The 90-ish degree ambient temp swing will be welcomed and the forecast says "rain",all of which is good things.

Be curious to see what unfolds in the next two weeks..................

Jealous here. Have a good time...

The weather controls opportunity and I'll be curious to see what Mother Nature coughs up on this go 'round.

Hope to get home without having to stomach America again,as that would be a nice start...............

2 weeks left to bang otters...they're paying $70 apiece in the round.

The current weather might could arrange an Otter Slaughter. May leave the Rocktucky at home and tote something different,if only to let shit think it has a chance.

Film at 11:00.................

Is there a month that sucks there?

Winter steelhead month on the upper rogue.... good sht.

Meeting a big native buck in full war paint does quicken the pulse. After filling some leader spools, hope to actually spend some time in the DB with good friends and family to rendezvous with a good'n....

kinda my thoughts too

What's the drift boat goto method up your way side drifting, back bouncing or plug pulling? Done em all but my and mine tend to side drift roe or yarn down here.

You might just have to come up this-a-way and see.... *grin*

New water is always a good time. Won't happen this winter, I'm too busy pretending like I work hard. I may be up at Ft Lewis this summer for a month. If I am I'll be getting you on the horn.

In August, think hoppers on the Yakima.

'Course the topless co-ed hatch is fun too.... *grin*

The bikini hatch on the 'yak doesn't suck. Nor does the hopper or skwala hatches.

Double post

The bikini hatch on the 'Yak is always good times. Of course the hopper, skwala and mothers day caddis hatches don't suck either.

August on the Yak is a good place to be...

Actually getting home,took some fucking doing...but at least I didn't have to stomach America.

Managed the 100 degree ambient temp swing easily,as it was a collddddd sonofabitch as we boarded for The World. We saw this screen shot or colder in Camp,for nearly a week and the temps crashed again as we were leaving.



The bird even looked cold. Knew it was gonna be a long fucking day,as someone kicked my camera bag on the steps as I was shooting and my lens cap flopped to the ground through the stairs. Of course the entire underside of the building was wrapped in chain-link fence and I had to leave the fucking thing there. I know better than to not have an extry in the camera bag. There's a few places enroute back to The World,that a guy prolly wouldn't wanna crash land into and that ain't due solely to temps.(grin)




Was fucking around with dragging the shutter,as I left Los Anchoritos in the pre-dawn for home,the following morning.



The closer I got to home,the warmer/windier it got.




As I was boarding yet another bird,I was thinking it'd be nice to have floats on this prick and land at the end of my driveway,as it'd get me to the Ass Patch a leetle quicker yet.



But given the weather,noone on floats said they was gonna try,so we opted an IFR swing for the fence and bucked our way home. Started out nice,but shit changed in a couple/few minutes. A guy really has no business not flying floats in this Country,as we were fucking near in a bad way and wheels ain't your friend.





The closer I got to the house,the meaner it got. Managed a good eyefuck of the runway and The Boys house...but we were getting the fuck beat out of us and the pilot firewalled shit to get us the fuck up and out of there. Close but no ceegar is a dirty trick,when a guy can see his house...but cain't get there.









So we got us some sights as we tried to scramble up and back and my only hopes at that time,was that we could catch the Ferry. These Class 5 saltwater rapids are always a crowd pleaser,though in actuality I was lookin' for Bears.







When we landed,they were waiting for us in their shuttle and swept us away across the little ferry,to get to the medium Ferry for the ride home. You know it's been a long fucked up day,when you are giddy to be boarding the Canoe.(grin) Was pretty sloppy,with 60mph+ SE winds and a perpetual lilt to starboard as it pounded our portside,until we hit some protected waters. Cranked ISO,shot a coupla frames and racked out. Bow was pitching purty good.





Looked like shit was finally going my way,until we walked through the door of the house and the power went off....................(grin)

I thought I saw some rough weather the week I was there, glad you finally made it home.....Blake

Those are some sweet shots of the rapids. I wish I had those a couple of months ago. Google needs to update that!

Glad you made it home. Sounds like an adventure.

Home is home, all the sweeter when the return ride is rough.

Febuary wouldn't suck if my new to me sled weren't all tore apart.



I shoulda knowed that a used sled with a sticker of a skeletonized granade on the hood was a bad omen

It's the first white water Humper had ever seen.....................(grin)

Nice before and after shot. Intersting to see where the chanel lies. Although, I don't think my ride would have made it.

The only times I've ripped through it,was begrudgingly.

Cain't like it,even a leetle..................

LOL.....went thru there a few times with my bro in that boat of yours, one time with Frank our buddy from Idaho...about snapped him!

