The Trout Also Rises

2008-04-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

The Otto von Prohaska Novels by John Biggins

I first ran into this author browsing the stacks at Powells in Portland a couple of years ago. I bought "A Sailor of Austria" and loved it. Otto is a sort of central European Flashman who joins the Imperial Austrian Navy in the years leading up to WWI. Like Flashy, the stories are written in the form of memoir, looking back from an advanced old age. Unlike Flashy, Otto is not a coward and a cad, which makes him none the less likeable.

I soon bought most of the rest of the books: "The Two-Headed Eagle" and "The Emperor's Colored Coat." They were all well written, with a wealth of historical detail. Humor was present like a big heap of whipped cream on a slab of Sacher torte; the books were all very funny.

The final volume I bought, "Tomorrow the World", was a reprinted edition which came out last year. The original hardbacks were going for over $1,000. The Prohaska novels should be on your bookshelf next to the Flashman and Bartholomew Bandy series.

To read these, put a long CD of Strauss waltzes on autoreplay with low volume, and drink some Austrian or Czech beer. Prost!

2008-04-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

Five Fingers Peak

A belated post on the ascent of this peak on March 9. The peak is located northwest of Ridgecrest, California off Indian Wells Road.

A good-sized group of people from the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter met Sunday morning and started out about 10 am. The traverse is not very long, but it is extremely vertical, supposedly the steepest climb on the Hundred Peaks list. After and hour and a half, we had passed through the saddle between the peak and finger No. 4. The final seventy yards are moderate class three, which was a new experience for me. Made it to the top and signed the register. Thanks to Tom and Marlen for leading the trip and making an infrequent participant in their hikes feel very welcome.

2007-10-21T18:52:00.000-07:00

Mojave Quail 2007

Opening day was the worst in years, but we still had a good time hunting near Ridgecrest. Troutson and Mike were there with me, braving the wind. We are hoping for more rain during the next eight months, and better hunting in the desert in 2008.

2007-10-07T21:26:00.000-07:00

Sugar Free Eggnog

Since the holidays are coming up, I thought I'd try this out. The first thing you need is some DaVinci Sugar Free Eggnog Syrup.

Add a half a jigger of the syrup to a cup. To the syrup add 2/3 cup of non-fat half and half. Next, a half a jigger of Eggbeater product (don't worry - real eggnog uses raw eggs too, and Eggbeaters are pasteurized). Using a handheld frother, mix this up. Add your favorite liquor such as bourbon or brandy and top with nutmeg. For a thicker drink, add more egg.

The result is a satisfying drink, probably more like the original eggnog of the old days than the gluey stuff sold in the supermarket. Best of all, it tastes like the holidays, with only small amount of sugar (from the half and half) and no fat. Cheers!

2007-08-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

2007 Dove Opener

Just got a report from a friend scouting the Blythe area. The weather has been unsettled. No real dove prospects here. One good field north of town, but it looks to be too small and likely swamped with hunters. South of town, a lot of posted land.

I think we'll try the Niland area. The DWU fields are the place to be for southern California dove hunters this year.

2007-08-28T22:28:00.000-07:00

New Coat-of-Arms

Thanks to Sandy, a very helpful Aussie member the American Heraldry Society, I now have a new coat of arms, or emblazonment.

Contrary to popular belief, one is not normally entitled to the "family" arms such as those found in mall stores selling heraldic geegaws. Only direct descendants of the original grantee may bear those arms. It is a lot more fun to design your own, which have meaning for you.

In my case, I took elements of the historic family arms, and made them unique and personal to myself and my descendants.

To provide a measure of protection, I've registered the arms with the US Heraldic Registry (free), and also have an application in to the New England Historic Genealogical Society's Committee on Heraldry.

Sadly, legal protection for personal emblazonments is lacking in the US. England, Scotland, Canada, and even Germany have a fair amount of legal protection for registered arms.

2007-01-24T10:16:00.000-08:00

Cyclometer for 2006

3,100 miles logged during 2006. Hurrah!

2007-01-24T10:10:00.000-08:00

Southern California Snipe Shooting

As a finale to the hunting season, I recently went to a secret location in the Inland Empire to hunt snipe. The Troutson and I got four of the little birds (small they may be, but they pack a lot of flavor). Unfortunately, we did not take rubber boots, so we ended up with very wet feet. Other than that, the day went well. Other members of our party got another six birds.

Time to think about fishing now.

2006-11-12T20:29:00.000-08:00

Mojave Quail

2005 has been a decent year for valley quail in the desert, less so for the chuckar partridge. I got a limit on opening day, and a good fraction of one on the next day.

Yesterday was even more exciting. The Troutson accompanied me out to some of my favorite spots in the Mojave. This was his first outing as a licensed hunter, and he was carrying a new Remington 870. I picked up a jackrabbit at our first stop, but we did not find any birds until the early afternoon. We found a smallish covey of about thirty quail. I was quite surprised when the Troutson dropped a bird from the initial rise, and got another when we climbed a very steep hill to hunt the singles.

Not bad for the first time hunting with a shotgun, and only the second time he has ever fired a shotgun. He has decided that quail hunting is now his favorite sport, better even than flyfishing for trout.

Though I must say Mr Freemarket's son is somewhat more dapper. Note their their shooting outing was on the same day as ours (and with a nicely varied bag, I might add).

Update November 23, 2006

Went pheasant shooting at Raahauge's in Corona. A great setup; the fields are generously large with good cover, and the birds fly well. Albert's pudelpointer Mana was a great asset, locking onto staunch points for us. Bonus chuckar partridge added to a mixed bag of five pheasant and four partridge.

2006-10-02T21:34:00.000-07:00

Fishing the upper Kern River

Near the end of September I headed up to the Kern River for a four day backpacking trip. The goal was to fish the waters of the river in a remote area above Kern Flat.

Leaving LA after work, we spent a chilly night at the Johnsondale bridge, and then drove up to the Forks of the Kern parking area in the morning. By 10 am we were heading down to the Forks, and crossing the Little Kern River, followed the trail along the Kern. There were few people around, this being a weekday morning. The scenery was very pleasant.

By 2 pm we had found a packer campsite next to the river below Kern Flat. There were tables, plenty of tent spots, and even a toilet seat lashed to some trees for private contemplation.

I set my tent up in a hurry, and set out for the water. By the dinnertime, I'd landed four fish, including a chubby 14 incher. Mike landed another from the same run. My old favorite fly, the Mormon Girl, was a hit with the trout here. I'd had pretty good luck with the same fly two years earlier, just a mile or two downstream. The afternoon was windy, and there were a lot of long pine needles in the water. These tended to snag on the fly and on leader knots.

Another chilly night and a rude awakening. Somehow I'd forgotten to turn off my stove completely after heating water for dinner, and the fuel had all leaked out over night. We had two other stoves, so I was able to make that all important cup of morning coffee.

We did not fish that morning, but packed up our gear and hit the trail again. We travelled a few miles further, crossing the stock bridge, and finding a nice campsite near some fantastic looking runs. I did not even bother setting my tent up, but started fishing right away. We used smallish dry flies (size 12 EHC), nymphs, and wet flies. By the time the sun set, we had landed 33 fish. The evening was warm and calm, with little wind.

Saturday dawned cold. Another stove started acting up, but fired up after some coddling. We loafed until 10, then hit the river. We hoped that we had the place figured out by now. I worked the area around the stock bridge with little success.

After lunch I waded into the run above camp, and was soon into a fish that felt like a salmon. The reel sang and my heart palpitated. After a furious seven minutes, the tippet snapped, and some choice Anglo-Saxon expletives pierced the serene skies above the river. After that, I tied my flies directly to the leader, which did not slow the trout down. I had a great ninety minutes of action, and staggered back to camp for some food after the bite tapered off.

We fished a bit more after dinner, ending the day with twenty-six fish, and sixty-four for the trip.

Sunday morning we started back to the trailhead. The second stove failed that morning, leaving us with one. Lots of folks had moved into the area, starting at Kern Flat. Fishermen, and hunters there for the opening weekend of deer season. We reached the Little Kern by lunch time, and moaned and groaned up the 2.2 miles to the parking lot. The first of our group of three to reach the top had the foresight to leave some beer in his truck which was amazingly cold and tasted like nectar.

We took the long road down to Kernville and treated ourselves at the new Kern River Brewing Company. The food is excellent, the staff friendly, but the beer needs a little work. The porter was a letdown.

Notes to myself for next year's September Kern trip: takes long underwear, lots of leaders and no tippet, and a fleece cap.

2006-07-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

Trekking to Charlotte Lake via Kearsarge Pass

Two weeks ago, I took the Troutdaughter and her boyfriend on a backpacking trip to California's Eastern Sierras. Our destination was Charlotte Lake. We arrived at the Onion Valley campground on the last day of June, and gave ourselves some time to get used to the altitude. The campground is over 9,000' high.

On Saturday morning, we began our uphill trek to Kearsarge Pass. The scenery in this part of the Sierras is incredible.

Near the top, the vegetation thins out, as does the air.

The view from the top is well worth it. To the east lies the Owens Valley, far below and the distant White Mountains. To the west, there is a breathtaking view of the Kearsarge Pinnacles and a wonderful lake-studded alpine country. We paused for a while and had lunch, watched by a number of marmots.

From the pass, we headed down towards Charlotte Lake, where we spent the night. The weather was fine and the mosquitos were not too bad. The fishing at the lake was poor, but we did see a blue grouse on the way. The grouse was "booming" for a mate, and was arrayed in a partial courtship display.

One of the highlights of the trip was meeting a number of through hikers pushing north on the Pacific Crest Trail. These hardy souls had started at the Mexican border in April and early May, and were trying to reach the Canadian border before winter. I was impressed at how fit and tough they looked. Fewer people have completed the PCT (in one go) than have climbed Mt Everest, so it is an impressive feat.

2006-06-05T21:00:00.000-07:00

Fishing in Redding

Last week the Troutwife and I took a trip to Redding, and spent a day drifting flies down the lower Sacramento.

Here's the big fish of the day:

And another:

The technique used by our Redding guide, Lonnie Boles, is the "dead drift." A yarn strike indicator is used, along with about 8 feet of leader and tippet. Three flies are attached, one after another. We had a puffball salmon egg fly on top, as an attractor fly, and two nymphs below. A split shot was in there somewhere. The rig is a bit ungainly to cast, but once you get it in the water, you mend it so the bow in the (floating) line is pointed upstream. The flies are then working roughly parallel to the boat as it drifts downstream. Anytime the strike indicator sinks, set the hook hard.

It took a while to get the hang of it, but once we did, we started catching fish. The Fly Shop in Redding says the average rainbow in the lower Sac is sixteen inches, but that was the size of our largest fish. I reserve judgment on this until I've tried it again. Lonnie was a great guide, friendly and patient, and eager for us to do well.

We also spent a couple of days in Trinity County, west of Redding. I was hoping some of the smaller streams would be fishable, but everything was blown out. We tried Lewiston Lake, and got skunked. But some of the locals have a great sense of humor:

We took a look at the Trinity River, which was running pretty high:

The release has been like this for weeks and will continue for a while. Biologists hope the high flows will clear some of the historic spawning beds of silt, and remove a lot of vegetation, so the river will be more like what it was in the days before the dams. Along with some mechanical rearrangement of the riverbed done in low flow periods, biologists hope the high flows will bring the anadromous fish populations to sixty percent of pre-dam numbers. If it works, we will all have some fine fishing in our old age.

