Wednesday, September 30, 2009

mojo spotted


believe it or not, some people have that kind of good wills that ‘frankly’ written on their faces. When you first meet them, you just know it immediately. Their faces speak for themselves “I am a nice guy”. Mojo (the guy on the right) is one of them, deep voice, Big (no wonder he own a big/ cozy/luxury pontoon boat!), and with casual dressing and loud laughing…I met mojo on the fiberglass forum, I am always amazed about his humor and his wisdom in the forum. At very beginning, confession here, I thought he must be a very crazy and talented guy, he rarely express his passion directly, but he like to throw out one or two sentences occasionally, and it will either make you scratch your head without any clues, or it will just make you bust of laughers. There is once I even looking for his posts, try to see if I can get some doses of daily humors. : ) mojo’s rod building skill is under rated, he’s more like a underground artist, super talented, but never let you see the whole picture, never rise his fame above the table. I think it has it’s cryptic, secretive, and black power in it, and of course his rods are beautiful art works! …myabe just like his mysterious band. maybe we should fish together next time! Brother! Fiberglass only! : ) This photo was taken in TU and stonefly society meeting summer 2009. BG on the left, Mojo on the right.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

weekday cooking - seafood curry

EZ seafood curry.
one of my favorite home meal in the US. The ingredients are easy to prepare because they are all available readily in the local store. It's easy to cook and taste like "real restaurant" flavor! Really good actually! And most importantly, it will save me 2-3 days of cooking... everytime I just add a little bit different vegetables in there. and I can eat them everymeal, if the schedule get really busy..ha (it's just that good, you won't get tired of them in about a week).. : )

Basically, you need a very good curry paste, which I love to use the S&B company (Walmat have them). That is pretty much is the core! All other stuff is really depends on what you like, but I personally found some fresh shrimp and squid (you can get some seafood mix from Walmat too) go with the curry really well. Cut some green onion and onion will help too. And a bit sake (Japanese rice wine) before you turn off the stove, it will highlight the flavor...


Sunday, September 27, 2009

Hansy's wonderful blog -NZ edition


Hansy's blog is full of adventure and culture from southern hemisphere NZ. Check out his wonderful blog and beautiful country life! LINK We definitely will dink some sake together! Hitoshi San You hear me too?! : P

Saturday, September 26, 2009

top secret


trade secrets in a parking lot

Friday, September 25, 2009

t_shirt project




about a year ago, I was amazed by the arctic char that live in the mysterious northern territory. They are so beautiful that looks almost unreal on this planet. so I decided I need to paint one to fuel up my imaginations. Sadly, there are not many arctic char images around and I haven't caught one yet. So it make the project extremely difficult. At the same time, I saw some Alaskan photos taken by Rogue Angel - K8. I asked her if she is willing let me use those photos as reference in my painting. Guess what, not only few beautiful char photos arrived in my mailbox, but also some amazing rainbow trout and king salmon, out of ALASKA, fresh. That is her, a truly generously sportsman and a cool professional guide! I am still so excited about those amazing close up photos and stunned by the vivid colors on those fish. I painted several Alaska fish that winter. Then... we started to talk about some t-shirt projects... I am real fortune that someone willing to make t-shirts from my painting... Thank you! K8 and Alaska Sportsman's Bear Lodge. Few months later, a set of trout t-shirts arrived on my front door. They looks just wonderful, I really appreciate those wonderful presents!
This year, I have a new challenge. It's the king! Some fresh photos just arrived yesterday... it knocked my dizzy brain out of a pile of lab work which is really fresh and cool! King Salmon has been a mystery creature to me, they are not just big and powerful, but also has a very mysterious looking " not very friendly too". "Gangster Personality" is what I describe them. This won't be easy, but I will try to illustrate some king salmon this winter... hopefully my research will go well and spare me sometime to finish this exciting project. Check out Rogue Angel LINK

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Diane Walsh plays Schubert's Sonata in A Minor Op. 42, D. 845.


It's amazing performance! I am not familiar with Schubert's work, but this small piece of work really touched me. The rhythm are complex, not easy to read. But when I listen more closely, I find every bit of little corners has shinning stone hidden in there... To me, it's like a good painting, the first glance might give you some impression. But when you stand in front of it long enough, you will find the detail and rhythm that artist want to say. A really beautiful piece!

Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker, Waltz of the Flowers.


although Christmas is still a bit faraway to share this...those kids are just amazing

mini bamboo box

Photobucket
this is a really cute bamboo fly box! Created by my friend Aleksandar... over years, my fishing tackle become simpler and smaller... fly patterns shrink dramatically, regard to size and number... i think maybe one day I will just need a fly box like this for the entire trip! got to choose 'the' pattern wisely! : ) Aleksandar art works LINK

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Huckleberry Finn Animation



Mark Twain LINK

One of my favorite animation of all times! Huckleberry Finn from Mark Twain... When I was a kid, those vivid life of Tom (yellow shirt) and Finn (red shirt) along the Mississippi river were so admiring! I still remember how they hook the big cat fish! This animation is produced by Japanese filemaker, so most of you might not familiar with...I am trying to find a English subtitle version DVD.. so I can share some childhood memories with friends in the US. : )

listen, Cheng-Chi



Dad, This is for you! : )

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

cutthroat face!


Who is this guy?! Check it out here LINK a cutthroat face!

"R" rated trip! Provo-Brovo! 2009

Photobucket
My Brother BG just (finally) uploaded some secret photos from the trip. Check out his FleeKa! Great shots! LINK

Monday, September 21, 2009

reel talk


sometimes i just love to watch them and think about what they are talking about? : P

Sunday, September 20, 2009

weekend cooking


spicy peanut fish; EZ "lion head"; rice wine streaming flounder; grilled meat ball... it probably is the best combo to fight humid weather and gain some stamina : )

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Interviewed in Sport Fishing Magazine

It has been a great honor to me to get interviewed by Sport Fishing Magazine in Croatia. I am thrilled to have this opportunity to talk about my art and fly fishing. It was interviewed several months ago and it just published in this month's sport fishing magazine in Croatia. Alekandar is kind enough to send me some paper reprints and PDF file, here is some samples...ehh... it is written in "not very familiar", but looks very beautiful language : ) ...here is the draft from my original article LINK. Most importantly, Aleksandar is a talented columnist and photographer, please check his website to see all the beautiful photos.LINK


Friday, September 18, 2009

snake river spotting


a guy who love shooting photos...

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

a letter from a friend - olivia fishing


every once of awhile, I received some letters from complete strangers started like this...
Mark,
I love your web site and I love your art work...The attached photos are of us fishing the upper Gallatin river in Yellowstone National Park last July... She get's out on rivers and streams with me at least once a week if not more. I hope she becomes attached to moving water and trout like I am. I'm a pretty strong birder, so we go birding together, too...

Those people are so polite, they wrote the letter to ask if they can reproduce some of my paintings for their kids, or use the paintings for the screen saver. "It's my honor, if you like it, it's yours" I answered. To me, those people are giving me more than I can give them, a treasured photo, a treasured sweet memory and friendship... I really appreciate and treasure those letters... Thank you! I think I would love to share some of those lovely letters and photos here with my friends... : )

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

steel water


I am not a steelheader,but I have to admit those fish are beautiful and swing a fly for them is a real pleasure... this piece of water has steelhead in it (trust me!)... make it a bit spiritual for sure... : )

Monday, September 14, 2009

birthday gift arrived!


Wow... I just received a birthday gift today! It is from a great fly fisher in Japan. Thank you very much! Hitoshi! What a wonderful surprises! Those Guinomi cups are so beautiful and there are so many of them... I think I got to plan a big trip to share them with my fishing friends. Few months ago, I mentioned this Japanese drinking and fishing style to Hitoshi, and he said, Oh yes, he used to do that with friends. Those little pottery cups are for fisherman to drink sake (Japanese rice wine) in the field, enjoy the friendship, enjoy the forest and the creek that provide a lot of negative irons...(good for health). They are amazingly cute! See story here LINK. I agree with the author totally! Fishing is just a "excuse" to me, the important thing are friendships and the feels/ the beauty of the nature has offered to us. Thank you Hitoshi! : ) I am afraid I can not sleep well tonight! How exciting!

