The vacation is going swimmingly, thanks.
Yes, the weather is hot, the beer is still cold, and the Mex and 'cue are still pretty bitchin'.
We did, however, receive an email from Señor Rathbun over at the Chum, the contents of which we consider too pressing to wait until we are safely ensconced back in front of our own Babbage engine.
Since WA has been on the greatest hits list these last few years, not to mention the fact that we go back on a bi-yearly basis to visit that nice older couple we used to live with, this one is a little close to the vitals for us. If you fish for steelhead in WA, please take the time to answer these three multiple-choice questions...wild WA steelhead need a show of love here, even from you "brownline" weirdos that only dabble in the sickness.
Resuming radio silence...see you in 14 days, kids.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
On The Road, Again.
RoadTrip '09 v4 has snuck up and ambushed us. A mere 8 days after returning from RT'09 v3, we are once again packing a bag and preparing to be harassed by surly airline flunkies on our way Outside. The chance of fishing on this trip is about 8-13%, but we will be able to visit with a few choice folks from the fish-crazy camp on our peregrinations - we will once again be eatin' Mex with FlyFishChick on her home turf, downing beers with Wally at his favorite seedy dive, and trying to keep Ratbone from stealing cheesy posters glued above urinals in trashy neo-retro hipster hangouts.
While we dislike complaining about the weather, we couldn't have picked a better time to go outside. Quick comparisons for the betting folks...
Here:
TUESDAY...RAIN AND SNOW LIKELY IN THE MORNING...
THEN RAIN LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
SNOW ACCUMULATION UP TO 1 INCH. HIGHS AROUND 39.
LIGHT WINDS. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 70 PERCENT.
There:
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming
northeast between 5 and 10 mph.
Smart money has us in shorts and tevas by Wednesday afternoon, a cold Carta Blanca in one hand and a fistful of good 'cue in the other.
See you in 16 days, kids.
While we dislike complaining about the weather, we couldn't have picked a better time to go outside. Quick comparisons for the betting folks...
Here:
TUESDAY...RAIN AND SNOW LIKELY IN THE MORNING...
THEN RAIN LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
SNOW ACCUMULATION UP TO 1 INCH. HIGHS AROUND 39.
LIGHT WINDS. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 70 PERCENT.
There:
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming
northeast between 5 and 10 mph.
Smart money has us in shorts and tevas by Wednesday afternoon, a cold Carta Blanca in one hand and a fistful of good 'cue in the other.
See you in 16 days, kids.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Slight Return
RoadTrip '09 v3 has come to a close, and it's about damn time - we only have 6 days left to prep for RoadTrip '09 v4.
At any rate, here are some quick numbers on v3 for the factoid crowd...don't laugh, you know who you are.
1830 air miles.
1722 road miles.
13 days.
3 states.
4 flows.
9337 calories consumed, resulting in
14 lbs lost.
41 ft. of running line lost.
226 ft. of tippet material used.
82 flies lost,
58 of those on fish.
142 mule deer encountered on road,
3 nearly "rentalized".
13277433 mice,
4 of which WERE rentalized.
2 pairs of blown-out waders.
61 fish raised to dry flies, of which
9 were landed.
89 bighorn fishing partners.
92465 cockleburrs stuck to our fleece.
3 days that it blew 30+mph.
1 broken rod.
4 "near-wet" experiences.
1 swimming trip.
145 hours of zen-like calm, coupled with
116 hours of blissful idiotic grinning.
The numbers we can only estimate?
2, maybe 3 cubic yards of fish landed.
Many, many grabs...on top, on tips, on drylines...
Many, many dance partners.
Tons of smiling.
Miles of casts.
Acres and acres of water covered.
Images from the field-
One of the big rivers.
Looking down the end of the canyon.
One river had piles of these guys.
Fuzzy dance partners.
Last light in the canyon.
Flies of Distinction-
This started life as a hackled leech, but the fish wouldn't leave it well enough alone...funny thing, though - the more chewed-up it got, the better it worked.
The Dark Prince, a sz12 morsel to be flung out and trusted.
The Swingin' Prince. You will now be shot, for you have seen too much.
Semi-traditional, and chewed on.
Yes, that is a foam skater, and yes, those ARE teeth-marks.
As for pics of the anadromously inclined dance partners, well...we didn't take but 3 or 4, and only of one buff lady we had a thing with for a few minutes. She was nice enough to stick around for a bit and discreet enough to stay out of the way, so we reeled up and watched her for awhile, just to make sure she was gonna get home alright.
In the end, she went her way and we went ours, and we like to think that we were both somehow better for the experience.
Many dance partners, many casts, many steps, many rocks, many rivers, many runs - as with all trips, the moment you leave the flow, it starts to run together in your mind. Features blur and spaces condense until there is nothing left but the dancers, 2 partners in recombinant iterations to represent the time passed. Many forms of quantification pale and become invalid in this light but there is one that remains-
347 days, 17 hours, and 34 minutes until we get to do it again.