2006-03-28T07:05:00.000-08:00

Peakbagging Southern California

In the bloom of my youth, I climbed some of California's peaks quite casually. San Jacinto, Cuyamaca. and (I think), San Gorgonio among them. The ascent of Mt. Whitney came later, when I was twenty.

Now, older, and always looking for ways to get an interesting workout, I've rediscovered the joys of climbing big mountains. Last month, I went on a Sierra Club outing and went to Jones Peak near the hamlet of Sierra Madre. The Troutdaughter also went along, and enjoyed the trip. A few weeks later, the Troutwife and I ascended Jones by ourselves. And last Friday, I went beyond Jones on my own to ascend nearby Hastings Peak. Hastings is somewhat higher and further. Both Jones and Hastings provide panoramic views of the Los Angeles area.

My nordic walking poles are a great help on these outings. They power me uphill and ease the stress on the knees on the way down.

We have some other trips planned before the arrival of warmer weather and the Sierra trout season. These include the ascents of San Jacinto, San Guillermo (in the Lockwood Valley area), and some peaks in Joshua Tree. I'm not a great map reader or very good at orientiering, so I'm choosing my peaks carefully.

2006-03-28T06:50:00.000-08:00

Vinegar and Diabetes

Since I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last year, I've been scouring the internet for "natural" ways of controlling blood sugar.

This study from Arizona State University caught my attention. They found that a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar do a great job.

My own experience after six weeks of daily vinegar use confirms the effectiveness of apple cider vinegar. Recently, I was at a banquet and had two slices of regular cheesecake for dessert. When I got home some hours later and checked my blood sugar, it was in the high nineties. Not too bad. I'll be having an A1C test soon, and am looking forward to having the usefulness of vinegar confirmed.

DO NOT use white vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is best (taken with water), but I've also used balsamic vinegar and malt vinegar in a pinch. For those who can't stand the taste, there are vinegar pills available at natural food stores.

Update July 20, 2006

Thinking that the acidic component of vinegar provides the benefit of carb suppression, I've been trying lime juice, which tastes a lot better. Concentrated lime juice can be purchased at any supermarket. My daily readings continue to be good. I've been putting off the A1C, but will post it when available.

2006-01-29T17:31:00.000-08:00

Indian Country Bars

My advice: never go into one.

Several years ago, Mike, Steve, and I wandered into a bar in Parker, Arizona after a hot morning of dove hunting. With the temperature hovering around 110', the seductive pull of a tavern with cold beer and icy air conditioning was to strong to resist.

Parker is adjacent to the Colorado River Indian Tribe reservation. When we entered the bar, it looked like a lot of indians had decided to have a pool tournament on this day, one of the hottest of the year. Trying not to look out of place with our pale faces, we meekly sat at a table and quietly sipped some beers. Within fifteen minutes, a huge indian had taken the fourth chair at the table and accepted a beer from our pitcher.

The conversation with the large indian soon veered into the strange and bizzare. He was a Vietnam veteran suffering from the effects of Agent Orange. He made his own arrows. He had used said arrows to pin his son-in-law to a tree after the son-in-law mistreated his daughter.

The correct response at this point is to nod politely, finish your beer and make a hasty exit. However, my fellow palefaces had other ideas. They started asking him about good dove hunting spots. Naturally, these secret locations were available in exchange for money. A deal was made, and we all piled into my van. I let it be known that I would drive them to our dove camp, after which they were free to continue with Steve's vehicle.

That they did, and our hunting party was agog at what would happen next. While we were eating dinner, Steve's rig drove past, heading back to Parker. We couldn't see who was inside. Was it was the same trio who left? Or just Steve and Mike? Or the huge indian by himself? Images of Steve and Mike pinned to trees with handmade arrows entered my mind unbidden. I shrugged my shoulders and continued to eat.

About 9:30, Mike and Steve returned, Mike drunker than a marine after a year at sea. The story slowly came out. The indian showed them several doveless stretches of desert and farmland after receiving the money. They dropped him off at his trailer, drove back into Parker, and ended up at a Mexican restaurant where they drank long and deep.

Steve has a great story about a bar he frequented in the 1970s in Willow Creek, near the Hoopa Indian reservation in northern California. This bar contained nothing that could conceivably be used as a weapon. Drinks were served in plastic or styrofoam cups. Tables and chairs were bolted to the floor. Ashtrays were screwed into the table tops (back when smoking was allowed in California taverns). Naturally the pool tables had no cues or balls.

So travel carefully, and watch out for those home made arrows.

2006-01-16T22:02:00.000-08:00

January Surprise on the San Gabriel River

Being one of the government lackeys who had Monday the 16th off, I headed up the canyon to spend a few hours on the water. Arrived around noon to gin clear skies and vodka clear water. Any negative effects of Saturday's storm on water clarity were not to be seen.

Averse to walking, having cycled 130 miles the previous three days, I parked near the oh aitch vee area and fished the pools there. Expecting microtrout and mutants I was surprised when a healthy 8" wild trout hit my bead head rubber legged hare's ear. Yikes!

Two pools down yielded three the same size, all bright as a new dime, and full of fight. The last take was a much larger fish, that bulldogged my line, made the reel sing, and cleverly got off the barbless hook before I got more than a glimpse of him. The same pool had some surface activity, but I stuck with what was working.

All this took about 2 hours, and then the bite turned off. I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of trash and noticed only a few bits of urban hieroglyphics, hardly worth mentioning compared to a mile upstream.

Not a bad start to 2006.

2005 had some memorable moments, though: a beach full of thousands of elephant seals near San Simeon, the airborne Mojave Green rattlesnake near Rockhouse Basin, the pair of juvenile mountain lions at Canebreak, the perfect shot on a chuckar in October, some great times with the Troutkids in the Sierras (think fish and horses), and marriage to the esteemed Troutwife.

2005-12-04T21:27:00.000-08:00

Low Carb Christmas Pudding

The English Christmas pudding is kind of like fruitcake, but much more popular in its native island than fruitcake is here. I decided to make a low carb version, since the full sugar store bought variety did not appeal this year.

The ingredients are:

1/3 cup raisins chopped
1/2 cup crushed walnuts (mixed with pecans if desired)
1/3 cup unsweetened frozen cherries chopped and dried in the oven
1/4 cup ground almonds
1/8 cup ground hazelnuts
1 apple chopped fine
up to 1 cup unbleached rye flour
1/2 cup Xylitol (an alcohol sugar found in health food stores)
Sweet and Low packets to taste
Dash of port wine or sherry
Dash of brandy
2 eggs
1/8 cup beef fat or lard
Lots of powdered cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to taste
Dash of pepper, dash of salt

Combine all the ingredients except the eggs, beef fat and rye flour in a bowl. Beat the eggs and the beef fat or lard until smooth, add to the mixture and then add rye flour to the mixture until the batter is dense.

Turn into a deep ovenproof glass dish that will fit in your crockpot, cover with baking parchment and a layer of foil. The paper and foil should be tied neatly to the bowl to keep in the flavor (use butcher's twine). You can also tie a handle on the bowl, as you will have to lift it out of the crock pot, where it will cook on low for about 6 hours. Add water to come up to within 2 inches of the top of the bowl, cover and let the crock pot do its work. I've frozen my pudding and intend to defrost it in the refridgerator a few days before Christmas, at which point it will be fed brandy to keep it alive...

Serve in thin slices with hard sauce. Hard sauce can be made by mashing room temperature butter with sugar or your sweetener of choice, brandy, whiskey, and/or rum, and a dash of vanilla extract. Refridgerate before serving.

I don't know what the carb count is on this, but the fiber in the nuts, fruits and rye flour will lower it.

2005-12-04T21:25:00.000-08:00

99 Cent Store Wine - 2001 Southern Tracks Shiraz

What a great deal on this wine. Strong, good color, and a great companion to many winter dishes. Get it if you can.

2005-10-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

Kern River Report

Two Saturdays ago found us at the Kern River, flogging the water. We landed eleven fish, none over 12". That's just not right...

I admit, we were foolish to spend time on the bigger pools. After lunch, I decided to try the broken pocket water, which is were we caught most of the fish. The fly of choice was the Mormon Girl, fished deep with a sinking line.

Next year, maybe I'll pack in way up the Kern River, like these guys. I just hope it is a reasonable distance, not a death march.

2005-10-03T20:44:00.000-07:00

Niland Dove Hunting Post

I apologize that this post comes so late, but I've been lazy lately.

The last day of August brought phone calls from friends out in Arizona. The message was, don't bother coming here. The dove hunting prospects in the CRIT reservation near Parker were dismal.

A quick change of plan sent us down to Brawley, arriving late at night on the 31st. After a short slumber at a lousy motel, we headed up towards Niland. Desert Wildlife Unlimited's fields 10, 11, and 12 provided fair dove shooting, and Mike and I finished the morning with limits, including some whitewing doves. The fields were basically undeveloped; I thought a seeding of milo during the spring would have brought a lot more birds in for opening day.

The next day saw us at field 24, which was not too bad either. We finished the day with another two limits, and drove out on the eastern shore of the Salton Sea. That is a strange landscape, with green water framed by dry desert peaks. A stop at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio for a fabulous (and reasonably priced) buffet lunch wrapped up the trip. The tri-tip beef was particularly good.

2005-08-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

Bishop Creek Fishing Report

I recently stayed four nights at Cardinal Village on Bishop Creek in the mountains above Bishop, California.

Cardinal Village is a resort on the site of an old mining town, and is situated at about 9,000 feet. In August, the weather is mild and cool. Expect afternoon thunderstorms. Our housekeeping cabin was clean and simple. In addition to fishing in the creek and Cardinal Pond, the resort offers guided riding outings for a modest fee. The small store has a fairly complete assortment of fishing tackle and basic groceries. They do not sell alcohol, so bring your own poison.

The trip was an unqualified success. Numerous trout were caught and released by myself, the Troutwife, and the Troutson. We caught mostly rainbows, and a few brown trout, almost all on flies. The Troutson did catch one fish in Cardinal Pond with salmon eggs.

The creek had been stocked the previous week, and the fishing activity slowed after our second day there. The fish in the creek, both wild and stocked trout, seemed to favor yellow flies. The Mormon Girl, an old high country standby of mine, worked well on the upstream retrieve. A No. 10 California Coachman with a big yellow hackle worked even better. Unfortunately, I only had one of the Coachman flies; it was tied on a whimsy one long ago day. I never thought it would work so well on a real stream.

The last day of our stay, we went up the mountain to Sabrina Lake. Fishing was great there on dry flies and lures. We had a lot of fun tossing Z-Ray lures in a cove on the north shore, about a five-minute walk from the café. Unfortunately, the trout in the lake were no larger than their friends in the creek, and I headed home with mixed feelings. I was happy to have caught lots of trout, but frustrated at not having caught A BIG FISH.

It has been a long time since I’ve caught a trout that could be called large, one that gives you palpitations of anxiety while trying to land it. In a desperate attempt to resolve this, I’ve been thinking about heading to Crowley Lake next month. Crowley is famous for big trout in the late summer and early fall, who take tiny nymphs in fairly shallow water.

