AWOL

FOR GROUP

5 times 5 At 100

mirage no problem

*HUNTER CLASS BENCHREST RIFLE

*EXPENSIVE AND UNSUNG GLASS

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.. Gone and, we're easily forgotten. Brief road trip to Cody, Wyoming. Better than fair success.

NOT TOO BAD

.. The shooting complex at Cody, Wyoming is a world class facility that can accommodate all forms of the shooting sports.
.. From SASS, to casual, to Hunter Class, to Varmint Class, to Rail Guns, to 1,000 Yard competition, to Police and Combat training, to skeet, to trap, to across the course, to sporting clays,  --  it's all there.
.. We do this less and less as our fishing is closer and less fiddly. When the weather gods lay down the winds and, the cool air allows for clear views, it's possible for even us to do well.
.. We did!

.. [[ *Hunter class benchrest rifle with fixed power 6x42 IOR Valdata scope [with glass from Schott Glass Werkes of Germany.] Trued Remington action in .308 Winchester caliber.  Krieger stainless steel barrel. Jewell 2oz. trigger, Big spring true firing pin, Aluminum rail, Magnesium rings, Macmillan Edge ultralight stock. Weight is nine pounds, fourteen ounces.]]

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.. The last week of warmer than seasonal weather has slowed the catching only slightly.

EASILY CATCHES FISH

.. A few daily temperature records were set and the neighbors have exercised both their sweat glands and vocabularies.
.. Looks, now, to be settling into seasonal temperatures and the fishing is too.
.. Ants are up. Hopper nymphs are molting. Beetles are roaming. Millers are flitting. Bitsie Beasties are hatching. Caddis are prolific. Even the Madison River is highly productive in unusual and accessible places.
.. We're awake way too early and planning more road time. Such is the sleep rhythm of the mature.

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WALLPAPER:  RIB EYE DONE RIGHT

The Mind Wanders

WINTER SOLSTICE

Oh So Soon

now: the ineffable

WALLPAPER:  NOT FLIES

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.. In just four days the winter solstice will be upon us. How now? Here, in the high country, it does not pass unnoticed.

SOME STICKS

.. Despite our love of this little village and it's setting in winter  we do have a little more time for the things that require less mobility and activity.
.. Our skiing days are fast coming to an end. Ice fishing no longer calls us. Bar hopping sends way too much money to the sewage lagoon. Wood chopping and splitting does take some time though. Moving the white stuff is also required.
.. Reading, right now, is not the luxury that is in the warmer times. It is a habit long nurtured and cherished. While we are reading there are things that come to mind. Between passages, paragraphs, chapters, and books, the ineffable claws to the surface of consciousness.
.. Nameless and ethereal bits poke from the fog of the synaptic jungle between our ears. On occasion thoughts form. Infrequently ideas are pondered. Time disintegrates and is not missed or noticed.

SOME EMBELLISHMENT

.. The mental whirlwind slows to the reality of perception, desire, regret, volition, purpose, needs, or other base bits of our existence.
.. Winter is good for pondering the ineffable. It is that transcendent substrate that psychologists and other behaviorists seek to codify. Codifications end with the "name it and, nail it syndrome."
.. Just as if assigning a name in some way imparts understanding - HAH! Would that it were so. The open ended ambiguity of words plagues the conscious mind and verbal speech. Humpty Dumpty knew this: why don't political pundits and psychologists? The words need definition  --  and then some.

“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.” “The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.” “The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master—that’s all.”

.. So: beyond words or, beneath words or, without words there is this mental stuff that, (on occasion,) comes near to being perceived. Winter is a good time for this in our high country.
.. One deep bubble recently burst into reality, (of sorts.) The thought formed with a surprisingly vivid presence. Perhaps there are fish to be caught in other reaches of our globe.

PICK A PLUG

.. Perhaps there are warmer places during the winter time. Perhaps they will take a fly. Perhaps they will take a worm. Perhaps they will come to the surface. They may even  fly through the air and put a trout to shame. Could it be?
.. Then, perhaps there is stuff other than flies and worms that fish will eat. Could it be?
.. The thought moved toward an idea. The idea seemed to embellish itself. The embellishments became images and flickered into a movie.
.. Roads, mountains, prairies, deserts, trees, oceans and rivers. Such was the vision that emerged from the ineffable æther in the gray stuff beneath my balding pate.
.. Perhaps Florida, San Diego, Corpus Christi, Louisiana, Mexico, New Zealand, or other places.  Perhaps!

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WALLPAPER:  DEVIL'S FOOD - CREAM CHEESE - CHERRIES

Hit The Chetco

WINTER STEELHEAD

Rain Has Quit

54 miles of splendor

WALLPAPER:  RURAL OREGON-1

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.. After some high and low on the river and, after some mostly wet and a bit of damp, the Chetco River is slammin'.
.. If it's not too far to drive, we suggest that you get there yesterday. Today or tomorrow at the latest.
.. Just about everybody is stabbing those fish in the lip. Gear, fly, bait or whatnot are taking some nice fish. You should try it.
.. Take your rain gear. Even the dry days are damp. It'll chew on your innards if you're not well wrapped.
.. On rare occasions there will be sun. Many residents hide their children. You never know what that bright light will do!
.. Get a guide and pick your poison. The most successful rig is a roe sack - right now. Back bouncing with some gear or swinging a very hot streamer is successful as well. Get on it and get after it.
.. For reports and information try WILD RIVERS FISHING. Honest and successful folks out here.