Only time I've been through it,was in my boat,though it weren't ever me at the wheel. No need to do it again.

Fucking Hurricane and Monsoon both and the water has just gotta be pouring into the creeks. Will go dredge some Test Casts here directly,to see what the afternoon bite looks like and might knock something in the head for supper.

Needed to order some camera shit(lens caps,ball head,tripod,etc.) and some rifle shit,so Pappy gets at least one fucking reamer right. Gonna longcock the whole outfit with a rip shitter 6-284...............(grin)

Was eyefucking shit as best I could coming in,but we were getting the shit beat out of us and I was doing good to hold on to my fucking camera. Up above the clouds in this frame is where I killed the Moose Buck last November and it looked like there were a fair amount of snow. Figured I'd let Ma Nature work her Chinook magic for me today,so as to knock a buncha snow back,so a guy can stretch his legs and see just WTF in the morning.




Forecast is still sayin' "rain" and I'm diggin' the news............

Ran that patch last November with a buddy from Sitka, he was a touch white knuckled as we blasted through with about a 4' elevation change between the inside and the outside.

I pretended like it was an every day thing....but was feeling a bit shakey when we were through. Pretty sure there was a couple foot of clearence between the boat and the water when we cleared the last standing wave and made our way into the bay.

As an aside,Canon caps suck ass and Sigma is the best. Couldn't find Siggy at B&H,so opted Tammie,which is also a center pinch activation akin to Siggy. Good upgrades for them who beat on shit a bit and who keep sun shades affixed for protection.

They're $8.50 a pop...................

I remember you telling me about that one! If a guy is gonna do it,I'd recommend being balls deep in throttle.

Still colder than fuck at work?...........

Warmed up to -25 or so but the wind came with it.

We had two different trucks yesterday with tires frozen to the ground, guys went to drive off and the wheels simply spun w/in the tire until the beads parted from the wheel.

Had the crew bus parked out front warming up yesterday and one of the windows decided it had had enough and let go for no other apparent reason than shit being fuggin too cold!

House was on lock down last night, but I think there are a few that made it out to check wells today.

Still fairly brisk...

Was relating to the cook on the Ferry,how shit don't work so well,when temps do what they done. In actuality,it's surprising that more shit don't fail.

Headed to take a short spin and make a few casts in the name of R&D.

Film at 11:00...................

As a kid for a spell we lived in the Gildersleve (sp?) camp that was on Big Salt. We used to run the entrance all the time. Seems I remember we favored the north, but maybe it was the south. Always well into the flood to darn early in the ebb at any rate. Tail end of the ebb to a bit into the flood was bad news.

One time running that with my Chesapeake in the skiff he decided he was better off on his own and abandoned ship. We had to turn around a go pick him off one of the rocks he made it to out in the middle of the mess. Now that was fun!!

Jesus... -52 with a windchill of -75? That's about enough to frost a guys balls riki-tik.

Sounds and looked like a wild ride home.

Been wondering for a while why everyone doesn't make the center pinch style. MUCH prefer those, and might have to pick up a few. I need to order some shit anyway, as ALL FUCKING 4 Promaster SD Cards I bought with the T1i have gone tits up in the last 6 months.

Really like that white cap pic. Paints a nice picture of the wind.

It was -85-ish for a spell and that shit WILL hurt you..................

I shoot alotta SanDisk in both CF and SD,but Delkin has been good to me too. Fiddle fucked Canon caps streamside and was motherfucking them good like,trying to trip the release inside the 'shade.

As I was runnin' to the creek,I saw these guys and thought they was in a bad way so jumped out to see WTF. The wind sheer was purty impressive,especially given that they are wayyyyyyyy inside the bight and protected. They weren't pulling pots and at first I thought they'd lost power.

There's better places to be fucking around,on a day like today...................

These guys came over their way,making as good of time as they dared and was takin' a right proper ass beating on the way. They're nearly running in the trough and water spouts were dancing all around them,with great sheets of sheer ripping through to boot.



I figured noone was gonna die,so headed to make a few casts................

Water volume was up higher than I'd speculated,but the weather was "nice" if you was inside the Timber. Might have to wield the 11'4" tomorrow..................

Fucking around WFO with the Siggy 50 1.4 in the Jungle,playing with DOF and Bokeh. Hand holding at 1/30..............

First and only problems I've had were with the promaster cards. One after another they all magically became "locked" in read-only mode. You could move the switch, but it never made any difference. Should have superglued the last 3 after the first one took a shit, but never got it done.

Might just grab a few locally. I need to haul a camera out - been slacking.

