tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61961927101395410242012-02-01T23:05:05.340-09:00thoughts and adventures from up northAustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.comBlogger1671100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-88523984780774472722012-02-01T22:49:00.000-09:002012-02-01T23:01:13.322-09:00

Fishing, especially fly fishing, in southcentral Alaska is rough this time of year.  There's often open water, but up until today things have been especially cold and the local prospects just haven't been that appealing.  Standing dodging icebergs in waste-deep water while casting to a near fishless river when it's five below just doesn't sound like much fun to me. . . . which is part of the

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-76639978704213814762011-12-10T23:30:00.000-09:002011-12-10T23:31:54.478-09:00

I've been terrible at keeping up on the blog recently.  Sorry 'bout that.  In the absence of any new fish porn, you'll just have to settle for this picture from a couple weeks ago of Karta getting her ski on.  Enjoy.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-4665621104692976882011-10-17T21:04:00.000-08:002011-10-17T21:04:56.170-08:00

I spent much of the past couple weeks in Southeast.  It was hard to be away from the kiddo, but it was good to get back to the real Alaska.  As I've said many times, Anchorage is an alright town . . . and its less than 30 minutes from Alaska.  But there's something special about Southeast.  Sure it's cold and it rains too damned much, but it feels as much like home as anywhere else I've been.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-13285993492512812832011-09-06T22:49:00.007-08:002011-09-06T23:08:00.780-08:00

It's been a hectic few weeks around here, which really should come as no surprise given recent developments.  My fishing still outpaces my blogging--but not by much.  And both have taken a back seat to home and work obligations.  I've logged a handful of days on the water over the past couple weeks, but I'm significantly behind last year's pace. With my family in town over the past couple weeks

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-28099731791121379972011-09-01T11:18:00.001-08:002011-09-01T11:19:19.307-08:00

Thanks to Russ' superb photography skills, The Wife, Karta and I all made an appearance in the latest issue of Catch Magazine.  Check it out in the Colors of Fly Fishing Photo Essay. Both pictures came from Russ and Kelly's visit last fall.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-88507156821840345032011-08-21T22:01:00.002-08:002011-08-21T22:02:37.750-08:00

Southeast Alaska white king, Bristol Bay Chinook, bean sprout pilaf and peanut slaw. The Wife and I provided the fish; the red onion, scallions, cilantro and parsley came from the garden; and the cabbage and carrots came from local farms.  The beer (not pictured) came from California.  You can't call it all local, but it's getting close.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-51402302112474745342011-08-17T17:36:00.001-08:002011-08-17T17:39:20.928-08:00

I've never been much of a planner.  Back when The Wife and I were just married, my inability to consider "the future" was a regular annoyance--and the source of nearly any squabble we ever had.  It was, and sometimes still is, inconceivable to her that I could be so utterly unconcerned with the details to come.  One illustration of this is in our approach to kids: The Wife: "When do you want to

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-46207636127695779882011-08-03T21:50:00.004-08:002011-08-03T22:31:39.788-08:00

I remember being especially impressed with Obama's inaugural address when he vowed to "restore science to its rightful place."  Hearing this was a breath of fresh air following an unprecedented eight years of manipulation, suppression and misrepresentation of science during the Bush era. Unfortunately, I also recall Obama's vow falling by the wayside when his administration failed to make

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-44249018694323747412011-08-02T10:36:00.003-08:002011-08-02T10:37:59.849-08:00

Choosing the right beer for the occasion can be tricky.  But, fear not my friend, Sierra Nevada and Western Rivers Conservancy have teamed up to make your decision just a little bit easier.  For every 12-pack of Pale Ale or seasonal beer sold through September 10, Sierra Nevada is donating a portion of its proceeds to river conservation partners, including the Western Rivers Conservancy.  Sierra

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-76304506189795700482011-07-18T22:55:00.003-08:002011-07-18T23:29:51.039-08:00

If you haven't noticed from a prior post or from the Cast of Characters, things are about to get real interesting around here.  So, with just under 3 weeks left before our due date and me still the most likely candidate in the family to poop their pants, The Wife and I headed down to visit our good friends, Adam and Amanda, and their three boys, the youngest of which is not yet three months old.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-27868301817053046942011-07-07T22:21:00.002-08:002011-07-07T22:22:41.444-08:00

We all caught fish, but we all had to work for it.  Just the river's way of keeping us honest, I suppose. Karta, making the end of the swing a bit of a challenge. Who says you can't send it with a thingamabobber and split shot? The Wife, doing what she does. Sam, getting it done. Falkor, the luckdragon. Week 35. Oh, and Alaskans must be getting soft.  I expected severe crowds all

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-49071363947234357392011-06-28T20:04:00.006-08:002011-07-20T00:39:48.238-08:00

Back when I was in high school and had just started tying flies, I could never afford the highest quality materials.  Struggling to make marginal feathers work, my dry flies inevitably sank and my wet flies too often rode on the surface.  To cap it all off, by the time I finally got my hands on a nice high-end grizzly neck, my sixteen-year-old self left it out where the family dog turned it into

