Chucking Line and Chasing Tail

Presenting the USS Cougar

2012-01-28T08:14:00.000-08:00

Check out Fly Fishing Degenerate Council Member Britton's new toy.

A devout WSU Cougar fan, he worked with Sotar to create quite a unique raft.

Hopefully it ups the WSU mojo and get's them bowl eligible!

Getting it Done in SW Montana...

2012-01-25T18:21:00.000-08:00

2011 Best of the Blue Skiff from Evolution Anglers on Vimeo.

So you need another reason to visit SW Montana, well.....I suggest you contact the Vanilla Guerilla.

Enjoy the music (Local Natives, they rule) and the fish (they also rule)

Amongst Good Company...

2012-01-24T20:44:00.000-08:00

A big thanks to Mr. Keith for the sticker placement. Living in pretty damn good company there if I do say so.

If that camper could tell stories, you'd hear so much fishing and hunting BS, you're head would spin.

It's a great place to park a chair outside, listen, trade stories, so on and so forth. From what I hear, Megatron has made an appearance there too along the banks of certainly Eastside Steelhead streams.

Keep the placement stickers coming!

An Eternal Question...To Drink or Not To Drink

2012-01-23T19:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday on the river, we were posed a pretty damn serious question.

"When you find unopened booze on the river, do you drink it?'

Now here's a 1994 Sav Blanc from the Caterina Winery that I found in a picnic backpack, fully sealed and corked. Obviously it was lost on the river, floated along and found a home. Recent high water dislodged it and brought it to the run we fished.

So there it was, staring me in the face. A family dinner that night would have been the right time to sample it's contents.

Previously all I have found on the river was a derelict, tossed aside Natural Light. The question there was easy....hells no

But here's a 18 year old bottle of wine from a great wine maker.

Shit, what to do?

If you have suggestions and or stories just like this, shoot me an email and I will repost on the blog.

Big Sexy Tube Time...

2012-01-21T08:03:00.000-08:00

I can only imagine what the google-bots are going to throw my way with a post title like that. Want to bet I get some weirdo stuff coming out of Romania, but what the hell...

A tube fly adapter for the Regal Vise made it way to me over Christmas and tying on it is a blast.

I still have a pile of Waddington shanks, but for some reason there's a freedom in throwing up some plastic and junction tubing and having your way with some crazy steelhead materials

One point of interest, or a "tip" for folks who haven't gone down this road yet. When you set up your vice and the adapter, find a pair of pliers to cut off the very end of the mandrel that you tie on. That son is sharp as any hook point and buried into my hand more than once. One quick clip of the point and that situation was remedied.

Currently I am tying on this adapter, but Eumer Products.

Before I went down this road, I had this incorrect thought that tying on tubes was a complicated matter.

Really, that couldnt be farther than the truth. It's simple sheet. Adapter into the vice clips, add tube to mandrel and then wrap, wrap, wrap away.

Now go get tubing...

Chasing Wingbeats with Reevo...

2012-01-19T21:18:00.000-08:00

“By the Truck, (expert goose calling), circling around the pivot, (expert goose calling), cupped up into the final pass, (expert goose calling) (expert goose calling)

DON’T MOVE!!

With that kind of build up, you think I might have had a little bit of waterfowl fevah?

You gosh darn right!

Recently I was given the opportunity to field goose hunt with two waterfowl masters, Cody and Mark “Pops” Reeves from Belly Up Guide Service.   What an experience it was.

We only took one goose. It didn’t matter.

What I was left with was a understanding to the level of commitment and dedication these guys put into it, molded around a watching a father and son spend time doing something they wouldn’t trade for a million dollars.

I got the call the night before and with 400-600 birds in the field they had leased, I really didn’t sleep much.   The alarm bell hit at 315am and I shot from the bed ready to roll. One things for certain, waterfowlers are not a group who accept lateness. If you’re late, you get left holding your you know what in your hands.

Arriving at the Reeves house at 4am, I entered to see what their great family was all about. Pictures lined the wall of family with a deep connection to baseball, family, religion and time outside chasing wild game. It reminded me a whole lot of my childhood home and I felt at home instantly.

Everything about their operation had me smiling. To their classic 1977 Chevy Scottsdale pickup loaded to the brim with decoys to their pre trip prayer, it was an experience in routine, preparation and superstition. Same stuff I go through with my dad. If we roll out to steelhead fish without stopping at the Lewiston McDonalds, the day feels off. I am sure the same goes for Cody and Mark. When decoys are put out, it’s always an odd number. Hunting superstition and baseball superstition are close brothers.

Through field prep before sunrise, I really saw how much detail they go to make their hunts successful. The orientation of the wind dictated where our ground blinds sat and around that, the strategic placement of their goose decoys. 41 to be exact. You can tell they have spent a lot of time watching live birds work the fields, interact and behave. Details baby, details are the key to success

First light cresting over the horizon had us thoroughly camoed up in our blinds awaiting our first flights of birds. Within 20 minutes, the sharp and shrill honk of the northern birds broke the utter silence of the quiet morning.

Then Cody went to work.

With a strong background of calling competitions, the dude can really speak goose. We were hailing birds from way out and getting their attention.

In for inspection they came, circling 2, 3, sometimes 4 times before skating off at the very last second.

Sometimes, it just doesn’t happen.

We changed our decoy orientation. Dusted off the hard layer of frost that accumulated in the hours after set up. Still these late season honkers detected something that got them to flare off to somewhere else.

One group did land, albeit behind us giving only Cody a shot to take the lone bird of the day .

It didn’t matter; I had a hell of a time.

It had been a long time since I had been able to get that excited over hunting. Camoed up and sunk into the ground blind, I haven’t shaken that much with buck fever since I was 12 years old on my first deer hunt. I was totally enveloped into the process of watching and listening to Cody and his Dad work the birds to come check us out.

It made me feel so darn alive.

Beyond that, I really enjoyed watching the relationship between Cody and Mark. It reminded me so much of the bond my father and I have. Cody has taken the cumulative 45 years experience of hunting experience that Mark has and taken it to the next level. Far beyond jealousy, Mark beams with pride watching Cody take his passion into new grounds. It’s truly a joy to be a part of a day where these two guys work their magic.

Noon hit and with that the majority of the geese flights of the day had passed and we all stood up and shook away the frigid day. We laughed, knowing you just can’t control everything. A day with high expectations of limits gave us the run around.

And like I said before…It didn’t matter

I got the chance to be a part of what it’s all about. Family, fellowship and a beautiful day spent outdoors.

----

Want to hunt or fish with Belly Up Guide Service and the Reeves boys?
Shoot me an email at jmills81 at hotmail dot com and I will get you their contact information.

Why Haven't You RSVP'd YET?

2012-01-16T20:37:00.000-08:00

We're a month or so away. There was a Western Washington showing back in November, and I've bet that promoter we can beat his haul of $$$. Make the Eastside proud and RSVP HERE.

There's one big ass pile of gear sitting at my house ready to go into the raffle, including 4 guided trips, 2 rods, 2 fly lines, DVD's, Korkers Boots, Sweatshirts, T-Shirts, Stickers, Hats, Books and more.

Hope to see you there!

Is There Anything Better....

2012-01-13T21:46:00.000-08:00

These guys are the ones that keep me up at night. All year long.

Thank god for Steelhead.

Do what you can do to help PROTECT them

Who Wants To Buy A Drift Boat...

2012-01-09T22:11:00.000-08:00

You do...

With a tinge of sadness, we're moving on to a new ride made of self-bailing rubber and a NRS fishing frame. Its some serious river riding mojo.

The boat above is a beautiful 14 ft fiberglass Osprey. It's been a great partner on the Grande Ronde, St Joe, Big Hold, NF of the Coeur D'alene and a few others.

$2200 with trailer and two sawyer wooden oars.

Pretty sweet deal eh!

Interested, shoot me an email at

jmills81 at hotmail dot com

Sick Eats....More Great Work from BOP an JMAC...

2012-01-08T16:40:00.000-08:00

Colorado Trout from Joey Macomber on Vimeo.

So when is it time for trout to eat like this? In the middle of winter, seeing a video like this kind of gives you a boner for summertime. At least it did for me!

