Category Archives: Gone Fishing

THROUGH A FISHERMAN’S EYES TOO!

In The Eyes of A Fish is Sometimes a Fisherman, and Vice-Versa.

The Fish's Eye by Ian Frazier.  In The Eyes of A Fish is Sometimes a Fisherman, and Vice-Versa.

“I’m a goin’ fishin’, Mama’s goin’ fishin’, An’ de baby’s goin’ fishin’ too.” – Taj Mahal, Blues Singer.

A Hook-Jawed Monster of the Deep Pools

“I never lost a little fish. It was always the biggest fish I caught that got away.” – Eugene Field

 

 

A Fly Fisherman Poses With a Trophy Rainbow Trout, Caught On A Flyrod In A High Mountain Pond in Northwestern Colorado. Photograph By Michael Patrick McCarty
At Least 9 Pounds of Rocky Mountain Memory

 

A TROUT OF A LIFETIME – UNTIL NEXT TIME!

 

A big trout is an extraordinary creature – built for power, speed…and battle. Some, like this guy, are more than a match for any fisherman.

We all wish to catch a trout like this one day. If any of you already have, then you know that maybe, just maybe, there is another fish like this out there…deep below the surface…finning…watching…waiting – for one more cast…

May your waters be wild, and big!

And Oh, By The Way – You Might Want To Get A Larger Net…

 

Original Pencil Drawing Art Of a Brook Trout By Charlie Manus of Marble, Colorado
Out of the Depths!

Original Pencil Drawing Of a Brook Trout By Charlie Manus of Marble, Colorado

“The nice part about fishing all the time is that an angler can spare moments for just sitting and watching the water. These spells don’t even have to have a purpose, but it is hard not to discover some secrets during such interludes. The fisherman without a schedule doesn’t need to rush about, casting furiously in a hunt for every possible trout. For this reason, he usually catches more of them”. — Gary LaFontaine, Trout Flies: Proven Patterns

 

Posted by Michael Patrick McCarty

 

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“There is always a feeling of excitement when a fish takes hold when you are drifting deep.” – Ernest Hemingway

Trout Unlimited Sues EPA Over Removal Of Bristol Bay Protections

A Fine Stringer Of Sockeye Salmon, Caught While Raft Fishing In Alaska.

A Fine Catch Of Sockeye Salmon

 

Sportsmen argue EPA ignored sound science, prioritized advancement of Pebble mine over fishing industry.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: 

Chris Wood, Trout Unlimited CEO, (571) 274-0601

Nelli Williams, Trout Unlimited Alaska program director, (907) 230-7121

ANCHORAGE, AK – Trout Unlimited, represented pro bono by Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, filed a lawsuit today against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over its recent decision to withdraw protections for the Bristol Bay region of Alaska. Called the Bristol Bay Proposed Determination, the protections would have limited the scope and scale of impacts from the proposed Pebble mine to the world-class salmon, trout and water resources of the region.

“The practical effect of the EPA’s decision was to help out a mine that would devastate a fishing and hunting paradise,” said John Holman, who grew up in the area and is a second-generation owner of No See Um Lodge, a Trout Unlimited member business. “I cannot in good faith pass a business down to my family that will become a financial burden if the Pebble mine is built. Who does our government work for? This decision made it seem like the EPA and our elected officials are writing off thousands of American jobs, and businesses like mine so a foreign mining company can obliterate the land I depend on, then walk away.”

Trout Unlimited’s lawsuit alleges the EPA ignored science and the potential impacts of developing the mine when it withdrew the Bristol Bay Proposed Determination, and in doing so violated the Administrative Procedures Act and Clean Water Act. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cannot issue a permit to Pebble if the EPA’s decision on the Bristol Bay Proposed Determination is overturned.

“Billions of dollars have been spent in attempt to restore salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest. Meanwhile, Bristol Bay sets records for its salmon returns year after year. All we need to do is have the humility and common-sense to leave this landscape alone,” said Chris Wood, CEO of Trout Unlimited. “Sacrificing a place as such as Bristol Bay for some gold is a short-sighted fools-errand. We are not a litigious organization, but we and millions of other sportsmen and women will not allow greed to compromise the most important salmon fishery on the planet.”

