text:
by J. M. Chico Fernández
photos by Chico Fernández
THE LIGHT WAS PERFECT as I aimed my telephoto lens at a
skiff working across the flats. The bow angler made some beautiful
practice casts, and I was sure the photos were going to be nice.
All of a sudden, the poler pointed to the right, and the
angler started to cast again. But this time, there was no loop. His
backcasts were hitting the water, and finally, his leader caught and
wrapped around the rod, ending any possibility of a shot. Even at a
distance, the angler looked four inches shorter in his humiliation.
I turned around to my friend, who was smiling broadly. "A
permit," he said. "They saw a permit." And sure enough, a few seconds
later, the angler started to practice his cast, which was once again
A little late, but lovely.
I cast my first fly to a permit in the mid-to-late 50s,
and today, with quite a few permit to my name, they still make me
nervous when I am getting ready to cast. There is something about permit
fishing that just makes an angler uneasy. Maybe it's the fact that you
could face a fish well over 40 pounds, and that same large fish can
often be hard to see in the flats. Or perhaps it's the fact that they
can be incredibly spooky even on a windy day; forget a calm day. Even
after a great presentation, they might come to the fly as it drops,
carefully inspect your offering long after it has reached the bottom,
and then reject it and go about their business of looking for real food.
It can leave you with the shakes.
As hard as it can be to find permit, and as tough as they
can be during a fight, I find the presentation and the retrieve the
most critical. The toughest thing about landing a big permit is hooking a
big permit.
Given a good breeze — which is ideal for permit because
it helps conceal your profile — you are going to have to talk yourself
into being fairly aggressive in your presentation. You must cast close
enough that the permit sees or hears your fly when it plops and, more
important, sees it sink to the bottom. Remember that the only defense a
crustacean has when confronting such a swift predator is to dive to the
bottom and dig in. To a permit, this looks
like a crab or a shrimp (depending on your fly pattern)
trying to skip out on dinner.
So don't lead him by too much, just a couple of body
lengths or so is enough. And while you will occasionally spook a few
fish by being aggressive and getting too close, you will also hook more
fish than by being too cautious. There is nothing worse than an angler
casting all day to a few permit that never knew he was there. Spook them
or hook them.
If the cast did not land exactly where you want it to,
yet is still too close to pick up and cast again, then retrieve it
slowly. A long pull might put it were you want it. Or you can just
retrieve until you see the fish react, and then let it drop.
One exception occurs when you are chasing a permit or a
school of permit feeding into a strong current, which will be waiting
for crustaceans to drift their way. Here it may be wise to lead the fish
a little more than usual and let the fly drift into them.
Once you have made a good cast, you must interact with
the fish. That is, watch his reaction to the fly from the moment it
plops on the water to the take. Try to read the fish's body language
during all of this, because every fish reacts differently, although this
is certainly an area where experience is the ultimate teacher.
If he sees the fly dropping and comes over for a look, lay it on
the bottom as he investigates. If you feel you must move it, or you
can't stand it any longer, move the fly very slowly and such that it is
off the bottom. Dragging a fly across the sand will spook them.
Other anglers may fish the crab a little faster by swimming it with a long, slow pull.
Then, if this does not work, they will go back to the
drop-and-wait. But whatever you try, do not use sharp or abrupt strips.
This appears very unnatural to a permit and more often than not will
spook them.
As you make your retrieve — even while you are letting
the crab fly sit on the bottom — make sure that you have no slack in the
line. This way, the moment the permit picks it up, you will feel the
take and are ready to strip-strike. If you don't maintain line contact, a
permit will pick up the fly for a few seconds and then spit it out
without you knowing. Happens all the time, to the frustration of the
guide who is begging for the angler to strike.
On that point, any permit angler should have a constant
line of communication with the guide or poling partner. Remember that he
or she is much higher than you on that poling platform and, if it is a
guide, has seen many more permit than you.
One exception to the slow retrieve is a school of small
permit in the flats, and by small I mean fish under 10 pounds or so.
These younger fish act more like jacks than mature permit, so it is
almost always better to use a faster retrieve and even a fishier fly,
such as a Clouser.
Cast in front of the moving school (like teenagers, small
permit always seem to be moving) and let the fish approach the fly.
Then, without any sharp strips that may scare them, strip, stop, and
strip. If you get no hits, mix it up with a few strips, a long strip,
and so on. By then, the spirit of competition among small permit will
usually trigger a strike. And remember to strip-strike before you lift
the rod, and to look at your line and not at the fish while clearing
your fly line.
In the way of leaders, I like the longest I can handle
in the prevailing wind condition. And half of that is butt section to
help turn over the typically heavily weighted permit flies.
Most of my permit leaders range from about 9 feet for
very windy days to almost 14 feet for fairly calm days. If it's super
calm, I do some other type of fishing (or head back to shore for a big
The single best tippet size for me is around 12-pound
test. I say "around" because some manufacturers' tippets are heavier
than others for the same test strength. Too heavy a tippet, and the crab
will not dive as fast and does not act as natural. But I do see anglers
using 16-pound tippet, and that's okay if the diameter is not too big.
Others even go to 20-pound tippet, but not me.
Everyone has their own killer permit fly, but in most
areas, the basic crab designs seem to do the best, followed by some
shrimp patterns. Rather than show you any of the crab flies I use, I
think it is more important to point out that you should have your crab
flies in two weight sizes. One should be lightly weighted with brass
eyes or bead-chain eyes, and you should have another group tied with
lead eyes. So, for example, you would have a light-colored Merkin in a
light weight and heavy; a dark color in a light weight and heavy, and so
on. This way, if the tide is high when you get to the flats, you go
heavy. If the tide is low and the fish are tailing in fairly shallow
water, then you pull out the lighter flies so you can land softly and
still get to the bottom.
Permit require one of the warmwater fly lines
specifically designed to put up with very hot weather and high humidity.
Most of these lines have a hard core (either braided
monofilament or a single mono core) to keep the fly line fairly stiff in
permit weather. Unlike for bonefish, it doesn't get too hot for Mr.
Permit. So in that high heat, ordinary fly line will hang on the guides
like wet linguini and refuse to shoot. They also tangle often, making
any line manipulation a nightmare.
A 9- or a 10-weight is the best line for delicately
presenting heavy crab and shrimp flies in shallow water. Any heavier and
you are pushing it; besides, what fun would it be to fight a permit
with a tarpon rod?
Use a 9-foot saltwater taper rod to match your fly line.
Unfortunately, some manufacturers have rods that are, at least in my
opinion, too stiff for the recommended fly line. So you may have to use
one line size larger on some rods. But try to stay with the 9- and
10-weights, if you can.
Despite the fact that permit grow several times larger
than bonefish, they tend not to run as far as fast. Even if you hook a
40-pound permit, you should be fine with a fly reel that holds around
200 yards of 20-pound backing. And of course, a smooth drag is a great
help and a pleasure to use. However, I have landed lots of permit while
using reels with light drags or clicker drags, just for fun.
Either way, the fight may be long not so much for the
blistering runs but for the permit's stubborn, jacklike fight. Before
you can experience that, however, you have to learn the necessary
patience to entice them to eat, and that can come only from fishing for
them as much as possible.
Specifications• Line Sizes: 6 to 16 weight• Rod Lengths: 8' to 9.5' • Sections: all 4 piece models • Handles: Portuguese cork - Full-wells saltwater grip• Reel Seats: Black anodized aluminum uplock w/ cork fighting butt • Actions: Fast
Saltwater fly rods have a difficult set of criteria to live up to. They need to be powerful, and have a relatively fast action to throw tighter loops when distance is required, and to battle wind with large flies. Yet, just as often, these rods are called upon to load quickly for very short casts, with just one backcast, when jumping fish from the deck of a boat, or in poor visibility conditions. Hmmmm... that sounds like a difficult design parameter to me. In a similar vein, we're battling some pretty big, muscular fish here, sometimes longer than we would want to, so the fly rod has to be built strong enough to take that punishment, plus the added abuse of getting knocked around in a boat. But on the other hand, we may have to cast this beast of a rod for hours at a time, so if it's overly heavy, or unresponsive, it could wipe us out of the game when if we're unable to raise our arms any more. Such are the dilemmas of the Saltwater fly angler. Awhile back, the Sage Rod Company started experimenting with a graphite fly rod construction process which they thought would lead them to the next level in overall fly rod performance. In a nutshell, they were right on. After three years of extensive testing, Sage's new Generation 5 Graphite Technology process was unveiled for the 2004 season in the form of an impressive new series of high performance saltwater fly fishing rods, the Xi2. This construction process has proven so successful, Sage has incorporated the same G5 Technology into the moderate action/light line ZXL Series, the all-around fast action Z-Axis Series, and most recently, for 2008, the featherweight TXL ultra-light series.
All of these new Sage rod Series are impressive performers in their own right, but let's get back to the Sage Xi2s. The Xi2 rod has a fast action, yet is extremely smooth, and can readily generate high line speeds for longer saltwater casts, even though it has a finer tip and weighs about a half an ounce less than its popular predecessor, the Sage RPLXi. When I recently used the Xi2 12 weight on a Tarpon trip to the Keys, we ran into a lot of overcast conditions. Sometimes we didn't see these monsters until they were just about on top of us. Then the guide was yelling, "Get it out there, NOW!" The Xi2 responded fairly quickly and accurately in these short line situations. Sage says that their Modulus Positioning System (MPS) in the Xi2 allows a precise lay-up of longitudinal fibers not only to create the smoothest action possible, but also "to provide a startling level of "line feel" throughout the casting stroke. This enhanced ability to feel the rod load allows you to apply power more efficiently." I'd agree with that, considering that the Xi2 is a fast action rod. "Fast" in saltwater lexicon usually means "really stiff". The Xi2 seemed to give me more feedback than the heavier saltwater sticks I'd used in the past. Long casts or short casts, the Xi2 seemed to make my casting easier. I should note that my casting style is suited, and my preferences are biased, toward faster action rods. But G5 Technology looks to make even fast rods more "castable" for everyone, so I would even recommend these rods to beginning casters, some of who may benefit by starting out with a fly line one size heavier than the rod weight.
There are thirteen of these dark blue-colored, four-piece bad boys, and they cover all the line weights, ranging from a 9' six weight for spooky bones, specks, and reds, all the way up to an 8 foot long, sixteen (yes, 16) weight rod for landing god-knows-what kinda huge fish. The Sage Xi2 9 foot 8 weight, 10 weight, and 12 weight rods remain the salt water workhorses for flats, reefs and offshore and are the most popular sizes for all-around saltwater fly fishing.
Sage replaced a very successful saltwater rod series, the RPLXi with the Xi2. The Xi2 weighs significantly less, easily generates more power, but most importantly, has a more responsive, lively feel when compared to previous saltwater rods. The significance lies in the differing technologies used in building the rod blanks themselves. Instead of a typical fiberglass "scrim" or mesh that is rolled around the steel mandrel and binds the longitudinal graphite fibers together, the Z-Axis utilizes what Sage calls their Generation 5 technology. In this process, the scrim is replaced by a lighter layer of graphite cloth that is rolled at a 90º angle to the separate layer of longitudinal graphite rolled over it. The result is a rod with greater "hoop" strength with less weight. When a fly fishing rod bends, its circular cross section becomes an oval, with the greatest stress occurring in the compression element at the inside of the bend. This phenomenon is typically what causes graphite rods to shatter when they're overstressed (aside from car doors, dog teeth, and nicks from weighted flies). These graphite "hoops" offer far greater stability than their heavier fiberglass counterparts used in past generations of graphite fly rods. In addition, when the G5 layers are compressed with tape and baked in an oven, as all synthetic rods are, the epoxy resin fuses the layers together more effectively than it would with scrim, and uses less resin in the process. G5 tech has been proven with the Xi2 Salt Water rods, and has lead to the production of new, higher performance freshwater Sage fly rods, as well. Not only that, but in the four plus years since their introduction, the Sage Xi2s have proven their extreme ruggedness in tough saltwater situations. So; lighter, stronger, faster, more versatile, and more durable, to boot? If you took a poll of veteran Saltwater fly anglers, it would be no surprise that they would rate the Sage Xi2 as the top saltwater rods available today.
The sanded surface blank of the Xi2 is painted a blue color with blue thread wraps over English Hopkins and Holloway heavy-duty oversized snake guides, oversized round tip top, and two stripping guides, with three stripping guides on 11 weight rods, and heavier. The grips are turned smoothly from the finest individual Portuguese cork rings and are complimented with a black, salt-safe, heavy duty anodized aluminum uplocking reel seat with a cork fighting butt. Due to several layers of inspection during the manufacturing process, the fit and finish of the Xi2 is nearly flawless and what one would, and should, expect on a top of the line rod. The rod comes in a cloth sock with fold over tie down and a substantial, blue colored aluminum tube with a solid screw cap. • Sage G5 technology graphite construction • Very light in hand (for salt water fly rods) • Fast and crisp, yet smooth, rod tapers for high line speed, accuracy, and comfortable casting, near or far • Oversized, low profile English Hopkins and Holloway guides and round tip top • Hand-turned Full Wells cork grip • Black uplocking salt-safe big game reel seat with cork fighting butt • Cloth sack and aluminum rod case • Limited lifetime warranty