Great, great work from RA Beattie and Joey Macomber. Not many guys doing it better than them in fly fishing cinematography.

Big Thanks to the Vanilla Guerilla to bringing this video to light

2012-01-07T20:36:00.000-08:00

It's time again to celebrate the winter season with the 3rd annual Hooks and Hops event hosted by the Silver Bow Fly Shop

If you havent been, it's a killer event where Sean and his crew pick up your first beer as a thank you for our business and to another great year of fishing.

Last year there was in excess off 190 folks, and this year with a bigger venue it should be a hell of a party. 2012 brings the show to the Black Diamond Sports Bar in the Spokane Valley where they have acres of free parking and lots of room in the venue.

What a great way to warm up the year, bull sheet a ton and possibly win some great gear.

See you there!

Stickers Done....

2012-01-06T21:26:00.000-08:00

Finally, the product is in.....For those of you who commented on my earlier blog post, I will be contacting you to arrange for delivery.

From an idea that began in my head and mixed with the artistic skill of Deanna Camp, out came this logo that we are very proud of.

Looking for sticker production, take a gander at www.buildasign.com.

There are a gazillion different companies out there you can choose to work with and on the internet, finding the right one can be a crap shoot.

From the moment I started working with Build a Sign, I was impressed. The customer service was fast, on point and their logo/picture upload was as easy as it could be. Pretty sure a 5 year old could figure out their online interface.

In other words, they made it really to work with them

And, I'm pretty damn happy with they end result.

OMR Strikes Again...

2012-01-04T21:41:00.000-08:00

It isnt even funny any more. Seriously.

5 minutes before the closing bell today, OMR goes ahead and ropes a beast.

Amongst the Fly Fishing Degenerate Council, this is the biggest steelhead of the season.

I've yet to hear the full story, but I couldn't be more happy for him. Ahh, seriously.

Sweet Elixar of Steelheading...

2012-01-02T21:38:00.000-08:00

Not much to say here, but YEP...

Southeast Alaskan Chrome

2011-12-29T17:19:00.000-08:00

2010 (Chrome Chasers Promo) steelhead fishing in SE AK from Detonation Studios on Vimeo.

Here at Chucking Line and Chasing Tail, we endeavor to keep you apprised of some amazing opportunities in the fly fishing world.

Case in Point--Chrome Chasers has a bit of room for you.

May 6th-11th, Rick Matney and his crew have space available. Access some of the most remote streams on SE Alaska, eat like kings, and get humbled by some bad ass chrome.

$3950 per person for the week, plus the cost of your booze, airfare and tips.

Visit the website HERE and or email Rick via rick.chromechaser@gmail.com

Go get some!

On the Edges of a Day Afield...

2011-12-27T21:50:00.000-08:00

4am. Yes, really...4am

You look at the alarm clock for a second to realize this isnt joke, you've got a purpose for getting up at this crazy hour.

Creep through the house doing your damnedest to be "quite". Rod tubes slamming on the ground from their perch on the wall arent exactly what your aiming for. Utter a quick prayer to god that you havent woke up your 1 year old son cause if you do, you know there's hell to pay.

Strike up some fresh coffee, load up the truck, check your gear 13 times (dont worry, forgetting something is just part of the process) and hit the road.

When the streetlights are still flashing yellow on the way to pick up your fishing partner, you know you're officially on the edge of the day.

----

I find that there's something really special to the routine to the beginning and end of a day out. Everyone's got their process before the step a boot into a field or a river. Gear set out the night before and obsessively check for missing items. Roll out and go pick up your fishing buddy and speak monosyllabically untill the coffee kicks in.

Finally the day is cresting into view and the conversation grows in the anticipation.
"Remember the time when" stories build in a crescendo till you finally throw the truck in park and go about the business of assembling gear into battle mode.

Finally, you're day has begun

For every yin, there's the yang. After the last cast begins the second edge of the day. Rod breakdown and a collective declaration of the day's success, good or bad. You go through the routine of the last beer and it's windshield time. Usually, a lot of windshield time.

The where and what gut-bomb are you going to eat begin to be the big questions of the return trip. Push the limit a bit on the speed to try and get home at a respectable hour. Make sure to call the loved ones to let them know that it's time for the boyfriend to get out of the house by such and such time. You know, got to keep it on the up and up with the better half right, haha.

There's nothing better than the satisfied feeling of a great day out and countless hours are spent rehashing the glory and defeat of the day. It's the stories and pictures that will stay with us the longest.

Then most of the time your fishing partner gets quiet and starts snoring. Lucky bastard you think to yourself. The mind drifts to what you've left behind and what's upcoming but everything's alright because the day was awesome

Finally, you're back in the same place you left. Starring at the windshield, a very happy person on the edge of a day afield.

Big River Swing Ups...

2011-12-26T21:52:00.000-08:00

Today was a gift. A winter day solo mission to The Big River. By myself.

Tired and happy. That's what I am now. Expect a full write up soon.

As a bit of foreshadowing, let's just say there's hatchery fish marinating for dinner tomorrow.

Redington Sonic Pro Waders Review...

2011-12-23T17:15:00.000-08:00

The big difference between wading out there and…uh, wading out there is one thing

Your waders.

We’ve all been there. Can’t wade out there because you know when you hit that certain point, you’re going to be wet. Wet waders especially outside of summer really make for a miserable day.

After rolling through a few sets in the past five years, I was excited to be given the opportunity to test drive the new Sonic Pro Waders by Redington.

No seams eh? I dig the concept considering my frame has a strong tendency to blow out anything with a seam or a stitch. I’m not kidding, from waders to work clothes I am a terror on seams.

When they arrived on my doorstep, I went right into lining up my first opportunity to test these beasts out. Hey I’m opportunistic, don’t hate…

For me there are some key areas to think about and to offer my opinion in regards to these waders

1. The Fit

2. Construction

3. Bells and Whistles

4. Cold Weather Test

5. What would I change

The Fit

If you’re a big dude, you know what kind of problem you can have in finding off the shelf gear that remotely fits. At 6’8 260, I am just flat used to ill-fitting gear. The Sonic Pros in the XXL fit really well and allowed for a normal stride while wearing them. There’s enough room in the legs to feel comfortable and without giving you that fun “front wedgie” that the wrong size waders give you. Not a hot look, and thankfully these help you avoid it

Construction

Two words that feel apt descriptors of these waders. Beefy. Thick.

And yes, these are good things. Dropping off a road to get to a run I skidded a bit down a bank and across some logs. Checking the waders, everything was fine. Multi layer construction especially throughout the legs and knees give me a notion of confidence when I am bushwhacking through the stickers and brush that I won’t have wet feet after a few minutes in the water.

Bells and Whistles

You want to know what’s nice. Extra pockets, and lots of them. There’s hand warming pockets. There’s a wallet pocket. There’s a camera pocket and if you’re into it, a pocket to put a flask for those cold winter days.

Sometimes the smallest things also make a big impression. The wader belt is NICE. They didn’t skip out on this one, and also they added belt loops around your waist instead of just in the back. Small item, but it showcases quality.

Cold Weather Test

In the Northwest the majority of the time, the water is cold. Like sub 45 degrees cold. People look at you funny when you say you’re going fishing in the cold. It’s absolutely essential to have a pair of waders that assist with staying out there in the midst of freezing guides and numb finders. With my normal winter fishing set up of fleece wading pants, I was noticeably warmer than usual. A big thumbs up in this category. Get on out there, kick the icebergs away and fish away. I have a feeling you’ll be warmer in these waders.

What Would I Change…

Whether a rod, a fly or a set of waders…aren’t we all looking at our gear saying “if I could I would change it by doing (x)

There’s always something.

For me, the first thing I would do would be to swap out the material on the gravel guards from wader material to neoprene.

Spending a lot of time chasing steelhead, I greatly appreciate the hand pockets on waders where you put your off hand. On these waders I would include a great deal more fleece to improve the warmth of the hand pocket.

---

Other than that, through 4 trips out fishing in the freezing cold of winter, these are a bomber set of waders.

There are a few remaining questions like what’s going to happen when I send them back for repair? (Its only a matter of fishing time till it happens, I promise) but beyond that, I don’t have a problem putting on a Chucking Line Chasing Tail stamp of approval on them.

