Long Road - Done

NOWATAHINSIGHT

No Rain, For The Moment

the sage looks very fine

VIEW TOWARD THE HOME PLACE

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.. We have this vision of a long nap on the couch with the T.V. turned down low and a gray drizzle turning to snow outside the front window. Paradise is different for different folks.
.. There should be snow and cold and fish and midges and ice and fish and rain, and naps.
.. AND, dirty clothes and tangled tackle and unpacking and mail and bills and the wild and woolly visitors from the lowlands. Such is life.
.. More later if we wake up.

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VIEW IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR

The Rays Burst Forth

TOO BRIGHT TO FISH

Earthquakes And Landslides

time to hit the road

SO THAT'S WHERE THE MUD COMES FROM

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.. The last few days have seen wet and more wet. The rains, or the earthquake, or the mudslides, must have kept Sasquatch in his den - we survived the Myrtle Point woods and caught a fish, (or so.)
.. We were about drowned in the heavy surf as well, but managed to also catch a fish, (or so,) there.
.. So then today, as we're counting our blessings and drying off and packing gear - the sun explodes like a SOCAL summer day. Go figure.


Blueback At Dusk

.. The town of Brookings, Oregon is reeling from back-to-back storms that did considerable property damage and taxed the city's drainage system. The totals are not in but millions of dollars will have to be spent to fix everything.
.. The mud in the river has something to do with a pair of landslides and the runoff associated with the storms. The fish are loving it. The fishers are philosophical, ". . . "It is what it is. . .  "

CRACK SOME

.. The start of the crabbing season is just so-so. We ate some. Yum. The Bluebacks are all along the coast and in the surf. None reported from the rivers yet.
.. Steelhead are in the rivers and scurring upstream under cover of mud. Can you say Spin and Glow? Very few fly-caught fish on the Chetco River. Some, however, in secret places on the Coquille River. Ghosts!
.. The Chetco River is at historic high flows, {LINK.} and you'll have to get someone local to show you the ropes. It's a grand and glorious river. Check out THE MAP courtesy of WILD RIVERS FISHING.
.. Should you like to see "What's Da Hap's?" around here just click on over to the WILD RIVERS FISHING report for a glimpse. They have the right stuff. Chaeck it out {LINK.} Those folks will even take you to the Smith River if you've a hankering for some Golden State Steelhead. As big and wild as they come!

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT ?

.. There are some very nice and placid pools on the upper reaches of some of the other rivers around here. Not what would normally be thought of as Steelhead water - that's the best part of local knowledge.
.. We've been gifted with a visit to one. Looks like a city park in the middle of the deep forest. The fish are eager right now.
.. So then, the clouds are rolling back in and we're trying to get gone before the passes get messy. There is a bit of snow up there: not too cold, lots of rain, and mudslides. We're told it's just a normal transition to Winter.
.. Well, it's off to the pizza place. Then, a nap. Then, back to the other pizza place. Then, a nap. Then, a giant dinner at the ART ALLEY GRILL. We will have to see what the market price is for some local fish - OR - maybe a rack of lamb - OR - maybe both. Overnight, then hit the road.

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IT'S SO WET THE BIRDS ARE STUCK IN THE MUD

Coastal Wild (?) Life

ALMOST BIG AS A DOBERMAN

They Bark Too

sasquatch sightings abound

FROM THE WILD FRONT YARD - THE BARKING DEER OF BROOKINGS

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.. The tail of the storm is breaking up. The sun peeked through the dark clouds this morning but there is more on the way. Perhaps clearing by Monday!
.. We're headed to the headlands and the harbor for some searun cutthroat trout. Around here they call them Blueback Trout. They are hardly the same fish as the greenbacks of the upper Lochsa River. Same species, absolutely different fish.
.. Unlike the salmon and steelhead from these local rivers, the bluebacks hang out around their home waters. In the estuaries, along the tidal flats, near kelp beds, and amongst rocky headlands. They are endangered and cannot be kept if taken in the sea. When the rivers are blown and the the weather is grungy the bluebacks are active and aggressive.

