Betta Breeding Tips

Betta splendens or Betta fish are freshwater aquarium fish that are in great demand among aquarium owners. Most Betta owners want to try their hands at breeding Betta, but do not know about their requirements and the right procedure. Breeding Betta is not very difficult, you just need to carefully follow some Betta breeding tips in order to do so. You might only face some problems with the spawning of the fish but otherwise, it is really easy to breed these fish. The female Betta fish lays eggs and the male builds a nest for the eggs, where they are kept and cared for by the male Betta fish. Here's a detailed guideline on the equipment and procedure for breeding Betta fish.

Betta Breeding Equipment

Before you can begin with the procedure for breeding Betta, you will need to gather all the supplies required for the method. The type of equipment required include a reproduction tank of 15-20 liters, a small water heating equipment, an air pump and air rock for bubbles and a thermometer. Place a few aquatic plants and clay pots in the tank. You will need to set the temperature of the aquarium water to 29C and use a heater to maintain the temperature constantly. Keep a check on the temperature of the water using a thermometer. The depth of the water should be around 12-15cms. The reproduction tank will also require to be covered with a lid or something similar to maintain a constant air temperature for a month or so. Once all this is done, the Betta breeding setup is ready. Read more on how to take care of Betta fish.

How to Breed Betta

Choose the Betta
The most important requirement for breeding Betta is the availability of compatible male and female Betta. You should select Betta that look healthy and have good features. To start-off you can get two male and two female Betta. Keep all four of them isolated for about 3 to 4 days and feed them live or frozen fish food twice a day. Isolating them will help better spawning, reason being that during this time the Betta fish only notice each other.

Process of Spawning the Betta
On the fifth day, add the male Betta to the reproduction tank, a few hours before the female is added. This is one of the most important tips for breeding Betta. This allows the male to establish his territory in the reproduction tank. Then, add the female to the tank and watch the male build some bubble nests in the tank. When the female displays few vertical bars on her body, it is a sign that she is all set to be spawned by the male. Now, you will be able to see the male chasing the female and also a fight between the two. Their fins may also break apart from their body, but this is the normal spawning procedure and there is nothing to worry about.

Betta Fry
Once you notice egg evacuation, you must immediately remove the female from the tank and place her in another fish tank. The male then lifts the eggs with its mouth and places them in the bubble nests until they hatch after 48 hours. The fry remain in the bubble nests for 2-3 days more and then swim free. The male should be removed at this point after which you need to start feeding the fry. Read more on how to breed Betta fish.

Looking after the Betta fry is essential until they are a few weeks old. Also remember to remove the 'bad fish' as they may affect the health of the other healthy fish. Hope these Betta breeding tips prove to be useful for you. Good Luck!

Bass Fishing Tips and Secrets

Bass fishing has come a long way from just another hobby to a multi-million dollar industry. A prominent game fish, found in abundance in North America, bass fish has become the second most sought after game fish species in the United States. Black bass species is one of the most popular game fish species in North America. The prominent ones among these are the spotted bass, largemouth bass, and smallmouth bass. The sport has indeed witnessed immense development on all fronts ranging from sophisticated fishing gear to improved methods. But then there is always scope for improvement, and tips and secrets are the keys for that.

A Guide to Bass Fishing

In order to improve your catch this season, you can try some of these simple, yet effective bass fishing tips and techniques. When fishing in clear water, try to use dark-colored crankbait or spinner. Bass, being a predatory fish, is bound to strike the dark-colored bait mistaking it for food. The best method of locating bass fish is to locate a school of fish. The predatory bass tends to lurk around its source of food, the school of fish, which improves your chances of having a good catch. Given below are some fishing tips which are likely to make fishing a pleasant experience for you.

Summer: Although you are aware of the fact that bass is a shallow water fish, every time you have a bad day at the lake in summer, you are left wondering where did you possibly go wrong? The answer is your timing. No doubt bass is a shallow water fish, but it tends to go into deep waters during the hot summer time. The right time to fish in the summer season therefore would be early morning or evening when the temperature is relatively low. During this time the fish is seen in shallow waters, and as temperature rises it goes deeper and deeper. The best bass fishing techniques for summer would be to start fishing early in the morning and as day passes go into the deeper waters. Ideally, you should use quick moving lures under low light conditions.

Winter: Like any other animal species, even bass doesn't like to move around in cold climate, and hence prefers to store its food and avoids hunting to save energy in winter. In such circumstances, bass fishing does become a bit tedious. But then it's just tough, and not impossible. Following some simple bass fishing tips, such as using large baits, fishing very slowly etc., can make your task a lot simpler. It's ideal to choose shallow waters for bass fishing in winter, because it prefers to stay in shallow water with weeds and water plants in this season.

Spring: Spring is believed to be, by far, the best time for bass fishing. As the water starts getting warm after the cold winter, fish prefer to stay in warm shallow waters. After spending quite a significant time idling throughout the cold season, bass fish become quite active on the onset of spring. More importantly, it's the spawning season and hence bass fish is available in plenty. Ideally, you can use a larger version of hard jerk bait. Make sure that the bait is large enough to tempt the fish to get hooked. These tips for the spring season are bound to double your chances of getting a large catch.

You can also innovate these tips and secrets according to your observations, and come up with technique which suits you. You just need to keep one thing in your mind, the person who is quick in reading the prevailing conditions, and adapting to them, will no doubt have the biggest catch at the end of the day.

How to Draw Cartoons

"Cartoons have always been an enjoyment to me... a relaxation... I get my ideas from everyday events." Matthew Ashford

Cartooning is a creative art, it truly is! The cartoon characters that continue to make you live their world are the results of a creative idea in a cartoonist's mind! For beginners, drawing cartoons wouldn't be a tough job if you have the flair for painting and drawing. You definitely will have a creative edge, and the ability that is required to draw cartoons. You obviously wouldn't wish to draw snow white but end up drawing the witch that cursed her! It becomes very important to practice your drawing and sketching skills, and with time you would definitely learn to achieve perfection! Let us now learn to draw cartoons in a proper manner.

Steps to Draw Cartoons

How to draw cartoon characters also depends upon the cartoon character that you choose to draw. It's very important for you to have a mental picture giving you an idea of the shape and details of the cartoon character, in case you are trying to create your own cartoon character. However, if you wish to draw one that already exists, it's best to have a picture of the cartoon character in front of you before you start drawing. This helps you framing a basic outline as well as the minute details involved in the cartoon character.

Step 1: Basic Outline
The first step of drawing a cartoon character is to lightly sketch the basic and prominent shapes that are clearly visible in the cartoon character. For example, if you wish to draw Spongebob Squarepants, then the basic shapes that you will have to sketch would be a square for the face, rectangle for the body and so on. Always use light strokes so that you can easily rub off the error made, if any.

Step 2: Face / Head
After drawing the basic outline of the entire character, the next step is to draw cartoon faces! Always start with the face and head of the cartoon character. Lightly draw the features that highlight the head and the face. The hairstyle, the eyes, the nose, lips..., take help of the picture that you are referring to and stroke in the same manner. It's better to divide the head shape into 4 parts using a light pencil stroke! This would help you place the features at the right location.

Step 3: Make the Strokes Prominent
Till now, all you have done is lightly outlined the basic features of the face! The next step is to outline the curves in the face, like the curve at the nose, lips, chin and so on. Once you are sure of your placements from step 2, this step will involve drawing those features in a permanent manner. The shading for hair, eyes and detailing of the face would be included in this step!

Step 4: The Body
Once you have made the face, come down to the body! Remember, you have started from the head, then moved on to the face, follow the same trend and start with the neck, hands, arms, chest, legs and feet. Draw the shape of the body including the shape of the dress of the cartoon character. Try to notice the way the shape of the lines that are drawn. For example, in case you are drawing a witch, the fingers would be oval shaped, the bottom of the broom would look like the letter 'M' written in an uneven manner. Try to take a note of these shapes and draw likewise!

Step 5: Shading / Coloring
The above 4 steps would complete the process of how to draw a cartoon, but only the shape isn't enough! Once you are satisfied with the overall look of the cartoon in terms of the right shapes, features and correct placements, it's time to give the final touch! Yes, the final touch is shading. Shading brings life to the cartoon character and enhances it's features and the body language of the character! If you are drawing a sketch, then using a well sharped pencil would do the trick. But then, cartoons are lifeless without colors! You can color the cartoon characters using some interesting color combinations of your choice.

Watching someone else definitely makes you think that it is easy to draw cartoons, but it's with constant practicing and step following that the cartoonists have mastered themselves in the art..., and so can you. So, get hold of a pencil and a sketch book, and start practicing now!

Interesting Fish Recipes

Fish in the hands of a skilled cook can become an inexhaustible source of gustatory pleasures. - Jean-Antheleme Brillat-Savarin

Fish reminds me of my mom who makes excellent fish delicacies and you can actually term them gastronomic delights. They are good source of phosphorous and protein, which we all know, is great for our body. So here are some interesting fish recipes for you collected from all parts of the world.