Want more info on these waders, here's the LINK

Now go get fishin....

When You Keep Adding Flashabou....

2011-12-21T21:13:00.000-08:00

You end up with a big ass fly.

I gots a date with the Big River next Monday and I fully intend to put this tinsel amalgamation in the face of some Big Fish.

Merry Christmas everyone!

The Native Fish Society's Free Hats....

2011-12-19T20:19:00.000-08:00

Yeah, well...almost.

The Native Fish Society has a pretty sweet offer (see-limited time, hurry your ass's up) for those who join up with this great organzation

Be one of the first 50 fish crazed nuts to sign up under the Adipossesed Membership (1 year member) and they'll send you one of these killer dome covers.

Click HERE to take advantage of this offer and join an organization that's working it's butt off for our native feesh.

Or you can just pony up and buy one by clicking HERE

I was also told that they help increase your winter steelhead juju if worn while steelheading. At least that's the rumor...

While Cars Fly By Overhead....

2011-12-18T20:40:00.000-08:00

OMR connects with a native Spokane River Bow.

It will always amaze me how people ask me wtih a tinge of disbelief

"You catch fish down there?'

Why yes, yes we do....

Something I Realized Today....

2011-12-16T22:26:00.000-08:00

The loudest customer in a fly shop is probably the last guy you should go fishing with...

I dont care how many countries you've fished in...

I'm so happy for you for catching 57 bonefish in one day....

You're just a dry fly fisherman, have fun with that.

Just sayin.....

The Logo...

2011-12-14T21:09:00.000-08:00

We're on a mission to get a little more snazzy here at Chucking Line and Chasing Tail and thanks to our friend Deanna Camp of Elusive Trout, we're getting there.

This talented lady took my jumbled vision and turned it into a finished product that I am very, very proud of.

I will be setting up a run of stickers here shortly, please leave a comment with contact info if you would like one. First 20 comments will get one for free-99.

A Rare Opportunity...Olympic Penninsula Prime Time

2011-12-12T22:27:00.000-08:00

I just got a note from Jeff Brazda saying he just had a cancellation during absolute prime time in the winter steelhead window of the Olympic Peninsula.

March 10th-17th. These dates are usually never open because of repeat customers

His operation is top notch, and if you are considering heading to the land of Sasquatch in search of ghosts this winter/early spring, I would call him today and snatch up those dates

His guides have the heart of teachers and work their asses off. The respect the resource and work hard to provide the correct experience.

Contact him HERE

In Honor of Tebow...

2011-12-11T21:27:00.000-08:00

With Touchdown Tommy Tebow leading his galloping Denver Bronco's to a 7-1 record, I felt the only way I could honor this whitefish with dropping into a

"Tebow"

And don't worry, this little swam away like a rocket

The Announcement...

2011-12-10T11:11:00.000-08:00

Millsfy and The Silver Bow Fly Shop are teaming up to host the Spokane premier of Confluence Film's newest project "Connect" Wednesday February 22nd at The Lincoln Center

Filmed across the world, this film looks like an absolute ripper

All money raised at this event will go to benefit the Wild Steelhead Coalition.

More info to come shortly about tickets, and if you're a business that would like to help via donation of product or service for our raffles and door prizes, please let me know. Shoot me an email at

jmills81 at hotmail dot com

Speaking of raffles and door prizes, we have already been very fortunate to have a lot donated in the first week of gathering items.

So far, we have 2 guided trips with top level steelhead and trout guides, several rods, dvds, lines, hats, t-shirts, and lots of other misc. gear. It's our goal to have a killer raffle so lots and lots of cheddah is raised for the WSC and for everyone who comes to have a great shot at winning something nice.

A couple items of note

1. The Lincoln Center has a gazillion free parking spaces, so you cant use a lack of parking excuse

2. If you know Sean from the Silver Bow and I, you are personally responsible for bringing 5 friends to the event

3. If you don't come, I will personally hunt you down and give you a atomic wedgie.

So with that, I hope to see everyone who can come, come out and join us.

Stay in tune with the ongoing developments and gear added to the raffle by viewing the Facebook Event Page HERE

Oh Yes, Major News....

2011-12-07T00:13:00.000-08:00

We here at CLCT are about to extend on past the comfort zone and do something a little special just after the new year begins. No, I didnt get all the blog followers a free trip to somewhere cool like Alaska West or something....but it's still big for us.

Some small details have to be ironed out in the next couple of days, but I hope to be able to Connect all the dots here very, very shortly

Stay tuned!

New Elusive Trout Offerings...Ready For Christmas

2011-12-02T21:33:00.000-08:00

Deanna Camp, the author behind the Elusive Trout Series Calendars has produced a fantastic poster ready in time for Christmas. While you wont find these crazy trout in the water, I bet any fisherman would sport it on the walls of their mancave.

Visit The Elusive Trout web site HERE

Elephants and Eggs...

2011-11-29T19:29:00.000-08:00

They mix very, very, very well. Prized for their table fare and fighting strength, I bet your dreaming of your next elephant fish encounter.

To the victor goes the spoils....

If You Swing, It Will Tug...

2011-11-28T20:28:00.000-08:00

A big congratulations to Fly Fishing Degenerate Council Member BJ on his recent success on The Big Water. A hell of a way to get on the board with your first swung fish, on a fly he tied himself.

BJ is a hell of an angler, but fall pulls him in multiple directions with hunting and dock dogs, where one of his retrievers is nationally ranked. Finally he was able to uncase his spey rod and chuck some bugs.

Not bad at all, not bad at all.

This Is How You Should Spend Black Friday...

2011-11-26T09:38:00.000-08:00

Next time your staring at some dreaded "mall time", do the polite thing and drop your better half at the mall and proceed to your nearest fly shop.

Also, as Carson and I demonstrated here, it's easier to enjoy your beverage of choice than in, lets say, the hell hole that is Target.

Thanks to the Silver Bow Fly Shop for letting us boys get away from the madness.

Tinsel Aint Just For the Christmas Tree...

2011-11-23T23:37:00.000-08:00

Nope, Steelhead also have an affinity for it. Here's a little bug that's going to get some R and D time on Sunday.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Big Water, Big Rods, Big Fish...

2011-11-20T20:13:00.000-08:00

There are about 475 reasons why I love this picture.

What a fall it's been. Winter has blown the door open here in the Northwest and it's time to add another layer of fleece. Soon we will devote our time to the big rods and big water.

Usually to big success.

And Murph Dog Says, I GET IT!!

2011-11-17T19:43:00.000-08:00

Season 4 of a bird dog's life can be a beautiful thing to witness.

Last Friday, I watched it all come together for Murph Dog.

Gone are the wild escapes of birds sent up by an overzealous pup with nostrils full of a running ditch parrot. Gone are the continued sprint with head cocked to the sky waiting for that hen to drop out of the sky. Almost gone is the constant trailing and mirroring of the other dogs in the effort to learn

Murph has graduated, she gets it.

After we hunted the first piece of cover d in the morning to alleviate the nervous energy, the dogs shifted into their hunting pace. Back and forth their worked the ground in unison between gunners, and soon roosters were on the ground to showcase their hard work.

Murphy has shown great promise since her first season in the field. Generally she stays tight and works hard, but most of the attention we gave to the dogs focused in on Dakota, OMR's veteran pheasant sniffer. She's a machine that works at a methodical pace and you absolutely know when you better be ready because her birdy clues rairly, if ever fail to produce. You can read her like a book

This particular day afield, halfway into the canyon stretch of property we have access on, I watched it all click as well for Murphy.

Both dogs instantly got hot in the normal spot and birds rocked out of the cover. More weight was added my bird vest and we continued on. A few hundred yards later I separated from OMR and Kevin, taking Murphy up a draw ourselves.

From that moment, her nose alternately went from ground and into the light breeze and I knew she was on a bird. The pace picked up and we swung back up to meet Kevin and OMR in the main path of the canyon. At that very moment, Murphy dove into a patch of native grass and up rocked up a cackling rooster giving me the classic going away shot that all pheasant hunters dream of.

One report of the Ruger Red Label 12 gauge and Murphy was soon hovering over her prize.