The Bristol Bay region of southwest Alaska supports the world’s most abundant sockeye salmon run, Alaska’s best Chinook salmon run, and a world-famous trophy rainbow trout fishery. These fisheries are the foundation for a robust sportfishing industry, a rich cultural history and subsistence way of life supporting more than 30 Alaska Native Tribes, and a valuable commercial fishing industry. Bristol Bay fishing—including sport, commercial and subsistence—accounts for thousands of sustainable local jobs and more than $1.5 billion in annual economic activity.

Citing this unique and wild character, and the economic and cultural importance of the region, the EPA prepared the Bristol Bay Proposed Determination after years of scientific research and multiple peer reviews, with many thousands of Alaskans and millions of Americans voicing support for protecting the region.

“Any action that jeopardizes this fishery and extremely unique place is unacceptable,” said Nelli Williams, Alaska director for Trout Unlimited. “The proposed Pebble mine is widely opposed by anglers and hunters across Alaska and the country. This lawsuit is a step to hold the EPA accountable to their own science and American sportsmen and women, not a foreign-owned mining company.”

“Look at what’s at stake and the maddening progress Pebble is making here at our expense,” said Nanci Morris Lyon, local resident and owner of Bear Trail Lodge, a Trout Unlimited member business. “Contrary to science, the will of the people, and common sense, Pebble is advancing toward their key permit, thanks in part to agencies giving them handouts. This lawsuit calls that out. We can’t afford Pebble in Bristol Bay, and that means we need science, oversight, integrity and persistence.”

“Removing the Proposed Determination was one of the most poorly justified decisions in the history of the Clean Water Act and is an affront to the fisheries, local communities, and sportsmen and women around the world,” said Wood.

 

Trout Unlimited is the nation’s oldest and largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring North America’s trout and salmon and their watersheds. In Alaska we have worked in the Bristol Bay region for almost two decades along with thousands of members and supporters including dozens of businesses that depend on the fishery of the region. Follow TU on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram and our blog for all the latest information on trout and salmon conservation. For more information on the Save Bristol Bay campaign go to SaveBristolBay.org

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Posted By Michael Patrick McCarty

Those Were the Days…For Fishing On The Fryingpan River

There was a time when the now world famous Fryingpan River near Basalt, Colorado, was known mostly by a more local group of fisherman. I was lucky enough to be one of those, and we had things pretty much to ourselves, back in the day.

Anyone who has fished there more recently may find that hard to believe, but it is true.

Here are a couple of images on black and white film, circa 1982, of some more normal looking trout that proceed the introduction of mysis shrimp to Reudi Reservoir and the appearance of the monster, football-shaped trout that soon followed.

But then, that’s another story…

Photographs by Michael Patrick McCarty

Active Member Outdoor Writers Association of America

 

Photograph of a rainbow trout next to a flyrod, taken on the banks of the Fryingpan River ear Basalt,, colorado in the early 1980's. Photograph by Michael Patrick McCarty

A Close-up Photograph of a Rainbow Trout with a Wooley Bugger Fly in it's Mouth, Taken on the Banks of the Fryingpan River Near Basalt,, Colorado in the Early 1980's. Photograph by Michael Patrick McCarty

Master flyfisherman Pat Hayes, with a Rainbow Trout Caught on a Flyrod on The Fryingpan River, Near Basalt, Colorado in the Early 1980's

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Recommended Reading:

Front cover of Book Fifty Places To Fly Fish Before You Die by Chris Santella

The Fryingpan River is definitely one of those places that you should fish before you die. We generally have a copy of this title in our bookstore stock, if so interested.

Giving Thanks To Gravlax On Thanksgiving Day

 

“I have lived! The American continent may now sink under the seas, for I have taken the best that it yields, and the best was neither dollars, love, nor real estate.” – Rudyard Kipling, After Landing His First Steelhead in 1926

 

 

A Decorative Plate of Gravlax, or Gravlaks, Made From Fresh Caught Silver Salmon From Valdez, Alaska. Photograph By Michael Patrick McCarty
Still Swimming…

 

What could be finer than family, friends, and turkey dinner with all of the fixings on Thanksgiving day? Well, it could be an appetizer of ocean-caught silver salmon, filleted just right and quick frozen with care for a long plane ride home. Now that’s a slab of goodness that will really put you in the Holiday spirit!

Lucky was I, to be so invited, and it was my first, of gravlax, that is.

 

A Female Angler Holds a Large Silver Salmon, Caught In An Ocean Bay Near Valdez, Alaska.