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WALLPAPER:  RURAL OREGON-2

Long Road - Done

NOWATAHINSIGHT

No Rain, For The Moment

the sage looks very fine

VIEW TOWARD THE HOME PLACE

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.. We have this vision of a long nap on the couch with the T.V. turned down low and a gray drizzle turning to snow outside the front window. Paradise is different for different folks.
.. There should be snow and cold and fish and midges and ice and fish and rain, and naps.
.. AND, dirty clothes and tangled tackle and unpacking and mail and bills and the wild and woolly visitors from the lowlands. Such is life.
.. More later if we wake up.

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VIEW IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR

The Rays Burst Forth

TOO BRIGHT TO FISH

Earthquakes And Landslides

time to hit the road

SO THAT'S WHERE THE MUD COMES FROM

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.. The last few days have seen wet and more wet. The rains, or the earthquake, or the mudslides, must have kept Sasquatch in his den - we survived the Myrtle Point woods and caught a fish, (or so.)
.. We were about drowned in the heavy surf as well, but managed to also catch a fish, (or so,) there.
.. So then today, as we're counting our blessings and drying off and packing gear - the sun explodes like a SOCAL summer day. Go figure.


Blueback At Dusk

.. The town of Brookings, Oregon is reeling from back-to-back storms that did considerable property damage and taxed the city's drainage system. The totals are not in but millions of dollars will have to be spent to fix everything.
.. The mud in the river has something to do with a pair of landslides and the runoff associated with the storms. The fish are loving it. The fishers are philosophical, ". . . "It is what it is. . .  "

CRACK SOME

.. The start of the crabbing season is just so-so. We ate some. Yum. The Bluebacks are all along the coast and in the surf. None reported from the rivers yet.
.. Steelhead are in the rivers and scurring upstream under cover of mud. Can you say Spin and Glow? Very few fly-caught fish on the Chetco River. Some, however, in secret places on the Coquille River. Ghosts!
.. The Chetco River is at historic high flows, {LINK.} and you'll have to get someone local to show you the ropes. It's a grand and glorious river. Check out THE MAP courtesy of WILD RIVERS FISHING.
.. Should you like to see "What's Da Hap's?" around here just click on over to the WILD RIVERS FISHING report for a glimpse. They have the right stuff. Chaeck it out {LINK.} Those folks will even take you to the Smith River if you've a hankering for some Golden State Steelhead. As big and wild as they come!

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT ?

.. There are some very nice and placid pools on the upper reaches of some of the other rivers around here. Not what would normally be thought of as Steelhead water - that's the best part of local knowledge.
.. We've been gifted with a visit to one. Looks like a city park in the middle of the deep forest. The fish are eager right now.
.. So then, the clouds are rolling back in and we're trying to get gone before the passes get messy. There is a bit of snow up there: not too cold, lots of rain, and mudslides. We're told it's just a normal transition to Winter.
.. Well, it's off to the pizza place. Then, a nap. Then, back to the other pizza place. Then, a nap. Then, a giant dinner at the ART ALLEY GRILL. We will have to see what the market price is for some local fish - OR - maybe a rack of lamb - OR - maybe both. Overnight, then hit the road.

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IT'S SO WET THE BIRDS ARE STUCK IN THE MUD

Coastal Wild (?) Life

ALMOST BIG AS A DOBERMAN

They Bark Too

sasquatch sightings abound

FROM THE WILD FRONT YARD - THE BARKING DEER OF BROOKINGS

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.. The tail of the storm is breaking up. The sun peeked through the dark clouds this morning but there is more on the way. Perhaps clearing by Monday!
.. We're headed to the headlands and the harbor for some searun cutthroat trout. Around here they call them Blueback Trout. They are hardly the same fish as the greenbacks of the upper Lochsa River. Same species, absolutely different fish.
.. Unlike the salmon and steelhead from these local rivers, the bluebacks hang out around their home waters. In the estuaries, along the tidal flats, near kelp beds, and amongst rocky headlands. They are endangered and cannot be kept if taken in the sea. When the rivers are blown and the the weather is grungy the bluebacks are active and aggressive.

