Go Fish

If you’ve ever tried to reel one in, then you know the struggle between fish and fisherman can be quite a challenge and a thrill. From July 8 through 11, some seven hundred people will test their strength, know-how, and guesswork (you gotta figure out where the fish will be biting) at the sixty-ninth annual DEEP SEA ROUNDUP, in Port Aransas. Originally restricted to deep-sea fishing, the event now includes a bay-surf division, a fly fishing competition, an all-release billfish component, and a piggy perch contest for kids. And almost as fun as being out on the water is watching the boats come in, listening to stories from the morning’s adventures, and admiring the fish (blue marlin, red snapper, black-fin tuna, kingfish, amberjack, dolphin, and wahoo, to name a few) before the weigh-in. Last year a man from Dallas caught a 201-pound shark. Oh, but you should have seen the one that got away. (See Events: Port Aransas.) –Patricia Busa McConnico

Breaking Away

Plano native (and Austin resident) Lance Armstrong is on a quest: to be the first cyclist to win the Tour de France six consecutive times. Some in the peloton think his best days are behind him. You be the judge. From July 3 through 25, go to cyclingnews.com or velonews.com for minute-by-minute updates, or tune in to the Outdoor Life Network (OLN) for live coverage. Watching-parties will spring up at sports bars all over the state, but the unofficial official venue seems to be the Copper Tank Brewing Co., in Austin. –Patricia Busa McConnico

STRIKE ZONE

Way back in the winter of 2003, Roger Clemens (left) wasn’t a major leaguer. He was a retired Yankee; his existence, dare we say it, rather average. “Retirement” didn’t last long, however, and in 2004 the Rocket returned to the mound for the Houston Astros. The local legend has rarely pitched better, and he’s a lock for an appearance at the ALL-STAR GAME at Minute Maid Park on July 13. Your chances of getting game tickets, though, are slim, so you might have better luck catching Roger and the rest of the boys of summer at other All-Star Week festivities, including the John Hancock All-Star FanFest, an interactive smorgasbord including batting and pitching cages and how-to clinics from the pros; the Futures Game, a showcase for soon-to-be all-stars who are currently toiling away in the minor leagues; the All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game, a seven-inning contest between baseball greats like Ozzie Smith and Larry Dierker and famous personalities like newlywed Nick Lachey and late-night talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel; and the Century 21 Home Run Derby, where the big bats knock ball after ball out of the park. (See Sports: Houston.) –Stacy Hollister