I left my good tripod at work and a few extra plates with it,so others could use it when I wasn't. I'm thinking the light is going to be fairly flat for a few days,due to weather,but I'll tote a body around anyhow. Need to explore some more with the 50/1.4 and play with DOF creativity. Am figuring the low light levels will allow me to drag the shutter WFO at low ISO's and I've a few notions that intrigue me.

Really need to play with my 1Ds more,but the '3 has got me fully spoilt...................

Your pictures actually look pretty good on the new Macbook Pro. Goode called the night we left and said they had -61 ambient on the thermostat that night.

Which lightroom did you download .

F or C? (grin)

Stick, how do you see those cork floats? I tried a few and once its downstream a ways you cant tell where the damn things at.

I had the same problem when fishing with him last May, still have no idea how he did it.

i painted the top orange it worked ok but not great, and its all rolly polly in the water can never tell which way your presentation is pointing. went back to westcoast floats

-61 ambient is colder than anything I've seen.

Are you going IMac yet,as a dedicated home 'puter? I hate to even try to look at pics at work,because all the monitors suck and my laptop is far worse yet. LR3 is where you wanna be and I'd buy it again online in a second,as much as a storage means as for the manipulation.

I like it for white balance corrections. This is the back door of the house and you know how funky the lighting is,especially in the ice fog. First rendition was ala my laptop and I knew it were askew,but really had no feel for which way. Second poke was IMac/LR3 to render a more natural tone. Now I'd happily concede that a guy could chase WB in camera,but that gets old quick at -50 with the wind trying to make you cry and in fairness to the 1D3,the hue it captured on AWB was accurate to the scene at the moment.




I'm thinking purty hard on pulling the trigger on the Siggy 24mm F/1.8 Macro for both Hero Shots and the 'Lights..........................

It's a combination of things. I do some Braille,as I always have a bight of line in my weakside mitt. Also have a feel for watching the float's orange pin and it's attitude. Lastly I'm eyefucking the PP line as best I can. The length/volume of a Drift,changes which sense(s) I most rely upon and I ain't above telling the kids "say sumptin' when Dad has a feesh",on a way down Monkey Town Drift.(grin)

My favorite Float Presentation is counterintuitive to the "right" way to Drift Fish,as I'm feeding copious slack on shit,rather often. That to hit a slot or extend a Drift and I've little concern for striking a feesh fed a jig,because all they gotta do is look at it and they are HungChow. Owner's and Matzuo's simply hang feesh in and of themselves. I learned long ago,that jigs is FAR more enticing,when left the fuck alone to dance with the current,rather than being bumped by a mend to suspend them from the sweet spot.

Also convinced that cork's inherent Stealth Mode,do help dupe victims.....................

As an aside,I much prefer a weathered float that's been to the Fair,as opposed to a "shiny" new one.

'Bout time to go rattle a few in a coupla different systems to see WTF and heat a barrel or two up..................

When fishing the Situk, I get a fucking kick outta watching guys using bell bouys for floats. I will admit I don't use corks as often, only because I do about 90% of my jig fishing with a center pin setup. Its my way of walking towards the light, while still paying homage to my strictly fly fishing past, without stepping all the way into it...(grin)

i dig centerpins but hate the line retrieve.

what are you guys rolling as far as float setup, slip/fixed bobber size/slipshot/etc. my standard coastal is 3/8 slip bobber with about .4oz weight and then 30" leader and 2 small bb shots on the line to a #2 hook.

I'm not real scientific about it anymore. I use (depending on what I am using and water I'm fishing) one of these... Raven. When jig fishing I usually just put a 10-12' leader on then fix my float to it so I can fish ultra shallow to max leader length. Works real well and unless its heavy water you don't need any additional weights. If I am fishing beads or flies, I go more traditional with a 20-30" leader and shot up my line enough to get on bottom quick and right the float.
Nice thing about a center pin rod is if you get sick of messing with the reel, especially in wind, you can just put a spinning reel on and keep rockin. I use the 11'6" and 14' lengths in the raven rods, but am considering some of the gloomis offerings as well.

Tough conditions today,as things ain't all the way busted up and it was easy to get IceChowed,with nuggets floating by. Lotsa creeks is simply chinook runoff,whistling over the top of ice and there ain't no way to even reach the fucking fish.

But a foot of water here,over the ice is all.





This drainage is plugged even tighter yet.(grin)




A Tidewater Slaughter was the best bet,but I ain't none too hip on high slack,so fucked the dog awaiting a change.





