mountain is home

The Navajo Sky Cam from John Lovelace on Vimeo.

whether it is a good, it is bad, sad or uncertain day, when I think about mountains, i feel home again. mountain is home. she gives me peace and secure..

big trout 101 - shock gum

While preparing a big trip, I thought it would be good to post some stuff I will be using... first off, the shock gum.
Big trout plus small nymph fly = snap! This gum level line is pretty like a hardened rubber band, a bit stretching. So when the big fish charge, it will absorb the shock that preventing the leader to snap. I learned this gum leader from Craig Mathews'book. He fish a lot of small flies in the yellowstone region which also known for it's hefty size trout. Sometime the rod and tippet just can not absorb that much pressures. So what he did is install the shock gum (8-10 inches long) in the butt section (between fly line and leader).
I have found it is very fun to fish this way too, because you will feel the elastic/stretching feel from the gum when fish is pulling, pretty "chewy". add the sweetness to the stiffer graphite rod. Of course, if you fish fiberglass rod, you don't need this gum... due to it's softer action. But when I practice my high stick nymphing technique... I prefer use graphite rod and I usually use pretty small tipper (6x-7x) with this technique... then the gum will come in handy! I use loop to loop connections, loop was made from mono nail knot sealed with UV knot sense.

first time of 60 years

first time of 60 years! amazing project!

summer special - shrimp curry

one of the problem of the hot temperature during the mid summer is the lost of appetizer...of course you can drink beers, but that only will give you beer belly...ha.. In order to encourage our appetizer, one of the best way is to eat something special... we have to learn from people who live in the hot weather for a long history - the southeast Asia. One of my best friend from Singapore told me... the fresh pepper (Very spicy) mixed with fresh ginger and soy source is a great side dish in the summer time... I tried and loved it so much... so here is the "pepper idea" in this shrimp curry... the steps are easy... first... you need to find some good shrimp with shells on. (because shell will increase the flavor) and some shrimp without shell (for lazy people in you family), some other seafood mixture also can be used (squid, crab and scallop). 1)boiling some skinless potato and carrot (chunky chopped) 2)Prepare a big pan, some olive oil and some butter melt in... fry some green onion and a big onion (chopped) for about about one minute. 3) mixed boiled vegetable with the fried onions and add two table spoons of rice wine (white wine is good too), then add shrimp and seafood here. 4)add some water or chicken broth to make it "soupy" 5) add curry paste (a good curry paste will make the regular dish into another new level, don't skimp on this one) S&B is one of the brand I like LINK. Put the paste into the soup and turn the stove into minor power... be aware of burning the soup because it will get thicker and thicker... finally, cut some fresh bell peppers (green, red, yellow)just right before you are ready to serve, it only need lightly cooked to retain the freshness...and some ginger roots on top of dish... that's it! a summer special shrimp curry! Remember, the second day curry always taste better than the first day, so don't be afraid to make a big pot! :: )

Fly Nation TV: Gaspe Atlantic Salmon from Nick Pujic on Vimeo.

Fly Fishing for Greenback Cutthroat

high country trout! this video reminded me how much fun I have in the Teton couple years ago...

Great Bear Rainforest Remote Camera Project from Twyla Roscovich on Vimeo.

Alex's Migration Meets Fish Farms in Wild Salmon Narrows from Twyla Roscovich on Vimeo.

swing addiction

Marcy Stone Steelhead from Josh linn on Vimeo.

nice work!
Stand in a knee deep water, wait for the connection.. You never know what to expect in the next coming moment..a silent, a shock or a explosion... It is a feeling so addictive that make every swing angler willing to spent another minute and the next minutes... in the swing, I imagine the fly swim, I feel the waves through the line, the rod to the index finger... touching the river, touch the soul...

italian sausage pasta

as delicious as it sounds!
grill the Italian sausage with olive oil until it reach full gold brown, crispy skin. then prepare a new pan while you are boiling the angel hair pasta; and let the sausage cool down a bit. Heat two spoons of olive oil in the new pan and mix in some garlic. Cut the sausage into "one bite size", mix it in the garlic pan. Put in pasta sauce, well mix it to until the bubble come up from the bottom. That's it! For summer dish, I like to add a bit fresh ginger root on top of the noodles (or basil leave if you don't like ginger). This will give you a good contrast of the freshness and the enriched protein! Good with the beers too! : )

how fast is fast enough?