"CHETCO CANDY" - for trout, bluebacks, steelhead

.. We're geared up to go two ways over the next couple of days. To the coast and harbor and estuary and headlands for bluebacks and, to the wild interior of Sasquatch Country to visit some of the ghost run steelhead that sneak in early.
.. Fishing for the inland steelhead is dangerous and life-threatening. People have been killed by the neighborhood Sasquatch.
.. Curry County Oregon may just be the epicenter for this violent subspecies of Sasquatch. Sightings of the "Chetco Monster," (sometimes called the 'Chetco Indian Devil,') are frequent and documented. The sightings and reports go back to the turn of the century, (1899, not 1999.) We'll be in his lair tomorrow. If we survive the ordeal you can be sure that a report with all the frightening and lurid details will follow.
.. Of course coastal fishing is no safer. We will probably avoid the tangles around Myrtle Point, just a few miles up the coast, and inland a ways. There is a tribe of Sasquatch up there that don't like their fish to be tormented by strangers. They have scared the poop out of miners near the Sixes River too.
.. From Bandon, (on the coast,) up the Coquille River to the dark forest around Myrtle Point, lurks the ghosts of loggers, miners, and woodsmen that have run afoul of the seven-foot tall beasties. They rattle doors, howl in the night, and protect their territory with a selfish vengence unheard of over most of the known Sasquatch territory. These are not your typical shy and secretive beast.
.. If you are at all interested in the early run of little, (8#,) steelhead, from the northern 2/3 of the state, you should click on over to "SMALL STREAM OUTFITTERS," they have just a wee bit of information and a few fish porn pictures to document the festivities.
.. Time to go. The porters have about finished packing the horses. The neighbors and the gawkers have gathered. Some of the neighbors are going along as guides and lookouts. We've sharpened the hooks and are ready for any close encounter of the finny or furry kind.

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A PAIR OF TRUSTY HORSES - LOADED TO THE GILLS FOR ADVENTURE

A Fine Soft Day

WHAT?  FOG?  DUH!

Touchdown

just like it should be

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.. Such quiet and gentility that one is gulled into thinking all will be just fine forever. The costal fog will both put you to sleep and awaken your soul with it's all pervasive chill. Some folks thrive on it.
.. Just a few more miles and then a short nap. Maybe a long nap. Maybe some pizza and a nap. The fish can wait - for now.

Thick Or Thin ?

RAIN FOR A WEEK: CHETCO

60# Kings

steelies sighted - crowds aplenty

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.. After a good opening week, the water on the Chetco River has slowed - and so has the catching.
.. A week of rain should provide the needed bump to bring in some more fish. It looks like MOM is going to cooperate.
.. This brief report brought to you by the anticipatory weather scan.
.. Pray for drearyness and increased, (but not catastrophic,) river flows. Beware the winds. Trees are falling.
.. Fly folks on the Chetco River are a distinct minority. The gear folks tolerate us with a smirk and a smile. They cheer when we hook up. We hope to be there in a week or so. The river has one of the highest recruitment of Wild King Salmon of any river. The steelies like this because they follow and gorge themselves on the roe. YUM!
.. Some of the folks around the harbor in Brookings, Oregon - and further inland are connoisseurs of the traditional. They, (and we as well,) tie RAT's, GP's, Durham Rangers, and so forth. Instead of putting them on the wall in a shadow box they rip lips with them.
.. The current debate is just how THICK  --  OR  --  THIN should the wing be? And, is a hair wing acceptable? Squirrel, or elk, or calf. This is the sort of thing that wars are fought over.
.. We'll update you.

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Au Revoir Yellowstone

IT'S RESTING NOW

Let The Fish Grow

let the lies begin

Looking Back: It Was A Very Fine Year.

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.. What a wonderful last week of the legal fishing season in Yellowstone National Park. The predicted blustery weather has died with a whimper and some thin clouds. Sunshine drenched the afternoons on most days and the bugs continued to hatch.
.. As we look back over the year it seems that this was a year of many fish and healthy fish. Of course during this coming Winter the fish will grow in the retelling of tales in the dim pubs of town.
.. There's still plenty of fishing in the neighborhood. Rest assured that we will manage to get to it and to the other not-quite-so-neighborly waters as well.
.. Now that we've stopped saving our daylight it's time to make use of what little there is left. There are things to do, places to go, people to see. We're practicing using words like: Chetco, Umpqua, Grande Rond, Clearwater, and Snake. More to come.

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View Of The Chetco River From The Front Porch.

Brief Pause

CHECKING OUT BROOKINGS

Tsunami Strike 

{Nuklear Explosion - Japan}

..

