Talk of lasers over at Apocalypse Steelhead reminded me of a shot from a warm, first-week-of-June afternoon. Check out bacon, keeping the duckies honest and on the far bank.
I’m glad there’s still plenty of winter left before spring.
Piscatorial Predator/Kanektok Spiritual Leader/Sod Layer THE Elaminator sluts out in the latest FFJ* ad in trade for more brown liquor and an extra set of night vision goggles.
Prolly your sister’s never been to third base. Yet, ’cause Elam rocks the dirty, dirty night prowl, that scamp, and he plays himself some wicked hardball. He’ll make a fine brother-in-law.
*We wholeheartedly endorse the FFJ’s awesomenality in trade for more whisky. thanks guys. anything else you need us to say? damn, this blog thing’s really working out.
Twenty-ten wild hen! And yes, she was a screamer.
You’ve seen the trailer. May be you want to see the whole video. May be you have seen the whole video. May be you should go here to see a little bit of what you might or might not have seen already. Some of it for the sure the latter.
A while back we at the handsomest interweb piscatorial flirting site in the way milky galaxy urged you good folks to check out a petition supporting no-kill regs on the legendary North Umpqua’s wild winter steelhead and, like a Rainier Tall you found in the back of your fridge behind some old carton of milk and thought Hotdamn, the legions of you who signed it get a clear and pure, 16 oz. fistful of surprise.
As of today, the Stansnugget over at the very badass Oregon Fly Fishing blog reports the ODFW has proposed the development of a coastal wild winter steelhead conservation plan in late 2010 instead of a knee-jerk kill season opening. Potentially worse would have been mitigating against a kill season by introducing hatchery winter steelhead into the North Umpqua, where the last remaining undiluted wild winter steelhead genetics in the Umpqua system find safehaven and sweet, sweet gravel.
Kudos to Stansberry (and a lot of others whose names I do not know) for keeping the fires lit as well as SirMister Jim Van Loan for asking the young punk for some help with this newfangled Interweb communication fandango. Badass to see young(er) guys and, ahem, distinguished gentlemen working together for the continued advocacy of our wild, native Northwest jewels. Thanks also to ex-ODFW bio Jay Nicholas for his thoughtful responses to Stansberry’s excellent interview on the subject, which the Buster considers a must read.
We remain cautiously suspect of this future conservation plan, but we’ll be shotgunning that Rainer in celebration of temporary victory. Huzzah!
I hadn’t seen KB in quite sometime. He’s a college buddy of mine and one of the nicest fellas you’ll ever meet. I once sold him my parent’s old living room couch for a 12 pack of Coors Leaded. I think he slept on it for 6 months till he got motivated enough and bought a bed. I heard around the middle of June that KB had testicular cancer and was starting chemo. I wasted no time and called his cell. We traded voicemails for a day and then contact was made. I took about a minute and I asked him to fish. “Well, Scott, I’m going to be doing chemo for awhile. I don’t know when I’ll be able to fish, but I think about fishing everytime I’m laid up at the hospital. It’s something I plan on doing a lot of when I beat this disease.” I told him we’d go as soon as felt up to it. A plan was made to go on a late August Saturday between chemo cycles.
Alabama summers are brutal, but that day was the first since the late Spring/early Summer since we had temps in the 80’s with tolerable humidity. It was one of those days were it’s just a honor to be outside. I sat in the middle of the boat most of that morning with a shit-eating grin on my face. I was watching two of my best friends catch big bass after big bass and I didn’t want to be anywhere else. We fished till about lunch when KB let us know he was gassed and ready to head back. I could tell it pissed him off that this disease was forcing us to end our time on the water that day. He didn’t say much on the ride home. I dropped him off at the house and he made a beeline for the bed.
I’m happy to report that KB recently finished up chemo, but still has quite a fight on his hands. I know he’ll pull through. He’s got a lot to live for with a wonderful wife and two kids under 4 years old. And plenty of future fishing trips. We’re already talking about Montana/Wyoming/Idaho next Summer. I cannot wait. Kick that ass, KB. Kick that ass.
A behind the scenes look at what it takes to light up the greatest night in fly fishing.
Just got off the red phone with the Cap’n and word on the gravel bars says Skagitmaster has finally been cut and the DVDs are ready to ship. Get yer asses over there and buy this thing so Ed can finally get paid for all he’s done for Northwest steelhead flyfishing. Or at minimum, so he can make a few bucks to replace that gotdam ratty blue sleeveless polypro hoody he’s been living in the past eight years.
Props to you both, Jeff and Ed. Time to finally get to that whole fishing thing again.
Dig: