Snow!!!

Today we had snow for the second time this year, although some people wouldn't condescend to label the dusting we got as snow.  Still, for this part of the country, the first snow of the year is a welcome sight as we never know how much will actually fall any given winter.  After the snow tapered off, I hurried out with the new camera to have a little fun.  Here are some of the results...

Another Good Water Year?

Next summer is shaping up as another great water year out west and in particular for the northern Rockies.  Obviously there is really no way of accurately predicting the amount of snow but all indications are pointing towards another good water year.  La Nina is back which was one of the main reasons for last year's great snowpack.  Current long range climate outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center are forecasting the likelihood of above average precipitation across large portions of the west.  Unfortunately, along with that is a good chance that the south central and southwestern states' drought will continue. 

In Yellowstone this past summer, there were still numerous snow banks on the higher north-facing slopes into August and the Tetons still had plenty of snow at that late date. 

A second consecutive year with better than normal water will mean lots of big healthy trout in the future and as a good fisherman, I'm hoping for another epic snowpack.  Start planning your trips west now but stay flexible as a heavy snowpack could again seriously delay the start of the best fishing...

 

Out Shooting Again

A new Canon 550D (Rebel T2i) found its way to my house this week, and I'm ready to start taking pictures again.  Naturally I plan on being very careful with the new toy and to not flip any canoes while it is on board.  Hopefully I will be out shooting in the next day or two, and with a bit of luck I'll be out fishing soon as well...

First Striper!

I have been out chasing stripers several times this fall as you all have probably noticed.  In between catching a few for myself, I have also had the pleasure of putting some people on their first striper on the fly rod ever and have another trip or two lined up.  One of the best trips was with my buddy Joe and his brother Ethan.  Joe catches a lot of big fish, especially browns up in the Smokies but can hold his own on other species as well.  He wanted to put his brother Ethan on a striper so we agreed on a time and place.  Ethan is an excellent fisherman himself and tied into a nice striper after just a little coaching.  The big grin says it all...

Not So Big

Stripers still continue to feed heavily in anticipation of continued cold weather.  I made it to a favorite striper spot earlier this week and did ok, catching two stripers in the 10-15 pound range plus a walleye and a white bass.  These stripers are not as large as some of the 20+ pound fish I have tied into, but I think they are just about the perfect size.  They still pull hard but your arm doesn't feel like falling off when you land one.  Hopefully the fishing for stripers will continue good for another week or two...

Winter!

Winter has blown in with a convincing dusting of snow and frigid winds.  This morning I woke up to a beautiful dusting of wet snow that stuck to all the trees.  The ground itself was largely too warm still for anything to stick to it resulting in a beautiful sight:  lush green grass still carpets my yard while the trees wear a frosty coating. 

High Water

High water is the theme across middle Tennessee today.  Rivers like the Caney Fork are high and look to remain that way for an extended amount of time.  Upstream, Great Falls Reservoir is dumping a lot of water right now, like 59,398 cfs and still rising.  All that water will end up downstream in Center Hill Lake which means it will eventually will come on down through the tailwater section. 

The Cumberland Plateau region and much of east Tennessee is under a flood warning as many small streams have burst their banks.  Needless to say, fishing will be on the back burner for a while as water levels return to normal.  The exception to this will be with the anglers chasing large fish.  For those in the know, this might be one of the best times to chase a trophy.

If you can, get out there and throw streamers!  You just might tie into the fish of a lifetime...

Mountain Water

Epic Campfire

Last week, I got out for a one night camping trip that was supposed to be the start of a several day adventure.  Well, plans change and I ended up cancelling the backpacking portion of the trip due to some unexpected extenuating circumstances.  The campfire was epic enough to count for 3 nights worth of camping though.

Evening on the River