flyfishin'

Orvis Disappointment

2011-11-21T11:56:00.000-08:00

I don't even know if anyone still reads this blog, it has been dormant for some time. But I had to vent this.

A while back on this very blog I wrote of the failure of a pair of Orvis waders HERE and then again HERE. Well since I tried to patch them and it didn't work, I decided to send them back to Orvis. I was excited when I got them back because they had patched like a dozen pinholes I didn't see when I tried the whole flashlight-in-a-dark-room trick.

So when we headed up to New York again for a special trip in pursuit of large brown trout, it was November, not January. I left the neoprenes at home and decided to give these Orvis waders one more chance. Temps in the upper thirties is still not warm, so you can imagine how I felt our first day of fishing when as soon as my boots hit the river, I knew my waders were filling up with water. But I had to fish in them, so my feet froze as I fumed.

That night the local fly shop sold me a pair of very nice, comfortable Redington waders. They are extremely comfortable and, lo and behold, actually WATERPROOF! I love these waders. And as an added bonus, I now have a convenient box I can use to send the Orvis waders back. But not to repair, I'm done with that and with them. I just want them to know that those waders have ruined a day of fishing for me for the last time, and maybe they'll notice the box they arrive in. Brand loyalty for fly fishermen is a long term prospect, and I have wanted to like Orvis. But these waders pissed me off for the last time.

Trout Prints Available

2011-06-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

I just completed a limited edition of 22 linocut prints depicting a brown trout from the Rose River. These hand-pulled prints are available, signed and numbered, from my web site!

Chesapeake Striper

2009-06-25T06:14:00.000-07:00

My friend Douglas is having fun fly fishing for Stripers on the bay this week. Looks like the weather's good and the fishing's better! Nice fish, Douglas!

Thanks AHPS and NOAA!

2009-05-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of confused about the relationship between agencies, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Weather Service and the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service maintains this amazing web site where you can get real-time water conditions anywhere in the country. I have been using it locally because I wade fish, but I'm finding myself even more interested recently because I started kayaking last year.

So I kept trying to find a way to display my nearby river gauge info on this blog, kind of like the weather widgets you see on sites all the time, displaying the weather at a vacation destination or golf course or something. Thanks to blogspot's ease of use I came close, but the RSS feed from the NOAA site was only displaying the location of the gauge, not the river level itself. So I felt like the RSS feed was the key, but couldn't figure it out until the webmaster of that site responded to my email with the suggestion to try another service to create the RSS feed widget.

The result is the widget you see at the top right of this page. Hardly worth a post explaining the process, I suppose, as the information is more for me than anyone else. But I wanted to acknowledge that a big organization like NOAA took the time to answer my question and help me work through it so I could get this little bit of code to work on my blog. Pretty cool.

First Backyard Fish!

2009-05-26T12:09:00.000-07:00

The wading was awkward through deep, soft mud. But I finally managed to get down to the river and throw a fly line in. Once I found a spot that didn't make me feel like I was standing in quicksand, it didn't take long for this smallmouth to take the fly and make a little history for me: The first fish caught from our very own back yard. While not a large fish by any measure, it was big to me.

I think I'll let things continue to dry out a little before I wade again, perhaps the kayak is the best tool for fishing this particular stretch of bank. In any event, it feels good to be fishing again.

Back Yard Fishin'!

2009-04-14T06:37:00.001-07:00

The river was too high, the water too cold, it was too early in the morning and the season and we had a full day of moving and unpacking ahead of us. But I couldn't resist the chance to walk down to the Potomac River at our new house, and fish under the shadow of our own back yard. Not a nibble to be had, but I couldn't care less. One of my favorite outings to date.

Fish Pledge Challenge for Project Healing Waters!

2009-03-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

Project Healing Waters will be holding its 3rd Annual 2-Fly Tournament on May 3rd at Rose River Farm in Syria, Virginia.

There are ten Pro/Vet teams participating (as well as 20 other two-man teams). The Pro/Vet teams pair a wounded warrior with a renowned fly fishing professional. In an effort to raise money for this great cause, I am pledging one dollar for every fish caught by those ten Pro/Vet teams at this year's 2-Fly.

I would also like to invite anyone who reads this blog and, like me, wonders sometimes how to show support for the brave men and women who fight so hard and sacrifice so much for our country, to join me in this pledge.

Last year's winning team caught close to 50 trout. I would assume the average will be a considerably lower number. But in case things go gangbusters, anyone joining me in this can put a cap on their pledge of whatever they want - $250 perhaps. But as long as those vets are catching fish, my pledge stands no matter how many are caught that day!

So please consider joining in by posting a comment right here and pledging to commit to a dollar - or even fifty cents or a quarter - for every fish caught by a pro/vet team on May 3rd!

I know times are tough right now, but if you can't help out monetarily, please consider linking to this post on your blogs or web sites. It doesn't take much to get the word out into the blogosphere, but I need the help of everyone reading this!

Snow on the Rose River

2009-01-22T16:39:00.000-08:00

A few nights of VERY cold temps had my friends Kevin, Bill and I a little concerned about ice on our schedule trip to Rose River Farm. But it was only down around zero for a couple nights, and the day before we went, it was back up around freezing. There was some ice around the edges, but the flow was very good and the fish were - as they always are - present.

It was pretty cold early on, but thankfully there was no wind. I've fished at the Farm enough to know where large populations of fish live, and it was funny how we would look off the bank into a hole and see maybe one or two fish. Maybe spook one and not see it till it moved. Then the sun would come out for a few minutes and the bottom of the river would be covered with fish we couldn't see a moment ago. It's neat to see so many nice sized trout in one place, but it is kind of depressing to realize you've been drifting a fly over a pod of about forty trout for a half hour without so much as a nibble.

But it warmed up a bit and the fish started biting. Then around mid-day we got a really cool little snow shower! I very much wanted to catch a fish in the snow, but it didn't last long and it seemed to shut the fish down for a bit. Maybe a barometric pressure thing, I'm not sure.

In the end, we caught plenty of fish and in many different ways. I caught fish on nymphs, san juan worms and wooly buggers sub surface, but also with a small caddis and a griffith's gnat on the surface. Kevin had a lot of success with the gnats.

Winter fishing at Rose River Farm is a lot of fun, I never used to consider the possibility of dry fly fishing in January, but I caught at least as many off the top as sub-surface. Another winter fishing note: I overdressed for the weather with a nice pair of neoprene waders and was toasty warm all day. The kind with the boots built in are WAY warmer than the stocking foot kind. You sacrifice some mobility, but if you want to be warm all day standing in near freezing water, it's worth it!

Fishing at Rose River Farm

2008-12-14T15:13:00.000-08:00

I finally got a fly rod back in my hands after basically taking the entire spring and summer off. My friend Douglas invited me down to Rose River Farm to knock some of the rust off and try to catch a few trout. It rained all day, temps in the mid 40s and dropping, but thanks to some decent gear it was comfortable enough to fish for several hours.

There were times when the rain let up, and in those windows of opportunity the trout were feeding off the surface. But due to the weather conditions, my vision and my knot tying abilities, by the time I switched to dry flies the rain would pick up again.

Regardless, we had a great day on the water and caught some very nice fish. It's always a treat to get to fish at Rose River Farm.

Montana Trout

2008-12-14T15:09:00.001-08:00

My friend Ed was doing some hunting and fishing out west recently, I wanted to share some photos here. For some reason I don't think these two photos were taken on the same day.

Georgia Redfish

2008-12-05T08:03:00.000-08:00

Okay it wasn't caught on a fly rod. It wasn't even caught by me! But since I don't have any fish stories I'm living vicariously through my friend Matt, who is home for a break from his job in Iraq and, from the looks of it, making good use of his time.

I really want to catch a redfish. Matt said they fight like mad!

I am actually going trout fishing next week, so hopefully I will have a photo of an actual fish that I caught by then!

Tiger Trout

2008-10-23T05:10:00.000-07:00

Before my friend John Bass sent me these photos of a Tiger Trout - a hybrid of brown and brook trout - I had never seen or heard of one. But they sure are beautiful! If I ever go fishing again I want one of these. These photos were taken in Pennsylvania, thanks John!

One long, drawn-out week to go!

2008-09-08T10:45:00.001-07:00

Five days till I meet Winnie for the first time. I think we're set at home - crate, toys, food, toys, Redskins headlines to spread out on the floor by the door, toys...

Note to self: Go fishing in Alaska

2008-09-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

My friend Curtis of Fly Rod Chronicles gets to travel to some beautiful places to film his show. But I'm most envious about his recent trip to Alaska. The perfect Alaska fishing trip is not for the faint of heart, however. "We floated for 9 days...first 3 days we hiked and carried rafts before we strung a rod," Curtis told me. But his efforts paid off, as the fishing beyond that three day trek on southwest Alaska's Cash River was spectacular. Pictured here is the biggest rainbow I've ever seen, a stunning sockeye salmon and a beautiful grayling.

Don't go back without me, Curtis!

Meet Winnie!!

2008-08-31T14:25:00.000-07:00

Still two weeks before I meet my Wirehaired Vizsla in person, but the puppies were selected by their new owners yesterday, and I ended up with the one I wanted all along! Pretty good fortune considering I was third in line for a female. This is her, and her name is Winnie. (Unless the 800 mile trip home with her reveals a more appropriate name like Vomitty or Pukey or something.)

All the puppies look great and I would have been happy with any of the females. But this one with the yellow ribbon is the first one I started to notice early on. And I tried not to let myself wish it because I didn't want to be disappointed if someone else selected her before me. But I'm really, really happy!!

The Lore of the Bird Dog

2008-08-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

Much like fly fishing, hunting upland birds with a dog has the kind of appeal that has made it the subject of authors, artists and poets for hundreds of years. The dogs who do this work -- magnificent in function, beautiful in form -- take that work very seriously. Here are a few of these noble dogs...

Buddy (Thanks Jerry)

Gent (Thanks Matt)

Pete (Thanks Don)

Squirt (Thanks Don)

Uh, Puppy To Be Named Later. Well, evidently they aren't BORN with all that grace and style, I guess they get it later on. I'll keep you posted!

Hang on, Buddy!!

2008-08-14T06:29:00.000-07:00

We'll be there in four more weeks!!

Let the Games Begin!

2008-08-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

No, silly, I'm not talking about the Olympics. It's Football Season! This is a shot from our new season ticket location! The Redskins beat the Bills in this preseason game, 17-14.

Offshore Fun!

2008-08-10T08:07:00.000-07:00

My wife, as is our family tradition, got the biggest fish of the household when we had the opportunity to go offshore fishing recently. We're having fresh Mahi Mahi on the grill tonight!

My next dog was born today!

2008-07-22T18:07:00.000-07:00

I was third in line for a female out of this litter of Wirehaired Vizslas. An early ultrasound of the mother indicated probably at least six dogs, but those are inaccurate at best. So I had my fingers crossed when the breeder called me this evening. Three boys and SIX girls!!

So middle of September we'll take a road trip up to Illinois and pick up my fishin' buddy/huntin' dog/couch potato/car ridin' pal/troublemaker/Best Friend!!

Dog Training 101

2008-07-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

I don't know. What do you think? On the one hand, Gromit has yet to discover a horizontal surface in our house that he doesn't enjoy standing on. But on the other hand, and certainly more positive from a dog training standpoint, he did obey the "Stay" command long enough for my wife to get the camera and return to catch him in the act. That's not all bad, right?

Maryland Heights II

2008-07-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

In need of some quiet time this morning, I revisited Maryland Heights, the place where not too long ago I was reminded of my pathetic physical condition. Well the second time I went back I hiked higher and farther, and this morning I took the long route past the civil war relics. About a five mile hike start to finish, and some very steep parts.

So steep, in fact, that today I made it a bit higher than ol' Abe himself went in 1862. But, in all fairness, I think I would have been impeded if I were wearing the big Abe Lincoln hat, having to duck under all the low branches.

Great views from strategic strongholds along the way.

This is part of a stone fort at the summit.

Evidence of bears can be found along the path. Not surprising on this upper route, it's a challenging hike. I was there mid-morning on a holiday and didn't see another person on that trail loop. But after seeing this my eyes were peeled for the rest of the way!

By the time I started heading downhill, I could stop focusing on my physical limitations and water conservation, and started to take in the sights a little closer than the vistas I took in from the summit.

1995-2008

2008-07-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

To quote a Patty Griffin song, "Today my heart is big and sore."

Thank you, Sierra, for thirteen years of companionship. You will be deeply missed.

More self propelled river fun

2008-06-29T12:58:00.001-07:00

Early morning on the Potomac, nobody else in sight most of the time I was out there. Not catching fish in great numbers, but the ones I am catching are good fighters, I've heard that it should be a good season for big fish, I'm starting to believe it! This one took that green popper you can see in the top left of the photo.

Product Review: Rio Gold

2008-06-25T17:41:00.000-07:00

Let me just get this out of the way: I am NOT writing a glowing review about Rio Gold fly line just because I want Rio to see this and send me a hat and a sticker and more Rio Gold for my 5-weight to match the 3- and 4-weight reels I have already stocked with it. Or maybe a t-shirt.

But the first time I tried this line it was loaded on a Sage demo 4-weight rod. Granted, it was a wonderful $650 rod that helped shoot that line, but regardless, the line felt great. So great, in fact, that I ordered it for my two favorite trout rods.

This little Scott 3-weight rod is not an expensive one, but I do love it and it casts pretty well as long as it's not windy. Today I tried it for the first time with the Rio Gold and it went from pretty good to awesome! I love this line! The Rio fly lines also have a really great welded loop that I have put to the test on my 7-weight (that rod is loaded with the Rio Grand and is my smallmouth rod), and shows no signs of failing. I like it a lot better than the nail knot alternative.

(Additional cool side note: My testing ground for this was my neighbor's pond across the street from us. First cast with a little popper, in this pond that last year held nothing but sunfish, and I got a really nice size largemouth bass! After that some nice bluegill too. Could be a lot of fun this summer!)

So, bottom line is this: I think that if you're neglecting your fly line as a critical part of your fly rod equation, you might be overlooking an inexpensive way to make a $240 rod feel like a $640 rod. And for me, this Rio Gold is the best casting line I've ever tried.

More reptile superhero action

2008-06-25T17:17:00.000-07:00

Recently I posted this picture of Squirt, wearing his shedding skin like a cape.

Well today yet another reptile in the house decided to sport a cape.

That's Butchie, a Kisatchie Cornsnake. And this is the blog equivalent of a Slow News Day.

Potomac Smallmouth Float

2008-06-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Mark Kovach Fly Fishing who donated a float trip for two at the Trout Unlimited show earlier this year, I was the lucky winner! I brought my friend Douglas and we had perfect weather for our day on the water. Between the two of us we boated about 75 fish! A couple big smallies (largest about 16", I'll post a picture of that once our guide Mike emails it to me - his camera got wet and no longer functions!). And some fun bluegills on poppers later in the day. We went out as part of a larger group and had a fantastic streamside lunch of grilled steaks and corn on the cob. Great day, here are some more pictures...

Exciting Introduction to Kayak Fishing!

2008-06-15T04:39:00.000-07:00

When I asked my friend Harry, who used to be in the kayak business, advice about what kind of kayak would be good for an overweight, uncoordinated, water-averse fly fisherman (I was, uh, asking for a friend), he said this one, and GAVE me a 16' Wilderness Systems Tarpon!

I tried it first on a lake and that went pretty well. So the other night I tried it on the Potomac near my house with no fishing gear, just a test run to make sure the current wasn't overwhelming. That went okay too so yesterday morning early I went river fishing for the first time in the kayak.

Sometimes when you get only one bite when you're out fishing you're disappointed. But on this day, the one and only bite of the day produced this, my first smallmouth of the year, my first fish from a kayak, and - by far - my biggest smallmouth ever! What a surprise. My 7-weight was really bending with this one, I have never felt such a strong smallie, I thought maybe I had hooked a catfish or something. Which I would have been fine with too, actually. I just wanted to catch something. But when I landed him I just couldn't believe it. I don't know how big he was, maybe 16" to 18" and heavy.

Hopefully I will have more great kayak fishing to post here, I sure have enjoyed it so far!

Jasmine.

2008-06-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

June tenth. I remember the date, but am a bit foggy on the year. 1989 maybe. A pile of yellow and black and chocolate lab puppies tumbled into the world onto last week's newspaper and one of them was mine. Jasmine. Or as I was fond of calling her long before she actually earned the title, Jasmine the Wonderdog.

She is shown here in one of only 35,000 photos ever taken of her, after winning a gold in obedience and a bronze in the frisbee competition at a local Canine Olympics or some such thing. She did a lot of stuff, basically anything I ever asked of her. She took to obedience training and spoiled me for life, thinking that I was some sort of dog training genius or had some kind of 'gift' of communicating with dogs. Nope. It was just her. Well, maybe it was just her. Maybe it's just that my current dog is an idiot.*

*This remark may be the one thing that finally gets my wife to leave a comment on this blog.

Nature, Interrupted.

2008-06-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday while mowing the lawn I saw this little head and ears pop up out of the tall grass. I thought it was a rabbit at first, but when he didn’t move I got off the mower for a closer look.

It was a baby fawn, not more than a day old. He just put his head down and stayed put. I couldn’t tell if he was hurt, abandoned, sick or starving, and didn’t know what to do. We live near a main road and I didn’t want him to wander into it, and while spotting deer in that area is not unprecedented, it's not exactly common either. No sign of mommy nearby, but it was the middle of the afternoon. I called animal control to ask what to do.

An officer arrived about the same time my wife got home, he made a few calls and found a vet that would take him overnight until a wildlife rehabilitator could take him. My wife questioned his judgement (and mine for calling him in the first place) and thought at least we should take him to the vet ourselves so we could talk to them and make sure it was the right thing to do. Sure enough, the vet looked him over and said he was fine, wasn’t dehydrated and probably the mother would come back overnight to get him. If he was still there this morning (they said he would not wander off without mom), then maybe the mother was hit by a car and we’d have to look into a Plan B.

So we took him back to the same spot where I found him. Then as I was putting away the mower I noticed a big doe on the far corner of my neighbor’s property, watching me closely. Darkness soon fell, and after a few hours I checked and mom and baby were gone!

An awfully long way to go to end up simply letting nature take its course, but there was a happy ending and I’ll know better next time. I sure gave that fawn a weird day he didn't need to have. But the day he gave me I'll remember fondly for a long time.

Super Squirt!

2008-05-29T05:27:00.000-07:00

Our little Rankins dragon Squirt is shedding. And last night we got home and all the skin on his back had come loose except for right at his neck. He had a distinctive superhero look about him, so I had to snap a picture.

As superheroes go, Squirt would not be a very good one I don't think. He's cute, but he's frail and tiny and, at very least, mildly retarded. Which makes imagining an alter ego with super powers that much more comical. "Able to stare at his reflection for more than an hour straight! Able to jam his face into the corner of the tank and fall asleep that way for nine hours! Sometimes recognizes a worm as food when it is held in front of his face! Will expend barely enough effort in feeding himself to avoid starvation!"

Maryland Heights reveal New Lows in Physical Fitness

2008-05-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

I've been working for a few weeks at trying to lose some weight and get more exercise. It's been going okay, and since I've been walking almost every day the weight has started to come off. I was motivated Saturday to do something a little different, so I drove to Harpers Ferry where I had seen the beginnings of a trail before.

