Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Colorado Cutthroat

I had only a few weeks remaining on my Colorado fishing license so I wanted to use up the days. Just like having a ski pass you haven't used all season so you go out on the closing day. (thanks for not crowding up the tram) I started my research and found an area that was remote, good runoff flow, and high elevation... there should be cutthroat. I started to drive knowing it was more recon into this wilderness than actually trying to slay some fish... who knew how wrong I'd be.
I tossed and turned all night, being at high elevation gets cold at night, even in July. Waking up with everything covered in frost, shivering, and needing to pee, I realized that my claimed 20 degree sleeping bag is not very warm, it must need to be 20 over 32 to be warm. (pos) So as the sun rose and illuminated and warmed my bag I stopped tossing and turning. I finally fell into a deep sleep in the warm comfort of morning, fishing was going to wait an hour.
Big bugs bouncing from the ground into the air, sunscreen applied, line in the water... lets find some trout. I caught a few browns to start and was told by a polite ranger to not put them back in the water, they were trying to restore cutthroat here... perfect. As it stood, it was my first time purposefully killing fish, it didn't feel that great to do so, and felt like a shameful waste, but after all it was for the cutthroats so I dealt with it. I think I did a lot of conservation that day as there were a lot of brown trout hand grenades tossed around this day.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Memorable Memorial Day Weekend





To wrap this Memorable Memorial Day Weekend up short and sweet: 1,000 miles of recon to learn where not to go and in doing so I tested the 4x4 ability of my truck. 19 off road miles in 4x4 without touching the gas... creepy McCreepster. Then some river forging in the truck too. I dropped my camera in a river. Then caught both my largest and then prettiest Cutthroats ever.

Monday, May 10, 2010

First Fish of 2010

Out for my first venture in search of fish, beautiful landscape, and adventure. Naturally, my first stop produced many fish, I could spot them from the shoreline. They swam in swarms of flashing red and silver. They owned this high mountain lake. However they were rude, stubborn, and unwelcoming hosts... they would not bite anything! I threw everything at them to no avail. Had I some 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene I would have been scooping them up by the dozen. Short of that, I bailed and headed out.
I happened upon a spot that Yoda had told me about years back that I could never find. A stream about 3 feet wide... and full of fish!
First fish of the 2010.
First fish on a dry of 2010.
After I insured that I would not get a white stripe down my back I headed out in search of slightly bigger fish.

Catch & ...release.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Lately

I haven't been using my camera as much as in the past but here is what I've been up to lately...

Utah






California



every time I go I never want to leave...

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Last Weekend


The first nights arrival was very late at night and to crystal clear skies. The skyline presence brought comfort as well as solice. An escape from light pollution and the sprawl of suburbia was complete and sitting in awe of all around bliss at 8,900-ish feet was breathtaking.
The morning came briskly with equal ability to take ones breath. Countered with coffee following just behind the frigid air. The river swept past the camp with deafening silence presenting countless opportunities within plain sight. The browns forces were out in numbers, yet their size seemed to shrink over the week. Lots of smaller fish were brought to Brodin, hand and before Cannon. Some other big fish stopped in to make an appearance as well but did so with far less frequency.Day two brought wind and even cooler weather. Less time on the water and again less fish. It took some time for the temperatures to allow even the slightest movement. Locked into the warmth and security of a warm sleeping bag kept time moving slowly. The days adventure ended early but the hospitality offered lingered on. It was both unforgettable and uncalled for, spoiled by friends. Venison chops, venison pasta, coffee, bagels, bananas, and a warm spot to enjoy them on. The sun set and the last night began. Layed down with a book surrounded with the sounds of rain and thunder pattering and smashing against the shell of the truck on night number 3. The thermometer read 38 degrees. Time passed slowly with each flash of lightning and lingering roll of thunder. The pages continued to turn and the temperature proceeded to drop. Within the hour the thermometer read 26 degrees, time to bundle up. A reading of 22 degrees and the rain transitioned to ice and then followed by snow. Eyes drifting, pages closing, sleep commencing. The ice and snow mixture over night along with a 16 degree temperature fluctuation in the downward fashion formed a familiar New England styled layer of ice over everything making it impossible to go outside until the sun decided that it was time to start the day and that the ice may melt. Up early and nearing time to head home; the weather had great success in pushing everyone on down the road and closer to home. The gear was packed, salutations exchanged, and it was time for departure. Yoda was going home, done camping for the year.
Snow is a sign of new life, a new season, of old friends and particular habits. It felt as though the road was coming up through the rear view, as though looking back for something to come into the future ahead...

Monday, October 19, 2009

Dagobah 2009

I headed back to the Dagobah System to see Yoda, BJ, Izzy and Durf and slay some browns while I was there. It had been since Pioneer Day that I saw him last. (Pioneer Day is a Mormon Holiday (yippie)) As well as a full year since I met him in the Dagobah System. Once again I hit the water at just the right time when it was starting to turn off, or on depending on your perspective. I just wish I could spend the full month there watching it gain momentum, flourish, flower and then die off. Yet, I gotta pay the bills and I like my job so Sunday night brought me back home and Monday morning back to work. It was cold as hell the first night, down to 22 degrees, that's what you get in October at 9,000'. I was well prepared for the cold but cold is still cold. With the days short and being stuck down in a canyon the sun rises at about 8:00-8:30 and sets around 6:45-7:00ish. So, by the time it warms enough to move and get out on the water I had to first de-ice my boots every day.
I ventured out each day and then within a few hours back to camp to eat food, change, and get ready for the cold. As Izzy said, "do you guys want to stand out here in the cold or should we go inside and b.s." we went inside. It's really cool to listen to the stories of these two "old men". The camaraderie between them is encouraging and the bond between good people is inspiring. It really helps to have things put into perspective by people who have lived a lot of life in a short time. Being in your 60s is still young and I plan to fish this spot with these two gentleman for many many years to come. Yet, even with my elder friends hanging around, it still gets lonely and leaves A LOT of time to be by yourself to think. I usually enjoy my activities because my brain is able to shut off and focus on nothing other than the activity at hand. I found myself thinking of somewhere else quite often. As the blog is titled there really is "no place like somewhere else."
The fishing was awesome, spanning browns from 747s to 23+"ers in ankle deep water, so bitchin' like a Camero, or even a Fiero. It's never a bad thing loosing count of your fish in the 40s or 60s after a few hours each day. A fair estimate would be about 210 fish in three days and an average size of 15"s. When looking back on the pictures from last year then this year's I swear I caught some of the same exact fish in the same exact spot, no lie. It only seemed to get better as the day warmed and then would settle out as the sun set behind the canyon walls. My energy level coincided with the temperature, and even though it was only 9:30 or 10:00 I found myself in my sleeping bag, all cozied up with a beer and a book. I had a good b-day gift book to read about the man (not the man man, or the white man, but THE man... J.C.) which kept me entertained until I either put it down or woke up next to it amongst the frost forming around me.
Next weekend promises to be a little better. The stream should be even more prime and the water even more full of my fish friends. Hopefully they'll all be ready to taste the cold sting of a sharp, freshly tied Raggedy Andy...