Sage was founded in 1979 by Don Green, an experienced rod blank builder and one of the architects of the modern fishing rod, as owner of the Grizzly Fiberglass Company, which later partnered with Fenwick. It was originally called Winslow Manufacturing (after the city of Winslow on Bainbridge Island, Washington) but within a year had changed its name to Sage. Emphasizing high quality fly rods sold only through specialty stores, Sage rode the crest of the fly-fishing boom in the post "A River Runs Through It" years. Today, although there is no industry repository for exact numbers, Sage is probably the world's largest producer of premium fly rods and employs over 100 workers in their manufacturing facility. So, has being the 800-pound gorilla affected the quality of their product as it has with so many other companies in the outdoor industry? Although challenged by industry wide flat sales, the growth of the Internet, and increasingly higher quality Asian imports, my impression is no, for several reasons. Sage has continued to retain talented people and spend money on research and development. The proximity of Bainbridge to the Boeing Aircraft manufacturing plants near Seattle and Toray Composites in Tacoma provides access to a wealth of knowledge from the aerospace industry, the primary end users of graphite fiber. More importantly, aside from a few casting and spinning rod models over the years, Sage has pretty much stuck to their original intention, building very good fly rods. The Xi2 has a limited lifetime warranty for the original owner. If you damage or break your rod, you are responsible for the shipping charges and insurance to send ALL of the pieces to Sage in the original tube, or a PVC tube, plus a $50 handling fee, to cover return shipping and insurance within the U. S. or Canada. International owners are charged the actual shipping and insurance fees. Not a bad deal for an expensive, relatively fragile tool. The other five or six top US makers offer similar rod warranties, but not all provide the same level of service. I've seen some customers wait 3 or 4 months, or longer, to get their rods back. Sort of puts the damper on the fishing season. Sage's lead time for repairs is usually about 2 to 3 weeks during their busy summer, and shortens to about 1 ½ to 2 weeks in the winter.
The Sage Xi2, from many standpoints, deserves its reputation as the best all around salt water rod series, and would be my first choice in all line weights that I would most often use in saltwater. If I could suggest one 'dream' change, however, it would be for Sage to adopt some new, innovative technology that's recently become available; Recoil nickel/titanium guides and stripping guides. These amazing, lightweight guides are nearly crush-proof, usually snapping back to their original shape after being deformed. Recoils, as I've heard from some saltwater pros, have superior corrosion resistance over traditional plated steel wire guides, particularly when exposed to a constant marine environment. I don't live on the ocean and I'm an occasional salt water fly angler, so I clean and rinse my gear (as I've been told to do over the years), after every salt exposure, and I clean it again, more thoroughly, when I get home from a trip. So, for me, as well as most anglers, both types of guides will work fine and most likely will give me long years of service. Sage competitor, G. Loomis has had good success with the Recoil guides on their GLX CrossCurrent saltwater fly rods. The CrossCurrents also cast very, very well and I would rate them a close second to the Xi2 and, perhaps, a first choice for someone who keeps their rods onboard most of the time.
Generation 5 Technology all-graphite layup from Sage builds noticeably lighter, stronger and faster line speed saltwater fly rods that can still load readily over a wide range of casting distances for ultimate versatility. Thirteen rod models from 6 to 16 weights to cover everything from small reds to giant billfish. Heavy-duty reel seats. Limited lifetime warranty.
$670 to $745 price tag is a little steep for some, but in line with other top saltwater fly rod makers. Traditional chromed steel guides, while sturdy, sometimes do not hold up as well to constant, or unmaintained salt water corrosion as the newer nickel/titanium Recoil guides.
A combination of recent technological advances and superb tapers, the Sage Xi2 has established a higher casting and fish fighting standard in saltwater fly fishing rods. Fast, smooth, 'lively' and powerful with proven strength and durability from the world's most successful premier fly rod manufacturer.
Check out the best fly rod models.
by Dr. Aaron Adams
photos by Aaron Adams
AS THE TIDE TURNED and began to flood, I poled the boat
across a shallow grass flat, just inside the sandbar that separated the
flat from the Intracoastal Waterway. Many of the large boats that
blasted past reminded me of Rodney Dangerfield's short, destructive,
ill-fated yacht voyage in the movie Caddyshack. So when I
muttered 'what a couple of Rodneys' when two boats passing in opposite
directions neglected to slow down, and slammed loudly into each other's
massive wakes, my fishing buddy Doug Hedges knew exactly what I was
talking about. It was amazing — we were close enough to the chaos of the
ICW that we could read the registration numbers on the sides of passing
boat hulls, and we were stalking tailing redfish. Except for us, these
redfish were unmolested.
You have to give Doug credit, he seems ready to try
something new at least once. And on the bow, he stood ready to cast to
the next tailer that came into range — with, of all things, a gurgler
tied to his tippet. Some folks know this is a good technique, but when I
suggest they try a surface fly for tough tailing redfish, most anglers
show a look of disbelief, even suspicion. But not Doug, he was all for a
new approach.
A topwater fly is farthest from many angler's minds when
they are casting to tailing redfish. The fish are, after all, digging
their noses in the bottom for shrimp, crabs, worms, or small
bottom-dwelling fish like gobies and blennies. Why on earth would an
angler in their right mind choose a surface pattern? After all, redfish
don't eat with their tails. A topwater fly can be a good choice for
three reasons.
First, a redfish intent on digging out prey buried in the
bottom is often so focused that it doesn't see it's surroundings. This
is one reason it is possible to pole a boat right up to a tailing
redfish without being noticed until the boat almost overtakes the
feeding fish. On numerous occasions I've been able to wade close enough
to a tailing redfish to touch it with my rod tip. Actively tailing
redfish can also stir up enough bottom that visibility in their
immediate surroundings drops to zero, obscuring any fly in the murk. In
either case, even the most perfectly placed fly might not be noticed.
Second, even tailing redfish pick their heads up out of
the bottom every once in a while as they move on in search of more prey.
There is a good chance that a redfish moving in search of more food
will see the motion at the surface and investigate. And it's not
uncommon for a bottom grubbing redfish to scare up small prey that make a
break for it. So that same redfish that was so engrossed in digging for
a mud crab that it never saw the perfectly presented fly might see the
surface commotion of a gurgler, and mistake the fly for an escaping
prey. Many times I've watched small shrimp and fish squirt from the
water as they try to avoid a feeding redfish. And I've seen redfish that
were lackadaisically tailing suddenly erupt at the surface to grab
these would-be escapees.
Third, in many of the flats where anglers fish for
tailing redfish, the seagrass is thick and tall. The densely packed
seagrass blades can act as a barrier, preventing a tailing fish from
seeing a fly only inches away. And at a very low tide, the upper
portions of the grass blades lay across the surface, and the tips reach
to the surface at a medium tide, making it tough to get a sinking fly to
the bottom. A weedless gurgler helps get around both of these
challenges and puts the fly in an area where it can be seen by a
A gurgler is my surface fly of choice because it is
light, so is easy to cast long distances and lands on the water lightly.
Both characteristics are necessary when fishing to tailing redfish on
shallow flats. The gurgler is also versatile in how it can be fished —
loudly, so it makes a lot of commotion, or softly, so it barely ripples
the surface. So it's easy to imitate different prey — soft and slow for
shrimp and loud and fast for the finger mullet that can be abundant in
fall — and the changing moods of redfish.
I first started using gurglers for tailing redfish, in
part, out of frustration. My favorite flats for tailing redfish are
covered with lush turtle grass and shoal grass. It can be wearing to
make good cast after good cast to a tailing fish and get no response
because it never saw the fly among the many grass blades. My strategy
when fishing for tailing reds is pretty simple — get the fly into the
fish's sight zone and make sure the fish sees it. I know the fish has
seen the fly when it changes it's behavior — it either reacts
positively, by following or taking the fly, or negatively, by avoiding
the fly or suddenly swimming in the other direction. Often, redfish
feeding in thick seagrass don't react at all, so likely never see the
An unweighted fly that sinks very slowly is a good choice
in these situations because the fly spends more time in mid-water,
where it is more visible, while a weighted fly that sinks straight to
the bottom is quickly lost. However, even an unweighted fly that hovers
mid-water can remain unseen by a redfish feeding in thick grass. If I
can get the gurgler in front of the redfish, it's a good bet the fish
will see the fly.
Another good situation for using a gurgler is when there
are a lot of redfish around, but they aren't staying put long enough to
stalk and cast to any particular fish. The first time I tried a gurgler
in frustration was on a day when the flat was full of tailing fish.
Well, fish were tailing everywhere but where I was. Fish weren't feeding
very long in a spot, but instead would tail for a few seconds and then
move on. There was really no point in stalking, so I drifted across the
flat blind-casting a gurgler. This can be an especially successful
strategy in late summer and fall when juvenile mullet (aka finger mullet) are often common on the flats, and a favorite food of the larger redfish that invade the flats in fall.
My favorite situation for using a gurgler is casting to
redfish that are pushing a bow-wake as they slowly cruise from one
eating spot to the next. I'll often see these fish tail some distance
away, then right themselves and slowly head off in search of more prey.
Sometimes, the dorsal and upper tail fins of these fish will be out of
the water. These fish move slowly and deliberately enough that I can
guess their course and put myself in the best location to make a good
cast. I like to lead these fish by a healthy enough distance that they
can't see the fly or fly line in the air, and let the fly sit until they
are within a few feet before beginning my retrieve.
When casting a gurgler to a tailing or cruising redfish, I
use a leader of 10 - 12 feet or more, with 12 lb. fluorocarbon tippet.
For tailers I use a long leader because I try to cast past the fish, to
the side the head is pointing. I then bring the fly back over the fish.
If the fish continues to tail, I'll make the fly pop to get the fish's
attention. If the fish is not tailing, I continue retrieving the fly in
short strips. Using this strategy, a shorter leader would cause the fly
line to land over the fish, likely spooking the fish and ruining my
chances for a hookup.
For blind-casting, a longer leader means I have less
chance of accidentally lining a fish with the fly line during a cast.
The longer leader also provides better separation between the fly line
and fly, so there is less chance a redfish coming to check out the fly's
commotion will intersect the fly line.
Cruisers are swimming near the surface, with their cone
of vision pointing forward and upward. A longer leader helps me keep the
fly line out of this cone of vision during the cast. I use 12 lb rather
than 20 lb leader because heavier leader tends to pull the gurgler
down. And I find that fluorocarbon tippets make a difference because the
waters I fish tend to be clear.
Long casts are usually best, because even redfish that
attack the gurgler aggressively tend to miss the fly a few times before
they get it in their mouth. With their mouth on the underside of their
snout, redfish have to either raise their head out of the water so they
come down on the fly, or turn sideways to get a better angle on the fly
from below. When a redfish brings its head out of the water to get over
the fly, its eyes come above the water surface, so they can spot an
angler that is close by. And less aggressive redfish will often follow a
gurgler for an excruciatingly long distance, so a long cast gives the
fish more time to decide to take the fly.
When a redfish strikes a gurgler, it is usually an
exciting show — often an explosion on the fly. The temptation is to rear
back and set the hook. In most circumstances, this will result in a
fish circling in confusion as it searches for the fly that you just
launched past your ear. Remember, they'll often miss the fly the first
time. It takes some control, but keep stripping the fly in the same
manner that induced the redfish into attacking it, and strip strike when
you feel tension on the line. Don't lift the rod until you're sure the
fish is hooked. Easier said than done.
Back to the fishing.
Getting in range of a tailing redfish was the biggest
challenge. For a while, it seemed that every fish we saw would tail
aggressively until we were just into casting range, and then suddenly
disappear, only to reappear a few minutes later just a little farther
away: a frustrating pattern that redfish seem to follow frequently.
Doug got decent casts to a couple fish, one of which
ignored the fly as it moved off to another spot, and a second that
looked at the fly and suddenly bolted when Doug stripped the fly ever so
slightly. The eruption caused by the second fish was entertainment in
Doug made a couple casts that had been ignored by a third
tailer, as the fish alternately tailed and moved, tailed and moved.
When the fish had not shown itself for a minute or so, I began to scan
the flat for more action. Then Doug let out a "WHOOP." I turned
to see his rod doubled over and fly line jumping off the deck and
through the guides in pursuit of a surprised redfish. A few minutes
later, we had the fish boatside, and Doug had his first redfish on a
gurgler. We were able to get one more fish before the tailing action
died down, the sun dipped low, and we made the run back to the boat
Would a standard fly pattern for tailing redfish have
worked? Perhaps, but it wouldn't have been as exciting or visual a take.
And we didn't have to worry about making the perfect cast and keeping
the fly snag-free.
The gurgler is an easy fly to tie, and is surprisingly durable for being made mostly of soft foam.
I use pliable closed cell foam in either tan or white.
Tan is good for imitating shrimp and some of the small fish that live on
the flats. White is good for imitating finger mullet and is easier to
see at dusk, one of my favorite times for fishing for tailing redfish. I
use a long shank hook — either for tying a longer, shrimp-like body, or
to tie a keel-hook style weedless version. For the standard,
long-bodied pattern, I tie in a mono weedguard just behind the hook eye.
For the keel-hook style fly, I use pliers to bend the hook backwards,
the bend at approximately 2/3 the length of the shank behind the hook
eye. The foam body is then tied on the same side of the hook as the hook
bend. This fly will ride with the hook point up, making it weedless. I
originally began tying the keel-style fly because so many redfish were
striking the fly without getting hooked. The theory is that since
redfish so often come down on the fly from above, an upward pointing
hook should have a better hookup ratio. The jury is still out on this,
but the hookup rate is certainly no less than the standard pattern. This
clearly means that more research is needed.
Hook: Mustad 34011, size 4
Tail: bucktail, color to match foam body
Body: closed cell foam, double the
length of the hook shank – half tied to the shank, half folded over
(from hook bend to eye) as the back
Legs: hackle colored to match the foam body, attached at the rear of the hook bend and palmered to the hook eye
Thread: Danville flat waxed nylon, color to match the foam body
Weedguard: 40 lb mono