It's called Maryland Heights and it was steep. S-T-E-E-P Steep. Right off the bat it's like walking up stairs for a couple hundred yards and that's just to get to the sign that marks the beginning of the trail and has a map of the area. Being winded already, I welcomed the opportunity to stop and read all the signs thoroughly. Then it continued uphill for a really, really long time. I didn't make it all the way to the top, but got more than my fair share of exercise just going straight uphill for about forty minutes.

By the time I turned around I was really sucking wind.

Then I run into this jackass JOGGING up the hill! Okay he wasn't a jackass, he was quite friendly when we had brief exchanges both times he passed me. What a freak though. Jogging up this trail, that's like Lance Armstrong territory. Anyway, it made me realize -- as if I needed to be reminded -- how truly out of shape I am.

But I think if I work on my stamina and legs throughout the week, maybe I will try the Maryland Heights trail every weekend and use that to measure my progress. I'll never jog up that damn thing, but maybe by the end of summer I can get to the top without stopping to "read."

Not just a long weekend...

2008-05-22T10:20:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend. But please remember the true meaning of the holiday, and honor those who have sacrificed everything for us. God bless those who serve, and have served, this great nation.
An American soldier walks through the graves at the American cemetery in Colleville, Normandy, France, for the 60th anniversary of D-Day Sunday, June 6, 2004. AP Photo/Jerome Delay

Joint Services Air Show

2008-05-18T17:56:00.000-07:00

I have never been to the Andrews AFB Joint Services Open House and Air Show, mostly because it happens the same weekend as the Preakness. For some reason we have traditionally not really felt like doing anything the day after Preakness. Sort of an annual flu bug or something, I don't know. But today, despite a rainy forecast, decided to make the trip.

We didn't end up staying through the heaviest rain, and missed much of the afternoon program including the premier demonstrations like the Blue Angels. But still it was a memorable day.

I have to say, it is a real treat to be around the military in any circumstances. But a huge event like this is a showcase for the organizational and logistical skills of the Armed Forces, and was a joy to watch. I don't think I've ever been to a large scale event that was run this well. Parking was at FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins. The security checkpoint was there at FedEx, and then shuttle buses took people over to Andrews. An abundance of checkpoints, personnel and buses made that process a breeze.

Once we got to Andrews it was more of the same. Everything was clearly marked and meticulously organized. And, of course, when they say the program starts at 10:00, they mean 10:00:00, and it started right on time.

In addition to some cool aerobatic stunts, the static displays on the ground were neat as well. But as I said, it started raining pretty good and we started feeling the effects of the previous day and we decided to pack it in for the day.

But we'll be back next year, hopefully we'll have better weather.

Meet Sarah!

2008-05-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

Sarah, Angie, Sarah and Sandy at the Preakness. Aren't they pretty? Well we were talking about this blog and Sarah on the left mentioned that, while she does check in from time to time, she notices that it mostly just has a lot of fish pictures. Well in the interest of appealing to a broader audience, I am taking this opportunity to mix things up a bit...

The Real Deal.

2008-05-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

Time will tell -- three weeks of time, to be precise -- how special this moment was. But when Big Brown passed the field and then my camera lens on his way to the wire and the second jewel of the Triple Crown in the Preakness Stakes, I couldn't help but feel like I was witnessing history.

Several horses in recent years have won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. And it's easy each time to say 'this is it!' But after a 30 year drought (since Affirmed won the Triple Crown in 1978), I really do think that this time we are looking at the Real Deal. I wish Big Brown and all the people associated with him good luck in the Belmont!

Another killer day at Rose River Farm

2008-05-14T05:45:00.000-07:00

The pictures speak for themselves, I think. What an awesome day of fishing at Rose River Farm. Beautiful weather, bugs coming off the water and most of these trout took flies off the surface. I used my 3-weight for a while. Talk about fun! Taking trout this size off the surface with a 3-weight is really, really exciting.

First Smallmouth of '08 will have to wait.

2008-05-12T05:44:00.000-07:00

This weekend I tried to get out and catch some smallmouth, and get a little exercise in the process. As soon as I saw the river I knew the day would turn into basically a hike on a nice day, which is fine. The water was very high. I made a few casts here and there, but it was a washout.

I thought this was an interesting view, however. I'm standing on a railroad bridge that spans the Potomac at Harpers Ferry, looking downstream at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. The Shenandoah, entering this picture from the right, was much muddier, and I thought the clear delineation between the two was interesting. Hopefully you can see it in this photo.

As I continued on, I saw some nice scenery - as I always do there. This great blue heron, usually majestic and graceful, looked kind of like a dork trying to scratch his face with his foot here.

And the geese with their babies were out in droves. Or is it gaggles?

I wish my wife was there yesterday, she has never seen a Baltimore Oriole (other than the baseball kind). And I saw 6 or 8 of them! They were hard to photograph (this is the best of a half dozen attempts), they flit around a lot and like to be very high in the trees. But their song is beautiful and hopefully I'll get more opportunities to encounter these birds. If you want to see, hear or learn about these birds, or any other birds for that matter, this is a fantastic web site worth bookmarking.

Photographer Shane Knight

2008-05-07T05:14:00.001-07:00

At the Kentucky Horse Park, at the huge trade fair as part of the Rolex event, we had the pleasure of meeting Shane Knight. Shane is a traditional photographer -- no digital cameras, no PhotoShop, no digital prints. He has some large images printed by hand and framed in beautiful rustic wood that are astonishing. I picture them hanging over a mantle of a great cabin or lodge. But I purchased these three images in a smaller size because I just couldn't decide on one. Another thing you should know about Shane: not just crazy talented, but one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. Please visit his web site and support his art. He has stunning color landscapes and photographs of a variety of other subjects. But these western horse images are my favorite.

The Main Event

2008-04-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

Eventing is a three-pronged competition combining dressage, cross country jumping and stadium jumping, and the Rolex World Championships is that sport's pinnacle. Horse and rider have to be very fit and durable to make it through all three phases, ridden on consecutive days, and only the best qualify to be here.

Dressage is an impressive display of control and communication from rider to horse. But evidently it's not the kind of impressive that made me reach for my camera. Cross country is where the real action is, and seeing these jumps in person gave me a new appreciation for what I've seen on TV. The jumps are huge, and they get even bigger than these! One note about these cross country pictures, I'm using a small digital camera with a big delay, so there is a lot of timing and luck in trying to get a horse while jumping!

This girl, I think her name is Becky Holder (my wife will correct me if I'm wrong) did great and came in second...

...behind Phillip Dutton, shown here riding the championship winning stadium phase. He was one of only two riders who completed this course without knocking down any rails.

Equine Greatness

2008-04-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington is quite an impressive place. The location of the Rolex Eventing World Championships (more on that later), the Park also has a very nice museum and a barn with some of the most accomplished leaders of equine sport alive today.

This is a statue depicting Secretariat dancing to the winner's circle at Churchill Downs on May 5, 1973, Ron Turcotte aboard and groom Eddie Sweat alongside.

More Secretariat treasures could be found inside the museum.

In the Living Legends category, few horses are bigger than horseracing's richest thoroughbred, Cigar. I snapped more pictures of him, but I like this one best. Content in retirement, living in luxury and seemingly still race-fit, Cigar is seen here waiting for the next parade of champions.

While driving through the scenic Kentucky countryside in spring, you will see countless miles of paddock fence bordering countless acres of rich, green pasture. In those pastures you will see countless horses, and most of them will have foals nearby. The hills of Kentucky, mild in climate and rich in tradition, are factories not only for fine bourbon, but for fast, fast horses. I think about the astonishing number of horses that come out of this amazing place, year after year after year, to enthusiasts and trainers and investors and competitors and breeders. I think of what a small number of these horses possess truly special potential, and what a smaller number still reach that potential.

And then the smaller number of those that isn't ruined along the way by injury or attitude or plain bad luck. Throw out the ones who had everything going for them all along but stumbled out of the gate on a Saturday in May, or clipped heels with a lesser horse in front or didn't like the conditions of the track. Ponder all of that and the Greatest of the Great, Cigar, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, well they just get larger than life. These horses, past and present, this place, even on a warm spring day, just gives me chills.

Keeneland!

2008-04-29T07:45:00.001-07:00

The taste of Woodford Reserve samples still in our mouths, we traveled a few minutes back toward town to Keeneland race track for the penultimate day of the spring meet there. Under a bright blue sky and warm weather we walked around the beautiful grounds and took surprisingly few pictures. But it was a fun day, despite coming out on the losing end of the wagering equation.

Although I've only been to a few different tracks, two of them - Churchill Downs and Pimlico - are home to the first two jewels of the Triple Crown. And Keeneland is by far the nicest track I've ever been to. (I've seen Saratoga from outside the gates and that seems nice, I'll have to check that out some August and compare, but we both loved Keeneland.)

Woodford Reserve

2008-04-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

The Bourbon Trail was definitely on my list while visiting the Lexington area of Kentucky, and we picked the distillery of Woodford Reserve to tour.

Bourbon making is kind of loud and I couldn't hear the tour guide very well. As a result, much of what I now think I know about making bourbon is likely to be inaccurate at best. So, tell you what. Go to their web site if you want to learn how to make it, I'll just show you some pictures.

This is some of the bourbon-ey goodness fermenting. This tank was bubbling away like crazy!

In an empty tank you can see the cooling pipes. I think they said it has to stay between 70 and 80 degrees for this step.

It was hard to get good photos inside the buildings because they did not allow any flash photography. Cell phones must be turned off and all the lighting is wired in such a way that there is no way anything can spark. The entire process is quite flammable, as you can imagine. But these three copper, uh, thingamajigs, are the only ones in use anywhere in Kentucky. This is where the distilling takes place.