over years, I have accumulated some collection from fast rods to slow rods. Be honest with you, I love them all! I love the taste of butter sweet and slow action fiberglass, as well as fast, drop dead canon stick. Weird? no... just enjoy the full spectrum of the fly casting. One of my fast canon I love is this one... G Loomis GLX Crosscurrent 9 wt 9'. It's an amazing fast cast machine. This rod can really shoot a loooong bullet loop, yet, it is so light and sensitive that it cast 3 weight line! yes, 3 weight line and you feel the subtle load! The most misconceptual argument I have seen over years is that people always assume fast action rods are all built the same - canon = boom stick! Well... they only get a half picture of the great fast action rod. The really good action rod not only being canon (super stiff), but they still retain the superior sensitivity. What I mean sensitivity is you still can feel the subtle load from a lightest fly line and thus able to make a right casting timing... that is the reason I say this GLX CC 9 wt can cast 3 weight line all the way up!! No kidding! I will show a video later.
Another thing make this rod a superior fishing machine is the design concept. Several designs make me feel I am on the right track to switch Sage to G-loomis. Ha... yes I am! 1) the REC recoil guide. It really wonderful to have a smash free guide, for careless angler like me. 2) the cork shape just feel right on hand! It might look weird at first glance, but you will realize WHY it design this way in your first cast... it is promoting the "squeeze action", truth being told, the good caster is always being good "squeezer"! I love the handle shape a lot! 3) cordura rod tube to absorb the shock... The Sage aluminum tube might look elegant, but for traveler like me, light weight and shock free cordura tubes are the real life saver! Thanks Steve Rajeff for the great design! I really love this rod!

Hero, The man - Steve Rajeff!

UV knot sense - salmon fly

I have been tying those salmon flies with UV knot sense for a while now... it's much quicker and easier to secure the head, just few glue and seal it with UV light...hard and shinny! what a great product!

Fly and Field Deschutes Steelhead. from Fly and Field Outfitters on Vimeo.

cooking fish

I love fish in many ways... one of the best way to soothe the hard working day is to eat some good food. Eat some home style fish actually. My Mom give me this wonderful recipe about cooking fresh fish, fast and retaining all the natural flavor. The principle is very simple, put everything together and heat them up! My mom has this wonderful cooking philosophy that the freshest food need minimum cook to retain it's wonderful natural flavor. Wiseman listen to Mama!... as I always say. She is right! Put some oil on the pan and turn on the stove to mid power, at the same time open up the frozen fillet (it's still frozen)... put some green onion on the pan and put the "frozen fish "brick like"" on top of the green onion. Then, slice some ginger roots on top of the fillet. Close the lid, mid power for 5 minutes... as soon as you see the steam coming out of the pan, add some salts and few drops of rice wine (white wine is fine too) on top of the fish. Close the lip and wait another 2 minutes. That's it! a quick and fabulous dish! If you prefer salmon fillet, same way, just add some butter to smooth the flavor. The reason to put the green onion BETWEEN the pan and fish is because that way 1) you won't burn the fish (if you heat up too fast); 2) and also the sweetness of the green onion will get into the fish nicely. A very easy and delicious dish that full of "ocean"! : )

sunray shadow

those new Gami double hooks are amazing! so beautiful! Thanks Poppy for sending those to me! Red Shed Fly Shop LINK Cool stuff! One of the fact to use double hook is not about the hooking rate. Instead, it is a good stabilizer for the fly swinging in the water. Tied on aluminum and plastic tubes.

it's beautiful, it's fly casting

G Loomis NRX

"Calling on the talents of chief rod designer Steve Rajeff and the support of the entire G.Loomis team worldwide, anglers “will uncover a series of rods that are at least 15-percent lighter than equivalent power GLX rods, plus we’re able to offer a durability feature to make them up to 20-percent stronger and more impact resistant,” said Rajeff. “And as anglers would expect from G.Loomis, we bring the best in components – from reel seats, grips and guides – selected specifically for the NRX fly rod series. At G.Loomis, we have never settled for just good enough. These NRX rods are the best at every level in terms of graphite, resins and components to provide anglers with the most dynamic, lightweight and sensitive rods we can make.”

According to Justin Poe, brand manager for G.Loomis, the NRX construction method is completely unique to rod manufacturing. “By utilizing a stiffer, lighter and higher density carbon married with Nano Silica resin systems, we can provide Steve and his design team with a material that provides all kinds of positive benefits to anglers. The rods are lighter, yet more durable, extremely sensitive, and yet stiffer. Obviously we simply think they are the best fly rods out there.”" keep reading LINK


quoted information from the saltyshores.com.

