Off the Grid

E-mail. Facebook. Cell phone. Texts. Twitter. Instant Messenger. Blogging. My profession seems to demand my connectivity. In general, I'm a pretty efficient communicator, so I mostly don't mind. I'm not usually a slave to these tools, in fact they make it easier to do my job.

But...

I'm headed off the grid in a very short while. To places without WiFi, and in fact where often even cell phones don't work. And I'm looking forward to it. Yes, I'll definitely check in, but it will require a conscious decision to find a place with service. I already know that several of my favorite UP fishing spots DON'T have cell service. I may visit those first.

Ahhhh. More tales next week - with pictures!

-Sean-

Rip n' Strip

Headed to the PM tomorrow night for a day of "business fishing"(hey, I don't golf...) on Thursday. I'd been wondering what the plan was -- this was originally booked as a guided steelhead trip, but there's not much chrome in the PM these days. Just talked to the friend/media partner who put this together and he found out from the guide that the plan is primarily stripping streamers for trout! AWESOME! I set-up sink tips in 6- and 8-weight configurations over the winter. I've done a little technique research online, and did a quick demo in a class last year, but nothing beats getting out and doing it on the water! Eager to get out and do it.

After I get off the river, I'll then be headed north to the Upper Peninsula. This is the annual Spring trip with my Dad, Uncle, and assorted friends. Talked to my Dad on Sunday -- rivers are low, but he managed to land a steelhead and a brown. As of now, I'm thinking it might be time for some exploration off the beaten path (or at least to new places for US). Was doing some reading on the middle section of the Escanaba, which looks interesting. Also considering a trek to the Two Hearted in a couple of spots.

On the way home, if weather permits and there's a good hatch on, I'll likely do a bit of the Holy Waters of the AuSable. Always had good luck here in the past and it's very pleasant on a Spring evening.

Should be a blast! Now to get my work and packing done!

-Sean-

Whole New World

After my brief introduction to fly tying, I am completely overwhelmed -- but in a good way. Just walking into a fly shop with a good selection of tying supplies seems to knock the little hamster right off the treadmill in my brain.

So many favorite patterns I want to figure out how to tie -- Hendrickson's, Sulfurs, little black Stoneflies, BWO's, various egg patterns. Stopped at Nomad Anglers on Saturday morning where I finally secured the elusive green d-rib for tying green caddis nymphs. But, I also picked up a really comprehensive book on tying techniques and patterns. One piece of advice they had was not to get overwhelmed -- learn to tie 3-4 basics. Then add to your repertoire. I think this is good advice. Toward that end, I think I'll focus on these four:

1. Egg flies -- it's still steelhead season for at least a little while, and I want to have my program DIALED for these come Fall.


2. Wolly Buggers -- easy to tie, plus solid for summer trout and smallies. A big Huron River fave.


3. Green caddis nymphs -- always had good luck on these, and now I have the materials for them.


4. Grey Drake Parachute or Adams Parachute -- having a dry in the mix forces me to up my game and this is a solid all-around pattern.

Naturally I've already picked the next four. But I'm hoping I can spend the next month or two getting these down. Plus, a nice supply of these four will get me a solid start on summer!

-Sean-

First Aid

Eerie experience on my way home last night. Was an early arrival to the scene where a man had jumped from a highway overpass. I don't think details are necessary -- you can likely imagine them for yourself.

For a while I've been thinking I should renew some of my First Aid/CPR certifications, since it's been a LONG time. Last night's scene put some more motivation onto that feeling. I find myself in plenty of places where having some training could prevent a bad situation from degrading into a disaster.

This is kind of the missing link in my Boy Scout "Be Prepared" ways. I'm usually way overprepared for my outdoor adventures -- extra layers, waterproof gear, etc. And, I'm usually thinking things like, "What if it's colder than the forecast?" or "...if that rain turns to snow....". But what if something injury happens to me or my companions? That's a significant missing element in my plan.

So, I think it's off to the Red Cross web site. I think a basic First Aid/CPR class will be a good start. Probably a good idea for anyone.