Sake and Sesame Marinade

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sake (rice wine)
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar, unseasoned
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, or to taste
• 1/4 cup sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped shallot
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh
• chopped ginger
• Cornstarch slurry (3 tablespoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water, blended), to thicken

Preparation:

Take medium saucepan and heat sesame oil until smoking. Add the garlic, shallot, and ginger and saute until the garlic begins to change its color. Now deglaze the pan with sake and bring to a simmer and let reduce by half. Then add vinegar, soy, and sugar and again return to a boil. Then blend and strain into clean saucepan. Whisk in slurry and bring to a boil so that it thickens. Remove from heat and chill before serving it.

Shrimp curry

You can take any size of shrimp for use in this curried dish, but small shrimp (over twenty five per pound) are preferable and satisfactory since they are less expensive than the large shrimp. The whole process has to be followed in a particular order. Here the ingredients are provided as step by step to avoid confusion. Take a 4-quart saucepan and saut the following ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp of Turmeric
• 1 tbs of Salt
• 1 tbs of curry powder
• 1/2 tsp of chili powder in. butter or oil till it becomes soft but not brown
• 1 tsp of garlic powder

Then add the following ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut cream (see page 226)
• 2 lbs. shrimp, uncooked and peeled
• 2 cups potatoes, diced
• 1 cup water.

Simmer until the fish is tender for about 20 minutes and keep it covered tightly. You can add about 2 oz. lemon juice and a cup of coconut cream. Cook until the curry is slightly thickened. It would be best if you combine it with hot with rice.

Tomatoes stuffed with Tuna

Ingredients:

• 1 pound (450 g) canned tuna packed in brine
• A medium-sized onion, weighing about a half pound (200 g)
• 1/2 pound (200 g) mayonnaise (this will be about a cup)
• 1/4 cup salted capers, rinsed (if you must, pickled will work)
• 7 ripe firm tomatoes
• 7 pitted black olives
• A medium-sized bunch of parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

First you need to cut the tops off the tomatoes and upend them so that the juices and seeds drain out. Now salt the cavities and put the tomatoes upside down on a plate lined with a sheet of absorbent paper, and chill them in the refrigerator for a half an hour and in the meantime, slice the onion, setting aside some of the best looking slices. Then chop the remaining onion and put it in a bowl. Also select and set aside a few pretty sprigs of parsley and chop the rest. Chop up the capers and put them and the parsley with the onion. Crumble the tuna into the bowl, stir in the mayonnaise carefully and check the seasoning. Now pat the interiors of the tomatoes dry, and fill them with the tuna mixture and arrange them on a serving dish. You can now decorate them with the reserved onion rings, the black olives, and the reserved sprigs of parsley, and serve hot with wine.

Step by Step Instructions to Draw a Tree

Drawing trees is not that difficult. However, it is an important part of nature drawing and those who want to learn it, first need to know how to draw a tree. There are hundreds of different types of trees. Hence, each type of tree drawing needs to be approached differently. There are some trees which are big, and need to be drawn in detail. While there are some trees, which can be drawn without much details like conifers or coconut trees. Hence, observe the tree for a few minutes first and then start drawing it. However, to make it easier, here are three steps that will help you learn how to draw trees. Remember these steps, and you will be able to draw any tree. But, only with a lot of practice will you be able to draw these trees beautifully.

Drawing a Tree Step-by-Step

Here is drawing trees explained with pictures. There are various ways to draw a tree. Many techniques and mediums are used to draw a tree. But, if you wish to draw a detailed drawing of a single tree, then here is a technique that you can follow.

Step 1
The first step is to capture the form of the tree. So, whichever tree you want to draw, first observe it. You can take a picture of a tree for drawing, or choose an existent tree near you. If you are choosing a live tree, then make sure you are sitting at eye level to it, and at a comfortable distance from it. This is for getting a good angle of the tree and good visual size of the tree. Then observe the tree, see the flow of it. Observation is an important sketching tip. So, observe - how its roots are? How its trunk leans? From where all the branches come out? Observe the main branches and the sub-branches. Also, observe the foliage and the details on the tree. However, when drawing trees don't go for too much details, but just capture the form and add some details to define the tree. If you want you can add depth to it by shading.

After you are done observing it, start drawing the shape of the tree using forms. Use a light pencil or draw with very less pressure on the pencil, because the form should serve just as guideline. In the picture below, for the visible roots, trunk, main and sub-branches draw the forms using cylinders. Place cylinders one upon the other, this helps to break the form and draw the tree in proportion. If you want, you can draw light circles for the foliage.



Step 2
Now, the next step is to outline the shape of the tree. So, with a sharp pencil tip start outlining the shape of the tree. Outline the trunk and roots, the foliage. If you want you can add few shape details like some bump or hollow in the tree.



Step 3
This step basically involves adding details and depth to the tree. Look at the difference between the second and last sketch. See how the details on the trunk have been added, how the bump on the tree at the lowermost branch has been sketched, and how a hollow depth at the base of the tree is added. For this step, first add some details. Again keep this simple, with minimum use of lines.

Then use the pencil to do the shading. The inside the foliage is shaded darker, and the shading on the foliage and trunk is kept lighter. When shading first, you need to consider the source of light. The light in this sketch is coming from the top right, hence the top right side of the tree is not much shaded, while the bottom left is densely shaded. This gives a depth to the tree. So, first consider a source of light on an imaginary tree sketch, or observe the source of light on the real tree or picture. Then start the shading.

There are various ways to do shading, when drawing trees. In this sketch square patches are used for shading. However, you can do shading any way you like. You can use various pencil techniques for shading. Some techniques are hatching, which is shown in the sketch, then there is hatching with tilted pencil, cross-hatching, patches, stippling, etc.



Once you know how to draw simple sketches of trees, you might want to sketch trees in detail by showing their leaves and details on the trunk. This will help you give more character to the tree. Here are some types of leaves which you can use for future reference.



Here is a sketch of coconut palm trees. These trees are easiest to draw, all you have to do is look at the angle of the trunk, draw it tapering, and then draw large leaves falling down from a center point.



These are also pretty easy to draw trees. They are cone shaped trees. Make sure you pay attention to shading to bring out the depth between the leaves of the conifer tree.



Sometimes, it can get difficult to capture the full foliage of the tree. If you want you can simply draw an outline and give it a shape. This silhouette stylistic representation of foliage and trees is easy to visually understand and draw too.



Here is a sketch of tree which is without any leaves. You can use such dramatic drawing of the tree to bring focus to the surrounding. Make sure you compose your sketch well before trying to draw such trees.



Here are four drawings which show four seasons - summer, spring, autumn, and winter. You can do such drawings to represent change in seasons. Along with showing changes in the tree you can also show few elements changing in the surrounding to add more meaning to the sketch.



This was all about drawing trees. So, choose a nice tree and good angle to view it. Sit in a cool shaded area, observe the tree for few minutes and then follow the above steps to draw the tree neatly. Good luck!

How to Draw a Horse Step by Step

The moment the word 'drawing' is uttered, it reminds us (at least me) of our school times, where we used to draw several characters and animals in our huge drawing books during the art and crafts period. Drawing as an activity is so much fun and creative, I don't think anyone would ever get bored of it. The feeling of boredom would only come when one doesn't have the right knack and the skills to perform any drawing. But again, drafting any cartoon or a picture can always be learned if you pay some heed to the basic crafts and techniques. Drawing seriously need an imagination, especially, when an image you are attempting to draw, is not in front of you to refer to! That is sheer art! But this article is not going to intimidate you with such a high expectation, instead, it'll give a step-by-step instruction to draw an object. For now let that object be a horse. It's a structure which is the most easiest and complicated at the same time. So, here is a tutorial on how to draw a horse step by step.

Drawing Considerations

Learning how to draw a horse can be exciting, especially, if you are personally a big fan of this animal, you might already have a pre-imagination of its outlines and base structure. So your hand might draw the curves freely too. You also have a variety and freedom to implement different settings in your drawing. It can be on a racetrack, in a running posture. Or on a farm, with a cowboy standing beside it. Or you can draw a bunch of horses on a battlefield, having men sit on 'em fighting in a war. Drawing this sort of a picture and layout is entirely up to you. So loosen the reins of your imagination and let it run wild in the open fields, just like the horses would do!

Drawing a Horse: Step-by-Step Tutorial

This tutorial is very simple to understand and instantly within the first few steps of your outline, it may even happen you might be the one taking the lead! Secondly, you can attempt drawing a horse on a clean sheet of an A4 size drawing paper or use a canvas where there's more room to space out your picture. Remember it's your first attempt so enjoy whatever you do and however it turns out to be.

Step 1

Here is where you form the basis of this animal. Build its framework by keeping the knowledge of different geometrical shapes and lines. Draw a shape in the form of a peanut: for the horse's head. And a shape in the form of a bean: for the horse's body. Space them both equally so that you can draw the neck for it. The sketch has to be temporary at the start, so that if you make any mistake, you can erase it off easily. So try keeping the sketch little soft at hand.

Step 2

The next step in learning how to draw a horse, comes the anatomy of the horsey! Draw a rectangle for the neck which will be between the bean and the peanut shapes.

Step 3

Now it's time to draw the four legs of the horse. Just beneath the bean shape structure (which is the main body of the horse), draw the front two legs first. Then for drawing the hind legs, draw one of them in a regular rectangular shape. And the other leg which would be on the face of the picture, draw a pear shape for its base and then extend a rectangular shape as a shin.

