I helped organize a couple of Striper Dealer Camps in '05 and '06. These "camps" were attended by fly fishing retail store owners and staff. I was reviewing some of the images from the '06 Striper Camp folder and came across one that I digitally altered to look like a watercolor. I thought it was worth posting. I call it Selection.
A while ago I posted a request for wader feedback that was widely commented on. Since then I've been working on the new wader development and have a specific area for the Way Upstream community to focus and comment on. This area is the gravel guard. I'm testing various fabrics, high filtration mesh and neoprene for this integrated feature. I'm testing various shapes and sizes. All seem to have strengths and potential weaknesses. What do you like, hate, wish for in gravel guards? Do you have a favorite? Do you like them integrated? Let me know your thoughts, comments or stories.
I was alerted to this call to action by Travis Rummel of Felt Soul Media. Check out his post on The Wire. My request - Make your voice heard on the issue of mining law reform. Time is short (10/31). Click on this link for more information - I CAN HELP. My thoughts - Watersheds are directly affected by mining. Keep in mind that all the material that comes out of pits like the ones shown has to go somewhere. What does the mining industry track record for resource protection look like? What is the real economic benefit picture? Are pits in the earth due to extraction "needs" really the best thing for the planet? For us? We're talking long term impacts on a mother nature level. Ain't no gettin' the mountain back....or the river. I ask - Do something unusual, call your Representative and tell them to vote for HR2262, the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007 or you can find your Representative's contact information and send them an email HERE. My opinion - The Mining Law Act of 1872 is arguably the worst case of corporate welfare in our nation's history. If it's after hours you can still call your reps D.C. office and leave a message, TELL THEM TO VOTE YES ON HR2262.
Top - The Bingham Canyon mine as seen from 10,500 feet. Note: there used to be mountains there. Photo by Ben Knight Bottom - The Grasberg Mine in Indonesia is the current #1 open pit mine for total mineralization value in the world. The Pebble deposit looks to be larger in total value and will soon surpass Grasberg in total mineralization value. Pretty $cary.
I've been meaning to circle back on some questions that came up in past comments about new gear. One question was about an angler-inspired duffle bag. Here is some workbook copy and pictures for you to review.
Whether you’re traveling by truck, skiff, floatplane or jetliner, the Guidewater Duffle makes hauling gear easy. This new design is a more technical version of our original Wet/Dry Gear Bag with a welded waterproof dry compartment and breathable/drainable mesh side. The coated, floating baffle separates wet and dry gear, so your wading boots won’t soak your “coming home” shirt. Tough dual-coated fabric, high-airflow mesh, water-resistant zippers and rod tube attachment points combine to create the ultimate angler’s duffle.
Better yet, both sizes (reg. and large) meet domestic airline carry-on requirements, eliminating worries of arriving waderless. So maybe getting there can be, shall we say, a quarter the fun? 
ST. MICHAELS, MD - Surrounded by conservationists and anglers on the shores of historic Chesapeake Bay, President Bush signed an Executive Order establishing gamefish status for red drum and striped bass in federal waters. The Order is a landmark victory for recreational anglers who have fought for decades to restore and conserve two of the most coveted sport fish in America.
Jerry Darkes has been tying flies for almost 40 years. Here is a pattern he started working on this spring. This fly is constructed of a blend of natural and synthetic materials. It lends itself to a wide range of variation and fly fishing applications. It has great action in the water and it catches fish! So far he has caught trout, steelhead, largemouth, smallmouth, northern pike, and musky on it. He has yet to dunk it in the salt but I have a feeling it may work there too. He calls this pattern the Meat Wagon. It can be tied as shown, with barbell eyes to ride hook up or as a tandem hook rig. You may want to give this one a try. Here is the basic recipe:
Tail: Rabbit strip with flash of some sort on top and on bottom
October 15th (Blog Action Day) is a day for all bloggers to come together to write about an important topic. This years topic is the environment. I though it might be a good time to post a little piece on a tribe of individuals and organizations that participate in a special effort. That effort is called 1% For The Planet. 1% For The Planet is an alliance of businesses committed to leveraging their resources to create a healthier planet. Members recognize their responsibility to and dependence on a healthy environment and donate at least 1% of their annual sales to environmental organizations worldwide. 1% For The Planet was launched in 2001 by Yvon Chouinard, environmental activist and founder of Patagonia, Inc., and Craig Mathews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies. The list of members is impressive. Take a moment and click on the links to learn more or to get involved with 1% For The Planet.
I received a picture the other day that got me thinking about certain special moments in a fisherman's lifetime. These moments are the times when we experience something extraordinary. What struck me is that for some of us these moments are crystal clear. Others though, may not be. The picture connected with this post came with these words "Here's what I know…he caught the fish in Malibu near Neptune's Net and was only out a 1/2 hour in a kelp bed, rough water. It took 1 1/2 hours to reel him in and he had somewhat of a sled ride during that process, he was in a kayak as I mentioned! He used a taddy #9 and the photographer was just his friend John, don't know the last name, he is a lifeguard in Ventura! It was a career fish and he spread the love amongst all his friends….that's all folks!" There you have it. Derek (I only know his first name) landed the 54lb white sea bass he's holding and will probably log this catch as his "personal best" of a lifetime. Now this is not to say that catching the biggest fish is what's considered "personal best". That's up to you. Personal best or extraordinary could be a trip, a cast, a fly, a fish or a combination of things. What's your definition of personal best?
