"Sunday Tippets" For Georgia Bound, Troutrageous!

So, it has been announced that the "Epic Troutrageous ~ Owl Fishing Trip" is only a few weeks away...oh, wait a minute while I look at that Countdown Meter ...  Yep, less than that now.  Anyways, the fly fishing brothers are about to embark on a Smoky Mountain adventure...  I thought it only fair to Mike Agneta, Mr. Troutrageous! to give him fair warning or shall we say some "Sunday Tippets" for his upcoming trip.  I mean, I did experience fly fishing in the Smokies with Owl and Flyfish SC last Spring...so, who else would be better in giving a little bit of advice... Do you know the words to "Rocky Top"??? Lol.

Milliam will definitely keep things on an even keel... 

                           I think.  = )

Owl Jones dot com recently put out his announcement with an interesting list of promises for those who come to visit him and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  Here was his list... Listen up, and take note,

Mr. T!  There is a lot to be said for reading between the lines... = ) 

1.  Culture shock ~ What Owl really is saying here...is that you will see many new and different things.  A Chicken Statue...Boiled Peanut vendors with a steaming barrel on the side of the road...those sort of things...

 

 2.  New food (fried pies, boiled peanuts, pork rinds, fried pickles, grits) ~ Well, you know that you have to try the favorites of Georgia while you are there...just be very careful not to eat too much of these goodies!  You have been warned.  But, you must have him take you to a BBQ with fried green beans and okra.  Just sayin'! (You can easily put on 10 lbs in one weekend.)  And don't put those pies in your suitcase to come home with... They won't make it.  = )  And if you try the grits, you are one up on me... 

3.  Amazing fishing for 6 inch trout ~  OR LESS!!!  Lol.  No, that isn't a lure. Ok...to be fair, there are some 6 inch brookie beauties like this one too...

4.  Live, first hand observation of redneck behavior ~ You don't have to look far to find redneck behavior... Their outdoor swings are a little strange though... 

5.  Camping with bears ~ Ya know, I had a perfect way to remain safe and sound from the bears.  This will be my most important tippet to you.  Get first dibbs on sleeping on the air mattress in the back of the SUV!  Let the Georgia natives have the tents.  = ) 

6.  Free lessons on proper speaking ( How to speak Southern ) ~ Now, Owl is the Host of Southern Speaking... He will have you speaking a foreign whole new language before you go back home.  I will give you a couple of starters before you leave...so you will feel a bit more acclamated when you arrive!! 

Howdy = hello, hey there. "Howdy, y'all".
Yonder = over there. "I'm goin' over yonder."
Fixin' = about to or going to. "I'm fixin' to get somethin' to eat."

7.  Atlanta traffic ~ Well, you are flying into one of the busiest airports...so, yes, you will see traffic.  Owlie lives north in a quiet suburb...he doesn't like all the hustle and bustle.  =  )  No worries on getting out of there... Owl is a car jumper.  He presses a button and the car automatically jumps over several at a time... And if you have signage like this... People will let you pass.  Lol.  Oh, well...maybe not for your trip.  = )  

8.  Lame jokes ~ Well, I really can't help you out there.  It is what it is.  You are with Owl Jones.  But, he does have some pretty good ones too.  = )  But, I promise you that the jokes will keep you laughing the whole time...even if they are lame.  And forgive Owl for his sense of direction...he will get you to your destination in the end.  = )

9.  The Great Smoky Mountain National Park ~ My only "tippet" here is to let that camera roll...you will see the most amazing scenery and views as you make the journey around the Park... You might even see an Owl in front of the GSMNP welcome sign...just sayin'! (It's such a friendly place)

 10.   $1,500 cash ~ Ummm...this was not on my original list of things promised when in Georgia... But, no worries!  If this is the only thing that isn't fulfilled on his promise list...you are doing very well indeed!  Your experience in the Smokies will be priceless.

SUNDAY TIPPET:  Last, but not least... Pray for no rain and especially no flash flooding... Really, there is no way that it could happen again like last year.  = )  No way...

And despite the weather Owl, Mark, and I  had... It was a great time.  Because when you are with friends...nothing else really matters.  

Facing Your Fears ~ Sunday Tippets, Damsel Style

 

How does one go about taking risks and overcoming

fear???  Well, I decided to take on the challenge of a friend that told me that I needed to take the leap.  The leap to overcome my fear of a river bed!  Now, I know that it sounds funny that after four years of fly fishing, that I would still be apprehensive about the flow of the water in a stream or river.  But, I am.  I've had enough adventures of falling and nearly drowning that it has made me a bit gun shy.  And the last thing I want to do is stand on the side of a river casting out in one direction!  It works, but it is so much better to stand in the middle and be able to cast to one bank and turn around and hit the other side too.  So, I decided to confront my nemesis and leap into it a little bit farther...with a wading stick!  A great invention.