I am pretty sure my next striper rod would be 9' 7 weight and is wrapped blue!

dry pouch

no more wet wallet! I am so excited about this new purchase! : )

summer cooking - fresh and cold

some vegi, some cold fresh tofu with green onion, great meso soup and some wonderful rice. The yellow baby is "egg" rice seasoning, the pink baby is "fish egg" rice seasoning with sea weed! Awesome combination, can't live without them! : )

a bird rod – riverwatch

I have been fish this “bird brand” rod – Riverwatch for several months now… just thought it might be good to do some review about this awesome double handed bamboo rod – Kispiox Valley – the Dean 12’ 8/9 from Bob Clay.
A very good friend L from Oregon sent along this rod to me in this passed early Spring. He want me to test this rod on the local striper river, how could I refuse such a wonderful treat! It arrived just on time to match up with my Saracione Mark 4. It’s a great balanced combo and this rod feel really solid on hand. The visual experience on this rod is simply unreal! Bob has the top notch craftsmanship and his art form spells the elegance, inside out through the whole rod! Amazing! When I open the rod case, the smell of the wood (or say.. Boo) just filled up the whole space! Wonderful! This is a 12 feet 8/9 rod, utilized the splice joint ferrule design. It take a while to get use to tape up those joints, but now I can tape it as fast and confident just like other ”plastic rods” I have. HA. It feels like one piece rod after the whole taping process. One piece rod! What a dream rod! If you know me well, you know I hate multiple piece rod. Even though, all the modern manufacturers claim that no difference between 2 piece versus 4 piece… I still hate to check the ferrules every once of a while… but for this rod, when done taping, you can fish whole day without checking ferrules… how awesome!
This rod is made from 5 sided design blank, feel really solid on hand. I mean, really SOLID, vivid and powerful. L told me it is suitable for scandi head 380-420 grain. It’s really hard to believe a whimpy bamboo rod can cast a good sharp loop on scandi head line… well… this is the rod! And this rod is not whimpy at all… it is a very responsible and have all the power come from the deep bend. I am not going to argue it is heavier than other graphite rod. It is. But this power of this rod is really make me speechless on the water. It casts 450-500 skagit head with heavy tip very very well… too well that I don’t even try to go up to 550… (which I believe it will also handle handsomely). If I can only fish one rod, this is the ultimate rod, period! The rod got soul! It never stop surprising me; every time I fish it, I have new discovery… the power seems like come from the Ah La Din Giant in “the magic lamp”… every time I asked, he gave me more… just that’s cool! To be continued…

booked! montana

Montana Trout Cut 1 of 2 from RA Beattie on Vimeo.

Off the Grid from RA Beattie on Vimeo.

my gentle bear logo

few years ago, I created "bear fishing" logos for a website logo competition. The idea was came from many famous "glamor" clothing brand logos... noted: my dad is a clothing connoisseur that he love to collect those famous European clothing brands. Every once of a while, I am fortune enough to wear some of his fine collections, I really love those fine clothing! Although I don't know how to spell the brand name, I recognize them from their interesting logos.. there are Crocodile, Fox, Dog and Penguin brands... very fine clothing indeed. So the idea here was to create a potential good animal star for this angling website (hint: they all love soft action rod). I thought the "gentle bear" with well bended rod could well represent the gentle personality of this website. Truth been told, I really love this logo! It is a winner! At least in my mind! Well, the bear did not win... maybe someday some clothing company will love to use my logo! : )

"Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like bananas."

by Tim Rajeff,

When should I hit it?

If there is one fundamental aspect of casting that will improve a person's enjoyment it is knowing "when to hit it". The term "hit it" refers to the burst of acceleration used during the casting stroke. All good casters are able to use different amounts of speed and acceleration in their casts depending on the rod action and power as well as the type and length of line being cast. continue reading LINK

It's a Saturday relaxing afternoon, I have nothing to do but surfing the internet, checking some new products and checking some websites. Tim Rajeff, the founder of Rajeff Sports (Echo rods), LINK. has continue putting up some interesting articles and videos in his great website. I always have a lot of fun reading his articles and also watching his videos. He is such a humorous person. I really wish I can meet him in person and shake hands with him! I have owned a Echo Decho 5122 rod. A very wonderful rod. If you are interested in buying a new rod. check out Echo rods! LINK

ready?

ready!

