Walter Wiese Writing

AND THE BLOGS KEEP COMING

We Are Keeping Close Tabs

it's gotta' be good

.. Walter Wiese, head guide at PARKS' FLY SHOP has launched a blog. And, Martha, not just any-ol'-blog. It promises to be:

". . . a place for Parks' Fly Shop guides, clients, and customers to share our exploits and misadventures fly fishing in Yellowstone National Park, Montana, and wherever else we may go. Beware, for politics, groan-inducing jokes, and other posts may show up from time to time."

.. The URL is simple: parksflyshop.blogspot.com. We anticipate insights about sneaky tricks, sly tactics, roaring adventures, hidden treasures, secret flies, and just good fun. We also anticipate additional posts from Dougie and other guides.
.. Three posts and we're waiting for more. Good show Guys.

No April Fool

HOW'S YOUR CORNFLICKER ?

Worms Ahoy

you may have it and not know it

.. The "Cornflicker Worm" may strike today. You may have harbored it for years and not known it. As many as 30% of Windows PC's have it.
.. The Conficker worm is a type of virus that lives unnoticed in your PC while spreading itself to other computers over the Internet.
.. Currently the worm does not harm infected computers, but it has the capacity to cause considerable damage at a later time. Experts fear it may cause damage starting April 1.
.. You are at risk if your computer is not configured to receive patches and updates from Microsoft and is not running an up-to-date anti-virus product.
.. The worm initially lives in the Windows Server Service and corporate networks are most vulnerable - BUT - surfing the web puts us all in contact with Windows servers.
.. WHAT TO DO? Nothing if you are protected. Get the Windows patch (MS08-67) if you are not.
.. This could be just stuff and nonsense, a tempest in a teapot, or a false alarm. As always we'll know tomorrow what happened today.
.. Read about it HERE.

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.. It's about time for our mid morning snack.

Can This Be ?

APRIL FIRST -THIRD READING

47 - 2 Concurrence

out of committee soon ?

.. We anticipated that HB-190 would get to the floor yesterday, but some wrangling about how to provide public access, and a few insertions about property management were added. Happily two voice votes carried the amended bill, (44-5, 47-2.)
.. We hope that the third reading on April Fool's Day is not a bad omen. We'll keep you informed.

---> FOLLOW ALONG:
HB 190: History
HB 190: Current Language
44 - 5: Who Voted
47 - 2: Who Voted

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.. Time for a bowl of grits smothered in butter, molasses, pepper and a rasher of bacon on the side. You can't live forever!

Geotourism Addendum

FOUND THE INTERACTIVE MAP

Point & Click Fun
http://www.yellowstonegeotourism.org/places.php

Fishing For Geotourism

OUR NEIGHBORHOOD
WRIT LARGE

National Geographic Helps

nice map / PDF for free
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& an interesting blog or two
{click on images for larger view}

.. The National Geographic Society, the National Park Service, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, the United States Forest Service, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and the Bureau of Land Management, to name a few, have teamed up to produce a "MapGuide" for our neighborhood.
.. According to an article in the Billings Gazette there will be 100,000 free maps to inform visitors of the area's unique lands, wildlife and people. (We're as unique as it gets out here.) Sadly there is no mention of how to obtain one if you just happen to be one of the neighbors and want one too.
.. It is possible to download a PDF file of surprising detail.
-->Page one "Yellowstone Lands Map" can be downloaded HERE.
-->Page two "Yellowstone Themes Map" can be downloaded HERE.
.. These files are large and detailed. Even a 28" monitor can only display parts of them at 100% of image size.
.. You won't find any secret fishing spots, but the expansive area covered truly goes to show why this corner of the world draws visitors from around the globe. Only the highlights are detailed on the map, but as any of our neighbors, or any local Chamber of Commerce will tell you: 'It takes more than one lifetime to even scratch the surface.' There are over 800 map points included in this publication.
.. The MapGuide title is encompassing, ("Yellowstone and Beyond, an ecosystem to experience,") and the geography of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is magnificently diverse. There is also supposed to be a companion website, but the URL was not mentioned in the press report. We'll continue to search.
.. There is an 'unveiling ceremony' in Helena today, (Tuesday, March 31, 2009.) We're sending a courier to retrieve a 'free' sample.

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.. We hope this one lasts. "Old Timey Gear," is a blog about good gear, still being used today. We, however, on occasion, do pine for the 'good old days.'

MONEY QUOTE:

. . . "despite the somewhat campy title, this blog wasn’t started to be nostalgic, to pine for the “good old days” etc. - but instead to highlight gear still being made the way people used to make outdoor gear when it was equipment you truly had to depend on; maybe even would be gear that, with care, could be handed down to your children when the time came. An approach, and a pride in craftsmanship, that is all too rare these days . . ."

.. We'll be following along.

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.. We periodically check out the down under scene at BISH ON FISH. His catalog of quotes - fishing and otherwise, has reached to over 750.
.. The quotes page has a button that grabs a random quote and gives it to you - nice.
.. He just posted one that brings tears to our eyes and joy to our heart.

“There isn't any symbolism. The sea is the sea. The old man is an old man. The boy is a boy and the fish is a fish. The sharks are all sharks no better and no worse. All the symbolism that people say is shit. What goes beyond is what you see beyond when you know.”

. . . Ernest Hemingway

A Bill, A Bridge

HB 190
HEADED TO A VOTE

Brokered Deal Looks Good

we'll let you know

.. It's looking like the Montana State Legislature will finally affirm the Montana State Constitution by approving a bill to clarify stream access from bridge and road crossings.
.. It also looks like the hard work by several legislators has brought some conversational sanity to the issue - and like all compromise legislation, everyone is a bit gratified and a bit disappointed.
.. Senator Jim Shockley, (R-Victor,) along with Representative Kendall Van Dyk, (D-Billings,) Senator Jeff Essmann, (R-Billings,) and organizational representatives from Montana Trout Unlimited, Montana Stockgrowers Association, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, worked long and hard on the current compromise.
.. The two major changes in the bill that brought the parties together are:
1] . . .a landowner who owns land next to a bridge crossing cannot be found liable for someone using the road right-of-way for access to a river or stream for recreational use “except for an act or omission that constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.”
2] . . . the bill doesn’t create any rights nor “extinguishes” any existing rights concerning “prescriptive road rights of way that existed at the time of passage.” These are easements counties acquire after years of traditional use without ever paying for them.
.. A detailed news article appeared in a post at helenair.com. You can read the concerns of the Montana Wildlife Federation HERE. The Bill in it's current form can be found HERE.
.. The bill is scheduled for it's second reading tomorrow, (March 30, 2009.) You can follow it's history HERE.

Fine Fishing Report

OZYMANDIAS

king of kings

A blog post gets no better than this:

Started the day at 22 degrees,
coullee hopped,
three valleys and three creeks.

Check out HDW MOBILE
Percy Byce Shelley would be gratified