50 yards later a rooster surprised Kevin and I with a wild flush. Over the top of a basalt column chased by two quick shots the bird roared. A possible hit sent Murphy and I up over the top to a piece of cover that might hold the wounded bird.

After a quick approximation to the landing zone, Murphy locked into the birds sent. Following it for about 200 feet, a quick shot and retrieve gave me my limit.

The day continued with success. Kevin got his first ever rooster and plenty of prime pheasant dinners were added to three families dinner table.

A beer at the end of the day at the truck and we all came to this conclusion;

It was a hell of a day.

Words Dont Describe....Boise River Steelhead??

2011-11-14T21:35:00.000-08:00

Good Gawd Damn. Makes me want to kiss the ground I stand on that I dont or wont resort to this sort of BS.

Thanks to the Shooting Head for unearthing this crazy video

Yes Dad, I Know It's a Staged Photo...

2011-11-11T21:10:00.000-08:00

I dont care, it's a limit.

What a great day out, a perfect excuse to skip work and share time outside with OMR and Kevin from
Ducks, Dogs and Downriggers.

More info to follow, but we had a hell of a day.

A Little Drake Magazine Love...

2011-11-09T20:24:00.000-08:00

A great thing about this blog is that affords me the opportunity to meet great people, whether in person or online and collaborate on issues that are big for all of us.

Recently, Sam Snyder from the Headwaters of History blog and I had an idea to draw the potential parallels of what we have done to the Columbia River system and what could happen to the Bristol Bay Watershed if we don't prevent the proposed Pebble Mine.

Out of this collaboration came an article that we are very proud of and we were honored to have
The Drake Magazine publish it today on their online site

Click HERE to read the article, and do something today to prevent Pebble.

The 38 Foot Tall Fly Fisherman

2011-11-07T20:05:00.000-08:00

What you say? This is no camera trickeration. The guy in the front of the picture is 6'2, so my math has the Vanilla Guerrilla at about 38 feet tall.

Damn guy is a stealthy Steelhead fisherman too, even if he can cast clear across the Snake River.

Hey Montana Fly Co...

2011-11-03T19:47:00.000-07:00

Hey, Carson here. Today's my first birthday and I hijacked Dad's computer and I wanted to tell you thanks for my birthday present, the artist series river camo fly box.

Looks like I can put about a bazillion flies into this thing, and impress my fellow fly fisherman as well.

Pops tells me he's going to test it out this weekend on the Grande Ronde. I think he has plans to load it up with a bunch of swing bugs in his quest for swanging up a steelhead. God bless America that dude is obsessed!

He also wanted me to tell you that he owes a big thank you to the Outdoor Blogger Network for setting up the giveaway that he won for this box. I dont know anyone else who wins more swag on the internet. Next time he tries to put me down for a nap before I am ready, I'm calling the IRS or something.

Anyone who's down for a river play date..hit me up on Pop's blog here. I can already cast 60 ft with a single hander and am working on my snake roll with the Spey rod. I'm just kind of advanced for a one year old. No big deal or anything.

See you soon on the river!

From Stilleto's to Spey Rods...A New Life Discovered.

2011-11-01T22:19:00.000-07:00

Gentlemen, we live in a dudes dominated sport. Just about everything about it is geared for us. Waders, Rods, Jackets, the drinking, dick and fart jokes....sounding familiar anyone?

Breaking into this crazy bunch isnt easy thing, but imagine being a girl who's never fished before.

Recently I asked Lisa Rice, a newly devout fisher-lady to write a guest post about the transition from stiletto's to spey rods. What a gigantic jump?

With help from her helpful fiance Andrew, the candle burns bright for this lady angler.

It’s hard for me to remember what life was like before casting a spey rod and fishing for steelhead. Although, I am pretty sure it was less exciting, more expensive, and a lot less rewarding.

Growing up, I had horses, so it wasn’t like I never was outdoors or had an outdoor hobby as a kid. I loved digging up clams and getting fresh crab with my family at our cabin in the San Juan Islands. I was a part of Campfire girls. I was a part of Pony Club. I didn’t mind getting my hands dirty. I guess fishing just never was introduced to me in a way that caught on, or was as intriguing as it was when I was shown how to cast a fly rod for the first time.

In college—mostly in the earlier years, I did what a lot of girls my age did. I played volleyball, went on dates, liked to shop, and of course, did my share of partying. So, the outdoors just stayed- well- outdoors. I found myself working retail and buying the retail I was selling. Shopping was definitely not a foreign idea, and I rarely left the house without makeup on. At the time, it didn’t seem like I was missing out on anything, but now that am in a place where I would rather find myself wading in a river swinging flies for steelhead than in a bar having superficial conversations with people that I can barely hear over loud music, I can definitely say that I wish I had discovered this other world a lot sooner.

Thankfully, almost three years ago, I was united with an amazing man who not only loved to fish, but who also loved to teach people how to fish. It is one thing to date someone who fishes, and they just go do their thing and you go to yours, but it is quite another to date someone who actually wants to show you what they love to do and share it with you. I am grateful to be with the latter. After only dating for a couple weeks, Andrew asked me if I wanted to go with him to a fly-fishing event in Monroe (the Jimmy Green Memorial Fly Expo), so that I could check it all out and he could show me what it was that took up his spare time. It was at this expo that I picked up my first single hand rod, and even tried casting a spey rod for the first time too. I guess I just killed a couple birds with one stone (or a rod in this case…). Shortly after that, we went to his parent’s cabin in the Methow Valley and he took me trout fishing. It was there that I hooked my first small trout and that was it. Pun very much intended—I was HOOKED. Seeing that mouth come up and grab the fly and then watching the line go straight to a shiny silver fish jumping out of the river… it was unbelievable. Not to mention the whole adrenaline rush of fighting a fish on a fly rod with a single action reel, making it that much more of a challenge and a thrill.

Steelhead, were a foreign species to me when Andrew took me to the Grande Ronde for my first attempt at catching one. He told me that trout fishing was fun and difficult in its own way, but steelhead fishing was what he was really passionate about. He said it was like nothing else, to fight a steelhead on a fly rod. The way they ran and jumped… how you had to work to get these fish to your fly and then, if you were lucky, to your feet. Right away, I was gung-ho and couldn’t wait to get out there and try it for myself. On that trip, I hooked and landed not just one, but four, wild steelhead on a single-handed 9 wt. rod. I was elated. I also was quickly made aware that I was extremely lucky to hook and land that number of amazing fish for my first time out, even for an experienced fisherman. But, I knew that from that point on, I would have a relentless passion for the challenge nonetheless. I was more than just “hooked”, I was obsessed.

Nearly three years later, I find myself looking for any excuse to get out on the river and cast a spey rod to find more steelhead. Ten years ago, I never would have guessed that I would be in this place-- one of pure enjoyment, unpredictability, excitement, disappointment, unbelievable experiences, memorable adventures and-- most importantly-- a life-long endeavor.

I love everything about steelhead fishing. I love learning new casts and ways to improve on my casting. I watch videos of well-respected spey casters to learn new techniques. I read articles and blogs written by other women who fly-fish for steelhead and even some that have made it their career. I admire what they have accomplished, and how they have turned what has been traditionally known as a male dominated sport into one where women are now guiding, teaching and even running fishing lodges all over the world. It is truly spectacular. It makes me hungry for more. I may have only started fishing a couple years ago, but I know now that it is something that I will pursue and embrace from now until I die. It’s knowing that, that makes me realize how lucky I am.

You can find more of Lisa's work at Hoof Prints and Fish Tales, as she too is a blogger.

Paiging Blake...

2011-10-29T21:34:00.000-07:00

If you are Blake, you won my contest. I have flies for you that help you catch these things.

Please respond promptly. Then go fish them, report back with your success.

email me at jmills81 at hotmail dot com

Thank you, that is all...

After the TNT, The Water Flows...

2011-10-27T17:44:00.000-07:00

The White Salmon River is running as nature intended. Thank god!

Think about this, it's the first time in damn near 100 years that the White Salmon runs free and soon in the future, to it's connection with the Columbia.

Give the fish and nature a chance, and it will rebound. I am terribly excited to be a part of a generation to have a front seat to watch it come back.

Godspeed!

Where is this....