...and along with the Guinomi, here is some companions...

this is Not a pack of dubbing fur?! a thousand midge hooks! @@ OMG, I love fish small flies... #24, now I have hooks of LIFETIME! Wow... straight eye and 2x gap! perfect for midge and BWO nymphs!


Hitoshi know I am really into the Tenkara fishing... here is some cute Tenkara flies for me! Thanks man! I am speechless! see Hitoshi's website here LINK we fish fiberglass rods and we love mountain trout streams!

kids fishing


Sunday kid - aka SN strike again. Good job on the native! One point!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Pebble Mine Project Updated


Dear Fishermen,
Welcome home! Thanks for signing up for the fisherman’s list-serve this summer. Here is a brief update on the resistance effort to the proposed Pebble project and hardrock mining in the BB watershed. Two main happenings over the summer included:

1) Two law suites were filed by Bristol Bay residents and stakeholders against the State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources.
NonDalton, et. al vs. State et. al.: The main premise of the complaint is seeking to overturn the State of Alaska’s current Bristol Bay Area Plan for State Lands (BBAP). The BBAP is the State of Alaska’s principal land use plan applicable to all state-owned lands and waters, i.e., about 12 million acres in the Bristol Bay drainages of Southwest Alaska, where the proposed Pebble mine would be located on state-owned land. It was adopted by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in 2005 and ordinarily would have about a 20-year life. Unless overturned, the permits for a Pebble mine will be adjudicated under the 2005 BBAP. The earlier 1984 BBAP had classified almost the entire 12 million acres of state-owned uplands and shorelands in the Bristol Bay drainages, including the land at the Pebble claims, as wildlife habitat land. That meant that the land had to be managed for fish and wildlife habitat, even in the face of potential mineral development. The 2005 BBAP reclassifies the entire 12 million acres and reduces the amount of land classified as habitat to 768,000 acres, a 90-percent reduction, including the land at Pebble. The 2005 Plan reclassified the land as mineral land. That makes it much easier to develop a Pebble mine.

Since 2001 at least five former managers or registered lobbyists associated with the hardrock mining industry in Alaska, including the current Commissioner of Natural Resources, Tom Irwin, have assumed responsible management positions in DNR that have been central to the preparation, adoption and implementation of the 2005 BBAP. The Complaint alleges that, in preparing and adopting the 2005 BBAP, they committed numerous unlawful acts and omissions which are the basis of Plaintiffs’ eight causes of action.

Nunamta et. al. vs. State et. al.: A Bristol Bay Alaska Native organization and several individuals, including former Alaska First Lady Bella Hammond and Alaska Constitutional Convention delegate Victor Fischer, filed a civil suit in Anchorage Superior Court today asserting that the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) repeatedly violated the Alaska Constitution in granting permits for Pebble mine exploration. The lawsuit asserts that the agency failed to consider the public’s interest in sustaining the region’s rich salmon, wildlife, and subsistence resources, which are negatively affected by exploration activities. Plaintiffs are asking the court to halt exploration until the case is resolved.
2) Bristol Bay Salmon tastings and promotions targeting salmon consumers and the entire salmon market place were held to promote both Bristol Bay Salmon themselves and the fight for protecting our watershed. These events were sponsored by the WhyWild program at Trout Unlimited with support from the BBRSDA (that’s right, your tax dollars hard at work for you!) Here are a few links to press coverage of the event: http://www.adn.com/life/taste/story/841380.html, http://www.thetundradrums.com/news/show/6610
Action Alert on BLM lands in Bristol Bay!
Here is where we need your help!
Background:
The new leadership at the Bureau of Land Management is currently deciding whether or not it will revise and improve the Bush administration's Bay Resource Management Plan which dictates how 1.5 million acres of the Bristol Bay watershed will be managed. The current plan opens 99% of these lands to oil and gas and hard rock mining development - opening the door for an industrial mining district on the federal public lands just south of the proposed Pebble Mine.

What you can do: Write or call both senators - Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich. Ask your senators to tell the BLM to protect the lands and rivers in Bristol Bay and revise the Bush administration's Resource Management Plan.

Note: Most of the time the receptionist will just take a message for the Senator. Make sure to speak clearly and tell them that you are a Bristol Bay Fisherman.

