tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49063201531373757402024-03-05T16:56:51.336-08:00Seagull with French Fry Travel and fishing. particularly unglamorous - as in fly fishing for mountain whitefish in the shadow of Portland, OR Seagull with French Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713675171423860468noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-71580929937326084062019-10-03T18:25:00.001-07:002019-10-04T09:46:37.792-07:00Flying to the Sea with Our Feet on the Sand <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The final heat of summer fades in Portland and the Smallmouth release the last of their fury before winter forces them into a metabolic stupor.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As the Smallmouth retreat the first fall rains bring Coho salmon into the local rivers and I managed to land and release couple of hard charging Natives in September. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I inspected one last crazy crawl space before inviting my friend Gary Rawson on a trip to Martha's Vineyard<br />
that I had been planning for several weeks. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gary, an avid Steelhead Spey caster in the Deschutes River in Oregon.<br />
I collaborated with Gary on a 5 day trip to Martha's Vineyard, Massachussets<br />
that coincides with the annual Fishing Derby on the island.<br />
Due to recent back surgery Gary - who is a fit guy - was unexpectedly sidelined and unable to fish on this trip. He took it in stride and still had a lot of fun getting to know a unique area. The majority of the photos on this blog post - especially the real nice ones are his. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Known as "The Derby". This year marks the 74th running of this annual tradition on the island that I have been wanting to take part in for many years. The contest includes Boat, Shore and Fly categories for four species of fish: Striped Bass, Bluefish, False Albacore and Bonito. Even though we run off to fish shallow water in the back bays and don't really try to catch the biggest fish. For me it is more like trying to catch medium fish in quiet places. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving around The Vineyard looking for water access to fish you pass an amazing array of stone walls. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exploring West Dennis Beach the day before getting on the Ferry over to the Vineyard. The wind smashed us down all day but the Bluefish showed up to terrorize the tidal rip twice. Gary pointed to a weedy shallow spot that looked fishy and indeed there was a Striper in there ! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gary, Phil and Marc. A wonderful sight: Old friends meeting new friends. The gathering place is always back at the truck. In this case Marc's truck as he was nice enough to drive from western Massachusetts to cart us around the island for 3 full days of hunting fish. My friends do not need a boat or bait to catch the shit out of some saltwater fish. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul, Rick and Phil. It is a dark cold walk out to the rocks in the morning every morning.<br />
But the anticipation is like a crackling fire in your belly.<br />
This fishing thing is deep in your blood or it isn't and this would not be fun for most people.<br />
These dogs in the photo will hunt all day. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neil and Phil. Two Everglades moonshiners clamboring around on them slippery rocks. Striped Bass are called Rockfish for a large portion of their range on the East Coast for good reason. They patrol the shoreline in constant motion and move in enigmatic routes involving tide, light, structure and bait. The hope is that rocks hold in the them in a given castable area a bit longer than other low profile weedy, cobble or sand structure but who really knows. Low incoming tide fished better at the rocks above than high. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon catches a Black Sea Bass on a massive needlefish lure. Some of the best eating around. In fact the only fish we ate the whole trip. Extra points for rare odd catches that are not supposed to happen. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did the Kennedy's fish? If they be rocks in the water the Stripers should be coming around sometimes. We walk miles a day in our waders to look for Striper water. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marc and Paul calling to see if any Stripers are home. Reading that water. Marc is an avid naturalist and hunter and he is nearly impossible to stump with Northeast nature questions. Marc made a huge batch of venison meatballs that fed us for 2 days. So I'm pretty sure he isn't calling MoviePhone right there.<br />
Paul can pull a big fish out of vapor. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnKDmIdMl8d3ucs2a-2QmbJmiKXO-9J0JeVt8b99UIFyEiflx4JfJO_N9xoUrWdcuwUMCoHnwRgfcYPAY1wxYVKOWSBYLeldsDQAWa04-hqvAg8dIHpYLOd3PTFM0LWFgTRXov1p7MP1U/s1600/IMG_8515.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnKDmIdMl8d3ucs2a-2QmbJmiKXO-9J0JeVt8b99UIFyEiflx4JfJO_N9xoUrWdcuwUMCoHnwRgfcYPAY1wxYVKOWSBYLeldsDQAWa04-hqvAg8dIHpYLOd3PTFM0LWFgTRXov1p7MP1U/s320/IMG_8515.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One last cast and then one more. Fishing hard at dawn and dusk would be smart if I could resist just fishing the whole entire day all 3 days. Perhaps a smart man would siesta hard from 11 to 2 and fish harder at dusk. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadgl-YbtvRFagcWpAuK0ttEZ5PgoRrk_hj8Wb9ba95R1a-fq1OaILwyzSiab0rR7z-LBGxH-VQXG0D0R04fpgK8_COl11gfSBA3pixB3Kl5o9JLt6IeaGbw79LMJBHtNM_23cMfaFVWAU/s1600/IMG_6478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadgl-YbtvRFagcWpAuK0ttEZ5PgoRrk_hj8Wb9ba95R1a-fq1OaILwyzSiab0rR7z-LBGxH-VQXG0D0R04fpgK8_COl11gfSBA3pixB3Kl5o9JLt6IeaGbw79LMJBHtNM_23cMfaFVWAU/s320/IMG_6478.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stonewall Beach covered our lures and lines with seaweed. We shall return. These waves were getting surfed as we fished down the beach. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiO_a8zhZvpQ-4z0VxXduykDDi2spC95DveFN4458iO8ANFYEqvizlJ4MfvfGb5YglomIteTi-YpDNx6R9cLe6SmC_JSCkxUE0dZz4mY2-ngYxCvUhIGgB2CaKiyp40F5z0wm289u3SMJj/s1600/IMG_8625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiO_a8zhZvpQ-4z0VxXduykDDi2spC95DveFN4458iO8ANFYEqvizlJ4MfvfGb5YglomIteTi-YpDNx6R9cLe6SmC_JSCkxUE0dZz4mY2-ngYxCvUhIGgB2CaKiyp40F5z0wm289u3SMJj/s320/IMG_8625.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My only truly big Striper of the trip. An extra medium sized fish. Caught in the dim early light on a soft plastic Squid made by Pirate Lures out of Ireland. Thank you Kuba Stan of Pirate for making a great product ! The water temps were still warm. The mackerel had not migrated into the area and the groups of bigger fish were not around yet.<br />
Photo credit: Rick O'Neill</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRCjhYd62mqr-KQYvJjt6gTW8TO0XBiQtXgvipDJy9fo-TBYoeN8ivlLQGZYqiKPfkv2B0Ih93dIHGhvGGT4NuuSo2aMz1cn8J9-XeeuWCWXKRNEDCsPmP93RiqTIGKSlBLCyEPLGKYpf/s1600/IMG_6505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRCjhYd62mqr-KQYvJjt6gTW8TO0XBiQtXgvipDJy9fo-TBYoeN8ivlLQGZYqiKPfkv2B0Ih93dIHGhvGGT4NuuSo2aMz1cn8J9-XeeuWCWXKRNEDCsPmP93RiqTIGKSlBLCyEPLGKYpf/s320/IMG_6505.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seals can bring Sharks. Often seals can lead you to fish. Great Whites have been spotted around the Cape this summer. Can we please just let nature run wild or does everything have to be just for humans ? </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwRGxbRPpLpUXXCmZhN3iA0IaGMS8LMBh8qvkAhdcoPUv0xs92KHJEgUHW6HvUlyPxHIqW8LqCObpJ9Fhqi5jpN9OnavB7CWcpTVG7o76LMtjGu9I_Z49gLMEMGrEF8UQMvbJaXo820NS/s1600/IMG_6450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwRGxbRPpLpUXXCmZhN3iA0IaGMS8LMBh8qvkAhdcoPUv0xs92KHJEgUHW6HvUlyPxHIqW8LqCObpJ9Fhqi5jpN9OnavB7CWcpTVG7o76LMtjGu9I_Z49gLMEMGrEF8UQMvbJaXo820NS/s320/IMG_6450.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bass in the Grass. Me trying to force everything to be the Everglades. The new moon produced some nice extra high high tides. And some sweet low lows for that matter. This is exploring out near the elbow of Cape Cod. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNnE1R1FrlBA3iVs4lXn3HrzGLXWwRAwoAHopsuhgdPbbtig_SEWHW53ulGznrbMPYSnFAUpaz4-bXFH9vYUX-c-mGV8gAOP9WZCDTkJS_vlxm8BcSC0hdT4paqzkuhlS1gV-yYlS5MIP/s1600/IMG_6480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNnE1R1FrlBA3iVs4lXn3HrzGLXWwRAwoAHopsuhgdPbbtig_SEWHW53ulGznrbMPYSnFAUpaz4-bXFH9vYUX-c-mGV8gAOP9WZCDTkJS_vlxm8BcSC0hdT4paqzkuhlS1gV-yYlS5MIP/s320/IMG_6480.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stripers on the flats. What more can one ask for. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoS8hBKgSDKa3Lb7_gIz9-IpZs48OF_joVqhxroCeD9DmMVKDSLpkPNdWWce77t4csrCf8gE43gpV7eCeFXqFoXJSc37OcLumTpGE2hxWp_LZJObp9zAswoLow511FN1Nhzp5r9oaIrnL/s1600/C30BCEB1-32E1-493F-B030-9D16A82947D0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoS8hBKgSDKa3Lb7_gIz9-IpZs48OF_joVqhxroCeD9DmMVKDSLpkPNdWWce77t4csrCf8gE43gpV7eCeFXqFoXJSc37OcLumTpGE2hxWp_LZJObp9zAswoLow511FN1Nhzp5r9oaIrnL/s200/C30BCEB1-32E1-493F-B030-9D16A82947D0.jpeg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnl4sosZVC7hgRySOojlC5ze6N4hgw84qHfmzpzgAOOj1Pl6Ytds8s_0XI4JDkC53PopaSRX1QGXTOi5JlSiYOyySJIXa0hSYv8X2otQGWydxrHVSxKhRn8GmjRISWr2ubYKUd1F2dWhi/s1600/IMG_9987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnl4sosZVC7hgRySOojlC5ze6N4hgw84qHfmzpzgAOOj1Pl6Ytds8s_0XI4JDkC53PopaSRX1QGXTOi5JlSiYOyySJIXa0hSYv8X2otQGWydxrHVSxKhRn8GmjRISWr2ubYKUd1F2dWhi/s320/IMG_9987.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These were the lures that worked. The Pirate brand squid on the left landed the bigger fish. I fish the white one in the dark. The small pink squid imitation by Albie Snax lures easily caught 75 Stripers on this trip for me alone. "Hard baits" such as the Hogy popper on the right only come out when the Bluefish are around. Single hooks all the way to reduce injury to the fish. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ra9_TcboiBF8XImCqo-mRKNTb8ocvqj3HK5x17u_xtt1F8Ak6F8FCwLn9WKncvhRxyfIEHrl5d7nD1KRfFRB6h-WWbyaGufeLR0ZC4Y_8EBgIkM3yurT7vdqU5dmTCGfsh-Z5mETI1as/s1600/IMG_6475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ra9_TcboiBF8XImCqo-mRKNTb8ocvqj3HK5x17u_xtt1F8Ak6F8FCwLn9WKncvhRxyfIEHrl5d7nD1KRfFRB6h-WWbyaGufeLR0ZC4Y_8EBgIkM3yurT7vdqU5dmTCGfsh-Z5mETI1as/s320/IMG_6475.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting of the minds. Everglades Phil and Deschutes Gary on the rocks at Big Bridge. Probably the only 5 minutes anyone sat down. The whole island was curious about Gary's Spey rod. It was fun to show Gary a fishery that is a hell of a lot easier than swinging for Steelhead. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5m0jYV5x9Efxpu4CViy3rsCSRsXMB-hfTkaEeG2M20jjOun6bRhmp6_KeydnSedgSOTMefrDwVjTFujc2zL3nrfcx8ZoJLq1bV8NiEvWIKbtd8Wb0Ua8aK0qy8RPsCUaAMZHyixtTOHqe/s1600/IMG_6499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5m0jYV5x9Efxpu4CViy3rsCSRsXMB-hfTkaEeG2M20jjOun6bRhmp6_KeydnSedgSOTMefrDwVjTFujc2zL3nrfcx8ZoJLq1bV8NiEvWIKbtd8Wb0Ua8aK0qy8RPsCUaAMZHyixtTOHqe/s320/IMG_6499.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Blue Demons showed up at the beach near the hotel on the way out of town on the last day. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVPHBjKf-7ZuolGnRcKTlH0DjK1wA24MePrg67MEHDH4fBSsg-htkcJkVZo4sLHov7dcdiAfuqG62_zxSBnL3E_oB8Q4UsivvAAUvpqS3kzwoDXG5lH5D5pk8nepDAVPQoK7fZeKh75gc/s1600/IMG_8857.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVPHBjKf-7ZuolGnRcKTlH0DjK1wA24MePrg67MEHDH4fBSsg-htkcJkVZo4sLHov7dcdiAfuqG62_zxSBnL3E_oB8Q4UsivvAAUvpqS3kzwoDXG5lH5D5pk8nepDAVPQoK7fZeKh75gc/s400/IMG_8857.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baseline 3 pointer at the buzzer by Paul Paisley as he solidly whupps the rest of us by landing this pelagic False Albacore on his first cast at Wasque Point from shore to secure the Mug Of Glory. I cannot overstate this: Watch and learn from Paul. This is the fastest fish that can be caught from these shores. This 29 inch specimen was released. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWg7ywImG5daIQxCSwWoF5C7mexH1FWP__w1NlHCG8PT3j9xOJwtUcp_bU844Z7BWmXZ1etnCMy-W_t0utcvcDdN2rVWEew3_a7nrBjULkfqrqw3gC0B0j1kOeKCi26peJ4MZbqB6Wmr6l/s1600/IMG_6503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWg7ywImG5daIQxCSwWoF5C7mexH1FWP__w1NlHCG8PT3j9xOJwtUcp_bU844Z7BWmXZ1etnCMy-W_t0utcvcDdN2rVWEew3_a7nrBjULkfqrqw3gC0B0j1kOeKCi26peJ4MZbqB6Wmr6l/s320/IMG_6503.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last of outgoing tide at the beach near the hotel on our way to the Airport. At just this spot alone I landed 12 Striped Bass and 4 Bluefish in 2 hours right before driving to Logan. The figures in the photo are two old timer fly fishermen that I gave my last big Bluefish of the morning to. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSREBoqmoIwaIyXybo73jl5uL-1BY7MDb1IWxgyrlYKRtNSsFihDNTJihJ1yMFxdkMB4vm4sdqA4_wiw4veCeD1O2NV1W0BKlshkFROtNMbiddgGMJEOfz9APUldUrJWpZoS_ccdeT6q2e/s1600/63C48D25-539D-468E-9B51-8135F11EEBBC.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSREBoqmoIwaIyXybo73jl5uL-1BY7MDb1IWxgyrlYKRtNSsFihDNTJihJ1yMFxdkMB4vm4sdqA4_wiw4veCeD1O2NV1W0BKlshkFROtNMbiddgGMJEOfz9APUldUrJWpZoS_ccdeT6q2e/s200/63C48D25-539D-468E-9B51-8135F11EEBBC.jpeg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gary got some downright decent brown lightning water. Many laughs were had. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV58td9Hd2V6ydY2Bh-HMLMS-_LYcTZM2zyFiq2SgWQ_2uD0q0ThI6WFqfhJEz-fLOlwwwAlTjpfdlfLc5201WCxwmnmV33UYxJIx5pKh5Vrk-B1ECura27JUl56NZeM4jvH5V2MT5isMH/s1600/IMG_8809.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV58td9Hd2V6ydY2Bh-HMLMS-_LYcTZM2zyFiq2SgWQ_2uD0q0ThI6WFqfhJEz-fLOlwwwAlTjpfdlfLc5201WCxwmnmV33UYxJIx5pKh5Vrk-B1ECura27JUl56NZeM4jvH5V2MT5isMH/s400/IMG_8809.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many amazing photos that Gary took from the penalty box. Gary will get dragged back to the island with a repaired back and the fish will be waiting. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypj1rk50RsdEeHc3bAj_5yX9rvDvieXIX2g3nV5Gl_v0pSpOuSgKvFN6zmVRdPM3qkVJRhGe5FR9yQiqhj5-AfVijhrwLtHRZ94CJWi1Kme0Hr5lxiqkbeT3tG2HG8KKXw7Shf7JetNbD/s1600/IMG_8774.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypj1rk50RsdEeHc3bAj_5yX9rvDvieXIX2g3nV5Gl_v0pSpOuSgKvFN6zmVRdPM3qkVJRhGe5FR9yQiqhj5-AfVijhrwLtHRZ94CJWi1Kme0Hr5lxiqkbeT3tG2HG8KKXw7Shf7JetNbD/s400/IMG_8774.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the Vineyards back roads. It was very difficult to leave.<br />
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<b>A very special thanks to my special wife Bri approving of me flying off on these adventures. </b><br />
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Seagull with French Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713675171423860468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-41103009638522896062019-06-16T15:17:00.004-07:002019-06-16T18:07:33.149-07:00Squid Hounds on the Vineyard <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdswfVNAE3uXDQhEiagGZ9vzFt22acuCtiYD-o9G6hySztA6ox4zN6LmuAG8gS1of7Edmx8K1xnp8268wjp-hRsOX_hcl7NbiMDmKtSx8z36j6F4B_ZrgOjNNjieZkMY-niROP3j_UGeOC/s1600/IMG_6694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdswfVNAE3uXDQhEiagGZ9vzFt22acuCtiYD-o9G6hySztA6ox4zN6LmuAG8gS1of7Edmx8K1xnp8268wjp-hRsOX_hcl7NbiMDmKtSx8z36j6F4B_ZrgOjNNjieZkMY-niROP3j_UGeOC/s320/IMG_6694.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have been wanting to check out the island known as Martha's Vineyard for 13 years. We got into fish on day one. This Striper is not even a keeper. This type of a trip really refreshes and resets you for getting back to work for lots of summer overtime inspecting. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HWnpdDKGodscbTpMsI-viOslkD-7xm9bs3HnIArK_7DsF9-2kbNfZYxXhCUwU4zXY-o8dviZIXDWs9L7va_AF2__oyqJpFVWjkMsIwnmDhygjzp5PQb-qWOsXOzcWnvic7l8KaNhv24k/s1600/LRG_DSC00452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HWnpdDKGodscbTpMsI-viOslkD-7xm9bs3HnIArK_7DsF9-2kbNfZYxXhCUwU4zXY-o8dviZIXDWs9L7va_AF2__oyqJpFVWjkMsIwnmDhygjzp5PQb-qWOsXOzcWnvic7l8KaNhv24k/s320/LRG_DSC00452.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holding yet another animal. This snapper was crossing a busy road in Warwick, Rhode Island next to our hotel. The river was high and it is likely she was looking for drier, sandier soil to deposit the eggs. We plopped her back in the Pawtucket River but it is likely she was still very determined to lay those eggs wherever she was headed. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fcrQ7SbfzRSLdurjhURSzzlKM4avRAlsXB7_WtFoA5pKsGQSnkpi7NiYslMnLr1bfDd7OFYfnM2i7wiImGMX9WHPbiTuqIklG7jDJJlfRQU0RFKtsMidSUIicOHtaO4B2ZQm95FiBa8u/s1600/IMG_6179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fcrQ7SbfzRSLdurjhURSzzlKM4avRAlsXB7_WtFoA5pKsGQSnkpi7NiYslMnLr1bfDd7OFYfnM2i7wiImGMX9WHPbiTuqIklG7jDJJlfRQU0RFKtsMidSUIicOHtaO4B2ZQm95FiBa8u/s320/IMG_6179.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bri exploring the many colors of glacial deposits at Aquinnah Cliffs - at the southwest corner of The Vineyard<br />
Contrary to popular belief Martha Stewart does not own Martha's Vineyard - it is actually operated by a board consisting of several 16" Striped Bass - they run that place. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't care about all the unsavory rumors about Providence, Rhode Island. I still like it a lot. It's still solidly near the top of the list of places to move to. Now If I could just stop being old, lazy and afraid. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgaShyphenhyphenT9w4UQtXbAV7UWoDLsjmLhDc2PKOJO9-CgtW1zKC1Yn58gCHrGUVLWfucY1SUbEGhXDEEKatAb64rjh0rzcnBE8ES8HrBzcSs3hLe7iboM6QEXYBmYnEQWDzFUbmvLwxTsS-uas/s1600/IMG_4051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgaShyphenhyphenT9w4UQtXbAV7UWoDLsjmLhDc2PKOJO9-CgtW1zKC1Yn58gCHrGUVLWfucY1SUbEGhXDEEKatAb64rjh0rzcnBE8ES8HrBzcSs3hLe7iboM6QEXYBmYnEQWDzFUbmvLwxTsS-uas/s320/IMG_4051.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We seek out oysters everywhere there are oysters. Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence was a great place to get them. I think our non-accents really stuck out. Campari on the rocks is very much a candy ass drink. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2ZasIfnH-iJCM3u6GXfkdgZHHTd08rGZzFIkmhBapUkHbsDpx7Iidc3oCDMB14lvdhGdvXdpTOU4mCxdacvg2Z7Fwwh6a968bJIWcOGWH9MjpK1WYNAEIdavI0ZqT062uejJtUaEhtyZ/s1600/IMG_9006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2ZasIfnH-iJCM3u6GXfkdgZHHTd08rGZzFIkmhBapUkHbsDpx7Iidc3oCDMB14lvdhGdvXdpTOU4mCxdacvg2Z7Fwwh6a968bJIWcOGWH9MjpK1WYNAEIdavI0ZqT062uejJtUaEhtyZ/s320/IMG_9006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simple weedless lures. The pink "Albie Snax" squid imitation at the bottom fished painfully slow with twitches produced the most fish on this trip. The "squid hound" Stripers and Bluefish are primarily feeding on squid this time of year as they migrate north along the Atlantic coast. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDFwPtwNho1Q3wWjpfJ9MfOUs1tQEd9UVDGYI7Uvj3Le6ue9kHkT3gwXxV99SZkdpCDBP7aRpzMKjBngxaGlVfUO1ymC5pXGr9cXTZPyUgwEd8m-cfmjXGAp8pMcuDIPRuipX8EGMJCmA/s1600/IMG_3923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDFwPtwNho1Q3wWjpfJ9MfOUs1tQEd9UVDGYI7Uvj3Le6ue9kHkT3gwXxV99SZkdpCDBP7aRpzMKjBngxaGlVfUO1ymC5pXGr9cXTZPyUgwEd8m-cfmjXGAp8pMcuDIPRuipX8EGMJCmA/s320/IMG_3923.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two excessively talented fisherman - Paul Paisley and Phil Knoll. I stand in awe of their nearly intangible instincts and skills and feel privileged to know them. Decades of saltwater experience between the two of them. I watched and I hope I learned. Paul and Phil - caught fish regularly the whole time.<br />
I attempted to absorb some of the zen and some of the wisdom. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzHjlizMN9Ma6m4ZfGq0amFXCUAimPPZ0srZLT8fDvjSya70Rr1CmgmEBT3dMi-qFYhqVr5IxCMO_WjfUkDgpv5n1wTzbZMQb68FtZyBHJfkt16-lr54jbhTdi0IW9FR5MzxHriCo8kjU/s1600/IMG_9174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzHjlizMN9Ma6m4ZfGq0amFXCUAimPPZ0srZLT8fDvjSya70Rr1CmgmEBT3dMi-qFYhqVr5IxCMO_WjfUkDgpv5n1wTzbZMQb68FtZyBHJfkt16-lr54jbhTdi0IW9FR5MzxHriCo8kjU/s320/IMG_9174.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Something that is never supposed to happen. A Tautog pursuing and slamming a huge lure on the flats. Tog only eat live bait and they mainly eat crabs. I live for rare occurrences like that. In midwest speak - Somewhat akin to a Channel Cat hitting a topwater Largemouth lure. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwrFyKn_yGQSCo4KXgqUXVJp6Z7uXIxOprhg1XYKsZbh6CoPWFRaewzfE3rJJ4BDwXr3D0QGPpSIDmn9rLv2YXTBkwOnUvCSGbvMnXka7ZyX1ge0nwIewS-im5CPhNl18JUACXTuuuH5W/s1600/IMG_4308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwrFyKn_yGQSCo4KXgqUXVJp6Z7uXIxOprhg1XYKsZbh6CoPWFRaewzfE3rJJ4BDwXr3D0QGPpSIDmn9rLv2YXTBkwOnUvCSGbvMnXka7ZyX1ge0nwIewS-im5CPhNl18JUACXTuuuH5W/s320/IMG_4308.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go ahead and don't believe me that this water is in Massachusetts and that we caught Stripers all day in it. The fish ate with full sun on the water. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmY8PTqWDezftqZgIcG4LakqrzIaZRu-PAQegt4EGL9t_hyhG0fbv7wasV8Dc0-9pO7t0d8uqsaNJN3GU2eGoeQiGqEN8gua1U3q1f4Hh6Nuvl_FQ_egMUQjkTSEBZyfXrwa3OoGIPTJd/s1600/IMG_4714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmY8PTqWDezftqZgIcG4LakqrzIaZRu-PAQegt4EGL9t_hyhG0fbv7wasV8Dc0-9pO7t0d8uqsaNJN3GU2eGoeQiGqEN8gua1U3q1f4Hh6Nuvl_FQ_egMUQjkTSEBZyfXrwa3OoGIPTJd/s320/IMG_4714.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dreadnaught: The Bluefish. Biggest and by far the meanest fish of the trip. Marc caught this huge Bluefish on Chappaquiddick near that bridge where one of the Kennedys did that one thing ..... Big Bluefish are rarely landed without steel leader. This fish would have been hunting the 16" bass we were catching in the back bay. One of the few fish we kept and ate on the trip. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtokoQJbG1q80-MwzB0PeJh6VuDzg9I5UhNZlE9s4Aat4uS8UWFCrR7shrU4MfnqYSaKbAZ4FJbyWqv8wVFmkSpJW45Eupl3Tu-8erUOBRMdlWTj5wrXD0Odj2Dqi9Usb_6uVfFOJWILI/s1600/IMG_6681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtokoQJbG1q80-MwzB0PeJh6VuDzg9I5UhNZlE9s4Aat4uS8UWFCrR7shrU4MfnqYSaKbAZ4FJbyWqv8wVFmkSpJW45Eupl3Tu-8erUOBRMdlWTj5wrXD0Odj2Dqi9Usb_6uVfFOJWILI/s320/IMG_6681.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The prize mug of glory - Marc took home for quietly catching the biggest fish.<br />
We will all be gunning for this mug next year. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Each fishing day starts at 4 AM. Fiddling and properly futzing is an important part of then driving off-road to the fishing spots. Once on island - Marc and Jon's 4WD vehicles gave us a lot more access to places like Chappaquiddick. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bri and I designed the shirts for this year. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey man - I am not inspecting a crawl space !! Larsen's Seafood on The Vineyard</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The man you could easily describe as the brains of the operation. Rockbreaker, fisher of big water and part bluefish - Jon Piasecki - herded us cats into line. A wealth of wide ranging knowledge - Jon has a chessmaster arrangement of tide tables and a map of the island in his head. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It me. Killing time at a mall in Rhode Island before the return flight home. You go on a watch list as a kid if you decide to ride this instead of the perfectly fine regular horses.<br />
I think Martha's Vineyard will now be an annual tradition. </td></tr>
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<br />Seagull with French Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713675171423860468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-66429140902406131802019-02-14T15:17:00.002-08:002019-02-19T09:57:46.061-08:00Yucatan in the Fading Light <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We took a few weeks off work to explore the Yucatan Peninsula - from January 21st to February 11th. With 2 or 3 day Air BnB cabin stays in Akumal, Tulum, Valladolid, Merida, Chuburna, El Cuyo and Holbox. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a typical Air BnB stay in Mexico looks like. We budget from $45 to $70 a night for places like this. $45 can be a little sketchy and $70 places are often very nice. We typically book the stays about 8 weeks in advance. We rarely end up with a dud and sometimes end up with a real gem where we wish we had booked 4 or even 5 nights. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Didn't really know that the east coast of the Yucatan could have so much pounding surf --- but well it was truly winter after all. This particular location ended up producing some really remarkalble fish the following morning. I get up every morning early to fish for a couple of hours before the world wakes up. Though the eastern shore of the Yucatan has very little public access to the sea due to resorts and several large preserves. It took a lot of map reading to find any access to the water in the entire 183 km south of Cancun. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No boat needed. No guide needed. No bait needed. This is a Jurel or Yellow Jack. Anything with that lunate tail pulls real real hard. Someday I hope to put some of my fly fishing friends on these. Although it is in some ways easier to just throw a credit card and hire a fishing charter guide - I find more satisfaction in finding the fish on my own. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice solid Mangrove Snapper on artificial lure. It is rare to fool more than one of these in a given area. They wise up to your fake ass lures pretty quick. These are the large sets of rocks just off the beach at Tulum. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ocean pounded directly at the foundations of some of these cabins on the beach at Tulum.<br />
That sea is coming for us. Am I happy that I cannot afford any sort of property on the water anywhere ? </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Houndfish. The thin man with the blue teeth is a master hunter in the surf here. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Society for the Effects of Humidity on Hair. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another typical cabin stay. This one in the jungle at Camp Akumal. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mayan civilization at Uxmal. Much bigger and quiter than Chichen Itza. More ruins and far less vendors and people. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was easy to imagine and feel the ancient Mayans moving through these spaces. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMueQoN0B-GTnm9Q31rsCsroOB4AXgi54N0UJW_4BgtFYGwlzO4Ap7IMOirBIlM6xQSRogsas6VjqtFBc4AP5YjKk9I6F6p_R-ZZF63WeV_YDhRukavcSLLgfFs2HQw9fZ-THih8bQvKus/s1600/IMG_1956+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMueQoN0B-GTnm9Q31rsCsroOB4AXgi54N0UJW_4BgtFYGwlzO4Ap7IMOirBIlM6xQSRogsas6VjqtFBc4AP5YjKk9I6F6p_R-ZZF63WeV_YDhRukavcSLLgfFs2HQw9fZ-THih8bQvKus/s320/IMG_1956+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get up at 5 AM everyday. Hit the water. Your only real shot at the bigger open water fish from shore happens around first light - or maybe, maybe if the Gods are smiling again at dusk at some locations. It took a lot of perusing of various maps to locate any access to the water amongst the resorts, preserves and private property. I actually would not recommend the eastern side of Yucatan as a fishing destination at all. Way to challenging to find legal access to the water and the few available locations get fished hard by the locals and rightfully so. I'm not sure how the resorts get away with generally denying the locals any access to the water for long stretches of coastline. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLaMkl1y46ZhAkoh7_h1JmJ61t4VHSYs3ShFyZDySwraInQkJJ7yvwTdOF-CiunmuPfCe-oHCsl-XocfRXGbdzfr5jtTmCjA5XqizjSRi25netL2YRX_TSf28XgRcl9wqz35Bep8X7Iee/s1600/IMG_5473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1258" data-original-width="1600" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLaMkl1y46ZhAkoh7_h1JmJ61t4VHSYs3ShFyZDySwraInQkJJ7yvwTdOF-CiunmuPfCe-oHCsl-XocfRXGbdzfr5jtTmCjA5XqizjSRi25netL2YRX_TSf28XgRcl9wqz35Bep8X7Iee/s320/IMG_5473.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sizeable Bar Jack from shore at Akumal was an unexpected first and a dream come true for me. Slide them up on a wet rock for a quick photo and get them right back in. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTYhojYSIoqC9f_Z6PgApbxZls1Qn0USJ68eZJp1RempuS3YLJ56AXbM6hGrunyy-8IBGfGhi5647ss1ygcJOLyHu68AOlMdx1CT1oEPh-hMKFnmN22iU3jQguR97wCNaV4RmFExemJscl/s1600/IMG_5468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTYhojYSIoqC9f_Z6PgApbxZls1Qn0USJ68eZJp1RempuS3YLJ56AXbM6hGrunyy-8IBGfGhi5647ss1ygcJOLyHu68AOlMdx1CT1oEPh-hMKFnmN22iU3jQguR97wCNaV4RmFExemJscl/s320/IMG_5468.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A hefty Horse Eye Jack from shore at Akumal. My favorite species of fishes - the Jacks or Trevallies - because of the enduro slugfest style of fight they dish out. Nothing in your freshwater fishing life really prepares you for these.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtffDWJDi0E4cn8vTB9opSk79GaJedEZXcs70w1G_3u4d7JOcW5u43IWb3iSUmXcKN8VlMAUI1lSQAJFYXEwV4ZrGnNB3jGIT_louKmdaj0Lm2lO4oy9gzbo95NvNV2L6U3kmCwbw-HBn/s1600/IMG_5477.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1022" data-original-width="1600" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtffDWJDi0E4cn8vTB9opSk79GaJedEZXcs70w1G_3u4d7JOcW5u43IWb3iSUmXcKN8VlMAUI1lSQAJFYXEwV4ZrGnNB3jGIT_louKmdaj0Lm2lO4oy9gzbo95NvNV2L6U3kmCwbw-HBn/s320/IMG_5477.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Name this species of fish and get a free burrito. (Mahogany Snapper) You'd never want it to happen - but - big fast moving lures get hit by territorial reef residents .... occasionally. This trip resulted in 14 species of fish - 13 of which were from shore on my own.<br />
(Houndfish, Bar Jack, Horse Eye Jack, Jack Crevalle, Blue Runner, Mangrove Snapper, Mutton Snapper, Mahogany Snapper, Pinfish, Snook, Tarpon, Ladyfish, Sea Trout and Barracuda)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzRXAQ-uJHh6T2Xt42iBadGyES2P05N7j65eMhVq3WZvzQ4fpkbm47vTMyc5M_fGAEkp4w2Iq5IGsXPnNDoBkYOvinRI5XGajzm1CtgI2bPgsqOApIskjkZXVIp3pAbepstGD4gr5Upmq/s1600/IMG_5531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzRXAQ-uJHh6T2Xt42iBadGyES2P05N7j65eMhVq3WZvzQ4fpkbm47vTMyc5M_fGAEkp4w2Iq5IGsXPnNDoBkYOvinRI5XGajzm1CtgI2bPgsqOApIskjkZXVIp3pAbepstGD4gr5Upmq/s320/IMG_5531.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catch and Cook. A few of our Mangrove Snappers made it to the dinner table. Bri can really work some magic with some simple ingredients and a kitchenette. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANXoKph-_sIee5rFAzzefCS2Kqa2XS75BQZKPNZKlfTUCdodoQYtkyJ8NkjOLPGAOvYNqHbt6caUJTSNpNY_hFSDZTz9XB8IJh7LxnhiVKtO0EUC5fJgeZyRaz4P5HGpOqZZvdwjv6F8m/s1600/IMG_5538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANXoKph-_sIee5rFAzzefCS2Kqa2XS75BQZKPNZKlfTUCdodoQYtkyJ8NkjOLPGAOvYNqHbt6caUJTSNpNY_hFSDZTz9XB8IJh7LxnhiVKtO0EUC5fJgeZyRaz4P5HGpOqZZvdwjv6F8m/s320/IMG_5538.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The newish thing here and in Belize as well - the constant tide of dead floating sea grasses washing up in huge decaying masses on the beach. It is ever present with the right prevailing wind - and ugly and very concerning. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYG-1CkXNItdDSR866ntiBpHFDEo3L3wPF76OyV6jkE6wG3nP2vW2nCH2Kym1dQT43zwuZnsZgNaDwSK7tsta4JToDMDm27nrOJy9nAFzD8LntjiTVprFwQr8ffwABj0eCoseX02mT3pOd/s1600/IMG_5741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYG-1CkXNItdDSR866ntiBpHFDEo3L3wPF76OyV6jkE6wG3nP2vW2nCH2Kym1dQT43zwuZnsZgNaDwSK7tsta4JToDMDm27nrOJy9nAFzD8LntjiTVprFwQr8ffwABj0eCoseX02mT3pOd/s320/IMG_5741.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to Crocodile country. I don't wade fish or even put my feet in the water at all in the dark here - though this was less than 800m from a swimming beach and less than 400m from a place where people get in the water with phosphorescence nearly every night. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptaHpjiq6cCrRvATILF-q-SZDS6jkHt3htMKR5FXaNK-q7pVKn1TfKvae1GWfbgAPeGYcGjIlPI1zuBgSwovTW0RJt6_cb5-zwOTdgXCLArTRBuKejFf_aQBHENdX2RSe2_0WMduBM94-/s320/IMG_5493.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of a nice 10 foot American Crocodile from up on a bridge at Boca Paila - and there was a much larger Croc on the next point. All the closer I am going to get. Keep a healthy fear when wading in these areas but try not to let the presence of crocs occupy 100% of your brain space. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwVZZ7TFFiuo_ksxylBsgu3ubgo06XoBEivy4RSmfcfo3Gy7wd79mgncvsK2cmJ3P1T7Rg24RFBYYW5g51smch1TL4XV6EZeHTGBCn_cCGKw3-vHGvXrgYTwrIzPE2aBWFar5cKXZBxoS/s1600/IMG_5490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwVZZ7TFFiuo_ksxylBsgu3ubgo06XoBEivy4RSmfcfo3Gy7wd79mgncvsK2cmJ3P1T7Rg24RFBYYW5g51smch1TL4XV6EZeHTGBCn_cCGKw3-vHGvXrgYTwrIzPE2aBWFar5cKXZBxoS/s320/IMG_5490.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The magnificent and massive everglades-sized Sian Ka'an Preserve. Horrific rutted and flooded roads for 3 hours with rental car and no fishing allowed but the wildlife watching was spectacular. How we did not rip the ground effects off our rented Nissan Sentra I will never know. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPpzw0EQtr52hsk89gg6d0LauSdBu-9QrFe_CoKJeGgZFF5InyGv7yUx0aAGzyrnezWWWKoqw0LGCXDo8Z8IkW1iEmF78qGluzcL52GqPik-PmAktlBzZ-LuYrILJfbqCYM7av_Ytvgyu/s1600/IMG_5607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPpzw0EQtr52hsk89gg6d0LauSdBu-9QrFe_CoKJeGgZFF5InyGv7yUx0aAGzyrnezWWWKoqw0LGCXDo8Z8IkW1iEmF78qGluzcL52GqPik-PmAktlBzZ-LuYrILJfbqCYM7av_Ytvgyu/s320/IMG_5607.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">City of Merida. In my opinion - this city should be on everyones travel list. A truly unique - old old city on at least level with the fun and funk of New Orleans and then some. We have to go back and spend a full week. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhDpr19FzBPAdiIxbwZWHE4_2qiOl-zgf7FJhgIPznAKFvaSLUbfIJl0lQMSL0KaEK0QBYzBT6mV0oHxMjgRucp32iiHSR-pCpZ9l3uzT1yMxJnTf9lCITLdyv1s_D3EHfLB6IzD3bz4i/s1600/IMG_5610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhDpr19FzBPAdiIxbwZWHE4_2qiOl-zgf7FJhgIPznAKFvaSLUbfIJl0lQMSL0KaEK0QBYzBT6mV0oHxMjgRucp32iiHSR-pCpZ9l3uzT1yMxJnTf9lCITLdyv1s_D3EHfLB6IzD3bz4i/s320/IMG_5610.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Governor's Palace at Merida. The large paintings tell the horrible story of the conquest and enslavement of the Mayans by the Spanish. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfnQlzIPoy5DSFWWNHkBQIwwdlzbnJ-oJwKHIAQi-Nat8H25ibkVeH_hyhYaupE_fy-APelzkHjV3_qHQ2I_3JEOXwcuEuHG1x-6tgJIR8JqfiCKQtSkHLAEMXR46OvnEpfs4pB7896RW/s1600/IMG_5592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfnQlzIPoy5DSFWWNHkBQIwwdlzbnJ-oJwKHIAQi-Nat8H25ibkVeH_hyhYaupE_fy-APelzkHjV3_qHQ2I_3JEOXwcuEuHG1x-6tgJIR8JqfiCKQtSkHLAEMXR46OvnEpfs4pB7896RW/s320/IMG_5592.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New friends from a great 3 day stay at the Pantera Negra. Really knowledgeable hosts Jean Pierre and Gina made the Merida stay our favorite of the trip. They introduced us to a whole bunch of eccentric artsy ex-pats from all over the world who are making lives in Merida. Merida has a lot of great "cantinas" that start serving drinks and tapas at about 4 pm. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxAIMyTX59QbZuULtVc6f_aCyhvfs8oG0ks_nKQpx3K4AhxBgkXEra5WexoNZice4xIIWz9n7k2yySiKi-IEJa864XV1u0LpDJng6hjIfntFddH60ihiPm6pBujdWjVuPfqrLbg95PMgt/s1600/IMG_5597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxAIMyTX59QbZuULtVc6f_aCyhvfs8oG0ks_nKQpx3K4AhxBgkXEra5WexoNZice4xIIWz9n7k2yySiKi-IEJa864XV1u0LpDJng6hjIfntFddH60ihiPm6pBujdWjVuPfqrLbg95PMgt/s320/IMG_5597.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When you find your tribe. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EOH5mVb6RX-VTiaNnBuzpR5voRNTvknbiHogrU8fIO5Zp0XRjqpryepnaJixIgRfMczEgnngGEK8Bsn3cQWVqhRnyJ0gpEpHrHIISpkzex8ELerRXTK22drr5SXwzGupOeukjz1r1Fkc/s1600/IMG_5589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EOH5mVb6RX-VTiaNnBuzpR5voRNTvknbiHogrU8fIO5Zp0XRjqpryepnaJixIgRfMczEgnngGEK8Bsn3cQWVqhRnyJ0gpEpHrHIISpkzex8ELerRXTK22drr5SXwzGupOeukjz1r1Fkc/s320/IMG_5589.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pool at Pantera Negra Every place having a dip pool seems extravagant but you'll end up using them. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig19gOb7i-h637596bptfAD3Fr5QaAe2qbHtIi2fu3mVIKHRCSmoWtOYmdpU0bLXN0V_OshVei8Zb2o6fQsCrFpJjP2lO_yoMZOtaXNkPrh-HZJFcp_qEV-bX36Mg0IJRuNaDNIPu5WLb3/s1600/IMG_5677.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1334" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig19gOb7i-h637596bptfAD3Fr5QaAe2qbHtIi2fu3mVIKHRCSmoWtOYmdpU0bLXN0V_OshVei8Zb2o6fQsCrFpJjP2lO_yoMZOtaXNkPrh-HZJFcp_qEV-bX36Mg0IJRuNaDNIPu5WLb3/s320/IMG_5677.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With no public shore access for the first half of our trip - I panicked and hired a guide for a half day out of Progresso. This photo is a snip from a 3 minute battle with a very nice 40 lb. Tarpon. Which I subsequently then lost. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_JjQFBprwuCK2dZzlm0sozsZJ29SH2z-F6xCVG69rj17p1RXx2IG9TcUOLYnJwCTbIY79e6rprFtD-SsXP1iv6iL0enq6-WFoxdfVFTqJ2im9HFDpnuLex3i9PmG1Obi6GyUw26nsAsd/s1600/IMG_3974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_JjQFBprwuCK2dZzlm0sozsZJ29SH2z-F6xCVG69rj17p1RXx2IG9TcUOLYnJwCTbIY79e6rprFtD-SsXP1iv6iL0enq6-WFoxdfVFTqJ2im9HFDpnuLex3i9PmG1Obi6GyUw26nsAsd/s320/IMG_3974.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea trout on the flats of the Ria behind Chuburna. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bO5JSUyQngDRoPetINVBt064V1uwvjydRyH_6GvqbUQHCDW8Uru-yXt_9R0pQXYIQvIkpKqvvJ2Crh_R02T5fTOn6eMFSRLACi_qY2ArBR4lKKSjlNjauZx7dOlzVTBMNV-mmdOy32-q/s1600/IMG_5649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bO5JSUyQngDRoPetINVBt064V1uwvjydRyH_6GvqbUQHCDW8Uru-yXt_9R0pQXYIQvIkpKqvvJ2Crh_R02T5fTOn6eMFSRLACi_qY2ArBR4lKKSjlNjauZx7dOlzVTBMNV-mmdOy32-q/s320/IMG_5649.