FoulHooked...(how'd that get there?)

The trout season pseudo-opener is Wednesday. Luckily, the weather doesn't look especially promising, which will make sitting at my desk all that much more bearable. Took a scouting run to Default this Saturday. I was impressed, encouraged and disturbed all at once. I didn't see any fish activity, but the water looked very fishable and the meltwater flows have rearranged the pool slightly to make it more interesting (read: easier to nymph). I'm a bit afraid though, that the relatively moderate and crystal flows I saw on Saturday might mean virtually no water by June. Aside from that, Default is probably well on it's way to losing fishability for a Wednesday afternoon trip. Not that it could stop me. Default in Fall

Might end up being a trout fishery. Eventually .

Facebook let me know the score. It was put-up or shut-up time. "'one with the long socks' (a name improvised for me by one of "her" kids) you better catch a fishy using my wonderful fly or else you're fired =)" The plan was to swing with her pink-and-purple bunny leech through the Salmon , without losing it, until it brought in a fish...or longer. I thought I could at least pull a brown at the typical spot. I was wrong. And it got crowded fast. The water was high, the sun was bright, I was discouraged. Headed north to visit a friend and ended up spending all sunday up there as well. We made a half-hearted (me being the half) run at a knee-high brook that had been producingthe day before. I saw a few, but hooked only branches. Stopped off at another creek on the way back home. Ended up spending the entire afternoon there. Unfortunately, the size, layout, and snags made me give up on getting her fly to the fish. Fortunately, I had plenty of yellow and oran...

If you'd call me now baby... The river she calls. To-Do Before I Meet Her: -Tie -Clean Lens -Pack -Laundry? (probably not) -Eat -Nap -Wake -Drive -To Be There I'm gon' brawl. Back monday, hopefully with sore arms.

This one's for you Pat. "It’s tempting to dismiss Twitter fever as a passing fad, the Pokémon of the blogosphere. But it’s beginning to look more like yet another gateway drug to full-blown media narcissism. It’s not just television, of course. Ordinary people, bloggers and even columnists and book authors, who all already have platforms for their views, feel compelled to share their split-second aperçus, no matter how mundane." Sure, there's legit value in it as well, and maybe, some day, I'll see the light. But for now...I'll pass on this whole twitter mania thing. What...I don't have enough going on already?

They're both a pair of docs. Sort of like the Salmon River flow projections this week. The projections are made at the Lighthouse Hill Dam in Altmar, +/-5 miles (and several small tributaries) upstream of the USGS gaguing station in Pineville . Yet...1,500 CFS > 1,800 CFS...? Lets hope USGS is right, h2oline is wrong, and I can get out there for a day and some retreating steelies...if they're done having their fun yet. Any takers?

Capt Gordon's post about checking himself out on wikipedia inspired me to do the same. I wish I hadn't. Turns out I was a pretty notorious cyber -criminal turned real-life criminal. Ouch. And if that wasn't bad enough... FBI-mug shot from the Wikipedia article ...the spitting image of the real Me...after a rough weekend (or as I sit here typing this, unshaven, in a dirty tshirt ) So, of course, a little disheartened but my curiosity piqued, I figured Google had to have something a little more uplifting. Perhaps something spotlighting FH , or my illustrious football career...or just some stupid story leaked by foolish college buddies. Instead...it just told me I'm going to Hell ...and 248 of 250 people poled agreed. Damn. Oh, and while we're at it... Backpacker brings great news from the Capitol . You gotta be fistf&^%&% me!

Two days left to register if you want to attend. I suggest you do, providing that's what you are into . http://minerva.union.edu/garverj/mohawk/symposium/2009_Mohawk_symposium.html Registration fee is $35 for non-students and includes a banquet reception. I have been informed that, for those that prefer to forego the banquet, registration to observe the presentations is $10; unfortunately the website does not reflect this, but I will just enclose a note with my check and hopefully that will suffice. The presentations range from very technical to slightly technical, skip the ones you're not interested in. APA , DEC , TU and The Nature Conservancy are among registered attendees. Makes getting Work to pay me to go feel a lot less like a scam.

I know it's always risky to think of spring in March...in the Northeast...but I think we're there. Why? Well, Saturday FT , Brian, Joe and I hit the delta looking for...well...anything. Generally, I'll fish it anywhere between 600 cfs (the bottom, and yes, it gets that low) and 2,500 cfs. Saturday was around 5k, but clear(ish) and very fishable...other than probably being somewhere between 32 and a balmy 32.9 degrees. Didn't catch anything, but felt a couple tugs between us (that sounds dirty). It was good to get out, and cool to see the river where it was. Even though the water was a bit high, we were able to cross the lower riffles to Peebles Island, in part because the clear water helped me see where to put my feet. Anyway, the Horshoe Falls were running pretty good. Back to how I know it's spring... Saturday Morning - 5,000 cfs Sunday Morning - 25,000 cfs Monday Morning - 42,000 cfs Monday Evening - 55,000 cfs Has it peaked... probably not . But we're well o...

or, how do I get to Alaska...for free? "Ed, I got friend from work who has access 2 a cabin in alaska, talk about a 4 day lic 4 salmon in june, u interested? I need 2 lern how 2 fish again can u help" [sic] I had to put the phone down for a minute and close my eyes after seeing that text a few nights ago. How do you respond to something like this? My first intuition was, to quote the legendary Mr. Chappelle: "I’m broke n*, I’m broke!!!" I spent most of yesterday zoning out of meetings concocting schemes that would get me out there. So far, viability has been where they fall apart. But...you can help! Alex has untold fortunes of revenue pouring in from advertisers, and he's looking for something to do with all this excess cash . Here's where you come in (Part 1); leave him a comment and vote for Option 4: Send FoulHooked to Alaska. Once we get that taken care of, that should get us well on our way to our goal of $TBD, but you're not done yet you can sti...

For everyone and anyone who fishes, has to live with someone who fishes, doesn't "get" fishing, has never fished, it is imperitive that you read Gaper's explanation of why we do it, how we justify it, and how and why Fly Fishing Will Ruin Your Life. "If you do it right, fishing will make you a lonely old misanthrope whose equity includes a beater truck, a slumping trailer near a body of water, several cases of beer, a small “garden” out back and whole rooms overflowing with rods, reels, lines, partridge skins, vices, bobbins, tweezers, nippers, silicone, prescription pills and hooks in every size shape and color imaginable. Your only friends will be your dog, the guys at the fly shop and the few friends who, like you, have managed to avoid the lull of domesticity."