I’d go sooner, but dove season is approaching fast…

2005-08-05T06:17:00.000-07:00

Cheap Beer update - Schwelmer Beer

The local 99 cent store recently had a load of Schwelmer Beer from Germany, two for 99 cents or $3 for a six pack. Not bad stuff at fire sale prices; the Alt was medium dark, unique, and slightly complex, but probably not for everyone's taste. The Troutwife was not impressed, but I like it.

The Schwelmer Pils is a lighter beer, more mainstream, but not as appealing as the Alt. It tastes like any one of a thousand other beers; a competent product but no standout in a crowd.

If you have a chance to try one of these, don't pass it up. They are unlikely to make big inroads in the crowded US beer market.

A note on Budweiser Select: a great product from a company known (to me at least) for bland stuff. Select is crisp, clean tasting, and reasonably priced. Guys, I knew you could do it.

2005-08-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

Rockhouse Basin/Domeland Pack Trip

The trip started by a night drive out to the funky Mayfair Motel in Inyokern after a great meal of last season’s quail and dove, served with paprika sour cream sauce and spätzle. On Friday, Mike, Steve, and myself met at the fire station at the top of Nine Mile Canyon. We drove out the heavily washboarded Chimney Peak Road, turned off towards Long Valley campground,passed the camp and parked about six miles on. Along the way we passed quite a few quail coveys; exciting stuff with the upland bird seasons less than ninety days away.

We hopped onto the Pacific Crest Trail around 9:30, and followed it down to the river, flushing several coveys of mountain quail along the way. The area had burned in the Manter fire of 2000, and the trees were all charred with no life in them. The ground cover had recovered well though, with thick grasses and wildflowers of all colors.

The elevation change was about 1,500 feet, and we arrived at the South Fork of the Kern at Rockhouse Basin around 12:45, footsore but happy to be there. Big fluffy clouds threatened rain and thunder, but the day stayed dry. After setting up our tents, we fished all afternoon and evening. Steve stuck to yellow humpies, and Mike and I switched around from nymphs to dry flies. My first fish was caught on a No. ten bead head hares ear with rubber legs. In the evening, a No. 16 Adams worked pretty well. All the fish we caught on Friday were rainbow trout, of no great size.

The river at Rockhouse Basin is slow with a few riffles and runs. The river here is bordered by a thick growth of willows, making it difficult to cast without wading. During our stay, the water seemed warm and somewhat discolored.

We turned in early, and had a tense time listening to some huge animal splashing around in the river. Steve had come loaded for marauding bears or lions with a lightweight backpackers handgun, but Mike and I were unarmed. The problem was, Steve’s tent was the farthest from the river and he is a heavy sleeper. At some point, exhaustion overwhelmed fear and I slept pretty well. Nighttime temperatures were well within the comfort zone.

Saturday morning saw us on the water again. By lunchtime I’d landed three more fish, all on a black bead head nymph I’d picked up at the fly shop (sorry, I don’t know the name, but I’ll be tying some soon, maybe with rubber legs). Two of the three fish I caught that morning were brown trout. Around midmorning, Steve spooked the bear out of the willows north of camp and reported that it took off for the hills.

Having caught and released twenty trout between us, we packed up after lunch and headed back out. About an hour and a half after starting, we spotted a Mojave Green rattler stretched out on the trail. It took a while to convince him to leave the trail, and he eventually did, slinking down a hole in the path. We skipped through there pretty quickly.

Twenty minutes later, another MG launched itself at Mike, who was last in line. He avoided the strike with some fancy footwork. Mike reported that the snake had popped out of a hole in the shale alongside the trail, gave that shrieking buzz, and went airborne trying to get at him. If it had connected, the strike would have been at hip or thigh level.

We were pretty nervous the rest of the way up, since Mojave Greens carry a potent neurotoxin, and we were a long way from any kind of medical assistance. About two thirds of the way we came to an area of superabundant wildflowers which was overrun by hummingbirds. In a suburban yard, one might see a hummingbird or two, but here were dozens, chasing each other and squeaking away.

After a four-hour trek, we finally arrived back at the vehicles and started the homeward drive.

Fishing notes: dry flies definitely outperformed nymphs (Yellow humpy and Adams in size 16 for preference).

Gear notes: first trip with Gregory G Pack, Merlin Softpack sleeping bag, Eureka Spitfire tent, and CMG Bonfire tent light. All of these items performed well and met my expectations. The lightweight gear kept the weight of the pack under 30 pounds (including 3 pints of water).

2005-05-22T20:39:00.000-07:00

Trouthunting from Convict Creek to Rockhouse Basin

What a weekend! The lovely Troutwife and I headed up to Convict Lake in California's Eastern Sierra on Friday, eagerly anticipating a weekend of wide-open fishing. It was very windy Friday afternoon, so when we did not catch much in Convict Creek, we had the weather as an excuse.

Saturday was no better, though, even though it was a quiet day, wind-wise. A quick trip to Rock Creek near Tom's Place brought no results, and it was the same story on the Owens River near Benton Crossing, and a big ditto at Hot Creek. We finished the day at Convict Creek, and finally got two hard-won fish back near our rented cabin. I was in a fever of frustration by Saturday afternoon. Had I been thinking more clearly, I would have rigged up our rods with heavy sinking line, heavy tippets and big flies, and taken a short hike to the inlet of Convict Lake. The stream is running into the lake in full spate now, and would have carried those flies deep to the presumably more cooperative trout in the lake. Next year.

The resort itself was OK, if a bit overpriced for what you get. The restaurant, which bills itself as the finest in the Eastern Sierra, really needs a staff tuneup. We arrived before our reservation time and were breathlessly told by the hostess that the power had gone out thirty minutes before. Since all the lights were on, we thought nothing of this, and went to wait in the bar. In the twenty minutes we sat there, the cocktail waitress must have entered and left the room fifteen times without glancing at us. When I finally approached the hostess again about our table, she said they were no longer serving dinner. Oh, and you did not think you should tell us? "But I told you the power was out..."

In two weeks, I'll be taking a short pack trip to Rockhouse Basin in the Domeland Wilderness, to try the fishing there. A gentleman sent me an e-mail about the fishing here:

"...I had lots of 50-60 fish days in here, with usually at least a half dozen in the 14-15 inch range, mainly browns but rainbow/golden hybrids as well. Hoppers, PTs, caddis, cricket patterns (deadly when the cicadas are out)--in other words, these are wild, unsophisticated fish that will take any good fly if the drift is good and you don't spook them. There are big fish in the river...I have seen fish that would push 20" and did catch one (measured) 19" brown during the runoff a few years ago on a nightcrawler. Anyway, the fish are in there, if you go be sure to hit any water that looks fishy because it is...especially the slow deep water in the beaver dammed sections and the overhanging grass clumps, those little deep spots hold a fish apiece and sometimes more. Watch out for the shallow sections on the outside of bends--I kicked a big rainbow out of the weeds one day, almost stepped on him in about 4 inches of water."

"...yes it's good fishing, but you have to work for it and the snake thing is not a bullshit tale to keep people out. If you like untamed country and wild fish you'll enjoy it tremendously. "

Ah, the snakes. "...I fished this water (Rockhouse Basin) 4-5 times a year from about '85-'95 and lost count of all the rattlers I encountered. Of course, there are some spots that are snakier than others, so if you see one be on the lookout for more."

Update: The South Fork looks to be blown out at least until the end of June, so the Rockhouse trip is on hold for now. Where is the poor fisherman to go when the rivers are all in spate?

2005-04-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

Cornell and the Ivory Bill

At a historic news conference today, researchers at the Cornell Institute of Ornithology announced the discovery of the ivory billed Woodpecker, thought to be extinct for over sixty years. The team that located the bird included one of my long time fishing and hunting partners, Tim Gallagher.

Tim was one of the original group that ventured into the swamps of southern Arkansas to locate the giant woodpecker in 2004. He has been writing a book on the search for the ivory billed woodpecker, which has consumed countless naturalists and amateur birdwatchers over the last century. His book, The Grail Bird : The Search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, is due out in June. If you can't wait, his earlier book, Parts Unknown, is pretty good too.

Tim was the guy who taught me how to flyfish about twenty-five years ago, so I'll be buying all his books.

2005-04-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

Thoughts on Ultralight Backpacking

I'm hoping to do an early season trip in the Domeland Wilderness as kind of a shakedown for some new gear and fish some rarely visited parts of the South Fork of the Kern River.

I went on a bit of a spending spree this spring, acquiring a new sleeping bag, a new pack, a titanium pot, and a new tent, among other things.

The sleeping bag, a Snugpack Softie Merlin, is very cool. The whole thing compresses to about the size of a football and fits into the outside mesh pocket of my new Gregory G pack, leaving the internal storage of 3,000 cubic inches for everything else. The Snugpack series of bags are made in the UK, and were designed for British special forces. They have a proprietary fill from Switzerland, and a pertex exterior. The Merlin, which weighs as much as a kitten, is advertised as good to 32'. We'll see.

Also very cool is the CMG Bonfire tent light, which will replace both my flashlight and the old brass candle lantern. The Campmor website says the Bonfire weighs 4.5 ounces with batteries and provides up to 30 hours on low power. With lithium batteries, the weight should be even less.

The new tent I got is the Eureka Spitfire, which weighs in under three pounds, though with the Tyvek footprint it will be right around three. Another weight saver is the new rod case, which is just a clear plastic mailing tube with plastic caps. The rod is a tight fit, but the weight savings over the old aluminum tube is substantial.

Last year I really got tired of hauling a heavy external frame pack around the Sierras, and hope to get the new rig down to around 20 pounds (without water). In the meantime, I'm trying to talk the Troutwife and some friends into a peakbagging trip to Morris Peak near Walker Pass. The map shows a hike of about 3 miles each way with a 2,000 foot elevation gain to the peak. I've spent a lot of time in the area harrassing gamebirds, and have always wondered how hard it would be to climb some of the peaks.

I have no idea why at the age of 50 I am interested in climbing mountains, but there it is. Bob Burd's website, which I linked to above, has lots of great write ups on peaks throughout the Sierras with great photos and usable high resolution maps. Not too far from Walker Pass is the Indian Wells Brewing Company, which I hope to visit after the climb. They have a pleasant tasting room, and sell beer in half gallon growlers. Anybody know where that term originated?

2005-04-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

Trader Joe's Beer Update

I finally tried TJ's Vienna Lager, which turns out to be very good. My favorite, however, remains the Hofbrau Bock. Both are very good, though.

It seems that Onepic, where images in my archives were stored, is no longer around. So the images are gone, alas. I'm going to try Myimagestore for future picture posts; its free.

2005-03-10T20:13:00.000-08:00

Benford analysis

It is a little known secret that Troutman is a financial examiner who works for Arnold (i.e. the State of California).

Tim, over at the Englishman's Castle, posted about Benford's Law recently. Basically, the law says that more non-random numbers will start with one than with any other number. This is a great tool for discovering fraud, since the perpetrators will usually pick numbers (for instance, for unauthorized checks) that do not fit the natural pattern the Benford discovered. This makes it easy to catch them, unlike trout. To justify my exorbitant civil service salary, I have resolved to use Benford's Law in the near future.