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Situated near the airport, this hotel is within 1 mi (2 km) of BTC Fashion Mall, Maranatha Christian University, and Istana Plaza. Cipaganti Mosque and Paris Van Java Mall are also within 2 mi (3 km).
Hotel Features
Along with a full-service spa, this hotel has a restaurant and spa services. Free WiFi in public areas and free self parking are also provided. Other amenities include meeting rooms, dry cleaning, and free newspapers.
Room Amenities
All 90 rooms offer free WiFi, coffee makers, and TVs with cable channels. Other amenities available to guests include safes, showers, and phones.Would you like to give us feedback? Share it! Opens in a new window
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
The hotel offers a restaurant. High-speed wireless Internet access is complimentary. BTC Hotel features a full-service spa. 2 meeting rooms are available. This Bandung hotel also offers spa services, complimentary newspapers in the lobby, and dry cleaning/laundry services. Complimentary self parking is available on site.
- Total number of rooms - 90
- Number of floors - 6
- ATM/banking
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Elevator/lift
- Full-service spa
- Grocery/convenience store
- Free WiFi
- Meeting rooms
- Porter/bellhop
- Luggage storage
- Restaurant
- Year Built 2012
- Number of meeting rooms - 2
- Free self parking
- Shopping on site
- Spa services on site
- Television in common areas
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free self parking
Room Amenities
- Air conditioning
- Phone
- Coffee/tea maker
- Private bathroom
- Shower only
- In-room safe
- Desk
- Television
- Cable TV service
- Free WiFi
- Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge)
Where to Eat
BTC Hotel has a restaurant on site.
Spa Services
Guests can indulge in a pampering treatment at the hotel's full-service spa, Aroma Therapy. A variety of treatment therapies are provided, including aromatherapy.
- Aromatherapy treatments
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Roll-in shower
Hotel Policies
Minimum check-in age is 17
Payment types
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
Minimum guest age is 17
Debit cards not accepted
Caters to adults only
No cribs (infant beds) available
Optional extras
- Rollaway bed fee: IDR 250000.00 per night
Hotel Name
- BTC Bandung
- BTC Hotel
- BTC Hotel Bandung
- Hotel BTC
We should mention
Children 17 years old and younger are not permitted at this adults-only property. Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms. Alcohol is not served or permitted at this property.