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More of the very special city of Merida. Very old city and very fun. We got to watch a full match of the ancient Mayan ball game at the town square and also got to watch the Superbowl with new friends. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45WzkSktyDKyadVHFXEpfU-AdShZdTmJoFhznRBpDWeQoEHabyy8rCLZHfO3DX6aAVrgCREpxNOV8QnxoNhmnnoDkwK7AxUPIfs6CqnnnxlevW93WFxf1ZeL2zGewrlTz3UFx6VHxhDGk/s1600/IMG_5598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45WzkSktyDKyadVHFXEpfU-AdShZdTmJoFhznRBpDWeQoEHabyy8rCLZHfO3DX6aAVrgCREpxNOV8QnxoNhmnnoDkwK7AxUPIfs6CqnnnxlevW93WFxf1ZeL2zGewrlTz3UFx6VHxhDGk/s320/IMG_5598.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The deck for eating breakfast at Pantera Negra They serve you an amazing local breakfast every morning. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpenpi5kODTvS07_3CDgzXhrn7oF3e_R8Bs5RwLKKVG4ItvsPx8GqUqsFfJYNVEuP1cE9ewCxhIJeq8D0qVOygv4l09Uuc2qJpL1WevXIVj7ktTwyjznI7rFioVXBWDvI-fRLk9y90nRHc/s1600/IMG_5558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpenpi5kODTvS07_3CDgzXhrn7oF3e_R8Bs5RwLKKVG4ItvsPx8GqUqsFfJYNVEuP1cE9ewCxhIJeq8D0qVOygv4l09Uuc2qJpL1WevXIVj7ktTwyjznI7rFioVXBWDvI-fRLk9y90nRHc/s320/IMG_5558.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The director of the Chichen Itza Inn showing us the hives of the local stingless bee. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QRWXGh9WxfFuqtKk780yQQ-FA8N0sVi1gP9gxdfl7mU92hHGL-OobzuzONsvXtUZ5FId4kn_HuSLT6TNrFTnxPhjwq0WmZZY1hbUIcVGBZwbWmrBLMm4mSMvLzWrZbmNITz1GIMiCxeC/s1600/IMG_5564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QRWXGh9WxfFuqtKk780yQQ-FA8N0sVi1gP9gxdfl7mU92hHGL-OobzuzONsvXtUZ5FId4kn_HuSLT6TNrFTnxPhjwq0WmZZY1hbUIcVGBZwbWmrBLMm4mSMvLzWrZbmNITz1GIMiCxeC/s320/IMG_5564.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooking class outside Valladolid. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-HEXFT_T-EXrzimdLJzRuPxFv7dj33np_FyM7sIodCKY7hNHooV_aA4Al2Jv0Wj8lmOTU9zKmmwQOP6u4TWtQK2-o16dnjGxpxeCJcOSVjgzzYshOuZpgqIUXkDr13o8P0lEH4CTiRe-/s1600/IMG_2506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-HEXFT_T-EXrzimdLJzRuPxFv7dj33np_FyM7sIodCKY7hNHooV_aA4Al2Jv0Wj8lmOTU9zKmmwQOP6u4TWtQK2-o16dnjGxpxeCJcOSVjgzzYshOuZpgqIUXkDr13o8P0lEH4CTiRe-/s320/IMG_2506.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wandering the edge of the water just west of El Cuyo. DIY fishing in a strange country involves a lot of walking and searching and trying to get lil' bits of information here and there about the local scene. I make friends on the jetties and always give away lures and often a fish as well. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2Rba-8uZK7RI1py3v4T9F6tAhnJGpYpllRqlQ8iBQS7-oYX9UFP7RIYVLmk40-2e_pWbJpZgC2eICfXYWeMG9XVp55w_MpOHMiNV5T-n_nd3r0v9a5ocRcIaDFWkGbtVkPxyI3Kbp0_A/s1600/IMG_5586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2Rba-8uZK7RI1py3v4T9F6tAhnJGpYpllRqlQ8iBQS7-oYX9UFP7RIYVLmk40-2e_pWbJpZgC2eICfXYWeMG9XVp55w_MpOHMiNV5T-n_nd3r0v9a5ocRcIaDFWkGbtVkPxyI3Kbp0_A/s320/IMG_5586.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The simple lures worked that worked the best. It is very important that you fish with lures that sink - because sometimes you need a way to keep the diving Pelicans from getting to them. And again - single hook lures are way less hard on the fish. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2ytZCZkAzkOq_aD02ydZ17hLLWHWQHsPT35YCYOkPu4y4oK3MsDJBVUeA49RTmWDOwu1VHvb9wB2NTSopNegrfNrSS1RPKZC4tanZRzadm8Ijs16Kyv4Ylx6sfoowuuJLFPLjTAx_vFB/s1600/IMG_5702.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2ytZCZkAzkOq_aD02ydZ17hLLWHWQHsPT35YCYOkPu4y4oK3MsDJBVUeA49RTmWDOwu1VHvb9wB2NTSopNegrfNrSS1RPKZC4tanZRzadm8Ijs16Kyv4Ylx6sfoowuuJLFPLjTAx_vFB/s320/IMG_5702.PNG" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had a dusk session standing on the jetty at El Cuyo where the fish were hitting lures in the rough murky surf for well over an hour straight. No another soul in sight and the small Snook, Jacks and Ladyfish were ripping lures off the surface. It does not get any better. I gave this Snook away to the locals. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEdDrcMvlTL88gUqIBBmByIhxZ6WeEUdu7lSDZg9tW6x3jTf0WQfyxRKdhA9GZl2UhMDWbSfE7ynsOCoNbTul1996ZHzNLE-yhhtNV_-WGWcFJO7QuB662pZ2MUoB28mnCpsMi97Q1kOX/s1600/IMG_5715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEdDrcMvlTL88gUqIBBmByIhxZ6WeEUdu7lSDZg9tW6x3jTf0WQfyxRKdhA9GZl2UhMDWbSfE7ynsOCoNbTul1996ZHzNLE-yhhtNV_-WGWcFJO7QuB662pZ2MUoB28mnCpsMi97Q1kOX/s320/IMG_5715.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huge amounts of anything that floats washed up for miles at any location where there are not workers cleaning the beach constantly in front of all resorts. The very dark side of our plastic loving culture. Water bottles and flip flops were over represented. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLIwse1F9yRDONp8F5_QsYH1rpi5oFk2Fu8T3FHHoaNGc8dDYVLJA9YTTLMmTDXvvFYt7IEwW89AiBitO13fkHqtkZkHhrlSNF7V1lwwVl-E5oRCKZHfNSsIxImpYbfB5e7HpL_uNG6AZt/s1600/IMG_5489+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLIwse1F9yRDONp8F5_QsYH1rpi5oFk2Fu8T3FHHoaNGc8dDYVLJA9YTTLMmTDXvvFYt7IEwW89AiBitO13fkHqtkZkHhrlSNF7V1lwwVl-E5oRCKZHfNSsIxImpYbfB5e7HpL_uNG6AZt/s320/IMG_5489+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZD5vKkS7tX8zgr-w3Xz4U6DiyHSDx3zYuRKNWkm0yj35uTNVpPeE6WED7E__wKqH_nitPiD_keTEekodS2Ihw4_wxJep5lKryYdxrocqRw7ylWaZhtGcOMZAqfZ_Vva4L9z1-ovEnyQ05/s1600/IMG_5725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZD5vKkS7tX8zgr-w3Xz4U6DiyHSDx3zYuRKNWkm0yj35uTNVpPeE6WED7E__wKqH_nitPiD_keTEekodS2Ihw4_wxJep5lKryYdxrocqRw7ylWaZhtGcOMZAqfZ_Vva4L9z1-ovEnyQ05/s320/IMG_5725.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very lively back water at Holbox. I walked out here at 5 AM in the dark with hundreds of glowing yellow spider eyes watching me along the jungle path. Spiders with glowing eyes !!! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwPbViQ9wrpQk6jsrMhpE8UeZoZG7DbuLlMO9giiZjlS65YOeDDmtZa7wy79Matob_GLnHdMMRRLYTput028LCuuUpUMkLslXLKmgdDMHRbBUnB6BAGWz7gTjDgLz9kw93uNbzR_LpUGF/s1600/IMG_5312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwPbViQ9wrpQk6jsrMhpE8UeZoZG7DbuLlMO9giiZjlS65YOeDDmtZa7wy79Matob_GLnHdMMRRLYTput028LCuuUpUMkLslXLKmgdDMHRbBUnB6BAGWz7gTjDgLz9kw93uNbzR_LpUGF/s320/IMG_5312.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Social Critics fishing club shirts are out. I have a few extra and I may have one in your size. Contact me if you want one. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSKBy3vzvZWbvuz_CY1witqzD1t7cfTWxu0YSP4km4yTRqvXsjnEJosmjnK1Xiw1XW7RFpE91hcem3FB8ckywcQDkv55faJ7Dgd-9TbM1GwSHuvTwTEZODqI6y7T_sCc2ww5PbFfJo7by/s1600/IMG_5706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSKBy3vzvZWbvuz_CY1witqzD1t7cfTWxu0YSP4km4yTRqvXsjnEJosmjnK1Xiw1XW7RFpE91hcem3FB8ckywcQDkv55faJ7Dgd-9TbM1GwSHuvTwTEZODqI6y7T_sCc2ww5PbFfJo7by/s320/IMG_5706.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of shells wash up in winter. A view looking west here toward Rio Lagartos - with 36km of uninhabited shoreline. Well except for a few military cocaine police boats I'm sure. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAg6JY6XuxPyZY3vInbnilt2ajKaGvfCgsYHyRsGdjpN3xz1isRuFA0rUGYAS-RQR8QF35_7t4im50y24CEC47Hlwyy0snmanYEPtMoOs2Tm-qeAIpFF4JA6npaU5Zahtf-aZiwqyFGwoB/s1600/IMG_5528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAg6JY6XuxPyZY3vInbnilt2ajKaGvfCgsYHyRsGdjpN3xz1isRuFA0rUGYAS-RQR8QF35_7t4im50y24CEC47Hlwyy0snmanYEPtMoOs2Tm-qeAIpFF4JA6npaU5Zahtf-aZiwqyFGwoB/s320/IMG_5528.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the place where I spent 2 seconds with a very large Barracuda. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add for a tattoo shop in Tulum </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RGFDEDX2RxXDU9g5ZN4Ap82MalPTBmoJy3tlcgTf1I4eJj8Txk_ZB7g8fbAo3ZvKULRkjNoyOJU8S90JxOgHRpEeqWlvkY-OwLJ6U_viS7w_CwZKvPw7VvBMkJLGHf9IaxkyNTHzG61U/s1600/IMG_5515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RGFDEDX2RxXDU9g5ZN4Ap82MalPTBmoJy3tlcgTf1I4eJj8Txk_ZB7g8fbAo3ZvKULRkjNoyOJU8S90JxOgHRpEeqWlvkY-OwLJ6U_viS7w_CwZKvPw7VvBMkJLGHf9IaxkyNTHzG61U/s320/IMG_5515.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tale for everyone's dance with addiction. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgFxJBn5Myu2jnZ_6nH3Nwzs36rCoFkIEdN3rki9EBRRYuoeRIVLiEXb2p81oKlUk33dj9b-GV6bH7aST1YmBrkydj9eJT5OkROUUFwlhgLjeEcM9ZDpYMkBtxXXPc8zHaHMLufXoWTX_/s1600/IMG_9470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgFxJBn5Myu2jnZ_6nH3Nwzs36rCoFkIEdN3rki9EBRRYuoeRIVLiEXb2p81oKlUk33dj9b-GV6bH7aST1YmBrkydj9eJT5OkROUUFwlhgLjeEcM9ZDpYMkBtxXXPc8zHaHMLufXoWTX_/s320/IMG_9470.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A daiquiri ice colored Jack Crevalle south of the border. I shall die happy. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MuytySwob1dZqunX5_XB8J4qOkWv5KydHuiT1g-PUMVp8ZaY7RYxMrBO3rvCGNbiSGz-E_Vh4tj8srlp4hqMsjm8tCSSF3Fe0_29ypHJOKZGIKeTRk_Iqif51ZLqw4nbx588zv1iZyQs/s1600/IMG_5532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MuytySwob1dZqunX5_XB8J4qOkWv5KydHuiT1g-PUMVp8ZaY7RYxMrBO3rvCGNbiSGz-E_Vh4tj8srlp4hqMsjm8tCSSF3Fe0_29ypHJOKZGIKeTRk_Iqif51ZLqw4nbx588zv1iZyQs/s320/IMG_5532.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tail for my dance with addiction. The strong Jurel or Yellow Jack. More than once on this trip I could see two Jacks rise up in the face off a big clear curling wave chasing my lure.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tulum was not my favorite. It's pretty much drowning in boutique tourist shopping. But it did have a shop of handmade items that were really nice. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh I am super impressed with your 401k but this guy wakes up to the Caribbean every. single. day. A house of a real human smuggled in between the hashtag yoga dress shops at Tulum. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the fading afternoon light at Punta Coco, Holbox. The real fisherman shows up. </td></tr>
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<br />Seagull with French Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713675171423860468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-40917509778628492412018-10-19T15:44:00.002-07:002018-10-19T16:07:04.604-07:00New York Stripers and east of there<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibISEQmH5tghYWNRLYkpjnY34kK8rWmiwbtitHbqns4ylQzGmterYle06bojDLcaR9mk8d277_Ky7vW1Jxcjqb3eV2ksl9aNhtIQoO2wO1mxLkDw7atgsHATpTd0iFHyFc490xq6CxSPP4/s1600/IMG_2848+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibISEQmH5tghYWNRLYkpjnY34kK8rWmiwbtitHbqns4ylQzGmterYle06bojDLcaR9mk8d277_Ky7vW1Jxcjqb3eV2ksl9aNhtIQoO2wO1mxLkDw7atgsHATpTd0iFHyFc490xq6CxSPP4/s320/IMG_2848+%25281%2529.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We walked across both the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge. Bri took this photo from the Manhattan Bridge. The centifuge of human energy that this city is. I lived here from 2003 to 2007 and thought I' d never return - but Bri needed to see this place. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Any fabric person worth their salt has to make the pilgrimage to Mood Fabrics when in Manhattan. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our two year anniversary trip. Getting lost in NYC. You can just walk around randomly and have fun here. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phil Knoll of Massachussets. I met this guy fishing out here in 2006. Phil met up with us for a full day of exploring and fishing. He is the guy that taught me to fish this way and showed me several spots out on the end of Long Island. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not actually on her phone - It was just that windy. Fishing North Haven Island. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had to make at least a few casts at Montauk - the far East end of Long Island. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I caught one Striper in the East River while we were still in Brooklyn Heights. We also stopped at Shinnecock Inlet on the drive out to Sag Harbor and I found some Striped Bass on the flats. One of the most agreeable gamefish on the planet. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_oDVk623j99drB35PujDLcQpWmC-DD-hwaz4WfS_QZCbGOwyuwtgnqd0LSJ4zA-keGI5TSMPw1E5E5LSyIIfLifLPUd6sCrrjNkveNozdZ7rALA8UTOwKMcM8-Sb6QokYoo7lOZZOUWbh/s1600/IMG_5054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_oDVk623j99drB35PujDLcQpWmC-DD-hwaz4WfS_QZCbGOwyuwtgnqd0LSJ4zA-keGI5TSMPw1E5E5LSyIIfLifLPUd6sCrrjNkveNozdZ7rALA8UTOwKMcM8-Sb6QokYoo7lOZZOUWbh/s320/IMG_5054.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We got rained on wandering around Wall Street and the South Street SeaPort. And I can remember some of the reasons I moved away from New York City. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOpcvadTKt8Rk8ta7idVsE1VxIx9V-XRTfMPXcgdKMjh4bn-Yhd3SYt3sguHDWH7XDQ2uTlc6w07QjGLv_Dx3yyE9SSdQGsYUeaXsXpQtbDsT105VBCBiirz2TSG10Rskxi4tEyqzgHXQ/s1600/IMG_2855+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOpcvadTKt8Rk8ta7idVsE1VxIx9V-XRTfMPXcgdKMjh4bn-Yhd3SYt3sguHDWH7XDQ2uTlc6w07QjGLv_Dx3yyE9SSdQGsYUeaXsXpQtbDsT105VBCBiirz2TSG10Rskxi4tEyqzgHXQ/s320/IMG_2855+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite way to fish - wading the back bays - with nobody around. Peconic Bay water was still warm for October and many of the smaller Striped Bass were still feeding in the shallow protected water. Ripping surface strikes on fast retrieves.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wandering the shoreline in the Hamptons looking for fish. Local resident fisherman George McAuliffe and Jamie Ellis gave me some really good tips. So I wasn't wandering completely blind this whole trip. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chowder stop with great food - most of the way out to Montauk. There was talk of combining half New England Clam Chowder and half Manhattan Clam Chowder. Also tried Montauk Brewing's IPA. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCxOwIOIVsAx7SuoCewBXrOmVbUqvckqtiAapfLUWfdLVp2EaN-dHIzFT65jR8y7YEREoQ0YN5667tRU1TQP53R736S0UyteTSyfy6jl9pWS3ZwnWTB6UVPxAg5lNTJrOeLlwkz_OYGnD/s320/IMG_5172.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There might be a god. A solid back bay Striper. Snaps you awake after 100 unanswered casts. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCxOwIOIVsAx7SuoCewBXrOmVbUqvckqtiAapfLUWfdLVp2EaN-dHIzFT65jR8y7YEREoQ0YN5667tRU1TQP53R736S0UyteTSyfy6jl9pWS3ZwnWTB6UVPxAg5lNTJrOeLlwkz_OYGnD/s1600/IMG_5172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCxOwIOIVsAx7SuoCewBXrOmVbUqvckqtiAapfLUWfdLVp2EaN-dHIzFT65jR8y7YEREoQ0YN5667tRU1TQP53R736S0UyteTSyfy6jl9pWS3ZwnWTB6UVPxAg5lNTJrOeLlwkz_OYGnD/s1600/IMG_5172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-86XPAAeYzwVi0WnBnJmvHRu4wu6vs7qzzjPq9X8Vs6wQH0-KzBVmMyYKQHNTekwI1n7mNsSjOq4rafRX4TCk2qJJX-jxIYOY4CtfaodCcEpbDppbAo-2FO7HXd-om_yTc1umfum9fOU/s1600/IMG_5058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-86XPAAeYzwVi0WnBnJmvHRu4wu6vs7qzzjPq9X8Vs6wQH0-KzBVmMyYKQHNTekwI1n7mNsSjOq4rafRX4TCk2qJJX-jxIYOY4CtfaodCcEpbDppbAo-2FO7HXd-om_yTc1umfum9fOU/s320/IMG_5058.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We walked all over Brooklyn Heights, Williamsbur, Fort Greene, East Village, Central Park and Chelsea. Momofuku Ramen was a big hit - and it lived up to all of the Anthony Bourdain hype. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo3QIy92fZ7KkFa47E9HuKSgiIglMrjfISzELKLjwDhBAkVjrJN_W9GhsSRq4deMnlyGU1J6WcDQ4J049FAX0iOud1-fDWq4eVGHAReQ7XuyWY_7sHrBLtyRvVXZP7boj7Iqm-1RJTYoar/s1600/IMG_5212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo3QIy92fZ7KkFa47E9HuKSgiIglMrjfISzELKLjwDhBAkVjrJN_W9GhsSRq4deMnlyGU1J6WcDQ4J049FAX0iOud1-fDWq4eVGHAReQ7XuyWY_7sHrBLtyRvVXZP7boj7Iqm-1RJTYoar/s320/IMG_5212.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A simple lure selection that worked out great. I caught most of the Bass on that boring grey 7 inch "Texas Rigged Jerk Shad" in the middle. When the wind or current is heavy or you need to get down a few feet I fish it weighted. If it is dark or the water is off-color I fish it in a brighter color. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiQUdQhd3KZ-zIpmlv_PrIwnR-xuM6u3G8oRPPD3GhTOdcpNoJpcXG8VCqBfoJjQSVSuNbG98Q6S6Nr0Rus3x04nSuUYQxDG_taIlaoI7tyDX1QydWpOAVfli6tVPCOya7HOW3EKgcnIo/s1600/IMG_5179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiQUdQhd3KZ-zIpmlv_PrIwnR-xuM6u3G8oRPPD3GhTOdcpNoJpcXG8VCqBfoJjQSVSuNbG98Q6S6Nr0Rus3x04nSuUYQxDG_taIlaoI7tyDX1QydWpOAVfli6tVPCOya7HOW3EKgcnIo/s320/IMG_5179.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dead seal at Sag Harbor. Sharks washing up dead in this area this summer as well. Another reminder that I am fishing at the end of the world. I don't have children and I am not sure what I would tell them if I did. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYzc_goDq7pNuDRU4WcJrAXRTHGaFCbqlpzMN2mILQfqvAXvc9SynLCpxzC0kds15LPP7uvzBq2xz97g7KxNrVUidWcsCSue6XNl07R4WslWf-bQZQMS7vo6FyjzOLhwpM1UJEqofy4_-/s1600/IMG_5079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYzc_goDq7pNuDRU4WcJrAXRTHGaFCbqlpzMN2mILQfqvAXvc9SynLCpxzC0kds15LPP7uvzBq2xz97g7KxNrVUidWcsCSue6XNl07R4WslWf-bQZQMS7vo6FyjzOLhwpM1UJEqofy4_-/s320/IMG_5079.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The exploring part of the fishing thing. The Geologist in my wife. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Oh8-q3RH-UNVgb6U8HOpHnahtfT9WlWT5Cq07nQ0jXIfTFAefgPIezWeTSBnLHEQ8XlkylF3j_i7GmWwXB78fSddCJiJ9aIRG3gBMYE2-WOfUIksUydJz3ZmygL4AYx2Qx3-i8HcSs33/s1600/IMG_5091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Oh8-q3RH-UNVgb6U8HOpHnahtfT9WlWT5Cq07nQ0jXIfTFAefgPIezWeTSBnLHEQ8XlkylF3j_i7GmWwXB78fSddCJiJ9aIRG3gBMYE2-WOfUIksUydJz3ZmygL4AYx2Qx3-i8HcSs33/s320/IMG_5091.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The temperature dropped sharply on our second day in Sag Harbor. The cold windy, sunny and low pressure weather pushed most of the Stripers out of the shallow water and the 14" Bluefish showed up. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYlEFD6klftb8V7Um0iZpN7dIW0YmHujeSVkTQOnPw2EWjAs52MDIqp3bpnZ9EJvk4EpU8DAzNw_4js2Z2nXTofakRT6LaEY-xvK4BUzKP0liTRQhWksnrgOAfTKAmzwEWztzgyKASuWg7/s1600/IMG_5198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYlEFD6klftb8V7Um0iZpN7dIW0YmHujeSVkTQOnPw2EWjAs52MDIqp3bpnZ9EJvk4EpU8DAzNw_4js2Z2nXTofakRT6LaEY-xvK4BUzKP0liTRQhWksnrgOAfTKAmzwEWztzgyKASuWg7/s320/IMG_5198.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cool piece of art on the wall at out rental cabin in Sag Harbor, NY. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWpOCYS0sMRjXDQsHKUdGgQVmkxEkJzhSSHZdWzgI4SsfWmx5QQKahf5jz3Me1A6tj3kV66jyzl4t3c8ScKy7nwXl4o3pC36dryEadDoAuDaKF8lh7nbBskLAmzorjMupBXmyoHUHIARQ/s1600/IMG_5194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWpOCYS0sMRjXDQsHKUdGgQVmkxEkJzhSSHZdWzgI4SsfWmx5QQKahf5jz3Me1A6tj3kV66jyzl4t3c8ScKy7nwXl4o3pC36dryEadDoAuDaKF8lh7nbBskLAmzorjMupBXmyoHUHIARQ/s320/IMG_5194.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where the big Stripers migrate. The Striped Bass migrate south along the East Coast from Maine to North Carolina.<br />
They eat as they go. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8ljh35Y5ebyfLJV_imQnmw5JuDc39SJ-NVmQN_1dIhhRowSjTMoHcPK290TWDClYZgQjiVuLs255a1NmRbRpLy6rYN7ZIIJCPCL9X6kSIUxgVUrK8VgwDQyybPMD0MSiB0YmPidEkDJn/s1600/IMG_5189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8ljh35Y5ebyfLJV_imQnmw5JuDc39SJ-NVmQN_1dIhhRowSjTMoHcPK290TWDClYZgQjiVuLs255a1NmRbRpLy6rYN7ZIIJCPCL9X6kSIUxgVUrK8VgwDQyybPMD0MSiB0YmPidEkDJn/s320/IMG_5189.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They opened up Saggaponack Pond to the ocean using a bulldozer and track hoe to move the wind driven sand dune dam out of the way. I got there at 4:30 AM and was ready to fish. The tea stained fresh brackish water flowing out into the surf here holds the interest of the big migrating Striped Bass. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_12eBSR7JG6zn_brDft35a2NCvS7e4B6kAEq2lb-S4RrZjelEy-PqbQ0RBetYJdVvlrWZ3Hcvtb0uGzfJFSLimVqKY49pOPHlr6xr7ocHdWoduvRP5XdzNRinzTCOI7lx8rwqTULNHgvQ/s1600/IMG_5192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_12eBSR7JG6zn_brDft35a2NCvS7e4B6kAEq2lb-S4RrZjelEy-PqbQ0RBetYJdVvlrWZ3Hcvtb0uGzfJFSLimVqKY49pOPHlr6xr7ocHdWoduvRP5XdzNRinzTCOI7lx8rwqTULNHgvQ/s320/IMG_5192.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A dream come true for me. Two very big bass hit within a few minutes of each other.<br />
This fish was released to continue its journey south. </td></tr>
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<br />Seagull with French Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713675171423860468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-69470761096330178722018-02-02T19:47:00.001-08:002018-02-04T13:51:02.596-08:00Costa Rica<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Bri and I visited the West side of Costa Rica for three weeks in January. Spending time in La Fortuna, Tamarindo, Bejuco and Pavonnes. My parents met up with us for 4 days in the mountains near La Fortuna.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILuHIsokg0M_wdHFhyNtGzDx8Bj2y9Ip3F-AcwzJuZwq5PbKMvGe7f8_MwtJrmYB4X_ID2IZpDMhdlawE6H7TAVf3RM8eEgRjgZ-kfGY1CilD8O8FtLdvcP8O46xPfT0OpSRaj4gl9q6H/s1600/RaftingFront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="1000" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILuHIsokg0M_wdHFhyNtGzDx8Bj2y9Ip3F-AcwzJuZwq5PbKMvGe7f8_MwtJrmYB4X_ID2IZpDMhdlawE6H7TAVf3RM8eEgRjgZ-kfGY1CilD8O8FtLdvcP8O46xPfT0OpSRaj4gl9q6H/s320/RaftingFront.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We tried to kill my parents by booking a rafting trip on the Rio Balsa at flood stage. If I had to guess I'd say it was gushing at over 4000 CFS. But amazingly nobody fell out. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmBqKKRVzVJiOViaUwBhIz2FFOA1svWEC4q3r7TPJzWRf_W4qkpCPrTVFZSThuUZg5qxgHlIapCnrtOax3q4fMd4Z-ha09ukwuA3BUbKQu2ZbJQvtBHk-ba0fkhUYyFUXYbANaiAx7wk1/s1600/RaftingSide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmBqKKRVzVJiOViaUwBhIz2FFOA1svWEC4q3r7TPJzWRf_W4qkpCPrTVFZSThuUZg5qxgHlIapCnrtOax3q4fMd4Z-ha09ukwuA3BUbKQu2ZbJQvtBHk-ba0fkhUYyFUXYbANaiAx7wk1/s320/RaftingSide.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFJemXFY8EKC_KkmxxujYBO3CA4M5qn2NokeVhHKiSlgOQzgKmwKlhjae0CISQndoOWEw8htEx4cys0HxNTTGxPqytg_7JW1zJh9TuzQRotBsY6htUp0dnwpKb8gxhWwowqVO5jmjAdYg/s1600/Papayas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFJemXFY8EKC_KkmxxujYBO3CA4M5qn2NokeVhHKiSlgOQzgKmwKlhjae0CISQndoOWEw8htEx4cys0HxNTTGxPqytg_7JW1zJh9TuzQRotBsY6htUp0dnwpKb8gxhWwowqVO5jmjAdYg/s320/Papayas.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A papaya farm across the street from our cabin in La Fortuna. The yellow cards are used as sticky traps for the insects attracted to yellow.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EBJadZGktKy4cDEVyc0nJ-LXcGM2Nr0kZTd6xrZOyq673dKrWdbp8R7lFwa1CAUBKZ9HuGNZ3PrtTqEBz1zCgcZDetMXTJbNHGyv2RFQRHc1KO9dvYwlvGQm6coKsQg52BvzB6iT3eft/s1600/CoffeeDude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EBJadZGktKy4cDEVyc0nJ-LXcGM2Nr0kZTd6xrZOyq673dKrWdbp8R7lFwa1CAUBKZ9HuGNZ3PrtTqEBz1zCgcZDetMXTJbNHGyv2RFQRHc1KO9dvYwlvGQm6coKsQg52BvzB6iT3eft/s320/CoffeeDude.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee class at Don Juan coffee in La Fortuna. You'll be a much more informed coffee drinker. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJ1BoQlGiG0A6ZTTpknqT4imkad4ZeBzrhcPrrr9XvlZcZfiHv3X7yqhcKZ8IXYtknNhwEKQRozqDRaApnhmNWCT8df-ObhKOBluGVyt0eOEbaM2lH0ozUy61kD6x10bGhMFMt9x9zC0n/s1600/ChocolateClass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJ1BoQlGiG0A6ZTTpknqT4imkad4ZeBzrhcPrrr9XvlZcZfiHv3X7yqhcKZ8IXYtknNhwEKQRozqDRaApnhmNWCT8df-ObhKOBluGVyt0eOEbaM2lH0ozUy61kD6x10bGhMFMt9x9zC0n/s320/ChocolateClass.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate class in La Fortuna. My mother and my wife taking charge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYmepScN1TJ4UEWfz2UagZaZ8gDUHId5ysYrLVk5GlMuyKZzkSYGd301zqZCMBvuC0tiHLF_4qVoffclLCOOkifPjISsemXb-pAUSu0KwtRk4jKluIHWbPgK9Wm8BqPnU68b9NxC5h9kN/s1600/SugarCane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1001" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYmepScN1TJ4UEWfz2UagZaZ8gDUHId5ysYrLVk5GlMuyKZzkSYGd301zqZCMBvuC0tiHLF_4qVoffclLCOOkifPjISsemXb-pAUSu0KwtRk4jKluIHWbPgK9Wm8BqPnU68b9NxC5h9kN/s320/SugarCane.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sugar cane pressing and sugar moonshine tasting demo after the day of rafting. All of the tours we did in Costa Rica were first class. They often fed you an amazing meal. I never did tire of the Gallo Pinto the entire trip. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8dWLQ3mMhsUO3EnLu3dyTsFvFrRAZHODE6VmaWyfEIFTTlJWqz3SWSH4FvNbVJMCbwtY8VLNfuX5pKqC0nYB2o4xFqE_a_qLtNQCVWeLE-4V95dMMH2y1LyOzVX4Wm3_9sOnbl0xI0orA/s1600/BriAnkle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8dWLQ3mMhsUO3EnLu3dyTsFvFrRAZHODE6VmaWyfEIFTTlJWqz3SWSH4FvNbVJMCbwtY8VLNfuX5pKqC0nYB2o4xFqE_a_qLtNQCVWeLE-4V95dMMH2y1LyOzVX4Wm3_9sOnbl0xI0orA/s320/BriAnkle.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bri fixing a Dutch woman's damaged ankle at the rafting pull-out. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OiMDp_mxujgUNMjoirxuJj_qpJBaBFJzU9NnaxEyjh2NMxuxY7K9gs-Y9GlLNDQ3Wi3skkZGLE40Per630Pti3mRyqQ8KSWPsI5J-pHLHgRjktVV2pMHNa-NDu-c6eA-DLirXXyqwd8v/s1600/Mary+Gary+pre-raft.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OiMDp_mxujgUNMjoirxuJj_qpJBaBFJzU9NnaxEyjh2NMxuxY7K9gs-Y9GlLNDQ3Wi3skkZGLE40Per630Pti3mRyqQ8KSWPsI5J-pHLHgRjktVV2pMHNa-NDu-c6eA-DLirXXyqwd8v/s320/Mary+Gary+pre-raft.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My parents were very good sports about the high water terrifying rafting. We saw Howler monkeys huddled in the rain high up in the trees along the river. They warned us the first 25 minutes solid on this river was rapids.... and indeed it was. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxaoXHMemR-HSjTC-XhMYLjWD3BOAEhoAo9mxC1FU9dszvUxIRlPQf0qJrbww_exl8j1G0P1i4gfaLFVNw-UrVk-CiY8CEqLc8KXBzbLOWXo24zFzR9mNukul_i1E1mVSRRZmTsPT9qMX3/s1600/Sloth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxaoXHMemR-HSjTC-XhMYLjWD3BOAEhoAo9mxC1FU9dszvUxIRlPQf0qJrbww_exl8j1G0P1i4gfaLFVNw-UrVk-CiY8CEqLc8KXBzbLOWXo24zFzR9mNukul_i1E1mVSRRZmTsPT9qMX3/s320/Sloth.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3-toed Sloth - made visible along the highway by the guides spotting scope.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPc0YLRJiD2iBrqMMtKnkDQNLx05wnKa5VkOkBb2kFnufJg8-y7zcA4PAItHXzZfeAaeWnMxNvNsmCACiA-c6f1wwZCpuNkjR17AiHh5jmuUz7oM_vO8TuINGfNnsvP_FPQO-6lLxp1qD7/s1600/HotelJungle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPc0YLRJiD2iBrqMMtKnkDQNLx05wnKa5VkOkBb2kFnufJg8-y7zcA4PAItHXzZfeAaeWnMxNvNsmCACiA-c6f1wwZCpuNkjR17AiHh5jmuUz7oM_vO8TuINGfNnsvP_FPQO-6lLxp1qD7/s320/HotelJungle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small hotel overlooking Lake Arenal and the Arenal Volcano. Toucans and Aracari flew around and ate the bananas put out for them. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM689VPFzrj13TliJnRVwZgRU_nosNULmqdMlt6kbYg2-gOpQMWpxY166QTasS2WdmgNQZVt1NR9AQprMQ5hxL4AUShV6n6WpQuGzu4IaRWeBmWc5jF7rvpZIDmfPTHmyabgPbkzxwSd01/s1600/FrogHotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM689VPFzrj13TliJnRVwZgRU_nosNULmqdMlt6kbYg2-gOpQMWpxY166QTasS2WdmgNQZVt1NR9AQprMQ5hxL4AUShV6n6WpQuGzu4IaRWeBmWc5jF7rvpZIDmfPTHmyabgPbkzxwSd01/s320/FrogHotel.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite Looney Tunes character of all time. Hello my honey. Hello my baby. Hello my ragtime gal. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOrurnS1ru17xyp8R5djDmjiMKVGAYL2EK3Pb7Jc8j_pkuJw8LImC_SY0GLTF92PuB_Se2tyxJLiUlXdpB-NUwG6j3LOc2nmNpqPCc4JoHTIZUwyeTgZjlcTiGHdiQ1ECwzvE7fe5kahi/s1600/FamilyFrog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="1000" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOrurnS1ru17xyp8R5djDmjiMKVGAYL2EK3Pb7Jc8j_pkuJw8LImC_SY0GLTF92PuB_Se2tyxJLiUlXdpB-NUwG6j3LOc2nmNpqPCc4JoHTIZUwyeTgZjlcTiGHdiQ1ECwzvE7fe5kahi/s320/FamilyFrog.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We are not drunk zip liners - but you would not know it from this zany antics photo. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvbMUne3tdi2Znet464T40cBCUVL-b23-WA9dIrVqb0rDhm2ViefcvPJx8gRO_wn_3C4MnQhbNbz_IFImDnf991fQ5FMQGlCAD4yoVT__ZZl5iQiGNgJqyrni9jo-jya41TPPTxPCLHps/s1600/BabyBoat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvbMUne3tdi2Znet464T40cBCUVL-b23-WA9dIrVqb0rDhm2ViefcvPJx8gRO_wn_3C4MnQhbNbz_IFImDnf991fQ5FMQGlCAD4yoVT__ZZl5iQiGNgJqyrni9jo-jya41TPPTxPCLHps/s320/BabyBoat.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tamarindo, Costa Rica. Kinda a wretched hive of scum and villany. You get offered pot and coke on the main drag a lot. This boat at the corner of Playa Langosto - looks staged for modeling shoots. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEJeAN8r3ke9zelR3KSNd65tDxQg-3HRBAD49ZDWF_vnrZKNSqXwFHcbApHn2PGmsL6vRoSPJZsaY9DeJP4FkCdOnVDtAwXkTPV4y2moJEU7gOe7vViRBFkOW8BPrnLtJS9aVJ1YP39Zz/s1600/NeilRock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEJeAN8r3ke9zelR3KSNd65tDxQg-3HRBAD49ZDWF_vnrZKNSqXwFHcbApHn2PGmsL6vRoSPJZsaY9DeJP4FkCdOnVDtAwXkTPV4y2moJEU7gOe7vViRBFkOW8BPrnLtJS9aVJ1YP39Zz/s320/NeilRock.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fishing it hard. Typically I am able to get in 2 hours of fishing before anybody else gets out of bed. By the end of the trip I learned a lot. Shore fishing there is a high tide fishery - but some areas fish better at low tide. Either way if you have sunrise or sunset lining up with high tide you need to be fishing. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNnBpv18_ftjtaLxm0fW0in46NHIyLDVBMDnnTxIOucsgH3KD5X3NDYfZd4k57lo1oCe8h21oOETPvQXUNxPnvDy0G_ZKyRub4oyR3EHP_TmZ9RB88fZ3H6cANG7bfaJb04kAlaTHlpBE/s1600/CuberaPopper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNnBpv18_ftjtaLxm0fW0in46NHIyLDVBMDnnTxIOucsgH3KD5X3NDYfZd4k57lo1oCe8h21oOETPvQXUNxPnvDy0G_ZKyRub4oyR3EHP_TmZ9RB88fZ3H6cANG7bfaJb04kAlaTHlpBE/s320/CuberaPopper.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This 6 lb. Cubera Snapper slammed a topwater lure at first light. I am persistent and lucky. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwg1y2tl5hRN9dzWbe0SAYCnG3YW02LMa35XD2qvH_3wA34UtB8inX5_GDWxuNbxKtinsN-qN4-tvGm-BpjbBK5Vxunnmjy_o_hPl1qfsMRtjbNZ2BsUfbemfzpvUwLO7DWuAmc_i-Nzs3/s1600/CuberaHold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="836" data-original-width="1000" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwg1y2tl5hRN9dzWbe0SAYCnG3YW02LMa35XD2qvH_3wA34UtB8inX5_GDWxuNbxKtinsN-qN4-tvGm-BpjbBK5Vxunnmjy_o_hPl1qfsMRtjbNZ2BsUfbemfzpvUwLO7DWuAmc_i-Nzs3/s320/CuberaHold.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took it back to the cabin and Bri cooked it up for dinner for us and our new friend Yvonne. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKVV9HBTcyAJw2_1VsL06Q6r_QZ3Xz1kQ1IUkGvrIKQS5Y0dOR9Hmcg8TxQ9s4IZE6sZaC4ajJgP-KCd0VvIKrMjhidQrQ-N-bMXryzGJ3vqZiqi_WP1GpEvYZNDEtB9uN_3pDTYafgAB/s1600/FishSoup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKVV9HBTcyAJw2_1VsL06Q6r_QZ3Xz1kQ1IUkGvrIKQS5Y0dOR9Hmcg8TxQ9s4IZE6sZaC4ajJgP-KCd0VvIKrMjhidQrQ-N-bMXryzGJ3vqZiqi_WP1GpEvYZNDEtB9uN_3pDTYafgAB/s320/FishSoup.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is what Bri whipped up from the big Snapper back at the cabin. Ingredients: Cubera Snapper, coconut milk, lime, cilantro, carrots, avocado, brown rice. Just add Imperial Beer and a Pina Colada. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnkSwxkh3h6h9MC7qZb6HBWUW3R_H8JRoxIOVXx3DHGAAGp7m-igXHQNuiDOWgdMmnagU4JPK_byTuMivgpVoYB9HwjG-K1sjhvuzhuWVsjOuNqFs6n0lZfD48PGkvbnKygPh4HcXlRGb/s1600/JacoSurf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnkSwxkh3h6h9MC7qZb6HBWUW3R_H8JRoxIOVXx3DHGAAGp7m-igXHQNuiDOWgdMmnagU4JPK_byTuMivgpVoYB9HwjG-K1sjhvuzhuWVsjOuNqFs6n0lZfD48PGkvbnKygPh4HcXlRGb/s320/JacoSurf.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"It never stops" said another fisherman to me. Fishing the rocks at the south end of Jaco Beach. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tamarindo - AKA Tamargringo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcn3sG0sl0ig_9KqbjVeenePmqRiOT8K4M08JPvQGyYsvfi8x5eKRu78hTcdJwbpyhW4KEQUHg4AGWsDqohc0xQB8guOcuexfhSMD60JLUK8QYhNtMkZUh7dqNqmVZPVfE60w-q2o1k-1T/s1600/Velocidad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcn3sG0sl0ig_9KqbjVeenePmqRiOT8K4M08JPvQGyYsvfi8x5eKRu78hTcdJwbpyhW4KEQUHg4AGWsDqohc0xQB8guOcuexfhSMD60JLUK8QYhNtMkZUh7dqNqmVZPVfE60w-q2o1k-1T/s320/Velocidad.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tamarindo - as trashy as it is - is a good intro into coastal Costa Rica. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26mLBcPDw-ICwj8QJkNbj08Pr0HnOzZr13pRU7qoXBnXyCIXIciX_3kWRXyyDjPsuyMDpQHYRqFrnB6C3SWhPP-NzPKBYVniqu9BcJrqyPrBM06wOzKsUBRTEZsQjB7SrA07_agqH6_oE/s1600/Crocodile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1001" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26mLBcPDw-ICwj8QJkNbj08Pr0HnOzZr13pRU7qoXBnXyCIXIciX_3kWRXyyDjPsuyMDpQHYRqFrnB6C3SWhPP-NzPKBYVniqu9BcJrqyPrBM06wOzKsUBRTEZsQjB7SrA07_agqH6_oE/s320/Crocodile.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Under the bridge over the Tarcoles River along the main highway. Someone is feeding these guys - likely raw chickens at night. There were no less than 20 hanging out here - and the souvenir shops nearby were very busy with the croc gawkers. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4Ab9_WuGD9E7pkDRL5gsy5i1xNHMImgNJibFynhFzA3L8McJ6G66_4TupY-DRo-ajLa-fK1_eOxn7u1QxLa49fFqLUne8gXnqRRW66WNMnpEmwiNZjtYdqm2egLG2hB3PgiKVZh2C42P/s1600/BejucoEstuary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4Ab9_WuGD9E7pkDRL5gsy5i1xNHMImgNJibFynhFzA3L8McJ6G66_4TupY-DRo-ajLa-fK1_eOxn7u1QxLa49fFqLUne8gXnqRRW66WNMnpEmwiNZjtYdqm2egLG2hB3PgiKVZh2C42P/s320/BejucoEstuary.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least 3 estuary mouths in the north looked amazing for fishing - including this one at Playa Bejuco. I fished them hard with little result and then learned in the San Jose Ex-Pat paper at the end of the trip that the north does not have good fishing November to May basically. Just not the season for the rain dumping down the rivers and the bait close to shore. But the fishing got good and lucky for me several hours to the south. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding horses near Dominical. Lots of monkeys at the end of this trail ride. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0wdmtlq0ldGUVVfXmYRpoQ6RGqcF84qogGvBKUzcy2pej7Wrie3qItcIQdK2qCE2iv4GWK89KoF1DUeSfuRIV-gdPjjXkpwO0fZJ3TDsZcK45um_VD5w-JZt4HL4NRpIY9v_aXo9pUjB/s1600/Horses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0wdmtlq0ldGUVVfXmYRpoQ6RGqcF84qogGvBKUzcy2pej7Wrie3qItcIQdK2qCE2iv4GWK89KoF1DUeSfuRIV-gdPjjXkpwO0fZJ3TDsZcK45um_VD5w-JZt4HL4NRpIY9v_aXo9pUjB/s320/Horses.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNv4h8-tXkJvNYYVXGz_rJFavLLwzF_jmdX1nHbW48tTmUzbzZvDkjIwIzXHtCWa-MiLwsgCvqB0uldI_nOhraDCvghLgGHZ8d_HhFVQooMwGQhterrKkxLW7tHq2qvxcgEVN8xkX37Wf/s1600/Waterfall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1001" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNv4h8-tXkJvNYYVXGz_rJFavLLwzF_jmdX1nHbW48tTmUzbzZvDkjIwIzXHtCWa-MiLwsgCvqB0uldI_nOhraDCvghLgGHZ8d_HhFVQooMwGQhterrKkxLW7tHq2qvxcgEVN8xkX37Wf/s320/Waterfall.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The horse trail ride terminates at a multi tiered waterfall and you take a cool swim. They feed you breakfast -then they take you on horses to a cabin on the trail and feed you an amazing lunch. The whole day was $70 a person. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enter the tiny town of Zancudo. Like Everglades city on bad acid with 4 times as many crocs. My kind of place. I feel like I need to return in the rainy season to really get a feel for the place. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCW5kE_FMFCjx9TSFYi4aLPCM0z1aqQ-ukBrHwcguKHfNfiYPl_CjLN3cjuPPro_SJOrG5izzKu5Rpg6zJD3YvE3t8meWKCnF39bwierfm4Gx_6nSy-eOdyxhyphenhyphenaaVGK2VxelIV-uWNfghC/s1600/ZancudoBeach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCW5kE_FMFCjx9TSFYi4aLPCM0z1aqQ-ukBrHwcguKHfNfiYPl_CjLN3cjuPPro_SJOrG5izzKu5Rpg6zJD3YvE3t8meWKCnF39bwierfm4Gx_6nSy-eOdyxhyphenhyphenaaVGK2VxelIV-uWNfghC/s320/ZancudoBeach.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I loved the heavy heavy dose of solitude. But it may not be everyone's cup of tea. The three towns near the Panama border are the opposite of a resort. Cheap, dusty, real and exposed. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrQ84FWJzOqvsu01GwVSkX0O2F4ymQybnrRVv04oJEDDp89AN7SFdhmydpupLhIK2lbHc2A3m99JKSlpjE2-ZsXplCKt6rO7656UpLEt_4PpYa0VLxatEmqS2_9q1n6A4phQIVMej3aCq/s1600/CrocLure.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrQ84FWJzOqvsu01GwVSkX0O2F4ymQybnrRVv04oJEDDp89AN7SFdhmydpupLhIK2lbHc2A3m99JKSlpjE2-ZsXplCKt6rO7656UpLEt_4PpYa0VLxatEmqS2_9q1n6A4phQIVMej3aCq/s320/CrocLure.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sign warning of the crocs in the River at Zancudo. With a crushed 9" Rapala stuck to the sign. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvuQdpMQhVEfcNGOmh7bs1docpDOdB2LemkWvqSbLGKXTMdQQNQzBMyxfW5fhZKG-JjLwLTgCB0dPLTakt2UnKw4M7UlANUpBFmxorew8HhoOFfIMqmeSq98V4xJESWcs-Iy3jiBLc1af/s1600/GOPR2409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvuQdpMQhVEfcNGOmh7bs1docpDOdB2LemkWvqSbLGKXTMdQQNQzBMyxfW5fhZKG-JjLwLTgCB0dPLTakt2UnKw4M7UlANUpBFmxorew8HhoOFfIMqmeSq98V4xJESWcs-Iy3jiBLc1af/s320/GOPR2409.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very proud of my hard fishing wife. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSnsGZmKdoO0FoFBG045RBpxVxle3U6Sy9iqVD0pt2z-olsg3RP-pWMTVSx7U6su_4HyHt9j8QBG2FebqNaL5n9mjY0odtO7LbBo4d88bXtT3IaV5HbC_bnMdCTkL_ccQ8fG4QABIxnLI/s1600/SmallJack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSnsGZmKdoO0FoFBG045RBpxVxle3U6Sy9iqVD0pt2z-olsg3RP-pWMTVSx7U6su_4HyHt9j8QBG2FebqNaL5n9mjY0odtO7LbBo4d88bXtT3IaV5HbC_bnMdCTkL_ccQ8fG4QABIxnLI/s320/SmallJack.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lil' marauders. Tiny yet powerful jacks patrol the river mouth. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3iUNu0yg0mQR_5ckMy0h37qBEb7LQS39v43nyKS_GOAeYrBC-qO4qS-y_dVZHMpWgyzWJiMPa8-j9GxJZDmK6z6WHfDFCVYagvZbETd-f-4d5ov2ZVWwNHFBFAOqKaLNaNVLhnGMIlev/s1600/SurfSun.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3iUNu0yg0mQR_5ckMy0h37qBEb7LQS39v43nyKS_GOAeYrBC-qO4qS-y_dVZHMpWgyzWJiMPa8-j9GxJZDmK6z6WHfDFCVYagvZbETd-f-4d5ov2ZVWwNHFBFAOqKaLNaNVLhnGMIlev/s320/SurfSun.