At any rate, here are some quick numbers on v3 for the factoid crowd...don't laugh, you know who you are.
1830 air miles.
1722 road miles.
13 days.
3 states.
4 flows.
9337 calories consumed, resulting in
14 lbs lost.
41 ft. of running line lost.
226 ft. of tippet material used.
82 flies lost,
58 of those on fish.
142 mule deer encountered on road,
3 nearly "rentalized".
13277433 mice,
4 of which WERE rentalized.
2 pairs of blown-out waders.
61 fish raised to dry flies, of which
9 were landed.
89 bighorn fishing partners.
92465 cockleburrs stuck to our fleece.
3 days that it blew 30+mph.
1 broken rod.
4 "near-wet" experiences.
1 swimming trip.
145 hours of zen-like calm, coupled with
116 hours of blissful idiotic grinning.
The numbers we can only estimate?
2, maybe 3 cubic yards of fish landed.
Many, many grabs...on top, on tips, on drylines...
Many, many dance partners.
Tons of smiling.
Miles of casts.
Acres and acres of water covered.
Images from the field-
One of the big rivers.
Looking down the end of the canyon.
One river had piles of these guys.
Fuzzy dance partners.
Last light in the canyon.
Flies of Distinction-
This started life as a hackled leech, but the fish wouldn't leave it well enough alone...funny thing, though - the more chewed-up it got, the better it worked.
The Dark Prince, a sz12 morsel to be flung out and trusted.
The Swingin' Prince. You will now be shot, for you have seen too much.
Semi-traditional, and chewed on.
Yes, that is a foam skater, and yes, those ARE teeth-marks.
As for pics of the anadromously inclined dance partners, well...we didn't take but 3 or 4, and only of one buff lady we had a thing with for a few minutes. She was nice enough to stick around for a bit and discreet enough to stay out of the way, so we reeled up and watched her for awhile, just to make sure she was gonna get home alright.
In the end, she went her way and we went ours, and we like to think that we were both somehow better for the experience.
Many dance partners, many casts, many steps, many rocks, many rivers, many runs - as with all trips, the moment you leave the flow, it starts to run together in your mind. Features blur and spaces condense until there is nothing left but the dancers, 2 partners in recombinant iterations to represent the time passed. Many forms of quantification pale and become invalid in this light but there is one that remains-
347 days, 17 hours, and 34 minutes until we get to do it again.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Outta Here.
We're off.
What started as a weekend trip with the Old Man has metastasized into a semi-annual 2 week hajj to the old stomping grounds of the PNW, and we're about to get devout. 3 hours 'til the plane, and then we're going incommunicado for 15 days.
No phone, no email, no nothin'.
We wouldn't want it any other way.
Don't forget to feed the fish, turn out the lights after you leave, and make sure the door is locked...we'll see you in a few weeks.
What started as a weekend trip with the Old Man has metastasized into a semi-annual 2 week hajj to the old stomping grounds of the PNW, and we're about to get devout. 3 hours 'til the plane, and then we're going incommunicado for 15 days.
No phone, no email, no nothin'.
We wouldn't want it any other way.
Don't forget to feed the fish, turn out the lights after you leave, and make sure the door is locked...we'll see you in a few weeks.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Ramen: A Love Story.
It is no secret that we loves us some Ramen.
Lately we have been streamlining the Breakfast of Champions a skosh, trying for the zen perfection in simplicity. Gone are the accessory chiles, away went the scallions, bye-bye ginger...now that we have homemade kimchi, we don't need to mess around with that stuff in the AM. Just the basic food groups combined, thank you very much.
If there is something that is better without bacon, we don't want to eat it.
Home-made 99 44/100ths % pure love.
We love microwaves...the 31 second egg.
Add a little chopped basil, cilantro, and some fish sauce...
...The Eternal Breakfast.
Prep continues for RoadTrip '09 v3 - about 7 dozen more flies to go.
Can't wait, Fisha.
Lately we have been streamlining the Breakfast of Champions a skosh, trying for the zen perfection in simplicity. Gone are the accessory chiles, away went the scallions, bye-bye ginger...now that we have homemade kimchi, we don't need to mess around with that stuff in the AM. Just the basic food groups combined, thank you very much.
If there is something that is better without bacon, we don't want to eat it.
Home-made 99 44/100ths % pure love.
We love microwaves...the 31 second egg.
Add a little chopped basil, cilantro, and some fish sauce...
...The Eternal Breakfast.
Prep continues for RoadTrip '09 v3 - about 7 dozen more flies to go.
Can't wait, Fisha.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Code Twelve, One Rainbow Four - Do You Copy?
Mostly done editing. Not quite all the way finished with some of they arty shots, but what the hell. You're gonna get what we have because we're pretty sure that after last week, the anadromous fish population of this flow has an APB out on us and we don't wanna stay in one place too long.
