That's A Wrap. 2015 Is In The Books

The year has not be spectacular. Here's a quick walk through the year.

The first fish 1/2/2015

Got a new truck 1/23/2015

9+ pounds of Mt Lassen Rainbow Trout 2/13/2015

That trout was on the fly, by the way. Pink and black Woolly Bugger.

The last snow at the old house 4/8/2015

Moved into the new place sometime in April. Can't find the pictures, but I know they are here somewhere.

The kitchen destruction begins 10/14/2015

We missed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years (tomorrow) because the kitchen is still demolished. Washing dishes in the 1/2 bath sink sucks. Very tired of eating with plastic silverware and paper plates. 

First of the final 7 of the year.

Worst fishing year to date. I've kept track in my journal since 2008.

Would have tried one more time except I've been nursing the crud since last Saturday. 

That's it, see you all in 2016.

I Have A Complaint

We lived up the hill for 11 years. Not ONCE did we have a white Christmas, not ONCE. We sell the house, move down the hill, and the new owners get a a white Christmas the first year.

I know this to be true because Bob, you remember "Bob, I plow for fish" sent me an email letting me know they go 4 inches on Christmas Eve.

Yesterday I went to my Son's house for Christmas and they had snow. No body likes me.

Although, it did snow a little while I was there so I guess I got a somewhat white Christmas after all.

Hard to see the snow, but it was snowing.

Proof is in my truck bed.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and Santa brought all you wanted.

Next week it's back to the business of fishing.  

Merry Christmas

I had a long and colorful post done and for some reason Blogger will not publish it.

So I'll just say Merry Christmas and leave it at that.

Mark & Katherine.

A Sight For Sore Eyes

I ran over to Walmart to do a little shopping this morning. On the trip down Highway 49 I saw this wonderful sight.

This is Jackson Creek after more than 24 hours of rain. It eventually ends up in Lake Amador.

Jackson Creek

What a wonderful sight. Keep it coming.

The Calm Before The Storm

According to the weather guessers, we should be getting rain starting about 7:00 pm tonight and it should keep raining off and on for the next six or seven days.

So Yuki and I decided to hit Lake Camanche before the storm hit us. Our plan was to meet at 9:30 at the usual spot. The usual spot being the North Shore launch where we've been having the most luck lately.

I took off from the house when my wife left for work and was parked and fishing by ten to nine. No sense hanging around the house just to show up at 9:30. When Yuki arrived, I'd only had one bite and missed it.  

As the day wore on, the wind increased in front of the storm. You can see how rough the water started getting. OK, maybe not three foot waves, but not glass calm either.

Starting to blow.

The boat dock

Once the bite started, it was one after the other. The one below was just the first of several.

Numero uno

Between 9:30 and ten to twelve we put 9 on two stringers. Most were a pound to two pounds with a couple footballs thrown in for good measure.  Most everything came on rainbow Power Bait. 

I had picked up some glazed donuts on the way and the little Mallard decided he should bug me until I shared with him. I normally don't feed the ducks, but he was so friendly I couldn't resist. I got a glazed donut hole and broke it up into about eight pieces. He had no fear of us what so ever. In fact, after the first couple pieces I threw on the ground, he came up and took one from my fingers. On a side note, my fingers stayed on my hand.

  

Friendly little critter

As you can see in the next picture, once fed, they become a pest. It took about 15 minutes for him to realize he wasn't getting any more to eat and departed.

Let's just stand in your way and be a pest.

So Yuki took the fish home and is planning to smoking them.

I don't suspect I'll get out until next weekend. The kitchen repair went south again. Too much explain, but let's just say that they damaged the dish washer and now we have water leaks under the cabinet under the sink, the grout lines in the tile are anywhere from 1/8th (which is what they should be) to more than 1/4 inch, and they've stained the bottom of the cabinets of the bar when they did the tile installation. They are starting next Monday to fix things. Once again I have to be here as they do their thing.

Maybe I can get out next Saturday.

What A Guy

Today is my Wife's birthday. I went fishing. What a guy.

