Way Upstream

Stereograph

El Pescador — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0700

I came across this stereograph in my basement by the Kilburn Brothers. They were stereo-photographers who set up shop in Littleton, NH. Early Kilburn Brothers "stereo-views" date back to the mid 1800's. This "seven-pound trout" stereograph looks like it could be a lake trout possibly caught through the ice.

Front/Back photos by El Pescador

Flats fish

wayupstream — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 08:27:49 -0700

wayupstream posted a photo:

Steve Stracqualursi (Watermaster Waders) displays a nice striper taken on the estuary flats. These fish pull hard (wide tail) and the fight can be compounded by current. The coyote crab fooled this and five others during the morning session.

Torso with fish

El Pescador — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:04:00 -0700

Photo by Henry Barber Illustration by El Pescador

Glad to help Jim. Thanks for the link. Keep us al...

El Pescador — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:42:43 -0700

Glad to help Jim. Thanks for the link. Keep us all informed here at Way Upstream of further developments on the Rogue.

The River Time Forgot

El Pescador — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:29:00 -0700

Wild Mongolia "The River Time Forgot" from Mikey Wier on Vimeo.

Mikey Wier and a soulful cast of anglers went on a month long expedition last Fall to explore a remote river deep in the heartland of outer Mongolia. They covered 140 miles of water that had previously never been floated and fished. Along the way they met some interesting locals, caught some amazing taimen and discovered things about themselves. Mikey is now in the midst of the creative process, pouring through and organizing the footage into a tale. Check out this 3 minute and 45 second teaser for a developing video coming soon from Burl Productions.

Hey El Pescador, thanks for the mention of the Ro...

James — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:50:30 -0700

Hey El Pescador,

thanks for the mention of the Rogue River restoration activities on your blog. Much appreciated. Wanted to share some more great news for Rogue River salmon, steelhead, fishermen, and boaters - yet another unnecessary, fish-killing dam on the Rogue is coming down. Federal officials announced today that the federal economic stimulus package will be providing a little salmon stimulus in the form of $5 million for Gold Ray Dam removal on the Rogue. If all goes as planned, Gold Ray will be out by the end of 2010. Check it out:
Oregonlive.com:Stimulus money will go towards Rogue River dam removal

Waterwatch

El Pescador — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:22:00 -0700

Jim McCarthy works for an Oregon river conservation organization named Waterwatch and he wanted to share one Oregon "success story" about the Rogue River's salmon and steelhead with the Way Upstream community. Here's what Jim wrote in an email to El Pescador:

"Waterwatch, along with several allies, has led a campaign for over 20 years to help protect and restore the Rogue, focusing in particular on four fish-killing dams that made the most sense for removal: Gold Hill Dam, Elk Creek Dam, Savage Rapids Dam, and Gold Ray Dam. The fight to remove these dams has been quite long and sometimes bitter, involving litigation as well as battles in the state legislature, US Congress, and the media. But in recent years all the work has begun to pay off. An unprecedented number of significant dam removals has occurred on the Rogue over the last two years. In fact, I know of no other river basin in the US experiencing a comparable number of dam removals in so short a time. Last year, Gold Hill Dam was removed and Elk Creek Dam was notched. This year, Savage Rapids Dam is undergoing removal, representing one of the largest dam removals ever in the US. With some luck and a little help from a still-hoped-for grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (aka the federal stimulus), Gold Ray may come out within the next 18 months."

