Starring Yours Truly

FlyPlane

TeeVee Incompatibility

Can you watch television with your spouse? Just wondering because I can't. We have such different tastes in programing that it is ridiculous. Rare indeed are the times when we sit down and watch a show together. And its not just that we like different programs we tend to hate the programs the other likes. Some cases in point.
She likes:
Reality shows: Big Brother, ect. -----------------REALLY Hate them
Contest shows: American Idol, Dancing w/Stars ect. ------------Hate them
Home Decoration Shows: Trading Spaces, ect ----------------Hate them

I Like:
Comedy: Daily Show, Stand Up Comedy ect -------------She hates them
Fly Fishing Shows: Columbia Country ect. ----------------She hates them
News Channels: Fox, MSNBC, some CNN-----------------Not a lot of interest
Serious Shows: King of the Hill, Family Guy ect------------REALLY hates them

We did catch a few things together, we like Last Comic Standing and Rome and Big Love on HBO so I guess we will survive. It just goes to show you that what they say is true Men are from Mars and Women are f******** nuts.

Cabin Fever

Here is the cabin we have for when Ty's family comes up in September. It is in the Coeur d'Alene National Forest and really remote. It doesn't have electricity but it does have running water (hot water and showers even) and gas lights and full kitchen ect. We got if for two nights, Labor Day and the day after, had to cancel the Gem Peak reservation because it is a tower and not recomended for kids like Johnny and Jett. Should be fun. Right on Teepee Creek and in the area of 4 other creeks and a short drive to some of my favorite fishing on the North Fork, Yee Haw

Hopper Time!

I fished the North Fork of the CDA yesterday and had a great day. First cast a 15 inch cutty nailed a grasshopper pattern, I caught over 10 fish with that same fly, all over 12 inches and several around the 16 inch mark. I had a big one on that I turned and got a look at but the fly pulled out, damn, it was nice. It was a hot bright day and I didn't really know if it would be good fishing or not but they are looking up for hoppers. Later in the evening a caddis hatch came off and I caught a bunch of little ones until dark. Nothing like hoppers to bring out the big ones though, I was glad to see them.

North Fork of the Clearwater

Bryant and I just got back from three days on the North Fork of the Clearwater and Kelly Creek here in Idaho. It is some nice country, great rivers and lots of Cutthroat trout. We drove over to Superior Montana and up over HooDoo Pass, we took a couple of wrong turns here and there and added several hours to a four hour drive, we went left when we shoulda hung right, we zigged when we shoulda zagged. We ended up there later than we planned and needed to find a campsite, the canyons are steep and narrow and the river and road take up all the space. We were worried we would have to stay at one the few campgrounds in the area but finally lucked into the finest campsite we saw the whole trip. Right on Kelly Creek, grass and sand, and next to a bridge that was built for horses and mules because there was a fire lookout that was supplied via the ten mile trail. We never did hike to it though I was tempted since I am a newly isnpired lookout freak (this lookout is also out of commission and is not on the website) We spent the time fishing, hiking and swimming. Bry talked me into swimming with him and the water was so cold it never did stop hurting. We fished the Clearwater and it was much better fishing. I caught ten cutthroats at the first spot we stopped in about ten minutes. Bry stayed with the dogs while I fished upriver and watched a herd of 16 elk cross the river right below him. It was a fun trip and I am glad I saw the area although to tell you the truth my homewaters of the Couer d'Alene and the St. Joe are just as good, most days anyway.

Boink Mountain?

Sex Peak Lookout
US 179, Montana 18
Kootenai National Forest Sanders County, Montana
Elevation: 5747'Coordinates: N47.72292 W115.644746Administrative Unit: U.S. Forest ServiceCooperators: Cabinet Ranger District
To Topographical Map
Sex Peak Lookout was named by two Forest Service foresters in the 1920s, reportedly after the topic of conversation that day. Whether or not the tale is accurate, there is no doubt the name has enhanced the popularity of the lookout in the cabin rental program. The L-4 groundhouse with catwalk was constructed in 1948 and staffed until the mid-1970s. It was refurbished and placed in the rental program in 1986.


This one has made my short list of Lookouts to visit. Probably in August, it is also near Trout Creek. If I can get Lisa to go with me on this one they will have to add the word "Incredible" to the name. Heh Heh