Now here is the rest of the story.

Already planned was a day of girl stuff. I was not invited and rightly so. My Wife is spending the day with her BFF in Sacramento. OK, these two girls have known each other since they were in their early 20's. They've been room mates, partied to the ends of the earth, and are spending the day together because the other part of this twosome has a birthday either two days ago or two days from now, I'm not sure which. They ARE the same age so you can see what's going on. Lunch, shopping, and laughing are on the agenda.

So, being the good guy I am, I went fishing. OK, it was fishing or sitting in front of the idiot box. You know what I picked.      

Got to Lake Camanche at 9:00 on the dot. A couple guys were already fishing where I usually go so I politely asked if it was alright to set up a little to their right. They agreed and as you can see I'm a little farther around the bend that usual. 

The spot for today

Understand that these two gentlemen hadn't gotten a bite since they arrived. I set out two poles with rainbow Power Bait and what happened is something that I feel bad about every time it does.

I started landing fish, one right after the other. In 35 minutes, I had four fish on the stringer. All were a pound and a half or bigger. They still hadn't gotten a bite. The first two I put on the stringer for my neighbors and the other two I gave to them. It didn't make either of us feel any better.

The first two

The neighbors I saved the fish for are the young couple two doors down. You know, the ones with the Minions. The small creatures with an indecipherable language.

Around 11:00 I landed fish number five for my limit. Mean while the guys moved over to the other side of the boat storage ramp, hooked into one on a pink Power Egg, and unfortunately had it break his line. Must have been a biggie.

Since I only had three on my stringer, I hung around until 1:00 and then called it a day. I had one other bite on pink marshmallows, but couldn't hook it.

When I got home my next door neighbor (I only have one since I live on the corner) was outside, so I asked if they would like a couple fish (I don't think the kids were home) and he took one so I've put the other two in the freezer and when the kids get home, I'll give them the fish.    

Good news, it keeps raining about once a week and the snow is piling up in the mountains. Hooyah.

Nothing Like A Good Skunking

I HAD to get out of the house. This kitchen remodel is driving me bonkers. The tile floor was finally done yesterday and I was out the door this morning, not quite as early as I wanted to, but early enough to partake in the moisture laden air we, around here, call Tule Fog.

Tule Fog is wet, cold, and generally miserable and upon occasion it hangs around all day. Today was one of those days even though the weather guessers said it was supposed to be a balmy 63 degrees.

Based on the weather guessers prediction, I headed out to Lake Camanche with just my hoodie. Boy, was that a mistake. Thirty minutes into the morning I sure could have used my parka. Fortunately I always carry gloves in my backpack (which goes everywhere with me). That helped a little.

So I pulled in at the North Shore launch area (where I've fished the last couple times) and set up two rods with rainbow Power Bait. By 11:00 I was starting to get a little hungry and since I'd not seen anything that looked like a fish (and that would include those around me) I decided to pack up, get a cup of coffee and a sweet roll of some sort at the marina, then go over to the Day Use Area.

Every place I usually fish on that side was occupied so I kept going. I was on roads that I'd never been on before (because of the water level being so low), but don't fret, I have 4 wheel drive. Finally I came across what looked like a possibility.

It turned out to be a little cove all tucked away on a trail rarely used. So with two rods out (with PB), gloves on, coffee in hand and munching on a (not so good) bear claw, I began the rest of my fishing day.  

The Cove

I took a couple shots to show you the Tule Fog.

Cold

Cold across the lake too

 And where I was.

Middle of nowhere

I fished until 12:30, when a guy in a boat came by and said I was in a good place. His fish finder said that the water was 50 feet deep just 20 feet off shore. I thought that should be good. Deep water = Trout, right?

Not today. Here again, not a fish in sight. Wait, let me amend that just a bit. While I was slinging one of the many lures I used, one rolled right in front of me, not 10 feet off shore, BUT could I get it to take anything? Not on your life. I was destined for a good skunking today and wasn't disappointed.  