 

We owe our Scandanavian  brothers and sisters for this rather simple preparation. Cured with sugar, salt, and spices, Gravlax is not as salty as Lox, and not smoked like many other salmon recipes. The result is a clean tasting, invigorating dish, and you can almost feel that beautiful, sliver bullet dancing on the line.

It’s a perfect way to celebrate a grateful day, particularly in a room full of sportsmen and lovers of all things wild.

Enjoy!

 

A Long Rack of Silver Salmon Caught By Sportsfisherman, On Display In A Boatyard Under The Mountains, Near Valdez, Alaska
A Salmon Fisherman’s Dream

 

 

By Michael Patrick McCarty

 

Read More About Gravlax, Or Gravlaks, Here

or, Here

 

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A Taste Of Scandanavia

In this title, three delightful cookbooks are brought together in one Scandinavian gift collection. It offers everything you need to know about Swedish, Norwegian and Danish cuisines with over 180 authentic recipes. This title features evocative and informative introductions that cover the history, geography and culinary traditions of each country, as well as the local ingredients. Dishes include classic Gravlax with Mustard and Dill Sauce from Sweden, traditional Roast Hare with Lingonberries from Norway and world-famous Danish Pastry from Denmark. It is illustrated with 900 beautiful photographs, including a picture of every finished dish. Nutritional breakdowns are provided for every recipe. Classic Scandinavian cuisine is rooted in the natural bounty of the land, with fresh fish from the seas, wild game from the forests, and delicious dairy from the animals that graze on the fertile pastures.

 

High, Long, and Lonesome – Trophy Pike In Manitoba

 

“Above came a swift whisper of wings, and as the loons saw us they called wildly in alarm, and took their laughing with them into the gathering dusk. Then came the answers we had been waiting for, and the shores echoed and re-echoed until they seemed to throb with the music. This was the symbol of the lake country, the sound that more than any other typifies the rocks and waters and forests of the wilderness.”Sigurd Olson, Listening Point, 1958

 

Michael McCarty, of colorado, with a trophy northern pike caught at Silsby Lake Lodge, Manitoba
Manitoba’s Long Green Jewel

 

Bring on The Pike!

 

By Michael Patrick McCarty

 

There is a place in the world that calls my name, with a voice as strong and true as could ever be. It thrums in my head, somewhere deep behind the bustle and noise of everyday living. Searching, beckoning – for me, since the first time I learned of it through my readings long ago. It became some vague and unfilled need, an itch I could not scratch, leaving me in want of something I could not capture. I did not know if I could ever get there.

It is a land of windswept waters and shimmering weed beds, dark timbered islands with ledges of stone, and jagged, multi-dimensional rocks that wrap the untamed shoreline as far as the eye can see.

There are loons here, lonely gulls and bright headed eagles, moose and bear, and the occasional otter slipping gracefully through the waves. There are fish here too, toothy critters, and some as long as your leg. It’s about hovering clouds of blood sipping mosquitos, and impossible days of light that do not end, but only change in tone and hue. It’s all about boats and motors and good friends laughing, eager to see what lies around the next bend.

 

A Fisherman Poses with a Trophy Northern Pike of Over 40 Inches Caught at Silsby Lake Lodge in Manitoba, Canada. Photograph By Michael Patrick McCarty
Forty Inches of Bad Hombre
41 1/2″ of Fun and Fury

 

They call the place Manitoba, and she is a crown jewel of boundless and spellbinding beauty. To my everlasting satisfaction I finally made it, having returned from her just now. With focus and joy I hold the spirit of it all close to my breast, lest she slip away quietly like a dark shadow in the night. I miss her already, with a depth and breadth of longing indescribable by mere mortals.

To say that Manitoba is all about game fish would be a vast understatement. There are Northern Pike and Walleye in numbers and size that would give any hard-core angler a tingle. Both species have legions of diehard fans, of one or the other, or both. They do seem to go together as naturally as warm sourdough bread and butter, and that’s just fine with me.

It’s easy to become obsessed with this kind of fishing, and it doesn’t take long to discover why. You simply have not lived an outdoor life in full until you’ve seen a green backed missile smash a brightly colored floating Rapala dropped perfectly at the water line, streaking through the sun dappled waters like a bear on fire as you remove the slack and make that first electrifying twitch. It is what piscatorial dreams are made of.