A Peacefull Hike

A couple of days ago I took the dogs on my daily hike to my private trails near my house. Of course the trails are on national forest service land and some people tend to trespass without regard for my personal privacy, so lately I have been going later because of the heat and possibility of running into people. I started the 1.6 mile loop at about dusk and knew I would finish it when it would be pretty dark. No one was in the parking area and so I let the dogs loose and let them run off some energy. Nice evening and as I got to the area that overlooks Hayden Lake I stopped and enjoyed the view and the sweet scents and sounds of a beautiful summer eve. As I resumed the my walk I noticed Etnie (Tasha's dog that we somehow inherited) stop in the trail and looking ahead, the trail curved right there and I thought there were probably some people so I hurried to get a hold of her because she barks and lunges at people which is embarassing. ( Etnie much like Tasha doesn't do anything you tell her ) As I got closer I saw what she was looking at. A big bull moose, right in the middle of the trail looking at the dogs. I was only about 50 feet away at this point and quite surprised. Awesome animal with its antlers still in velvet, the dogs started growling and inching toward it. I tried calling them back, I didn't want them harassing this nice moose and making it run around and stressing it out. I didn't need to worry about the moose, it wasn't troubled at all and calmly lowered his head and charged the dogs. The dogs being outweighed by 1000 pounds beat a retreat past me as I was prudently walking backwards at an increasingly faster pace. The moose was not slowing down and was now way too close for comfort. The vegatation is really thick here and there was nowhere to go but back down the trail. I turned and started to run - anyone who has been chased by a bull moose can appreciate the fact that I didn't dwaddle. In fact as I grasped the gravity of the situation I put on a burst of speed that I frankly didn't know I had in me. I was showing form and a lightness of foot that the world hasn't seen since I was on the football field at the Sunbowl in St. George 25 years ago. I swear I ran about a 4.2 forty yard dash. After about a hundred yards I looked over my shoulder and saw the moose stop and slowly wander into the dense forest off the trail. The dogs had no interest in going after it although I still had to go past that spot to get by on the trail. I carefully eased by and never saw it again. It was getting dark and since I had about a quart of adrenaline in my blood I decided to run the rest of the way. And I did.

Gem Peak Is Next

Here is my next victim. Gem Peak is in Montana about 80 miles from here. It is near the Clark Fork River and Trout Creek (blue ribbon fishing baby) It was originally built in 1921 and updated several times to this structure. It has a woodstove and beds and of course is in Grizzly country. Somehow I was able to reserve it on Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend. As you can see this one is a tower and looks pretty dang cool. Check out the link below for more info. It will also link back to the lookout website which is interesting. Idaho and Montana have a bunch of them. Utah, not so much.

http://www.firelookout.net/Individ_Lookouts/US180_Gem_Peak.htm

The View From The Top

This is our Fire Lookout that we rented for three days. It was incredible, we had a great time and soaked up the views for hours on end. There was a cool breeze blowing constantly and the weather was perfect. At all times there was a brisk breeze that felt like Christmas, it was great although sometimes at night the wind picked and really howled. The Lookout was sturdy and the winds didn't faze it, she is a good ship. Because of the wind there were no mosquitoes or flies present at all.
We cooked up some fine dutch oven suppers and pancake breakfasts and enjoyed a leisurely trip. One day we hiked to Gem Lake it was advertised as a 1.5 mile moderate hike. This was the demented opinion of some uber park ranger dipshit. It was a straight up the mountain death march which is ok but we just weren't expecting it. Beautiful lake though and I managed to catch one fish out of it.
We spent a lot of time with the binoculars scanning the country which was fun, Adalee loved the binocs and always wanted to have them. The first day we watched a fire burn on a mountain close by and kept an eye on the fire crew and helicopter that dumped water on it. The chopper would pick up water at a nearby lake hover over the fire and dump it out. It was interesting to watch and with the winds it was pretty stubborn and took them two days to put it out. A few people came up to the lookout and asked if we knew about the fire thinking we were lookouts. I told them we had crews on it but the wind was making it tough. I felt a little like Ed Abbey. We were at the end of a road and we had a locked gate down a ways but we only saw a couple of parties the whole time we were there. It was fun, I am looking at other Lookouts to rent in Aug and maybe September, Montana has a bunch of them some are remote and you have to hike in and some have hot showers and full kitchens. I just might try them all. Somebody has to do it.

O'Neal is Back!

Ty suggested a trip into the Deep Creek Drainage when I was planning our trip to Utah. I agreed and packed a fly rod. Best damn idea of the week. We had a great time and caught many many fat fighting browns that hammered big dry flies. The canyon is unrecognizable after several fires. The fish were all killed off from fire retardent several years ago and no one had been in there in 3 years. Still a pretty good leg burning hike even with the four wheeler trail that is there now. We had a great day, I might make a fly fisherman out of Ty yet. I know the great fishing in this canyon is where I got it bad. Ty caught a lot of trout and we fished together and had fish on at the same time many times. I also caught the biggest fish I have ever landed in there on my first cast into Deep Creek as soon as we hit the first water. Big fat brown about 16 inches, big fish for this size creek, nice start to the fishing and a good omen that proved correct. O'neal is running low and that could be bad for later in the summer, Southern Utah is on fire again and dry as hell. It seem like a different creek the trees are all gone the canyon is opened up like never before and the stream itself must of had a major flash flood because the pools and runs are all different. But the important thing is that is full of trout and they are hungry and they love dry flies and really that is all you can ask for.

p.s. If you go try a size 10 stimulator, (yellow body) don't be afraid to go big you will catch more and bigger fish - CJ

25 Big Uns

Lisa and I celebrated our 25th Anniversary on June 20th. Congratulations to me. If you want to send a gift we like fly fishing stuff. We stayed in Spokane at a hotel on the river next to Riverside Park. We had a great time and then headed to Southern Utah for our 25th high school reunion which also was fun. Ty also turns 25 this year (we were busy in 1981) We have been married since we were kids, now our kids have kids. Lisa is more beautiful than ever and although I look pretty rough I can still move like a cat and think on my feet. 25 years! I love you baby.

