Here, There and Everywhere.....

My, keeping a blog can fall behind quite easily.....

Here's a quick look at the past month to try and get us caught up to present date.

Our Spey clinic with instructor Aaron Goodis went fabulous!

Day one's group paying close attention to Aaron's demo.

Taking a break and getting ready to enjoy a BBQ lunch.

Even Colby had to take a lunch break.

The crew.

After a full weekend of Spey casting on the river, a day of fishing in a nearby interior lake was starting to sound pretty darn good....

The weather had been hot and there was rumor of the lakes icing off.  So I packed my Spratley and chironomid box, excited to spend the day with my best friend; a man that has been by my side through and through, Matt Moisley.

Matt is quite possibly the most unbelievable still water angler I have ever met.  If you see this guy on the water, pay close attention.  You may just learn a thing or two.....

Yup....This one goes waaayyy back.

First lake of the season!

C'mon girl, you can do it!

Wimp.

The fishing was surprisingly good (though it was more of a quantity vs. quality sort of day).

Cute little guy.....

The chironomid buffet.

Another feisty bow.

Wow.  Such a loser.

>From here, it was off to Oklahoma (don't ask).  It wasn't in my plans to do any fishing while I was there, but when offered the opportunity to slay some large mouth in a small pond, you know I couldn't resist!

Poppers and hooker boots, I was supposed to be going out for dinner, so it's fair to say that I wasn't dressed for the occasion.  Damn near fell out of the boat trying to land this one!

Large Mouth on a popper.  What a blast!  (Randy Imel photo)

>From here it was off to Terrace to try our luck at some steel and fresh chrome.

My dear friend Andrea had never caught a steelhead before and I just had to pop her cherry, so I invited her along to join me for the sixteen hour drive.

We laughed and sang the whole way up North, eager to hang out with good friend Rob Vodola who lived close by to the Kitimat river.

Rob's one of those guys who'll put a smile on your face even when you feel like drowning the rest the world.

The fishing ended up being incredibly slow, but the entertainment was anything but that.  Andrea ended up getting her first steelhead, and though it wasn't on the fly rod, it made my trip!

Bringing a whole new meaning to 'Fly Gal'.  This is what 16 hours of highway will bring ya....(April Vokey photo).

Loading up!

Mission accomplished!  (Noel Gyger photo)

Rob working the jet (April Vokey photo).

Ummmm, I think somebody stole my spot.  (Rob Vodola photo)

(April Vokey photo)

So I gave BC a quick kiss goodbye and hopped on a flight to.....Arkansas!

I'm still currently hangin' in Deliverance country and must admit that it is quite intriguing!  Armadillos, boars, tarantulas, ticks (never did I think I would have to endure nightly checks for ticks!), and road kill decorating the highways like no state I have ever seen.....

There's more to come on this, as I have a feeling I'll be kicking it here for most of my summer.

An Arkansas trout.

A little critter I rescued from the roadkill central highway and placed out of harms way (April Vokey photo).

So, there you have it.  Caught up with this blogging thing!  Stay tuned for some new updates, opinions and adventures.

Squeal like a pig!

A Shout Out!

It wouldn’t be right of me to have a blog for fly gals, and not give a shout out to some true fly gals!

K8 rocking the fish dance (Michael Davidchik photo).

I’ll name but a few, make sure you check out their sites!

I remember the first time I met my girlfriend Kate (aka K8). I was beat and trying desperately to get a classic fly finished when her loud laugh shook me up. “Who wants a Caesar!?” She was just in from off the water and was ready to bust out the vodka.

For the past three years I had made the Hilltop Hostel in Spence’s Bridge my home while fishing the Thompson River in below zero temperatures. Another female presence was rare, and though she was welcome, she startled the hell out of me and several other guys around the tying table.

Kate soon proved that like the rest of us, she was crazy about fishing. Not casting, or meeting guys, or any of the lame garbage that one too many people use fishing as an excuse for; nope, Kate simply loved to fish.