A pike is a ferocious customer. He is mean and crude and bursting with bad intent. There is never any doubt about what lies upon his mind, that being to destroy and consume any fish or small creature that will satisfy however briefly his incessant appetite and fulfill his instinctual need to perpetuate the species.

When hooked he is a stout rod full of trouble, and you can feel his mood through the line and see it in his eyes when he knows that he has been fooled. You have diverted him from his one unabiding mission, and he will not forgive you for it.

It makes one very glad to be something other than a baitfish. I, on the other hand, forgive him completely. He is only doing what a northern pike is designed to do, and he cannot change his ways no more than a wolf could cease to dog a wounded moose. I feel for him too, because without a doubt life is tough if you’re a pike. Just imagine the millions upon millions of his kind that never made it to breeding size.

 

A Fisherman Poses With An Eating Sized Walleye Caught While Fishing At Silsby Lake Lodge In Manitoba, Canada. Photography By Michael Patrick McCarty
Walleyes Rock The Boat!

 

The Walleye, on the other hand, seems a most different kind of gentleman. His real name is Wall-Eyed Pike, or Pike Perch. He is really not a Pike at all, but is in fact the largest member of the Perch family.

A tackle thrasher he is not, and I think it fair to say that although they are great fun to catch that is not why we seek them out. Walleye are challenging too, but perhaps that’s not it either. Dare we say that it’s all about the shore lunch fillet, done up right with a side of deep-fried potatoes?

I am squarely in that camp, and he may well be the pre-eminent panfish of North America. I simply cannot look at a walleye without salivating, while instantly picturing that glorious white, boneless slab sizzling in a dark black cast iron frying pan. If that’s a bad thing I stand guilty as charged, but blissfully unapologetic, just the same.

Still, walleye possess their own kind of seriousness. They are a more finicky eater than the pike, and seem more dignified and refined. They may prefer to gorge themselves upon mayflies or minnows depending on the day, or….perhaps not. Fisherman seem to talk of them in hushed and respectful tones, so as not to offend them and put them off of their feed. They remain a most mysterious fish, at least to me, and I plan to spend many more hours trying to figure out what makes them tick.

Of course northern Manitoba is the perfect place to do just that. We four booked our trip with Sam Fett at Silsby Lake Lodge, and they offer some of the finest trophy pike and walleye fishing in North America. Sam and his family have been in the outfitting business for decades, and it’s quite obvious that they know how to turn out some mighty happy sportsmen.

Their literature and impressive brochures speak of fish long and broad enough to test the skills of even the most seasoned outdoorsman, and they are not exaggerating. Boy do they have the fish!

Silsby Lake Lodge offers commercial flights from Winnipeg direct to an airstrip just one quick boat skip from their lodge, and it does not take long to get a line in the water. They offer full service guided lodge packages, or outpost camps with cabins or tents if you prefer to guide yourself and do some of the work on your own, as we did.

We fished from the High Hill Outpost camp for our first three days, and it was everything I had imagined a classic pike fishing camp to be. The scene and scenery is so picturesque that one could spend quite a bit of time relaxing at camp – that is if the fishing wasn’t so good. According to Sam, High Hill Lake and other adjoining or nearby waters may hold one of the largest concentrations of trophy pike found anywhere in the Province.

 

A fisherman takes a moment to prepare a boat for an outing of pike fishing in manitoba, canada silsby Lake lodge
A Perfect Pike Outpost
Home, Sweet Home

 

They have practiced strict conservation and catch and release policies for years, and it shows. Anglers may keep a few smaller fish each week for lunch or dinner, and great care is taken to fully revive the bigger fish.

A combination of perfect habitat, large baitfish populations, and exclusive access leads to a rare opportunity for mature fish – and lots of them. Sam told me that we had an opportunity to catch a northern of over 50″ in a weight range up to 45 pounds, and I believe him. That kind of possibility adds a very special spin to every cast!

Our small group did not catch the “fatties” as they call them on our brief stay at High Hill but we did catch all of the smaller pike that we could have wanted and two fish that we estimated to be in the 17 to 22 pound class. It was the first big pike that I had ever brought to the boat, and it is a thrill that I will not soon forget.