Step 4
The basic framework of your horse is ready. Its head, neck, body, legs all of these body parts are formed. Now it's time to draw ears, tail and mane. For the ears, just draw two leaf shapes on the head. For tail and mane, remember the letter S. Sketch S shape for both of them and make sure the mane starts from the bottom of the ears.

Step 5
Draw eyes and pupils inside the eyes. Two nostrils on the front of its face. Also draw hooves at the bottom of each of its legs. And with your pencil sketch out straight lines for the horse's mane, tail and mouth.

Step 6

This is where you have actually finished drawing a horse on your own. It's time to add some colors and details. First things first, finalize your drawing with a felt-pen or a regular pen and erase all the extra pencil lines from the picture. What you will have is a defined horse right in front of your eyes. Color it or paint it in its usual colors and add charm to your picture!

Once you learn how to draw these regular horses, try moving your interest to mythological horses like, Unicorns having a single horn on its head and Pegasus of Greek mythology, popularly known as the winged horses.

Seine Net

Heard of seine fishing? If not, then let me acquaint you to the idea. Seine fishing is a type of fishing that involves using seine nets. It has boats called Seiners devoted for the purpose. A Seine net is an intricate arrangement of a rope-like structure intertwined to form a mesh that is employed to grope fish in concert. They have weights attached at the bottom edges of the fishing net and the net swims atop. The fishing boat called the Seiner adopts circular movements that encircle the fish while spreading the net.

Types of Seine
There are two types of seine: (1) The Purse Seine; and (2) The Danish Seine.

Purse Seine
The purse seine is a type of fishing net that has innumerable rings at the bottom. There is a rope that passes through these rings. During the fishing activity, the rings are suspended in water. The rope is pulled in such a manner that the rings are drawn close together to encircle the fish in concert, so that the groped school of fish do not slip off the net. Fishing with purse seine is an ideal way of seizing fish, maintaining proximity with the surface of the water body, such as salmon, tuna, and sardines.

Danish Seine
Yet another type of fishing net -- Danish seine -- also termed anchor seine -- is a cone-shaped net accompanied with a pair of long wings and a carrier for the fish to accumulate. The danish seiner vessels are far spacious than purse seiners. The drag lines are long, hence can cover a satisfactory area. A buoy acts anchor and drags the seine and the power block hauls the seine net. Now, the power block works like a pulley to haul the net. The danish vessel is best suited for netting demersal fish. They are either on the surface or at the base of the sea.

Another very important net is called the minnow seine net. It is used by highly experienced fisher men to catch congeries of very small freshwater fish called minnows, hence, the name. The minnow net has two poles that are deucedly light in weight and have the net attached to them. A minnow seine is a large structure that requires a couple handling the net. Some seine nets have optional pocket nets that provide a better grip of the net. The netting is constructed in a way that allows more fish to collect in the net. The netting is loose, allowing the net to float, conforming to the ebbs and flows of the lake or stream.

Making the Seine Net
If you don't have enough time on hand, to invest in visiting a museum devoted to aquatic existence, but are keen to learn about the same, then you have got to make a seine net on your own to learn how marine life gets 'captured'!

1. The first step is to find wood for branches to make poles. You could also use foam in place of wood. Foam pieces or waste materials of such kind are an economical option to construct the fishing nets.
2. Now, take the wood pieces and cut them in a way that their size matches the shortest side of the net.
3. The poles must now have a hole drilled towards the end. In case of using the foam, you must not resort to using the drill. The shape of the foam will be adversely affected. Nevertheless, a hole could be made by passing a pencil right through the foam. Ensure that the pencil pierced into the foam is thick enough to make a hole through which a rope can pass.
4. The rope needs to be attached to every corner of the minnow net and secured tightly. In case of the netting being of different size, the shortest side of the net needs to be used to attach the pole.
5. A seine net is incomplete without weights being attached to the bottom edges of the net. The mesh should be attached to the lead weights. The size and type of the lead weight should be discussed with an authority of this field. This is a learning-cum-experimental process, and taking help from an expert counts!
6. As far as storage is concerned, you could place the seine net at a safe distance from environmental hazards, or manhandling. Be a little possessive! While not in use, you could entwine the rope around the pole and store it, preferably in a vertical container.

So, what are waiting for? You already have the fishing tips and tricks up your sleeve. Embark upon this very exciting journey of creating your own seine nets and they are an easy endeavor to undertake. What's more, you completely own the product! It's your creation, after all!

Lionfish Adaptations

Take a look at the picture alongside. Isn't that one of the most beautiful fish you have ever seen? It looks almost ornamental! But would you believe me if I told you that it is one of the most invasive fish species to be found off the coasts of the United States? In fact it is such a troublemaker that many organizations pay people money to catch and kill the fish! I am not kidding! This is the lionfish - a fish as deadly as it is beautiful! Many enthusiastic aquarium keepers love to keep a lionfish as a pet, but in the environment, these fish prove to be rather dangerous and destroy the ecology of the niche in which they exist!

Lionfish is the common name given to the fish genus Pterois. The most common species of the genus are Pterois miles, Pterois radiata, and Pterois volitans. Lionfish are indeed pretty creatures, but some of the adaptations that make it pretty also make it a skilled and deadly hunter.

General Facts

Lionfish are native to the coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific oceans. However it has been introduced off the East Coast of the United States (specially off the coast of Florida), all thanks to the 1992 Andrew Hurricane that destroyed one of the aquariums in Florida. Lionfish have since been sighted along the coast of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Bermuda, etc. The typical adult lionfish is a little longer than a foot (usually 35-40cm) and weighs about half a kilogram (450-500g). These fish are exceptionally beautiful looking, with decorative pectoral fins and long tentacles. But don't they say the most beautiful thing in the world is probably the most dangerous? The saying stands true in case of lionfish as the long tentacles that adorn the fish are in fact venomous. The fish have red, white and black stripes on the body that act as a spectacular camouflage.

Adaptations

Many of the adaptations shown by lionfish allow them to survive in the aquatic environment. Some of the adaptations make lionfish an invasive species that seems to threaten the ecosystem in which they exist. Here is an account of the different lionfish adaptations...

1. Camouflage
The reef of any ocean is usually characterized by the presence of beautiful and delicate coral of all different shapes and colors. The red, white and black stripes on the lionfish allow them to camouflage suitably into the coral reefs of the Indian and the Pacific ocean which is the native place of the fish. The fish in fact get their common name from this spectacular camouflage itself, as the tentacles and stripe patterns of the fish make it look like the mane of a lion.

2. Tentacles
The tentacles of the lionfish add to their delicate and beautiful appearance, but are in fact very useful appendages since they are venomous. The fish make use of their tentacles to attract and kill prey. The tentacles are also believed to serve a role in the selection of a mate for reproduction. There is also a unique tentacle that is located above the eyes of the fish, which is said to particularly aid in attracting prey.

3. Appendages
The lionfish show the presence of appendages around the eyes (as mentioned above) as well as the head. The appendages help to conceal the features of the head such as the eyes and the mouth. The benefit of this is that, the fish is able to camouflage better and make itself invisible to the prey, as the prey is unable to distinguish the 'front' of the lionfish.

4. Center of Gravity
Lionfish show a special hunting adaptation. The swim bladder is an organ in the fish's body that is filled with air. It allows the fish to control its buoyancy. The swim bladder of lionfish is such that it allows the fish to control its center of gravity. This in effect helps the fish to sink or rise in a water column. The fish is hence able to suspend itself in an almost motionless state at a certain depth in the water column - it lies completely still as the prey approaches, and within the blink of an eye the prey is caught in the tentacles and consumed by the fish, with great stealth.

5. Invasive Species
Lionfish are a particularly invasive fish species. Lionfish are known to prey on as many as six different species of fish. Due to their adaptations mentioned above, they are extremely skilled hunters that are almost impossible to control. In the native regions where the fish is found, the fishes that prey on lionfish help to keep the number of lionfish in check. However, where the fish is not native, it is not preyed upon and is hence able to spread far and wide.

Found It? Kill It!

Being a rather skilled hunter and a vehemently invasive species, lionfish often succeed in disturbing and destroying the ecological niches of the aquatic environment which are not their native habitat. It becomes difficult to control the fish as they have shown to be poisonous to humans as well, inducing headache, fever, vomiting and also proving to be lethal. Lionfish are even known to attack divers. Hence efforts are now being made to eradicate the species from the coasts of the United States, especially Florida. Since last year the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary has begun to give divers licenses to kill the lionfish they encounter in the sanctuary. The Environment Education Foundation also gives out prize money to diving teams who catch the most number of lionfish! The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recently launched a campaign that advocates the use of lionfish in culinary even. This may come as a surprise to many, but a properly cooked lionfish is 100% safe for consumption - the venom has no effect on the person eating the fish! It is quite surprising that such a savage approach has been adopted by humans to actually control the number of this fish species.

They sure make pretty pets and will look spectacular in a fish bowl or an aquarium. But they like to eat live fish, so you are actually going to have to buy goldfish and damsel fish to feed your pet lionfish... sounds quite cruel, isn't it? I'd rather keep a damsel fish as a pet than as food stock for a pet lionfish! You be the best judge!

Basics of Line Art Drawings

As quoted by Pablo Picasso: "Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot; others transform a yellow spot into the sun." Art has developed and evolved over these years and has seen many phases and styles of expression.

