I fish it a variety of ways. Often I will fish it with a double nymph rig as the bottom fly fishing it deep with the aid of split shot. In the spring I like to use it as a dropper off an adult Skwala Stonefly pattern on rivers that have that hatch and fish it in the top foot of the water column. It will work all year I am sure but my focus during the summer seems to shift to the many other hatches that take place and my use of this midge pattern takes a back seat.

Midges though are a popular winter staple for trout as they do hatch in many locations all year. Even on a cold winter day, the mid day sun can warm things up enough to bring about a midge hatch that will bring even the most lethargic of cold blooded trout to the surface.

This pattern is basically a Zebra Midge with a few slight modifications. It’s simple to tie, and has for the last couple years been my top fish catching pattern on a variety of rivers.

Figure 1-I usually tie this pattern on hooks size #18 or smaller. This one is on a #18 TMC 2457.

Figure 2-Push a 2mm nickel bead onto the hook.

Figure 3-Lay a base of black thread then I tie in a short tail of a few grizzly hackle fibers. Midges do not have a tail like a mayfly but I tie this with a few fibers at the end as I like to think it gives a little wiggle to the end of the fly.

Figure 4 – Tie in a short section of fine silver wire and advance the thread to the head of the fly building a slight taper with the thread as you go.

Figure 5 – Make evenly spaced wraps with the wire up to the head and tie off with the thread.

Figure 6 – Tie in a small loop of Iridescent Krystal Flash. Then whip finish and drop some head cement on the head and a little on the body of the fly.

Figure 7 – The finished product.

All spring and much of the summer we had been watching deer cross through our barnyard on their way to and from the alfalfa fields. There were several nice bucks in the bunch. At first I thought I wouldn’t want to go after a deer right in our backyard… but as the elk season was coming to a close and we still didn’t have any meat to put in the freezer, I began to look at  those deer as fair game! So for the next two weeks, I began the quest to put meat on the dinner table. It seemed at first that it would be a simple staight forward hunt… but I soon found that these deer were not tame… nor were they dumb! If I sat by the gate near the Russian Olive trees in the morning, they’d show up over by the horse corral, 200 yards away. So I’d switch and sit by the horse corral… they’d show up over by the Russian Olive trees. This is the way it played out , morning and evening… until it had dwindled down to two days left in the archery season.

At this point I had given up trying to use any kind of stratgem and was just hoping for a doe to come by haphazardly. The season would end on Wednesday… on Sunday evening we were relaxing in the easy chairs when I happened to glance out the window and could just make out the shapes of deer in the fading light. They were gliding through the barnyard on their way to the thick Russian Olive trees. There were two does, two fawns,  one spike, a forked horn , and a decent three point.

looking out the window we saw the deer pass through just at last light of the day.

I tossed and turned most of the night, visions of those deer dancing through my head. Gary got up at 5:00 for his morning jog.  I sat munching my cold cereal, arguing with myself over the futility of trying to intercept one of those deer… finally disgusted with the argument, I put my spoon down, plucked my bow off the rack and headed out to the horse corral!

After about an hour of shivering in the cold morning, the faint light of dawn began to bring shapes into focus. I’d been staring for some time at the dark line of trees when I realized the faint outline of gray was a deer! I was so sure that the does would show up first that it took awhile to register on my brain that the deer was the nice 3 point buck! I soon made out three other deer farther back in the shadows. They were about 70 yards away, and feeding very slowly toward me. I had brought the video camera, so decided to focus on getting some footage of the deer to calm my nerves and occupy my mind while I waited for them to feed within bow range. There were two fawns in the bunch and they began to jump and play, chasing each other around the sage brush… it was a beautiful sight… Then things got a little dicey as a forked horn came up my side of the ditch, seemed to catch my movement and penned me with his eyes for what felt like an eternity! He finally decided the movement wasn’t threatening and began feeding about 17 yards away. I had hoped to get an opportunity to take the 3 point… but it looked like this little forked horn was wanting to end up on our dinner plate! I figured I’d have to take him if he kept coming, for he’d soon see me and bust everything wide open. I was waiting for him to turn broadside, when suddenly he threw up his head and stared up the hill for a few seconds. then turned and jumped across the ditch and disappeared down the other side. I eased back down from my knees and glanced up the ditch bank hoping the 3 point was still there. He was… still calmly feeding, unconcerned. Mouth dry and palms sweating I put the range finder on him… 28 yards… very doable… but he was quartering slightly toward me. Heart pounding, I watched and waited… I felt transfixed as I saw him slowly turn and present a perfect quartering away shot! All the universe seemed to go into slow motion… I drew, anchored, settled the pin, squeezed the release…thwack! Instantly everything sprang into fast forward, deer bounding away, disappearing over the side of the ditch bank… then total quiet. I sat stunned… the emotions overwhelmed me. I felt sure the shot had gone true, and I was so grateful! I finally got up on shaking legs, still flooded with emotion…