subset: commoncrawl


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PULLMAN, Wash. – The Washington State tennis team opened its 2014 dual-match season with a 7-0 win over Montana State followed by a 5-0 victory over Idaho Friday at the Simmelink Tennis Courts at Hollingbery Fieldhouse. The win over Montana State marked the ninth-straight year the Cougars began the season with a victory.
"This is a very good start to our season," said WSU Head Coach Lisa Hart. "I felt we played well against Montana State and then against Idaho when we were tested, we responded with some big points. Idaho is a good team and to come away from that match with a 5-0 victory is a good result."
The day began with doubles as WSU's No. 1 team of Elizaveta Luzina and Lize Leenknecht posted a 6-1 win over Iva Parapunova and Paulina Lopez. At No. 2 Olga Musilovich and Maria Biryukova clinched the doubles point with a 6-2 victory over Ellie Crum and Wena Tsan. With the doubles point no longer in doubt, the No. 3 match was halted with Montana State's Molly Crum and Laura Middel leading Dajana Ognjenovic and Charlotte Koning 5-4. A new to college tennis this season is doubles play consisting of a six-game set as opposed to an eight-game pro set as in past years.
In singles play the Cougars wasted little time in taking control of the match. Luzina was first off the court with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Parapunova at No. 1 while Musilovich followed with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Ellie Crum at No. 4. Leenknecht clinched the team victory with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Lopez at No. 3 singles and Biryukova increased the lead to 5-0 following a 6-2, 6-2 win over Middel at No. 2.
With the team match already decided, both the No. 5 and No. 6 singles matches were completed with eight-game pro sets. At No. 5 Ognjenovic defeated Tsan, 8-5, while Koning posted an 8-1 win over Molly Crum.
Friday afternoon against Idaho saw the Cougars again jumped out early, taking the opening doubles point as the pair of Luzina/Leenknecht had no trouble with Almudena Sanz and Vicky Lozano, winning 6-0. At No. 2, Biryukova/Musilovich clinched the doubles point with a 6-2 win over Rita Bermudez and Galina Bykova, 6-2. The third match was not completed as the Vandal pair of Sophie Vickers and Belen Barcenilla was leading Koning and Ognjenovic 4-3.
In singles play, Musilovich defeated Barcenilla 6-2, 6-3 at No. 4 followed by Biryukova posted a 6-2, 7-5 win over Bykova at No. 3. At No. 2 singles, Leenknecht rallied from behind in both sets to clinch the match for WSU, winning 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) over Lozano, giving the Cougars an insurmountable 4-0 lead. The match ended with Lozano, who was trailing 6-3 in the tiebreaker, being assessed her second conduct penalty of the match.
At No. 1 singles, Luzina looked to be in command over Sanz, leading 5-0 in the first set before the Idaho senior rallied to tie the set at 5-5. After going to a tiebreaker at 6-6, Luzina jumped out to a 5-0 lead and held on for a 7-3 win to claim the first set. In the second Luzina again held a handful of match points before finally claiming the win, 7-6, 6-3. The remaining two matches were stopped with Koning leading 4-2 against Bermudez at No. 5 and Ognjenovic trailing 1-2 to Vickers at No. 6.
The Cougars are next in action when they travel to Hawaii for a pair of matches, Friday against Hawaii Pacific and Saturday against Hawaii.
Washington State 7 def. Montana State 0
January 17, 2014
Simmelink Tennis Courts
Pullman, Wash.
No. 1 Elizaveta Luzina/Lize Leenknecht (WSU) def. Iva Parapunova/Paulina Lopez (MSU) 6-1
No. 2 Maria Biryukova/Olga Musilovich (WSU) def. Ellie Crum/Wena Tsan (MSU) 6-2
No. 3 Dajana Ognjenovic/Charlotte Koning (WSU) vs. Molly Crum/Laura Middel (MSU) 4-5 DNF
Order of Finish: 1,2
No. 1 Elizaveta Luzina (WSU) def. Iva Parapunova (MSU) 6-0, 6-0
No. 2 Maria Biryukova (WSU) def. Laura Middel (MSU) 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 Lize Leenknecht (WSU) def. Paulina Lopez (MSU) 6-3, 6-1
No. 4 Olga Musilovich (WSU) def. Ellie Crum (MSU) 6-1, 6-1
No. 5 Dajana Ognjenovic (WSU) def. Wena Tsan (MSU) 8-5
No. 6 Charlotte Koning (WSU) def. Molly Crum (MSU) 8-1
Order of Finish: 1,4,3,2,6,5
Washington State 5 def. Idaho 0
January 17, 2014
Simmelink Tennis Courts
Pullman, Wash.
No. 1 Elizaveta Luzina/Lize Leenknecht (WSU) def. Almudena Sanz/Vicky Lozano (UI) 6-0
No. 2 Maria Biryukova/Olga Musilovich (WSU) def. Galina Bykova/Rita Bermudez (UI) 6-2
No. 3 Charlotte Koning/Dajana Ognjenovic (WSU) vs. Sophie Vickers/Belen Barcenilla (UI) 3-4 DNF
Order of Finish: 1,2
No. 1 Elizaveta Luzina (WSU) def. Almudena Sanz (UI) 7-6 (3), 6-3
No. 2 Lize Leenknecht (WSU) def. Vicky Lozano (UI) 7-5, 7-6 (3)
No. 3 Maria Biryukova (WSU) def. Galina Bykova (UI) 6-2, 7-5
No. 4 Olga Musilovich (WSU) def. Belen Barcenilla (UI) 6-2, 6-3
No. 5 Charlotte Koning (WSU) vs. Rita Bermudez (UI) 4-2 DNF
No. 6 Dajana Ognjenovic (WSU) vs. Sophie Vickers (UI) 1-2 DNF
Order of Finish: 4,3,2,1


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Rilakkuma Cafe Bento Box 3 pcs Lunch Box
Cute Rilakkuma Bento Box 3pcs
yellow, pink & blue bento box / lunch box / sandwich box
with Rilakkuma (brown bear), Korilakkuma (white bear),
Kiiroitori (yellow bird) and many donuts, coffee and more
stackable into one another
by San-X, Import from Japan
bento 1: width: 15cm (5.9"), height: 4.5cm (1.8"), 520ml
bento 2: width: 13.5cm (5.3"), height: 3.8cm (1.5"), 390ml
bento 3: width: 12.5cm (4.9"), height: 3cm (1.2"), 250ml
boxes can be used in the microwave (lids cannot!)
boxes are dishwasher safe (up to 140 degrees Celsius)
lids can be washed up to 70 degrees Celsius
boxes + lids can be frozen up to -20 degrees Celsius
very high quality
This item is BPA free and therefore food and child safe
super cute design
perfect for children to take snacks etc.
to kindergarten or school, or for the office


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UK Law
Ask an UK Law Question, Get an Answer ASAP!
Good Evening,
Thanks for your question.
If there is a significant estate value and there are properties to be transferred then an application will have to be for a grant of probate, forms submitted to Her Majesty's Customs & Revenue to account on the value of the estate and to settle any inheritance tax due on the estate. The assets will have to be collected in by the executors of the estate and distributed to the beneficiaries of the Will, or distributed in accordance with the intestacy rules if there is no Will.
There's a fair bit of administrative legwork to go through and I assume that your client (or the Executor of the estate) is likely to instruct a firm to act in the administration of the estate itself.
Her Majesty's Courts Service is obviously a very good first port of call and it has lots of information for lay person's so you can hit the ground running with a solicitor that you choose to instruct:-
The forms you should complete depend on whether there is an inheritance tax liability, but again you get a handle on the basics here:-
You can find solicitors in the area where the bulk of the estate is by using the following Law Society website, entering a postcode/town and selecting "wills & probate" from the area of law option:-
If this is useful please kindly click accept so that I may be rewarded for my time. It will be gratefully received and you will be free to ask follow up questions.
Kind regards,
DISCLAIMER: Answers from Experts on JustAnswer are not substitutes for the advice of an attorney. JustAnswer is a public forum and questions and responses are not private or confidential or protected by the attorney-client privilege. The Expert above is not your attorney, and the response above is not legal advice. You should not read this response to propose specific action or address specific circumstances, but only to give you a sense of general principles of law that might affect the situation you describe. Application of these general principles to particular circumstances must be done by a lawyer who has spoken with you in confidence, learned all relevant information, and explored various options. Before acting on these general principles, you should hire a lawyer licensed to practice law in the jurisdiction to which your question pertains.
The responses above are from individual Experts, not JustAnswer. The site and services are provided "as is". To view the verified credential of an Expert, click on the "Verified" symbol in the Expert's profile. This site is not for emergency questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals. Please carefully read the Terms of Service (last updated February 8, 2012).