 

Most of our experiences in life are determined by

our own perception.  And my perception of the water that I fish twice a week, has been off kilter for sure.  I have spooked myself out!  In a nutshell, my perception of a situation that can be remedied just by practicing a lot more...has been hindered by my fear factor.  So, you feel apprensive about something that you want to do.  You are feeling scared and timid about jumping in. That prompts you to worry and that worry then influences all of your actions. It affects how you talk and it even impacts your body. You get the nervous stomach and so on. That all began with a feeling.  And this past year, I have searched for "safe spots" to fish...slower water, deep pools.  But, am I improving my skills as a fly fisherman?  No. 

 

Which bug is fake?  Oh...I guess that one with a bead head!

The best thing to do when confronted with anything is to view the situation with objectivity and an open mind. Be honest with yourself, too.  If the water is too swift, then I'm not going to plunge through it!  Of course not.  But, if I can scope out the different areas in front of me, I can usually see one route that would be easier to walk to get where I want to be.  When you put your emotions aside and can see something independently from what you may think about it, then you can cut through any possible delusion and see the situation accurately.  The interesting thing about overcoming a fear is that you need to believe that you can do it. Doubt is like cancer. It feeds on all the positive, happy thoughts and feelings you may have. Nothing kills a dream more quickly than doubt.  It's kind of like picking up the stone fly yesterday as I was re-rigging.  There was no more doubt on what to throw out there to land a fish.  So, I quickly put on the arsenal...  Bam, bam, bam!  Shakespeare said that “life is a stage and we each must play a part.”  It was so true yesterday.  For the stone fly, the trout, and for me!



A most deserving kiss from RD...

Now the thing about believing in yourself is that you have to have an accurate perception about yourself and the situation at hand.  When I picked up that stone fly, I knew my subject and fly of the day like I knew the back of my hand. I have no doubt about my potential and/or talent. I also know that I am capable of learning more and that makes me even more secure in knowing that I am on the right path.  I just needed a little bit of courage and a kick in the butt from a friend that told me to start believing again.  And you know what I found out?   It is easier to take a risk when you believe that you can achieve what you are trying to do.  Bottom line.

So, I headed out to the Weber River yesterday to try out the wading stick that has stood up in the corner of my room for the past four years...don't ask me why...Stubborness?  Probably.  But, we put it to the test.  And after ten laps across the river as my "practice time", I felt more comfortable with my balancing act.  Even the rain and then snow pellets coming down, did not deter me!  And how odd that it would make for better fishing!!  They were slurping... = )

It was a "rainbow" day for sure...and I actually killed two birds with one stone.  I started my journey in overcoming my fear of wading in a river and I won the battle with my old favorite river, the Weber!!  Now, this river has been tough for me this past year.  But, today...with a new confidence and positive attitude, I believed and those big ol' browns and rainbows filled my net.  I will take 17-18 in trout anyday!!!  In the end, oh yes...there had to be an end to the day unfortunately...we headed back to the car at 6 pm...ha!  When you have a successful journey, you make the most of it.  Don't you???  Nothing is better than the feeling of accomplishment and laying the fears aside.

SUNDAY TIPPET:

Cast your fears aside.  Face them head on and take on the challenge if you are physically, mentally, and emotionally able.  When you test your limits, sometimes you find that you can accomplish more than you originally thought!  It is often the anxiety that prevents you from doing it.  .Don't let the fear corner you or prevent you from doing something that you really want to do.  In my situation...it is just going to take practice, practice, practice!   That means that you give your best to the present moment and trust that it will lead you exactly to where you need to be.   

Fear and risk does exist in all aspects of life.  However, we become a slave to our fears only when we allow ourselves to be intimidated by it. Fear only becomes real when we believe that it is real.  So, believe that it isn't and LIVE BIGGER (As a friend has told me...)!!  Fear is not the boss of you….you are the boss of it. Decide today that YOU CAN and you will overcome your fears!

The Short And Sweet Of It All...

Yes, we did have a "Fish Tuesday"!  No, we didn't hitch a ride with these guys on their "Golf Tuesday" or try to find a fish pond on the golf course.  And unlike, Howard...I didn't go to a cemetary to fish for bass on a "Stroll Tuesday"  (I guess that you have to give the guy credit for using his lunch hour wisely to get free fishsticks, with permission of course...)  