as I began to walk toward the spot I’d last seen the buck I caught movement from the trees and saw the forked horn coming back up the ditch bank towards me! It was very interesting behavior he displayed,,, he’d walk towards me staring straight at me, then turn and look back in the direction he’d come. Farther out in the field I saw one of the fawns prancing around in one spot looking intently at something on the ground. The grass was too tall to see, but I was hoping it was my buck! I didn’t want to spook the forked horn and fawn so I just stood and waited for them to lose their curiousity. They finally wandered off, and I went up the ditch bank, finding good bright red blood! I followed the blood to the edge of the tall grass and looking through a little opening in the grass spotted the yellow and green fletching of my arrow, and a gray shadow on the ground! Even though I was quite sure I’d made a good hit… the relief flooded through me…

A good sight to see...

Curious little forked horn

I'm glad I got footage of him ...what a beautiful deer he was!

Now the work began! I had never field dressed an animal without Gary’s help, and I wanted to know that I could take care of it if I was all by myself… so I rolled up my sleves and dug in! Two and a half hours later, tired, bloody and sweaty I had all the meat in the house ready to proccess… it was a very rewarding feeling! Very similar to the feeling you get when all the vegtables and fruits of the garden are harvested,and preserved for wonderful feasting during the long cold winter.

Fruits of the labor!

This might have been  a backyard hunt…. but to me it was filled with excitement being the first deer I’ve taken with a bow… and the first one field dressed without anyone there to help me! It had all the elements of a high adventure!

Sue’s Gear:

Diamond Razor Edge Bow Packages
Bushnell Yardage Pro Sport 4 Rangefinder

Trophy Ridge Quick Shot Whisker Biscuit Arrow Rest

This post sponsored by:

For many years, no matter what was going on in Cody’s life, it must have been nice in knowing that there would be one constant – he would be unsuccessful in drawing an antelope tag. It’s nice to be able count on things. But, this was the year he knew he would be drawing a tag, and we all wondered how he would cope with that one constant in his life taken away. I believed he would find a way to survive.

Opening day rolled around and Cody found himself with his dad and a childhood friend who also drew a tag. Rifle season in Oregon lands smack in the middle of August, promising miserably hot weather in the eastern Oregon desert. Traversing many miles, the trio joked that no one would cover more miles than them to get an antelope. The problem, however, was that antelope were showing themselves to be more scarce than it would seem possible. As the sun set on the opener, they finally found a small antelope that satisfied Cody’s friend and they were on the board. The season is remarkably short, and work was forcing Cody’s hand. He hadn’t waited twelve years to eat tag soup, but he had one more day and decided he didn’t want to spend half of it driving as far as they had the previous day. So, taking a chance, he and his father, Ray, hit a spot close to home that has always been a favorite deer hunting spot. Hiking a fence line, they spotted a lone antelope 400 yards away and lined the binos up on it – a buck!

At that much of a distance it was tough to get a real good guess on the buck’s size, but Cody decided it was one he would be happy with, and proceeded to settle in for the long shot. The following pictures tell the rest of the story:

Cody with his antelope that was 12 years in the making.

Cody's hunting partner - and father - Ray Waldo with Cody's 'lope.

Good mass - total net 74 inches.