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See All Contributors »
Just announced that Phil will suspend his PGA Tour schedule indefinitely to be with his wife who was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Golf - Mickelson's wife diagnosed with breast cancer - FOX Sports on MSN
Hopefully they caught it early and she makes a full recovery.
Horrible to hear.
Originally Posted by MNCyGuy
The only answer to "who/what is GeronimusClone?" is in fact "GeronimousClone". You're like The Todd on Scrubs.
Originally Posted by Angie
This is why you're my favorite
Originally Posted by MoreCowbell
GC, he's obviously all man. And I don't think Ellen would go *****, even for GC...
I hope they did catch it in time.
Terrible situation, but I have to respect his priorities.
Kansas Must Be Destroyed
Sic Semper Jayhawks
He has to feel blessed that he's in a position where he has the money and can take the time off to do it. I bet there's a lot of people out there who have to work through an ordeal like that to keep money and insurance going.
I feel bad for saying this, but I was bummed when I heard this because I am going to the Byron Nelson tournament in Irving this weekend.
Best of luck to lefty.
Originally Posted by RyCy04
I feel bad for saying this, but I was bummed when I heard this because I am going to the Byron Nelson tournament in Irving this weekend.
You can say that without feeling bad. Unless, of course, you don;t think it's a valid reason to miss a tournament. You'd then be a dik.
Man, I hope she's ok. Not only because she seems like a great person and no one deserves to go through that, but also because she's a highlight of EVERY tourney he plays in.
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text:
Product documentation
Rational Requirements Composer Knowledge Center
Click browser refresh button to be redirected to the Knowledge Center.
If not redirected in 5 seconds, click HERE to be taken to the Knowledge Center home page and find your product through the Table of Contents.
Related information
IBM Software Product Information Centers
Rational Quality Manager Information Centers
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Company: Different Projects
Location: London, UK
Type: Freelance
Category: Creative Code
We've got an exciting, high profile project to create a large-scale, permanent, internet-connected video installation for a large telecoms company. We're looking for a creative technologist/coder with experience designing, prototyping and making large-scale, interactive installations. The vision is to combine video, generative animation and live web feeds into something that is dynamic and responsive to various inputs within the building. The role is split between hands-on and creative technical direction. Must be UK-based to come and work with us on-site as needed.
Please get i touch with portfolios at work [at] differentprojects.co.uk


text:
Ways to Give to Banner Home Care
Generous donations from the community help Banner Home Care deliver care and compassion to patients and those dearest to them.
Banner Health Foundation is the philanthropic resource for Banner Health. Contributions made to the Foundation are invested locally in Banner Health's nonprofit facilities and programs to advance health and wellness. At Banner Home Care, the foundation supports programs that reach out to individuals, families and others in need, to provide support and education.
Healing Hearts
With a Healing Heart, you have the opportunity to honor an exceptional individual - the person who made a difference to you - while supporting the nonprofit Banner Home Care.
FRIENDS of Banner Health
FRIENDS of Banner Health is a philanthropic membership program which allows donors to become part of the Banner Health family through an annual gift to Banner Home Care.
Fostering a spirit of giving by making health care solutions a reality.
If you could thank Banner Home Care for their altruistic approach to managing your loved ones disease…
If you could ensure that others without insurance receive the same compassionate treatment…
If you could give families the support they need, but so often don't receive …
If you could protect the future of your loved ones and protect your own tomorrows …
If you could, of course you would.
Now you can.
By making a donation to Banner Health Foundation in support of Banner Home Care you can help bring peace of mind to families with lost hope. Please lend your financial support to the Banner Home Care today. To learn more please contact Banner Health Foundation at (602) 747-GIVE (4483).


text:
The Good Apprentice
The early years of Iris Murdoch's life involved reading existential novels and discovering the true nature of radical politics.
From the 1950s to the 1980s, Iris Murdoch amassed an extraordinary body of work that showed her to be a master of the novel of sensibility as well as the novel of ideas. When Alzheimer's struck in the 1990s, the experience of her final years—described in a cruelly detailed book by her husband, John Bayley, and in the movie "Iris" (2001)—seemed almost to eclipse her literary accomplishment. Instead of a great mind and literary master, she became an emblem of suffering and diminishment. "A Writer at War" restores the vital Iris Murdoch, chronicling in letters and diaries her experiences from 1939 to 1945, when she was in her early 20s and the world, if not literally the writer, was at war.
We learn much less about rationing and air raids in "A Writer at War" than about the evolution of Murdoch's intellect and outlook—her thoughts and emotions and her reading (including a lot of Russian and French novels, particularly existentialist ones). We see her grow from a somewhat naïve young woman—she toured the Cotswolds as an aspiring actress in August 1939 ("the theatre may have been paradise, but the audience was purgatory")—into a serious student of philosophy and literature. "What excites me more than the philosophy itself," she writes in 1945, "is the extraordinary bunch of good novelists which it is inspiring."
Not that her life became entirely devoted to study. One of her principal correspondents in "A Writer at War"—a volume thoughtfully edited and annotated by Murdoch's biographer, Peter Conradi—is David Hicks, a student (with Murdoch) at Oxford before the war who ended up as a staffer at the British Council promoting British culture abroad. She confesses to Hicks in a letter in 1943 that she had "abandoned what you call my 'quaint virginity cult' some time ago & haven't regretted it for one second. There are however remarkably few men who have ever stirred me to any sort of passion. You, for reasons which I can't conceive of, were one of the few." She informs him at one point that he was the first man who had ever kissed her. When they met up again in 1945, they became engaged, though Hicks soon broke it off. They continued to correspond for the next four decades.
If Murdoch "did not gain David as a life partner," Mr. Conradi notes, she "did gain ideas for future novels." Mr. Conradi sees evidence of the Hicks relationship years later in "The Sacred and Profane Love Machine" (1974), a Murdoch novel in which a character "has a Nietzschean cult of the will" and breaks off relations with the female protagonist; and in "The Sea, The Sea" (1978), Murdoch's Booker Prize-winning novel, in which an early sweetheart later re-enters the life of the main character.
A Writer at War
By Peter J. Conradi
(Oxford, 303 pages, $35)
As it happens, Hicks was the first in what would become a long line of "difficult" men to whom Murdoch was attracted, culminating in a long affair with Elias Canetti, the future Nobel Prize-winner. Among her wartime entanglements was one with "an emotional fascist," the Hungarian refugee economist Thomas Balogh, destined to play such a crucial role in Britain's 1960s crises as an adviser to Prime Minister Harold Wilson. In 1944, she tells Hicks: "Shortly after I wrote to you last I tore myself away, with agonies which I could not even have conceived of a year ago, from the utterly adorable but wicked Hungarian with whom I'd been living. Now that I'm no longer bleeding at every artery I see this was a very good move."
If the saturnine Hicks was Murdoch's "dark angel" at university, her other major correspondent in these years, Frank Thompson, was very much her Oxonian fair-haired boy, whose death while fighting behind enemy lines in the Balkans in 1944 cast him retrospectively not only as her Knight Errant but as the love of her life. A budding poet—Mr. Conradi points to his heartbreaking poem about the coming war, "An Epitaph for My Friends"—Thompson is the model for those angelic but potent young men scattered throughout Murdoch's novels (for instance, James Arrowby in "The Sea, the Sea"). In her letters to Thompson, Murdoch comes across as warm-hearted and affectionate, diluting her English name and upbringing by playing up the Irishness of her Dublin birth ("Frank me darlin' ").
In the early 1940s, Murdoch was a stalwart member of the Communist Party, and she appears to have recruited Thompson to the cause, though he might well have gotten there without her since his younger brother, E.P. Thompson, was to become a renowned Marxist historian. But her influence on Thompson did not prevent him from enlisting the day before Britain declared war on Germany (which was then in league with the Soviet Union, lest we forget). In a poem from October 1939, Thompson dismissed Murdoch's reflexive loyalty to the Nazi-Soviet Pact: "Sure, lady, I know the Party line is better. / I know what Marx would have said. I know you're right. / When this is over we'll fight for the things that matter. / Somehow, today, I simply want to fight."
Murdoch's communism seems to have been doctrinaire, leading her even to copy documents and deliver them to the Soviets while she was doing post-Oxford war work as a civil servant at the treasury ministry. After 1941 her letters are filled with enthusiasm for the Red Army's struggle against Hitler. It was an enthusiasm widely shared at the time, and not just in her circles. Eventually, she got over her radical sympathies. "Iris afterwards spoke of her CP years," Mr. Conradi writes, "as having taught her from the inside how a small, ruthless group of individuals can wield destructive power." Like her Oxford comrade and lifelong friend Kingsley Amis, she would come to renounce her communism and end up a staunch Thatcherite.
Mr. Rubin is a writer in Pasadena, Calif.


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Hammer soaring utility bills back down18-10-2011
However, it is not all doom and gloom, as the new council backed scheme 'Insulate Hampshire' have some bill busting free and low cost tips to keep your hard earned cash in your pocket.
Project Manager Sarah Thomas advises"The most cost effective energy saving measure householders can make is to insulate, insulate, insulate! And with free insulation measures to some people in certain circumstances, and from £75 for cavity wall insulation for everyone else, if you install it now most householders will have recouped the cost before the coming winter is even over!"
Ensuring your loft is topped up to its maximum –now 11.5" will also help keep the heat in and you can top it up yourself with DIY rolls of loft insulation for £49 up to a maximum 100m2. Savings of up to £150 can be gained by installing loft insulation were none currently exists, and with prices from £99 for professionally installed loft insulation now is a great time to do it before the cold winter sets in.
Once your home is fully insulated you may be able to reduce your room thermostat whilst still enjoying a warm and comfortable home, and by turning it down by only 1oC you can shave around 10% off your annual fuel bill!
And now that we're a nation of gadget lovers, leaving electrical appliances on standby can waste over £30 a year so make sure to turn appliances off and always unplug phone chargers.
Insulate Hampshire can refer you to certified installers to install low cost insulation measures and to community services such as advice on benefits you may be entitled to receive. They can even help advise how you can generate your own energy through solar PV (electricity) panels, so the energy providers will have to pay you!
For more information about Insulate Hampshire or to sign up call 0800 952 0037 or complete the online form before September 2012.


text:
MUMBAI: During the first half of the month, the market reached to the previous top which was at 6,113 on the back of strong global cues and positive numbers on the economy front.
Initially, the rally was backed by strong recovery in the bank industry, but later on as the Nifty moved above 5,900 it purely got supported by defensives like pharmaceuticals and FMCG sectors ( Sun Pharma, Lupin, HUL and ITC). Surprisingly a few technology stocks (HCL Tech and TCS) have also contributed smartly.


