At least its nice to look at

I went for a walk through the woods yesterday.
The fall colours were inspiring against the blue sky, the air was crisp and clear and I saw loads fo wildlife.
The solitude was good for the soul and the peace and quiet really gave me some great time to think and unwind.
....If only I hadn't brought the fishing rod.

The river is a swamp

There are fish in it and it was cool to watch the salmon spawn. I should've shot some video...I don't know what I was thinking. The water was gin clear and it look liked they were hovering over the redds.


I did manage to catch some fish but they were all wee little egg theives. They are pretty in their own right but I am dying for some real sport especially after being teased with some early season Steelie histrionics a few weeks back.

There was rain in the forecast and I had booked some leave around it but it looks like mother nature is giving us the old up and under again.

Very frustrating.

On top of the shit weather it looks like my son has become the latest flu victim.
We called the school this morning and they told us that there are 17 kids off today and that 33% of all grade school kids were off with this shit last week.

I used to love OCtober....

Pretty Thin..

Well,
Make the best with what you've got I suppose.
After the success I had the other day I was dying to get out again....
However...
Kimi had half a day of teaching today which kind of euchred me.
I would never complain.
We can really use the extra dough and I know she feels good about getting back to work.

I am usually a morning person when it comes to fishing but you do what you gotta do.
The river was really dropping and I knew that if I didn't get in there today I would have to wait for the next big rain.
....So I have the gear in the car and the waders on when she gets home from school.
Kiss on the cheek and I am gone...LOL
She is a good girl.
I didn't get to the waters edge until 2ish and it wasn't pretty.
Very Skinny...
The fish would be hunkered down in the deep pools and most likely unco-operative.
I was all alone again today.
Morin was again... working..ugh...useless.
I was the only one stupid enough to fish these conditions.
The walk through the woods was very pleasant even though I had to bushwhack a bit to get where I was going.

It is a much easier go in there when the snow has crushed everything...but no one said it was easy.
I caught more fish than I thought I would but they were mostly single year fish or parr. I tried to be as gentle as I could with them and only took one picture.

The future looks very bright.

Lots of spawning salmon....loose salmon....but I didn't have the heart to.
It took me until the end of the day to land a decent fish.

Sometimes the trip to the river is about perseverance and 1 or 2 good opportunities.
Quite a contrast from the previous trip but I enjoyed today just as much in its own way.
I am just happy to be out there doin it.
This beauty and I hooked up at right around 6:30 pm ...which is I think the latest I have ever caught one of these fish.
I think that I can relax a bit now.

The fish are here and all is right with the world....at least my world...knocking on wood....

I am glad the water will be shit for the meathunters this weekend...
4 days of rain in the long term....
:o)

Sent To Me Via Email

I finally got around to going fishing this morning but after a while I ran out of worms.

Then I saw a cottonmouth with a frog in his mouth, and frogs are good bass bait.

Knowing the snake couldn't bite me with the frog in his mouth, I grabbed him

Right behind the head, took the frog and put it in my bait bucket.

Now the dilemma was how to release the snake without getting bit.

I grabbed my bottle of Jack Daniels and poured a little whiskey in its mouth.

His eyes rolled back, he went limp, I released him into the lake without incident, And carried on my fishing with the frog.

A little later I felt a nudge on my foot.

There was that same snake with two frogs in his mouth.

A Little Bored Today...

Avery is napping so I threw this together...
I can't get the river out of my mind.

Untitled from Gene Norland on Vimeo.

I'll send this out to my workaholic buddy mired in the plastic/human quagmire....
Oh to win the lotto...

Gobble Gobble

In a way I was dreading today.


The home river was probably going to drop into shape for the first time this year....on a Stat Holiday....with no rain
I figured it would be a freak show.


Sometimes you just can't call it. The water was less than optimum and I didn't run into a soul on the river today.


I mean I bumped into a couple of guys on the trail but I don't even think they were fishing. Weird....but I'll take it.

Anyway... I caught a few fish and it felt really nice to get back on the horse.


Last year winter came early and I am determined to savour this fall as much as I can.
This is a cool little release clip which would look better on Vimeo...but Vimeo and I are not getting along.
I was 0 for 5 to start the day and this little beauty took all the weight off.
October Chrome can really put the hurt on ya and I got schooled a few times today.

I made a concerted effort to stop and look around at the colours.
I really do live in a beautiful corner of the world.

I saw Morins Bald Eagle today and just missed it with the camera.
Truly amazing.


I was flying solo today...which is alright. Morin is working his ass off and with every fish I hooked my heart went out to him.

As gay as it sounds...the river is not the same without him. ...Even though he is a POS.


Great start to the season.

Kim is teaching tomorrow and I have Avery all day by myself.....could be very interesting
lol
I had better get some sleep.

Golf Alpha Yankee

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I don't what happened to Kimis mouth but she still looks cool...blood and all...and man what moves...

Not much going on fish wise yet.

The home river needs one more good bump of rain....

I fished it yesterday for about 15 frustrating minutes...3 suckers and a beautiful PARR..
That little fella just about brought me to tears....

I fished a wee farther north and managed a smolt and a beat up old boot of a KING but that was it.

Harv made out way better than I ...good on him...that POS....
He was only about a km downstream to boot.

The day was rife with drama which is typical for my life...the kids are sick and I got home from my trip just in time to take an OT midnight shift which just about killed me.
Make hay while the sun shines indeed...and pray for rain...

I am in the next 3 days for Union Management meetings....

I just threw up a bit in my mouth....