Well I leave for VI Thursday. I did manage to get out and do some casting (fishing)yesterday during a brief warm spell. It felt awesome to be back on the river. I really do miss the water when I 'm unable to fish for whatever reason. The wind was blowing really hard a gusty upstream and as I was on river right I had to practice my circle spey cack handed. If the wind is cooperating I can actually get some line out there with out too much trash. If it's windy though....watch out, cause it's gonna be ugly. Practice! I'm stoked to fish for steelies and sea run cutts. If i get some good pics I'll post them when I get back!! Fishing reports from Campbell River are sounding up beat about steelhead in the rivers so I'm optimistic!

Well,

I was fishing pretty regularly until real life intruded in a most discouraging way. First, there was a significant avalanche in the mountains near here and as a Search and Rescue member we had to spend some time on that. Then we have this cold snap that pretty much prevents and fishing at all so I havn't been out since Jan 11. I did catch a pretty large trout on the 4th which was cool. I am stoked to get up to Vancouver Island at the end of the month. Hope to hit the Campbell, the Gold, the Oyster and a few others. Then at the end of Feb I'll head over to Oregon for winter run on the Wallowa. I'll keep you all posted!!

Fished New Years day in the Flathead.  10 degrees air temp.  Very clear day with a ton of sunshine.  Very cool.  I have a skagit line on my 5/6 wt switch rod and I can cast that thing a country mile.  I have a windcutter on my 7/8 wt two hander and I struggle constantly with it so I ordered a Rio versitip skagit line for it and we'll see how that works out.  I relaize that this is tantamount to chreating but i intend to fish the Campbell with my two hander in less than a month so I need to get to a reasonable point in my casting fairly quickly.  Looking forward to winter steelies in BC and then at the end of Feb in Oregon. :)

 

 

 

An Apology:

This fall while fishing a subsurface hatch on a river that will remain nameless I was very rude to another fly fisher.  I was on my knees in the water trying to stealth some slurpers when this person walked right up to me and put the fish down.  The water in question is pretty far off the beaten track so I was surprised to see anyone at all let alone someone in such close proximity.  I was rude and unfriendly.  I'd like to apologize.  I'm sorry.  If the gentleman from Idaho reads this please accept my apology.  

 

 
 

Happy Holidays everyone!  I got a Patagonia SST for Christmas!  Sweetness!!  I've been out fishing my double handed rod a few more times and although the actual catching has been slow the fishing has been grand.  I appreciate the quiet and the solitude of winter a lot and I realize that although I can't count on it year around I like to take advantage of it when I can. The feeling of being all bundled up and protected from the cold and still being able to fish and enjoy is awesome.  I often have a soundtrack running through my head and the combination of the soundtrack and the focus of the cast is kind of soothing like meditating.  I am working hard on my casting so I don't embarrass myself in the spring when I do west for Steelhead.  More to it than BS!  Also been tying tons of Green butt skunks and black and purple Woolly Buggers with yellow hackle and a ton of weight.  Like big leeches! I need to get busy at the bench and start on my list for the spring and summer!  So much to do!