flyangler

I asked our local fisheries manager about this once and he told me that diet and environment played a very small role in individual coloration. And while breeding condition does change the color and shape of a male trout, the number and size of spots is just unique to the individual. I also notice from your excellent photos that your browns have a very distinct blue patch next to the eye, and this is not visible on every individual. Anyway, thanks for the photos, it's been a spring of so little fishing for us.

The variation in brown trout spots has always fascinated me. Even in the same place and time, individuals can look so different. I don't see that as much with bows and cutts. Your brownies seem to have just a few big spots and more gray looking backs.

Took my own advice and carpooled to fish yesterday. We chose a large-ish river for these parts and gave our fishing buddy some gas money for both the truck and the boat. Although it was a totally gorgeous day, there had been yet more rain the night before and low lying areas near the launch were under water. There was about 6 inches of visibility. My husband caught one small striped bass and that was it for all three of us all day. Sleep was lost, gas was burned but here are the high points: we saw three trumpeter swans, a snake swimming in the river towards us, numerous deer, we got to know a fishing buddy a bit better, stole a fly he invented and shared an excellent picnic lunch at a riverside campground without getting wet. I also got to man the tiller and the electric trolling motor so our generous host could do some fishing. As a first timer on high, fast water I'm pretty proud I didn't dump us. Having fished, regardless of the fish count, I feel a little less "stuck" today. Calmly we await the call to volunteer.

Hawg- yeah, I heard some European truck drivers were holding protests over the cost of diesel.

Tbone Naturally, I would recommend acupuncture after a doctor has ruled out anything dangerous. But then, I'm an acupuncturist. With red hair. Who's not Asian. And doesn't practice anywhere near Calgary. I've been a massage therapist for 20 years and people probably see me for back pain more than anything. I have a very good record with a combination of acu and Chinese medical massage known as Tuina. But one treatment usually will not make a significant difference in chronic pain. The changes you are making in your work station sound like you're doing your homework and are committed to self care and that is a good part of the battle. Don't give up on acupuncture if you aren't all better in one try or the chemistry with the practitioner is off. Try somebody else. In the US, medical doctors and chiropractors can do acupuncture if they have a 150 hour seminar. Licensed acupuncturists here have, on average, 3 years of training at a master's degree level requiring two years of college first. But attend to the chemistry thing. As a previous poster pointed out, if your practitioner seems less than professional, all of that book learning and those hundreds of hours in clinic mean a whole lot less. Let us know how it works out. This seems to be a community that cares.

Thanks for commiserating folks. I knew I'd feel better after airing a gripe or two. Now for something that's not coming off my chest: found a lump yesterday, doc says it's nothing serious today, sent me for ultrasound and mammogram today and YEP, it's nothing serious. So we're not going to do anything about it. Except fish. Apparently these things come and go by themselves, so fishing is as good as anything for a treatment. Be well and happy and carpool to fish.

Gas prices have doubled and if $50 bucks a tank (USD) isn't enough to discourage us from fishing locally, then there are the floods, landslides and tornadoes. Can we whine about this within earshot of people who have lost homes or loved ones in the storms? And could we drive north to fish, avoiding flooded areas? No. See gas prices, above. Could we fly to one of our favorite spots in Canada? Only if we want to pay an extra $50 on top of shocking air fares per checked bag. Can we get all our clothes and gear for a two week trip in one carry on? Only if we're nudists! Believe me, Canada can't handle the brilliant blinding whiteness of our bellies. I've planned to use my energies to volunteer for a relief organization that helps with disaster clean up, but even they are waiting. The storm sacked areas in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin have gotten yet more rain, some are still getting it as I write. We can't go help clean up until the water comes down. A gallon of milk is priced just about the same as a gallon of gasoline. Commodity prices are sure to go up as products reflect the rising gas prices. Add to this the effect of a cold spring on corn and soybean development which as put crops behind. Now add flooded fields which may have to be replanted or lost. Water. Love it or hate it, we gotta have it. I prefer mine cold, clear, clean and full of silly-stupid trout. I guess what I'm ranting about is that fishing is my escape from so many of the world's cares and now the world has intruded on this virtual vitamin without which I feel so much worse. Also all my swiss chocolate is gone. Help me out here. Or tell us what's eating you.

I think the 100 pixel thing is for your avatar, not for photos in posts. I use tinypic, browse my computer for the photo, upload it and copy the url for message boards into my message here. Most of my photos used for bulletin boards I resize before uploading them to tinypic to 600 x 400 pixels.

Catch some fish for me to celebrate!

You might try pulling the tip top off yourself and re-using it. See if heating it up with a lighter loosens the glue and gently pull it off with a pliers, being careful not to crush it or burn yourself. Some are also secured with thread wraps, and if this is so for your rod, use a single edge razor to shave the wraps off before heating the tip. There's a kind of tip top glue you can get, in stick form, at places that sell rod building supplies. You melt some with a small flame, dab it on your newly smoothed section and slide the tip top over. You may need to reheat it just a little to perfect the alignment with your guides. You will not be able to re-use the tip top if the part of the rod you trimmed off and smoothed down is much bigger than the old tip, obviously, so only cut off what you really need to. If it no longer fits, off to the rod shop with you and be lively!

Skip over the parts with tornadoes and travel safely. It's been a bad season in the midwest and midsouth.

Lynn, it's good that you have time to say goodbye. I am sorry for your loss. Planting a tree is such a beautiful memorial. If we get another chance to fish Racehorse, we'll surely pause and reflect.

I have a prize for you, though it would probably take 6 weeks to get there. A local artist created a fish design just for the clean up that he made into wood cut prints and allowed me to use for coffee mugs as well. Since it would require patience to get it, maybe it should be a prize for the first to arrive and the last to leave. Here's a link to the design. I would donate the mug. http://www.troutlillystudios.com

Thanks fellas. The volunteers really worked hard and many were rewarded with excellent fishing afterward. Instant Karma?

The fourth river clean up I've organized went very well this year on one of my favorite Wisconsin trout streams. A bunch of TU chapters collaborated with some sportsman's clubs and a women's flyfishing club to clean 25 miles of water on a cool cloudy Saturday morning. Here are the stats supplied today by the county Solid Waste Department, which picked up and weighed our stuff, then sold the recylables. Here's how the volunteers hard work stacked up: 2800 lbs recyclables 2180 lbs trash 37 tires 2 TV's 1 Computer Monitor My stats: 168 volunteers signed up via email with me 143 signed in at the club 31 of the 143 showed up without signing up 25 miles of fishable water noticeably cleaner on April 20th, 2008 The prize for the oddest find went to the fellow who plucked a wedding garter out of the river.

Good to hear from you Ladystrange. I'm looking forward to hearing a fishing report or anything else you care to tell us about this adventure!

We're all North Americans, by continent.

I liked Ma's response when some Jehovah's Witnesses showed up on the porch. Granted, a bit of an over reaction, but I think I blew milk out of my nose when I read it.

Uhhhhh, what'd you say you were doing on the Menomonee? http://www.cbs58.com/index.php?aid=2407

Happy Belated Birthday!

Good to see somebody got to fish! Thanks for sharing!

The dude's so notorious now that it's all he'll be able to bank on once he's out. He'll prob'ly become a porn star like that Bobbitt guy.

More than happy to provide the intro. Glad you didn't float your hat for too long in that weather!

OMG! I laughed until I cried and then I laughed some more. My computer could only handle 50 pages though.

All of their secrets? So you know about the Pink Squirrel?