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ocean bats last. It is ok to get worked while surfing. It is not ok to get worked in the rocks while surf fishing in big rocks. Bri and I had a disagreement when I hooked a mongo Rooster fish from the rocks and got a little smashed while trying and failing to land it - after a dramatic 20 minute battle the line finally cut on a big rock near shore... I will remember seeing that beast eat my lure right in front of me as long as I live. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzVsD2U35LdMp9lQkMEZPT0TVW6Z_zcaNy5Q-lKqZZ8GK_lNA6Qew0PF81LfyYMh_6poPdtLyz-5Jo67LHvvQYf5iU5t7fXVafC4EjGZiw4aHuw4IUea1GCw_7bK7uxOuuRXc_y5VLlcQ/s1600/NeilBriPool.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzVsD2U35LdMp9lQkMEZPT0TVW6Z_zcaNy5Q-lKqZZ8GK_lNA6Qew0PF81LfyYMh_6poPdtLyz-5Jo67LHvvQYf5iU5t7fXVafC4EjGZiw4aHuw4IUea1GCw_7bK7uxOuuRXc_y5VLlcQ/s320/NeilBriPool.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilling in the pool at Finca Los Mangos. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtK88G4RVQx4Ig7jlfjz91yrnlbI0jhxxRtCU0FlvZRQh1G9bVYzeA5lbFC454dzdKUuDAw9B7WJgEqGZ8CwnV6IBC0332TTRvY2PL-CYMO6Vqe4AwOlBJftkVq7TKCxqPHJyH6GE5CclX/s1600/NeilRainbowR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtK88G4RVQx4Ig7jlfjz91yrnlbI0jhxxRtCU0FlvZRQh1G9bVYzeA5lbFC454dzdKUuDAw9B7WJgEqGZ8CwnV6IBC0332TTRvY2PL-CYMO6Vqe4AwOlBJftkVq7TKCxqPHJyH6GE5CclX/s320/NeilRainbowR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Rainbow Runner caught casting lures over big submerged rocks of the Osa Peninsula from Christoff's boat. Our host for our stay in Pavonnes was nice enough to take me out on his boat and let me sling lures of the front with my tiny travel rod. The bigger stronger Rooster fish beat me at least twice on the trip. 20 lb test was pretty much a joke to a lot of the bigger fish off Osa. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7K7R_zxzHC-g8T7n0MnksRwbKEjPXqwZ3Dj5tCCc8XiGhGGLbD9j_gEx2h1683sNCqjY53tUYl9prcTc38okJRIqOwQokDqf7A4TrtpYekQkQclXLnEBwFf0F9o2M6e61fIoCyTv4Jn0L/s1600/DeepFish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7K7R_zxzHC-g8T7n0MnksRwbKEjPXqwZ3Dj5tCCc8XiGhGGLbD9j_gEx2h1683sNCqjY53tUYl9prcTc38okJRIqOwQokDqf7A4TrtpYekQkQclXLnEBwFf0F9o2M6e61fIoCyTv4Jn0L/s320/DeepFish.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I caught this fish on a lure (3" white curl tail) at nearly 200 feet deep. About 190 feet deeper than I ever fish anywhere else. It was an extremely cute fish that went promptly back in the water. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZ6QrSKgryytrK_oojS7VwekPi4O71edt2HSkhhDPsSbu3drwdB_nyRo5CIkBLy5Yz2VJTBAhREi9O5U9ni59jsqrgfEJfF7WdQXNOTa-t0SN7ERkuQiQMjXqT3QmKEf_fACEEspN96PV/s1600/ChrisRooster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="500" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZ6QrSKgryytrK_oojS7VwekPi4O71edt2HSkhhDPsSbu3drwdB_nyRo5CIkBLy5Yz2VJTBAhREi9O5U9ni59jsqrgfEJfF7WdQXNOTa-t0SN7ERkuQiQMjXqT3QmKEf_fACEEspN96PV/s320/ChrisRooster.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Veteran surfer, bluewater expert and all around stud - Christoff Diaz with a serious Rooster fish caught slow trolling the beach from the back of the same boat. I connected with at least two of these guys from the rocks on shore - during my stay in the south of the country - but my light travel gear was no match. 20 lb. line was a joke to the 40 lb. Rooster I hooked at high tide. I shall return to Pavonnes when my Jedi training is complete. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ldv4jqRbvdsHNnePyQKI2Sd4FoE0uThH0XGBrux8nKksd6xwxLG0pCIyFNvJJP_-jQd0J9heBzI3x7-EHcJjJb6o9q6UFSN8uDCvJS9aBcbVxB6HlVxU-3fxOWICM6wZ-ygdDRz-0Rny/s1600/Jack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ldv4jqRbvdsHNnePyQKI2Sd4FoE0uThH0XGBrux8nKksd6xwxLG0pCIyFNvJJP_-jQd0J9heBzI3x7-EHcJjJb6o9q6UFSN8uDCvJS9aBcbVxB6HlVxU-3fxOWICM6wZ-ygdDRz-0Rny/s320/Jack.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monster Jack at the cleaning station at Golfito. This boat went out 2 hours past us..... This guy would pull your john boat backwards. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHe8wD0iAH7FbaR_bQnjHROVTJ-Etnyk0uR9m0e-HpnUTLpHopGMoyYuFlMnnnIj_Iz3Lrk-kod2eHm3xVFaKDSJVltNKWpGNZgO2nXsIRfKPlkIGGjx8Bzvqb9ZyxYFxcNdBGt7T5-0y8/s1600/Tuna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHe8wD0iAH7FbaR_bQnjHROVTJ-Etnyk0uR9m0e-HpnUTLpHopGMoyYuFlMnnnIj_Iz3Lrk-kod2eHm3xVFaKDSJVltNKWpGNZgO2nXsIRfKPlkIGGjx8Bzvqb9ZyxYFxcNdBGt7T5-0y8/s320/Tuna.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guide boat captain filleting a tuna. Where sushi starts - at the cleaning station at the dock at Golfito. French fish nerds and fish groupies like myself gather round. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT4QNSGmre1aETlYOarD-gS1sXCH3Stba63G66YzRhBaB3w2vpqnENFTdzckiGQX_jhp371ibJZcG1aW4Fa93JpbZnSyJ0O6ghBVYWJRLmkGY2Pb1DLnui14FX3IzPvvxVxXOlMOFs7cFx/s1600/BigSushi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1000" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT4QNSGmre1aETlYOarD-gS1sXCH3Stba63G66YzRhBaB3w2vpqnENFTdzckiGQX_jhp371ibJZcG1aW4Fa93JpbZnSyJ0O6ghBVYWJRLmkGY2Pb1DLnui14FX3IzPvvxVxXOlMOFs7cFx/s320/BigSushi.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Highly highly oxygenated Yellowfin Tuna muscle. The unstoppable force. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zmfCNlsWPL-z9Ha_pf6Bv3NLsNJq3Bxo1c8kXUu2mTHAw5PS-jEo-1voi4OR_JUDJSQYlKyMbRcRRywYOkNBls1fTVeTbazlkyjbJCBHkricNPAIvpAeUExUWXG8Q89Wvf4v3K6Ibh6o/s1600/HomeSushi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zmfCNlsWPL-z9Ha_pf6Bv3NLsNJq3Bxo1c8kXUu2mTHAw5PS-jEo-1voi4OR_JUDJSQYlKyMbRcRRywYOkNBls1fTVeTbazlkyjbJCBHkricNPAIvpAeUExUWXG8Q89Wvf4v3K6Ibh6o/s320/HomeSushi.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freshest sushi possible with the local Imperial beer. At Christoff and Sandy's place - <b>Finca Los Mangos<br />www.fincalosmangos.com</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ02_3SGU7_Jbgkim4udZxOhhXJX6uAuwW1XaCpXqPhfvUCmICtc-WapIEzXgvlxcWdyiYZZPROCrkm2r8wa_JINip4D4nRt_9jUPxXV5ux2fi30QL-i3JX6_0x1_YjQ7BoVHilqidnG9m/s1600/OutdoorKitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ02_3SGU7_Jbgkim4udZxOhhXJX6uAuwW1XaCpXqPhfvUCmICtc-WapIEzXgvlxcWdyiYZZPROCrkm2r8wa_JINip4D4nRt_9jUPxXV5ux2fi30QL-i3JX6_0x1_YjQ7BoVHilqidnG9m/s320/OutdoorKitchen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christoff's rental cabins. A great minimalist style. The best place in the world. He is building a wonderful neighborhood in the hills outside of Pavonnes. I am hatching plans to figure out how to buy a piece there - as he has several lots for sale of various sizes. I experienced my very first earthquake while staying at this cabin. I was up in the bathroom at 3:45 AM and felt the 4.8 shake the whole house. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYisXsqq9k15n5IKPksP9BjODqBuiJQTSbGoLKB3Ol6hYRyBSohaaU97AP19P0AfEN4f-A5yMB0cMibTNQxClMxJ7iPqcO3wTL9Gj7-ucLqrUtEHgXk0Mx5JCZNKw2kW2noXouchuCnZMG/s1600/BriSurf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYisXsqq9k15n5IKPksP9BjODqBuiJQTSbGoLKB3Ol6hYRyBSohaaU97AP19P0AfEN4f-A5yMB0cMibTNQxClMxJ7iPqcO3wTL9Gj7-ucLqrUtEHgXk0Mx5JCZNKw2kW2noXouchuCnZMG/s320/BriSurf.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We surfed twice on the trip. I got wrecked and tumbled in the big waves at Tamarindo my first time surfing. (I know that's weird since I skated and snowboarded for 10 years - 20 years ago. But with a great surf lesson in Pavonnes from Matthew - we were able to ride small waves into the beach. Bri is definitely a better surfer than me. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWKweRVDNTs2HepuVINEu6rq2eo-qDjh3iCXeTmnj4RLf1DCO-cWJd7MBu8HnNoeg7jyUO1uin6Q7bL8xHTV2urhQxSik5CHDeLeNsISJkqpK7Z3H6ZpoxjEhvWjCttDTba59kI3Yd8fD/s1600/NeilBriUnderwater.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWKweRVDNTs2HepuVINEu6rq2eo-qDjh3iCXeTmnj4RLf1DCO-cWJd7MBu8HnNoeg7jyUO1uin6Q7bL8xHTV2urhQxSik5CHDeLeNsISJkqpK7Z3H6ZpoxjEhvWjCttDTba59kI3Yd8fD/s320/NeilBriUnderwater.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cornballs in the pool at Finca Los Mangos</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3iUNu0yg0mQR_5ckMy0h37qBEb7LQS39v43nyKS_GOAeYrBC-qO4qS-y_dVZHMpWgyzWJiMPa8-j9GxJZDmK6z6WHfDFCVYagvZbETd-f-4d5ov2ZVWwNHFBFAOqKaLNaNVLhnGMIlev/s1600/SurfSun.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3iUNu0yg0mQR_5ckMy0h37qBEb7LQS39v43nyKS_GOAeYrBC-qO4qS-y_dVZHMpWgyzWJiMPa8-j9GxJZDmK6z6WHfDFCVYagvZbETd-f-4d5ov2ZVWwNHFBFAOqKaLNaNVLhnGMIlev/s320/SurfSun.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRUYZTnHl9J-s8uVUHSi9f1UvzFH59LUyPpiL2GvGmxZYGTdVyz0bBbMMxpCuuZYJyEhzdZtCxNXaTG6eNSVlFM9trmz4UeJeZZ20lOpWEkYbL_kchE1ExtiVf-64mnKc4YZdpqBdWmvE/s1600/Cart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRUYZTnHl9J-s8uVUHSi9f1UvzFH59LUyPpiL2GvGmxZYGTdVyz0bBbMMxpCuuZYJyEhzdZtCxNXaTG6eNSVlFM9trmz4UeJeZZ20lOpWEkYbL_kchE1ExtiVf-64mnKc4YZdpqBdWmvE/s320/Cart.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All hail Tico culture. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4e_5b4fOl3Iba2npoNlpyxVWyUr2hH2vAsywTzbT0oOwkBMdzIETkvqkiiNCwcyoPKnBsf2Lj64njw2WCh5_CKPPJV4eLld3SrDNxiTm9ODBhRCkktRwBjsayc_Pf6zTAa0NiAYjEWG8o/s1600/2cowsMan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="1000" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4e_5b4fOl3Iba2npoNlpyxVWyUr2hH2vAsywTzbT0oOwkBMdzIETkvqkiiNCwcyoPKnBsf2Lj64njw2WCh5_CKPPJV4eLld3SrDNxiTm9ODBhRCkktRwBjsayc_Pf6zTAa0NiAYjEWG8o/s320/2cowsMan.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We shall return. </td></tr>
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<br />Seagull with French Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713675171423860468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-19644825281936135142018-01-09T11:52:00.000-08:002018-01-09T11:52:19.000-08:00Wanderings of Mer-Leprechaun <b>Looking at the year of Fish: </b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVPtPHebe0N3BwSpWqgmtk7xXB2y1r0inBxUslC9imDQnWGe0VSSriRfNwwN0YNPyG6IWHgUziLIGqpWN3II8C6zaU5o0REs6ZFksNgIA7SBnZMBTbptzj3opOnGYaCpVqjRn3JQ68uhn/s1600/IMG_1091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="1024" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVPtPHebe0N3BwSpWqgmtk7xXB2y1r0inBxUslC9imDQnWGe0VSSriRfNwwN0YNPyG6IWHgUziLIGqpWN3II8C6zaU5o0REs6ZFksNgIA7SBnZMBTbptzj3opOnGYaCpVqjRn3JQ68uhn/s320/IMG_1091.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out on the NewPort Jetty at the end of December. Been wanting to get out there for years and figure out what Newport, OR is- but it is a 2 1/2 hour drive from our condo. This is one of those photos that suggest we never fight and that there are no dirty dishes in the sink. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5GwqXh1hH7PXoz6aW01ILyeSXmthr69XhIAM5D6TpjSrCpGi_Q2UfekAPmb7mRPSiTsdVLR_UtNx1Cf4OmO4uKvOJ-X9QqiiKTeFz1ZUQyGoIg6pDAINoGhwfOtxma0-ck2N_uoAzjRMO/s1600/IMG_1034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5GwqXh1hH7PXoz6aW01ILyeSXmthr69XhIAM5D6TpjSrCpGi_Q2UfekAPmb7mRPSiTsdVLR_UtNx1Cf4OmO4uKvOJ-X9QqiiKTeFz1ZUQyGoIg6pDAINoGhwfOtxma0-ck2N_uoAzjRMO/s320/IMG_1034.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bri's photo from our rental cabin on the coast for New Years. That is a massive Redwood stump stuck in the sand on the beach. So where the hell is the mer-leprechaun. Sure as shit not guarding his gold. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgRcSPuYNT0wwlQaJKCQK1sv227UbNXYNoDAIkWjRltRYSSpx2zQfsbBxv8p7kz2vZShHTSPxNfVkTefz-eTAG7fuqbinmzE3N5H3BcXMDbGYDY_fG5udQvpaYNHRBFqST7tmn1c1MFem/s1600/IMG_1068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgRcSPuYNT0wwlQaJKCQK1sv227UbNXYNoDAIkWjRltRYSSpx2zQfsbBxv8p7kz2vZShHTSPxNfVkTefz-eTAG7fuqbinmzE3N5H3BcXMDbGYDY_fG5udQvpaYNHRBFqST7tmn1c1MFem/s320/IMG_1068.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I added a few new fish species to my life list this year. This is one of them - the Cabezon. A really good eating fish that you do not keep along this particular jetty. At the sweet spot in the outgoing tide it required a full one ounce jig to get the lure down in front of the fish. Feel free to chime in my one cocky friend who thinks he is going to get these on fly. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PXjWMprkJ0rjjq7T6TugF96k7dYr3iQpb7co8DULDYCJk7zIa8H4geYZH_-IuAxzEtNBWjhufHo1HxW3H94NLiC9Is0QOcKcqhUcjQACIGKoRBo1aNgVJ4W0Bm6hc2_nGND-vM7jXsOh/s1600/IMG_3947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PXjWMprkJ0rjjq7T6TugF96k7dYr3iQpb7co8DULDYCJk7zIa8H4geYZH_-IuAxzEtNBWjhufHo1HxW3H94NLiC9Is0QOcKcqhUcjQACIGKoRBo1aNgVJ4W0Bm6hc2_nGND-vM7jXsOh/s320/IMG_3947.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New posted regulations along the NewPort Jetty. No keep on Cabezon and all species of Rockfish. Lingcod can be kept of spearfished. This is a good thing. This jetty is real close to a parking lot so it likely gets fished a lot in summer. Late December is not known for good fishing here. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdI6Bbbdnk4gakVPnvGQRZt4KO5raXhj5wCT-xQrMGm1PbD3ppoQ_TSTa4HyeZZUhWytS0IhDdjYw-3yEAXTDvpZMDmUUW511_RJpq5rbKXTJ4WBoML6gU_1IWLxshkxB9FQbLp-B8lPy/s1600/SeaBassSide2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdI6Bbbdnk4gakVPnvGQRZt4KO5raXhj5wCT-xQrMGm1PbD3ppoQ_TSTa4HyeZZUhWytS0IhDdjYw-3yEAXTDvpZMDmUUW511_RJpq5rbKXTJ4WBoML6gU_1IWLxshkxB9FQbLp-B8lPy/s320/SeaBassSide2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bigger Rockfish off the Newport Jetty. This one hit a 3" chartreuse rubber shad on a full ounce jig head.<br />At between 4 and 5 pounds - this individual may have benefited from the closed season to grow to this size. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARBktaStO-8W7M3HCztj5vNoh6mVfPdtyZFOYznnvxrlyZZJ2A07DG78nzPaZ8grruVkUYdXiKy9NSaZIQok0S5qZnXDxxyXaEXfI8xa9TVP1pp-0sws5BtLu-VJtioxza_0zo5OcbUsN/s1600/IMG_3715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARBktaStO-8W7M3HCztj5vNoh6mVfPdtyZFOYznnvxrlyZZJ2A07DG78nzPaZ8grruVkUYdXiKy9NSaZIQok0S5qZnXDxxyXaEXfI8xa9TVP1pp-0sws5BtLu-VJtioxza_0zo5OcbUsN/s320/IMG_3715.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not my work. A nice slice of a long mural at Cannon Beach, OR </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJwbmfu9pEbPkac12KN5QzOWFgw5_FsZ7-yrT3GCqFMBdqUb3yYZlIFrYWq7zIheE2xUzAT5ZJEEDADmJ5-CyGDbv__RZM2FbNbvtU4zbKunSBvXjLOqlzQP-JEczLotkmhoghPTjsye3/s1600/IMG_3867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJwbmfu9pEbPkac12KN5QzOWFgw5_FsZ7-yrT3GCqFMBdqUb3yYZlIFrYWq7zIheE2xUzAT5ZJEEDADmJ5-CyGDbv__RZM2FbNbvtU4zbKunSBvXjLOqlzQP-JEczLotkmhoghPTjsye3/s320/IMG_3867.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back in Iowa for Thanksgiving. Due to Bri's enthusiasm for my family and the slow season with the home inspection industry this has become an annual tradition - to get back home to Muscatine. High snob pie crust is made with either leaf lard or duck fat. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeZdkzJJSn7vpLRVezFBvVkhsDrOqfQrwf6ZaB3ShrKrDFU2O8c0uGR_JSaTL5WsAdoP9qBrBFUWtBMuSvmK-CZGqZtVAm1ivJ6W51-M57iflZXzs1BtPweHQrWN_7_9jV3oUbKWjfhfs/s1600/IMG_0781+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeZdkzJJSn7vpLRVezFBvVkhsDrOqfQrwf6ZaB3ShrKrDFU2O8c0uGR_JSaTL5WsAdoP9qBrBFUWtBMuSvmK-CZGqZtVAm1ivJ6W51-M57iflZXzs1BtPweHQrWN_7_9jV3oUbKWjfhfs/s320/IMG_0781+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iowa farm pond. Secret Iowa farm pond about a mile from the pie making. The Largemouth were hitting topwater "hula poppers" in late November. They did not hit on the 17 degree day --- but they ate on the 50 degree day. The most fun you can have. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkJGuz9n9Jq20uyKrtwUsLjF9uzce9Dk1U6Lc2w8G8XPXPpnyCORG5meGSmNeIZzEOE_aEzLcz2oBazu_bGGonIoUk9UZuVx8NZDzO3iW_322rQDqCK59uSAfFn8GHddir1UUAmFo5LQd/s1600/BassSide2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkJGuz9n9Jq20uyKrtwUsLjF9uzce9Dk1U6Lc2w8G8XPXPpnyCORG5meGSmNeIZzEOE_aEzLcz2oBazu_bGGonIoUk9UZuVx8NZDzO3iW_322rQDqCK59uSAfFn8GHddir1UUAmFo5LQd/s320/BassSide2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My fascination with invasive species. I bet I fished the Willamette River 8 times before connecting with my first Smallmouth. A few times this summer I landed 20 in quick morning sessions before work. Sometimes connecting on 3 or 4 casts in a row. This fish is native to only the Ohio River drainage. Its diaspora began with the creation of the Erie Canal and other man made transports. There are no regulations on the Smallmouth here and you will see desperados keeping every single one they catch regardless of size. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3U1mcVxYugJuucGANF-7sRu4Rntw_svHpBAq3CHzcannRDlsg5Usaamuzlgm4tavj0e7Av1o0J_0ND5CDsWrYdiaPOKOWmFv9b1WCSTWq01hho7VKIbgdr5N61bkerbzA-SG-yM4bOjSc/s1600/Shad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3U1mcVxYugJuucGANF-7sRu4Rntw_svHpBAq3CHzcannRDlsg5Usaamuzlgm4tavj0e7Av1o0J_0ND5CDsWrYdiaPOKOWmFv9b1WCSTWq01hho7VKIbgdr5N61bkerbzA-SG-yM4bOjSc/s320/Shad.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I make it a point to get out an fish the American Shad run at least once while they are in the Willamette in May and June every year the past 4 years. A true godsend - as this fish is another saltwater fish that swims well up into freshwater. Though unlike the East Coast of the USA where they are native - the tributary rivers here are too cold. They appear to spawn in the big main stems - as near as I can tell. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqF-8WfZCwWtLzLoh5zXGAipM_u2ZoX6VHWGkOTx-V6nAHvkMb9izf2ueJ6Jm3xoLRQuhaVkP385WU9l104CruECe-ZHo-DtOMvzb6qdu11rXMC-4Llukybx0MAD2uIeXNxxnPxapWqJ82/s1600/IMG_3595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqF-8WfZCwWtLzLoh5zXGAipM_u2ZoX6VHWGkOTx-V6nAHvkMb9izf2ueJ6Jm3xoLRQuhaVkP385WU9l104CruECe-ZHo-DtOMvzb6qdu11rXMC-4Llukybx0MAD2uIeXNxxnPxapWqJ82/s320/IMG_3595.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A makeshift salmon fishing shack along the Cowlitz River up in Washington. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9j_0LQC7U4RBhQwyhwZQDSeeYURa9orymy1gqDHckM7E5W1ZJ7ESb0J-IQT4xumH7_fDcTwPpuwwMF7jOsGl8OsCWrbW_81CPUXcwzmWjt6VxjBntd-WveA-NnimhkHRgt5Em2kfEGxFE/s1600/IMG_3890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9j_0LQC7U4RBhQwyhwZQDSeeYURa9orymy1gqDHckM7E5W1ZJ7ESb0J-IQT4xumH7_fDcTwPpuwwMF7jOsGl8OsCWrbW_81CPUXcwzmWjt6VxjBntd-WveA-NnimhkHRgt5Em2kfEGxFE/s320/IMG_3890.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Releasing a one foot long baby steelhead or "smolt" in Eagle Creek, OR. This fish would be gradually working its way downstream to the ocean where it can grow big. These freshwater rivers in Oregon are too cold, too clear and too infertile to support big fish. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohHs5iK48YUUbHI_FF-5Gud9mL_orX6kgGU25WAnsuSfBcR1c0c025ct9dvjLIe_QV57xIbVo1kjnX98UuxbPwlwjVSwAJcWccFFDSF7NnTMZb8omrzr5ghT5kFuKna9lu6Jp3UsBuYVM/s1600/DSCN1229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohHs5iK48YUUbHI_FF-5Gud9mL_orX6kgGU25WAnsuSfBcR1c0c025ct9dvjLIe_QV57xIbVo1kjnX98UuxbPwlwjVSwAJcWccFFDSF7NnTMZb8omrzr5ghT5kFuKna9lu6Jp3UsBuYVM/s320/DSCN1229.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rehashing the glory of this September Coho. The third cast of the morning at first light - in the lower river. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another sweet fishing shack along the banks of the Cowlitz River. You know where to find me. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting the gear ready for Costa Rica this month - the Pacific side. Last Year - In 3 weeks in Belize all of our soft lures got shredded by the end of the trip. So packing a few durable lures this time. I'll let you know how it goes.<br /><br /><br /><b>I'm sure 2018 will be mostly home inspecting ... but I shall try and get out fishing a few times. </b></td></tr>
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<br />Seagull with French Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713675171423860468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-22012555477983314302017-02-21T18:53:00.000-08:002017-02-26T12:11:35.134-08:00Belize Honeymoon : Rise of the 'Cuda<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We went to Belize for 18 days in February -<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAsD8iZdGMtxmgZ9RoMZZ0opuxgVZHDmoW93zQ_QoDcafaRuPBYlTdx3HHQbSELL7ycVCbCx6ziA66jogFIT6uHXdjkODy0IAAA_LzDAN07DA3b4C0tppv6PeeHSxQ9l8QNwtYkzVEuXT/s1600/IMG_3027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAsD8iZdGMtxmgZ9RoMZZ0opuxgVZHDmoW93zQ_QoDcafaRuPBYlTdx3HHQbSELL7ycVCbCx6ziA66jogFIT6uHXdjkODy0IAAA_LzDAN07DA3b4C0tppv6PeeHSxQ9l8QNwtYkzVEuXT/s320/IMG_3027.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With stays in Caye Caulker, Cayo Frances, San Pedro, San Ignacio and Hopkins. We stayed in no resorts, used no guides or boats - and fished all artificial lures. This shot taken near Cayo Frances. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We explored the dirt back roads roads on foot.... and met lots of big proud sunning iguanas.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">.....and by rented bikes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EQ2DfUQ6IaEoG6Me9JQhE43QfpwLFtP5sLfDnIQmxMF_F03vJ118nQUptB_LDtKgfh8x1Dk_hjoWmbA_QDEdiC6IifuWVXwsWp2X4Uf30zp1SuIiHw-lVWfMoTAf-CXLjtlUR334AVJi/s1600/SnookClosesm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EQ2DfUQ6IaEoG6Me9JQhE43QfpwLFtP5sLfDnIQmxMF_F03vJ118nQUptB_LDtKgfh8x1Dk_hjoWmbA_QDEdiC6IifuWVXwsWp2X4Uf30zp1SuIiHw-lVWfMoTAf-CXLjtlUR334AVJi/s320/SnookClosesm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On my first morning there - I wandered out early - to find snook and tarpon near a dilapidated old dock and a broken sea wall. The onshore wind blows hard on the regular at Caulker - so the water was murky. I jumped and lost about 7 tarpon and managed to land 5 snook at this spot during our 4 day stay on Caye Caulker. You do need to get up early and have already consulted a map so that you are on your spot by first light ... by 8 am the bite is off. And then by all means - fish again at dusk - if you are not already into the rum by then.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTDqi7ID0sZtdTfwVKZYEWgTL9gw1uclHpUwXFnslCMePOwrj_XlC4rhyphenhyphenn89eAGkxxVk92Q3-FooeFr8TchmehA3EZxqNAHpfPv1bA0Fxy6Dv5ZS_v8I4R8p1T5ZK4vBZ-2BCHXl8qC-k/s1600/IMG_2991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTDqi7ID0sZtdTfwVKZYEWgTL9gw1uclHpUwXFnslCMePOwrj_XlC4rhyphenhyphenn89eAGkxxVk92Q3-FooeFr8TchmehA3EZxqNAHpfPv1bA0Fxy6Dv5ZS_v8I4R8p1T5ZK4vBZ-2BCHXl8qC-k/s320/IMG_2991.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These guys were stationed at a large construction site near the south end of the island - a really big new house being built on the canal. They cheered me on while I lost 3 barracuda in the canal. I rode back to their shack the following day and gave them a snook I had just caught. I gave away 2 snook and 2 big barracuda to people I met on the trip.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6U6ZDUVDHqCNgwmgJqD_QCJDXsPYppuhEmNj41qTHsoc_R7FCDGiSDCmcPyGGn0gq1e9M2y0hRSbSByncacZ1rySg4POosSCFG2v8UiKQE8QVg2TmsaxLp5ou8HXuoP4hXmvfvtG9kK_/s1600/CudaFullsm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6U6ZDUVDHqCNgwmgJqD_QCJDXsPYppuhEmNj41qTHsoc_R7FCDGiSDCmcPyGGn0gq1e9M2y0hRSbSByncacZ1rySg4POosSCFG2v8UiKQE8QVg2TmsaxLp5ou8HXuoP4hXmvfvtG9kK_/s320/CudaFullsm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barracuda dominate the shallow water during the day - as the area seemed to be not very sharky. In fact - we only saw one nurse shark the whole time. And there were times when the barracuda were even hitting poppers on a couple of sessions at dawn and dusk as well. I ended up giving this fish away as well - to a construction worker on the south side of Hopkins. Photo credit: Bri </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDquLjNLU6IH9fDqhY90bQNHCT916UzLreNhNQheOVPb6VIZibINM4RbNNuZwScW1dbjbTt2SBDiq9kcIJXlwWnn_AnVlKW2CXI2R0OW7TFIBnnhE04W9dce2hXghMK0wfyEWyDMZyEXgb/s1600/IMG_3062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDquLjNLU6IH9fDqhY90bQNHCT916UzLreNhNQheOVPb6VIZibINM4RbNNuZwScW1dbjbTt2SBDiq9kcIJXlwWnn_AnVlKW2CXI2R0OW7TFIBnnhE04W9dce2hXghMK0wfyEWyDMZyEXgb/s320/IMG_3062.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I found a school of these really large (24"+) ladyfish while wading off San Pedro. A local at the Dive Shop - Dennis - gave me a tip about a long sandbar that I could wade. A close relative of the tarpon they pull even harder than their larger relative - pound for pound. I landed and released about 10 and then had the last one of them get eaten off the end of my line in a huge violent boil and splash. Terns swooped in for any pieces - but I think a huge barracuda ate the lady fish in one bite - as I saw no big dorsal fin from a shark or dolphin. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBkcS6wleIPlDYFxfbmb76LDINsx3bKn7nWWt434Ul4bc3_VsG3FA3ZCJbbz85J2pmDDXsrjBiSqngMqeQEOXNnEBd5ombDavODlm5nmQ8gVkdQDSkI6tfpN-ewQ4aCFFGB-pbMzeM8Fr/s1600/IMG_2958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBkcS6wleIPlDYFxfbmb76LDINsx3bKn7nWWt434Ul4bc3_VsG3FA3ZCJbbz85J2pmDDXsrjBiSqngMqeQEOXNnEBd5ombDavODlm5nmQ8gVkdQDSkI6tfpN-ewQ4aCFFGB-pbMzeM8Fr/s320/IMG_2958.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bri casting to a large Barracuda. We did lose some tackle to Barracuda. By the time you put on steel leader to deal with them - to try and catch a truly big one you have spotted - they were often gone. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLgQhUz4Xr4_MgAL_uFnkllEs1tlq0Yw7_DufJcFxf-eUZqKj65W-tJiC2q32qthdpCjGe5xvAa4zwd87Zzj3SLAcz71bmmPmXIKja_YOtJgA5JM8CbfX24bKPHiv342XtLFuEVPfRSTF/s1600/IMG_3046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLgQhUz4Xr4_MgAL_uFnkllEs1tlq0Yw7_DufJcFxf-eUZqKj65W-tJiC2q32qthdpCjGe5xvAa4zwd87Zzj3SLAcz71bmmPmXIKja_YOtJgA5JM8CbfX24bKPHiv342XtLFuEVPfRSTF/s320/IMG_3046.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We caught 3 kinds of jacks and 3 types of snapper. This is an unusual coloration on a Yellow Jack.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdgOprG0RkHDMKYF9hSzhki-b4_T63YR2-8cDx12bz7sx2FUAzcG1RDVqP1JdCmndn73v9WPcDFZBrHtmaZsuUAolTO9jLrOZJ-KS5EhT2CP1SdLmYLOs5Bj071hfY3hf0LhVjkMybVTQ/s1600/IMG_3078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdgOprG0RkHDMKYF9hSzhki-b4_T63YR2-8cDx12bz7sx2FUAzcG1RDVqP1JdCmndn73v9WPcDFZBrHtmaZsuUAolTO9jLrOZJ-KS5EhT2CP1SdLmYLOs5Bj071hfY3hf0LhVjkMybVTQ/s320/IMG_3078.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dusk often made for pretty good fishing as well. This was a first for me and very unexpected on artificial lure - A Lookdown. I've seen them before in Florida around big bridge pilings - but had never caught one. It is in the jack family so it pulled hard. They are impossibly thin - in fact they are one of those creatures like say a Manta Ray that you cannot reconcile - you cannot believe they exist. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg341wirIZCVHJHEtbiGQx1TZVZtGB36uQxl4Hus0q8x3Z7BWQW0syLNq2CEq-9_Nmjm-aZS89OnSW9bXWF_dWS9N30pft4Y0Z3_3OWE5deWNwrqZGmz0vossLP5OyonwR5b11jTp8uOJH/s1600/IMG_2924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg341wirIZCVHJHEtbiGQx1TZVZtGB36uQxl4Hus0q8x3Z7BWQW0syLNq2CEq-9_Nmjm-aZS89OnSW9bXWF_dWS9N30pft4Y0Z3_3OWE5deWNwrqZGmz0vossLP5OyonwR5b11jTp8uOJH/s320/IMG_2924.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical Belize Air BnB. I realize that staying on back streets is not for everyone. There are plenty of resorts here in Belize. But the local pot dealer at this end of the island pointed me toward a great fishing spot - even though I did not by any weed from him. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">There are no tackle stores in Belize - save one in downtown San Pedro - Captain Sharks marine store. So bring everything you need. <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">We travel with 4 piece "pack" rods, extra reel spools, extra line etc. I met a few very sad fishing dudes who showed up in Belize without proper gear. Though the Tres Pescados Fly shop near the San Pedro ferry dock has great flies. </span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61ULHc4L-GuvOg7oDdzCY6-AzzgkETdYgxlsSUfaBjtfzeCjT33PcuzuM58jH_WSfgUVm_JPLwm5qkNmaHt_wthwygDXG4ZWoHlmEx9MFq3DiYJbrP7epLt9SbW7eYZIESQz7QZU5IqXx/s1600/IMG_3031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61ULHc4L-GuvOg7oDdzCY6-AzzgkETdYgxlsSUfaBjtfzeCjT33PcuzuM58jH_WSfgUVm_JPLwm5qkNmaHt_wthwygDXG4ZWoHlmEx9MFq3DiYJbrP7epLt9SbW7eYZIESQz7QZU5IqXx/s320/IMG_3031.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our second leg of the trip was 3 nights at Cayo Frances Farm & Fly. This is a very special remote tiny wilderness "lodge" run by Jeff Spiegel that can only accommodate 4 anglers. He has kayaks and paddleboards for you to use. He is a chef and prepares all of your meals - so the food is the best you will ever eat. The other two guests were Blake and Allison of the Gig Harbor fly shop in Washington. <br />
Small world !<br />
Jeff's place is a really remarkable place in the Belize wilderness. I encourage anyone who fishes to stay here - though it is very fly and bone-centric. In fact you are kind of a moron if you don't book a few days here. Photo credit: Bri </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our stay in Hopkins. More to the south in Belize - and not known for fishing - but the fishing was really good here as well. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaDaJnrh2Erc8BNSxpSJk3igaDRvWOpIPGXdH37g9y6DxozKozIqwlOzfNGe21ESHzEZvHF15DoByf_ibUQxj1AcmT838uSpOgD9DccR42h_W7b_frSB05GDvRxqDkBTPWvXsV_LWBPKL/s1600/IMG_2955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaDaJnrh2Erc8BNSxpSJk3igaDRvWOpIPGXdH37g9y6DxozKozIqwlOzfNGe21ESHzEZvHF15DoByf_ibUQxj1AcmT838uSpOgD9DccR42h_W7b_frSB05GDvRxqDkBTPWvXsV_LWBPKL/s320/IMG_2955.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I gave this guy a fish as well. He was a local policeman who knew a lot about the medicinal plants of the area. He seemed pretty surprised I caught this snook right from the sea wall near his house. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHRHF3yR8Umzh7Rq2cRNKedWnolyMKnD96TyL_HPcYdziDXTpHX5IqvzYoZK2g3yIPv20CyOCu6zF4Dxiz1flJ6UqykoYS8il84Lgq-_zNzdZMlrVl39P8QQTILfhNje4q0CkKf91lvm7/s1600/IMG_2943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHRHF3yR8Umzh7Rq2cRNKedWnolyMKnD96TyL_HPcYdziDXTpHX5IqvzYoZK2g3yIPv20CyOCu6zF4Dxiz1flJ6UqykoYS8il84Lgq-_zNzdZMlrVl39P8QQTILfhNje4q0CkKf91lvm7/s320/IMG_2943.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was some day drinking. If the local 10oz Belikin beers actually count as drinking.<br />
This is at the "Sip n Dip" bar directly ON the water on Caye Caulker. Also a must do. Also a must on Caye Caulker is the french breakfast place one store north of the Lazy Lizard. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrCSCVPImzJ0IpMRjPTlq_3Hi9LYG3Ft8pqZmTSPqk7veFfPG3L0Vfct5OWcLxMV4IJebr-KE5Ak1P6KMFGF0C2rfPPNG4MDEHSW9r_MRtY2twxW1-FMTs9bm_fpcsou-sN7-RG9poGnb/s1600/IMG_3217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrCSCVPImzJ0IpMRjPTlq_3Hi9LYG3Ft8pqZmTSPqk7veFfPG3L0Vfct5OWcLxMV4IJebr-KE5Ak1P6KMFGF0C2rfPPNG4MDEHSW9r_MRtY2twxW1-FMTs9bm_fpcsou-sN7-RG9poGnb/s320/IMG_3217.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bri could actually fish for quite a while - and when the fishing slowed - there were books. This was a spot we found north of Hopkins. Very fishy and looked "Crocodiley" as well. 2 people a year still get eaten here by crocs. And at least one sunken log gave me the heebie jeebies when wading. I never wade near the mangroves in deeper than knee deep or in murky water at all. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9APMSH4C3Zb8IHZrqvHWNLk0tBzC7npauMf5-FmIvevNbaFu9_pHJ4CVgRzdtJKtVRYHznNmSpr-LiK_v2IOSSXsacw2EhEIr1p90ixTbpb3trUeOcINZh6SdgLON6awR9Bc5BtqmxJ8j/s1600/IMG_3205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9APMSH4C3Zb8IHZrqvHWNLk0tBzC7npauMf5-FmIvevNbaFu9_pHJ4CVgRzdtJKtVRYHznNmSpr-LiK_v2IOSSXsacw2EhEIr1p90ixTbpb3trUeOcINZh6SdgLON6awR9Bc5BtqmxJ8j/s320/IMG_3205.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you got up early - you need not even have the perfect lure - the small jacks were ferocious. The perfect set up for these guys is a small popping plug with the hooks removed and you attach a bonefish fly on the back eyelet of the plug w 24" of leader. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qU_mO5UPQya4ofwDgyTUYS2qvz1duQWYP7_4KejZmE0lypspg6S8j4WNO3OtWX33j8IfkSv1_k_oIdmlMG-xoocCoDLOaf5dq-yjRp0UmiaIlewpDZ5bc6NCT9hH9l5hK3xwsNI_LdKs/s1600/IMG_3088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qU_mO5UPQya4ofwDgyTUYS2qvz1duQWYP7_4KejZmE0lypspg6S8j4WNO3OtWX33j8IfkSv1_k_oIdmlMG-xoocCoDLOaf5dq-yjRp0UmiaIlewpDZ5bc6NCT9hH9l5hK3xwsNI_LdKs/s320/IMG_3088.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The buses of San Ignacio.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFo8FW6HrltP_f1lN0WvaZxiJQMa5Gm0zmytxsbJEcXrQBuw7g9r2xGeMHTxXUQSiwjpiq_42rLSOWRsnduAxR01lUqzNeILCQf-mr6XoyhiEyhHFa6bdrZlVhTIRQn80NeWkIsfP4opk/s1600/DSCN0596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFo8FW6HrltP_f1lN0WvaZxiJQMa5Gm0zmytxsbJEcXrQBuw7g9r2xGeMHTxXUQSiwjpiq_42rLSOWRsnduAxR01lUqzNeILCQf-mr6XoyhiEyhHFa6bdrZlVhTIRQn80NeWkIsfP4opk/s320/DSCN0596.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...... yes there are some tame tarpon at a feeding dock..... which I am against. But we stumbled upon it wandering the edges of Caye Caulker - and could not resist buying a few sardines to throw at them. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitv4ABcEw94ik2CS6w9H1OtPth7SFON-Wrj2zXcOw_4kkQcM3DfcKO-opj3wD8a-Z-GNZxptFqa65bb0WHBrqIBpbWiQbiZVvo22kcHLZwqCGKPjnbda6ph3Lf3jPrNQw_cVHvB1-_R4_I/s1600/NeilCastingsm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitv4ABcEw94ik2CS6w9H1OtPth7SFON-Wrj2zXcOw_4kkQcM3DfcKO-opj3wD8a-Z-GNZxptFqa65bb0WHBrqIBpbWiQbiZVvo22kcHLZwqCGKPjnbda6ph3Lf3jPrNQw_cVHvB1-_R4_I/s320/NeilCastingsm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All this hic needs is some Nascar and beverage sponsors on his shirt....<br />
Casting under the mangroves north of San Pedro. At times it was necessary to actually cast under the overhanging mangroves. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxEDBSR56zktlKDLV6g6_WpCxhG2GTh1ctgvhxbobd5FtddaJY23OagJAdbYsspkqvsV8y8dCX1YlqTbKhjp-Vx8uFUGIoUf9GGjULL77XRC5hTPBFfAtB52Uz90zIK6WR9qoBmTTNv0R/s1600/IMG_3140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxEDBSR56zktlKDLV6g6_WpCxhG2GTh1ctgvhxbobd5FtddaJY23OagJAdbYsspkqvsV8y8dCX1YlqTbKhjp-Vx8uFUGIoUf9GGjULL77XRC5hTPBFfAtB52Uz90zIK6WR9qoBmTTNv0R/s320/IMG_3140.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too many awesome hand painted signs to include them all. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaTczN-BlUvm4_Sa7zRu_-6hwPlgywFcX9LLxN8F7khB4-QMa5yEJBQhe6juyJyfdXCzNkOENkRRzWlZnEJs95WdnWUf0GPrqLbqqtoYzDUH-nEiA_in52NzMNT_rJyJWZB3FHL0r_LWh/s1600/IMG_3149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaTczN-BlUvm4_Sa7zRu_-6hwPlgywFcX9LLxN8F7khB4-QMa5yEJBQhe6juyJyfdXCzNkOENkRRzWlZnEJs95WdnWUf0GPrqLbqqtoYzDUH-nEiA_in52NzMNT_rJyJWZB3FHL0r_LWh/s320/IMG_3149.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NO CAMERAS ALLOWED inside these sacred Mayan caves - as a tourist cracked a skull with a dropped camera. BUT you have to go into these caves if you go to Belize. You swim in to look at Mayan skeletons and artifacts still in place. Probably the most amazing thing I've ever done was go into these caves. Our guide Luis that we booked out of the Rain Forrest Haven Inn really gets you inside the head of the ancient Mayan rituals. You HAVE to go into these caves if you visit Belize. There is a show by Dr. Brady Barr on the coldwater crocs of the river here - Morletti's Crocodile. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWCMdxoCIhJFJqNm7vdFEZVGjVUtMeRiuAcuREUZ5a9EvmPiyM1yzlnWCnRASO2NanYUP4Vt-ykKPycJagGU6IXN-E-AGN2NyMK3XUz_DcWHQkWXEfAx1siwcqlT2ZPNrwzdFUu2G55l5/s1600/IMG_2979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWCMdxoCIhJFJqNm7vdFEZVGjVUtMeRiuAcuREUZ5a9EvmPiyM1yzlnWCnRASO2NanYUP4Vt-ykKPycJagGU6IXN-E-AGN2NyMK3XUz_DcWHQkWXEfAx1siwcqlT2ZPNrwzdFUu2G55l5/s320/IMG_2979.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bri at the tarpon feeding dock. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_UKeiJG-pQW0jhCoDwRvIes5Ag6S0UVgp5ARcCtBT8Mfd4m66nB4OLGvFzroeualPISodJOJYaLoOq8q3Sv3-hl-fekS8I3JqzIIceBxoZXR8T9Pt2KxgTarsp_ykJBBJWVHfTYcO8Xz-/s1600/IMG_3015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_UKeiJG-pQW0jhCoDwRvIes5Ag6S0UVgp5ARcCtBT8Mfd4m66nB4OLGvFzroeualPISodJOJYaLoOq8q3Sv3-hl-fekS8I3JqzIIceBxoZXR8T9Pt2KxgTarsp_ykJBBJWVHfTYcO8Xz-/s320/IMG_3015.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most fish were released without removing them from the water. "Keep 'Em Wet". </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tFfGhj8NCAiabBN6B-_hCwshTeORl9bJgsetpxuUqDoq_kbmci7Ej-1WjhcCo4S0mLL3BVNi5YumJ7GoQpCwRhq8pIyGGsRSi5cX6DKbQUhrCa2kDoAGa-jJyir_mzRtDTnoDxXHhw7q/s1600/IMG_2923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tFfGhj8NCAiabBN6B-_hCwshTeORl9bJgsetpxuUqDoq_kbmci7Ej-1WjhcCo4S0mLL3BVNi5YumJ7GoQpCwRhq8pIyGGsRSi5cX6DKbQUhrCa2kDoAGa-jJyir_mzRtDTnoDxXHhw7q/s320/IMG_2923.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks like they have Lionfish in Belize as well.... </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCki32YHxu9KHMzCw4MMxEHQGQICeDZ6uFMcOojF2tdMy2OHD8wX8AqDi5oZPDmP4qYn1bALYjF1KywZXakCjR-_irqdx5ygUlhyphenhyphen-hF64pC-iFaWVMrUHxxz2AQkA8jVhb8BMIh5KOspMy/s1600/IMG_2920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCki32YHxu9KHMzCw4MMxEHQGQICeDZ6uFMcOojF2tdMy2OHD8wX8AqDi5oZPDmP4qYn1bALYjF1KywZXakCjR-_irqdx5ygUlhyphenhyphen-hF64pC-iFaWVMrUHxxz2AQkA8jVhb8BMIh5KOspMy/s320/IMG_2920.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hopefully a happy Bri. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWx_Cii1Hl563HgtRL2j4ngYD54Wc-l3Og_fx1r0EYddTJhlt4sCP968ZpWYfVPLeB6dUFUFLWYHSG1Nw5SC1JgNpcjVFou7va3UGo0QUCIdRQQ7yup4r7E9zqvh6M0myNVHQ62wMMHfF/s1600/DSCN0600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWx_Cii1Hl563HgtRL2j4ngYD54Wc-l3Og_fx1r0EYddTJhlt4sCP968ZpWYfVPLeB6dUFUFLWYHSG1Nw5SC1JgNpcjVFou7va3UGo0QUCIdRQQ7yup4r7E9zqvh6M0myNVHQ62wMMHfF/s320/DSCN0600.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They let you swim with the tarpon as well. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aee4BnRFYOX6WqpHNlHCo7vfg3ol1YeXkbokvda0o-uXx870puzaHXUVAYWCcPgza7BQMTekogLi2KQM4Pa9KiDbonXc-s8fLHKrZuGz6TTR4mPM58sRBUjOF-wGu3AhiTun8DXJXxL4/s1600/IMG_3098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aee4BnRFYOX6WqpHNlHCo7vfg3ol1YeXkbokvda0o-uXx870puzaHXUVAYWCcPgza7BQMTekogLi2KQM4Pa9KiDbonXc-s8fLHKrZuGz6TTR4mPM58sRBUjOF-wGu3AhiTun8DXJXxL4/s320/IMG_3098.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Air BnB in San Ignacio. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTLbOvBuOfoPx9wrTqcLeI-s9P4vfNlQ4X9hSdZuZf56QULI7KK_wjNJE96UKmzE5Wx_TYvJCKT3WcctTbW-7BBaj7Rk6etCfiM4n6m_7M4GT4JY-_sXnodVLRHqju7gDFTxTfGxb9rU3/s1600/DSCN0558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTLbOvBuOfoPx9wrTqcLeI-s9P4vfNlQ4X9hSdZuZf56QULI7KK_wjNJE96UKmzE5Wx_TYvJCKT3WcctTbW-7BBaj7Rk6etCfiM4n6m_7M4GT4JY-_sXnodVLRHqju7gDFTxTfGxb9rU3/s320/DSCN0558.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Latched onto a Cuda off Caulker. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvW2IoIw3nS0slwRnUJyfqlUCsQxXcZpVU3r8ibvwXi-XYl4CJ-dUFpNWHN0BXjz4YD1PF62eGiTW3YF3sbEcBNdr-i3r8unnE4HeKzBo3gcq9ms8vevzKSHX-aAN3g9Ve6pTEOffT1_t/s1600/IMG_3159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvW2IoIw3nS0slwRnUJyfqlUCsQxXcZpVU3r8ibvwXi-XYl4CJ-dUFpNWHN0BXjz4YD1PF62eGiTW3YF3sbEcBNdr-i3r8unnE4HeKzBo3gcq9ms8vevzKSHX-aAN3g9Ve6pTEOffT1_t/s320/IMG_3159.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mayan ruins and the inland jungle areas around San Ignacio are a great break from the water. Easy to imagine thousands of ancient Mayans using these structures. It felt strange to be there if you imagined the ruins filled with people. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkvrcoEUD4nu4L2yb7V2L8Zu3U9cmRO5JCmEmaNN2aaAcrsHPl0mI8XJJnw2-BAWCMtMXYz7dfJ1TgRqgj7tIJ4i4voOs_2rFWfMPF_w02wJ_Xfg2LSGL6HBOJcMtndkY0DNIBfbEyC2S/s1600/DSCN0535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkvrcoEUD4nu4L2yb7V2L8Zu3U9cmRO5JCmEmaNN2aaAcrsHPl0mI8XJJnw2-BAWCMtMXYz7dfJ1TgRqgj7tIJ4i4voOs_2rFWfMPF_w02wJ_Xfg2LSGL6HBOJcMtndkY0DNIBfbEyC2S/s320/DSCN0535.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A person could totally blind cast with a fly rod into this wind all day.... I chose to use a spinning rod for most of my windy side fishing in Belize. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQQrGnXSZGE_GJ2ewJnA9VostGxl9qasvzI4s3j1f7kBuUHPUQJ8mhmixbnmWN8adcNMQ8e7CZJ3HansbWujJybLhmtcDHne2Y-yeRhcdL6pkq2b2_MhWH2HXc1EUes5uQHNQmfYjRZQ2/s1600/IMG_3203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQQrGnXSZGE_GJ2ewJnA9VostGxl9qasvzI4s3j1f7kBuUHPUQJ8mhmixbnmWN8adcNMQ8e7CZJ3HansbWujJybLhmtcDHne2Y-yeRhcdL6pkq2b2_MhWH2HXc1EUes5uQHNQmfYjRZQ2/s320/IMG_3203.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of all the locales in Belize - Hopkins was truly the most relaxing. Not nearly the day drunk hussle and bussle of Caye Caulker or San Pedro. Eat at Ella's Cool spot if you visit Hopkins. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12A-T7o7OVhPO3Y2A_Ddfn0pjkdt6UWjIcvu5aG0CrBw7Qu3keFFb3MkUT6btZ6cJoJIfDAxf3Xw_N6USUdPVa4k-MhYAqs7-gZo2T2pbFOsDtHhiyfi-lHgP199qkS4IMc7Kfp51p354/s1600/Leatherjacksm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12A-T7o7OVhPO3Y2A_Ddfn0pjkdt6UWjIcvu5aG0CrBw7Qu3keFFb3MkUT6btZ6cJoJIfDAxf3Xw_N6USUdPVa4k-MhYAqs7-gZo2T2pbFOsDtHhiyfi-lHgP199qkS4IMc7Kfp51p354/s320/Leatherjacksm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The very swift and venomous - <b>Zapateros </b>- known as Leatherjack in Florida. We encountered these a few times - often mixed in with schools of horse eye jacks. Beginners should not handle this fish - I've been stung years ago in Miami. It hurts and can cause some peoples whole arm to swell up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblcYiqKnyoN8YoKAfj0JYAFHlJLrdVCz0s6hHey-l585MYZCpUjl7EdPP3lLjSyoQRnlgjfAC-w9aKN1WTV2Q-DlP7srJD160KUyIQO5CxdBn-xptQsoMyhOU9_EwT-Yi2zw2KyqRgnXe/s1600/IMG_2974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblcYiqKnyoN8YoKAfj0JYAFHlJLrdVCz0s6hHey-l585MYZCpUjl7EdPP3lLjSyoQRnlgjfAC-w9aKN1WTV2Q-DlP7srJD160KUyIQO5CxdBn-xptQsoMyhOU9_EwT-Yi2zw2KyqRgnXe/s320/IMG_2974.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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West side - calm side - of Caye Caulker. The east shoreline has a steady hard wind. <br />