Tspey' blog - Alaskan edition

Just came across this wonderful blog from washington fly fishing community, awesome photos, wonderful writings and deep thoughts about environments. Check out Tspey's great blog! LINK
The day after passing my driver’s test I drove to the Russian for a weekend of fly fishing with my longtime fishing buddy RP (The Big Pull). Dozens upon dozens of trips followed. During Summers we would go on a trip every week. During school, we would skip a Friday here or a Monday there to extend the weekend on the river. At 16 we became obsessed with floating the Kenai. At 17 we would hike into bear-infested streams on the Kenai Peninsula or off the Alaska Highway. On one memorable trip, we had a train drop us off near a stream in the heart of Alaska for a week of heaven, dry-flying for rainbows and trophy grayling that had never before seen a fly...
...I started maneuvering my way downstream through the chest-deep water. I knew if I could hold him at the slow corner hole 150 yards below, I may have a chance. R.P. shouted from 100 yards upriver, “hold him” as he made his way towards me. I remember everything about that 5 minute battle along with it’s abrupt end. The sharp sound of drag, the stinging burn of flyline against skin, the chill of freezing water spilling over my waders as I hopped downriver. The rainbow felt like a mid 30 incher, a monster hog, pushing near 20 pounds...keep reading

forgotten gifts!

one of my close friend Jen, from Calgary Canada, know I love flyfish. so, she sent alone those wonderful gifts to me..eh.. about 7 months ago. that's right... about half year ago! As the season tuned into trout minded, I think I am in a great shape. I remembered those Elk Hair caddies flies just on the right time! Thank you Jen! I love those patterns! I will use them for my summer trip to the West! I love the calendar and DVDs too! Wooden kayak is the king! : ) BTW, next summer I will be heading Canadian Rockies! Be aware! : )

FF film interview

Gin-Clear Media take FF film into another level. Camera crane, aerial shot, underwater all blended together. see the interesting interview yourself... it makes me smile... I think the mice of the last clip don't even have a hook on it... : )

Biodiversity 2010 from iLCP on Vimeo.

enjoy the photos...take a few minutes to think about how we can help?

Cristina Mittermeier, iLCP President and photographer speaks for the Great Bear Rainforest from iLCP on Vimeo.

canadian rockies

Dry Fly Heaven from Jah Raven Creation on Vimeo.

Happy 4th July!

4th of July - Website Launch from together studios llc on Vimeo.

check out their videos, lovely! I admit, I love shooting wedding photos... : )

half way painting - and upcoming fall

I woke up this morning, for some unknown reasons, my mind was thinking about salmon fishing in New England where the place I will be settled in the coming fall... and suddenly, the leaves outside of my window were all turning yellowish than it should be... I can feel the fall is coming, a great season for BBQ, camping and painting...weird! but how wonderful! I really feel the Autumn this morning... I even can picture myself fishing in a colorful lake for land-locked salmon. How exciting!
The painting is only on it's half way... and... it has been this way for almost one and a half year... maybe I should finish it soon to celebrate the upcoming fall @@.

STRONGHOLDS; Hope for wild pacific salmon from iLCP on Vimeo.

Produced in partnership with the Wild Salmon Center with support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

In 1892, Livingston Stone, a Minister and avid fisherman called upon the US government to create a salmon park, saying “Let us now, at the eleventh hour, take pity on our long persecuted salmon and do him the poor and tardy justice of giving him, in our broad land that he has done so much for, one place where he can come and go unmolested and where he can rest in safety.” We have yet to pay attention to those great words, stated over a century ago.

While recovery efforts are critical in some areas, the nations of the North Pacific must work together to create and maintain a network of strong, healthy salmon ecosystems – strongholds of diversity and abundance. This proactive investment in robust salmon ecosystems provides an alternative to waiting until near extinction to try to reverse the effects of habitat degradation and overharvest.

Fortunately, there are rivers across the North Pacific still intact and teeming with wild salmon.

By identifying and protecting strongholds of robust salmon productivity in key rivers around the North Pacific Rim, we can direct our efforts toward conserving still healthy and intact salmon ecosystems. Wild salmon rivers are core centers of abundance and diversity, serving as the foundation for healthy wild fisheries, healthy economies, and healthy communities.

Protection of wild salmon strongholds must be at the heart of every federal, regional, tribal, and local conservation strategy.

We need your help.

To learn more, visit wildsalmoncenter.org

Catch Magazine - Congratulations! Bryan

Check out the fresh baked Catch Magazine! Now LINK.
it's so delicious! hmmmm yummy(in the fish point of view!).
My brother, Bryan Gregson strikes again! What a photo! Wonderful feel! It really made my day! : ) Check out BG's photography! LINK. Amazing work!

Silverside Outfitters 2010 Promo from Detonation Studios on Vimeo.