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-31983555973461725142011-06-22T17:51:00.004-08:002011-06-22T18:39:18.063-08:00

It's always fun to throw back the suds and go on a fly tying bender, if however brief, which is exactly what Sam and I did Sunday afternoon.  After the prior day's flexible rod sampling, my fly selection was looking a bit thin and in need of some attention.  Of course, once my fly box is full, I'm compelled to go lose a few flies--and thus a vicious cycle is born. The fact that I had just bought

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-64240190757153450912011-06-19T21:56:00.000-08:002011-06-19T21:56:16.209-08:00

I've been on a wicked dry spell recently.  I landed a nice rainbow back in April not long after ice out, but since then it's been goose eggs and gutter balls.  I spent two days chasing steelhead in Southeast--skunked.  A couple trips up north for early rainbow--nothing but short strikes and mosquito bites.  A couple trips south--casting practice.  I've caught fish in the salt, including a nice

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-57185327457313963222011-06-09T08:24:00.016-08:002011-06-09T09:23:21.472-08:00

Well, I've been outdone again.  The Wife has been hitting the rivers pretty hard and had a good go of it yesterday.  This is one of many: Don't think I haven't been getting out, because I have.  It's just that between The Wife's score yesterday and Adams from last week, I'm having a hard time competing.  Time to step up my game.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-40233607836354851052011-06-03T08:01:00.002-08:002011-06-03T13:10:41.057-08:00

Since several people have expressed concern about my lack of recent posts, here's a little somethin' somethin' to get back in the swing of things.  Adam, getting it done from a sea kayak:

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-78130747646828267112011-04-19T21:48:00.001-08:002011-04-19T21:50:13.083-08:00

As promised, I took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and got out on the water this past weekend.  It was my first trip of the year and, while my camera skills were weak, I did manage to learn a couple important lessons. Lesson One: Water levels are stupid low.  This river normally is around 2,500 to 3,000 cfs when it's in its prime, and current water levels put it around 380 cfs.  I

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-11927483439326075602011-04-15T23:24:00.001-08:002011-04-16T01:16:07.115-08:00

So the picture quality is a bit rough, but it's good enough to tell that Tom is ripping lip out of the great lakes and I'm not. This might be just the inspiration I need to put the skis away for a couple days, grab the pooch, and flog the water.  Stay tuned; a trip report will follow.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-43891461199094647902011-04-07T22:51:00.003-08:002011-04-07T22:54:15.535-08:00

When I tell people I live in Anchorage, they often make the mistake of thinking I live in Alaska.  Sadly, I do not.  I live 20 minutes from Alaska.  However, now that the days are getting longer 20 minutes isn't so bad.  Here's what went on after work yesterday: Karta, showing Evan and I the way up:Go go gadget zoom (there actually were three):Self-shot by The Wife looking out over Turnagain Arm:

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-23865242044053752592011-03-27T21:26:00.000-08:002011-03-27T21:26:39.652-08:00

I've been traveling a ton over the past few weeks--Juneau three weeks ago, Seattle last week, and now back to southeast.  Of course, not all work travel is bad:

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-49326828125448889912011-03-17T11:51:00.000-08:002011-03-17T11:51:05.655-08:00

The Wife has always tolerated my fly fishing and skiing addictions, but I never really believed she would fall victim to my same afflictions.  Then, over the past year, she's started to show many of the very same symptoms I've exhibited for most of my life.  It all started a couple years ago when not long after moving to Alaska she couldn't stop rubbing in the fact that she got out on the water

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-53732856997814681352011-02-27T18:48:00.002-09:002011-02-27T18:49:56.391-09:00

Since I spend most Mondays through Fridays behind a desk, it's important that I make the most of any mid-week day off work.  They are all too rare, and not to be taken lightly.  Here's how I spent my last two. . . With reports of recent high winds and no new snow in the past several days, Evan and I set out Thursday looking more to explore a new area than get powder turns.  Here's Evan near

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-39158771892030313662011-01-31T00:49:00.005-09:002011-02-10T13:26:05.611-09:00

By no means do I consider myself experienced in the backcountry.  I've been skiing almost exclusively outside the resort for the past four years, but nobody becomes an expert in four years.  I'm quick to concede the fact that I have lots to learn. All of this was further reinforced yesterday when, because of a few smart decisions and lucky breaks, I enjoyed amazing powder turns while another

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-84128482531202811912011-01-20T11:29:00.001-09:002011-01-20T11:31:16.809-09:00

My vision has gotten progressively worse over the past ten or so years.  I've learned to deal with it while fishing, but the situation is nearly impossible while skiing.  I can wear my glasses under goggles, but the whole shebang fogs up the second I start sweating or stop moving.  Things are doable at the resort--at least until my first fall or about the fifth lap, which ever comes first--but