Picture: Stacey Huston

Somehow, the early morning sunlight has a way of lifting one’s spirits on cold days like these. Crystalline frozen air sparkles all around me as I emerge from my makeshift shelter. Pine and fir tree boughs lashed together with now frozen willow bark and covered with a thick layer of forest debris make up the bulk of my shelter. A rock fire pit blackened by fire still holds heat from the night before and I nurse the coals back to life. My elk skin clothes are frozen stiff from the wet snow the day before, and will take hours to dry out once this fire warms the inside of my lean to shelter. The creek is covered with a thin coat of ice at the place where I take my ritual morning bath; I quickly slip out of my long johns and dive headfirst into the frozen water. As soon as my body enters the water, the breath escapes me and the bite of nearly frozen water engulfs my entire being. I retreat from the water like an icicle torpedo and practically dive back into my long handles. Somewhere I read that the Native American warriors used to perform this ritual every day in order to toughen their bodies and keep themselves at the height of health. As I shiver near my now seemingly heat free fire I wonder if this is only some ancient lie conjured up just to see if anyone would be stupid enough to actually try it. I am certain of my abilities to survive in the wild places with whatever nature will provide me, and realize that no matter what I think of my abilities while undertaking these adventures of self-testing and awareness. I could easily fall victim to any number of accidents, predators or natural disasters. So why would I dive into frozen water on a cold November day thirty miles from the nearest trailhead. And sixty miles from the closest civilization. No, I am not entirely crazy, nor am I completely without common sense or brain function. I am simply one of those individuals who find the need to try to duplicate the ancient ways of doing things whenever I can. Sometimes to test myself and see if I can actually do the things as ancient peoples may have done them, and sometimes to find that practicality wins over modern inventions even after thousands of years. For example, I use a lighter or matches to start fire most of the time, but always carry a bow and drill or flint and steel as backup. Years ago, I fell into a river and nearly died of hypothermia, my lighter and matches were so wet I could not use them. Luckily, my flint and steel were still functioning and I was able to build a huge fire and save myself. Once while surviving in the Montana wilderness I was able to build snares out of braided tree bark and trap snowshoe hares and grouse in order to feed myself, when game was too scarce for hunting with my bow. A fish trap built from willows has staved off starvation while living in the wilds after a big snow pushed all the wild game to lower elevations. Sometimes ancient ways are still the best chance for comfort and survival while chasing adventure in the wild places.

Hawk a/ho

I know whitetail hunters especially do a lot of waiting in trees, in blinds, over trails, on water holes etc, because I’ve done a little bit of that.  I’ve even done a little of it while hunting elk, but its not the mode of hunting elk that most prefer.  You’re trying to find the herds before light and then keeping them upwind you’re either calling them back to you or stalking them waiting for them to respond to your call or you getting into position to get a shot.  Then you feel the first movement of wind that is not right and you know if you don’t get out of there, you are going to move this herd into the next county when it gets a wiff of you.

Then comes that question, ‘what do I do while the wind changes?’ Your hunt is for all practical purposes over for a couple hours till the wind again has some sense of stability.

I’ve seen others do a few things and I have done some of them myself.  Take a nap? Not a bad idea if the weather is right or if you aren’t to sweaty and the air is cold.  Read a book?  This is OK and I’ve done it but in one sense I don’t like it as it puts you in a totally different atmosphere then what the hunt has you in.  I’m not a good mental multi task er.  Play electronic games? (noise turned off).  This is a least favorite way to pass the time, but I’ve seen others that do it and still stay on their toes.  It is a good time to lunch and access the morning hunt and if you are with someone else, you can exchange a few hunting stories, as there seems to be no end to them.

Just wondering what others out there do during this time of day.  Certainly I’m not the only one out there waiting for the wind to change.

The last evening of the last day of our bow elk season found Sue and I sitting over a water hole, not by choice but it was about the only alternative we had left with the winds swirling as they were.  We had already busted 3 herds with the wind that day as it was, so felt maybe it would be a little more stable down in this hole.  We set up 40 plus yard from the water to give us as much cushion as I felt comfortable with.  Then we sat, and the mind started ambling, and rambling, and it wasn’t always on the water hole in front of us.

