by JD on January 13, 2012

It has been one loooooong, cold and dry winter in Northern California and Southern Oregon so far. It would be awesome to have at least a “decent” winter to follow up last year’s epic wet season to ensure another year of good water quality for fish, folks and farms.
So, at this point I figured it that it couldn’t hurt to ask for a little rain…

Well, I can think of a lot of places I’d rather be on a Monday morning in January…and flipping a line out into 80 degree water ranks high on the list! I can’t remember if I even caught anything on this particular day…and really, when you’re in a spot like this, who cares??

Where I wanna be!
Digging around in the ol’ photo vault this morning, I ran across this photo…can’t even remember where I was fishing I took it…but it reminded me of a quote I saw about 20 years ago that has always stuck with me:
“If there’s magic in this world, it lies in moving water…amen.” Amen, indeed! Think I need to go steelhead fishing now. Guess garage cleanup day gets postponed…again!
by JD on December 28, 2011

Our man Big Fred Contaoi calls this his “luckiest shot ever”…and it is, indeed a sweet one. The action took place in mid December on Texas’ Lake Falcon where this good sized largemouth decided to return a 12-inch plastic worm and 3/4-ounce bullet weight to its rightful owner. Luckily, Big Fred was there at the ready with his trusty new iPhone 4S at the instant the bucketmouth earned its freedom.
by JD on December 22, 2011

Hey..don't scratch the paint!
Our friend Tom Nardi recently sent in this pic he shot of me running the Pavati “Italian Sport Boat” drifter through some rough water last fall. It was dark in the canyon so photography is always tricky in there…but this shot has a cool, almost watercolor look to it…
by JD on December 21, 2011

Here in California, we take a lot of crap from folks in other states…now, apparently we’re buying it too!
by JD on December 20, 2011

These must be replacement trebles for the new K57 Kwikfish, right??
Wandering down the aisles of a tackle shop this past fall…one along the banks of a popular Nor Cal salmon stream…I came upon a peg of these bad boys. Hmmmmm…wonder what they’re for??? Probably should put them right next to the night vision goggles and the Natty Light!
by JD on December 19, 2011

WOOOOOOHOOOOO!
Well, at least it’s short week for some folks with the holidays coming up…but a Monday’s still a Monday.
So, on that note let’s take a moment and forget about faxes, emails and meetings and consider instead that crazy pulse-pumping moment when a huge steelhead feels the sting of the hook and surges like a runaway train downriver…ahhhh!
Here’s our very own VinMan going big bendo on a BC steelie. Can’t beat it!