Then some other stuff happens and they put the bourbon, which is now clear, into barrels. The barrels are then sent out the side of the building and along a track where they are stored in this really, really cool building.

It holds 5,000 barrels, and this is where it ages. About seven years. Over the course of this storage, each barrel is sampled several times. And if after seven years it's not ready, they don't bottle it until it is!

In this building something special happens. Part of the contents of the barrels evaporates, and they call that portion the Angel's Share. The barrels positioned higher up evaporate more because it's warmer up there, but they all give up a little to the Angels, and the room is thick with the aroma of it.

These barrels are ready for bottling and distribution!

Kentucky Roadtrip

2008-04-28T18:23:00.000-07:00

We loaded up the FJ Cruiser last week and headed west for a little roadtrip. The next few posts will show a little of what we saw, including perfect weather, premium bourbon making, world class equine sports and more.

Passing within twelve miles of where I went to college, it really wouldn't have been right to extend my streak of Never Having Returned. So we stopped in Buckhannon, home of the Bobcats, and drove around a little. I showed my wife how deep that flood was back in, what, '84 or so? Submerged stop signs in town. I was actually surprised that I could remember where everything was. Even the places I visited very seldomly, like the library.

Some things never change though.

Luckily, the football team isn't one of them. They've gotten a lot better since I was there.

This is the Chi Phi house. Probably the location along my life's path with the highest disparity between time spent and time remembered. That was a long time ago, though. I'm sure the kids these days have long since found more constructive and healthy ways to pass the time.

Soon we were entering beautiful eastern Kentucky. Stay tuned for more...

Car washin' the fun way...

2008-04-13T18:49:00.001-07:00

This weekend some friends and I came across this ford, and I just had to drive through it at an unsafe speed with my friend standing in the middle of the road at the far end with a camera. That's what friends are for, right?

Spring at Shenandoah National Park

2008-04-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

I met some friends the other day to fish for native brook trout in the Shenandoah National Park. I had never been where we were going, White Oak Canyon. But it was near my friend's farm in Madison County (peach orchard blooming above) so we met there.

It's so beautiful out here, everywhere I parked looked like an FJ Cruiser commercial.

On to the park, this is Ed working a scenic pool with no fish in it.

I caught only one brookie. But he was beautiful, and those who have fished this water told me that, at about 11 inches or so, it was quite a large one. Another thing he was, was slippery. I dropped him before I could take a picture. But initially he didn't go far so I stuck the camera under the surface and snapped a picture. You can see the top of my fish at the bottom of this photo. The only reason I bother posting it is that fish were very hard to come by that day, and this is the only photographic evidence that we were even in the same general area as fish.

Even harder than finding the brook trout in the last picture, is finding my friend Douglas in this one. But he is in there!

After a lot of hiking and not much success fishing, we decided that we had earned the right to reward ourselves with the three B's: icy cold Beers and some fishing in Douglas' pond for easy Bass and Bluegill. They were indeed plentiful and enjoyable, and topped off a great Spring day.

Science: A Matter of Taste

2008-03-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

I know what you're thinking: "Hey, other than figuring out ways to put more DirecTV HD satellites in orbit, what good do scientists really do?" I know. I used to feel the same way. But my own recent personal experience has me thinking otherwise. Sure, it's personal, but if sharing my story here helps just one household, then it will have been worth it.

See, there are two kinds of scientists. There are the outcasts with unkempt hair who sit in rooms and get grants to try to figure stuff out like dark matter or the origins of the universe and is it collapsing in on itself or expanding at mind-numbing speed, silly stuff like that.

And then there are the real heroes. The outcasts with unkempt hair who missed the prom and the frosh mixer because they were out there, in the real world, encountering humanity's problems and using their big brains to come up with solutions.

Sure, a lot of these solutions to life's problems go under the radar, and we the people take them for granted. Cell phones, riding mowers, pre-measured dishwasher soap packets. But then, every so often, a team of nerds will put their bad-haired heads together and solve a problem to which many thought there could be no answer.

When one of our dogs started eating poop in the yard (I will not identify him by name as he is a minor, but it rhymes with Vomit), we tried everything. (By "Everything," I mean yelling "Stop that, that's disgusting!") Frustrated, with nowhere else to turn, we looked to Science to answer our prayers. And Science came through big time with Dis-Taste, a product that actually claims to make feces unpalatable. That's right, you read that correctly. At least two doctors have developed a Miracle Drug that, when administered just once a day to all the dogs in the household, combined with a healthy diet and exercise, will within eight to twelve weeks, slowly begin to produce feces that actually tastes bad to other dogs. I know! What's next?!

We have yet to see the promised effects of the product, but in all fairness we've only given it a couple weeks and there is always the possibility that this 'habit' may be the result of a serious mental problem rather than just the presence of delecious turds nearby. But we are hopeful that we will be able to put this behind us. So to speak.

Upland Bird Hunting

2008-03-17T17:09:00.000-07:00

Recently I got back into shotgun shooting, after about a thirty year hiatus. I searched for and purchased a 16 gauge Winchester Model 12 pump shotgun, a favorite of my Dad's. This particular gun was made in 1952, and I immediately started shooting skeet and trap at a nearby range and having a lot of fun. Then for Christmas my wife got me a gift card for a hunting preserve on Maryland's Eastern Shore called Pintail Point.

So I invited my friend Ed, an experienced wingshooter, to show me the ropes and join me for a day of chukar hunting. A chukar is a medium sized game bird not native to these parts. I don't know for sure, but it is either in the pheasant family or, forgive me, the partridge family. Here's how the preserve works: they raise these birds, you call them up and pay for some, before you get there they take the ones you paid for and put them in a field, a guide and his dog takes you into the field where the dog finds 'em, the guide flushes 'em, and, if all goes well, the hunter shoots 'em.

The day was really fun, both Ed and the guide were patient with me, I learned a lot and I think I did pretty well for a rookie. Even the dogs pretended not to notice that it was my first time out there. Speaking of the dogs (That's Bucky pictured at the top, and Jig is the darker one), this was a truly fascinating aspect of the day. I've been around dogs most of my life. And I've witnessed my share of dogs intensely focused on a stick, treat or tennis ball. But these German Shorthaired Pointers, well they were a treat to watch. And when they locked on to the scent of a bird, they stop on a dime and point at it. Not with their nose or with their raised paw like you imagine, but with their entire BEING! They do not point with the graceful elegance you might see illustrated on the cover of a dog show program. But rather in a tense, contorted, impossibly still and rigid manner that looks at once extremely uncomfortable yet wholly necessary. There is nothing else, at that time and place, that that dog wants to be doing. But more than that, there's nothing else he COULD be doing. It is a beautiful mix of raw instinct and enthusiasm directed by skilled and deliberate training.

So thanks Ed for coming with me and teaching me how to hunt birds. Maybe next I can try wild birds! And thanks to our guide Jack, and his coworkers Bucky and Jig, for working hard to make my first hunt successful, memorable and enjoyable.

Kingsnake Shedding Video

2008-03-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

Our Florida Kingsnake, Belle, shed today and we were lucky enough to witness and videotape it. I realize reptiles as pets are not for everyone, but you have to admit, nature is a wonderful and fascinating thing.

Gromit's Finally Calming Down!

2008-03-12T16:56:00.000-07:00

Upon further review, perhaps I should have protested more vigorously when the words "Jack," "Russell," and "Puppy" were all strung together for the first time in our household.

But he's a sweetheart and I love him. And as this photo clearly shows, he is almost to the point where his feet touch the ground. I think a couple more years and we might even get him to sit still for a minute.

Fish Art Collection Expanding Quickly!

2008-02-29T19:48:00.000-08:00

I've written here before about the stunning trout illustrations of Jared Miller. I'm proud to say my very own Jared Miller original arrived today. He had sent me a photo of it, my very first brook trout from Maryland's North Branch of the Potomac, but photos can not do justice to the remarkable detail. I can't wait to get it framed and display it proudly.

My father in law Bill gave me this beautiful gift, a print by Linda Roberts. I've always been fascinated by watercolor. Possibly because although I've been an artist at some capacity my entire life, I have never been able to grasp watercolor. My brain just doesn't work that way. But I'm glad to have this example heading off to the framers as well. (The awkward angle of the photo here was the only way I could get a picture without the glare of the flash.)

What's Spanish for 'Lunker?'

2008-02-29T15:55:00.000-08:00

So my buddy Matt emails me today with an offer that, without pictures, would have seemed silly. His friend John (that's John in the photo) went bass fishing down in Mexico and had a great time. We should go, Matt suggested. Well, first of all, if I went fishing in Mexico, surely I'd be fly fishing for some exotic roosterfish or mountain brown trout, right? I mean people don't go to Mexico for BASS! Do they?

Well they sure do and not only can I not blame them, but I'm thinking Matt's offer to join John on his next trip might be a pretty great time. The place is Anglers Inn, and they offer all inclusive packages with insane numbers of huge bass, and some business about an open bar (a dangerous proposition with Matt and I involved).

These fish like topwater lures, so I bet a popper on a fly rod would be a ton of fun. I've never been south of the border, but it might just be a double-digit pound bass that lures me there!

Extremely Efficient Trout Catching Machine

2008-02-23T18:59:00.000-08:00

It's a little expensive, but if you can afford it, you can now rent the Troutsucker 2000, a highly advanced fish vacuum that can catch fish at an astounding rate!

Okay, in actuality this is a very cool stocking done by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. They can stock thousands of rainbow and brown trout using a helicopter and this specialized lift bucket, shown here at the lower Saluda River near Columbia. But either way, that's one wild ride for a trout who spent his whole life eating pellets in a hatchery!