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The wedding cake like whimsy of the architecture in San Ignacio. We took a cooking class in San Ignacio and learned the local Stewed Chicken with rice and beans and bread pudding for desert.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Belize is a great place. We caught Snook, a Tarpon, tons of Barracuda, Bonefish, 3 kinds of Jacks, Zapateros, 3 kinds of Snappers, Ladyfish, Needlefish and a Lookdown. The people were great. The food was awesome. In Caye Caulker, San Pedro and San Ignacio you can get around easily by bike. We had some new bird sightings - including a Lessens Mut Mut and a really strange mammal called and Agouti. ATM Caves is one of the craziest things I've ever seen. </span><br />
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Seagull with French Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713675171423860468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-82870238842305168352016-10-17T09:53:00.002-07:002016-10-17T10:00:41.628-07:00Orcas Island - Denizens of the Kelp <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are the newly wed on the Ferry over to Orcas with smooth seas. This is not what I looked like on the return trip in big storm waves. </td></tr>
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Just after our wedding Bri and I chose Orcas Island for a short and modest honeymoon - somewhat close to home. We rented a small cabin via Air BnB - on the water on Orcas - the least populated of the San Juan Islands.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just our style - lots of driftwood incorporated into the construction of this cabin. The solitude during the off-season was really cool. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view off the front deck - This is Obstruction Pass. Lots of otters out in the bay here. Puget Sound is a really nice piece of water. Always tons of wildlife - and the potential to see Killer Whales in some areas. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDRDvnGitpo_bWlpdGss8upTcZrtVukDoa8TDrjneHpa6jGOlzLRjdu-gGVfhpTRsnbcPkPktWmaMCgA-b23bZR0L0G_iPweFEuzYD5ihJpTyvO-miIZoyLMyoygXidyRvsLzq1mqbF-P/s1600/IMG_2636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDRDvnGitpo_bWlpdGss8upTcZrtVukDoa8TDrjneHpa6jGOlzLRjdu-gGVfhpTRsnbcPkPktWmaMCgA-b23bZR0L0G_iPweFEuzYD5ihJpTyvO-miIZoyLMyoygXidyRvsLzq1mqbF-P/s320/IMG_2636.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On a cliff trail overlooking the surprisingly clear and calm water - before the storm. Bri leaning on a Madrona tree. You could look down off these cliffs and see Dungeness Crabs in the water far below. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a Quillback Rockfish - a new species for me. I found a fishing spot near our cabin. A decent drop off close to shore with lots of big rocks, waving kelp and a ripping incoming tidal current. Great visibility as well. All species of Rockfish are protected in the San Juans - so this guy was released. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I also caught a few of these guys - Kelp Greenling. They slam artificials and fight well - often fighting their way back into the tall kelp strands. The key is that they like small lures - I recommend single hook jigs - 3/8 ounce worked well. Seals would show up from time to time and shut the bite down.<br />
But the seals were very cute and curious and I was high for days after getting into fish like that.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had read that the Greenling were good to eat. I also enjoyed cleaning them on the beach and feeding the scraps to the gulls.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bri cooked them up in our miniature kitchen. The Greenling proved to be really good. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tiny cabin has a tiny version of everything you would need. Including an adorable 6 Gallon water heater. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proof that there are reptiles on Orcas Island - the road killed garter snake above. How did snakes get here ?? Some of the best weather and terrain for jogging anywhere.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buck Bay shellfish farm at low tide - A great place with lots of quiet. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relatively disgusting newly married people. Wading cautiously into this thing called marriage.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA1WMwMLIjT_wkNCAu6-xJp6kNcC1IbLZx9W36vR0Sa-BkoF17v1AhwWkQZXOIYrQAcOlQeFexFIXuGL5wn081X8Pqv6-fmKxLfKVlfQyM_tFrHNlRhWW51_TiBsxBSmG78pR2Gwk23N4l/s1600/IMG_8319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA1WMwMLIjT_wkNCAu6-xJp6kNcC1IbLZx9W36vR0Sa-BkoF17v1AhwWkQZXOIYrQAcOlQeFexFIXuGL5wn081X8Pqv6-fmKxLfKVlfQyM_tFrHNlRhWW51_TiBsxBSmG78pR2Gwk23N4l/s320/IMG_8319.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The skies began to threaten. We had two clear, sunny and calm days on Orcas and then a really serious storm rolled in - and made us conscious of what trees could crush the cabin. We ended up leaving a day early as per the advice of the weather people. I thought the return trip on the ferry was really scary. The 1968 Ferry which was charming in smooth seas tossed from side to side and shook and vibrated in the storm.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFLxBLFU8_C48JvmJmqIlcFmyj_qzPGseQ0MCv-zPlZHiiDE5FD0RX9oAoCKpKmNKd-2Qx8TmOC-AfeHV4Wkru5mFaqfmJwc43lRgHntKksiZ8PN2npvpL5hIBoX0zt_z3urmbP6hKJ9j/s1600/IMG_2630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFLxBLFU8_C48JvmJmqIlcFmyj_qzPGseQ0MCv-zPlZHiiDE5FD0RX9oAoCKpKmNKd-2Qx8TmOC-AfeHV4Wkru5mFaqfmJwc43lRgHntKksiZ8PN2npvpL5hIBoX0zt_z3urmbP6hKJ9j/s320/IMG_2630.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Tiny House" in Olga, WA. A great place to stay on Orcas. We have the contact for Jacqueline the owner - if you want. Not very many places like this in the world. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9f8Rgjrwbe6J6aUDNq75TT459HIWnI7SM5JYOk6fTKOpRsbPMUn4xYA-BbI0H9MRvlIB8kX_GSXiFuVw8tEYXYr0p-YrdmfQaO7NBvAoT_Y-YQTqMc9KdaM1_tDyawPn0u30EX5NFEzU_/s1600/IMG_2670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9f8Rgjrwbe6J6aUDNq75TT459HIWnI7SM5JYOk6fTKOpRsbPMUn4xYA-BbI0H9MRvlIB8kX_GSXiFuVw8tEYXYr0p-YrdmfQaO7NBvAoT_Y-YQTqMc9KdaM1_tDyawPn0u30EX5NFEzU_/s320/IMG_2670.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Because we got chased off Orcas early due to the storm - we ended up staying Seattle for two nights. It was my first time in Seattle - and my first time in a Big City since I left / fled New York. This is the Wooden Boat Center in Seattle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-ADMLk7mz5SiFs_0dVOgSM3Hd6RV-AgN0bWunAoDm-7hhtcBz6qNzUjhvN6cLPJvUc6146o2F6vH5tZGQ4WS5Qxtuucv2cDElCqKwpaGAPnrsDpMWjAPz1xbCSJMk5xOf1lcqd_53MVg/s1600/IMG_2639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-ADMLk7mz5SiFs_0dVOgSM3Hd6RV-AgN0bWunAoDm-7hhtcBz6qNzUjhvN6cLPJvUc6146o2F6vH5tZGQ4WS5Qxtuucv2cDElCqKwpaGAPnrsDpMWjAPz1xbCSJMk5xOf1lcqd_53MVg/s320/IMG_2639.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How I wish to remember Orcas. I would like to return - especially in the off-season again. </td></tr>
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<br />Seagull with French Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713675171423860468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-882634025481352182016-06-10T05:10:00.001-07:002016-06-10T17:39:56.861-07:00The Fireheart of a Striped Bass <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHy2Vvn8wJxYRKUVa0AlwMEuZMpcZnFfFzY8H2lQ-51wR5Nq9gIXFkC9pqU1dApqDti7M3Q-rTxU2Tx1R74RlxGFymd8x8lgaVPHtS0UyAvQ6icTvlg52aCaGa40a2LqBfeaif8dB1JLd/s1600/philcanoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHy2Vvn8wJxYRKUVa0AlwMEuZMpcZnFfFzY8H2lQ-51wR5Nq9gIXFkC9pqU1dApqDti7M3Q-rTxU2Tx1R74RlxGFymd8x8lgaVPHtS0UyAvQ6icTvlg52aCaGa40a2LqBfeaif8dB1JLd/s400/philcanoe.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Random, Massachusetts for 3 days in June. My friend Phil organizes a Striped Bass fishing trip in the spring of every year to somewhere in the Northeast USA. Sometimes even Bluefish and Shad show up. I had let my alleged life get in the way too many years in row and had not gone on this since 2006. So I decided it was high time to go. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSnoYj8G9oPHfhg7v1FFhtSNIb1MML8QT_8drbcxle_o-i6WSOS6KOWdDTTxfwdbTo1oMafxthU8aarQD-fqYZJ6m7meSGWbeKzZKM9LDU3uKsXKqgq3yRHwlDiGxi-vJPTx9VmxbF6Ba/s1600/IMG_2816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSnoYj8G9oPHfhg7v1FFhtSNIb1MML8QT_8drbcxle_o-i6WSOS6KOWdDTTxfwdbTo1oMafxthU8aarQD-fqYZJ6m7meSGWbeKzZKM9LDU3uKsXKqgq3yRHwlDiGxi-vJPTx9VmxbF6Ba/s320/IMG_2816.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rental House. Sleeps 12 and there were 9 of us - various fishing ability levels and wake up times. We all snored apparently. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeA5Rk3mGRZe3ish2nZ1FirotYLVXhIk9clHrFvJ-so2CuKZrY5u99YPru1oF3dsJIftqKNz71urCFqEJPynrFUwLSXstZTlmrjFoJFZvvc0MQq1jmLE5ulD6rF1EVvWhNh4Mz9Ks11B1K/s1600/IMG_2817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeA5Rk3mGRZe3ish2nZ1FirotYLVXhIk9clHrFvJ-so2CuKZrY5u99YPru1oF3dsJIftqKNz71urCFqEJPynrFUwLSXstZTlmrjFoJFZvvc0MQq1jmLE5ulD6rF1EVvWhNh4Mz9Ks11B1K/s320/IMG_2817.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Sad Mud Flat Boat Ramp Fun Times USA. Our secret boat ramp for the 3 days. We had to kinda beg for access to us this semi private ramp. The one hitch about fishing this area of Massachusetts was the limited access to water. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4SMzjw3q4F6B4pVw5UKOb4MI9cAS_oaikwZ6iNUNeqMovzzysp3HQuRh4oGTbNhrYjR17m-Mq5scawrPm5hCrNH31ywFM7UbfNAjnwjJvVxi8uoVgqyMvb641NToq7J76EVwdxCfyWTYA/s1600/IMG_2851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4SMzjw3q4F6B4pVw5UKOb4MI9cAS_oaikwZ6iNUNeqMovzzysp3HQuRh4oGTbNhrYjR17m-Mq5scawrPm5hCrNH31ywFM7UbfNAjnwjJvVxi8uoVgqyMvb641NToq7J76EVwdxCfyWTYA/s320/IMG_2851.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phil and I have similar fishing styles in that we both prefer artificial lures, light tackle and shallow water. So we teamed up and explored the shallow bay right by the rental house in the canoe. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjXzSdfrNL7l5zkzm4kB6zwVl4jQtLN82jNvKp7gCrT3ZnM0zPJb3oqtNKuJcNdhzLid_rs4aNECGZL0vw9pOkvH1cUFKU3g1-mhtjEv0c8b2IdlsGcTKFvaWsEJZ0GaQMzLdbKkRPJEc/s1600/IMG_2686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjXzSdfrNL7l5zkzm4kB6zwVl4jQtLN82jNvKp7gCrT3ZnM0zPJb3oqtNKuJcNdhzLid_rs4aNECGZL0vw9pOkvH1cUFKU3g1-mhtjEv0c8b2IdlsGcTKFvaWsEJZ0GaQMzLdbKkRPJEc/s320/IMG_2686.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I brought a surf and jetty selection of lures as well - but ended up just flats fishing. <br />
Just using the weedless lures in the right half of the tackle box here. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8nu0F0Ikkm2PpyZnD6zQIxyq_vi-bwVuRhhyga_iyXHVderuMmBaPFJ3jNICFUhw8n03-zNeA0KCOe4Fj7S5Q6uQtPu33E8IgyOgw8Zba3JNTdmfwD0jCx_zC5UGdIqzU4_Z_zEJu8MYl/s1600/IMG_2853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8nu0F0Ikkm2PpyZnD6zQIxyq_vi-bwVuRhhyga_iyXHVderuMmBaPFJ3jNICFUhw8n03-zNeA0KCOe4Fj7S5Q6uQtPu33E8IgyOgw8Zba3JNTdmfwD0jCx_zC5UGdIqzU4_Z_zEJu8MYl/s320/IMG_2853.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We explored the islands in the bay searching for Stripers. Through some luck the Stripers crossed our path in about 15 minutes in on day one. The bass were definitely more aggressive on the falling tide. But we slowed our retrieves down and got into serious fish on the flood tide as well. On this first day we had the Stripers as well as the biting insects feeding at a fever pitch - the "no see ums" were all over us. Not a place where your girlfriend or wife could just read a book in the canoe.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38ky9OLxlmQbjq88kYGFK2MMiWn0TuRzNFdgTlrfNmf7FJjGjOxqTysMjvqmwx2CIMLnTHB-ozTPKkm-zrJK2t0e75HyQ_MJpU1KdSxIbhRnag4kursHcfhN_aoT7I4UhLvF4SyaKCoj0/s1600/IMG_2834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38ky9OLxlmQbjq88kYGFK2MMiWn0TuRzNFdgTlrfNmf7FJjGjOxqTysMjvqmwx2CIMLnTHB-ozTPKkm-zrJK2t0e75HyQ_MJpU1KdSxIbhRnag4kursHcfhN_aoT7I4UhLvF4SyaKCoj0/s320/IMG_2834.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phil connects with a Striper on day one. Most of these grassy banks dropped off steeply into 4 feet of water. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5Rkzf-grc-e6MlnS2pGh8DCPMhpHMBoQdl7R7pTUYi5YkzypIns5eBDtblXzIkXhQO9jOeroxm2q6KGR0r1NoKiFrfRCkcP_Dl9N-9hWy6cptR4RoUQpLTZZhDXHAW18UUNLKDq29xh5/s1600/IMG_2823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5Rkzf-grc-e6MlnS2pGh8DCPMhpHMBoQdl7R7pTUYi5YkzypIns5eBDtblXzIkXhQO9jOeroxm2q6KGR0r1NoKiFrfRCkcP_Dl9N-9hWy6cptR4RoUQpLTZZhDXHAW18UUNLKDq29xh5/s320/IMG_2823.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a Striper that we had accidentally walked right up to and spooked out of a tiny bay. The fish turned and did a 180 and came back and killed his lure. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN57nH9Bg910yLyCwKR9rdwmT30IR4sXdIvPpUFDWjWn0yLSqXBGlwoeKwhn0bzzuDvSyVkUNuYI8EMoa2snamITDpnRLQImQUCmsl4nfFgWJz3_XPaHOSEhyphenhyphentcagO8phDpfFGT_oEyQAy/s1600/IMG_2826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN57nH9Bg910yLyCwKR9rdwmT30IR4sXdIvPpUFDWjWn0yLSqXBGlwoeKwhn0bzzuDvSyVkUNuYI8EMoa2snamITDpnRLQImQUCmsl4nfFgWJz3_XPaHOSEhyphenhyphentcagO8phDpfFGT_oEyQAy/s320/IMG_2826.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We passed this island many times on many water levels. It was here that we first really got into fish. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgBLIWabV_3Us2XmBgH-Gqiyi9gAWWWwZmIYZYETG7VAd2MEAB8lG2gJlZh-pJLmAFlKGY4nL1vAAmnSgXKToyHJ6ApZiX_BiN0lhH17m2FsX8Lzb_vtIvW7ttzs0zBkcLGws5xgIUuPV/s1600/IMG_2837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgBLIWabV_3Us2XmBgH-Gqiyi9gAWWWwZmIYZYETG7VAd2MEAB8lG2gJlZh-pJLmAFlKGY4nL1vAAmnSgXKToyHJ6ApZiX_BiN0lhH17m2FsX8Lzb_vtIvW7ttzs0zBkcLGws5xgIUuPV/s320/IMG_2837.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Are you happy now bitch. You are into fish. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hx-RdiFsPHEmxrsoCwnt4IpHkUa6wN3WaUB7hepDQx-tIqunytKgVNAyrHziIMvlgHfliApmn3KwYW1fsogGrCy3ahz9rbM01fqKC67HR4Bv4FOjJDA67f1fQiuMEokmAuBqp0l-PfuF/s1600/IMG_2839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hx-RdiFsPHEmxrsoCwnt4IpHkUa6wN3WaUB7hepDQx-tIqunytKgVNAyrHziIMvlgHfliApmn3KwYW1fsogGrCy3ahz9rbM01fqKC67HR4Bv4FOjJDA67f1fQiuMEokmAuBqp0l-PfuF/s320/IMG_2839.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calling in to let the rest of the group know we had found fish. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpGD-YSNu-s-i3u6yktNlCx34WNWc0A6IujCDkMUpTuK9diXSg76FKNMiJzAuA04efr0VsX3g4YP6lPDfOEl__-b5BVPrF2L0miVWlBR_RW-dwYGVZ833EkK98VFG59xwoF-z9exUqolD/s1600/IMG_2897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpGD-YSNu-s-i3u6yktNlCx34WNWc0A6IujCDkMUpTuK9diXSg76FKNMiJzAuA04efr0VsX3g4YP6lPDfOEl__-b5BVPrF2L0miVWlBR_RW-dwYGVZ833EkK98VFG59xwoF-z9exUqolD/s400/IMG_2897.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When Stripers enter shallow water they come with a single purpose in mind - to eat aggressively. We had them pulling lures off the surface with explosive and loud strikes right in front of us and peeling line off the reel in several long runs before being landed. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5f-dQRSh_sw1qczFPX8SCZbONQUz-Qv9OvIx_g9ZYlNFbLRuKC7WUgzHtpfjJb9kTJLGXYnsosB-auxR-SjpWCLNO5qW_mswChsTzUAef1xoh5DjELmo3YHI2-hvi1pB9b9vK53OaxoE7/s1600/IMG_2829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5f-dQRSh_sw1qczFPX8SCZbONQUz-Qv9OvIx_g9ZYlNFbLRuKC7WUgzHtpfjJb9kTJLGXYnsosB-auxR-SjpWCLNO5qW_mswChsTzUAef1xoh5DjELmo3YHI2-hvi1pB9b9vK53OaxoE7/s320/IMG_2829.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrepreneur and Inventor Alex Chatham finds a mongo lobster claw. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhoTdMrAg8fkcdhhnItGDf5o4MMaFZCzjWZE6-ADut9b7zaTFRBUdiOx8QLlalqt7UGWMjbMNXHya3bC1p2HqsldBVA3rofJnoWQzJtgBN7QaSGuxNdd1UpGoAYetM1zUbatzH2028NDb/s1600/IMG_2841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhoTdMrAg8fkcdhhnItGDf5o4MMaFZCzjWZE6-ADut9b7zaTFRBUdiOx8QLlalqt7UGWMjbMNXHya3bC1p2HqsldBVA3rofJnoWQzJtgBN7QaSGuxNdd1UpGoAYetM1zUbatzH2028NDb/s320/IMG_2841.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think about the life this armored warrior had. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh02BwM4ikp2mNpoSmtUILfe0yrnbAy9uZgiAah9-KK4kIN9i_WLtIeh9xDx-JCwyncceWUKc0UK_yhd3oLs7eAObpwbuzXNeNFfnGs04HGcU64iMWUHOuBQa3_-ngP_3Qmh9RgkJx0TDm/s1600/IMG_2886.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh02BwM4ikp2mNpoSmtUILfe0yrnbAy9uZgiAah9-KK4kIN9i_WLtIeh9xDx-JCwyncceWUKc0UK_yhd3oLs7eAObpwbuzXNeNFfnGs04HGcU64iMWUHOuBQa3_-ngP_3Qmh9RgkJx0TDm/s320/IMG_2886.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking north along the beach to find an inlet. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA__BUcfyJwvUmR96H6mRndK9HWY4RlrbvwJBruvj5nnx6-4X0p0Tawp7_bUf_CfM3dZFTxFH1TJdsseDmErheS57zVEftkDC7D_cT3x5Ge__KZKto7sJUlhZFBWF3n5EWkdmQeqtLErbR/s1600/IMG_2892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA__BUcfyJwvUmR96H6mRndK9HWY4RlrbvwJBruvj5nnx6-4X0p0Tawp7_bUf_CfM3dZFTxFH1TJdsseDmErheS57zVEftkDC7D_cT3x5Ge__KZKto7sJUlhZFBWF3n5EWkdmQeqtLErbR/s320/IMG_2892.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strangest place to hook a Striper. A large salt bay drained out really fast over clean sand and gravel looking like a martian chilean river and Warren connects with his first Striper of the trip. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15l9B9uB1JOPPsz5br-DsebKuWUirhXLBWArUkjHf0XaapZ1guTQf2u9wnaiXnwDc2ibuMbUPAuaAVr1BhSBuIfCw5hHMqDw5vy43zQaueQAXADfJrrrlCBZbtFEk3TjyZ7IePyFn9vB6/s1600/IMG_6863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15l9B9uB1JOPPsz5br-DsebKuWUirhXLBWArUkjHf0XaapZ1guTQf2u9wnaiXnwDc2ibuMbUPAuaAVr1BhSBuIfCw5hHMqDw5vy43zQaueQAXADfJrrrlCBZbtFEk3TjyZ7IePyFn9vB6/s320/IMG_6863.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A great spot we found in a back bay. The fish were whipped into a frenzy off this point on a falling tide. No other fisherpeople in sight. I cannot believe the locals were not all over these spots. We saw very few other people over the course of the 3 days. Perhaps the locals don't think you can catch large bass on these essentially mud flats.....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJhmLj-bN3hguJimzw0hjaaLOVUu-QEifkT4YFOKghI50xnWFkwUW8LDpUyvMJkGC9y2-OzNJlUoOg5O3-gyql8Ci-4BnWKriIcD0Gd9mEHMfrc6Qpv3UZmIvmn13QkfuEn4xV7bcQ-84/s1600/IMG_2904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJhmLj-bN3hguJimzw0hjaaLOVUu-QEifkT4YFOKghI50xnWFkwUW8LDpUyvMJkGC9y2-OzNJlUoOg5O3-gyql8Ci-4BnWKriIcD0Gd9mEHMfrc6Qpv3UZmIvmn13QkfuEn4xV7bcQ-84/s320/IMG_2904.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm unfortunately really good at catching Sea Robins on artificial. Someone always yells about how good they are to eat shortly after you land one. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoegrQ4WlWkgeoduuOOi6zH_LAYdlOyzX5b06cQG-F0QaNcxb9pMiWA25MSjTiymEzks4Qg3X78gmRF46yS6F7yLZM5dYsOFPI7YR7cgWd3ZEg_Frz2XrD9SMiZwBAsOC9Yqix-ikEhx0/s1600/IMG_2846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoegrQ4WlWkgeoduuOOi6zH_LAYdlOyzX5b06cQG-F0QaNcxb9pMiWA25MSjTiymEzks4Qg3X78gmRF46yS6F7yLZM5dYsOFPI7YR7cgWd3ZEg_Frz2XrD9SMiZwBAsOC9Yqix-ikEhx0/s320/IMG_2846.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon Piaseki - in red shirt - avid fisher and stone mason - is scared for the first time in his life as he stares at a broken coffee maker. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlxf2WuwEwT0HnL25OeCS_KA4m9lsVuOeKnncosp1H0HVANSoxLvXe7eJZPCshXfCA6r7JbF1uZ-si_2B8nIgU6d99OyJsweKp2VWqgVPdloMkUQz7GRdOgMEQ_03lc7Ra6KPeYObIgXX/s1600/IMG_2845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlxf2WuwEwT0HnL25OeCS_KA4m9lsVuOeKnncosp1H0HVANSoxLvXe7eJZPCshXfCA6r7JbF1uZ-si_2B8nIgU6d99OyJsweKp2VWqgVPdloMkUQz7GRdOgMEQ_03lc7Ra6KPeYObIgXX/s320/IMG_2845.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Group - Social Critics Fishing Club. We split up into groups of 2 to 4 to fish for the day - Depending on the specific type of fishing we were doing. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUNwGERmhzZ9KSVjACmDI9lYoNR8xXJF1PWGnQJZA3stitcIHvOn8ov_1cN84uXVC3E0hMH38wrgOTaOmrWO7fO52mLW2Sy8pAJp50g5HvwuadWUXc67emIxGP0TzMjl6RvHzbvm7d23M/s1600/IMG_2913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUNwGERmhzZ9KSVjACmDI9lYoNR8xXJF1PWGnQJZA3stitcIHvOn8ov_1cN84uXVC3E0hMH38wrgOTaOmrWO7fO52mLW2Sy8pAJp50g5HvwuadWUXc67emIxGP0TzMjl6RvHzbvm7d23M/s320/IMG_2913.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rations/Calories. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xRx4UrWHBhh06HTbJ7u0LuMDS5KKRgMB46qKEIyj3l0fO8z-6riwFCpBqLu4CCo1tNYZHp457dOls-QOu065b1BgdGuPzaniwOGrksZ8aST7yEt2stziLXuhJcF1kthrgG07ibmUlrSb/s1600/IMG_2832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xRx4UrWHBhh06HTbJ7u0LuMDS5KKRgMB46qKEIyj3l0fO8z-6riwFCpBqLu4CCo1tNYZHp457dOls-QOu065b1BgdGuPzaniwOGrksZ8aST7yEt2stziLXuhJcF1kthrgG07ibmUlrSb/s320/IMG_2832.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWecowJPVFXWprX35sOwwZ7y-xUVoCnKxQ-FkpQe0nREjMxmWraAvZDLQDGmOcr1sIsIvsaE5I9CquvQ9_2gcnsi5W6vrDxWmAoj-4NKIqX5TbWLUj_EZwXwsgow8G3XLVpnvaCe7GY7P/s1600/IMG_7369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWecowJPVFXWprX35sOwwZ7y-xUVoCnKxQ-FkpQe0nREjMxmWraAvZDLQDGmOcr1sIsIvsaE5I9CquvQ9_2gcnsi5W6vrDxWmAoj-4NKIqX5TbWLUj_EZwXwsgow8G3XLVpnvaCe7GY7P/s320/IMG_7369.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Assisting Walter in landing his first Bluefish ever of all time. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi731rcBbfE8uIH67xMPTRtjU4DQqDVMR69bs7ZDxG93LOr5gvEWnDueQnyUie5OUV8mK5OHaJetdYsFHCM9mrBc9vkaqtPFHpTeyeQyII-Rrmod_f64GNXyzD8vVJ9dIZI7kA2qSrMcKxr/s1600/IMG_7368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi731rcBbfE8uIH67xMPTRtjU4DQqDVMR69bs7ZDxG93LOr5gvEWnDueQnyUie5OUV8mK5OHaJetdYsFHCM9mrBc9vkaqtPFHpTeyeQyII-Rrmod_f64GNXyzD8vVJ9dIZI7kA2qSrMcKxr/s320/IMG_7368.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Due to the teeth and general mean attitude - handling large Blues is not for beginners. An amazing open water fish that often graces shore anglers with "Blitzes" - where schools of frenzied Bluefish attack bait at the surface of the water close to shore. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCLi6mP53YnhYgQEZAZIgVjG4UJhpbUlpshgyUA85tSrzmxPyGq-E9M_0BBeuDtKloW87-mK8kxx380AJBpe80uHfPWijWkoV3lqN5vcGhs_in6jYw1Aw7O0P4Bwj37vEC_m_sllwPyov/s1600/IMG_6846.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCLi6mP53YnhYgQEZAZIgVjG4UJhpbUlpshgyUA85tSrzmxPyGq-E9M_0BBeuDtKloW87-mK8kxx380AJBpe80uHfPWijWkoV3lqN5vcGhs_in6jYw1Aw7O0P4Bwj37vEC_m_sllwPyov/s320/IMG_6846.JPG.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phil hooks into a really really big Striper and a boring old sandy beach !! photo credit:Warren</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8mC7kahB6eOTW-1OzZ69Sz6oF-lCIh0FA2llqcRBAhYprFVjsLFjypoxC0bzD29uwv_W0ZhwWvwO9DBiVeuzxPzfibw3xDKDKSm7zFYtxi8ROw_L8j59tRxLLprmR4vrMNN1fRbhu9gU/s1600/IMG_7367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8mC7kahB6eOTW-1OzZ69Sz6oF-lCIh0FA2llqcRBAhYprFVjsLFjypoxC0bzD29uwv_W0ZhwWvwO9DBiVeuzxPzfibw3xDKDKSm7zFYtxi8ROw_L8j59tRxLLprmR4vrMNN1fRbhu9gU/s320/IMG_7367.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lipping the fish and helping hm land it. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZHzSbg2gMF8c_vlVSx74Wiy2-bvS04YtvOqJTe0q8dNA0o2BaSKWsbr_fGhhBKTasMWlj63gvnFyNHs2IOVOFheXBxtfaEKJLgc8fXG3hySIj3ko75h3_eDpOgk12aR2CUZy-F2gqMl1/s1600/IMG_6860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZHzSbg2gMF8c_vlVSx74Wiy2-bvS04YtvOqJTe0q8dNA0o2BaSKWsbr_fGhhBKTasMWlj63gvnFyNHs2IOVOFheXBxtfaEKJLgc8fXG3hySIj3ko75h3_eDpOgk12aR2CUZy-F2gqMl1/s400/IMG_6860.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As bad ass as fish get in only 4' of water. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwofqhZHpiXtipLEXhTjMBfuKREK_S5EXCeviGZs665yVgbUWd0ZQPqNl-JEIbSFvVp5iQ9ip7SgH3hVgEp62DU0c68VAuhBJytANbj913y2b0_H6OXyELB7oy5D-eEpGirwFycNaS0XIn/s1600/IMG_7374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwofqhZHpiXtipLEXhTjMBfuKREK_S5EXCeviGZs665yVgbUWd0ZQPqNl-JEIbSFvVp5iQ9ip7SgH3hVgEp62DU0c68VAuhBJytANbj913y2b0_H6OXyELB7oy5D-eEpGirwFycNaS0XIn/s320/IMG_7374.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Birthday Phil. Phil dragged the huge Striper back to the car and filleted it up and then fried it up for all of us. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_SG71Br_XJyifHYLKePjgqo2v7BqiqPjxRX5s3o1fR0BJ5VUwXTa_8cLIVPLG9R5Mcfv5jFnIfD_CavdPMBzNqxtCN9_Wf6xB3Ul3hgzsJsxxtCpcT4HCalIIF8eLyr0Ru27-2Irn05ds/s1600/IMG_2847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_SG71Br_XJyifHYLKePjgqo2v7BqiqPjxRX5s3o1fR0BJ5VUwXTa_8cLIVPLG9R5Mcfv5jFnIfD_CavdPMBzNqxtCN9_Wf6xB3Ul3hgzsJsxxtCpcT4HCalIIF8eLyr0Ru27-2Irn05ds/s400/IMG_2847.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Great trip. One of the best fishing experiences that I have ever had. I may have landed 75 fish. <br />
And - Though Jack Crevalle is still my favorite fish - Stripers are now a very close second. I actually had the airport cab drop me off at a city park near the airport and caught 2 nice Stripers there as well. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cool little island on high high tide on our last day there. We had the privilege of fishing a new moon - with really high high tides and really low lows. Though the fish were rarely if ever hitting in the core of the strong current the new moon seemed to help. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A hard charging Striper digs in and peels line off the reel with a will that is hard to break. Nothing you hook in freshwater really prepares you for this. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Releasing the very last fish on the last day. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJw0-QGIdGrdOwPxVYChyphenhyphen5anTf9oGz5Q2Kd70n5swyS5LKIi3KcKAXA-U_6Mk-MeNfeCopzEdXMVC3O21OpW67ns8016N184g7oFTNbv01rxOk9dk5caXHJZ3jpoajBTm6Llhc-rhhtlO/s1600/IMG_2926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJw0-QGIdGrdOwPxVYChyphenhyphen5anTf9oGz5Q2Kd70n5swyS5LKIi3KcKAXA-U_6Mk-MeNfeCopzEdXMVC3O21OpW67ns8016N184g7oFTNbv01rxOk9dk5caXHJZ3jpoajBTm6Llhc-rhhtlO/s320/IMG_2926.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally back home to Bri's awesomeness. I could not do any of this without a cool partner. Now - Back to inspecting houses the rest of the summer. </td></tr>
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<br />Seagull with French Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713675171423860468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-38298587754695073732016-01-23T11:59:00.001-08:002016-01-29T12:28:54.447-08:00 New Orleans to Punta Gorda <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Bri and I flew to New Orleans to explore that city for 3 days and then drive across the Florida panhandle to explore coastline, fish and visit friends for another 5 days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">New Orleans is a place that I always want to return to and Bri had never been. I really wanted to show her some of the things I had seen there and wander into a few new areas as well. Neither one of us had ever been to the Florida Panhandle....</span><br />
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<b>First Stop</b>: <b>New Orleans - French Quarter, The Marigny and Garden District </b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Casting on Bourbon Street at 7 am. Photo credit Bri. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We wandered the streets pretending to be artists. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vHIY_GLKrElNZo2G53wgieqrk2VX3OUUAf7eOutZvDiJjNmGcIYMxobWCdOFguzRjaXdaLNyhcmBl7ZlCp5YpfiYWnDlQIrJm5ul1oWkK_NFd6nmqjCiSok5vTScFWSRgetmHi8MhtNz/s1600/IMG_1811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vHIY_GLKrElNZo2G53wgieqrk2VX3OUUAf7eOutZvDiJjNmGcIYMxobWCdOFguzRjaXdaLNyhcmBl7ZlCp5YpfiYWnDlQIrJm5ul1oWkK_NFd6nmqjCiSok5vTScFWSRgetmHi8MhtNz/s320/IMG_1811.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and wandered through the charm until we were hungry.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We ate oysters at a few different places in the French Quarter. <b>Felix's</b> ended up being our favorite. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Felix's has a less fancy atmosphere than both Acme and Bourbon House Oysters - which are right across the street. But we really liked both the size and quality of the oysters here. And the staff was great. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oysters coming in to the French Quarter.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> I got us lost trying to find a certain thrift/junk store in the Marigny and we stumbled into this art studio - <br />
- Dr. Bob's art studio and shop </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Dr. Bob's paintings</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Dr. Bob decorated guitar. He is kicking my ass at art. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glass decorations on top of a gate in the French Quarter.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mississippi rolls by behind the levee generally just out of sight - in the French Quarter. I jogged off a portion of my debauchery along the river. I imagine back many years ago when the river was a more integral part of the French Quarter. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GMszYl__nSLAb-CZVPD8IF7Yf_nHadtFjyUZsNLKtWKB0pQwFDa-VVO419A1hGVStfUxMlF-rmJ5XxROMB19g7nlhaeYZ0zQneAgF7NaDkur6wo_EtHNyS5xNekORzF5vtW6Amb8W2Dd/s1600/IMG_1880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GMszYl__nSLAb-CZVPD8IF7Yf_nHadtFjyUZsNLKtWKB0pQwFDa-VVO419A1hGVStfUxMlF-rmJ5XxROMB19g7nlhaeYZ0zQneAgF7NaDkur6wo_EtHNyS5xNekORzF5vtW6Amb8W2Dd/s320/IMG_1880.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Vincent's Infant Asylum in the Garden District. Built 1864. Margaret Haughery - the amazing woman who founded this place is very much worth reading about. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntQyMf93T5qTY-umMh1yxps0rFzsLY-K-c83PPfUJkYJ7O4mT-zReWRLAppp9a6noefjzq69sYB0kM7Zj2CtS3k1IkdhXmwM5W3GABs9XbC9ZZX7CgJuCV632emTzZhRlD3ulcLUEnFVJ/s1600/IMG_1898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntQyMf93T5qTY-umMh1yxps0rFzsLY-K-c83PPfUJkYJ7O4mT-zReWRLAppp9a6noefjzq69sYB0kM7Zj2CtS3k1IkdhXmwM5W3GABs9XbC9ZZX7CgJuCV632emTzZhRlD3ulcLUEnFVJ/s320/IMG_1898.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sign painter's shrine in the Garden District<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Second Stop: Destin and Panama City, Florida on the Panhandle.</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IamMeGyOtCOf_a4WM_OGgrmzSd8eZbAm6fhbGD6VM4G0zt857fO759enaU9eHpvf0XeweJKLWzQyrfd9c9kDkXDOAVpdhqV3QIPMe3r_vprEiGFUZdbaAdN_Va-Gu9g3qOsse9FZ1BRM/s1600/IMG_1963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IamMeGyOtCOf_a4WM_OGgrmzSd8eZbAm6fhbGD6VM4G0zt857fO759enaU9eHpvf0XeweJKLWzQyrfd9c9kDkXDOAVpdhqV3QIPMe3r_vprEiGFUZdbaAdN_Va-Gu9g3qOsse9FZ1BRM/s320/IMG_1963.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bri put up with a lot of windy and cold inlet fishing. She was a really good sport about it. Probably the sun helped. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcv05tACMnVQo_Y26ZbXetn90WQOY4k16_hC25-mEXzU9OW4M3FfYZINQVA-9LTFpWgFn3btZ4NuTKvGlAFG9SPc2oKxv9YmxZOb9-mn5y_ELfxNds9L-4xoRR56Y-xAhwL3nu_QRaQy0/s1600/IMG_2020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcv05tACMnVQo_Y26ZbXetn90WQOY4k16_hC25-mEXzU9OW4M3FfYZINQVA-9LTFpWgFn3btZ4NuTKvGlAFG9SPc2oKxv9YmxZOb9-mn5y_ELfxNds9L-4xoRR56Y-xAhwL3nu_QRaQy0/s320/IMG_2020.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We hired <b>Jason Stacy</b> of <a href="http://www.shallowwaterexpeditions.com/">Shallow Water Expeditions</a> and hit the Shell Island area of the St. Andrews Bay complex near Panama City - with both fly and spinning rods. We rolled out on a morning in sub 40 degree air. Check out Shallow Water Expeditions on Vimeo for some very nice videos. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA61tPnQocjhGqBrY5C6m7a-YReMsrLnw_4qhBcbDpzkHjpUsohPyiSqAHzgxPupVrYNbVLf8_jtkdIEgfiGbDP-BH3coLJjvVS3PLqEhDtlmBJld5eGkD1H5AoGnK1eapse_-q8X1nf_c/s1600/IMG_2036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA61tPnQocjhGqBrY5C6m7a-YReMsrLnw_4qhBcbDpzkHjpUsohPyiSqAHzgxPupVrYNbVLf8_jtkdIEgfiGbDP-BH3coLJjvVS3PLqEhDtlmBJld5eGkD1H5AoGnK1eapse_-q8X1nf_c/s320/IMG_2036.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really tough to actually hook and then land this fish .... if you have ever been around Sheepshead. They shred bait or lures with a very hard set of teeth and are almost never hooked. I bet the ratio is about 20 hits to 1 fish in the boat. Though Bri managed to land 2 on this trip.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIw4pp7cwsRnKrGQvccImCs7LQ6kN6FETPLkmah1iVevvQTuOEnePbj2aLGvyyG5OUFBlFoDSjAbthNsOgyyqmDm2JfbKLJqF5-LeK399etzm_51J4qD8apwZ80Pd3um1Jb1MYyElrEMse/s1600/IMG_1535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIw4pp7cwsRnKrGQvccImCs7LQ6kN6FETPLkmah1iVevvQTuOEnePbj2aLGvyyG5OUFBlFoDSjAbthNsOgyyqmDm2JfbKLJqF5-LeK399etzm_51J4qD8apwZ80Pd3um1Jb1MYyElrEMse/s400/IMG_1535.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason put me on some big redfish on fly. I had no idea the panhandle could be this good in January and my sight fishing skills were really <b>not</b> up to the task. We saw a lot of dolphin and had a lot of fishing action. Bri hooked and lost 2 really really big redfish on spinning and could hardly hang onto the rod. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisoWc16KNupBu-Ra4dsuopXO2nPHkRgE-ahf0StU5p11iLMxyyA5BEN5zGG6tMQP23loNlwK9jIJveL0teknOZbeTAguRVS85Wlx7PZ9k4m2iqA_37LbwPqzqroXZFMi60eE2a12KETFuG/s1600/IMG_1276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisoWc16KNupBu-Ra4dsuopXO2nPHkRgE-ahf0StU5p11iLMxyyA5BEN5zGG6tMQP23loNlwK9jIJveL0teknOZbeTAguRVS85Wlx7PZ9k4m2iqA_37LbwPqzqroXZFMi60eE2a12KETFuG/s320/IMG_1276.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blind casting along the beach with an 8 weight rod and connecting. Shell Island is the 20 miles of undeveloped beach in the background. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsKDbLv-ZCC3Qiu_aXS_kvzs0eHetR5c2vKIjj7cZ9RfVtOeOs7jMFvoMWFFGUpO-qbyBi_wQQVEMYWSw1Mdkko-FnnZeg0p68FwGvPTEfOPXOPOjZOgO7S4dA40VHpnEYIGXxwxutIjl/s1600/IMG_2023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsKDbLv-ZCC3Qiu_aXS_kvzs0eHetR5c2vKIjj7cZ9RfVtOeOs7jMFvoMWFFGUpO-qbyBi_wQQVEMYWSw1Mdkko-FnnZeg0p68FwGvPTEfOPXOPOjZOgO7S4dA40VHpnEYIGXxwxutIjl/s320/IMG_2023.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bri with a small redfish. She actually outfished me. The objective of the trip was to put her on some saltwater fish as she has only done freshwater fishing. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5eO15X600OhbppzB-ftOLCSemtph8S2Hn5-rRlL0aBdzhw_62_-VMdI55rSyq74H4NhyphenhyphenFPsmWw7z3sviqwxf5AILgZBif58O9g4m8Cl66m3StSXpmSnJvzviF5tSEXpw4fSB8G2pkUPmc/s1600/IMG_4521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5eO15X600OhbppzB-ftOLCSemtph8S2Hn5-rRlL0aBdzhw_62_-VMdI55rSyq74H4NhyphenhyphenFPsmWw7z3sviqwxf5AILgZBif58O9g4m8Cl66m3StSXpmSnJvzviF5tSEXpw4fSB8G2pkUPmc/s320/IMG_4521.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Releasing the big redfish of the day. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4hFvPGf3H9L02fKW3QARxpNnIYiJU0knxvhYePCwp-gB58J8GX0n1JWzKFtSssKtyjv6nW9QbcnC9N2tLlkXzfo28TA0rGMkuY5-d2is3GlNJXAOhVUppzMs6DWyFS0VBDl3TrT8pekPw/s1600/IMG_2055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4hFvPGf3H9L02fKW3QARxpNnIYiJU0knxvhYePCwp-gB58J8GX0n1JWzKFtSssKtyjv6nW9QbcnC9N2tLlkXzfo28TA0rGMkuY5-d2is3GlNJXAOhVUppzMs6DWyFS0VBDl3TrT8pekPw/s320/IMG_2055.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A stop in Tallahassee to visit my cousin Ian and his wife Karen. They can really eat - and drink - and are always up for a good time. Ian was a bit disappointed that Bri and I crashed right after dinner but us fish people have to get good sleep.<br />