Contact information:

Senator Mark Begich:
(202) 224-3004

Senator Lisa Murkowski:
(202) 224-6665

If you are going to write a letter pls. send to Shoren Brown who will hand deliver to the Senators’ offices.

Shoren Brown
Director of Federal Salmon Policy
Trout Unlimited
1300 No 17th St., Suite 500
Arlington, VA 22209
Land: 703-284-9429
Cell: 703-581-9061
sbrown@tu.org


Upcoming Events:

* Saturday Aug. 22nd South Anchorage Farmers Market Bristol Bay Salmon Tasting/Promotion
* Sunday Aug. 30th Wild Salmon Day at the Alaska State Fair (Volunteers are still needed let us know if you can help!)
* Oct. 19-21st Bristol Bay Wild Salmon Tasting/Promotion and Lobbying visit in Washington D.C.
* Nov. 19-21 Fish Expo and No Pebble events in Seattle
* Dec. 1-8 Bristol Bay Board of Fish mtg. and Bristol Bay Salmon week in Anchorage (Much more on this to come, we will need everyone’s support!)

In Alaska Politics – Stay tuned for future updates on:
Rep. Bryce Edgmons HB 242 which imposes new information gathering and environmental protection requirements before permitting of any large-scale mining operations in the Bristol Bay watershed. HB 242 was introduced last April and is awaiting its first hearing in the House Fish Committee.

Board of Fish Proposal 13 asks the Board of Fish to make a recommendation, via resolution, to the Alaska State Legislature that additional regulatory protections be enacted as needed to ensure the continued health and viability of fish habitat in the headwaters specifically the Nushagak and Kvichak River Drainages and that any additional regulatory protections for fish habitat in these drainages would allow subsistence, recreational and commercial fishing, hunting, and trapping under state and federal regulations.
Thanks so much for reading this update. We’d love to hear feedback or suggestions for what you’d like to hear more about in the future. If you would like to be removed from this list simply reply to this email and let us know. If you have fellow fishermen friends who would like to be added to the list fwd this on and have them reply to us.
fishermen@savebristolbay.net

All the Best,
Lindsey, Kat, & Dylan

a hug from mom


This is another master piece directed by MR.Herbert von Karajan. You feel the difference?! It's softer and warmer... like.. hugged by Mom... enjoy and have a nice weekend, my friends!

Friday, September 11, 2009

Big fly, Big fish


Griz, a awesome fisherman, a great friend, he is truely a awesome character, wise,humorous and lay back,love beers and weeds (eh..I mean tobacco)... we might see his fishing stories here soon... I will keep begging him... : )

Friday cooking


streaming seafood egg cake; steaming flounder; stir-fried green pepper beef with rice

Thursday, September 10, 2009

sunrise



one of the comments said, this beautiful piece make him home sick, I think he is right... I feel I am in a cabin of the central mountain. It was when I just started my graduate research...

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

What can we learn from other fishing method?