2005-03-04T11:20:00.000-08:00

Trader Joe's Bock, Bohemian, and Vienna beers

Great news for beer people who live near a Trader Joe's. The monolith is selling German and Austrian style beer under its own label.

I've tried the Hofbrau Bock, a medium amber beer with a dry finish, brewed in the Central European style but without the sweetness often found in Bavarian beers. Give it eight out of ten points.

The Bohemian lager (seven out of ten) is also a fine, dry product, and is a fairly successful attempt to recreate a low cost version of Bohemia's famed Pilsner Urquell. Urquell, obtained fresh, is an incomparable drink, truly a nectar of the gods.

I've yet to try the Vienna Lager, but will add a post upon completion of that mission. The Trader Joe's beers are brewed on contract in San Jose, California (anybody have any ideas on who might be doing it for them?). Get them now. TJ's management is ruthless about dropping products that don't sell well in all of their stores. I hope that TJ's does not attempt to go into extreme value microbrews, like they did in the wine trade with Charles Shaw wines. Beer is already a good value (except in some supermarkets), and we don't need anything that would drive smaller producers of interesting brews out of business.

Update: Reader Alexis thinks that Gordon Biersch is brewing on contract for TJs. They are located in San Jose, and specialize in Central European style beers. I wanted to visit their brewpub in Orange County, but it closed before I had a chance.

2005-03-01T17:30:00.000-08:00

Piru Creek trout in danger

The State Department of Water Resources is proposing to reduce the flows in this Southern California stream to protect the endangered Southwestern Arroyo Toad. High stream flows are allegedly causing a proliferation of bullfrogs which are among the toad's predators. The DWR assumes that lower flows will reduce the number of bullfrogs. That it will also reduce the number of native trout does not matter to them.

A full report can be found here.

I encourage every fly fisherman to email the responsible staff at the DWR. The email address of the DWR's executive director, Lester Snow is: lsnow@water.ca.gov

You should also contact the Department's senior environmental specialist, Dr Eva Begley: ebegley@water.ca.gov

Here is a suggested text for your message:

I am concerned about the DWR's impending decision to reduce flows in Piru Creek to "protect" the Southwestern Arroyo Toad. It is uncertain whether the reduced flows will actually benefit the toads, but it is certain that reduced flows will negatively impact the native trout in the creek.

The state has recognized the value of Piru Creek by designating a substantial portion of it as a wild trout stream. Citizen volunteers have spend countless hours in improving habitat and clearing out trash.

I am opposed to any reduction in historic releases from Pyramid Lake. The Department should seek to help endangered species without harming native trout and recreational resources.

I also encourage you to contact your state legislator about Piru Creek.

2005-02-22T19:51:00.000-08:00

99 cent store wine

This is now the official cheap wine blog, at least until the trout season starts again.

One of the wonders of Southern California are the 99 Cent Stores scattered through the urban landscape. Everything in the store costs 99c, or sometimes three for 99c, or ten for 99c.

Wine is regularly stocked in these stores, and much of it is quite drinkable.

My recent purchases include a 2002 Sauvignon Blanc from France (Fruits de France, Vin de Pays d'Oc). This was very good and buttery, great with fish or fowl. Just the right note of fresh fruit.

A good red that was purchased last week was the 2000 Vinterra San Juan Cabernet, which has proved a good tipple for heartier dinners. This wine is from the Argentine, one of the world's up and coming wine regions. Grab it if you can find it.

Perhaps the best wine I ever got at the 99c Store was the 1997 Marc Tempe Zellenberg Tokay-Pinot Gris. This Alsatian wine, in elegant green bottles, was in the stores last autumn, and I served a bottle with the Thanksgiving turkey. It is an incredible, complex wine and went well with the bird and trimmings. The back label says the grapes were harvested from a vineyard just over one acre in size, which places it squarely in the craftsman category.

I've found that the 99c Store wines often have problems that don't affect the taste of the wine. In the case of the Marc Tempe Zellenberg wine, the corks had started to leak, making the tops of the bottles unsightly. Other times, corks will be incredibly tight, or the wine on offer will be a white wine just past its peak. Drink them fast. Overall, though, I've found the whites to be generally better than the reds. Also, mixing the wine with sparkling mineral water will often make a average wine quite refreshing.

The worst wine I've bought there in the past few months was an Italian Sangiovese Rubicone. A bit of it got used for cooking; the rest went down the drain.

Cheers!

2005-01-14T20:11:00.000-08:00

On keeping a game book

I've always enjoyed keeping a record of the fish and game taken, even if most of the fish are released. The total for 2004 was well under 100 for fur, feather, and fin.

I started keeping a game book in 1982. It was a plain notebook that I rebound with red leather and marbled paper, befitting its importance.

When that book was full, I bought some English leather books, one for fish and one for game. They have neat columns for the various types, though some, such as sea trout and black game (also known as the capercailzie) are mostly only found in Europe. I believe the sea trout, a sea-run brown trout, is also found in Patagonia and on the eastern seaboard of the US.

Smythsons of London sells a sumptous gamebook on the web. The problem with these books, aside from the cost, is that you end up wanting to fill in all the columns at least once. I've often dreamed of going to Scotland to bag a capercailzie. Grouse and woodcock can be found in the US, though the columns remain unfilled in my book.

The entries do not always include only fish and game that I have taken. The total for small parties is always included, with no notation as to individual "scores." If I am in a large game shooting party, I record only my own success or lack thereof.

Just as a lark, I tallied all the books through the end of 2004, and came up with a staggering 3,775 total. Of course this includes 2,108 trout, most of which were released unharmed but wiser. But it also includes 127 pheasant, 31 duck, 302 doves, 214 quail, and 190 hares.

Sounds like a lot, but consider the Marquess of Ripon, an English gentleman, who shot 556,813 head of game between 1867 and 1923. The list includes rhinoceros, tigers and rabbits. His specialty was wingshooting, and he accounted for 241,224 pheasant and about half that many grouse.

2005-01-04T08:50:00.000-08:00

End of the season

The hunting season is winding down, and I am taking a break from hunting and fishing. Not a long break, though.

January and February provide an opportunity to tie flies, clean and organize gear, and generally take things easy.

I'm getting married later in the month, and putting a new household together will be fun. The future Troutwife is bringing a lot of camping and outdoor gear with her, and has announced that she will be buying her very own flyrod soon.

When things settle down in the household and with the weather, we may take a trip to the upper reaches of the Piru watershed to see if there are really trout up there. Last year's attempt was not promising, but the fish are supposed to be there.

2004-12-24T06:23:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all!

And a very happy new year. To those of you who shoot and fish, may 2005 bring tight lines and full game bags.

2004-11-29T17:46:00.000-08:00

Someone let me know if this is true...

Little Known Naval History:

The USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) as a combat vessel carried 48,600 gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475 officers and men. This was sufficient to last for six months of sustained operations at sea. She carried no evaporators (fresh water distillers).

However, let it be noted that according to her log, "...on July 27, 1798, the U.S.S. Constitution sailed from Boston with a full complement of 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of fresh water, 7,400 cannon shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder and 79,400 gallons of rum."

Her mission: "to destroy and harass English shipping."

Making Jamaica on 6 October, she took on 826 pounds of flour and 68,300 gallons of rum. Then she headed for the Azores, arriving there 12 November. She provisioned with 550 pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portuguese wine.

On 18 November, she set sail for England. In the ensuing days she defeated five British men-of-war and captured and scuttled 12 English merchantmen, salvaging only the rum aboard each. By 26 January, her powder and shot were exhausted.

Nevertheless, and though unarmed, she made a night raid up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. Her landing party captured a whiskey distillery and transferred 40,000 gallons of single malt whiskey aboard by dawn. Then she headed home.
The U.S.S. Constitution arrived in Boston on 20 February 1799, with no cannon shot, no food, no powder, NO rum, NO wine, NO whiskey and 38,600 gallons of stagnant water. GO NAVY!

2004-11-18T21:43:00.000-08:00

Hunting it ain't

A Texas company is considering offering online hunts with a gun and a webcam. You shoot the rifle from your home computer ( a fast connection is needed to track the animal and pull the trigger). The fee is a modest $150 plus meat handling and taxidermy fees.

Unless a hunter is handicapped and unable to travel to the field to shoot an animal, this is a really sick idea. If you are going to kill game, at least have the courtesy to show up in person. What if some online Nimrod gut shoots a wild pig? How long will it take the company's employees to track it and finish the job?

The link is here.

2004-11-14T09:11:00.000-08:00

More on Flashman on the March

Rejoice! The Amazon UK website shows Flashman on the March as being available on March 28, 2005 in Great Britain. North American Flashmaniacs will have to wait a bit longer for the US edition, though the British edition can be ordered online from Canada in April.

A quirky synopsis of the series is here.

2004-11-11T19:40:00.000-08:00

November quail

The quail won today, sort of. Out in the desert again in the endless quest to bag these winged demons, we found that the birds flushed wild when they were in coveys. Singles and doubles were workable, but hard to come by. Quail learn fast.

The weather was clear and crisp. The Sierras to our west wore a dense blanket of white cloud in the morning. The cloud layer started returning in the mid afternoon.

The final tally was nine quail and one jackrabbit. Home by 6:30.

6:40: A foaming tankard of Hofbrauhaus beer is miraculously grafted to my hand. In German paradise, you are rewarded with seventy different kinds of beer.

A fine November day.

2004-11-06T21:30:00.000-08:00

Kern River flies

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These are the flies that I had the most luck with on my backpacking trip to the upper Kern at the end of September (see the archives for the post of September 27, 2004).

The fly on the bottom is a bead head hares ear with rubber legs. The legs are long enough to give the fly a lot of action in the water. I believe this version will get more strikes than one without legs.

The fly above is an old time pattern called the Mormon Girl. This fly actually outperformed everything in my flybox on the trip. The pattern is easy to tie and a description is included at the end of the September 27 post.

Both flies were fished downstream and most of the strikes were on a slow upstream retrieve. It may not be purist flyfishing, but it worked.

2004-11-05T09:13:00.000-08:00

Cyclometer

As of November 5, 1,700 miles year to date. Should break 2,000 before the end of the year.

It makes a difference; those hills don't seem so steep when I'm out chasing quail. Going again next Thursday.

2004-11-04T17:50:00.000-08:00

My only political comment

Regular readers of this weblog (all three of them) know that it is non-political. I have kept it that way on purpose, wanting to expound on subjects that are interesting to me without alienating anyone for reasons of politics.

Now that the election is over, I will say I am saddened by the current state of the Democratic Party. A republic such as ours needs two strong parties to thrive, and they must both be near the center of the political spectrum. The Democrats are no longer perceived to be near the center by broad portions of the public. Most Democrats are fine, decent people who care about our country. Their party has let them down.

Even though the US is a rich country, most of us are not personally wealthy and would presumably be better off economically governed by the party representing the ordinary working person, the Democrats. So why do so many vote Republican, not once, but over and over? They vote out of fear.

They fear that their guns are going to be taken away. They fear that additional huge tracts of the West are going to be locked up in the form of National Monuments or National Parks. They fear that unchecked immigration is going to alter America's culture beyond recognition. They fear that their tax dollars are going to be spent on wacko social experiments. They fear that their religious beliefs will be mocked and marginalized.

