Monday, June 27, 2011

When Your First Fly Rod Fish is 10 Pounds....




















You're standards might be a bit high....

There is absolutely nothing better than getting to share our passion with another member of our family.  My nephew Trent from Seattle joined us for his first time fishing with a fly rod.























You tend to take for granted the little things that make you successful.  Stripping line in when a fish comes toward you.  Not reeling when a fish is running.  Keeping constant tension, so on and so forth.  The size of the fish on Sunday can humble anyone, let alone a rookie.  One of the first fish Trent hooked trucked him so fast he barely knew what happened.  The line popped and the and piled back in his face.  All we could do was laugh.

Not to worry, success came fast and often.  With 2 fisherman instructing (see "yelling nervously and barking orders) Trent honed his skills, culminating with a massive triploid on a size 14 chronomid and on a five weight rod.





















The fish at Rufus Woods stacked the deck in our favor yesterday. They're freaks.  They're everywhere.  They're BIG.  Everyone was catching fish but it didnt matter.  All that mattered was we have a new member of the fly fishing tribe.

This picture was my favorite of the trip.  It made me realize we had done our job.























Thursday, June 23, 2011

A Voice For The Sol Duc..Action Required


























Readers of this blog probably have seen this picture before.  This beautiful fish took me a on a ride on the Sol Duc River just outside of Forks, WA...one of the last strongholds of Wild Steelhead in the world.  It will remain imprinted on my mind forever.

Right now, the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife is accepting public comments on the uncertain future of this hatchery.   Now till June 30th.....you have the opportunity to have your voice heard.

Lets do what we can to have our opinion known that this hatchery needs to go and the possibility of a Wild Steelhead refuge is the best alternative.

Take this opportunity and run with it.   Take a moment and visit the Native Fish Society's site for information on what you can do about the Snider Creek Hatchery.

Click HERE for the link

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Bahamian Boners, Ala The Silver Bow


















11 Days of DIY bonefishing in the Bahamas has produced on of the most impressive galleries of pictures I have seen in a long time
















Brothers Sean and Mike V. from the Silver Bow in Spokane did well, very well in their quest for big bones, big adventure and great shots on the camera. 


























click HERE to escape to the Bahamas, at least for 66 pictures at a time

Monday, June 20, 2011

3 Shot Series From Evolution Anglers


























3 beautiful shots from Rick Dog at Evolution Anglers.  Great work bud!


























A little PR for the Silver Bow



















And lastly, the money shot. 

Friday, June 17, 2011

A Little Taste of The Stonefly....



A little taste of what I was a part of last weekend in Twin Bridges, Montana. 

What a place

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Get Yer Pebble Beer Koozies...


























Want one of these beauties?

Rocking one of these this summer as consume your choice of barley sodas will make you that much cooler, at least in your mind.
 

























Sam from Headwaters of History sent me uh, just a few of these and I thought I would pass his generosity forward.

So how do you win one?

Step 1.  Go to Save Bristol Bay's FACEBOOK page and click the "likey" button

Step 2.  Get yer butt back here and drop a comment on this blog post saying that you have completed step one

Step 3.  Cross your fingers. 

I will then randomly pick three from the comment thread and send them one of the world's coolest koozies. 

Winners to chosen Monday the 20th.

Good luck!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Trout Unlimited Prompt--The Canyon

Recently the good folks at the Outdoor Blogger Network linked up with Trout Unlimited for quite an offer.  Write a blog post on your favorite fishing trip, and have the opportunity to win a hell of a prize.

Click here to read more on the contest.

My favorite fishing trip is more or less one place in my mind.  The Canyon.  Enjoy the read.





















My mind instantly goes to one place when someone asks a question like, "where's your favorite place to fish?"

The Canyon.

It's not unknown, but one trip down this section of the Grande Ronde River in extreme Southwest Washington and you know why it's an inspirational place.  Drop an oar into the water at Boggans Oasis and it's you, the river, the fish and 8 or so miles of road-less water that allows you to forget about the rest of the world for a brief moment in time.  As I have said before about this place, your cell phone is about as useless as a paperweight.

Its a rare place of wildness in this connected world.  You get the opportunity to really communicate, with your boat mates and with yourself to lock back in on what's important.  Your Facebook status is non impressive to the big horn sheep that stare at you from the steep canyon walls.

My favorite days on this water bring together two of my favorite things in this world, time with my father and steelhead.   It is such an opportunity to be able to sit in my drift boat with my dad as we search the water for these ghosts of fish.  I can't tell you how many times people have told me that I am lucky to have the relationship I have with my dad.  I know this, and the Canyon gives us the time when it's only us and our jokes, jabs, even a yell or two at each other.  For me, it's perfect.