The line art is the basic for any artist. If you study the works of any great artists you would realize the perfection of their line work or the way the forms are drawn, whether realistic or abstract is impeccable. Lately, we have seen the trends of art change the focus over different things such as colors, expression, composition and style. The concepts and trends in art have also been a reflection of what happens in society.

Beginners need to consider a lot of things before they embark upon a new painting or a work of art. They need to have a briefing about the importance of line drawings.

Setting the Foundation for Line Art Drawings

• Slow and steady. That's how it should be when it comes to mastering your line drawing.
• When you plan to practice the line art, you need to save a special time slot, as this will keep you from being distracted by anything else. For this, you also need to choose a place that is away from all daily activities where you can sit peacefully for the required amount of time. Start with a proper schedule and maintain it everyday. You can start with one hour a day for practice of the line drawings.
• When you start with the line drawings, you need to choose models that are simple. When you begin, you need to select subjects that are plain and easy to study. You need to practice these with proper drawing guidelines till you master the basics. Later, you can go to complicated subjects.
• When you begin with your basics in line drawing, remember you need to practice every basic and fundamental line and practice the perspective. You also need to practice every day what you have learned. When you master these basics, then you can try to produce some more detailed drawings.
• When it comes to sketching, this form of drawing needs a skilled eye and hand coordination so that you need to first observe and then record it with the use of your pencil. The pencil becomes the medium through which images are transferred on paper.
• Avoid the use of rulers and such other equipment that tend to make you lose your natural flow of the hand for the line drawings.
• To practice and improve on your line art, you need some expert guidance. Try to get some guidance in this direction.
• Adhere to the rules of the basics of line art drawing and use the fundamentals of drawing until you have mastered them. You can experiment only after these basics are mastered.
• Try to know about the art of shading as well. This will help you know and understand the various types of shadows and the highlights of the subject. Knowing this would help you also follow the tones and help you draw the subject in an accurate manner. Once you have learned the line art, knowing how to observe and study the subject will help you in improvising on your drawing skills.
• When it comes to line drawings, your skill also goes in coordination with the amount of practice. You have to learn to develop both to really understand the more difficult subjects you may have to handle later on.
• You must always start your line artwork with the basic outline. You may need to keep these lines light and then work on it in detail later on.
• When you start working on the lines, you can modify the way you hold your pencil.
• This would help you get variations in the way you draw the lines and add depth to the drawing. Once you have finished the basic drawing, you can use different angles of your pencil to fill in the shades of the subject. This can also be done in variations to give a life like image to the drawing.

With the help of these steps, you can definitely go a step closer to produce your work of art. Remember, only practice can make you perfect.

Green Spotted Puffer Fish

Green spotted puffers, are very cute looking brackish fish, which means they prefer slightly salty water. If kept in freshwater, they will not survive for long. They are very curious and active, and hence you need to keep a larger aquarium with rocks, plants and other decorations. They also spend a lot of time sleeping at the bottom of the fish tank. But, once you pay attention to them they will again become excited and playful. Hence, due to this peculiar behavior, keeping green spotted puffers can be a very rewarding and entertaining hobby.

Buying Green Spotted Puffer
Buy a young puffer fish, which has bright green fluorescent colored spots on its head, and rounded white stomach. Buying a young fish is a good idea, because younger ones adapt to their environment better unlike the older ones. They have a life span of 10 or more years, and if you start with a younger fish you will be able to spend more time with your fish.

Fish Tank Size & Decoration
Green spotted puffers can grow up to 7 inches, and like to explore their surroundings, so always opt for a bigger fish tank. For a couple of green spotted puffers, a tank of 15 gallons will do just fine, with 1 tank mate like a bottom feeder. To design a tank environment which matches the fish's active and curious nature; add rocks, bogwood or robust or plastic plants for cover.

Water Requirements
The water temperature should be keep between 75 - 82 F. The pH should be between 7.5 to 8.5, and the water hardness can be maintained at medium. Adult green spotted puffer fish live in brackish water, but for young puffers you should start with freshwater. In some cases, you might not even need to add salt to the aquarium water, especially if you started with young aquarium fish, as they can adapt to their freshwater environment.

Tank Mates
Due to their aggressive nature towards their tank mates and their salty water requirement, it is good if you don't add many fish in the tank. Sometimes it will happen, that the tank mates will disappear after few months of keeping them with the puffers. So, it is very important that you choose the tank mates for this fish carefully.

Food
In their natural habitat these fish eat crustaceans (aquatic arthropods). To feed the puffers in tank, give them frozen brine shrimp everyday. They enjoy these a lot because they can attack and tug at the shrimp. They will eat plants and meat, but dislike most flakes and pellets, so feed them frozen shrimp, krill, glass worms, crickets, worms, and especially small snails.

Puffed Up Behavior
Although these fish, are famous for their puffing up nature, you should never let your fish puff up. The puffing is triggered only when there is extreme stress, and it can prove fatal for the fish. Make sure while transporting this fish that they don't puff up. So, try to move them from one place to another by using a bag rather than by using a net. Puffing in water is dangerous, but if the fish puff in air then certainly it will definitely lead to the fish's death.

Always remember never to let them puff up, to prevent any injuries to the fish. Apart from this, the adorable fish are very cute and entertaining and even when they are resting, they will become happy and excited when you look at them, as they recognize and respond to their owners.

Silver Dollar Fish

The silver dollar fish, scientifically known as metynnis hypsauchen is so called because of its bright silver color, and its round, flat shape. It is about 6 inches in size. There is also another variety of this fish called the red hook silver dollar fish, that has a red color on its anal fin, which is generally the male gender of this breed. This fish is a good choice for beginners who are interested in having fish as pets, with its cool temperament and basic feeding requirements. Enlisted below are all the requirements of this fish, that include its care, breeding and food.

Care

• Silver dollar fish do not fare well on their own. They require a school of a minimum of 6 other fish, else they scare easily.
• Invest in at least a 75 gallon fish tank when maintaining a school of this fish breed, for easy movement and their skittish behavior.
• Because these fish scare easily, be careful and sensitive in your approach towards them. Even rapid movements will cause them to scurry around the tank, which may result in their injury.
• Avoid fancy decorations in their tanks and provide them with a dark substrate.
• These fish do not like bright light, and would prefer dim lighting around them. Thus, giving them a place to hide inside the tank, away from direct light, would be a good idea.
• Maintain the water temperature in the tank at 75F to 82F (24C to 28C). Even while changing the water in the tank, try to maintain the same temperature, as fluctuations in water temperature may not go down too well with them. Silver dollar fish survive well in soft and moderately acidic water. It is important to change the filter in the tank regularly, as a rise in nitrate levels in stale water can harm them.
• Due to their calm nature, silver dollar fish are compatible with several other fish breeds, and can be easily kept with a different variety of fish.

Food

Unknown to many, the silver dollar fish belongs to the piranha family. Even so, it is a herbivorous fish as compared to its carnivorous counterparts. Though the diet is different, the eating pattern of both the fish breeds is similar - aggressive. As such, avoid placing live plants as a decoration in the tank, as they won't survive to see the light of day. A plastic substitute is good.

As part of their diet, the silver dollar fish will eat these vegetables in a flaked form, namely, cooked romaine lettuce, spirulina, spinach, and watercress. Algae wafers are also a good choice as part of their diet. Other options are to mix vegetables such as squash, peas, and zucchini in a flake form. As an occasional treat they can be given certain live foods such as glass worms, brine shrimp and bloodworms. However, do remember that if the silver dollar fish is placed in a tank with other fish breeds, their feeding pattern needs to be monitored, as other ravenous fish can consume their share of the meal. Also, this breed will not fight for its share as it is easily intimidated and, therefore, will remain hungry.

Breeding

While trying to breed silver dollar fish, it is best to place them in a tank separate from other fish breeds. The best way is to raise together a minimum of six of these fish at a time. They spawn better when given a little privacy, so place a few bunches of plants in the tank so they can spawn behind them. Maintain dim lights in the tank if you wish the fish to spawn. The water temperature required for their breeding varies from 79F to 82F (26C-28C). The female will lay almost 2000 eggs on areas below plants, or on broad leaves. These eggs hatch in three days and can be fed brine shrimp and commercial fried food.

The silver dollar fish life span is about 8-10 years if you take care of it well. So you can easily find a life long pet in this fish, and watch it grow as you grow!

Gesture Drawing

The activity method of gesture drawing is used by artists to loosen up, just like athletes warm up before a game. In this form of drawing, one has to quickly sketch things he has already seen. Such kind of drawing is generally completely within a time period of 10-30 seconds. Using gesture drawing for animation and general sketching is common. This activity helps in creating drawings quickly by analyzing the objects. Let us understand more about gesture through the paragraphs below.

A form of drawing which depicts action or movement is known as gesture drawing. Presenting a human figure in motion can also be termed as gesture drawing. Its objective isn't mere copying the figure/object placed in front. However, it is the depiction of character/essence of what one observes. The activity of portraying motion through gesture draul helps depict the relation between forms/objects with their surroundings.

A simple, step-by-step and easy-to-understand procedure of making a gestrual drawing is given below.