To start winning elections again on a national scale, the Democrats are going to have to remove this element of fear among the electorate. The Democratic Party is going to have to be seen as being patriotic. And baiting the "religious right" is political suicide in a nation in which forty percent of the populace identify themselves as born again Christians.

Michael Moore and the pathetic Hollywood celebrities have to go. The people who believe the inanities spouted by this group are going to vote a straight Democratic ticket anyway. Dump Moore and Cher and the rest. There is nothing more irritating to the average person than hearing some superannuated star lecturing us little people about the threat to the universe embodied in the person of George Bush.

Hello DNC! You have to broaden your appeal. You lucked out with WJ Clinton, but a charismatic leader like that appears only once in every few generations. You need to become, once again, the party that you were in the time of JFK and Hubert Humphrey. You need to be the party of the average American, not the party of the looney left. The people ain't going to come to you - you are going to have to go to the people.

2004-10-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

Hunting, fishing, fitness, and nutrition

If you are like me and like to spend a lot of time in the outdoors climbing down steep canyons after game, backpacking to remote fishing spots, and generally just getting out there, here is some advice on how to condition your aging body, whether you are twenty or sixty.

Exercise: your first priority
First you need to exercise regularly, aerobic exercise that conditions your legs, builds your stamina, and burns some calories. I do this by riding a bike three or four hours a week. Since I usually use a racing bike, that means I'm riding about fifty or sixty miles a week. But it is not distance that matters, it is the time and effort expended. Vigorous bike riding burns hundreds of calories an hour, and gives you a great workout. Plus, you will feel better. Jogging, power walking, or running will give the same benefits.

I prefer cycling because it is low impact, my knees can still handle it, and I dislike running. For most guys, I would recommend starting out on a modestly priced mountain bike. If you feel like splurging, you can get one of the increasingly popular hybrids, which are faster. They have some of the features of mountain bikes, and are more comfortable to ride than a racing bike. Unless you are an experienced cyclist, or have a good friend who can guide you, you should probably not start out with a racing bike.

Whatever bike you get, I cannot overstress the importance of proper fit, kevlar-belted tires to eliminate frequent flat tires, and a well padded seat. You'll have to pay a bit extra for the kevlar tires, but they are well worth it. The padded seat is a must for most people. Get a thick gel pad; you'll be happy you did. A safety green jersey is a good investment if you are sharing your ride with motor vehicles. The green color is visible for hundreds of yards away. You don't want to become roadkill because some moron or moronette was busy on their cell phone.

Always take a drink with you when you are riding. For rides longer than one hour take a sports drink and an energy bar (Payday bars are good) or a banana.

Don't worry too much about stretching. Start your ride (or walk, or jog, or run) out slow and build up to your target pace. At the midway point, take a break and stretch the hamstrings, calves, and thighs. Your break should also be a refueling point; drink your fluids and eat your snack. Stretch again when you get home (and have a beer, you've earned it, and the chromium and carbs in beer will speed up muscle recovery).

After a few months of regular aerobic exercise, you will feel better, your reflexes will be sharper, and your pulse should be noticably lower. After I started cycling regularly, my heart rate went from ninety to the mid-fifties within six months.

Nutrition
There is so much advice, hyperbole, and BS out there that I have little to add. Just like sin, most people know "bad" food when they see it. The key words are discipline and common sense. Your goal should be to eat right eighty percent of the time; if you are active the other twenty percent will take care of itself.

A sensible diet includes lots of vegetables and fresh fruit, modest amounts of meats, fats, and grain products. Worried about getting fat? Cut down on processed foods. The closer your food is to its natural state, the less it will convert to fat.

In the field
You are out in the desert, you've been hunting up and down hills for two hours, you've got some quail and would like more, but your legs are dead. You need sugar!

Why? Because you've used up your muscle glycogen, and not replaced it. Muscle glycogen is what makes muscles work, and carbs are the fuel you need. Any form of sugar will do; your system needs the carbohydrates. When you replace what you've used up, you are ready to go some more.

Your nutrition strategy for hunting (or any other strenuous activity) should be to replace muscle glycogen as it is used. That means carrying around anything that will replace glycogen. Energy bars, candy bars, trail mix; as long as it is sweet, you need it. In hot weather, salt is good too. Salt promotes water retention, and you won't need as many fluids. Regular Coke is not a bad choice, since it has lots of carbs, and the sodium it contains pretty much cancels out the diuretic effect of the caffeine.

Things to avoid on an active day are big fatty breakfasts, too much coffee, too much alcohol, and excessive fats and meats. That big plate of eggs, hash browns, and bacon will not give you the instant energy you need, coffee is a diuretic and will make you lose fluids during the day, and fats and meats slow you down. Carbohydrates are easily digested; fats and meats require energy to digest, energy that will not be available to your legs and reflexes.

Just to help everyone out, here is a list of stuff to have in your cooler:
Coke
Water
Grapes, apples, oranges, bananas
Beer
Gatorade or similar sports drinks
Sausage (moderate use, the salt is useful)
and some non-perishables:
Chips
Bread or crackers
Power bars, candy bars, trail mix
In cold, cold weather, a thermos full of dry sherry and hot consomme can be a real reviver, though commonsense is required if you are driving.

2004-10-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

Jackrabbit in German is Hasenpfeffer

California desert and upland hunters usually have a few chances to shoot a jackrabbit every season. Some even make special trips, but are not sure what to do with a big jack after they've bagged it. Your problems are over. Hasenpfeffer, the German recipe for the European hare, works great with our jackrabbits. You may even decide it is the best meat you ever had (I'm not making this up!).

Here is the recipe; good hunting and a hearty appetite to all:

jackrabbit, cut into stew sized pieces
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1 cup dry red wine
1 can chicken stock
pepper to taste
1/4 tsp dried rosemary leaves, crushed
2 tsp lemon or lime juice
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 lb bacon, diced
1 tbsp currant jelly
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp dried thyme leaves

Cooking: Combine flour, salt and pepper in plastic bag, add hare and shake until hare is well coated.
Fry bacon over medium heat until crisp, remove bacon and drain on paper towels.
Brown a few pieces of rabbit in hot bacon fat, remove browned pieces. Repeat with remaining rabbit.
Remove all but 2 tablespoons fat. Cook and stir shallots and garlic in hot fat in Dutch oven until shallots are tender, about 4 minutes.
Add wine and chicken stock to cooking pot. Heat to boiling. Stir in jelly, peppercorns, bay leaf, rosemary and thyme. Return hare and bacon to Dutch oven. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer until rabbit is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaf and discard. Stir lemon or lime juice into sauce, thicken gravy with flour mixed with water (stirred until smooth and free of lumps). You can add a shot of whiskey and some port at this point as well.

Serve with egg noodles or spätzle, the little egg dumplings of southern Germany. A good red wine goes well with this. For a blowout feast, try serving quail, dove, Hasenpfeffer and some venison chops.

2004-10-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

Quail hunting photos

The pictures below were taken while quail hunting on October 16. They show the area we hunted, part of the bag, myself in the field, and the first game dinner.

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2004-10-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

Quail report

Our 2004 quail season began in a steep glen in the southern Sierra near Ridgecrest, California. In contrast to last year, there were a fair number of bird shooters out.

We headed down through the brush and Joshua trees before sunrise, and heard shooting ahead of us soon afterwards. Steve, Mike, and I split up and I continued down towards the shooting, but working the high ground on the hill, roughly parallel to the winding of the glen. Since the men who had got there before us had busted the covey, I hoped that a lot of the birds would have fled to the high ground.

Sure enough, a cock quail erupted from the brush in front of me. Both barrels blasted out after him, but for naught. Another chance came soon after, and I got my first bird of the morning. Continuing to work the high ground, I hit my stride, shooting a lot of singles with one shot.

A group of three quail contributed one of their number to the bag, and soon after I found a small covey of twenty or so, and picked up a double. Surprised, because I hadn't realized it was a double until I started down to retrieve the bird I'd marked, and saw another fluttering on the ground about 15 yards away. This brought me to seven in the bag. I followed the rest of them, uphill of course, but did not bag any. Heading back, I worked the little brae where they'd first flushed to, and picked up a straggler.

Getting a bit lightheaded from all the climbing and shooting, I headed further down, cutting into the bottom of the wash, and flushed birds, but did not get any clear shots.

Have heard frequent shots from up the hill, I popped some dextrose tablets for the climb, and made my way back, working the cover, needing two more birds (the daily bag limit for quail in California is ten). The bottom of the wash was clearly devoid of birds in its middle reaches, so I headed up to higher ground, and soon had a quail flush wild. The hillside was crisscrossed with little quail highways, their tracks clearly visible in the sandy soil. Another dextrose tablet (this is great stuff, replenishes muscle glycogen as fast as anything, and is very portable). Soon I picked up another bird.

After Quail No. 9 was in the bag, I spotted Mike below me. I told him I needed one more, and worked an area of thick brush and Joshua trees (these are strangely shaped cacti and can be up to 12 feet tall). A hen quail flushed out of the brush and tried evasive action in the Joshuas, but at this point I was at the top of my game, and she had no chance. Retrieving her from among the trees, I headed down to Mike. We exchanged news (he hadn't seen Steve), and I gave him the rest of my shells as he was running low. Back to the truck for the really fun part of bird shooting (removing bird innards) and a well earned beer and a pipe.

Mike returned to the truck later in the morning with his ten, and we moved on to another spot in a fruitless attempt to locate some partridge. We left Steve a beer in the wheelwell of his rig, and note explaining where it was and where we were headed.

By mid-afternoon our legs were on strike, and we called it a day. After a long drive back to the city, we found ourselves at Trout Manor with a wee bit of old port and reminiscences about game book entries from years past. The amazing thing is that the old entries, while more frequent, are sadly lacking in numbers. Four here, three there. The odd rabbit. We did have fun back then, but there is a lot of satisfaction in making an entry for twenty quail on opening day. Again. This is the second time; we did it last year, too.

Photos of dead birds and the reprehensible, ruffianly humans responsible for their demise, plus the landscape in which the deed was done, will follow in due course.

2004-10-14T05:56:00.000-07:00

Chuckar update

Jim Matthews reports huge numbers of chuckar in the West Mojave here. The best in years.

2004-10-11T21:42:00.000-07:00

Imperial Valley Pheasants

I've got some updated information to my post of September 17, which is great news for Southern California bird shooters. According to Leon Lesicka, a Brawley area resident and founder of Desert Wildlife Unlimited, some of the 2,800 acres of fields shown on this map will be receiving an influx of 5,000 cock pheasants shortly before and during the 2004 pheasant season.

The fields in which the birds will be released are: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 19, 20, 21, and 26.

All the fields shown on the map have been planted with safflower, milo, wheat, or Sudan grass. The Sudan grass is up to six feet high, in wide strips, so a dog (with real long legs) is needed if you plan to work those fields. Quail have taken up residence in many of the planted fields, and dove hunting was quite good here on opening day this year, with many white wing doves taken.

In addition to the Niland area upland fields, Desert Wildlife Unlimited's projects include desert guzzlers, and wetland projects on the New River to help the Salton Sea.