I'm still hearin' good things about pinned corks,that's been weathered. First shot woulda been a Hot Asser if he'd of been jigside to me and a leetle less reflection,but it lends an inkling.






While PP has no fucking equal,it'd take a section of haywire to fend most of the nuggets that schlepped by with the tide.




Fucking Mergansers are having a field day,when shit pops loose.



But as per always,it's balmy in my front yard. If there was some place better...I'd simply fucking live there.....................

As per always,it's tough to trump a stand of Old Growth,for protection from Ma Nature.

It'll be another GREAT Deer Year..............

Looks like where you and I cut the elk tracks a few years back?

Forecast is for 40mph sustained with gusts to 80mph here, about the time I'm scheduled to get on the jet next week. Might have to think up a meeting in the Big City and sneek outta here early.

I was everywhere...but much lower on that system,dredging fingers towards the Salt.

I'm gonna do my Chinook Dance,as I'd like to see everything bust wide fucking open and see exactly WTF lurks and where......................

As an aside,there was 'bout 3' of snow there on the mainline..................

That does not suck.


Sitting in a god damn office when it was 60 degrees today ... sucked.

The first day of R&D is the Bitch and then after that,a guy usually has a purty good feel for what the fuck,do what. Covered some ground,re-verified where all the leaks are in my neoprene waders,hiked my cunt off looking for a place to cast and never seen a Woof track...let alone a Howl. Par.(grin)

There was volume in places,that really wasn't commensurate with conditions...which is a mindfuck of sorts.

Downstream gawk,of the above Ice Ranch,that cockblocked EVERYTHING.





Upstream eyefuck of the confluence of the two systems.






A schlep upstream,to reveal how both legs is cockblocked and more than a leetle. Also appears that the wind had been blowing,given the flora atop the ice.(grin)





When in doubt,letch'er nose do the work and head for the Salt..................(grin)

Looking back,that mighta been a purty nice Trout,given Rocktucky extrapolations. Do it seem that tail is wide or is it refraction?(grin) Wonder how much length is lost in the snaked curvature of the body?





Hell...mebbe February don't suck?!!?.......................(grin)

Shits so locked up here that there is no chance to wet a line locally until late April/May most likely. Might hafta catch a plane south somewhere...

In fairness...I don't even like to Fish,though I remain a fan of Catching.

There IS a difference.....................(grin)

God damn.


I aint looking at this thread anymore.....................

















































til tomorrow at least (grin)

Me neither................(grin)

Made a short tack today,just as a feeler to see what the water level was doing(rising yet). Still marvel at how green shit is,in the dead of Winter..................

Clarity is fucking unreal with your pics. Very nice.

It is neat to find green, in the dead of winter.




End nov/dec deer hunt, two years ago. Only snow we got/seen, was up high.

I remain a fan of a right proper Chinook and rising water.

Fuck Summer...gimme Winter..................

I kinda like both seasons ....

Fall being my favorite (grin)

I keep telling myself that I'll learn to love the Saltwater,but just cain't seem to get over that hump.

There's just sumptin' satisfying about casting into the shadows of a purty Drift,that simply cain't be equaled elsewhere.................

especially when there isnt a soul around. Tough to argue that point.

Though I cain't hear anyhow,the sound of silence do agree with me................

I saw green grass just the other day. Dug some up on accident while plowing the driveway....

'Bout time to get the lawnmower fired up...but she's in the shower.(grin) Wind/rain/decent ceiling currently and 50 degrees according to the weather center on the wall.

Looking off the front deck,over a small portion of Momma's Beach Glass Garden...............

Is it still Christmas up there or did you forget to take the lights down?....grin

Xmas lights is down,Glass Garden lights remain...standing next to the heart warming "Go Away" sign.................(grin)

Just sayin'...............

Can like it......................grin

god damn stick ................. poor timing of morning coffee as I opened this back up


Clean up on aisle 2.........

Should get momma to do up the letters with some of the glass to make it pop for those who might not see so good.
Last thing you want is some idjit with crossed blinkers thinking they's welcome.

I don't spook easily and mosta my pards prolly run on the Hot side anyhow.(grin)

Trying to break trail,with the locker locked in 4-Low and floating the valves to boot and came across a guy who was hung fucking chow in his big old crummy,augered in the snow buried to his nuts. Luck of luck,that he was a firewood cutter and had about a 60' shot of 1" Samson in his bed. had to pull him out in reverse,because it was impossible for me to turn around and it was fucking near a fiasco. Glad I stumbled into him,or he'd of been spending the night and curiously enough,he was in the exact spot that I dug for better than 10 hours to get outta,a coupla years ago. A right proper Chinook would do me good.