• The object to be drawn should be placed in front and observed properly.
• A charcoal (about 1-1) should be used for drawing. One should just glance at the paper occasionally while drawing.
• The process of drawing should be a continuous one. The general shape of object, important curves, angles, etc. should be sketched quickly in order to get an idea about the basic outline or probably the nature/soul of the drawing.
• The strokes made while sketching need not be limited only up to the outer areas of the drawing. One can also think about working through the basic shape.
• If the hand eye movement is coordinated properly, one can draw a good/satisfactory sketch in quick time.
• To establish the proportion of the whole sketch, it is recommended to draw a line from top to the bottom of the sketch.
• Once all the basic shapes, angles, curves are drawn, detailing should be completed. The drawing/sketch should be created within 30 seconds. Time limit for drawing should be increased gradually for different drawing poses.

Mass Gesture Drawing
To make mass drawings, the general guidelines remain the same; however, few things differ. Lines used for creating these sketches need to be broad. The charcoal should be held sideways for making such drawings. One should start from the interior of the sketch and progress towards the outline. Keeping in mind the baseline of still objects is important. Pressing the charcoal harder is the way of adding depth to the sketches that are drawn farther away. The pressure on charcoal need to be lightened while drawing an object that appears to close in. The light/dark effect is an important feature of mass drawing. It helps in unifying the drawing and creating a rhythm.

Sustained Gesture Drawing
The sustained gesture drawings are created with an objective of combining the activity/motion of the object with its actual appearance. A quick study about what is expected in the drawing should be carried out. Appearance of the object should be analyzed. The proportions and scale which defines the dimensions of the drawing should be understood. Edges need to be drawn beforehand. It helps in developing the sketch further and to carrying out the detailing. The movement or activity to be portrayed in the drawing should be verbalized in the mind. The sketching work becomes much easier with this activity. One should first begin with light strokes. Drawing quickly for 2 minutes and stopping to analyze the subject should be the set procedure for making sustained drawings. Corrections if any, should be made after analyzing the drawing.

The gesture drawing examples could be anything we see in day-to-day life. One should practice a lot to master this form of drawing.

How to Cartoon Yourself for Free

One of the many ways to get over the anonymity of the Internet is to cartoon yourself. There are numerous online services that carry out this task and make a digitized cartoon version of your face. While this can entertain and amuse you, some people regularly use this service in order to protect themselves from online privacy threats as well.

You will be amazed at the kind of things that you can do to cartoonize your face and features, and the best part is that you do not need any advanced tools or applications. You can even alter some of your features in order to appear better on various online chat rooms and forums.

How to Cartoon Yourself

The exact process is simply an interactive simulation with a website that provides this service. It is best to choose one that is free of cost, because there are plenty of such websites around. Why would anyone want to pay for something like this when there are so many free alternatives to choose from? All you will need is a digital photo of yourself, taken from a digital camera or a mobile phone. Remember that it is best to choose a photo where all your features can be clearly seen, and which also has a host of colors and designs in the background.

Once you visit one of these websites, you will have to upload your picture on their server and they will handle the rest. Using an interactive application, they will scan your photo from top to bottom and offer previews of the picture to you at each step. You will have the option to change your hair style, hair color, head shape, eyes, eyebrows, forehead, nose, mouth, lips, ears, nostrils, teeth, cheeks and chin as you please. Most people choose to just keep their original picture, because this is a far more accurate depiction of themselves. Our advice is to do the same and not change any of your genetic and inherent features when you set out to cartoon yourself.

Other Themes and Tools

The best part about these services is that you can base your cartoon avatar on any famous cartoon character that you may wish to emulate. We've all grown up watching cartoons, and there is one character that appeals the most to each of us, more than all the others. Now you can look exactly like that character. So, while some of us will see a cartoon version of themselves resembling Homer Simpson, someone else may choose to resemble Popeye or any other famous and funny cartoon characters. The choice is completely in your hands when you decide to cartoon yourself online.

Another tool that you can use in order to cartoon yourself is Adobe Photoshop. This is an application that lets you play with and morph digital images, and edit them in any way that you see fit. Using this application you can add your own personal touch to your cartoon image, and can change any details you want in the picture. Note that the Photoshop software is an expensive purchase, albeit one that is totally worth it. Also, it will take you some time to learn how to work with Photoshop, so referring to a Photoshop guide is not a bad idea.

Once you have learned how to cartoon yourself, you can even visit a website that takes your cartoonized image and places it in a comic strip storyline. You can even add cartoonized versions of your friends and other characters in these stories. All in all, this can be a very interesting and alluring activity that you can perform online.

There are many interesting and cool things to do online, and cartoonizing yourself is one amongst many. Cartoon yourself online and have a great time with your friends.

Charcoal Drawing Techniques

Creating a soft feeling using pencils, pens, graphite or brush work, needs a lot of effort. However, the thing with charcoal is that it helps to give that soft velvety feeling of drawing naturally. This is the major reason which makes charcoal drawing techniques stand out from other drawing techniques. Before we start looking at a charcoal drawing tutorial, given below are the various supplies which you need for charcoal drawing. Then there are two basic techniques to create different effects using charcoal.

The two basic charcoal drawing tools consist of a thick drawing paper and the charcoal pencil. There are various other tools, which you will need to create more effects. However, if you are a total beginner then buy a compressed charcoal pencil stick, in the pencil form and practice on a sheet of thick drawing paper, drawing various shapes and objects, and try shading them.

Practice drawing with the above two basic supplies for few days, once you get the hang of it, buy other charcoal drawing supplies, to experiment with other charcoal techniques. Vine charcoal which is and extra-soft charcoal is an uncompressed charcoal, which is easy to erase with a chamois. Kneaded eraser is a soft eraser, that can mold into a shape and is great for erasing several times. White plastic eraser is perfect for creating highlights and other fine details.

Also, keep various grades of charcoal pencils like extra soft, soft, medium and hard. Wrapped pencils are recommended. Blending stumps also called tortillion are great for blending shades. You will also need a spray fixative, as charcoal drawings can be blown away due to the dust like nature of charcoal. Hence, a spray fixative helps to preserve the charcoal drawings. Now, let us look at the techniques.

Technique 1 - Using Charcoal Pencils
The first technique involves using the charcoal pencils like normal pencil. Use a soft charcoal pencil, and draw a basic outline of the various shapes which create the drawings. For example, if you are drawing still life then draw basic outline of the objects and drapery. Then use medium and hard charcoal pencils to create the mid and dark tones, shadows, etc. This way keep adding depth and detailing to the drawing. Then use a plastic eraser to create highlights.

Technique 2 - Erasing Wine Charcoal Patch
The above technique is a basic one, and perfect for kids and beginners. But, this technique needs a little bit of practice, as it is opposite of the above technique. For this technique, you will need better observation skills. Use these charcoal drawing tips, to create charcoal drawings using this technique. Take a vine charcoal and a textured drawing paper. Then using the charcoal completely cover one side of the paper, to create a black patch. To draw an object or face in this black patch visualize the form, then block the form by using paper towels to lighten the shadow. For example, there is a ball in the black patch, then with paper towel create a circular shape by lightening the shadows around the circular shape. Then using a kneadable eraser, pick charcoal to create mid tones inside the ball shape. Then use a white eraser, to create highlights.

These were the charcoal drawing tips, techniques and supplies you need to create charcoal drawings. These were the two basic techniques used for creating charcoal drawings. However, you can try out different techniques by using different color papers, mixing pen with charcoal, mixing charcoal with pencil, etc., to create different effects.

Best Trout Bait

The first thing that comes to mind for those who love seafood, specifically fish, is yum. Grilled, baked, or fried, fish can be cooked into submission, from stinky rawness to heavenly perfection on a plate. Trout, being one of thousands of fish species, is known for being a number one catch among fishers. Fishing has been around for ages, with techniques being sharpened over the centuries on how to catch them better.

Know Your Trout

Belonging to the salmon family 'Salmonidae', trout has been given this common name associated with many species of freshwater fish. Given the name trout, the name also belongs to a three genera sub-family species, namely - Salmo, Oncorhynchus, Salvelinus.

Genus Salmo	Genus Oncorhynchus	Genus Salvelinus
Brown trout	Cutthroat trout	Brook trout
Marmorata/Soca trout	Golden trout	Aurora trout
Ohrid trout	Rainbow trout	Lake trout
Flathead trout	Gila trout	Bull trout
Adriatic trout	Apache trout	Dolly Varden trout
Sevan trout	-	-

Choicest Bait for Trout Fishing

Choosing the right bait is everything. For regular or amateur fishers alike who don't know which bait is popular among trouts, these suggestions should be of help.

• Minnows: Make sure you carry a bait bucket with you, since minnows (14 inch silvery fish) aren't easy to carry. You can also get packaged, salted minnows that are a good substitute for the real thing, saving you the trouble of keeping them alive.
• Salmon Eggs: Known for giving off a scent that trouts like, salmon eggs make for a very effectual bait.
• Insects: Fly fishing is known to bag trout, specifically rainbow trouts. Fishers use flies, live crickets or even grasshoppers as trout bait.
• Worms: Rainbow trouts are known to love worms, so make sure you dip your fishing line near the river bed, since it is important to attract trouts that swim at the bottom.
• Leeches: Another good bait that needs to be kept alive in order to use to catch trout.
• Lures: The three known lures that are commonly used are spinners, jigs and spoons. Make sure you keep extras on hand since they tend to snag. Keep a collection of different colors and sizes, to lure in trout depending on what attracts them that day.
• Dough Baits: These baits make trouts go into a frenzy, and are ideal for using during fishing.