A Motley Crew

Here are some pirates attacking Bryant after the play on opening night. Boo was really good as Dr. Livesy and played the pompous Englishmen who keeps reminding everyone that he is a doctor and an officer of the English Crown. I laughed quietly through the whole first scene because Bryant looked to me like Chris Farley from the movie Almost Heroes when he is at the party before the expedition and has his hair slicked down. The play has a few opening night glitches but was good. Lisa decorated the lobby and ran the souvenier shop. I set up the tiki torches outside and had six of them burning as they people came in. Twas a bloody good time I say you scervy dogs. Tasha bought a pirate bandana from Lisa and put it on for the show. I tried to get Boo to change one line where he says "Good Heavans" when he sees Captain Bones dead to "Bloody Hell" but he won't do it. Once again my stellar advice falls on stupid ears.

Name The Boat 2

I have to say people the participation in the naming contest was poor. If you read this blog and didn't submit a name then shame on you. Besides a few wiseacres there were only a few legitimate entries including some people I have never heard of. Nick came up with a few suggestions after floating the Coeur d'Alene River in it twice. Dusty Old Bones and the Creaky Whinning Old Lady did not sit well with me and may get him banned from the boat. Aside from Nick's hurtful comments there were Moms old standby of Never On Sunday and Dad came up with Old Tippy. I have decided to honor them both and combine the names. So come on up and take a float in "Tipsy on Sunday" Thanks, and keep your waders wet boys.

Name The Drift Boat

Name my boat and win a fantastic prize. Submit entries via the comment section. If your name is selected you will receive a great prize (currently undetermined) Front runner at this point is the "Pittsburg Nelly" named after a frontier whore, the things she could do with her one good arm could make you forget all about that thing growin on her neck. (see Almost Heroes with Chris Farley if you dont get it) Good Luck and be creative. Thank You

Picture is Boo and Tasha on Hayden Lake

Drift Boat Saga

It will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine.
I have been looking for a drift boat for fly fishing for quite a while now. I have been tempted to buy a new one, the fiberglass Hydes and Clackacrafts are tempting. But I really wanted a wood boat because that is what boats are supposed to be made out of. Our Viking brothers made their vessels of wood and sailed across the freakin Altantic Ocean so I think it can handle the rivers of North Idaho and Western Montana ( I hope) So I have looked and even checked out a few on Ebay. I went to Seattle one morning to buy a drift boat and backed out because it's name was painted on the side and it was the Dry Rot and the name fit. I was back home by lunch time. This journey led me to this fine specimen. I saw an ad in a local paper that said that a drift boat was for sale in Libby Montana. I sent a email and they sent sent me some pictures, I was intrigued and made a low ball offer that was accepted and so I took off one beautiful May morning for Libby to pick up my boat. The drive from Coeur d'Alene to Libby is one of the most enjoyable drives you can take, about two and a half hours of wildlife, mountains, rivers, waterfalls and pristine country. I stopped at the Forest Service office in Libby because that is where both of the owners worked. He was the head biologist for the entire Flathead National Forest Service and she also worked there. Nice people in their late fifites early sixties maybe. We went to their home on the Kootenai River to see the boat. As soon as they pulled the cover off I said I would take it. I handed over the cash and he grumbled about beating them up on the price, I ignored him as I was hooking the trailer up to my truck. She cried a little as I drove off, she had sanded and refinished the boat herself the previous winter and had done a nice job. (Montana women ain't that purty but they are right handy) It is now in my garage waiting for the rivers to calm down from the spring blowout. So now I have a drift boat and rivers to run and fish to catch. Come on up and I'll take you out.

Cool

Well it is Memorial Day weekend and the temperature has dropped like it always does. It is raining and cold. It will top off today in the low 50s. The previous blog on the heat and global warming should now be disregarded, it is obvious we are in the throes of the next ice age. (buy property in Costa Rica - six percent please) Of course these wild ass extremes in the weather can only mean one thing the End of The World. That's right, oh its coming they have been saying it for hundreds of years and one of these days they are going to be right. That Al Gore is full of shit man.

Ipod

The Boo Turns 16

Bryant celebrated his sixteenth birthday with a kegger and fireworks. Not really but he did go bowling with his mama and later had pie.

Thar She Blows

It's a little late but here is Lisa on her B-day