Our next destination was Pritchard Lake Outpost, which involved a short boat ride on High Hill Lake, a spectacular jaunt across Silsby Lake, an all terrain vehicle trip of a few miles to Cuddle Lake, and then another spectacular cruise to our new camp at Pritchard Lake. Suffice it to say that this was a big day of boating for a dweller of high mountain valleys and other high grounds, and I thoroughly enjoyed every rollicking wave of it. And the day was still young!

We filled out our booking with two days of fishing at Pritchard Lake, and it was everything that we had thought it might be. There was a surreal quality to this place, which no doubt had something to do with the fact that we were 90 miles from the nearest road on a body of water that in the past had maybe only ever been fished by a brave float pilot or two. The nearest other fishermen to us were probably 12-15 miles away, and true as it was, I nearly had to pinch my arm to remind myself that this was not some far-fetched dream.

We caught thick walleyes and small pike in a small outlet within ear shot of the tent, which tickled us to no end. Fishing on the main lake was slow, no doubt due to the record heat and high temperatures we were experiencing. Not the sort that give up easily, we fished hard and finally started to pick up some chunky pike in the 6 and 7 pound class, which was more than enough to make me grin.

We found the big boys, finally, on the last late afternoon of our trip. They were hanging in a weed bed in the middle of the lake, and the next two hours went by in a slow motion heartbeat. My boat partner and I caught three large pike in that 15 pound plus range again, and we had several others on that were probably bigger but spit the single barbless hook we were using. Later, our other friends fished that same weed bed and boated a 39 1/2″ fish, which surprised us since we had thrashed the area pretty good. Apparently our efforts had just warmed him up for another tussle.

We returned to camp completely exhausted, knowing that we had left behind all that we had to give, and receive, somewhere out there on those lakes. The only thing left to do was to raise a glass to the northern lights and bow before the utter majesty of this small nick of time. Some places are even harder to leave than they are to get to – and Pritchard Lake was certainly one of those.

 

A fisherman performs some camp chores at a lake outpost camp on a fishing trip to silsby lake lodge in northern manitoba canada
Where The Pike Have Never Seen a Lure
Lakefront Property

 

I had a lot to think about on the boat ride back to the ATV, and it was all good. At first we picked our way through the shallow bars and watched for logs or other obstructions before opening that engine throttle. It reminds you of what it took you five days to figure out; that this is a world to slow down to and that there is no need to hurry like we all do in our lives back home.

It also warns you that there is danger here too, easily found. Like much of the north country, Manitoba can be a gentle sister or one mean mama, and things can change rather quickly. The character of a trip can be redefined in the blink of an eye, and sometimes not in a good way.

You can sense it in her moods, in the air and upon the changing weather. She can be a woman of tough love that suffers few fools, and rarely more than once. As with all wild things in wild places, there is a thin red line between the living and the not. Fail to respect her, and it’s “Gone beaver”, as the Mountain Men used to say.

If you doubt this then you are simply not paying attention. There are rocks here aplenty, anchored just under the surface, waiting for the unwary sport. Hit one just right and it can punch a hole in your boat faster than the stab of an eagle’s beak, or bash your engine prop off in an even bigger hurry. Do so and you may spend a cold wet night on the beach; that is, if you are very, very lucky.

But in all things worth attempting there is no reward without risk, as well it should be. A little danger can be an exhilarating thing, and it does one good to get that much too civilized blood pumping in the veins. Meanwhile, she dares us on into the waves and spray.

“Take me if you can”, she says…Are you ready?

I could go on and on about our Manitoba experience, but perhaps I shall save some more of it for another time. It’s always good to keep a few good things in reserve to savor and contemplate, at least for a while. One last point though.

Take my advice and don’t ever let anybody tell you that a Northern is not fit for eating. All of my life I have heard pike described as inferior fare – too many bones they said. Well, I am hear to tell you not to believe them.

 

a fishing guide on the water at silsby lake lodge manitoba canada
Only A Guide Knows For Sure
Another Day At The Office

 

I asked our Cree Indian guide Lenard about the matter before I got to try one, and being a man of few words it was an easy decision for him. He told us that he liked walleye and pike about the same, and that he liked his fish baked or fried, but not boiled. “They don’t taste too good boiled”, he said. So there you have it.