"Perhaps best of all, there are no real losers in the story of these Rogue dam removals. These dams are either defunct but too expensive for local governments to remove unassisted (Gold Ray), were determined not to be worth the cost of completion by the federal agency in charge of dam-building (Elk Creek), or outdated structures readily replaced by modern, fish-friendly pumps (Gold Hill and Savage Rapids). Though I've mentioned that the Rogue debate has been long and at times bitter, in the end it essentially has been a process of convincing local communities that some of the old ways of using our just rivers aren't working anymore – but there are better, more river-friendly options now. We can switch to the new ways and still enjoy the same benefits we had with the old ways, but leave a lot of the environmental problems behind. On a world famous gem of a watershed like the Rogue, you can really see the upside of taking care of our rivers. For example, government scientists have estimated that Savage Rapids removal alone will increase Rogue salmon and steelhead runs by 22%. In good years, that could translate into over 100,000 more fish, bringing enduring positive impacts for the region's ecology and economy."

"There may be some lessons to learn from the Rogue that can be applied to rivers like the Sacramento, Klamath, Columbia and other smaller watersheds around the West. Just ten years ago, the Rogue debate was just as polarized as things are now on the Sacramento or the Columbia. Hopefully attitudes there are trending in a more fish-friendly direction. The situation on the Rogue certainly shows that we can protect fish and still satisfy other competing interests on our rivers."

Contribution by Jim McCarthy Photos by Bob Hunter

Micro-skiffs

El Pescador — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:22:00 -0700

Mike Thompson and Capt. Billy Trimble have been keeping me informed of prototype micro-skiffs being built by longtime boat builder Bruce Wild. Some of you may have seen pix here on Way Upstream of the 22' Big Easy and the Easy 18 via my Flickr feed. For more information on these particular micro skiff designs, read this recent article by David Sikes. There is a nice collection of images in a photo gallery included with the article. It features shots of the boats, nice fish and Tiffany Fluett (Gruene Outfitters) testing the Patagonia W's Sunshade Shirt and Sun Mask.

Photos courtesy of Capt. Billy Trimble

Skulls

El Pescador — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:22:00 -0700

Photo by Steve Stracqualursi Illustrations by El Pescador

Have a great trip Troutdawg. Share pix when you ge...

El Pescador — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:10:35 -0700

Have a great trip Troutdawg. Share pix when you get back.

It's calling me soon....I can't wait!

Troutdawg — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:56:43 -0700

It's calling me soon....I can't wait!

Thanks to your team for bringing the tour to town ...

El Pescador — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:37:04 -0700

Thanks to your team for bringing the tour to town Jeremy. It was a fun night and the donations made were admirable. Let me know when the opportunity arises to chase some fins....or waves.

Thanks for the "Way Up Stream" support pre and pos...

Jeremy — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:26:40 -0700

Thanks for the "Way Up Stream" support pre and post show! And thanks for coming. It was great to finally getting a chance to shake hands in person rather than just online. Let's get out and "chase some fins" sooner than later. Thanks again.

Jeremy

Chasing fins

El Pescador — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:00:00 -0700

I've been trying to get my hands on this live performance since the Fly Fishing Film Tour took place in Portland, ME earlier this month. After some urging I finally got Jeremy Cameron to let the video loose. I was hoping to get the raw version but Jeremy couldn't resist blending in some of the other live performances that went on that night as well as some plugs for those who were there in support. The night was a success on all levels. Maine TU Trout Camp and Stripers Forever both were beneficieries of funds raised from the evening. It was a fun party and the films were great but for me the special moment was when Jeremy and Greg "Boz" Bostater performed this song against a video backdrop to kick things off.

Exceptional

El Pescador — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:15:00 -0700

Each year for the last 4 years I've floated the Kennebec River with Master Maine Guide and Patagonia product tester Sean McCormick. It's always special but this year was exceptional. I managed to complete the Kennebec Grand Slam (brown, brookie, rainbow and landlock salmon). I also landed a memorable 20" brown (shown above) that absolutely crushed my barbless size 18 olive dry. 5wt line peeled off the reel instantly and each time the guide tried to net the trout during the nervous fight. On top of it all, Sean found one of the coolest Abenaki Indian stone tools on one of the many river islands. You can also see petraglyphs left from this tribe on certain rocky outcroppings. I can't wait until next time but I know this trip will be hard to top. Thanks Sean!