Instead, I hightailed it up to Idaho for Round 2 in a secluded place with rainbow trout.   A journey that was a little more of a drive for a Tuesday, but I felt like getting out of town today.  And I was greeted by a nice, little BWO hatch that went on for several hours.  But, it was a nymphing day with the fishies until they came to the surface around 3 pm... So, I decided to stay a while longer.  = )

And then it was time to go home.  You know why those fish up there in Idaho are so healthy... it's the bugs!  Look at the ones I brought home!!  They definitely have juicier bugs than Utah does... = )

Last stop before heading back to the hacienda... Ugh...you will have to excuse my nibble before the picture was taken...a girl gets hungry after a long day on the water!!

Ok...now, that I have made you nice and hungry... ; )  This was the best pizza that I have ever had.  Thank you Nick Jones for tellilng me about this place...Jack's Wood Fired Oven...Mmmmmm

I couldn't decide between two...so I made them split it.  Ha.  We call it the "Twisted" (Bbq chicken, mango, jalepenos, roasted almonds)  and "Chuckwagon" (Bbq pulled pork, pineapple, jalepenos, parm cheese on top)  It was delightful and filled the craving for something spicy and something sweet.

Just another "Fish Tuesday"!!!

The Easter Lily - Sunday Tippets, Damsel Style

A book review of The Parable of the Lily ~

This story was written by Liz Curtis Higgs and has masterfully painted pictures by Nancy Munger.

The story begins in the winter months. Maggie goes to the mailbox down the lane to retrieve the mail and receives a mystery letter. It told her that a special gift is on its way just for her. This letter aroused her curiosity and she anxiously waited for the gift. The days went by and finally the gift arrived. Her father, the Farmer watched Maggie open the gift and saw her disappointed face.

The gift wasn't a doll or new toy; it was a box full of dirt with instructions that said, "Hide in a cool dark place, water as needed, When spring comes bring into the light." Maggie figured it was probably a bulb that would bloom sometime. She placed it on a shelf in the basement and pretty much forgot about it. The Farmer was sad because he had given her this gift, but as spring came he waited and hoped she would remember the box. When spring came, the Farmer got out his gardening tools and began to work in his garden. Maggie ran to the basement to get her tools and accidentally knocked down the box full of dirt. Out rolled the bulb.

Maggie picked it up angrily and threw it outside. She was angry with herself and still hurt from the disappointment that the box had not held a new toy. On Easter morning, Maggie woke up early and went outside to pick some flowers. In the garden, she saw the most beautiful lily plant that ever bloomed!

She called everyone to get up and see the beauty that she knew had come from the ugly box of dirt. When she saw her father's face she knew he had given her the bulb. She asked him for forgiveness and he said to her, "That's what Easter's all about."

Sunday Tippet ~ The box of dirt came as an undesirable gift...but, was it?  Don't judge a book by it's cover.  Beauty is often found inside...What you might see as a insignificant gift from someone, might be something of great value and worth to you someday.  As many people in the world celebrate Easter in some way today, let's remember to appreciate those gifts that are placed right before us, but we somehow toss to the side and often forget.  Hoping that all of you have a wonderful Easter Sunday!!!

And don't let the "Easter Bunny" get away with the eggs at your Easter egg hunt!

Cranes and Crane Flies On The Beaverhead





I know that most of you think that the River Damsel looks for mishaps to write about...But, truth be told, this is not the case.  My knack for finding unforseen situations happens all the time.  Maybe I'm just a klutz or maybe I just have bad luck.  It is what it is.  And it follows me wherever I go... Don't worry Mel!!  I didn't need the first aid kit on this trip.  Just a crane. Mmmm..let's get back to that part later.   There is much more important stuff to talk about first!  The Beaverhead River...

For those that have not been to Montana or to the Beaverhead River...Well, this post is especially for you.  And for those who have experienced this river already...Yes, that would be you, Ivan...just nod your head and smile as you read my report.  = )  You already know the beauty and the fish that lie beneath...It really doesn't get much better than this.  And the scenery is awesome on the way up.  Bison, deer, and cattle roam across the vast countryside.