We found the taste of pike delightful and not too far removed from that of walleye, and the bones not so bad if you filleted them well and were on the lookout. They are fabulous cooked simply on the grill, and my friend who knows a lot about these sort of things thought the feel and texture reminiscent of a nice hunk of halibut. Poor man’s lobster he called it, and it simply screamed to be dredged in butter and garlic. It was one of the greatest surprises in a most surprising trip.

 

krista269 / Pixabay
A Little Friendly Competition

 

Home now in the brisk night air of the Colorado Rockies, I am left with only memories and whimsical deliberations.

How many modern-day human beings, for example, have been blessed to be able to say that they have pitched a plug to game fish that have never seen a lure; in a lake that most certainly has never been plumbed with any kind of thoroughness?

How many of us have become part of a place where a loon can be born to paddle and dive and court; to lay its head back and cry to the heavens for the sheer pleasure of its echo without ever being heard by a human ear?

And by the way, does any bird or animal possess such a plaintive and soul-searching call as the loon? I don’t imagine I could stand it if there was.

How many of our kind have marveled after bears who have never seen such strange two-legged creatures and do not act like the bears of the settled country, or at gulls that are not at all like their more urban cousins and would never think of looking for a handout, but are only disturbed and offended by our presence?

It is all business as usual in Manitoba, and I am a most fortunate son and a far richer man for the transaction.

Many ordinary souls may look at her as a lonesome place, but not I. There is grace here, and the elegance of intelligent design. This world does not suffer for need or lack of anything, including people. It remains an enchanting realm of elementary nature and high adventure, and one cannot feel lonely when most solidly at home.

I know now that a small part of her essence will always be with me, and I can not wish for more. Yet the best part of Manitoba is the way that you feel when you get there, and in the hope that she gives to you to know that she is there, waiting, when you are not. I will return to see her again, should the spirits and the fishgods smile.

Perhaps she waits for you.

Just Listen!

 

*Izaak Walton, one of history’s most famous fisherman, offered a recipe for roast pike in “The Compleat Angler”, and he had a thing or two to say about cooking pike for the dinner table.

He wrote: “This dish of meat is too good for any but anglers, or very honest men; and I trust you will prove both, and therefore I have trusted you with the secret.”

Gee Izaak – tell us what you really think!

Stay tuned for the recipe – while I hunt for my misplaced copy of this most famous angling book!

 

————————————

 

Michael Patrick McCarty

 

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With Miles of Wilderness Behind
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a photo of a northern pike and a walleyed-pike side by side caught at silsby lake lodge in northern manitoba
Either One Works For Me
Two For The Pan

a photo of an outdoor cooking stove and lumberjack frying pans with walleye and potatoes cooking at silsby lake lodge manitoba canada
The Right Tools For The Job
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a closeup photo of a problem black bear outside of tent flaps
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A Little Too Close For Comfort

a photo of a fisherman with a small pike caught at sunset at silsby lake lodge in manitoba canada
One More Cast

 

 

We highly recommend the good folks at Silsby Lake Lodge, and they have a great website too!

 

Impossible Colors – Fishing For Cutthroats In The Land Of Goats

July 2015

A high country fisherman points to some rocky mountain goats on a peak in the maroon bells-snowmass wilderness area in colorado
The Mountain Goats of Flip-Flop Ridge
We Call It Planet Goat. A Long View Through The Spotting Scope

 

Flyfishing At The Top of The World for colorado cutthroat trout in the maroon bells-snowmass wilderness of colorado while scouting for mountain goats
Flyfishing At The Top of The World

Today was a big day in the grand scheme of things in this even grander adventure, for today I saw the first goats within the boundaries of my hunting unit. Two billy’s they were, hanging nonchalantly up towards the skyline and feeding on the carpet of shiny new green on the steep side of an open basin.

The sight of the goats and the stunning scenery took my breath away, which you could have said was simply impossible because I had already been gasping for oxygen for more than a mile already. Yet, I did have enough life left in me to grin a little grin  and dance a little jig.  It made the long hike seem but a small price to pay, and gave me more than a little hope that this quest might just all come together after all.

Still, we came to fish. A lake of indescribable beauty waited near the top of the trail, and my friend knew it to hold some great fish. He was not exaggerating.

As you can see the colors on these Cutthroat’s were almost too stunning to be true. I am sure that my inexpensive camera was simply not up to the task. When first removed from the water these fish were so bright and vibrantly red that it was difficult for the mind to believe the eye, yet, here they were in all their heavenly splendor.