More Rose River Fun

2008-02-19T17:05:00.000-08:00

At this point I run the risk of sounding like a commercial for Rose River Farm. It has quickly become one of my very favorite places to fish for trout, and on this trip I not only caught some of the finest trout I've ever landed, but I added yet another species to my 'caught on a fly' list by catching one of the largemouth bass in the pond there. In addition, Douglas and I broke out the 16 gauges and went through an entire box of clay targets! The fact that it was a nearly 70 degree day in the middle of February added quite a bit to the enjoyment of the day.

So, let me get out of the way here and let some pictures do the talking...

The two rainbows pictured above are two of the nicest trout I've ever caught.

Matt had trouble landing this fish. Luckily some whalers were passing through and saw the commotion and helped out with one of their nets.

Enzo. Ridiculous. My favorite dog that doesn't live in my house.

Curved line meets straight line. Ross with a nice fish on.

My first largemouth bass ever!

Douglas has the perfect area set up to practice with some clays.

Douglas' stunning new Kimber side-by-side. I tried it about twenty times and broke approximately one target with it. Douglas was considerably more accomplished with it.

My Winchester Model 12 saw some action too. I still am not very good with it, but much, much better than I am with the side-by-side!

This lovable guy takes over as Biggest Dork on the Farm when Enzo isn't there.

I don't think a person could get much more out of a February day in Virginia.

New Toy!

2008-02-19T16:06:00.000-08:00

I've waited a couple weeks to avoid that thing like when you come back from a concert and confidently declare "That was the best show EVER!" only to realize a day later that, well, it was really pretty average. But I think it's safe now to declare: this is my favorite. Car. Ever.

I got the Toyota FJ Cruiser and absolutely love it. I just took it down to Rose River Farm and packed it full of fly fishing and shooting gear and it holds a ton. The Rodloft Pro holds my 8'6" Orvis T3 perfectly, with a couple of inches to spare at either end.

There's literally nothing I don't like about this vehicle. If you're like me and they've caught your eye for a couple of years (the color of this one is called Sandstorm), do yourself a favor and check one out. But make it easy on yourself - empty out the glovebox of your old car before you go, you probably won't be driving it home.

Three new species...on one fly!

2008-02-11T17:11:00.000-08:00

I spent a few days on the west coast of Florida, and had a chance to fish with Captain Paul Hobby in the waters around Ft. Myers and Sanibel Island. Unfortunately the weather was not ideal for fishing, a cold front had moved in and the winds were, by my fly fishing standards anyway, howling.

But Paul worked hard to get me on some fish, and before long I started catching a wide variety. The funny thing is, I not only caught three species that I've never caught on the fly before, but I did it using the same actual fly!

The highlight of the day was a fish that quickly doubled over the 8-weight Temple Fork I was using, and took a bunch of fly line in a hurry. If I didn't know better I would have thought I had a Steelhead on the line! As I got it closer to the boat Paul identified it as a pretty good sized ladyfish. Sometimes called a 'poor man's tarpon,' this fish had sides like a mirror! Sadly, while I was trying to figure out a way to grab it so Paul could snap a photo, he shook the fly out of his mouth and got away. I don't know how much he weighed, they are pretty skinny, but it was at least 24" or so. Several more much smaller ladyfish kept the excitement going for a while though, like the one pictured above. They were a lot of fun.

Although I had caught speckled sea trout before, on my last trip to Florida, this trip I caught a few on the fly rod. They are neat looking fish, but truthfully they don't put up much of a fight. Kind of funny, actually, for about eight seconds your rod bends and you're thinking, 'Game On!' Then you see it just skimming across the water on its side while you're stripping it in. But hey, you don't get to see your backing every time.

Finally we found a few grouper. These were interesting also. They are shaped like a freshwater bass, but feel like a trout, smooth and slimy. Cool spots too.

So it was good to be out on a boat in a beautiful place and catching some fish. I might try to head back this summer and try for some tarpon. (And not the poor man's kind!)

If I could get serious for a minute...

2008-01-28T18:05:00.000-08:00

A lot of people have family photographs professionally taken in a studio. But I've dabbled with photography for a long time and think I've captured the essence of my wife and our puppy, Gromit, in this beautiful portrait.

More Living Vicariously

2008-01-23T12:23:00.000-08:00

This time through my friend Joel, who caught this beautiful steelhead on the Trinity River in Northern California. It was caught on a double beaded golden stone fly. Thanks for sharing, Joel! Bastard.

New Year Begins with Pang of Jealousy

2008-01-12T20:06:00.000-08:00

Our friend Mike was in Cabo San Lucas, purportedly the Marlin capital of the world, where he caught this incredible fish. Believe it or not, multiple photos were taken and this is the pose that makes him look the least shocked. I'm not ashamed to say it: I'm really, really jealous. I've been wanting to go deep sea fishing for a long time, and just haven't been able to put a trip together.

But Mikey's Marlin -- along with a stack full of offshore charter brochures I picked up at a fishing show today -- have caused me to rededicate myself. I will go deep sea fishing THIS YEAR!

Nice fish, Mikey.

Flyfishin' Annual Report – Stop the Presses!

2007-12-22T21:11:00.000-08:00

With the exception of a memorable day on the water in the July Montana heat, the rest of my outings in 2007 ranged from frustrating all the way up to below average. Extremely low water levels and only a slightly higher skill level added up to an end of year summary that looks something like this: 'Next year will be better...it HAS to be!'

I was very close to hanging up the gear for the season and focusing on a fresh start in the spring, in fact. But I was looking at eleven days off in a row, and figured, what better way is there to quickly get out of work mode than to go fishing? So yesterday, courtesy of Rose River Farm in Syria, Virginia, I had the kind of day that erases an entire year of fishing frustration.

Completely overcast, air temps in the upper 40s, and water temps - according to the ten digital thermometers I keep in my socks - quite a bit colder than that. Perfect fishing weather. I was also, as luck would have it, the only angler on this beautiful stretch of private trout water. Nothing was rising, so I just started drifting big nymphs and wooly buggers and San Juan worms through fishy stretches. Let me be clear on something here, these are not stretches of water that Seem Like They Would Hold Fish, you can SEE dozens of huge trout stacked up in the gin clear water. Before long I started to catch them. They are incredibly strong! Three in particular this day took me on five or six or seven runs before I could net them. But they all fought hard, most lept in the air multiple times, and several took my fly rather than be subjected to my net and camera.

This fish was sure having a bad week! Looks like a great blue heron took a chunk out of this guy not more than a day before I landed him. He seemed absolutely healthy, gaping wound notwithstanding. But he fought hard. Bad news is, that wound is highly visible from above the water, and will probably result in future prey attacks. I hope he makes it though, any fish that survives that deserves to grow old.

How many fish did I catch? I don't know. At least fifteen to hand. They were all big. Many others on the line for a second or two here or there. There were stretches when I had a strike on every cast. But the really fun thing about fishing here is that you get to work on landing big fish, fighting fish. And if I'm at a public water recently stocked with 9" rainbows, I can convince myself that getting them to take the fly is the prize. I am lying. The prize is having to fight a fish to successfully land it, and this happened more yesterday than in all the rest of the year of local trout fishing combined.

Yesterday was also a big day for my underwater camera. I tried a few shots of fish as I released them, then realized I could take little movies of the same thing. Here are three of the best shots together in one video clip. Pretty cool!

Thanks to Douglas at Rose River Farm for not only saving my season, but providing the single best day of trout fishing I've ever had. As I sat at the gazebo in the fading light, finishing a Sam Adams Winter Lager and lighting a cigar, I watched the trout below. It was hard to complain about anything. And thoughts of a poor year of fishing had long since faded.

So Merry Christmas to you and yours, and thanks for stopping by this blog from time to time throughout the year.

Ed.

First Snow of the Year!

2007-12-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's a holdover from when I was a kid, but I always look forward to the first snow of the year, no matter how much traffic havoc it wreaks.

I actually tried to go to work twice today. First at 6:00 a.m., just as the snow was starting. I got about eight miles into my 55 mile commute and it stopped. An hour later I was still there, so I turned around. Checked traffic reports online and tried again at 9:30. Got to the same spot and stopped. The only reason traffic moved up at all was because some people ahead of me got out of line to turn around and go home. Which is exactly what I did. This area is ridiculous in terms of A) preparation (they talked on the news all night about how ready they were, yet roads were left untreated, and B) the incompetence of drivers. Winning combination.

But all that is forgotten with this highlight outside, our new dog Gromit getting dragged around the yard at the end of a stick by Sierra. Gromit's first snow. At first he didn't notice it, then he tried to eat it all, and finally he settled in with the realization that it's his very favorite thing. I almost agree.

Big trout at Rose River Farm

2007-11-30T12:23:00.000-08:00

I was privileged to have the opportunity to once again fish the Rose River in Madison County, VA at the Rose River Farm, thanks to my friend and host Douglas. Tons (quite possibly literally) of really big, thick, meaty trout and gin clear water. My fishing skills limited my performance to just a couple over the course of several hours, but every trout I saw or caught was this size or bigger. This shot is misleading because his tail is falling away from the camera, but it's a nice size fish. Very nice. Really difficult to hold and photograph a trout this big by yourself, but that's a really nice problem to have!

Douglas, his awesome dog Enzo, and I think that must be Enzo's beer on the rock out in the middle.

Sunrise over the mountains. Boy, ice crystals in the late fall air sure do make for spectacular skies. Madison County is a beautiful place.

A face so great I had to put another Enzo shot up here. He's a Spinoni, and every time I spend time with this dog I am further convinced my next dog will be a Spinoni too.

21.

2007-11-27T07:56:00.000-08:00

Saltwater, Speckles and Spinning Tackle

2007-11-26T17:28:00.000-08:00

My wife and I were in Jacksonville, Florida over Thanksgiving, and decided to go fishing one morning. I didn't bring flyrods or anything, we just wanted a carefree morning on the water with an opportunity to catch some fish. Capt. Bill Schuller of Heads and Tails Fishing Charters met us in America's oldest city, St. Augustine, and off we went.