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<b>3rd Stop: North Port and Punta Gorda, Florida</b><br />
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<b>My best friends Luis and Deanna just moved to North Port, Florida only about 10 days prior..... </b><br />
<b>And we descended on their new place for some DIY canoe and wade fishing. Amazingly their new place was already totally set up to have guests. </b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKkm-ydQrBfjFGZ19KBDrlHfZD441UjiQBWxQ5WcSF8BLpC-WAFPvrZyUlCRyau9hewF0QULMAkiEWpesk3g7BoRzv3hxmRe6AMRv6S7d2Nmlrg7GYZ_Hq5-EearcONy8bsSZgz93Ylly/s1600/IMG_9469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKkm-ydQrBfjFGZ19KBDrlHfZD441UjiQBWxQ5WcSF8BLpC-WAFPvrZyUlCRyau9hewF0QULMAkiEWpesk3g7BoRzv3hxmRe6AMRv6S7d2Nmlrg7GYZ_Hq5-EearcONy8bsSZgz93Ylly/s320/IMG_9469.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading out in the new canoe from Ponce park near Punta Gorda. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUoDKYzxJz9_xrLxAN-Shetk8XUAwjvl2IaShNXRUdB14IgHPjctjGv6gjb0syYqvReszpqzl8EIbbcw9qtnHwC3vU-Cdz1tdbex9mHLproI6G92xGJ5WtT4RY4t8p_TXFqxheWvloHEpd/s1600/IMG_3556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUoDKYzxJz9_xrLxAN-Shetk8XUAwjvl2IaShNXRUdB14IgHPjctjGv6gjb0syYqvReszpqzl8EIbbcw9qtnHwC3vU-Cdz1tdbex9mHLproI6G92xGJ5WtT4RY4t8p_TXFqxheWvloHEpd/s320/IMG_3556.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first fish of the day!<span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Deanna snaps a photo as Luis hooks a sea trout in a residential canal. The trout were slow to get going and the bite did not start until noon. It was cold the whole time we were there by Florida standards - with mornings in the 40's. </span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfqOedpy6qijXTLu_6BzwbK0PUf7On3f1vH77zrjuWwAkuf30Zpi5z4svFoC9vFNC_mhb6c78ialMS_ZWBxtxGMxZCHOPanu3HqEKn1JnLPgbBhoO7OmNJzZLc__mpnh3vI6I6sfcR-UM/s1600/IMG_8638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfqOedpy6qijXTLu_6BzwbK0PUf7On3f1vH77zrjuWwAkuf30Zpi5z4svFoC9vFNC_mhb6c78ialMS_ZWBxtxGMxZCHOPanu3HqEKn1JnLPgbBhoO7OmNJzZLc__mpnh3vI6I6sfcR-UM/s640/IMG_8638.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting out of the canoe to wade fish. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_aTzxFTd3ph0POoOxTRi6PZtQr-j8MWgUW_Pcm_qQGG2n1QPIRvSSGlggF_TV9uXBceFvwYMy2MMY1MKfmmhUZppu85hDABOnowBhaGFsI6-YpUHNnwf-VUjCYrSZPhhXKR8cCsxdLgFc/s1600/IMG_2067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_aTzxFTd3ph0POoOxTRi6PZtQr-j8MWgUW_Pcm_qQGG2n1QPIRvSSGlggF_TV9uXBceFvwYMy2MMY1MKfmmhUZppu85hDABOnowBhaGFsI6-YpUHNnwf-VUjCYrSZPhhXKR8cCsxdLgFc/s320/IMG_2067.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luis finding fish. Seatrout aggressively feeding in a boat channel just off a flat on a rising tide. Luis and I each had a really good day - with 20+ Seatrout landed each - in a totally new area. The sea trout seemed to love the cold weather. Other species were more elusive. Though there were a few mullet around and we did spot at least one huge basking redfish. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bigger Sea Trout. About as good as fishing ever gets. Standing in one place over sand and having a sea trout slam your lure every few casts....<br />
We had seatrout going crazy for over an hour. Not a true trout at all - Sea Trout are in the Croaker family and very closely related to Redfish - and Gaspergou or Freshwater Drum for that matter. Though with their slender toothy appearance they look totally different than other groups of fish in that family.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMyFsE9SAKwJvNc4hD36T_Fha2VmZkRRmNzG-RzysJbg_M0P25-7hrFPV-2wpTgTw4GdMGpjotHW3kEzC9kz-cDZyU0bpBT2d8AAs8zOzRrFvBPCsgliM4oyXyLe-h7sEk0PiZUezQaIWI/s1600/Seatrout1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMyFsE9SAKwJvNc4hD36T_Fha2VmZkRRmNzG-RzysJbg_M0P25-7hrFPV-2wpTgTw4GdMGpjotHW3kEzC9kz-cDZyU0bpBT2d8AAs8zOzRrFvBPCsgliM4oyXyLe-h7sEk0PiZUezQaIWI/s320/Seatrout1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Underwater shot of one of the Speckled Sea Trout. With the head in profile you can see some resemblance to redfish. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bri's second Sheepshead of the trip. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0eXn8BfebditeRuUQMNIdfDb9SqhmnFXix5Xh8MjVxTswlVtZTETzTlwdBsGpc5Ifzk09t0aoYvB7YVzK1PFJGfQmdU3qdntd2G01SIk_1Ul_304Cor3wzmuLb80AymAiPUrmnyy-IEd/s1600/IMG_5177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0eXn8BfebditeRuUQMNIdfDb9SqhmnFXix5Xh8MjVxTswlVtZTETzTlwdBsGpc5Ifzk09t0aoYvB7YVzK1PFJGfQmdU3qdntd2G01SIk_1Ul_304Cor3wzmuLb80AymAiPUrmnyy-IEd/s400/IMG_5177.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headed into the mangroves for some snook fishing. And maybe see a laid up redfish as well. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another cool thing about Florida - the bird life and reptile life is off da hook. Photo credit - Deanna </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3hX0IwGuYZeTdyj89_u_62wW44ZdpwSIlM6Y1aWaziIDu9VOLDFmlvLVySHoYr3Eq32fNFFBrU_vYyXGx38VX25lVLPeHMi3b7nPZtws5rpQrNzC8dz3jSdQ-d8gysD8k8PUw_usXXXe/s1600/IMG_2078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3hX0IwGuYZeTdyj89_u_62wW44ZdpwSIlM6Y1aWaziIDu9VOLDFmlvLVySHoYr3Eq32fNFFBrU_vYyXGx38VX25lVLPeHMi3b7nPZtws5rpQrNzC8dz3jSdQ-d8gysD8k8PUw_usXXXe/s320/IMG_2078.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luis Campos - AKA <b>"Snook Troll"</b> - for his prowess at catching Snook under the Port Charlotte city bridges. Wading as deep as we are comfortable with. Skipping soft plastic lures under the mangroves and often into the branches. Funny the more fish you catch the deeper you are willing to go. And in winter risk of gator or bull shark is very minimal. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Connecting with some juvenile Snook in intimate mangrove creeks. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9Zc1IQBxQaXFi4JC0zYkRv7UdPa6_5xFa6oz8vQMk-EdvQyrG60NP8L6b5jbBv4wQVE9NuLu8Iyvg7UId3edBC671-WmCeBM4QTmspkcTnyd_drOUwOYnDDJoifiaQECJSlkY4WKPshz/s1600/Snook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9Zc1IQBxQaXFi4JC0zYkRv7UdPa6_5xFa6oz8vQMk-EdvQyrG60NP8L6b5jbBv4wQVE9NuLu8Iyvg7UId3edBC671-WmCeBM4QTmspkcTnyd_drOUwOYnDDJoifiaQECJSlkY4WKPshz/s320/Snook.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Releasing a bass-sized Snook </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The great women - Deanna and Bri - who sometimes come along on our fishing adventures.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">General flats fishing assemblage for Florida. I cant say enough good about the lures in the left portion of this tackle box - the "Texas rigged" soft plastic lures. <b>Phil Knoll</b> showed me his <a href="http://www.knollhybridfishing.com/"><b>hybrid</b> </a>style of fishing on Long Island, NY back in 2006 and it is my go-to style for saltwater flats now.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My last fish of the trip. Wading the big wide open flats at Ponce De Leon Park I got a really pretty flounder.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What happens completely inside of a giant novelty $14.75 margarita falls well outside of the confines of that margarita.<br />
We hope to return someday.<br />
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<b>Well i guess now it is Goodbye. Gad dangit Florida why you gotta be like that.</b> The water of West Bay gets the final word in this parting shot. If you look closely you can see Hernando De Soto and some other men in armor struggling through the palmettos along the shore there.<br />
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<br />Seagull with French Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713675171423860468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-62743998120618446782015-12-12T15:58:00.000-08:002015-12-14T13:36:43.119-08:00Inspectre Rides Into Winter Mist. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: start;">Welcome to another edition of Neil Whitacre's travel and fishing blog. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">I got a chance to get back to Iowa the beginning of this month. And experienced the continued thrill of now looking at my home state with the eyes of a foreigner. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">I changed the name of this blog from Conflicted... to Seagull + Fry to more accurately reflect my feelings on the urban fishing experience. A lone gull flies poetically through the fog somewhere and swoops for the tossed fry. </span></div>
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<b> Spawned out Salmon on Eagle Creek.</b><br />
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<b> </b>That painterly looking pink area on the head there is either fungal or crayfish plucking zone. It was odd and slightly disconcerting to see crayfish still very active and working on salmon carcasses in September. For one, crayfish are not native to this part of the country and they are probably pretty effective egg eaters.<br />
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<b> The Blue Angel at the back of Greenwood Cemetary in Muscatine, Iowa. </b><br />
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She used to have a hand with a rose in it. We used to go into this cemetary at midnight on Halloween and hope to see her drop the rose. Instead what would happen is we would get chased out by the cops.<br />
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<b>Bri took me on my first visit to Mount St. Helens. </b><br />
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Photo is of the cool 3D display to illustrate the path of the boiling river wall of mud and rock and trees that poured down the mountain that day.<br />
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<b>Another doll house. This one is inside the barn at a home I was inspecting. </b><br />
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I suspect it takes more than a facebook level attention span to craft something like this. <br />
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<b>Chicken Turtle shell found in Iowa.</b> </div>
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My brother found this shell doing land surveying work in far Southeastern Iowa. A couple hundred miles north of its typical range. The reptile nerd in me was thrilled at this anomaly. I called the Herp lab at Iowa State and left a message.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Y6A4g-xcSpd4mppB6dSlH9JArHTsq0L2-0i88aaylTD1x4NKIAvdQq4PmSKTtriedH0qLM8IH9lLiyz6RbqBTYlx7ch74rnLDG7K_vpbrRdyk9z4M7hbuKxZpc-07JJh0s86hyphenhyphenNdw-8w/s1600/IMG_1389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Y6A4g-xcSpd4mppB6dSlH9JArHTsq0L2-0i88aaylTD1x4NKIAvdQq4PmSKTtriedH0qLM8IH9lLiyz6RbqBTYlx7ch74rnLDG7K_vpbrRdyk9z4M7hbuKxZpc-07JJh0s86hyphenhyphenNdw-8w/s320/IMG_1389.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Sometimes there is fishing. Sometimes fishing is all there is.</b></div>
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Bri and I continued our annual tradition of hitting the Icebreaker merino wool sale in November. </div>
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This one has a tarpon head on it. A face on it only the screech of your drag could love. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqyFH2mSXtfk1yvTqpnm4wjUhwDijjmEJiWCUSScqHqKSOxP-gALU0k_o0GPGHviyLnbj84r9i9xJmq7KNwop0U5vpY2KypR56apse8aela9-_WayxbXRz6H8V3qXOOJexPX7nri8R6GJ/s1600/img025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqyFH2mSXtfk1yvTqpnm4wjUhwDijjmEJiWCUSScqHqKSOxP-gALU0k_o0GPGHviyLnbj84r9i9xJmq7KNwop0U5vpY2KypR56apse8aela9-_WayxbXRz6H8V3qXOOJexPX7nri8R6GJ/s320/img025.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
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<b> A very recent drawing -- L</b>i<b>fe is Funny. </b></div>
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<b>By this we do not mean funny. We mean all emotions all at once. All the time.</b></div>
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I have been doing a lot of home inspecting and not a ton of fishing. Thats how life is right ? We are all so afraid of being poor that all of us get out there and work almost every single day. We might all mostly squelch our real talents for fear of poverty but maybe sometimes we don't crush ourselves with fear all the way. We are still an animal creature somehow. Sometimes inspiration creeps out. Forces itself out into the light of day. Or is it panic....that sets in. The feeling that I wont get to catch another Steelhead before death and we run outside and go fishing. Who can say.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ip8-WHjVrvpctSOldsPI2QA-3iFlOGTn4b8uQerkdzZnQd3D3vqymEDjbLV8UbTy36SaF45t44k8kClOaSXGm5zac_eIsDioqwID32gZOR6p_aREtZpqNTuHVaz5q-i69P7B0ppqNro1/s1600/IMG_1572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ip8-WHjVrvpctSOldsPI2QA-3iFlOGTn4b8uQerkdzZnQd3D3vqymEDjbLV8UbTy36SaF45t44k8kClOaSXGm5zac_eIsDioqwID32gZOR6p_aREtZpqNTuHVaz5q-i69P7B0ppqNro1/s320/IMG_1572.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Mansion on the Mississippi River bluff in Muscatine, Iowa. </b><br />
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I see seagulls in the flat mowed grass in the park across from my condo in portland - hunting worms. I used to see gulls at the park that I would fish at in the 1980's in Musactine, Iowa. I am always impressed at gulls strange inland flyways - and where they will stop for food. Even if that means eating parking lot fries sometimes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4nghTHN5VtHXEV-eUKTijd19-yWeNabJflnAbjGFpFMZamGG8myFyc3r4KnoGiV1xkowUPKr4JUK8ck6YUjmWo1JEuFU9Kkn60BXwuN8rKjI35_ddJQ0RSkV8rGMKjf5i53XJNAD44zc/s1600/IMG_1247+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4nghTHN5VtHXEV-eUKTijd19-yWeNabJflnAbjGFpFMZamGG8myFyc3r4KnoGiV1xkowUPKr4JUK8ck6YUjmWo1JEuFU9Kkn60BXwuN8rKjI35_ddJQ0RSkV8rGMKjf5i53XJNAD44zc/s320/IMG_1247+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b> King Missile. </b><br />
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Death of a salmon. Big carcass providing nutrients to their future young in these cold clear nutrient poor rivers. It would be so much easier to spawn at sea like everybody else ? I have no idea what the baby salmon - or alevins are eating to grow to 8" and then leave freshwater. Seems miraculous to me that these young fish gain nutrients in these cold clear rivers. Startling to find out how much the nitrogen and other nutrients in the dead fish plays a role in riparian tree growth as well. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvDNvBVufBOD5bu5Hyujpuj0_B4aXC_QmYoMtGaE7deVkeGf9_SVOvbbX2gRswZVP73azdcoYrUlrQsAQ9Z9LWh9-vopzZZzkuZpvKf-Dk8qdDYQRunYsCmqyJSVVbFWGbtsz2wzBuVDP/s1600/IMG_1585.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvDNvBVufBOD5bu5Hyujpuj0_B4aXC_QmYoMtGaE7deVkeGf9_SVOvbbX2gRswZVP73azdcoYrUlrQsAQ9Z9LWh9-vopzZZzkuZpvKf-Dk8qdDYQRunYsCmqyJSVVbFWGbtsz2wzBuVDP/s320/IMG_1585.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Godspeed Vincent</b></div>
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In May of 2003 I took a road trip up the east coast from Miami to New York stopping 6 or 7 places along the coast to camp and fish. It was an ill advised trip as I had $500 to my name at the time and somewhere in central Florida I lost my jeep muffler on a mud road and put it back on with bungees. But the trip overall was a great experience. I have a many distinct memories of landing different fish on that trip. One that stands out is casting to these little mangrove snapper and sheepshead in a tiny mud creek through the marsh grass from my kayak and catching a Spanish Mackerel ! An electric blue fish of deep wide open salt water - waaaaaaay back up into a brackish marsh creek. It is really for these kinds of impossible surprises that I fish.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgt9c66T4hIVQ8NWjM0VnmUMYWb7SA7ntF6kpqrTOmaDz-e_NUGukVURg2r5-oDb7axJqZkrImpxeSRZo4KFzUitNhKwGDMUibJsQbd_B1Uak-e1MDewwcWkAXL7chjea_5mJA0s6iBhKF/s1600/IMG_1568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgt9c66T4hIVQ8NWjM0VnmUMYWb7SA7ntF6kpqrTOmaDz-e_NUGukVURg2r5-oDb7axJqZkrImpxeSRZo4KFzUitNhKwGDMUibJsQbd_B1Uak-e1MDewwcWkAXL7chjea_5mJA0s6iBhKF/s320/IMG_1568.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b>Taking in some Portland Trailblazers</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicue3WF6wJL8XFgNVo3bhF-TnTz45FmkzRPIP1iV-12B0CbI11wiF6wSae1kSHgluSJyihonay0Q_-hckd-vjn81GBrDoMgmpcLN33MNNqOdhCx7JsI9IGyAXcNngzr3VZyAVX0WSWm-Us/s1600/IMG_1316+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicue3WF6wJL8XFgNVo3bhF-TnTz45FmkzRPIP1iV-12B0CbI11wiF6wSae1kSHgluSJyihonay0Q_-hckd-vjn81GBrDoMgmpcLN33MNNqOdhCx7JsI9IGyAXcNngzr3VZyAVX0WSWm-Us/s320/IMG_1316+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b> A hero Bluegill locks eyes with a Snapper in a drawing. </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVqI-5WHJMmkvHQt-lSJ5AsayE628kVCgdAL10fKB4xVRTDEte9MX_tgACw0SuvVX9xL-KUM5Oidi7JdKQSwErCTDi2yMj5NBWBj3pmLfZ9d9k3Sryp6FArUVzHOEp01GFJXnm8vwK05_4/s1600/IMG_1515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVqI-5WHJMmkvHQt-lSJ5AsayE628kVCgdAL10fKB4xVRTDEte9MX_tgACw0SuvVX9xL-KUM5Oidi7JdKQSwErCTDi2yMj5NBWBj3pmLfZ9d9k3Sryp6FArUVzHOEp01GFJXnm8vwK05_4/s320/IMG_1515.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b> How we live now. All 440 square rad feet of our tiny condo. </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BTZ66vV8NQU1vivqN69ZlvpeXzsabsRVYphKoLeFcIyIzCWsxi_Qe-gDWl15bHK9xv_52pZT_gopHhEmS-RyyzxixvfYr2N38fN4dWCltWK2y2IaS1SSC3Az6q7_czE761m3TKmajIwD/s1600/IMG_1433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BTZ66vV8NQU1vivqN69ZlvpeXzsabsRVYphKoLeFcIyIzCWsxi_Qe-gDWl15bHK9xv_52pZT_gopHhEmS-RyyzxixvfYr2N38fN4dWCltWK2y2IaS1SSC3Az6q7_czE761m3TKmajIwD/s320/IMG_1433.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>A creature of halloween dance party. </b><br />
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<span id="goog_281112391"></span> <b>Forrest Sprite beast is serious about some shit. </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGk5hGIDG2tiQKPINiWsh7r0NMGV2JXHmvh0aDpfkJYJ0Rv4OxOCddiqhRpXcpW16wmumDMrCkEBGda7LRx36UwgQDrPin7xpIwUB1Ow4laor7NpyMQucmMMZxDhdtE8uFJQuv7eNLH6G/s1600/skindiver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGk5hGIDG2tiQKPINiWsh7r0NMGV2JXHmvh0aDpfkJYJ0Rv4OxOCddiqhRpXcpW16wmumDMrCkEBGda7LRx36UwgQDrPin7xpIwUB1Ow4laor7NpyMQucmMMZxDhdtE8uFJQuv7eNLH6G/s320/skindiver.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have never had anything but positive experiences with octopi - with the 3 experiences I've had. But this drawing needed conflict. But I hope no young landlubbers get the wrong idea.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmpzi4qANrVlAlzRd0_OFtsoAWUbm8iGwEIQQmy83kIvqGkXMMMYrDAZr6R4luatwnCGZiD2DtoVIO8TYqyw6d4MdkGw8UJc6nGLJrm2-1qhzC507W8AaPlNjGr8MZCOAEFgf1AHZVPEr/s1600/IMG_1319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmpzi4qANrVlAlzRd0_OFtsoAWUbm8iGwEIQQmy83kIvqGkXMMMYrDAZr6R4luatwnCGZiD2DtoVIO8TYqyw6d4MdkGw8UJc6nGLJrm2-1qhzC507W8AaPlNjGr8MZCOAEFgf1AHZVPEr/s320/IMG_1319.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I bought some egg pattern flies and am getting new waders and will be back in the river soon. Right now Portland is in the middle of getting a ton of rain. We are at 10.3" for just December 1 to 12. The rivers are all blown out and ultra muddy. The eggs laid in the fall wobble down in between the rocks in the river bed. Circle of Life dude. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1dzF8WEijBwgd7Cp5bnYS0Gkt29mbxp7CoYCHA0LmeQ6xZBZb9kQa9hzhayRHEBLU_txA7Dcfp0rD6k2l2mKJz3NQo375y690ieAoTuQ2IiE8m7xR0LDfDD5dl-hJD7hS4bFn1BvBDzV/s1600/IMG_1595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1dzF8WEijBwgd7Cp5bnYS0Gkt29mbxp7CoYCHA0LmeQ6xZBZb9kQa9hzhayRHEBLU_txA7Dcfp0rD6k2l2mKJz3NQo375y690ieAoTuQ2IiE8m7xR0LDfDD5dl-hJD7hS4bFn1BvBDzV/s320/IMG_1595.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<b>Left to Right: My Mom ! My Brothers sons - Woodson and Major - Bri - and My Dad </b><br />
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I will catch up with you all via this blog - WITH some fishing next time - the early part of next year.<br />
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Happy Holidays. <br />
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Neil<br />
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<br />Seagull with French Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713675171423860468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-5430261962376140112015-09-30T09:35:00.002-07:002015-09-30T10:11:53.917-07:00Slow Ghost Returns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm fishing again thanks to a slow and steady change of events and a very cool fiance. </div>
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Fiance is just a fancy word for paella. I've also become a licensed home inspector in the past few months. And really, I'm not conflicted at all about fishing. It may be the one thing I'm not conflicted about. Cornbread also not very conflicting.</div>
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(I also now have a Bic inflatable paddleboard. So now the goal for next is to catch a bass on fly on the paddleboard on the Willamette. So hold me to that next summer please. )<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7MbywRAXymg4onynTC98wBuV3AbbsalB8hQAdlGhOCNCWusUoIuSzNYDp2p8-EBKBWWHZyQY6QjXYdGSNF6O5K9xVOcYlFoovFNBi13WVfPnIZvpka6pMMdeSYuB5VYLUcpXi8AoSrNW_/s1600/IMG_0593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7MbywRAXymg4onynTC98wBuV3AbbsalB8hQAdlGhOCNCWusUoIuSzNYDp2p8-EBKBWWHZyQY6QjXYdGSNF6O5K9xVOcYlFoovFNBi13WVfPnIZvpka6pMMdeSYuB5VYLUcpXi8AoSrNW_/s320/IMG_0593.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Heavy Aqua Funk. Tetras and Swordtails in an aquarium during a home inspection. </div>
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Flotilla of free rent - a living structure anchored in the middle of the Willamette River in Downtown Portland. Always interesting to discuss the rental situation here in Portland. We were lucky enough to purchase a tiny condo this spring to escape from the climbing rental prices. </div>
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The mighty Bri Sabin at the confluence of Sandy River and Columbia. They recently took out an earthen dam and allowed this channel to also flow to the Columbia. So now Sundial Island is truly an island and supposedly salmon favored this channel in the past. </div>
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Bri wearing out Howser. East channel of Sandy River facing Sundial Island as seen from Thousand Acres dog and people park. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fish where you live. Smallmouth Bass in the Willamette at Oregon City. I will go out on a limb and say that this fish is taking over the warming rivers along with the carp. We can prop up the cold water Salmonid species as long as we can afford - but these Bass do not need our dollars or help. I saw some Vietnamese guys catching them like crazy in deeper water than I would ever fish on Carolina rigs. AND I also found a killer unconventional secret September bass spot for those who might want to go. AND heard a rumor about a single huge Largemouth Bass in the Clackamas. AND rumors ! AND heresay !<br /><br />So you saw that I said "Fish where you live". I'm also the wanker that will buy plane tickets specifically to go fish places. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Always try to make time for a Herp Walk while fishing. This skink was sunning on some clay cliffs along the Clackamas River. </span></td></tr>
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I'm finding time to draw again as well. I try to always have one drawing that I am working on. I got into 3 shows this summer and was very lucky to sell several pieces. Bri has been very supportive of my drawings and I can't say enough positive about her influence on my life this past year. </div>
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Miniature fireworks stand as part of a homemade dollhouse - seen while home inspecting. </div>
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The quirk , the whimsy - let them wash over you. </div>
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Hood Ornament. Portland. (See: Rumple Minze)</div>
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Remember that old anti-litter commercial with the Indian. Drought conditions this year altered the entrance into Eagle Creek for returning Salmon. Typically there are 2 entrances. To the right in this photo is this big cauldron of scary spiraling current at where the Clack meets Eagle Creek. </div>
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Eagle Creek at its confluence with the Clackamas - near that Cauldron. The lowest by far I've ever seen the water here. I hopped across it. The Coho plowed up it for several miles as evidenced by a few spent carcasses. The run is likely peaking as I write this. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A few Coho were spotted in Eagle Creek that were killed for just their eggs. Really Stupid. </span></td></tr>
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Mountain Whitefish caught on egg pattern fly in the Clackamas. Eggs are kinda the only hatch right now. So lots of fish become egg eatin' fools. </div>
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Cave Bear skeleton at the new Cabelas here in town. One of the saddest parts of fishing is getting that incredible rush when you go into a fishing store. As far as fishing stores in Portland - I highly recommend <a href="http://www.flyshopnw.com/">Northwest Fly Fishing Outfitters</a> on about 109th n Halsey. I always learn something when I go in there. All the employees are also guides on local rivers so they are on the water a lot. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bonneville Dam fish ladder viewing window. Always worth a visit in September. </span></td></tr>
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Sturgeon in the fish ladder even. </div>
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A great <b>video</b> on the damn and fish ladder by my friend David Barmon: </div>
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<b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTe297gGeWg">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTe297gGeWg</a></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />More on the killer handmade dollhouse. <br /><br /><br />I did get a nice Coho Salmon this fall - down near the mouth of the Clackamas. <br />But we are about to make a batch of Quiches from it to freeze for later. To have with our Bourbons n Cocoa later this winter. (Quiche is just another word for Egg Pie)<br /><br /><br />Hey! Get out there and steelhead this winter. </span></td></tr>
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Seagull with French Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713675171423860468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-27698975633427710082014-10-12T08:16:00.002-07:002014-10-13T17:20:52.288-07:00Phantom Railcar to the Delta <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Exploring South Louisiana with my Dad. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaS2DmXvNsWdKVwy5DUGQzVNjrPqnAMBn1hh_bGBO_arQupbZjls8s0qHjQx1UiVQlzi44rC-g0HL6501ce7R5FhqLzJMv-FnIseUyvuH4RjyW5TWyh_ykKdyxgmc4VGqBX5c7VqzMQH8v/s1600/Railcar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaS2DmXvNsWdKVwy5DUGQzVNjrPqnAMBn1hh_bGBO_arQupbZjls8s0qHjQx1UiVQlzi44rC-g0HL6501ce7R5FhqLzJMv-FnIseUyvuH4RjyW5TWyh_ykKdyxgmc4VGqBX5c7VqzMQH8v/s1600/Railcar.JPG" height="207" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Never underestimate the baroque power of a chunk of Iowa woods. I met up with my family for 2 days in Iowa before driving south to New Orleans with my dad. This is an old wooden railcar we discovered in high school near a favorite swimming hole. We found cowboy toys and old record player and Playboys from the 50's. I returned 20 years later to find it sinking but intact.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Cray Cray.</b> In the Marigny, New Orleans. This neigborhood - just east of the French Quarter - is a delight to the senses. I highly recommend Mimi's bar and Bargain Center thrift. Both great recommendations from New Orleans resident Dulcie Dick via a good friend Amy Putney. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every god damned square inch of the French Quarter...Just thick with it man. Could not get enough on a quiet morning</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Place d'Armes Hotel. in pool....exhaling </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cypress Cove. Saltwater gators are normally shy. So - Some gator sightings - maybe 10 the whole trip - but we arrived 5 days after gator hunting season so they were extra shy. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding out to fish some vast expanses of really shallow water. At the edge of the Gulf of Mexico the Mississippi craggles out into an endless maze. The water smells like green salt blood - all the nutrients of a nation dumping into the sea. Of course I felt really at home here. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working boats everywhere. Oysters, Blue Crabs, Shrimp. Often the food we had was astounding. Prejeans in Lafayette was incredible.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian Esposito's flats boat - with poling platform in back. This guide rocks. He is part of a group of 4 guys that come over from FL to guide on the shallow water bull reds from Oct 1 to Thanksgiving. Brian is booked solid the entire time. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fly Sight fishing to Bull Redfish. Almost nothing better in fishing. Brain Esposito spots individual cruising fish at about 100 yards out. You wait to cast until you can land the fly directly in front of them and then generally strip as fast as you can. And then hang on and watch all of your stripped line bandsaw back out through your hand when they hit. Then the fish hits your drag and that sweet sound of a tortured clicking drag on a massive fly reel. damn.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Better have a 9 weight rod. Brian said "50 feet at 9 O'clock ! Drop it! Pop it !" And the water exploded as the fish pulled the fly off the surface and then a ton of line off the reel. These fish were busting on mullet and came ready to play hard and fast - behaving more like a Jack Crevalle by running down mullet in open water. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huge huge grasshoppers near the Halliburton compound at Venice. All of the areas we visited were basically just oil refineries and seafood production. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dad trying boiled peanuts in a cemetery south of Houma, LA. Spanish moss dripping from Live Oak. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Star Destroyer. Working boats at Bayou Du Large, LA. Some of these rough looking guys told me they get 45 to 80 sacks - big burlap bags of oysters per day.... And the street value of those on Bourbon Street is $$$$. It made me want to help them Unionize... hahaha ! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That moment when you are electrified by a fish. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rodbreaker..... the guides rod.... I guess honey badger better step up to meet the Black Drum. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrine at the canal. Bayou Du Large had 3 churches and no convenience store. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swamp Lily. I'll have what I'm having. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5zE7TsaTQQJacW0o0a3e7CGWtpZyvkFlDM4MOWVD9IherR2JOL345EcgE_S6_yjPYoLf5q6Ui45q4bsQvozKPJNUWke0GDVzbll3gypgOkP1zl70poLwNt6jaFYva3ETyVuQ43PHKnNf/s1600/TaggingRedfish.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5zE7TsaTQQJacW0o0a3e7CGWtpZyvkFlDM4MOWVD9IherR2JOL345EcgE_S6_yjPYoLf5q6Ui45q4bsQvozKPJNUWke0GDVzbll3gypgOkP1zl70poLwNt6jaFYva3ETyVuQ43PHKnNf/s1600/TaggingRedfish.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tagging Redfish with Captain Bill Lake. Of the thickest cajun cracker accents in the world. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Sheepshead caught by my dad at Grosse Savanne. At 17,000 acres this private reserve moved with life all over the bay bottom unlike anything I have ever seen. The guide - Mike - tossed a throw net and caught prawn-sized shrimp all over the place almost everywhere in about 5' of water ... solidly primeval. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Gator Gar. still cute size. And yes they will hit flies. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the railcar. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A couple more from the rail car. Ghosts of an old horse pen and an ancient Schwinn bike. And there was a plank that read "J & K Railway New Orleans, USA" </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hood of the low rider from my last post. In memory of mother. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd hit that. Pulled this pinata out of an Iowa ditch on an early morning run. Interesting thing happened to me through online dating... I developed a huge crush on someone I met right before I left on this trip. I was even accused in Bill Lake's thick thick cajun of being distracted from fishing by this girl's texts. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exploring Grande Isle, LA. Dolphins were working the mullet using synchronized feeding. A pleasure to watch but absolutely nothing more terrifying for fish than dolphins on the prowl. I've seen them jump into the trees in the Everglades to get away from dolphins. Fall had not really begun here yet. The really big redfish had not moved into the shallows. But the big schools of mullet were doing their methodical migrations just beyond the shorebreak. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dad and I played "Name that Tune" in as few notes as possible on the drive down. Ironic that I got Sharp Dressed Man fairly quickly but Wayward Son took a bit longer. Cedar River Backwater, Cedar County, Iowa. Winchester 70 and fun with GoPro. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish No Demon Harder. Fishing over for now. Fishing go Bye Bye. We killed the fishing and it did it for me for a long time. My dear awesome friends that are winter steelheaders... I shall live vicariously through you for the next few months or so. The fishing monster that dragged on my soul slipped backwards into that gulf and closed it's eyes. </td></tr>
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<br />Seagull with French Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713675171423860468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-23373319303438183262014-08-13T15:28:00.001-07:002014-08-14T07:42:37.624-07:00For All That Wander : Iowa at Summer's End<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b> Now look back close to Home : Iowa Farm Pond </b><br />
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I just got back from a family visit in Iowa. I've been a lot of places this year <br />
