Saturday, April 30, 2011

CLCT Spotlight--Stop Eating Wild Steelhead Blog















If your a steelhead advocate, go take a peek at this blog.  They're doing tremendous work in outing and highlighting restaurants and distributors who continue to serve and sell wild steelhead.   The good news is that with this spotlight, some of the restaurants have chosen to take this unsustainable food resource off their menu. 

Often times, the establishments don't realize how perilous the situation is.  This site is serving to help educate and in turn, keep wild fish off the menu

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

If You Fish The Skagit Watershed...



May 4th at 6pm, The Wild Steelhead Coalition is hosting this event at the UW Arboretum. 

If I could be there, I would.  If you fish these waters....you should.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy Easter...

















The outdoors is my church.  I know when I hit the river if I am of a clear mind and an open heart,  I have the opportunity to see examples of god in the natural state and sunrises like the one above on the Clearwater River affirms my beliefs as a Christian.

Here's to a wonderful Easter to you and your family.  If you sneak away after whatever church you attend to find a rising trout or a bass chasing shiners, I think JC would be ok with it.

After all, he was a fisherman.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Fishing Superstitions.....The Hawk

























Remember what the first rule of Fight Club was....?

You dont talk about Fight Club....

Like or hate the movie, it leads me into my key fishing superstition. 

The first rule of fishing, fly fishing that is,  you dont talk about "The Hawk"

See, The Hawk is The Wind.  Death to a good cast, killer of good dry fly fishing, derth to rowing.

I hate the wind.  Over time, I've learned to deal with it, to manage it, to coexist with it. 

But to use a crappy pun....wind blows.

As I began to fish with the crew that I spend most of my time on the water with now, I was lamenting on how much that day's wind was killing my fun.  Promptly I was informed that we never talk about wind because if you do the faster and more severly it comes on.  Fishing in 10 mph wind, say the word "wind" and watch the gusts hit 40.  Dont believe me, I suggest you try it.

The only way I will talk about wind while on the river is in code. We've given the atmospheric unbalance that is wind it's own special name......The Hawk. 

Phrases like, "The Hawk is sure flying today"  are ok to say.  "Wow, it's windy"  might get you punched in the face. 

So there my friends is my #1 fishing superstition.  I have others, I was a baseball player in a former life for gosh sakes and we exist on superstitions.  I do my best to limit them but they are always there.

Send me your superstitions, we'd love to hear the other crazy stories and routines you go through in your effort to catch fish.  I'll re-post the best ones here where we can take solace in our collective craziness.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Guest Posting on Skate the Fly
























You show up at work on  Monday, fresh off an epic fishing trip and your co-workers ask....

"welllll, whuddjah do this weekend ? "

Just tell them you went fishing and leave it to that.  Why, because they just won't understand

Check out the piece I wrote for Mr Skate the Fly as he is away searching for total consciousness in far off lands.  At least he's got that going for him, which is nice..

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Where Turkey's Should Have been....




















Volume 1




















Volume 2




















Volume 3




















And lastly, Volume 4.

For the first time in about 7 years, I was fortunate to hunt opening day with OMR.  We did everything right, scouted and had birds put to bed the night before.  Nothing more exciting than sippin on some good wine after a great steak and listening to birds gobble their fool heads off telling me exactly where I should be the next moring.

Every place I put a picture up here had active birds in it.  First place, off the roost they went and the boss tom took his girls elsewhere.  All the other places, we got responses....but nobody was tooooo lovestruck to come investigate fully.

So is hunting, cant win all the time....that unless your Charlie Sheen

Till next time Mr Turkey, till next time.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Business Based Solution to De-Watering the West






Very interesting and thought provoking idea on how some are solving water rights issues and the de-watering issues we deal with here in the west.    The question I have is....why isnt this done more?

This article was brought to light for me by The Teacher.  Good stuff mang...

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Is It Time Yet ?

























Cause I sure as hell wish it was.....

Sunday, April 3, 2011

The Itch is Back




















The long sticks are in brief storage and I've made my peace with the 2010-2011 Steelhead season. 

Now comes time to unearth the pontoon boat, find out where in god's name I put my 4 and 5 weight rods and reels and get ready for a little less mentally taxing part of the year. 5x sucks but at least when you're staring at a bobber on a lake, you can slam down a brewskie and watch spring kick winter's ass out of here.

Good times are ahead.

The itch is back.