What went wrong this year? Why are we going to be eating some store bought meat this winter? We hunted more locations this year then we have in the past, all good prospects for success.  Yeah, the weather was hot on some days, but over the entire season I think it was cooler then normal.  Then it hit me just how many times this year I rolled the dice and lost every time.  Is this just me or is it elk hunting, and the very thing that draws me back every year? If I won every time I went out, would it still hold the appeal to me that it does?

At location # 1, twice we had an elk bugle, one time within 100 yards.  Both times they responded to my calling but both were moving away.  Both times I gambled and backed out afraid I would push them out of the country, as I wanted them to come to me.  It would have been a gamble to push them but looking back I like those odds better.

Location #2,  the boys had been in there 10 days before and although they hadn’t scored, they had all kinds of action.  So we thought things had settled down enough to give it another shot.  We hunted from dark to dark and saw and heard absolutely no elk.  Finding elk in itself is a gamble.  They are nomads in a sense and just because they are here today gives no promise for tomorrow.

Location #3 was the area that I was saving for closer to the time of the rut and for which I had very high expectations.  It seems that during the rut the elk like to rendezvous in this farmers field and then head back into the hills early in the AM.  My plan was to be up in the canyon about 4 miles and do the ambush thing when they come by.  We started up the ridge a little later then we wanted to but I was still shocked when we got to the base of the ridge and there off 500 yards was a lone six point bull heading for the fields.  I believe looking back I could fairly easily have cut him off as the ambush favored my approach, but I rolled the dice on the AM hunt being the better hunt.  To multiply my loses on this gamble, we hadn’t went up the ridge a half mile and in our hurry kicked out one of the most interesting bulls I’ve ever seen.  70 yards ahead of us this dark chocolate bull bailed out and headed around us for the fields.  This bull had antlers that were about 40 – 48 inches long, just as big at the top as they were at the bottom, and no tines, just some inconsistencies.  How I would have loved to have had that trophy.  We slept under the stars that night and listened to the sweet sounds of the bugles and dreamed of a sure thing at the harvest table in the morning.  I was already counting my winnings. The next morning was reality time as the wind foiled us again as we heard down canyon about 200 yards some barks when they winded us and went up and out or our draw.  We were losers again.  That was being a 3 time loser in less then 14 hours.

Location #4 was were I was sitting and thinking all this.  This day we had gambled and got aggressive and ended up bumping them 3 different times.  So my last card was played at the water hole that evening, and we lost again. 

I know this sounds like we are a couple of losers in the elk hunting gambling game but we are addicted.  We can’t wait for next year to roll around and try our hands again at the tables of the mountains, the valleys, the forests and even the deserts, because I think I know how to stack the deck in my favor next year.  Yes I’m a dreamer, but I prefer it that way.

It’s no secret that electronics and water don’t mix well, and it’s equally known that hunting and wet weather frequently pair off as partners. As more and more sportsmen get into the act of filming their outdoor excursions, one problem repeatedly raises its head: what do you do when trying to film in inclement weather?

The answer is not simple, and it’s not all inclusive, but together, with a little luck and timing, you can still capture the moment in spite of mother nature.

Have a Plan

The Boy Scouts know what they’re talking about. The quickest route to success is to simply have a plan. In this instance that means a few obvious details: check the weather report, charge batteries, organize your equipment, and expect wet weather even when the forecast says hot and dry. The big deal here is organizing your equipment so that you have quick access to your gear protection. For us, gear protection is a plastic bag we’ve cut to fit our camera and rubber bands to hold it in place. You may laugh, but we constantly hear people complain about the waterproof case they bought for their cameras…we’ve never had a problem with our model, and what’s more – if ours gets old and worn out, we grab another one from the pantry. Regardless of how you choose to protect your equipment, it is important to have quick access to it in case the moisture comes quick and heavy.

