Nancy Lakes

Today we skied at Nancy Lakes State Park near Willow,AK.  Lots of fresh powder on the trail. We've had a great time visiting my Mother, sister and her family in Palmer,AK.  Cruising the backwoods of AK makes me wonder why I ever moved to the lower 48.

Archangel trail-Hatcher Pass,AK

Skiing the Archangel trail with my wife, sister and nephew. My sister and family live about 15 minutes from this place and know the area well.

Palmer,AK - Temp. -6

"twilight on the frozen lake, a north wind about to break, on footprints in the snow, and silence down below". -Bob Dylan

Winter storms and tying steelhead flies

With the rivers around here in a state of what seems like permanent blow out, time is best spent at the vice. My winter run steelhead box needed some new mojo, so I had to get busy.
A few feather wings, a few hair wings, some marabou, and egg patterns and I'm good to go. One front after another stacking up in the Pacific like a run of red's headed upstream.

I'll have to wait it out for that magic moment when the rains have subsided and the rivers drop and clear, even if just for a few hours!

last of the summer runs

Summer run fish soon to be but a memory.

The rains of winter will start shortly, swelling rivers and prompting the winter run fish to come in from the Pacific Ocean. It was a great season and I'm sad its mostly over.

The forecast is for rain to start tomorrow and it wont let up until spring/summer next year. So goes the cycle.

west end o.p. action

the cutt took an october caddis dry and I scored on the bow with a mahogany dun.

nice hatch of md's and this pig ate one on a long cast. #16

9 miler

..no limit on brookies in the high country lakes of ONP

You have to work for them though. This lake is a 9 mile round trip from t.h.

They will smash just about anything you throw at em.

Fall colors are out now and it is a great time to get out and enjoy the backcountry.

Went out foraging for chantrelles.

Can't say I found the mother load because I had some help.

My buddy Ron H. is the chantrelle guru of Pacific County.

Just like a good guide,he put me on to them, the rest was up to me. A sharp knife and a paper grocery bag are the tools of the trade. They are mighty good with an elk steak or an addition to my smoked salmon fettuccine. Yum!

Happy picking, back with the fly rod soon.

Read and heed. Monster Bulls are a incredible fish and we are lucky to be alive in

"Bull Trout Country".

October looming

fall is in the air, rained a lot this weekend and some streams have come up considerably.

not to worry though, october is looming and so is indian summer

October Caddis action

Fall action with the October Caddis and a beautiful day. It doesn't get any better than this.

Its hard to stay off the "criks" right now.

I know of a few holes close to a bridge. (20 minute hike) Not exactly a true bluelining experience but I didn't have time to bushwack this afternoon. I lost a beauty (16-18") to a faulty knot.

Another just simply "spit" the hook.

This 16" bow made it to hand along with a host of 10-13" ers. Can't beat the October caddis.

Fall is in the air and water

a decent afternoon on a stretch of water I haven't fished in a few seasons. Some of my favorite holes are gone now, but new ones have formed and its almost like fishing a different river. Nice cutts&bows including a pig rainbow that went about 18" and fat.

Clear skies and about 75. October caddis is the fly to have this time of year.

not eaxactly bluelining, more like bluewater.

nice halibut though-cook inlet,anchor point area

Keith goes bluelining

My buddy Keith made it into the canyon for some nice fish.Beautiful Rainbow and Cutthroat.

22" bow

planets lined up for me. not to mention a good cast and fly.

'bows like this don't come easy or every day, for that matter.

the brown trout

21 inches

The general stream trout season has opened and most rivers are running high.

Late snows and lingering rain are to blame.

Finding a decent place to fish means seeking out either lakes,or streams that head in lower elevations. I always keep a few in my hip pocket for just such times.

The lakes are typically planted with hatchery trout. Every now and then you can get into a holdover or maybe even a native. The smaller creeks have their share of native fish. Rarely anything huge, but always beautiful. These native cutts went about 11 or 12 inches and smashed a #14 elk hair caddis.

A small stream in eastern Oregon always requires an annual visit or two.

The browns are an elusive and challenging target but a rainbow can make a surprise visit.

My friend Keith and I both caught a number of browns but Keith scored on the rainbow.

Stopped at the Dosewallips for a quick break and spotted this elk herd hanging out.

They come down into the park and roam the beach from time to time.

Always nice to see.

on the way to Coeur D'Alene

I had to go to Coeur d'Alene for a few days and decided to stop at Rocky Ford along the way.

I managed to fool a few trout with a beetle pattern and enjoyed a sunny afternoon.

The Dosewallips falls. Cold in the shadows but warm in the sun.

The Quinault River. Upstream view with boat. Downstream view has distant waves crashing in the Pacific Ocean. It was very rare February Day on the coast. Sunny and warm!

a long way from anywhere at -20

new rod

nosing around at cabelas, not looking for a fly rod, one jumped out and said "buy me i'm on sale".

so i did.