Photos by El Pescador

Come and visit this Fall Mikey and we'll try to ch...

El Pescador — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 11:34:57 -0700

Come and visit this Fall Mikey and we'll try to chase down a few big stipers. We can try for a few other saltwater species and turn our attention to the freshwater scene for a bit too.....not to mention the waves.

Toms of Maine

wayupstream — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:36:36 -0700

wayupstream posted a video:

I was driving to meet a fishing partner for a striper session when I saw these turkeys gathered on the side of the road. A female turkey had already crossed over to the other side. I was between the toms and her when I shot this footage.

Nice one Steve. Great looking fish.

Mikey — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:32:36 -0700

Nice one Steve. Great looking fish.

Right on Russ. The decision to remove the Edwards ...

El Pescador — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:35:35 -0700

Right on Russ. The decision to remove the Edwards Dam was the right thing to do and several organizations and many individuals deserve thanks. Let the good work continue and may the fish swim free.

Also a conservation success story that continues t...

schnitzerPHOTO — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:57:45 -0700

Also a conservation success story that continues to be told... A river restored following the removal of the Edwards Dam, thanks to years of effort from the Kennebec River Anglers Coalition. Looking forward to your report!

Will do Russ. I plan to float the Kennebec later ...

El Pescador — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:25:52 -0700

Will do Russ. I plan to float the Kennebec later this month so keep an eye out for pix and a story. That Maine river is unique in that an angler has the possibility of catching brookies, browns, rainbows, splake, landlock salmon, smallmouth bass and a host of subspecies like pout, dace and suckers.

Way to get after it. Keep it up, too, knowing tha...

schnitzerPHOTO — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:32:54 -0700

Way to get after it. Keep it up, too, knowing that your friends in the Rockies are restricted to stock ponds and irrigation ditches until further notice.

Not a bad start

El Pescador — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 07:32:00 -0700

I've never gotten such a late start on striper season but when I finally got out with my friend Joe we managed to kick things off right. The photo above was the first fish to cooperate. Not a bad start when the first striper takes you into the backing. We caught three fish in an hour and a half. The largest was 28" and the other two went 25". The fly in the fish's mouth is a variation of my coyote crab pattern.

Photo by El Pescador

Let me know how your Jambalaya turns out Sam and M...

El Pescador — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:35:36 -0700

Let me know how your Jambalaya turns out Sam and Marie. Stay tuned for Capt. Billy's Ceviche' recipe in a few weeks.

Last nights packed house FFFT showing was a blast....

El Pescador — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:33:04 -0700

Last nights packed house FFFT showing was a blast. The hosts did a great job with the event. I'm going to try to get the video to share of a special live performance that I thought was special. Look for more pix and details at Flies and Fins.

That looks mighty good. I'll have to try that.

Marie — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:02:40 -0700

That looks mighty good. I'll have to try that.

Oh Man, that looks great - and is making me hungry...

Sam — Sat, 30 May 2009 08:40:29 -0700

Oh Man, that looks great - and is making me hungry! Thanks Capt for the recipe and sharing it around. I am gonna have to give it a whirl.

Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya

El Pescador — Fri, 29 May 2009 01:12:00 -0700

Captain Billy Trimble sent me another recipe that I thought the Way Upstream community might like to try. This one is for Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya. Here's what the chef wants you to know, "Jambalaya by definition (a traditional Cajun dish) is whatever you have in the fridge combined with rice. It can be as simple or as complex as you would like it to be. There are two different ways to make Jambalaya, one is to combine sautéed ingredients with pre-cooked rice and the other is to add uncooked rice to the sautéed ingredients and let them cook together. The advantage to cooking the rice and ingredients together is that you get much richer flavors in your Jambalaya. When I cook Jambalaya I add a couple of small twists to the process, I brown the rice in hot oil before I add the ingredients to sauté and I do not use water to hydrate the rice but instead use stock and beer."