text:
Written Ministerial Statement
The content of this written ministerial statement is as received at the time from the Minister. It has not been subject to the official reporting (Hansard) process.
Department of Culture, Arts and leisure - 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games
Download this statement as a PDF (963.91 kb)
Ms Ní Chuilín (The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure): I wish to inform Members of the benefits to the North of Ireland from the Olympic and Paralympic Games being hosted by London in 2012.
During 2012 the Games themselves will have a direct impact on the North of Ireland through:
Torch Relay, which will visit all parts of the North. LOCOG also announced on 18 May that they are exploring the feasibility of taking the Olympic Flame on a short visit to Dublin. I discussed this possibility with LOCOG on 13 June and I know that work on this is ongoing.
Live Sites – large screens showing Games' events in public areas, located in Belfast and Derry
Pre games Training Camps and events
Major events associated with the London 2012 Festival and Cultural Olympiad.
Three high level strategic benefits arise for the North:
Increasing grass roots participation in sport, particularly by young people – encouraging the population as a whole to become more physically active;
Exploiting the opportunities for economic growth;
Promoting community engagement and achieving participation across all communities through the Games.
A number of initiatives are underway to ensure that we maximise the opportunities presented by the Games and deliver benefits for people in our communities. A number of 2012 related programmes and initiatives have been developed to do this.
Pre-Games Training
Over 200 countries will participate in the Games. Whilst 80 teams or countries have some level of agreement in place the majority of athletes do not yet know if they have qualified for the Games, and therefore cannot yet commit to a Pre-Games Training camp. The qualification process for many disciplines will not be completed until late spring 2012 and a lot of work is going on behind the scenes to attract athletes here in anticipation of their qualification. Let me detail this work for Members:
26 facilities, catering for 22 distinct sporting disciplines have been accredited for Olympic sports along with three 'hub' venues suitable for hosting Paralympic disciplines in the North.
A working group, chaired by SportNI, with representatives from DCAL, NI Tourist Board, Invest NI, Disability Sports NI and local government, is committed to attracting both training camps and events to the North of Ireland. The group has identified that the best chance of attracting visiting teams to the North of Ireland for the Games, is to work with the governing bodies of sports who have accredited facilities. SportNI has liaised with all Olympic/Paralympic Governing Bodies and has identified those that are likely to be able to attract a Pre Games Training Camp or Event.
A wide range of marketing materials have been prepared including promotional DVDs and brochures under the theme 'Raising your Game in the Land of Legends'. These have been distributed to every International Olympic Committee throughout the world. In addition, both DCAL and SportNI have given presentations in other countries promoting the North as a venue, including Beijing, Berlin, Rotterdam, Seville, Jordan, Palestine and London.
SportNI have provided funding to Sports Governing bodies to promote Pre-Games Training Camps and Events at a wide range of international sporting competitions, conferences and exhibitions. SportNI recently made a presentation on Pre-Games Training Camps to seventeen South American Ambassadors at an event in the House of Lords which was attended by the First Minister. SportNI was recently represented at the Sport Accord Conference attended by over 100 countries and held meetings with various International Governing Bodies to promote Pre-Games Training Camps and events.
A number of sensitive and confidential negotiations are ongoing and I hope to have positive news to announce once countries become aware of who has qualified for the Games. However, given the recent media interest it is important to describe the progress made to date in some detail:
Paralympic Sports
The World Boccia Championships will take place in August 2011 in the University of Ulster. This is a qualifying event for the Paralympic Games with over 35 countries and 400 athletes participating.
The North of Ireland will also host an International Wheelchair Basketball Pre-Games Tournament January-February 2012.
SportNI have been working with the Ulster Branch of the Badminton Union of Ireland. I was delighted to announce yesterday that the Yonex Irish International Badminton Championships would take place in Lisburn in December 2011. This is a ranking tournament for those seeking to compete in the 2012 Games. It is anticipated that 20–25 potential Olympians, likely to be participating in London, will be participating in this event.
A coaching clinic took place in Salto Gymnastics Centre in Lisburn at the end of May 2011 involving members of the development squad from England, Scotland and Wales. Two officials from China are soon to visit Salto for a familiarisation visit with a view to locating their Pre Games Training Camp here. Representatives from local Gymnastics will be attending International Events in London in the coming months. Relationships with existing contacts are being developed.
SportNI are working with prominent boxing officials to attract teams to locate their Pre-Games Training Camps in the North. The boxing officials have had significant discussions with a number of teams in recent weeks with one high profile team giving a strong indication that they will locate their Pre-Games Training Camp in Belfast.
The World Junior Fencing Championships were held at Jordanstown in 2009. A representative of the local Fencing Federation has met with several leading International coaches and administrators. SportNI representatives are working hard to secure a further Pre-Games Event that has the potential to lead to a Pre-Games Training Camp.
Table Tennis
SportNI and representatives of the Ulster Branch of Table Tennis Association have been in discussions with a number of bodies to attract teams to the North of Ireland. It is anticipated that two or more teams likely to qualify for the 2012 Games will come here for an event next spring
SportNI and local Athletics Association representatives have met with representatives of a number of countries and progress has been made in attracting a Pre Olympic event and/or teams to locate here.
Representatives from the local Judo Federation will be attending the British Open where a variety of International coaches will be present. Initial contacts have been made with a number of African countries. It is hoped that existing contacts will be developed and a Pre Games Event will be secured.
SportNI have had discussions with Lisnagarvey Hockey Club regarding attracting a team to play an exhibition game in Lisburn. The qualifying competition for 2012 has not yet been completed.
The Royal Yacht Association is hoping to attract potential Olympians for some Pre-Games Training event prior to the 2012 Games.
Hosting such events offer immediate opportunities and longer term benefits. In the short-term having international athletes train and compete here provides a unique opportunity for our home grown talent and rising stars in sport to meet, greet, observe and possibly compete with world-class athletes and international sporting heroes at home. It is difficult to measure the inspirational impact in economic terms that such a once in a lifetime opportunity provides. However, it will inspire our young people to participate and achieve and bring the spirit of the Games to our communities.
For the visiting athletes, teams and countries, and their support network including coaches, competing in our local venues will provide them with first hand knowledge and experience of what we have to offer as well as a guaranteed warm welcome and the opportunity to visit iconic sites and see our outstanding scenery. It is anticipated that those positive experiences will be influential in the decision making process when the time comes for the respective athlete, team or country to make their selection for pre-games training in the lead up to the Games.
A number of other significant initiatives are underway to maximise the benefits to the North of Ireland from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
5 Star Disability Sports Challenge
Developed by Disability Sport NI, funded by my Department and supported by Department of EducationI, the '5 Star Challenge' is increasing awareness amongst children about people with a disability. It promotes understanding that disability is not an obstacle to achieving physical and sporting success. Almost 20,000 children across our schools have participated so far with up to 30,000 planned by 2012.
Developed by SportNI 'Activ8' is a sports participation campaign that encourages primary school age children (and their families and friends) to get active and stay healthy. Over 25,000 children have participated already with the potential to engage 91,000 young people across the North to choose sport, to get them involved in some kind of physical activity and to stay healthy. With the high incidence of suicide in disadvantaged parts of the North and not least problems with obesity both '5 Star Challenge' and 'Activ8' are key and will support implementation of DCAL's overarching Policy and the Strategy for Sport 'Sport Matters'.
Volunteer Now leads on volunteering, and my department provides funding for a Volunteering coordinator to secure benefits from the 2012 Games.
The aim has been to build on the capacity and capability of volunteering in the North in order to make a major contribution to the successful delivery of the events taking place here in the lead up to the Games in 2012 and beyond, including the World Police and Fire Games in 2013, which will require over 5,000 volunteers, and with further opportunities for volunteers as part of the Derry City of Culture celebrations, and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014.
Over 900 applicants from the North were interviewed recently by the London Organising Committee at Queens University. DCAL, in partnership with Volunteer Now, has developed a Volunteer Bursary Scheme that will provide up to £30,000 of financial support to local people from disadvantaged back grounds to enable them to go to London if selected.
Education and Skills
The Olympic and Paralympic Games provide an opportunity for our schoolchildren to get involved with the Games through the 'GetSet' programme. Almost 250 schools in the North are involved and benefiting from Olympic related education materials, access to competitions, resources and exchange opportunities with schools and young people in other countries across the world. Ten schools are in regular exchange with schools in Jordan. My Department fully supports this programme and is working with partners such as DENI, British Council and a 2012 Sponsor to support an opportunity for those young people to meet their counterparts in Jordan. Young people will have the opportunity to forge international links, promote diversity and exchange cultural values.
Cultural Olympiad
Derry will host an opening event for the 2012 Festival on the 21 June 2012, in aid of Peace One Day, which will attract international attention in the build-up to the Games.
In Belfast the 'Land of Giants' programme will deliver a major outdoor event in June 2012 on the Titanic Slipways, and is one of four major outdoor celebrations to be held here and across England, Scotland and Wales in the run up to the Games.
Live Sites
Live Sites are large screens in public spaces which will screen major events and other content. These are designed to animate local public spaces, helping contribute to a shared sense of place. There is one already in Belfast and another will be installed in Derry by the autumn. These screens provide a tangible benefit and genuine legacy from the Olympic Games.
Torch Relay
I am delighted that my Department has secured the Olympic Torch Relay for four days next June. The torch will be hosted at overnight celebration sites at Portrush, Derry, Newry and Belfast and work is at an advanced stage to develop the final route. Eight thousand Torchbearers will be required overall with approximately 600 of these needed here in the North of Ireland. The public have been invited to nominate local heroes to carry the torch through their communities. I would stress that torch bearers are normal every day people and I encourage all of my colleagues to promote this opportunity to participate in the nomination process which closes on 29 June 2011.
I am confident that the torch relay will showcase our local stars, iconic sites, stunning land and our inspirational communities, to an international audience. This will demonstrate that we are a welcoming place to visit, to live, to learn and to do business with.
My Department has been working closely with Invest NI, who lead on the business area of our plan to deliver economic and business benefits from the Olympics. To date more than 40 local businesses have secured Olympic contracts valued at over £30m with examples including:
Lagan Construction, who have won a contract to build a bridge right at the heart of the Olympic Park and will see thousands of people use the bridge during Games Time;
The McAvoy Group who have won a major contract to build modular buildings at the Basketball Arena;
Ulster Weavers Home Fashions Ltd have won a major licensing contract to produce official London 2012 kitchen textiles;
Macrete are supplying pre-cast concrete; and
Baronscourt Technologies have won a software contract with the Olympic Delivery Authority.
With over half of Olympic related contracts still available from the London Organising Committee many opportunities still exist for contracts in the areas of food, security, sports, and the arts, amongst others. InvestNI continue to work with key partners including local government to raise awareness of those opportunities through hosting business conferences, seminars, workshops and delivering training that will help grow the confidence of local businesses and encourage them to secure Olympic-related work.
NITB lead on Tourism in respect of 2012 Olympics and my Department is working in partnership with DETI and NITB to maximise the opportunities to increase visitor numbers, bed nights and change perceptions of the North internationally. 2012 is being highlighted as the North's year of opportunity by DETI, and a 2012 Programme will include promotion of 'Titanic Built in Belfast' along with numerous other events, activities and initiatives which are currently being developed.
In Conclusion
As you may be aware recent media reports have expressed doubts as to whether the North will benefit from the Games. This Assembly paper aims to inform members of the wide range of activity underway to secure benefits from the Games, and progress that is being made.
There is no doubt that we have challenges in respect of the Olympics. Not least of these is the fact that over £41m was diverted from lottery to fund the construction of the Olympic Park; no actual Olympic or Paralympic sporting events are taking place here during Games time; and the perceived distance from London and the Games which may be a barrier to some. However, my Department has forged excellent partnerships with government departments, their arms length bodies, local government, community organisations and important private sector organisations. These have enabled good progress to be made. With just over one year to go, I would encourage you all to work with my Department and the other partners already engaged in this process so that we fully exploit this unique and once in a lifetime opportunity for us all.