The tide was VERY high and, as a result, the fishing was slow. I was hoping to catch a redfish, but a couple hours in, fishing in the area of some old submerged bridge supports, we started to get a few speckled sea trout. I had never seen one before, this one pictured above is my first! They've got teeth unlike any I've ever seen on a fish before.

Soon after, I caught a nice bluefish that fought like hell! One of the nicest fighting fish I've ever had on the line short of a steelhead or fresh salmon. They've got some serious teeth too! Bill is a fly fishing guide also, and I think next time I'll try to get one of those bad boys on a fly rod. We had a great time and I could see making this a tradition whenever we head back to Jacksonville. Thanks for a fun time on the water, Bill!

Flyover Highlight

2007-11-12T17:05:00.000-08:00

At the Redskins game Sunday I was watching the Air Force soloist belt out a tremendous version of the National Anthem when my buddy tapped me on the shoulder and directed my attention to the four fighter jets getting larger in the sky across the stadium. I fumbled for the camera and snapped two pictures. The first was from pretty far away still and you see that view above. Then, right around 'Home of the Brave,' the jets - which were pointed straight toward our upper deck seats - flew directly overhead.

I don't remember if I ever put the camera up to my eyes, but as the jets screamed overhead I apparently clicked the shutter, my hands having dropped to my side as my head was turned upward, jaw agape. The sound was deafening. And then it got twice as loud. I totally lost interest in capturing it with the camera, and was just so thrilled to be experiencing it.

It. Was. Awesome.

Rick Walker, on the staff of Extremeskins.com, evidently had his wits about him more than I, and took these really cool shots. I publish them here courtesy of Rick and with his permission. Thanks Rick!

I've seen flyovers before. Preakness comes to mind. But maybe the fact it was Veterans Day, maybe it was because we were so high up that the jets seemed REALLY close, but this was an indescribably powerful thing to witness.

God Bless America. THANK YOU VETERANS!

Belle

2007-11-10T06:02:00.000-08:00

Our Florida Kingsnake Belle shed recently, and I tried a different camera technique to try and capture her colors. I put her on a glass coffee table and set my digital camera on (don't tell Belle) 'cuisine.' I guess it focuses on the foreground only, uses the flash but retains bright colors. The room was lit, so the background dropping to almost black was a pleasant surprise.

Gearing up for winter trout...

2007-11-10T05:52:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I fished the Gunpowder for the first time in quite a while. Incredibly beautiful place, particularly when you look on a map and realize how close you are to Baltimore. The fishing, as has been the case with me almost all year, was poor. But I always leave the Gunpowder in a better state of mind than when I arrived, regardless of how successful I am with the fly rod. Saturday produced just a couple very small trout, and I hooked and lost a couple more. But I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up the camera today, I had forgotten snapping this picture but I think it accurately conveys the beauty of the place. I plan on doing a bit of winter fishing up there, and look forward to returning there when there's snow on the ground.

Perspective

2007-10-31T05:14:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, on a beautiful and crisp autumn day, I was driving back from Bass Pro with my 14' Tracker in tow, having had a little work done on it. I don't have any immediate plans for it this fall, but it was nice to get it back after a few weeks, I just like to have all my 'stuff' in one place. I was hurrying a bit, we had plans to unload the boat and immediately head up the road to Charlestown Race Track to place some bets on the great day of racing that is the Breeders Cup. I was excited to plunk some money down on my boy Curlin, who treated me SO well on Preakness day. Good music was streaming in from a satellite overhead, and life was good.

I came upon and began to pass a long string of cars in the right lane with flashers on. Funeral style. As I looked over at the cars to my right, I was struck by how young all the occupants were. Sad, I thought, and thinking of ways that young people die I imagined a car accident.

As I approached the front of the line I saw two immaculate white Cadillacs. The trailing limousine had blacked out windows. The hearse in front did not, and when I saw the casket through the rear door the music in my car, in my head, stopped. An American flag neatly draped over a white coffin. Not an accident victim, but a volunteer soldier, an American hero inside. And a grieving family behind, separated from me by so much more than two panes of glass. A mile of friends and colleagues behind.

I felt a lot of things at that moment. Grief. Gratitude. Pride. And shame. Just moments before I would have said, if there were anyone else in the car to hear, 'what a great little day I got goin' here!' Then reality dragged me out of my car and punched me in the gut so hard I never really got my breath back the rest of the day.

I'm involved, I do some work with wounded vets and think about them often through the course of every day. I do that work because I don't know how else to thank them for theirs. But this day was a reminder that, well, that everyone could use a reminder. And here just a few days later, I can see my boat from the back window of my house, Curlin roared to another victory and helped pay for that last trip to Bass Pro, the songs from my XM radio are once again reaching my brain, our home is blessed with puppiness and, I have to admit, life is good still. Or again. That wind-knocked-out-of-me feeling lasted a while, I still feel a twinge of it now as I write this, but it fades, unfortunately, as it always does.

To the family shrouded in that white limousine traveling west on Interstate 70 outside of Baltimore last Saturday, thank you for your sacrifice. I'm deeply sorry for your loss. And I will try my best to hang on to the feeling that seeing your son or daughter that day gave me. A smaller, more meaningless gesture I can't even imagine, but it's all I know to give. God bless you.

It's About Time!

2007-10-25T07:49:00.000-07:00

What we really need in this area is one of those hurricanes that weakens over land, but comes up the coast and stalls, dumping inches of rain on the entire region. But that's just not in the cards. However, we are in the middle of an encouraging three-day rain 'event,' and that's sure a lot better than nothing!

Meet Gromit!

2007-10-21T04:58:00.000-07:00

This is Gromit! We got him yesterday while we were at the national JRT Trials in Havre de Grace, MD. Our other Jack Russell, Scooter, can be a pretty big jerk with other dogs. He was with us, so they met on neutral ground. My German Shorthair was home by herself so introductions needed to be made last night when we got home.

I won't lie, my dog is not at all dog friendly, so I was extremely nervous. But all introductions went much, much better than I anticipated. Bringng a new pup into the house with two 12-year-old dogs with, uh, strong personalities won't be without its challenges. But the first 18 hours have given me reason to be confident that we'll be able to manage everyone.

Possibly the best part, he's four months old and has already gotten a big head start on housebreaking and crate training. He might be housebroken, actually, he seems to be. But I'm not a fool, one day without an accident does not a housebroken puppy make. Regardless, a lot of the early hard work has been done for us already.

T3!

2007-10-16T16:06:00.000-07:00

Oh. Sorry. Wrong T3...

That's more like it. I took the opportunity after breaking my Clearwater 5wt to upgrade when I got my replacement rod. This is a beautiful T3, 8'6" 4-weight. I think it will be a perfect little trout rod for small to medium sized streams, and occasions when a little breeze makes my 3-weight a little hard to handle. I already had it out in the yard this evening fishing for lawn trout, and it really feels great. Hope to have a fishing report soon! Meanwhile, a big thanks to Orvis for honoring the warranty, allowing me to upgrade, and handling the whole thing quickly and pleasantly.

Maine: The Rest.

2007-10-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

This was really interesting. In 1963, a B-52 crashed deep in the woods about ten miles from our cabin. A local snowmobile club maintains a memorial there. The crash left few large pieces of the plane, yet there were two survivors, including the co-pilot whose parachute did not work. He landed in the snow, upright in his ejection seat. It's still an eerie site, a debris field that covers acres, including airplane parts stuck in trees or half buried in the ground.

Pop quiz: This is either A) the opening scene of a horror movie, or B) the place where we got fresh lobster for dinner one night.

The answer, surprisingly, is B. But the lobsters were great, caught that very morning.

Some other shots from the week, in no particular order...

Maine: The Float.

2007-10-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

Douglas and I floated the 3.5 miles of the East Outlet guided by Dan from Maine Guide Fly Shop. Dan has a reputation of being The Man in that part of Maine when it comes to fishing. Here's Douglas and our ride...

I got the first fish of the day, this is a female landlocked salmon, and Dan said it was likely two and a half years old, her first annual trip into the river.

Here's Dan holding the same fish...

Then it was Douglas' turn, and he caught I think four brook trout in a row. This first one was a really nice size...

But the colors on the second fish were absolutely stunning...

Next up I found a match for my earlier salmon, this time a male of the same age. Colored very much like a brown trout...

The river dumps out into Indian Pond, an enormous (by my east coast standards) body of water without a visible structure anywhere around the perimeter. With the exception of a few beautiful campsites accessible only by boat, this place looks like it looked a thousand years ago.

Maine. The River.

2007-10-13T17:50:00.000-07:00

This is the East Outlet of the Kennebec River. The first day I waded this by myself while the other guys were out in the north woods looking for birds.

I didn't really know what I was doing, this is different than the salmon fishing in New York I had done before. But the word was, nymph or streamer fishing. I tried some stone fly nymphs of various sizes -- I could see stone flies on the rocks -- but they produced nothing. I ended up fishing a black wooly bugger with a little green flash like a nymph with a strike indicator, and caught this gorgeous brook trout on the second cast.

Maine: The Dogs.

2007-10-13T17:16:00.000-07:00

A Spinoni (Enzo), three Setters (Gus, Jus and Smoke) and a Pointer (Gem) helped make the trip more productive for the bird hunters, and certainly more enjoyable for me. These five dogs, some of whom met eachother for the first time here, got along great. Bird hunters are serious about their dog training, and as a result these dogs were well behaved and a real joy to be around.

This is Gem posing with her first taken bird, a woodcock. Great dog. That's my friend Ed's beautiful shotgun. All the guys had shotguns suitable for hanging in any fine art gallery, but this one is special.