2011-10-25T21:18:00.000-07:00

Tell me where this sexy h20 is, within a mile or so, and I will send you a couple of my Hobo Spey Flies as a reward. Good luck.

Ties broken by order of submission. Winner picked this Friday.

Hey, What's Peaking Out of Your Bird Vest...

2011-10-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

I believe they call it "Dinner"

The 2011 pheasant opener is in the books. The dogs and their owners are tired, but very, very happy.

Tis The Night Before...

2011-10-21T19:37:00.000-07:00

Murph dog about lost her gourd when I started assembling the gear. I might or might not have washed my brush pants from last year's last trip and the scent blast of dried pheasant blood must have been a sensory overload for her.

Tis the night before pheasant season, and all of us in this house are just slightly excited. Fingers are crossed for a decent second hatch of wild roosters as the first hatch was basically lost in our spring rain barrage that just kept coming.

Tomorrow is a day I haven't missed since I was 11 years old. It is a part of me as much as any part of my life. Some first days are over quickly, other are an excursion in perseverance. Either way, it's a day that I look forward to all year.

It's also a day that bring the fair weather hunters out to crowd the grounds. Through time and developed relationships, we are afforded the opportunity to hunt territory that others do not. Even that said, the season is long and with good numbers, we will enjoy the chase deep into winter when the fair weather gunners are sitting in front of a fire.

So tomorrow, may the dogs work close, may the birds hold tight and good luck to the trigger fingers that culminate the activities of opening day of pheasant season.

Letting Pictures Speak...

2011-10-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

The bending spray pole...

Look what I found...

Inland perfection....

Whats in your beak...

Until next time home river, until next time...

Photo courtesy of that fish crazy nut-bag, Steelie Mike

Metalhead in Spokane...

2011-10-17T20:23:00.000-07:00

See you next Monday. You best be there foo's..

I've seen Metalhead about 17 times and I dont care, it's still cool as hell.

So I Ran Into Turd Furgeson...

2011-10-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

He dispensed wisdom on a gravel bar with OMR.

He let me know his opinions on gear and tactics...

And the dude drops lasers and catches fish. Way to go Turd!

Oh wait, I meant Steelie Mike.

Reversal of Opinion, I Do Believe...

2011-10-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

I have changed my opinion, wholeheartedly. I doth stand corrected.

With an hour of daylight left yesterday, I threw out caution, clipped off my wet fly and went skating. That hour was a glimpse into true Steelhead Nirvana.

Our group had already had a great day with a consistent bite and fish landed. OMR landed a massive hatchery hen on the Snake and the end of the day put us at the mouth of the home river.

The light began to flatten out and with a Skopper attached, I saw my first actual skated dry take by a steelhead. I promptly trout set it out of it's mouth.

Wow, it actually happened. Couldn't believe it. Ok, back at it.

Two casts later, a massive slashing rise and we were connected.

Holy holy holy shit (my inner monologue)

I said that phrase 5 more times in that hour and landed two fish. This is the type of stuff that makes Steelhead nuts like me a bit weak in the knees.

So back to that picture. That's what happens when 7 different fish try to destroy a skater.

Oh hell yes. Oh, hell yes!

My Boys...

2011-10-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

OMR is under strict orders that he has to still be fishing when it comes time to tail Carson's first Steelhead.

I have a good feeling that it will happen just that way.

Beee-u-tiful Fish Porn....Off the Grid

2011-10-08T07:33:00.000-07:00

Off the Grid Fly Fishing Trailer from RA Beattie on Vimeo.

Looks like RA Beattie and Joey MaComber have another winner.

Just show me where to insert my debit card to order.

Bristol Bay Road Show...

2011-10-05T20:31:00.000-07:00

Alaska Natives, commercial fishermen, sportsmen and seafood processors are heading south on the Save Bristol Bay Road Show to raise awareness and build support for protecting Bristol Bay Alaska, which is threatened by the proposed Pebble gold and copper mine.

The mine, potentially three times as large as the largest current mine in North America, would threaten the headwaters of Bristol Bay, putting thousands of fishing jobs at risk, along with a Native way of life that has existed for centuries. The real gold in Bristol Bay is the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery, a sustainable resource that returns year after year.

In six cities, commercial fishermen, Alaska Natives, sportsmen and seafood processors will highlight the economic risks posed by the mine. The Road Show will also feature a screening of the award-winning documentary, “Red Gold,” delicious Bristol Bay sockeye prepared by local chefs, and locally produced beers.

Melanie Brown, an Alaska Native and commercial fisherwoman, and Ben Blakey, of family-run seafood company, Snopac Products, will travel to all of the cities as featured speakers, sharing the importance of the region as an economic engine, source of jobs, and resource for food.

In each city, the program will also feature sportsmen, fishing guides or commercial fishermen, whose livelihoods depend on the clean waters and sustainable fish runs of Bristol Bay. More than 12,000 jobs depend on the commercial salmon fishery in Bristol Bay, along with more than 1,000 jobs related to sport fishing and countless other businesses.

The Save Bristol Bay Road Show visits the following six cities:
Seattle: Monday, October 17, Leif Erikson Lodge, 7 p.m.
Portland: Wednesday, October 19, Bagdad Theater, 7 p.m.
Corvallis: Friday, October 21, The Arts Center, 7 p.m.
San Francisco: Monday, October 24, Temple Nightclub, 7 p.m.
Santa Fe: Tuesday, October 25, Center For Contemporary Arts Cinematheque, 7 p.m.
Denver: Thursday, October 27, Oriental Theater, 7 p.m.

For information, please visit: www.savebristolbay.org/roadshow

If you're in any of these cities, you need to go to this event. Mark it NOW on your calendar.

Make your stand now for Bristol Bay.

I Don't Believe in Skating...

2011-10-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

It's true. Honestly.

My return to my home steelhead river had me skating various patterns through the glassy tail-outs of every run we came to. My eyes focused so hard on the swing and skitter, testing my hypothesis that I could pull a jedi mind trick on a resting steelhead to have it rocket up and eat that surface disturbance.

Alas, nada. nope. no dice.

With that said, I still have hope that I will find a fish that will change my mind. Posts like this one from Steelie Mike give me hope.

Nobody ever gets laid without putting forth some effort, right?

A Bounty of Choices...

2011-09-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

We are entering the sweet spot of the year.

The crisp mornings of fall make way for some killer afternoons. There's still enough daylight to make it feel like you were out a long time.

And oh the choices. Enough to make you go nuts trying to figure it out where you're going to go, what your going to chase, what you need to tie up.

Grouse is open. Dryline Steelhead. Just about time for Quail and Chuckar. Soon, Pheasants and Deer

Choices folks, are a grand thing

Now go get after it....

Reader Responses--Naming the Run

2011-09-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

It's always great to get a response to a particular post that I put up here at this little outpost of fishing on the internet. Last week's "Naming the Run" post got some great response, and Slint's email to me was sent in just the spirit that I was thinking about when I posted that particular post.

Thanks Slint for the note and enjoy reading his version of of "Naming the Run"

I loved your post about naming runs. I hear you. My home river is a Great Lakes trib with a self-sustaining naturalized population of lake run rainbows descended from California stock. They've been there longer than the browns in the Madison, but aren't natives. Still, they are really special fish who have carved out a niche. I love them.

My friends and I have a similar policy as yours, although we allow dudes to name runs after auspicious events as well, not just the first hooked fish. Many of the runs and pools on this particular river are named and recorded from earlier generations, but we have our own name for some and have named others for ourselves that had been previously unlisted on any of the river maps produced by local conservation organizations.

A sampler:

The stretch we refer to as the Holy Water consists of, in order from top to bottom: Led Zepplin, Power Sculpin, Old McDonald, Skinny Brown and Zoso.

Further down river you'll find Vin Diesel, the Washington Generals, Pink Worm, the Duece, the Coho Hole, Scissor Grind and British Columbia.

These are all runs where we've hit fish, on a river where the locals keep telling me they won't hit a swung fly.... I just nod and keep my mouth shut.

On the rest of the river we use the traditional names, but there are some tasty pieces of water just begging for a new name.... as soon as someone can get grabbed in them.