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.. Back in a few! [Brookings harbor images from Nov./Dec. 2010]

Brookings Harbor Today

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Ever So Humble

HOME PLUG

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.. Snow is far easier to drive on than is black ice. We're home and there is still fishing to be done.
.. The trip was a brilliant success for the fish. We'll stick with our original plans next year. See you south coast folks in the spring.
.. A few of the neighborhood sports have reported giant whitefish and brown trout from the bits of open water available on Hebgen Reservoir. The Hebgen Tailwater is not too snowbound yet and the midge circus is in full flight.
.. The nice snowfall has provided the beginning of a base for the coming winter. Looks good, (but it's way early,) for this time of year. The neighborhood sledheads are getting a jump on the visitors.
.. We'll be enjoying a nap after some chores. More to follow.

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Giving Thanks

FROM THE ROAD TO YOU

Early Out

CREATIVE PARKING

Snow On Ice

pushing on

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.. Decided to make an early dash for West Yellowstone. Discovered roads with a sheet of ice covered by light snow and some creative parking.
.. Not much to report on the fishy front. The snow trout are avoiding the record low temperatures and most of the water has entered a solid state.
.. We're currently confined to a comfy motel room in Pendleton, Oregon. The Pizza Hut is close and delivers: makes life tolerable. Electricity and heat seem luxurious.
.. May have to spend Thanksgiving here if the roads on either side of Boise, Idaho stay closed.
.. The views and scenic atmosphere of the Blue Mountains would certainly be spoiled by having to stare at the rutted roads and dodging rapidly sailing SUV's & RV's.
.. Roads into and out of West Yellowstone are intermittantly closed. The little town looks like a trucker's convention.
.. The broken down cattle truck is having trouble getting hay for the critters. Beef prices may hit a new low in our frigid little hamlet.

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.. Yesterday's morning drive through Portland, Oregon saw traffic snarled  and our cruise down the shady side of the lower Columbia Gorge discovered lines of ice pounded into glacier-slick trails in the fresh snow.
.. The jackknifed semi on the grade leaving The Dalles killed two, (bags and gurneys visible in trailer - survivors left in the emergency vehicle,)  and held us prisoner for 3 hours as we snaked and slid through the maze of scattered vehicles, debris, and broken chains.

.. A light freezing fog blanketed the highway between The Dalles & Pendleton. By the time our brain leaped through our aching eyeballs we decided that sleep was the better part of valor.
.. It's morning now and time to scan the weather reports, call the state patrol, watch the parade on the Interstate, and decide just how valorous we feel for a sojourn through the slick roads between here and West Yellowstone.

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Brookings Redux

THE RIVER RISES

The Fish Flip Us A Fin

waiting for visibility

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.. As the rain and cold descend into the Chetco River Valley, the kings, (and a few steelhead,) are grabbing air without being stabbed in the lip.
.. Anglers are gathering for the break in the weather forecast for Thanksgiving. Bitter cold is also forecast for the Cascades and inland valleys. It's time to soldier-up and put some grease on the guides.
.. The returning Chinook population has a few below average intellects - but none so dumb as to get taken by us. Even the seals have abandoned the Chetco River this year, (except for the two residents asleep in the fishing fleet harbor.)
.. There have been no fly fishers under 60 years old spotted around Social Security Bar, (or elsewhere that we have been.)
.. There's not a single fly rod in the racks at the local tackle shop. This is gear heaven!
.. Fish are charging into the system and a few are getting caught down deep in the main channel. All that hardware must be worth it's weight in titanium.

.. Gear sales are up as is angler population. The Smith River is also sprouting a fine crop of elbows. We may add to the crowds in a few days.
.. We're about to pull on the silk undies, followed by long handles, followed by woollies, followed by something to delay cold rain. We may be able to walk to the river.

.. Stopped at the local tackle shop and found a lovely hollow-built salmon net from our old stomping grounds down in Queen Califia's Kingdom. Brought back memories of a different era. The price is right but our need is not. If you need it it's hanging from the ceiling and is beautiful to behold.
.. Well, a couple more days of torture among the catchers and others on the beautiful and chilly Chetco River. This is beautiful and strange country.
.. The deer are the size of doberman pincers and the fish are the size of watermelons.

.. The fog is everywhere and nowhere, while the trees hide the hills and mothers hide their children from the infrequent yellow orb that periodically appears in the sky. There's green of every imaginable shade and rain of every imaginable density.
.. Such a place. More later.

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