This is me with my traveling buddy, Enzo. Spending a week with this dog, including two VERY long travel days, has put the Spinoni breed on my short list of possibilities for my next dog. Sweet, friendly, and as goofy as a Maine winter is cold.

Maine: The Drive.

2007-10-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

My friend Douglas and I and his Spinone (more on this wonderful dog later) drove up to Greenville, Maine together to meet up with some friends and do some fishing and bird hunting. I didn't hunt, but they were after woodcock and grouse in the field and we were after landlocked salmon and brook trout in the East Outlet of the Kennebec River off of Moosehead Lake.

Above is a view of the New York skyline. The trip went pretty fast most of the way, despite hitting traffic around NYC and every other City along the way. By the time we reached the Maine line, we decided to reward ourselves with dinner and a pint. Lucky for us, we happened across Gritty McDuff's Brew Pub. Great atmosphere, great food, great beer. Hit the spot.

We eventually reached our destination, Moosetracks Family Cottages. Another beer or two and we were ready to get some sleep and start fresh in the morning...

Redskins Looking Great!

2007-10-07T17:59:00.000-07:00

The Redskins celebrated our first season ticket game today by dominating the Lions in a 34-3 win. It was hot and sunny. I'm still waiting for a crisp, cool autumn football game but I guess October's just not late enough. But it was a great time. This is us at our very own seats! The view is pretty good even from way up there. Here's another view of the field right after a Chris Cooley touchdown in the second quarter.

Maine Event Preview

2007-10-02T07:21:00.000-07:00

I've never been to Maine before, though I've always been drawn to the beauty of the northern states. Next week I will get to visit Maine with some friends, staying at a cabin near Moosehead Lake. Most of the other guys are also doing some bird hunting, and we'll be fishing for landlocked salmon, beautiful fish that seem to me colored like a brown trout but with a definite salmon shape to their heads.

I'm also told that the chances are very good for a moose spotting. The moose picture below was taken by my friend at the same place during the same week last year. That's Ed grinning with a landlocked salmon in the next picture.

So hopefully I will have fish stories and pictures to post when I get back! It's been a summer of pretty poor fishing, so I look forward to feeling that tug of life at the end of the line again. If not, at least there will be pictures of beautiful scenery, and stories about sharing a cabin with four guys and five bird dogs for six days. Sounds like an idea for a reality TV show if you ask me, but I'm really looking forward to the whole thing...

Well it was bound to happen...

2007-09-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

I have never broken a fly rod.

Correction: I have only broken one fly rod.

This is my Orvis Clearwater 5wt mid flex. My first fly rod. It's given me years of good service. I wish I had a great story about its demise. Something with the words 'monster brown trout' and 'screaming reel' and 'shattered into splinters but the beast still ended up in the net.'

But my story is more like most people's stories of broken rods. I ran over it with my car.

Oh the details are not important. Rod propped against a mirror, a door closed in a hurry to beat a rainstorm, a beer and a conversation later providing more than enough time to forget the rod. Backing up, an awful noise accompanied by instant realization. I opened the door, saw the rod and reached for it. Didn't budge. Maybe because the front wheel was pinning it to the ground. When I pulled forward to free it I was relieved to find that the butt section was intact. The tip, however, was not so lucky.

And to add insult to injury, this is the last fish ever caught with it.

Billy, Riggo and Section 406

2007-09-25T06:16:00.000-07:00

Born and raised just outside of Washington, DC, I first started watching and rooting for the Redskins in the Billy Kilmer era. Back then you were either a Billy guy or a Sonny guy, and my dad was a Billy guy. And back then, season tickets were less accessible and more sought after than the Holy Grail. The standard line was, it's not even worth getting on the waiting list, because nobody ever gave them up and they were handed down from generation to generation and the list was already fifty years long.

Well, coaches and owners and players and fans and stadiums have come and gone. Superbowls have been won and lost. Riggo. Mann. Manley. Glory Days. But it all comes rushing back when I walk in a sea of burgundy and gold toward the stadium before kickoff, and I hope along with the sea that maybe this year the Glory will return. And I kid mysellf: if not this year, certainly next.

And now, I found out yesterday, more than thirty years of ups and downs later, and seven years after signing up for the list, I will have my very own season tickets. My own seats, high in section 406, from which to witness the good, the bad and the ugly of the current and next generations of Redskins.

2-0

2007-09-17T20:58:00.001-07:00

Wow. This is a rivalry that has NOT gone the Redskins' way over the past few years. But tonight's 20-12 victory over the Eagles was a big, big, big win.

Beauty and the Beast

2007-09-15T19:03:00.001-07:00

Gotta love a brook trout. This has been a disappointing summer for fishing, mostly because the smallmouth fishing has been so slow and poor. But these trips for trout - today with my friend Matt back to Big Hunting Creek in Maryland - are enough to make me remember why I love fly fishing so much. Just a couple of these beautiful brookies, but a perfect weather day on the water. Oh, and I continue to astound myself as to how small a fish I can catch. This one came to my attention only when I brought the line back for another cast. There he was, flying through the air on the end of my line. Not the first time I've done that, but it's pretty funny when it does happen.

9.11

2007-09-11T06:07:00.000-07:00

I've only been to New York a handful of times. Once was in the mid '80s, my sister worked in the city and lived in New Jersey. We visited and went to see the unveiling of the newly renovated Statue of Liberty and the fireworks show there on July 4th. 1986, maybe?

Anyway, walking through Manhattan she showed me the place where she used to work. I walked up to the building, touched my feet to it, looked straight up and snapped a picture.

The photograph is not good. Cheap camera, cheap film, poor conditions, poor composition and careless storage of the only print for decades (negative lost). It is unremarkable in every way, except the One.

Off and on, from September 2001 until about a year ago, I remembered and looked for that photograph. Boxes and boxes of crap in a damp basement. Many times I declared it lost, only to renew my search a few months later. Then I found it, tucked into the fold of a cardboard box filled with pictures from college and other unimportant stuff. I decided not to get it restored or scanned or improved in any way, but rather to frame the snapshot as is, my closest connection to the towers I'll never forget. Because even just for a moment, a moment that passed and was almost immediately forgotten for so long, I was there.

There is sobbing of the strong,
And a pall upon the land;
But the People in their weeping
Bare the iron hand:
Beware the People weeping
When they bare the iron hand.

-- Herman Melville, on the death of Abraham Lincoln

Fun with Dogs

2007-09-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

Recently I got this fishing boat and although I'm still getting comfortable with it (my first boat), we decided to spend the day with the dogs at lake in nearby Pennsylvania.

My dog, the German Shorthair shown here trying to climb into my pockets, is a supposed hunting breed, with webbed feet for supposed water navigation. Well she enjoyed splashing around from shore (although she is a truly awful swimmer), I have to say she just plain did not dig the whole boat thing.

My wife's dog, the Jack Russel Terrier - from the Latin Terra, I believe, meaning ground - is a breed designed to go into holes in the ground and such things, and probably shouldn't be the more adept at water sports than the Shorthair. But he's a natural. And by 'natural,' I mean being on a moving boat is such second nature to him that, while moving at top speed he very much wishes to simply walk off the front of the boat into the water.

But the whole episode was amusing and fun, and I made a little home movie of our day that you can view here.

Evening Brook Trout

2007-08-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

This evening I went with some friends to Big Hunting Creek. Or, as I call it, The Creek At Which I Have Never Even Come Close To Catching A Fish. But the weather was perfect, water was low but not as bad as I expected. And it wasn't too long before fish were being caught. I figured, at least I can SEE someone catching a fish here, not a total loss.

The guys were catching mostly Brook trout, with an occasional brown thrown in. Beautiful fish all. My friend Kevin pointed out to me that - and the light was too low to use polarized sunglasses - you can actually pick up the white 'trim' on the tips of the brookies' fins. So that's how I spotted and, ultimately, caught my single fish of the day (above).

But he sure is pretty, and I believe that's safely the largest brook I've ever caught (I've only caught about five total). And I have caught zero fish enough times that One fish is almost always just fine with me. Today was one of those days.

He Can Do the Squirt

2007-08-12T06:22:00.000-07:00

Right after I posted Squirt's video a while back he went nuts with the arm waving thing and I got better footage of it. I decided it just had to be set to music, so...

Catch of the Day...

2007-08-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

I finally caught a stupid fish this morning. This is actually a very nice, meaty trout, a welcome relief after a post-Montana slump in the fishing department...

Then this afternoon we went to the Howard County Fair, which was not great but at least 100 times better than my own county's (Loudoun, VA) lame fair. This ride, though, was one that I voted most likely to end badly. No injuries in the time we were there, but check back tomorrow. More photos from the fair below...

I love donkeys. Period.

I won't quote it becaue I don't recall exactly how it goes, but I paraphrase a great Winston Churchill observation: Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. But pigs treat us as equals.

I love old tractors, too.

Sun(fish)day.

2007-08-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

Well, sitting around on a Sunday waiting for the work week to start didn't sound like the smartest plan. So I decided to take the 3-weight across the street and stir up my neighbor's pond, hopefully get to remember what it feels lke to catch a fish again. I used a little beetle pattern and caught this very large (in my opinion) sunfish on about the second cast. A big sunfish can put a bend in a little 3-weight, and it's a lot of fun.

Then my wife came over with a few beers in a cooler. She also arrived just in time to mock me for catching this bad boy.

I think I foul hooked an egg and it hatched while I was stripping in and this is the end result. I told her, "I think this is the smallest fish I've ever caught." She replied, "I think that's the smallest fish ANYONE has ever caught!"

Regardless, I forget how much fun it is to catch sunnies on a light rod. I recommend it if you have any ponds nearby.

Close Call with a Carp!

2007-08-04T09:36:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I caught a fish. And today wasn't going very well - the river was up, which I didn't expect (it's been very dry), and it just wasn't really working. I spent a lot of time not fishing, looking for places to cross, etc. But I hiked a long way and got some sun and exercise, so all was not lost.