I could say that they had grabbed my complete attention, but that would not be accurate. I spent most of my time fishing with one eye on the fish and the other on the goats, and soon put the rod down and sat to study them with my binoculars.

Both were mature males, and one was, to put it plainly, a bruiser of a big billy. I could see horn and heavy bases from a long way away, and his body shape and attitude told me all that I needed to know. I wanted to be up there with them, right then and now. I wanted to see what they see from their perch at the top of the world, and see it I will.

With some luck and some hard climbing, this goat and I will build some history together. I will be back a time or two before the season, and if he is as good as I think he is once the season begins he may find me quite a bit closer than he ever imagined.

And, oh yes. I will return to have another go at those beautiful cutthroat trout too!

Is their really any other place to be?

a closeup photo of the colorado river cutthroat trout, caught on a flyfishing trip to the Maroon Bells wilderness area while on a mountain goat scouting trip
The Impossible Colors of Cutthroat Trout in Full Spawn
a closeup photo of a stringer of colorado river cutthroat trout, caught while flyfishing in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass wilderness while on a mountain goat scouting trip
What Waits At The End of the Rainbow

 

 

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By Michael Patrick McCarty

Presenting Fun With Trout By Fred Everett

My Idea Of A Good Time

 

Close-up of the spine, with gilt titles, of Fun With Trout: Trout Fishing in Words, Paint & Lines by Fred Everett
A Close-up of the spine, with gilt titles, of Fun With Trout

 

The Front Cover of Fun With Trout: Trout Fishing in Words, Paint & Lines by Fred Everett
The Front Cover, in maroon cloth with gilt titles and pictorial label. There’s Something Wonderful About Those 1950’s Vintage Colors

 

"Prospective Golden Fun". A Color Plate From Fun With Trout: Trout Fishing in Words, Paint & Lines by Fred Everett
“Prospective Golden Fun”. A Color Plate From Fun With Trout

 

A Full Page Illustration From Fun With Trout: Trout Fishing in Words, Paint & Lines by Fred Everett
A Full Page Illustration From Fun With Trout

FOR SALE

Presenting Fun with Trout: Trout Fishing in Words, Paint & Lines. By Fred Everett. Preface by Charles K. Fox. Introduction by Ray Bergman.

Published by The Stackpole Co, Harrisburg, PA, 287 pages, 1952.

Maroon cover with gilt lettering and paste down illustration by Everett of a trout fisherman with rod and netted trout. With pictorial end papers, and internal line drawings. 

An entertaining, often whimsical discussion on flytying, wetflying, dryflying, and more.

Dedicated “to the spirit of the great out-of-doors, its waters and the life therein, an ever enticing lure from the humdrum of everyday life to the body-reviving and soul-filling pastime of fishing; to the spirit of true sportsmanship and all that it means for fair play, courtesy, cooperation and real conservation; to the very spirit of angling itself, this book is sincerely and humbly dedicated”.

This copy is in Near Fine condition, without Dustjacket.

Here offered at $45, postpaid U.S. (subject to prior sale)

Please email us at huntbook1@gmail.com to order.

 

Posted By Michael Patrick McCarty

You Might Also Like To Take A Look At Some Russell Chatham Books Here

To Search Our Online Catalog of More Than 9500 Used, Collectable, and Rare Books  – CLICK HERE

“All men are equal before trout.” – Herbert Hoover

 

A Signed Mixed Media Print of a Blue Wing Olive Parachute Nymph Trout Fly by Charlie Manus of Marble, Colorado
Christmas is Right Around The Corner

For the Fly Fisherman in the house:

A 4″ x 6″ Signed Print of A Blue Wing Olive Nymph.  Matt Size 8″ x 10″. From an original mixed media painting by Charlie Manus of Marble, Colorado.

For Sale at $28.95 (postpaid U.S.).  Matt Size 8″ x 10″. Please Email us at huntbook1@gmail.com to order.

Other fly patterns available.

https://steemit.com/fishing/@huntbook/fun-with-trout-is-my-kind-of-fun

“Hope We Catch A Lot Of Fish…”

Kid’s Say the Darndest Things!…

 

As a long time used book dealer, I have been privy to a wide variety of personalized gift inscriptions. Most are, well, personal…Others can be educational, thought-provoking, or entertaining.