Pheasant season opens November 13, which is also the first day of the second dove season.

2004-10-05T08:27:00.000-07:00

Quail season

2004's quail season looks to be very good, if not great, in the Mojave desert and southern Sierra.

"Bird numbers jump way up over last year.

Dove, quail, and chukar numbers are all up significantly from last year in spite of continued drought. Rains came at the right time in desert and foothill areas of Southern California to spur production this spring, and Department of Fish and Game biologists are saying this is going to be a banner year for bird hunters.

"I've got good news -- I've got record bird numbers," said Rocky Thompson, a DFG biologist from Lake Isabella. "These are the highest counts I've had since I've been doing this. If you liked last year, you're going to love this year."

Thompson does his quail and chukar composition counts in the popular hunting areas in the Red Mountain region and the southern Sierra. He classified 2,781 chukar from just 14 different locations, and the average brood size was just over nine birds. While that is below the incredible brood size of 16 he recorded last year, there were so many adult holdover birds that Thompson said he counted 900 more chukar this year than his previous best count.

Andy Pauli, the DFG biologist for the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County classified 665 Gambel's quail at just two desert water sources in the Mojave National Preserve and reported that the average brood size was 10 young per pair, and his West Mojave chukar tallies showed an average brood size of 13 1/2 young per pair.

"It's definitely going to be a good year," said Pauli."

This is from Jim Matthews outdoor column at Jesse's Hunting Page.

I've also talked to residents of Inyokern, who say their are more birds around than usual. Add to this the reports discussed in my report of September 17, and it looks real good.

Let's go, gentlemen.

Update:

There are quite a few posts on the upcoming bird season at Jesse's Hunting Page Upland and Small Game forum. Few specifics as to location, other than Red Mountain for chuckar.

2004-10-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

Rattlesnakes on strike

I recently reread Colin Fletcher's classic, The New Complete Walker, after an interval of many years. Since the book was written in the sixties, and revised in the early seventies, many of his observations on backpacking gear are of only historical interest. But a lot of his ruminations, opinions, and advice are still good.

Fletcher devoted a number of pages to rattlesnakes, which should be required reading for anyone who spends much time in the California wildlands. Some stuff to remember:

Rattlesnakes, being cold-blooded, operate best in the range of 80'-90' Fahrenheit. Below that they are sluggish, at 110' they die of heatstroke. So don't worry too much about them on a hot desert day.

What is important to note is that these are their temperatures, the temperatures they attain through contact with the ground and the surrounding air. These temperatures vary wildly from the official weather readings, which are taken in the shade five feet above the ground. An area with an official reading of 60' may have temperatures of 100' on sunlit sand, and the lowest inch of air may be 80'. This means that a rattler might feel just fine in an area with a weather temperature of 60'. On the other hand, a desert location with a weather temperature of 80' might have ground temperatures of 130'.

The prime feeding time in for rattlers in warm weather is two hours before and after sunset, so if you think that the ground temperature is between 80' and 90', it's time to keep your eyes peeled.

Remember too that rattlers have very poor eyesight, are totally deaf, but are highly sensitive to vibration, and have a sense of smell similar to that of humans. They aim their strike using two pits in their face which sense heat given off by warm-blooded prey. They can strike accurately in complete darkness. They actually smell using their tongue, which picks up particles in the air and transfers them to cavities in their mouths, which interpret them much as do the membranes in a mammal's nose.

And that story about the farmer who died putting on his father's old boots with a fragment of the fang in the leather... It's impossible, snake venom quickly becomes harmless once exposed to air. This story has been around in various forms since at least 1714, when it was reported to the Royal Society in London by a traveller returned from the New World.

Colin Fletcher was born in 1922, so I'm not sure how much backpacking he is doing these days. I remember camping a hundred yards or so from him in Palm Canyon near Borrego Springs, California in the early seventies (once we figured out who he was, we left him alone). Camping near Colin Fletcher? That was like playing football with Joe Namath! I understand that there is now an updated version of the book, The Complete Walker IV, published in 2002.

Just be thankful if you live in California; Eastern Diamondbacks can weigh up to 30 pounds and reach eight feet in length.

2004-09-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

Something different

The Free Church of Country Sports is worthy of your support. Sign the register!

Thanks to An Englishman's Castle for the heads up.

2004-09-27T17:12:00.000-07:00

Kern River report

This past Friday my fishing partner Mike and I packed down to the Kern River downstream from Kern Flats, which is some miles above the Forks of the Kern in California's Sierra Nevada range. We used the Lion Meadow trail, which is five miles long with an elevation change of about 2,200 feet.

We left the trailhead at 11:45 in the morning. The trip down was quite uneventful until we crossed Soda Creek, when we ran into a mother bear and two cubs. One of the cubs had climbed an oak tree just as I came over a rise in the trail. Mike had his Ruger .357 out before you could say "oh @&*#!" Unfortunately, the trail went under the tree the cub had climbed, and the area all around had high brush which could easily conceal a whole army of bears. With me blowing my whistle and Mike at the ready, we advanced very slowly on the tree and eventually determined the bears had moved on.

We reached the river around 3:30 and I did a bit of fishing after we set up camp a few hundred yards north of Soda Creek. Dry flies like the Elk Hair caddis and Madame X got a few rises but no takers. I switched to a rubber legged bead head Hare's Ear and landed one about eleven inches, a very healthy rainbow. No other fish were landed on Friday.

Mike and I fished most of Saturday and landed another seven trout, the largest being around twelve to thirteen inches. We both lost several more, including one that I could not move off the bottom of the pool. That fish tired of the game quickly, shook his head, and the fly came out. All the fish caught on Saturday were caught with either the enhanced Hare's Ear described above, or on a size 10 Mormon Girl.

The river in this area is really great for fishing, with lots of deep pools and fast riffles with fine pocket water. The area clearly was affected by the fire, but most of the large trees have survived, and there are extensive areas of unburned brush. Downstream from Soda Creek, the river runs through a steep canyon, and is basically unfishable. Mike worked his way about two miles up from our campsite on Saturday, and reported great water the entire length. I don't think he made it all the way to Kern Flats, but he must have been close.

We left early on Sunday morning and got back to the trailhead after a bit of huffing and puffing. There is no water on the last three miles of the trail, so we filled up at the Soda Creek crossing.

I would not recommend this trip for anyone who is not in good condition. You should also be an experienced backpacker, and have stout boots. We are both forty-nine years old, but work out fanatically. The Lion Meadow trailhead can be reached by driving towards Beach Meadow near the Blackrock ranger station, west of Kennedy Meadows.

I don't have a photo of the Mormon Girl fly, but here is a description of the pattern from an old book:

Tail: None
Tag: Scarlet floss
Body: Yellow floss, ribbed with silver tinsel thread
Hackle: Grizzly
Wing: Gray mallard breast

2004-09-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

Highland humor

Two lady tourists were taking a small open steamer across a highland loch. Suddenly the sun vanished and it began to rain heavily. One of the tourists got out her raincoat, but the second lady had no foul weather gear and was getting uncomfortably soaked.

The lady with no raincoat asked the captain if he had a spare one. He said he did not, and called out to the stokers belowdecks if there was a macintosh to cover the lady.

After a pause, came the reply "nae, but there's a MacPherson willing to try."

....

A chimpanzee escaped from a circus touring the highlands and was found dead in a ditch by two ghillies employed at a nearby estate rented out to a shooting party from London.

The ghillies had never gazed on a chimpanzee before and were unsure of what it was. At last the elder said to the other "It's ower hairy for a MacPherson, no broad enough in the chest for a Fraser, and too long in the lip for a Cameron -- away with you up to the big hoose, Erchie, and see if one of the gentry's missing."

2004-09-18T01:07:00.000-07:00

Backpack to the upper Kern River

Next Friday will see me packing to the upper Kern River in California's southern Sierra Nevada range via the Lion Meadow trail. My fishing & shooting partner Mike and I will stay for two nights and hope to catch a lot of big trout. The area can only be reached by trail and is too far for a day trip, which limits the number of anglers. The area is home to large predators such as bear and mountain lions, which adds a frisson of fear to the whole enterprise.

It's strictly flyfishing for us, and your humble correspondent will be feverishly working at the fly vise the next few days. Dry flies such as the Elk Hair Caddis are called for. The Kern is known as a fall fishery, since the river is in spate much of the spring and summer.

Beer has a poor weight to volume quotient for backpacking and trekking, so we will probably chase the mountain chill away with small doses of Rebel Yell, a fine bourbon whiskey.

Thanks to Matt for this photo of the Kern. He has a great post on a recent trip he took to the area, including a video.

2004-09-17T13:44:00.000-07:00

Pheasant and Dove Map

With pheasant and the second dove season opening on November 13, southern California bird hunters should find this map very useful. It shows fields that have been planted with milo, sunflower, and other grain crops for bird hunting in the Niland area near the Salton Sea.

This could be you:

....................................................
......................................

....................

Quail hunting looks to be very good, as shown in this report from near Inyokern. This year looks to be better than last year, when I had a limit of quail by 1:30 in the same area. The strange thing was, last year there were no hunters. I was walking down a huge wash on opening day with quail getting up in waves. My partner Mike decided we were in heaven.

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.

2004-09-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

Outfoxed

Its a sad day for individual liberty in the UK. Britain's Labor-dominated Parliament has voted to ban foxhunting with hounds. Tony Blair did not show up to vote, and did not interfere with this exercise in the tyranny of the majority.

The fact is that foxes need to be killed in the countryside, one way or another. They will still be shot, gassed, and trapped, but there will be no toffs and farmers riding to hounds in the centuries-old way of the chase. The mere thought of anyone enjoying themselves while performing vermin control is anathema to the sour, bitter Labor backbenchers. It's really a class thing.

To enforce the ban, video monitors will be installed throughout the countryside. Unbelievable.

2004-09-12T22:18:00.000-07:00

Flashman Triumphant

Harry Flashman - gentleman, soldier, duellist, lover, imposter, coward, cad and hero - returns in a triumphant new book, Flashman on the March.

Harper Collins has announced the publication of a brand new novel in George MacDonald Fraser's bestselling Flashman series. Publication in April 2005 will see Flashman on the March in Abyssinia in 1868.

Further details will be posted as they become known.

The author is a subject of Her Brittanic Majesty, and his books are published in the UK first. US publication usually follows some months later. One way around this is to order the book online from Canada, where the UK editions, not the US editions are sold (sometimes).

2004-09-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

Port or Starboard?

The trip to northern California included a visit to Quady Winery north of Fresno in California's great Central Valley.

Quady has been making port and other dessert wines since the mid 70s. Some years ago, Andrew Quady stopped making "port" and began calling his port-style wines "starboard" in a clever effort to differentiate them from the real Oporto of Portugal and the mass market port-style wines of California, South Africa, and Australia. My favorite was the '96 vintage starboard (dryish with no raisiny overtones) and we left with a bottle destined for the cellars of Trout Manor.

Port is always a welcome finish to a game dinner. The rules are simple. Don't park the bottle in front of you, and always pass it to the right.

2004-09-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

A trip to northern California included a visit to Chico and the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Chico is a medium sized university town in the part of California that every sportsman wants to visit. The nearby Feather River teems with salmon up to 70 pounds, and the hills are full of deer and quail.