Just getting out of the house and absorbing the ambiance of Lake Camanche was soothing enough that I'm ready to continue cleaning all the construction dust and in some places I think it's a good 3 inches deep (OK just a little exaggeration there.) off everything within a mile of the kitchen (OK a little more exaggeration), but it sure looks that way. It's good to have our kitchen back.

Probably won't get out again until next week. We're expecting rain Wednesday and Thursday and again on Saturday and Sunday. Bring it on.

Until next time, thanks for stopping by.

The Tale Of The Smart Phone

For a while now I've had a Tracfone. It was so old that there isn't even a photo on the internet for it. When we lived up the hill, we didn't have cell service so I carried it shut off, turned it on when I needed to make a call (I had to go 2 1/2 miles down the road to get service) and then shut it off.

Upon moving down to town, I upgraded to the phone below. Still a Tracfone, but a newer model. It was one of those you pay for air time, but because I had so many minutes rolled over from the the other phone I never used them up (the 90 days expired, but not the minutes so I had to renew the days)



I finally started to get to end of the minutes (I started with a 1600) and would have had to purchase more. On the other hand, this phone really didn't work all that well. I couldn't get it out of my pocket without refusing a call. I called it my not-so-smart phone. My wife thought it was probably not the phone but the operator. I thought it was a pretty good excuse.

As it turned out, we opted out of a landline and used this phone for our home base phone. Here is the dilemma. Home phone, running out of minutes, and not-so-smart. 

So my wife brought me (Geezer that I am) into the 21st Century. She bought me a Smart Phone. I hope it helps make me smarter.

Windows 640

So now I can do everything with my new Smart Phone. What "everything" is, I have no clue. Wonder if I can tie flies with it? I did figure how to answer a call which is not a bad thing. It only took four or five tries to get it down. I also managed to change the ring tone from the standard Windows Firefly tone to one that sounds like an old phone ringing.

I haven't had a chance to download a CCR Fortunate Son ringtone, but there is still time. If you don't know the song, go here. If you are offended by the Vietnam video (some of us went to that party, some of us didn't), just listen to the music. I thought it would make a cool ringtone.

So, now I don't have any excuses about my phone being a not-so-smart phone. Damn.  

Fishing this week.

This Is More For The Locals

I'm astounded.

Lake Amador and Lake Camanche have been planting (Amador since October 22nd and Lake Camanche since November 8th or there about) those nice Mt. Lassen Rainbows and there is NO chatter out on the forums other than about the first plants.

Yuki, Jim, and I have been out several times and scored each time, yet nobody else (Yes, I've seen a few fishing at North Shore and Yuki says there are always a mob at the Pond) seems to be posting on the forums that they are fishing either lake.

Maybe they are and not saying anything, but from my experience those that post on the forums can't keep from boasting about how many they catch and how big they are.

I'd like to also note that I'm not saying anything on the forums. Best kept secret and all.

I should be out next week.

Stay tuned.

YES, Fishing

Today was an instant replay of November 13th. Same place, same blue skies, almost the same temperature. When I say almost, it was probably 60's on the 13th (that was Friday the 13th) and today when I left the house it was 25 degrees. What I found interesting is that 2 miles away in Martell it was 46 degrees and by the time I got to Lake Camanche it was back down to 41 degrees. I came prepared for 25 degrees. Parka, gloves, hand warmers, ear muffs. Didn't need any of them.

As far as where I fished, it was an instant replay of Friday the 13th. While I think of it, here is my rendition of the NFL instant replay of every down.

Here is where I fished

Here is where I fished

Here is where I fished.

OK, now that I got that off my chest, I got to the lake at 9:00 and had two lines with rainbow Power Bait in the water by 9:10. Oh, I brought a thermos of Mendocino Hotel blend coffee. We buy it directly from the roaster. Pretty tasty stuff.

An hour into the day and nothing to show for the rainbow Power Bait, I put the ever faithful pink Kastmaster on my little Okuma with 2# line. Ever faithful failed today. Not so much as a sniff from anything that looked like a fish.