There isn't a single bait that scores as the best. You'd have to experiment with the different kinds and come to an understanding of what it is that trouts are more prone to get attracted to. The best baits are always the ones that are commonly used today, and if fishers discover new ways of getting hoards of trouts at a go, then there's nothing like it.

How to Draw Roses for Kids

Most people, whether they are novice at sketching or more advanced at it, yearn to draw flowers like roses and orchids. A rose with all its intricate detailing of the petals might seem hard to draw. This is especially true for kids, who do not know how to go about drawing a flower as intricate as a rose. If you are a beginner who wants to learn to draw a rose, then the first step is to observe a real rose. Before making a sketch, you need to observe how the petals of the rose are in the form of concentric circles when observed from above. And how the petals of a rose bud unfurl. Observing the details of the flower in this way will help you to sketch a realistic rose. Since it is very difficult for a kid to sketch a rose by looking at a real rose which a three dimensional object, therefore a step by step approach to sketching this beautiful flower is recommended. This however does not mean that you skip the earlier step of observing the flower to learn its form.

Method 1

One of the easiest way to draw a rose for kids is by the swirl method. Given below are the step by step instructions for drawing a rose using this method.

In this method, first you need to draw a swirl pattern on the paper with a HB pencil. A swirl pattern is nothing but a spiral pattern, but its shape is more oval than round.

• Make sure that the swirl pattern is oval in shape and is clearly defined.

Once you are done drawing the swirl pattern, sketch the petals of the rose by drawing an S shape from the extreme left of the swirl towards the point which will form the bottom of the drawn flower.

• Draw a backward S shape from the farthest point of the swirls pattern in the right.

Make sure that both the S shapes that you have just drawn meet an inch or so below the center point of the earlier swirl pattern that you have drawn.

• You will notice that the outline of the rose is emerging. Next draw a curved line on the left from the center point of the lower most petal. Join the curved line with another smaller curved line so that it looks like a petal.
• Draw another curved line from the lower center point of the rose towards the right hand side to meet the backward S shape that you had drawn earlier.

Connect the edges of the swirl that you had drawn earlier by sketching small vertical straight lines.

• Draw a long stem, starting from the lower mid point of the rose. Make sure that the stem is a little curved to give it a more realistic look.
• Draw two leaves on each side of the petal making sure that the leaves are smaller than the rose you have just drawn.
• Finally, shade one side of the rose with short pencil strokes and also sketch the veins of the leaves. Your rose is done!

Method 2

For kids who want to know how to draw a rose, given below is a simplified step by step instructions.

• Draw a circle on a piece of paper and then draw a slightly curved line starting from the base of the circle.
• Now draw a smaller circle one inch above the first circle.
• Join the two circles together with curved lines. While drawing the curved lines to join the circles make sure that you hold the pencil in a light but firm grip. This will give the curved lines a natural look which is what we are aiming for.
• Next sketch a spiral inside the smaller circle.
• Draw two curved lines from either side of the rose and join the curved lines to the body of the rose to make the petals.
• Draw two U shapes on the curved line that you had drawn earlier from the base of the bigger circle.
• Join the top portion of the U shapes that you have just sketched. This will make the leaf of the plant.
• Sketch the veins of the leaves and define the petals with short pencil strokes.

These were two ways in which you can draw a rose. With practice you will be able to draw roses that looks realistic and soon you can draw them freehand too.

Perch Fishing Tips

With almost 165 species, freshwater perch is one of the most abundantly available fish and can be commonly found in streams and lakes. Perch fish found in lakes are smaller compared to those found in streams and rivers. Some of these dark-stripped, yellow-gold fish can grow to about 5 - 12 inches and may be around 4 pounds in weight. When perch fish go into feeding frenzy, they can become easy prey and can be easily caught. One of the most important perch fishing tips is to know their exact habitat and the kind of equipment required for catching them. The best part is that you don't need expensive gear to start catching them. Here we give you some important tips which, if used, can give you a good catch.

Tips on Perch Fishing

Most people use reels, traditional rods and casting techniques for catching fish. Try using fly-fishing method for catching perch. In this type of fishing, you would need to drag artificial flies over the surface of the water so as to tempt the fish to come out to the surface to grab the bait. In this method the bait remains on top of the surface of water.

You don't need to get some expensive equipment for this method, you would just need a cheap reel and fly-fishing rod. You may get a graphite or fiberglass rod that is about 2 to 2.5 meters in length. Compared to other fishing lines, fly-fishing lines are heavier, but it's recommended that you use a lighter line if you are adopting this method. Flies and poppers are the baits used in fly fishing. They are designed like insects and are created in such a way that they skip across the surface of water.

Searching for perches in the right place is one of the most important tips. These fish are most commonly found in freshwater. You should look for those places which are filled with reeds, rocks, inlets, submerged objects and weeds or any such place where plants can grow. Bait fish are attracted by plants and perches are pulled towards these fish. Depending on their sizes, perches move around together, larger fish move around in deep waters and smaller ones remain in shallow water. If you are able to catch a perch, it means that there are chances of finding more of these. Perch fish tend to gather in deep waters and so you should search for them in such places.

Once you have got an idea of where you can find, these tasty fish, the next question that arises is how to catch them. These fish are not choosy eaters and so you can use a number of options as bait. You can use live bait like grubs, night crawlers, insect larvae and small minnows. They also like to have cut baits such as crayfish meat. You should try to hook them from the tail instead of the mouth. The baits should be light and small as the mouth of these fish are small. There are a variety of colors for the lures and these fish are mostly attracted towards flashy colors.

White Perch Fishing Tips

As perch fish move in groups you have a good chance of catching a few of them. The yellow perch fishing tips are similar to fishing for white perches and you can apply the same method for catching both these varieties.

The first and most important thing is to identify and locate them. You should know how they look like before heading to catch them. They are usually 10 inches long, silvery in color and in the dorsal fins they possess three sharp spines. Usually in a river, white perch fish would move around in deeper waters. Some of the favorite places where these fish hang out are coves and backwaters. You should also check out for a place where there is a tree which hangs over as there are chances that would gather there.

The next important thing to remember is the tackle used. You should make use of a tackle which is not too expensive and has a light spinning reel. A fast-action rod should be used as it can feel even a slight nibble besides having enough strength so that the hook is set rapidly.

Night crawlers are an excellent bait for white perch. Moreover, they are economical as they can be caught at home warm evening in your lawn. Make sure you use a small portion of night crawlers while you fish for white perches. They may bite a whole night crawler without being captured.

Thus fishing for perches is easy; the most important things to remember are to find the proper location, using a good luring bait and of course, using the proper instrument for catching these fish. Hope, these perch fishing tips help you in getting a good catch the next time you go out fishing for them.

How to Build a Sailboat

A sailboat is a craft designed to be propelled over water by harnessing wind power. It is one of the oldest and most ancient types of boats designed by man. The principle of its operation is simple. A sail is stretched and attached over the boat which captures wind and propels it forward, under its power. It is perhaps one of the most ingenious designs of a boat ever. Boating is a great way to relax and get away from the world, once in a while.

There is pride in building your own sailboat and there is a lot that you can get to learn in the process. Every man who dreams of being a sailor, must know the building of a sailboat, at least. It is a skill that will come in handy, if by any chance you are marooned on an island! Provided, island has trees, providing you with wood and you have a desire of getting back to civilization, as well as ingenuity to build one!

The procedure to build a boat could easily take a whole book. There are many types of sailboats and many ways to could build them. I will give a generic procedure for building a sailboat, but be aware that designing of every part of the sailboat may well take a whole article. So, though I am excruciatingly brief in presenting, I will give you an outline to build a sailboat. I will assume here that you know about boats and words like keel, hull, main sail make sense to you.

Sailboat Types

If you have been on any charter vacations, you will know what sailboats are like. Different designs of sailboats exist in various parts of the world. These sailboats are built according to purpose of use, availability of raw materials and of course where they will be sailed. Therefore their designs vary a lot. I will discuss, how to build a wooden sailboat. So here is a list of types of sailboats that you could refer to before deciding on what design to have for your own sailboat. Sailboats could be classified according to the hull configuration as

• Monohull
• Catamaran
• Trimaran

They can be classified according to keel type as

• Full
• Fin
• Wing
• Centerboard

According to overall design, many varying types of sailboats exist :

• Sloop
• Fractional Rig Sloop
• Cutters
• Catboats
• Ketches
• Schooner
• Yawl
• Dhoni
• Dinghy

Choose any one of these designs according to the purpose you want to use it for, which may be sport, fishing or recreation.

How to Build a Sailboat on Your Own?

Step 1: Designing
Designing is the most important part of building a sailboat and it will require thorough research. If you have practical experience of sailing, that will help you. Research and read as much as you can about designing of sailboats and boats in general. There are many books with illustrated diagrams that instruct you in sailboat building. Refer these books and take advice from a sailor who can give you a fair idea about the practicalities of building one. Many companies even supply you with ready-made kits for designing your sailboats, along with detailed plans.