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but this part of the world really surprised me this time around. I had an intense conversation with the native Largemouth Bass. Fly fished the Mississippi River. Held a baby - Woodson Whitacre. Had more than my share of great cooking and enormous solitude. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An average Farm Pond under extraordinary circumstances. At an acre and 15 feet deep. A fresh rain and summer water temps prime the Bass to explode on food items as large as mice and frogs. At times attacking dragonflies along the shore. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Muscatine, Iowa near the Riverside Cafe. I need to do several long walks around my hometown every time I visit. Noting changes and noting stalwarts. My big heartbreak is the corner of downtown near here that no longer contains Maid Rite sandwich shop. They do still exist at other locations though and serve "loose meat" (sloppy joe) sandwiches. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Parents collaborating on a flower arrangement. Gary and Mary gearing up for a party.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting lost on a few acres. The summer creates a small Iowa jungle. Insects thrive here in a way they don't back in Oregon. I had my own personal Everglades for days. This past week and this pond will forever float in my memory as magic. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Real art along Muscatine's south side. I always appreciate low riders. Something wonderful is airbrushed on the hood as well. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dad said this had been in the garage refrigerator for "at least 3 years". Sadly it does not take much of a "situation" for me to drink one of these. I put this one back in the time capsule though. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mom fishes in a relaxed manner while I prance about with fly rod. This is at a new park called "Deep Lakes" - an ecologically unique network of sand lakes surrounded by "artificial desert" - an area of very sandy soil with rare plants and animals - including Prickly Pear cactus, Whiptail Lizards, Hognosed Snakes and Eastern Box Turtles. We saw a giant Gizzard Shad (big river fish) zip by us right here in the stillwater. My dad has a long history of fishing this area - which has always been called the "Gravel Pits". Up into the 1970's it was lawless with lots of swimming, drinking and fighting. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bluegill fight hard for their size. 50 years ago I would have said "They give a good account of themselves on a fly rod." Boldly feeding in the same areas as the MUCH larger Bass and creating a zipping popping sound when pulling a fly off the surface. The Bluegill is the fish that started it all for me. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curiosities along the Old Burlington Road. Ruins of an ancient gas station at the base of the river bluff. (We could not get any more photos as they were about to shoot a dusty Robert Plant music video. hee hee) Hey... in all seriousness though this is near where they found a huge hibernation den of Blue Racer snakes when I was a kid. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raising a ruckus. With a face only Nascar could love. Alert and with great eyesight. Stalking XL mice "flies" under the moss for a great distance. The heavy midwestern stillness shattered by electrifying surface crashes as they busted right through the moss - never missing the mouse on top. Fly fishing is not all just Trout - at its most indelicate it looks like this. If you haven't fished - I suggest not starting for these kinds of perfectly violent reasons. I had over a dozen Bass do this - and it scared me everytime. These Bass overwintered last year under a full 2' of ice on this pond dreaming of these kind of moments. I would hate to be a 4" Chewbacca or Boba Fett for that matter trying to make a crossing. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> A short video of me catching a cruising Bass : </span><br />
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<a href="https://vimeo.com/103328999" target="_blank"> <span style="font-size: large;">https://vimeo.com/103328999</span></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portrait of Perseverance. My mom will do 10 mile walks at the drop of a hat. Blood and conversation flows. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A note on my alcohol consumption: Before I left Oregon I stopped and camped at the Kalama River - it was dusk and I watched a big flock of Swifts come out over the river to take advantage of the evening's insects. I was mesmerized by the flight patterns. The Swifts left as twilight set in and a group of Bats then came out as it grew truly dark - the shift change happened fairly quickly. The Bats flying with radar and a different pattern. I was quite drunk at a picnic table watching this and it troubled me that the Bats and Swifts were not enough. What fear had caused me to be at this campsite blitzed on that particular evening ? I felt something dark in the hard buzz and I did not like it. But it also provided a certain clarity. As we head into fall - I will be pursuing alcohol with less fervor. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farewell Shot : My cousin Eric took me out on the Mississippi River in his boat. He and his dad Richard generally run diddy poles for huge Flathead Catfish. With the help of his expert local knowledge I managed to catch some Smallmouth and White Bass on fly. The White Bass is an open water speedster of midwater attacks - and known locally as a "Striper". I had to a least try throwing a few flies here in the Big Muddy. Twain could have something clever to say about me flailing this storied water with the long wand. Goodbye Iowa and family ! See you at Christmas !</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Seagull with French Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713675171423860468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-8125563486679420682014-05-21T08:33:00.000-07:002014-05-21T22:33:14.964-07:00Roll Damn Trout: My Time Spent up High Recently<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What I want you to think most of my trip looked like. </td></tr>
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<b>Excerpts</b> from a long walk in the mountains this past weekend.<br />
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As per my usual blog format: <br />
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All the photos are right here at the top for you visual people.<br />
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Down below all the photos are a few paragraphs in more detail about this alpine experience. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What my desk sees right before one of these trips.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXd97BM0wDfepplLxfaX7uFTGHTn6rctRltkWbvb57BY1YfAgUYZApRo06ejpME3B22xwuOJVSXu33dKAFRjhK1KSwGTdJSGSqUyMI1k6STAtmxI2d4jDtCqy7-ZZG_BE3MVeuRICp2KV/s1600/MarionRowanTrailLog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXd97BM0wDfepplLxfaX7uFTGHTn6rctRltkWbvb57BY1YfAgUYZApRo06ejpME3B22xwuOJVSXu33dKAFRjhK1KSwGTdJSGSqUyMI1k6STAtmxI2d4jDtCqy7-ZZG_BE3MVeuRICp2KV/s1600/MarionRowanTrailLog.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rowan hiking in. This hiking part should be enough fun for most people. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBMR9SM2izy3nYlk2-tzn8Mf74xt3QXpLhP2c1H1mIjNWCn5YykVdxHzQeQxk0XRd5WCqyG2Le46Cvzjf17svgWc6zYn1kAMxE_yN2lk4-EsSXrBCkkLu4I_N3h_anIHS6s5ZOkbsf8ZJ/s1600/MarionRowanHiking.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBMR9SM2izy3nYlk2-tzn8Mf74xt3QXpLhP2c1H1mIjNWCn5YykVdxHzQeQxk0XRd5WCqyG2Le46Cvzjf17svgWc6zYn1kAMxE_yN2lk4-EsSXrBCkkLu4I_N3h_anIHS6s5ZOkbsf8ZJ/s1600/MarionRowanHiking.JPG" height="320" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We truly hoped these jumbo backpacks would help us cut a larger profile for cougar safety. What mine would probably do is flop me over backwards so the cat could more easily disembowel me. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfe_iaHY-AtXKTHGVN8o2odygjj737D-MNnOVokONB2jdYhGsU0-Rh36l4dMpbKLasQZwa5j_0RmDKVDIqFErvDwyOV1_j_rPO1A306vWwAhd5jrEcbZQCYC-SPCWw6ly9Ku39E1VJkTk2/s1600/ResizedImage_1400454210980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfe_iaHY-AtXKTHGVN8o2odygjj737D-MNnOVokONB2jdYhGsU0-Rh36l4dMpbKLasQZwa5j_0RmDKVDIqFErvDwyOV1_j_rPO1A306vWwAhd5jrEcbZQCYC-SPCWw6ly9Ku39E1VJkTk2/s1600/ResizedImage_1400454210980.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plants make good art. Josh Raleigh lets me know that this is Corn Lily. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3HkSnRV86f4oiZg-EB8Mx-xUVUq6pu8w4jehSvA8KmDgXJeye7xGL2EMjjt0B7pcH4a-VBUMu4Z22-UkkmeSgnOF739YldtV6_Xlfl9nXbzp9WFUqKa5heGZMaApAxMA4Qb6Cce5NE_m/s1600/PICT2328--small%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3HkSnRV86f4oiZg-EB8Mx-xUVUq6pu8w4jehSvA8KmDgXJeye7xGL2EMjjt0B7pcH4a-VBUMu4Z22-UkkmeSgnOF739YldtV6_Xlfl9nXbzp9WFUqKa5heGZMaApAxMA4Qb6Cce5NE_m/s1600/PICT2328--small%25231.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ridic. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7N5rrgsInHiss-_X13hn1kKL3sCAKfrqjlbGYbtz_7MQg5brKOALlK68UWdGYF7dEnLM67DlvU1qa65nx9fs0iUGfMF1JOFmFbEzhqIldIaLcBMa2kQ4Zo1ecIfI5Ftt38kNCUuOalCY/s1600/ResizedImage_1400454299780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7N5rrgsInHiss-_X13hn1kKL3sCAKfrqjlbGYbtz_7MQg5brKOALlK68UWdGYF7dEnLM67DlvU1qa65nx9fs0iUGfMF1JOFmFbEzhqIldIaLcBMa2kQ4Zo1ecIfI5Ftt38kNCUuOalCY/s1600/ResizedImage_1400454299780.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Brook Trout. with attitude.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxlombJ3rl6eorrqhZeA0_C6tL-azyPZYcRmladHM7JeFPanGCULK9LGcGPusP7Pj-abADCNjyVCwTWgW3eA-sOI9QPDPtfxuqJ2rQZshgUxG3Gh6RE-ohXyAtsTgL7PbkVTuY_Ap2MoK/s1600/ResizedImage_1400454153042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxlombJ3rl6eorrqhZeA0_C6tL-azyPZYcRmladHM7JeFPanGCULK9LGcGPusP7Pj-abADCNjyVCwTWgW3eA-sOI9QPDPtfxuqJ2rQZshgUxG3Gh6RE-ohXyAtsTgL7PbkVTuY_Ap2MoK/s1600/ResizedImage_1400454153042.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closer up on another Brookie.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5oc2q26GplxPdslun-sYDlEoIa1AyUiRjO8MjjJ6a0RhLAf0XlsUng5ukxa1qygSgxyla5CoMoB6RDGhfaHyMzoIpxqmazRbpcV0iHu6pJE9c_vO7rwPZObMuZuKenBcBTfku30zN8Vaa/s1600/PICT2343-small%25233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5oc2q26GplxPdslun-sYDlEoIa1AyUiRjO8MjjJ6a0RhLAf0XlsUng5ukxa1qygSgxyla5CoMoB6RDGhfaHyMzoIpxqmazRbpcV0iHu6pJE9c_vO7rwPZObMuZuKenBcBTfku30zN8Vaa/s1600/PICT2343-small%25233.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Native Rainbow! Conjured up from the depths through use of spinning gear.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaGUUsvADv8mGiksl39_vz7o1XLdm993tMTXDNTIccdxlQ6NUZKFDj8PmW2DB8pxewpl7S78rxX50VgLp7dgOieoIpRasUdexLqOyTYFNaPCFHwHAnKUx7BavuCjpjO2Kc-yCULUuGfQ6/s1600/Native_Range_Brook_Trout.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaGUUsvADv8mGiksl39_vz7o1XLdm993tMTXDNTIccdxlQ6NUZKFDj8PmW2DB8pxewpl7S78rxX50VgLp7dgOieoIpRasUdexLqOyTYFNaPCFHwHAnKUx7BavuCjpjO2Kc-yCULUuGfQ6/s1600/Native_Range_Brook_Trout.JPG" height="285" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Native and Introduced Range of the Brook Trout. Which is actually a Char !</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Although</b> I am aware that it is illegal to use fishing to talk about other things in life ...<br />
<br />
I press on. <br />
<br />
Hiking in to high lakes in the Cascade Range of Central Oregon. <br />
<br />
These overnight backpack-in to camp at alpine lakes trips are not for everyone.<br />
Some of the gear can be pricey. And it was hard on the 7 year olds that we made carry the majority of our gear.<br />
<br />
The month of May in this area still means ultraclear snowmelt streams trickling 38 degree water into clear cold lakes. Bald Eagles snatching trout from the waters surface. Very light black bear pressure and no other people save my friend Rowan are foolish enough to take 3 days off to get cold, wet, huck gear and catch tons of pretty polka-dot trout. Somebody found occasion to use the phrase "up the yin yang". I guess rightfully so. <br />
<br />
Enter <b>Brook Trout</b> or "<b>Brookies</b>":<br />
<br />
These particular polka-dot trout out <b>west</b> here are actually <b>Eastern Brook Trout</b>.<br />
Native to Appalachia and the Great Lakes. We white folks brought them here to the West generations ago - around 1900 - and they have done quite well. Some say too well. What Brookies are good at is ganging up and blocking the larger native <b>Rainbows</b> and <b>Cutthroat</b> from prime feeding areas. When traveling with a fish biologist like Rowan - you get some inside info. What we saw this time of year - the <b>Brook Trout</b> controlled the edges of the lake - the drop-offs in 6' of water. Prime real estate in May at this elevation for insects and crayfish. Though we did catch a few big Rainbows<b> </b>and one native Cutt - we caught more than 90% Brookies. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
.<br />
So it seems at first glance that a fish so far from its home waters surviving and thriving to the point of dominating larger species is counterintuitive. But it is this cooperation of packs of <b>Brook Trout</b> that allow them to do this. Imagine intimidating teenagers keeping you from wanting to hit your favorite empanada place as often. kinda. So we did eat some of these allegedly invasive brookies. They were orange fleshed - possibly from eating crayfish? and of course really good. <br />
<br />
The list of Invasive Species we humans have aided in their legacy is long and varied: Horses, Norway Rat, Carp, Starlings, English Sparrows .... I imagine a child dumping his goldfish into a canal and setting feral goldfish in motion forever. <br />
And even Crayfish cross county lines in GTO's going 140mph. all. the. freaking. time.<br />
<br />
And I know: <br />
<br />
A small hole is created in the universe every time a white person utters the words "invasive species". That phrase should get sucked into a void when spoken.... but through some fluke of bullshit I am allowed to say it. Out West here the cute and noble and mos def spunky <b>Brook Trout</b> is "Invasive".<br />
<br />
But...Roll Damn <b>Brookies</b>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b> So</b> about the therapeutic camping:<br />
<br />
All you need to do to experience the beauty up there is get an expedition sized backpack, hiking boots, headlamp, tiny cook stove w fuel, smart wool everything, extra socks, rain shell, tarp, dry food, compass, map, toilet paper, sun hat, extra shoes, gloves, toothbrush n paste, sunglasses, dry bags, water filter, possibly fishing gear, camera, wilderness permit, and a lack of responsibility toward all the nice folks in your life.... for 3 days or so. <br />
<br />
At present, I may be running away to nature to avoid human relationships.<br />
But I still love you all. Hiding in the profound to avoid the intimate. Or maybe just running away from one profound thing toward another profound thing. Or sometimes I just like it quiet. But lets not overthink it. :) These are indeed somewhat turbulent times but I am trying to make them fun times. <br />
<br />
Before I close and run off to the end of the earth again... I want to give a nod to facebook. I understand aspects of it are evil... but it has helped me connect to folks I have lost touch with for 20 years and sometimes more. Call me if you want to talk. No don't - I think facebook is perfect for us right now. <br />
<br />
Thanks for listening!<br />
<br />
Neil <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySr3WE2vOkyYvArSiqZJdyXR_OCX85RNx0eFfFEYwCYvxjldgFKIu7M7lBG1o753mSoJ8pH2EZermpAEPEde9JCwIGPFehcUwqN4Ttp4qcbzwroI02TpquXnQu-yGyw8syxzqkbQ6sTNe/s1600/PICT2344-small%232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySr3WE2vOkyYvArSiqZJdyXR_OCX85RNx0eFfFEYwCYvxjldgFKIu7M7lBG1o753mSoJ8pH2EZermpAEPEde9JCwIGPFehcUwqN4Ttp4qcbzwroI02TpquXnQu-yGyw8syxzqkbQ6sTNe/s1600/PICT2344-small%232.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hamm's is the beer refreshing </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
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<br />
<br />Seagull with French Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713675171423860468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-75258509111065384362014-04-14T22:34:00.002-07:002014-04-15T19:53:05.935-07:00Have We Met in This Swamp Before? <br />
Howdy -<br />
<br />
Some big changes with me. I started a new job. I now have weekends off. <br />
<br />
It comes the time of year when I let the kayak live on top of the truck. <br />
<br />
It is not new that I am inexorably and magnetically drawn to water. <br />
(Life would be better if I could get the song from <b>true detective</b> out of my head)<br />
<br />
Here are a few new areas from the this month. <br />
<br />
<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZbcPQFV_A99o2Hrehz3rD9NxVwSmz-PpGAZ1NL6F-bxOgrsgGEvFahRAQ9Yx-HcQPV544SziawKT2dM0jFT8w2tSWI-xrC-pZrlqSFTkNTm_6eaEsoIf4-rXObX2lsHBokaBwhwl4LGd/s1600/ResizedImage_1397531346835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZbcPQFV_A99o2Hrehz3rD9NxVwSmz-PpGAZ1NL6F-bxOgrsgGEvFahRAQ9Yx-HcQPV544SziawKT2dM0jFT8w2tSWI-xrC-pZrlqSFTkNTm_6eaEsoIf4-rXObX2lsHBokaBwhwl4LGd/s1600/ResizedImage_1397531346835.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A gnarly death by sogginess. Mt. Hood in the distance - overlooks a shallow and strange Bybee Lake. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4l9ohJ_uVPD5CuT9CLfoKDJsAb6fxGJOc7zTFIYrQnjdEWNjAlKB7NTvqwRPHGuw51BWeFJGHOufkwr4H7wb4OVkDA-pV4tmw5NSkNleg43_I8swj9j95em6ww5ueU0xCS9gSMu7Rtju/s1600/CarpReeds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4l9ohJ_uVPD5CuT9CLfoKDJsAb6fxGJOc7zTFIYrQnjdEWNjAlKB7NTvqwRPHGuw51BWeFJGHOufkwr4H7wb4OVkDA-pV4tmw5NSkNleg43_I8swj9j95em6ww5ueU0xCS9gSMu7Rtju/s1600/CarpReeds.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Reeds and tubers emerge. Otter Beavers Turtle Frog !! By late summer this area will be dry.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrfXhgeF5S51ovcOFhfjeHmczeP8lTNhnpsa0YmvOu5IidQee4Z9D_3b8aO_hzLnS3ipfQqFc86ERLvwWHH5aGZi-9PAkaaAiRRFVJshLyFnR-RUzfydkJEl57VzVZ4YIbq2e90oquoj6/s1600/MountHoodCarpKayak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrfXhgeF5S51ovcOFhfjeHmczeP8lTNhnpsa0YmvOu5IidQee4Z9D_3b8aO_hzLnS3ipfQqFc86ERLvwWHH5aGZi-9PAkaaAiRRFVJshLyFnR-RUzfydkJEl57VzVZ4YIbq2e90oquoj6/s1600/MountHoodCarpKayak.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bullshit trees in the way of my morning commute. Smith Bybee Lakes at high water. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv9-4yW_mWqluSNtbsquXGn7voq_OlZjjGpAoZ54Fmxtlk_nfG_yfDXf1_nw_4VYl62TeEohm8N1XvPJXIbnXK1LuuttY8plXnRt9F8M7mB36IEVfAcRqvcJRMx_5fxX95nntRVdKPjtwq/s1600/CarpBendRod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv9-4yW_mWqluSNtbsquXGn7voq_OlZjjGpAoZ54Fmxtlk_nfG_yfDXf1_nw_4VYl62TeEohm8N1XvPJXIbnXK1LuuttY8plXnRt9F8M7mB36IEVfAcRqvcJRMx_5fxX95nntRVdKPjtwq/s1600/CarpBendRod.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carp surges for deeper water and puts a bend in a saltwater flyrod. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip48GvWSZNEQmiMPmWAQnAk10Vlay3Kw8zS4qb3BDnFBi1VXXXG4EbluuSMsXwxA8MSKwbdjgID1ewq9ZyGMNSOU7LrcU9N7amXrmMiXbqi0ygZrxMkiQ3XhkZx1l7Cw6NX5R2Z2iS3-bt/s1600/CarpTurn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip48GvWSZNEQmiMPmWAQnAk10Vlay3Kw8zS4qb3BDnFBi1VXXXG4EbluuSMsXwxA8MSKwbdjgID1ewq9ZyGMNSOU7LrcU9N7amXrmMiXbqi0ygZrxMkiQ3XhkZx1l7Cw6NX5R2Z2iS3-bt/s1600/CarpTurn.jpg" height="199" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grace. ...and just a glimmer of the goldfish genes here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrz-MfJnfzCTsPkVwDGyJcMzGTqCzFWtZu72QMMf4OpbSLA2niWjHU7uVrcFa6XCIvvlOFKA8XvWzV1QQi2gqOGBLZlEoAKMsOlX37NErEdRsPMcYYFn-YOGBoHgV3IcaR-2Rl5zKz0k8/s1600/CarpFlyRed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrz-MfJnfzCTsPkVwDGyJcMzGTqCzFWtZu72QMMf4OpbSLA2niWjHU7uVrcFa6XCIvvlOFKA8XvWzV1QQi2gqOGBLZlEoAKMsOlX37NErEdRsPMcYYFn-YOGBoHgV3IcaR-2Rl5zKz0k8/s1600/CarpFlyRed.jpg" height="183" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gliding over sun-warmed gravel bar. (Orvis carp fly)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBu0kIyFr9zInUAvtFfxsj0pt3BFL6oyS15RGYPEMF3O8rL-WwLSZPa-5z_ZqZOL1pAQXKNVjJ1siYnnxUsrm5jvyQoD7BBtVQj6RrhyPnFS8TeZH0SUD8Fuqb6jIh7x5I74Y067nqS7l/s1600/CarpScales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBu0kIyFr9zInUAvtFfxsj0pt3BFL6oyS15RGYPEMF3O8rL-WwLSZPa-5z_ZqZOL1pAQXKNVjJ1siYnnxUsrm5jvyQoD7BBtVQj6RrhyPnFS8TeZH0SUD8Fuqb6jIh7x5I74Y067nqS7l/s1600/CarpScales.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bronzed and rippling. Slab side of a noble Carp before release.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKW3NM2QEGsIfAr7JJ5iioIzCSwl09C2H8-C_XoUCGGEWC_YsBIoHKO911OT3WONbTTU9qBPpWjoB5duJszJbMXWh2FGoxerZ6kLpsG3cjSDQDyzKI_olsuAPAIPFBWnSPufEIdwEde8Tg/s1600/NeilCarpGreen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKW3NM2QEGsIfAr7JJ5iioIzCSwl09C2H8-C_XoUCGGEWC_YsBIoHKO911OT3WONbTTU9qBPpWjoB5duJszJbMXWh2FGoxerZ6kLpsG3cjSDQDyzKI_olsuAPAIPFBWnSPufEIdwEde8Tg/s1600/NeilCarpGreen.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Remember back when tans were healthy? Or when we used to stake out coke drops out here?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjezxtu_BfVfjjqgOcbxx13FFjmPBWtGqiOwDCQJGgbFsofCA628bxnMWMmek3S5tymXxmtBfMeq98F0KU8VjEIWY1teersObpMvyHq7D4k45G9AeDg_nEpHdKQ6P_Gv83I5Njq4YQofbrP/s1600/MirrorCarp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjezxtu_BfVfjjqgOcbxx13FFjmPBWtGqiOwDCQJGgbFsofCA628bxnMWMmek3S5tymXxmtBfMeq98F0KU8VjEIWY1teersObpMvyHq7D4k45G9AeDg_nEpHdKQ6P_Gv83I5Njq4YQofbrP/s1600/MirrorCarp.jpg" height="158" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mirror Carp. Selectively bred Ornamental for fewer scales....Escaped into wild.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnnWML5VwITn6NPX-vRiOp0umhTM7JYE5ETM1xa0giINEj0sjhURJ7DqQ7cLDiM-l2AHabp1wJlzH552k3EyH5BtUssXejY4bdWubRL8aBbfSgzyLqNJ9HPzIr9OSskRKufGe6I2cviyr/s1600/Neil-Steelie-1st.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnnWML5VwITn6NPX-vRiOp0umhTM7JYE5ETM1xa0giINEj0sjhURJ7DqQ7cLDiM-l2AHabp1wJlzH552k3EyH5BtUssXejY4bdWubRL8aBbfSgzyLqNJ9HPzIr9OSskRKufGe6I2cviyr/s1600/Neil-Steelie-1st.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We shall get back to this <b>Steelhead</b> stuff later perhaps.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Out Where the Buses Don't Run </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> Poking
around the wild areas close to Portland I encountered the world's most
widely distributed freshwater fish - the <b>Carp.</b> Fascinating in their
adaptability and versatility to inhabit waters we have thrashed. Native
to Asia, they were brought to the US in 1831. (Australia now has them
as well.) "Malign me. Make fun of my pollution, mud and muck tolerance"
they say. They live in water that is too fertile - Eutrophic. <b>Carp</b> live in the hell we make. They are us and we are them.
You pull one out of the water and they will ask straight to your face: </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> "Who is the more invasiver ?"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> A select cult of deranged Portland flyrodders pursue them by sightfishing. <a href="http://carponthefly.blogspot.com/">carponthefly.blogspot.com </a>
Sightfishing works like this: You spot an individual fish, then cast
directly to it and try to get it to eat your stupid fake thing by moving
your stupid fake thing just right - which sometimes means not moving it
at all. Rejections are numerous, awesome and humbling. No talent ass clown with wrong fly. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> Right now in April, the water is just barely warming up enough to see them
begin to actively feed really shallow before moving back to slightly deeper water for
the heat of summer.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I decided I should try this "carp on fly". I started drifting all the nooks of the Smith Bybee Wetland area. An area that is so weed choked and oxygen starved by mid-summer that only Carp survive.Though i did see evidence that some of the birds were catching <b>Yellow Bullheads.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
Turns out.... wild <b>Carp</b> are a great gamefish. They see well. They hear
everything. They are skeptical as all get out. Every time an eagle flys
over and throws a shadow they all jet in a puff of mud smoke. The crunch
of a Dorito can alert them to your presence. Please do not think that they think
you are a tree. See how they forage at the base of that flooded tree?
Yeah...They wont ever do that near your feet. No mater how long you are
in the water. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> You get to be in some cool, weird,
vast, quiet, sunny, tree-lined, Georgia flower smelling, areas where nobody
hardly ever goes. For instance - I actually saw quite a few frogs out
there of 2 different kinds. Tundra Geese !</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I even saw turtles. Briding in Carp zones is top notch also. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"> I go to Carp now. </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span><br /></td></tr>
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Seagull with French Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713675171423860468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-45303047631338401652014-02-20T18:11:00.001-08:002014-02-20T18:54:22.296-08:00Shadows of Twain - A Disturbance in the Flow <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWT6GKjfLdzj4GuDHkKsNd2R2oMvITfGHJhyANMQYZRWVgBYMxMgXieTu1NHz_Zyxx7nXxbSEs9qK8dcgHWMSGQmAlLHn5VVfXLQdUgARr4Oij6W98n_3JbRfTebJ628whTyq96QG7XLGY/s1600/ResizedImage_1392095527139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWT6GKjfLdzj4GuDHkKsNd2R2oMvITfGHJhyANMQYZRWVgBYMxMgXieTu1NHz_Zyxx7nXxbSEs9qK8dcgHWMSGQmAlLHn5VVfXLQdUgARr4Oij6W98n_3JbRfTebJ628whTyq96QG7XLGY/s1600/ResizedImage_1392095527139.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very Large Mark Twain in downtown Muscatine,IA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OATqgR2t0kIjXPqHKNabvtWV5pyGDETjM2xzexAJpRfYdu7VEBaP7VjcVN-X_MhDmo_ZAqHcIfEdtj5brq13eipPPVkBYHF6F-QJoqZ5EB3Kr6CHuHsap3HgL5zSUmR-8G5kgjnWN70v/s1600/ResizedImage_1392939316073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OATqgR2t0kIjXPqHKNabvtWV5pyGDETjM2xzexAJpRfYdu7VEBaP7VjcVN-X_MhDmo_ZAqHcIfEdtj5brq13eipPPVkBYHF6F-QJoqZ5EB3Kr6CHuHsap3HgL5zSUmR-8G5kgjnWN70v/s1600/ResizedImage_1392939316073.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mississippi River this January</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLFGJSiCRsHJpPR5zt0iBoIfRr-s7qQ1tLM4HzmiprZEeNyXmZh7ZCB9HMSxoD0glPMmeZereQnopx3g0OI-Ztk5ujL2mjfhQimSM8pHw5yjgVVkEI67HEkFMf42v5nHbAWHKErJqmboz/s1600/ResizedImage_1392939425295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLFGJSiCRsHJpPR5zt0iBoIfRr-s7qQ1tLM4HzmiprZEeNyXmZh7ZCB9HMSxoD0glPMmeZereQnopx3g0OI-Ztk5ujL2mjfhQimSM8pHw5yjgVVkEI67HEkFMf42v5nHbAWHKErJqmboz/s1600/ResizedImage_1392939425295.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My parents in the ice fishing hut</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjalfUv4pCFTwxC_-tsbZZQcH7ZDwAR6JclrDyu1jDMDOg3S35HhTRGe1AEu0KWHxEG9VAOOf9pwExrVCL5V6hgrclCuaz_JQqtPGrcbHTX5XLs5qIL9XRFLCqRMhzjfcC8zIqmBIBeVavg/s1600/ResizedImage_1392095681063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjalfUv4pCFTwxC_-tsbZZQcH7ZDwAR6JclrDyu1jDMDOg3S35HhTRGe1AEu0KWHxEG9VAOOf9pwExrVCL5V6hgrclCuaz_JQqtPGrcbHTX5XLs5qIL9XRFLCqRMhzjfcC8zIqmBIBeVavg/s1600/ResizedImage_1392095681063.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gary with gear</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHa0TtpEIaQoH9x8jlLpHgBqcmhvmaJxG5DbO5S86mxeNF2rlnu6U1W1DEjIJ4d8x8nOYqBD6BnTjIiJmREO5KoWsUmx-fKMnAMKNbTNsiAwA9SNJrqhLLvP1sbu1qZjm0Qlg1QVQYagbQ/s1600/QuillbackBlogImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHa0TtpEIaQoH9x8jlLpHgBqcmhvmaJxG5DbO5S86mxeNF2rlnu6U1W1DEjIJ4d8x8nOYqBD6BnTjIiJmREO5KoWsUmx-fKMnAMKNbTNsiAwA9SNJrqhLLvP1sbu1qZjm0Qlg1QVQYagbQ/s1600/QuillbackBlogImage.jpg" height="111" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bald Eagle eaten head of Quillback</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrdRHEIvNw-v6xWbu7NTCO3ZrD2bdvVV94tsmnKMjI8SQiBSOSFMOMhf1pDBCPbREV7-Wav-CNQfb40WnZ1eqSgNa9LZ8NF56_KODfvxVkAZ97fiNdQLRyI-xEj3G4NZkaP-9BXtMTtB-/s1600/DadIceBlogImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrdRHEIvNw-v6xWbu7NTCO3ZrD2bdvVV94tsmnKMjI8SQiBSOSFMOMhf1pDBCPbREV7-Wav-CNQfb40WnZ1eqSgNa9LZ8NF56_KODfvxVkAZ97fiNdQLRyI-xEj3G4NZkaP-9BXtMTtB-/s1600/DadIceBlogImage.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drilling holes w auger</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice hole and the minimal gear required </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcjY8kFxZnE4pIcD2nTcVu7JCV9XML3502-XRYakTkdtdKJunPezrI_qSdUsvSe9lcw82CE9ihPVwq0AuZY0DJGbmC7HAbhNXHCdNqTO9GqX2Ja6ur0jcg0FiYeLbJATRNOp9XFUQhWWUv/s1600/BluegillIceBlogImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcjY8kFxZnE4pIcD2nTcVu7JCV9XML3502-XRYakTkdtdKJunPezrI_qSdUsvSe9lcw82CE9ihPVwq0AuZY0DJGbmC7HAbhNXHCdNqTO9GqX2Ja6ur0jcg0FiYeLbJATRNOp9XFUQhWWUv/s1600/BluegillIceBlogImage.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crazy Punk Bluegill - Iowa farm pond</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG40hs0xOqXJl85mFek1jgx4WDSAH9u2V0Xbd7gUOqHCmQA7dCE98Eb8KdVVemjgLsbITTlYoeRFOC2s5qo7joD9etqeqw9vuoudku7MEAVQ5ZWby5R1LBZbdXhR1Jvry3Rz2hGCHXIiH3/s1600/ResizedImage_1392944186899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG40hs0xOqXJl85mFek1jgx4WDSAH9u2V0Xbd7gUOqHCmQA7dCE98Eb8KdVVemjgLsbITTlYoeRFOC2s5qo7joD9etqeqw9vuoudku7MEAVQ5ZWby5R1LBZbdXhR1Jvry3Rz2hGCHXIiH3/s1600/ResizedImage_1392944186899.jpg" height="232" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hybrid Bluegill ? </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8kbJC9davyU6GDuGL78yr8EeycYzSWt5yBVxVaoeYMClOVIJw6vJLQbcRzkBeB3fUwB_vqt8lyxwkvQ__Fs1cwEPEae80Gi3gWcjAxQIlkVgprlAYOza7ILRf1jNmwQr-sPmOiHMvbKw/s1600/NeilIceBlogImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8kbJC9davyU6GDuGL78yr8EeycYzSWt5yBVxVaoeYMClOVIJw6vJLQbcRzkBeB3fUwB_vqt8lyxwkvQ__Fs1cwEPEae80Gi3gWcjAxQIlkVgprlAYOza7ILRf1jNmwQr-sPmOiHMvbKw/s1600/NeilIceBlogImage.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lookey here Jeb looks what aye caught!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihEGFuryx7mIB3ViU7AfIgZnHnptR8_CPnmoo3RUFRR8UGjTzZVZlyy3urML4gojSUbfbArijrugfVoM1hKzcOt6FTR9LvuekfRUCVbp-ONYt6xv2eOTBO4PYqrna8UmbTEPkDySoR4L3c/s1600/IMG950109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihEGFuryx7mIB3ViU7AfIgZnHnptR8_CPnmoo3RUFRR8UGjTzZVZlyy3urML4gojSUbfbArijrugfVoM1hKzcOt6FTR9LvuekfRUCVbp-ONYt6xv2eOTBO4PYqrna8UmbTEPkDySoR4L3c/s1600/IMG950109.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bass!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2bo7TDbDxaWMzHcZe0TW0iDPBUMFMrrKS7xbQmIzZ09FuLVi0j1-j1JKMGIcFFZFgZjKl-l7-DNK_Rp1RVnEz6f_8EFXlpC8rtLxa-dIEEckV3AshaRFWFIpeWPVfa6iIczLPlrkJKHXC/s1600/TreeIceBlogImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2bo7TDbDxaWMzHcZe0TW0iDPBUMFMrrKS7xbQmIzZ09FuLVi0j1-j1JKMGIcFFZFgZjKl-l7-DNK_Rp1RVnEz6f_8EFXlpC8rtLxa-dIEEckV3AshaRFWFIpeWPVfa6iIczLPlrkJKHXC/s1600/TreeIceBlogImage.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you look really hard you can find some 70's swingers in here....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghYpfSKTsOpjoV4IA7C0UJ7v8OrALc7MdMjKTyLMg2QOFjqkdmp_44YVCKt2_eaXYt5N_LY9T8pak-8gCHXoHah8A2rwJgnu_GZYTox4A1hYIzKmNwArS-3u-52dsCKRH5tFIuwh-WtvE/s1600/OaksBottomBlogImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghYpfSKTsOpjoV4IA7C0UJ7v8OrALc7MdMjKTyLMg2QOFjqkdmp_44YVCKt2_eaXYt5N_LY9T8pak-8gCHXoHah8A2rwJgnu_GZYTox4A1hYIzKmNwArS-3u-52dsCKRH5tFIuwh-WtvE/s1600/OaksBottomBlogImage.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oaks Bottom frozen over. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidaHo7A5XQMvrazQaPGSRfskot8KoKJWM-RJxc0QA8h5cm_4i5_XfGERpQS80DdW-XnPn7SzcLMOI5zCBLqLvF9B7f-rNylR0Oko9aOocVDKcCIxFjeiokLpVK3aPX5hbQeFgvU9HYAU2X/s1600/WilsonRiverBlogImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidaHo7A5XQMvrazQaPGSRfskot8KoKJWM-RJxc0QA8h5cm_4i5_XfGERpQS80DdW-XnPn7SzcLMOI5zCBLqLvF9B7f-rNylR0Oko9aOocVDKcCIxFjeiokLpVK3aPX5hbQeFgvU9HYAU2X/s1600/WilsonRiverBlogImage.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilson River can take a flying.... </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5AmRAE8f959Z7w0kEvkmYw-RYn6W1lel_xLPdf2DYRKujR0ZD9rQXRel8kSb3JKaVBLqNZqbsmocd0d8UfOQbV9pKV_SIfUqpCqkKWAiN_WlAiuZeRm9WnJ-2FJzLqIHptp4Yu3zRApC/s1600/JohnsonBlogImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5AmRAE8f959Z7w0kEvkmYw-RYn6W1lel_xLPdf2DYRKujR0ZD9rQXRel8kSb3JKaVBLqNZqbsmocd0d8UfOQbV9pKV_SIfUqpCqkKWAiN_WlAiuZeRm9WnJ-2FJzLqIHptp4Yu3zRApC/s1600/JohnsonBlogImage.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">felt like i had to say goodbye to Johnson Creek mouth</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFN7CM3IxTFa_j1nht7qX_RuN7K_sKDI-U0NSQcSgjmKJYv9LNQbKxpPHP7WvCBQNQ-pJ7svvStuktkrtjlJFY8HWMLHnZEosQUb26aFlwoRy0PZ2R1K79y2OmgXd4dFgtE15LnYcuu6RU/s1600/BoatBlogImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFN7CM3IxTFa_j1nht7qX_RuN7K_sKDI-U0NSQcSgjmKJYv9LNQbKxpPHP7WvCBQNQ-pJ7svvStuktkrtjlJFY8HWMLHnZEosQUb26aFlwoRy0PZ2R1K79y2OmgXd4dFgtE15LnYcuu6RU/s1600/BoatBlogImage.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A handmade boat called Recurring Dream (facebook)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFN7CM3IxTFa_j1nht7qX_RuN7K_sKDI-U0NSQcSgjmKJYv9LNQbKxpPHP7WvCBQNQ-pJ7svvStuktkrtjlJFY8HWMLHnZEosQUb26aFlwoRy0PZ2R1K79y2OmgXd4dFgtE15LnYcuu6RU/s1600/BoatBlogImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></a><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So I have to get right to the heart of the matter right away.<br />
<br />
I am regretfully letting everyone know that Naomi and I have separated. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Heavy Relationship Stuff Ahead. Rivers of tears. Huge waterfalls of crushing pain. <br />
<br />
<div class="im">
I now get to miss the goats and cats hardcore. I have moved out and am
renting a room on East Burnside St. My new place happens to be next door to a really
good friend of mine - Dave Barmon and his family - a hyperactive landscape company owner who really
had my back on this one and not sure how to ever repay. He likes "wild
foods" so I have some idea. Supposedly I will also be making my famous<b>
</b>pad thai<b> </b>for his family.<br />
<br />
My family in Iowa - my mom and dad - also caught
me perfectly in my fall. My parents have had their differences as well but
they were both there for me the past few weeks. <br />
<br />
I will also mention Matt and Jill who provided the most comfortable
safe harbour imaginable during the worst week of my life. They introduced
me to a TV show called Deadwood for which I will ever be greatful. My best friend Luis Campos who is mastering his 3rd career is also going through a divorce so we had some good talks
this past month. And to all the other friends I have met for lunch the past few weeks. Unsolicited advice would be to ask along the way for
what you want from your partner. Give them the things you know they
need. <br />
<br />
The break up --- It is disturbingly sad and a lot of people are very sad about it. But
some people are still making very funny jokes in light of all the drama
and the heart crushing panic and anxiety that I have been feeling. I wont hold them liable if I end up lost on the end of the earth or splayed in a ditch somewhere by a crocodile. The
level of sorrow is almost transcendent. Nice that there was no
cheating or drugs or alcohol or racketeering involved. Naomi and I still
had some really good good times over our 10 years together and I wont
forget those and shall still carry them with me. I have wonderful memories and they shant be taken away. Naomi and I are trying to work out our differences slowly. So we have not lost all faith. I will always wish her the best. BUT there is a terrible shaking of the foundation right now - things swinging in both directions - good and bad. Looking back and looking ahead. Corny and awesome all at once.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="im">
</div>
I liked peanut butter quite a bit and she actually seemed to realize she was allergic to it. We are trying like hell to reconcile, but the whole
situation might have us lost for a bit. Water creatures
are so close to my soul. Furry creatures so close to hers. I became a fuzzy land octopus and she became a mer-goat and we still had disagreements.<br />
<br />
I hope continued talking will help. I am trying to get the other camp into discussions about the business we have together.These talks are plodding along and not sure which way they are headed. <br />
<br />
I
have a lot of life to live and people to see all over the country and the planet perhaps before I come back to Portland. I
have a lot of forks in the road coming up and the people in my life
have been providing a huge rudder as well as net. I will be embarking on
my own new journey soon and we shall see where it takes me. For now I
am still in Portland. <br />
<br />
<b>A bit on the fishing in January - </b> <br />
<br />
Just before this big hell of life shift I got back to Iowa for a week. It gave me time to see my family and it gave Naomi time to peacefully get me out of the house permanently and start dividing our stuff. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Iowa in Winter : Under the Shadow of Twain along the frozen Mississippi.</b><br />
<br />
<div>
<div>
<div>
l got to go back to Muscatine for a visit in
early January. It was a blast. I got to go ice fishing. This is the most
surreal type of fishing one can do. You walk out on to a frozen lake and
drill holes in the ice. Then you take a 2' rod and some blue 4 lb. test
(so you can see you line against the all white background) and plop it
down the hole with a super tiny pink or green micro jig on it with a wax
worm. It was a small farm pond but fairly deep as we were fishing just
off the bottom at about 15'. My dad fished really hard for a semi old guy. The big <b>Bluegills </b>were in attack mode. We
caught a bunch including one <b>Largemouth Bass </b>as well. I even had one
exciting incident with a big mystery fish that had no interest in being
landed or even really coming up in the water column. Go Bass or Catfish ?! </div>
<div>
</div>
I was there just after the "polar vortex" so there was a full
foot of ice on the lakes and ponds. The Mississippi was even 90% ice
covered. Dozens of Bald Eagles patrolled what little open water there
was. Bald Eagles stood everywhere on the edges of the open water. I was very curious as to what kind of fish they were catching and
how they were catching them. I saw the severed heads of a <b>Gizzard Shad</b>
and a <b>Quillback.</b><br />
<br />
Iowa appears to be having a super cold winter by the way. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
I got back to Portland and there had been only a little bit of rain
while I was gone. It raised the water levels for a few days and things
got fishier according to the online forums. But we really need to get
some more rain. Portland is way behind. And yes of course I have selfish
reasons for wanting more rain. But the farmers will need more rain for
irrigation, and even the ski resorts AND anyone not interested in seeing
all of the American West slip into chronic drought. So pray for rain
everybody.<br />
<br />
<b>The Wilson River </b>- oh turquoise archnemesis -<br />
<br />
</div>
</div>
On a suicide mission again - Matt Reed and I headed back out
to the Wilson for some steelheading on MLK Day. Still low and clear and
8 to 900 cfs - there were lots of different fishing styles on the river
that day and I saw no one hook up. I was out there with the new fly rod
and fishing an orange/black egg leach. It took me hours to figure out
not to focus on any of the sunny areas and really work the shaded areas.