Cooking Instructions

Brown one cup of rice in light oil then add onions, garlic, sausage, peppers, salt/black pepper and cayenne. Sauté these ingredients until the onions clarify. Next add shrimp stock (one cup) and one beer. Cover to simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover and add cubed shrimp, butter and lime juice, recover and cook on low heat for another 10 minutes. Then it is ready to serve.

Main Ingredients

Long grain white rice (rinsed), 1 # of medium shrimp (de-veined & cubed), Venison or andouille sausage, Yellow onion, Garlic, Jalapeno peppers (de-veined), Poblano peppers, Butter, Limes, Black pepper, Cayenne pepper, Sea salt, Oregano , Beer (your choice) and Shrimp stock.

Alternative Ingredients
Bell pepper, celery, tomatoes, chicken stock, assorted herbs

Photo llustrations

photo 1 - The Ingredients ready to go.

photo 2 - Boil shrimp husks for stock and brown cleaned rice in light oil.

photo 3 - Add onion, garlic and sausage to browned rice.

photo 4 - Strain shrimp stock into sauté.

photo 5 - Add beer into sauté.

photo 6 - Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

photo 7 - Uncover and add cubed shrimp, butter and juice of 3 limes, cover and cook at low heat for 10 more minutes.

photo 8 - Uncover the pan to reveal the finished Jambalaya.

photo 9 - Plated and ready to eat.

Accompany this dish with your favorite beer, full bodied white or light to medium bodied red wine. Remember to be creative and enjoy the process.

Contribution and photos by Captain Billy Trimble

yeah, that stuff works great. I've used it. I've...

Bjorn — Sat, 23 May 2009 02:53:05 -0700

yeah, that stuff works great. I've used it. I've been impressed.

I want to see more, more, more! Can't wait til the...

Andrew Swindle — Thu, 21 May 2009 08:10:24 -0700

I want to see more, more, more! Can't wait til the film is released in its entirety.

Wish Bill and I could come. Sounds like it'll be a...

Marie — Thu, 21 May 2009 01:57:49 -0700

Wish Bill and I could come.
Sounds like it'll be a fun time.

Montana Calls

El Pescador — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:22:00 -0700

Montana Calls

Montana calls, an old friend
I haven’t seen for years.

We were close once but I left her for Alaska
only to return to the Big Horn country of the Crow
and the river filled with brown and rainbow
calling out my name.

Then I followed eastern roots
and cozied up to Maine
to learn the wiles of landlocked salmon,
the brute force of lakebound bass.

But now I hear the call of wolves
returned to Yellowstone
and like the wolves I feel the pull
of Tetons and Rocky Mountain crests

of moose and bear and sheep
and rivers named Madison and Gallatin and Fire Hole,

a call so strong I’ll have to go, fly rod in my hand.

Poem by Alan Harawitz Photo by Damon Bungard

Aquaseal UV®

El Pescador — Mon, 18 May 2009 01:56:00 -0700

Stream or ocean-side wader repair can now be accomplished by a small host of products but one in particular has gained my confidence. It's Aquaseal UV® and it cures in seconds when exposed to the sun. This product is a solvent free formula and works in both overcast or full light conditions. The folks at McNett claim that the only thing stronger than Aquaseal UV® curing adhesive is regular Aquaseal (included in some wader repair kits). Note that both of these products are also ideal for addressing broken stitches on wading footwear and for sealing neoprene holes/cuts/tears. Check both of these repair products out because a little care and maintenance can keep your gear functioning better longer.

Thanks for the follow up Graham. I'm glad you foun...

El Pescador — Mon, 18 May 2009 01:38:00 -0700

Thanks for the follow up Graham. I'm glad you found a custom solution to your vest needs. I'm sure you'll figure out a good system for your forceps too. Regarding pix, you can send me them via my profile email.

Just a follow up to the minimalist vest. I've remo...