What can we learn from other fishing method?
Over couple months, I have been thinking/incubating this idea in my head. What make fly fishing so special and attractive? I am still search for an answer… I use to think fly fishing is a simple and straight forward way to fish, because of the fly is used. For a lazy man like me, I hate prepare bait… it involve too much work, to me. Flies stored in boxes, so simple and straight forward. They are always ready to go and never expired. I guess that is the reason I like to use fly. On the other hand, fly fishing could be somehow looks "complicated" in fly casting. I like different casting techniques, overhead, underhand, spey, roll… all fun and all can catch fish. Fish dry, nymph and streamer… all fun and very versatile!
Those kind of simple and straight forward spirit was actually extended into a complex art form when it performed (casting and presentation). For example, casting different flies require different technique, from weightless dry fly to heavy streamer bullet, different aerial dynamic, different skills need to be employed. Different environments also required different cast, from roll cast in tight overhang forest creeks to double hauling in the windy western rivers. To me, this high skill demanding is also translate into “challenging” in different fishing situation, and just because of that it makes fly fishing so fun.(you can use one fly only like Dr. Ishigaki BTW) OK, so how about other fishing method? Tenkara is a recent thought about fly fishing. I think it is cool, pretty similar to western fly fishing, emphasized on line without reel which means no drag system and no long cast either. You don’t need both in small creek fish anyway… so I think it is a very practical way to fish in a small creek. How about long rod fishing in Japan? I used to think this is a really redundant way to fish for trout. The rod is so long, it must be very tiresome and clumsy to fish a creek… am I wrong? Yes… after viewing some video clips from SHIMANO website. I think it is really an interesting way to fish those long rods, especially convert it to fly use. Here is what I think: There is really nothing more simple than just one rod and line. (Noted: I have been converted to “a simple pursuer” lately. Most of my reels are click and pawl, even for striper fishing, I enjoy this type of primitive way “palming a reel”. It gives me a lot of feel!). I picture those long rod fishing is another simple form of fishing, and I can imagine how exciting to fight a fish on those long rod. Very primitive and should be a lot of feels too. Take advantage from modern graphite material, those rod are amazing long, it can go from 15ft to 30 ft and the weight is amazingly light from 2 ounces to 10 onces. Can you imagine a 30ft (9 meter) rod on a steelhead or a stiper? See CLIP here. I would trade my spey rod with this rod! (OK, I will actually buy both, I love spey cast too @@). It’s more like handicap myself with those type of long rods, no drag, like a samurai with a single sword dual match with a beast. This film actually reminded me a movie – Gladiator. What can we learn from long rod fishing and take it idea into fly fishing? I think beside “feels”, the principle of long rod fishing is really different than western fly fishing. Western fly fishing focus on the surface, more horizontally cover the water. Eastern long rod fishing are more vertical presentation, focus on the depth control. If I want to fish dry or light weight swing, I will use western rod and reel. But if I want to fish nymph, fish deep, I definitely will choose those long rod. See how well MR. Hosoyama control the depth presentation.

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Monday, September 07, 2009

Beauty of the native!



My brother SN just sent me those photos from Boston area. What a lucky guy! What a wonderful creek with native brookie thriving in there! (and occasionally some sea run brook trout!!) Just awesome! : )

King salmon and King fighter

One rod, one man and one fish, no drag! Although this is not a fly rod, he was actually using a king salmon fly on this long rod. Just amazing! Additional clip see the Link, fast forward the film to the last chapter (6) Alaska. Time: 0:43:00 Mr.Hosoyama is the man!

Sunday, September 06, 2009

"I like this type of limitation"



Dr. Ishigaki said "I like this type of limitation". It's the idea beyond "simplicity". That is the exactly idea that Fly Fishing is so attractive me. One silly little rod, one little fuzzy fly and the connection between me and the fish. The game of tug of the war! It's a primitive MUSCLE WRESTLING! : )

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Friday, September 04, 2009

Tenkara for Skeena Steelhead?!

No problem?! LINK See traditional angling in Shimano TV


Click the LINK to see it on Shimano TV.

It's more or less like two handed Tenkara, amazing video, amazing fish and amazing place! British Columbia!

NOTED: This is NOT a Tenkara rod! Thanks Hitoshi for the kindly correction! This is the "bait" rod, made for bait fisherman. I guess I had a strange idea to relate this rod to "two handed Tenkara". Hope this will explain some confusing! My apologies for the drunk and write! : )

ferrule jammed?

One way to rescue it by yourself. remember NEVER TWIST YOUR ROD! otherwise you are running the risk of damaging the blank.

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

flyfishing journal


do you get one yet? i am still waiting for mine... hopefully it won't let me down... if they have matched the quality of ski journal which is very impressive! I checked the photo submission rules and found out they want the original RAW if you shoot digital or B/W prints if you shoot films... I am excited to see how the results turns out...still waiting...@@

wind from the mountains


one of my favorite quartet...have a nice week my friends..

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

pink martini videos and watermelon dance

http://www.nps.gov/yell/photosmultimedia/safetyvideos.htm
Some notes for visitors to the yellowstone national park. It's real! LINK

Document Fly Fishing

Mike Greener Photography

Mike Greener, a great documentary photographer. He flyfish. He also document fly fishing with his camera. Check out his website LINK Fly Fishing and Beyond! BLOG (Note: if you smile when seeing this photo... you know you are into documentary photography.)