I had one take on a little roll cast in one of the darkest eddies I
could find. Fish ran for a brief moment ... and was gone. <br />
<br />
By early February I was moving out of our house - not by choice. Then the snowstorm hit in Portland. It was pretty snow and it drew people together. I took a lot of long walks and pushed a lot of stuck cars of Oregon nubs out trying to drive. As I write the 3 day snowstorm melts. Rain falls on top of it. Rivulets run to the river.<br />
<br />
Flash forward to me writing on Feb 20 - Now we just got even more rain and February's precip of 5.33 inches to date might be approaching normal. Lots to do and the rivers are to high to fish this anyway. Wait for the water to seep down through the soil and provide that neat ground filtered aqua water that the steelhead like. <br />
<br />
Got a great free casting lesson from a wonderful semi retired semi pro named Rowan. He showed me some lessons that I will be practicing in the park. <br />
<br />
As far as big life advice.... there is none I am qualified to give. <br />
But I will say - <br />
Hold your loved one and tell them you love them.<br />
Do it now genius. <br />
<br />
Good night. <br />
<br />
Neil <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Seagull with French Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713675171423860468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-88685762365790029592014-01-04T22:35:00.000-08:002014-01-05T07:39:24.103-08:00Chrome is Gold <br />
<b>On Steelhead and what happened in 2013 </b><br />
<br />
So I'm putting all the photos at the top and all the text at the bottom. I figure everybody likes nature photos but not everyone wants to read about fishing. So here is November and December's fishing thoughts and excursions and some bits on 2013 fish in general. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7QaAPi8rxy8/UsjvgeJnQAI/AAAAAAAAASM/Cm4KE3EU-Sk/s1600/IMG_4353-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7QaAPi8rxy8/UsjvgeJnQAI/AAAAAAAAASM/Cm4KE3EU-Sk/s1600/IMG_4353-001.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Naomi photo of Gull in flight - Wilson River</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OtMMwW9jU_c/UsjtyJaAXpI/AAAAAAAAAR0/yro_60JPK24/s1600/IMG_4322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OtMMwW9jU_c/UsjtyJaAXpI/AAAAAAAAAR0/yro_60JPK24/s1600/IMG_4322.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Spawned out warriors on the Wilson on Jan 1</b> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mQSY9WQ-p10/UsjuaOrE5NI/AAAAAAAAAR8/Lj1PVZB_MSo/s1600/IMG_4332-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mQSY9WQ-p10/UsjuaOrE5NI/AAAAAAAAAR8/Lj1PVZB_MSo/s1600/IMG_4332-001.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Wilson River Trail - Naomi runs fast </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-whPUVn8_ZhI/UsjvTc9WFEI/AAAAAAAAASE/kJFtb4JZH5Y/s1600/IMG_4341-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-whPUVn8_ZhI/UsjvTc9WFEI/AAAAAAAAASE/kJFtb4JZH5Y/s1600/IMG_4341-001.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>I looked up "pristine" in the dictionary</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fNlUAcVdb_o/UsjvqibNOxI/AAAAAAAAASU/QEweNTiT6zc/s1600/IMG_4362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fNlUAcVdb_o/UsjvqibNOxI/AAAAAAAAASU/QEweNTiT6zc/s1600/IMG_4362.JPG" height="105" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Nice piece of water for a yoga pose</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ktABZsCd_Mw/Usjv5QnIMuI/AAAAAAAAASc/uuMUAVF6KCk/s1600/IMG_4378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ktABZsCd_Mw/Usjv5QnIMuI/AAAAAAAAASc/uuMUAVF6KCk/s1600/IMG_4378.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>More cracked out uglyness on the Wilson</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Bubba is tying on a jig</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Matt Reed reading water </b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Book of man and salmon</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Matt readin'</b> </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Typical arsenal for 2013</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <b>Wilson River at about 500 cfs</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A deer was beating me up off camera</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Clackamas at "action" flood stage</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Go Ducks!</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>RIP Spinning Rod ? not likely </b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fHWUFO67Nw4/UsjyhByocoI/AAAAAAAAAUE/80lPdW7acdo/s1600/IMG_20131213_094806_936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fHWUFO67Nw4/UsjyhByocoI/AAAAAAAAAUE/80lPdW7acdo/s1600/IMG_20131213_094806_936.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Clackamas: water temp 33</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Yay ! I can cut my hair</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qD69cZcT_KI/Usjy0ir6saI/AAAAAAAAAUU/GC-LxsKa_0Q/s1600/IMG_20131212_163657_882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qD69cZcT_KI/Usjy0ir6saI/AAAAAAAAAUU/GC-LxsKa_0Q/s1600/IMG_20131212_163657_882.jpg" height="126" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Futuristic Lures of the year 3000</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1QhEqOeocBE/UsjzAfx4rPI/AAAAAAAAAUc/MGftjq41fj8/s1600/IMG_20131202_155021_077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1QhEqOeocBE/UsjzAfx4rPI/AAAAAAAAAUc/MGftjq41fj8/s1600/IMG_20131202_155021_077.jpg" height="200" width="190" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Hobo Hillbilly Moonshiner</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X0avllo_9e4/UsjxeTiszjI/AAAAAAAAATU/vxNAlYHTo_4/s1600/IMG_20131125_144421_789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X0avllo_9e4/UsjxeTiszjI/AAAAAAAAATU/vxNAlYHTo_4/s1600/IMG_20131125_144421_789.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Excalibur jumps your heart out of your chest electrified - Steelhead on the Clackamas River in November</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iapdWD0Og2g/UsjzdjOuTMI/AAAAAAAAAUk/EFoJ8_YG4pk/s1600/IMG_20131226_082231_096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iapdWD0Og2g/UsjzdjOuTMI/AAAAAAAAAUk/EFoJ8_YG4pk/s1600/IMG_20131226_082231_096.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sandy River having no trouble looking poetic. </b></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Silver is Gold Steel Chaos</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Chrome bolts downriver and holds on to the night.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So I caught a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Steelhead !</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>And released it in short order after taking my obligatory fast and terrible photos. See photo above.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> On the Clackamas River. Almost nothing was right about hooking this fish in this spot. The lure was too big. The sun was too bright at 2 pm. The water was too cold at 41 degrees. It was over sand. Wrong wrong wrong. I had just fished 5 hours of good looking bouldery pocket water. I put on a bigger #5 in silver. Generally, I figure that if you have to fish larger than a #4 to get down in the rip you are fishing too fast of water. Well it was near the head of a big pool - so that was textbook. But what do I know.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="color: #500050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I get the cult like obsession regarding this fish</span>.<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> My whole body was electrified. My face looked hilarious. The fight lasted long enough that I began to be conscious of my hilarious breathing. Nervous, focused breathing. You can’t believe your touching this animal. This is the closest thing I have to religion.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> But I will take it. My first Steelhead was a big 30+” hatchery fish that made a hard drag zing like mad. I hobbled over boulders to chase it and was lucky enough that it began to tire near a boat ramp. Hence the rumble concrete under the fish in the photo. 10lb. test did feel a bit silly… 15 is probably better.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> It happened the Monday before Thanksgiving. From most of my reading, Thanksgiving should be about the earliest one can expect winter fish in the tribs. (This is what one does when one does not quite have time to go fishing --- we all read about it on the internet.) I also got a couple of small<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>steelhead</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>smolt that day and lost 4 spinners. It made it a lot easier that I was going after them on spinner rather than fly. BUT I was not able to cover very much water on foot. Access is limited to the parks along both rivers that I fish - so someday it would be nice to have a raft or a boat. But the hiking an exploring on foot is still really fun. I always have a moment in a day of fishing where I realize where I am at - EVEN if I am in the middle of Portland on the Willamette River. I am in an incredible area and how quiet and peaceful it is. I am conscious of my breathing in a different way in these moments. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Steelhead</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>mess with you head. This is by far the most puzzling fishery I have ever experienced. I can kind of understand why people would do it. I am not sure I understand why people would go<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Steelhead<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b>fishing more than once. I built up the mystique of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Snook</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>in my head like this as well but I think<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Snook</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>are way easier. I have thrown at so much DECENT looking water in December. I have yet to see a fish other than the one I caught. (I am not counting spawned-out salmon, whitefish and suckers) Though I am not able to sight fish to suckers either. Somehow I am always hooking them in 2’ of water but never seeing them while wading ??</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #500050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> I really don't know if
I'm casting to any fish all day. It is a strange fishery ---you don't
see any fish. The species in the river in winter other than Steelhead
are just whitefish and suckers. Hence the Cult of Steelhead. and the
Cult of Egg Pattern. The Steelhead is the only fish and the Salmon eggs
are the only hatch. Covering water is really a challenge on these
rivers out here without a boat or raft. Often you can only access a half
mile or so at best right at one of the parks. Wading in each direction
usually presents you with an unclimbable cliff or private land or and
unsafe river crossing. But we make do. I usually fish it a little too
hard when on foot. Really trying to cover the water – fishing sections
all the way through twice slowly cause it’s all I have. </span><span style="color: #500050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">BUT I think I am starting
to get it with the water levels and the water temperature. It is very
slowly starting to gel. If you can get the water levels, water color and temperature
to line up than you have a good starting point. I bought my first fishing
thermometer last week.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br clear="all" /> I actually almost went fishless in December until I fished the tail of a big pool on the Sandy with a jig.... hard ..... like I was trying to catch a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>sucker</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>... which I was. And I managed a couple of<b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Bridgelips</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>on the Sandy. I was conscious of not wanting to get bageled for the month of December. Whew…. My insanity is intact.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Reading a book called "Salmon Nation" about the interactions of Salmon and people since white folks arrived. It is quite good. </span><span style="color: #500050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #500050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> I also have been expanding my winter tackle box to include more jigs and flies. The marabou steelhead jigs and basic flies. I find the jigs easier than spinners to swing slow-n-low for<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Steelhead</b>. I find it a bit eerie that they sell these at Bi-Mart and I get them there -- and then I go fishing nearby and see nobody fishing. I also find it a bit depressing that my hobby is so common that it can be store bought 2 miles from my house. BUT I think the jigs will help me transition to fly better as they are so similar to the winter Steelhead flies. I think you could get them to hit soft plastics (Mister Twisters) as well but I have not developed any confidence really even with spinners yet and I KNOW<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>trout </b>hit spinners. I am also very slowly building up my collection of flies. Santa was extremely good to me in the fishing store gift certificate area. Hit the Orvis store today and octupled my fly collection. Thanks Mary and Eric!! Thanks Naomi for enduring over an hour of the temple of fly fishing. </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Going a bit further afield to fish: </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Notes on the Wilson River so far –</span></b><span style="color: #500050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #500050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Matt Reed</b> of <a href="http://www.beethinking.com/" target="_blank"><b>Bee Thinking</b></a> and I went out to the Wilson river in mid December and had a rough go of it. The water was too low and too clear at 600 cfs BUT a good 44 degrees. It is one of these crazy pretty small coastal rivers with the clear aquamarine cast water. We fished four different spots along the lower river from mile marker 12 down to 7. At the last spot we actually had the truck broken into and the window smashed and they got a bag of my clothes. I reported it to the Tillamook County Sheriff and hope something turns up. ha! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #500050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I went back with Naomi 2 weeks later and parked at a spot 10 miles upriver in a lot at a great Trailhead. She was able to get in a long run on some really nice coastal jungle trails. AND she took most of the amazing photos above. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #500050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I am also engaged in an interesting debate regarding<b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>bait vs. lure. vs. fly<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b> or the caste or class system as represented by fishing. rich=medium=poor I have fished lures comfortably for ten years and fished them mixed with bait prior to 2002. And now dabbling into fly fishing. How does one decide on traveling far to fly fish? or fishing bait close to home instead? </span><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Does one drive farther for better water or fish closer to home for more time on the water ? I like the stuff the group </span><a href="http://vimeo.com/54416198" target="_blank"><b style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Urban Lines</b></a><span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> is doing on the subject of fly fishing your home waters. I always have to have a spot I can go to and fish for just a bit that is close to home. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #500050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This discussion was spawned by some insulting comments I made about bait fishing. I did not intend for them to be insulting but I can see how they were taken that way. I think bait fishing is honest. And thank you to Brian for pointing out that we all use hooks. </span><span style="color: #500050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As a qualifier I would like to offer that spending time fishing for non-food fish is ridiculous and that I have mixed feelings about it - yet I still do it. Conflictions. It is the socio-economic aspects of the different types of fishing that I find worthy of discussion. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #500050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I took a survey of some fishermen I knew: </span></div>
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<span style="color: #500050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We did a one word association with the 3 main types of fishing </span></div>
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<span style="color: #500050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1.bait 2.lure 3.fly </span></div>
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<span style="color: #500050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Here is what I got: </span></div>
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<span style="color: #500050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Neil – bait= food lure=fun fly=far driving </span></div>
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<span style="color: #500050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Phil – bait=amateur lure=fun fly=<wbr></wbr>unessesary</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Adam - bait=worms lure=big tackle box fly=snob tenkara=interesting</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Ryan- bait= uninspired lure= utilitarian fly=artful</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Dave – bait=fish lure=sticks <wbr></wbr> fly=nothing</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Gary –bait=stink lure=doll fly=rising</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Naomi – bait=master lure=allure fly=super </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Matt – bait=powerbait lure=mepps fly=legit</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Luis – bait= neil lure=neil fly=neil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Brian - bait=hook lure=hook fly=hook </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">End of Year </span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Ruminations and stuff that happened. </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I caught 21 species in 2013 year on lure and fly. See List BELOW. It was a good year. Fishing is picking up for me in general - work has calmed down a little. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Though I did not do any full on “fishing trips” this year I managed to weasel in some fishing on family trips to Hawaii and San Diego and on camping and hiking trips. I suppose the thrill of the year was the 3 Trevally I landed at on Kauai. 2 on poppers...!! (these would be juvenile Giant Trevally). Jacks and Trevally are my favorite fish. </span><span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It is like god has handed you an inshore tuna. Kablaam !</span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Though being a bit intimidated by fly fishing (the limited casting, the knots, the snobbery, the prices, accessing the whole water column) I managed to get out on a couple of Oregon rivers and on my own, throw some nymphs and some San Juans and land some<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>trout</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>on my 5wt. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">To be fair this<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Steelhead</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>thing is kicking my ass psychologically. It is quite possibly the</span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">most humiliating thing I’ve done to myself. One never knows if there are fish in the river ... except when the water is low and clear and then you can see that there are no<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Steelhead</b>. Nothing ever busts the surface in a big way. But you fish anyway and go fishless in some of the prettiest river water imaginable. I think half of the addiction is about these amazing areas. The water seems to either be too cold, to high or too low the past 2 months. Really need higher dirtier water. Watching the Wilson spike a bit after a small rain but quickly drop - headed for a mere 400 cfs......</span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I am learning to work hard for my fish.I have to learn a whole new type of fishing really. This is Oregon baby smurf, fish it hard. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Fish Species of 2013</span></u><span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>– new fish in bold </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Manybar Goatfish</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Barracuda </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Cornetfish</b> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Giant Trevally</b> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Peacock Grouper</b> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Smallmouth Bass </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Largemouth Bass </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">White Crappie </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Carp </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">American Shad</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Northern Pikeminnow</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Corvina</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Bridgelips Sucker </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Black Rockfish</b> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Sculpin</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Mountain Whitefish</b> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Brook Trout </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Cutthroat Trout</b> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Rainbow Trout </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Chinook Salmon </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Steelhead</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Fishing is a celebration of how these creatures live in this weird earth life we all share. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Have a great 2014. Get out there and fish. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">- Neil </span></div>
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-37260173910458454002013-11-15T19:57:00.003-08:002013-11-16T00:07:14.622-08:00BridgeLips and Wizards of Current<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7tL1VoEu1IQ/UoZNXzO31iI/AAAAAAAAAO0/5R22Q8ORWNU/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7tL1VoEu1IQ/UoZNXzO31iI/AAAAAAAAAO0/5R22Q8ORWNU/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Bull Run River </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> have very little personal fishing history with Salmon. My first experience fishing for <b>Salmon</b>
was in the Wisconsin on the way out to Oregon. We stopped to visit
Naomi's mom's place in Milwaukee WI in September of 2006 and I walked
down to the Milwaukee River near its confluence with Lake Michigan
expecting an opportunity to fish for <b>Smallmouth</b> in a skanky urban
river. I was really surprised to see Chinook rolling in there in
September. Ended up having a really good day the next day landing 4 of 6
big landlocked <b>Chinook a Smallmouth and a Walleye! </b>. Catching them on spoons and bucktail jigs and struggling with my 10lb. test travel rod. </span></span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yJ4GV1vvDIM/UoZMwvzYgrI/AAAAAAAAAOI/GEDi6hQfsDg/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yJ4GV1vvDIM/UoZMwvzYgrI/AAAAAAAAAOI/GEDi6hQfsDg/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>spinner caught post-spawn </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In Oregon in 2008 I made a few forays out to the lower Sandy River
at the delta in late October fishing black marabou jigs and wading in
the same quicksand that terrified Lewis and Clark in that area. I love
the look of that Delta but it did not end up being very fishy for me. It
has no good trout water in that low stretch. It is big, wide and sandy
and thus hard to fish. But I did have a ton of fun riding my bike out
there in the dark and did catch my first <b>Steelhead</b> smolt casting a micro spinner to it right under the big Highway 84 bridge. <br />
<br />
"Everything pulls hard." Quote to me ca. 1995 from Klee a Bahamian fisherman<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gKdvbQiRK84/UoZNLmVdxjI/AAAAAAAAAOk/Z13xl-JTnvE/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gKdvbQiRK84/UoZNLmVdxjI/AAAAAAAAAOk/Z13xl-JTnvE/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_5.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Eagle Creek </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I
had one of those odd fishing experiences over Labor day weekend where
you get more than you ask for. I was fishing a 1/4 oz. purple curl
tail jig off the jetty at Tillamook and had only hooked one <b>Black Rockfish</b>
in hours of casting. The one other guy fishing out there was new to the
area from Spokane so I was filling him in on what I knew. I mentioned
that this was theoretically a spot where you could have a chance at a <b>Salmon </b>from shore while still in the saltwater. So I eventually put my
money where my mouth was and put on a heavier 1/2 oz. jig head so I
could fish further out and deeper in the channel. I had fixated on a
spot where the jetty wall had collapsed forming a small penninsula of
big rocks out into the channel and the current spiraled around it. Cast
upstream, let it sink 10 seconds, bounce bounce. I was gambling with
the jig getting it down into the kelp. Only a few casts in right up next
to the rocks I hooked what I thought was a VERY solid rockfish. The hit
had that vertical bounce of a Rockfish which then proceeded to peel
tons of line off the reel and sped out to mid channel at a speed
impossible for a Rockfish. It then came up at did a surface thrash and I
could see all the chrome silver of a bright <b>Salmon</b>. Then it
ran again out even further and surface thrashed and threw the jig. Me being severely outgunned with 10lb. line was really fun. I have learned
to love the "no handed release" but I now have this reel spooled with 30
lb. braid. <br />
<br />
Flash forward exactly 1 month: <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bhCIFE1Xjc0/UoZNAzvRwjI/AAAAAAAAAOc/2VKBp950QJs/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bhCIFE1Xjc0/UoZNAzvRwjI/AAAAAAAAAOc/2VKBp950QJs/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sandy River near spawning sites</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I have made a serious attempt
to start a regular "fishing practice". Our shop is not open on Mondays
so I have been trying to take every Monday and go fish somewhere close
to home. 6 weeks in a row ... and it is making me very happy. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hW39PFikZKM/UoZM05eoinI/AAAAAAAAAOU/wlEbV4-lIAo/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="144" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hW39PFikZKM/UoZM05eoinI/AAAAAAAAAOU/wlEbV4-lIAo/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>tiny tackle shop at Troutdale</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
In early October I headed out the the Sandy River for a day of
chasing fall <b>Salmon</b> in the fresh water. Still too shy financially to get
a fly rod bigger than my 5 wt. I was armed with my selection of french
blade spinners. I decided to stop and fish a nice looking rocky spot on
the lower river as I knew the upper river would be crowded with more
people. I got a good wadeable stretch all to myself. At this point in
the season most people seem to be fishing the big holes generally with
something on a bobber. I was casting a big #5 all gold Blue Fox. I was
thrilled out of my mind to hook a big post-spawn native female <b>Chinook</b>
in a seam next to a crazy long slot rapid. The fish tore into the heavy
chop current and made 2 nice long runs. This fish was much easier to
stop than the fish still in the saltwater. I love these<b> Blue Fox</b>
spinners with the slow rotation on the blade that you can feel with the
braided line and cork handle. I got her back in the water and she swam
of with surprising energy. <br />
<br />
<b>Successful Session with Spinners in the Clackamas River</b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lmRVjSiBLH0/UoZMRc02JoI/AAAAAAAAANc/VWeGfRfpA7Y/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="111" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lmRVjSiBLH0/UoZMRc02JoI/AAAAAAAAANc/VWeGfRfpA7Y/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>inside tiny tackle shop</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In
late October - I was still looking for the odd <b>chinook</b> or <b>coho</b>. I
want to avoid people as much as catch fish. I ended up finding that
there is a fish count for the Clackamas River and reading that there
are a handful <b>summer steelhead</b> in the river as of Oct 14. By mid
afternoon --- after a long walk along slippery rocks exploring a new
section of the Sandy River I gave up on that river. I discovered a
connector road that gets me to the Clackamas River in 20 minutes.
Exploring again by wading far from parking lot on foot I found some good
nervous water on the river. Not as much curve or bend in the river as I
would like but and not overly bouldery --- but swift and uneven bottom
with medium size cobble - whitecapping in a big area from the
turbulence caused by the uneven bottom. I was hoping for a summer fish
so I switched down the spinner to a #4 --- bumped down again to
tarnished copper instead of gold and managed to catch 2 small hatchery <b>Steelhead</b>. (barbs are pinched on these) <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pxUj6g1bhCw/UoZNR8cihEI/AAAAAAAAAOs/9NS769EBJ7Q/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pxUj6g1bhCw/UoZNR8cihEI/AAAAAAAAAOs/9NS769EBJ7Q/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>a young Clackamas Steelhead </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UZOMM0sa_Sk/UoZNhc9WsLI/AAAAAAAAAPE/cFKCDcJTVYY/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UZOMM0sa_Sk/UoZNhc9WsLI/AAAAAAAAAPE/cFKCDcJTVYY/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_8.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Mountain Whitefish</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next week I waded a large portion Eagle Creek park on an upper tributary of the Clack. I was trying to find <b>Coho</b>… I have never caught a <b>Coho</b>
and was trying to add one to my "life list" I suppose. I have heard
they are notoriously hard to get to bite when they are in spawning
mode. I have experienced hard to catch jack Coho at the mouth of the
Clackamas. But saw 4 dead coho way up into the Eagle Creek tributary.
I caught a bunch of small trout on micro spinners with the barbs
pinched. I kept walking downstream until the Eagle Creek met the
Clackamas River. This section looks good - not great but good - I
fished the low clear water very systematically casting then taking a
step - repeat. At the tail of a big pool I caught my first <b>Mountain Whitefish. </b>It
killed a big spinner and fought valiantly the way all trash fish do. I
thought if I could figure out how to target this fish by fishing the
deeper water and the tails of pools I could have a blast. Cascades
Ladyfish ! <br />
<b></b><br />
<b> I Regress onto Bait Boat:</b> <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YybM_s8e0kk/UoZNdVv96nI/AAAAAAAAAO8/68NoGHIG80w/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_8-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="110" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YybM_s8e0kk/UoZNdVv96nI/AAAAAAAAAO8/68NoGHIG80w/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_8-001.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Dave fighting Chinook</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2fyJK0uv2tk/UoZNmSgk5vI/AAAAAAAAAPM/eveJpQKZhis/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2fyJK0uv2tk/UoZNmSgk5vI/AAAAAAAAAPM/eveJpQKZhis/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Chrome Tidewater Chinook </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
In Early November I had the super lucky privilege of getting out on a boat in Tillamook Bay near Garibaldi, OR. My freind Dave Barmon of Fiddlehead Landscapes had an extra spot on Pete Wilson of Pete Wilson Stoneworks 20'+ Boat. Pete was nice enough to have somebody along he had not met. It
was a good education for me. I like most types of fishing and had
never done this type of trolling before. It was that spinning a plug
cut herring on 4 conventional 30 lb. test rods behind the boat - with
spreader bars and a 5 oz. weight!! kooky! (BTW NO Snook or Tarpon
would EVER hit a live bait that is literally spinning. If you rig a live
shrimp so that it spins in Florida - forget about it - nothing is
touching that weirdness) We trolled an area called the Ghost Hole with
many other boats. This would also be my first experience "combat"
fishing - with a high concentration of boats. But we hooked 3 big <b>Chinook</b>
and landed 2 it was really fun. Though I did really miss getting to
feel the fish hit. Trolling not so much about fishing skills but very
much about life skills - organizing your life to have a boat. So very
different from fly fishing at 7700'. So I think I am getting a very well
rounded Oregon fishing education. <br />
<br />
<b>I have cried three times this fall</b>:<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NZ8H2qzffIU/UoZMV4CAz4I/AAAAAAAAANs/hZN1YvcN_dI/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NZ8H2qzffIU/UoZMV4CAz4I/AAAAAAAAANs/hZN1YvcN_dI/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_10.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>moody Garibaldi Harbor </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first time
cried this fall as I was walking along the trail beside Bull Run River
and realizing the Salmon I saw spawning had endured years at sea evading
possibly Blue Sharks and Steller Sea Lions and Fisherpeople and Boats
at the mouth of the Columbia - ascended all these sets of rapids to make
their way all the way back here to spawn in 18" of water. I was alone
and looking at 3 spawning pairs of <b>Fall Chinook</b>. These fish represent the elite of the elite - one in 1000 fish - the class of returning spawners.<br />
<br />
The second time I cried this fall was when I got a new 9 wt. fly rod and reel in the mail from my dad. It came in the mail while I was at work. I had asked to borrow his old 9 wt. for winter Steelhead season and the assjack actually sent me a new rod and reel. <br />
<br />
Then
I cried again when I was driving to the river early in the morning
realizing how many people were breaking up or struggling with
relationships.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R1i_JvmOWeM/UocnVQpUbiI/AAAAAAAAAPY/l-zxaDKSELc/s1600/WWR_mossbranch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R1i_JvmOWeM/UocnVQpUbiI/AAAAAAAAAPY/l-zxaDKSELc/s320/WWR_mossbranch.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wWqU7IZZEY0/UoZMShEWeLI/AAAAAAAAANk/WvuhNpe9_0Y/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wWqU7IZZEY0/UoZMShEWeLI/AAAAAAAAANk/WvuhNpe9_0Y/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_11.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Bridge Lips portion</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><u>Wed Nov. 13 </u> </b><br />
<br />
Naomi ran the ENTIRE 30 mile Wildwood Trail on Monday. Of which I ran the last 18 with her... !! She had been wanting to run this since we moved here. And then I also got a Wednesday off work. I had the choice to go to the fly shop and rig my new fly reel or fish… and I chose fishing for the day. Last
month - I had run in two Portland Water Bureau guys at Dodge Park doing
a gravel survey of that area regarding suitability for <b>Coho</b> and <b>Chinook</b> spawning. I asked them if there were Suckers in that part of the river.<br />
They said they do see <b>Bridgelip Suckers</b>. I hit three parks with access along the Clackamas. I landed 3 <b>Bridgelip Suckers</b>
and jumped one Trout. Bridgelips are a <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wvSAXVbIRzI/UoZMdsUH9MI/AAAAAAAAAN0/bh7zMPyEepc/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="125" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wvSAXVbIRzI/UoZMdsUH9MI/AAAAAAAAAN0/bh7zMPyEepc/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_12.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Bridgelips Sucker</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
solid fish. Any fish that will
hit lures and hit lures in a trout current is a great fish. Like
Ladyfish ! This really saved the day for me to have something take a
little bit of line. Suckers are Wizards of Current. This was in the
same area that I caught trout 3 weeks ago so I was using a Gold #3. I
also got some more scoop on fly fishing this area from an old dude with a
drift boat. (his fly looked exactly like 2 Aero Jigs i just bought -
like a woolly bugger stuck to an egg…)</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br />
<b>Some Fish Stuff of Interest: </b><br />
<br />
This was apparently a record year for returning <b>Fall Chinook</b> to the Columbia. This is good. The
Coho run I am not sure about… we had heavy rain that came early in the
fall and then a dry October which likely set things back. <br />
<br />
Also something that came up in the past few weeks is odd catches of species in odd places: A <b>Mahi Mahi</b> off Ilwaco, Washington! I am most interested in the few recent documented <b>Striped Bass</b> in the Columbia River. One really large female of 71 lbs. ! There is an erie and cool photo of a <b>Striped Bass</b> passing through the fish ladder at Bonneville Dam back in June. I will be looking for big ones in June someday - just under a giant school of <b>Shad</b>. <br />
<br />
On
November 8 was the premiere of<b> WAYPOINTS</b> a really good fly fishing
documentary by Confluence Films. The trailers of all their films are
worth watching. I went with my friend Matt Reed who I think liked it.
He might be afraid of Saltwater fish though. <br />
<br />
<b>"This is my fishing rod. There are others like it but this one is mine." </b>quote<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GjA4h3yYm9Y/UoZMoqBc2dI/AAAAAAAAAOE/-7N2kHghuNE/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GjA4h3yYm9Y/UoZMoqBc2dI/AAAAAAAAAOE/-7N2kHghuNE/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_14.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>sparky Clackamas Steelhead </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
from internet<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-40PvE8JL_jE/UoZMhw7FOEI/AAAAAAAAAN8/zvcTf8yovx4/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_13-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-40PvE8JL_jE/UoZMhw7FOEI/AAAAAAAAAN8/zvcTf8yovx4/s1600/Neil_2013Nov_13-001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sandy River</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #330000;">Get out there and fish! </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-65573402919620573092013-10-01T23:39:00.000-07:002013-10-02T00:17:01.926-07:00Wading for Cutbow (Godot...)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-haBYMzLTHqE/UkuySRfp-mI/AAAAAAAAAMw/OpbtydmY3iI/s1600/IMG_20130805_133939_575-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-haBYMzLTHqE/UkuySRfp-mI/AAAAAAAAAMw/OpbtydmY3iI/s200/IMG_20130805_133939_575-001.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sauvie's Island next to cows </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Strange</b> - <b>S</b><b>auvie's Island </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9wdKYDovSWc/Ukuv-AOjKWI/AAAAAAAAALM/HSKucfT7_vE/s1600/IMG_2671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9wdKYDovSWc/Ukuv-AOjKWI/AAAAAAAAALM/HSKucfT7_vE/s200/IMG_2671.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously headed for Eastern Oregon </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We
made a short drive out to kayak within Sauvie's Island - which is a
large island in the Columbia River - near it's confluence w the
Willamette. So large in fact it has roads, a nude beach, several stores,
many large farms and huge shallow bay in the middle of it - Sturgeon
Lake. This massive complex shallow bay is or was reported to have warmwater fish
"panfish". I'm not sure this is true at all anymore. We went in <a href="http://birdlandia.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/sauvie_island_map_fix1.gif" target="_blank">Little McNary</a> Lake. This was the
murkiest water I have ever experienced. (murkier than the Everglades
and The Mississippi !) Visibility was a few inches maybe - almost
totally opaque chocolate milk and uniformly so the whole 4 hours we were
on the water - miles of this ! Everywhere around this section of the Island was like
this - until you were out on the east side in the Columbia proper and
then it was clearish and bluish and much windier than the bay. What makes this brown
water color extra odd is the lack of rainfall here this time of year has
all other bodies of water very low and clear. <span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EK5-gXEYysQ/Ukuvxd3n6kI/AAAAAAAAALE/NwzZPLhtIyI/s1600/IMG_2652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EK5-gXEYysQ/Ukuvxd3n6kI/AAAAAAAAALE/NwzZPLhtIyI/s200/IMG_2652.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mitchell, Oregon </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;">I may have only disturbed one carp. And as for the lack of panfish - I
fished tiny crappie sized lures under a popper and did not have a single
hit. Odd</span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TdD5B8lxAH4/UkuwnJQosfI/AAAAAAAAAL0/yy0kqexrHBc/s1600/IMG_20130812_131756_379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TdD5B8lxAH4/UkuwnJQosfI/AAAAAAAAAL0/yy0kqexrHBc/s200/IMG_20130812_131756_379.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grande Ronde River is Grande</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At one time I
believe they had a stocking program for bluegill etc. in the Willamette.
But online info on catching panfish in either the Willamette or
Columbia is spotty or outdated info. So there seem to be no bluegill
and very very few crappie in the rivers here. (I did catch 2 this year
on 3" lures). So Sauvie was a total bust this time as far as
fishing... without really any carp sightings or "spookings" even which I
found surprising and depressing. Water was not outrageously warm
either. It looks like a decent bluegill area and a perfect carp area.