So there's this big still pool I need to get around in this particular spot on the Shenandoah, I had just about given up on fishing when I saw some huge carp feeding. At least my understanding of feeding is, they brush the bottom with their tails, stirring up sediment and yummy little carp treats, then spin around and feed on what's been stirred up. The water was not clear, but was shallow enough that I could witness this behavior.

I didn't even bother to change the fly (I don't have any 'carp' flies) so I just lobbed the black wooly bugger that was on my line in the middle of the stirred up sediment a few times. I felt a tug, set the hook and thought my day's luck had changed. In no time at all he had taken half my flyline in a straight line, making that torpedo wake like you see in the movies all the time.

But just a few moments later, the line went slack. When I pulled the wooly bugger back in, I noticed a single carp scale afixed to the point. Looks like I had foul hooked him.

However, feeling the weight of that carp on the line, and knowing many spots nearby where I often spot carp, I am more commited than ever to carry some carp-appropriate flies and try to catch one of those huge ugly bastards.

"Hi! Don't Hurt Me."

2007-08-02T17:15:00.001-07:00

This is Squirt. He is a Rankins Dragon, which is like a Bearded Dragon only much smaller. We also have a Bearded Dragon named Daisy, who is a girl, about five times Squirt's size, and in a cage across the room from him at the time of this video.

What he is doing, and he doesn't do it often so it's hard to get a good picture or video, is arm waving. This is normal social behavior for dragons to exhibit toward other dragons. The book we have says that it either means, "Hi, I'm a Bearded Dragon!" or "Please don't hurt me!"

Learn something new every day. And if you surround yourself with odd new animals all the time, you're likely to learn more than one new thing every day...

New Movie Rating: WTF

2007-08-01T05:55:00.000-07:00

A recent increased emphasis on considering smoking when determining movie ratings has irritated me a bit. Barry Bloom, dean of Harvard School of Public Health says, "By placing smoking on a par with considerations of violence and sex, the rating board has acknowledged the public-health dangers to children associated with glamorized images of a toxic and lethal addiction to tobacco." Flyfishin' blog says, "Are you kidding?" If smoking has been placed on par with considerations of violence and sex, then violence and sex are not getting enough consideration. I don't smoke. I don't have kids. So maybe I'm not the best person to speak to this. But if you're offended by everything, are you REALLY offended by anything?

On This Day...

2007-07-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

At 10:56 p.m. EDT on July 20, 1969, Neil A. Armstrong sets his left foot on the surface of the Moon (upper left). He then photographed Buzz Aldrin stepping onto the surface.

This is one of my favorite moments in history. God bless America!

We weren't the only ones catching fish in MT!

2007-07-17T05:32:00.000-07:00

Kind of a cool nature moment caught with a camera, I thought. Along the river outside our Missoula hotel we came across this snake (I'm told it's a Wandering Garter) with a fresh catch! This particular meal could not have been a particularly comfortable one, though. I'm thinking scales would dictate eating fish head first, but it's possible this is how he caught it, and he was just bringing it on land till it died and then he made the switch.

Montana: Chapter 5, Is It Over Already?

2007-07-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

The Clark Fork River runs right behind our hotel in Missoula. Although it's kind of funny, every single person I've heard talk about that, refers to the river as running 'in front of' the hotel. It is clearly the back of the building, but it does show that the people of Montana have their priorities in order. Sandy and I both caught a few more cutthroats out of the Clark Fork there, and it was the backdrop for a wonderful dinner at the hotel's restaurant on our last night. Joel and Debbie came up to meet us and we had a great time together.

We will absolutely return to Montana. Next time we are thinking about hubbing out of Missoula and exploring south to Yellowstone. But for now, it's time to get back to work and start saving up for next year's trip!

Montana: Chapter 4, The Fish

2007-07-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

Our float trip with Jay Dixon of Dixon Adventures has been booked for six or eight months. So when the forecasts kept creeping higher and higher, well over 100 for the day we were to go fishing, Jay really earned his fee. He put a LOT of thought and energy and expertise into trying to give us the best possible fishing day under really, really tough conditions.

105 degrees was where the day was headed, so we decided to go out later in the day. Probably close to 4:00 (and 103 degrees) when the boat hit the Bitterroot. However, soon after we were underway, we saw the first cloud cover of the week, and it helped take the edge off the temperature immensely. That was for our comfort, though, the fish were another story. Every reading Jay took in the river was over 70, most right around 73.

But he had some tricks up his sleeve, and after some immensely helpful casting instruction for both Sandy and I, we fished some places that had cooler water coming into the river. It didn't take long before we started catching fish. In fact, in our first six fish, Sandy and I had each caught a brown, a rainbow and a cutthroat. These Westslope cutthroat are beautiful fish, this was the first time I've caught one. Always nice to add a new one to the list! I would have liked to put these photos in chronological order, but the last fish of the day, above, had to be the headline photo. Beautiful rainbow caught in rapidly fading light. Jay guessed it was probably just shy of 20", but it's certainly a trophy to me no matter what it measures.

But for a good part of the day, all the bigger fish were getting caught by Sandy. Here's a beautiful brown.

I don't know if she'll let me keep this cleavage showcase photo up, but I am going to try and sneak it in under the radar because not only is it a really great fish, at that time she actualy held the household record for nicest trout! That lasted just a couple hours, but I was very proud of how well she did. She took direction from Jay really well, and was very good at line and fish management once she got a fish on. Her landing percentage could very well have been higher than mine, but we both had a great, great day.

So if you're looking for a great day of fishing, I highly recommend Dixon Adventures. Jay worked VERY hard for us, to get us to fish in tough conditions, and give us the tools we needed to land them. Thanks Jay! We'll be back next year!

Montana: Chapter 3, Glacier National Park

2007-07-09T07:42:00.001-07:00

With the forecast calling for triple-digit temperatures, we headed up to Glacier National Park and the famous Going to the Sun road. A year and a month ago, first week in June, this road was still closed due to heavy snow. But on this trip we were thankful for the opportunity to see this park from such a great vantage point. This next panoramic shot is three photos merged together. That never really works as well as I want it to, but still kind of cool I think. But it's important to point out, I think, even the best professional nature photographers cannot adequately evoke the emotion that comes with seeing this place while you're standing in it.

Montana: Chapter 2, North to Polson

2007-07-09T06:44:00.001-07:00

Still glowing from our Montana isolated lake experience, we passed through a town called Arlee just as a rodeo was beginning. It was part of a larger 4th of July celebration and seemed like the perfect thing to do. It was an extremely well run event and was lots of fun despite the record high temps. A couple of icy cold beers took the edge off the baking sun and when the action was over we continued on to Polson and Flathead Lake.

Flathead Lake was a beautiful setting for 4th of July fireworks. Tough to capture without a tripod, I tried to stabilize my digital camera on a sign post for this shot.

Glacier Brewing Company is a Must if you find yourself near Polson, MT and enjoy great beer in a great atmosphere. A year ago when I first visited, the tasting room had only 4 or 5 barstools. But they vastly expanded the tasting room and have an outdoor beer garden as well. This year, ten bottles of Golden Grizzly Ale made it back in my suitcase. Interestingly, I did get one of those TSA cards that lets you know they looked in your luggage, it was wrapped around one of the beer bottles, which was rolled into a shirt. Now I'm trying to remember, did I start with twelve Grizzlies??

Montana: Chapter 1, The Cabin

2007-07-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

My friend Joel and his wife Debbie graciously invited my wife and I to their cabin on a remote Montana lake to stay for a night. It was an absolutely perfect way to immerse ourselves in the beauty and wilderness of Montana on our vacation. This was my second time to the Big Sky state, and my wife's first.

This cabin sits at the end of a sixteen mile road that begins as gravel and steadily gets worse. It seemed to take almost an hour to get up there, although coming back down the next day was not as harrowing, maybe because on the way up we had no idea how far it was. But the payoff is amazing. We cooked burgers on the deck and toasted the start of our vacation with excellent microbrews, complements of our generous hosts. Then they headed back to town and left us there at the cabin for the night. Probably the furthest from civilization I have ever been, but it was exhilerating.

In the morning we took the boat out for a few hours and I caught two absolutely beautiful brook trout. It was just the perfect start to our trip, but we had to hit the road, there was much more to see and do. Luckily, Joel and Debbie will make another appearance in our vacation recap. Stay tuned for Chapter 2, The Rodeo...

Good Day for the American Bald Eagle?

2007-06-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

The Department of Interior took the American bald eagle out from under the protection of the Endangered Species Act today. It's certainly a remarkable testament to the success of the conservation efforts surrounding the bald eagle, which was close to extinction everywhere but Alaska and Canada forty years ago. And I agree with President Bush, who called it a wonderful way to celebrate the Fourth of July. But what happens next? The bird is an icon, still a novelty for many in this country who see them rarely or not at all. I'm not saying there's going to be open season on bald eagle hunting, but maybe stiff penalties for harming them isn't such a bad thing. What does it hurt to keep it on the list for, let's say, ever?

I guess state laws still protect it, and there is a federal law that makes it illegal to kill a bald eagle. But I don't know what the penalties are, and clearly the protections they enjoy will now be significantly less robust. I think it's something worth keeping an eye out on. But for now, I think congratulations to authorities and landowners who made this possible are in order.

Next week I will be in Montana (have I mentioned that in the last five or six consecutive posts?). My first trip there, a year ago, I saw a golden eagle for the first time in the wild. Magnificent.

Accidental Photos of the Week

2007-06-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

Camera in one hand. Fish (or snake) in the other. Lots of movement going on, it's hard to get every photo just right, you end up with a lot of rejects. But do those rejects sometimes have an interesting visual quality to them? Or is it just me? Here are a couple of recent rejects.