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-4677472123670498872010-12-15T17:12:00.004-09:002010-12-15T17:16:19.633-09:00

We've received a fair amount of snow this year.  Even so, things are pretty wind hammered and the snow can get thin in spots.  It's generally easy to avoid the rocks and stay afloat.  However, I found a couple thin spots part way down a tight chute on Saturday--long after committing to the line.  It was too tight to avoid the rocks and too steep not to turn.  Things got pretty interesting for a

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-72981476146143052422010-12-12T16:23:00.000-09:002010-12-12T16:23:32.480-09:00

From the other day:

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-77535670046800431752010-11-21T22:20:00.004-09:002010-11-21T22:24:05.901-09:00

Sam and I met up this afternoon for a quick ski tour.  I had been on my cross-country skis a few times this season, but this was my first time out on the big sticks.  It was good to drive the legs and burn the lungs after spending all fall drinking beers in the raft.  As was confirmed, pulling oars all day and doing 12oz. curls all night aren't worth a damn come ski season. Sam, stoked on the

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-7698715098412006352010-11-15T10:04:00.003-09:002010-11-15T10:06:48.718-09:00

It must be going off in Oregon.  Last week Josh sent me pictures of a fat hen steelhead; this week it's chum.  If you're in the Pacific northwest and you aren't on a river, you're missing out.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-81750208475165339762010-11-11T10:06:00.001-09:002010-11-11T10:07:29.953-09:00

After spending all fall making my brother jealous with stories of toad rainbow, Josh seems to have found a bit of redemption.  While I'm freezing my cojones off, he's getting chrome missiles: Perhaps I need to take a trip home for Thanksgiving after all. . .

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-69475803683340822362010-11-05T15:18:00.000-08:002010-11-05T15:18:23.902-08:00

As a big Oregon Ducks fan, this account of game day life in Eugene is too good to pass up.  If you've never taken a game day walk across the footbridge to Autzen, seen "the Pick" on the big screen, enjoyed a Ninkasi IPA on the deck at Rennie's, or drank an Irish Car Bomb at 6th Street Bar and Grill, you just haven't lived.  Go Ducks!

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-38543547553115279582010-10-20T20:54:00.000-08:002010-10-20T20:54:05.280-08:00

A few weeks ago I wrote about how my 6- and 8-weight reels were on the fritz and had been returned to Ross for warranty work.  In case you don't recall, I had fallen and broke the reel foot on my 6-weight Ross Vexsis, a brake that I can't entirely blame on the reel.  As for my 8-weight Ross Momentum LT, it was taking on water.  That is, anytime the reel was submerged the drag would fill with

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-52263919194958566222010-10-15T22:18:00.003-08:002010-10-15T22:22:29.032-08:00

I spent today--from 8:30 this morning until roughly 9:00 tonight--in day one of a two-and-a-half day climate change litigation workshop.  In reflecting back on the day, I'm not sure if I should dedicate my life to fighting climate change or move farther inland, build a bunker and stockpile supplies.  Between government programs to fight climate change that do so little to solve the problem

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-46794860737411347042010-10-12T18:14:00.000-08:002010-10-12T18:14:34.688-08:00

The days are getting noticeably shorter, the weather's turned cold, and the snow line is working its way down the mountains toward town.  This means two changes around the house: First, The Wife and I have been spending a bit more time gathering firewood. We have about 2 1/2 cords collected from down trees in a friend's yard.  I reckon we'll add another cord to the pile. Second, the moose are

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-33095236345458324032010-10-04T19:36:00.000-08:002010-10-04T19:36:59.745-08:00

Evan, Sam and I got out on Sunday--and the fishing was incredible.  We had a ton of doubles and a few instances where all three of us were hooked up.  I'll take fishing like that any day.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-44983258577857598792010-09-28T23:36:00.002-08:002011-04-07T22:54:55.909-08:00

1) Nothing makes you forget losing a 30+ inch rainbow like seeing a bear charge* your wife. 2) Always keep your bear spray/gun on your person. *The Wife maintains that the bear merely came at her in an aggressive manner, but did not "charge."  A distinction without a difference, I say.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-86715031555861181392010-09-20T14:44:00.000-08:002010-09-20T14:44:34.812-08:00

In case you haven't noticed on the sidebar, Russ has started posting some of his pictures from our recent trips.  If you want to see what things look like through a big newfangled camera instead of the old point-and-shoot, give schnitzerPHOTO a click: parts one and two.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-81635659711138614292010-09-17T08:37:00.004-08:002010-09-17T14:12:21.432-08:00

One of the great things about fishing is getting to explore new places.  There's something quite exciting about setting out for a spot on a map unsure of what might lie ahead.  Even if the trip's a bust, it's still pretty cool.  And, when your planning and execution combine with a little luck, it's possible to end up with a truly exceptional trip, which is exactly what happened here. Still

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-10797480059747608482010-09-13T21:34:00.004-08:002010-10-20T20:30:41.562-08:00