Paddy was nice enough to loan us a cool fisheye lens for the duration, and although we haven't officially asked him yet, we're angling to take it on RoadTrip '09 v3 as well - which would be cool, seeing as how we don't think we could sell enough blood and assorted bodily fluids in the next week to afford one of these bad larrys for ourselves.
Narwhal and Drifter were excellent company as usual, and with the exception of the first night's random photos of dirt and leaves ("Push harder, dude...Yes, THAT button."), he proved an able lensman and capably brave in the face of a charging turkey sandwich, no mayo.
Once on the river, we were all business...ok, not really. But we went down that thing like we had a mask and a gun. No nook, no cranny, no side-channel was safe with us around. Armed with a 4-year-old can of bear spray and a net, we got into places that the bears didn't even wanna be.
At any rate, here's the goods from RoadTrip '09 v2.2. To get in the appropriate mood, a Fisha might wanna open a beer and crank up a little Parliament/Funkadelic to fully capture the moment...then again, maybe that's just us.
Every now and then, the plane flies over things that don't have clouds over them.
The fine folks in the 1st class section were nice enough to provide us with many of these tasty scenery-enhancing beverages.
Ready to rumble.
This guy jumped into a tree. Really.
Narwhal on the sticks.
Three from the Giving Tree.
Cheering section.
The MoneyBucket was good to us - when we could keep 'em from going around the rootwad. 2 casts, 2 dance partners.
Sunrise, day 4.
The always-amusing game of "Feed the Starving Dog".
23° and fishy.
The fish we came for.
Back-channel dirty love.
More back-channel dirty love.
The Last Good Cast.
The last night.
RoadTrip '09 v2.2 is now closed. Frantic preparations have begun for v3 in the form of matériel acquisition and massive amounts of fly-tying, but every now and then we sit still, close our eyes, and dream of last week's dance partners.
We wouldn't want it any other way.
Paddy was nice enough to loan us a cool fisheye lens for the duration, and although we haven't officially asked him yet, we're angling to take it on RoadTrip '09 v3 as well - which would be cool, seeing as how we don't think we could sell enough blood and assorted bodily fluids in the next week to afford one of these bad larrys for ourselves.
Narwhal and Drifter were excellent company as usual, and with the exception of the first night's random photos of dirt and leaves ("Push harder, dude...Yes, THAT button."), he proved an able lensman and capably brave in the face of a charging turkey sandwich, no mayo.
Once on the river, we were all business...ok, not really. But we went down that thing like we had a mask and a gun. No nook, no cranny, no side-channel was safe with us around. Armed with a 4-year-old can of bear spray and a net, we got into places that the bears didn't even wanna be.
At any rate, here's the goods from RoadTrip '09 v2.2. To get in the appropriate mood, a Fisha might wanna open a beer and crank up a little Parliament/Funkadelic to fully capture the moment...then again, maybe that's just us.
Every now and then, the plane flies over things that don't have clouds over them.
The fine folks in the 1st class section were nice enough to provide us with many of these tasty scenery-enhancing beverages.
Ready to rumble.
This guy jumped into a tree. Really.
Narwhal on the sticks.
Three from the Giving Tree.
Cheering section.
The MoneyBucket was good to us - when we could keep 'em from going around the rootwad. 2 casts, 2 dance partners.
Sunrise, day 4.
The always-amusing game of "Feed the Starving Dog".
23° and fishy.
The fish we came for.
Back-channel dirty love.
More back-channel dirty love.
The Last Good Cast.
The last night.
RoadTrip '09 v2.2 is now closed. Frantic preparations have begun for v3 in the form of matériel acquisition and massive amounts of fly-tying, but every now and then we sit still, close our eyes, and dream of last week's dance partners.
We wouldn't want it any other way.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
In the Bag
RoadTrip '09 v2.2 is officially in the bag.
We got back to town a few days ago, just in time for that minor annoyance called work. Even an inconvenience like that was not enough to dim the light emanating from within as we glowed with the satisfaction of being in the right place at the right time.
Let's just say that if you were fishin' the same thing we were fishin', you prolly did pretty damn good, too.
We're still editing - over 350 shots from 3 different cameras - but soon we'll manage to get it all in one place and put it to bed. In the meantime, we'll leave you with this.
No time to waste - only 13 days 'til RoadTrip '09 v3
We got back to town a few days ago, just in time for that minor annoyance called work. Even an inconvenience like that was not enough to dim the light emanating from within as we glowed with the satisfaction of being in the right place at the right time.
Let's just say that if you were fishin' the same thing we were fishin', you prolly did pretty damn good, too.
We're still editing - over 350 shots from 3 different cameras - but soon we'll manage to get it all in one place and put it to bed. In the meantime, we'll leave you with this.
No time to waste - only 13 days 'til RoadTrip '09 v3
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