Anonymous — Sat, 16 May 2009 06:43:00 -0700

Just a follow up to the minimalist vest. I've removed the pockets from the vertical vest and now just wear the mesh part. It keeps all I need for the small stream fishing I do. the only problen is my forceps poke through the mesh.
Graham
ps i do not know how to include a photo of the mashed vest!!

Smooth sailing Jeremy. I am looking forward to the...

El Pescador — Fri, 15 May 2009 01:59:00 -0700

Smooth sailing Jeremy. I am looking forward to the event. The word is spreading and I suspect you'll see a host of folks come from far and wide. Feel free to keep us informed of developments here at Way Upstream.

Thanks for the blog/site compliments Senor Marquez...

El Pescador — Fri, 15 May 2009 01:56:00 -0700

Thanks for the blog/site compliments Senor Marquez and Rana but the blatant plugs for your phone/game sites on an unrelated post doesn't strike me as very cool.

In my case you have a "fly dude" who has a degree ...

El Pescador — Fri, 15 May 2009 01:49:00 -0700

In my case you have a "fly dude" who has a degree in fine art. Are you an artist Finn?

Thanks for helping to spread the word on WAY UP ST...

Jeremy — Thu, 14 May 2009 09:51:00 -0700

Thanks for helping to spread the word on WAY UP STREAM! Much appreciated! Going to be a great show and a great time and lots of great people! Eric Wallace has done a great job and rounded up some very impressive partners and swag that's going to be given away from PATAGONIA, SAGE, Etc... See you all there! Thanks again.

Fly Fishing Film Tour Party - Portland, ME

El Pescador — Thu, 14 May 2009 04:00:00 -0700

A small team of Maine core anglers ("The Players") is putting on a Fly Fishing Film Tour Party. "Deck Hands" Jeremy and Keely Cameron fliesandfins.com, Greg Bostater, "Captain" Eric Wallace coastalflyangler.com and "First Mate" Alex Davis are locking down the details for this event. The Asylum is the venue. Visit Flies and Fins to get the scoop on this party. Tickets are on sale now. Keep your eye out for El Pescador.

Lighthouse photo and illustration by Steve Stracqualursi

The Mokelumne River

El Pescador — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:30:00 -0700

Mikey Wier continues to take action to preserve and protect the things that make him him by using his video camera. This particular video is about the Mokelumne River and the proposed expansion to the Pardee dam. A variety of organizations are working together to try to get wild and scenic designation for sections of the free flowing Mokelumne which will help prevent this expansion. Check out this 10 minute updated piece and pay close attention to the voices of the "residents" at the end. They need your help. You can also check out other posts on this topic from the Trout Underground and Trout Bums on the Web for further insight. Visit the web sites listed in the video and help play a role if you can.

Mokelumne River - Wild and Scenic from Mikey Wier on Vimeo.

Red Sky

El Pescador — Mon, 04 May 2009 03:09:00 -0700

Illustration by Steve Stracqualursi

Change

El Pescador — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:22:00 -0700

When one stage ends, another begins.

Words and illustration by Steve Stracqualursi

Salmon and Steelhead T-Shirt

El Pescador — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:22:00 -0700

The Salmon and Steelhead T-Shirt features original artwork by James Prosek printed on a canvas of 100% organic cotton. James pays tribute to these wildly determined swimmers with this design and contrasts that with their fragility. Five dollars from the sale of this limited edition tee will benefit World Trout, an organization that supports conservation efforts and identifies and protects native fish. The tee's shoulder seams are taped for added durability. Double stitching at sleeves and hem also adds durability plus coverstitching at neck and armholes guarantees a clean finish. It's recyclable through the Common Threads Recycling Program. Patagonia t-shirts are knitted, dyed, cut, sewn and printed in Southern California. Other shirt details include ringspun yarns for a soft hand, beefy 5.4-oz 100% organic cotton, Made in U.S.A.