Some are quite surprising. I thought that you might get a kick out of this fishing autograph by our young fisherman here:

 

A Child's Gift Inscription and Doodle About Fishing Found In The Angler's Book of Daily Inspiration: A Year of Motivation, Revelation, and Instruction
Hope We…Have a Lot Of Fun…

As you can see, Haden had a few other things on his mind too!

 

A Child's Doodle About Fishing Found Next To A Gift Inscription In The Angler's Book of Daily Inspiration: A Year of Motivation, Revelation, and Instruction
Oops! … A Wee Pee In The River…

 

I hope that he did manage to catch some fish…

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This inscription was found in The Angler’s Book of Daily Inspiration: A Year of Motivation, Revelation, and Instruction by Kevin Nelson. There are lots of wonderful motivational quotes here by some of the world’s finest fisherman.

They are almost as good as young Haden’s aspirations for the day too!

We usually have a used copy or two in stock. Please email us at huntbook1@gmail.com for a price quote.

 

The Front of Dustjacket of The Angler's Book of Daily Inspiration: A Year of Motivation, Revelation, and Instruction
Twist My Arm…To Go Fishing

 

“Fishing lets the child in me come out.” – Mel Krieger

 

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By Michael Patrick McCarty

If You Like Books, You Might also Like Fun With Trout

https://steemit.com/fishing/@huntbook/kid-s-say-the-darndest-things-about-fishing

It’s About Time – To Go Fishing!

Summer Was Made for Fluke and The Jersey Shore

For me, the long, humid, and hazy days of summer still bring back memories of mostly one thing – and that would be of bottom fishing for flounder on a long drift somewhere off of a New Jersey beach.

I’ve been a long time gone from that particular part of the world, and perhaps there are better places to be on a summer vacation. Then again, perhaps not. We all have our favorite places to rest and relax, and I’ve developed more than a few top contenders over the years.

But New Jersey is where I grew up, and fishing for fluke and bluefish in the summer is what we did. It’s always good to return to your roots and a familiar kind of fun. Fishing is finer with family, too.

So, I say again, summer was made for fluke and the New Jersey salt. It was also built for a fresh slab of flounder fillet, breaded or battered and flash fried. We always liked ours served with a perfectly ripe Jersey tomato and a hard deli roll, with lemon and tartar sauce on the side. Be sure to be near a super chilled mug of a summer wheat beer of your choice!

Now that’s what I’m talking about…

My guess is that I now have your attention. I certainly have mine.

See you at the shore…

 

It's About Time II. A Boston Whaler Owned By Kevin McCarty, Tuckerton, New Jersey. Built for Fishing.
It’s About Time II. A 29′ Boston Whaler Owned By Kevin McCarty of Tuckerton, New Jersey
Kevin McCarty of Tuckerton, New Jersey Readies His 29' Boston Whaler For A Day of Fishing
Kevin McCarty – Ready To Roll
Boats at Rest On An Early Summer Morning At The Maritime Marina on Tuckerton Crick, New Jersey
An Early Summer Morning At The Maritime Marina on Tuckerton Crick, New Jersey
A Reminder of The Past - A Vintage Charter Boat Fishing Sign Stands Vigil Over Tuckerton Crick in New Jersey
A Reminder of The Past – A Vintage Charter Boat Sign Stands Vigil Over Tuckerton Crick
Bringing in the Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus), a Killifish, or Killies - The Best Bait Fish for Flounder
Bringing in the Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus), or Killies – The Best Bait for Flounder
The Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus), otherwise known as the Killifish, or Killie - The Best Fishing Bait for Flounder, or Fluke
A Close-up view of a Killifish, or Killie
A Fisherman Holds A Flounder, Taken Off Of The Southern New Jersey Coast Near Tuckerton, New Jersey
Looking for Lunch Off The Jersey Coast
A Fisherman Fillets A Fresh Caught Flounder Taken From The Coastal Waters of Southern New Jersey
Almost Ready For The Pan
"Fuggettoboutit!..."...New Jersey Slang for Even a Slow Day of Fishing is a Great Day On The Water
“Fuggettoboutit!…”…New Jersey Slang for Even a Slow Day of Fishing is a Great Day…
The Fish Story III, A Fishing Boat Found At Dry Dock at The Maritime Marina in Tuckerton, New Jersey
Nothing Left But A Fish Story!
“If I fished only to capture fish, my fishing trips would have ended long ago.” – Zane Grey