Choose a design that suits your needs. The two important points to remember in designing is that the boat should achieve balance with speed, and of course, it should float! Start with the hull and keel design and move upwards. Draw detailed diagrams with measurements of your design. There are many ways to get this task done. Enjoy the process and make your designs as accurate as possible. A good elegant design finishes half of your job.

Step 2: Costing and Inventory
After you finish your design, it's time to make a list of all the raw materials you will require to build your boat. Make a thorough review of what all you need and make an inventory. You may gauge the total cost of the boat by adding up the market prices for each raw material and tool required. You may have to modify your design, if the total cost does not fit into your budget.

Step 3: Buying Wood and Other Raw Materials
Next step is preparing yourself for the building of the boat. Shop for the wood, the sail and other raw materials. You will also require carpentry tools and a dry dock or place for building your boat near the shore.

Step 4: Marking Measurements and Wood Shaping/Cutting
Once the raw materials are available, mark your measurements on the wood according to the design. First you will have to design hull and keel. Furnish them with care, as, if there are any mistakes, there is no way you could change them.

Step 5: Making The Sail Ready
Generally, a sailboat requires two sails, a main sail and a head sail. These two sails essentially trap the wind to power your boat in the water. The sail material should be tough, so that it does not tear under high wind pressure. Special type of fabrics, which can withstand high stress should be used. Stitch your sail and make it ready for attachment, according to design.

Step 5: Putting It All Together
The last step is putting it all together, to realize your dream design in actuality and then test it in water. Trust me, it is a very satisfying experience and you can't help but get a high when you sail in your own sailboat!

Building a sailboat is one of the most creative jobs, you could do over a summer.

Atlantic Salmon Facts

Atlantic salmon is a species of fish that can be mainly found in the northern Atlantic ocean, as well as the rivers tributary to the north Atlantic ocean. Scientifically, it is known as Salmo salar and it is a member of the family, Salmonidae. The adult fish is known as an excellent jumper. In fact the word, 'salar' means leaper. It is not closely related to the six species of Pacific salmon. It is a distant relative of the Pacific salmon, but closely related to brown trout, which is also known as salmo trutta.

Interesting Information about Atlantic Salmon

Commercially, it is known by the names of black salmon, silver salmon, slink, bay salmon, spring salmon, winnish, kelt, grilt and landlocked salmon. It can be farmed quite easily. In fact, these fish are grown widely in United States, Canada, Norway and Chile.

Physical Appearance
It can grow up to a length of about 70 to 100 cm. An adult fish can weigh up to 2 to 10 kg, though some can grow quite large and weigh almost 30 pounds, i.e. 13.6 kg. The young fish looks quite different from the adult with the presence of blue and red spots on its body. As it matures, its body color becomes silvery blue. The most distinguishing feature of the adult Atlantic salmon is the presence of black spots above the lateral line. However, its caudal fin is not spotted, and except for the adipose fin, all other fins have black border. It possesses well-developed teeth.

Habitat and Distribution
They can be found in both freshwater rivers and oceans. They begin their life in freshwater and remain there for the first 2 to 3 years of their life. So, the young salmons live in the river where they are born, and then migrate to the ocean as they mature and undergo some physiological changes. They remain in the ocean for 2 to 3 years, after which they return to the natal river in order to spawn. They can be primarily found in Canada, Finland, Germany, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Ireland, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, Poland, Sweden, United States, Spain, Denmark and Norway. Their major sites of reproduction are the coastal rivers of Iceland, North America, Europe and northwestern Russia.

Diet
The young salmons start hunting and feeding once their yolk sac is absorbed by the body. They primarily feed on tiny invertebrates. As they mature, they start hunting and feeding on small fish and salmon eggs. They also eat black flies, mayflies, caddisflies and stoneflies. The adult Atlantic salmon mainly feed on amphipods, capelin, crustaceans, Arctic shrimp, Arctic squid, sand eels and even herrings.

Breeding
As has been mentioned already, the coastal rivers of Iceland, Europe, North America and the northwestern Russia are their breeding grounds. The suitable spawning site for this fish is the area with coarse and loose gravel or rubble. The spawning site should have moderately strong current so that the eggs do not get smothered by silt. Usually, the female Atlantic salmon builds a nest by digging the gravel bed of a stream with the help of her tail, and lays eggs there. After laying the eggs in that depression, she covers them by shifting gravels with her tail. A female Atlantic salmon can lay about 1500 to 1800 eggs per kilogram of her body weight. The ideal time for spawning is mid October to November and the eggs usually hatch in March or April.

Life Stages
The anadromous migration pattern that this fish exhibits. The salmon eggs hatch in the month of March or April and the young salmons begin their life in freshwater. The newly hatched young salmons are called alevins. 'Alevin' is the first stage of salmon life cycle, where the fish remains in its breeding ground. In this stage, it derives nutrients from the yolk sac. Gradually, the young gills develop. When the yolk sac is completely absorbed by the body, the young salmon starts hunting, and leaves the breeding ground in search of food. This stage is called the fry stage.

The final freshwater stage of Atlantic salmon is known as 'parr'. The 'parr' develops into 'smolt' by undergoing some physiological changes, which allow it to tolerate salt water. As it attains the 'smolt' stage, it starts the journey to the ocean. During this stage, it grows quite rapidly. It spends about 2 to 4 years in the ocean and then finally reaches the 'grilse' phase. Now, it is ready to return to its natal river and during the journey, it again undergoes some physiological changes. Sense of smell is thought to help and guide this fish to return to its natal river. During this stage, the digestive system of the fish ceases to operate and hence, it can live without eating for up to 12 months before spawning. It does not die after spawning and so, can repeat the entire migration cycle again. It can live for about 15 years on an average.

Nutrition
They are not only a good source of protein, but contain a very high level of omega-3 essential fatty acids as well. It can also provide a significant amount of several vitamins and minerals like, vitamin A, vitamin B1 or thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium and phosphorus.

Farmed Atlantic Salmon

It is considered to be easy to farm, but this fish is very sensitive to the changes in its environment. For salmon farming, the fish are first reared in shore based freshwater hatcheries till they attain the smolt size. Later, they are placed in the floating sea cages, where they are kept for about 18 months before marketing. The excreta from large salmon farms can pollute the surrounding water, which can prove disastrous for shellfish beds. Therefore, the farmers are required to strictly monitor the condition of the surrounding water and the ecosystem. Salmon farmers are also required to reduce the amount of excreta released into the ocean, which is possible with the use of advanced technology.

Salmon can also contract bacterial, as well as fungal and viral diseases, for which farmers have to use antibiotics, vaccines and other medicines. A large part of such medications can escape into the sea water, which have raised great concern. Many people have also expressed the concern that diseases can spread from the farmed salmon to the surrounding ecosystem, which may pose a threat to wild salmon. Sometimes, farmed sea cages fail to contain the salmons, and so, some of them can escape into the surrounding water. Some such escaped salmons can reach the nearby rivers, where they can breed with wild salmon. However, efforts have been taken to reduce the accidental release of salmon with the help of efficient containment systems.

Though the 'anadromous' migration pattern is one of the most distinguishing characteristics of Atlantic salmon, many species have found to live entirely in freshwater. These are the landlocked salmon and are commonly known as ouananiche. Owning to large-scale dam construction, degradation of water quality and overfishing, the population of wild Atlantic salmon has reduced to a great extent over the years. However, several conservative efforts have been taken by various authorities to preserve its wild population.

Largemouth Bass Facts

Largemouth Bass belongs to the Sunfish family. Its scientific name is Micropterus Salmoides, which officially declares it to be a sunfish. It is also known as widemouth bass, black bass, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green trout, Oswego bass, southern largemouth and northern largemouth too! (phew!) The multiplicity of names itself tells you a lot about the popularity and abundance of these fish. (Florida largemouth and Northern largemouth are two different species actually, as we shall see later.) Fishing them is a popular activity, throughout United States of America.

Physical Description
Here are some facts detailing their physical description, appearance and life span.

• These fish are olive green in color with a horizontal stripe of dark blotches, along each of their flanks. The green shade varies according to the kind of water they are in, ranging from deep green to pale olive. They obviously have largemouths which gives them their name.
• This is the biggest of all the black basses, growing to a maximum length of 29.5 inch (2.5 feet).
• The heaviest caught largemouth weighed about 24 pounds and 9 ounces, which is about 11.1 kg.
• The distinguishing feature of this fish is its jaw which is known to extend beyond their eye.
• If this fish is lucky enough not to be caught, then it can live for about 16 years on an average.
• Biologists have found two species of this fish, the Florida largemouth and Northern Largemouth. Both species look alike, but the only difference is that Florida largemouth is heavier and grows to a larger size than the Northern largemouth.
• They are perfect predators and known for their clarity of vision under water. They can see things in color and observe through about 100 feet of water, provided it is clear.
• They can also hear very well under water, due to the ears inside of their skulls. So, if you are fishing for them, keep the noise down!
• They have a keen sense of smell, which can be used by fishermen, to lure them by using scented baits.

Spawning

• This fish starts spawning by age three and prefers spawning habitats which are at a temperature of 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit. The male builds a nest at the bottom of a habitat by fanning his fins.
• Females deposit as many as 2,000 to 100,000 eggs which hatch in about six days.
• Interestingly, the male bass protects the eggs and the young ones for some time, till they are ready to leave the nest.