Thinking back to Yuki and Jim on the 20th and Yuki catching one on a green Kastmaster, I thought maybe a Firetiger Kastmaster would do something. Nope, I had no clue what would work.

Then I had an epiphany. Well not exactly an epiphany. More like I looked in my tackle box and this green lure called a Magic Bullet was staring me in the face. OK, it was just laying there waiting patiently for me to get with the program. I bought the lure from the marina, a stones throw from where I was sitting (see the picture above).

Magic Bullet 1/4 oz.

I couldn't believe it. First cast, first cast, I hooked into the fish below not 10 feet from shore. 2 lbs. 7 oz. of reel screaming (remember on my Okuma) Rainbow Trout.

2 lb. 7 oz.

Suddenly I realized I didn't have my camera (it was in the truck just up the hill) so I carefully put it on the stringer, dashed up to the truck, got the camera, took a shot, because Yuki would not believe I caught this fish (and probably won't anyway) and put it back for someone else to catch.  Besides being 2 lbs. 7 oz it fell above my 2 pound rule (I don't keep anything 2 pounds or more).

Yesterday I opened my big mouth to my neighbors across the street and asked them if I caught a couple trout would they like them for dinner, making sure I put out the caveat that they don't come cleaned which was fine for them, so my reputation was on the line.

A bit after the one above, I hooked the left one in the picture below that weighted in a 1 lb. 15 oz. and just before I left the one on the right came, but it was maybe 3/4 of a pound, both on rainbow Power Bait. Enough for the neighbors dinner and keep my reputation intact.  

Dinner for the neighbors

I don't know when I'll get out next because they guys will probably be working on the kitchen all next week. I hope it doesn't go much longer, I don't have much hair left to pull out.  

Last thing, don't forget Yuki's Daughter Marisa's 2016 calendar. So go here: Marisa's 2016 Calendar and check it out. This young lady is a Biologist and one hell of a photographer. Invest some of your hard earned bucks and buy one. I got two and let me tell you, they are AWESOME.

Every One Has Said It

I was going to say Happy Thanksgiving, but everybody has already said it so I guess I'll just say Gobble, Gobble.

Oh, we're going out to eat. Still don't have a kitchen. 

Fishing Saturday.

Stay tuned.

I'm Still Here

Now that we're into the second month of the kitchen disaster and they are rebuilding it, I'm required to remain at the house while the workers spread dust all over the place.

Don't know if you've had anyone put floor tile in, but when they make the "cut to fit" pieces, it makes a LOT of dust and the dust particles are so small they go everywhere.

We're hoping that they will be done on Wednesday and since Thanksgiving is Thursday (we're going out to eat) and Friday is dedicated to put up the outside lights, I just might get out Saturday although it's supposed to be in the low 30's Friday night and only 50 during the day on Saturday. OK for me, but might be a tad cold for Yuki if he decides to go.

Yuki and Jim fished Camanche North Shore last Friday. Didn't get a bite. Then they went to the Trout Pond and Yuki landed one in the pound and a half range on a green Kastmaster, but that was all.

Since I hadn't posted in over a week, I just wanted to let you know I'm still here, just tied up for the time being.

I was over at Windknots & Tangled Lines a minute ago and Howard is thinking about bailing on his blog. We all need to go over there and tell him how much we love his blog (not him because he gets odd ideas) and how he should continue posting even if he needs to take a small vacation (as we all do from time to time). So zip over and give him a Howdy. I'll just thank you in advance.

Stay tuned.

 

Not A Bad Start

Just to bring you up to date, we've had rain for the last couple weekends and more expected this Sunday. These have been cold storms and dropped a good bit of snow in the mountains above 4000 ft. Most, if not all, of the ski resorts are open. It's a good start.

Now, Winter fishing downcountry. Back on October 30th, Yuki and I fished Lake Amador, but to no avail. I found out later that the fish were hanging out at the 35 to 50 foot depth. Had we known that at the time, we would have fished differently. Instead of trawling, we would have fished deep with Power Bait and worms out in the middle of the lake.