Weather is beautiful,but wherever it's shaded,shit remains fairly well iced up. Lotsa ice backed up yet,in lotsa drainages.





This Goat Fuck is backed up fiddle string tight. I'd be curious to catch it,when it pops...might be some noise and sparks.(grin)





Shit be gone,on the sunny side of the street.





Shoulda brought my sunglasses.




Can see myself getting very stuck tomorrow,while swinging for the fence.......................(grin)

I live on a fairly good size creek and the power of ice and water combined is worth watching when shit breaks up. More then a few times I've seen it require explosives to save property down stream.

Figured it would bust loose last Thursday,but it weren't to be. One more good Gully Washer will do it...................

thats it god dammit.

I aint looking no more ..........................













































til tomorrow again (grin)

Was hoping my new tripod and ballhead would hit the house today. There's some neat sights..................

This has nothing to do with anything , just trying to figure out new computer and lightroom 3, trying to download plug in direct to lightroom to photo bucket. Thought I would burn the trash this morning, everyone needs a 30 foot burn barrel, test picture of such.

Supposed to be raining like a big fucking dog,but thus far all I've got is Chinook winds. One more pour will put me to the fucking good. wind is building purty steady,so it's certainly enroute. Lookin' to be a 162 Day.(grin)

I take it you are figuring out pre-sets and what not? I see you stopped down for increased DOF and are chasing exposure to boot...there's hope.

As an aside,I see an as new G-12 on FM with (3) batteries for 300 clams. Quit fucking around and pull the trigger.


RINK................

Momma said my tripod arrived today,so I'll be Logging tomorrow.


Shot some scenes the afternoon,so as to have fodder to fuck with LR3.

As shot(chimping hard to the right on the Histogram).




A leetle digital ND filter love and paint brushing exposure on the treeline,as a curiousity.





Should clean a sensor to boot...................(grin)

Fuck me,the new tripod is heavy. Now I'll have to cart it to work and bring the Bogen home instead. The 496RC2 head ain't horrid and 1Ds batteries are charging,if only for posterity.

Tomorrow might could be sporty.................

No need to clean the sensor, that's a bird, not dust.


Brushing exposure was the only really cool thing I did in LR.

Perfecting slideshow video on it now,after applying a preordained preset to the catalog and VanHalen.................(grin)

Long day.

Mom and Sister caught a plane to yet another B-Ball Tourney and the boys played Hookie....................

Where'd all that LIGHT come from?.......................grin
Kool pictures as usual..................

Bears out already.....?

ISO 1600 for a portion of it. Yesterday busted out as beautiful as things get and stayed the course. Froze a wee bit over night,but it's looking to be another Blue Bird Day.

Had The Dude more than a little concerned yesterday,as we were fairly Hungchow in rotten snow and had to dig the crummy out a couple few times. Then we fence posted for a few miles explorin' shit. After getting cleaned up and grubbing a late dinner we racked out.

Will let the temps rise a bit to entice the bite and do some more explorin' today....................

A guy can see alotta shit,if he's lookin'..................

that doesnt suck.

I had doubts for a spell,as I was sweating like a nigger walkin' to a free lunch,as I was shoveling snow...............(grin)

Man, he's growing up!

Sister turned 15 yesterday,he'll be 11 on Monday.

It happens.................(grin)

First pic, I figured you borrowed a different kid.

Purty sure I saw an Early Bird gettin' a Worm this morning.

Played the tide wrong,but it's tough not to be trying to hurt shit at daybreak..............

what a great fucking picture...

I think it'll hold up in print................

Yeah, you did good there. very nice

That is some high class shit.

Must've been some good fog on to blur the trees at f/11.

Stopped down for DOF,dumped ISO to 100 and chimped the histogram to the left for the sillywet(I think I dumped 1.5 Stops).

The light was all over the fucking place today...and as per usual,we had 4-Seasons of weather.

In retrospect,February did not suck..................

nope. that dont suck.

All nice as usual.

February ain't bad. Cousin and I had a nice Sunday at church. Bustin rocks and bone fires.

Now I'm tryin' to remember if March sucks or not?(grin)

The backlit Timber picture above,I like purty good,though I was trying to capture the rainfall cascading down but sorta missed it. There's streaking drops scattered about the frame,but I didn't quite nail that aspect. Shoulda drug the shutter more,by stopping down even further,even though I was hand holding.

Tough to trump fire,friends and firearms....................

Stick,

Very nice photos as usual.

Gotta dig bullets, beer and bone fires. Makes for a hell of a good church service.

Amen brother!.............