Quality Not Quantity

Under normal conditions, you will want to keep that camera rolling as much as you can – you might think you can re-enact a scene or stage a setup, but the reality is, it is never pulled off with the success the creator thinks. However, when filming in wet weather, priorities have to be restructured, and that means, unless you’ve got deep pockets, you’ve got to be thinking about the care of your camera. Instead of filming constantly, you’ll have to hone in your instincts and focus on getting the necessary shots for the hunt. You might not get the funny joke your hunting buddy told, but you better not miss getting his shot on film. His joke probably wasn’t that funny anyways. Understand that there is a tightrope that you’ll have to walk and it may take some adjusting. Two things happen on wet weather hunts – a camera person is too careless and films too much, thus ruining a camera, or a camera person is too cautious and when the film comes back to the editing room, there’s nothing to work with. It’s not an easy balance to find, and sometimes the best thing to do is exersize the kind of sense that is called common but isn’t.

Communicate

This is important in dry weather as well as wet, but is magnified in wet conditions.  Wet weather is only going to add to the pressure of each situation as hunter and videographer attempt to close in on their prey. The hunter becomes more focused on what they’re ultimately there for, and the videographer is often cussing equipment or the hunter or both for not cooperating. Finding game through a scope in wet weather can be difficult – finding game through a tiny viewfinder on a camera can be downright impossible. This is where communication will be key. As the hunter keys in on making the shot, the videographer will often have to instigate the conversation here – make sure you’re zoomed in on the same animal that is in the crosshairs. As stated earlier, finding your quarry through the little viewfinder is downright tough in wet weather – especially in snowy and/or foggy conditions. In such conditions, you’ll be limited by how far the camera will reach. If you’re on a rifle hunt, there is every possibility that the hunter will be able to see the target through their scope but videographer won’t be able to see it through the camera. Speak up or forever hold your peace. This can add frustration to a hunt, but if you’re serious about getting the hunt captured in its entirety, you’ve got to communicate what’s going on. If the hunter elects to shoot anyway, at least you’ve done your part.

Of course no matter what weather you’re filming in, be true to your goals. If you’re doing it for fun, don’t make it feel like work.

Post sponsored by Base Camp Legends Video Production

 When do we quit calling her a beginner bow hunter?

During the next 29 years there was kids to take care of so I didn’t realize what was brewing inside her.  I bought her a bow because she thought she would enjoy shooting it, even at targets.  She took to it like a fish to water and hasn’t looked back.

Two years ago when she drew on a doe at 30 yards but forgot to nock an arrow, I realized she too is subject to the adrenaline rush.  In my book though this is good as I knew then she loved it.  One year ago she had a moose at 20 yards and then at 14 yards and forgot to keep her finger off the trigger till she was dialed in, but then settled the pin at 11 yards and I knew she had what it took to get a hold of her nerves.  It still amazed me what she had accomplished in such a short time.

This morning I am sitting in my office with a Monday morning attitude sifting through and prioritizing my work and the lady at the front desk rang me and says, “Its Sue on line one and it sounds like she won the lottery or something.”  Well, when you hear words like that I hesitated in picking up the line as I wondered what it could be that makes her that excited.  Did the horses get out on the highway?  Is all the family okay?  The last I had seen her I was headed out the door this morning for my walk at 5:45 and she was eating her bowl of cereal.  When I got back she wasn’t there so I had glanced at the bow rack and, yup her bow was gone.  I knew she had been eye balling a herd of deer that passed through our property now and then and since we had seen them the night before I figured what was going through her mind.  There was about 8 or nine does, a spike, a forky and a nice 3 pt. in the bunch.  That is tough to hunt with that many eyes looking out for the good of the herd.  So as I picked up the phone a smile started across my face as I anticipated what I was to hear, “meats down”, as I figured one of the does was on the way to the freezer.  So I answered, “Deer Steaks tonight?”  and I got this funny nervous laugh and “Bucks down”.  “Bucks down? You got the spike?”  “Nope, I got the 3 Point.”  Now it was my turn to be speechless.  She has flamblasted me again, exceeding all my expectations again.  Not only that she is taking care of that buck as I write, she wants to do it herself, to prove to herself she can do it. 

I did run home to take pictures, and the same smile was there as when she got her moose.  I love it as well as the gal behind it.  She never ceases to amaze me.