I heard a rumor that they began stocking Lake Camanche last Friday with a triple load of those nice Mt. Lassen Rainbows split between the North Shore, South Shore , and the Trout Pond.

Today was the first day I could get out (still dealing with the kitchen remodel thing) and the options were the three mentioned above. I wanted to fish the North Shore Day Use area that we did so well last March, but in a late decision, decided to fish the other side of the North Shore launch ramp.

I was hoping for flat ground, some place I could put out a couple rods, and enjoy the bright sun and blue skies. The place I picked was exactly that.

Have a look. 

:

The spot

Behind me.

Yuki dropped in about 9:30 (I got there about 8:45). I had two rods out, one with the ever faithful rainbow Power Bait and the other with a "secret" bait.

Somewhere around 10:30 or so I took first blood with a 1 lb. 6 oz. Rainbow on rainbow Power Bait of course. Nothing on the "secret" bait. In fact, I reeled in the line to check and the hook was empty. Re-baited with "secret" bait I put it back and tried the pink Kastmaster for a dozen or so casts.

Then Yuki landed one almost 2 pounds on rainbow Power Bait (I think he's a believer). His other rod had a crawler. A little later he got his second of the day, again on rainbow Power Bait. This one about a pound and a half.

We sat for almost two hours without a bite so decided to call it at 1:30. I was going to take part of my gear to the truck and as I got up, my rod started bouncing. I picked it up and waited for the bite, set the hook, had a split second fight and it was gone. Must have been barely lip hooked.

So with that excitement we decided to give it another half hour or so and finally left at 2:00.

Yuki decided it was my day for a picture with the fish, so here you are. I think there is a smile there somewhere.   

Me plus three

Yuki took them home and is going to smoke them. Should be yummy. He promised to drop some off his next trip to town.

By the way, I reeled in the "secret" bait again and it was gone. I think it melted because it was marshmallows. Mike's Atlas Glitter Glo Mallows to be exact, in pink of course, and I didn't have bite one, but they were gone. I'll give them another shot next time. 

Last thing on the agenda is Yuki's Daughter Marisa's 2016 calendar. I've never steered you wrong and this years is just as awesome as the last ones. So go here: Marisa's 2016 Calendar and check it out. This young lady is a Biologist and one hell of a photographer. Invest some of your hard earned bucks and buy one. I'm going to.

Remember 6 Degrees of Separation?

Here is another 3 degrees. Yuki & Muhammad Ali.

Yuki never ceases to amaze me. Still wonder who else he knows.

Halloween, The Next Day

Last night was the first "Trick or Treaters" we've had in over 14 years. Let me explain. Before we moved up the hill, we lived in a gated community for three years. Mostly retired people and what few kids were there, went to the community safe T or T spot. When we moved up the hill, we were so far out and at the end of a mile of dirt road, nobody came for the 11 years we were there.

So, let me tell you how many we had. We got 2 at 6:30 and one at 8:00. In between we got the:
    


This is my description of the group of pre-schoolers that came in mass from our neighbors house two doors down. I have to tell you, they were all just as cute as Minions. The similarity was that they were about knee high and jabbered in an indistinguishable language, at least indistinguishable to a Geezer such as myself.

So I filled their bags, pumpkins, or buckets and off they went.

Total T or T'ers? Maybe 15. Happy Halloween.

Saw a post on a local forum about fishing at Lake Amador. According to his fish finder, the fish were 35 to 50 feet down. No wonder we didn't catch anything. On the other hand, he didn't either. Now I don't feel so bad.  

Lake Amador In A Boat

Last week I saw a post on one of the local forums that they have started planting trout at Lake Amador. Wednesday I wandered over and talked to the office and sure enough they planted 3500 pounds on October 22nd.

Since today was the only day Yuki and I had open, we decided to throw his boat, yes Yuki has a boat, into the lake and see what we could scrape up. I use that phrase (scrape up) because there just isn't a lot of water in the lake.  That is until you get out into one of the coves and then you find there is really a lot of water still in the lake. Some of the coves were probably 25 or more feet deep.

