself. Ron Popeil, the sultan of schlock, the marquis of marketing, the progenitor of the TV infomercial as well as being the wellspring for the “As Seen on TV” shelves at retail stores, taught me a valuable lesson. Never let the obvious and the simple alternative stand in the way of pulling out your MasterCard. Popeil shuffled off to Buffalo on July 28 at the age of 86 in Los Angeles. My first interaction with the consum- mate huckster involved a dictionary and one of his commercials broadcast at an obscure hour on an even more obscure independent TV station in L.A. during my formative years. I believe the patter for the Veg-O- Matic involved the pitch, “it slices, it dices, it juliennes fries. But wait, there’s more!” Not knowing who Julienne was, or why her fries were so exceptional, I had to look it up. Turns out it means “shoestring” and according to lore, created by a French chef allegedly with that name. Real class, Ron. As an aside, re: the spuds, you just missed National Julienne Fries Day, which was Aug. 12. Quel dommage. I digress. OK, so let’s get down to the original theme. Which involves another of Popeil’s creations, the Pocket Fisherman. Kay, my wife and an avid estate/ga- rage-sale enthusiast, spotted one in its original packaging and thought that it might appeal to me. The stickers on the box show that the original list price was $39.99, steeply discounted on a second orange SALE sticker to $16.99 on offer at Big 5 Sport- The Pocket Fisherman. HENRY MILLER/ SPECIAL TO THE STATESMAN JOURNAL ing Goods. As Kay recalls, she bought it for $1 at a yard sale. Which given the construction of low- impact plastic, stamped aluminum guts and equipped with a gray nylon carrying strap sounds about right. It has a stubby bifurcated, two- pronged “rod” for no apparent reason other than to increase the breaking strength of the reed-like plastic, or more likely, to make the Pocket Fisherman look high-tech. Popping open the handle to check out the interior workings, the drag to adjust the line tension for fighting fish looks about as efficient and effective as put- ting your foot on the pavement out of the driver’s side door to brake a Cadillac Escalade. The sturdiest piece of construction seems to be the plastic practice casting plug. Taking it out of the box, the first thing you notice is that despite the name, the only pocket that could accommodate the Pocket Fisherman would be one worn by a professional shoplifter on a foraging trip. And woe betides any angler who would try, as the illustration on the box shows, to shove the Pocket Fisherman into the rear wallet pocket on their pants. If it doesn’t fall out, it probably would snap the first time that you sat down. See MILLER, Page 2B