Foreground...Background, Spokane River

2011-09-24T15:31:00.000-07:00

Foreground--A beautiful nymph run that I pulled a few beautiful, wild redband rainbows out of.

Backgound--no, that isnt a nuclear plant. Just the place where Spokane's "Sheet" is reclaimed. We locals call it the poo plant.

Urban fishery huh? Yep

Some Baloney Macaroni from Pebble....

2011-09-23T17:23:00.000-07:00

What a bunch of wankers.....

Naming the Run...

2011-09-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

Coming down the road, looking down on the water....we knew it had to be fished.

It had all the characteristics, even flowing current stretching over a long gravel bar. A slight chop on top of the water gave clues that the run had the bolder garden buckets that drew fish in like a magnet.

It screamed at us, swing it, and swing it now.

Still, it's tough to have complete confidence in water you've never fished, let alone catch a fish.

We all looked at each other to determine where each of us would jump in. Rarely is anyone the asshat who runs into the water without the normal pleasantries of asking. You have to pretend you don't care where you start but your lying, as you've been eying the bucket since you got out of the car.

I am sure countless others had fished this run in the past, there's no doubt about it. It's too popular a river, and steelhead bring people out of the woodwork. But to us it was the maiden voyage.

Twenty minutes in, we all started to doubt our selection of water. New runs tend to do that to you. Success gives confidence, repetitive casting without a tug makes you think your crazy.

In the midst of the should we or shouldn't we leave conversation....Bo almost gets yanked into the river.

So without adieu, it was time to name the run.

Back at the truck, we discussed over the post run/congratulatory PBR's what the hell our group was going to call this piece of water. Bo had the honor, as the guy who lands the first fish usually gets to right to do it.

Every different group has different names for the same pieces of water. Confusion rains when one guy tries to explain to another the defining characteristics of a run that he calls "Black Rock" and other guys calls, lets say.."Tall Tree"

On my home river, names also revolve around what is around it. The Ranch Run, Cattle Company, The Rocks, and so on.

Other times, runs are names after people, as in Poppy's Riffle on the Clearwater.

So we all looked around and threw out suggestions. "Annexation of Puerto Rico" was suggested but quickly thrown out. After some him and hawing....Bo named it.

The Grove.....named after the oddly out of place grove of trees over looking the run.

Does your group have a great way to name runs, or a great story on how your favorite piece of water was named? ....shoot me an email at jmills81 at hotmail dot com and I will throw it up here.

The Yin and the Yang of the Clearwater...

2011-09-19T22:27:00.000-07:00

Finally we're knee deep in the highly anticipated steelhead season of 2011 and for the last couple years, we begin on the Clearwater.

The Clearwater is a bitch of a river, only giving you glimpses of its drylining glory. For me at least, it makes me earn my steelhead.

But good gawd, is it a special place.

This weekend marked the return of the annual celebration of OMR with the 2011 edition of the Fay Clave. The weather was perfect, the flows were perfect and to add fuel to the fire, a certain "friend" of mine kept sending me texts with pictures of fish all week long. Yeah, thanks a lot

So to the point of this post, the yin and the yang, the good and the bad, the up and the down of the Clearwater.

Within 20 minutes of setting up camp, we wadered up and bolted to one of our favorite runs on the river. 20 minutes after that, a rocket attached itself to my line and did it's best to head back to the Snake.

I couldnt have felt any better. Catching my first B run CW fish was akin to getting laid for the first time and there could be some debate on which one I will remember more in 20 years. Needless to say, I was a bit happy. The Yin if you will

Then for the next 2 days. Nothing. The Yang to complete it.

OMR kept on rolling through the three days with nothing to show for it but a savage take and a battle that left him staring at the water for minutes after the connection was lost. Still, he was the last guy on the water, keeping the hope alive

Not to be out done, Fay Clave attendee Bo hooked and landed the biggest Clearwater fish I've ever seen.

What a beast.

To wrap it up, three days on the C-Dub just stokes the fire to come back and find the right key on the right day to make it all happen. Until then we'll just keep trying.

Because every thousand casts or so, you get to drop your loop and feel what a steelhead can really do.

The Clearwater....

2011-09-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

Can be so damn amazing. Fay Clave 2.0 is in the books and tune back in tomorrow for a full write up.

The Dred Pirate Red Beard Hath Reappeared in Costa Rica...

2011-09-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

The Costa Rica Challenge - Exclusive Sneak Preview from N.S.A. on Vimeo.

Hey Red Beard, can you hook a brotha up next time with an invite.

Some seriously narsty stuff went down in Costa Rica. I suggest you watch!

Atta Boy Son...

2011-09-13T21:26:00.000-07:00

I didnt even bait him into this picture, he went right for it.

Murph Dog...River Enthusiast..

2011-09-11T20:40:00.000-07:00

Someone else in my household also loves her river time. Almost looks like she was posing for this one.

Tricks of the Steelhead Jedi's....The Comeback Fly

2011-09-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

Finally it was time to saddle up the spey rods and head to steelhead country. Early season steel in Eastern Washington and Idaho is no guarantee but the rewards are fantastic.

Savage takes. Drylines. Skaters. Oh hells yes. All part of the early season out here.

In the journey to become a better fisherman, I try to do my best to shut the hell up and listen to guys and gals who know more, done more and caught more than I ever have. Anyone who knows me and how much I talk knows this is a tall order, but I do what I can.

There's a group of guys in Southwest Washington and Oregon who have opened up the playbook to me. Guys like Brian Chou, Joe Willauer and Steelie Mike....they are my Steelhead Jedi's and when they talk..I listen.

So a couple years ago while out with Steelie Mike on the Deschutes, he brought to my attention the concept of a "comeback fly". Being new to the game, it seemed absolutely ridiculous that a steelhead would come back to a smaller, sparser fly after plucking or hitting in a non committal way to a bigger, more aptly dressed fly. Looking at the flies Mike gave me that day, all I could think was yeah freaking right....but I will put it in the box and remember this lesson for when the time was right.

Well on Monday, the time was right.

Notice the fly in that buck's grill. The fly Steelie Mike gave me 2 years prior.

The first run of the morning and OMR was kind enough to give me the jump. About 45 minutes into that particular stepdown session, my mind began to wander as my swing was came into the bucket of the run. Wham...the fish grabbed hold and just as fast, let go. My eyes slammed into focus on the spot where the fish took to see the massive boil that let me know that it wasnt a little smolt, but a full fledged ocean run rainbow.

The conversation I had with Mike 2 years prior jumped into my brain and then I directly went into my fly box, grabbed that comeback fly and stepped back up 2 steps to re offer to that fish.

Why a fish would take this fly is beyond me. Maybe it's the latent feeding response to when they ate caddis as a smolt, but this Spade fly was as sparse as it could get. A couple wraps of mylar and about 10 total strands of elk hair. That's it, thats all.

Paying close attention to my fly as it cut through the water on my dryline.....the fish came back and nailed the shit out of that fly.

For a hatchery fish, the fight was great and typical of a buck. Long dogged runs and one last offering as it's belly hit the rocks.

With regulations mandating it's release, we took a few pictures and sent him on his way.

So thanks Mike, glad I listened.

OMR Drops The Hammer....

2011-09-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

Betcha didnt know that spray poles have a tendency to flex this much on the forward stroke.

Another example of OMR dropping bombs really shows how much they really do taco out.

BTW, check in tomorrow at Chucking Line and Chasing Tail for a little tip on a little knowledge that Steelie Mike gave me last year that resulted in a tug o war with my first steelhead of the 2011 season.

Hey Mom, What That?

2011-09-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

Just look at the eyeball that my boy Raft Kevin's son is throwing at that fish.

Another addict is born.

Proud Dad Kevin took the photo as The Golf Pro corralled Kelly's nice cutty caught caught on her second cast of the day on an unnamed flow in Northwest Montana.

Trout, Beer and a Little Bristol Bay...

2011-09-01T22:18:00.000-07:00

So if you're buying, I do have a hankering for the Northern Lights Crystal Bitter

Just saying...

But back to the point, if you're in town, you probably should go to this meeting, member of TU or not. I am excited to hear the perspective of Dwayne Meadows, Bristol Bay National Outreach Director of TU Alaska.

See you there.

An Alternate Use For Your Fishing Buff...