We launched about 9:30 and headed up the first cove we came to. We just drifted. Yuki put out two rods with crawlers and I put out one with Power Bait and the other with a pink Kastmaster. We drifted. We drifted some more. Then the wind picked up and we drifted a little faster. 

Yuki in the drivers seat.

Yours truly waiting for the first bite

We drifted in and out of several coves and in one (I don't remember which one) Yuki got a bite. A big bite.

Yuki wrestling with what ever was on the line.

Yuki worked what ever was on the line for several minutes and then "hung up". My guess and I think his too, it was probably a good sized Bass (there are some big ones in the lake) and it ran him into a submerged tree. End of the "big" one.

For the next 3 hours or so we trawled back and forth on the lake pulling:
1. Crawlers
2. Salmon Eggs
3. Kastmasters
4. Rapala's
5. Crawlers under a bobber
6. Salmon eggs under a bobber
7. Flashers with crawlers
8. Flashers with a Rapala and a crawler

I don't think I missed anything. You can say we gave it our all, but there wasn't a fish to be found.

Finally with Yuki's back hurting and me having a muscle spasm in my left leg, we called it a day.

The only thing that was a real bummer is that fish were popping on the surface, but weren't interested in anything we offered. I did check water temperature when I was at the office and they said it was 65 to 70 depending on where you were on the lake. Lake Camanche said they aren't planning to stock until sometime in November.  I think it was just a little too early for downcountry lakes.

On the other hand, it is supposed to rain on Sunday with snow levels down to 5000 ft. That would be Cook's Station level. Might be the end to fishing upcountry, maybe. 

I'm So Disappointed

Monday they showed up to start the mold removal. First they sealed everything off. I thought they'd at least use clear plastic like they do on TV so I could watch, but Noooooo. They make it so you can't watch.

The kitchen behind the wall

The red thing is a zipper for entry and exit.

Down the side. This is actually the dining room.

So after they left for the day, I snuck in and took a couple pictures. It's not very often (and I hope never again) that you have one of those water/mold remover companies grace your presence.

Everything taped closed

The machine is a de-humidifier

The mold is hiding there.

Tuesday morning and all I got was the guys to remove the bad stuff with breathing masks. I was so hoping for guys in space suits, but I guess the mold wasn't the space suit type. I was so disappointed.  Probably a good thing because I'm sure the space suit guys were a lot more expensive, even though the insurance company was paying for it.

With everything removed and cleaned with mold cleaner, the testing company popped in at 4:00 pm to sample the air to make sure all mold was gone. A half hour of doing something inside the plastic, and about 40 minutes of testing (while driving to the next job) called and gave the ALL CLEAR.

So I thought the only decent thing to do was to open the plastic and take a look. I'm telling you this just in case you find a place where water has been leaking in your house for half the year. You will know what to expect.

The picture below is where the pantry (see picture 5) was and where the wall on both sides was moldy. 

Hole goes through to the master bedroom.

I also noticed that the kitchen floor was gone too.

Kitchen floor gone.

You can see the hole a little better here. Make the picture larger and in the center square is the culprit.

All clean

Time out. I'm stopping to listen to Jefferson Airplanes White Rabbit on Pandora. In case you're not one of the 30 million or so that have listened to it on YouTube, here is the Link.

OK, final picture. This is the "contained" pantry in my garage. I guess the contractor who will be fixing everything needs it. Better in the garage than in the house because it had the most mold on the back of the cabinet.

Pantry Coffin.

Maybe I'll be able to fish again one of these days.

Gone For A Bit

We've had a bit of a disaster at the Kautz household.

What you're viewing below is the water pipe going into the valve that connects to the ice maker in the fridge.

You know what this is

On the top side of that 90 you'll notice, what looks like copper pipe (straight to elbow) being attached together. Normally a plumber would use flux and then solder to make a secure seal. Seems the plumber forgot the solder. Subsequently the joint will leak and leak it did.