After floating for a couple days, we decided to give the boat a break and fish another nearby stream from shore for an afternoon.  The river was full of sockeye and fishing with egg imitations was effective for rainbows.  An impressive stonefly hatch also had the fish looking up so those of us who put away the beads were treated to some decent dry fly fishing, which is nice. One of the downsides

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-13327589952821113772010-09-13T09:26:00.001-08:002010-09-13T09:27:20.778-08:00

I didn't make it out to the fair this year, but seeing stuff like this in my inbox makes me wish I had: You can click the picture to see a larger version in all its glory.  When combined with the more subtle sticker improvements I posted about a couple weeks ago, maybe Pebble will get the hint.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-41151245159110419382010-09-12T13:34:00.001-08:002010-09-12T13:37:19.201-08:00

One of the great things about living in Alaska is that friends and family come visit on a regular basis.  This past week brought us our good friends Russ and Kelly who made the trek up from Wyoming.  With a shared love of rivers and fishing, we hit the local waters pretty hard.  I simply have too many pictures and days on the water since my last post so I'm going to break the past week's

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-79980435580924431962010-08-30T19:38:00.004-08:002010-08-31T09:33:51.714-08:00

The Pebble Partnership, proponents of what might be the most obscene mine around, is about as slimy a corporation as it gets.  In their never-ending quest to down play the fact that the Pebble Mine would completely destroy one of the most productive fisheries in the state, they've been sponsoring every public event in Alaska, including the state fair (click to enlarge, and pay special attention

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-75962281423177162602010-08-29T22:42:00.006-08:002010-08-30T10:12:02.083-08:00

**updated with biggun dolly pictures** I turned 30 last year and, ever since my 22nd birthday (which was an unmitigated disaster I don't care to relive), no birthday has given me pause.  I think I aged a bit going from 18 to 24, but have stayed about the same ever since--give or take a few gray hairs, of course. Yesterday was The Wife's birthday.  She insists that it wasn't a big deal; I think

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-53361410533110923832010-08-17T22:57:00.002-08:002010-08-17T22:58:58.322-08:00

While I was slaving away this past week behind a desk, The Wife was posing as a client for the Bristol Bay Fly Fishing Academy. She calls this "work."  And while that's debatable, the Academy is a pretty cool program that helps young locals learn the tools of the guiding trade and (hopefully) find work with local lodges and outfitters.  They needed someone to act as a client for the

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-83593618566541631232010-08-12T23:05:00.001-08:002010-08-13T00:42:02.111-08:00

Both my camera and The Wife are out of town for the week.  I meant to download some pictures from last week and do a trip report of sorts from my recent trip back to Oregon, but forgot.  Suffice it to say that small stream fishing in a high desert ponderosa forest is every bit as awesome as it's cracked up to be.  The Wife being gone sucks though. Back in Alaska, the fish are in--pinks out the

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-66057840666850458372010-07-29T22:53:00.000-08:002010-07-29T22:53:17.541-08:00

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-35643166109011327512010-07-25T13:48:00.006-08:002010-07-25T14:03:37.367-08:00

Having had some luck chasing rainbows with my Dad the other day, The Wife, Sam, Liz and I headed out fishing yesterday.  Being a Saturday, we weren't too sure what to expect with the crowds.  But, like most places up here, you just need to walk a ways down the trail to leave the circus behind.  Of course, other people weren't our only competition: This river is fast and strong, and quite

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-53694986323509579752010-07-21T22:05:00.007-08:002010-07-25T14:04:01.755-08:00

When we got Karta a bit over six years ago, The Wife and I were looking for a companion--a dog that would go on all of our adventures.  Well, Karta has filled that bill admirably.  So long as it doesn't involve an airplane, she's going with. *But, after a few consecutive hard days on the water even the pooch can start to wear down.  Thus, I give you this shot I took yesterday after fishing four

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-89642215203751196422010-07-20T21:08:00.004-08:002010-07-25T14:04:34.179-08:00

. . . but the fishing was solid.  This guy smashed the bejesus out of my fly and must have left the water a half-dozen times before I got him in. It's always nice when your fly is taken with enthusiasm.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-4564808902282079522010-07-18T18:21:00.001-08:002010-07-25T14:04:55.683-08:00

Dad got into town on Friday.  I had hoped that the rivers would be full of pinks and chum by now, but things seems to be running a bit late this year.  We've been flogging the water, but its been dollies, rainbow and grayling thus far.  Not quite the easy pickings I had in mind, but it'll do.  Karta doesn't seem to mind the late runs: Evan went out with us yesterday and, while he out-fished the

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-52306527181756323802010-07-09T00:20:00.013-08:002010-07-25T14:05:31.959-08:00

I first ventured to Alaska in earnest in 2003, well after the heyday, to work a seasonal fisheries job for the U.S. Forest Service in southeast Alaska.  I had just been accepted to law school and was looking for one last epic opportunity to chase fish.  You really ought to click that picture and make it a bit bigger. Having, to that point, been almost exclusively a catch-and-release angler who