-Sean-

WTF?

On my last couple of treks to the PM, I've gone west on M-20 from my buddy's place outside Mt. Pleasant. This takes me past a couple of BIG pieces of land surrounded by fences -- both identified as game ranches. This intrigues me, as the game ranch hunt is one I've never understood.

These places charge a premium to basically shoot fish in a barrel. Of course you shot a monster buck -- it was caged in by 14' high fences! And yes, you can practice excellent QDMA to grow bigger deer and cull out the smaller ones when you have total environmental and feeding control. Naturally the new MI DNR ban on baiting was the result of finding issues in some deer on one of these ranches.

I've heard other stories of folks who shot exotic animals like buffalo that were brought in to one of these ranches. I find this even more odd. I have a friend who hunts big game - but he TRAVELS to places like Wyoming, Montana, or Mexico to do so. He doesn't have one planted in Caseville, roll out on a quad and shoot it. In my opinion, a part of the appeal of a hunt is going to a place and tracking that animal.

One of the ranches I passed was this place in Bitely, MI (just south of Baldwin). So, being the curious sort, I poked around their web site. WEIRD. Not one of the testimonials is from a MI client. Then there's the clear undertone of the Christian experience. So, your God wanted you to hunt one of his creatures with the unfair advantages of a ranch environment?

Everyone's got their own thing, but I wouldn't take anyone over the age of 10 to a trout farm - how is this different?

-Sean-

Evolution

One part of Sunday's change-up on the river was that I broke out the Chuck-n-Duck rig for a bit after lunch. Didn't have much luck in the morning, and I figured maybe the issue was that I wasn't really getting down to the fish. Plus, I had it with me, so what the heck?

The primary criticism of C&D is that it's not "real" fly fishing as it uses a bunch of weight and a running line, rather than a floating fly line. Ordinarily, I don't get swayed much by "real fly fishing"discussions as they're usually tech weenie esoteric elitist bullshit. But in this case I just found I was enjoying it less than fishing my indy rig. Roll casting is more fun for me, and I'm actually better able to deliver the fly to where I want it, while avoiding overhanging branches and other obstacles.

Plus, the other name for C&D is "bottom bouncing". While that's all cool on more unobstructed rivers with gravel or sand bottoms, the PM is full of downed timber and other hazards - part of what makes it a great fishery. Within a half hour I'd already lost more flies and split shot than I did the balance of the day on the indy rig.

After a short stint, it was back to the truck for the indy rod. MUCH better, went right back into the zone!

I suppose I should take all of this as a sign of growth. After all, C&D was my introduction to steelheading. For the first couple of years it was the only way I'd ever caught fish. But, over the past year, with the guidance of some good teachers coupled with some hours on the water, I've graduated to indy fishing as my main tool. All in all, I must say this feels like an accomplishment.

Tight lines!

-Sean-

Mixing Up the Program

Decided to shuffle the deck on the PM yesterday. Been reading Rober Traver's "Trout Magic" and a recent story mentioned that most fishermen return to the familiar. When I started at my usual spot, though only two trucks in the lot, there were several folks out on the river, plus some guide boats.

Initially, I decided to move fast through this area working around the others I encountered. But then it occured to me to move to the end. Gleason's Landing is the end of the flywaters (and of most guided float trips) so I decided to move down there early, then jump back up the river later. Turned out to be a decent strategy. Far fewer folks at Gleason's. Then after lunch I moved up to the Ledge Hole access to work that. As I was rigging up in the parking lot four guys walked out. Those were the last people I saw all afternoon!

I really enjoyed getting out of the comfort zone and finding some other good spots. As an added bonus, I haven't been back to the Ledge access since taking my little unplanned January swim a couple years back. So, I needed to conquer it -- which I did. Seeing it now I can see how I stepped into it; but I'm amazed how much I've learned since then. My wading skills are MUCH better now!

Found some nice fishy spots. I think some will be especially good for summer trout on dries and nymphs. While I had a few strikes, and a chase from one sizable brown, my only catch was a little rainbow. Hey, better than getting skunked, right?

-Sean-