Habitat
It is a freshwater fish species. Many rivers and freshwater lakes are populated by them. Interesting facts about their habitat are presented here.

• These fish were first discovered on the east of the Mississippi river and in the southern parts of the Great Lakes.
• Due to their popularity, stocking programs were established, which spread their habitat all over United States of America, Hawaii.
• It is found in southern Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia, Africa and even South America.

Foraging
The rule in the animal world is simple, eat or be eaten. These are some interesting facts about their foraging activities.

• Adults are known to be apex predators in their own habitats. They can prey on bluegills, crayfish, snakes and salamanders.
• The babies feed on bait-fish, insects, shrimps and scuds.
• It can be a formidable predator and using all senses of sight, smell, vibration and hearing, it can pounce on any unwary prey within its reach. It has been known to hold as many as five sunfish in its mouth, at a time.

Fishing
Here are some facts related to fishing.

• Fishing for them is best done in spawning beds.
• Ideal spawning beds for them are shallow lakes with temperatures in the range of 64-74 degrees Fahrehnheit.
• The largemouths put on a tough fight even after they are caught. If you have caught one, it will struggle furiously after getting hooked and you must have a good grip on your rod, to haul it in.
• The popular fishing techniques are doodling, pitching and flipping. The casting of your line needs to be very accurate. You could cast underhand, overhand or sidearm but it should be in the right area.
• Soft plastic and hard baits are usually used.
• Many anglers release these fish after catching them. The largemouth are hardy enough to survive after a catch and release.

As you can see, this fish is unique in its abilities and that is why, it is very popular among fishing circles, as a prize catch.

Interesting Facts about Alligator Gar

Barracudas, sharks, jellyfish... these are the usual suspects when one is talking about dangerous and predatory underwater species. But amongst the various types of freshwater fish, few names come to mind. One such denizen of the deep in freshwater bodies is the Alligator Gar. This fish is no relative to the alligator but in fact, is a positive Goliath amongst freshwater fish. It is considered an ancient or primitive member of aquatic species, as its existence dates back to prehistoric times. Learn more about this fish species by going through the following interesting facts about Alligator Gars.

Physical Features

	Scientific Name Atractosteus spatula Other Names Gator, greater gar, garpike and garfish Length Between 8 - 10 feet long Weight Between 240 - 300 pounds Lifespan Males 26 years, females 50 years
	The Alligator Gar which belongs to the Gar family of fish or Lepisosteidae, is the largest freshwater fish in North America.
	Gar members are very old and ancient fish, which are large in size, very tough and hardy and have long, narrow jaws with a lot of teeth. The largest of all Gar species is the Alligator Gar.
	Broad and long snout with large, pointy teeth in both upper and lower jaws. This sort of snout formation is similar to that of an alligator. This Gar is named for its alligator-like body.
	Teeth are long but thin and fang-like. An Alligator Gar will snap out and grasp its prey sideways, holding on and piercing the prey deep.
	Ray-finned skin and ganoid scales (thick diamond shaped, interlocked scales). The scaly covering of the Alligator Gar is very tough and rough, which makes it a very formidable opponent. Few objects can penetrate such skin. It is said, that if struck with a metal tool like an ax or knife, the skin will emit sparks.
	Elongated, torpedo or missile shaped body. The dorsal and anal fins are located at the extreme end of the body, near the tail. Tail is asymmetrical. The Alligator Gar is a slow but sure design of marine predators.
	The Alligator Gar is a dark brown or olive or mud green dorsally (upper body side). Its ventral profile (underside) is more of a yellowish, whitish green. The fins have oval black spots or dots. Young or teenage Alligator Gars have light stripes on their dorsal side, with some spots and stripes on their body.
	Gator Gars are a classic example of "survival of the fittest". This species has a swim bladder, which allows them to breathe in low oxygen conditions and even survive out of water for 2 hours.
	The Alligator Gar's habitat consists of slow-moving ponds, lakes and large rivers, bayous and bays. They are very tolerant of high salinity levels and can be found in brackish or saltwater water bodies. They need a shallow water area during the birthing process.
	Such Gars can be found in water bodies in the southeastern U.S. states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas and other Gulf Coast states, including Mexico. Notable sightings include the waters of Indonesia, Japan, Hong Kong and Malaysia but such appearances are rare and regarded as freak incidents.
	Alligator Gars are record setters in terms of size. A Mississippi native caught an 8.5 feet (2.57 m) long Alligator Gar, which weighed a whopping 150 kg or 330 lbs, using a net. The largest Alligator Gar caught ever weighed 350 lbs or 160 kg!

Alligator Gar Facts

	Alligator Gars are very slow in growth. Males are ready to breed at 6 years of age and females at 11 years. Not much is known about their breeding and reproductive cycles. The female must release the eggs for them to be fertilized by the male and then the eggs sink and stick to the bottom of a water body. Eggs are bright red in color and are unsafe for human consumption. Eggs must hatch in river floodplains, so that the young are protected from predators.
	The silent and deadly analogy seems apt for these aquatic predators. Their mode of attack is lie still and wait, then rush up or ambush their prey, catching them in a sideways grip by lashing their huge heads from side to side. Alligator Gars have been observed, lying dead still on the surface of the water, looking like pieces of driftwood, waiting patiently for a tasty unaware morsel to swim by.
	Though their primary prey is fish, they can eat waterfowl and small birds, turtles, small mammals and even scavenge on dead marine animals. Species like blue crabs are favorites of the backwater type of Alligator Gars. Few predators are willing to take on such a big, tough and mean foe. Young ones are relatively easy targets but once they reach maturity, the only enemy for the Alligator Gar is an American alligator.

Perhaps the deadliest enemy of the Alligator Gar is man. In spite of their fearsome size and behavior, there have been no documented attacks of an Alligator Gar on men. But man's industrial activities, like building dams and dredging have nearly destroyed the natural habitat of these freshwater dwellers. Plus Alligator Gar fishing is a very competitive and popular sport and its flesh is considered a delicacy, so the species population is severely depleted. Alligator Gars can be kept as pets in an aquarium but their large size and eating habits make them difficult to look after. In summation, this aquatic species is a rare and magnificent specimen of nature and should be treated with respect.

Cartoon Drawing Tips

Cartooning is such an art that does not always require you to be taking lessons from any art school. Since my childhood days, I have found myself going through all the comic strips and comic books, fascinated with the kind of drawings and line work used. Such was my fascination that I translated my own versions of the cartoon characters on the walls of my house. This was an obvious statement to whoever visited my home, that somebody from my family deeply loved cartoons! Despite my mom's incessant loquacity, I could never stop myself from picking up the crayons and doodling all over the house. If you find this story quite similar to something you have already experienced in your childhood days, then you obviously have an inclination towards the art of cartooning.

Cartoon drawing is fast growing as a very lucrative profession today. People who may have chided you for cartooning on the walls or opting for it, as a career option, would be eating crow by now! Cartoon drawing is very much in demand especially in the print media. This is one such profession that can let you have complete fun whilst you work! Perfect cartooning skills need to be imbibed with time so that you can create and establish a style of your own. As a beginner, you can also opt for courses or seek guidance from an experienced art teacher. Apart from this, you would also need to hone your skills by referring to works of great artists as well. Check your local bookstore for books on cartoon sketching. Apart from this, you can also check out some tips mentioned below.

Crayon Your Cartoons

When you often ask yourself what is the perfect way to draw cartoons, remember, it's all about creating your own style. For this, the first and foremost thing I would recommend is the use of the pencil and paper. Your skill should lie in translating your thoughts on the paper; the computer can follow only later. A computer is only a tool, your skill lies within you. Making use of different grades of paper can also help you to have different effects. A textured paper can help to create variants in shading.

Practice makes a man perfect, and this definitely holds true. Begin by drawing things around you, simplify the lines and try to get the basic structure right. Once you can manage the structure, modifying it to suit your thoughts will be really easy.

All the three dimensional shapes should be translated effectively into two-dimensional figures. You must take into account the line work that would be needed to translate the 3-D image successfully into a 2-D image. This would require you to analyze mentally all the shapes and proportions.

You can also use images from magazines to study and draw the same on paper. Although, drawing from realistic objects is a better bet, you can also use your old magazines to improve your skills.

Cartoon drawing does not mean that you have to complicate things. Simplicity is the keyword out here! Simplify your lines and concentrate on your line drawing. You need not focus on details you do not need. Remember to keep the shapes simple and free from too many details.

Cartoon drawing is about expressing your thoughts and feelings, many a time in a humorous way. Learning how to draw cartoons is not just about good drawing skills, but also the amount of wit you use in the same. A sense of humor would also help in making your cartoon look more appealing.

While drawing cartoons, apply a light pressure on the pencil. This will reduce the use of the eraser because; all you need to do once the drawing is finalized is darken the lines again. This will also help you avoid smudging your paper all over the surface.

This form of drawing is also not about a realistic representation of what you see. Here, you would need to hyperbolize to get the desired results. This is your blank canvas; let your creativity flow. A little bit of exaggeration can give you amazing results.

Always remember one important thing about carton drawing; you are learning something new at each and every step. This can help you to master this art form in a perfect manner.