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-71951732888464062152010-07-02T17:47:00.001-08:002010-07-02T18:01:00.141-08:00

There is something quite satisfying about calling opposing counsel at 4:00 p.m. on the Friday before the Fourth of July weekend and informing her that, because of the mess her client created, you are in the process of filing an emergency temporary restraining order that she only has five days to respond to . . . then walking out the door to a weekend of fishing.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-14683335811793138792010-06-27T21:55:00.003-08:002010-06-27T21:57:35.621-08:00

We took the interns* to float the upper Kenai on Thursday from Cooper Landing to Jim's Landing. One of the most ridiculous things about the Kenai is the combat fishing at the Russian.  [As always, click to enlarge]. It was like this for almost two miles on both banks.  Unbelievable.This is more my speed: * Karta is not an intern.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-77566992794477988542010-06-22T18:50:00.007-08:002010-06-27T12:16:58.602-08:00

*UPDATE - The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly failed to adopt the resolution opposing the Grant Lake project by a vote of 6-2. So you know that death march I went on a bit ago?  Yeah, that's right, the one with all the devil's club, downfall and bitchen falls at the end:  Well, as it turns out, I'm not the only one who enjoys seeking out interesting spots on the map.  You see, our good friends

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-10556294141448720292010-06-16T22:36:00.003-08:002010-06-16T22:45:48.175-08:00

The comments to my last post got me thinking about my evolution as a fly fisherman and tier. When I started fly fishing I was a broke high-schooler who owned, maybe, twelve flies: an adams here, a hares ear or two there, a few box-store-bought woolly buggers (you know, the sort that come in a plastic and cardboard-backed container hanging on a hook at wally world), and perhaps a fewer

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-36330813841762067302010-06-13T12:47:00.000-08:002010-06-13T12:47:04.184-08:00

The Alaska Board of Fisheries recently passed a ban on felt-soled wading boots to help stymie the spread of invasive aquatic organisms.  This, along with the fact that my wading garb has been in various states of disarray for quite some time, made it great to receive a new set of Simms G4 wading boots for my birthday. Since these boots won't catch fish by themselves, I headed out after work on

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-92205994779306878542010-06-12T18:03:00.003-08:002010-06-22T19:08:11.100-08:00

One of the great things about Alaska is that, if you simply pick a spot out on the map and go there, you're likely to find some beautiful terrain.  Last weekend, our friend Evan joined The Wife and I for just such a trip.  I had identified a couple lakes down on the Kenai peninsula that were joined by a short stream.  The map indicated there were some "falls" at the outlet of the upper lake--and

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-67025650660978601012010-05-22T20:26:00.000-08:002010-05-22T20:26:52.504-08:00

Josh took off on Monday, but not before getting to spend another couple days on the river.  With the truck packed full of all the car-camping essentials, we motored north in search of a few more rainbow.  The fishing was a bit slow--forcing us to change tactics a bit and work some different flies.  We could see numerous juvenile salmon in the shallows and a few arctic terns splashing down into

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-61001664340206719042010-05-12T21:24:00.000-08:002010-05-12T21:24:54.560-08:00

Fish are pretty amazing animals.  It's always interesting to note the wide color variation among fish--even within a single species within a single water body.  Josh and I caught these two rainbow trout this afternoon within a couple hundred feet of one another.  Of course, mine's a bit bigger . . . for once.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-49474617081117640322010-05-11T00:35:00.001-08:002010-05-11T00:36:34.654-08:00

In an effort to not fall too far behind on my blogging, here is a series of pictures from the past couple days.  I normally prefer to sit down with a couple beers and wax poetic (is that what I do in this space?) about the day's adventures, good friends, or whatever else the six readers of this blog might find interesting--but it's after midnight on a school night so you'll just have to deal with

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-947490406276965442010-05-07T20:49:00.001-08:002010-05-07T20:50:49.161-08:00

Josh and I got out for a few hours this afternoon.  It was warm and sunny so the rivers were calling a bit louder than the mountains ... Karta has had a bum wheel for the past couple weeks so this was her first return to action.  It was very exciting for her. As we drove out of Anchorage, Josh commented that we each had about a 40% chance of catching a fish today.  I generally agreed with his

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-43331287918478524152010-05-04T23:12:00.002-08:002010-05-04T23:16:18.724-08:00

So Josh came up for what's becoming an annual visit.  The snow was looking good and we decided to harvest some fresh corn.  We'll keep this light on the verbiage, and heavy on the pictures.  Enjoy! Josh got in on Thursday; by Friday we were skinning up the local peaks under cloud cover . . . . . . but the clouds didn't hang around for long.  Everything cleared up just as we made the final

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-50943597365823889742010-04-18T17:43:00.005-08:002010-04-18T19:19:33.710-08:00