Save Wild Steelhead Festival

El Pescador — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:53:00 -0700

Looking for something to do this Saturday night? If you happen to be in the Bend, OR area then consider checking out The Save Wild Steelhead Festival. The purpose of this event is to unite anglers, filmmakers and conservation groups in an effort to educate the community on hard-hitting issues regarding wild steelhead, and motivate all to get involved. This multi-media event sponsored and hosted by Orvis, features the films “Raising The Ghost,” by Team FlyBoys and “Steelhead Yawning,” by Wahoo Films. Writer and Patagonia Fishing Ambassador, Dylan Tomine, will make his “State of the Steelhead” presentation, accompanied by noted photographer Tim Pask’s images.

The Festival will run from 6 to 8 pm on April 25th at the Orvis Store in the Old Mill District. Plan to arrive at 5pm to enjoy food, wine and beer while entering to win one of the many raffle prizes. All profits from the raffle and any donations will go to the local Wild Steelhead Grant. Additionally, 5% of “Raising the Ghost” DVD sales, Save Wild Steelhead t-shirts, bumper stickers and hats will be donated to organizations dedicated to the preservation of wild steelhead. If you do swing by, make sure to tell the hosts that El Pescador from Way Upstream sent you.

Images courtesy of Tim Pask and Dylan Tomine

Remat

El Pescador — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:00:00 -0700

One man's trash is another man or woman's…wader changing mat. The ultimate recycled product, the Remat is a byproduct from automobile gasket manufacturing (o-rings), reworked and repurposed for a long life of heavy-duty use. Beyond wader changing, it doubles (or triples) as a driftboat seat cushion, work station floor mat or boat floor protection from studded boots. The tough, cushy, water- and stain-resistant Remat is also showing up in front of kitchen sinks and mudroom doors wherever anglers live. Surfers, skiers and snowboarders have found the Remat to be ideal for parking lot changing as well as for cushioning between surfboards on the rack. It's a good thing to have around camp too. Made from 100% synthetic nitrile rubber.

Details

Withstands temperatures from -40 C to +125 C
Oil/fuel resistant
No off-gasing
Abrasion-resistant
Water-resistant
Extermely flexible and lightweight
No PVC content; floats; easy to wash
Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber (NBR) with 30% – 35% Acrylonitrile Content. Commonly referred as "Nitrile" or "Buna-N" rubber.
Recyclable through the Common Threads Recycling Program
354 g (12.5 oz)
Made in USA

Photos by Billy Smith, S. Stracqualursi and Rene Braun

Save Delta Fish

El Pescador — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 06:57:00 -0700

Robert Johnson and a grassroots group of supporters are asking for help. They seek to defeat a proposed law that they feel will "completely eradicate striped bass from California waters" if passed. Patagonia Fishing Ambassador Mikey Wier put together a 9 minute video to help tell their position. Visit Save Delta Fish to learn more about how to join the fight against AB 1253. The Assembly Bill AB 1253 Hearing is Tuesday, April 28 at 9:00 am at the California State Capital Building.

Photo illustration by El Pescador

THE BIG ONE

El Pescador — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:22:00 -0700

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist David Kinney has just released The Big One. He spent two months on Martha's Vineyard in 2007 documenting the island's long-running striper and bluefish (and albie and bonito) derby. Dave hung out with boaters, surf casters, fly fishermen and bait slingers. One of the books highlights involves the Tiger Woods of the derby, who catches a 57-pound striper that turns out to be filled with 10 lead weights. The guy swears he didn't cheat, and controversy ensues. DreamWorks has already bought the film rights to this story. I asked Dave to share his thoughts on the project and this is what he said:

"I'm a longtime fisherman -- first freshwater bass, then trout on flies, then stripers and blues from the surf -- which is what got me thinking about fishing the striped bass and bluefish derby on Martha's Vineyard. I'm also a writer, and I love reading stories about subcultures obsessed with ... well, whatever: extreme beer, orchids, the Civil War, high school football, Scrabble. I put those two things together and ended up with the formula for my first book.