Whilst at the brewery's restaurant, I tried their Oktoberfest ale. Aaaahhhh! Sehr gut! Ve haff some goot beer in ziss place! I also had a second type of beer, but my skills as a reporter fail me here. I confess I do not remember what the second beer was. But the Oktoberfest beer was very nice, with a nutty flavor and a wonderful amber color. Vaiter, you vill bring some more of zat Oktoberfest beer!

Prior to the the departure of myself and the Troutfiancee from The Great North, we also visited River City Brewing Company, a mall-based brewpub in Sacramento. The food was a bit on the pricey side for pubgrub, but the beers were OK. We sampled their Belgian White Beer, which was a bit like lemon barley water left in the sun too long. The Kolsch was pretty good, balanced and aromatic, and I must say I appreciate the effort to perpetuate a relatively obscure regional German beer in the wilds of Sacramento. The lovely Troutfiancee enjoyed the "Vienna" style beer offered. It was an acceptable facsimile of Bavarian beer or beer of the Alps.

2004-09-06T06:08:00.000-07:00

Bird blogging

One of the benefits of cycling along the San Gabriel River is seeing lots of birds. All are attracted by the water in the river channel, and many are drawn by the tilapia that are stocked to control mosquitoes. There are numerous ducks, egrets, and quite a few great blue herons.

Yesterday's ride was special, though. An osprey was flying slightly ahead of me and made a number of powerful dives into the water in plain sight. I believe the last dive was successful, since the raptor flew away from the river. Most of the tilapia are not trophy-sized, so I could not be sure.

Ospreys are officially a species of special concern in California. While they are numerous in northern California, they are only occasionally sighted in the southern part of their historic range.

2004-09-01T15:39:00.000-07:00

Doves, doves, doves - The Dove Report

The conditions were perfect this year for an incredible opening day of the 2004 dove season. The desert thunderstorms which usually arrive in late August to disperse the birds did not show up this year, and there were enough grain crops to draw them to the fields.

I just got home from Arizona with a limit of doves, including some of the fearsome white wing doves. I am a happy man, except that this is only the first game book entry for the year. No winter pheasant or late spring hare, alas.

One hopes the great dove shooting augurs well for the remaining birds seasons. Quail and chuckar partridge open in the middle of October.

There are an estimated 450 to 500 million doves in the United States, and about 25 million are shot annually. Doves are easily the most popular game animal. Properly prepared, they also provide fine fare at table, particularly with a robust red wine.

2004-08-30T22:39:00.000-07:00

Cyclometer

As of the end of August, I've cycled 1160 miles year to date. The new bike has been awesome.

Off to Arizona for a spot of dove shooting tomorrow... Stay tuned for the Dove Report.

2004-08-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

A Beer Discovery

The other evening, I discovered a new ale at the Old Ship pub in Santa Ana. It's called Marston's Pedigree. Wow! Smooth, flavorful, refreshing... What more can you ask for in a beer? Unfortunately, I'd already eaten; this ale would have been a great partner to a dish of fish and chips.

For this weeks dove shooting trip, I bought some Streitberg lager from Germany. I'll let you know how it is. The heat out in Arizona will probably skew the results. Any cold beer tastes good when the temperature is over 105'.

2004-08-29T09:08:00.000-07:00

Team Trout Success

This post is late because of a massive virus infection (my computer, not me). Solved now, I hope.

The Troutkids and I had a pleasant backpacking trip last weekend, up in the Emerald Lakes Basin near Bishop. Despite some really bad weather on Friday afternoon, we caught lots of small brook trout and rainbows. The fly that worked best was the Elk Hair Caddis.

The area is very scenic, but steep. The kids did fine, however. They were just a bit ticked by the bad weather.

2004-08-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

Summer's almost gone

As the warm days of summer draw to a close, there is a flurry of activity in our household. The Troutoffspring, Troutdaughter and Troutson, are accompanying me on a backpacking trip to the Emerald Lakes basin near Bishop. The area is around 11,000 feet in California's Sierra Nevada range, my favorite place for recreation. From hiking and trekking to trout fishing and bird shooting, the Sierras have it all.

We are planning an overnight trip to Hungry Packer Lake, which should offer some fine fishing. The cool temperatures at 11,000 feet should offer some relief from the heat. Both kids have caught trout on a fly before, and are eager to try it again.

September 1st brings the opening of dove season, which should find me in Arizona. The daily limit is ten birds. I guess there is no limit in Argentina.

September also brings a road trip with the Troutfiancee, and later in the month a backpacking and fishing trip to the Kern River.

2004-08-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

Christian Duty

Will the day come when the Queen wears a burka? Or will we see black crescents on German tanks and airplanes instead of the Iron Cross?

If we in the West are in a cultural war with Islam, we could lose because we don't believe. History is full of conflicts that were won by those with less wealth and technology, but who had a fast-rising birthrate and a fervent belief in their cause.

The de-Christianization of the West may well be what causes us to lose. While Europe's and America's churches are being de-consecrated for lack of attendance, mosques are rising everywhere. A striking example of this is an opulent mosque within walking distance of one of Germany's industrial showpieces, the main Mercedes plant in southern Germany.

Do you want the West to win? If you are not a churchgoer, you can start doing your part. Go to church. Not every week, but regularly. Donate some money. For most of my readers, Christianity was good enough for your ancestors, why should you be different? Don't believe? Even priests have their moments of doubt. Uncomfortable? You'll get over it. There are more kinds of church than hot dinners; keep looking. We've got everything from contemporary services with rock bands to traditional Latin masses. You can take part, too. Christianity has a rich intellectual heritage for the mensa types, every conceivable type of music, discussion groups, study groups, charity committees, monastic retreats...

And the birthrate thing? Get married, have kids, and send them to Sunday school.

Hey, embrace your heritage, fight radical expansionist Islam, and maybe become friends with that guy Jesus. He seems to get along with all kinds of people.

2004-07-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

Success

Sorry this post is late, but the much-anticipated fishing trip to the San Joaquin River near Mammoth over the weekend of July 17-18 was a qualified success.

Our party had a great time camping, hiking, and fishing. Except for a minor collision with a tree, my friend Mike was a happy camper. The river is no longer stocked with trout, due to California's budget problems, so all the fishing was for wild fish. The trip was a qualified success because it took us a day or two to figure out how to catch the native trout. These are mostly brown trout, with a smattering of rainbows and golden trout hybrids. The Sierra Bright Dot fly seemed to work best. I'll be tying up some of these for an upcoming backpacking trip out of the Sabrina Lake trailhead near Bishop.

The Troutson was very happy to hook a number of fish on a fly, and his casting improved considerably over the weekend.

The fuel of choice for this trip was Amstel Light, a low carbohydrate beer which actually has loads of flavor. Aaaaargh!! It be a fine beer, that.

2004-07-07T21:06:00.000-07:00

One hopes its not true

News reports about the future of the historic Scottish infantry regiments are disturbing. It seems Britain's Labor government may scrap some or all of them.

I've always tried to see the regimental pipe bands as they visit southern California. Over the years I've had the pleasure of hearing the Black Watch, the Cameron Highlanders, the Highlanders, the KOSB, and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards pipe bands. Pipe Majors, pipers, drummers, and Colonels have all been friendly and have humored my fascination with their units. It would be a shame to let such obvious warlike skills, tradition, and history disappear.

Perhaps Britain could adapt Canada's reserve system to preserve these historic units.

2004-07-07T21:02:00.000-07:00

Get your apple a day

Whilst tying flies for the upcoming trout expedition to the San Joaquin River, I've been drinking Blackthorn cider. This dry cider from Taunton, England seems to be a tradition in the Bristol area. I rate it a solid 90 out of 100.

2004-06-29T20:55:00.000-07:00

Cycling

I've not posted anything on cycling yet, so today may be a good time to start. I started last year, using my daughter's beat up mountain bike. In the beginning, the madness was limited to three or four mile rides around town. Later, I began taking the San Gabriel River bike trail., which passes right by my town. The rides increased to 8 miles or so.

The next phase began when I bought a Fuji mountain bike in around the end of 2003. The nubby tires soon went, replaced by high pressure kevlar-belted road tires. The rides increased, soon extending to twenty-one miles. Next came the cycling shorts, the lime green jacket (for visibility in traffic).

I soon got tired of being passed all the time by the guys and gals on their road bikes, especially when some of them were a lot older than me, and I am no spring chicken, having been born the year Rosa Parks refused to sit at the back of the bus. Wiser persons than I imparted information about the gearing of bikes, how road bikes have bigger front gears which allow them to go faster with less effort, and how the narrow high pressure tires offer less rolling resistance.

Fearful of spending money on another new bike so soon, I started looking around and found a Bianchi Premio road bike from the late 80's, kind of old technology (steel frame and forks), but well built and not too heavy. Of course, it had to be tweaked, with new rims and kevlar tires.

The Bianchi is riding well now, and I've done over 215 miles in June. My longest ride was twenty-five miles last Saturday. I feel great, my pulse is way down from all the aerobic work, and I love going fast.

Update:

John at The England Project, has been cycling lately, for pretty much the same reasons I started doing so last year. John, you're the man!

2004-06-29T20:54:00.000-07:00

Another Fishing Trip

Just around the corner... In mid-July, I'm planning another fishing trip to the San Joaquin river near Devil's Postpile in the Mammoth area of California.

The trout up here are usually so eager to take a fly, it is amazing that there are any left. They are particularly fond of the Mormon Girl fly, an old pattern I got from the Ray Bergman book, Trout. Another Bergman fly that works well up there is the Orange Fish Hawk.

I hope this trip works out better than this month's trip to the Merced River, where fish were hooked, but not landed. Troutson was not impressed.

2004-06-15T20:28:00.000-07:00

The Merced River

With any luck, I'll be at the Merced River Saturday afternoon, casting for rainbow trout with the Troutson.

The river has been very good to me in the past, giving trout more often than holding them back. Early summer is one of the great times to fish this river, and again in early fall, when the days are cooler.

Autumn is the time of the October caddis, a big bug which emerges around sunset, followed by big trout coming out of the deep water in pursuit. The angler who is ready for the hatch is guaranteed a fast forty minutes of excitement.

The dog days of summer are less productive, though I've done well there on sultry August evenings. On one of my first outings to the Merced, I caught and released ten nice fish literally under the eyes of the law. A bored deputy sheriff came up to pass the time just after I started fishing. I was catching fish downstream from us, one after another. It's very satisfying to have a witness to success in what is often a solitary pastime.

The fish I've caught are all in the medium size range, alas. The lady at the gift shop north of Briceburg told me about a crew from Orvis that showed up around Labor Day a few years ago, shooting a fishing video and hauling big 'uns out of the pools.

2004-06-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

Say it ain't so

The fearsome looking camel spider of Iraq. As big as your hand... My admiration for the alliance soldiers just increased.

2004-06-09T21:19:00.000-07:00

Last Citadel

I just finished Last Citadel, a book about the battle of Kursk, by David L. Robbins.

The book tells the story of the battle from the viewpoints of a Spaniard serving with the Germans and a Cossack on the Russian side. Kursk was possibly the largest land battle in history, involving two million men and huge numbers of tanks, aircraft, and other military hardware. Neither side won, but the German failure spelled the beginning of the end in the war against Russia.