Back when we were in Wisconsin visiting The Wife's family a couple weeks ago, I was conscripted to build a cold frame for my mother-in-law.  Well, "conscripted" might not be the correct term here since, you see, I knew that Jan would accompany any project of this sort with ample quantities of top-shelf domestic macrobrew and, if it's early enough in the day, the occasional bloody mary.  I was

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-83728802896384476642010-04-13T23:19:00.000-08:002010-04-13T23:19:36.295-08:00

Spring ski season is in full effect around here, and one of the great things about Anchorage is that the Chugach Front Range is a mere minutes from town.  Brian, one of my coworkers, and I had been talking about skiing together for a while.  With weather a bit too nice to be indoors, we ditched work a little early last Friday, picked up Brian's dog, Tika, and went out for a quick ski.  Since

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-37191471261665790422010-04-05T16:43:00.001-08:002010-04-05T17:19:15.954-08:00

I'm not really sure how it happened, but one of the most viewed posts on this blog is my retort of fly fishing as a quiet sport.  Another fly fishing blog that I peruse on occasion, Buster Wants to Fish, has a similar post about the suffering of winter steelhead fishing.  It's great, and anyone who's had their guides freeze in the name of steelhead should give it a read.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-3714142078318584922010-03-30T20:35:00.000-08:002010-03-30T20:35:10.882-08:00

The Wife and I are on assignment in Wisconsin this week, where all things revolve around cheese, cheese curds, traditional American macrobrew, the Packers . . . and Leopold's land ethic.  Having never visited the shack and needing to catch up with our good friend Alanna, who happens to work for the Aldo Leopold Foundation, we worked our way over to Baraboo for a quick sit-down. It's quite the

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-50612031636625856712010-03-24T20:17:00.001-08:002010-03-24T20:17:45.365-08:00

Work had me in Anaktuvuk Pass last night to attend an Alaska DNR public hearing on some proposed coal prospecting permits.  Anaktuvuk Pass is a Nunamiut village of about 300 people that lies on the northern foothills of the Brooks Range, just north of the Arctic Circle within Gates of the Arctic National Park.  While there's regular air taxi service and a few non-native people living in Anaktuvuk

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-5994036543113726232010-03-21T12:09:00.001-08:002010-03-21T12:58:19.239-08:00

The Wife got her arm all patched up on Friday so I figured a follow-up was in order.  She fractured her left radius and ulna near her wrist joint.  The radius broke clear through and splintered a bit.  Her ulna has a few smaller cracks and separated from her wrist joint.  Here's the pre-surgery CT scan of her arm and wrist showing the fracture: And here's the post-surgery x-rays:Side view:And the

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-49139111907379191892010-03-15T19:48:00.004-08:002010-03-15T19:58:16.215-08:00

Well, there's no shortage of adventure and excitement around here.  One day The Wife is making powder turns in the Chugach; two later she's laid out on an icy curb with a broken arm.  As Ash said upon finding out that her sister had broken her arm, "You can get down a 2,000 foot mountain but you can't go for a run around the block?"  For those brave enough, here's a picture of the damage.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-70918961556847045762010-03-14T11:45:00.000-08:002010-03-14T11:45:46.946-08:00

The Wife and I had grand plans to ski Arctic Valley yesterday with a bunch of friends.  Arctic Valley is closed during the week so Saturday would have been the first day open since all of our new snow from the past week.  Five of us were planning to ski, but by 8:15am two had bailed out.  By 8:30 another one canceled.  And around 8:35, The Wife mentioned that she had ordered a bunch of tomato

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-64773074587544402212010-03-11T12:57:00.010-09:002010-03-15T20:06:53.706-08:00

Reports out of Alyeska proved a bit too much to resist so I ended up playing hooky and going skiing yesterday. I forgot the camera, but rest assured it was amazing.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-58391468443508480842010-03-03T12:09:00.004-09:002010-03-03T14:05:51.383-09:00

The Wife and I have been on a whirlwind tour of Oregon over the past week.  We took a red-eye into PDX on Tuesday-Wednesday of last week, spent Wednesday through Sunday at PIELC taking in all that the world of environmental law has to offer while catching up with old friends, and then traveled down to the Medford area to catch up with my parents and chase a few steelhead.  After getting our PIELC

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-81714402637213155102010-02-15T13:25:00.001-09:002010-02-15T18:00:09.060-09:00

Work is taking me to Oregon at the end of this month and, since The Wife and I haven't visited my family in what seems like an eternity, we'll be spending a few days down in Medford visiting the folks.  With the Rogue so close and my dad's drift boat spending far too much time out of the water, I plan to chase steelhead at least a couple days.  My best days on the Rogue have always been in the

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-32459546155916660092010-02-07T12:09:00.006-09:002010-02-07T12:32:23.547-09:00

As far as I can tell, the key to getting through Alaskan winters is to stay busy and not be dissuaded by the lack of daylight and colder weather.  While it's easy to sit back and slurp beers through the dark days of winter, it takes a lot more effort to get off your arse and do something active. With sunrise around 9:00 and the days getting light enough long enough to get outside a bit during

