Canada / Alaska

It has been a long while since I was on this site - the March hail storms generated sooooooo much work we are only now getting on top of it. Still it has had it's benefits, 20-30 hours overtime for an extended period which was a drag but the money has paid for the trip to the west coast of Canada and an extended stay in Alaska.

Oh an as an added bonus (cash wise) at 59 years of age I won the employee of the year award with a tax free cash bonus and an enhanced normal (taxable)) bonus as well - off to Sydney next week to see whether I have won the national award (hope so as it comes with a five figure tax free award)

Jen and I are both celebrating our 60th this year so the trip is one of those we wanted to tick off the bucket list, for me a white sturgeon, a grayling (small but always wanted to catch one) and potentially five different salmon beckon - Magoo is even trying ........not very successfully ........to teach me how to fly cast - I keep leaning further and further forward (as if that is going to improve a crap technique) and he reckons he is bringing a star picket and rope for the next effort v..

Thats it from here - been catching plenty of metro dhuies in the few trips I had managed to hit the water but the bloody wind has been terrible

good luck with the trip mate [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] The last fly rod lesson was at the main lake where I live and seadragon was made to stand on the path way edge so if he did lean forward during the lesson ---- swimming lessons would be an extra.
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I have allowed Seadragon to "borrow" one of my 6 weight fly rod outfits so he can "practice" but he will have to modify the waist belt so a large brick can hold him upright.

Was very funny when I set up the doulble handed "noodle" 8 weight after Seadragon used my G.Loomis 8 weight so the different rod actions could be compared.Talk about sledging [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

A couple more lessons should just about do it and then I can let my ribs recover from the humour/laughter [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

knowing golden bollox as I do, it wont take long for him to master it and also wouldn't bet against him landing a sturgeon either.

Canada, now there's a place i wanna be

Well done Dick, always great to hear from you.

Keep up the good work.

Chook wrote:Well done Dick, always great to hear from you.

Keep up the good work.

I have purchased a new electic megaphone allowing for greater clarity of thought provoking messages beamed around the curvature of this earth to you. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Works for me..!

Second lesson today was after a cry for help " I am having problems Magoo " so off to a different lake to frighten the locals and ducks [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] (sorry Chook)

Seems the problem was using the weak Right arm/wrist and not the strong Left arm/wrist ( bloody molly dookers ) and after going back to the basic water fall technique all came good.The fly rod I left for practice was a med to fast whereas my G.Loomis is fast so out with the G.L.3 6 weight and BINGO all came good so back to the med fast rod to make the action/timing more apparent (practice yer bugger)

One more refresher and possibly get Seadragon to perform a double haul with front pike and summersault followed by a swallow dive half twist on the back cast [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The best part was the ever changing audience walking around the lake walking their dogs or taking kids for a breath of fresh air [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The next lesson will be with the 10 weight TFO and then the 8 weight G.Loomis just to test the Left arm .

May well take the camera to record the occasion

you must take the camera .. I mean you "really" must

Two cameras making the trip - a lumix waterproof and an A55 sony capable of taking 10 frames a second (for the action shots- I hope) both have GPS so a hover on the photos shows exactly where they were taken - don't you love this technology.

Practiced again today for half an hour - when you get it right it quite literally is effortless (as most activities requiring precise timing are WHEN you get it right) still letting go of the slack a little early and keep dropping the tip a little low but there is at least some improvement - not long to go now

Magoo wrote: I have allowed Seadragon to "borrow" one of my 6 weight fly rod outfits so he can "practice" but he will have to modify the waist belt so a large brick can hold him upright.

Was very funny when I set up the doulble handed "noodle" 8 weight after Seadragon used my G.Loomis 8 weight so the different rod actions could be compared.Talk about sledging [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

A couple more lessons should just about do it and then I can let my ribs recover from the humour/laughter [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

does that all mean????????????????????????











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Chook you seem to not under stand "fly rodding terminology"

Noodle = very soft/floppy action
6 or 8 weight is a measured size/standard for fly rods/lines

The rest is up to your imagination or google but I am sure you understand sledging and the emoticons.

