Wildfire threatens to cast shadow on Colorado summer

Officials worry that the mammoth High Park blaze -- now only 10% contained -- could burn all summer, devastating not only the state's air and water quality, but also its $10-billion annual tourism industry.

LINK (via: The LA Times)

Get your fly rods and fire hoses ready.

Rogue Alaska glacier getting people's attention

Photo: Chris Larsen

Income that Yakutat guides depend on from guiding for Situk River steelhead could be threatened if the Hubbard Glacier rams into Gilbert Point closing Russel Fiord. 

“It gets close many years at this time,” Larsen said. “This is closer than usual, but, on the other hand, there have been predictions made before about it closing off and it did not. When it does close, and if it stays closed, then that will be a very big deal and a real bummer for a lot of people.”

LINK (Via: SitNews)

March sucks

The PNW gets a bit of rain in March, but damn.  This is getting old.

Thank God for Andros South - the end of the month can't get here soon enough.  It's been a few years since I mindlessly glassed the water for bones.  Hope I don't fuck up. 

Hatches so big they'll bitch-slap a weatherman!

At approximately 9:13 pm on Saturday May, 29th, a Mayfly hatch of biblical proportions hit the upper Mississippi.  Trout were unavailable for comment.  Via Minnesota Public Radio

"It was the perfect storm of conditions for fish"

The Wall Street Journal takes a stab at understanding our finned friends in the Pacific.

"The main reason for the population surge, scientists here say, is a brief period of cooling in the Northern Pacific ocean in 2008. Cooler currents brought in fatter plankton, which salmon and steelhead smolts thrive on, said ODFW spokesman Rick Swart. Temperatures have since warmed up again."

Rain Coast beatdown

Smolt and Rathbun just got back from the annual post Bellevue fly show boondoggle.  We took everything Mother Nature threw and with the help of Raincoast Guides Jim Kerr, we had another ridiculously good time.

It started out unseasonably delicious.

 

   

 

Jim Kerr - the Olympic Peninsula's premier source of fishingenuity and the most entertaining drift jockey we know.  Note to self - never swig whiskey during a Kerr'ism.  It's not nearly as smooth when it shoots out your nose.

 

Before surrender, this dime induced a pleasant 100 yard shuffle up the MIDDLE of the Duc.

 

Which inspired some flask attention.

  

Just in time to prepare us for a climactic slap to the face.