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-1730866680577767462010-01-25T20:20:00.001-09:002010-01-25T21:01:00.761-09:00

One of my co-workers is a semi-professional photographer on the side and managed to catch a few great sunset photographs this past Saturday.  This one is especially amazing: There's more at his website, Carl Johnson Photography.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-37493196188234441912010-01-12T22:54:00.003-09:002010-01-12T22:59:35.010-09:00

My brother, Josh, has been working for ODFW for the past few months.  I used to work for IDFG.  Few things make a person feel more alive, or do more for the soul, than chasing a career chasing fish.  I recommend everyone give it a go for a while. . . . and my apologies to the guides, but that doesn't count. Josh has been on the Oregon coast on the trail of coho for the past bit and recently

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-58779330370071569512010-01-11T19:32:00.004-09:002010-01-11T21:53:25.991-09:00

It had been over three months since I last wet a line.  After lusting over trout all week and not being able to satisfy my urges through tying, The Wife and I decided to head out this past weekend with a couple of our friends, Sam and Liz.  As you would expect, fishing in January in Alaska can be a cold experience. The morning was pretty frigid before the fog burned off.  While my guides have

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-17540352957487521292010-01-04T18:31:00.001-09:002010-02-15T18:00:42.012-09:00

Winter's in full swing and most things seem to be shut down around here.  The snow's a bit thin for skiing; the weather's a bit cold for fishing.  But, things are just right for tying flies. Nearly every salmon I hooked last fall was on this guy: But you better have a few of these in the box: And the evening's haul:

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-21541493801115846162009-12-24T17:57:00.006-09:002009-12-25T13:50:02.289-09:00

  Merry Christmas!

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-42402892661331717012009-12-19T12:13:00.001-09:002010-01-04T18:42:10.433-09:00

The Wife snapped this with her cell phone yesterday at 2:41pm.  Two more days until we round the bend.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-24155248549196289822009-12-16T23:26:00.000-09:002009-12-16T23:26:59.368-09:00

Dear Applicants, As the attorney responsible for hiring next summer's crop of interns, let me be the first to thank you for your interest and enthusiasm.  Since I know job searches can be very stressful, I have compiled a few observations and tips that may be of some help. First, make sure your cover letter is addressed to the right party.  Reading that you are very excited about the prospect

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-8552202618129586212009-11-30T22:47:00.001-09:002009-11-30T23:11:30.534-09:00

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-29442436668105659802009-11-28T16:14:00.006-09:002009-11-28T16:19:00.201-09:00

After enjoying wood heat in our old home so much, one of the first major home improvement projects The Wife and I conspired on for our new house was to install a wood stove.  It took us a bit longer to build up our savings and arrange the installation than we'd have liked, but I'm happy to report that our new stove is in.  We hired out the installation of the chimney and delivery of the stove,

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-20214855161887484702009-11-20T22:40:00.012-09:002010-07-21T22:54:28.085-08:00

I always find it interesting when people try to relate to me by professing their deep appreciation for fly fishing as a relaxing endeavor or, even worse, as "the quiet sport."  I try to remain polite, but these people must never have caught a fish of any real significance.  The only time fly fishing has ever been relaxing for me is when I give up on catching fish and take a nap on the bank.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-27919584315615008462009-11-20T21:00:00.002-09:002009-11-22T14:14:12.879-09:00

So, I've typically kept this blog apolitical and avoided discussion of any issues of actual importance.  In reflection, that practice has diminished the value of this blog and ends . . . here. Keeping with the theme that the world is a better place with clean, fish-infested waters, I was pleased to learn today that by a vote of 292-133 the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-88720789887513951222009-11-16T21:26:00.000-09:002009-11-16T21:26:38.735-09:00

When I left for work this morning, the sun wasn't yet above the horizon and the thermometer read zero degrees.  By the time I left work for home, the sun had set and it had warmed to a mere seven degrees.  Yeehaw, I reckon it's winter around here!!

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-10312229157755821532009-11-02T17:52:00.001-09:002009-11-02T17:56:26.133-09:00

Oregon completely dominated USC on Saturday in what was one of the more enjoyable games I've ever seen.  Only being there in person could have made the game better.  Still, in reading up on my daily dose of college football news and gossip, I couldn't help but laugh when I came across this recount of the game at EDSBS: This is better than any YouTube highlight reel I could have posted.  I've

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-39469402742230156082009-11-01T12:27:00.000-09:002009-11-01T12:27:43.738-09:00

Having not really dressed up for Halloween in years past, The Wife and I (and Karta) went all out this year.  I'm not sure if Karta enjoyed being dressed up for Halloween or not but, in the grand scheme of things, it could have been much worse.  Regardless, The Wife made a pretty good Lucy.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-35642625711082401532009-10-31T14:55:00.000-08:002009-10-31T14:55:50.090-08:00

The Alaska Bar Association released the results from this July's bar exam and, low and behold, my name made it onto the list of passing applicants.  Sweet!  Now it's time to put those credentials to use.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-16277419500211213102009-10-28T23:30:00.005-08:002009-10-31T14:56:59.475-08:00