The water itself is beautiful and foreboding, to be respected as it to be admired.  Admired for the fact that it's perfection for steelhead habitat.  Run after run of water to swing and deep pockets to nymph as the day progresses.  And to bring it all together, the two greatest runs to me on the entire river to end the day on....180 and Pigeon




















Over time my father and I have grown to know the water intimately.  On days where commitments draw us in opposite ways, brief conversations about the day allow us to know exactly where fish were found.   The Elbow, Last Chance, so on and so forth.  Like other hallowed steelhead water, we have our names for our favorite places.

The crazy thing that this water was almost lost in it's present form.  Many don't know that it almost was the site of the last dam on the Snake River, and 2 miles of the river would have become a lake.  Thankfully, the project was defeated and never became a reality.

The greatness of this water is due to how rare of a commodity it is.  It allows for a father and son to grow closer together.  It allows you to focus on what is in front of you and only that because you can't do anything else.  It gives you the opportunity to loose yourself  as you focus completely on finding a fish on your line.  Although augmently by hatcheries, the river gives wild fish a fighting chance in spite of the stacked deck against them.

This place has to be protected and tremendous thanks needs to be given to anyone who spends their time and energy to do so.   A place can only defend itself so much, it needs advocates like Trout Unlimited, The Wild Steelhead Coalition and The Native Fish Society to help retain it's current form and ensure it for future generations.

The Canyon's walls draw you in and firmly implants in your brain.   If you haven't been, I hope you get the opportunity to loose yourself in those 8 glorious miles yourself.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

When The Bobber Goes Down....


























according to Joe from Evolution Anglers, 

STRIKE LIKE COBRA!

Spending 2 days in Twin Bridges with Joe and the rest of the crew at the Stonefly Inn got me really tuned up in reading the action of a strike indicator (aka starring at a bobber)   This phrase is another one the hillarious one liners that Joe brings to the table as your progress through the day on the water.  Some I can say here, other's you're just going to have to hear for yourself.

We both believe there are a lot of times when a fish picks up your bug, spits it out and you never knew it happened.   Becoming one with your indicator, in a zen sense can make all the difference.  

So back to the main point of this post.  When in doubt, STRIKE LIKE COBRA when your bobber jukes, jumps or plain goes under and swims away.   Set the hook and see what happens.


























Because sometimes, there's a fish attached.

If you're thinking of going out to Montana this summer, you'd be crazy to not fish with the crew from the Stonefly.    Utterly crazy.

The high water of early spring and summer is going to make July, August and September just pain nuts.   Give them a call, you wont regret it.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Hey, This Aint Wally World....

Out and about last Saturday in the Palouse area in search of carp, when I had this conversation with good buddy Wayne From Maine...

Wayne "You ever see moose out here"

Me  "God No, I dont think I ever have.  You see them up in the North Idaho streams like the St Joe all the time"

Wayne "Oh, huh"

No more than 5 minutes later in a small woodlot adjacent to MILES and MILES of open wheat fields, we see this
























It figures right, it figures.  Talk about it and where a Moose shouldnt be, it is.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

PBR, You're On Notice...





















Ok PBR I still love you but I have to be honest, I am a bit smitten by another.  A classic, a choice that's originally from the Northwest and costs about the same as you.

While Vitamin R isn t as award winning as you (didnt you win your ribbon in 1893), it sure hits the spot after long hours on the water.  Our only current problem is that it's distrobution is less than yours as it hasnt been adopted by the hipsters. 

My consumption rate will be increasing this summer as steelhead season is knocking on the door and 100 degree days on the Clearwater demand a fine macrobrew.  This is quite a conundrum.  

Im on the verge of a switch.  PBR, what can you do to draw me back in? 

Friday, June 3, 2011

Another Way To Help Bristol Bay...


























Looking for another way to get involved, here you go.   You got to hand it to the conservation groups that are banding together to to kick the ass out of the proposed Pebble Mine

Read below for all the big info... If you are near Seattle, you should be there.

RSVP for the event HERE

Thanks to Sam from Headwaters of History for getting this info out to me.
------



Trout Unlimited and ExOfficio invite you to the launch of ExOfficio's "Keep the Bugs Away in Bristol Bay" contest. Enjoy salmon expertly prepared by Chef Kevin Davis of Blueacre Seafood and beer from the Pike Brewing Co. while you enter for a chance to win gear and a trip to Bristol Bay Alaska worth $15,000. Everyone who attends the event at the ExOfficio store in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood will also receive a coupon for a 20 percent discount on ExOfficio gear.  An online RSVP for the event is required.

What: Save Bristol Bay event featuring free drinks from Pike Brewing, salmon bites from Blueacre Seafood, and the opportunity to win a trip to Alaska.

When:
Thursday, June 9.

Where: ExOfficio store, 114 Vine Street, Seattle WA 98121

Why: To help save the biggest remaining wild salmon run in the world from reckless mining development. (And did we mention the gourmet salmon, the beer, and the chance to win a really cool trip?)

We need your help to Save Bristol Bay and protect this priceless resource.  Please come out, enjoy yourself and learn more about the issue from TU's experts.