Maybe go back earlier in the year around May or June next year when its still flooding and
look for carp on fly ? <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="il"> </span></b><span class="il">Fishless days like this can almost make me lose my stomach in the search for alternative fisheries. Meanwhile Naomi helped me fix a flat tire we got at the dock, spotted lots of curious cows, birds, a cow skull and had amazing sunny, quietude. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="il"></span></b></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6e4_H8wIVco/UkuwBhmfDZI/AAAAAAAAALY/lzCWQItMNrk/s1600/IMG_2855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6e4_H8wIVco/UkuwBhmfDZI/AAAAAAAAALY/lzCWQItMNrk/s200/IMG_2855.JPG" width="199" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking in on the Lostine River Trail </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="il">Eagle</span> <span class="il">Cap</span> Wilderness - Eastern Oregon </b></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Joining the Dark Side - a gradual slipping and entry into flyfishing. </span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8F-8OMovqg/UkuxK7N0NeI/AAAAAAAAAMU/7vbuSI6V58M/s1600/IMG_20130815_105943_902.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8F-8OMovqg/UkuxK7N0NeI/AAAAAAAAAMU/7vbuSI6V58M/s200/IMG_20130815_105943_902.jpg" width="111" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Campsite Brookie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It
was a bit scary to take the kayaks off the truck and head for Dry
Eastern Oregon, but our friend Adam had been to ECW 9 times and inspired us to go. We headed out for a 6 night trip with 4 nights in <span class="il">Eagle</span> <span class="il">Cap</span>
Wilderness in the far northeast corner of the state. We had never seen much
of eastern Oregon at all. We stayed 4 nights at Two Pan and did 2 long
day hikes into the Lakes Basin Area. There are 52 named alpine lakes in
the <span class="il">Eagle</span> <span class="il">Cap</span> area -
and then also Lostine and Wallowa rivers. So I took the opportunity to
introduce my self to flyfishing. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eX_Ucurcq8Q/Ukuwh01KjOI/AAAAAAAAALs/L95tT6Iq8TE/s1600/IMG_20130813_161616_030.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eX_Ucurcq8Q/Ukuwh01KjOI/AAAAAAAAALs/L95tT6Iq8TE/s200/IMG_20130813_161616_030.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Actually Relaxing </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Putting myself through a self-guided
mini-workshop with the clear shallow swift water. The fishing here was
good - both in the River and the Lakes - for Brook trout. I did catch
one bigger 12" <b>Rainbow</b> - at dusk in the river. But the high-altitude
low-nutrient load cold water means smaller fish. So you scale down your
gear and still have a blast. <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ty45uKK_5VQ/Ukuw6CqT76I/AAAAAAAAAME/gZxA6iA--mI/s1600/IMG_20130814_152847_800.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ty45uKK_5VQ/Ukuw6CqT76I/AAAAAAAAAME/gZxA6iA--mI/s200/IMG_20130814_152847_800.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoping that Bears don't go higher than this </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0NDS_ldGUws/Ukuw5GRTHmI/AAAAAAAAAL8/U6wZJotPbww/s1600/IMG_2915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0NDS_ldGUws/Ukuw5GRTHmI/AAAAAAAAAL8/U6wZJotPbww/s200/IMG_2915.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lakes Basin from Eagle Cap summit</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My dad had sent me a 2 pc. 5 wt. years ago and I
had yet to really be in as fly conducive situation until this. But here in the Wallowas seemed like the right
place to flyfish in somebody else's cowboy movie. And back in the day I
hung out with 2 serious fly guys in Florida - Luis and Raul - and also
my dad flyfishes - so I had some small idea what I
was doing through osmosis....but not really - and no real mentor here for spinning or fly. I bought some convenience
store flies at a Bi-Mart last-minute on the way out of town.... (never
again). </span></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EVduVmPMGWk/UkuxkEa8AYI/AAAAAAAAAMc/jGgjvhp3fMI/s1600/IMG_20130815_110124_824.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EVduVmPMGWk/UkuxkEa8AYI/AAAAAAAAAMc/jGgjvhp3fMI/s200/IMG_20130815_110124_824.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">World's longest drift.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I put on a small nymph and managed to catch a some<b> Brookies</b>
the first morning in the river at about 5000 ft. and then more Brook
trout out 2 of the lakes we hiked up to at about 7700 ft. The fish
coming out of </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n5blY8LgoEg/UkuwBDxD9QI/AAAAAAAAALU/0ZXxJ_DX-_M/s1600/IMG_2848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n5blY8LgoEg/UkuwBDxD9QI/AAAAAAAAALU/0ZXxJ_DX-_M/s200/IMG_2848.JPG" width="148" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minam Lake Brook Trout </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the more remote lake flashed so all-over yellow and
spotted that I thought it was a Cutthroat. (they don't have cutthroat in
this area). </span></span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QOa3wZEP5YU/UkuxleVF6CI/AAAAAAAAAMk/rBm16HQL3kY/s1600/IMG_20130814_122533_735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QOa3wZEP5YU/UkuxleVF6CI/AAAAAAAAAMk/rBm16HQL3kY/s200/IMG_20130814_122533_735.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mirror and Moccasin from Eagle Cap</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Leaving Eagle Cap, we stopped in Joseph </span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and at the wonderful flyshop there, which had
really nice looking flies, I
learned that </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the area of our campsite at Two Pan is considered hard to fish as it is so completely clear over white granite boulders with almost NO algae even. </span></span> And that the Lostine River is not even stocked with Brookies - the little suckers just go up there! </span>He </span>also showed
me some photos of some fairly yellow rainbows caught in the Imnaha. He
had a client hook a rainbow that the guide actually thought was a
Sucker because it looked so yellow - on the way in - which he said made
him look kind of silly. The shop owner was really nice.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Big News</span></span>: We got to go out to Tillamook Bay area at the beginning of September....</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T-e8P0ttqMk/UkuwPAQY2aI/AAAAAAAAALk/jsb7nJCuQlM/s1600/IMG_2956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T-e8P0ttqMk/UkuwPAQY2aI/AAAAAAAAALk/jsb7nJCuQlM/s200/IMG_2956.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I panic without my Clippers </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And so <b>ENDS</b> my quest for the elusive <b>Sea-run Cutthroat</b>. (who knew you would have to go where the river meets the sea... or 13 miles in actually) I ended up catching several in a coastal river over labor day weekend including one rainbow trout, cutbow or steelhead smolt. </span></span>Releasing fish quickly results in not taking them out of the water and not getting a photo. My wife is proud of this minimal harassment.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hSLUS5pPtn0/UkuxJFhYHFI/AAAAAAAAAMM/XtdRKlqTMCs/s1600/IMG_20130814_150901_303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hSLUS5pPtn0/UkuxJFhYHFI/AAAAAAAAAMM/XtdRKlqTMCs/s320/IMG_20130814_150901_303.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mirror Lake after Eagle Cap summit, 13 miles into 20mi hike </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I am very curious about the rainbow / cutthroat cross that results in the Cutbow. <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Smaller rivers are low enough this time of year to fish more like a small stream. Neat fish, the Cutthroat, but more eager to hit my spinners than the nymphs - though I did get one on a San Juan Worm. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XB32fq3ae_M/Ukuybus0mOI/AAAAAAAAANA/hzNsK2KAO1g/s1600/IMG_20130901_153754_509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XB32fq3ae_M/Ukuybus0mOI/AAAAAAAAANA/hzNsK2KAO1g/s320/IMG_20130901_153754_509.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NW Oregon Coastal Cutthroat !</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As I write this in late September, the fall rains have begun early and in force and the weather is cooling. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hoping to get back out in October and do some exploring for salmon in the Sandy and the Clackamas.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My hair is getting long and my beard is pretty much out of control. Apparently Naomi already caught a steelhead. Her hair is shorter than mine.</span></span><br />
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-74045023409345603672013-08-08T13:31:00.004-07:002013-08-08T21:13:21.154-07:00When I was 8 <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Spent the night in this restored tour bus</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><b>Fishing in Iowa 30 years ago -Tillamook Bay this July - On Not Forcing It ? </b></span><br />
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<b>Formative Moment ca. 1980</b></div>
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I wanted to talk about a "formative moment" that I had while fishing as a kid in Iowa. Formative moments are where something really clicks - like an epiphany I suppose. This particular thing seemed like magic to me when I was about 8. </div>
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We used to go to the Mississippi River only occasionally to fish when I was a kid. (usually we went to these really cool sand lakes called "the gravel pits"). My parents nicely gave us a lot of freedom at an early age - and we were allowed to ride our bikes a few miles from home by ourselves to fish and swim. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nyldpK-vDP4/UgP4u8ExbvI/AAAAAAAAAKI/fu3jlX55B6Q/s1600/IMG_2312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nyldpK-vDP4/UgP4u8ExbvI/AAAAAAAAAKI/fu3jlX55B6Q/s1600/IMG_2312.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Tillamook Bay at high tide</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Jetty fishing with blue curl tails</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-81_838l3uBk/UgP4WHcECVI/AAAAAAAAAJc/7d4pw7HnZvE/s1600/IMG_20130716_172741_999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-81_838l3uBk/UgP4WHcECVI/AAAAAAAAAJc/7d4pw7HnZvE/s1600/IMG_20130716_172741_999.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Black Rockfish</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Mississippi - It was a kind of rare treat where you could catch some big weird fish that did not live in the ponds and sloughs we normally fished. (Flathead Catfish, Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike, White Bass, Drum, Paddlefish, Longnose Gar ) Sometimes there were Sea Gulls there. There was an extensive rocky levee along the entire town and at certain points water pipes or effluent pipes poured water into the river. In the Spring these <br />
were attractive to the fish as the industrial wastewater was
often warmer than the river at a time when fish were spawning and
looking for warmer water. We were fishing and a guy near us caught a
fish I was unfamiliar with but had heard of ---- A<br />
<div>
<b>Walleye</b>. He also caught this fish very close to shore on <b>a lure</b>. That lure was a bucktail jig that at the time my dad called a Doll Fly. It was white deer hair with a pink head. I had no idea what a fish would think that was. But the fact that you could walk around with one of these in your pocket and then catch a fish on it seemed amazing to me. It meant no more catching or buying bait. Suddenly fishing became simpler. My dad mentioned that he had caught fish like that right next to the bank and I was intrigued. I of course prior to this thought you also had to cast far out from the bank to catch fish. This guy caught the <b>Walleye</b> by just dragging the lure in a couple feet of water next to the bank. I went out and bought one of those jigs immediately. And later in high school caught several nice <b>Walleye</b> and big <b>Largemouth Bass</b> just like that. </div>
<div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yI_vHB3BU_E/UgP4m46x5uI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/CWuHabuKVU8/s1600/IMG_20130718_165027_651-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yI_vHB3BU_E/UgP4m46x5uI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/CWuHabuKVU8/s1600/IMG_20130718_165027_651-001.jpg" height="313" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sign at Nehalem Bay </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Flash Forward to present:</b><br />
<b>Tillamook Bay </b></div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Naomi and I went on a camping trip in July and had a true blast. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
We had the privilege of spending the first night in a cool old restored school bus made into a tour bus at <b>46 North Farm</b> in Olney, OR. (Blind Pilot and the Nurses practice in the big neat barn here). We first put the kayaks in on the Young's River. The Youngs is a short river that flows into the Columbia up by Astoria. And old timer at the boat ramp tipped me off that supposedly some 25lb. female <b>Chinook</b> were already in - and he gave the boat ramp 45min. of casting an Orange Black Mepps before giving up.</div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rPNRybTON40/UgP4at90-oI/AAAAAAAAAJo/8j5pkC8JLGo/s1600/IMG_20130717_161623_011-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rPNRybTON40/UgP4at90-oI/AAAAAAAAAJo/8j5pkC8JLGo/s1600/IMG_20130717_161623_011-001.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sand and Quiet at Whalen Island</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I asked him if any <b>Sea-Run Cutthroat</b> ever came into the Youngs and he said "rarely". (And so continues my search for the mythical <b>Sea-Run Cutthroat</b>). I hedged my bet and put on a #3 spinner small enough for Cutthroat and yet big enough for a potential <b>Chinook</b>. Unfortunately the river was filled with really aggressive tiny Steelhead or Chinook - that hit on every few casts. Seriously these youngsters were hitting a #3 spinner ..... I kept hoping to see one of these early- season salmon roll in the river but never did.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Naomi was getting very close to some cows in her kayak and saving a wet and drowning honeybee from certain death at the hands of the ferocious baby steelhead. </div>
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<div>
<br />
<b>The Big Blast of the trip - </b><br />
<br />
I finally got out to Tillamook Bay and hit it just right. This is the biggest estuary in Oregon and has 5 rivers flowing into it. Consistent with the tide chart - It seemed like it was high tide as the water was not moving and started moving out towards the end of my session. (reminds me to finally get a fishing thermometer also) I had been there 3 years before in October and caught one<b> Black Rockfish</b> from the opposite shore.<br />
(In this post I am going to use the term Sea Bass and Black Rockfish interchangeably though Black Rockfish is the more proper name.) <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oOO3phDEags/UgP4aYmYf6I/AAAAAAAAAJg/v9yHIlnfRno/s1600/IMG_20130717_161641_826-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oOO3phDEags/UgP4aYmYf6I/AAAAAAAAAJg/v9yHIlnfRno/s1600/IMG_20130717_161641_826-001.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>water loaded with baby fish</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So I was a bit encouraged that there could be fish there. In my first couple of sessions there had been trying to fish the really pretty flats there by wading on foot with no kayak assist and catch nothing or really small salmon. This bay looks so awesome with the clear aqua water and weed beds I sort of did not even mind going fishless for a few sessions in the spirit of experimenting. And the 4 mile hike each way along the south side is also incredible and we never see very many people on the trail or on the water. I was trying to force this West Coast bay to act like an East Coast one. As near as I can tell not even juvenile <b>Halibut</b> come into these bays and feed shallow. ? Maybe spawning <b>Surf Perch</b> earlier in the year?</div>
<div>
I was fishing a 3/8 oz. blue purple 4" curl tail. Never fished Blue before! (I'm fishing curl tail grubs or jerk shad these days - when i'm not fishing a spinner.) The Sea Bass were hitting close to the rocks...but not so shallow that I could see the take in the 15' or so of water. They fight well and remind me a lot of small Grouper. </div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xGd2uv6XJoY/UgP4fZ1QVeI/AAAAAAAAAJw/SYPCpApIjsU/s1600/IMG_20130718_123842_825-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xGd2uv6XJoY/UgP4fZ1QVeI/AAAAAAAAAJw/SYPCpApIjsU/s1600/IMG_20130718_123842_825-001.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Cape Falcon Kayaks Barn</b> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But still fairly aggressive strikes with the jig still sinking on the drop. I like the curl tail jigs as the tail swims on the drop. I kept moving East along the bay and finding and losing fish for a couple hours. <br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Naomi hiked 16 miles!! Someday we will get to this spot in the morning and get to spend the day out there (no camping allowed, though we usually are there til dark and then go camp at Whalen Island or Ginger's farm). Due to the busy season at our shop I have never been out there in the early spring when supposedly the <b>Lingcod</b> are in close. </div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
</div>
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<div class="im" style="color: #500050;">
<b>Further South along the Coast ---</b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0nXv74wcUHw/UgP4n4B0uWI/AAAAAAAAAKE/dd9E3QuhYIE/s1600/IMG_20130718_160552_332-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0nXv74wcUHw/UgP4n4B0uWI/AAAAAAAAAKE/dd9E3QuhYIE/s1600/IMG_20130718_160552_332-001.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Naomi in Nehalem River in Cape Falcon Boat</b> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We also got to kayak in Sand Lake near Whalen Island. This is actually a mind-shakingly pretty tidal bay with a great snaking sandy channel at low tide filled with baby fish, lots of wading birds and no people. Be Aware: at Low low tide it is impossible to get the last 1/4 mile to back to the boat ramp. It was loaded with baby <b>Surf Perch</b> and <b>Sculpin </b>and a black damselfish looking fish that I have yet to identify<b></b>. Out where this bay meets the ocean the confluence is pure sand...but I did catch a bigger sculpin on the jig-behind-popper rig. (This is a variation on the popping cork or Cajun Thunder rig). This area also has a great lesser known county campground (Cape Lookout is closer to Bayocean, but very packed in summer, fun in winter). Outgoing tide would make for some great snorkeling in some spots. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DsAa6f9S8J4/UgP47Thj4RI/AAAAAAAAAKY/854Dc7oSRHo/s1600/IMG_2441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DsAa6f9S8J4/UgP47Thj4RI/AAAAAAAAAKY/854Dc7oSRHo/s1600/IMG_2441.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Prepping Pad Thai in our outdoor kitchen at home </b><br />
<b>(it's serious business)</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For our last 2 days out we stopped at our friend Ginger's farm <b><a href="http://www.revolutiongardens.com/" target="_blank">R-evolution Gardens</a></b> in Nehalem. Naomi got to try a handmade Kayak made by <b>Brian Schulz</b> at <b><a href="http://www.capefalconkayak.com/" target="_blank">Cape Falcon Kayak</a></b>. Nehalem Bay looked great but was too windy to kayak. We don't fight a crazy wind in paddle craft anymore if we can help it. So Naomi settled in for a good yoga session in a nook of trees. I cast a Jerk Shad for a while across the Seaweed beds hoping for an early stray wandering <b>Chinook </b>on the flats - (a very low percentage fishery...) This jerk shad actually too big of a lure for anything else at 6" - but it casts really far in windy conditions and is the best for shallow water and did not get hung up on all kinds of structure that I reeled it through. It has been working pretty good on <b>Willamette Smallmouth</b>. I actually only have the jerk hooks in 4/0 and 5/0 and really need to be fishing a much smaller plastic with the smallest jerk hook they make - the 2/0 - which isn't weighted... and they don't sell in Portland. Tiny estuary <b>Steelhead</b> did patrol these shallows and chase lures. But alas... as I mentioned before I have yet to find big fish shallow in Oregon bays... <br />
<br />
Naomi is inspired by Ginger's to make a solar powered outdoor shower and our claw foot tub with greenhouse plants (they built an incredible bathhouse which is part of the <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/921289?af=1273813&c=wg1" target="_blank">Japanese Forest House Brian built, rentable on Air BnB</a>) and we're finally capping our toilet and in the process of building a composting double seater and pee diverter yep, lookin' at you Ginger, Jeff and Carri @ Pitchfork and Crow, catchin' up.</div>
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<b>End Note:</b><br />
<br />
ImNotCuttingMyHairUntilICatchA<wbr></wbr>Steelhead.<br />
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-48337854708988755372013-07-02T10:23:00.002-07:002013-07-02T10:35:36.151-07:00Local spots by my house + San Diego trip<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KxefnOF4xIA/UdMEPrAlmkI/AAAAAAAAAHI/FOzl88NMnOw/s1600/IMG_0027.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KxefnOF4xIA/UdMEPrAlmkI/AAAAAAAAAHI/FOzl88NMnOw/s320/IMG_0027.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willamette River between home and work. </td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KxefnOF4xIA/UdMEPrAlmkI/AAAAAAAAAHI/FOzl88NMnOw/s1600/IMG_0027.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b>Enter the Realm of true fishing Nerdom. </b></div>
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<b>Of Pikeminnow, Bass, Shad and Corvina </b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lFHuJQNPcYE/UdMEeg6jUyI/AAAAAAAAAIE/iGHxCBvwfJ4/s1600/IMG_0044.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lFHuJQNPcYE/UdMEeg6jUyI/AAAAAAAAAIE/iGHxCBvwfJ4/s200/IMG_0044.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Western Red Cedar log made into a Canoe!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tmMq3S8jYaQ/UdMEevAmrEI/AAAAAAAAAIA/J29gP8eWHso/s1600/IMG_0046.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tmMq3S8jYaQ/UdMEevAmrEI/AAAAAAAAAIA/J29gP8eWHso/s200/IMG_0046.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bass on Popping Plug. </td></tr>
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June has been very good to me. I have had an opportunity to
get down to the Willamette River near my house several times early in
the morning. The warmer water of the last few days of June has the <b>Smallmouth</b> really active - crushing jigs and jumping into the
air. I had my first really good Willamette session with lots of bass
hitting a white curl tail at a shallow water spot that I usually
overlook. (For about an hour this spot on the Willamette acted like the
Jon Day River.) Went back the next morning and got one on a small Hula
Popper! (The river had risen about a full foot overnight.) I was more
than thrilled. Also caught a <b>White Crappie</b> which is a first for the NW for me. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BNuNL86X3Bs/UdMEc_DVpxI/AAAAAAAAAH4/9IJMOqjMubE/s1600/IMG_0043.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BNuNL86X3Bs/UdMEc_DVpxI/AAAAAAAAAH4/9IJMOqjMubE/s320/IMG_0043.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 people were taking this canoe from Bonneville to St. Helens</td></tr>
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I have also had a
short session on the Cowlitz River in Washington on the way back from a
conference, and had the privilege of fishing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>few places in and around San Diego where we went for a wedding.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X78oGJFcic4/UdMEQWTgbBI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/xZ6akoGiKXY/s1600/IMG_0029.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X78oGJFcic4/UdMEQWTgbBI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/xZ6akoGiKXY/s200/IMG_0029.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Pikeminnow in Cowlitz</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zHG7-BnNgQU/UdMEUmx3O-I/AAAAAAAAAHY/6kQwoP7NlzE/s1600/IMG_0030.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zHG7-BnNgQU/UdMEUmx3O-I/AAAAAAAAAHY/6kQwoP7NlzE/s320/IMG_0030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naomi and Binga at Elk Rock</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the way back from
a work related event near Seattle we stopped a random spot where the Cowlitz
River runs under I5. It is a sluggish slow slough like river here except for
one spot where a smaller slough runs in and I could finally see current and
rocks and weeds in the main stem. Being crazy ignorant about Sea-Run Cutthroat
I thought I might actually have a chance at a trout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was using a green/gold #2 spinner. (thanks
Jed Davis) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within a few casts I hooked a
fish that ran a bit… but turned out to be a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pikeminnow</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stayed a bit
too long and ended up landing 2 more. I love this fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t expect topwater strikes or sightfishing
but they hit lures and run a bit. </div>
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Ideas for a new name for this fish includes: Goldies, Gold Bullets, Willamette Ladyfish,
Fish-the-color-of-Pancake<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IGXVRvwDHic/UdMEX5orj_I/AAAAAAAAAHk/uIQzdkcC9Pk/s1600/IMG_0039.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IGXVRvwDHic/UdMEX5orj_I/AAAAAAAAAHk/uIQzdkcC9Pk/s320/IMG_0039.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinook Salmon caught while Shadfishing</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wkiCHMQDRzU/UdMEXzMiWiI/AAAAAAAAAHg/Iyd_RROBosA/s1600/IMG_0035.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wkiCHMQDRzU/UdMEXzMiWiI/AAAAAAAAAHg/Iyd_RROBosA/s320/IMG_0035.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female American Shad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tmfgEbr9_wM/UdMEYSSbqsI/AAAAAAAAAHw/B8aC-b4hgA8/s1600/IMG_0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tmfgEbr9_wM/UdMEYSSbqsI/AAAAAAAAAHw/B8aC-b4hgA8/s200/IMG_0040.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dudes who taught me Shad</td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tmfgEbr9_wM/UdMEYSSbqsI/AAAAAAAAAHw/B8aC-b4hgA8/s1600/IMG_0040.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a> Mid-June I decided to hit a spot a few miles further
south on the river that looks good for bass - visible current and rocks. It resulted in finding a spot where the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">American</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Shad</b> run stacks up a big school of fish that are accessible to the
shore angler. This is a fish that has been introduced from the East Coast and
has done very well here. (Some would say too well). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had never caught <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">American Shad</b> before and this is a really fun fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used a 1/16 oz. chartreuse curl tail with a
full 3’ of fluorocarbon leader and a ½ oz slip sinker above the leader. (pink
jigs also worked, white ¼ jigs did not work, shorter leader did not work)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are suspended in 10’ of water or more
--- so <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tmfgEbr9_wM/UdMEYSSbqsI/AAAAAAAAAHw/B8aC-b4hgA8/s1600/IMG_0040.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>you won’t get topwater strikes but they do hit hard and often and run
well. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(One day that week alone
212,000
shad passed through Bonneville Dam Ladder - the next day it was 175K
fish and so on... you get the idea. )This is the fish of the future.
This is the fish of the Apocalypse. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1UJjaolKUHA/UdMELCz1liI/AAAAAAAAAGw/8ROtO1d18EI/s1600/FISH_neilcorvinasd.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1UJjaolKUHA/UdMELCz1liI/AAAAAAAAAGw/8ROtO1d18EI/s320/FISH_neilcorvinasd.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mission Bay Corvina</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O7iEul7jil4/UdMEHHgIogI/AAAAAAAAAGU/KdoMtIYeyPE/s1600/FISH_momnnsd.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O7iEul7jil4/UdMEHHgIogI/AAAAAAAAAGU/KdoMtIYeyPE/s320/FISH_momnnsd.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom and Me and Naomi</td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">San Diego </b></div>
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Kurt Vonnegut said “Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing
lessons from God.” We never would have chose San Diego but my awesome cousin
was getting married there and it was a chance to hang out with family so…</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uWVdqYIENps/UdMEORKcvKI/AAAAAAAAAHA/YrGDKCn_wEE/s1600/FISH_naoyogasd.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uWVdqYIENps/UdMEORKcvKI/AAAAAAAAAHA/YrGDKCn_wEE/s320/FISH_naoyogasd.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naomi at Mission Bay</td></tr>
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Highlight of the month was this new SoCal new fishing experience. I have never fished San Diego and had no real information to go on. But had this goal in mind of catching a <b>Corvina</b>. I had little nuggets of time to explore
whatever water I could near the hotel in San Diego we stayed at for a wedding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately for me Naomi loves to walk and
the solitude at good fishing spots makes for good yoga as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
first got to fish a bit of Mission Bay during the middle of the day. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mission Bay looks terrible – flat bottom, sandy, no
current to speak of, tons of people. The water in one area was off-color and
tons of tangly filamentous algae on the muck <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bottom – so I fished a 1/16 oz. chartreuse jig about 2’ under
a hookless<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hi-Roller popping plug to stay just above the
algae. (This is a really fun rig to fish in the right conditions) After a few casts I landed a small <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Corvina</b>.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first one so I was thrilled. This was
really the fish I wanted to catch here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hooked and lost another shortly after that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RE8vhCRvtuQ/UdMEJcolEDI/AAAAAAAAAGg/Ilng0hcR7Qs/s1600/FISH_naojellyfishsd.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RE8vhCRvtuQ/UdMEJcolEDI/AAAAAAAAAGg/Ilng0hcR7Qs/s200/FISH_naojellyfishsd.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jellyfish? </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RE8vhCRvtuQ/UdMEJcolEDI/AAAAAAAAAGg/Ilng0hcR7Qs/s1600/FISH_naojellyfishsd.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> I also got to fish in the surf near Torrey
Pines where a trickle of freshwater flows across the beach into the ocean. I
ended up hooking a nice <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Spotfin Croaker</b>
here and losing it. (this fish looks a lot like the Redfish we have on the east
coast !) The only other guy fishing there told me at dusk the night before the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Spotfins</b> were blitzing on sand crabs
and racing up into the creek with their dorsal fins sticking out. This spot
looked great on incoming tide and I had some kind of long Sand Bass? chase
my lure. I also saw a 4’ <b>Guitarfish </b>which was quite a thrill. Wish I could have
fished the Incoming at dusk.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pEP2S74OfSQ/UdMEEeLTBrI/AAAAAAAAAGM/hsrwrQtToLg/s1600/FISH_koiclosesd.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pEP2S74OfSQ/UdMEEeLTBrI/AAAAAAAAAGM/hsrwrQtToLg/s320/FISH_koiclosesd.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Balboa Park Koi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B40jQta3q98/UdMELRA0uEI/AAAAAAAAAG0/cmffCiCKBPQ/s703/FISH_neilsurfsandiego.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B40jQta3q98/UdMELRA0uEI/AAAAAAAAAG0/cmffCiCKBPQ/s320/FISH_neilsurfsandiego.jpg" width="196" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surf Fishing at Torrey Pines</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We then did a 4.7 mile
walk each way from Hotel to San Diego River Delta – which is not much of a
delta because of the general lack of rain - but it does have some mud flats with patches of grass. This spot looks
awesome even at low tide which is what I got to fish. Again I hooked and lost a
nice fish on a 6”green Mann’s Hardnose Jerk Bait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saw lots of people fishing bait from the opposite bank and 3 guys casting
soft plastics when I was leaving. Following the rising tide up into the “river”and
the falling tide back out in a kayak would be a great way to fish here if that
is legal? I did not see anyone doing this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This spot made me realize SoCal actually has a
decent shallow saltwater fishery… to my surprise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Yee haw Go San Diego! </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qJ5UyqYy_Tk/UdMEKsA-sRI/AAAAAAAAAGo/oaFnG05ngSk/s640/FISH_neiljeffkitchen.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qJ5UyqYy_Tk/UdMEKsA-sRI/AAAAAAAAAGo/oaFnG05ngSk/s200/FISH_neiljeffkitchen.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back Home with Jeff</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BmBsb5GUtNo/UdMEDgeVmeI/AAAAAAAAAGA/KLwHBdeCDV8/s640/FISH_homegardenjune2013.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BmBsb5GUtNo/UdMEDgeVmeI/AAAAAAAAAGA/KLwHBdeCDV8/s320/FISH_homegardenjune2013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back Home in Garden </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-83158041455866113212013-03-19T19:44:00.001-07:002013-03-19T19:48:29.369-07:00Spooky Hawaii Unfiltered<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 6px; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rinyZwCSiyk/UUfzQjezlRI/AAAAAAAAAD0/iTigGGqJOqY/s1600/DSCN4352.JPG" height="240" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Gad dang pretty water - North Shore </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We went to Kauai in January - Hawaii is pretty dern awesome. <br />
<br />
Naomi and I may be the only people we know who had never been to Hawaii - so we went for 2 weeks. <br />
<br />
The hiking and snorkeling were really really good. If the water is clear I would even say Snorkel instead of Fish as you will learn a lot more. And since mid-day fishing is so so sparse and so random due to the clear water and lack of structure that I would say hike all day instead - and fish LATE afternoon and or dusk if you can familyman. Thats pretty much true most fishing places in fair weather... unless you need the water to warm up or you have day-active open-water fish like <b>Mackerel</b> or <b>Bluefish </b>around. But with Hawaii clear water and your target species being very transient mobile blow-by predators it seemed even more true in Kauai. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>….so here's the fishing report....</b><br />
<br />
I fished all saltwater - mostly the North Shore of Kauai and a little bit on Ohau. <br />
The North Shores are getting the bigger surf in winter - so I had that as a factor everywhere. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eJbgSjQinXs/UUf3v9eRX7I/AAAAAAAAAE8/0TQ-tT0tU_g/s1600/DSCN4586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eJbgSjQinXs/UUf3v9eRX7I/AAAAAAAAAE8/0TQ-tT0tU_g/s1600/DSCN4586.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dark day had the papio inside a walled lagoon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I did manage to land a few <b>Papio</b> - the local word for juvenile Giant Trevally. Papio = juvenile Giant Trevally and <b>Ulua</b> = Big Giant Trevally. The adults (over 10 lbs. or so) they call Ulua. The typical macho way to fish for the really big ones is with live or cut bait hucked of a cliff on a big surf rod still-fished with 50lb. to 130lb. mono. They fish the cliffs so they can access deep water from shore. GT’s are eerily similar to the <b>Jack Crevalle</b> that we have on the East Coast of the US. - except they get a lot larger in Hawaii - 50 lbs. is really big in Florida but in Hawaii they can run over 100 lbs.! I fished for big fish like this a few times in FL in 2002 but I don’t enjoy this type of fishing anymore. <br />
<br />
Now I use a variety of artificials on a 6’6” 4 piece travel rod rated for 6-12lb. line. It is the beefiest 4 pc. travel rod Cabelas sells and it will fit in carry-on luggage. For gear on Kauai - <b>Hanapepe General</b> had a lot of decent spinning gear and lures and their prices were good. I wish I had found them when I broke my reel on day 3! I ended up fishing most of the trip with a lousy chinese reel - that in all fairness lasted almost the full 10 days that it needed to. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BjVOXI2KqCs/UUfzL9Xc1XI/AAAAAAAAADc/bmatNRWxRkQ/s1600/DSC00691.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BjVOXI2KqCs/UUfzL9Xc1XI/AAAAAAAAADc/bmatNRWxRkQ/s1600/DSC00691.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A coral head teems with life - South Shore </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Bobby Menks</b> - a local kayak fisherman recommended a lure that I am very familiar with called the Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow - and yo-zuri lures are beautiful and well designed but I am pretty much done with the multi-treble hook lures that can end up in a hooked fish’s eye or cheek - too many hooks. Moving away from hardbaits in saltwater altogether. <br />
<br />
The highlight of the trip was a <b>Papio</b> in the shorebreak on a popper at first light !! <br />
(The same wooden Hi-Roller popper I caught my biggest snook on in FL)<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kIaFTdXzZC8/UUfzMQYjcRI/AAAAAAAAADk/wFUZfvknbaE/s1600/DSC00688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kIaFTdXzZC8/UUfzMQYjcRI/AAAAAAAAADk/wFUZfvknbaE/s1600/DSC00688.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butterflyfish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
And then I got into them with a chartreuse curl tail in a laggoon on a cloudy day in the rain with discolored water. And if I were to go back I think the grubs would be the lure of choice for most conditions. The locals fish a Carolina rig with a weight a couple feet of leader and an unweighted hook in a curl tail. A fellow fisherman named Jerry on Ohau actually gave me a super cool homemade popping plug and some clear metal flake curl tail grubs as his secret weapon for <b>Ladyfish</b>. Which intertestingly that lure with multicolor or “clown” flake is what sometimes actually is said to work on Mutton Snapper in the Keys - a fish notoriously hard to impossible to get on lure or fly. It wasn’t clear if Kauai has as many <b>Ladyfish</b> as Ohau...?? I did not see any <b>Ladyfish</b> while sorkeling or fishing on Kauai. Flyfishermen reading this who are not familair with how awesome Ladyfish are - please go find out how hard they can pull !! <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zE03QklorDo/UUfzN0rNYlI/AAAAAAAAADs/2Vdmt_DtNn8/s1600/DSCN3875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zE03QklorDo/UUfzN0rNYlI/AAAAAAAAADs/2Vdmt_DtNn8/s1600/DSCN3875.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lawrence Kansas on a clear day </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Jerry also told me they get small <b>Amberjacks</b> in the lagoons in summer - wow that would be cool! <br />
<br />
I saw <b>Mullet</b> of various sizes and <b>Needlefish</b> school up in the lagoons in late afternoon in small schools of 20-30 fish or so but never any getting blitzed. <br />
<br />
They also have an extremely pretty<b> Trevally </b>in Hawaii called the <b>Bluefin Trevally </b>which I was told fights even harder than the GT’s. And a Surfer at the Surf Shop in Kapaa showed me a photo of 10lb. Bluefin he struggled with on a bass rod. <br />
<br />
Apparently they eat Trevally in Hawaii ? Years ago I tried cooking a small <b>Jack Crevalle</b> that I had bled and iced right away after catching - based on a recipe in Florida Sportsman - it was edible but not good and I would never kill one again unless starving. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C0Udz6t8o_U/UUfzaAKzAHI/AAAAAAAAAEk/gMOEdQsjdxw/s1600/DSCN4868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C0Udz6t8o_U/UUfzaAKzAHI/AAAAAAAAAEk/gMOEdQsjdxw/s1600/DSCN4868.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amish man with perfectly ripe Breadfruit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In Hawaii with lures from shore you are pretty much fishing for <b>Trevally</b> or <b>Bonefish</b> or <b>Barracuda</b>. You kind of have to decide what you are targeting as the <b>Bones</b> are not much of fish eaters right? and the <b>Cuda</b> can bite through any leader material except steel wire. I feel like the only roll-of-the-dice you have for the <b>Trevally</b> is some reef structure or drop off with dawn or dusk lighting and/or murkier water and false dawn/cloudy stormy day and/or all of the above. The few sessions I had with them they blew through really quickly. I would only hook 2 or 3 and land 1 or 2. In Florida we would get them to hang in a small basin on low tide and hammer almost any jig thrown in there for 15 min. sometimes. Maybe Bonefish are more actively feeding mid-day on certain flats.. but alas Kauai has not many flats to speak of...that I saw at least. Anyone feel free to inform me on this Bonefish stuff. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4jGCd-B_9YY/UUfzUxrUupI/AAAAAAAAAEM/rVwveLmoxpY/s1600/DSCN4498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4jGCd-B_9YY/UUfzUxrUupI/AAAAAAAAAEM/rVwveLmoxpY/s1600/DSCN4498.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good spot on the East side Kauai</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
You just don’t have <b>Snappers</b> or <b>Groupers</b> here in Hawaii - which in Florida are your more resident inshore predator and associate with structure. According to my hawaii fish book they do have a fish called a <b>Grey Snapper</b> or <b>Uku</b> on Hawaii that looks like an awesome gamefish - it occurs in 80 - 300’ of water! I did see the largest species of <b>Goatfish</b> - the one with the spot - foraging on the bottom in 10-12 feet of water much like a bonefish. I also saw a massive slowly cruising <b>Bonefish </b>while snorkeling in about 4 feet of slightly milky water. And I saw a single specimen of the introduced Snapper while snorkeling at Lawai. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PS8zusAiIn8/UUfzRdD-oJI/AAAAAAAAAD8/IxO2OZuUq1w/s1600/DSCN4354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PS8zusAiIn8/UUfzRdD-oJI/AAAAAAAAAD8/IxO2OZuUq1w/s1600/DSCN4354.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Napali Coast </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Small Barracuda zipped right through 55 lb. flouro leader 8 times in about 30 minutes one morning when I left my steel leader in the room ! Rookie mistake or Florida Cuda teeth are not that sharp! dang! In fact I only landed 1 Cuda the whole trip. But if you put on steel in that clear water you can expect less hook ups from bigger smarter leader shy fish. A spinning strategy for the Bonefish would be to put on a Skimmer jig that matches the sand and fish it so that it kicks up some clouds of dust. (more of this next time....) Note: Bring lots of small tan jigs! <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yXdbPTpVj50/UUfza0zgBkI/AAAAAAAAAEs/xYZwNtyqX44/s1600/Fish158.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yXdbPTpVj50/UUfza0zgBkI/AAAAAAAAAEs/xYZwNtyqX44/s1600/Fish158.jpeg" height="203" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">web photo of the introduced Peacock Grouper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thats pretty much it form shore - you got those 3 choices. I did catch a <b>Manybar Goatfish</b> and one <b>Peacock Groupe</b>r. <br />
The 9” grouper hit hard and fought really hard briefly as they do ...but this non-native species of grouper does not get very big and a 16” fish would be a big one. <br />
<br />
What Hawaii does have a lot of is what a redfisherman would call “Crust” - or plenty of surface ripple to hide your presence. Gin clear water everywhere but never glass calm. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ojJ8_xS1PnY/UUfzauOBBZI/AAAAAAAAAEw/sfzAgRK7b24/s1600/DSCN5192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ojJ8_xS1PnY/UUfzauOBBZI/AAAAAAAAAEw/sfzAgRK7b24/s1600/DSCN5192.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dance Macabre Giant Trevally </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have a newfound respect for <b>Lizardfish</b> and <b>Cornetfish</b> which patrol the shorebreak well and peg any rubber lure not moving fast enough. The Lizards peg it in the head - whether they could fit it in their mouth or not. Lots of rubber lures came back missing tails from small Cuda or Sergeant Majors? The<b> Cornetfish </b>with its long Seahorse style tube mouth - they are stealthy and don’t miss much either. You will learn to love / hate this fish if you fish lures or flies close to shore in Hawaii. I hooked one that pushed 4 feet and took line for a minute like a real fish. I don’t strip fast enough to avoid this fish so they had no problem slamming 5” soft plastics w a buried single hook. This fish is a challenge to dehook. Another reason I fished the soft plastic jerk lures as you can bury the hook completely in the body of the lure and avoid snagging coral or sea turtles which were feeding on the bottom in shallow water most places I fished. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Oc_4VpfIxA/UUfzWDBdcwI/AAAAAAAAAEU/5fgRm5C5DvA/s1600/DSCN4502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Oc_4VpfIxA/UUfzWDBdcwI/AAAAAAAAAEU/5fgRm5C5DvA/s1600/DSCN4502.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">why do i like this ? </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I saw very few people fishing - ?? Hmmm... why is this. I’ll confess - It is hard to fish here from shore. Maybe because the better season for fishing is March through September. The first mate on the sunset sail we went on out of North Shore Ohau said most of the bait balls happen in August. On the sail in 250’ of water they were dragging a spoon on the top of the water and hooked a 15 lb. <b>Aku</b> or <b>Skipjack Tuna</b>! <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-biuWDzrLlrM/UUfzS6FsjFI/AAAAAAAAAEE/8tP5pOxQQvI/s1600/DSCN4410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-biuWDzrLlrM/UUfzS6FsjFI/AAAAAAAAAEE/8tP5pOxQQvI/s1600/DSCN4410.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Napali Coast velvet mountains plunging to sea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Mahalo!! <br />
<br />
The last morning I was there Naomi and I hiked to a quiet beach in the pre-dawn darkness.<br />
I was fishing my red 'n white popper in the dark and between casts - out where I was casting I saw what looked to be 2 or 3 <b>Trevally</b> blow by and and pop and bust the surface and create some big swirls in a few feet of water in the way that fish with big foreheads can....but before I could land a second cast it was over and they were gone.
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<br />
The title of this essay was Excalibur: The Steelhead <br />
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It might have even started then a bit. More on this later. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oregon Coast Surf Perch</td></tr>
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<b>On Breaking the Oregon Curse</b>. Since my last post I have gone to the Oregon Coast and caught saltwater fish in the surf on lure. A small river poured into the Pacific through the sand on a beach - and the <b>Redtail Surf Perch</b> were killing white curl tail jigs. Not little ones either. This is big. No Boat, No Bait, No Crowds. This means the code has been partly cracked. ever so partly. Naomi and I took our first multi-night trip in three years to the Southern Oregon coast. Opening the Farm Store has been great but murder on fishing time. For the most part I am still comparing it to epic experiences I had fishing the spring and fall movements on the East Coast. This Blog is going to be about transitioning from East Coast to West Coast fish. We have been working a lot of overtime since moving here and just now starting to get out and do some real exploring. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A River Flows Magically Across the Beach</td></tr>
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This Blog is going to be about spin fishing with atificial lures. Mostly jigs, jerkbaits and spinners and definitely in saltwater when I can. Weedless Jerkbaits were introduced to me by an East Coaster named Phill Knoll.<br />
This guy really showed me how to catch <b>Striped Bass</b>. Spinners I fish only when the predominant fish is trout or steelhead. Spinners are new to me - and currently I am deciding that they aren't stupid and do catch trout. I used to think they represented white bait aka a minnow lure - but now am more in agreement with Jed Davis that they are an "attractor". This probably has something to do with triggering aggression strikes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Rogue River Trail with Black Bears</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Northern Pikeminnow in Rogue</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rogue in the Rogue at Foster Bar</td></tr>
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Last few weeks I have been lucky enough to fish a short section of a Northern Oregon coastal stream, a pool on the Umpqua River, a section of the Rogue River on foot. The Rogue was clear, low and warm but still had small trout hitting small spinners. As the day grew hotter in the afternoon I switched to fishing the deeper pool water and hooked into a <b>Pikeminnow</b>. I am moving away from hardbaits - aka plugs and lures with multiple treble hooks. I have spent a lot of time fishing bucktail jigs and grubs - both in New York and Florida. I always had 2 rods rigged on my kayak - one with a white jig and the other with a sliver plug ...? The yo-zuri plug was for throwing right up against the mangroves - in Flamingo FL lingo they call this "banging those edges". I had the white bucktail or grub on for deeper water so I could bounce it off the bottom. In the winter in Florida I had some good sessions with a simple gold Johnson spoon - but it would mostly be marauding <b>Ladyfish</b> - which I do really like. So my preference is shifting to rubber single-hook jigs. I have been lucky enough to hook a lot of <b>Tarpon</b> at night on my old standby the white curl tail grub. So I will be looking for a way to fish that lure weedless. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naomi Demonstrates</td></tr>
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This blog may at some point be about transitioning to fly fishing or some flyfishing. Im not sure. I have so much spinning gear .... and - for the most part where I fish - the big ugly parts of rivers near Portland the fly rod is not the right tool. Or at least I deem these murky Portland waters to be plenty challenging even with quick sinking jigs. Though my dad has loaned me his 5 wt. indefinitely as encouragement to join the dark side.<br />
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For the fun of it - here is a list of the types of fish I have caught - lifetime - not all on lures and not really in any particular order but favorites mostly at the top - <br />
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Jack Crevalle<br />
Tarpon<br />
Striped Bass <br />
Snook<br />
Redfish<br />
Spanish Mackerel <br />
Smallmouth Bass<br />
Chinook Salmon (Lake Michigan) <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shadow of the Rogue River Yoga Vampire</td></tr>
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Bluefish<br />
Goliath Grouper (formerly Jewfish)<br />
Black Grouper <br />
Mutton Sanpper <br />
Mangrove Snapper<br />
Lane Snapper<br />
Yellowtail Snapper <br />
Bonnethead Shark<br />
Lemon Shark<br />
Porkfish <br />
Southern Stingray <br />
Seatrout<br />
Flounder<br />
Scup <br />
Margate<br />
French Grunt <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Porpoise Skeleton in the Dunes</td></tr>
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Pompano<br />
Barracuda <br />
Brook Trout<br />
Rainbow Trout <br />
Blueback Herring<br />
Mayan Cichlid<br />
Oscar<br />
Largemouth Bass<br />
Northern Pikeminnow (formerly Squawfish)<br />
Ladyfish<br />
Florida Gar<br />
Longnose Gar<br />
Shortnose Gar <br />
Needlefish<br />
Blue Runner <br />
Crappie<br />
Bluegill<br />
Rock Bass<br />
White Bass (known as "stripers" in Iowa) <br />
Warmouth<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back Home Drying Laundry with the Hens</td></tr>
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Sauger<br />
Walleye<br />
Channel Catfish<br />
Flathead Catfish<br />
Hardhead Catfish<br />
Gafftopsail Catfish<br />
Black Drum<br />
Sheepshead (Florida Saltwater type)<br />
Freshwater Drum (Iowa type)<br />
Yellow Bullhead<br />
Carp <br />
Stargazer<br />
Sea Robin <br />
Bowfin (known as Dogfish in Iowa)<br />
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906320153137375740.post-11883313427625648012012-08-06T09:56:00.001-07:002012-08-28T23:18:11.486-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6tPCjiJKVLs/UD20DGGIn7I/AAAAAAAAACs/odtj1llHfxc/s1600/Muscatine_Steamer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6tPCjiJKVLs/UD20DGGIn7I/AAAAAAAAACs/odtj1llHfxc/s320/Muscatine_Steamer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I grew up in Iowa on the Mississippi River in a town called Muscatine. My early fishing experiences took place there on the river and in the sloughs and gravel pits mostly on the south side of town. I liked fishing the River a lot because it seemed like anything could happen. Through a chain of post-college events I had the lucky misfortune of living in Miami, Everglades City and Brooklyn NY. I got to learn how to fish for Tarpon, Snook, Redfish, Jacks, Ladyfish, Seatrout, Snapper and Barracuda in Florida. I fell in love with Naomi in 2003 and moved to NY in 2004. I was skeptical that Striped Bass could be anything as good as Snook. I was wrong. Striped Bass are really awesome.<br />
I ran into a guy named Phil on a jetty on Long Island and he showed me a lot about Striped Bass.<br />
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Living in Oregon now and trying to figure out this part of the West Coast. <br />
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0