text:
H. S. Malvar, G. J. Sullivan, and S. Srinivasan
August 2008
This paper reviews a set of color spaces that allow reversible mapping between red-green-blue and luma-chroma representations in integer arithmetic. The YCoCg transform and its reversible form YCoCg-R can improve coding gain by over 0.5 dB with respect to the popular YCrCb transform, while achieving much lower computational complexity. We also present extensions of the YCoCg transform for four-channel CMYK pixel data. Thanks to their reversibility under integer arithmetic, these transforms are useful for both lossy and lossless compression. Versions of these transforms are used in the HD Photo image coding technology (which is the basis for the upcoming JPEG XR standard) and in recent editions of the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video coding standard.
|Publication type
|Published in
|SPIE Applications of Digital Image Processing
|International Society for Optical Engineering
Copyright 2008 © International Society for Optical Engineering


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Request Booking
Luxury Villa On Rotonda.
Villa with 3 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms and swimming pool in Pine Valley, USA
From £517.27 per week
Request Booking
- Villa #32606
- Sleeps: 6
- Private pool
- Air conditioning
- Car hire: essential
- Nearest beach: 14km
- Nearest bar: 3km
- Nearest restaurant: 3km
- Nearest supermarket: 5km
- Southwest Florida Intl airport: 85km
Our 3 Bedroom 3 Bathroom (master with spa) Villa has a large 36' x 16' heated pool with a secluded outlook.
Welcome to our Luxury 3 bed. 3 bath. (master /spa) Villa with extra large 36'x'16' Heated Pool situated in the prestigious golfing community of Rotonda in the peaceful section of Pine Valley overlooking a secluded nature reserve.
Discover a part of Florida that has some of the finest beaches, golf courses, nature parks, fishing and so much more.
Rotonda is a safe quiet community designed in a circle which encompasses 20,000 acres attractively developed with high-quality homes set amongst canals, golf courses & greenbelt land.
A perfect location to unwind after a busy vacation in Orlando and a perfect winter retreat
'We first visited Rotonda in the year 2000 when we did a tour of the Gulf-coast looking for an area to build our retirement holiday home.
The minute we arrived we knew we had found our spot.
We spent our holiday selecting a lot. We found what we considered to be the perfect position, and had our beautiful villa built by a trustworthy local builder who is also our Management Company in 2006. Below are a few details about the area;'
* Rotonda is a unique circular deed restricted community offering 4 golf courses with a fifth 9 hole opening soon, all of which can be used for a visitors fee.
*The safe quiet roads and nature trails are perfect for jogging, walking and cycling (bikes can be hired locally or through our management company.)
*In the centre of Rotonda is a community park covering 32 acres. Built in 2005 it offers a multipurpose sports field, children's play area, large picnic pavilion with barbecues, two free tennis courts (we provide rackets and balls) and restroom facilities. In addition there is a cycle path which follows the trails through the parks' nature reserve.
*The internal canals of Rotonda have fresh water fish for the keen fisherman, but beware of the alligators!!
*For anyone interested in new homes and interior design numerous show homes are
open to visit seven days a week
There are large supermarkets and excellent restaurants within a few minutes drive away and a Wal-Mart Superstore nearby which is open 24 hours.
Extra facilities are as follows; In-house music system with entrance door intercom.
• Wi-FI for laptops and a printer/copier
• Satellite connection to all televisions.
• 42" Sony flat screen television + DVD in lounge.
• Television + DVD in master & guest bedrooms.
• Television in Twin bedroom.
• Fully fitted kitchen – incl. microwave, dishwasher and fridge freezer with ice maker/ filtered water dispenser.
• Utility room with washing machine, tumble dryer & ironing facilities.
• Telephones in all rooms – local calls are free; long distance can be made via phone card.
• Hairdryers in all 3 bathrooms
• All linen, bathroom towels and pool towels are provided.
Accommodation Details;
ENTRANCE ROOM; Leather corner suite with coffee table and standard lamp giving a peaceful reading area.
Double patio doors overlooking pool. Carpeted
DINING ROOM; Beautiful large square glass bevelled glass table with 6 Parsons' chairs and large low hanging ornate chandelier. Dining crockery and place mats supplied. Carpeted.
KITCHEN; Open-plan with many base and upper cabinets. Granite like worktops and breakfast-bar, integral double sink with waste disposal and spray attachment. Family sized dishwasher, large cooker with ceramic hob, microwave, side by side fridge-freezer with ice maker and water filter. Telephone with answering machine.
Electric kettle, toaster, blender, coffee maker,slow cooker and hand mixer.
Set of Tefal non stick saucepans and frying pans.
Knife block + steak knives.
Cutlery, crockery, Glasses, plastic plates etc. for outdoor dining, place mats, tea towels and oven gloves. Door to:
SEPARATE LAUNDRY ROOM; with sink, large cupboard housing ironing board and iron, Hoover and broom. Top loading washing machine, tumble dryer, rack and hangers for airing. Access to:
………………………………………………… DOUBLE GARAGE where you will find rigid cool bag on wheels with handle, 2 x beach chairs,lounger. Tennis rackets/ balls, badminton rackets, and blow-up lilos for the pool.
BREAKFAST AREA; Round glass table and chairs within Aquarium triple window overlooking pool and woodland backdrop.(One of our favourite spots). Door access to the pool area. Tiled floor.
LOUNGE; Matching Suite of furniture consisting of a large 3 seater sofa, 2 seater loveseat, and chaise for ultimate lounging! Co-ordinating coffee table and 2 side tables with large lamps.
Built in Entertainment Centre, housing a Sony 42" flat-screen television with satellite plus a DVD/CD player (American format).
Triple patio doors overlooking pool. Carpeted.
MASTER BEDROOM; King size(6') Bed with superior bed linen, 2 night stands, 2 lamps, 8 drawer dresser with mirror, 5 drawer chest, satellite television with DVD. Electronic wall controlled ceiling fan. Double French doors opening onto Lanai and pool. Clock/ Radio with Alarm, Telephone. Carpeted.
Large Walk-in wardrobe with coat hangers leading to:
EN-SUITE MASTER BATHROOM; Large Luxurious Jet Spa Bath (total bliss if you have had a long journey). 2 sinks with cupboards under on either side of room both with large mirrors over. Walk in shower, closet for towels, and separate toilet for privacy. Hairdryer. Tiled Floor.
BEDROOM 2; Queen Size (5') Bed with superior bed linen, 2 night stands, 2 lamps, 7 drawer dresser with mirror, satellite television with DVD. Electronic wall controlled ceiling fan. Large double wardrobe with coat hangers, Clock Radio/alarm, Telephone. Carpeted. Door leading to:
EN-SUITE SHOWER ROOM; Double walk in shower, sink with cupboard under, large mirror with spot lights, Toilet. Hairdryer. Tiled floor. Door opening to pool deck.
BEDROOM 3; Twin (3') Beds, 7 drawer dresser, mirror, 5 drawer chest, Satellite Television, Telephone, Clock radio/alarm, Double Wardrobe with coat hangers. Door to inner hallway and Family Bathroom. (There is another door in hallway that enables the family bathroom to become en-Suite which is useful at night.) Carpeted.
FAMILY BATHROOM; Bath with shower, large sink area with cupboards under, large mirror with lights, full height closet for towels. Tiled floor.
POOL AREA; The pool area is south facing with a beautiful backdrop overlooking a grass swale then woodland, of which is a state registered bird sanctuary. Our villa is built on a longer than the average sized Rotonda Lot giving a spacious green outlook, tranquillity and privacy.
The solar &* electrically* heated pool *(extra charge, but rarely needed) is a large 36' long x 16' max. with water spray feature and inbuilt table and seating with rear therapeutic jets to one corner and a pool light which looks great at night.
The over-sized decking is fully screened – great for keeping the ' mosies' out at nighttime's when you maybe want to enjoy just sitting outside, watching the sunset or having a BBQ. with the lighting on.
Patio set consisting of padded wicker 2 seater + 2 padded swivel chairs and matching coffee table on large rug. large table + 6 chairs, 3 wicker loungers + 2 fully reclining chairs with footstools and side tables.
The In-House music system extends outside to the covered Lanai.
Outside Shower.
Gas Barbecue & utensils
For the safety of children there are alarms on opening doors to the pool area.
Local Info.
*Port Charlotte shopping mall is only 15-20 minutes drive away and has many restaurants including Ruby Tuesdays, Sam Seltzer's Steakhouse and a food hall with many more and in the surrounding area of the mall.
*Amongst the shops are JCPenneys, Sears, Dillards, and Macy's plus there is a multi screen cinema.
*Just an hour away for the really serious designer label shoppers are 2 large factory outlets at Ellenton and Estero.
Englewood has 4 beaches on the barrier island of Manasota Key. Manasota Beach, Blind Pass Beach, Englewood Beach & Stump Pass Beach. all offer a variety of amenities.
Manasota Beach boasts 14 acres of Gulf front beach & sand dunes with special areas set aside for sheltered tables, barbecue pits, boardwalks & bathhouse facilities.
Blind Pass Beach is ideal for swimming, fishing & has more than 60 acres of nature trails. There's a docking area for boaters on the inta-coastal waterway.
Englewood Beach offer recreational areas, boardwalk, picnic tables & concession stands as well as conveniently located nearby restaurants, shops & nightclubs. Walking south from Englewood beach is Stump Pass Beach a narrow strip of beach that offer anglers a great place to fish.
There are several offshore keys to explore, some accessible by road bridge; others only by boat. Perhaps one of the most attractive and quaint get-away keys to visit by road is Gasperilla Island. Approx.20 minutes easy drive from Rotonda the island is reached via a toll bridge from the mainland. Visitors to the key will drive along a road surrounded on both sides by shimmering waters and white sands and millionaires Condo's.
There is a wonderful public beach on the key (with a Caribbean feel to it) called Boca Grande. Every year between April and June, Boca Grande Pass fills with thousands of Tarpon fish churning the water all around the boats. Major fishing tournaments are held here, each year. In Boca Grande, the locals use golf carts as a major form of transport and can be easily hired on a daily basis.
If you want to experience total isolation and a real unspoilt barrier island visit Cayo Costa (itself a state park) located south of Boca Grande but only accessible by boat. The natural features of the islands are stunning. Miles of beaches, acres of pine forests, oak
palm hammocks, mangrove swamps and a spectacular display of bird life welcome visitors. Overnight camping and rental cabins are available. For the adventurers amongst you there are many more "bridgeless" keys or islands to explore, south of Cayo Costa such as North Captiva, Useppa, Don Pedra, Palm Island and Little Gasparilla.
There are many varieties of restaurants locally that you will be spoilt for choice. You will find leaflets with information in our file at the villa along with other guides relating to local amenities.
At Port Charlotte there is an array of big American food chains such as TGI Fridays, Applebee's, Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster for seafood and Carrabba's for Italian.
Olive Garden serves both Southern and Northern Italian food and their refillable soup & salad is superb for lunch.
Leverock's is noted for their fresh seafood is situated at the marina overlooking the waterfront where you can take the ferry over to Palm Island.
Gulf View Grill is our favourite restaurant not only for the food but to get a wonderful view of the sun setting over the sea at Englewood beach, but you do need to book in advance to get a window seat.
Also at Englewood beach is the White Elephant which has a great atmosphere mostly open-air overlooking the marina with live music and have regular 'Happy Hours'. We must also mention Denny's which is just a ten -fifteen minutes drive away, great for those famous American breakfasts and further on about another 10 min. drive Dearborne Street has numerous coffee shops and eateries and a local playhouse.
Rotonda has 72 Holes to choose from that challenge all skill levels. Rotonda has been awarded a "Beginner Friendly Certification" from the National Golf Course Owners Association as well as the Charlotte Sun Herald's Reader's choice award for being the best course in Charlotte County. Come on out and give us a visit. The weather is great. The courses are great. All in your own backyard. That's exactly how Rotonda Golf & Country Club's three courses were planned. The Hills. The Palms. The Links. Three emeralds in a spectacular setting bathed by gulf breezes. Challenging, well maintained fairways that provide a new golfing experience with every round. Two great clubhouses with restaurants and lounges are available. Long Marsh Golf Club is the newest course to open in Rotonda. Renowned golf course architect, Ted McAnlis, has produced a championship course that is very different from anything you'll ever play in the area. Situated on over 300 acres, the rolling terrain hints at a links-type layout and an abundance of stately oaks and native pines and palm frame many holes. Natural waste bunkers and marshes provide a challenge for golfers, as well as a haven for a variety of wildlife. Measuring 7200 yards from the tips, the course can be daunting, but four sets of tees, a minimal use of bunkers and strategically placed mounding provide a friendly game for all levels.
Couple from Helston, United Kingdom
August 2015
Couple from Norwich, United Kingdom
June 2015
Couple from Norwich, United Kingdom
May 2015
Family from Stevenage, United Kingdom
September 2013
From Southampton, United Kingdom
May 2010
Nick from Basingstoke
3 other reviews
Prices and availability
Last updated 30.04.2016
Select travel dates
|Arrival date range
|Minimum stay (nights)
|15th June 2016 to 31st August 2016
|1st July 2017 to 31st August 2017
|2nd September 2017 to 20th May 2018
|1st July 2018 to 3rd October 2018
If more then one discount matches your arrival date, please be aware that only one discount of the highest amount will be applied to your booking.
Long Stay Booking Discounts
|Arrival date range
|Booking is equal to or longer than x days/weeks/months
|All year
|8 Weeks
|All year
|4 Weeks
ExtrasOptional extras
|Arrival dates
|Booking length or occupancy
|If required electric heating is available for the solar heated pool
|All year
£60.00 per week
Paid locally
3 bedrooms
Bedroom 1: 1 Double bed, En Suite
Bedroom 2: 1 Double bed, En Suite
Bedroom 3: 2 Single beds
Central heating
Clothes drier
DVD/Blu-ray player
Hair dryer
Iron / board
Pots / pans
TV Languages in English, Local
Towels / linen
Washing machine
Outside lighting
Private garden
1 property
Private Owner From Harwich, United Kingdom
Past bookings: 33 bookings
Response rate: 100%
Response time: within 2 hours
Last logged in: a day ago
Past bookings: 33 bookings
Response rate: 100%
Response time: within 2 hours
Last logged in: a day ago