WWII happened two generations ago, and it is easy to forget the truly titanic nature of the struggle. The outcome of that war still shapes our world today, and if Europe is half-hearted about engaging in the war on terror and taking on dictators, it may be that the Continent has still not recovered from the trauma of 1939-45. This was the first modern war in which entire nations, military and civilian alike, were combatant. The result is the Europe of today, pacifist and pessimistic, with no serious religious life, and birthrates so low that once proud and vibrant populations who carved out empires of territory and commerce are in danger of becoming irrelevant because there will be so few of them.

2004-06-09T09:23:00.000-07:00

The latest buzz

Attack in Florida! Quick, call in the UN beekeepers!

2004-05-31T05:59:00.000-07:00

Favorite Fly

Next weekend, I'm planning to travel to the southern Sierras for some trout fishing. The duel of wits with fish will mostly be conducted with my favorite fly, the bead head hares ear.

My version has a twist, though. I add some rubber "legs" that seems to make this old standby even better. There are years when ninety percent of my fish are caught with this fly. Stay tuned.

2004-05-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

Bread Control Now!

1. More than 98 percent of convicted felons are bread
users.

2. Fully HALF of all children who grow up in
bread-consuming households score below average on
standardized tests.

3. In the 18th century, when virtually all bread was baked
in the home, the average life expectancy was less than 50
years; infant mortality rates were unacceptably high; many
women died in childbirth; and diseases such as typhoid,
yellow fever, and influenza ravaged whole nations.

4. More than 90 percent of violent crimes are committed
within 24 hours of eating bread.

5. Bread is made from a substance called "dough." It has
been proven that as little as one pound of dough can be
used to suffocate a mouse. The average American eats more
bread than that in one month!

6. Primitive tribal societies that have no bread exhibit a
low incidence of cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease,
and osteoporosis.

7. Bread has been proven to be addictive. Subjects
deprived of bread and given only water to eat begged for
bread after as little as two days.

8. Bread is often a "gateway" food item, leading the user
to "harder" items such as butter, jelly, peanut butter,
and even cold cuts.

9. Bread has been proven to absorb water. Since the human
body is more than 90 percent water, it follows that eating
bread could lead to your body being taken over by this
absorptive food product, turning you into a soggy, gooey
bread-pudding person.

10. Newborn babies can choke on bread.

11. Bread is baked at temperatures as high as 400 degrees
Fahrenheit! That kind of heat can kill an adult in less
than one minute.

12. Most American bread eaters are utterly unable to
distinguish between significant scientific fact and
meaningless statistical babbling.

In light of these frightening statistics, we propose the
following bread restrictions:

1. No sale of bread to minors.

2. A nationwide "Just Say No To Toast" campaign, with
complete celebrity TV spots and bumper stickers.

3. A 300 percent federal tax on all bread to pay for all
the societal ills we might associate with bread.

4. No animal or human images, nor any primary colors
(which may appeal to children) may be used to
promote bread usage.

5. The establishment of "Bread-free" zones around schools.

With thanks to my friends at work.

2004-05-20T20:51:00.000-07:00

Put a turkey in your tank!

Someone figured out how to make oil from poultry. This is exciting news.

It sounds like just about anything could be made into oil.

2004-05-12T21:25:00.000-07:00

Man vs. Bird

The deserts of California contain locally dense populations of chuckar partridge, a native of the Middle East, brought here by sportsmen many decades ago. The birds are much larger than the indigenous quail, and are highly prized by wingshooters. Bigger is always better in the manly world of fieldsports. Thus are salmon more highly prized than trout, geese are preferred over duck, and likewise the desert gunner prefers to bag chuckar over quail.

My own experience with these immigrant fowl is the sort of tale in which what is unsaid is as significant as what is said. The few that I've managed to bag have taken an immense amount of time to pluck, and proven tough and chewy fare at the table. Perhaps they were not representative of their kind, and there are legions of tender chuckar swarming in the barren wastes of the Mojave Desert... but something tells me that these are birds more fitted to a slow baked game pie than for roasting whole.

I should add here that my culinary experience of these birds has not been limited to the few I've bagged. My longtime hunting partner has several times returned to HQ staggering under a load of dead chuckar. I got to cook them. They were tough.

To those unfamiliar with desert wingshooting, I should add that there is good sport to be had in these dry lands. Quail and chuckar are not particularly thirsty birds, and a small spring or oasis will support a good many of them. If the winter rains are abundant, the birds will be there. And as for the chuckar, if you get any, eat them and smile. De mortuis nil nisi bonum.

2004-05-11T22:14:00.000-07:00

Free Tibet, er, South Tyrol

I recently finished a fine book about the South Tyrol, or Alto Adige, as it is known in Italian. The Sunny Side of the Alps, by Paul Hoffmann, a native of Vienna, is part travelogue, part history, and tells the story of Italy's northern province. The area has a rich history, being situated at one of Europe's great crossroads, the Brenner Pass, which links Central Europe to Italy.

The South Tyrol is mainly inhabited by German-speaking Tyroleans, though the Italian population has been steadily increasing since World War I. The area belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire prior to that conflict. Italy, having sided with Britain and France, received the province as a spoil of war. Though badly treated by Mussolini, the inhabitants have over time adjusted to being Italian citizens. Now and then, the Schuetzen, or traditional gun clubs, perpetrate an act of defiance, such as toppling an electric transmission tower. But, like most people in the rational parts of the world, they are chiefly concerned with making a living and enjoying themselves.

Hoffmann's book is organized geographically, and each chapter describes the history, landscape, towns, and noteworthy features of the varied districts which make up the province. The author lived in the area prior to World War II, married a local woman, and has visited often since then.

2004-05-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

I spy a game bird pie

Yesterday was my friend Brian's annual potluck game cookoff and barbeque. This year we had sausages made from boar or venison, green chili pheasant casserole, dove and wild rice pilaf, fried quail, and, of course, Brian's fabulous game bird pie. I had some Stone IPA from San Marcos, a San Diego area product, which turned out to be an acceptable tipple. I could have identified it as a North American small brewery product in a blind tasting; it had that slightly wierd flavor which they all seem to have. Still, with temperatures in the mid-nineties, I was not about to complain, quibble, or otherwise question the hand of fate, my own hand in this case, which was holding the frosty bottle.

2004-04-30T16:33:00.000-07:00

In the shadow of Mt. Conness

California's Sierra Nevada range has some places that will take your breath away, usually because the air is so thin over ten thousand feet. One such scenic area is the Saddlebag Lake loop trail, just northeast of Tioga Pass. The loop trail is about eight miles, an easy day hike. The trail passes one alpine lake after another. The lakes are very nice to look at, with jagged peaks and green meadows all around. To the south, 12,590 foot Mt. Conness and its glacier lord it over the lesser crags.

The area is not without its attractions for the angler. The lakes contain trout, including golden trout, California's state fish. This is because California is also known as the Golden State. Because gold was found here. Clever folk, the people who come up with this stuff.

The lakes have picturesque names like Shamrock Lake, Helen Lake, and Cascade Lake. I've often wondered how these lakes are named. After all, there are thousands of them in the Sierras. My visit two years ago disclosed that Shamrock Lake is not shaped like a cloverleaf, nobody named Helen was in evidence at said lake, and there may have been a cascade near Cascade Lake, but that is nothing remarkable in these mountains with water running all over the place.

The fish here seem to have some kind of arrangement with each other, which is that there is no feeding before four in the afternoon. This is smart of them, since it limits anglers to only a few hours of predation before dark, and makes it tough for day hikers to do much damage. The trout may also have noticed that fisherpersons also like to feed after four, which further limits time spent fishing.

My own experience of this was at Helen Lake. After fruitlessly looking for a Helen or a Ms. Lake to ask permission to camp there (maybe she was working at the visitor center in Lee Vining), we proceeded to put up the tent in the midafternoon. An hour later, the sky clouded over, and the mountains shook like a bunch of overloaded washing machines to the roar of thunder. Then it began to hail.

Sheltering in the tent, we two refugees from the enfeebling heat of a Southern California summer had to wrap up in layers of synthetic fibers and down to stay warm. It felt great. After the hail ended, we noticed rising trout in the little stream that flowed from Shamrock Lake past our campsite. These proved to be pretty little microtrout, but they were goldens. Any dry fly got their full attention. Aye, we be hungry trout.

There was a brief pause to cook a zesty freeze-dried dinner under a sky still muttering with the occasional roll of thunder. Then we headed to the lake to try our luck there. As daylight faded, we started catching more golden trout where the creek entered Helen Lake. These were larger fish. Rather chubby, in fact. Yet they were no choosier than their little streambound cousins about what sort of dry fly was presented to them. It was great fun, and then it got dark.

The loop trail can be reached by hiking around Saddlebag Lake from the parking lot by the resort. You can also pay a modest fee to the nice folks at the resort, who will take you to the trailhead in a boat, and pick you up again.

2004-04-29T22:56:00.000-07:00

Those rotten volunteers, we'll show them!

You couldn't make this up. Daniel Weintraub of the Sacramento Bee has described how state law is preventing volunteers from working on stream cleanups and other projects which receive state funding. The link is here.

2004-04-29T21:38:00.000-07:00

Got beer?

Bet you have not tried this one. Zelta Gold, a lager from Latvia. Yes, Latvia (Lettland auf Deutsch). On sale at the local bargain store for $.99 for two eleven ounce bottles. It is a smooth drink, light on the palate, and perfect for the warm days of late spring.

Zelta is made by Aldaris, Latvia's biggest brewery. In Latvian, Aldaris means brew-master. Try this beer, if you can find it.

My favorite barleywine these days is the Weltenburger Asam Bock. The Weltenburg monastery in Kelheim, Bavaria has been brewing beer since 1050, or almost one thousand years. I suppose they know what they are doing. The Asam Bock is not sweet like a lot of Bavarian beers, but instead has a robust dry flavor. Try it with ribs, a backyard grill burger, or any hearty meats. Heck, just try it by itself.

2004-04-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

First day of the California trout season

The first fishing trip of the year was spent on local waters near Los Angeles. Instead of heading up to the Eastern Sierra, my fishing partner Mike and I went to Piru Creek. This small stream is located in the mountains north of LA. The morning was spent trying to find fish off Hungry Valley Road, but that part of the stream seemed to be quite unpopulated by fish.

Never easily defeated, we drove out, and tried to reach Hardluck Campground, but the road had been closed by an iron gate for which my 4Runner was no match. Next time I'll bring my Leopard II with the rod rack in back. That will teach them to close the road!

Defeated, we headed for the Frenchman's Flat stretch of Piru Creek, an easily accessed spot off Interstate 5, and proceeded to catch some smallish wild trout. Mike was using dry flies, and I was dredging with a No. 14 bead-head hare's ear using an upstream retrieve. The score for the day was ten rainbows when we called it a day, retiring to the 4Runner for well-earned bottles of Black Hart Dry Irish Stout. The Adventure Pass (a $30 annual fee charged to park your vehicle on USFS land in Southern California) seems to have helped Frenchman's Flat somewhat. I'd not been there in several years, and the volume of litter is noticeably less.

Hey, we caught fish, we drank some decent beer. Life is good.