In 2007, I spent two months on the Vineyard fishing in and documenting the derby, probably the most celebrated striper fishing tournament anywhere. It's got sixty-odd years of rich history, and anybody can win the thing: a 12-year-old girl caught the big striper one year. I entered the derby myself and caught a few fish (my best striper weighed in at 17 pounds) but I was really after stories. It took some work getting islanders to let me follow them around while they fished. This is a cagey group under normal circumstances, and when you put them into a competition with island immortality and more than $250,000 in prizes at stake, they can get a little paranoid. Eventually I won their trust, and I went out at all hours with people who take the sport way, way more seriously than I ever have. During the tournament, people will skip out on work, stay up all night for weeks on end, risk drowning, cheat and (of course) lie.

I lucked into being there for one of the more interesting derbies. The best young striper fisherman on the island, Lev Wlodyka, got a 57-pound bass -- topping a 56-pounder caught earlier in the contest -- but when he brought it to the weigh station, the derby officials discovered it was filled with lead weights. Controversy ensued: heated debates broke out, the public weighed in, Lev wrote a spirited letter in his own defense. I won't spoil the book by telling you what happens, but the whole thing made for a fun story to tell.

It's definitely a different sort of fishing book. It focuses less on man-versus-fish, or the contemplative pleasures of going off into the wilderness and connecting with nature, and more on the communal aspect of fishing. Competition is always there in fishing -- guys want to catch the biggest fish of the day, or a better fish than their friends, or a fish they can brag about to their family. By telling the story of the derby, I tried to bring that to life. I hope people have as much fun reading it as I did bringing it to the page."

Photos by David Kinney Cover photo by Dave Skok

Rubik's Cube

El Pescador — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 19:22:00 -0700

Photos courtesy of Mikey Wier, Brian Bennett and Steve Stracqualursi Dumpr illustrations by El Pescador

New Command

El Pescador — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:22:00 -0700

New Command

Winter releases his grip.
Puzzled ice begins to flow and mixes with it's liquid kin.
Snow cover transforms into vernal pools.
Runoff finds it's seasonal conduit.
Marshes seethe and swell to unfathomable capacity.
The land awakens with a start under new command.
Spring has taken her throne.

Poem and photo by El Pescador

Scanout Magazine

El Pescador — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 02:11:00 -0700

Online publishing tools continue to help spawn new format offspring as paper dependant purveyors struggle to adapt. The most recent evolution is Scanout Magazine. Here's what Tim Pask had to say about this new "off the road" venture:

"Yngve, Peter and I had been tossing this idea around for several months and went to work on the project just after Yngve returned from Argentina. Our magazine concept is very simple and along with our Art Director, Peter Huber, we have decided to release a new issue every time we return from a trip. We will release issues from previous trips, but for the most part we will focus our efforts on recent travels.

The first issue of Scanout Magazine focuses on a trip that Yngve Ask made while traveling throughout Patagonia. It is titled Mustangs of Stag River and Yngve takes us on a photographic tour of this amazing Estancia and the Mustangs that roam its seemingly endless territory. The second issue of Scanout Magazine takes place in Miami Beach, as we pursue The Silver King with Captain Carl Ball.

This latest issue (shown below) of Scanout Magazine focuses on a Steelhead float trip. We hope you enjoy our newest project."

We're sorry, your browser doesn't support &amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"&amp;amp;amp;gt;IFrames&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;. You can still &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"&amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;;a &amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"&amp;amp;amp;gt;href&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;="http://www.yudu.com/item/details/46614/Scanout-Magazine---Steelhead-Paradise--BC---Issue---35-3.09?refid=14151"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;visit this item.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"&amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;, however.

Spread Sheets

El Pescador — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:08:00 -0700

Original photos and illustrations by El Pescador