The Cohos are Here!

Salmon River 9/17/11: "sick with fish".

I did what I could do to help cure this unfortunate affliction.

Salmon River Outing

Western exploration

Out in MT exploring fall waters. Thought a couple of you might enjoy this particular day:

http://alexmetcalf.blogspot.com/2009/10/missouri-lift.html

Brookies in Jefferson County

After meetings at Fort Drum and Jefferson County Extension yesterday, I slipped away for a few hours in the afternoon for some Brook Trout fishing. Had 7 on, four of which I landed, all decent fish. Caught 'em on a little terrestrial imitation of the black flying creatures that were dining on my forehead. Felts Mill Creek is a very pleasing pastoral bit of water, and 15 minutes from the extension office.

Steelhead Weekend

This past weekend a few Grousers kicked off the 2009 fishing season with some Steelhead fishing on a Lake Ontario Tributary called Sterling Creek. The photos and video below tell the story.





























No Grousers gathering would be complete without some low level argument about something. Rich and I hashed over the reclassification of Steelhead. To wit, the following from a NOAA web site:

Until 1988, steelhead (the anadromous form of rainbow trout) was classified in the genus Salmo along with Atlantic salmon, brown trout, and several western trout species. With additional osteology and biochemistry data, biologists have now reclassified steelhead as members of the genus Oncorhynchus. The reason for this is that new information suggested that steelhead are more closely related to Pacific salmon than to brown trout and Atlantic salmon. As such, the American Fisheries Society - American Society of Ichthyologists Committee on Names of Fishes voted unanimously to accept Oncorhynchus as the proper generic name. For full scientific details, see Smith, G. R., and R. F. Stearley. 1989. The classification and scientific names of rainbow and cutthroat trouts. Fisheries 14 (1): 4-10. As such, the scientific name of steelhead was changed from Salmo gairdneri to Oncorhynchus mykiss. The generic names of the golden, Mexican golden, Gila, and Apache trouts were also changed to Oncorhynchus. Since all of these western trouts including steelhead are biologically capable of repeat spawning and do not die after spawning, it has been suggested this group be called the Pacific trout.

It was a great weekend of fishing and grousing.

South Platte, Bailey Colorado

Got a chance to run away from life for a 3-day, long weekend to Colorado and catch some ridiculous fish. Part of the story here. More pictures here.

Split Rock River Trout, North Shore Lake Superior, MN

Took a side trip to my homelands on the shores of Gitche Gumee after the Ecological Society of America meetings in Milwaukee earlier this month. Brought along my little 3 wt fly fishing set up for grins and giggles. What a blast. Twelve little rainbows in two hours on the Split Rock River, where it empties into Superior. Capped the perfect day with a Bald Eagle landing in a tree near me, which I was able to film. Figured I had better get these posted before Rich posts his Alberta monsters and makes my little minnows totally irrelevant.



































"Those who have never seen Superior get an inadequate idea by hearing it spoken of as a lake. Superior is a sea. It breeds storms and rain and fog like a sea. It is cold, masterful, and dreaded."

Rev. George Grant, 1872

Alaska Thriller Trailer

In the half light of the North country..














...lives will be changed.




















Deep in the pristine wildness...
















...in the quiet of an early rise...













...amidst the haunting sounds of lunacy




















...and the screeching sounds of death...














...blood will be shed.














Two intrepid New Yorkers...













...will face the fish...



















of a lifetime.


"ALASKA THRILLER" Rated R