"CHETCO CANDY" - for trout, bluebacks, steelhead

.. We're geared up to go two ways over the next couple of days. To the coast and harbor and estuary and headlands for bluebacks and, to the wild interior of Sasquatch Country to visit some of the ghost run steelhead that sneak in early.
.. Fishing for the inland steelhead is dangerous and life-threatening. People have been killed by the neighborhood Sasquatch.
.. Curry County Oregon may just be the epicenter for this violent subspecies of Sasquatch. Sightings of the "Chetco Monster," (sometimes called the 'Chetco Indian Devil,') are frequent and documented. The sightings and reports go back to the turn of the century, (1899, not 1999.) We'll be in his lair tomorrow. If we survive the ordeal you can be sure that a report with all the frightening and lurid details will follow.
.. Of course coastal fishing is no safer. We will probably avoid the tangles around Myrtle Point, just a few miles up the coast, and inland a ways. There is a tribe of Sasquatch up there that don't like their fish to be tormented by strangers. They have scared the poop out of miners near the Sixes River too.
.. From Bandon, (on the coast,) up the Coquille River to the dark forest around Myrtle Point, lurks the ghosts of loggers, miners, and woodsmen that have run afoul of the seven-foot tall beasties. They rattle doors, howl in the night, and protect their territory with a selfish vengence unheard of over most of the known Sasquatch territory. These are not your typical shy and secretive beast.
.. If you are at all interested in the early run of little, (8#,) steelhead, from the northern 2/3 of the state, you should click on over to "SMALL STREAM OUTFITTERS," they have just a wee bit of information and a few fish porn pictures to document the festivities.
.. Time to go. The porters have about finished packing the horses. The neighbors and the gawkers have gathered. Some of the neighbors are going along as guides and lookouts. We've sharpened the hooks and are ready for any close encounter of the finny or furry kind.

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A PAIR OF TRUSTY HORSES - LOADED TO THE GILLS FOR ADVENTURE

A Fine Soft Day

WHAT?  FOG?  DUH!

Touchdown

just like it should be

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.. Such quiet and gentility that one is gulled into thinking all will be just fine forever. The costal fog will both put you to sleep and awaken your soul with it's all pervasive chill. Some folks thrive on it.
.. Just a few more miles and then a short nap. Maybe a long nap. Maybe some pizza and a nap. The fish can wait - for now.

Thick Or Thin ?

RAIN FOR A WEEK: CHETCO

60# Kings

steelies sighted - crowds aplenty

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.. After a good opening week, the water on the Chetco River has slowed - and so has the catching.
.. A week of rain should provide the needed bump to bring in some more fish. It looks like MOM is going to cooperate.
.. This brief report brought to you by the anticipatory weather scan.
.. Pray for drearyness and increased, (but not catastrophic,) river flows. Beware the winds. Trees are falling.
.. Fly folks on the Chetco River are a distinct minority. The gear folks tolerate us with a smirk and a smile. They cheer when we hook up. We hope to be there in a week or so. The river has one of the highest recruitment of Wild King Salmon of any river. The steelies like this because they follow and gorge themselves on the roe. YUM!
.. Some of the folks around the harbor in Brookings, Oregon - and further inland are connoisseurs of the traditional. They, (and we as well,) tie RAT's, GP's, Durham Rangers, and so forth. Instead of putting them on the wall in a shadow box they rip lips with them.
.. The current debate is just how THICK  --  OR  --  THIN should the wing be? And, is a hair wing acceptable? Squirrel, or elk, or calf. This is the sort of thing that wars are fought over.
.. We'll update you.

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Au Revoir Yellowstone

IT'S RESTING NOW

Let The Fish Grow

let the lies begin

Looking Back: It Was A Very Fine Year.

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.. What a wonderful last week of the legal fishing season in Yellowstone National Park. The predicted blustery weather has died with a whimper and some thin clouds. Sunshine drenched the afternoons on most days and the bugs continued to hatch.
.. As we look back over the year it seems that this was a year of many fish and healthy fish. Of course during this coming Winter the fish will grow in the retelling of tales in the dim pubs of town.
.. There's still plenty of fishing in the neighborhood. Rest assured that we will manage to get to it and to the other not-quite-so-neighborly waters as well.
.. Now that we've stopped saving our daylight it's time to make use of what little there is left. There are things to do, places to go, people to see. We're practicing using words like: Chetco, Umpqua, Grande Rond, Clearwater, and Snake. More to come.

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View Of The Chetco River From The Front Porch.

Brief Pause

CHECKING OUT BROOKINGS

Tsunami Strike 

{Nuklear Explosion - Japan}

..

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.. Back in a few! [Brookings harbor images from Nov./Dec. 2010]

Brookings Harbor Today

..

.

Ever So Humble

HOME PLUG

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.. Snow is far easier to drive on than is black ice. We're home and there is still fishing to be done.
.. The trip was a brilliant success for the fish. We'll stick with our original plans next year. See you south coast folks in the spring.
.. A few of the neighborhood sports have reported giant whitefish and brown trout from the bits of open water available on Hebgen Reservoir. The Hebgen Tailwater is not too snowbound yet and the midge circus is in full flight.
.. The nice snowfall has provided the beginning of a base for the coming winter. Looks good, (but it's way early,) for this time of year. The neighborhood sledheads are getting a jump on the visitors.
.. We'll be enjoying a nap after some chores. More to follow.

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