On September 14th David Smart (photo below) caught a large Puget Sound cutthroat on a popper that was puking up a big pile worm around ten inches long. He had seen a number of these large marine worms swimming freely near the surface with sea-run cutthroats attacking them. He knew Dylan Tomine had developed the String Thing for steelhead. This fly has a long profile, skinny body and a trailing hook. This tying method fit the bill so Dylan quickly turned out the first String Worm fly for David. 
After a few on-the-water design/color experiments and the process of figuring out how to effectively swim this fly through the water, David started to catch some big fish.
In addition to catching sea-run cutthroat trout, it has also taken blackmouth (immature chinook) and silvers (coho salmon), proving surprisingly effective on some staging coho in a local estuary. The best way to fish this fly is very slowly with slow smooth strips so that it slithers through the water. The fish see this as a large, very easy meal to grab as it swims by, and while the takes may be subtle as a fish engulfs the fly, the results are amazing.
Have you ever considered how important the walk to and from a fishing spot is? In my opinion, these walks often contain the best moments of a fishing event even though no fly is cast. This is when angling friends and acquaintances get a chance to speak about stuff.....and not just fishing stuff. These are the moments that we find out what's going on in each others lives. Exchanges happen that can deepen experience and relationship alike. Other than these moments the only words spoken while fishing can be something like "what fly do you have on" or "did you get any hits"? It's possible that no words are spoken at all. 
Note that the walk is still special even if you are solo. You get to talk and listen to yourself. Enjoy the walk.
My birthday was the other day (9/23) and I remembered that I had written a short journal entry a few years ago that I thought was worth a post. On Oct. 6, 2003 El Pescador penned this, "It was a blustery, rainy afternoon due to residual hurricane effects. The sea was rough like the weather but the fish were there. One clue was the 100 sea gulls lined up along the shoreline where the river meets the ocean. I caught 10 nice stripers in an hour and a half. The experience really connected me to my birth. The setting was a balance between turbulent and serene. I was half submerged in saltwater and my other half was above the sea, exposed. It was just mother nature and me. I was reborn."
The revised M's Sunshade Shirt
The new Guidewater Vest
If you were in Denver for the trade show, tell me your thoughts on the event and related happenings. If you weren't there and have questions, I can try to provide answers. El Pescador has returned.
This Rene Braun photo made me laugh when I first saw it. This scenario is a relatively common occurrence here in Maine. The mean tide swing is between 8 and 9 feet and during certain moon phases it jumps by another foot and a half. If you aren't careful you can get stuck on a dropping tide. Rene was there to capture the moment. I call this shot High and Dry....but I'm not sure which guy is High and which one is Dry. I'm sure Rene calls it something else. Click on the link (Rene's name) to see more of his photos.
I saw this pattern in Fly Fishing Life Magazine. It seemed brilliant to me so I asked Mikey Wier for a Way Upstream story. Here are the words and some of the pictures that he sent: 
line if you overhead cast. I stopped using indicators because they scare spooky fish around here in some of our technical catch and release fishing areas. Now I just use the Hopper Dropper or Super Hopper Dropper as I call the heavier set up for all my trout fishing and even some steelhead fishing in heavy water. The system is just as versatile as traditional indicator fishing, as far as depth and weight adjustments. You just have to be slightly more perceptive about the current flows and actual river depths when choosing the right fly combo. I usually use a heavy “bomb” fly like my double tungsten Jawbreaker or Tungsten Caramel Caddis Pupa to get down deep. I then use a dropper of
something smaller like my Mint Chocolate Crawler Nymph or Butterscotch Sprinkle. This system also really came in handy for the Team USA competitions. The rules call for no weight or indicators so most people just dry dropper or Czech Nymph. That’s great for some water but some places require the kind of long dead drift you can only get with an indicator. My Hoppicator set up conforms to the Team USA rules and no one else had anything like it. It won a couple beats for me. Many of my trout patterns, including the Hoppicator, will be available soon from Idylwilde Fly Company." Photos by Mikey Wier
It’s really about the "BEHEMOTH" that lives under your local waterway bridge. That’s where we get “obsessed”.
saw different and bigger fish-- but spotting that big daddy became bit of an obsession, so much so that I finally got the camera out and made my way down there daily to try to spot him. So here is a picture of the bridgewhere the mythic beast of the Truckee lives. I’ll let you know if anyone gets him on the line.”
After months of planning, organization, phone calls, emails, letters and the occasional postcard, AEG has entered Mongolia. It’s a country where 8 hour drives turn into 27 hour drives and where things don’t always go as planned. It’s a place where GPS can throw you off. It's a place where mystery meat from roadside kabob stands and dried yogurt are “different to say the least”. It’s also a place where elusive taimen reside and they lie at the undercut root of this quest. Follow their travels by checking the Trout Bum Diaries Blog and leave comments for them too. Check the AEG website to see their plans for the 2008 film tour. 
The cities they plan to visit and dates are listed so mark your calanders. Onward.