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Well, we're lucky enough to own the shiny new portable, and there's plenty to love. After spending hours on games like Nintendogs + Cats and Pilotwings Resort, we've grown very fond of the system, and wanted to highlight a few of the good things that make 3DS a worthwhile investment.
Nintendo First Party Comes Through Yet Again
Everyone talks about "Mario this," and "Zelda that." You know what? Pilotwings Resort is strong enough to make the wait for one of Nintendo's premiere characters bearable. We've spent hours on the game, both in Mission Mode and Free Flight, and it's amazing how much the "one more time" bug hits you. We've racked up lots of flight time with the plane, rocket belt and hang glider, and the innovative vehicles that show up in later levels are clever and fun. The game also has a ton of unlockables, practically daring you to try and put it down before you hit three stars across all modes.
Also, don't mind what Metacritic says, Steel Diver is a lot of fun. You have three game types, gyroscope support and some cool 2-D underwater missions. It's worth a purchase.
Lastly, Nintendogs + Cats is a system seller for anyone who is an animal lover. We already have two animals frolicking in our Japanese-style apartment (there are others you can try out, too), and the magic is even more evident with the clean 3-D effects. Our dog, Kiwi, is already racking up the wins, vanquishing other, lesser canines in Frisbee and lure competitions, and the obedience trials are a blast, using augmented reality, voice recognition and 3-D to make a true emotional connection with these virtual creatures.
Third Parties Show Up Big
Haters always talk about how third parties fail to deliver on Nintendo platforms, but this time, companies showed a ton of support. Lots of third party games achieved massive sales, with Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition dominating the charts. Meanwhile, games like Ghost Recon Shadow Warrior and Ridge Racer 3D deliver memorable gameplay experiences that will have Nintendo 3DS owners happily occupied for a long time.
3-D Is Awesome
We get headaches from eating too much ice cream, but that doesn't mean ice cream kills. There are reports of Nintendo 3DS causing headaches, but people forget that, like everything in life, 3-D (and ice cream) is best in small doses.
Besides, unlike a PlayStation 3, which requires a system, 3-D enabled HDTV and crazy-looking glasses, all we have to do with 3DS is, you know, look at the screen and get magical 3-D. Some people can't stop complaining about things as cool as 3-D without glasses. We find it absolutely fascinating.
Augmented Reality Is As Good As 3-D
The Nintendo 3DS Augmented Reality found in Nintendogs, Face Raiders and AR Games trumps the 3-D effects. In fact, when showing off the system to family and friends, we were surprised to hear the "oohs and ahhs" coming from the Archery mini-game. Seriously, the coffee table transformed into a video game. Amazing stuff.
Other Awesome Things
Pedometer that unlocks Nintendo 3DS Play Coins? Nintendo 3DS StreetPass ushering in a new way of interacting with other gamers? Play Coins to purchase new games within the system? Nintendo 3DS 3-D Camera? Sound effects editor? We could go on.
In this day and age of instant gratification, everyone wants the latest fad, but sometimes, people need to stop to smell the proverbial roses. Or, in this case, play Nintendo 3DS. Give it a look and let the haters hate. We'll strap on our rocket belt and head for the blue skies of Wuhu Island, away from all that noise.
Modojo is a mobile games industry website, which primarily covers the iPhone games, iPad games, Android games and Windows Phone 7 games. Chris Buffa is the editor-in-chief.


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Scratcher Joined 4 years, 3 months ago United States
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Hello to all viewers, is there any one out there that can direct me to a USA dealer for supply of a Polar axis scope for South Celestial pole with printed reticule on Octans.
My Orion Atlas EQG computerized GoTo mount came with the Polaris printed on reticule and no good to me as I live in Southern Hemisphere.
Some one has already suggested the Celestron CG5 polar scope which has SCP printed reticule but are trying to get a hold of one that also has the date circle with latitude scale printed on ring that surrounds the axis scope which I believe is found on the Skywatcher NEQ6/EQ6 & EQ5.
Basically I need a Polar scope with SCP printed reticule and printed scale ring that will fit into my Orion EQG mount (mount is the latest model out with illuminated LED to reflect into polar scope - purchased in 2012)
Many thanks to anyone who can help
Polar axis scope with SCP printed reticule
Started by CJM , Feb 02 2013 08:04 PM
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