K8 in Alaska

It didn’t take long for me to decide that this was a gal I sincerely wanted to be a part of both my fishing crew and my life.

Kate had started a site called ‘Rogue Angels’. The site was pimped and truly devoted to the bad-ass female anglers who braved harsh weather conditions and equally harsh scrutiny. I loved it.

Yeah, Kate had me at “Whew, tough fishing out there…”

Check out Rogue Angels http://www.rogueangels.net/

Then there’s Ade. Adrienne and I go way back. As girly as they come, Adrienne won my heart when I met her working the counter at Michael and Young Fly Shop. She had the cutest giggle, the slightest lisp, and the most absurd collection of fishing hats I had ever seen! Ade was a breath of fresh air in a male dominated sport, so I suppose it was only natural that we’d exchange numbers with the intent of wetting a line together.

Adrienne on the lake.

We spent days laughing, crying and jumping up and down like school girls on the river bank. We were a team, and a fierce one at that. To write about Ms. Comeau would take hours so I’ll let her tell you her story in her own words… Check out her blog at http://www.thefemaleangle.com/

Last but not least, there’s my girl Hannah. I first saw Hannah while jetting by her on a river in Northern BC. Her hair blew into the wind and her face was serious. Her eyes followed me as I passed by. I knew exactly who she was. The woman in the Simms catalogue with the intense stare and the enviable fishery on the Damdochax River. The fly-fishing industry is small, and the female population is even smaller. We pulled in to say hello.

It took her a sec to uncross her arms, and I watched her size me up. Yup, I’d heard about this one. Strong, hard-core and no bullshit, I must have looked like a freakin’ Barbie doll stepping out to meet her. I shook her hand and was sincere when I said, “Nice to meet you.” She smiled. Man, she had a beautiful smile! Hmmm…..she wasn’t so scary. I made a mental note to shoot her an email when I got home.

Several months later, Hannah and I were headed on a trip to the States to wail on some winter steelhead. She entertained me on the long drive with stories of life, love and, of course, steelhead. Very few people steal my heart, but I can sincerely say that Hannah did just that. The damn girl stole my heart.

Love that smile!

Her site is awesome and is great for ladies looking to network and catch up on the latest gear reviews. I highly recommend checking it out!

Oh, the Bow!

Now you know while I was in Calgary I couldn’t let the Bow River rest without ripping on the mouths of a few trout!

Check out our trip and short teaser of our new show Fly Nation!

http://www.canflyfish.com/2009/VidFNTrailer.as

The Bow River at a distance.

If you’ve read my previous blog entry, you’ll know that I was in Calgary at the Bass Pro Shops opening several weeks ago.  Between the hoards of people and countless fish stories, I had to clear my mind with a little angling.

Ape ready to do a little angling (Josh Nugent photo).

The river was blown, but the fish were still somewhat game, so we loaded into Josh Nugent’s boat (Out Fly Fishing Outfitters  www.bowrivercanada.com) and began our long drift.

The Clack (Josh Nugent photo).

We were alongside good friends Nick Pujic and Paul Castellano, and between the three of us, we shared a combined sleep of three hours.  Needless to say, it was a deliriously fun day.

Ape and Castellano enjoying the drift (Josh Nugent photo).

Paul hooked and landed several trout, and I stupidly popped the hook out of my first monster brown (that was a sick feeling).

Gonna get you.....

It didn’t take any of us long to realize that Josh was an unbelievable guide, as he patiently rowed out our snags, put us into fish, and made me practise my bladder control with his witty humour.

Our guide Josh doubled as a comedian for the day (Paul Castellano photo).

Josh showing us how it's done (Paul Castellano photo).

It was an awesome day with some of the best people I know, and I’m chomping at the bits to get back……

Me kicking Pujic's ass (trying to anyway)........

For more info on fishing the Bow River, contact Josh Nugent at www.bowrivercanada.com or josh@outflyfishingoutfitters.com

He is truly one of the best guides I have had the pleasure of fishing with, and I sincerely recommend him.

See you on the water,