2011-08-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

So you've invested in a 20 dollar neck cover, and your wondering...hey, where else can I use this thing.

You cant fish all the time, right? So put that piece o' fabric to good use to the weekly domestic chores there gentlemen and women.

Yep, it still breaths while mowing the lawn...

Hey Buff...there's a new product outlet for you.

Hey Dad, Take Me To The River...

2011-08-28T22:57:00.000-07:00

Well, he didnt actually say that, but I could tell that's what he was saying while he was "talking" to me.

After a long weekend of pretty intense teething pain, Big C's first trip the the river was great.

The wife saddled up the kiddo in the backpack, Murph Dog bounded around and I threw a few casts into some great water.

One thing's for sure...

I'm a pretty lucky dude...

Spokane River Poachers, You Suck Ass

2011-08-23T22:45:00.000-07:00

Not an elusive creature, the Spokane River Poacher is easily found. In a highly visible, highly trafficked area on the Spokane (Peaceful Valley), you continued to fish even after Wayne from Maine told you that:

1. It's illegal to fish with bait

2. It's illegal to fish with barbed hooks

and here's the kicker

3. It's illegal to retain wild redband rainbows in this part of the river.

Also, double points for teaching your family a good angling ethic. Dont think you'll do a good job in releasing the fish, if you planned to do so as you wrench them up the 20 feet from the water to the deck of the bridge.

And lastly, good luck explaining the the sheriff as Wayne did a fantastic job documenting the offense as well as your license plate number.

Good gawd, get a clue folks.

If you're out on the Spokane and notice poaching activity, please call this number and hopefully one of our good crime fighters will respond in a prompt manner. Our offending party left before the law arrived.

Spokane Poaching Hotline-- 509-227-6560

The Generosity of New Friends...

2011-08-22T20:30:00.000-07:00

For a dude who only occasionally visits the salt, it's highly unlikely you run into salmon like this without a little help.

You have to rely on generosity of your friends. Sometimes they're friends you've only met while connecting up to the increasingly small world of the fly fishing community.

Our world is small friends, brought increasingly smaller and tighter with social media, FB, Twitter and blogs like this. At the same time, it can open the world up to experiences that weave you tighter within the fishing community and fishing as a part of your life.

And to this point, family brought my family across the state of Washington to Seattle for a little family event. What might be happened at that very same time, the possible apex of the every odd year pink salmon run of an estimated 6-8 million fish to the Puget Sound.

A quick phone call a few weeks prior to Dylan Rose of Skate the Fly had our agenda set. As our day came closer, I learned that we would also be joined by photog and guide Dave McCoy of Emerald Water Anglers. Anyone paying attention lately would know that these guys hit in the big leagues, and I felt honored to have them open up and bring a salt rookie along.

Oh yeah, I had never actually met these guys. Just guest blog posts for Dylan and a bit of FB talking with Dave. Sure Josh, come on down and we'll go find the fish. Holy shit.

Lets just say I was so excited about fishing the next day, I probably slept about 3 hours. I still woke up like I was shot out of a cannon.

Morning came up on the South Puget Sound with high expectations and a boat launch that was nothing short of a goat show rodeo. There's a level of energy and anxiety at a salmon season boat launch you just have to see for yourself to understand it fully.

Storming out of the gate, we charged out to Dylan's honey holes to scan for nervous water and breaking pods of Pinks. And for a long time, nothing happened.

It allowed us to get acquainted, to tell fish stories and find commonality. Pretty funny on how similar we all are in the fly fishing community. Funny stories on top of funny stories, places we've fished and you never would have believed it moments were exchanged. I'd have to say we got along beautifully, but I dont think dude are supposed say things like this. But what the hell, I was having a hell of a time even if we weren't finding the fish

Back and forth from spot to spot, we pulled into a bay we had been at earlier. For no reason that seasonal patterns of these fish, it was a spot that had produced hansomely time after time and most importantly we weren't amongst a throng of people blasting the water with buzz bombs. We had it to ourselves

And then it happened.

The fish found us. A lot of them.

Dave got us first on the board, and we were soon into fish after fish as they encircled us with constant activity. The fishless first 3 hours were all but a blip on the radar. It was a blazing hot 2 hours of consistent hook ups and visual takes as the salmon chased and hammered our flies.

(photo courtesy of Dave McCoy, EWA)

Most remarkably to me as I said before, we had the bay almost to ourselves. One homeowner saw our activity and hoped into his zodiac to join the action. He joined the craziness and at one point was hooked up at the same time as our double.

Putting it all together, it was amazing experience. It was one of the most fun I've had fly fishing in a long time. All of us on the boat were giggling like 5 year old girls when the action was rolling and it brought me back to why I love our sport.

I owe the day to Dylan and Dave, thanks so much for a hell of a day. I hope to pay your openness and generosity forward in the near future.

Soon, Dylan will be moving to Ashland, OR to join the crew at Fly Water Travel and Dave will move into a busy schedule of guiding and shooting some amazing photos. Want to see his work? Pick up the most recently Fly Fishing Journal....about half the shots are his.

Until next time gentlemen. Thanks for a hell of a day!

Fruits of Our Labor...Puget Sound Protein

2011-08-21T22:28:00.000-07:00

With the full story coming tomorrow about our day in the Sound, I thought I'd showcase the net result of our efforts.

That there's some good eats!

Doing Work....

2011-08-20T23:21:00.000-07:00

Out in the Puget Sound today with Dave McCoy of Emerald Water Anglers and Dylan Rose of Skate the Fly.

Lets say we did some work on some chrome Pink salmon. More into to follow

These Guys Are Nuts....

2011-08-17T20:00:00.000-07:00

GEOFISH TRAILER 3min from MOTIV FISHING on Vimeo.

I don't think I have the stones to make this kind of trip, thankfully they boys at Motiv Fly Fishing do.

Can't wait till the full length movie comes out.

Enjoy!

This Dog Should Hunt...Steelhead Caddis Edition

2011-08-15T23:08:00.000-07:00

Taking a peek into my traditionals box, I realized I had nothing "October Caddis" like.

So I said to myself, "self, lets get bizzzzy"

Ingredients

Hook--#4 Alec Jackson style
Back and front dubbing--olive ice dubbing
Shank--gold diamond flat braid
First wing-pheasant
Second wing--Orange guinea

Let me know what you think. See any improvements I can make, etc. Send them my way and I will post updates on the recipe.

Now get fishing!

More Crazy Spokane River "Occurances"...

2011-08-14T12:46:00.000-07:00

A.K.A.....weird ass shit you see while fishing the Spokane River.

Yesterday I took the opportunity to head down to my home waters for a quick jaunt through the pocket water of the Bowl and Pitcher. Part of Riverside State Park, it's full of mountain bike and hiking trails...it's truly a great place to escape the city and at times can make you forget you're amongst 500,000 other humanoids. So yes, its a gorgeous place and I feel lucky to have it 5 minutes from my house.

To get to the other side of the river, there is an iconic hanging bridge that goes over the river and allows access to the best wade fishing for about a mile stretch of the river.

Now here's where it gets weird. Across the bridge I go, up the trail to where it connects to a network of main trails. Taking a right, I damn near ran smack into a car just like this. A 1992 Ford Tempo

Knowing the history of our river, I always feel like I am on the cusp of finding a body....in the water or not. I know it's going to happen. Staring back at me is this car on a trail, I thought it was my time to smell the stench.

Now a bit of background to where this car is. To get to this location, it would have had to access this particular access road from about 3 miles away, break 3 gates to get through, drive on the Centennial Trail for quite a ways and then past the night patrols of the park rangers. All in all, it took some work and gumption to pull this one off. If someone was stole it and was joy riding...I can think of about 400 other places to dump a car that wouldnt have taken near as much work.

Needless to say, I approached the car with a serious degree of trepidation. I could already see one window busted out. Was someone hiding in the bushes ready to ambush? Was Sasquatch behind this?

Turns out nothing of interest was in the car, just some kids toys thank god. I jumped on the phone to the ranger

Me--"um, do you guys know you have a early 90's Ford Tempo parked up here above the hanging bridge?"

Ranger--in disbelief..."WHAT?"

