Man Crafting...Marabou Steelhead Edition....

Getting there...


Almost Ready


Yep...Done

Winter tying season's in full swing. I have found a new love


Marabou

Hunting Dogs

Happy Dog


Tired Dog...

Although the birds didnt cooperate today, our dogs had a blast

Fingers Crossed for Christmas

Step One in Making Yourself Feel Small...

Go Swing the Snake River




In December.....



When the you think you're hot shit....go post up in the Snake with your spey pole and you soon realize, you're but a small spec of dust on the globe.

Need Vs Want......

Sometimes separating need versus want is a very hard thing to do
In the case of Old Man River, my father, the lines are horribly blurred
Recently he was forced to make a critical choice of two items

One—a much needed hearing aid



Or Two—his dream 4 weight fly rod set up, a Winston b2x 8’6 thing of fly fishing perfection. Exactly what he NEEDs to make beautiful dry fly presentations to waiting cutthroats on the St Joe river in northern Idaho.


To say my dad is hard of hearing is an understatement. Try issuing directions to Old Man river from the front of a drift boat as you fly down rapids on the Grande Ronde River in your drift boat .

When you play pinball off a few rocks…you understand he might not have heard you say HARD LEFT when you needed to. Our boat has paid that price a few times

So, hearing aid, new fly rod, hearing aid…new fly rod….what to choose?
I can assure you he made the right decision for the item he really needed.

That 4 weight Winston lays out line beautifully.



He still can’t hear you when you tell him to set the hook.

Craft Stores...not just for bead freaks

So where did I find myself this weekend in search of undiscovered fly tying materials

The craft store.

The only word that sums up this experience …awkward

Right now it’s tying season. Time to restock our respective boxes, dream up new fly designs and in turn, find new materials could, just maybe, become the key ingredient in a new fly pattern that becomes the “it “ fly.

Now imagine this, all six eight and 260 of me, wandering down the isles of a local crafting store, looking for new materials that might make the wings of a stonefly new catch more light or create a better water silhouette , trying my best to look inconspicuous amongst the walls of sewing patterns, blankets materials and craft store aficionados. I felt like I was in a foreign land

You should have seen the blank stare of the sales associate as I tried to explain that I was looking for 6mm beads to include on a new idea I had for a steelhead nymph. By her reaction you would have though I asked for a stack free hundred dollar bills.

No lady, I’m not crazy, I’m just a fishing geek, expanding my horizons…..

In lieu of logo-ing the Truck....

Why waste a ton of mulah getting your truck all logo'd up. Just use the ice that forms on your window when your driving out to fish and the thermometer reads 8 degrees.

I think I've officially lost it.

Once...there was a man cave

Now...a man CLOSET.....

Beware of the downstairs remodel gentlemen, beware!

A recent conversation with Steelie Mike

Big ups to Buster Wants to Fish for alerting the world to this one.....hillarious

One of my favorite shots...evaaahhh

Well, this picture sums up why I fly fish. If I have to explain, you just dont get it

Taken by yours truely on the Owyhee River. If you can name me the angler in the shot, I will send you a dozen flies, free o charge. First person who gets it right wins...

Late Season Success

Nothings better when well laid plans come to fruition.

With terrible bird numbers in our local areas west of Spokane, we ventured south to our Snake River ground we have access on. I was accompanied by Rookie Brian and the energizer bunny of dads, OMR

It was bitterly cold, but the pleasant bite of the day made for great hunting conditions and good sent for the dogs. It's true that steelhead have my heart but a great day afield can do the same for my soul as day chasing steel.

Rookie Brian had a hell of a day. Being his second time out ever for Pheasants, he's learning the game on the fly. He connected on a beautiful passing shot on a fast flying ringneck for his first pheasant ever. What a pleasure it was to be a part of that special moment



I am having more fun this year bringing new people in the outdoors, and Brian is tops on that list. He's having a season to remember. Just last week he bagged his first buck with a bow, and now he's crossed pheasants off his list. I just hope to put him on few steelfaces before this season is behind us



OMR and Brian then teamed up on the second bird of the day and I rounded out the day with this bird, pictured above. I was a proud dog owner when Murphy caught the scent, and flushed this rooster up in between Brian and I. Two quick shots dispatched the bird and Murphy beelined for the downed rooster and brought it right back to us. Freaking Golden Moment (FGM) for the Murphster.



And yet again it was another day I was fortunate to spend afield with my best friend...OMR



What a day it was....

You know what's pretty coo...??

When you send some flies to a buddy, and who da thunk it...



They work! Congrats Mr Eric on a great job recently on the Methow.

That fly sticking out of it's beak looks pretty familiar

Hoping for a repeat

Cause a day like the one we had above a few years ago doesnt happen very often.


We'll have our walking boots on this Saturday. And quess what their made for....






Chasing you Mr Pheasant, chasing YOU!