The Wife and I went bowling with a few friends this past weekend.  The first game was my typical train wreck--a handful of splits, the occasional gutter ball and a score not far above 100.  Then the pins reset and game two happened: I can't decide if 193 is just close enough to 200 that it warrants going more often in hopes of breaking the barrier, or if I should retire satisfied that I

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-72860275496292657782009-10-20T11:23:00.001-08:002010-01-11T18:37:21.049-09:00

Pardon the temporary lack of activity on the blog.  It seems our neighbors became wise to me poaching their wireless and have password-blocked things.  Those bastards!  We'll resume our regularly scheduled programming as soon as time and internet access allow . . . hopefully by this weekend.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-43686967272474602872009-10-09T23:19:00.002-08:002009-10-09T23:23:44.764-08:00

Although I should probably not admit this in respectable company, I'm a sucker for The Simpsons and see too much of myself in Homer.  Since Fox is kind enough to stream entire episodes online, I irregularly go to their website for a quick laugh.  However, today's googling of "the simpsons" was quite the surprise.  As it turns out, Homer and I aren't the only ones that think Marge is hot.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-57359052882973139072009-10-05T14:36:00.000-08:002009-10-05T14:36:26.059-08:00

Location: Somewhere over New Mexico (I think) en route to Austin, TX. I spent the past weekend in Portland and Cannon Beach visiting friends and attending Leia and Tyler's wedding.  The wedding was beautiful and it's always a blast to get the crew together.  We partied until 3:30am, long after the wedding reception site kicked us out and the bars closed.  Although it really was too late to call

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-37032092870745306412009-09-29T23:04:00.006-08:002009-09-30T00:13:05.371-08:00

Sitting here with a BL smoothie in hand getting ready to write up a blog post, I decided to look back in the archives to figure out when I need to start preparing for the blog's one-year anniversary.  Come to find out, I'm four months and five days past the one-year.  Since it's never too late to celebrate, happy birthday blog! Now, on to business . . . I ended up in Cooper Landing this past

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-92040657437693229322009-09-22T19:23:00.000-08:002009-09-22T19:23:53.365-08:00

With some gentle prodding from my parents, The Wife and I finally agreed that we need to pull the trigger on a new wood stove.  With most new models qualifying for a significant tax credit, now's the time if you are in the market.  Although we have yet to make any headway on the installation, we did get out to collect a load of firewood on Sunday.  Needless to say, we have a long ways to go. 

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-22955450756296302922009-09-21T20:49:00.002-08:002009-09-21T20:50:52.838-08:00

After missing out on the caboose auction a while ago, I was interested to learn that one has a new home as a coffee shop. Guess I need to make a trip; it could be my kind of place.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-43244004666449070892009-09-13T20:09:00.020-08:002010-07-21T22:52:52.091-08:00

With Mom, Dad and Josh having departed Alaska, and the Ducks resuming their winning ways, things have returned to normal around here. Mom and Dad took off on Thursday of this past week but, with Josh hanging around a little longer, we decided to hit the local waters up one last time. After dropping Mom and Dad off at the airport, we drove back North in search of grayling--a species I managed to

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-3057723342701725712009-09-11T18:17:00.018-08:002009-09-21T21:05:30.730-08:00

I'm normally not one to hire a guide, but with the family visiting we wanted to take a big trip and do something a bit out of the ordinary. An acquaintance of ours, Jeremy, operates a guide service on the Kenai River specializing in big ol' rainbows. He runs a great operation and hooked us into some stupid-big fish. I might have landed the first fish, but Dad caught the biggest of the day. It

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-57143664332113120322009-09-09T16:27:00.020-08:002010-02-15T18:00:56.062-09:00

My fishing seems to have outpaced my blogging by a fair margin in the past couple weeks. As much as I enjoy posting to this blog, fishing > blogging--and it's not even close. However, as they say, it's time to get back on that horse . . . My first two trips since the last post were exploratory missions that netted a handful of salmon and a bit more knowledge of the local rivers. I forgot the

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-7513448290680851322009-08-25T22:07:00.007-08:002010-02-15T18:01:03.473-09:00

During our last trip, it became abundantly clear that the fish were keying in on a particular fly/color combination. With that in mind, The Wife and I just spent the past hour or so tying in anticipation of tomorrow's outing. We'll let you know how it turns out.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6196192710139541024.post-79505920347242218912009-08-23T11:45:00.011-08:002009-09-21T21:08:00.180-08:00

Since arriving in Alaska, few things have been as predictable as me getting out-fished by The Wife. After yesterday's evening foray, she's up 3-2. However, if you dig a little deeper into the record books, you'd realize I had to go fishing twice by myself to keep the score as close as it is. Otherwise, I'd be staring down a 3 point deficit trying to decide if it's time to throw in the towel.

Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09694203453215920197noreply@blogger.com1