The alarm clock goes off at 3:30 am, Saturday...no biggie. (I start work at 6 am everyday...so, it's routine)  I met up with some local friends and we had about a 5 1/2 hour trip ahead.  We made good time and before you knew it, the fly rods were loaded up for battle.  I was fortunate to have along some friends that had fished the Beaverhead before.  I had heard the stories from many.  I was really feeling that this would be a successful trip.  Another friend "dialed" me in with two fly patterns that would surely work before I left town.  Now, how could I go wrong???  The crane fly larvae was money.  Along with his little partner there, the zebra midge.

Seriously, as I stepped into the river, I felt like I belonged.  Heck, every time I go to Montana, I feel like I belong... So, we started tossing these two flies out...bam, bam bam...All I saw all day long was...you guessed it!  Mr. Brown Trout.   My friends had a few rainbows in their nets.  But, not me!  One after another...Mr. Spots.  That's ok...I was catching and it was fun!  It was Montana fishing...and more importantly, The Beave... The way fly fishing was meant to be...exillerating!   I had never sat in a money hole this long...one after another!  Who wouldn't???  Those fish must really like those juicy, pastel caterpillars...the crane fly larvae.

I have never fished a whole weekend with two patterns of flies.  I didn't need to open up my fly box...it was simply amazing!  We chose to go for the "counts" rather than the "size"...  And the section of this river proved all that was rumored.  Many trout between 14-16 inches...which they call "cookie cutter"??  I was good with that.  I can always go back next time and have a slower day looking for the "piggies"!!!  But, I felt like it would be way more fun catching consistently... One of my bigger count days for sure.   Here is one of the smaller gents!   

Ahh...Mr. Brown Trout...he liked my net.  Until I watched my new net take a swim down the river...the bad part of my trip.  =  (   But, I always carry my old net as a back up when I travel.   So, Saturday was highly successful.  We ended up back in Dillon, MT. for a nice steak dinner and planned the next day's itinerary.  How it could get much better...I didn't have a clue...

 



We decided to start out earlier on Sunday as the winds had presented a little havoc on Saturday afternoon.  (Didn't affect the fishing though)  The storms that were supposed to bring rain or snow...just kind of blew over and we lucked out.  We wanted to check out the Ruby River down the road aways too.  So, we headed over that way and spent an hour or two.  It was a beautiful place, but the fish were few compared to the day before.  So, we headed back to the Beaverhead.  We know a good thing when we see it.  It's all in the timing sometimes.  I'll be back Ruby!

We finished out the day on the Beaverhead...and it was much of the same as the day before.  Brown trout mostly, a few rainbows and even ended the day with a "beloved" whitefish!  (Not mine, sorry)  

Here's a little bit of a "tippet" for you who want to know some interesting factoids. The Beaverhead River is an approximately 69-mile (111 km)-long tributary of the Jefferson River in southwest Montana (East of the Continental Divide)  The name of the Beaverhead originates from Beaverhead Rock on the middle river. This rock formation was recognized by Sacajawea when the Lewis and Clark Expedition passed the area in 1805.

There were also many beavers in the area at the time, but the name does not originate from the animal. In 1805, Captain Meriwether Lewis traveled up the Jefferson and Beaverhead first, but when the rest of the expedition came, a sign Lewis had left at the confluence of the Beaverhead and Big Hole telling them to follow the Beaverhead had been cut down by a beaver, and the expedition traveled up the Big Hole instead. Resultantly, the swifter current of the Big Hole swamped two of their canoes before they could travel back down to the confluence.  Together with the Red Rock River, the Beaverhead forms the uppermost headwaters of the Missouri River, the longest tributary of the Mississippi River.

Oh, Mr. Brown Trout!!  We got to stop meeting like this...scratch that. = )

So, we had plenty of trout released, thanks to the crane fly larvae.  And then we found out that we needed another type of  "crane"...to help out the Damsel in Distress!  Yes, folks, I did it again.  I walked into some soft mud that I couldn't get out of.  As I yelled to my friends that there was a little emergency...they came over and looked at me with a "you got to be kidding" look on their faces!  No, I'm not kidding...I'm stuck!

The "crane" was somebody's back that pulled me out as I hung on tightly...one foot at a time.  I didn't want to lose sight of the spot where the boot was...it was under black water.  When I reached down to pull it out, I still couldn't bring it up!  There was no way that I was going to leave my Simms behind!  I started scooping out the black mud until I could lift it out.  Then a repeat on the other foot.  Goodness, messes...I hate them.  Bet you would have liked a picture of my black hands and nails...Sorry.

So, the end to this tale (and a true one it is)  Never leave home for the river without your pocket shovel.  = )

Ok...I guess that is just for me!