On Tuesday my wife thought she heard water running in the wall behind the bed. "No, I said" there;'s nothing on. So we started looking. Shut off the ice maker. Nope, no change. Then shut off the house water. That slowed the noise. Then opened the sink faucet. Shazam! noise gone. No pressure, no running water.

When our plumber got here to find the leak, he cut into the wall was was dutifully sprayed in the face (Note: the water was back on then). He cut the pipe (that was after I shut the water off again) to put a cap on and where the missing solder joint was, the pipe just fell off. He said this could have been leaking way before we bought the house in April and maybe as far back as when the house was built in 1999. According to the insurance company, unless the owners knew about it (which I don't believe they did) there is no recourse against them, the home inspector (who couldn't find his ass with both hands), or the Real Estate Company. Good thing we have insurance. Let this be a lesson for all.    

The next step was to call the home insurance company and report. They immediately jumped into action and yesterday just past Noon the damage control team showed up.

Here is what they found, water under most of the laminate flooring in the kitchen, some under the new wood floor in the dining room, walls in the kitchen and master bedroom were wet, and some moisture under the new wood floor (you don't want to know how bad that pissed my wife off that there was water under her new floor) in the master bedroom.

When they removed the molding around the cabinet and the wall behind the fridge, they found MOLD.   

Sealed against mold

The next step is the guys in the space suits to remove anything with mold possibly even the cabinet on the left in the picture above.

Obviously I have to be here for what ever the damage guys are going to do, when the insurance inspector comes on Monday, and when the replacement team (carpenters, sheet rock guys, flooring people), and whom ever else will show.

So for now, I'll just say I'll be gone for a bit, but I'm hoping to be back in about two weeks. If I can sneak out one day, I'll let you know.

Oh, one last thing, if the guys in the space suits find it's toxic mold, we'll be thrown out (insurance company says they deem the house unlivable) until repairs are made.

That's it for now.   

Last Trip To Upper Blue Lake This Season?

Upper Blue Lake, 8100 feet elevation, Winter is coming, and most of the campgrounds are closed. Yuki and I left the house at 0900 and with the road construction delays (apparently they haven't changed seasons yet), made it to Upper Blue Lake at 11:00.

IMMEDIATELY Yuki started getting bites while I untangled my three rods. Three rods travel together for any length of time and you end you snipping and retying which is what I was doing while Yuki was getting bite after bite. That's different.

Yuki re-baiting after many bites.

Finally I managed to get one rod in the water. Yuki kept getting bites. Notice I said bites. For some reason that neither of us could figure out, they wouldn't stay on the line. Might try Superglue next time. I got my second rod in the water and there I sat while Yuki kept getting bite after bite. I might note at this time he was using rainbow Power Bait.

Me sitting, no bites.

Still sitting, no bites.

I-Phone sitting, no bites.

Another I-Phone sitting with no bites.

OK, I got a couple, but couldn't keep them on the line either.

Mean while Yuki managed to put a 9" and 10" Rainbow on the stringer. Somehow he slipped in some Salmon Eggs which is what he caught the first one on. Looks like I was going to get the old skunkeroo.

Then I hooked one, only to have it drag me into the rocks and away it went. I was not having a fun day.

We decided to throw in the towel (that's a boxing term for those of you that don't know where it came from. ie throw the towel into the ring and give up.) The plan was to head back down the hill at 2:00.

At exactly 1:45 I got a hit and managed to keep it on the line long enough to bring it to shore. Yeh!!!!! I'll stop whining now. 

Almost to shore

Closer yet

Got him.........

My one and only fish about 10", but enough to beat the skunkeroo.Yuki took the first one and the second one, and I took the last one. That's different.

We're thinking we just might have to take another shot later next week. If we can still get up there we just might do a Float Tube Cumberland/kayak trip and give fly fishing a shot. I've been wanting to put the Float Tube Cumberland in Upper Blue Lake for some time now, but usually hesitate when I'm the only person up there. .

Stay tuned.