Me--"Yep, just parked here...might want to come check it out"

Ranger--"Well holy sh&*t, we'll be right there"

Off I went to fish, still in disbelief of where this prime example of American automobile engineering had made it to.

Thankfully, these guys were all I found for the rest of the day.

Any other great Spokane River stories you'd like shared here....send them my way via email and I will post it up. Thanks!

Things You Hear While Fishing the Spokane...

2011-08-10T20:31:00.000-07:00

Plain and simple...The Spokane River attracts weirdos. It's an urban river fishery, but good gawd do you see and hear some funny shit.

Case in point: After finishing a particularly successful post work session on the 'Can...my buddies and I were walking from the river towards the car on a pathway when we walked by a mother and her two little kids. As we get by her, she says "Hey, you guys remind me"

Us..."really, what of?'

Lady " you remind me of A River Runs Through"

Us ---staring back blankly....not sure what to say

We waited for her to finish the full title of the movie.

"It" never happened.

So we walked away......thanked the lady for the compliment and filed under crazy shit you hear while fishing the Spokane.

Steelhead Numerology

2011-08-08T21:06:00.000-07:00

Numbers. Steelhead fishermen and women watch the counts about as much as a day trader looks at the markets. So here's a little bit of steelhead numerology with three corresponding sets of digits

Number set 1--7747, 6972, 6518, 5975, 6229

Number set 2--2258, 2828, 3678, 3514, 3731

and lastly--221, 197, 376, 430, 601

Beautiful, oh beautiful numbers to the steelhead tribe.

Set 1--The daily passage of returning fish over Bonneville Dam, hurdle #1.

Set 2--The middle ground of the gauntlet, daily passage over McNary Dam

Set 3--The daily totals over Lower Granite Dam, the most important figures to us inland fishermen.

Notice the big spike in the past 2 days at Lower Granite. The fun has just begun kiddos so warm up your scandi lines, get your skaters ready as the greatest and most demanding part of steelhead season is upon us for the Clearwater, Snake and Grande Ronde fishermen....

DRYLINE TIME!

Good luck to all in this 2011 summer steelhead season!

My Other Briefcase...

2011-08-06T18:04:00.000-07:00

Too bad it isnt my only briefcase.

The Beer Bandit...40oz edition

2011-08-02T22:27:00.000-07:00

Watch out, this man will steal your beer.

Notice the advance tactics of the fishing buff and life jacket. He's highly effective.

He also catches the shit out of fish.

Fly Line Love....

2011-07-31T20:34:00.000-07:00

After stripping a fly in on a far off flat in Belize 2 years ago, I glanced down to the pile of line and noticed what you see above. Quite a message there in the line right?

My guess is that it's probably not a coincidence.

My Warhorse Stick

2011-07-28T22:36:00.000-07:00

Everyone has one rod in their lineup that's a beauty to cast, stands strong against the toughest fish and lasts a hell of a long time.

I picked this eight weight up as my first "expensive fly rod" in preparation for my first bonefish trip and knew it would be my go to for throwing indicator rigs for steelhead (in my pre-spey days).

This girl is my Warhorse.

From the most pristine flats of Ambergis Caye Belize

To the dirtiest, nastiest, skankiest carp water, it keeps rolling.

It has steelhead, carp, smallmouth bass, bonefish, permit, barracuda, salmon, suckers, whitefish and probably a few other fish to it's credit. It's age has started to show but onward we go to fight more fish. It's a miracle I havent broken it yet, knock on wood.

So this leads me to this question. What's your fly rod warhorse? Feel free to send me your story, and we'll post it up here at Chucking Line and Chasing Tail.

send your stories with pictures to jmills81 at hotmail dot com

Thanks!

The Flip Side of 4am Wake Up Calls...

2011-07-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

Is that your fishing buddies tend to conk out as soon as you hit highway speeds, leaving you and the highway all by your lonesome for hours on end.

4 AM Wake Up Calls....

2011-07-23T21:54:00.000-07:00

Are pretty cool when these are waiting for you. Time to smack a few bass in the face.

Estate Sale Treasure...Grand Coulee 1933

2011-07-21T22:10:00.000-07:00

Amongst the junk in an estate sale I randomly visited today, I struck gold. Staring back at me was a beautiful picture framed up of the Grand Coulee of the Columbia River, dated 1933.

Before the concrete, before the turbines, before the electricity. This is what it looked like at the exact location where the dam went in. You can see the construction beginning and at the same time you can see the last remaining farms and buildings of the era, including a raft that appears that was used to fjord the river.

I am pretty excited to find this gem, let alone for $7 bucks.

Tell me again why the forgot to build a fish ladder?

Staring at Water, Looking for Ghosts

2011-07-20T22:19:00.000-07:00

I started to think it was possible to will a Bonefish to me.

Even with 4 mornings of blanks, it was a blast. The weather was right, the sun was right....it should have been game time. But in reality, Hawaiian Bonefishing is a tough gig.

There's so much to learn. There's so much to absorb and try and key into, only time on the flats brings true success. Tides, flies, retrieves, bottom structure....and oh yeah, the tides.

3 different flats, all different. All with the same results. Am I discouraged....

No

Will I try it again?

Ya gawd damn right I will, given the opportunity.

Hawaiian Bonefish 4, Josh Negative 4

2011-07-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

Back from Oahu and the bones defeated me, soundly. After 8 hours of flying with an 8 month old with a double ear infection I dont have the energy tonight to throw up a proper write up. That will have to come tomorrow.

Until then, know this. DIY bonefishing on Oahu can be done, but it aint easy....even with local intel.

But hell, if it was easy....everyone would be doing it.

Barnyard Bonefishing in Hawaii

2011-07-12T21:19:00.000-07:00

In preparation of chasing bones on the flats in Oahu, I thought I'd hone up my skills on the flock of barnyard bonefish that inhabit the flats in front of our accommodations on the North Shore.

This band of beaks fit the proflie. Cagy, great eyesight, discerning palates, but I was up to the challenge.

Using natural cover to shield our progress to the flock, we made our way into striking distance.

I locked into my targeted barnyard bonefish....

Dropped the hammer....

And promptly stubbed my toe.....

Till next time, till next time.......

In The Shadow of Commerce....

2011-07-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

Live amazing examples of wildness.

And sometimes, they eat our flies.

Almost Ready....

2011-07-08T22:26:00.000-07:00

Just a few more to go and we're ready to rock.

Oahu bound Monday. Boom!

Hawaiian Bonefish Math...

2011-07-06T06:38:00.000-07:00

So add all this stuff up and together,

You get flies like this,

And this. So the net result should be....

Headed to Oahu in a few days. My fingers are crossed.

Walmart's Entry Into Strike Indicators...and Happy 4th!

2011-07-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

Ahh, just kidding!

But Carson said he hopes you all had a great and safe 4th of July!

And Down Goes My Watering Hole....

2011-07-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

Today I find myself down a killer watering hole. Far West Billiards in downtown Spokane has closed it's doors. 10 years plus for a bar in Spokane, let alone anywhere, is a long ass run for anyone.

The Fly Fishing Degenerate Council spent many a night here discussing the merits of what ever rod we were lusting for, what beer we were drinking or trips we were planning on going on. Yes, I have been a bit drunk here a few times as well.

For the past 3 years, it was our pre funk spot before every Fly Fishing Film Tour and the last 2 years it was the site of the very successful Hooks and Hops night for The Silver Bow Fly Shop.

Andrew and Yvonne of Far West were clients, but more they were friends. You could not have chosen to work with two greater people for over 7 years.

So goodbye Far West, so long and good luck to everyone who works there. You will be missed

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

2011-06-27T22:17:00.000-07:00

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.

A Voice For The Sol Duc..Action Required

2011-06-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

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

Bahamian Boners, Ala The Silver Bow

2011-06-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

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

3 Shot Series From Evolution Anglers

2011-06-20T20:32:00.000-07:00

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

A little PR for the Silver Bow

And lastly, the money shot.

A Little Taste of The Stonefly....

2011-06-17T20:24:00.000-07:00

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

What a place

Get Yer Pebble Beer Koozies...

2011-06-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

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!

Trout Unlimited Prompt--The Canyon

2011-06-13T22:05:00.000-07:00

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.