Ahhhhhh, yes!!

Dont mind if I do.

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Thats for that mate... [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

And finally I look a little less of a total wanker (i mean novice) and am starting to actually get some distance without catching the grass behind me - he is a bloody good coach

Glad you posted up about the "lesson" Seadragon as I have been trying to post up some photo's from the Sunday fun session seems I will have to go through photobucket to load here.

All went well after I re-programmed the pupil's left arm and adjusted the feet position but the real test was when the 8 weight was set up. Talk about applying controlled power and using stored energy in the casting action.A huge gain in control of the back and forward casting resulted in more distance gained without any fly line crashes onto the water.The next stage was the 10 weight with a Rio shooting head which was a quantum leap for distance but just a bit over gunned for Seadragon -- sorry mate you need to practice with the double haul first.

Switching between the 6 and 8 weight and fine tuning the many aspects Seadragon was more than able to fly rod cast proficiently to give the Alaskan trout some thing to worry about.

The best bit was when I cast the fly rod while kneeling down and I was able to get the line the same distance as when I stand up. SD tried the same method and nearly went face first in the lake Forgot the star picket and rope for SD

By the time the Alaska/Canada trip is over I reckon I will have a fly fishing convert

More practice over the weekend - better every time and now getting a little single haul action thought far from perfect - still at least I don't feel like an idiot, dont whipper snip the grass behind me and actually place the red wool on the surface rather than crashing it down

Sore back now from trenching and installing storm water piping before the trip so might not try too hard until later in the week - might even even get a fish on Friday

well he's caught a white sturgeon, I kinda knew he would, 5ft 10in long.

I cant tell you anything else, not because its a secret, its because I cant read his writing on the card.

The postcard is currently with MI5 where they are running it through the enigma machine.

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I received a shortish e-mail last week that Seadragon had to do a runner as mummy bear cracked the shits as he was too close to her cub. Waiting for some pics but just get short 1 sentence e-mails.

Wonder if he has tried fishing from a canoe

Geeze how to hurt someones feelings - my writing is good (for a doctor - trouble is I am not in that profession) - yes both Jen and I caught white sturgeon, the best was mine at 5 foot 10 inches measured - from a very flooded Fraser River fishing from the bank as there were huge logs belting by making boat fishing dangerous in the extreme.



I do not know how to insert photos but if someone can provide guidance then would be pleased to post some pictures



Alaska was amazing but it wasn't fishing it was catching, salmon - well you do not truly "fish" for them anyway, most salmon fishing on the "named" rivers (Kenai, Russian and Kasilof) is truly combat "fishing" - actually snagging really and even fishing for specimen rainbows uses a snagging technique



The Wildman Lake Lodge trip was a real eye opener, no combat just me, a specialist guide and 15 miles of crystal clear spring fed river all to myself, hooked a dolly varden first pathetic attempt to cast a weighted purple egg sucking leech directly behind spawning sockeye salmon, caught salmon (actually snagged them in the mouth) with only two actually attacking the fly - a red and a silver all sight fished to. Huge rainbows on mouse flys and some of the most enjoyable fishing using a featherweight 2 weight dry fly rod to rising fish, char, rainbows and dollies ............really exciting and on light tippets........... proper fishing but still caught 46 fish in a day and lost double that in unstoppables.



Enough without the photos - more later

nice one .. hurry up and post some pictures though, and happy belated birthday to Seawitch, welcome back.

Well how do you add photos for goodness sake

Tammy knows the "secret" but it invoves loading onto a host site like photobucket.Tried to upload some pics myself but gave up.

Thanks for the Alaska post card it arrived today -- yet to get the hyroglyphics translated ( you are a shocker SD ) BUT the address is nice and clear must be SW's writing.

You can verbal me whenever

come on mate.... open an imageshack or photobucket account ffs

upload picture from computer to free site, click on code, paste code in post .. hurry up ..

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ok .. I can see the first one didnt work .. lol

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simples .. lol